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The taxpayer ripoffs for new football stadiums are nothing new, but the Cincinnati Bengals were caught in a lie concerning their profitability when they pleaded for a new taxpayer funded stadium.

When the Cincinnati Bengals were negotiating with Hamilton County, Ohio concerning a new stadium, they claimed they needed the revenue from the new stadium to remain a viable NFL franchise. They lied.

Financial statements from the time show that the Cincinnati Bengals in the top half of profitability in the NFL.

Attorney James Harper said:

I believe that the Bengals' representations regarding their financial status during negotiations were misleading. Had I known the Bengals' profitability prior to negotiations, I would have advised the county administrator and the board of county commissioners to make fewer financial concessions to the Bengals.

The problem with this situation is that the Cincinnati Bengals financial records remain sealed under a court order. This statement only made it into public record during a preliminary work for a suit against the Cincinnati Bengals.

This is just another example of NFL teams holding a city hostage for a new stadium.