Having a little fun at the expense of NFL players is a tough business at times. In the modern-day, they can be a dour bunch and rarely indulge in any activity worthy of ridicule. Of course, there is the occasional deflategate to lighten the mood but in general, high levels of professionalism are a barrier to some good stories.
The game can lack characters but we’ve found an interesting new face for 2020/21 in the shape of leading draft pick Joe Burrow. As we’re about to see, he could be featuring quite heavily in our columns when the new NFL season gets underway.
Being the leading contender for the number one draft pick is a contrasting honor. On the one hand, every NFL fan knows that you’re the best college product to arrive pre-season but chances are you’re about to go straight into the ‘losingest’ team in any Conference. From there, if you can’t single-handedly get that franchise into the Super Bowl, your career may be doomed to mediocrity – just ask Vinny Testaverde.
That’s the dilemma facing Joe Burrow right now: the quarterback from LSU and Ohio State is almost certain to be drafted first in the April picks and if we look at the current NFL Odds on Bet365, he’s as low as 1/28 in the First Pick market. That’s as near to a certainty as the sportsbooks will allow but waiting for Burrow are the Cincinnati Bengals – a side who finished the 2019 regular season with a record of 2-14.
Laugh it Off
“Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals” (CC BY 2.0) by EDrost88
Joe Burrow appears to have a great sense of humor and he’s going to need it. Search for his resume online and you’ll find almost as many reports relating to funny stories as the 11 individual football awards that he won in 2019.
Many are described as hilarious and while we’ll be the judge of that, it seems as though Burrow’s personality is going to stand out as much as his game. There’s the story of his recruitment at LSU when he put Steve Ensminger on speakerphone and carried on watching TV as the guy was talking too much. As for Ed Orgeron and his love of crawfish, Burrow proves to be quite the raconteur.
Pre and Post
Joe Burrow’s pre-match rituals have also caught the attention of the press. We know that the QB will test positive for caramel apple suckers as these help to make up his pre-game diet and he also has a preference for wearing one sock inside out.
As a member of the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster, Burrow may have to start working on his post-match routine as well. It’s said that he likes to take a quick nap ahead of a game and that approach could be useful to deter the press and those weary Bengals fans facing up to another fruitless campaign.
Alternatively, applying plenty of ointment after sitting on the bleachers behind 2019 QB Andy Dalton could be his new post-game ritual. Whatever happens, we think Joe Burrow is one to watch in 2020/21 and not just for his throwing arm.
