Meet Bengals Insider's New Publisher

In his first official release, new Bengals Insider publisher V.R. Bryant talks about himself, his history as a Bengals fan and how he happened upon the position.

It’s difficult to do this—to turn the microphone around on myself and write something meaningful. I suppose I could start with some history, about where I went to school, or how I got into writing to begin with.

None of those things, though, really garner me any credibility. Or at least they shouldn’t. What really ought to matter is my passion for professional football, sports in general, and the Cincinnati Bengals.

I grew up outside of Washington, D.C. and was therefore obliged to – as they say – Hail to the Redskins. Once I emerged from the Joe Gibbs/Hogs/Art Monk and the Posse haze that was my childhood, I began following some other teams. One of those teams was the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 1994 season, the Bengals went 3-13. They gave up 406 points—worst in the conference. Incredibly, they did not finish in last place. The Houston Oilers took that distinction, and yet neither team had a top-two pick.

Despite the mediocrity (generous?), I was totally enchanted by that team. Jeff Blake and Carl Pickens were amazing to watch; arguably the best deep-pass tandem in the league. All I could think was, “If this team would just get a running back, they’d be an absolute force.” Unfortunately, Corey Dillon (yes, I was a huge Dillon advocate) showed up a little too late, and was forced to endure the Coslet/LeBeau era as well as the Akili Smith debacle. And people wondered why he wound up unhappy.

Without making this small flashback into a full-blown documentary (I’m sure everyone remembers), let’s just say that I’ve watched this team since I was a wee one, even if that wasn’t all that long ago. I am thrilled to have been chosen by Scout Media to cover the Bengals, and I can promise to all of you nothing but my full dedication to bringing you the most exclusive, up-to-date team info and breaking news, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to all the benefits of belonging to the Scout network, I want to provide you all with a place to gather and make your voices heard. I have found over the past several years that there is only so much that can be gained from listening to the ‘experts’. What I have come to value most both as a writer and a fan are the opinions of the people; the average fan that sits down every Sunday and really watches the games.

To that point, while I will always be conscious of all the daily goings-on in the NFL, my focus will always be on the Cincinnati Bengals. There are about 132 days between now and September 10th, when the boys in stripes welcome in the Ravens on Monday Night Football—the first prime time season opener in team history. It’s a ways away, but crack a brew (if you’re legal), watch some Reds games and come talk Bengal football. It’ll be here before you know it.

Thanks for reading, and once again, I look forward to being part of your day.