Why is Bengals exec VP Katie Blackburn skipping media availability at NFL owners meetings?

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Why is Bengals exec VP Katie Blackburn skipping media availability at NFL owners meetings?

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Summary

Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn’s decision to skip media availability at the NFL owners meetings became a talking point in Phoenix, where Local 12 digital sports columnist and editor Richard Skinner and Mike Petraglia of CLNS Media said the silence reflects a larger communication problem for Cincinnati. Skinner said the annual meetings matter because owners and coaches are available to the media and the league’s competition committee votes on rule proposals. But he argued the Bengals’ reluctance to make Blackburn available leaves fans without answers on offseason decisions. “The problem with a lot of Bengals fans with the ownership is there’s no answer from ownership,” Skinner said. “I just don’t understand why Katie or Troy (Blackburn) or somebody from ownership doesn’t come forward and address it.” Petraglia agreed, saying the Bengals’ public posture creates frustration because fans want to know why the team did not do more in free agency to help obvious roster needs. He pointed to moves such as signing Joe Flacco and other additions as insufficient compared with a more aggressive push for linebacker help. “At least with words, you could say, we do care,” Petraglia said. “Here’s how we approached Joe Burrow (to restructure his contract), or here’s why we didn’t.” The two also discussed the Bengals’ broader offseason messaging, saying the club’s “all in” rhetoric did not match its moves. Skinner said the issue is not just the decisions themselves, but the optics and the lack of explanation. The conversation centered on a fan base that, in their view, wants more than silence when the team makes major personnel choices.

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