Ex-Bengals star receiver offering a place on bandwagon

As the great Canadian philosopher, Drake says, “No new friends, no new friends, no new friends, no, no new.” It has become a bit of a rallying cry for some Bengals fans.

No Bandwagon fans!

One former Cincinnati Bengals star receiver is saying squash that.

T.J Houshmandzadeh is encouraging fans of other teams to hop on the Bengals bandwagon.

https://twitter.com/housh84/status/1482884873404616710

Cincinnati is sure to acquire new supporters as their playoff run continues. Some will be temporary. Others will become lifelong Bengals fans starting now.

However, not every current fan is going to be on board with Mr. “Whose Your Mama.”

Bengals fans are very protective of their team and their fandom. They want to know that the suffering they have endured is the same as their neighbor at the game.

And it seemed that was very much the case at Paul Brown Stadium and throughout social media Saturday evening when Bengals nation collectively rejoiced after a game-ending interception by Germaine Pratt.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1482516933480116228

Thirty-one years is a long time. Lots of misery endured. A lot of hearts turned cold. So when there is finally a reason for all of that to change, not everyone will accept new fans who were not around for losing.

You know, the ones who do not really understand what this means to you and the city of Cincinnati. The people who cannot understand why men over 40 were in tears after a game.

Some will hold on to the idea of no new friends. Other fans are willing to accept applications. Like Houshmandzadeh, there will be some who will say the more, the merrier.

Not all Bengals fans will have endured the same pain. Some fans have not been around long enough. Maybe they are transplants to the city. Perhaps they are a fan because they are close with someone from Cincinnati.

Conceivably, they are not new fans but are not old enough to have fully experienced the agony suffered over the years. Or maybe they followed Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase from LSU.

Wherever you stand, like it or not, more fans are on their way. And the further the team advances, the more fans there will be.

And you know Zac Taylor was not “in the club screaming No new friends, no new friends, no new friends, no, no new (DJ Khaled!)”

Most definitely, Taylor was screaming that.

Where do you stand, Bengals fans? Do you agree with Mr. Houshmandzadeh? Are all new fans accepted? Are you accepting applications, or is the Bengals bandwagon full?

Let’s hope that when this is all said and done when the NFL world only has one of two teams to cheer for (or against), the Bengals will be one of them.

At which point, the Bengals and fans will accept all the “help” and love they can get.

Oh yeah, shout out to all the day one’s.

"6 most disappointing trades in Cincinnati Bengals history"

Who Dey?!