Today the Cincinnati Reds did the improbable by surviving 10 unanswered runs by the San Francisco Giants as they came back to win 12-11 in 12 innings. This latest exhibition of will and desire is just one of many that Dusty Baker’s club has shown over the course of this 2010 season. Joey Votto increased his rising MVP candidacy with 4 hits including 2 home runs and a go-ahead single in the 12th. Francisco Cordero had 2 great innings of relief work to pick up the win and send the team home with a 6-3 record on the 9 game 10 day road trip to the West Coast. A West Coast trip that was supposed to be the stretch that sent the Reds spiraling out of control and out of the playoff race actually saw the 1st place Reds increase their lead in the division race from 1 to 3.5 games. Just another day in the life a young team full of rising stars.
Thousands of miles away in Pittsburgh, the Cardinals were doing what they do best over the past few weeks, inexplicably losing to far inferior competition. The Cards lost 5-2 to the last place Pirates in a game I can imagine was extremely forgettable. I almost, emphasis on almost, feel sorry for the Cardinals fans. They come into Cincinnati a few weeks ago, sweep the series to overtake 1st place in the NL Central, and by the end of the following weekend they were already back in 2nd place by a game. Then with the Reds heading out to the West Coast, where traditionally they have struggled, for a week and a half they lose 2.5 games of ground. Compound that with a bad trade giving up Ryan Ludwick for Jake Westbrook, and the Cardinals are looking anything like the team that dominated the NL Central for the last decade.
Even if the Reds would have lost today, you can bet more negative would be coming home than positive, despite what would have been a winning 5-4 record on the West Coast swing and still gaining ground on St. Louis. Tomorrow offers a day to rest up, regroup and prepare for a much easier home stand featuring the Cubs and Brewers heading to GABP. In a matter of days we’ll flip the calendar to September and it’s very likely the Reds will still be in 1st place and will have completed another winning month. This begs the question: Will you be heading down to the Ballpark to support this special team? The answer should be an emphatic YES. Like Mo Egger always says, “I’m not gonna tell you how to spend your money,” but if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon by now I don’t think you will be. However, if you claim to be a fan of the Reds, baseball, or even just Cincinnati sports, there’s no excuse for still doubting this team. Today’s win, on the heels of 2 blowout losses to San Francisco, just shows the incredible resiliency that this team has shown time and time again. We count them out or get close to pushing the panic button and they come back with yet another big win. Is this team perfect? Far from it. Am I being a bit of a homer? Probably. Is this team defying all of our expectations as we head into the final month of play? ABSOLUTELY.
There was a point in this season where I was really upset about the lack of attendance at times at GABP this year, and while I’ll still be disappointed if the returns at the box office are less than expected, I almost feel sorry for those who are still so jaded and cynical not to embrace this team with open arms. Joey Votto’s meteoric rise to virtual lock to win the MVP should be cause enough to get you fired up about this team, let alone the 1st place status that has grown over the past few weeks despite having a terrible record against St. Louis head-to-head.
The scary thing is, despite all the shortcomings of this team, they will only get better with the addition of Aroldis Chapman to a bullpen that has struggled the past few days. That and some home cooking against a Cubs team with absolutely nothing to play for should quickly get some more tallies in the win column. I don’t know if St. Louis can claim to be increasing their overall talent as the rosters will expand in a matter of days. Is it a changing of the guard atop the NL Central? I surely hope so. Will it be an exciting and entertaining final 36 games? Undoubtedly. I’d love to see you down at GABP this weekend, and if you go GET LOUD, maybe chant MVP when Votto steps to the plate, and above all remind those Windy City blowhards who rules the division and ballpark.
I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me a message on Twitter. Go Reds and see you at the ballpark!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Stay of Execution
After UC’s heartbreaking loss to West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, a few friends and I poured out of Buffalo Wild Wings in Clifton, not speaking a word. There was nothing left to say. A team that wasn’t supposed to be competing with a Top 10 opponent had just overcome terrible stretches of offense to start each half and still almost came out victorious. And while the final result isn’t ideal, there is reason to be hopeful about heading towards next season.
With 9:17 to go in the first half the Bearcats hit their first field goal of the game. After a great run UC had tied the game only to have the Mountaineers hit a 3 as the buzzer sounded to end the first half. In an eerily similar situation, Cincinnati started the second half with more woes on the offensive end but again came up just short. After turning the ball over with 3.1 seconds to go, All-American Da’Sean Butler banked a shot off the backboard as time expired erasing UC’s chances of a miracle run to the NCAA Tournament.
