‘Watt’ a bet.
An England U21 goalkeeper and an NFL legend have turned a playful text exchange into an amusing wager that has captured the attention of Cincinnati Bengals fans.
Burnley FC’s James Trafford messaged JJ Watt – a minority owner of the Championship club – just after Christmas. The keen Cincy supporter cheekily asked the retired defensive end if he would come out of retirement to play for the Bengals.
The former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals player jokingly responded with a challenge.
If Trafford kept a clean sheet in every game for the rest of the season, he had himself a deal.
Obviously, that is nigh-on impossible so that was the end of it, right? Well, yeah, maybe…
None shall pass
Even before the gauntlet was laid down, Trafford and his teammates had started a hot streak. And as we speak, the 22-year-old has not conceded a goal since a 2-1 win over Watford on 21 December.
The only goal that his team has conceded since then was in a 3-1 win over Reading in the FA Cup. But due to player rotation, Trafford was not in the squad that day.
With Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Oxford United, the Cumbrian has logged nine consecutive clean sheets. That amounts to 13 hours and 40 minutes without conceding. He even made two late penalty saves in a 0-0 draw against promotion rivals Sunderland.
Now boasting a club-record 21 shutouts this season, Trafford has one goal: get second-placed Burnley back to the Premier League. But maybe the thought of Watt rocking up at Paycor Stadium is an added motivation?
Anyone know a good estate agent?
Trafford’s incredible form – and the humorous ‘implications’ for Watt – have been picked up by the clubs’ social media teams on both sides of the pond. I am seeing ‘eyes’ emojis in my feeds after every match.
Watt has been a good sport, playing along with mock concern. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, he joked: “With each game, it is getting a little more dicey. Do I need to start looking at real estate in Cincinnati?”
Obviously, a legitimate return to the NFL is pie in the sky. After all, he is 35 and retired from playing in 2022. But for now, the light-hearted banter continues to entertain and amuse fans of both codes of football.
The Clarets face an FA Cup tie at Southampton this weekend, followed by league matches against Hull and Preston. So, like many followers of both Burnley and the Bengals, I will be watching to see how long this one runs.
