The 0-6 Bengals are ripped in newspaper headlines, laughed at on sports radio shows and ridiculed on television every week. But what about in the community, where players lead daily lives and visit grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants?

        “For me, it's embarrassing,” said linebacker Adrian Ross, “because I think we're a better team than that.”

        Embarrassing or not, Bengals players still have to make the occasional trip into the public realm, be it alone or with their families. Most don't mind the attention that comes with being a professional athlete, and say people appreciate the team even when it's losing. Some players, however, would rather not be associated with the Bengals at a time like this, even if people ask them what they do for a living.

        “I don't tell them football,” said running back Brandon Bennett. “A lot of times, you get people who just want to talk and talk and talk, especially with the current (losing) situation. I just tell them I come here on business. I don't say exactly what my job is. Then you're not lying.”

        Bennett said he tries to avoid football conversations.

        “You do run into some people, though,” he said. “And you just try to keep it short. You say, "We don't enjoy losing. We're trying to get better and working hard.' The majority of the people like that really don't know about football anyway.”

        Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna appreciates the recognition and said people in Greater Cincinnati seem to care more about their team than citizens in Seattle, where he played from 1996-2000.

        “It's been very positive,” he said. “I have nothing to complain about. Anytime you lose, there's going to be some negativity, but I haven't felt that. I go to the mall probably once a week with my kids. I'm out all the time doing stuff, just living life 1/2hellip 3/4. I'm not ashamed of who we are or who I am.

        When they do go out, Willie's Sports Cafe in Covington is a popular spot for Bengals players, said Willie's manager Mike Caudill.

        “We get a few players in here from time to time,” Caudill said. “The (former) Florida State players came in when Florida State played Clemson on a Thursday night. (Ron) Dugans and (Peter) Warrick were in here. Lorenzo Neal came in with his family on Sunday. Most people leave them alone. Someone might come up and say hi. I haven't seen any harassment. Not since last season.”

        Caudill was referring to an incident last year when Bengals kicker Neil Rackers was allegedly heckled in the restaurant.

        Players act friendly with patrons at The Precinct, according to head hostess Jenni Downs, who said several Bengals frequent the restaurant.

        “They usually come in on their off days,” Downs said.

        Like Kitna, defensive tackle Oliver Gibson spends a lot of time in public, most of it near his home in Florence. He said he is well known at many stores there, and most people just want to know what's going on with the team.

        “Sometimes you don't feel like having that conversation, though,” Gibson said. “When I'm at the cleaners, and I've got 10 or 15 minutes to put into the cleaners, I have to have a six-minute conversation first. It's only natural. That's what pays your salary. I expect it. I love being a professional athlete.”

        Gibson said he always tells people that he plays for the Bengals because he considers it a privilege.

        “I hate to put it like this because it sounds kind of arrogant, but my worst day is better than most people's best day,” he said.

        Rookie offensive lineman Levi Jones said many people used to congratulate him after he was drafted in April. But since the season began, Jones said he hasn't dealt much with the public.

        “Now since we're 0-6, (people) don't even care to pay attention anymore,” said Jones, who doesn't go out of his way to advertise that he plays for the Bengals.

        “The less people who know who you are, the better it will be for you,” he said.

        In fact, Jones said he'll usually make up something if he is in a bar and someone asks about his job.

        “I've said a wide range of things,” he said. “It depends on who it is. If it's somebody drunk in a bar, I'll say something else. If it's a lady coming up and asking or a kid, I'll always tell a kid I'm a football player. But grown men, especially if it can be a potential threat, I won't tell them who I am, just to be careful to make sure there is no reaction.”

        Second-year receiver Chad Johnson said he avoids all confrontations with the public by staying home - all the time.

        “I don't go out,” he said. “Married life. She doesn't let me out of the house.”

        Not even for groceries?

        “She does the grocery shopping,” Johnson said. “I don't go out, for real. Football. Home.”

        Sometimes, that's what players have to do, Ross said.

        “I would say if you don't feel like dealing with people,” he said, “don't go out.”

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