For a few moments prior to the Bengals matchup with the Giants on Veterans Day Sunday, Paul Brown Stadium was awash in red, white and blue instead of the usual orange and black.
In a joint effort between the Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL's Official Military Appreciation & Insurance Sponsor, USAA, 50,000 Bengals fans honored all veterans and active duty military members with a card stunt containing a massive "thank you" message during the singing of the national anthem.
The stunt's setup, one of eight happening in NFL venues from November 4 through 15, took nearly 1300 man hours over two days from 160 volunteers to complete.
All fans are encouraged to visit MillionFanSalute.com after the game to download photos of the stunt, and to show their support for the military by creating a digital salute on behalf of the Bengals. If Cincinnati's total salutes rank in the top three, the Ohio National Guard will earn rewards such as a refurbishment of an on-installation athletic field.
"One of the most powerful moments of an NFL game is when thousands of fans stand to honor the military and veterans," said Don Clark, USAA executive director of sports sponsorships and events. "We hope all fans visit millionfansalute.com to download and share photos and create a digital salute to honor the military on behalf of the Bengals."
