2012 Hall of Fame Inductee: fredtoast - Cincinnati Bengals Message Boards

MB Hall of Fame · #1 04-26-2012, 04:16 PM

Congratulations to fredtoast for induction into the Message Board Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2012!

fredtoast · #2 05-03-2012, 08:41 PM

My love affair with the Bengals began in1973 when Howard Fest spoke at the Franklin Pee-Wee Football banquet. He played guard for the Bengals. I thought he was the biggest man I had ever seen. He was 6'6", 260 or, in other words, exactly the same size as our current tight end who sometimes lines up split out as a wide receiver. I have seen a lot of change over the years.

I never had much athletic ability, but I was a decent football player because I was obsessed with football. I worked out all the time during the offseason, and when I played it was with a wild reckless abandon. This devotion to the game earned me a First Team spot on The Franklin Chronicle's All Area Team which covered the entire Franklin-Carlisle-Springboro megalopolis.

After graduation my family moved to Tennessee where I continued my football career at Carson Newman College. My lack of ability was exposed against high level college competition, and after a couple of years I decided that college would not be about football for me.

My college football career was short, but I was exposed to some of the best coaches in the nation. Over the last 30 years Ken Sparks has won five National Championships, finished second three times, and has made the playoffs 21 times. It was there that I first saw coaches who could throw on film of a game they had never seen before and immediately see things like the fact that a deep completion down the left sideline was the result of the right cornerback on the opposite side of the field lining up about 18 inches out of position by taking outside leverage on a WR instead of inside. It blew my mind and really opened up my eyes to how complex of a game football is and how really smart good coaches are.

I was also exposed to how hard guys had to work to make the NFL. Two guys that I played with ended up playing in the NFL for a few years. Boyce Green even led the Browns in rushing in 1984. I saw first hand what a commitment it takes to play at the NFL level, and I have great respect for anyone that makes an NFL roster.

Back then life was tough on a Bengal fan living out of state. I watched the '81 Freezer Bowl game in my parents basement by myself. I watched the Super Bowl in a dorm lounge with no other real Bengal fans around. I watched the second Super Bowl at Bert's Coin Laundry Lounge because I was so poor in college that I didn't even own a TV. It took me eight years to get two degrees, and the two Bengal Superbowls were like bookends to my career as a student. They came in my first and last years of college.

Being out of touch was probably a good thing during the 1990's, but no matter how bad it got my faith never waivered. The day we traded up to get KiJana Carter was one of the greatest moments in my life. Carter was one of the best backs I had ever seen in college, and I was sure that the bold trade made by Mike Brown was going to get us over the hump.

Then around 2005 a couple of strange things started to happen. The Bengals started to win some games and I started to look for some Bengal message boards. Bengals.com was not my first, but it has certainly become my favorite. I joined here after the '05 season and have been blasting away non stop ever since. I have always been obsessed with football and the Bengals have always been my number one team. The interactions I have on this site fill a need deep inside me. I have a full, well rounded life in addition to the Bengals, but posting here is my favorite pass time.

Growing up I only saw one regular season Bengal game at Riverfront....a sloppy, boring, low-scoring loss to the Chiefs in 1979. But since '06 I have seen them play at least one game a year. I haven't decided yet which game I'll see this year, but I look forward to the sea of orange, the smell of charcoal, and the calls of "Who dey" floating on the cool autumn breeze.

Paul from Dayton · #3 05-04-2012, 11:41 AM

Congrats Fred! The boards wouldn't be the same without you to disagree with...

bfine32 · #4 05-04-2012, 08:35 PM

Congrats Fred!!

SunsetBengal · #5 05-04-2012, 08:45 PM

Congratulations Fred! A well deserved honor.

Btw, that's quite a bio that you put together. I'll be introducing Banjaxed soon, I'll be putting his speech together sometime this weekend.

TrinaAnn · #6 05-05-2012, 09:44 PM

Congrats!!

TGISunday · #7 05-06-2012, 03:45 AM

congrats fred!

Bengalzona · #8 05-07-2012, 10:46 PM

Congrats Fred

pookdogg7 · #9 05-09-2012, 03:03 PM

Congrats Fred!

BANJAXED · #10 05-09-2012, 03:08 PM

Fred, I would give you a nice firm butt slap in public

just wanted you to know

auggie · #11 05-09-2012, 03:44 PM

Congrat's Fred.

J24 · #12 05-10-2012, 11:35 PM

Congrats fred!

BengalYankee · #13 05-13-2012, 01:36 PM

Congratulations,

You are the Chief Attorney of these boards

and when I grow up, I want to be just like you.

CINwillWIN · #14 05-14-2012, 01:23 AM

Well deserved! Congrats Fred!

