Joe Burrow’s injury will have Reds fans drawing painful comparisons

As he was being escorted into the locker room during the Cincinnati Bengals’ eventual win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Joe Burrow was in obvious pain. But perhaps the city of Cincinnati was in more agony.

Burrow is yet again missing a sizable chunk of the NFL season, and the Queen City is in a seemingly endless spiral of hope and agony. The Cincinnati Reds’ late-season push for the playoffs has a chance to rewrite that narrative… or to cement it.

According to ESPN’s Sports Misery Index, the Reds and Bengals have a collective 87 misery rating (with 100 being the most miserable) over the long term. Recent years have been kinder; a healthy Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase would make any fan into an optimist, and Terry Francona has a certain curse-breaking allure. Still, the past five seasons have resulted in a 66 misery score, square in the “flailing” category. It is, and seemingly has always been, hard to be a sports fan in Cincinnati.

Joe Burrow’s injury will have Reds fans drawing painful comparisons to failures of Cincinnati sports

Perhaps that’s why the Reds’ fight for the final NL Wild Card spot feels so desperate. Tito is calling team meetings and urging the team to just believe (and play good fundamental baseball). Chase Burns, who may turn into a staff ace in the future, is throwing heat out of the bullpen. It’s possible that Rhett Lowder will attempt to become an improbable late-season hero. All hands are on deck.

The entire city needs a big win. Cincinnati’s three sports teams – the Reds, the Bengals, and FC Cincinnati – have lifted just two major trophies this century: the Lamar Hunt Trophy as the AFC Champion in 2021 and the Supporters’ Shield, given to the MLS team with the best regular-season record, in 2023. Neither team went on to be crowned league champion as, more heartbreakingly, both coughed up a lead late in the championship matchup.

Time seems to be running out for the Reds as well. Coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the cellar-dwelling A’s, the Reds won’t have an injured star or a hated rival to blame. Perhaps it’s possible that Cincinnati is, in fact, cursed.

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