Potential Relocation after 2026?

[CrashDavisSports]

Seems like the Bengals are holding the county hostage again, and they have the clout, because how easy is it to get an NFL franchise, and one that has a young franchise QB like Joe Burrow. Biggest problem is, the ownership gets to stay with the team when it relocates.

MSN

 

[Cincyfan78]

Seems like the Bengals are holding the county hostage again, and they have the clout, because how easy is it to get an NFL franchise, and one that has a young franchise QB like Joe Burrow. Biggest problem is, the ownership gets to stay with the team when it relocates.

MSN

Considering how much bad PR this team is getting after this off-season, and the lack of actually putting a winning product around their guys - I think the Bengals are over-estimating their fan-base support. It's eroding, and quickly.

However, as long as Brown is alive, I don't think he'll move the team. He watched his dad lose a team, and I think that plays a big role in keeping them in Cincinnati - but the tide has changed, and fans no longer want the taxes to build while Billionaire owners sit back and put in shockingly little.

I love the Bengals - but I've gone a long time with having very little investment in them - if they leave...meh.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Considering how much bad PR this team is getting after this off-season, and the lack of actually putting a winning product around their guys - I think the Bengals are over-estimating their fan-base support. It's eroding, and quickly.

However, as long as Brown is alive, I don't think he'll move the team. He watched his dad lose a team, and I think that plays a big role in keeping them in Cincinnati - but the tide has changed, and fans no longer want the taxes to build while Billionaire owners sit back and put in shockingly little.

I love the Bengals - but I've gone a long time with having very little investment in them - if they leave...meh.

I can understand that. I think owning an NFL franchise is bigger to a small market than you are giving it credit for. However, like you, I have invested very little money wise in this team over the last decade. A couple jersey's, that is about it. I haven't even gone to a game because I don't enjoy the environment as much and who wants to spend that much money on a single game.

However, I think they lost their best market when the Raiders hit Las Vegas. With that said, I can see St. Louis wanting a team back.

San Antonio is the largest non-NFL market still untapped. But there is tons of competition within range, got 2 NFL franchises, NBA teams, MLB teams, hockey teams. Even with San Antonio being the 7th biggest market in in the US, it has tons of teams already anchored and its fanbases are already loyal to their teams.

You also have Oklahoma City, the 27th largest city with no NFL presence. Dallas, KC and Denver are the closest NFL franchises there. Only have 1 NBA team, and a minor league baseball team.

The difference between Oklahoma and Cincinnati, while Oklahoma City is much bigger then Cincinnati, it doesn't have the surround population to drawl from outside the city because of how barren that area is. Cincinnati has Columbus, Dayton, Covington, Lexington even though a drive, potentially parts of West Virginia.

You have to travel well outside of Oklahoma city to start finding additional markets, but those markets are going to belong to Dallas, Kansas City and Denver. Two of those 3 markets have a life of their own when you are talking America's team and the new America's team in KC.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Oklahoma City Mustangs

 

[cincygrad]

I've been saying this for the past 10 years.... I thought the Super Bowl run would seal the deal and keep us here. Hell, just the notion of winning a little with Jeff Blake saved us last time. But, ownership has become combative over the past couple of seasons and what they are doing with their fans this year is antagonistic. I think I mentioned in another thread that Katie was pulling a page out of the movie Major League and actively trying to move the team.... At this point, I'm not sure she is not interested in getting out of dodge. Some other city will step up and offer some sort of sweetheart deal, complete with new facilities and larger revenue streams for the family. Why wouldn't she leave? And, there are enough anti-Bengal voices in the region to abandon support. Overall, I'm not saying the sky is falling, but I would put the probability of the Bengals leaving town above 20% which should scare people that love the team.

As for me, I'm not sure what I'd do if they left. I love watching Burrow play and I love the players. It would be hard for me to support a team run by this ownership group if they moved it out of the city. I guess I'd just stop watching - But I've already given up on most other pro and college sports. NFL is about all I have left with big rooting interests so that feels weird as well. Oh well..... Not like there aren't enough other problems in the world to pay attention to!

 

[CrashDavisSports]

I've been saying this for the past 10 years.... I thought the Super Bowl run would seal the deal and keep us here. Hell, just the notion of winning a little with Jeff Blake saved us last time. But, ownership has become combative over the past couple of seasons and what they are doing with their fans this year is antagonistic. I think I mentioned in another thread that Katie was pulling a page out of the movie Major League and actively trying to move the team.... At this point, I'm not sure she is not interested in getting out of dodge. Some other city will step up and offer some sort of sweetheart deal, complete with new facilities and larger revenue streams for the family. Why wouldn't she leave? And, there are enough anti-Bengal voices in the region to abandon support. Overall, I'm not saying the sky is falling, but I would put the probability of the Bengals leaving town above 20% which should scare people that love the team.

As for me, I'm not sure what I'd do if they left. I love watching Burrow play and I love the players. It would be hard for me to support a team run by this ownership group if they moved it out of the city. I guess I'd just stop watching - But I've already given up on most other pro and college sports. NFL is about all I have left with big rooting interests so that feels weird as well. Oh well..... Not like there aren't enough other problems in the world to pay attention to!

