CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals are getting ready for their week 8 matchup on the road against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. Back here in the tri-state, it's an Ohio football house divided.
He's a Bengals fan and she's a Browns fan. Both of their teams are getting ready to play each other in a divisional matchup on Halloween night.
D.J and Tara Arnold met, through a mutual friend, during their college years at Kent State University. They've now been married for almost 15 years. They work as a team, except when it comes to football.
We asked, "when did it come about, when you said what team do you cheer for?
"I don't remember exactly, but I remember finding out she was a Browns fan and thinking twice," said D.J.
"I think it was probably the gear though that set it off, it wasn't really any type of direct question, it was just one day popping out in a Browns t-shirt he's like oh, that's a problem," said Tara.
Tara grew up in the Cleveland area, and proudly wore her "I love you Cleveland," t-shirt, while D.J. was representing the Bengals with his Joe Burrow away jersey. They make it know to trick or treaters in front of their house that it's a football house divided with both Bengals and Browns decorations.
We asked, "how does it work on Sundays? What game do you watch, because sometimes the Bengals and Browns are playing at the same time."
"I feel like I rule the tv for the football would you agree," said Tara, as she looks over at D.J.
"I would say so, yeah. If they're on at the same time I'll watch it on my phone," said D.J.
Like any great marriage, there's compromise. However, on Monday Night Football, it's a different story.
"There's pointing there's 'Who Deys,' there's booing me for saying 'Who Dey,' probably standing right here in the living room pacing back and forth hoping the Bengals are up 42 points by the end of the first quarter so we can relax and coast," said D.J.
For any couples out there, who may be divided on football, Tara and D.J. explained how they make it work.
"Tread cautiously and then you can get a little more competitive as your marriage grows on but coming out of the gate you know full intent on just your one team is probably not the best approach," said Tara.
"Silence on Sundays is the safest," said D.J.
But for these two fans, they remember how much middle ground there is between the two of them on football, or in this case, some common adversaries.
"The two Ohio teams, we pretty much play nice, when you involve the Steelers or Ravens where things get a little bit dicey," said Tara.
