Today is the day! \u2026 although not just any day. It\u2019s Super Bowl Sunday! \u2026 although not just any Super Bowl. The Cincinnati Bengals are the \u201chome team\u201d for Super Bowl LVI, and there\u2019s something uniquely sweet about the Bengals making it this far. Stay with me for a moment \u2014 even if not a sports fan, if you will. I indeed believe this is about far more than sports. As one who lived in the Queen City for 25 years \u2014 whose sons grew up there \u2014 there exists a vibe about being a Bengals fan, that outside of the Cincinnati faithful, one may not truly understand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s different. It\u2019s deep. No one ever searches for \u201cAmerica\u2019s Team\u201d and finds the Cincinnati Bengals anywhere near the list. Primetime moments are few. They\u2019re not known for their winning. In fact, over the course of their 54 year history, they\u2019ve been known for many things on and off the field that they\u2019d like to forget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s it like to be a Bengals fan? What\u2019s been hard?<\/strong> Hear from a chorus of Bengals fans\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe hardest part is all these years of disappointment\u2026 No respect\u2026 It feels like we\u2019ve been the joke of the NFL\u2026 Everyone\u2019s punchline\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It hasn\u2019t been fun\u2026 Outside of Cincinnati \u2014 and sometimes even in Cinti \u2014 it just hasn\u2019t been cool to be a fan\u2026 People didn\u2019t take us seriously\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Low expectations for so many years\u2026 Always a gaping hole somewhere\u2026 Such a defeatist mentality\u2026 potential has always felt squandered<\/em>... I never believed we could win an important game…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A roller coaster with too many years of disappointing outcomes\u2026 My hopes have always been dashed\u2026 Always watching us struggle\u2026<\/em> No one, including our fans, thought we were a legitimate contender for as long as I’ve been alive…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rough\u2026 Painful\u2026 Embarrassing\u2026 Frustrating\u2026 So frustrating\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The emotions of a diehard Bengals fan run deep. As one chimed in, \u201cI felt like I was loyal but the team was not.\u201d It\u2019s hard to be a fan of a small market team that doesn\u2019t have a historical track record of victory, prudent team management, nor consistent, individual integrity. As another opined, \u201cIt\u2019s easy to be a fan of the Steelers or Tom Brady. It takes guts to remain a steadfast Bengals fan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to this year, the Bengals last won a playoff game 31 years ago. This was expected to be year #32. But the unexpected occurred. Behind great leadership, talented skill players, and a changed culture in which players hold one another accountable, really like each other, and realize what they can do together,<\/em> the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves both gleefully and confidently playing in Super Bowl LVI. Call it surprising. Call it unheard of. Call it one of the current best stories in sports. Hear it once more from the fans\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n How does it feel to be in Super Bowl 56?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAMAZING! \u2026 Flat out amazing!\u2026 The feeling is joyful and huge\u2026 I feel like I\u2019m in some alternative universe\u2026 Really great\u2026 Awesome!\u2026 I am SHOCKED!\u2026 It feels like a dream\u2026 Very excited!\u2026 It\u2019s a big, BIG deal!\u2026 Fantastic\u2026 So happy!\u2026 I still have to pinch myself\u2026 Surreal\u2026 I\u2019m so proud\u2026 Incredible\u2026 Doesn\u2019t seem possible\u2026 It doesn\u2019t feel real\u2026 Unbelievable\u2026 Spectacular!\u2026 I love this team!\u2026 My heart can\u2019t believe it\u2026 So fun!\u2026 I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I root for a team that’s actually one of the best in the league… This feels like full circle and let me tell you, it feels good\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is only a snippet; let me add that the \u201camazing\u2019s\u201d were tenfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But allow me to share an additional, developing aspect that also may go unnoticed outside the Cincinnati faithful. In a cultural moment where too often we find things to fight about \u2014 and too frequently focus on what we don\u2019t<\/em> have in common \u2014 note what\u2019s happening as a result of the Bengals unexpected, exuberant success\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love the feel of the city\u2026 what a sense of community!\u2026 Seeing the way the city has rallied around the team is unbelievable\u2026 fans from all over the world are connecting\u2026 genuine friendships\u2026 I feel the pulse of the city begin to beat in synchronicity with one another\u2026 Loving the energy of the greater Cincy-area with schools closing and challenges to raise money for food banks\u2026 I\u2019m so proud of how this has rallied the area! \u2026 A real sense of pride in the community!\u2026 It feels like an incredible way to bring Cincinnati together after 2 years of depressing Covid issues\u2026 celebrities and Instagram influencers are announcing they are rooting for the Bengals\u2026 It\u2019s exciting to see the country come together to root on our guys\u2026 It makes it that much sweeter\u2026 I couldn\u2019t be more proud to say I\u2019m a Bengals fan!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us be sure to acknowledge that there is another team with loyal fans who may be victorious this night. I wish the Los Angeles Rams well. And I think that reveals one more admirable aspect of the Bengals sweet, unexpected season. Maybe because of their track record, maybe because this was so unexpected, maybe because of the years of frustration and even embarrassment, one doesn\u2019t hear a lot of offense nor insult amid Bengals fandom; there\u2019s no \u201cHey, Rams, take that\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019re going down!\u201d There just isn\u2019t any hostile focus on the other team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is simply a humble, joy-filled love and appreciation for a team that has given its fans something they never expected nor felt they deserved. Indeed, this is about far more than sports. Go Bengals, go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today is the day! \u2026 although not just any day. It\u2019s Super Bowl Sunday! \u2026 although not just any Super Bowl. The Cincinnati Bengals are the \u201chome team\u201d for Super Bowl LVI, and there\u2019s something uniquely sweet about the Bengals making it this far. Stay with me for a moment \u2014 even if not a … <\/p>\n