The Cincinnati Bengals, for one, are dismayed by Hamilton County’s recent decision to hire Ben Abrams, a consultant from Inner Circle Sports. They hope this ruling will strengthen their hand in ongoing negotiations. According to the challengers’ team, Abrams’ connections to the Cleveland Browns might give rise to a conflict of interest. This climate could considerably dampen important conversations about their business model going forward in the region.
Ben Baby, ESPN sports reporter, @Ben_Baby. He’s reported on the Bengals like crazy since joining the network back in July 2019. A native of Grapevine, Texas, Baby graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Hoo Day, indeed — as he writes and podcasts daily about the Bengals for ESPN.com. You’ll see him often on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows and ESPN Radio.
The controversy started brewing earlier this month, when Hamilton County hired Abrams’ firm in early October 2023. Inner Circle Sports, the advisory firm that employs Abrams, did not respond to an inquiry from ESPN. The Bengals raised alarms about Abrams’ role, stating, “The team has expressed concern to the county that a stadium consultant performing services for the Cleveland Browns might not have Cincinnati’s best interests at heart.”
In doing so, and in response to the allegations, Hamilton County adamantly denied any wrongdoing. A representative stated, “Mr. Abrams has no involvement with the Browns, their stadium project and/or related matters.” They further explained that the Bengals had previously been notified of Abrams’ contract. State lobbying is not included under this contract.
The Bengals remain conservative. Or they’re concerned what introducing a consultant with ties to competing institution might do to the stakes when their negotiations come to a head. The team elaborated on their stance, emphasizing that “the county can decide how it wants to proceed, but the team felt it appropriate to share concerns over whether parties involved in discussions were working exclusively to advance local interests — or whether other conflicts might exist.”
Hamilton County made things worse by not renewing its contract with law firm Frost Brown Todd. Attorney Tom Gabelman was released, as the county’s legal muscle in the behind-the-scenes legal strategy for the stadium negotiations. This decision underscores a shift in how the county is approaching its dealings with the Bengals amidst these mounting concerns.
Sources close to the negotiations in Cleveland told us that Inner Circle Sports has links to the Browns. They stressed that Abrams isn’t behind any of the aforementioned efforts. Humanizing this new world. This detail goes a long way towards calming some of the Bengals’ fears — yet their fears have been stated publicly.
As the Bengals go through this tricky choreography between negotiations and the legally dangerous area of negotiating with multiple parties simultaneously, only time will tell the outcome. The county is tasked with addressing these allegations while ensuring that its decisions are aligned with local interests.
Leave a Reply