Joey and Chelsey Mahler were looking for the perfect bar.
The couple from Destrehan, Louisiana, made their first ever trip to Athens to watch LSU quarterback and 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow play in the College Football National Championship on Monday from his hometown.
They couldn’t be in Louisiana for the game — the duo moved to Dayton where Joey was stationed for work at Wright Patterson Air Force base — but they figured Athens was the second-best place to watch Burrow lead their favorite team to national glory.
First, they needed to find the right bar.
Their first stop? Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, but it was too formal.
Their second stop? The CI, but the people were too young.
They eventually stopped at Cat’s Eye Saloon, where they found what they had been searching for. They walked into a scene with Athens locals wearing purple and gold, and who had gathered to cheer on their hometown legend.
“I wanted the LSU vibe,” said Joey, donning a black boater hat, jeans and LSU suspenders. He was clearly a few drinks deep into an unforgettable night. “I clearly see his hometown feeling the vibe. This is the place I love to be at. The crowd is great.”
Joey, 31, and Chelsey, 30, met when they were 10 years old when Joey’s mom was Chelsey’s piano teacher. They began dating in high school and stayed together throughout college even though they went to different schools.
Chelsey attended Loyola University New Orleans.
Joey attended LSU.
That’s when their Tigers fandom began, but they didn’t instantly fall in love with Burrow when the quarterback transferred to LSU from Ohio State in 2018.
“LSU has been burned in the past with quarterbacks not living up to the expectations,” Chelsey said. “When Joe Burrow first came on the scene, my husband was skeptical.”
Now, those fears are long gone. The Tigers have a Heisman-winning quarterback, and he just so happened to grow up a couple hours from where the Mahler’s live.
“I’ve been eating and breathing this sh*t,” Joey said as he paced in his boots around the floor in excitement while watching the TV. “This man has swagger. He was amazing, and I bought into it.”
Chelsey appreciates Burrow for his character. She believes he was overlooked at Ohio State and admires how he built a legacy in a short period of time at LSU.
What struck Chelsey the most, however, was his Heisman speech and the massive amount of donations he inspired to support impoverished residents of Athens.
“He basically just went out there and pursued his dream,” Chelsey said. “The fact that he really does want to give back to the city he came from, I think that’s honestly the best thing anyone can do when you are successful. Give back to others.”
The Mahler’s night in Athens was just what they were hoping for, but it wasn’t easy.
They didn’t plan on spending the night in Athens. Chelsey held driving responsibilities for the roughly two-and-a-half hour drive back home to Dayton and spent the night lounging on the bar’s wall counter enjoying the game, soberly watching her husband’s excitement.
“We both really wanted to be in a place where there would be a lot of positive energy for LSU,” Chelsey said. “It’s a couple hours of driving, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see where he’s from and be a part of the whole experience.”
What about Joey? Did he have to work the next morning?
“Yes,” he said smiling with his eyes closed and giving a regretful-looking nod. “8 a.m. The military don’t stop.”
It was all worth it.
When LSU scored, the Cajun couple joined the townies in high-fives and hugs. Joey, who also played the trombone for the LSU marching band when he was a student, was the only person in the bar who knew “Fight for LSU,” the school’s fight song. He also shouted “T-I-G-E-R-S” after every touchdown.
“It’s much more exciting than sitting at home on the couch, cheering by ourselves” Chelsey said. “We’re feeding off their energy. Everyone’s really excited, but they’re also just regular people who love Joe Burrow. They just feel the love for him and the team, and we really like that.”
When the game finally ended and the bar erupted in celebration, Joey took his hat off and began to dance. Chelsey hopped off the counter and smiled with him as she recorded the scene with her phone.
It wasn’t Baton Rouge, but for the Mahler’s, it was close enough.
