The Greatest Underdog Story: SuperBowl LVI & The Rise of the Cincinnati Bengals
Time: 3:00 am, India. Jan 31st, 2022. A friend from Cincinnati called and asked, “Watching?” Hell yeah! I was watching. Live. As the last quarter of the game was about to begin, the scores were tied at 21 and the ‘Who Deys’ were on the cusp of making history. It was the NFL Conference Championship game and a ticket to the Super bowl LVI (American Football). Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. It was because of my partner in crime, my friend, and my brother, Rohit J, that I was so heavily invested in this game. It was his city, Cincinnati, and his home team, the Cincinnati Bengals, having a dream run this year. He’s been my Super Bowl watching buddy for the past 5–6 years. All along, I had been a fan of Tom Brady. First it was the New England Patriots, and now it’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Everyone expected this year to be the year of Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes. But a new star was born this year, making the whole of Cincinnati and the Bengals go crazy — JOE BURROW.
The Cincinnati Bengals has defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, who were the preseason favourites. Everyone, especially the Cincy fans, cannot believe what is happening with their team. The Bengals have never played in the Super Bowl since 1988. After consistent shitty seasons, Joe Burrow has led them to the finals this year!
Has there been a more compelling story in recent NFL history?
There have been instances in the past, but doing it now in the context of the modern NFL, where bigger and wealthier teams monopolise talents and where only money talks, this feat by the Bengals is unprecedented. At the start of the season, bookies and bettors gave the Bengals 15,000–1 odds to win Super Bowl 56. That is greater than the odds of Kanye West becoming the next US president. The favourites at the start of the season were the regulars-the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, riding on the GOAT Tom Brady and the Kansas City Chiefs, led by legend in the making, Patrick Mahomes. No one, in their wildest dreams, gave the Cincinnati Bengals a chance.
So what is the secret to this historic success?
It all began in April 2020, when the Cincinnati Bengals “earned” a chance to pick first in the NFL Draft. No wonder they picked Joe Burrow, who at that point had won all the possible titles an amateur could win. This year they added Ja’Marr Chase, Joe’s former LSU buddy. They didn’t have the best team, nor the best budget, but what they had was confidence in this newly built team and their new leader. Joe Burrow said in an interview, “I am tired of this underdog narrative. We are a good team and we are here to make noise.”
He’s a supremely confident guy, with an attitude, those post victory cigar smoking rituals, and that unapologetically confident demeanor; you’ve got to love that Joe Swagger!
They don’t just hand it over to you if you want to be the king of the jungle. The brave are the ones who build great empires. The brave take risks, push limits, and see things that others can’t. They inspire others by their confidence and courage in the face of adversity. It is what motivates people in the pursuit of greatness. They pursue greatness to prove that the hard work, the pain, and the belief all payoff. Being bold is being confident, and relentless, and fearless. It means you are willing to go where you have never been and willing to try what you have never tried.
When you witness underdog stories like these play out in front of your eyes, you realise what sport is, what the spirit of the game is, and why people love it. You can’t help but think about the Chicago Bulls in the 1980s and 1990s, when Michael Jordan carried the team for years and won championships. Leicester City, an English Premier League football team, Who’d have guessed they’d win the Premier League in 2016 ahead of the Chelseas, the Man Uniteds, the Arsenals and the Liverpools? I’ll never forget the scenes from the inaugural IPL in 2008, when Shane Warne led a bunch of rookies in the Rajasthan Royals. They not only performed well, but they freaking won the IPL! You can’t help but cheer when you hear about underdog stories and how leaders and athletes rise to the occasion.
You might wonder what makes me interested in a sport that is only watched by a few thousand Indians. And even more, why do I write about it? The answer is just for the fu*k of it. I love sports and writing about them. Such stories make you do such things sometimes. The commercial aspect of this American football league and the sport is also something that cannot go unnoticed by someone like me. A sport that is played only in North America generates humungous amounts of revenue, and this is what makes me even more curious about it. Initially, I was drawn towards it by the famous Super Bowl advertisements and marketing geniuses behind them.
The battle on Sunday for Super Bowl LVI is all set now. Despite being a good team, the LA Rams are a team I would like to see lose. Someone has to avenge the last-minute defeat handed to the Tampa Bay Bucs and Brady Boy. And there’s nothing better than the Bengals and Joe Brrr doing it. The city of Cincinnati has found a new hero this year. The cigar-smoking Joe Brrrr! The Bengals are up for the battle this Sunday with a clear vision in their sights: lay claim to what is rightfully theirs, win and rule the jungle, like the Royal Bengal Tiger! Go, Cincinnati Tigers!! WHO DEY!!!
