Marc Hoover
As summer fades into the past, Ohioans will have a new reason to complain—cold weather. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, Ohioans can expect a cold winter. Thankfully, before it gets too cold, we can enjoy Thanksgiving and Halloween.

When it comes to keeping up with the seasons, I just look at professional sports. For instance, a new Cincinnati Reds season indicates spring. And when fall arrives, it indicates the latest season of professional football. It also means another Bengals team will call Paul Brown Stadium home.

Strangely, the Bengals play like tigers during the regular season, but then become paper tigers in the playoffs. The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game in years. From 2005 to 2015, the Bengals earned playoff berths on seven occasions. Unfortunately, like an old television rerun, each appearance finished with the same ending—a first round loss.

The last time the Bengals won a playoff game was on January 6, 1991 when they crushed the Houston Oilers 41-14. The Oilers eventually moved to Tennessee, became the Titans and lost a Super Bowl. Although the Bengals cannot win a playoff game, the team is still competitive. If not for a few emotional outbursts in last year’s playoffs, they would have beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Soon, NFL fans will start wearing their favorite gear and preparing their fantasy league teams. Many employers also have jersey days and allow employees to wear their favorite sports jerseys on certain days.

So will Andy Dalton lead the Bengals into the second round in 2016? If so, they must enter the new season with a boulder sized chip on their shoulder. So it’s time to shed the shorts and tee shirts and replace them with hoodies and sweatshirts. Fall is just around the corner. Are you ready for some football?

Marc is a grandparent and longtime resident of Clermont County. Visit his author page at http://www.lifewithgrandpa.com and his blog at http://www.wisegrandpa.com.