24th edition of My Random Thoughts: Sports, TV, music, food, life.......
Things that popped into my head this week.
Quote of the week: Kelly: "20 years ago, did you ever think you’d be sitting on the couch watching MLS on a Saturday night?" ...... Me: "Nope"
I'm worried any progress the Reds can potentially make this season will once again be sabotaged by the bullpen.
NFL free agency starts next week. The Bengals are not 'going all in"......understand and accept that.
UC basketball has made one Sweet 16 appearances over the last 22 seasons. Mick's 2012 team beat Florida State and then lost to Ohio State.
Colby Jones has really stepped up for Xavier down the stretch. He's something. And he's getting better and better.
This week in 1994 I was in Sarasota for CLTV and covering Michael Jordan's spring training with the White Sox. The wildest/coolest experience of my broadcast career. I did 12 live shots from Ed Smith Stadium for various TV stations around the country and spent the week detailing his every step.
I stumbled into a one-on-one interview with Jordan when he walked out the back door of the White Sox spring training complex. He said he'd talk if I could walk with him to the field. I walked with him for about 100 yards with our camera rolling.
I'm low maintenance: Give me a newspaper and a coffee and I'm usually good to go.
I think I've been slow to realize we are actually being trolled. Nobody with any common sense is upset over the elimination of dead time in MLB games.
After transitioning from DII, NKU has been eligible for the NCAA tournament for seven seasons. They have three trips to March Madness and Covid wiped out a fourth trip. That doesn't get enough attention and respect around here.
This seems like a likeable Reds team...young, hungry, hustling and with upside. Can you separate how you feel about ownership from how you feel about the players?
Eight years later, we finally watched Creed. A little predictable, but still strong. Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan are excellent. On to Creed II this weekend!
On the occasion I wake up and think "What the heck am I going to talk about today?" I remind myself that starting three years ago this week I did shows without any sports taking place over 120+ days of Covid.
I sense I'm in the minority, but I root for Jose Barrero. I think he's been a victim of circumstances and injury. He's made adjustments. I hope it clicks. Let's remember, he was the organization's 2021 Minor League Player of the Year.
We spent Sunday in Loveland, shopping and checking out places. Cool town. We'd only been there previously to visit Narrow Path and Bishop's Quarter. Plain Room Records is an amazing record store and we loved Hops and Berry Taproom.
I've been the commissioner of my fantasy baseball league since the debut in 1988. I don't get paid nearly enough for the job of trying to corral league fees from owners.
The 2012 Sweet 16 included: UC, XU, UK, UL, Ohio State, IU and Ohio. Wow.
How, with the size of the Chicago area and the level of high school basketball talent, has DePaul made one NCAA tourney appearance since 2001?
I'm confused by the logic of fans that say the Reds have been 'rebuilding' for 30+ years. They spent $160M+ leading into the 2020 season. They made the playoffs in 201, 2012, 2013, 2020. I get the frustration. But at least be accurate.
The 2007 song 'Apologize' by OneRepublic is such a killer song.
My first job in high school was at a Wendy's. Nothing like getting off work late Friday night, wanting to go out with friends, and smelling like french fry grease with Wendy's hat hair. When working the front counter, all burger toppings had to be announced to the grill in red-white-green sequence.....as in tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mayo, lettuce.
While I was covering Jordan in Sarasota, Dick Vitale walked up to me, took my CLTV wireless microphone, and started walking around the complex doing a report and interviewing players. "This is Dick Vitale and I looooooove CLTV....I'm here with the White Sox." It was gold. We ran the video that night on my show, Sports Page.
UNC was preseason No. 1 and will miss the tournament. Why we bother with preseason rankings is beyond me.
Kenyon's 2000 UC team had five players eventually drafted (Kenyon Martin-Pete Mickeal-Dermar Johnson-Kenny Satterfield-Steve Logan). UC has had four players drafted since then: Jacob Evans-Lance Stephenson-James White-Jason Maxiell.
I don't get the angst over Lamar Jackson. If the Ravens and their QB can't agree on his value, what's the problem with Baltimore allowing him to go find that value from another team and then deciding if they want to pay him that amount or take two draft picks? And why would any team publicly state interest in Jackson? What would be gained?
I found myself singing 'head, shoulder, knees and toes, knees and toes" this week. Anyone remember that kids song? Stooooooooop!
Anyone watching Black Bird on Apple TV? I think that's next on our list. How about Poker Face on Peacock? My sister said it's like Columbo meets Justified.
I'm sorry, I know he won over 1,000 games, made 35 trips to the tournament and won a national title at Syracuse, but I find Jim Boeheim insufferable.
Remember: Don't worry about things you don't care about.