CINCINNATI — Some football fans celebrate Bengals touchdowns with high fives, cheers or playing music. One man celebrates touchdowns with cookies, and you can find him in the north endzone at every Bengals home game at Paycor Stadium.
His name is Mark Hiltz, and he has quite the Bengals fan resume.
"My father took me to the first Bengals game ever, a pre-season game August 3, 1968, against the Kansas City Chiefs," Hiltz said. "I did attend the Freezer Bowl."
At 65 years old, he's been a Bengals season ticket holder for more than 20 years.
"I'm not quite as accurate as Joe Burrow," Hiltz said.
Friends and family may know him as Mark, but others who may not know him personally have a different name for him.
"I'm 'Papa Mark' or 'The Cookie Man'," Hiltz said.
You may have seen Hiltz throwing cookies in the north endzone near Section 222 after a Bengals touchdown.
Some call him "The Cookie Man."
— Bret Buganski (@Bret_Buganski) September 26, 2022
The @Bengals score a touchdown, it's time for cookies.
Mark Hiltz is a Cincinnati Bengals fan you should know about! His story tonight at 11pm after Monday Night Football! @WCPO #WhoDey #Bengals #TNF pic.twitter.com/m14znXUlYc
"As soon as there's a touchdown, the cookies start to fly," Hiltz said.
The bit started out as a simple celebration that became a tradition.
"One day after tailgating, we brought some cookies in just to snack, and when the Bengals scored a touchdown we said 'hey celebrate, here's a cookie' and they were the big bakery cookies and what not," Hiltz said. "Then after we passed them around and Bengals scored, it got to be funny, so we brought in more cookies the next game, and then more and more, and then suddenly it got to be just this is what we do every game and I think the people in this section wouldn't let me sit down if I didn't come in with the cookies."
These days with the likes of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, Hiltz brings six packages of the double stuff Oreos in clear plastic bags.
"It's a one finger grip, the other ones just don't sail as well," added Hiltz.
Hiltz has a good grip on not only the best way to throw the celebratory cookies, but also what Bengals fans love.
"[It's] just fun to see the smile on the faces as we start to throw them around," Hiltz said. 'They're calling from rows away across the aisle, 'hey how about me, how about me'."
During the colder months, if you forget his name, you may see him wearing a hoodie which serves as a reminder of who you're dealing with.
"Here I am a 65-year-old man who brings cookies to a Bengals game, throws them around just to make people laugh, make people smile just add a little extra enjoyment to the game," Hiltz said.
