Websites rank Bengals and fans among NFL’s worst
By Emile Pierce
When it comes to being faithful, Bengals fans are actually a football savvy bunch that understands the sport. Sometimes, that’s not enough.
The hits just keep coming for the Cincinnati Bengals. Football pundits are already burying any chance the Orange and Black has of having a winning season. Even with the additions of John Ross and Joe Mixon, the reception is lukewarm. At best, the feeling is…meh. Could the reception get any colder? Apparently, yes. The Bengals’ terribly uninspiring 2016 season has 24/7 Wall Street ranking them as one of the NFL’s worst franchises.
Lately, this has been par for the course. The Bengals’ fall from grace has caused a rift between both fans and those who like to analyze the proceedings. This latest testament to Bengals futility is based on a few metrics that are right up Mike Brown’s alley. The rankings are based upon ticket sales and filling the stadium to standing room capacity and beyond.
The Bengals filled Paul Brown Stadium to 92.4 percent capacity for the eight home games. In the Bengals’ defense, the London game against the Redskins was considered a home battle. But, it wasn’t a sellout for the home team. Ultimately, the site has the Bengals ranked in the bottom portion of the list. Cincinnati lands at No. 24 with a bullet.
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Holy Bad Fans, Batman
For some reason, Bengals fans keep getting labeled as bad. Speaking from experience, being a loyal Bengals fan requires more than just watching games and rooting. It takes the iron will of a wise guru and the patience of a snail. The Orange & Black has a way of pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. But, if you’re a fan, you understand and accept the mediocrity.
The second study comes courtesy of Scholar Blogs. Their findings are based upon Fan Equity (home box office revenue) and Social Media Equity (how willing fans are to engage with the team’s social accounts). This year, a third metric was tossed into the pot. It focused on how well the team’s fans traveled to support them.
Drum roll, please. As a fan base, Bengals faithful chimed in at the No. 28 spot. So, essentially, as fans, we suck worse than the team. That’s not good. Throwing in fancy-schmancy terms like “Social Media Equity” only makes the pain worse.
There’s a quick fix for the low attendance numbers and the general feeling of indifference. Win a few playoff games and advance to the AFC Championship. But, this year’s version of the Stripes is packed with talent. There’s no time like the present to turn things around.