BroBible
It almost goes without saying that any NFL team that invites a former player to attend a ceremony where their attendance is used to drum up excitement should be more than happy to foot the bill for their travel and lodging. However, the Bengals apparently didn’t get the memo based on what Boomer Esiason had to say about the expenses he’s expected to cover if he wants to be there when a couple of guys join him in the Ring of Honor.
Paul Brown, the man who Cleveland’s NFL franchise derives its name from, got himself a team of his own when he founded the Cincinnati Bengals in 1967, and they’ve remained in the family since their inception.
Brown’s son, Mike, has overseen the Bengals since inheriting them following his father’s death in 1991. That marked the start of a new regime that was still defined by the stinginess that the original owner was notorious for, as the apple fell directly next to the tree due to the current boss’s penchant for penny-pinching and cutting corners in a never-ending quest to cut costs.
Brown did receive a semi-respectable “C’ on the most recent NFLPA report card, although the Bengals received an F for their food and dining options (they’re just one of two teams that don’t offer players three full meals a day) and an F- for their treamtnet of families (they are the only franchise that does neither offers daycare nor a dedicated family room during home games).
That aversion to spending certainly contributed to the decades of mediocrity Bengals fans were subjected to before Joe Burrow helped inject some new life into the team, but the franchise still has plenty of work to do to appease current and former players based on a new development concerning an upcoming Ring of Honor ceremony.
On October 26th, the Bengals will honor former guard Dave Lapham and cornerback Lemar Parrish in a ceremony where the two men will join the ten people who have already been inducted into the Ring of Honor.
Boomer Esiason, who spent 10 of his 14 NFL seasons as a quarterback in Cincinnati, got the nod in 2023. He was invited to make the trek to Paycor Stadium for the festivities that will unfold at halftime when the Bengals host the Jets, but on Friday, he said he’d turn down the opportunity due to the fairly wild burden he was expected to shoulder.
The retired QB spilled some tea on Boomer & Gio (the segment in question kicks off around the 8:30 mark) by revealing the team expects him to shell out for his flight and a hotel room if he wants to welcome Lapham and Parrish into the club in person.
He read the email he received that entitled him and a guest to two complimentary tickets with the option to purchase more, but...