The loss, while extremely painful, does come with a silver lining. Several good things have come out of the last three nights of basketball. First and foremost, finally getting a win in the Big East Tournament (and in the month of March). As trivial as it sounds, it was a big step moving forward. Everyone always says that winning attitudes get passed down from those more experienced to the new members of the team. Before this no one wearing a Bearcats uniform really knew what the experience of winning at Madison Square Garden felt like and moving forward they can build off this year’s success.
The biggest obstacle that Mick Cronin’s squad overcame over the past few days was their overall attitude and desire to win. It all started with Lance Stephenson who decided to take over and will his team towards victory. That drive and passion spilled over and inspired the rest of his teammates, something that has been lacking for most of the Mick Cronin era. Even in the Louisville and West Virginia games when they had long stretches of offensive futility, there wasn’t the same air that made you think that they were out of it and were going to pack it in. It was great to see, but unfortunately it was too little too late, just like the fate of their season.
I know that three great efforts down the stretch cannot erase the issues that have plagued the Cincinnati basketball program under Mick Cronin’s tenure, but there has to be reason for optimism. Instead of ending the year with a horrible 10-point loss to DePaul, the Bearcats were able to pick up two wins including one over rival Louisville and almost defeating #6 West Virginia. Lance Stephenson will return along with a cast that is another year more experienced and Sean Kilpatrick, whose rumored late night workout sessions will hopefully inspire his teammates’ work ethic, should be a boost in both talent and team chemistry.
For all the cynics out there, I will make one brief appeal. Many are still very much in the anti-Cronin camp, from calling for boycotts to even rooting against UC so that Mick will be fired. I understand how you feel. This year I was saying it’s NCAAs or bust, wanting Mick’s career on a platter if they didn’t make it. Perhaps I truly underestimated how tough this rebuilding job he inherited is, however the fact remains that Mick has a vote of confidence from Athletic Director Mike Thomas and he will be back patrolling the sidelines for UC come next winter. I’m not one to tell you how to spend your money, but isn’t there room to be encouraged this year instead of another monumental collapse? Are you really going to say from now that next season is a lost cause because Mick is returning? I sure hope that we haven’t become that spoiled or cynical. The one thing I think we all can agree on is that we want to win, no matter who the coach is.
I know that we’ve all seen some false hope before this season, after coming home from Maui and getting back in the Top 25. I was amongst the first to proclaim that UC basketball was back on the map and they went out and got pounded by UAB, starting the slow decline of their season. The best we can hope for at this point is a strong run in the NIT, which can lead to a solid campaign next year. Call me a homer, misguided or just plain crazy, but I’m willing to give Mick Cronin one more year to get us back to the promised land of the NCAA Tournament. As I mentioned before, I just want UC to win. I really could care less who the coach is, and since they’re going to be playing next year, I want them to win. It’s as simple as that. To this year’s team: get ready to make a run in the NIT. To next year’s team: work your tails off during the offseason because next year won’t be any easier.
Think I’m crazy? Let me know via Twitter: http://twitter.com/chuges
With 9:17 to go in the first half the Bearcats hit their first field goal of the game. After a great run UC had tied the game only to have the Mountaineers hit a 3 as the buzzer sounded to end the first half. In an eerily similar situation, Cincinnati started the second half with more woes on the offensive end but again came up just short. After turning the ball over with 3.1 seconds to go, All-American Da’Sean Butler banked a shot off the backboard as time expired erasing UC’s chances of a miracle run to the NCAA Tournament.
The loss, while extremely painful, does come with a silver lining. Several good things have come out of the last three nights of basketball. First and foremost, finally getting a win in the Big East Tournament (and in the month of March). As trivial as it sounds, it was a big step moving forward. Everyone always says that winning attitudes get passed down from those more experienced to the new members of the team. Before this no one wearing a Bearcats uniform really knew what the experience of winning at Madison Square Garden felt like and moving forward they can build off this year’s success.
The biggest obstacle that Mick Cronin’s squad overcame over the past few days was their overall attitude and desire to win. It all started with Lance Stephenson who decided to take over and will his team towards victory. That drive and passion spilled over and inspired the rest of his teammates, something that has been lacking for most of the Mick Cronin era. Even in the Louisville and West Virginia games when they had long stretches of offensive futility, there wasn’t the same air that made you think that they were out of it and were going to pack it in. It was great to see, but unfortunately it was too little too late, just like the fate of their season.
