Cincinnati Bengals LB Maualuga not happy with Vontaze Burfict
Cincinnati Bengals linebackers Rey Maualuga and Vontaze Burfict decided in the offseason to cut off their signature dreadlocks and start 2016 with a new look.
Cincinnati’s Worst Stadium Deal Ever Seeks Lower Borrowing Costs
The near record-low borrowing costs in the municipal-bond market may buy Cincinnati relief from what was labeled one of the worst stadium deals for taxpayers. Hamilton County, Ohio, plans to borrow $322 million next week to refinance debt taken on more than a decade ago to build new home fields for the Bengals National Football League team and the Reds Major League Baseball team. It’s projected to save about $65 million -- freeing up money for promised property-tax cuts that were scaled-back as the cost of the project soared.
Doc: Is Bengals' stability a good thing?
Pound the rock. Pound it 100 times, so it cracks on No. 101. That’s the idea behind Marvin Lewis’ newest team motto. The Bengals are Team Sisyphus, with a chisel and a hammer. They used to chop wood, then they shoveled coal. Now, they pound rock. The Bengals might never win a Super Bowl, but they’ll always have a trade to fall back on when they retire.
NFL training camp isn't what it used to be, which players say is a good thing
The first training camp practice of the 2016 season that Bengals fans will see on Friday is a far different one than they would have just a few years ago, and players say that's a good thing while coaches slowly warmed up the idea of camp being more Club Med than Parris Island. Long gone are the grueling two-a-day practices filled with full contact and conditioning drills held for about a month. Bengals camp will be only 12 days long with 11 practices and one "mock game."
Bengals day at camp: July 29
Each day the Bengals beat writers will offer up the highs, lows and basics from the day of practice during training camp. Camp begins July 29 and wraps Aug. 16.
Camp report: Deja Boyd
Who else on the first day of training camp before a crowd of 1,350 at Paul Brown Stadium? Quarterback Andy Dalton, the defending AFC passing champion, looked as efficient as he did the play before he broke his thumb last Dec. 13 against Pittsburgh.
It took Bengals rookie receiver Tyler Boyd one day to show versatility
Preseason practices have finally arrived for the Cincinnati Bengals and after just one day, rookie receiver Tyler Boyd's versatility already has the camp buzzing. It took only three plays of full 11-on-11 drills for the second-round pick from Pitt to cause cheers to echo across the practice fields from the approximate 1,350 who watched from bleachers.
Eifert gets boot off foot, has no timetable for return and will never play Pro Bowl again
Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert said on Friday that the walking boot that's been on his left ankle since he had the cast removed following surgery on it in late May is expected to come off in a week, but there's no timetable yet for his return to the playing field. He injured the ankle playing in the Pro Bowl and said he will never participate in the game again.
Rey Maualuga regrets injury, cleared for practice
Rey Maualuga pulled a white towel tight over his grey, backward Cincinnati Bengals hat, and reflected a bit on the team’s decision on Tuesday to place him on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list – a list he was taken off of Friday morning just prior to the opening of training camp.
AFC North Bytes
Excuses, Excuses: Le'Veon Bell, Others Need to Take NFL Drug Testing Seriously
Though Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell is facing a four-game suspension for missing a handful of drug tests, he has been adamant that he will win his appeal. Now we may know why.
Can't Quit Football: For Steve Smith Sr., Comeback Is 'Life and Death'
The training center has a warehouse feel, with exposed ductwork and cinder block walls. Box fans are blowing on a midsummer's day, but the thick air does not seem to move. Steve Smith Sr. wears a cotton hoodie soaked through with sweat, and his skin looks like it's slathered in baby oil. In between most sets, he bends over, hands on knees. After one set, he lies on his back on the floor.
Roethlisberger opens up on Bengals rivalry, retirement and more
The Steelers don't like the Bengals, and the Bengals don't like the Steelers. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said on Friday during a one-on-one interview with the Tribune-Review that he's tired of the cheap and dirty play that littered the rivalry a year ago.
Browns Training Camp 2016: Day 1 Clips and Quips
As quickly as it came, day one of the 2016 Cleveland Browns training camp went. The preseason started with a bad omen when inclement weather led the Browns to close the practice, leaving some fans to depart disappointed. Though soon after the practice was closed, Mother Nature cooperated and allowed the Browns to practice outside.
Random Bytes
Guess How Sexist Texas A&M's Event For Female Football Fans Was
It was pretty damn sexist! Yesterday, the Texas A&M football program hosted an event called Chalk Talk For Women, at which female Aggies fans who paid an $80.00 entry fee could socialize, eat, and be subjected to sexist song lyrics.
MNF’s Sean McDonough on Tom Brady, Redskins nickname, Jon Gruden
In a surprising development in April, Mike Tirico left ESPN for NBC Sports and, with the move, opened up a seat that few men have sat in. The play-by-play announcer’s chair for "Monday Night Football" had been held by Tirico since 2006, and it’s a prestigious title that a mere four men have ever held.
Cowboys linebacker is sidelined after getting shot by a paintball
The offseason is a time for players to go on vacation, hang out with friends and family, and recover before the upcoming campaign. Players have different ways of spending their summer breaks, which can lead to some freak injuries. As strange as it sounds, a Vikings backup quarterback hurt himself breaking into his own home.
Ryan Fitzpatrick blames New York Post for long hair
Ryan Fitzpatrick says he hasn’t been to the barber since the New York Post ran a story about it. "Somebody wrote an article about my barbershop a couple of months ago, so I couldn’t go back to the barbershop, you know," Fitzpatrick told reporters Thursday. "I’ve been trying to avoid the media and stay in my cave."
The MMQB picks best NFL t-shirts for all 32 teams
The MMQB’s Football Lifestyle column debuts with a roundup of shirting options for all 32 franchises. The picks include vintage logos, unlicensed creativity and simple staples. Oh, and ladies, we didn’t forget about you.
Andre Johnson to Titans
Thirteen-year NFL veteran Andre Johnson has watched his production decline sharply over the past two seasons, but he won't let that stand in the way of a return to the gridiron.
NFL: Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Texans in Mexico City sells out in minutes
The NFL says the Nov. 21 Monday night game in Mexico City between the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Texans sold out within minutes. A league statement says tickets went on sale at 11 a.m. Thursday and were gone in under a half-hour.
Mark Sanchez on Broncos chance: Gift-wrapped 'from heaven'
Last December, shortly before the end of his second season as a backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Mark Sanchez sent bottles of wine to coaches, front-office employees and other staffers as a token of his appreciation. Less than three months later, the Eagles sent Sanchez to a place he regards as pro football's champagne lounge.
Darius Slay, Lions Agree on New Contract
Cornerback Darius Slay will be with the Detroit Lions for the foreseeable future after the two sides agreed to a long-term contract extension.