Ask columnist Jason Williams anything — sports or non-sports — and he’ll pluck some of your questions and comments from his inbox and respond on Cincinnati.com. e-mail: jwilliams@enquirer.com
Topic: Does Cincinnati Bengals owner care about fans?
information: As a Bengals fan and former season ticket holder since their inception, I’ve always wondered why I should care that they don’t seem to care.
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reply: I want to know why you should care too. Because Bengal Tiger ownership doesn’t care about you.
Mike Brown and his family operate in a system where they can do whatever they want without having to answer to anyone. The system allows them to operate in isolated bubbles, shielded from criticism. Last year, the Bengals were the only team to vote against a private equity firm buying a minority stake in an NFL team. Here’s everything you need to know about the Bengals.
Outside money, voices and opinions are not welcome, and ownership of Bengal tigers is irrelevant. That’s why they won’t hire a general manager and a fully staffed scouting department. Management thinks it knows best and doesn’t want someone coming in and telling Brown and his family to do things differently. Why do you think they always hire career assistants instead of veteran NFL head coaches as head coaches?
It’s the same way the Bengals treat criticism from fans and the few reporters in town willing to challenge them. They have never won a Super Bowl and have a historic losing record. Thanks, but Brown and a few others in his small, isolated circle know best and don’t need your input.
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You said you wouldn’t renew your season tickets after this disastrous season. You wrote a letter to the editor attacking Bengal Tiger ownership. You tell your friends on Facebook to stop buying tickets too. You’d think this would make a difference and force Brown to make a change.
Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown poses during the team’s annual media luncheon at Paycor Stadium on July 21, 2025.
Think again.
The Bengals receive a hefty NFL revenue-sharing check each year — $433 million in 2024 and more this year — simply for being a member of the league. Whether the Bengals win every game or nothing, they’re going to get this. In other words, it’s a welfare check from the NFL’s overlords.
Last summer, the team acquired another piece of Sweetheart Field ownership. Taxpayers barely spoke. Surprisingly, some county officials and local media are praising the Bengals’ willingness to pay 25 percent of the cost of Paycor Stadium upgrades — more than they paid last time. The threshold is so low. For Bengalis, the bar is always low and their credo is “it’s better to receive than to give”.
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Even if you think you’re completely out of touch with the Bengals and don’t give them a dime, the Bengals still have you. You stopped buying tickets. You no longer buy hats and hoodies. You don’t watch them on TV anymore. You don’t listen to their games on the radio anymore. You stop clicking on their website. Hands thoroughly washed, right?
Well, guess who drank that Coke Zero you bought at UDF in Hyde Park the other day? Or the groceries you buy at Blue Ash Kroger? Or the cheese balls you smoked at Clifton Skyline? How about your iced latte at Wyoming Community Coffee Shop? Yes, every purchase you make every day in Hamilton County will pay sales tax to help fund the Bengals’ stadium. Brown, his family and their attorneys were intrigued.
Cincinnati Bengals fans before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 14, 2025.
It’s no wonder the Bengals didn’t bother clearing the seats of ice and snow before last Sunday’s game. What was the motivation for hiring a crew to do this? Most of the seats were sold whether fans were in attendance or not. The Bengals announced a attendance of 64,907. The actual crowd was about half that number, but that meant a lot of tickets were sold. Thousands of people paid the Bengals not to show up, like charitable donations.
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Is it any wonder to you why Bengals owners and executives rarely answer questions in front of the media? They don’t feel like they owe anyone an explanation of how they operate, even though they spend millions of taxpayer dollars each year on stadiums. They don’t think they need to explain why Zac Taylor will return as head coach and Duke Tobin will return as the top player evaluator. Bengals may be the only multi-billion dollar mom and pop store in the world.
Does this help understand why the Bengals won’t make any changes after missing the playoffs for the third straight season?
If recovery measures in 2026, 2027, 2028 or beyond don’t work, there will be no real impact on the Bengals’ bottom line. There is no sense of urgency.
Title still gets paid.
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It still gets taxpayer-funded stadium upgrades.
And it still doesn’t have to care what you or I say.
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals owner doesn’t care about NFL fans’ feelings