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Dayton, Ohio: Bengals town or Browns town?


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[b][url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/ludwig/2010/08/18/dayton-ohio-bengals-town-or-browns-town/"][size="5"]Dayton, Ohio: Bengals town or Browns town?[/size][/url][size="5"] [/size][/b]
Posted by [email="chickludwig@yahoo.com"]cludwig[/email] August 18th, 2010, 7:09 am


[b]GREAT PUBLIC RELATIONS MOVE
[/b]

[b]AS BENGALS REACH OUT
[/b]

[b]TO MIAMI VALLEY FANS[/b]

[b]WITH SUNDAY PRACTICE[/b]

A funny thing happened in Dayton, Ohio, in 1968 — the year the Cincinnati Bengals were born as an American Football League franchise.

The Gem City wasn't torn to shreds. It was simply split in half.

Half of the pro football fans became Bengals fans, a natural migration because of Dayton's proximity to Cincinnati.

The other half stuck with the team they knew and loved — the Cleveland Browns.

I believe things are different now. There remains a pocket of die-hard Browns fans in Dayton, but my gut feeling is the bulk of NFL fans have swayed toward the Bengals.

My basis in judgment: The mere fact that 11,000 free passes for the Bengals' two-hour practice (3:30-5:30 p.m.) at Dayton's Welcome Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 22, flew out of the Fifth Third Field box office windows on Monday in just over an hour.

I was born on July 25, 1954 … a very good year.

Marilyn Monroe married Joe DiMaggio; Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile; "From Here to Eternity" won eight Oscars, including best picture; the LaSalle Explorers — led by Tom Gola — won the NCAA basketball title; and Wisconsin's Alan Ameche captured the Heisman Trophy.

As a kid growing up in the Price Hill section of Cincinnati, I was a huge Browns fan. I love their history.




[url="http://cincinnati.com/blogs/ludwig/2010/08/18/dayton-ohio-bengals-town-or-browns-town/"]http://cincinnati.com/blogs/ludwig/2010/08/18/dayton-ohio-bengals-town-or-browns-town/[/url]
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I lived in Dayton from 92-99, then again from 2005-now. Back in the 90's when the Bengals sucked, this was a very solid Browns-centric city. The Bengals were rarely on TV since they never sold out games, and you were laughed at for supporting them.

These days, it is definitely a Bengals town due to two things: Bengals win more consistently, and there has been a major marketing push by them and the NFL in the last ten years. If the Bengals become the bastion of misery that they were in the 90s, this town will abandon them again.

Cincinnati and Dayton are two distinctly different cities, and Daytonites know it. This is Dayton, and they are the Cincinnati Bengals. If they were called the Cincy-Dayton Bengals, things might be different.
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In my experience there from 2004-2008, I would say 75% Bengals... Cleveland and Pittsburgh split the 20%. Maybe I just didn't associate with their kind.

And am I the only one who gets sick to my stomach when I see a Steeler fan? Seriously, what the hell... Pittsburgh is 250 miles away. I bet they've never been to the city. Am I the only one who automatically suggests they're an ass hole just because of their Steeler shirt, hat, or license plate cover? I can understand Cleveland... Ohio team, whatever. Supporting a team in another state (unless from Pittsburgh/PA, but we all know that isn't the case most the time), especially one that is such a big rival, is putrid to say the least.
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[quote name='CatScratchFever' timestamp='1282137956' post='907421']
I lived in Dayton from 92-99, then again from 2005-now. Back in the 90's when the Bengals sucked, this was a very solid Browns-centric city. The Bengals were rarely on TV since they never sold out games, and you were laughed at for supporting them.

These days, it is definitely a Bengals town due to two things: Bengals win more consistently, and there has been a major marketing push by them and the NFL in the last ten years. If the Bengals become the bastion of misery that they were in the 90s, this town will abandon them again.

Cincinnati and Dayton are two distinctly different cities, and Daytonites know it. This is Dayton, and they are the Cincinnati Bengals. If they were called the Cincy-Dayton Bengals, things might be different.
[/quote]


I have lived in Dayton since 1974. It was not a very solid Browns city in the 90s. Thats just wrong. The Bengals were on TV every other week at the worst and we typically sold out Pittspuke and Cleveland so what are you talking about? 10 out of 16 during the dark ages isn't rarely. I don't know of anyone who switched to the Clowns during the 90s. We had some watchable teams with Shake and Blake during that time frame.

I know a few Browns fans who grew up here but most of the people who grew up here in the 70's and 80s are Bengals and Reds fans and always have been. Most hate the Browns and always will.
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[quote name='SF2' timestamp='1282152662' post='907520']
I have lived in Dayton since 1974. It was not a very solid Browns city in the 90s. Thats just wrong. The Bengals were on TV every other week at the worst and we typically sold out Pittspuke and Cleveland so what are you talking about? 10 out of 16 during the dark ages isn't rarely. I don't know of anyone who switched to the Clowns during the 90s. We had some watchable teams with Shake and Blake during that time frame.

I know a few Browns fans who grew up here but most of the people who grew up here in the 70's and 80s are Bengals and Reds fans and always have been. Most hate the Browns and always will.
[/quote]
I dunno, man. That's how I remember it. I will admit I was pretty drunk during those years. Maybe it was being on campus during that time surrounded by out of towners.
It is definitely solidly a Bengals town, now, though.
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[quote name='Tigris' timestamp='1282150567' post='907496']
In my experience there from 2004-2008, I would say 75% Bengals... Cleveland and Pittsburgh split the 20%. Maybe I just didn't associate with their kind.

And am I the only one who gets sick to my stomach when I see a Steeler fan? Seriously, what the hell... Pittsburgh is 250 miles away. I bet they've never been to the city. Am I the only one who automatically suggests they're an ass hole just because of their Steeler shirt, hat, or license plate cover? I can understand Cleveland... Ohio team, whatever. Supporting a team in another state (unless from Pittsburgh/PA, but we all know that isn't the case most the time), especially one that is such a big rival, is putrid to say the least.
[/quote]

Hehe my zip code is 15931 and I have a Bengals license plate cover and a flag hanging from my balcony.
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[quote name='AmishBengalFan' timestamp='1282178994' post='907637']
[color="#0000FF"]CatScratch: you've lived in Dayton for over a decade and you don't know that we're called "Daytonians", not "Daytonites"???

Sheesh! I've NOT lived there since the mid-90's and I've NEVER heard them called what you called them.[/color][/quote]
Yea Daytonites is great. I lived through much of the history in Dayton and I can tell you that there are a lot of old timers who are Browns fans but Dayton is most definately a Bengals town.
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