When Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow took the microphone at Monday night’s Super Bowl Opening Night Fan Rally at Paul Brown Stadium, he could only get a few sentences out before his speech was drowned out by the crowd.
“I’m honored to be the quarterback for such a great organization and the best fans in the world,” Burrow said.
It’s all that the fans needed to hear. The 30,000 fans who stood in the cold at Paul Brown Stadium started chanting, “MVP.”
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To kick off Super Bowl week, the Bengals hosted a pep rally to send the Bengals off to Los Angeles. Former Bengals David Fulcher, Tim Krumrie, Max Montoya, Willie Anderson and Ken Anderson described why they saw the Bengals as the Super Bowl champion.
Then the fireworks started over Paul Brown Stadium and “Welcome to the Jungle” blared out of the speakers. The Bengals announced all 25 starters, and it sounded like a playoff game when Burrow walked out of the tunnel.
The 30,000 tickets sold out almost immediately. On Monday, fans were lining up outside Paul Brown Stadium at 3 p.m. for an event that didn’t start for another three hours.
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When the Bengals captains took the stage to address the team, Bengals running back Joe Mixon thanked the fanbase for sticking with the team through five consecutive losing seasons.
“I know it hasn't been the greatest couple of years,” Mixon said. “Y'all fought through adversity and our players fought through adversity. I appreciate the fans for sticking with us for all these years. We plan to bring that Lombardi Trophy back here."
This is the payoff for 31 years without a playoff win, the lost decade of the 1990s and the draft busts that cycled through the franchise. It’s the payoff for the fans who stuck with the team through Carson Palmer’s knee injury, Jeremy Hill’s fumble and the end of the Marvin Lewis era.
During the fireworks show, most of the Bengals players took out their phones to capture a moment that looked improbable before the season.
“The energy you’ve had all year is a big reason why we’re standing here tonight,” Bengals punter Kevin Huber told the fans. “Cincinnati has been my home for 36 years, and I couldn’t be more proud to call this place home. Getting a chance to play in a Super Bowl for my hometown team is a dream come true.”
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, who has rarely spoken directly to the fanbase during his time in the front office, was the first member of the organization to step onto the stage.
He warmed up the crowd with a few jokes, including a reference to something Burrow said in a December interview.
“Hi, my name is Duke Tobin,” he said. "I don’t know who said there’s nothing to do in Cincinnati, but this sure looks like something to do in Cincinnati."
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spoke next and described how it was an honor to coach “a special team playing for a special group of fans in a special city."’
Following speeches from Mixon, Burrow, Huber and a few others, tight end C.J. Uzomah was the closer. Uzomah sprained his MCL in the AFC Championship Game, and he’s listed as questionable for the Super Bowl. On Monday, Uzomah walked onto the field wearing a massive brace on his knee.
When it was his turn to speak, Uzomah ripped off the knee brace and threw it 20 feet in the air. Then, he sprinted a full lap around the entire stadium to high-five the fans.
“It’s been us from the start of this season,” Uzomah said. “It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s been about us. So next week, we’re bringing the game ball home. It is us. Who Dey.”
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