SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Cincinnati fans showed their stripes in the Golden State — particularly at one Santa Monica bar, where Who Dey chants were yelled often.
What You Need To Know
- Bengals fans flocked to Los Angeles to watch the Bengals play in Super Bowl LVI
- Many fans met at Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica
- It was a meeting spot for fans from all around the country
Bengals fans packed Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica as they geared up for the big game.
Derrick Merrell and his wife live in Montgomery just outside Cincinnati, and knew they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come out to LA to celebrate their Bengals.
“I told myself that if the Bengals ever go to the Super Bowl, I will go to the city to soak up the vibe and strut around,” he said.
And he chose the perfect place — Barney’s Beanery was completely taken over by Who Dey Nation.
“The chance to have this opportunity to come out here with all the Bengals fans was just one that we couldn’t pass up,” Dustin Meritt, a Bengals fan from Kansas, said.
Meritt is a die-hard fan who grew up in California, but chose to support the Bengals when they played the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
“Everybody was a San Francisco fan and I think as a kid I always wanted to be different, and so I chose the Bengals and how could you not with the striped helmets and the orange and the black,” he said.
Now, he’s enjoying finally being around his fellow Bengals fans.
Around every corner, there were Bengals fans, like Tom Michel whose daughter will be performing at the Super Bowl with the Ben-Gals.
“It’s going to be really cool to see her on the field,” Michel said. “She’s danced all her life and it’s just a really awesome part of her career.”
But no matter who was talked to, everyone was just happy to all be together.
“It’s a beat-down fan base, and we finally get to just celebrate,” Merrell said. “And my God, what a feeling.”
