LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 16: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams (L) celebrates with champagne during the Super Bowl LVI Victory Parade on February 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Even though the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI, the initial turnout to their Super Bowl parade reinforces L.A.’s unfavorable reputation for sports.
Patriots fans never got tired of seeing their team parade through the streets of Boston, even after six championships in 18 years. The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl, but if they did win on Sunday, Bengals Nation made it clear their Cincinnati pride would fill the streets in celebration.
In Los Angeles, early parade numbers seemed to be a different story. The Los Angeles Rams won their second Super Bowl in franchise history and their first Super Bowl in Los Angeles — they were still the St. Louis Rams in 2000 — but the parade crowd on Feb. 16 initially seemed absent of enthusiasm. Spectrum News SoCal reporter Jada Montemarano showed the streets an hour before the parade started with large swaths of the barricades completely empty.
Rams fans fail to show up in numbers early at Super Bowl parade
Even if Rams fans weren’t filling every inch of the parade route barricades early on, later aerial shots of the parade traveling down Figueroa Street showed hundreds of fans cheering on the Rams.
The Rams showed their love for the city by honoring one of its greatest sports legends. Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp made a statement by wearing a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey.
Legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who made the game-winning play that sealed the Bengals’ fate on Sunday, suggested that the Rams could run it back — especially if Donald doesn’t retire.
Many fans continued milling about and continuing the celebration after the parade ended.
What can be said of L.A. fans, then? Even though the city has a reputation for casual celebrity fans, there are still thousands of loyal, dedicated Rams fans who showed up to block parties in blue and yellow fashion statements to celebrate their team.