Cincinnati eyes another title on the back of a Joe

It’s a tale as old as time ‘round these parts. Fact is, dudes named Joe just lead Cincinnati sports teams to titles.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Morgan did it. Rijo and Oliver did, too, con disculpas por la bastardización.

We here at Red Reporter wholly endorse anything and everything that stokes the sportsball fire in the city of Cincinnati and the region that surrounds it, knowing full well that it’s been stomped on and mostly forgotten in the dirt in the world of sports for far, far too long.

The Bengals are playing in the Superb Owl today, up against the perky LA Rams in their perky new LA stadium, and once again have been cast as the upstart happy-to-be-here underdogs from a bygone town that puts cinnamon in their meat sauce. Oh right, those guys are still a thing.

Joe Burrow has a chance to put the kibosh on that sentiment in a hurry, though. He’s got a chance to drop 400 and 4 on Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey and put Cincinnati back on the map. He’s got the chance to remind the world that Cincinnati doesn’t just exist, it’s here to kick ass and drip cheese coney chili on its lapel and take names. He’s got the chance to remind Washington that the Brent Spence is about to fall into the river and needs replacing, that the G in the Travelode needs new bulbs.

He’s got the chance to serve a reminder to the sportsball club that shares The Banks with the Bengals that they’ve got a reputation to uphold, too. A new reputation at that, not one that’s allowed to merely rest on the laurels of a previous, bygone generation. A sportsball club that’s by no means devoid of the talent to take that step, but that needs the kind of reminder of obligation that only comes when a national spotlight takes notice.

Imagine a parade down Second Street with orange and black ticker-tape flying, with the power stacks of GABP sulking in the background. Imagine the tens of thousands of Bengals supporters celebrating right there, right next to where the Reds keep giving away players to save a buck. Then, imagine the Reds trying to do keep up that charade.

Today’s a singular focus for Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and that’s to win a damn football game. For the rest of us with varying vested interests, though, it’s a chance to see the expectations around the entire region get raised to an acceptable level once again.

Go get ‘em, Joe. Go get ‘em for Cincinnati.