‘We make it enjoyable’; Family rivalries between Bengals, Chiefs followers carry households collectively

Jan. 27—The budding rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs that began final 12 months could be present in quite a lot of space household households.

The Bengals beat the Chiefs earlier this 12 months after sweeping them in two video games final season, together with the AFC title recreation. Now they’re set for a convention championship rematch Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, one win away from a return to the Tremendous Bowl in back-to-back seasons.

Kansas Metropolis is internet hosting its fifth straight AFC Championship. The Chiefs misplaced within the 2018 and 2021 seasons however went to 2 straight Tremendous Bowls the 2 years between.

For some space followers, the rivalry will play out of their properties on Sunday however largely for enjoyable, together with Springboro couple Kathy Ann and Mike Mossbarger.

“I am initially from Kansas Metropolis, that is the place I used to be born and raised,” mentioned Kathy Ann, who’s the Chiefs fan of their family. Mike is a lifelong Bengals fan who grew up round his father’s and grandfather’s love of the workforce.

The Mossbargers have been married nearly 20 years, and considered one of their first reminiscences collectively as a married couple was going to Cincinnati to see the Bengals and the Chiefs play the day after their wedding ceremony.

“That is when our rivalry began,” Kathy Ann mentioned, including that she additionally wore a veil to the sport that day to have fun.

“She was the one Chiefs fan within the part. We had a blast. It was lots of enjoyable,” Mike mentioned.

Kathy Ann and Mike continued to make extra reminiscences as two diehard followers of their respective groups, together with having enjoyable with one another whereas watching the video games at house. Mike recalled one recreation they watched collectively a pair years after they had been first married the place who had the distant management led to a enjoyable reminiscence.

“My father and I and my spouse had been watching the sport, and the Bengals had been beating up the Chiefs fairly unhealthy, and my spouse had the distant management in her hand. And one of many Bengals operating backs was about to attain, and she or he paused the sport proper earlier than he scored,” Mike mentioned, including this was across the time when digital video recorders had been fashionable. “My dad and I could not consider what occurred and she or he was holding the distant with a giant smile on her face … We do not take it too significantly.”

“She’s very captivated with her Chiefs,” Mike mentioned.

Kathy Ann is not the one Kansas Metropolis native who could have left Missouri however introduced her love of the Chiefs along with her to Ohio. Sherrie Parker of Mason is a Chiefs fan whereas her husband, Invoice, is a Bengals fan.

“I used to be born and raised in Kansas Metropolis,” mentioned Sherrie, who grew up along with her father watching the Chiefs and has been to Arrowhead Stadium just a few instances. She mentioned it was thrilling when the Chiefs received Tremendous Bowl LIV in February 2020 over the San Francisco 49ers as a result of it had been 50 years because the Chiefs final received its final Tremendous Bowl in 1970.

“We had a celebration, and it was lots of enjoyable, however they weren’t enjoying the Bengals that 12 months, so issues modified a little bit bit within the final couple of years,” Sherrie mentioned.

Invoice mentioned he is at all times been a fan of Bengals because the starting.

“It has been a troublesome street for awhile,” Invoice mentioned. He mentioned he went to the Tremendous Bowl XVI in January 1982 when the San Francisco 49ers received in opposition to the Bengals.

With each their favourite groups developing for a rematch, Invoice mentioned, jokingly, they had been attempting to resolve if they may watch the sport in the identical home or in the identical room of the home.

Sunday’s recreation additionally has one household in Kettering divided by generations.

Russell Dennis, of Kettering, and his spouse, Linda, are Chiefs followers, whereas their daughter, Amanda, is a Bengals fan. The third era of the household, although, reverted to the Chiefs with granddaughter Kaylee being a fan of the Chiefs, too. Russell’s son, Matthew, says he is a fan of each groups, and his son, Eddie, who died, was a diehard Rams fan.

“We at all times get our gear on each Sunday,” Russell mentioned. “It is positively a Bengals-Chiefs family, and it has been for years.”

With recreation day between these two groups developing, they’re at the moment “frenemies.”

“Yesterday morning, my granddaughter, Kaylee, obtained prepared for college, and she or he had her Chiefs Tremendous Bowl shirt on, and my daughter, Amanda, mentioned, ‘Oh you have already obtained your (Chiefs) shirt on?’ and she or he mentioned again to her, ‘Yeah, I will be getting a brand new considered one of these this 12 months,'” Russell mentioned on Wednesday. He mentioned Kaylee, who can be turning 12 in February, is a giant fan of Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Chiefs.

“We have been watching the Chiefs, at the very least I’ve, since ’89,” Russell mentioned. “I used to be a Cleveland Browns fan for a very long time earlier than that.” When their coach on the time, Marty Schottenheimer, left the Browns, Russell adopted him to the Chiefs and have become of a fan of the Chiefs.

“I adopted him to Kansas Metropolis and began watching Kansas Metropolis,” Russell mentioned. “As I obtained older, my children and grandkids have simply form of adopted my lead, but when Kansas Metropolis cannot win the Tremendous Bowl, we’d be completely happy for it to be an Ohio workforce.” Russell added that his sister-in-law’s son is expounded to D. J. Reader, soccer defensive sort out for the Bengals.

“We root for him through the week,” Russell mentioned.

The soccer household rivalry additionally is completed in enjoyable, too, because it has turn out to be a method for the household to bond and spend time collectively, even when they’re rooting in opposition to the opposite’s favourite workforce.

“Since COVID and every part when individuals could not get collectively, we form of used it as a method to get the household collectively on Sundays. We all know it is all in good enjoyable, and everyone has their workforce,” Russell mentioned.

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The Dayton Each day Information is overlaying this Cincinnati Bengals season from begin to end.

Inside Right this moment’s Paper

Storylines to observe in Sunday’s AFC Championship Sport, C1

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A poster of Tee Higgins seems in at present’s ePaper.

watch AFC Championship Sport

WHAT: Cincinnati Bengals (14-4) vs. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs ((15-3)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas Metropolis, Mo.

TV: CBS

Extra on-line at DaytonDailyNews.com — Images from earlier video games. — See a gallery of pictures of the workforce’s uniforms all through the years — Quite a few articles about native followers, their memorabilia collections, historical past, the gamers, coaches and extra