The Bengals' lease with Paul Brown Stadium says that if new technology -- "including a scoreboard -- is installed in 14 other NFL stadiums -- Hamilton County taxpayers must buy the same thing ... if the Bengals request it," according to a front-page piece by Sharon Coolidge of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Hamilton County Board of Commissioners President Chris Monzel said that he is "open to creative solutions, but the county can’t afford to pay" the full $10M this year. Monzel: “Right now we’re not sitting on a bunch of money that we can go out there and do it. Maybe we can come up with a plan that has a timetable agreeable to them.” One option is the Bengals could "chip in part of the cost themselves." Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann said, “I don’t think it will get done if they don’t." The team "hasn't made an official request," but the $10M price tag is "on the list of the the county’s potential projects -- and there are hints the team is looking for the replacement scoreboard to be in place as soon the 2014 season." There are 21 NFL teams that "have an HD scoreboard -- with three more scheduled to be installed next year." Bengals attorney Stuart Dornette said the team has not requested a new scoreboard yet "because the team has been sensitive to the County's budget issues over the past few years" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/21).
