Tremendous Bowl LVI: Cincinnati native Invoice Hemmer hopes to witness Bengals historical past after 30 years of mediocrity

Cincinnati native Invoice Hemmer feels it’s “too troublesome to place into phrases” what a Bengals victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Tremendous Bowl LVI on Sunday would imply for his beloved metropolis, however the Fox Information anchor is hoping many years of loyalty lastly pays off.  

“I’m nervous, however I actually wish to be the underdog, and we’re,” Hemmer advised Fox Information Digital as he ready to journey to California with the hopes of witnessing historical past. 

“For those who’re from Cincinnati, you don’t store for an additional workforce. You get what you get. And what we’ve gotten is mediocrity for 30 years,” Hemmer mentioned. “We keep true and constant by all of it and hopefully this time religion will probably be rewarded.” 

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Hemmer grew up a passionate fan of the Nineteen Seventies-era Cincinnati Reds, the well-known Large Pink Machine, which is taken into account some of the dominant groups in Main League Baseball historical past. The Reds gained two World Collection titles throughout Hemmer’s childhood. By 1981, the Cincinnati Bengals have been a pressure within the NFL, making the Tremendous Bowl following the 1981 and 1988 seasons, each occasions in opposition to Joe Montana’s famed San Francisco 49ers juggernaut. 

The Bengals misplaced to the 49ers each occasions, however a pair of World Collection titles and two journeys to the Tremendous Bowl left Hemmer believing extra success for his southwest Ohio metropolis could be imminent. 

“I grew up considering that profitable was simply part of life, and it was all the time going to be round you,” he mentioned. “Nicely, it’s not.”

The Reds gained the 1990 World Collection however have usually been an MLB also-ran ever since. The Bengals developed a status as one of many NFL’s bumblers, failing to win a single playoff sport throughout a 31-year stretch from 1990 till final month in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders within the Wild Card spherical. 

Sensing this yr might be particular, Hemmer vowed to attend each Bengals playoff sport for so long as they remained alive, no matter what metropolis the video games have been performed in. 

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Hemmer traveled again house to Cincinnati to look at his workforce tackle the Raiders, they usually gained. Hemmer mentioned he “couldn’t consider” the celebration outdoors Paul Brown Stadium following the sport.

“Folks tailgating and having a blast and that feeling has not been there because the late Nineteen Eighties,” he mentioned. 

Hemmer traveled to Nashville to look at the next week when the Bengals visited the top-seeded Tennessee Titans within the Divisional spherical. The Bengals gained once more, advancing to the AFC Championship sport. 

One other victory meant it was time for Hemmer to hit the highway for a 3rd straight weekend, so he traveled to Kansas Metropolis to look at the Bengals rally from 18 factors right down to beat the Chiefs.

“When you have got alternatives like this, it’s like lightning. You don’t know the place or when it’s going to strike, however you possibly can’t afford to not be there when it does,” Hemmer mentioned. “I’ve been on the best NFL highway present of my life … We simply want yet one more.”

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The superstitious anchor has worn the identical outfit, together with a Bengals beanie cap, to all three chilly video games. He’ll be at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for Tremendous Bowl LVI with hopes that lightning can strike once more, however the forecast doesn’t precisely mirror the climate in Cincinnati, Nashville or Kansas Metropolis. Hemmer could should shed some layers for this one.

“I’m attempting, but it surely’s going to be 80 levels,” he mentioned. “I’ll come as near it as I probably can to maintain the nice mojo and the nice vibes going.” 

A fellow Ohio native is answerable for a lot of the Bengals success, which has made this stunning postseason run much more particular for Hemmer. 

Star quarterback Joe Burrow, the No. 1 total decide within the 2020 NFL Draft, has already gained the Heisman Trophy and an NCAA nationwide championship at LSU. After a knee damage ended his rookie marketing campaign final yr, he’s emerged as a budding celebrity by guiding the Bengals to the Tremendous Bowl in solely his second season.

Hemmer would clearly be an enormous fan of any profitable Bengals quarterback, however he admired Burrow the minute he mentioned rising up in Southeast Ohio throughout his 2019 Heisman speech. Burrow talked concerning the poverty fee in Athens County, Ohio, and famous how privileged he felt to symbolize the much less lucky on a nationwide stage. Burrow started his school profession at Ohio State and transferred to LSU, the place he loved a stable yr as a starter in 2018 earlier than his spectacular Heisman-winning marketing campaign in 2019.

“He was talking for all these folks, and he began a starvation drive for them. I imply, that’s a fairly good approach to begin in the event you ask me,” Hemmer mentioned. “So whenever you’re native, and also you’re born and bred, yeah, there’s an instantaneous attachment.” 

Whereas Burrow is probably the most well-known, Hemmer made it clear that Burrow isn’t the one Ohio native trying to deliver the Lombardi trophy house on Sunday. 

“We’ve received different guys like Sam Hubbard, defensive finish, he was born and bred in Cincinnati … Our punter, Kevin Huber went to [University of] Cincinnati. We drafted Jackson Carman, he’s from Fairfield, Ohio, 45 minutes up the highway,” Hemmer mentioned. “There are some cool native ties on this workforce to town and the state itself.” 

Hemmer isn’t a run-of-the-mill superstar fan who jumps on the bandwagon when a neighborhood workforce finds success. The “America’s Newsroom” co-anchor is as passionate because it will get about soccer and, in fact, the Bengals. He reads no matter Bengals content material he can discover, typically spends his time away from Fox Information glued to the NFL Community, and has adopted each offseason acquisition the workforce has made for many years. 

Hemmer admits he was conflicted previous to the 2021 NFL Draft when the pundits thought his workforce would choose offensive sort out Penei Sewell, however others felt Burrow’s school teammate Ja’Marr Chase was the plain alternative. Hemmer’s nephew – one other passionate Bengals fan – wished Chase, however the Fox Information anchor most popular the massive man. 

The Bengals went with Chase, a large receiver who has been a key contributor to the workforce and was named the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr, however Hemmer doesn’t appear to thoughts. 

“I all the time thought you win video games within the trenches, and with a purpose to do this, you will need to have a sustained, efficient offensive line,” he mentioned. “They’ve confirmed me flawed.”

He may not be too far off. Burrow was sacked 9 occasions by the Titans, tying a playoff document even because the Bengals narrowly gained. Cincinnati must maintain him upright in opposition to the Rams’ ferocious go rush to drag off the upset.

Hemmer, who has attended 20 Tremendous Bowls previously, feels the sport is America’s nice annual occasion. He loves that People from all walks of life enter the stadium with an equal stage of pleasure and anticipation. 

“It’s arduous to search out that stage of pleasure anyplace,” he mentioned. “Now, when the sport is over, issues change.” 

The veteran anchor, who isn’t normally puzzled, didn’t need to provide his opinion about whether or not Burrow would emerge because the face of the NFL with a Tremendous Bowl victory at such a younger age.

“I’m not even going to contemplate that till the sport is over. I believe that may be dangerous mojo,” Hemmer mentioned. “Can we discuss that on Tuesday?”