The buzz is immense in Cincinnati after the Bengals drafted quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU with the top overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. It’s been a much-needed boost to fans during these uncertain times.
The last time the Queen City had so much excitement around the arrival of an athlete came in 2000 when the Reds brought Ken Griffey Jr back home in a blockbuster offseason trade.
Zac Taylor took over for Marvin Lewis last year and it was supposed to be a new day for the Who Dey. The team dropped its first 11 games and finished just 2-14. Paul Brown Stadium saw record-low crowds.
Out of that dismay though the team did earn the No. 1 overall pick and the chance to draft the Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion starter. Was the pain and agony of 2019 worth the fruit the future yields? I believe so.
This guy is a leader on and off the field. He gets the X’s and O’s and cares about the people. This was put on display throughout last season on weekly basis, including when he accepted the Heisman Trophy:
Burrow is coming off one of the single greatest seasons in college football history. The numbers speak for themselves. The highlight tape was pretty easy to make. Where the Bengals really win though with this pick is what he means to business. You can see it already as he talked to the media for the first time as a member of the Bengals:
“I’m gonna work as hard as I can to bring winning to Cincinnati.” Joe Burrow tells me he wants to build the Bengals into a championship team. “I work really, really hard… and I think that rubs off on people.” @WLWT #Bengals pic.twitter.com/d8lu74sFZ0
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) April 24, 2020
He’s an Ohio-bred product and loves his hometown and now Cincinnati is embracing him as of of their own. If fans are allowed to be at games this season, they will come to see him play. If not this year, in the near future the seats at Paul Brown Stadium will be filled once again and Joe Burrow will be the why.
There are some critics, there always seems to be, but I choose hope. Lord knows we can use a little bit more of that these days.
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I was pumped about about Joe Burrow’s arrival, but not as much as my SiriusXM Fantasy co-host James Adams was:
We’re so close Bengals fans, here’s a little pre-draft warm up as the clock keeps ticking! pic.twitter.com/Q7QoPBP2st
— James Denver Adams (@JamesAdams94) April 23, 2020
*Image from Twitter (@bengaljims_BTR)
