Best Sports Memories: Super Bowl XXIII, Cheff’s Story

It was Super Bowl XXIII, and I was the most excited 11 year old on the planet.  Dad and I were in Miami for the biggest of big games.  My Cincinnati Bengals were up against the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers in Joe Robbie Stadium and I was lucky enough to be there.

The adventure didn’t start off well.  We were standing in line to get into the stadium and my dad had his pocket picked!  I was so excited to watch the pregame festivites, but now I had to sit in some underground mini-police station.  Why did this have to happen? 

Luckily my dad had the tickets in his front pocket.  We were able to find the criminal and he was arrested. My dad got his wallet back, but this was delaying the experience of a lifetime.
 
Once we arrived at our seats, which were in the End Zone, second row, I could feel the energy.  This was unlike anything I had ever experienced — a true spectacle. 

Both teams were finishing their warmups when, beyond my wildest dreams, the Bengals started jogging off the field and I noticed my favorite player, Boomer Esiason, running towards me.  He got closer and closer and finally pointed at me and shouted “You!” 

He tossed me a football!  My favorite player just gave me the souvenir of a lifetime. 

As you could imagine I was completely beside myself, wishing I had brought the proverbial extra pair of Bengals shorts to change into. 

The local news station from Dayton, OH interviewed me about my dream reception.  I was on top of the world and a Bengals victory would have put the cherry on top. 

We lost Tim Krumrie, who was arguably our best defensive player, to one of the most gut-wrenching football injuries in football history.  Not only was he a great player, but a great leader that played with an emotional edge that was truly missed by our defense. 

Despite the broken leg, I later learned that Krumrie refused to leave the stadium to go to the hospital.  He didn’t want to leave his teammates in their biggest game so he watched the game on TV from the locker room.  who knows what would have happened if he didn’t get injured.  Would the Bengals have won?

The Bengals lost 20-16 in what was one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. 

On a side note, I’m embarrased to admit that I missed what is probably the biggest play in Bengals history because of a bathroom break: Stanford Jennings’ 93-yard kickoff return.  I could hear the roar of the crowd, and feel the stadium shake as I watched the play on a TV screen in the bathroom.  Great timing on my part.

In spite of the loss, I was still excited about my new football. Boomer autographed it for me at the following year’s training camp. 

On the way to the game, I dreamt of returning home with a souvenir, but I never could have imagined it was going to be an official ball from my favorite player, Boomer Esiason! 

To this day it ranks right up there as one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.