CINCINNATI — Several Bengals fans with tickets to Thursday night's game lost their ride because of Hurricane Ian.
"Hurricanes come in, flights get canceled — can't go," said Zach Ange, a Bengals fan who lives in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Ange and his dad know the score. They travel to at least one Bengals game every year. Usually, they time it to be able to see the Ohio State Buckeyes football team play too. This year, they planned to enjoy Cincinnati's primetime game against Miami, which features the team's new 'White Bengal' helmets and the induction of two former players into the Ring of Honor at Paycor Stadium.
However, Hurricane Ian is a problem. The storm rattled Cuba then spun toward Tampa Tuesday. Cars crowded roads as people evacuated. Flights out were canceled too. Ange and his dad planned to fly out Wednesday morning, but cannot. They are no longer going to the game. Instead, Ange will hunker down with his parents about an hour south of Ian's bullseye.
"Oddly enough it's not the first time," Ange said. "In 2017, we missed the Bengals home opener because of Hurricane Irma. It hurts but hopefully everything is just alright. We're definitely expecting to lose power for maybe a couple of days they're saying. So, (we're) hoping to be able to watch the game at least."
Only family emergencies keep season ticket holder, 2020 Bengals Fan of the Year and Tampa area resident Shawn "Who Dey Baby" Moore away from games.
"If I can avoid that, I'm good," he said. "I'll be there."
When his flight canceled, Moore packed his bags and drove 14 hours from his home to Cincinnati Tuesday.
"We've weathered a few things since we've been down there," he said. "(We've) been down here going on five years, and we've not had a major storm come through like that. So, it's a little trepidation to want to leave out."
Given his options, Moore feels his route is best.
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