CINCINNATI — Bengals fans brought ‘Who Dey’ energy back to the Banks on Sunday for the team’s home opener.
“It just made me tingle all over this morning walking over here today,” said Elfie Gross, who attended the game.
Gross was decked out in Bengals gear, including homemade Bengals bracelets and a headband with fake ears. She found tiger-striped leggings online.
“They just bring us all closer together,” she said of the team and game days.
Gross wasn’t the only fan who took their outfit to the next level.
Cincinnati’s ‘beard guy,’ Garey Faulkner, came ready in full face and beard paint.
“I do a latex base with my skin and paint it on,” he said. “So I actually had this done last night and I slept in it.”
It took a makeup artist two hours to complete his face.
Some couples with dual loyalties attended the game, including Andrew Blankenship and Lauren Kraemer. They came in from Maryland for the game. He cheered for the Bengals, while she supported the Ravens.
“We know that both of them are strong competitors when it comes to the game,” Blankenship said.
“I was surprised by, for the most part, how welcoming Bengals fans are,” Kraemer said.
Fans were disappointed with the team’s loss to the Ravens, but were excited that football had returned to the Tri-State.
“We have the best fan base in the city, or in the world,” said Arianna James, a bartender at The Frost Factory at the Banks.
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