The Bengals decided to have some fun at the expense of an intrastate rival this April Fools' Day.
The #Bengals will have a fresh new look for 2015: http://t.co/4pGr3MhaeA #LetsRoar #WhoDey pic.twitter.com/N1nuUjPwA7
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 1, 2015
The hyperlink takes readers to an article on the team's official website, where the "changes" are unveiled. "The iconic orange of the helmet and logo has been energized with a bright, vivid orange," it reads. "The new color pops against the contrasting black of the classic Bengals stripes."
Then, the kicker ...
It's all a not-so-subtle troll job of the Browns, who teased changes to their uniform for months before unveiling an updated logo that looked nearly identical to the 2014 version. A snarling canine from the Dawg Pound was also introduced as a secondary logo. The team additionally explained that a new brown facemask represented toughness and the "play like a Brown mantra."
The Browns will complete the reveal of their updated look on April 14. Team president Alec Scheiner promised a "more radical" change than the logo reveal. We'll let you know if the Browns seek revenge in the social media realm.
UPDATE: The Browns bark back!
.@Bengals #roar pic.twitter.com/4FcBjkcSqR
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 1, 2015
Around The NFL boss Gregg Rosenthal believes the Browns "brought a knife to a gun fight." We disagree, but we wonder what took so long. The stakes are too high for indecision!
The latest Around The NFL Podcast debates which players are most likely to break prominent records and discusses Jameis Winston's pro day. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.