The Steelers don't like the Bengals, and the Bengals don't like the Steelers.

That was clearly established last year when the two teams combined for well over $200,000 in fines during their last two meetings, including the Steelers' wild-card playoff win at Paul Brown Stadium.

Animosity, however, shouldn't be associated with dirty play.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said on Friday during a one-on-one interview with the Tribune-Review that he's tired of the cheap and dirty play that littered the rivalry a year ago.

“I think it can get out of control and it did at times,” Roethlisberger said. “I am out there and you see all the stuff going on under the piles. It is one thing to talk a little trash and another thing to say some of the things that are being said. The referees have to keep it under control, but we as players have to be better and go play on both sides.”

There were numerous fights between players; there were fines, suspensions, accusations, trash talking and coaches getting into altercations that overshadowed what has turned into one of the best rivalries in the league.

Roethlisberger wants it to morph now into a clean rivalry.

“I want it to be a good, clean rivalry,” Roethlisberger said. “I don't want it to be a rivalry where people are tuning in to see a fight, to see penalties.”

Roethlisberger said he would like to see the rivalry reach the level of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry of the past decade.

“(Those games were as) physical as a rivalry and as physical as a football game that you would ever see,” Roethlisberger said. “Everybody knew that. But it was never dirty. There may have been some pushing and shoving, but that's just guys. You never worried about cheap and dirty-type stuff.

“I want the Cincinnati rivalry to be the same tough and physical rival that people want to see tough, physical football. You don't want to see cheap and dirty. I don't want it get to that.”



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