The NFL "has a game-day experience problem," and the Bengals "find themselves at the center of the conversation," according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. The team's season-ticket base "took a hit after the playoff disappointment" of losing to the Chargers in the Wild Card round last year. The Bengals averaged 57,659 fans through two home games, "the two smallest crowds" since mid-season in '12. The "smallest attendance last season was 61,555" against the Vikings in December. The Bengals had won "a franchise-record" 11 consecutive regular-season home games prior to yesterday's tie against the Panthers, but winning "doesn't appear to be good enough anymore." Bengals Dir of Business Development Bob Bedinghaus said, "It really takes on two main areas. One is the game presentation itself and what can we do to give people a unique experience at the game they can't get at home. The second part of that is fan behavior and fan conduct." Dehner wrote tailgating and drinking "fit the high-octane, party atmosphere the NFL thrives on, but these can disenchant the family fan base." Bengals President Mike Brown said, "It is something that is a concern to me." Dehner wrote finding a way to increase the number of season-ticket holders "could serve as an answer to the problem of respect and ushering in an environment more conducive to families." Bedinghaus: "We have tried a family zone and it doesn't work. It doesn't work because a lot of times people that are coming to our games got them as gifts or from a vendor." Dehner noted the Bengals "made strides to improve the game experience this year by adding all-stadium Wi-Fi," and "brought down their price point to offer more affordable options" (CINCINNATI.com, 10/11). Yesterday's announced attendance for Panthers-Bengals was 57,053 (THE DAILY).
