Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow held his knee and screamed in pain. There were just short of a dozen minutes between Cincinnati fans and the championship that has eluded them for more than three decades not just eluded them, but taunted them, haunted them and this was how it was going to end. Their supremely gifted young quarterback was going to leave Super Bowl 56 for good with a precarious lead, and the Bengals would lose, and that would be that.Its how it always happens for Cincinnati.Except this time, it did not.MORE: This time, Burrow walked off whatever trauma was inflicted upon his right knee. He returned to the game for what remained. And he had the game in his hands with 1:25 remaining, trailing by a field goal and certain he had the weapons to get it done.Except this time, he did not.This was not like Cincinnati sports (many) other heartbreaking moments. The Queen City remained uncrowned because the Rams made plays with the game on the line, Dante Exum Jersey and the Bengals fizzled.The Rams attacked Burrow in the second half and sacked him six times, including the one by veteran star Von Miller that seemed likely to end his evening. That, and a dropped pa s by wideout Tyler Boyd that might have converted a key third down with 6:20 left in the game, and the refs finally deciding to call penalties theyd earlier ignored as the Rams approached the goal line for Mike Conley Jr. Jersey their game-winning touchdown these were the forces that brought the Bengals to their disappointing end.Does that sound like a curse, or just football?Consider how so many other Cincinnati sports dreams have ended in the years since the Reds earned the 1990 World Series championship:September-October1999:The Reds were 95-63 after defeating the Astros in the first of a two-game series near the close of the National League season and held a one-game lead in the Central. They then lost their next three games, including two against fifth-place Milwaukee, and fellinto a tie with the Mets for the wild card. In Game 163at Cinergy Field (neeRiverfront Stadium),Cincinnati fell behind New York 2-0 in the first inning and lost, 5-zip.March 2000:With the Bearcats ranked No. 1 in college basketball and owning a 28-2 record, they began March in a first-round Conference USA Tournament game against Saint Louis. Early in the game, unanimous national Player of the Year Kenyon Martin went to set a simple down screen and tangled legs with an opponent. It seemed innocuous enough, but Martins leg twisted oddly. He was taken to a Memphis hospital and diagnosed with a fractured tibia. Without him, UC lost in the NCAA Tournament second round.January 2006:Having won the AFC North with an 11-5 record, the Bengals played host to their first playoff game in 15 years since, indeed, 1990 against the rival Steelers. On the Bengals second offensive play, quarterback Carson Palmer dropped into the pocket and found receiver Chris Henry deep downfield for a 66-yard gain. As he released the pa s, however, Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen a former Bengal, naturally hit him low and the result was a torn ACL for Palmer. Playing with backup John Kitna, the Bengals fell 31-17 to the eventual Super Bowl champs.MORE: December 2006:With a chance to earn a playoff berth on Christmas Eve, the Bengals rallied from seven points down to score the tying touchdown with le s than a minute left. One catch: For it to be the tying TD, the Bengals had to kick the extra point. The snap was wide, the ball never got placed and the Bengals lost 24-23. The Bengals mi sed the playoff party. (Just to ice it, kicker Shayne Graham mi sed a 39-yarder the following week that would have beaten the Steelers with eight seconds in regulation and the Bengals allowed a 67-yard touchdown pa s on the third play Emmanuel Mudiay Jersey of OT).October 2012:With 97 wins and a loaded pitching staff, the Reds were among the favorites to advance to the World Series. But eight pitches into the opening game of the National League Division Series, Reds ace Johnny Cueto walked off the mound in apparent pain and was visited by his trainer and manager. He did not pitch again that season, and the Reds lost the series in five games to eventual World Series champ San Francisco.January 2016:In their fifth consecutive NFL playoff appearance, the Bengals trailed the Steelers 15-0 when linebacker Vontaze Burfict slammed Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger with a sack and Roethlisberger left with an injured shoulder. With Pittsburghs offense suddenly inert, the Bengals rallied with two touchdowns and a field goal to take a 16-15 lead. Roethlisberger re-entered for one last, desperate rally. When he overthrew Antonio Brown near midfield with 22 seconds left, a Cincinnati victory seemed secure, but as the ball bounced down the field Burfict slammed into Brown's helmet and was called for a personal foul. Cornerback Adam Jones then was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the 30 yards in penalties gave Pittsburghs Chris Boswell a 35-yard chip shot to win it. Which he made.March 2018: With the NCAA South Region bracket beckoning with the exits of Royce O'Neale Jersey No. 1 seed Virginia, No. 3 seed Tenne see and No. 4 seed Arizona, the No. 2 seed Cincinnati Bearcats controlled the first 30 minutes of their game against Nevada to such an extent that they led by 22 points with 11:34 to play. Cincinnati scored just eight points in the time that remained. Nevada scored 32, including Josh Halls fortunate follow ultimately the game-winner when the Bearcats failed to clear a defensive rebound. It became the second-biggest collapse in NCAA Tournament history.This has been Cincinnatis recent history, and none of it echoed through what occurred at SoFi Stadium on Sunday evening. This time, a team with dynamic skill players and a shaky offensive line wasnt able to disguise that weakne s quite long enough. This time, a defense that had contained the great Patrick Mahomes two weeks ago in the decisive second half of the AFC Championship game Mike Conley Jersey was asked to make one more stop than it was equipped to make.MORE: This time, with the Bengals at the LA 49 and the po sibility of a game-tying field so close that Burrow almost could reach out and touch it, superstar Rams lineman Aaron Donald refused to allow running back Semaje Perine to reach out and cro s the line to gain on 3rd-and-1, then wrapped up Burrow on a fourth-down rush that forced a desperate, incomplete throw that effectively ended the game.Im just proud of them. Its a hard road to get to the Super Bowl, coach Zac Taylor told NBC Sports after the defeat. Our fans our proud of them. We just didnt get to finish it off.This was special. We think weve got a really special group thats going to continue to grow.That may be what the Repub