After a 33-year gap since their last visit, the Cincinnati Bengals finally made it to the Super Bowl this past week, before a close loss against the Los Angeles Rams. This marks the Rams’ second Super Bowl win. For those not interested in the teams, there was also the annual Super Bowl Halftime Show and many celebrities in attendance.
Starting the game off, the Bengals won the coin toss, meaning they chose to get the ball first. While this may seem like a good sign, as it turns out the winners of the last seven Super Bowls have actually lost the coin toss. This may have been an early indicator of what the outcome of the game ultimately would be.
The Rams got off to a strong start, scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter. This was followed by a Bengals field goal, which was then subsequently followed by another Rams’ touchdown. However, the ball was improperly set up for the extra point kick, losing them the extra point. The Bengals were able to get themselves a touchdown by the end of the first half, making the score 13-10 at halftime.
Once the players cleared the field, the Super Bowl Halftime Show started. This year, not one artist took the field, but a group of famous rappers and Hip-Hop musicicans. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J Blige and Eminem all performed some of their greatest hits. Alongside these icons, rapper 50 Cent made a surprise appearance, singing his “In Da Club.”
These artists were not the only celebrities at this year’s Super Bowl, with tons of famous people coming to support the teams. Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, The Weekend, The Rock, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were all shown to be there, among many others.
After the show ended, the teams took the field again. The Bengals quickly scored another touchdown, and the Rams threw an interception once they got the ball back, leading to another Bengals field goal. The next two quarters the score stayed the same at 20-16, with neither team able to break through the other’s defenses. This was until the final few minutes of the game, where the Rams were able to score a touchdown to win the game 23-20.
Despite the loss, many Bengals fans were not swayed in their loyalty to the team. One Sinclair student, Seth, talked about the experience:
“I’ve been a Bengals fan all my life… was disappointed with how it went”
When he was asked if he would still watch the team after the loss, he responded with a confident yes. Even despite not winning the big game, love for our home team still runs strong in Dayton.
Alex Cutler
Reporter