The Bengals will play three prime time games, two of them on the road in 2012, a reward for their unexpected playoff appearance last season. Cincinnati opens and closes the regular season against the Ravens. The Bengals open in Baltimore on Monday night, Sept. 10, and finish the regular season at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 30 against the Ravens. The Bengals also have prime time games on Sunday, Oct. 21 against Pittsburgh at home and on Thursday, Dec. 13 at Philadelphia. It’s the most prime time games they’ve had since 2007, when they had four. The NFL is giving every team at least one prime time game this season. Their final two games are at Pittsburgh and home against Baltimore, their two top AFC North rivals. Watch ONN and refresh ONNtv.com for the latest information. ©2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Every National Football League team has their own unique celebrity fan base, and this can help draw more fans to the games. The Cincinnati Bengals released the preseason schedule on April 4, 2012, which is a sign that football is right around the corner. As a fan of the Bengals , one of the best aspects of rooting for the team is hearing about all of the celebrities that go to the games during the NFL season. Although most fans of the Bengals would rather be anonymous, here are the top five celebrity fans of the team: Gary Owen Gary Owen, a comedian and actor, is a huge fan of the Bengals, granted, he grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio . Gary goes to Paul Brown Stadium whenever he is in Cincinnati and has long used his comedy to get into the good graces of the players. In the entertainment world, Gary is best known for his spot in “House of Payne,” which is a Tyler Perry creation, and has been around the block on the comedy circuit for years. Nick Lachey Former boy band member Nick Lachey is a huge fan of the Bengals, and is basically a fan of everything Cincinnati sports. When Nick was with Jessica Simpson, you would always see Nick yelling at the television set on their reality show, which gives some insight into his dedication to all things Cincinnati. Nick might have been the lead singer for 98 Degrees, but when it comes to sports, his temper can boil over way past that point. George Clooney One of the most sought after men in the world, George Clooney, considers himself to be a big time Bengals fan , since he is a Cincinnati, Ohio, native. George has spent a lot of time in Cincinnati and is always willing to come back home to see the Bengals play or watch them play on the road. George has been a big player in the entertainment industry, has developed an immense following of women, and has proven to stay true to his roots through the years. Carmen Electra Carmen Electra, one of the hottest women in Hollywood, is also a fan of the Bengals, which is a bit surprising. Carmen did grow up in prime Bengals territory, and also went to high school in Cincinnati, Ohio, so it is no surprise she glows with Bengals pride. Carmen might be known to be a sexy model, and former wife of a rock star, but it is cool to know she can talk sports with the guys, too. Woody Harrelson Actor Woody Harrelson is also a huge Bengals fan, since he went to high school in nearby Lebanon, Ohio. Woody has starred in sitcoms such as “Cheers,” and has been in numerous movies throughout his acting career, but he is also an avid sports fan, and enjoys just hanging out with his friends. When you think about Woody, you would never imagine he could be a fan of the Bengals, but living in the area allows the team to grow on you. Jeanne Rose loves watching a variety of sports, including football and MMA. She lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is an avid entertainment enthusiast as well.

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Sarah Jones leaves Kenton Circuit Court after an arraignment on charges relating to her alleged sexual conduct with a minor in Covington, Ky., Monday, April 2, 2012. (Credit: AP Photo/The Kentucky Enquirer, Patrick Reddy) (CBS) CONVINGTON, Ky – Sarah Jones, a former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader indicted for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a high school student when she was a teacher, pleaded not guilty to sex abuse charges on Monday. Pictures: Former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones The Chicago Sun Times reports the 26-year-old Jones, the captain of the Ben-Gals cheerleading squad, pleaded not guilty in Kenton Circuit Court to first-degree sexual abuse. She also pleaded not guilty to unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited activities. Meanwhile, Jones’ mother was also indicted. Cheryl Jones faces a single charge of tampering with evidence. Cheryl Jones is the principal at Twenhofel Middle School and was placed on paid administrative leave, according to Dixie Heights Superintendent Terri Cox-Cruey. MSNBC reports the indictment last week states the alleged sexual relationship between Sarah Jones and the high school student took place between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. Jones resigned Nov. 29 from Dixie Heights, citing personal reasons, where she taught freshman English for about five years. She denied that anything happened. “The student denies it. The parents of the student are upset that this has gone where it has gone. They don’t have anything bad to say about Sarah. Sarah denies it,” attorney Eric Deters said in December. “There’s no victim. There’s nobody saying ‘Hey, this happened.’” Each of the charges is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Judge Patricia Summe reduced Sarah Jones’ $50,000 bond and Cheryl Jones’ $30,000 bond to $15,000 each. She also required the pair to be placed on electric monitoring as a term of their release. A pretrial date was set for June 11, with the trial scheduled for June 27. More on Crimesider: March 30, 2012 – Former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones charged with sex abuse

