With the 2016 NFL season officially underway, the
opportunities for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals to get autographs are popping
up each and every week in the form of Bengal shows. Bengal shows are shows
where fans can get autographs from Cincinnati Bengals players, and I attend at
least one show a week in hopes of snagging a signature for my Bengals autograph
collection. In this post, I will discuss three of the Bengal shows that take
place each week.
The first show of the week is “Benagls Line.” It is held at
the Holy Grail on the banks in Cincinnati the day after Bengals games and can be
heard on ESPN 1530. The show features radio personality Lance McAllister and
former Bengals player Dave Lapham as the hosts and goes from 6 pm to 9 pm. There
are usually two guest players who are interviewed during the first two hours of
the show. One player is interviewed from 6 pm to 7 pm and the other is
interviewed from 7 pm to 8 pm with the final hour being mainly discussion
between McAllister and Lapham. Players sign autographs during commercials and
there are raffles throughout the night with the prizes ranging from Bengals
apparel to Bengals tickets.
The second show of the week is “Beyond the Stripes.” This
show is presented by the Cincinnati Enquirer and is held at the Hofbräuhaus in
Newport, KY. The show is streamed live on the Enquirer’s Facebook page from 7
pm to 8 pm and features a panel of four reporters interviewing the guest player
before playing a game with the player to end the show. The interviews are
always entertaining and usually feature a few laughs as some of the questions
asked by the panel and answers given by the players are over the top. Once the
show is finished, fans can line up and have one item signed by the player.
The third show of the week is “Bengals Nation.” This show is
held at the Moerlein Lager House on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm and is
presented by television station Local 12. It is filmed in segments and is
broadcasted on Saturdays. The show has gotten worse in my opinion as its move
from the Holy Grail has really cut back on the interaction that the show used
to have the fans. The area in the Moerlein Lager House where the show is filmed
is a lot smaller than the Holy Grail, so some of the segments, such as fans
asking the guest player questions and some of the games, have been eliminated.
Once the show is finished, fans can get an item signed by the guest player only
if they have an autograph pass. The autograph passes are handed out in the
beginning of the show, and if you do not get there early enough to get an
autograph pass, you will not be able to receive an autograph.
Those are the three different Bengal shows that are held
throughout the week. They are a great way to not only get autographs but to
also interact with fellow Bengals fans. “Beyond the Stripes” is my favorite
show as it is easily the most entertaining of the three. I would say that
“Bengals Line” is next with “Bengals Nation” being the least enjoyable show.
They are all still fun to attend though, and I highly recommend checking out a
few for yourself.
Who Dey!
