Yesterday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bengals won their first game of the season. In December. After losing 11 previous games. They beat the New York Jets 22-6 at Paul Brown Stadium.
For most people, there is probably little joy in this win — especially those rooting for worst-record status at the end of the season, so the Bengals can nab the top pick in the draft.
For one man, however, it is indeed great news.
Jeff Lanham, owner of the Hog Rock Cafe in Milan, Indiana, started camping out on the bar's roof in a well-appointed tent after the Bengals' Oct. 6 loss to Arizona. He received meals and clean laundry from his wife, who must have at least as much faith in her marriage as Lanham has in his team.
After missing Thanksgiving (though he did get some food brought up to him), Lanham finally came down last night.
His 57-day stint isn't the longest Bengals victory vigil. Lanham just missed the record set when radio personality Dennis "Wildman" Walker camped out on a billboard in 1991. Walker was on the billboard for 61 days after the team's first loss that year until the Bengals finally won the ninth game of their season.
