Super Bowl: Bengals Faithful Gather In Arts District For Tailgate
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Coming all the way from Cinncinati, Bengals fans descended up Los Angeles Arts District to celebrate before their team goes head-to-head against the Los Angeles Rams.
"There's been a lot of tears and hugs when we won that first playoff game," said superfan Bengals Jim. "I have never hugged so many strangers in my life. I cried with so many people, so fun seeing our Bengals community come together on this."
The team is hoping to continue this Cinderella run after winning their first playoff game in over 30 years and returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
The last time the Bengals were in the Super Bowl was in 1989 against the San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals lost in a heartbreaking fashion when Hall of Famer quarterback Joe Montana dashed their dreams with a touchdown to wide receiver John Taylor with just half a minute left putting the 49ers ahead 20-16.
In the 33 years since their last appearance, many fans have passed away, however, Bengals fans at the tailgate honored those not alive to enjoy the Super Bowl with the project No Fan Left Behind. Fans were giving away T-shirts each with a picture of a deceased fan printed on, including Allison Gilbert's husband Jason Martin.
"We would go to every Chiefs/Bengals games together," she said. "We actually got married on the weekend of the Bengals/Chiefs game so our guests could all go to the game."
The Bengals faithful also dawned crazy makeup designs on their face, one of whom has been wearing it for the past three days.
"I do a different one every game," said Bengals fan Garey Faulkner. "This one I've kept on for a couple of days cause I put a latex base on so I could sleep in it."
Another superfan, Chip Graeter drove three days from Cincinnati in an ice cream truck to show Los Angeles his family's famous hometown treat.
"At home, it's kind of our offseason and so it works out perfectly that we can be here and have ice cream in 80-degree weather," he said.
Cincinnati's mayor Aftab Pureval also made the trip over but had a different opinion of the warm weather.
"Yeah it's nice, I mean if you're into 85 degrees in February then this is your spot," he said. "Me, I like four seasons but you know to each their own."
Pureval added that it was seven degrees in Cincinnati when he was last there.
