Joe Burrow is a man of many nicknames: Joe Shiesty, Joe Brrr, Joe Cool, whatever. His humble start in Athens is admirable, and he’s earned every step of his meteoric rise to superstardom. But I still won’t root for his team in Super Bowl LVI.
Now, speaking this proudly is blasphemy in the city. He is THE hometown hero, and I’m appreciative of how Burrow has acknowledged Southeast Ohio and his roots. I just can’t stand the Bengals. I will stick by the ‘Cleveland against the World’ mantra, even over one player I want to see succeed.
I’ve also seen plenty of people who are diehard Cleveland fans rooting for the Bengals in the Super Bowl, which just feels wrong. The Browns and the Bengals are huge rivals and have been division opponents since 1970.
The rivalry stems from former Browns founder and head coach Paul Brown being fired by new owner Art Modell. Brown then eventually founded the Bengals, who named their stadium after him. His resentment for Modell after being fired from the team he started was the initial fire that helped burn a decades-long rivalry.
I mean, the game is literally called the Battle of Ohio. Supporting another team solely because they’re in the same state is silly to me, especially given the history between them.
And yes, I know it’s petty, but the Bengals are everything the Browns should’ve been. They went from 2-14 to a Super Bowl berth in two seasons. They’re likable and exciting.
The Browns have assembled one of the strongest rosters in franchise history, and injuries, play calling and quarterback play have kept us from getting to the next level. The Browns have never even been to the Super Bowl. Yeah, I’m jealous.
I remember watching the Browns be embarrassed 30-0 at the hands of the Bengals in 2014. I also watched Johnny Manziel make a handoff in the wrong direction. There were years in a row where Cleveland’s players were personally brutalized by the Bengals.
The way my friends reacted and teased me in that era of Browns football helped build my resentment toward the Bengals and their fans.
And that’s OK. Rivalries are such an important part of football and sports in general. I have such a strong attachment to my team that I can’t be swayed into rooting to someone I like. There’s no genuine hatred, and I would never wish an injury or the end of a player’s career.
I’m happy to see Burrow individually succeed. I just wish he was playing for literally anyone outside the AFC North. At that point, he would probably be my favorite player. The resentment toward Cincinnati rules over any one player, and I think that’s how rivalries should be.
Cleveland will probably be dominated by the Burrow-Chase duo in Cincy, and that terrifies me. Having them win a Super Bowl can be a catalyst into starting legendary careers for that team, which is nothing good for my team.
Christo Siegel is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Christo by tweeting him at @imchristosiegel.
