Can AI tell a compelling Cincinnati story? I put it to the test.
Not just one AI. Three of them. Same prompt. Very different results.
The experiment
I've been deep in AI—learning, building, breaking things. One tool I built is a prompt builder that helps you craft better prompts without overthinking it.
So I figured: let's see it in action.
I used my prompt builder to generate a simple request: Write a humorous blog post about the Bengals for Cincinnati people.
Then I fed that prompt to Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude.
Here's what came back.
Gemini's take
Best line: "Joe Shiesty—a man so cool, he makes us forget we're drinking a light beer in a parking lot at 9 AM in late October."
Verdict: Nailed the local flavor. Genuinely funny.
Full story:
🐅 A Cincinnati Love Story: Why We Can't Quit Our Bengals
If you're from Cincinnati, you know loving the Bengals isn't just a choice; it's a regional personality quirk, like believing Skyline Chili is a gourmet meal or reflexively answering "Who Dey?" to any question. We're a city that has perfected the art of "cautiously optimistic" (which, let's be honest, is just "deeply pessimistic but trying to be polite"). We spent decades defining our football fandom by The Bungles, which just made the recent success feel like a fever dream we're constantly terrified of waking up from. We've mastered the annual ritual of pre-season hype, followed by mid-season panic, all while wearing that same faded Boomer Esiason jersey. The truth is, the Bengals are the perfect Cincy team: a little weird, often confusing, occasionally brilliant, and steeped in a history of glorious, heartbreaking pain that only a local can truly appreciate.
But here's the real beauty: whether we're celebrating a Super Bowl berth or debating if this is The Year we finally stop drafting offensive linemen who specialize in holding, the feeling in the Queen City is electric. Sundays at Paycor Stadium are less about the game and more about a communal gathering where we all get to yell loudly about our collective trauma and triumph. We've survived The Dalton Line, and we've been blessed by Joe Shiesty—a man so cool, he makes us forget we're drinking a light beer in a parking lot at 9 AM in late October. So, pour a bowl of three-way, put on your stripes, and remember: we might lose the game, but we'll never lose the ability to ask a rival fan if they've ever been to the actual Jungle. Who Dey!
ChatGPT's take
Best line: "The five stages of football grief: denial, chili, anger, chili, acceptance."
Verdict: The chili bit killed me. Peak silly energy.
Full story:
The Emotional Support Bengals: A Cincy Love Story
If you're from Cincinnati, you already know being a Bengals fan is less of a hobby and more of a full-contact emotional sport. We start every season with the optimism of a fresh Skyline three-way—warm, cheesy, and maybe a little delusional—and end up somewhere between "Who Dey!" and "Why dey do dis to us again?" Joe Burrow could announce he's taking up synchronized swimming and we'd still say, "Let's ride." We buy the merch, we paint our faces, and by Week 4 we've already begun the five stages of football grief (denial, chili, anger, chili, acceptance).
But here's the thing—we wouldn't trade it for anything. Every heartbreak just strengthens our Cincy DNA: part caffeine, part sarcasm, part stubborn hope. We're the kind of people who can tailgate in freezing rain, debate chili brands like it's philosophy, and still say "next year's our year" with a straight face. Because deep down, we know—one good drive, one good season, one good call—and the jungle roars again. Until then, pass the chili and the emotional support beer. Who Dey forever.
Claude's take
Best line: "Being a Bengals fan is like being in a relationship where your partner occasionally shows up at 2 AM with flowers and a Super Bowl run, only to ghost you for the next three seasons."
Verdict: More dry humor than silly. Still good, but different energy.
Full story:
Who Dey? Who Cares? A Love Letter to Cincinnati's Therapy Sessions
Being a Bengals fan is like being in a relationship where your partner occasionally shows up at 2 AM with flowers and a Super Bowl run, only to ghost you for the next three seasons. We've mastered the art of cautious optimism—that unique Cincinnati skill where you're simultaneously planning playoff watch parties and researching therapists who specialize in sports-related trauma. Our love language is collective suffering punctuated by inexplicable moments of glory, usually involving a quarterback with perfect hair and a receiving corps that makes us believe in miracles again... until they don't.
But here's the thing about being a Bengals fan in Cincinnati: we're not fair-weather fans because we literally can't afford to be. We've weathered the '90s (dark times), survived the Marvin Lewis era (medium-dark times with occasional light), and now we're riding the Joe Burrow wave while trying not to jinx anything by getting too confident. We pack Paul Brown Stadium in December wearing orange and black like it's formal wear, we defend our team with the passion of people who clearly have nothing better to do, and we genuinely believe "next year is our year"—every single year. Who Dey? We dey. Unfortunately.
So who won?
Honestly? ChatGPT and Gemini were funnier for this specific task. They leaned into absurdity better. The chili jokes, the parking lot beers, the "Why dey do dis to us"—that's the silly Cincy energy I was looking for.
Claude was more... contemplative? Which is great for other things. But for pure humor, the others edged it out.
The real takeaway
Different AIs have different personalities.
This isn't about crowning a winner forever. It's about knowing which tool fits the job. Want silly? ChatGPT might be your move. Want analytical? Different story.
The best way to figure it out? Test them yourself.
Try the prompt builder
The tool I used is free. Pick a task type, get a structured prompt, paste it into whatever AI you want.
Want AI to write something humorous for you? Let it roast your LinkedIn, your emails, or your life choices.
And if you write a better Bengals story than any of these, I want to see it.
Who Dey. Always.