I know that three great efforts down the stretch cannot erase the issues that have plagued the Cincinnati basketball program under Mick Cronin’s tenure, but there has to be reason for optimism. Instead of ending the year with a horrible 10-point loss to DePaul, the Bearcats were able to pick up two wins including one over rival Louisville and almost defeating #6 West Virginia. Lance Stephenson will return along with a cast that is another year more experienced and Sean Kilpatrick, whose rumored late night workout sessions will hopefully inspire his teammates’ work ethic, should be a boost in both talent and team chemistry.
For all the cynics out there, I will make one brief appeal. Many are still very much in the anti-Cronin camp, from calling for boycotts to even rooting against UC so that Mick will be fired. I understand how you feel. This year I was saying it’s NCAAs or bust, wanting Mick’s career on a platter if they didn’t make it. Perhaps I truly underestimated how tough this rebuilding job he inherited is, however the fact remains that Mick has a vote of confidence from Athletic Director Mike Thomas and he will be back patrolling the sidelines for UC come next winter. I’m not one to tell you how to spend your money, but isn’t there room to be encouraged this year instead of another monumental collapse? Are you really going to say from now that next season is a lost cause because Mick is returning? I sure hope that we haven’t become that spoiled or cynical. The one thing I think we all can agree on is that we want to win, no matter who the coach is.
I know that we’ve all seen some false hope before this season, after coming home from Maui and getting back in the Top 25. I was amongst the first to proclaim that UC basketball was back on the map and they went out and got pounded by UAB, starting the slow decline of their season. The best we can hope for at this point is a strong run in the NIT, which can lead to a solid campaign next year. Call me a homer, misguided or just plain crazy, but I’m willing to give Mick Cronin one more year to get us back to the promised land of the NCAA Tournament. As I mentioned before, I just want UC to win. I really could care less who the coach is, and since they’re going to be playing next year, I want them to win. It’s as simple as that. To this year’s team: get ready to make a run in the NIT. To next year’s team: work your tails off during the offseason because next year won’t be any easier.
Think I’m crazy? Let me know via Twitter: http://twitter.com/chuges
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Tale of Two Owners
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in 1982. 1982 was the beginning of the end of Cincinnati’s national popularity as a city. The popular sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati left the airwaves in that year and the Bengals appeared in Super Bowl XVI, a losing effort the 49ers. Over the next 28 years, you saw the Queen City reappear on the radar sparingly with Pete Rose setting the all-time hits record, the Bengals returning to Super Bowl XXIII, the Reds 1990 wire-to-wire season, and the rise of UC basketball under Bob Huggins. From the outside looking in, Cincinnati is not exactly the sexiest or most popular city, a perception not justly deserved in my opinion.
However, given the recent run of successful years by Xavier basketball and UC football, Cincinnati is primed for a return to prominence on the national sports scene. It may never be a New York, Los Angeles, Boston or Chicago, but certainly it can be more respected like Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and other cities of similar size. Even with the successes of Cincinnati’s two largest universities, the Queen City is still a pro sports town. To say that the teams that reside nearest the banks of the Ohio haven’t been carrying that banner too well over the past decade is an understatement.
The Bengals are coming off of a season that started off with little promise after losing a heartbreaking opener to the Denver Broncos. But after that they battled their way to a 9-3 record and looked like a real contender for the Super Bowl. However, in typical Bengals fashion, they limped towards the playoffs losing 4 of their last 5, looking unimpressive in the process. Now the men in stripes are looking for a new kicker, with many calling for the head of the Offensive Coordinator and the franchise QB. All the while Mike Brown continues to run the show, laughing all the way to the bank.
Just down the road the Reds are making international headlines by signing Cuban pitching phenom Aroldis Chapman. The Reds haven’t exactly been showing promise with their on-field production, but have shown an attitude of wanting to improve and bring championships back to Cincinnati. Chapman’s signing shows a willingness to make a bold move, something that a team in a smaller market like Cincinnati has to do. When you don’t have the payroll to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, and Phillies, sometimes you just have to roll the dice and hope for the best. Bob Castellini hasn’t made true on his promise to bring championship baseball back to Cincinnati, but wouldn’t you have to think that he actually cares a lot more than Mike Brown.
So as we enter 2010, the two owners of Cincinnati’s pro franchises stand at a crossroads. One with a real desire to bring honor to Cincinnati yet with the system firmly working against him, the other content to have his team just outside the cusp of greatness as long as his stadium is filled and merchandise sales are high. It makes me wonder how our fortunes as fans would be changed if our owners changed teams. The NFL is set up to have parity and teams can make the playoffs even after horrible seasons the year before. Only the most horribly mismanaged franchises like the Lions, Browns, and Redskins find playoff appearances so few and far between. Having an owner that would have a properly equipped front office, scouting department, and training staff might just be the difference between the Bengals making the playoffs every 4-5 years and being one and done or them having a real shot at the Super Bowl.
