Things That Please WDR: Bengals Help Pay for Stadium Upgrades

The Enquirer brings us this article, which describes how the Bengals paid the majority (55%) of the costs to upgrade the cash registers in Paul Brown Stadium when they legally had no obligation to pay anything.  It's a small but good gesture and causes even mega-cynics such as ourselves to hope the Brown Family may start working more with the community.

(side note:  not thrilled with the Enquirer title "Taxpayers spend $400k for new Paul Brown Stadium cash registers" as even to our admittedly biased eyes that seems horribly biased against the Bengals.  The story is not that the taxpayers have to pay for stadium upgrades, that's been known since the lease was signed.  The real story is that taxpayers saved $490k because the Bengals let them).

This was not some frivolous upgrade either.  See this passage:

Terry Evans, who oversees riverfront operations for the county, reminded the commission at the meeting why the new cash registers were needed: Last year, just before the playoff game with the New York Jets, half the stadium didn’t have working cash registers.

Like a string of Christmas lights, when one register crashed, all those on the system after it went down.

Sounds like a really poorly designed system to me.  Of course, it's not an entirely selfless move by the Bengals:

That could have meant long walks for beer and souvenirs. And on the flip side, less revenue for the team.

Emphasis mine.  I'll be charitable and say this is one case where fan and mgmt interests dovetail.  Can't go without precious, delicious $8 beers!

Of course, the Reds still set a higher standard, footing 100% of a much larger upgrade bill:

The Reds have been in a giving mood too. Last year the Reds cut a similar deal with the county when it agreed to pay the $10 million cost of replacing the entire scoreboard system. Legally, they could have forced the county to foot the bill.

Fuck St Louis.

Comments

[5chw4r7z.blogspot.com]

is it ironic at all the one thing Brown helped pay for is something that will help the Bengals make money more efficiently?

[Sleeping With Bieniemy]

No - but certainly intentional. Clearly there is a reason they pushed for this upgrade and they even pitched in. But hey, it's better than them not pitching in.

[artist formerly known as Section 101]

yeah duly noted: fk st louis

[true religion outlet]

Cafe Carlu is a clean, modern cafe in the Cité de Architecture on the the Trocadero with a small menu of simple,well prepared sandwiches, salads,quiches and plats. So what's the big deal?