Despite the Cincinnati Bengals falling to the Los Angeles Chargers the Sunday before last, they got their ping-pong tables back. Now 4-7 and needing to run the table to have any playoff hope, they at least finally have those ping-pong tables back will help give them a fighting chance, or something.
According to Geoff Hobson writing for the team’s website, the Bengals reinstalled the ping-pong tables that they had removed earlier this year following renovations of the locker room. He writes that the decision to bring them back follows “some recent conversation”, so this was conscious. After all, it was significant enough to merit a good chunk of real estate on the team’s home page.
“That was kind of the theme. It got everybody excited”, one Bengals player said as quoted by Hobson. “Some people may think it’s stupid, but I think it does help because the vision of it is you’re playing with guys you might not always talk to. There are a bunch of guys you may not get around to talking to”.
Of course, the Steelers use Latrobe to get this kind of bonding activity between their players. And Steelers players routinely cite that time in Latrobe as critical bonding opportunities they find advantageous on the field. So if the Bengals want to try to simulate that after practice with some ping pong, go ahead.
After all, it’s not like having ping-pong tables is going to make the Bengals worse. They had ping-pong tables in the locker room when they were better than this. The Steelers play games in their locker room, too, as I’m sure most teams do. These are human adults we’re talking about, the last time I checked.
Multiple players cited the uncommon interactions angle when it comes to the advantages of the ping-pong table. The Bengals probably don’t see K Evan McPherson interact a lot with ILB Germaine Pratt, for example. But they might both line up to square off over a friendly game of ping pong.
“If the head coach says it matters, then it matters”, another Bengals player said. “If you look at the meat and potatoes of it, all it’s doing is bringing guys together, allowing guys to find an excuse to spend time with each other. It means a lot on that field when you know a guy personally. His success makes you happier”.
As for his decision to reinstate the ping-pong tables, Bengals HC Zac Taylor didn’t say much about it publicly. “I’m not overthinking it too much, but here’s a way to create some energy and get guys up and active”, he offered. “It’s December football now, and we need everyone to be at their best”.
And what better way to be at your best to cover George Pickens than to dominate the long snapper in ping pong? The aforementioned Pratt guaranteed a Bengals win over the Steelers—probably because of those tables. And are we sure WR Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t been sneaking in games on his own all along? Just look at the numbers he’s putting up—that’s a man playing clandestine racket sports.
