GENEVA, Ohio — For 11 seasons, Joe Flacco was a legitimate Cleveland enemy, the natural result of having to watch him lead OUR former team to sustained success and a Super Bowl victory.
He never quite achieved Roethlisbeger-Cleveland hate levels, due to his inconsiderate insistence on being a generally decent person, but he was still the rival quarterback who spent more than a decade consistently humiliating us in our own house.
In other words, until very recently the name “Joe Flacco” was persona non grata in Northeast Ohio. So when an intrepid WKYC viewer tipped us off to the existence of a local tavern with that moniker, I was intrigued.
After all, Joe Flacco has only been off the Cleveland enemies list for less than a month. How could there already be a bar named after him?
But sure enough, here it is. In quaint mid-town Geneva, just 48 miles east of Browns Stadium, stands a bar that bears the name of Cleveland’s former rival turned savior.
Joe Flaco’s Place.
So what’s the deal? Did this just get here? Is this one of those trendy, pop-up bars? And why is there only one "c" in Joe's last name? I needed answers.
And who better to ask than Joe Flacco himself. No, not that Joe Flacco. This Joe Flaco. With one C. And the place is not new. Because unlike the Joe Flacco who just got here, this Joe Flaco, who hails originally from Puerto Rico, has lived in Cleveland most of his life.
For Mr. Flaco, who says he enjoys football but does not have a favorite player, the fact that his namesake was reviled by our community at the time he founded his establishment did not factor into his naming process.
So there ya have it. Joe Flaco, unbeknownst of the other Joe Flacco and the negative connotations associated with him regionally, named his bar Joe Flaco’s. And why shouldn’t he? That’s his name, after all. Right? But wait. There’s one more twist.
Joe Flaco (which means skinny in Spanish) is actually Jose Antonio's nickname!
So, just to summarize for everyone, there’s a bar in Geneva called “Joe Flaco’s” that is in no way affiliated with the quarterback Joe Flacco who we used to hate and now love, it’s named after another Joe Flaco, who’s name is not really Joe Flaco. And they have pool tournaments on Thursday nights. Is everyone clear?
Bar Owner Flaco says that, so far, Quarterback Joe Flacco’s Cleveland redemption has yet to translate into a boost in foot traffic.
But if Joe Flacco has proven one thing since he got here, it’s that regardless of history it’s never too late for a Joe Flaco to win over the hearts of Clevelanders.
Joe Flaco's Place is located at 18 E Main St, Geneva, OH 44041 (they do not have a website or phone number).