The state of Ohio, located in the north-central and eastern part of North America, holds an important position for east-west and north-south freight and passenger transportation. It is also a part of the Great Lakes region, with a water transport volume that is more than double that of the Panama Canal. From roads to railways, from waterways to airways, it is one of the most important transportation hubs in North America. There is even a large-scale transportation research center at Ohio State University.
Historically, this land was a concentrated area for Native American tribes. After immigrants gradually took over, Germans and Irish people became the pioneers of this land, which led to a Protestant majority in terms of religious beliefs. It is worth mentioning that the Amish population here is the largest in the entire United States.
All of this shows that this is a land with simple folk customs, a love for freedom, and a tough style. In the generally conservative central region, it is a rare sight to see that this is the heartland of the Democratic Party.
Naturally, Ohio has also become a popular home for countless sports teams: the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds in baseball, the Cleveland Cavaliers in basketball, the Columbus Blue Jackets in hockey, and the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in football.
Countless excellent athletes have been born here, and there are countless passionate fans. The huge market for competitive sports has become an indispensable part of Ohio's economy and culture.
Cincinnati is a crucial part of this. Not only did the world's first professional baseball team originate here, but it also has some of the best fans in the United States. Even when their team's record fluctuates and never reaches the world stage, they are still loyal and unwavering.
In Cincinnati, where the four seasons are distinct, you can already feel the crisp air of autumn in September. The high skies, wide-open views, fiery maple leaves, and cool moisture in the air, bathed in golden sunlight and a moist, brisk breeze, make you want to leave the indoors and enjoy the freshness of autumn in the streets, parks, and countryside.
It was only eight o'clock in the morning, and the temperature was slightly low. A gentle breeze blew by, and goosebumps appeared on exposed skin, but it wasn't cold. It made you want to open your arms, stretch, and comfortably enjoy the crispness of the autumn sun.
"The weather here is great. Why do I feel like it's even warmer here than in San Francisco?" Jeff Locke's steps were light as he looked around with curiosity and excitement. This was his first time watching an NFL road game in person, and his heart was pounding.
Danny Reese was also rubbing his hands together, his eager steps bouncing up and down. "It's because there's not as much wind here. That's why it feels warmer. Also, autumn is more noticeable here. The weather is great!"
Danny and Jeff and Nate met through UCLA. Danny and Jeff and Nate became friends because of Lu Ke. Now, they were traveling together to watch Lu Ke's game on the road. The connection between fans is always so simple and interesting.
"Chris, what's wrong? Is something off?" Nate Chandler noticed Chris Wilson walking beside him. He had been looking back and forth, all around. Nate also looked around, and the area was slowly filling up with a flood of black, white, and orange jerseys. The game atmosphere was gradually becoming noisy.
They were walking down the wide, straight path of Paul Brown Stadium, leaving the parking lot and heading to the stadium. They were joined by countless Bengals fans. With two hours left until the game, the atmosphere was already lively and exciting.
Chris looked curious and confused. "Pay attention. Is it just my imagination, or is it really like this? Why do I feel like there aren't many home fans? It feels sparse, and there's not much of an atmosphere."
"There aren't many?" Jeff said in surprise. "How many fans can we see right now? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? There are people everywhere. Today's game will really be a test for Lu Ke."
"No, no, I'm serious," Chris said, looking at his friends. "Think about it. At Candlestick Park, the crowd was much more overwhelming than this. The crowd here doesn't seem dense at all. And a moment ago in the parking lot, we found a parking spot right away. How long did it take? Five minutes? Eight minutes? That would never happen on a game day at Candlestick Park."
Although the home fans of the San Francisco 49ers weren't very enthusiastic in the first two games, with an attendance rate of about 90 to 95 percent, which also gave the visiting fans a lot of opportunities, the spectacle at Candlestick Park still left a deep impression.
After Chris's reminder, Jeff and the others also noticed that the crowd was indeed overwhelming, but when compared to Candlestick Park, the difference was very obvious. Candlestick Park can hold about 70,000 people, while Paul Brown Stadium can hold 65,000 people. Both stadiums are in the same class.
