Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Mayor Aftab Pureval appear to have learned a lesson from the 2023 AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Following the NFL announcement that the Chiefs and Bengals 2023 regular season rematch would be set for New Years Eve, the Bengals social media team dropped a video starring Pureval and former KC left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. — although this time Cincy had a much more measured approach.
.@ZEUS__57 and @AftabPureval with an important message…
📺: May 11, 8 PM | NFLNetwork | NFL+
“The Bengals play the Chiefs Week 17, and I’ve got nothing else to add,” Pureval told the camera, which is being held by Brown at the Cincinnati mayor’s office in City Hall.
After the video is “cut,” Mayor Pureval asks Brown, “how was that?” The new Bengals blocker responds by jokingly telling him: “Yeah, I think that was better than the last time.” Mark your calendars, Chiefs-Bengals is officially set for December 31, 2023, at 4:25 p.m. EST on CBS.
KC Mayor Quinton Lucas & Ex-Chiefs’ Khalen Saunders React to Bengals Video
After the video went live, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas offered a public retort on social media. “Well played, @AftabPureval,” he voiced. “See you New Year’s Eve!”
Former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders also noted hilariously that he was “glad to see mayor jabroni actin like he got some sense 👏🏾.”
Fox 4 KC’s Harold Kunz also pointed out the subtle messaging from the Bengals, commenting: “Nothing else to add … except have Orlando Brown in video. Good rivalry.”
Brown himself reacted as well, stating: “@AftabPureval ✊🏾 Solid!” While one Chiefs fan shared the video with Travis Kelce, teasing: “@tkelce the jabronis are quaking.”
Finally, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo quote tweeted from an outside perspective: “Orlando Brown Jr., now on the flip side of this rivalry, suggests a bit more restraint this year. Nicely done.”
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval Has Been ‘Good Sport’ About Chiefs-Bengals Fallout
For those that need a refresher, Pureval was the mayor that provided the Chiefs with bulletin board material ahead of the 2023 AFC Championship game.
“Good afternoon, Cincinnati. I have a proclamation from the desk of the mayor,” Pureval announced on January 27, 2023, just before the key playoff matchup. “Be it proclaimed, whereas the Cincinnati Bengals are headed to Burrowhead Stadium for their second consecutive AFC Championship Game. Whereas at last year’s game, the Bengals scored more points than the Chiefs, resulting in a Bengals victory and a Chiefs loss. Whereas Joseph Lee Burrow, who is 3-0 against [Patrick] Mahomes, has been asked by officials to take a paternity test to confirm whether or not he’s his father. Whereas all season long Cincinnati has been on a path of destiny, fighting it out to overcome anyone that stands in between them and a Super Bowl win. And whereas Kansas City is named after its neighboring state, which is, you know, kind of weird. Now, therefore, I, Aftab Pureval, mayor of Cincinnati, do hereby proclaim January 29, 2023, as ‘They Gotta Play Us’ Day in Cincinnati.”
After the Chiefs won, Kelce famously responded to this “proclamation” with some epic words on live television.
“Burrowhead my a**!” the superstar tight end yelled during the postgame, “this is Mahomes’ house.” He added later on: “Hey, I got some wise words for that Cincinnati mayor, know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni! You gotta fight, for your right, to parrrrrtayyyy!”
TELL EM @tkelce
To be fair, Pureval has been a good sport since then, May 10 video included. After the viral shredding by Kelce and a general anger from Bengals fans for motivating the opposition, the Mayor of Cincinnati acknowledged, “Yeah. Deserved that,” on January 29, 2023.
He continued: “Congrats to KC on a well-fought win, and good luck in Arizona. Proud of our fans and our @bengals for the energy all year. Who Dey!”
After his brother Jason Kelce relayed that reply from Pureval later on the “New Heights” podcast, Travis Kelce concluded that “now I respect him… He can have fun. He’s a good sport.” He even added that the mayor was “not a weenie” after all.