Bengals Choose to Relax Blackout Rule
Aug 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A detailed view of a Cincinnati Bengals helmet on the field during warms ups prior to the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The Bengals have chosen to relax the blackout rule. The team has officially decided to accept the NFL’s option to relax the rule, which stipulates that the Bengals will only need to sell 85% of their non-premium tickets in order to avoid blackouts in the local area. The team would still like to see tickets purchased, but are showing an appreciation of their fans and realize the importance of watching games live; the team does not financially benefit from local broadcasting. You can read the official release at Bengals.com.
It’s a classy move by the organization and another which symbolizes the team’s movement towards being one of the better run organizations in the league. Earlier this off-season, owner Mike Brown conceded that his daughter, Katie Blackburn, and Marvin Lewis run the Bengals; a move which has paid huge dividends recently as the Bengals continue to improve their franchise. The team has focused on gathering quality players and good people in recent years, while also resigning many of its players. This displays loyalty while motivating its players, values any person can admire. The team also made sure to resign defensive tackle Devon Still to its practice squad in an effort to help him with his family issues (his daughter is suffering from cancer and by being on the practice squad, Still retains his NFL insurance). Still has struggled to compete in the NFL since being drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft, but that didn’t stop the Bengals from finding a way to do what is best for them while also making sure to take care of their own.
Now the Bengals are taking care of their fans. Not only have they built the kind of organization any fan can be proud to root for, but they also are showing loyalty to the fan base by trying to get games on the air. The Bengals statement informs fans that they need their fan’s help when selling tickets. Even while the team has made the playoffs the past three years, they’ve struggled to get games sold out. Bengal fans have struggled through a long, arduous history, so motivating fans to feel genuinely positive about the team year in and year out is a huge challenge. But it’s these kinds of moves that should make Bengals’ fans proud and may even help the organization find more success when selling tickets in the coming years.