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LOS ANGELES – Trey Wingo has been doing just fine since leaving ESPN in 2020.
In August 2021, he linked up with Caesars Sportsbook to become its chief trends officer and provides content around the ever-expanding world of sports gambling. Wingo told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he’s really been enjoying his time with the company over the last few months.
"The fun thing for me about Caesars is there's a lot of people that I used to work with at ESPN that I'm working with now at Caesars. It's like familiar faces doing what I've always done, just on a different platform, in a different space," Wingo said. "So that's been great. And the fun thing about this whole thing is we're looking around, you're seeing all the gambling sites around here. We're in the top of the first inning of a whole new world of sports betting, you know, like we can create something. And sort of set a standard for everything, and that’s been the fun part about it so far."
SUPER BOWL 2022: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME
Wingo, like many NFL fans and sports bettors alike, will be watching the Super Bowl closely on Sunday. The sports broadcasting star told Fox News Digital the company is offering "The Fridge Prop" – an homage to Chicago Bears legend William "Refrigerator" Perry, who scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XX against the New England Patriots.
William Perry #72 celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome Jan. 26, 1986, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the Super Bowl 46-10. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
"Caesars Palace sort of created the prop bet industry in Super Bowl XX. They put down whether or not William ‘Refrigerator’ Perry was going to score a touchdown because he had run a couple of times that year for the Bears. And in the third quarter, he did. So the bet is specific because it’s a defensive player to score an offensive touchdown," Wingo said. "It’s only happened three times in the Super Bowl with ‘The Fridge’ and in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX with Mike Vrabel as a linebacker for the Patriots. He lined up as a tight end, and they hit him twice."
Wingo said the Los Angeles Rams are clearly the better team going into the matchup.
Los Angeles’ roster is filled with superstars at nearly every position on the field, from Matthew Stafford to Odell Beckham Jr. on offense to Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald and Von Miller on defense.
Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks to throw the ball as Von Miller #40 of the Los Angeles Rams defends in the second quarter in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
"The Rams are a better team. They're a better team, and they're at home, even though the visitor, which is a whole weird thing because of just conference flipping. But there's something about this Bengals team that I can't put my finger on, like they should not be here. Joe Burrow was the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL this year, 51 times. He's the first most-sacked quarterback to ever make it to Super Bowl Sunday. They're giving up almost six yards a rush on defense. That's a fatal flaw," Wingo said.
Trey Wingo and JB Smoove at a Caesars Sportsbook event in Arizona. (Caesars Sportsbook)
"They should not be here, but they're here, and they're like young and dumb in the best possible way. And I don't mean that as an intelligent thing. They don't know any better. Sean McVay knows what it’s like to lose a Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford has waited since 2009 to have this opportunity. The Bengals have none of that."
ELI MANNING TALKS SUPER BOWL MATCHUP, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BENGALS AND RAMS PLAYERS, GAME PREDICTION
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws under pressure from Denver Broncos defensive end Shelby Harris during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Wingo said the Bengals appear to have a similar mentality of the Dan Marino-led Miami Dolphins who were blown out by the San Francisco 49ers in their Super Bowl appearance but never returned.
"There’s a great story. After Super Bowl XIX, it was Dan Marino’s second year in the NFL. They lost, got destroyed by the Niners 38-16. Jimmy Cefalo was a wide receiver on that team, and he'd been around nine years. He knew the gravity. Like, I can't believe we lost the Super Bowl. He gets in the back of a car with Dan Marino. Marino tosses him a beer and says ‘Boy did we get the s—t kicked out of us or what today?’ And he’s like don’t worry we’ll be back. He was never back. They never made it back," he said.
Trey Wingo talks on the sideline before the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sam Boyd Stadium on Dec. 15, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
"So the Bengals sort of have that attitude and that can go a long way. Like, the Rams are the better team they should win. But these Bengals are playing like on Madden easy mode with no baggage right now, and that sometimes is a very powerful thing."
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Super Bowl LVI is set for the Bengals and Rams on Sunday, Feb. 13.
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