Where did “Who Dey?!” come from?

Ever wonder how the Bengals catchphrase was born?

“Who Dey?” is something you’re going to hear often as the Cincinnati Bengals head to Super Bowl 56, but where did it come from? The phrase dates back to the old Riverfront Stadium days and is derived from a historic Cincinnati business.

Hudepohl Beer Company has been a staple in the Cincinnati beer industry since 1885, long before the Bengals were even a thought for the city. Hudepohl has been around Cincinnati even before the Reds were in town, which is sort of crazy to think about, as the Reds are the first organized professional baseball team to ever exist.

As a historic brewer, it comes as no surprise that fans have spent hundreds of years enjoying their products as they cheer on their hometown football team. As the franchise got up and running, beer vendors sold Hudepohl in the stadium during games.

You know the beer vendors can bring the noise if you’ve been to any professional sporting event. They would be heard shouting, “Hudy,” while advertising the beer and hear the occasional “HuDey” as well.

As time went on, that started to catch on. In the 1981 season, the Bengals won their first playoff game in franchise history, making their way to their first-ever Super Bowl. The “HueDey” chant quickly evolved and became ingrained in the team and the city of Cincinnati.

For the 1988 Super Bowl run, Hudepohl embraced the connection and put out commemorative cans including the full season schedule on the back. Those have grown to be prized possessions in memorabilia collections for fans. I’m lucky enough to have six of them myself:

The transformation was complete. Now, you hear the chant nearly every day:

“Who Dey?! Who Dey?! Does Who Dey think gonna beat them Bengals? Noooooobody!” plays loudly throughout Paul Brown Stadium before games and after touchdowns. Shirts, hats, and jackets all around don the phrase.

There is a connection between the Bengals’ “Who Dey” versus the New Orleans Saints’ “Who Dat.”

Fans from each city will likely say the other team stole their slogan, although there is no proof of either being the case. “Who Dat” first appeared in New Orleans in the late 1800s as part of minstrel shows and vaudeville acts.

Since then, the saying was used throughout the state, but it gained traction with Louisiana schools, such as LSU and Southern, in the 1960s and 1970s. “Who Dat” eventually found its way into the Saints’ fanbase before it was officially adopted by the team in 1983, with the full saying as, “Who Dat? Who dat say they gonna beat dem Saints?”

The title for the true owner of the cheer is still debated today. During his farewell address as the Saints head coach, Sean Payton said he is rooting for the Bengals but “The ‘Whom Dey’ thing came after (Who Dat).”

So technically, the Bengals’ “Who Dey” was first, but the “Who Dat” cheer has been around longer.

Sources: