Haven’t been around much over the past 2 decades. But growing up Columbus definitely identified mostly as a Browns town. The Bengals barely even sniffed 2nd billing in their own state (as the Steelers are heavily over-represented).
Support for the Bengals was reserved almost exclusively for the Greater Cincinnati area, and anywhere north of Dayton was undeniably Cleveland Browns territory… with the annoying Steelers fans always playing contrarian.
Curious what the current dynamic is in Ohio? Joe Burrow and the Bengals are so hot & trendy now, they are without a doubt one of the sexiest brands in the NFL... while the Browns are, well, still the Browns.
I imagine if I were a youngster in the Columbus area suburbs elementary or middle school – I’d be much more drawn to the Bengals than the Browns.
What do you guys see as you navigate around town? Would you say Columbus is still mostly a Browns town or have the Bengals gobbled up a lot of support and expanded their territory in the Buckeye State?
