Each year ESPN's The Magazine ranks each sports franchise based on how much they give back to the fans for the amount of time and money invested in them. Out of 122 professional sports franchises, the Cincinnati Bengals ranked dead last. This is no surprise to anyone who has watched how the Bengals conduct themselves on the field, off the field, or with their lackeys on the County Commission.
In addition to being bottom-feeders in their overall rating, the Bungles also ranked dead last in each of the following categories:
1) Fan relations - openness and consideration of players, coaches and management toward fans;
2) Players - effort on the court/field/ice and likeability off of it; and
3) Title track - championships won, or expected to be won, during the lifetime of current fans
Hamilton County taxpayers have made a massive investment in the Bungles and have nothing to show for it but a mountain of debt and a county on the verge of bankruptcy. We didn't need ESPN to tell us how bad the Bungles are at treating their fans. We know the Bungles are a lousy investment. If the team's clueless fans want to begin each season thinking this is our year, then that's on them, but our county shouldn't invest any more money in them.
This year and next year the stadium fund faced deficits of $15 million/year, which was plugged by two Commissioners who broke their word to the voters and repealed most of the Property Tax Rollback that was promised to us. After that it only gets worse, as the annual deficit will rise to $30 million/year. That makes the Property Tax Rollback in serious jeopardy of being eliminated entirely.
COAST has advocated time and time again for maintaining the PTR. Our advocacy - and everyone else's - for this principle is needed now more than ever. The citizens of Hamilton County are entitled to the money they were promised from the Stadium Sales Tax increase. And just as importantly, Hamilton County needs to stop investing any more of its limited tax dollars in the worst franchise in North America.
There is no way any team run by Mike Brown, Bob Bedinghaus, and Jeff Berding should be ranked so low. It proves we need to send more of our tax dollars to the Bengals.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you guys complaining? It was Chris Finney who told everyone that the stadium tax was a "great deal." He campaigned and advocated for it.
ReplyDeleteThe two best investments I ever made were in Bob Bedinghaus and Tax Hike Hartmann
ReplyDeleteWe're all aware that the stadium tax has been a terrible catastrophe for the county. Another "economic development" project that didn't pan out.
ReplyDeleteNow we have to hold our elected officials to their promises by demanding that they restore the Property Tax Rollback that was promised to us, and ensure we don't "invest" any further tax dollars in the worst franchise in sports.
There are no black people on the Hamilton County Commission, so there's nobody for the GOP to criticize. It's ok when white Republicans raise taxes but Dohoney's black so he's not allowed to.
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