PBS ranked among worst NFL stadiums

Where does Paul Brown Stadium stack up against other NFL stadiums?

Apparently, not so well.

In a ranking of the five worst NFL stadiums by The Athletic, PBS checked in as the league’s fifth-worst stadium.

Here is what Bengals beat writer Jay Morrison had to say about the team’s low ranking:

“Paul Brown Stadium is only 20 years old, but it already feels like a relic with its drab gray exterior and interior. Shawshank had more character. There’s no Ring of Honor or Hall of Fame or anything else that signifies where you are, and it’s nearly impossible to roam from one side of the stadium to the other without changing levels multiple times rather than just walking around the concourse the way you do in most venues.

“The good news is there are a couple of escalators to get you to the upper canopy level. The bad news is they only work about 35 percent of the time, much like the team’s game plans.”

Zing!

It’s no wonder the Bengals ranked dead last in fan attendance percentage (72% via ESPN) last year. They’ve also finished as a bottom-three team in three-straight seasons.

Though a big part of that is Cincinnati going 15-33 during that span, having a bad stadium (by NFL standards anyway) makes it even easier for fans to opt for the couch over a seat in what’s become a relic of a pro football stadium.

The good/bad news is the Bengals probably won’t have to worry about filling up PBS in 2020 as teams drastically cut down fan capacity due to COVID-19, much like the Ravens did Wednesday.

But hey, you get what you pay for, right Mike?