Super Bowl LVI is drawing near, and before you head to that watch party, you’re going to need to pick a side. Do you want to cheer for the Cincinnati Bengals or the Los Angeles Rams, who are playing the Big Game on their home field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood?

Sure, the Bengals are the underdogs, and if you’re that type of person, go for it. But if you like record-setting performers, a group of players who banded together for one last run at a title, a young coach who is outsmarting his elders or following the footsteps of celebrities, the Rams are the team for you.

Given that this game seems like something out of a Hollywood script, we’ll make some comparisons to movies and television that hopefully will make things clear.

The prelude

This is not this Rams team’s first run at a title. In 2019, the Rams lost Super Bowl LIII 13-3 to the New England Patriots.

The team, an offensive juggernaut up to that point, never scored a touchdown, and Tom Brady captured his sixth championship with the Pats.

Seeking redemption, the Rams last year traded starting quarterback Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions for veteran Matthew Stafford.

On offense: A crew worthy of ‘Ocean’s Eleven’

You know how every crew in a heist movie is a mix of young talent and experienced veterans trying to pull off one last score before riding off into the sunset? So are the Rams.

The Rams’ star on offense is undoubtedly fifth-year receiver Cooper Kupp, who had more catches, yards and touchdowns than any other receiver in the NFL this season.

Leading in all three categories is called winning the triple crown, and Kupp is the first person to do it since 2005 and the fourth player to pull it off in the history of the NFL.

Catching a football requires someone to throw it to you, and for Kupp, that person is Stafford, who’s playing his first season with the Rams after spending 12 years with the Detroit Lions.

If you’re new to football, the Lions are a notoriously bad team, which is why they had the first overall pick in the 2009 draft to pick Stafford, who was unable to lead the Lions to even one playoff victory.

While that sounds like a low bar to clear, the Lions currently own the NFL’s longest drought for playoff wins, and in the entire Super Bowl era, the team has only won one playoff game.

Despite the team’s struggles, Stafford played well, racking up statistical numbers good enough to put him in contention for the Hall of Fame. All he lacked were wins — especially a Super Bowl title — and Sunday, he gets his chance.

Stafford is not the only star veteran seeking their first championship.

Joining him is another veteran, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., most famous for his athletic touchdown grabs and dramatic exits from the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.

With an assist from LeBron James, Beckham ended up in L.A., where he’s played well on the field and stayed out of headlines off of it.

On defense: The Avengers

The defense is full of experienced stars as well, several of whom are seeking their first Super Bowls.

Eighth-year lineman Aaron Donald, who many consider to be the best player in the NFL, has made it clear that his tallest mountain left to conquer is to win a Super Bowl.

To help, the Rams have built their defense like the Avengers. Joining Donald is Jalen Ramsey, who is arguably the NFL’s best cornerback, and Von Miller, who is likely a future Hall of Famer as well.

Joining the title-hungry stars is 37-year-old safety Eric Weddle, who retired in 2020 but returned to the league two years later when injuries decimated the Rams’ defensive backfield.

How’s the old man doing so far? Against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, Weddle led the team in tackles.

Of the four defensive stars, only Miller has a Super Bowl, which he won in 2016 with the Denver Broncos.

Sean McVay: The Doogie Howser of football coaching

How young is Sean McVay? He’s a year younger than Weddle. He’s so young that when he won the Georgia High School Player of the Year award, the runner-up was Calvin Johnson, the wide receiver who played with Stafford in Detroit for seven years and was elected to the Hall of Fame last year.

Despite his youth — he was hired at age 30 — McVay has proven to be a successful coach, so much so that youth is the new experience when it comes to football coaches.

Dubbed by some sportswriters as “the Sean McVay effect,” teams are frequently hiring people in their 30s and 40s for their top coaching jobs.

The 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers have all hired young guns, three of whom — McVay, Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers and Matt LeFleur of the Packers — actually coached together for the team now known as the Washington Commanders in 2013.

Oh, and there’s one more 30-something head coach who’s made a splash in the league recently: Zac Taylor, the 38-year-old head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cheer like a star

Looking to pull for the same team as your favorite celebrity? Look no further than the Rams.

Danny Trejo? Check. Ty Burrell? Oh yeah. The Red Hot Chili Peppers? How could they not be?

Along with Burrell, actor and “Saturday Night Live” alum Taran Killam was one of the earliest prominent members of the entertainment industry to embrace the Rams after they moved to L.A. in 2016.

Rapper YG has also been a fixture at Rams games since the team returned to SoCal. The Compton native has gained some attention online for his fandom, bringing fellow musician Post Malone to a matchup of the Rams and Cowboys and roasting the Texas-raised singer when the Rams won.

Actor Rob Lowe, a noted fan of the league as a whole, switched up his outfit and was spotted wearing Rams gear in the same Twitter post by Magic Johnson that drew heat for its notable lack of mask-wearing by public officials.

Cheer like a Hollywood celebrity. Go Rams.

How to show your support

Now that you’re convinced, here’s a primer on Rams traditions.

“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”

Walk down any busy street in L.A. this weekend and you’re likely to see established Rams fans proudly sporting the team’s gear. Want to fit in? Give them a shout of “Whose house?” They’ll shout back “Rams house!” It’s a phrase you’ll find yourself using dozens of times come Sunday.

Get out your best blue and yellow clothes for Super Bowl Sunday, and don’t be surprised to see a wide variety of jerseys, hats and shirts, as the team has tweaked uniforms and logos multiple times over the decades. Or, create your own gameday fit like the superfan “Rambro.”

Looking for a sweeter way to show you bleed Rams blue? Check out Randy’s Donuts, which celebrates the team with special donuts. Want more of a meal? Check out Pink’s Hot Dogs.