Tennis star keeps Super Bowl promise of date with college student from Vernon Hills
Given Eugenie Bouchard's celebrity and the constant media attention that goes with it, John Goehrke admittedly was nervous about his date Wednesday with the Canadian tennis star.
Not only that, but the University of Missouri junior from Vernon Hills was a stranger to Bouchard, a Wimbledon finalist in 2014. And with their date a result of a Super Bowl bet made on Twitter, there was no telling how things might go.
Turns out, not bad, says Goehrke.
Bouchard paid to fly him Wednesday to New York, where he was met by a driver and taken to a hotel to meet her. They got acquainted in the limo on the way to the Barclays Center to see the Brooklyn Nets play the Milwaukee Bucks, and attracted plenty of attention before taking courtside seats.
"I was pretty nervous at first, but I think doing some of the (media) interviews together and just talking on the way to the game helped break the ice," Goehrke said Friday.
"We talked a lot about sports. We also talked about what we were thinking as the whole thing unfolded. It was fun to get to hear what she was thinking before she met me."
Goehrke didn't come empty-handed, presenting Bouchard with Tiffany earrings. They sat together for the game and were on the court to throw souvenir balls into the stands, The Associated Press reported.
The date came to be because of the magic of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots' historic come-from-behind 34-28 Super Bowl win in overtime. Bouchard thought the Atlanta Falcons - who were well ahead at the time - couldn't lose and tweeted to that effect.
Goehrke, a fan and Twitter follower of the 22-year-old tennis pro, had Brady in mind when he asked in a response whether she would go on a date with him should the Patriots pull it out.
"Lesson learned. Never bet against Tom Brady," Bouchard tweeted after the game. But she was true to her word and got in touch about three days after the game, Goehrke said.
He had offered to arrange the date but when he called her agent the first time, they already had the Nets game in mind and asked if he would be able to make that happen, Goehrke said.
Bouchard, who is one of the models in this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, was dealing with media all day, so the pair didn't meet until just before game time. He didn't have a photo on his Twitter feed, so Bouchard didn't know what Goehrke looked like.
She tweeted a video of the pair watching the game and described the evening as "awesome," according to CNN.
"We all loved getting to know John and hope to see him again in the future. Great guy," said John Tobias, a representative for Bouchard.
Back at school, Goehrke says the word is starting to get around campus and he is receiving more attention on social media. Some have stopped him to say "Hi," but no autograph seekers yet.
What's next?
"She has said to the media as well as me that she would be willing to do another date, so I'm really hoping this can happen," Goehrke said.