The Bengals’ win on Sunday was a pretty big one, preventing the ignominy that would have accompanied the very realistic possibility of a winless season. But, judging from all the empty seats in Paul Brown Stadium, more Cincinnatians were at the big breast cancer expo than at the Bengals game.

How hard has it been for the Bengals to draw fans? I would say they can’t give the tickets away, but that would be glib. So how about this: they can’t sell the tickets for 99 cents on eBay.

Three club level seats, normally going for $82 apiece, were available starting at $0.99. The auction closed with no bids. (Must’ve been that $6 shipping fee.)

For this coming Sunday’s game against the Eagles, there are seats on the 50 yard line available for a starting offer of 1 cent. A single penny. As of right now, no bids.

If things are going this poorly for the amateur resellers, how about the professionals?

Scalpers pretended they didn’t know there’d been a buzz all week about just how cheap you could get a ticket. Asked how much for their tickets, they’d give you the face-value price. Until, of course, you started to walk away. Then it became:

“How much you lookin’ to spend? How much you offerin’?”

In a season of low expectations, nothing quite sums up the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals like this man:

“This is the first game I’ve ever been to,” said John Raines, who drove three hours from Louisa, Ky., because his wife got free tickets for him and some friends. He admitted he wasn’t expecting much.

“But hey, it didn’t cost us nothing.”