Super Bowl 2022: Hawaii loves LA sports teams ... and the feeling is mutual

LOS ANGELES (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii loves LA sports teams ― and those teams love Hawaii.

And what better time to reflect on that special relationship than as the Los Angeles Rams prepare to square off against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl on Sunday?

The Rams were in Hawaii just two and a half years ago. Unaffected by the “preseason” label attached to the game, 49,000 people packed into Aloha Stadium and loved what they saw.

The Rams lost to the Cowboys, 14-10. But they were able to look past what happened on the field and see what we see everyday.

“What a great atmosphere and environment it was,” said Sean McVay, the Rams’ head coach.

“The fans were awesome from start to finish. Being here in general has been a great experience for our organization.”

The LA Clippers were here not long after in a battle of NBA super-teams.

The draw was obvious for us and for the Clippers.

Doc Rivers, the Clippers’ head coach, said at the time: “I love the beach, I love the waves and the ocean. I like everything including the food, and I love this facility, this is perfect.”

Hawaii has also been home for Lakers’ training camp for years.

They first came here back in 1988 with Magic and the Showtime Lakers. And they did so when Kobe and Shaq were together.

In fact, Kobe famously addressed rape allegations for the first time at the Stan Sheriff Center...while the whole world watched.

There were hopes for future events with LA teams.

But obviously the pandemic and the situation with Aloha Stadium have hurt whatever plans were in place. So can we get them back?

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi says the time is now to reach out to sports teams to plan for future events. He says those events could be great for both the community and the athletes.

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