Hamilton County Owes Bengals HD Board

Hamilton County tax payers get excited not only have you paid for two stadiums you also get to pay for the upgrades! Ok maybe it’s

Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

not something to get excited about but you will be paying for a new HD video board at Paul Brown Stadium.

Due to a clause written in the original contract for Paul Brown Stadium it states that if 14 teams in the NFL have HD video screens then the Bengals will receive one from the county. Currently 21 teams have one, the Bengals will be getting theirs very soon. The Bengals have not officially asked for the screen yet but will in the near future.

Hamilton County has no choice but to comply with the Bengals demand due to the terms of the lease for the stadium. The HD screen will likely carry around a $10 million dollar price tag. The Bengals front office hopes to have it in place as early as the 2014 season.

The biggest problem with the screen isn’t the fact that the county has to pay for it, rather the fact that the money isn’t there for it. County Commissioner Greg Hartman has said “The money not being there is a reality” speaking to the fact that the county does not have it in their budget for a new score board.

There are two ways the Bengals could get it, one way the county pays for it. The other way the Bengals buy it and bill Hamilton County for it. Or the Bengals could chip in and pay for it with the county. In 2009 the Reds installed an HD screen, the Reds paid $8.13M while the county only paid $1.87. The Reds chipped in, the Bengals should do the same. Hartman agrees with the Bengals chipping in “I don’t think it will get done if they don’t.”

Fans have said an HD screen is a necessity. It is not, one fan said “the replays aren’t as clear as they should be” boohoo pal. You are at the game, you should be watching the game, tough crap if you can’t see the blade of grass by Dalton’s knee. The idea that they are competing against home HD televisions is ludicrous. People that want to attend games always will, its the experience people want.

In section 12.3 of the lease not only is the HD screen in the lease, holographic replay system is also in it. The Bengals were forward thinking in 1997, that seems interesting how about the Bengals get that, be trail blazers. Stadium self cleaning systems and smart seats are also required if other stadiums get them. Futuristic Paul Brown could be interesting. Chairs that talk.

Mike Brown and the Bengals organization are worth nearly a billion dollars, their revenue is ungodly, the NFL is a money machine. There is no reason the Bengals can not afford to buy this themselves. Buy the screen and bill the county over the next three years for it. Support the county and the citizens that gave you the stadium.