Unfortunately for me, I would follow Burrow as my team. Plus, I would become a new Browns fan for the Ohio team, and I started out as a Bronco fan, so I guess they could be an option again.

However, I love watching Burrow play too much. I would still be a fan of a shitty ownership, just in a new city. I would have to step up monetary wise to buy sunday ticket for the Mustang games.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Would this become a division realignment because of a move like this?

Colts go to AFC North and Mustangs become AFC South team?

 

[BKBroiler9000]

As much as I love the Bengals…let them move.

Fuck that family straight to hell. God help whatever fanbase inherits them. 40 years of cheap, egomaniacal incompetence.

I’ve about had it with being gaslighted, leeched off of and manipulated by billionaires in this day and age. Take your clown show elsewhere. I’ll find something else to do on Sundays.

 

[Cincyfan78]

As much as I love the Bengals…let them move.

Fuck that family straight to hell. God help whatever fanbase inherits them. 40 years of cheap, egomaniacal incompetence.

I’ve about had it with being gaslighted, leeched off of and manipulated by billionaires in this day and age. Take your clown show elsewhere. I’ll find something else to do on Sundays.

Yep. Like I said...

 

[DanBengalfan]

the Bengals have shown repeatedly that they don't know how to field a roster full of competent players. always switching things like holders and long snappers in the middle of the season or some shit, they do not know football, but they think they do. hell, the coach could tell them and they would ignore him. they routinely sign the cheapest guards for the Oline, and wonder why the QB gets injured so much. they let home grown talent sign bigger contracts with other teams, not once, but routinely, and try to replace them with draft picks that often don't work out. when they manage to put together a good offense, they give up 50 points a game, because they can't manage the defensive roster.

they hire prisoners to serve food to the players, who end up taking their lunch anyway. they are the only team where players have to dodge city traffic to go to practice while on foot. they took forever to get a practice bubble and went for years without having any scouts.

...


I haven't been to the stadium to watch a game in person for years. too expensive. I've been to reds games, cyclones, and fcc games. I've even been to a Columbus bluejackets game last year. I go to concerts, if they are reasonably priced, and the occasional movie. But Bengals games require too much money for an hour or two I can spend on the couch.

so, really, I'm content to play fantasy football and watch the occasional game of out of town NFL teams.

...

I believe the Brown family likes Ohio and will look for a short move to Columbus, or somewhere close, in a nearby tri-state county. I can see them maybe going to St. Louis. but I can't see the entire staff moving to Oklahoma or San Diego—and not London.

hamilton county will take more time and negotiate a little bit. they can afford to lose the bengals now.

 

[cincygrad]

As much as I love the Bengals…let them move.

Fuck that family straight to hell. God help whatever fanbase inherits them. 40 years of cheap, egomaniacal incompetence.

I’ve about had it with being gaslighted, leeched off of and manipulated by billionaires in this day and age. Take your clown show elsewhere. I’ll find something else to do on Sundays.

I think that's about where I'm at.....I would be conflicted at first, but I'm pretty sure my bitterness about the Blackburns would make it easy to walk away.

The sad part is that I don't think Hamilton County intends to act in good faith. It wouldn't have been hard for the Bengals to be seen as the good guys in all of this. If they would give the slightest illusion that they were trying to compete during Burrow's prime, the entire city would be on their side in negotiations. At this point, I wonder if Katie has realized that there is more money to make in a bigger market so she is fully on board with moving.

 

[DanBengalfan]

moving to Columbus would be a fair compromise.

and if people still want to see them in person, it's a 2 hour drive.

....

there's probably land around here somewhere (northern kentucky, warren county, or midway between Cincinnati and Dayton) that can be repurposed, other than down town. the parking situation downtown makes everything a hassle anyway. that's another option. it lets Hamilton county off the hook. they still have baseball and all the events happening at the arena.

and if they did decide to go west, Give Cincinnati some time, and they could very well lure another team in.

 

[CrashDavisSports]

Well, that tone changed quick. Now the Bengals and Hamilton County are leveraging the State of Ohio for $350 million in response to the State of Ohio after law makers OK $600 million for Cleveland Browns.

Bengals, Hamilton County requests $350M for Paycor Stadium, 1 day after lawmakers OK $600M to Cleveland Browns

The Ohio House passed a two-year budget yesterday that includes a $600 million bond deal for the Cleveland Browns. The Cincinnati Bengals never asked to be included in the deal.

www.wcpo.com

Almost a billion dollars in Ohio tax dollars about to be used on billionaire football teams. Don't get me wrong, I would prefer my team stay here, but good Lord, the citizens are going to take a financial hit either directly, or indirectly through infrastructure and social services. Ohio does love their football though, even though the two Ohio franchises since 1968 have not been anything great to write home about.

 

[DanBengalfan]

maybe they should rename the stadium after the politicians, lol