Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo recently writes on the reaction of non-Pittsburgh fans after Big Ben suffered his motorcycle accident. The writer mentions the Bengals website as "bengalsforum.com" and quotes some of the handles on that site -- I wonder if he got permission for that, isn't there an intellectual property right violated there by not quoting the correct site? Perhaps a follow up should be ensued. The handles aren't for bengalsforum.com (which redirects to Families.com); it's my old home, BengalsZone.com.
Why does a beat writer for a city-wide newspaper feel the need to scan forums and quote members of a website that's specific to the Cincinnati Bengals? Slow day? Feeling the need to create a story that's not really a story; just bickering fans going back and forth? Did Fittipaldo scan the Steelers forums after Palmer got hurt and write an article on that?
Obviously the writer felt the need to promote this piece as a "feel bad for Ben" story by using other the other team's fan base. I'm glad the Bengals beat writers don't use that tactic and stick with the team; not other team's fan bases. That's just childish; especially when you quote fans linking to a website that goes to "families.com". That's just sloppy and unprofessional.
As I've said before, Ben's accident is that, an accident. Most of Bengals nation do hope he recovers without a hitch by opening weekend. I have several Steelers fans that hope the same for Carson Palmer. Maybe next time Fittipaldo could be a little fairer in projecting Bengals fans and be a little more classy next time.
UPDATE 1: They fixed the link to BengalsZone.
UPDATE 2:A letter to Ray at BengalsZone.com.