Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Hundreds of thousands of NFL fans braved some incredibly frigid conditions on Sunday to watch their team play in person. That includes the spectators in Cincinnati who witnessed the Ravens face off against a Bengals team that has caught plenty of heat over its response to the storm that blanketed the venue with snow ahead of the game.
Sunday was a huge day for sideline reporters who love to pull out oversized thermometers to highlight inclement conditions at NFL games, as a number of the games that were played outdoors bore the brunt of the cold snap that swept across the bulk of the United States over the weekend.
How cold was it? Well, one fan who headed to Soldier Field to watch the Bears host the Browns saw a bottle of soda turn into a slushie immediately after it was exposed to the elements on a day where the temperature peaked at 11°F in The Windy City.
Bears fan opened up a bottle of soda and it immediately FROZE
pic.twitter.com/1yH05xn2kC— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) December 15, 2025
The high in Cincinnati was a relatively balmy 17°F, but many fans who make the trek to Paycor Stadium found themselves dealing with the franchise’s lackluster approach to cleaning up after a storm that dumped more than six inches of snow in the area ahead of a Bengals game.
A Hamilton County commissioner chastised the Bengals for failing to clear snow from Paycor Stadium before playing the Ravens
Paul Brown had a reputation as one of the stingiest owners in the NFL during his time overseeing the Bengals, and the apple that is his son Mike did not fall too far from the tree when you consider the franchise is still known for its penchant for penny pinching.
The family’s unwillingness to spend more than it has to is certainly a reason Bengals fans have been subjected to more than a few extended stretches of mediocrity and downright awfulness. They got a reprieve courtesy of the Joe Burrow Era, but the vibes have gone from immaculate to anything but over the past few seasons to the point where it sounds like the QB could retire instead of subjecting himself to another year in Cincinnati.
The Bengals had a 2% chance to make the playoffs heading into Sunday’s showdown with the Ravens, and that number dropped to zero after they were officially eliminated courtesy of Baltimore’s 24-0 victory.
That outcome added insult to the injury many fans in attendance were forced to endure when they arrived at a stadium that was still covered in the evidence of a winter storm that rolled through the region on Saturday despite NFL rules that mandate teams have a plan (and adequate equipment) to facilitate the removal of snow and ice before games played in the immediate wake of inclement weather.
The franchise claimed it had done what it needed to do despite plenty of visual evidence suggesting otherwise in a statement that was issued after concerns were raised, saying, “Seat aisles were prioritized and are in good shape. Seats are easily wiped off and ushers are equipped to help.”
However, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, a number of fans took to social media to complain about being forced to deal with seats covered with snow and ice that was not as easy to remove as the team claimed.
Those grievances came to the attention of Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Dumas, who told the outlet it appeared the Bengals prioritized more expensive seats in the lower bowl with a half-hearted cleaning effort that neglected much of the upper decks.
Hamilton County owns the stadium but leases it to the Bengals, and Dumas made it pretty clear she believes the team deserves to shoulder the bulk of the blame, saying:
“We need to do a better job for the next time. I don’t like it myself. “It’s our stadium, but it’s the Bengals responsibility to make it a good environment for people coming.”
The NFL could theoretically discipline the Bengals for failing to address the snow issue, but it appears the league is buying the explanation they trotted out.