Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, was an emotional day for me. Why? Because the Cincinnati Bengals earned a spot in the Super Bowl for the first time in more than 30 years.
Why is that a big deal for someone who lives in Las Vegas and was heartbroken when the Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders during the playoffs? Because it showed me good things can happen if you don’t give up.
Now I know that football is just a game, and it’s silly for that life lesson to be from it. So, let me explain.
About 16 years ago, I moved back home to Ohio to figure some things out. I had been laid off from my dream job in Tennessee and wasn’t sure how to move forward. One of the good things about moving back home was watching Sunday football with my best friend and her husband. Of course, being in southern Ohio, we watched the Bengals.
I’d never really cheered for them before, but they were my current home team, so I thought why not? I saw them get to the playoffs and lose as well as the numerous losing seasons after that. But I also saw a lot of quality time with my friends.
That time ended up being what I needed to move on. As we watched the Bengals win, lose and even tie, we also talked about the ups and downs of life and the changes we wanted to see in our lives.
That was one of things that led me to graduate school several years later. Through that program, I earned a one-year teaching fellowship in Guyana, South America.
I had a rough start adjusting to life there. One day, I was invited to a cookout with several State Department employees. I was so excited to go, eat familiar food and spend some time in the air conditioning. I was having a great time, but then the people I came with had to leave early. I don’t remember why.
I was disappointed. The hosts had cable and the football game was on. I wanted to see the end of it because the Bengals were playing the Steelers. It was a taste of home, and the game was super close.
When I arrived back at my apartment, I turned on the television and was ecstatic to see that one of the local stations was carrying the very end of the game. I made it back for the last 30 seconds and saw Cincinnati score at the end to win. I was so happy, and I started to feel at home.
Over the next 12 or so years, I watched the Bengals continue their streak of mediocrity. I cheered for other teams, but they were still a home team for me, and I wanted them to do well.
This season they seemed to get it. They had ups and downs, but they always managed to keep going and not give up. When they won on Sunday, all of that was worth it for them. They didn’t give up and it paid off.
The last two years have been difficult for me and so many others in Boulder City, Las Vegas, Nevada and the entire country. We’ve all lost things and seen life change negatively in ways we never thought possible. But we’re still here. We haven’t given up, and I’m confident that good things are headed our way.
Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.