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Laura Stone Staff Reporter Sarah Jones is the 26-year-old captain of the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading squad who until not long ago worked as a high school English teacher in her native Kentucky. Now she is being accused of having sex with a student. Jones pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic devices for illegal activities — crimes that could send her to prison for up to 10 years, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer . Her mother, Cheryl Jones, a middle-school principal, also faces a charge of tampering with evidence in connection with her daughter’s case. Their trial date has been set for June 27. Jones, the 2011 team captain of the Ben-Gals, was indicted last week on allegations of a sexual relationship with a senior — who in one report is described as a 16-year-old high school football player — at her Kentucky high school, according to MSNBC, a charge both she and the student reportedly deny. Jones resigned from her teaching job last November. The Ben-Gals webpage shows a dark-haired “Sarah J.” as team captain, posing against a tiger-print background. It says she is a five-year veteran of the squad with a bachelor’s degree in middle grades education, with an emphasis in English and Mathematics. The football cheerleader made headlines in 2009 when she sued the founder of gossip site TheDirty.com for posting her picture and claiming she contracted a sexually transmitted disease and was having sex with Bengals players, according to the Washington Post . She was awarded $11 million for defamation but the case is ongoing. Auditions for the 2012 Ben-Gals squad take place this month and next. Jones is not the first cheerleader to get into trouble. In 2006, a former Carolina Panthers cheerleader got into a bar brawl after she was accused of having sex with another cheerleader in the bathroom. She pleaded no contest and avoided jail time.

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The estranged husband of the Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleader who allegedly cheated on him with a minor was virtually mum when asked his thoughts on the case. “To be honest with you, I don’t want to talk about her,” Nathan Wilburn is quoted as telling the Cincinnati Enquirer regarding the sexual abuse case against his wife, Sarah Jones. The couple is seeking to annul their nine-month marriage. Jones, 26, pleaded not guilty earlier Monday to first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in prohibited activities – a charge often used in cases involving child pornography on the Internet. She appeared in Kenton County (Ky.) Circuit Court. Jones’ mother, Cheryl Jones, 55, was at her daughter’s side during the court appearance and pleaded not guilty to tampering with physical evidence in the case, the Enquirer reports. The judge reduced Sarah Jones’ $50,000 bond and Cheryl Jones’ $30,000 bond to $15,000 for each, and required them to be placed on electronic monitoring, according to the Enquirer . The relatives of the alleged victim appeared in the courtroom in support of the Joneses, but the judge ordered mother and daughter to have no contact with them, according to the news organization. The cases will come for trial June 27. According to the indictment, the alleged sexual relationship between Sarah Jones and the minor took place between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1, the Enquirer reports. The alleged victim is a student she taught at Dixie Heights High School. She resigned from that job last November, according to the Enquirer .

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The captain of the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading squad pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of having sex with a student while she was a high school teacher. Sarah Jones, 26, is accused of having a sexual relationship with a senior at Dixie Heights High School in Kentucky, where she taught until she resigned last November, according to MSNBC. Jones was indicted last week on chargs of first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited acts, Cincinnati TV station WLWT reported. Her mother, Cheryl Jones, the principal at nearby Twenhofel Middle School, was also indicted on a charge tampering with evidence. The two appeared in court together Monday, holding hands as they approached the defense table before their hearing, WLWT reported. The judge lowered the bond of each woman to $15,000 and scheduled a trial for June 27, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Attorney Charles Lester Jr. told Judge Patricia Summe that the alleged victim’s family was in court to support Jones, according to WLWT. “The student denies it. The parents of the student are upset that this has gone where it has gone. They don’t have anything bad to say about Sarah. Sarah denies it,” attorney Eric Deters told WLWT in December. “There’s no victim. There’s nobody saying ‘Hey, this happened.’” Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/120402/bengals-cheerleader-sarah-jones-pleads-not-guilt