I have always said that I truly believe that the Bengals will not be able to have sustained, real success as long as Mike Brown is running the team. His parsimonious penny-pinching has never given me anything to get truly excited about as a fan, because for as long as I can remember the Bengals have always been a team associated with losing. The Marvin Lewis era has given fans hope, but while getting to the playoffs is a vast improvement of the 2-14 Bengals teams of the 90s, as a franchise isn’t the goal to get past that standard and start competing for Super Bowl rings? The Reds haven’t been to the playoffs in even longer than the Bengals have, but I still feel more confident that they can get to the promised land, even in Major League Baseball where the deck is stacked against small market teams, before the Bengals under the current regime. Maybe it’s because I like baseball more than I do the NFL, maybe it’s because the Reds have given this city a championship at some point, even with the Bengals just coming off a Division Championship, I still feel more confident in the Reds than I do the Bengals moving forward.
Disagree? I’d love to hear from you via Twitter: http://twitter.com/Chuges
Finally, enjoy some SNL goodness from this past week starring Sir Charles Barkley.
However, given the recent run of successful years by Xavier basketball and UC football, Cincinnati is primed for a return to prominence on the national sports scene. It may never be a New York, Los Angeles, Boston or Chicago, but certainly it can be more respected like Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and other cities of similar size. Even with the successes of Cincinnati’s two largest universities, the Queen City is still a pro sports town. To say that the teams that reside nearest the banks of the Ohio haven’t been carrying that banner too well over the past decade is an understatement.
The Bengals are coming off of a season that started off with little promise after losing a heartbreaking opener to the Denver Broncos. But after that they battled their way to a 9-3 record and looked like a real contender for the Super Bowl. However, in typical Bengals fashion, they limped towards the playoffs losing 4 of their last 5, looking unimpressive in the process. Now the men in stripes are looking for a new kicker, with many calling for the head of the Offensive Coordinator and the franchise QB. All the while Mike Brown continues to run the show, laughing all the way to the bank.
Just down the road the Reds are making international headlines by signing Cuban pitching phenom Aroldis Chapman. The Reds haven’t exactly been showing promise with their on-field production, but have shown an attitude of wanting to improve and bring championships back to Cincinnati. Chapman’s signing shows a willingness to make a bold move, something that a team in a smaller market like Cincinnati has to do. When you don’t have the payroll to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, and Phillies, sometimes you just have to roll the dice and hope for the best. Bob Castellini hasn’t made true on his promise to bring championship baseball back to Cincinnati, but wouldn’t you have to think that he actually cares a lot more than Mike Brown.
So as we enter 2010, the two owners of Cincinnati’s pro franchises stand at a crossroads. One with a real desire to bring honor to Cincinnati yet with the system firmly working against him, the other content to have his team just outside the cusp of greatness as long as his stadium is filled and merchandise sales are high. It makes me wonder how our fortunes as fans would be changed if our owners changed teams. The NFL is set up to have parity and teams can make the playoffs even after horrible seasons the year before. Only the most horribly mismanaged franchises like the Lions, Browns, and Redskins find playoff appearances so few and far between. Having an owner that would have a properly equipped front office, scouting department, and training staff might just be the difference between the Bengals making the playoffs every 4-5 years and being one and done or them having a real shot at the Super Bowl.
I have always said that I truly believe that the Bengals will not be able to have sustained, real success as long as Mike Brown is running the team. His parsimonious penny-pinching has never given me anything to get truly excited about as a fan, because for as long as I can remember the Bengals have always been a team associated with losing. The Marvin Lewis era has given fans hope, but while getting to the playoffs is a vast improvement of the 2-14 Bengals teams of the 90s, as a franchise isn’t the goal to get past that standard and start competing for Super Bowl rings? The Reds haven’t been to the playoffs in even longer than the Bengals have, but I still feel more confident that they can get to the promised land, even in Major League Baseball where the deck is stacked against small market teams, before the Bengals under the current regime. Maybe it’s because I like baseball more than I do the NFL, maybe it’s because the Reds have given this city a championship at some point, even with the Bengals just coming off a Division Championship, I still feel more confident in the Reds than I do the Bengals moving forward.
