The Bengals Really Don't Want a Blackout, and They'll Be Calling You For Help

People seem to be confused by the prospect of a blackout for the Bengals' Week Six home game against the Texans. And I get it. "Surprising success! 4-1 start! First place!" Yes, a superficial look at things would lead you to believe Bengals fans are slacking, but look at the chain of events that has led us to this point.

The Bengals were an absolutely miserable 4-11-1, and really, that doesn't reflect the level of despair that franchise exuded last season. As someone who attended the final game of the season, I can assure you that it was like watching a bad college game more than a real NFL game. It was JV football at its best. It was an injury-plagued season, and with a lot of uncertainty heading into the offseason, many people dumped season tickets (myself included). A lot of people saw it as the final straw that broke the camel's back when it came to owner Mike Brown. (Watch this if you're unclear on why a Bengals fan would dislike Brown so much.)

Keep in mind that it was three years ago that the Bengals had a waiting list of thousands for these season seats. Fast forward to this past offseason, and the Bengals not only burned through that list, but they also were put in the position of selling single-game tickets because season and multi-game packages couldn't do the job. It's at this point I'll also play the economy card. When a team is awful and you're flush with cash, you still enjoy the event. When someone in the family just lost their job, that's an expense you're probably cutting if you want to keep the house.

All those bad feelings -- both from last season as well as basically two decades of ineptitude -- plus the economic crunch meant season tickets would no longer buoy the Bengals' sellout hopes. The team has sold out 46 straight games, but now they're in a tough spot to get to No. 47. It's not confusing why they're in this position, but in a novel ploy, the team is more or less begging fans to come out for the game this weekend against Houston.

The team is reaching out through both e-mail and phone calls to rally support. The following e-mail went out to some Bengals fans today.

______ this is a special invitation just for you to join Marvin Lewis, Chad Ochocinco, Rey Maualuga, Dhani Jones and Andrew Whitworth for a live FanForum today (Wednesday) between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

This event will include discussion about our season and upcoming game against the Houston Texans. During this live call, you'll even have an opportunity to ask questions and voice comments to your team!

We will call you around 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. All you need to do to participate is answer the phone and you will be automatically connected FREE OF CHARGE. All you need to do to participate is simply dial 1-877-269-7289, enter PIN 13673 and we will connect you. Feel free to extend this exclusive invitation along with telephone and PIN to your fellow Bengals fans! (Space is limited but we welcome additional participants on a first come first serve basis.)

Who knows how many tickets the Bengals will sell by allowing a select group of fans a chance to chat with some of the team's top players, but it's a progressive approach if nothing else. If the latest news is any indication, the only fans in Cincinnati who will see the game are the ones in the stadium.

(H/T to Lance McAlister on the e-mail promotion)

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.