At Martino's, the Steelers-Bengals rivalry gets personal
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Bengals fans can once again wear orange and black gear to Martino's on Vine on game days. That doesn't mean they should.
Why it matters: The Clifton bar has been a neighborhood outlier as a Steelers stronghold for three decades, with a rivalry heated enough to get Bengals gear banned.
- The two teams square off again Sunday.
Flashback: Pittsburgh native Marty Angiulli came here to play football at UC in 1991 and his family opened the sports bar four years later.
Between the lines: Angiulli traces the rivalry's nastier turn to the hit that injured former Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in the 2005-2006 playoffs and, later, the Vontaze Burfict era.
- Fights broke out at the bar and police were called during several games.
- Angiulli responded with reservations and a dress code: Steelers black and gold only.
Yes, but: Martino's has quietly eased up on the no-Bengals-gear policy for the past couple of games.
- Bengals fans are welcome, Angiulli tells Axios with a laugh. But they don't exactly come flooding in — and definitely no "Who Dey!" chants.
- Most Cincy fans arrive with friends or significant others who root for the Steelers.
What to expect: Nearly 300 people will pack Martino's two floors Sunday.
- They'll be overwhelmingly Steelers fans, but Bengals legend Ickey Woods will also be there, Angiulli says.
CBS Sports ranked the 2-0 Bengals as the NFL's second-best undefeated team this week.
- The Steelers (1-1) are scoring just 11.5 points per game.
- "I don't have high expectations," Angiulli says. "Maybe the only plus is the fact that it's in Pittsburgh."
The last word: At least this year, a Bengals win wouldn't break his heart.
- "I'll be happy for the fans — and for the city," he says.
- "Still, I hope the Steelers crush them."