Joe Burrow’s shaved bleach blonde hairstyle has elicited no shortage of reaction across the sports world.
But while many have compared the Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback’s new hairstyle to Eminem and WWE superstar Cody Rhodes, ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin likened Burrow’s new ‘do to a less mainstream celebrity.
“He said he did it because he was bored,” Martin told Molly Qerim on Thursday’s episode of First Take. “Never have I ever sat at home bored and thought, ‘You know what I’m going to do? Turn myself into Amber Rose.'”
For the uninitiated, the 40-year-old Rose is a former adult dancer and model who has famously been romantically involved with rappers Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa and Machine Gun Kelly. More recently, she has been a public supporter of former president Donald Trump and even endorsed his candidacy for the 2024 election at last week’s Republican National Convention.
And yes, she also has a shaved bleach blonde hairdo.
Martin’s unconventional comparison caught Qerim off guard, with the First Take host replying, “Oh my God, did you just say that? Did you just say ‘Amber Rose?'”
“When I see him, I don’t think Eminem,” Martin continued, before noting that the Rose comparison might have been more apt for her than Burrow.
“If I had that look — yeah, that’s more apropos. Yeah, you know,” the NFL reporter said, seemingly noting that like Rose — and unlike Burrow — she is Black.
“We get it,” Qerim replied. “We’re picking up what you’re putting down.”
It’s not every day you get an Amber Rose reference on ESPN airwaves. But if nothing else, give Martin credit for not relying on one of the more obvious comparisons for a shaved bleach blonde haircut that others have been using throughout this past week.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.