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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Greg Wilson

Zac Taylor reveals how Bengals’ game ball tradition started

Zac Taylor started a new tradition when the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 in the 2021 Wild Card round by delivering game balls to local Cincinnati bars after the game.

In an episode of the “Mental Game Podcast” with Brandon Saho, Taylor talked about where the tradition came from and why he wanted to do it.

“It was one of those tough nights I had when we were not winning games,” Taylor said. “[I’m] driving home and thinking about what a parade would look like, and big wins, people on the streets.”

Taylor said on his drive home he would see some of the bars and see people inside watching sports and called it a great scene.

“What a great thing it would be to share a playoff win experience with these people who have yearned for this for so long,” Taylor said.

Growing up in Oklahoma, Taylor said he remembers how he felt in high school living and dying with the wins and losses of the Sooners and he wants to have that experience with Bengals fans.

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