Maybe you’ve noticed all the change around the Cincinnati Bengals.
New uniforms are introduced. More fans on social media. Leaked photos of a ring of honor. Exciting prices for season ticket holders. A team vision statement that is sympathetic and reflects the aspirations of fans. A stronger connection with the community.
All of this can – to a large extent – be attributed to Elizabeth “Burnie” Blackburn, the granddaughter of Mike Brown and the director of the club for strategy and engagement.
She’s young, smart, and gets it … she cares to win! She is a big fan of the Bengals who made her name of the franchise and came back because she was actually capable, not nepotism. And she returned to Cincinnati to bring her family’s franchise into the 21st century.
So far she has done an excellent job.
The Bengals now have one of the strongest social media presence of all NFL teams. It’s just two years since they let the mascot Who Dey walk around on a scooter to reveal the schedule.
The team also said of Mike Brown, owner, that players should not kneel down to take a stand on social justice; they unite – including Mike Brown – in front of the National Underground Railroad Museum to read a powerful statement. The team, led by Elizabeth, then decided to work with BlaCk OWned, a Cincinnati-based clothing company that supports black businesses to create custom Bengali clothing.
Before joining the front office, Elizabeth, dubbed ‘Burnie’ by co-workers, was known as an analytical ‘ball of energy’ who surrendered the players of Bengal and the city of Cincinnati with devotion. At Dartmouth, she was a dual major in economics and engineering, researching the economic weightings of the 85 percent eclipse rule versus secondary price market (economics) and an app that teaches fans the rules of the game (engineering). After that, she works in the NFL office on the salary cap and makes her name in the collective bargaining agreement.
In other words, Elizabeth, who is only 28 years old, has the skills and knowledge to do more than make us excited to watch our favorite team. This is what the franchise desperately needs. She is the future. She is the elect.
In short, it’s time to feel the fire.
Former Saturday Night Live cast and big Bengals fan Luke Null joined me and John Sheeran to talk about Elizabeth. You can see below:
You can also listen on iTunes or use the player below.