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LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) – The captain of the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading squad and her mother have pleaded not guilty in northern Kentucky to charges in a sex case. 26-year-old Sarah Jones is charged with sexual abuse involving a student from when she was a high school teacher.  She’s also charged with unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited acts. Jones taught at Dixie Heights High School before resigning in November.  Her mother is a middle school principal and is charged with tampering with evidence. Copyright 2012 WDRB News.  All Rights Reserved.

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Cheerleader Sarah Jones, captain of the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading squad, pleaded not guilty Monday morning to sexual abuse and other charges involving an affair with a high school senior. Her trial was set for June 27, according to United Press International. The Kentucky Enquirer first reported the not-guilty plea from Jones in Kenton Circuit Court before Judge Patricia Somme. During the arraignment appearance, the judge reduced Jones’ bond from $50,000 to $30,000, the Enquirer reported. Jones, 26, head of the Cincinnati Ben-Gals, the NFL team’s cheerleading squad, faces charges of sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic devices for illegal activities after she allegedly had sex with a senior at Dixie Heights High School. Sarah Jones taught at the Edgewood, Ky., school before resigning in November. Like us on Facebook If convicted of the charges, Sarah Jones faces up to five years in prison. Her mother, Cheryl Jones, is also charged with evidence tampering in the case. Charles Lester, Jr., an attorney representing the mother and daughter, said his clients are innocent of the charges. “Sarah has maintained her innocence,” Lester wrote in a document asking the state to produce all evidence involved in the case, according to WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. “The indictment of her mother is completely baseless. Cheryl Jones did not tamper with evidence.” To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: To contact the editor, e-mail:

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A Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader and former teacher continues to maintain her innocence in the sexual abuse case involving one of her former students. Sarah Jones pled not guilty to sexual abuse charges. (David Stluka – AP) Sarah Jones, the captain of the Ben-Gals cheerleading squad, was indicted last week on claims that she had sex with a 16-year-old high school football player four or five times and exchanged numerous text messages with the student, as first reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Jones, who resigned from her job as an English teacher at Dixie Heights High in Kentucky in November, faces charges of first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited acts. Her mother, Cheryl Jones, the principal at nearby Twenhofel Middle School, was also indicted on a charge tampering with evidence. Both appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty. Judge Patricia Summe lowered the bond for Jones and her mother to $15,000 each. Both must wear electronic monitoring bracelets as a condition of their release. A pre-trial date was set for June 11. “The student denies it. The parents of the student are upset that this has gone where it has. They don’t have anything bad to say about Sarah,” attorney Eric Deters said in December after the allegations surfaced. “Sarah denies it. There’s no victim. There’s nobody saying, ‘Hey, this happened.’” Deters is currently suspended for ethics violations but will return to the case when his suspension is lifted on April 24, according to MSNBC. Jones, 26, is no stranger to being in headlines. In 2009, she made national news when she sued TheDirty.com founder Nik Richie for posting a picture of Jones that claimed she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease and was having sex with Bengals players. Last June, Jones said the allegations — which she claimed were completely unfounded — had ruined life in an interview on ABC’s 20/20. “I literally broke down,” she said. “I worked my butt off to make sure I had a clean, great reputation and then it was ruined by one post.” Jones was rewarded an $11 million default judgment for defamation, but litigation in the case is ongoing. Five months after her appearance on 20/20, she resigned from her teaching position, citing “personal reasons.” National media outlets were in court on Monday to observe the proceedings as the case continues to generate more attention. Follow us:  MattBrooksWP | @CindyBoren More NFL news from Washington Post Sports: Ben-Gals cheerleader indicted on charge of sexually abusing student Joe Gibbs says Bill Parcells’s return to coaching “makes absolute sense to me” RGIII hysteria in Washington, D.C.

