Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
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2008 MTV VMA show
Dog Days of Summer
Q&A ISAAC CURTIS
Bengals legend happy Johnson will break record
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Isaac Curtis set the Bengals' receiving yards record with 7,101 during a brilliant career from 1973-84.
But that record is about to fall at the hands of Chad Johnson, who stands 82 yards away from becoming the club leader.
Extras
Teammates called Curtis "The Ice Man" because of his blazing speed and smooth, graceful style. He made uniform No. 85 famous before Johnson was born in 1978. He also played his best games against the Cleveland Browns.
Curtis, who turns 57 on Oct. 20, is semi-retired as national sales director for Winegardner & Hammons Inc., a hotel management company based in the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash. His No. 1 hobby is golf, but he also hunts birds, deer and wild turkey in Eastern Ohio.
Q Your record stood for 23 years. You must be proud.
A I'm really surprised it's lasted this long with the number of catches these guys come up with these days. When I came into the league, there were 14 games. I thought Carl Pickens, Eddie Brown or Tim McGee would knock it down. It was a good run.
Q How do you feel about Chad breaking it?
A I think it's great. He's a great receiver. No doubt about it. As hard as he works and what he's done, he certainly has earned it and deserves it with his longevity and with Carson Palmer throwing to him. He may elevate it up over 10,000. It's all about how long he can stay in this league.
Q Your signature TD celebration was a simple over-the-shoulder flip of the ball. Do you like Chad's celebrations?
A It's entertaining and that's just Chad. It doesn't bother me as long as it's done in fun and in good character, and it's not hurting the team or giving opponents something to hang up on the bulletin board in their locker room. He's given Cincinnati, which it hasn't had in a long time, a personality, an identity. I enjoy him. I'm amused. I can't wait for him to score just to see what he's going to do.
Q Are you excited about the 2007 Bengals?
A I was there on Monday night. I'll tell you what. They are going to be good. And that wasn't their best performance. I didn't think the offense was particularly sharp, but it's early. To be able to beat a team like the Ravens and really not put it all together, and stay in there and find a way to win, to me, that's special because, in the past, we would be the team that would find a way to lose. At the end, in the past, you would've said, 'Here we go again.' But they hung in there and found a way to win it. That's important. That should certainly be a big confidence builder going into Cleveland.
Q Is this a trap game?
A It's a short week and you can't get lulled to sleep just because Cleveland didn't look very impressive against Pittsburgh. Any team can beat you. You know that. Hopefully, they're well-prepared and they'll go in there not taking anything for granted. It's always tough when you play a division opponent on their home field. I still think we're a much more talented team than Cleveland. But I know how that goes.
Q Any final words for Chad?
A I've enjoyed every yard he's gotten over the years. You just tell him I want the ball when he breaks the record. That's the ball I want. He saves that ball and gives it to me.
— Chick Ludwig, Dayton Daily News
