By Eric Cox
CINCINNATI (Reuters) – Fans of the Super Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals braved frigid conditions to wish their team well as they departed for sunny Los Angeles on Tuesday and a showdown with the Rams.
The Bengals will try to claim their first NFL championship on Sunday after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in both 1981 and 1988 in their only two Super Bowl appearances.
“Oh it feels great,” Bengals fan Al Davenport said while watching the team buses pull out of Paul Brown Stadium en route to the airport.
“Last time they won a playoff game, I was about seven years old. Things are changing, it’s definitely a new era here in Cincinnati.”
Jimmy Deaton was among the few fans who showed up and chanted “Who Dey” as the buses drove past, a reference to the team’s decades old fight song.
Despite being the underdogs in the contest, Deaton was confident in his team.
“They’re going to win the Super Bowl. I guarantee it like Joe Namath said, ‘I guarantee it,'” he said.
“I saw the first two Super Bowls. We lost against the 49ers. Third time’s a charm. We’re going to win this one this time.”
The 56th Super Bowl will be held Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
(Writing by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Toby Davis)
