Even if you don't follow football as fanatically as the rest of America, you've probably heard there's a little game called the Super Bowl this weekend. Maybe you'll be watching for the commercials. Or the halftime show.
Although there won't be a Southern-based or Manning-led team to root for, there are at least three good reasons for Chattanooga-area viewers to tune in as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams.
Read on for our six-point playbook for Super Bowl LVI.
1. An estimated 117 million viewers are expected to be watching.
Those are massive viewing numbers, but the National Football League has long dominated American television, reaching an all-time high last year. In 2021, 75 of the 100 most-watched TV programs were NFL games, according to NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk website, citing Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. EST Sunday. Live coverage on NBC and its Peacock streaming service will begin at noon.
2. The Rams may have a home-field advantage.
SoFi Stadium opened in September 2020 in Inglewood, an LA suburb. Not only is it the NFL's newest stadium, but at 3.1 million square feet, it's also the biggest. It can seat more than 70,000 and accommodate up to 100,000.
3. The Bengals may have history on their side.
The Bengals and Rams have met each other 14 times in regular and postseason play since 1972, according to The Football Database. The Bengals have an 8-6 edge in those match-ups.
4. The halftime show will be a '90s flashback. Tapped to perform are rappers Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Eminem and R&B singer Mary J. Blige.
Before the game, R&B singer Jhené Aiko will perform "America the Beautiful," and country music's Mickey Guyton will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
5. Advertisers shell out big bucks to air Super Bowl commercials. NBC hasn't released official rates, but Variety reported the cost of a 30-second spot started at $6 million. That would make it the highest price for a Super Bowl commercial to date.
6. There's a chance you'll see three players from the Chattanooga area on TV.
- Playing for the Rams is defensive back Kareem Orr (35), a Notre Dame High School alumnus who played college ball for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He's 25 years old.
[READ MORE: Isaiah Mack and Kareem Orr give UTC fans an extra reason to cheer the Titans]
- Bengals safety Vonn Bell (24) played for Ridgeland High School in Rossville and Ohio State. He's 27.
[READ MORE: Bengals' Vonn Bell a big winner since his Ridgeland days]
[READ MORE: Chattanooga native Vonn Bell excited to begin New NFL chapter with Cincinnati Bengals]
- Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (2) played at Fort Payne (Alabama) High School and the University of Florida.
[READ MORE: Fort Payne, Ala., native Evan McPherson central to Bengals' Super Bowl run]
[READ MORE: Fort Payne may be only town in Tennessee Valley happy that Titans lost]
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.