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When the Bengals leave for London tonight, 40 members of the team will be laying back and relaxing in a lay-down bed on the plane.
According to ESPN's Katherine Terrell, 40 lay-down beds are available on the plane, which technically seats more than 300 people, though just 170 will be aboard the flight with the team.
The Bengals are taking 65 players, so 25 won't get a bed. Connelly and Lewis decided which players would get the lay-down beds by seniority, size and other factors. The rest of the players either get the four seats in the middle of the plane so they can lay down and sleep, or, in the case of everyone else on the plane, they'll get two seats to themselves.
Bill Connelly, referred to above, is the Bengals’ business manager who planned most of the logistics for the trip to London.
"I don't know if my experience will earn me a lay-down bed, but hopefully my back will," Tyler Eifert told Terrell, laughing. "I'm kinda hoping for that."
The Bengals will need to rest up on the plane as they arrive in London on Friday morning (local time) and almost immediately will head to practice. The team has a number of media obligations as well as a nice dinner in London planned during the trip. Saturday will see a second practice for the team at Wembley Stadium. The itinerary sounds comprehensive for the players and adjusting to the time and getting in rest will be difficult.
With that in mind, sleeping on the plane is of the utmost importance!
So, which 40 members of the team — coaches included — do you think deserve one of the coveted lay-down beds on the plane?
Let’s hear it!