Disagree? I’d love to hear from you via Twitter: http://twitter.com/Chuges
Finally, enjoy some SNL goodness from this past week starring Sir Charles Barkley.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Put Up or Shut Up
This weekend while I was in church with my family, I noticed an old friend of mine that I went to grade school with. She was looking as lovely as ever and I thought back to those familiar days of my youth and the huge crush that I had on her that extended all the way into high school. This comes less than 24 hours after I missed out on interacting with someone that my friends now refer to as my soul mate. I don’t know who she was or what her situation in life would present to me, but she was very attractive and was wearing an Elder hat! (Proud Elder grad Class of ’04) Now the point of me telling you this isn’t to make you feel sorry for me and realize my lack of prowess with the ladies, but it got me thinking about missed opportunities.
So Saturday led into Sunday and the upstart Bengals had a big opportunity to make a statement about their rightful place amongst the NFL’s elite. Fueled by the memory of Vikki Zimmer, the late wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, the Bengals pulled off one of their greatest victories in recent memory. The win firmly got the Bengals in the conversation as a team that can contend with anyone in the league and now would be extremely disappointed with anything other than the AFC North crown. As the national accolades kept pouring in, Tri-State area became as Bengals-crazed at a pitch I haven’t seen since late in 2005, the Bengals’ last playoff appearance.
But wait, isn’t there a pretty good college football team here in town? That’s right the #8 ranked Bearcats are gearing up for their biggest game of the season so far. Maybe they were hurt by the fact that the Bengals were overachieving and that they had a bye after playing a Miami (OH) squad that looks abysmal. Mo Egger, heard afternoons 3-6 on 1530 Homer, was able to keep the UC game in the back of everyone’s mind, but other than the most hardcore UC fans, weren’t thinking of this game until today. Even the national media has been pumping up this game more than the residents of the Queen City, that still have yet to embrace Brian Kelly’s Bearcats as the true champions that they have been over the past few seasons. They have been a beacon of consistency and excellence in an otherwise unstable Cincinnati sports scene.
The theme of this post is about not missing out on opportunities and we’ve been awfully loose in throwing around superlative phrases to describe UC football the past few years, but I’m going to say that this is the biggest game in UC football history to date. I say that for this reason: this is the greatest chance for UC to make an impression on the nation and legitimately get into the National Championship talk. Think about it, it’s the Thursday Night Game on ESPN, no one else is playing and everyone in the country will be watching. Fans, experts, and talking heads everywhere want to see if the Bearcats can handle a talented USF team that has lots of talent, speed, and a hostile environment on the road. Tony Pike can also use this game to get one step closer to being a Heisman Trophy finalist by having another strong outing.
If there isn’t enough pressure to win already, you can look to the Bearcats’ opponent to see how a loss on this stage can change one’s fortunes for the rest of the season. In 2007, USF started the year unranked and went on a meteoric rise all the way to #2 in the nation. But a Thursday night loss to Rutgers sent the Bulls into a tail spin that had them going to the Sun Bowl at year’s end. In this writer’s eyes, the Bearcats of 2009 could be walking into the same trap because Thursday night games are always havens for upsets and crazy occurrences.
So what it boils down to is this: win convincingly as they did at Rutgers earlier this year, and the Bearcats should jump right into the Top 5 and cement themselves in legitimate National Championship conversation for the better part of the next month. Lose, and the season isn’t over by a long shot, but the critics of the Big East will be out in full force talking about how this conference doesn’t deserve an automatic BCS bid. Right now it’s all on the Bearcats, they need to come out of Tampa victorious and they need to show everyone that they looked good doing so, not relying on USF playing poorly. They need to do everything possible to silence the Big East bashers who will say that a 12-0 UC team is not as worthy as a 1-loss team from the SEC, Big 12, USC or Ohio State. As the Bearcats continue to rack up the wins, their fans almost need to be cheerleaders for their fallen opponents to make their schedule look as strong as possible. Every little bit will count as they need to change the hearts and minds of those around the country if they want to have a real chance of being one of the best two teams in the country at season’s end. Can it happen? Sure, but take it one game at a time, just like this coaching staff has been preaching. Win at USF and the sky might just be the limit, without a Boise State-like glass ceiling. Who knows? If UC football can be relevant amongst the royalty of college football, maybe I can even get a date in the near future. One can only hope… And since I live vicariously through my teams, perhaps a Bearcats win can give me the confidence I need to ask out that girl next time I see her at church...
