Cigar Aficionado

The NFL released its 2020 schedules yesterday, which means teams and fans alike can get excited for different matchups, talk trash through social media and start looking forward to games. For the Cincinnati Bengals, it also meant rolling out a cigar-filled promo, most likely due to their number one pick Joe Burrow’s viral smoking shot in nearly full LSU football gear after winning the 2019 National Championship.

Watch the Promo Video Here
 
The promo begins by mocking the Bengals’ video from last year, which promoted what would be a 2-14 season, leaving the jungle cats at the bottom of their division and the entire league. In fact, the team was statistically one of the worst in the league. To supplement their misgivings in those areas, the Bengals drafted a new quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle, as well as an assortment of linebackers and edge rushers. They even finished the 2020 NFL Draft with the fifth-best rating (A) and new weapons to give hope to fans of the orange and black.
 
After its bit of mockery, the video transitions to Joey Burrow’s confident smoking nod to a erby after the big win. It’s on. The cigars start rolling out, each one being banded with the logos of the Bengals’ opponents. In fact, the cigars look pretty enticing for a fan of any of those teams. However, for the Bengals in a do-or-die situation, one thinks they’re meant to be victory cigars.
 
Cincinnati isn’t particularly known for its prowess at the quarterback position, though Boomer Esiason, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer and Ken Anderson all put together solid careers. For Burrow, it feels different. Claiming a quarterback who put together what some have called the best season ever for a college quarterback (5,671 ing yards, 60 TDs, 6 INTs, 76.3% completion rate) means you have to step it up. Otherwise, it means the potential waste of a seemingly generational talent.

Regardless, it will hopefully be an electrifying season to watch. We’ll see how many of those cigars the Bengals get to light up.