Cincinnati often prides itself on its vibrant downtown with three major league sports teams and plenty of pregame options, such as the 85 acres of DORA throughout The Banks. Paired with the large assortment of award-winning food throughout the region, these options would make the Queen City a great place to visit and watch an NFL game, right?
Apparently not.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe released his list of the best NFL destinations on July 10, ranking Cincinnati dead last among the 30 NFL organizations.
Volin took attractions, weather, stadium atmosphere, ticket availability and accessibility to the stadium into consideration when ranking the best destinations.
The Boston Globe writer mentioned that “there wasn’t much going on in Downtown Cincinnati… and Bengals games are rarely exciting.” Cincinnatians would beg to differ, as each weekend there is a slew of things to do in the Queen City.
Despite the Bengals' Super Bowl odds being slim, the team's games have been far from boring, as five of the its eleven losses in 2020 were determined by seven or fewer points.
For 2021, the squad has two players -- quarterback Joe Burrow and safety Jesse Bates -- listed on CBS Sports' “Top 25 NFL Players Under 25,” which suggests a bright future for Cincinnati. And in addition to drafting wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the first round of the NFL Draft and signing numerous free agents, the Bengals have released all-new uniforms for this year to excite the anxious fan base.
Perhaps Volin is biased against Cincinnati due to the New England Patriots, the team he currently covers for the Globe, getting caught filming the Cincinnati Bengals' sideline in 2019. This cost the Pats $1.1 million and a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Volin also showed no mercy to the Ohioans up north in his list of NFL destinations, ranking the Cleveland Browns 16th of 30 teams. This caused uproar from Cleveland’s fan base called the “Dawg Pound,” which ultimately led Volin to remove his comment about the team.
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