NFL Fan Lived on Roof for 57 Days Until Bengals Won First Game

Sunday afternoon, the Cincinnati Bengals notched their first victory of the season by defeating the New York Jets 22-6. This gave head coach Zac Taylor the first win of his career, but it also brought a fan in from the cold. A Bengals season ticket holder was able to sleep indoors for the first time in 57 days after watching his favorite team win.

According to the Washington Post, a fan named Jeff Lanham proclaimed that he would live and sleep on the roof of his restaurant until the Bengals won a game. This occurred after a week 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lanham said that this change of scenery would take place if the Bengals were unable to take care of business against the Arizona Cardinals, which is exactly what happened.

Lanham headed to the roof of the Hog Rock Cafe following this week 5 loss, where he remained until quarterback Andy Dalton led the Bengals to victory against the Jets. As it turns out, the fan did not just sleep on the roof. He lived in a tent and spent his time watching TV and eating snacks. The staff from the restaurant would reportedly bring him meals, and his wife would occasionally come and pick up his laundry.

“I’m so ready to come down; it’s miserable up here,” Lanham said at the time. “I did not plan on being up here this long. This definitely wasn’t no business move, I can tell you that. The only reason I’m even up here is to silence the haters’ mouths. I never want anyone to be able to say that I wasn’t a man of my word.”

As Lanham said, he would enter the restaurant to shower and use the bathroom but would otherwise remain on the roof. According to CBS Sports, he even hosted Thanksgiving dinner in these outdoor accommodations. Lanham was unhappy about the fact that he couldn’t spend time with his family, and he also found the entire scenario extremely boring. With nothing to do, he would simply watch TV.

“You just get bored as hell up here watching TV and Netflix, but there’s literally nothing else for you to really do now that it’s like 20 degrees,” Lanham said. “I just turn my heater on, strip down to my boxers and lay in my sleeping bag for most of the day.”

Now that the Bengals have won their first game of the season, Lanham can reflect on his time sequestered away on the rooftop of the Hog Rock Cafe, and he can express thanks that he is finally able to return home.

(Photo Credit: Bryan Woolston/Getty)