Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post, following your guidelines, about the 1982 Cincinnati Bengals roster:
Man, I gotta tell you about this rabbit hole I fell down the other day. I was watching some old NFL highlights, and the ’82 Bengals came up – that Super Bowl XVI team. And I just got stuck on trying to remember all the players. So, I decided I was gonna build the whole roster out, just for fun. It was a bigger project than I thought!
Starting From Scratch
First, I tried just doing it from memory. Big mistake. I got Ken Anderson, Cris Collinsworth… and then, like, three other guys. Clearly, I needed some help.
Digging Through the Archives
I started hitting up the internet. I wasn’t looking for fancy articles, just raw data. I spent a bunch of time looking at different sites with old stats. Seriously, It took a while, going site by site.
Building the List
I started a simple text file, just listing out names as I found them. Then I started organizing them by position – quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, you know the drill. Then, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs. I even went and got all the special teams guys – kickers, punters, the whole nine yards. Some of these names, I hadn’t thought about in years!
Double-Checking and Filling Gaps
Once I had a pretty good list, I went back and started double-checking. Made sure I had everyone’s position right, and that I wasn’t missing anybody. There were a few guys who only played a handful of games, so they were easy to miss at first.
- Quarterbacks: Yep, Ken Anderson, the main man.
- Running Backs: I remembered Pete Johnson, the big fullback.
- Wide Receivers: Cris Collinsworth, of course. Isaac Curtis.
- Tight End: Got Dan Ross down.
- Offensive line: Anthony Munoz, a total legend.
I did the same thing for the defense, I got a good chunk of players.
The Finished Product (Well, Almost)
It took a while, but I finally had a roster I felt pretty good about. It’s not perfect, and I’m sure there’s some obscure backup I missed, but it’s way better than what I started with. It was a cool trip down memory lane, reminding me of all those guys who made that ’82 season so exciting. It’s amazing how much you can find when you really start digging!
