His day job seems even too buttoned-down for Clark Kent. Shawn Moore, married middle-ager with no kids, serves as registrar at Tampa’s Channelside Academy of Math and Science.
“Actually, when we had spirit days, one of them was ‘be your favorite super hero,’” principal Cristina Fuentes said. “And he actually was Clark Kent.”
Yet an alter ego pulsates beneath the surface. In lieu of a large “S” are stripes, orange and black.
On Sundays, they’re complemented by a bloated orange 10-gallon hat, beads, striped pants, a Bengals jersey and a face painted with theatrical cream. The back of the jersey brandishes the nickname of Cincinnati’s most celebrated fan.
WHO DEY BABY.
“I’ve got it down to a science,” said Moore, who lives in Ruskin. “I can be showered, shaved and ready to walk out of the house — face paint and everything on — in 45 minutes.”
On Sunday, quite possibly the biggest afternoon in the franchise’s 54-season history, Moore, 43, will get into full costume and join at least 100 other kindred spirits at Ducky’s Sports Lounge, located a couple of Joe Burrow spirals south of the University of Tampa on Kennedy Boulevard.
After attending Cincinnati’s three previous playoff games (the last two of which were in Nashville and Kansas City, respectively), Moore couldn’t swing tickets to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, site of Super Bowl 56. Instead, he’ll attend the watch party of Tampa Cincinnati Bengals Fans, which has a Facebook following of more than 800.
Who Dey Baby will lead the gathering in the “Bengals Growl” fight song.
“He’s just a joy to have in our group,” said Jennifer Hatfield, the group’s founder. “It’s just been amazing that he landed in (Ruskin).”
Not counting 2020, when the pandemic limited fan capacity throughout the NFL, Moore hasn’t missed a Bengals home game in 13 years. He has managed to perpetuate the streak despite living in Florida the last four. His wife, Karen, joins him for most games.
“The budget airlines have kind of saved me,” said Moore, an Ohio State graduate. “And I have friends that I stay with in Cincinnati, so I don’t worry about a rental car or a hotel, so that helps out tremendously.”
His seats remain on the top row of Paul Brown Stadium’s lower bowl, so the garish hat won’t obstruct anyone’s view. He has preserved his zeal through the humiliation of two-win seasons and heartbreak of five consecutive first-round playoff exits. He has held his breath watching Joe Burrow, and held his nose watching Andy Dalton.
In 2020, he was selected the Bengals Fan of the Year, making him a finalist for overall NFL Fan of the Year. The following spring in Cleveland, the team let him announce its fourth-round pick (defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin) at the NFL draft.
“I’ve used it for charity functions and things like that as the years went on,” Moore said. “It started off as, hey, I made it on TV or got in the newspaper or something. And then it’s turned into I can use my powers for good, so to speak.”
It all started with the stripes. Born in Troy, in Ohio’s western midsection, Moore was a preschooler living with his family in the Kissimmee-St. Cloud area when he noticed the sleek new design on the Bengals helmets while watching a game against the Dolphins. The following year, the family moved to Sidney, Ohio, a little north of Troy.
“And my dad was like, ‘You root for the hometown team,’” Moore said. “So my choices were Cleveland or Cincinnati, and Cincinnati had the cool helmets, and the rest was history.”
He was 22 when Karen — then his girlfriend — got him tickets for the last game at Cinergy Field (formerly known as Riverfront Stadium) in 1999. Bent on commemorating the occasion, he broke out an enlarged lime-green hat he got at Sea World, and spray-painted it orange and black. Some face paint followed.
The Bengals trounced the Browns, 44-28, on a raw, rainy afternoon.
“We went to the game and they selected me as the Oscar Mayer Hot Dog of the Game,” Moore recalled. “They took me down to the field, gave me a swag bag. People are taking pictures, I was going, ‘This is kind of cool.’ That was 22 years ago, and I’ve not been to a game since (without his costume).”
Four years later, Moore was inducted into the Visa Hall of Fans, a permanent exhibit in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’d gladly give up that sliver of immortality for one world title. A Bengals win Sunday just might send tears streaming down that painted face.
“For 37 years I have been wanting this,” he said.
“I was 10 the last time we were in a Super Bowl when (49ers receiver) John Taylor ruined my childhood (in Super Bowl 23), and I have wanted to get back ever since. Now that we are back, winning is everything. Other than my wedding day, it will be the happiest day of my life.”
