CINCINNATI – There’s been plenty of room aboard the Bengals Bandwagon this postseason. Finding a seat at a local sports bar during a game? That's proven to be a different story.

​The Cincinnati Bengals had a historic close to their 2021-22 season, going 10-7 en route to an AFC North championship and the club’s first playoff wins in more than 31 years. They added a second playoff victory for good measure.

The team is now just one win away from their third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. They’ll get that chance Sunday in Missouri against the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

“It’s a surreal feeling right now, being a Bengals fan,” said Tom Skeen, a lifelong supporter of the team. “At 37 years old, I wasn’t sure I’d ever say the words ‘The Bengals are going to the AFC Championship.’”

Calling all fans – new and old

Skeen now lives in Lawrenceburg, Ind., with his wife Katrina, and their daughters, Leah, 8, and Savannah, 6. He grew up on Cincinnati’s west side and was a big fan of quarterback Boomer Esaison.

His mother took him to his first game at old Riverfront Stadium to see the longtime signal-caller play in-person.

Growing up in the '80s, Skeen got to see one of the most successful eras in club history. The team reached the Super Bowl twice during the decade – Super Bowl XVI (1981 season) and Super Bowl XXIII (1988 season). They lost both times to the San Francisco 49ers, though.

A victory on Sunday against the Chiefs would set up a potential rematch with the Niners, who play the Los Angeles Rams the same day in the NFC Championship game.

Bengals fans tailgating before a game. (Provided)

Skeen plans to watch both games with family and friends at a buddy’s home in Delhi Township. He said there will be about 30 people there to watch the game and eat some BBQ.

His kids will be there as well. Leah and Savannah are both “definitely on the bandwagon,” Skeen said. Though, he said they’re tired of hearing their dad tell them how many hours there are until kickoff.

“This season has been beyond anything I could’ve imagined. And to get to experience this run with my two kids has been the most fun I’ve ever had as a Bengals fan,” he added. “I can’t wait for Sunday and really can’t wait to see what the future brings for this team.”

It’s not just the die-hard, lifer fans who are cheering on the Bengals during this playoff run, either. There are also the more fair-weather fans, like 30-year-old Chelsea Haas. The Over-the-Rhine resident isn’t much of a sports buff, but she's "loving the bandwagon ride."

Getting out to enjoy the Bengals game at a bar or a friend's place is now just a new thing to do on the weekends.

“Watching the city I grew up in come alive and band together in support of the Bengals has been an exciting time indeed,” she said. "There's something really cool about being out and about and sharing excitement over these wins with strangers and friends alike."

Haas said in light of the pandemic, economic challenges and “everything going on in the world,” the feel-good Bengals are a welcome distraction.

"The momentum of advancing in the playoffs and the city-wide pride in being a part of something great has been the exciting and welcoming distraction that we all needed," she added. “The camaraderie feels really good after all of us have had a tough couple of years, to say the least."

Big season means good business

Earning a trip to the Super Bowl was the last thing on the mind of most Bengals coming into the season. The team was young on offense and hadn’t won a playoff game since defeating the former Houston Oilers in January 1991.

That reality all changed Saturday, Jan. 15 when the Bengals knocked off the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-19, in front of their home fans.

“It’s been a little bit crazy, that's for sure,” said Jim Moehring, owner of Holy Grail Tavern and Grille at The Banks.

The sports bar is a little more than a half-mile walk from Paul Brown Stadium, where the Bengals play their home games. There are about 10 other bars and eateries between Holy Grail and the stadium, and most have been packed on game days with fans – the lifelong and the other kind.

For the Raiders game, which was played in Cincinnati, fans from both teams arrived around 11 a.m., which is when the bar opens. Kickoff was at 4:30 p.m.

“There was a line almost as soon as we opened,” Moehring said. “We actually had to close a little bit earlier to give ourselves enough time to get the people out of the place.”

