Why one fan has more to lose than the winless Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are winless. However, they aren’t the biggest losers associated with the franchise. That dubious distinction belongs to a restaurateur, Jeff Lanham, who is living on the roof of his establishment until the team wins.
WKRC of Cincinnati reported this week on the plight of the Bengals’ fan, who has been outdoors since a Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals:
Jeff Lanham has been living on the roof of his restaurant/bar for a month now after pledging to sleep on the roof until the Bengals win.https://t.co/wdVNBX1bjA
“It’s crazy,” Lanham said. “I’m stuck in it. I can’t get out of it. There’s no way out.
“It’s so boring, man. You get bored to death during the day. You can’t do anything. You can’t go nowhere. You just sit here.”
“I’ve always said I’ve never prayed to win a game just because I know there’s far more important things to pray for. But, you know, the last couple weeks, I’m praying, you know, like, “Please let us win so Jeff can come down,’” said his wife, Chrissy.
The Bengals face another daunting task Sunday, traveling to Oakland to face the resurgent Raiders as double-digit underdogs.
If the Bengals fall to 0-10, Lanham has this to look forward to in the final six games of the season: home games against the Steelers and Jets, then a road trip to Cleveland, a visit from the Patriots, a journey to Miami, which is considerably warmer in December than Milan, Oh, and finally, a visit from the Browns.
And, if Cincy runs the table to finish 0-16, there could be another former Ohio football player in the Bengals’ and Lanham’s future: LSU QB Joe Burrow, who played HS ball in the Buckeye state and started his college career at Ohio State.
Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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