Residents of Ohio and Louisiana can both claim Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow as one of their own.
Burrow may be from the Buckeye State and currently lives in Cincinnati, but his move to the Bayou kickstarted the path he's on now. Lil Wayne name-checking him on a feature is enough proof of that.
Very few high-profile athletes are as knowledgable about each state as Burrow is. He's also played in front of massive crowds in both parts of the country, and he's got an answer as to which is more passionate.
In an interview with Complex Sports, Burrow answered a plethora of rapid fire "Here Or There" questions that pitted both states against one another.
Burrow gave Ohio the crown for better scenery, weather and — somehow — nightlife despite the existence of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. But when asked about food, fashion, and sports culture, Cincinnati's QB had to go back down south.
"That's a tough one. I would say Louisiana's fans are more passionate," Burrow said. "Louisiana fans, there's not as much to cheer for. You have the Saints, and you have Tigers. And in Ohio, you can spread yourself a little more thin I would say."
Burrow's logic tracks here. There are more major sports teams in the much larger state of Ohio compared to Louisiana. New Orleans has two professional franchises in the Saints and Pelicans of the NBA, while LSU is by far the largest college of the region.
Meanwhile above the Ohio River, Cincinnati is just one major metropolitan area that contains three pro sports teams, with Columbus and Cleveland the home of several more notable teams.
The collective passion of Louisiana's fandom is more consolidated in comparison to Ohio, specifically the southern part of the state where Baton Rouge and New Orleans are.
It was a tricky question for Burrow to answer, but hey, the guy was a star for one of college football's powerhouse schools and played in one of the country’s most electrifying atmospheres for two years. He would know a thing or two about the passion of the SEC.
Bengals fans, and the rest of Ohio, will just have to accept that. Ohio State fans already had to accept when Burrow said he went to school at OSU, but played football at LSU.
It'll be interesting to learn what other takes Burrow has up his sleeve now that he's opening up his personality more often.
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