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StumbleuponBengals fan plans walkout
Sunday, November 09, 2008
DAYTON — Cincinnati Bengals fan Jason "Turk" Vangel has spent more than a month plotting a protest against the owner of his favorite NFL team. Vangel's "Operation Change" calls for a walkout before halftime of the Nov. 16 game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Paul Brown Stadium.
But a funny thing happened to the bliss of his boycott — the Bengals beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. It serves as a setback to his cause.
"It hurts drastically," Vangel said. "Now you've got a bunch of people who are positive about the team again. People are back on the bandwagon, thinking this team's going to go 8-8. Granted, we did improve. We got a win. But it was also against a mediocre Jacksonville team."
Vangel, 36, a Dayton resident who works in the model fabrication shop at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, spends his Sundays in the fall agonizing over the 1-8 Bengals.
Vangel hears optimistic talk each season about the possibilities of a division title and a postseason run to the Super Bowl.
"I've come to the realization that none of that's ever going to happen," he said. "The coaches have changed. The players have changed. What's the only thing that's stayed the same? Mike Brown. He's the only constant."
Vangel is asking fans to give up their season tickets and stop buying Bengals merchandise.
"A lot of fans say, 'What does a walkout accomplish? Nothing. You still bought the ticket.' Yeah, I bought a ticket. I did put money into his pocket. But a mass walkout shows dissatisfaction with the ownership," Vangel said.
"It lets it be known that we're doing this because we have lost faith in Mike Brown's ability to run this football team."
