Party like it’s 1988: Life the last time the Bengals were in the Super Bowl

Social gathering prefer it’s 1988. The Cincinnati Bengals are going to the Tremendous Bowl. With their win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Sunday, the Bengals will go to Tremendous Bowl LV, marking their return to the sport after 33 seasons.

Cincinnati is 2 years faraway from having the worst document within the NFL. In response to ESPN Stats & Data analysis, the Bengals be part of the 1981 San Francisco 49ers and 2003 Carolina Panthers with the quickest turnaround from worst document to Tremendous Bowl berth.

The Bengals had 5 consecutive shedding seasons previous to 2021. Solely the 1999 St. Louis Rams (9 straight seasons) had an extended string of shedding seasons previous to reaching the Tremendous Bowl. Breaking that streak labored out for the Rams, who gained the Tremendous Bowl that season.

However again to the wonderful Eighties and the 1988 season.

The Bengals have been the No. 1 seed within the AFC. They led the league in factors, complete yards and speeding yards. QB Boomer Esiason was the league MVP, throwing for 3,573 yards and 28 touchdowns. They rolled by the playoffs to face the San Francisco 49ers within the Tremendous Bowl. Within the group’s solely different earlier look, the Bengals misplaced to the Niners in Tremendous Bowl XVI.

In Tremendous Bowl XXIII, the Bengals would once more lose to the 49ers. Jerry Rice had 215 receiving yards to earn MVP honors whereas Joe Montana threw for 357 yards and two scores. Esiason accomplished simply 44% of his passes for 144 yards and an interception.

The yr 1988 was a very long time in the past. Right here’s a glimpse of what occurred and what life was like within the yr 1988.

“Whenever you fear you make it double”

It’s 3 minutes and 50 seconds of pure, stuck-in-your-head, one-hit surprise. Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Fear, Be Comfortable” was launched in 1988 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Scorching 100 charts. It was the primary a capella music to chart that prime.

For all its popular culture endurance — it has appeared in motion pictures in each decade since its launch as much as 2021 — it has a blended legacy for reviewers. It was listed as considered one of VH1’s greatest one-hit wonders of the Eighties and, in 2011, was named the worst music of all time by Village Voice.

An all-time World Sequence second

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser was so good in 1988. He set a document for consecutive scoreless innings and wins. He gained the Cy Younger Award and World Sequence MVP. Nevertheless, the second of the 1988 collection between the Dodgers and Oakland Athletics, is Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit, game-winning residence run.

“And look who’s arising,” Vin Scully mentioned in the course of the sport broadcast.

Gibson, nursing leg accidents, limped to the plate with two out within the ninth to face A’s nearer Dennis Eckersley, the MLB chief in saves. Dealing with a 3-2 depend, Gibson muscled a homer, utilizing simply his higher physique, over the fitting discipline fence.

12 months of the MVPs

Each Kevin Durant, of the Brooklyn Nets, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, have been born in 1988. Between them they’ve 5 NBA titles (two whereas enjoying collectively in Golden State) and three MVP awards.

Staff USA sang glad birthday to KD.

His birthday is in September 😂

(through @JaValeMcGee) pic.twitter.com/q6NvRQUBa3

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 23, 2021

Adele additionally entered the world this yr. The breakup album has by no means been the identical.

Bengals youth motion

QB Joe Burrow is the primary QB chosen No. 1 general to achieve a convention championship in his first two seasons. He joins Tom Brady as the one QBs to defeat Patrick Mahomes within the postseason, be he was not alive for Cincinnati’s final Tremendous Bowl run. His dad, Jim, was 35 in 1988 and in his second season as Iowa State’s defensive coordinator. Or, three years youthful than Bengals coach Zac Taylor is now. Solely two present Bengals – lengthy snapper Clark Harris and punter Kevin Huber have been round for the 1988 Bengals.

R.I.P., Robin

In 1988, Batman lived virtually completely in comics. It had been 22 years since he appeared in a film. He additionally had a sidekick the readers didn’t like. Editors at DC Comics did the smart factor — they let followers determine whether or not Robin ought to stay or die.

Impressed by a “Saturday Night time Reside” sketch about killing a lobster, DC created a 1-900 quantity the place followers might name and forged their vote on Robin’s destiny. After the vote, writers had Batman’s archnemesis, the Joker, kill Robin in Batman #428, printed in October, 1988.

For Bengals followers on the time, they solely knew Adam West because the live-action Caped Crusader. Michael Keaton would start enjoying Batman in 1989. For reference, because the Bengals final Tremendous Bowl look, and never counting voice actors, 5 completely different actors have portrayed Batman with one other on the best way in March.