Bengals fever prompts Cincinnati schools to cancel day after Super Bowl

Joe Burrow won the AFC Championship for himself, his Cincinnati Bengals teammates and coaches, the fans, and…the children.

Cincinnati Public Schools announced that staff and students would get Feb. 14, the day after the Super Bowl, off in anticipation of the Bengals winning their first-ever ring.

In a letter sent to parents, the district said:

"“We hope that you enjoy roaring the Bengals to a win on Sunday and take this time to take pride in our incredible city and amazing football team.”"

Talk about a culture change. It doesn’t get better than this.

Burrow’s Bengals are currently enjoying one of the best playoff runs in decades. The last time Cincinnati won the AFC Championship was in the 1980s — the Bengals made it to the Super Bowl in 1981 and 1988 but lost both times to the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, Cincy gets its best shot to make history on Feb. 13, when the team takes on the Los Angeles Rams.

Given that this could be the Bengals’ first Super Bowl victory ever, the city made the right choice in amending the academic calendar and may have set a precedent for others to do the same.

Cincinnati schools give students and staff day off after Bengals play in the Super Bowl

Of course, all this seems a bit premature. If Cincinnati were to lose the Super Bowl, that day off will be a somber event indeed.

While the Bengals’ fanbase may not be as die-hard as that of the Bills or as psychotic as that of the Eagles, the fans are carving their own rightful place in the league.

Underdogs no more, the team has inspired hope, respect, devotion, and all those other feelings often attached to cheering on a sports team.

If one were to take a step back and see what Burrow and this Cincinnati squad have achieved, it’s not just about the wins or even about rewriting the present-day narrative: it’s about giving the franchise a future and giving the city something to be proud of.

From Zac Taylor going to Cincinnati bars and dedicating game balls to fans to Joe Burrow proudly representing Ohio, the Bengals don’t have to win a Super Bowl to change the culture.

They already have.