Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has revealed that a home burglary last December prompted him to cancel his plans to purchase a $2.9 million Batmobile replica. Burrow, who had previously expressed his excitement about acquiring the novelty vehicle, explained his change of heart in the new season of Netflix's "Quarterback".
Burrow's initial interest in the Batmobile, specifically a replica of the Tumbler from the "Dark Knight" trilogy, was documented on HBO's "Hard Knocks," which followed the AFC North teams during the past season. He was reportedly in line to purchase one of only 10 such replicas being sold by the entertainment studio, celebrating the 85th anniversary of Batman.
However, his enthusiasm waned after his Cincinnati home was burglarized while he was away playing a game against the Dallas Cowboys. The incident, which involved a shattered window and a ransacked bedroom, led Burrow to reconsider his priorities.
In "Quarterback", Burrow explained that the burglary made him uncomfortable with the high level of publicity surrounding his life. He expressed that while he accepts the public attention that comes with his job, he values the privacy of his home. The break-in made him feel vulnerable, leading him to prioritize other concerns over the extravagant purchase.
"I just get uncomfortable when my life is very public and you know that comes with the job, but there's certain parts of your life that are yours, and your house is one of those," Burrow said on the show. "When that gets violated and people find out where you live and all these different things, not everybody's failures at their job are in front of the whole world. It's a very vulnerable position to be in. I put myself in that position because I love it. I don't like the other part of it".
When asked by producers if the robbery was the reason he cancelled the purchase, Burrow stated that he "didn't end up getting the Batmobile because I had other things that I wanted to deal with at that point".
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in February in connection with the burglary at Burrow's home and other similar incidents. The suspects were identified as Jordan Francisco, Devon Allen, and Antonio Johnson.
The $2.9 million Batmobile replica is reportedly fully functional but not street-legal.
