It only took a few years, but Joe Burrow is officially the most popular figure in Cincinnati.
If he wasn’t already, knocking off a hippo in a popularity contest made it official.
The Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback did the improbable, pulling off an upset over Fiona the hippo. After a massive five-year run atop the “Best Cincinnatiain,” as selected by the readers and staff of the CityBeat, the reign of Fiona the hippo is officially over.
Well, it was a good run! After five years at the top spot, it took @Bengals QB @JoeyB to finally dethrone Fiona the hippo as the #1 Cincinnatian! Congrats Joe Burrow! Who Dey! https://t.co/IYAbUEOyHM pic.twitter.com/GljoZ7grv1
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) March 31, 2023
The 26-year-old Burrow has become a larger-than-life figure in Cincinnati and all it took was taking the Bengals to back-to-back AFC Championship games and a Super Bowl LVI appearance against the Los Angeles Rams. Burrow capped off his third season in the NFL with another spectacular showing, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,475 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Burrow has made name for himself in the city of Cincinnati, but he didn’t help transform the Bengals overnight. He overcame adversity, including a significant injury in his rookie season, to win the league’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 and become one of the more feared passers in the NFL. With Burrow under center, the Bengals have a chance to not only run the AFC North for years to become but become perennial AFC title contenders at that.
The fact that Burrow has become even more popular in Cincinnati could spell bad news for the owner’s checkbook, as he’s due for a massive contract extension. Now, Burrow can add No. 1 Cincinnatiain to an already impressive resume.
