Sweltering in long, airport-type security lines did nothing to diminish the mood of fans arriving at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood near Los Angeles on Sunday for Super Bowl LVI.
Temperatures climbed into the mid-80s outside the stadium, which is home to a Los Angeles Rams team looking to secure a championship against the Cincinnati Bengals after falling short in the Super Bowl three years ago.
“(Rams head coach Sean) McVay is gonna learn from the last Super Bowl,” said California resident Nick Gonzales.
“He’s gonna be more prepared against a good team and a good coach and the Rams are gonna win.”
Despite their underdog status, Bengals fans were equally confident.
“Bengals are gonna win of course,” said Matthew Webb of Cincinnati.
“Super pumped up, beyond hyped, ready for them to hoist the Lombardi trophy later today.”
In the surrounding neighborhood, residents looking to capitalize on the crush of fans were asking hundreds of dollars for parking spaces, selling jerseys, bacon-wrapped hot dogs and lemonade.
— Reporting by Nathan Frandino; Additional reporting and writing by Rory Carroll