Sometimes, the best seat in the house is on a plane.
Getting tickets for an NFL game in the UK is like entering a raffle where the top prize is disappointment.
You join a Ticketmaster queue that is already 400,000 deep, watch the little man shuffle across your screen and tell yourself “maybe this year”.
Spoiler: Probably not.
That was me until I decided to stop refreshing the browser and book a flight to Cincinnati instead.
Scratching the itch
It had been five years since I last saw the Cincinnati Bengals in the flesh – a loss to the LA Rams at Wembley – and I had an itch to scratch.
So in 2024, I joined a group of around 16 fans from Bengals UK on a trip to Cincinnati, organised by Touchdown Trips.
We watched the Bengals lose 37-17 to the Philadelphia Eagles and yet, it was one of the best few days of my life.
The city, the people, the sheer excitement of it all… I was hooked. Almost as soon as I got home, I promised myself I would go again.
Fast forward to this season and there I was, back in Cincy. A couple of us went independently this time but in parallel to about 20 other UK fans on the ‘official’ tour.
The result was much sweeter too: a 33-31 win over the Steelers on Thursday Night Football. You can read my game review here.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to spare the money and the time, I think you should you cross the pond, even just once, to see your NFL team play.
Here are a few things I enjoyed most about my trip, which I hope inspire you.
The atmosphere hits different
The games at Wembley and Tottenham are brilliant – the buzz, the flags, trying to spot jerseys from all 32 teams.
But it is not the same. It is like watching your favourite band at a festival: fun, but it is not their own gig.
At a Cincinnati home game, it is their gig. For the Steelers, the crowd followed the ‘white-out’ brief to the letter: 66,000 fans in matching white, screaming, booing and chanting in unison.
When Tee Higgins scored, the roar of “Teeeeeee!” rattled my bones. You cannot replicate that in London.
Next-level tailgating
Having a pre-game pint and burger outside Wembley is one thing. Rocking up to a US parking lot that smells of barbecue smoke, with loud music, games of cornhole, face paint and overflowing beer coolers is another.
In Cincinnati, the big tailgates – like Bengal Jim’s and the Bomb Squad – are basically fan festivals. Everyone is welcome, especially us Brits. We even got on the local TV news.
We were fed, watered and treated like family. You cannot buy that kind of hospitality… which is just as well because the hot dogs inside Paycor Stadium are pretty grim.
And the local celebrity fans? Bengals Captain and Who Bae, WhoDeyBaby, Tony Da Tiger – all lovely and all bonkers.
The locals make it special
Cincinnatians are genuinely proud that we travel so far for their team.
Everywhere you go, someone asks the same question: “Wait… you came all the way from the UK for the Bengals? Why?” That sparks some great conversations.
I have met local journalists like Paul Dehner Jr. and Jay Morrison, and even former players such as Tim Krumrie and David Fulcher.
These are people you would never casually chat with walking up Wembley Way.
The city itself is a hidden gem
After just two visits, I reckon I know Cincinnati better than London now.
I can grab breakfast at the Sleepy Bee cafe, hop on the free downtown tram, wander through Findlay Market or nip over the bridge to Kentucky.
The bars and breweries are friendly, the Graeter’s ice cream is excellent and the wings are life-changing.
Then there are the museums, the parks, the riverfront – it is a proper American city without the chaos of New York or LA.
Bonus sports and surprises
If you time it right, you can double your sporting fix.
On my first trip, I caught a live ice hockey game and toured the Reds’ baseball stadium.
This time, our visit coincided with FC Cincinnati’s final regular-season match in the MLS. After a pre-match parade through the city, we witnessed a 3-0 win in front of 25,000 fans.
And even if you are not a ‘football’-football fan, the energy is infectious.
Giving back feels good
Through Bengals UK, we have built a real bond with the city and now volunteer at our chosen charity, Our Daily Bread, a local soup kitchen.
On both trips, a group of us helped prepare and serve meals for Cincinnati’s more vulnerable residents.
It is a small thing, a token gesture, but it makes you feel more connected to the place and not just a tourist passing through.
The camaraderie
Finally, the best part: the people you share the experience with.
For years, I only ever watched the Bengals at home, sat by myself on the sofa. Now, I have got watch party mates, group chats and a gang of Cincy-loving lunatics scattered across the UK I can call or message at a moment’s notice.
We have eaten and drunk together. Mourned losses. Toasted wins.
And we each have tales – like meeting Tee Higgins’ mum at a sports shop and buying some socks to pass on to him – that will endure countless retellings.
It seems I have found my tribe, and it is all thanks to a sports team based 4,000 miles away in Ohio.
