When the NFL decided to start playing games on Black Friday, the Bengals saw an opportunity to put themselves at the center of a new tradition.
NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North said today that the Bengals offered to host the Black Friday game every year, giving themselves a permanent spot on the holiday calendar like the Lions and Cowboys have as the permanent hosts on Thanksgiving.
The league, however, decided to make the first Black Friday game the Jets against the Dolphins, taking advantage of the opportunity to show Aaron Rodgers, now playing in the nation’s biggest metropolitan area, against a division rival. There’s been no indication that the league plans to make any one team the permanent host of the Black Friday game.
Still, the Bengals raising their hands may be considered down the line, as the league is still feeling out how to make Thanksgiving weekend even bigger, and adding a new tradition on the day after Thanksgiving.