As fall progresses, more and more NFL fans are showing their dedication to their team of choice. Here in Athens, it’s not hard to find a place to watch big games and show your support. Many people can be seen representing their team by wearing their favorite player’s jersey and cheering loudly inside the bars on game day.
Amid all of this football enthusiasm that is shown during NFL game days, I have noticed something that came as a surprise to me. The number of Cleveland Browns fans seems to be inching closer and closer to the number of Cincinnati Bengals fans in Athens. Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow, grew up in Athens and began showing off his football talents while playing for Athens High School. With this being Joe Burrow's hometown, I was disappointed to see how there are increasingly more Browns fans.
When I first got on campus, I was caught off guard by the number of people from Cleveland in general and it felt like everyone I met was from the area. I soon realized this would result in a lot of encounters with pesky Browns fans.
The realization set in when the Bengals and Browns played each other Sept. 10. The Bengals lost 3-24 and it was definitely a bad day to be around Browns fans. The streets of Athens consisted of students celebrating and wearing Browns jerseys, as Bengals fans walked home in defeat. As a Cincinnati native, it was the first time in my life that I hadn’t been completely surrounded by Bengals fans.
The Athens locals are definitely more in support of the Bengals due to everything the Joe Burrow Foundation has done for local schools and in providing food to those in need. He also wore his Athens High School t-shirt as he signed his $275 million contract for the Bengals. He is a humble guy and has done a lot for the city of Athens. I have been surprised by the number of people I’ve met who weren’t aware they were going to school in Burrow’s hometown.
Some local businesses and bars show their support for the Bengals openly, but I sometimes feel like the number of Browns fans on this campus causes their enthusiasm to be underappreciated. While it is nice to see some local boutiques carry some merchandise in support of the Bengals, I feel like I am constantly encountering more and more Browns fans who like to argue that Cleveland is a better city than Cincinnati (I disagree).
Being from Cincinnati, it’s hard to not defend the Bengals when someone brings up their three losses this year, but maybe my team will once again prove doubters wrong in the playoffs. I hope Browns fans learn to accept Cincinnati as the better city and NFL team in Ohio. However, I think I can put up being around Browns fans as long as Pittsburgh Steelers fans don’t infiltrate campus. With all of that being said, WHO DEY!
Ainsley Brandabur is a freshman studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Ainsley? Email her at ab557022@ohio.edu.