The situation was similar last Saturday for the road game against the Tennessee Titans. They had a line out the door by 1 p.m., more than three hours before kickoff in Nashville.

Following the game, punter Kevin Huber, who is from Cincinnati, presented a game ball to the staff at Holy Grail. He was joined by a couple teammates – tight end C.J. Uzomah and running back Joe Mixon.

The Bengals have been handing out game balls following postseason wins to bars, restaurants and elected officials each of the last two weeks.

LFG pic.twitter.com/aPV3gkX7im

— The Holy Grail (@holygrailbanks) January 23, 2022

Moehring expects similar business this weekend. And the action will get started early thanks to a pep rally scheduled Friday night at The Banks.

The event goes from 4 to 7 p.m. and features special guests, including Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz and Bengals legends Ickey Woods and David Fulcher. Members of the BenGals cheerleading squad will be there as well, along with Who Dey, the team’s mascot.

Bengals playoff successes – as well as the University of Cincinnati Bearcats berth in the College Football Playoff – have been great for business, Moehring said. Those things have led to a much-needed, and not typically seen, post-New Year’s financial boost.

While he won’t know the exact numbers until the end of the month, Moehring expects to at least break even for January. He may even turn a small profit.

That may not sound particularly impressive, but it’s actually quite a feat, Moerhing said. The restaurant has lost money every January and February for each of the 11 years they’ve been at The Banks.

Why is that the case? Moehring has his hunches: Those months follow the expensive holiday season; people made New Year’s resolutions to eat better or drink less; people may decide to stay home more to avoid the cold weather. A lack of playoff football may be a factor, too, he said.

Over the years, Moehring has come to accept that January and February usually won’t be good for business. It’s something restaurant owners plan for, he said. Most staff members don’t have that luxury though, especially those who rely on tips.

“As business owners, we budget for these situations. It's many of the servers, the bartenders and tipped employees who don’t, or aren’t able to do that so this season can be tough for them,” he said. “Having this influx of revenue is a game-changer for them.”

Bengals fans here, there and everywhere

While the stadium will largely be decked out in Chiefs red and yellow, there will be more than a sprinkle of orange and black stripes in the fans as well. One of those fans is Tyler Thurston, who will be flying into Kansas City from California. He has to make a four-hour trip by car to get to Los Angeles first, though.

"I am going to the game to help cheer the Bengals to victory by any means necessary. Although they are on the road I intend to make it loud at Arrowhead for Kansas City," he said.

Thurston, 29, isn't your traditional Bengals fan. He didn't grow up in Cincinnati and had no direct connection to the team. South Carolina, where he grew up, didn't have a professional team so he cheered for certain players he liked. One particular Bengals star caught his eye when he was 9 or 10 years old.

Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson.

Tyler Thurston poses near a painting of Chad Johnson. (Provided)

"He embodied everything about a football player that I adored. His confidence, desire to make others laugh, his underrated intellect, and being by far the best route runner and player at his position of that time," he said. "Rooting for Chad really turned me into a Bengals fan."

Today, Thurston's house is decked out in Bengals swag. He has a painting of Johnson making a catch by artist Shawn Voelker. He's raised his children as Bengals fans, too.

While Bengals fans are located across the country, most attending the game will travel from around the Tri-State area.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) has about 17 connecting options on a daily basis to MCI Airport in Kansas City.

While she said she didn’t have specific numbers on the number of trips by Bengals, Mindy Kershner with CVG said the airport knows demand has been high in the days following the team’s upset victory over the Titans.

As of Wednesday night, round-trip tickets from CVG to Kansas City from Thursday to Monday range from $631 to more than $900. The numbers are similar for Friday through Monday.

Of course, not all fans can make the nearly 600-mile trek west to Kansas City for the game. Luckily, there are plenty of seats in greater Cincinnati – whether it's a bar stool or a friend's sofa.

Regardless of where they plan to watch the game, the smart move is to arrive early.