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COVINGTON, Ky. –   The captain of the Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleading squad and her mother have pleaded not guilty in northern Kentucky to charges in a sex case. The Kentucky Enquirer reports Sarah Jones, who is about 26, and her mother, Cheryl Jones, entered the pleas Monday in Kenton Circuit Court. Sarah Jones is charged with first-degree sexual abuse involving a student when she was a high school teacher and unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited acts. Jones taught at Dixie Heights High School before resigning in November. Her mother, Cheryl Jones, principal of Twenhofel Middle School in Independence, was indicted on a charge of tampering with physical evidence in her daughter’s case. She was placed on administrative leave.

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Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones quit her job mysteriously earlier this year, and rumors began floating around regarding investigations about a possible relationship with a student. Now the investigation has been made public, and the 26-year-old Jones has been indicted for first-degree sexual assault and unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited acts. Her mother is also charged with tampering with evidence in regards to the case. It must be noted that these are indictments and not formal charges — Jones claims these are just rumors, and the victim apparently denies anything happened. “Sarah has maintained her innocence. The indictment of her mother is completely baseless,” said their lawyer in a statement. The two will be arraigned on April 2 before a circuit judge. Sarah had quit her job for what she termed “personal reasons.” She also was the captain of the Ben-Gals (the Cincinnati Bengals cheerleading squad). Jones previously garnered attention when a site published rumors that she had slept with various Bengals players. She later sued the website that published the story. For more sports news, visit Terra.com.

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POSTED: 11:26 am EDT March 28, 2012 CINCINNATI — Coach Marvin Lewis says the Cincinnati Bengals are open to offering receiver Jerome Simpson another contract even though he could be headed to jail and faces a suspension from the NFL for violating its substance abuse policy.Lewis told reporters at the NFL’s owners meetings on Tuesday that he wouldn’t “rule it out” that the club could offer the free-agent receiver another contract. Simpson has spent his four NFL seasons with the Bengals.Simpson pleaded guilty on March 1 to a drug-related charge resulting from 2 pounds of marijuana shipped to his home in September.Prosecutors recommended a 60-day jail stay. A judge will decide whether to lessen the punishment at a hearing on April 5.Simpson also faces a possible four-game suspension from the NFL. Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune Published: March 27, 2012 Updated: March 27, 2012 – 7:12 PM PALM BEACH — In his first year as offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa’s Jay Gruden made quite an impression on head coach Marvin Lewis. Jon Gruden’s younger brother helped the Bengals to the AFC playoffs as Cincinnati went 9-7, with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton throwing for 3,398 yards and 20 touchdowns. “Jay’s done an outstanding job,” Lewis said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. “His ability to work with our young players and infuse them into our offense was awesome.” Gruden, a former Arena League standout as a quarterback and a head coach, spent seven seasons on his brother’s coaching staff with the Buccaneers. “Jay sees the offense through the eyes of the quarterback, — and that’s what I was looking for,” said Lewis. “To me, that makes the most sense. We teamed up his enthusiasm with a dynamic kid like Andy Dalton who can’t get enough and it was a great combination.” Jay Gruden was rumored to be a head coaching candidate in St. Louis and Jacksonville before he removed himself from consideration in January, declaring his intentions to remain in Cincinnati. “He has a bright future, we all know that,” Lewis said, “but Jay Gruden is a guy who has his head down, focused on what he’s doing. He’s not worried about what’s coming down the line. Jay also had a few opportunities with some major universities as well after the season, and he’s going to have opportunities to move on in the future. In my mind, he made a big statement about the city and the organization when he said he was staying with the Bengals.”

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PALM BEACH, Fla. — Coach Marvin Lewis says the Cincinnati Bengals are open to offering receiver Jerome Simpson another contract even though he could be headed to jail and faces a suspension from the NFL for violating its substance abuse policy. Lewis told reporters at the NFL’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday that he wouldn’t “rule it out” that the club could offer the free-agent receiver another contract. Simpson has spent his four NFL seasons with the Bengals. Simpson pleaded guilty on March 1 to a drug-related charge resulting from two pounds of marijuana shipped to his home in September. Prosecutors recommended a 60-day jail stay. A judge will decide whether to lessen the punishment at a hearing on April 5. Simpson also faces a possible four-game suspension from the NFL. Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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