At this point, is anyone surprised that everybody loves Joe Burrow?
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback headed to Nationwide Arena in Columbus on March 26 for the big UFC event between No. 4-ranked Curtis Blaydes and No. 9-ranked Chris Daukaus, as well as other matchups.
On social media, the UFC team shared a video of Burrow waiting for the fights to begin. As one might surmise from any other encounter with Burrow, he was adorably wholesome.
"What's up, guys? Joe Burrow here. Excited to be in the building in Columbus, in my home state, ready to watch all these fights," Burrow told the camera.
And then for good measure, Burrow chewed some gum and threw in a quiet "WHO DEY," a rallying "IYKYK" cry for Bengals fans.
As of press time, the video on Twitter has more than 19,000 likes and more than 2,000 retweets.Joe Brrrrr π₯Ά
— UFC (@ufc) March 26, 2022
[ @JoeyB | #UFCColumbus ] pic.twitter.com/nq6CRr8kQH
But Burrow can turn on the charm even when things get awkward. The quarterback reportedly had requested to meet New Zealand flyweight fighter Kai Kara-France, but when the moment finally happened, it didn't exactly go as planned. The fighter simply had no idea who Burrow was.
"I saw you chatting with Joe Burrow. That's a big deal here, but I feel like maybe not such a big deal to you?" a reporter asked Kara France.
"I don't really know him," Kara-France sheepishly replied. "When they came up to me and said you have someone waiting, I was like, 'Sup bro, what's your name?'"
That didn't stop good-guy Burrow from offering to bring Kara-France to a game, though.Kai Kara-France really had no idea who Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow wasπππ#UFCColumbus @kaikarafrance @JoeyB pic.twitter.com/56sxwCncET
— Charlie Quinn (@CharlieQuinnMMA) March 27, 2022
Burrow has become known for sweet gestures and good sportsmanship. USA Today reported that to help the Bengals land new offensive tackle La'el Collins, Burrow threw a cupcake party at which Collins and his prospective teammates could just be regular dudes who, well, eat tasty cupcakes.Joe Brrr & the birthday boy π₯Άπ
— UFC (@ufc) March 27, 2022
[ @KaiKaraFrance | @JoeyB | #UFCColumbus ] pic.twitter.com/7yfjKr246z
Burrow also took a moment during Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 β literally on the field while his teammates were moving into position β to introduce himself to his Los Angeles Rams opponents and pay them a few compliments.
"I'm Joe. Nice to meet you, brother," he told former Rams defensive end Von Miller.
Later, Burrow went to retired Rams safety Eric Weddle, introduced himself as "Joe" β as if the 112 million people watching the Super Bowl didn't know his name β and told Weddle, "I loved watching you growing up." Weddle replied that Burrow had had a hell of a season, told him to "keep it up" and added that he loved everything about Burrow: "All ball, no BS," he told the youngster.
This sincere Midwestern wholesomeness is why fans in Cincinnati β and beyond β adore him. Well, that, plus he's a snazzy dresser who makes the internet horny for his fashion sense.Burrow had to introduce himself to @VonMiller and the Rams D π€ pic.twitter.com/rtnv6UVwUM
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 16, 2022
On Feb. 13, the Bengals lost 20-23 to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI, Cincinnati's first shot at the Vince Lombardi trophy since 1989. After earning a 10-7 regular-season record, winning the AFC North, and pulling out magical win after magical win in the post-season β including the AFC Championship β the Bengals were thwarted by sacks and a lack of consistency.
But shortly after the Super Bowl, the Bengals extended head coach Zac Taylor's contract through 2026, and bookies gave the Bengals higher odds for next season. And on Feb. 10, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was named the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Burrow earned Comeback Player of the Year during the NFL Honors awards show.
The Bengals have announced the team's opponents for the 2022-2023 season. The full calendar is expected in May.
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