Bengals Bar Reporters From Practice Field

City police turned reporters away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice complex today after the team, preparing to play Jan. 22 in the Super Bowl, abruptly canceled a scheduled news conference with coach Sam Wyche.

Wyche decided to cancel the meeting with reporters because he needed the time to prepare for the Super Bowl game against the San Francisco 49ers, said Allan Heim, the Bengals’ director of public relations. The Bengals had previously issued a media advisory to reporters in which the NFL team said Wyche would be available at specified times every day this week.

Two police officers stopped reporters at the gate of the Bengals’ Spinney Field training complex to say the facility was closed to the press.

Wyche had already spent some time Monday and Tuesday with reporters and will be available to them Thursday and Friday, so he decided to cancel today’s session.