PBS No Fans in Stadium Experience

[WestCoastBengalsFan]

(06-20-2020, 12:51 AM)Kingslayer Wrote: I went to my first game last season cause my Niece bought me tickets for my birthday.  I prefer to watch at home but I had to go.  Don't like paying $10 for a luke warm can of beer I can get at home for .65 cents  Not to mention $5 stale hot dogs.  Anyway,

It was the Jets game last year and the stadium was less than half full.  Granted , due to their 0-12 record and basically hoping for the #1 Pick I did not get out of my seat much.  I didn't care.  Was happy to see them win, but I did not enjoy the experience at all.  We had to walk like 2 miles for a parking space, and there was absolutely nothing special about PBS.  I was very disappointed.  

I would love to go again with the stands full and something on the line but I would NEVER pay $100 a seat like my family did.  No way.  Probably more like $125 a seat and that was on sale.  Absolutely RIDICULOUS.

Not to mention the 5 hours in the car to and from the city.  

Give me Bdubs and a widescreen anyday

I understand where you're coming from on watching TV experience being better than an at-game experience from a game view and cost of food/beverage. For me going to games is all about being with friends/family and having the "we're part of this" experience. I just love the feeling of tailgating, grilling food, coming in and watching the guys warm up, waiting for the introductions, cheering and having players hear fans get into it, booing the refs on bad calls, freezing in the later season games but knowing everyone else is toughing it out too, high-fiving my friends and neighbors, singing the Bengals Growl song after TDs, etc. There's just this (and I don't know how best to put it in words) feeling you get of "being part of something" when you're there in person. For me it's addicting. I look forward to going to games all year.

Now all that said PBS could use some serious upgrades. I saw two away games in 2018 and both stadiums and game-day experiences were much better than PBS. I saw the Indy opener (never forget watching Fej get the strip fumble recovery for a TD to seal the game!) and they had a full blown "street party" right in front of the stadium, I saw a small parade go by, and then when you went inside Lucas Oil stadium they had a live band playing, I was blown away. Also things were a lot more modern looking, seemed like more food options, etc. Further the stands are MUCH closer to the field than at PBS. We had to get tickets on Stubhub and splurged for best available tickets and were front row near the Bengals bench. Carlos Dunlap came over and was using the rail of the front row to stretch right in front of us, that would never happen at PBS because of distance. Hell the players could have heard us fart the fans are so close. I realize not everyone can sit as close as we did but my point is the whole stadium is a more intimate experience. The second away game I saw was the KC game that was flexed to Sunday night. Now the actual game was awful blowout but the game day experience was awesome. The tailgate scene there was unreal I don't know what time they start but man the whole damn city comes to the games, like it just empties, if you're not at the game you're in the minority it seems. There's like a giant cloud of BBQ smoke 2 miles around the whole stadium, you can see an smell it from the highway.  Everyone was super cool in the parking lot too, we walked around and drank beer with Chiefs and Bengals fans for a few hours before the game. Once inside Arrowhead it was amazing too, it's super old but there's a ton of history and food options seems better too.The main thing I remember was the stat boards showing a lot more things than the very few the Bengals have at PBS. They had a stat board sohwing how many first downs they had achieved for the game, it was in the 30's unfortunately. The reason I know it was in teh 30's is the Cheifs have a tradition of every fist down doing a big chant that the whole crowed gets into. In fact they stand for every Defense play too, not just on third down. The Bengals need more in-game ttraditions and more stat boards like that at PBS and I think people would enjoy the experience more. More interaction with the fans is I guess what I'm saying.

One more thing, if you decide to go to another Bengals game come to Parking Lot 1 for tailgate, there are signs everywhere and its on corner of Pt Rose and Central right across the stadium. The Bengals Bomb Squad is there and have a huge bus, speakers for music, they have a microphone and do a bunch of fun stuff. I only some of them on first name from seeing them at all the tailgates but they are friendly to everyone who wants to stop by in my experience. There's often folks from the away team partying with them. (P.S. It's sometimes hard to find parking passes from Parking Lot 1 and other official parking lots as they're sold to season ticket holders so you'll have to walk from where you park but it's worth it)