Are you tired of Cincinnati teams barely sneaking into the playoffs and then losing in the first round? Well there is a team downtown that has contended for multiple titles in the past few years but has been shunned by Cincinnati sports fans. In that big arena downtown, they don’t just put on your favorite Disney princess on ice, they play hockey. The Cincinnati Cyclones are practically a dynasty, winning two Kelly Cups in the last five years. Once again they are in first place and it’s about time they get the respect they deserve. The Cyclones started in the ECHL in 1990 and then moved to the IHL before closing the doors in 2001. The team was dormant for two years before coming back to the IHL until the league went under in 2004. Cincinnati was without the Clones for two years again before they came back better than ever. Since the Cyclones have returned they have won two Kelly Cups and have a 92-41-11 record in those six seasons. But enough about the past, the Cyclones aren’t a team that lucks out once in a while. This year’s team is ready to bring another Cup home to Cincinnati. As of January 7th they are tied for first place with the Toledo Walleye. They have posted a 20-12-2-0 record and are trying to hold off the Walleye and the Fort Wayne Komets for the North division title. They still have over half a season left but at the high level they are playing, they have a legitimate chance to win the cup again. That is, if these players don’t get called up to the next level. (now that the NHL lockout is over) On the 5th, the Cyclones had a big game against the Fort Wayne Komets. It was throwback night at U.S. Bank Arena so the Clones wore the old red and black uniforms. They had a record crowd for a regular season game. 12,228 fans packed into the US Bank arena to support the team but to no avail as they lost a heartbreaker 5-4. While at the game I spoke to one anonymous fan about if he would want to keep the Cyclones over any other professional team in Cincinnati. Immediately he said, “(I would) definitely keep them. Back in the 90’s our family was big into the Mighty Ducks but after they left the Cyclones became the best deal in Cincinnati. It is much cheaper to take the family when we come out two to three times a year.” Then I went on to ask him about a problem most people have with them, which is players move so frequently. As a minor league team players will come and go but he said “if you asked me to name one player from the last five years I couldn’t tell you a single one, but it isn’t about the individuals. More times than not fans route for the team not individual players. Look at UC they have brand new people every other year.” Just look at the Bengals. Who would have thought this year’s playoff team is the one they would field three years ago when Ochocinco, Palmer, Benson and Terrell Owens were the stars. Teams evolve but a coaching staff stays the same. This great staff is just like Alabama. After having great players move on, they are able to reload and develop another group of guys into a championship level team. Watch out this spring, the playoffs will return to Cincinnati and they will be looking to bring the third cup in six years. For anyone who is counting that is two more championships than the Bengals have in the franchise’s history and just three less than the Reds have in their 132 year history.