The Bengals’ Ping Pong Story Is Beyond Embarrassing
Oct 8, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Hold the phones and protect the rest of the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals have solved all their problems!
Breaking: Ping-pong tables are back in the Bengals locker room for the first time this year.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 25, 2024
Zac Taylor said it was his hope that the ping pong tables would generate camaraderie amongst Bengals. You could hear yelling during his presser from locker room and up to 90 minutes post practice. This was a common occurrence the last 3 years. Not so much this year until today. pic.twitter.com/ErkNjCdmbu
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 25, 2024
In the midst of a devastatingly disappointing 4-7 season, Zac Taylor said it was his hope that the ping pong tables would “generate camaraderie” amongst Bengals.
“I just want guys to interact. That’s one way to do it,” Taylor said, via the team’s website. “I’m not overthinking it too much, but here’s a way to create some energy and get guys up and active . . It’s December football now, and we need everyone to be at their best. Need everyone to have energy when they walk in the building. That creates some competitiveness. That’s about all there is to it.”
It’s important to note that this was a very common occurrence the last 3 years before Katie Blackburn and the organization removed the tables this off-season… BUT WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE???
Were the tables delivered by a handful of high-level NFL consultants who, after dropping them off, could head over to the front office and teach them how to approach free agency and the draft?
Is Mike Brown actually a secret world class ping pong player and he’s about to White Men Can’t Jump a bunch of his players to win enough money to properly pay his receivers?
Is there some sort of special ping-pong related drill that can help Cam Taylor-Britt become even a fraction of what we believe he would be during this off-season?
Maybe the team just wants to watch Jermaine Burton succeed at something to help morale?
Troy Walters v Jermaine Burton is the first game.
Burton obviously has played a lot of ping pong.— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 25, 2024
Listen, I’m not saying the team shouldn’t have great activities for the players. Ping pong tables and things like it are great for team chemistry. In fact I think we can all agree the facilities need upgrades of every fashion. And look, I get it, when a season is going this poorly you are looking for literally anything to turn the mojo around. Coaches have certainly tried and talked about dumber things. But, the tone deaf nature of publicly declaring your hope that ping-pong tables would create camaraderie in an NFL locker room that is 12 weeks into season is embrassing. This changes to their systemic issues at the very top, not fun post practice activities.
I truly hope come the end of this season this article will be the laughing stock of Bengals fans. I want nothing more than to watch Joe Burrow throwing big time passes in January while fans everywhere wear their custom “Joey Ping Ping” shirts. But we all know the most likely outcome is a season that ends short of the playoffs and the Brown family trying to sell naming rights on their new ping pong tables.
At least one Bengal seems to get it.
Asked rookie and newly minted starting CB Josh Newton how his ping pong game is.
“I don’t play ping pong. I play DB.”— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 25, 2024
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