Elusive1 · #15 05-14-2012, 02:37 AM

grats

Section304 · #16 05-17-2012, 02:12 AM

Congrats to you fine sir.

Bengals in Toronto · #17 05-24-2012, 11:38 PM

congrats

3wt · #18 06-15-2012, 01:18 PM

Well deserved. I enjoy your epic battles and logical mind.

3wt · #19 06-15-2012, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredtoast

My love affair with the Bengals began in1973 when Howard Fest spoke at the Franklin Pee-Wee Football banquet. He played guard for the Bengals. I thought he was the biggest man I had ever seen. He was 6'6", 260 or, in other words, exactly the same size as our current tight end who sometimes lines up split out as a wide receiver. I have seen a lot of change over the years.

I never had much athletic ability, but I was a decent football player because I was obsessed with football. I worked out all the time during the offseason, and when I played it was with a wild reckless abandon. This devotion to the game earned me a First Team spot on The Franklin Chronicle's All Area Team which covered the entire Franklin-Carlisle-Springboro megalopolis.

After graduation my family moved to Tennessee where I continued my football career at Carson Newman College. My lack of ability was exposed against high level college competition, and after a couple of years I decided that college would not be about football for me.

My college football career was short, but I was exposed to some of the best coaches in the nation. Over the last 30 years Ken Sparks has won five National Championships, finished second three times, and has made the playoffs 21 times. It was there that I first saw coaches who could throw on film of a game they had never seen before and immediately see things like the fact that a deep completion down the left sideline was the result of the right cornerback on the opposite side of the field lining up about 18 inches out of position by taking outside leverage on a WR instead of inside. It blew my mind and really opened up my eyes to how complex of a game football is and how really smart good coaches are.

I was also exposed to how hard guys had to work to make the NFL. Two guys that I played with ended up playing in the NFL for a few years. Boyce Green even led the Browns in rushing in 1984. I saw first hand what a commitment it takes to play at the NFL level, and I have great respect for anyone that makes an NFL roster.

Back then life was tough on a Bengal fan living out of state. I watched the '81 Freezer Bowl game in my parents basement by myself. I watched the Super Bowl in a dorm lounge with no other real Bengal fans around. I watched the second Super Bowl at Bert's Coin Laundry Lounge because I was so poor in college that I didn't even own a TV. It took me eight years to get two degrees, and the two Bengal Superbowls were like bookends to my career as a student. They came in my first and last years of college.

Being out of touch was probably a good thing during the 1990's, but no matter how bad it got my faith never waivered. The day we traded up to get KiJana Carter was one of the greatest moments in my life. Carter was one of the best backs I had ever seen in college, and I was sure that the bold trade made by Mike Brown was going to get us over the hump.

Then around 2005 a couple of strange things started to happen. The Bengals started to win some games and I started to look for some Bengal message boards. Bengals.com was not my first, but it has certainly become my favorite. I joined here after the '05 season and have been blasting away non stop ever since. I have always been obsessed with football and the Bengals have always been my number one team. The interactions I have on this site fill a need deep inside me. I have a full, well rounded life in addition to the Bengals, but posting here is my favorite pass time.

Growing up I only saw one regular season Bengal game at Riverfront....a sloppy, boring, low-scoring loss to the Chiefs in 1979. But since '06 I have seen them play at least one game a year. I haven't decided yet which game I'll see this year, but I look forward to the sea of orange, the smell of charcoal, and the calls of "Who dey" floating on the cool autumn breeze.

Loved the post. Takes me back.

I remember going to a few games at Nippert when there was the awesomeness of these giants on a tiny field. The running game really was 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

I remember being in awe of the differnce in Boomer's arm (from Kenny's) the first time he took the field

I was at the Freezer Bowl in three layers of leggings and could not feel anything in my legs as I walked (stumbled) out of Riverfront. I tried to go to work (in a downtown restaurant), but they wouldn't let me (I hadn't been drinking, but I was acting drunk).

I remember selling Tommy Casanova a pair of shoes in a downtown shoe store (Potter's) and thinking how ordinary he looked.

And I remember waiting on Al Davis in that same downtown restaurants when the Raiders were in town back in the early 80s. He was talking about the "really great teams". I handed him his pasta and said, "Like the Bengals". With a sour look on his face he said, "No, NOT like the Bengals". It was worth the joke to get the response.

There really is a mystique about professional football that I hope doesn't die. And like you I would never consider any team but the Bengals my own. I started off in New England, but the Bengals have always been my team.

I enjoy reading your posts on these boards, along with a number of others who share the obsession. I find it interesting that you only go to a game or two a year.

Same as me - but my reasons are financial

Anyway, keep up the good work