Owensboro Man Shares Memories of Budweiser Eagle Superstar

When it comes to watching the Super Bowl, it's no secret that the commercials have become just as exciting as the big game. For some of us, it's why we watch. Pop culture phenomena, famous actors, musicians, athletes, internet trends, and relevant themes are creatively used to sell products from crypto to soft drinks.

There are certain brands, however, with iconic superstars or spokespeople we expect to see in between the action on the field. What would the Budweiser brand be without the Clydesdale horses? They've been part of their beer marketing since 1933! You can learn a little about the history here:

Clearly, total icons! This year, in the 2026 Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial, an even bigger animal superstar took to the screen. A baby bird! My group "oooh" and "awed" over the fluff ball and precious knobby-kneed horse colt becoming friends. We had tears in our eyes as we realized this wasn't just any baby bird.

"IF THAT'S A BALD EAGLE, I'M GONNA LOSE IT!" Mercedez said as the epic guitar solo for Free Bird kicked, and sure enough, in all his majesty, a beautiful, proud, bald eagle riding on top of a gorgeous Clydesdale. If you haven't watched it yet, get ready for that lump in your throat:

It got me again! I need a Kleenex! What a heartfelt and important message. We are in this together, so help your fellow man (or bird). The end of the commercial with the bald eagle in all its glory totally made me feel patriotic as heck. It also gave me a hankering for an ice-cold beer. If you were watching live, right after the commercial aired, you saw the eagle ride out into Levi Stadium on the Clydesdale with thunderous applause.

Mercedez (also a huge Eagles football fan) said, "Oh, I bet that is Lincoln! The Eagles' lucky charm!" So, I had to do a fun little Google search to learn more. Sure enough! The 27-year-old bird of prey was hatched at the American Eagle Foundation’s (AEF) Eagle Mountain Sanctuary in Tennessee in 1998.

Although Lincoln impressively flew hundreds and hundreds of miles once released into the wild, he was not able to thrive, so Lincoln returned to the sanctuary for rehabilitation. He soon became an ambassador for the species. Participating in educational programs, Lincoln starred in Wings of America bird shows at Dollywood. That is where he made a friend from Owensboro!

A couple of weeks ago, Brent McCarty shared on his Facebook page, "Lincoln is in a beer commercial! He is one of my all-time favorite birds. He always had a lot of 'spunk.' I liked the birds that kept you on your toes. Now he’s in a commercial with the Budweiser Clydesdales!!! Go 2-H Go!"

Brent's first bird training job was 22 years ago at that Dollywood bird show when he was 19 years old. Here he is with Lincoln at 5 years old. They were both just babies. Bald Eagles can live up to 50 years in captivity. Only about half that in the wild.

Brent McCarty

"He was six when I started working with him." Brent said, "I never knew him without his white head and tail. If I had met him a couple of years prior, he would’ve had a lot more brown." Brent also shared that he thinks there were some biological inaccuracies in the commercial, but for the sake of the story, we'll not ask too many questions.

Lincoln's buddy and our new friend, Brent, joined us this morning to chat about his old pal! You can listen here: