The Cincinnati Bengals are calling foul on the NFL for ignoring a city legend who passed away last year. On Feb. 8, just a few hours before the kickoff for Super Bowl LV and shortly before Miley Cyrus began her TikTok tailgate performance, the Bengals tweeted their dissatisfaction with the National Football League for omitting Ken Riley from its “In Memoriam” segment during the previous night’s NFL Honors awards show. The “In Memoriam” segment highlights influential players, coaches, back-office team members and others who passed away during the previous year. Singer Leslie Odom Jr., best known for his role in Broadway’s Hamilton, performed during the segment. Riley, a cornerback who spent his entire career with the Bengals, died in June 2020. “We are extremely disappointed Ken Riley was not featured in the ‘In Memoriam’ segment during last night’s NFL Honors,” the Bengals tweeted. “Ken left a great impact on the Bengals and the NFL. His legacy deserves to be honored among the greatest to ever play the game.” bengals.com.
This article appears in Best Of Cincinnati 2021.