The Cincinnati Bengals have banned media from filming their players crossing a street to get to the team’s training complex, a move that has been ridiculed by fans online.
In a clip that went viral on social media, Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is seen making an unglamorous trek to practice after crossing a city street to get to the facility.
NFL fans have been vocal against Cincinnati for not giving their players a more professional entrance, so the team has decided to no longer take photos or videos on the practice field side of the street.
ESPN anchor and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee was one of many who found humor in the fact that Bengals players had to cross the street to get to practice every day.
The Cincinnati Bengals have banned the media from filming their players crossing a street to enter the team’s training facility after the unusual setup was brutally mocked by fans online
When McAfee heard that the media was banned from filming them, he couldn’t believe it.
He shared a clip of himself discussing the situation on his ESPN show, writing on X, “Bengals media should no longer film players walking down the street,” along with laughing emojis.
McAfee added, “WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CINCINNATI.”
On his show, McAfee admitted that he may have resented the Bengals banning all videos and photos after they laughed at Chase’s video.
“This is probably our fault,” he added. “And we want to let everyone know that we thought it was cool! We thought it was something new. We thought it was old school.”
Pat McAfee couldn’t believe the Bengals’ decision on his final ESPN show on Friday
McAfee cited other examples of how the Bengals give the impression that they “don’t care” about their players or fans, such as building an indoor facility just last season and selling televisions in their parking lot for $60 this summer.
“We’re very excited about the Cincinnati Bengals, but we also have to talk about all kinds of things that are very different than the rest of the multi-billion dollar professional sports league,” he continued.
“And Bengals fans are upset about that, but I think we just want to make it better.”