"Maybe…we're here too early?" Jeff suggested a possibility. "This is the Bengals' first home game of the new season. The Cincinnati fans wouldn't be this unsupportive, right?"
It was like the San Francisco 49ers. In the first game of the season, even if they didn't have much faith in Lu Ke and had a lot of complaints about the team, on game day, the fans still came to the stadium and filled the seats to show their support for the team.
When every expert and commentator analyzed this game, the home and away factors were an important aspect that couldn't be ignored. It was especially important for the two rookie quarterbacks. But if the Bengals' home fans themselves were unsupportive, would that be… digging their own grave?
"Who knows?" Danny shrugged and said nonchalantly. "Anyway, there probably won't be many 49ers fans here today either. The worst-case scenario is that both the home and away fans are unenthusiastic. That's a good thing for us." His teasing tone made everyone laugh.
As they got closer to the stadium, the road game atmosphere finally became thicker. The crowd was full of the Bengals' black, white, and orange, with some red and gold scattered in between, but they were quickly swallowed up by the black and white and became unrecognizable. In the distance, they could see a huge banner hanging on the fence outside the stadium that read:
"Joe Montana isn't here this time!"
The provocative and mocking tone was very obvious. The Cincinnati Bengals had been to the Super Bowl twice and lost both times to the San Francisco 49ers, both times to a man named Joe Montana.
Joe Montana is the most famous legendary figure in the history of the San Francisco 49ers. Of the team's five Super Bowl championships, four were won by Montana, and one was won by Steve Young.
Without a doubt, Montana is one of the most iconic figures in the 49ers and the league. He had already locked in his spot in the Hall of Fame before he retired and wrote a great chapter in history. Countless quarterbacks fell in love with football because of Montana.
Among Montana's countless personal records, one is the hardest to surpass: in four Super Bowl games, he had 122 passing attempts with zero interceptions, and his quarterback rating in those four games was as high as 127.8, setting a record that can only be looked up to.
For the Bengals, Montana was a bitter memory. But now, the leader of the 49ers wasn't Montana but an undrafted rookie named Lu Ke. It was clear that the Bengals were determined to win this game.
"Victory belongs to us!" a roar suddenly came from their side, like a sudden clap of thunder.
They subconsciously turned their heads and saw five or six fans with their faces painted to look like the Bengals' logo, roaring with their mouths wide open like a Bengal tiger.
"Losers always roar louder!" Chris roared back without backing down. "We're taking home the win!" With that, Chris raised his right fist high and began to chant, "49ers! 49ers! 49ers!"
The three friends standing next to Chris also started to cheer, but in the away environment, they were at a disadvantage. The four of them were like a small rowboat in the ocean, tossing and turning, as if they could be swallowed up at any moment. However, the four of them were not afraid at all. They were red-faced and their veins were bulging as they roared and cheered for themselves.
Then, the Bengals fans finally came to their senses, cheering and shouting to each other, calling their friends, and then started to sing their team's theme song. The overwhelming momentum slowly rose, forming a confrontation. It was clear that they had the upper hand.
The Bengals and the 49ers were not archrivals, and there was no irreconcilable hatred between them. The rivalry between the fans was less about animosity and more about sportsmanship. They cheered, sang, and supported their teams as they entered the stadium and spread out to find their seats.
The rookie showdown finally had a little flavor to it.
But after they sat down, Chris and the others gradually started to feel that something was off. Not to mention Chris, even the carefree Danny noticed it. "What's going on? Don't tell me the stadium isn't even full? What's wrong with Cincinnati?"
The Week 3 regular season game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals officially started at ten in the morning. It was now less than twenty minutes until ten o'clock. Logically, the stadium should have been full, and all the fans should have been seated. But at this moment, there were still large empty sections in the Paul Brown Stadium, which looked patchy, weird, and unenthusiastic.
What was going on?
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