Over the past few years, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has emerged as one of the most popular players in the NFL, and it appears that his climb to fame has reached a new level in his home city of Cincinnati.
For the past five years, Fiona the Hippo – an iconic hippopotamus at the Cincinnati Zoo – has been named the Best Cincinnatian by a reader vote for the Best of Cincinnati City Life magazine. But this year, that honor goes to Joe Burrow as the magazine and the zoo recently announced that Burrow had dethroned the famous hippo.
“Well, it was a good run! After five years at the top spot, it took @Bengals QB @JoeyB to finally dethrone Fiona the Hippo as the #1 Cincinnatian! Congrats Joe Burrow! Who Dey!” the Cincinnati Zoo said in a tweet.
It’s a clear sign of just how popular Burrow has become in the city of Cincinnati, not just among football fans. And the NFL world had plenty to say about it on Twitter.
Fed Ex air player of the year and now this? Wow, what a meteoric rise! https://t.co/clvO4RjTS1
— Ja Ja Ding Dong (@SilentMusicJack) April 4, 2023
I mean… I love Fiona but I also love Joe Burrow so this feels fair. https://t.co/k2buMOsYJj
— Lisa Marie (@lisagetshigh) March 31, 2023
Burrow’s popularity is undeniably surging in Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how high his fame can climb if he’s ever able to lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl title.