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Paul Brown Stadium, the first visible sign
of Cincinnati's plan to dramatically refashion
its riverfront, is rising in clockwork fashion
and point to the team's new home being ready
for its scheduled 2000 opening.
Already the winner of a major architectural
award, Paul Brown Stadium will form the western
"bookend" of Cincinnati's "Rebirth of the Riverfront."
A new Reds baseball stadium, slated for completion
in 2003, will be the eastern "bookend." In between,
plans are underway for the National Underground
Freedom Center, celebrating Cincinnati's role
as a transit point for runaway slaves in the
mid-1800s. Parkland and other attractions will
surround the major developments.
The Bengals began play at Paul Brown Stadium
in 2004 on a new FieldTurf playing surface.
FieldTurf's surface looks, feels and plays
like natural grass. It offers a consistent
playing surface regardless of the weather
conditions. The loose-fiber system is safer
for players than previous synthetic
surfaces. Shoes do not stick, and the softer
surface minimizes compression injuries.
FieldTurf's patented "infill system"
replicates natural soil, and is
comprised of a mixture of sand and recycled
rubber.
Stadium History:
Paul Brown Stadium, home of
the Cincinnati Bengals, has become a pace
setter in the NFL since
its opening in 2000. Prior to moving into
Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals played at
Cinergy Field, a multipurpose stadium. In
the mid 1990’s the team began wanting a new
football only facility. In 1996, voters
approved a bill that allowed a new stadium
to be built. The stadium was constructed
just a couple of blocks away from Cinergy
Field along the banks of the Ohio River.
Ground breaking ceremonies took place on
April 25, 1998. Unlike many other teams in
the NFL, the Bengals decided not to sell the
naming rights to the stadium. Instead they
decided to honor their founder, Paul Brown,
and name the stadium, Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bengals inaugural first game at Paul
Brown Stadium was on September 10, 2000.
Outside, the stadium has a sleek futuristic
architecture look. Over 65,000 green seats
are located throughout Paul Brown Stadium.
The lower deck circles the entire playing
field. A club level and upper deck are
located on both sides of the field. An
additional second deck of seats is located
beyond the north end zone. There are
video/scoreboards located above the seats in
the south and north end zones. Paul Brown
Stadium has several amenities including 144
luxury suites, over 7,000 club seats, two
club restaurants, and a Bengals team store.
Fans attending games at Paul Brown Stadium
receive tremendous views of the Cincinnati
skyline and the Ohio River. Because of the
continued turf problems with the grass at
Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals decided to
replace the surface with FieldTurf after the
2003 season. Although for many years the
Bengals were a terrible team, that drew
poorly, over the past several years, fans
have started to support the team more as the
team continues to build a winning franchise.
Cincinnati Bengals History
The Cincinnati Bengals ended the 2006 season
in second place in AFC North but the
suspensions of Chris Henry and Odell Thurman
leave many wondering what the 2007 season
will bring. QB Carson Palmer is hopeful that
other players like Tab Perry and Antonio
Chatman will use this opportunity to shine,
and draft picks Leon Hall, Kenny Irons and
Jeff Rowe will be eager to prove themselves.
Some Cincinnati Bengals history: The Bengals
joined the American Football League (AFL) as
an expansion team in 1968. Organized by Paul
Brown, a coach who had won three NFL titles
with the Cleveland Browns during the 1950s,
the Bengals' first season featured rookie of
the year Paul Robinson leading the AFL in
rushing.
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