So Saturday led into Sunday and the upstart Bengals had a big opportunity to make a statement about their rightful place amongst the NFL’s elite. Fueled by the memory of Vikki Zimmer, the late wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, the Bengals pulled off one of their greatest victories in recent memory. The win firmly got the Bengals in the conversation as a team that can contend with anyone in the league and now would be extremely disappointed with anything other than the AFC North crown. As the national accolades kept pouring in, Tri-State area became as Bengals-crazed at a pitch I haven’t seen since late in 2005, the Bengals’ last playoff appearance.
But wait, isn’t there a pretty good college football team here in town? That’s right the #8 ranked Bearcats are gearing up for their biggest game of the season so far. Maybe they were hurt by the fact that the Bengals were overachieving and that they had a bye after playing a Miami (OH) squad that looks abysmal. Mo Egger, heard afternoons 3-6 on 1530 Homer, was able to keep the UC game in the back of everyone’s mind, but other than the most hardcore UC fans, weren’t thinking of this game until today. Even the national media has been pumping up this game more than the residents of the Queen City, that still have yet to embrace Brian Kelly’s Bearcats as the true champions that they have been over the past few seasons. They have been a beacon of consistency and excellence in an otherwise unstable Cincinnati sports scene.
The theme of this post is about not missing out on opportunities and we’ve been awfully loose in throwing around superlative phrases to describe UC football the past few years, but I’m going to say that this is the biggest game in UC football history to date. I say that for this reason: this is the greatest chance for UC to make an impression on the nation and legitimately get into the National Championship talk. Think about it, it’s the Thursday Night Game on ESPN, no one else is playing and everyone in the country will be watching. Fans, experts, and talking heads everywhere want to see if the Bearcats can handle a talented USF team that has lots of talent, speed, and a hostile environment on the road. Tony Pike can also use this game to get one step closer to being a Heisman Trophy finalist by having another strong outing.
If there isn’t enough pressure to win already, you can look to the Bearcats’ opponent to see how a loss on this stage can change one’s fortunes for the rest of the season. In 2007, USF started the year unranked and went on a meteoric rise all the way to #2 in the nation. But a Thursday night loss to Rutgers sent the Bulls into a tail spin that had them going to the Sun Bowl at year’s end. In this writer’s eyes, the Bearcats of 2009 could be walking into the same trap because Thursday night games are always havens for upsets and crazy occurrences.
So what it boils down to is this: win convincingly as they did at Rutgers earlier this year, and the Bearcats should jump right into the Top 5 and cement themselves in legitimate National Championship conversation for the better part of the next month. Lose, and the season isn’t over by a long shot, but the critics of the Big East will be out in full force talking about how this conference doesn’t deserve an automatic BCS bid. Right now it’s all on the Bearcats, they need to come out of Tampa victorious and they need to show everyone that they looked good doing so, not relying on USF playing poorly. They need to do everything possible to silence the Big East bashers who will say that a 12-0 UC team is not as worthy as a 1-loss team from the SEC, Big 12, USC or Ohio State. As the Bearcats continue to rack up the wins, their fans almost need to be cheerleaders for their fallen opponents to make their schedule look as strong as possible. Every little bit will count as they need to change the hearts and minds of those around the country if they want to have a real chance of being one of the best two teams in the country at season’s end. Can it happen? Sure, but take it one game at a time, just like this coaching staff has been preaching. Win at USF and the sky might just be the limit, without a Boise State-like glass ceiling. Who knows? If UC football can be relevant amongst the royalty of college football, maybe I can even get a date in the near future. One can only hope… And since I live vicariously through my teams, perhaps a Bearcats win can give me the confidence I need to ask out that girl next time I see her at church...
Friday, September 4, 2009
Football Overload
Sorry for the lack of updates the past couple days. I’m still adjusting to life at home and all that comes with it. That and having to work nights isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world to deal with. Today I’m going to talk about something that probably will come up a lot over the next few months: the worldwide leader in sports, ESPN. This weekend ESPN will be televising high school football from Elder as the Panthers host rival Colerain on Sunday afternoon at 12:00. For years I’ve been saying that ESPN has often disrespected Cincinnati as a second-rate pro sports town and overlooked for our passionate college athletics. To a certain extent this criticism is warranted, the Reds and Bengals have been nothing to write home about for the better part of this decade and UC football is just coming around. XU basketball has maintained a consistent level of success, but at the end of the day they’re still just an A-10 school that, like it or not, will continue to be dwarfed by UC’s tradition and Big East affiliation. Given the state of our professional teams and if our college teams continue to improve and win, I fully expect Cincinnati to shift to being a college town. But that’s for another time. This Sunday, ESPN has a chance to show one of Cincinnati’s greatest traditions at its absolute best, high school football. Most would say, “Who cares? I stopped following high school sports when I graduated.” For most of the country this is a legitimate point, but Cincinnati has always been just a little bit different. With no NFL football, and college matchups in primetime, many should be tuning in to get their football fix live from The Pit. Whether you like or dislike Elder and Colerain, you have to respect the successes they’re able to have each and every year. In addition, the atmosphere for this game will be unparalleled, and if you’ve ever had the pleasure to attend an Elder home game you know that it will be even better than usual. Some posters on chat boards have called The Pit a “dump” or “overrated.” And yes, the fact that we have a 10,000 seat stadium built of concrete and tradition is really cool, but what makes The Pit such a special place is the people that fill the stands every week. If this game is as good as advertised, the crowds will speak for themselves and the atmosphere will come flooding through everyone’s TVs. But what I’m interested in will be the background stories that they tell, the pieces they pre-produce, and how much ESPN will talk about Cincinnati high school football during the telecast. For all the things that ESPN could malign us or ignore us for here in the Queen City, high school football is something that we get right more often than not. It’ll be interesting to see if they bring this to the forefront or if they continue to push their “ESPN agenda” on us.
