Who-Dey?

Hamilton County's commissioners met in executive session today to talk about the Cincinnati Bengals.

It initially was thought the closed-door hearing was to discuss commissioners' reluctance to pay the team almost $1 million it paid to replace its natural grass field with synthetic turf.

But it may include more than that -- based on the meeting's participants.

In addition to the county's assistant prosecutors who act as commissioners attorneys, other county employees, it included to other attorneys:

* Tom Gabelman, a private attorney the commissioners hired to help them on riverfront development issues, was set to give commissioners a presentation on the status of the federal lawsuit they filed against the Bengals and the National Football League.

That suit alleged the team and league used their monopoly powers to win a lease that was unfavorable to the public. Taxpayers are paying for Paul Brown Stadium with an increased sales tax in Hamilton County, voted in a decade ago.

* Stan Chesley, the private attorney commissioners hired to sue the Bengals and NFL.

That lawsuit has been dismissed but commissioners haven't decided if they should appeal that ruling.

Commissioner Todd Portune, who filed the suit, wants it to continue.

Commissioner Pat DeWine insists the suit is over and any appeal would be a further waste of taxpayer money.

Portune filed the suit hoping to recover money because the sales tax fund that pays for the stadium is facing a projected deficit of up about $200 million because initial projections of the sales tax revenue have fallen short.