Pro Football

The rape allegations that have rocked the Cincinnati Bengals’ organization left some players mum Wednesday and others upset that their names have been mentioned in the scandal.

Twenty current or former Bengals are accused of raping or watching the rape nearly two years ago in a Seattle hotel room of a Spokane, Wash., woman identified as Victoria C.

The names were made public Tuesday, five months after the lawsuit was filed in Seattle. Reaction in the Bengals’ locker room ranged from silence to anger.

“Man, it hurts like hell,” said running back Eric Ball, named in the civil suit as a defendant. “It hurts your family. The damage is already done.”

Cornerback Eric Thomas, also named in the suit, said: “We won’t know how it will affect us until five or six years down the road, when we’re done playing football and trying to get into the business world.”

Even players not involved in the lawsuit felt the fallout.

“There’s no winner in this situation at all,” said quarterback Boomer Esiason, who is not a defendant. “Whether you’re a name on the list or a part of this team or this woman in Seattle, there are no winners.”