Super Bowl secret weapon: The Bengals' viral sensation 'The Cart' is headed to Los Angeles

By Jack Bantock, CNN

Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT) February 6, 2022

A view of the SoFi Stadium as workers prepare for Super Bowl LVI.

(CNN)Move aside Joe Burrow, the true franchise star of the Cincinnati Bengals is rolling towards Super Bowl LVI — get ready for 'The Cart.'

More commonly found in high-school classrooms, the Bengals' three-tiered metal cart went viral in October after being wheeled out for media conferences.Joe Burrow: NFL's 'Joe Brrr' is proving quite a diamond for the Cincinnati BengalsThe contraption was initially used by the Bengals to conduct interviews outdoors as a result of Covid-19 restrictions with journalists placing microphones, recorders or phones on the cart.Like all true sporting comeback stories, the improvised mic stand was initially mocked before becoming a beloved in-joke of the Bengals team and fans. It even has its own unofficial Twitter account, further reinforcing affection for the cart by running a campaign of support for local Cincinnati charities in the run up to the Super Bowl on February 13.Read MoreAnd as the Bengals get ready to take on the Los Angeles Rams on their own turf — only the second time in NFL history a team has played the Super Bowl at their home stadium — the mic cart is having a bit of a Hollywood moment.Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady officially announces retirement from NFL«Starting route to SoFI Stadium,» the GPS voiceover says, in a video posted on the Bengals' official Twitter account.«The journey of a lifetime. Official: The Mic Cart is going to the Super Bowl,» the accompanying tweet read.The cart's emergence has coincided with an unprecedented stellar season for the Bengals, with the Cincinnati team playing in the Super Bowl for the first time since