Carson Palmer traded to the Oakland Raiders

I know...I know, we are your home for Indianapolis Colts football. However, I have never made it a secret that I am a diehard Cincinnati Bengals fan. It's been real difficult to be that since I watched my team come :34 seconds away from winning Super Bowl XXIII in 1989.

We haven't won a Playoff game since.

That's conceitedly when current owner Mike Brown took over for his late father, the iconic Paul Brown.  We have lost way more than we've won. 8-8 was considered "successful" and moral victories of "hanging in there" against teams was my only solace. In 2003, with the arrival of Marvin Lewis and a QB out of Southern California named Carson Palmer, we actually MADE the playoffs two times in that span (trust me...that's quite an accomplishment).

Things went sour fast though and Palmer refused to ever play for my Bengals again. I am pretty much conditioned to expect such things...but the events of today has literally left me without speech.

With a number of really successful draft picks over the last 3-4 years (something that is really unheard of for this franchise) thing were already looking up.  Couple that with a 4-2 record this year and we just unloaded Carson Palmer for a first round pick in 2012 and a second that can turn into a first in 2013 and I am totally convinced that Mike Brown has been stuffed into a closet for the last 5 years.

Forgive my giddiness but...Who-Dey?!