Bengals' Joe Burrow dethrones beloved hippo for title of 'Best Cincinnatian'

Burrow is officially the king of the Queen City

After five years on top, Fiona the hippo's reign as "Best Cincinnatian" has come to an end. The beloved hippo and fan favorite at the Cincinnati Zoo was dethroned by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who has officially taken the mantle as the king of the Queen City. 

The category was part of CityBeat's 27th Annual Best of Cincinnati awards. Along with dethroning Fiona, Burrow also defeated several other notable Cincinnati figures such as mixologist/bar owner Molly Wellmann, soccer player and United States national team member Rose Lavelle, MLB hit king Pete Rose, WKRC's Bob Herzog, and Bengals Hall of Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz. 

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! https://t.co/IYAbUEOyHM pic.twitter.com/GljoZ7grv1

— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) March 31, 2023

It's easy to see why Burrow has vaulted to the top of this list. Over the past two years, Burrow has helped transform the Bengals from one of the league's bottom dwellers to one of the NFL's premier teams. The Bengals have won back-to-back AFC North titles with Burrow leading the way. Cincinnati has played in the last two AFC title games and came up just short of defeating the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. 

Over that span, Burrow has won several awards including Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 while being named to his first Pro Bowl last season. Burrow was among the finalists for league MVP last season after throwing 35 touchdown passes and leading the Bengals on an eight-game winning streak to close out the regular season. 

Along with his play on the field, Burrow has further endeared himself to the Buckeye State with his community work. His foundation, which recently partnered with an Ohio-based clothing line, is focused on helping children with mental illness and those experiencing food insecurity as well as providing resources and support to the underprivileged. 

Burrow's popularity in Cincinnati will reach even higher heights this offseason if he signs a long-term contract extension with the Bengals. It is expected that the two sides will come to terms on an extension that will keep Burrow in his native state of Ohio for the foreseeable future. 

Like Burrow, Fiona has served as a source of inspiration for Cincinnati natives. She became a "beloved symbol of hope" after overcoming the odds despite being born prematurely. Now 6, Fiona became a big sister last summer with the birth of her little brother, Fritz.