18th edition of My Random Thoughts: Sports, TV, music, food, life:
Things that popped into my head this week...
This Bengals period reminds me of the rise of the Big Red Machine era when I was 8-9 years old. That buzz and success made me a lifelong Reds fan. I've been thinking a lot about the Bengals impact on young fans going forward in this city.
I remembered all the words to 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia' when it came on the radio last week. Kelly just shook her head.
You know we love beer flights. Well, MamaBear's Mac, inside of Grainworks Brewery in West Chester, offers mac & cheese flights: Vermont-Buffalo-Loaded Baked-Smokey Bear..... Fantastic.
A week ago the Bengals OL was a legit concern/feat vs the Bills. One week later many seem to be assuming that line will do the same vs Kansas City. I'd tap the breaks on that. I hope they do. It's no guaranteed they do, just because they did. If feels like there is some transitive property calculation going on.
Do only newspaper writers cover the MLB? No. So why should only writers vote for the Hall of Fame. It's 2023, not 1936. How do broadcasters and historians like Bob Costas, Ken Burns, Bob Uecker, John Miller and Bill James not have votes?
Wait, Chris Pratt played Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation? I did not know that until Kelly informed me as we watched Aubrey Plaza host SNL.
The Bengals averaged 47,179 fans a game in 2019....only the Chargers, playing in a temporary soccer stadium, drew fewer fans. The Bengals averaged 66,247 this year....and had the 4th highest road attendance in the NFL. Amazing.
Anyone else pronounce words in a manner that bugs your spouse? I say 'Puh-tate-uh' for potato and I end each day of the week with a 'dee'.
I'd like to see an age graph for fans that are angry/jealous of player salaries. Seems to skew older.
MLB can't erase guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Pete Rose from the game's history. They happened. Their stats count and are recognized. They are Hall of Famers that represent the history of the game, warts and all. It's ok to recognize their careers AND acknowledge their flaws in Cooperstown. The head in sand, cover your ears approach is silly.
I could not be happier for Jackson Carman.
Back in the day, I hosted enough national sports talk radio shows on the old 'One on One Sports Network' to know I could never do a national show. I have zero interest in talking about teams that are not Cincinnati area teams. Back then, I was taking calls about the Utah Jazz, NY Islanders and Miami Dolphins. No. Thanks.
Two years ago right now, we resented the Bengals organization for getting Joe Burrow hurt, demanded Mike Brown sell the team and debated if it was time to move on from Zac Taylor and Lou Anarumo. Amazing.
Food tip: Bishops Quarter in Loveland. French Quarter vibe with good Cajun, shrimp & grits and the Tour of New Orleans. Morgan was an excellent server.
Scott Rolen: Consummate pro. Leader. Chest high throws. Hall of Famer. If you believe the Reds should have kept Edwin Encarnacion we need to sit down and have a talk.
Props to the diehards that showed up on the East Tour of the Reds Caravan to see: TJ Friedl, Nick Northcut, Casey Legumina, Tommy Thrall, Nick Krall and Mr. Red.
Is there a team with a bigger gap between media attention given vs actual on-field success than the Dallas Cowboys? Make it stop.
Kelly and I continue to seek out live music performances in smaller venues/bars/clubs. I wish someone would create a website that promotes live music in the area by date, location AND includes a link to audio/video samples of the performers.
Imagine a Super Bowl with a QB taken No. 1 overall (Burrow) vs a QB taken last overall (Brock Purdy).
Back in the late 90's I emailed Mark Cuban one Saturday and asked him to come on the show to talk Mavericks and IU basketball. He emailed me two hours later, asked what time and came on the next week. I'll never forget that.
Our coffee creamer obsession reached a tipping point this week. We currently have nine different creamers in our fridge: Vanilla Bean (Coffee Mate), White Chocolate Raspberry (International Delight), Hazelnut Mocha (International Delight), Creme Brulee (Kroger), Sea Salt Caramel (Private Selection), Peppermint White Chocolate (Private Selection), Vanilla Extra Extra (Dunkin), Amaretto (International Delight), Kahlua (Coffee Mate).
Remember: Don't worry about the things you don't care about.