Play it again, Sam.
Sam Staley (University of Cincinnati), one of the earls of equipment in Bengaldom, had an idea during training camp and called it "Friday Fight Songs."
Except, of course, this week Friday was on Saturday because of the Monday night game (8:15 p.m.-ESPN's Cincinnati's Channel 5) in Pittsburgh. After his weekly consultation with equipment room colleague Tyler ("Trunk") Runk (University of Cincinnati), they settled on the tight ends this week. When the Bengals took the practice field to stretch Saturday, out from the speakers blared college bands instead of rap or rock, with one for C.J. Uzomah (Auburn), one for Drew Sample (Washington), one for Cethan Carter (Nebraska) and one for Jordan Franks (Central Florida).
And, of course, the most famous one of them all for Tyler Eifert (Notre Dame). That got a smile from No. 85 as he took a few verbal jousts. Plus, one not as famous. The German national anthem for Moritz Bohringer, the Bengals' practice squad player from Germany.
"We had help from the training room for that one," Staley said after Saturday's practice.
But there was no music to the ears of Mason Schreck, the practice squad tight end from the University of Buffalo.
"If I can type it into iTunes and it comes up, we're putting it on," Staley said.
But UB didn't come up.
"I think it's on YouTube," Schreck said.
Staley came up with the idea watching "Hard Knocks," this training camp and thought the regular season would be a good time to install it.
"On 'Hard Knocks,' they had it in the weight room and I was thinking Friday is a light day, let's have some fun," Staley said. "It's fun to see the guys react when they hear their song. Today Moritz blew a kiss to the sky when he heard his song from Germany and seeing stuff like that is cool. Everyone seems to like it."
After enlisting Runk's help, Staley gets free reign from equipment manager Adam Knollman (Miami). Everyone just assumed "Friday Fight Songs," was head coach Zac Taylor's (Nebraska) idea because it was new. Which was news to Taylor after Saturday's practice.
"Is that new? Didn't they do that here before?" Taylor asked. "I like it. It gives guys some juice."
Staley sits down with Runk each week and they decide on what group to honor. It's not always a position. One Friday it was the offensive staff. They came up empty for assistant quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher (SUNY Cortland). And Staley is a little worried looking at the defensive staff with coordinator Lou Anarumo (Wagner), senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner and safeties coach Robert Livingston (both William & Mary).
Staley, who worked in Billy Price's equipment room at Ohio State before coming home, originally frowned on a Media Friday Fight Song when he found out that Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham (Syracuse), his play-by-play voice Dan Hoard (Syracuse), Bengals director of communications Emily Parker (Syracuse) and a Bengals.com senior writer (Syracuse) all went to the Ivy of I-90.
But Bengals.com team reporter Marisa Contipelli (Ohio State) could save the day.
"We'd have to think about that," Staley said.