As for the game itself, I would like to see a close one, but from what I’ve seen Elder’s offense can’t be stopped. The defense needs to play better but there won’t be many teams this year that can hold Elder under 30 points.
My pick: Elder 38 – Colerain 16.
Last night was also the official start of college football, with the marquee matchup being Oregon travelling to Boise State. Boise State came away with an ugly win, a win that no one will remember is ugly when Boise State is going to the BCS come January. However the storyline that everyone will remember is Oregon starting running back LeGarrette Blount landing a punch on the face of Boise State linebacker Byron Holt. Here’s the video:
We all know Holt said something to Blount to get his engine going, but that is no excuse for punching someone in the face. Then as he was leaving the stadium, Blount went after some fans that were taunting him. This kid obviously has some screws loose and needs to get help right away. New head coach Chip Kelly has some difficult days ahead of him. His team plays pretty poorly and now his star running back is attacking opposing players and even fans. If I was the coach this player would be immediately dismissed from my program. However, I highly doubt the coach will be able to justify releasing such a talented player and Blount will most likely get off relatively easy. It’s a shame to see this kind of thing happen because it was a black eye for the start of the college football season, but I’m still looking forward to a full slate of action over the next 4 days. Here are my picks for some of this weekend’s biggest matchups.
#13 Georgia @ #9 Oklahoma State – This is a chance for Oklahoma State to live up to their Top 10 preseason hype. If they can win convincingly, I’ll be a believer that they can contend for the Big 12 South title. Georgia did lose a lot to the draft, but Coach Mark Richt reloads down there. I think Oklahoma State wins a close one at home.
#20 BYU @ #3 Oklahoma – This may be the best matchup of the weekend. Oklahoma returns Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford but has to replace 4 starters on the offensive line. I think Oklahoma is a great team, but is pretty overrated at #3. That being said, BYU is no slouch, but they just don’t have enough weapons to get this one done on the road.
#5 Alabama vs. #7 Virginia Tech – Everyone is talking about the possibilities of the winner of this game being on the fast track to the National Championship. It certainly will help but Alabama would have to dethrone Florida in the SEC Championship game and Virginia Tech would need to run the table and have other teams like USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio State all lose in order to be able to move on. I think Alabama’s defense is able to shut down Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor and wins this one relatively easily.
I’ll have more on Monday’s big matchups later this weekend. Have a SAFE and fun holiday weekend!
As for the game itself, I would like to see a close one, but from what I’ve seen Elder’s offense can’t be stopped. The defense needs to play better but there won’t be many teams this year that can hold Elder under 30 points.
My pick: Elder 38 – Colerain 16.
Last night was also the official start of college football, with the marquee matchup being Oregon travelling to Boise State. Boise State came away with an ugly win, a win that no one will remember is ugly when Boise State is going to the BCS come January. However the storyline that everyone will remember is Oregon starting running back LeGarrette Blount landing a punch on the face of Boise State linebacker Byron Holt. Here’s the video:
We all know Holt said something to Blount to get his engine going, but that is no excuse for punching someone in the face. Then as he was leaving the stadium, Blount went after some fans that were taunting him. This kid obviously has some screws loose and needs to get help right away. New head coach Chip Kelly has some difficult days ahead of him. His team plays pretty poorly and now his star running back is attacking opposing players and even fans. If I was the coach this player would be immediately dismissed from my program. However, I highly doubt the coach will be able to justify releasing such a talented player and Blount will most likely get off relatively easy. It’s a shame to see this kind of thing happen because it was a black eye for the start of the college football season, but I’m still looking forward to a full slate of action over the next 4 days. Here are my picks for some of this weekend’s biggest matchups.
