More than 100 million TV viewers are expected to take in Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Bengals and the Rams. This is noteworthy because 100 million of anything is noteworthy and because the matchup isn’t one anybody other than a Bengals fan would have dreamed up.
Underdog Cincinnati has star quarterback Joe Burrow, star receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a bunch of guys who play with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. The Rams are the splashier team with more big-name players. But there’s a nagging thought that quarterback Matthew Stafford will suddenly remember that he’s a Lion at heart, not a lionheart, and that because the team is from LA and the game is in LA, fans will want to beat traffic more than they’ll want to beat the Bengals. None of this is good for team morale.
