“Dad was a fan from Day 1, going to games since their inception,” Craft said.
The Bengals began playing in American Football League in 1968, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Dad’s in heaven now, but you are not going to find a bigger fan in the world than my dad.”
Bob Craft ran the Pennzoil Station on Hamilton-Cleves Road in 1982 when the Bengals were in Super Bowl XVI. He pulled the store Christmas tree outside and made it a Bengals tree to show his pride. A van was also doctored up to become the “Bengals Buggy.”
Not to be outdone, the rest of the Craft family followed suit at their Ross Avenue home, making the tree on the front porch a Bengals tree that year.
The Crafts attended all the playoff games in 1982 and 1989, but missed making the trip to the big game because “we just couldn’t afford it then.”
This time they decided to soak up all the Bengals Mania they could in person. So weeks ago — even before the Bengals fate was sealed — 16 members of the Craft family rented a house in in California, booked flights, got tickets to a tailgating party outside the stadium and the NFL Experience there.
Last week, Craft learned even as a long-time ticket holder, he had not won the lottery for tickets to actually attend the game.
“I admit it, I threw a bit of a temper tantrum. I was very dejected. That’s 36 years we have been going and some who got tickets have only been going a couple years.”
On Wednesday, Craft was at the Butler County Sheriff’s Office when he got an email and learned he was eligible to purchase two tickets after others had apparently turned them down.
“I was just stunned,” he said. “I jumped on it right away.” He paid $1,800 each for the tickets — which is the lower end of the pricing. Some are going at $10,000 face value, he said.
Next was the most difficult part — deciding which family member to take with him. Craft is taking his 16-year-old grandson Ashton, who now attends games with him regularly.
“But for the family it is about being together, representing Cincinnati. We are going to wear our colors, we’ve got our Bengal gear and we are going to celebrate with all the fans,” he said.
Craft’s father died three years ago, and he said it would have meant “everything” to take his father to Super Bowl LVI. But a part of Bob Craft will there.
“I am taking a vile of his ashes to carry in my pocket. He will be there with me,” Craft said.
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