#13 Georgia @ #9 Oklahoma State – This is a chance for Oklahoma State to live up to their Top 10 preseason hype. If they can win convincingly, I’ll be a believer that they can contend for the Big 12 South title. Georgia did lose a lot to the draft, but Coach Mark Richt reloads down there. I think Oklahoma State wins a close one at home.
#20 BYU @ #3 Oklahoma – This may be the best matchup of the weekend. Oklahoma returns Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford but has to replace 4 starters on the offensive line. I think Oklahoma is a great team, but is pretty overrated at #3. That being said, BYU is no slouch, but they just don’t have enough weapons to get this one done on the road.
#5 Alabama vs. #7 Virginia Tech – Everyone is talking about the possibilities of the winner of this game being on the fast track to the National Championship. It certainly will help but Alabama would have to dethrone Florida in the SEC Championship game and Virginia Tech would need to run the table and have other teams like USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio State all lose in order to be able to move on. I think Alabama’s defense is able to shut down Virginia Tech QB Tyrod Taylor and wins this one relatively easily.
I’ll have more on Monday’s big matchups later this weekend. Have a SAFE and fun holiday weekend!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
College Football Practice Time
As allegations of Rich Rodriguez overworking his Michigan football team keep pouring in, it made me wonder what the big deal was. The obvious answers are that those in charge don't want the players becoming exhausted and that they need time to study for class. The fact is no players from Michigan's team have reported any signs of injury in relation to being overworked. In addition, I don't buy the whole "they're student-athletes and need to study" card that the NCAA tries to play every now and then. First of all, most student-athletes aren't taking the hardest classes during their season, that's not being lazy or cheating the system, that's just smart. All college majors will have you take plenty of unnecessary fluff courses and it only makes sense to get those out of the way when you have the least amount of free time. Secondly, student-athletes don't have to go out and have a part-time job while in college so they will have much more free time than the average college student. There's also the number of staff members that are looking over their shoulders at all times to make sure that they're keeping up on their studies. There is no excuse as to why teams can't practice more than the current regulated time and be successful in the classroom. I'm not saying these kids should be treated like pros who have nothing else to do but play football, but for all of the perks that come with being an athlete in a big money sport like football, at big time colleges, they can afford to spend some more time on the field than current rules allow. In the end, Rich Rodriguez will be fired or retained at Michigan based on his team's wins and losses. Another season like last year's 3-win debacle and he won't be in Ann Arbor much longer.
On to other thoughts, I'm sick and tired of hearing about the college football season in all of these preseason shows and whatnot. I just want them to start playing, and fortunately this weekend is the kickoff of my favorite sport. Monday at 4:00 the Cincinnati Bearcats start defending their Big East Championship at the state university of New Jersey. I understand the marketing that the Big East Conference is trying to do here, but I really don't like the idea of making the defending champ go on the road to start the year. If they want to create a first week conference matchup to draw some ratings, why not pick 2 of the top teams from the previous season like the #2 or #3 teams or at least let the champs celebrate their first game at home, similar to how the NFL has the Super Bowl Champion host the Thursday night kickoff game. Anyways, it's going to be a great holiday weekend for football. Saturday will be filled with college football, Sunday Elder hosts Colerain on ESPN so the whole world can experience the greatness of The Pit, and Monday the Bearcats look to start strong and take control of the Big East race. To get you in the mood for Bearcats football, enjoy the following.
On to other thoughts, I'm sick and tired of hearing about the college football season in all of these preseason shows and whatnot. I just want them to start playing, and fortunately this weekend is the kickoff of my favorite sport. Monday at 4:00 the Cincinnati Bearcats start defending their Big East Championship at the state university of New Jersey. I understand the marketing that the Big East Conference is trying to do here, but I really don't like the idea of making the defending champ go on the road to start the year. If they want to create a first week conference matchup to draw some ratings, why not pick 2 of the top teams from the previous season like the #2 or #3 teams or at least let the champs celebrate their first game at home, similar to how the NFL has the Super Bowl Champion host the Thursday night kickoff game. Anyways, it's going to be a great holiday weekend for football. Saturday will be filled with college football, Sunday Elder hosts Colerain on ESPN so the whole world can experience the greatness of The Pit, and Monday the Bearcats look to start strong and take control of the Big East race. To get you in the mood for Bearcats football, enjoy the following.
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