What would you say is the sports debate of the summer around here, even in the midst of a Reds resurgence? Even on the cusp of a Bearcats football season unlike any other? Even In the jetstream of non-stop Simone Biles?
It is this and only this, and TML will hear no argument:
Should Joe Burrow take any preseason snaps?
When it comes down to it, there is only Joe. He’s the sun, everyone else is just a planet circling his air space.
Hype? Nonsense? Oh, yeah.
Truth? Uh-huh.
It’s possible, when speaking of Saint Joe, to be both truthful and idiotic. Football is a team game, obviously, but without Burrow, this team is instantly doomed to FourWinVille.
The Bengals could find a pass rush and a pair of competent starting guards. Joe Mixon could run for 1,500 yards. It wouldn’t matter. If Burrow’s MIA, the Men are staring down the barrel of 4-12.
So, should he play some in August, to take some hits? Should the Saint feel the pass rush, in hopes of calming the mental worries?
Not in a million years.
Not only should Burrow stand on the sidelines during games. Not only should an equipment guy be in charge of hiding his helmet. The Bengals should put him in a glass case between practices. Hell, between snaps in 7-on-7.
Honestly, I don’t know why this is even a debate. How much would Burrow play this month if he hadn’t had his knee blown up last fall? A quarter? A series? You mean to tell me eight or 10 snaps in August against guys who’ll be starting their life’s work by the end of the month is going to be a game-changer?
No. Getting dinged in one of those plays would be the game changer.
Zac Taylor should not listen to his QB on this one. There should be no debate. Father knows best. Don’t allow Burrow’s itchiness to trump your caution. He will get 17 games (hopefully) of hits beginning on Sept. 12, v. the Minnesota Zimmers.
The whole “rust’’ thing is overrated and misguided. Burrow’s played QB a decade. You think he has forgotten what it’s like to feel a rush or take a hit? You think an August refresher on being blind-sided is going to remind him?
I don’t.
The knee-jerk thinking is that a QB who’s had knee surgery needs to fix the emotional scarring, too. I’ve never seen a young QB who has suffered a significant injury come back the following year and be a shell of his former self. The year after Carson Palmer wrecked his knee (2006) he made the Pro Bowl. His numbers were nearly identical to 2005.
Tom Brady tore his ACL and MCL in ’08. In ’09, he was Comeback Player of the Year. Andrew Luck played through a wrecked shoulder in 2016, sat all of ’17, then threw 39 TD passes in ’18.
I could be wrong, but I don’t recall Brady or Luck crediting taking hits in an August fake game for their comeback success.
Joe Burrow says the knee is physically fine. He’s tough mentally. So what’s the issue?
Now, then. . .
THE REDS WIN THE PENNANT! THE REDS WIN THE PENNANT!
Well, that’s a stretch, but less of one than it was a couple weeks ago. The beauty of the Big 162 strikes again. On July 25, the Club completed a 3-6 homestand that included being swept by the Brewers. It was 6.5 out of 1st place. The San Diego Padres were 58-44 and led the Reds by 5.5 games for the 2nd wild card.
Now, 14 days later?
The Reds trail Milwaukee by 5 and the Pads by 2.5. The Brewers and San Diego have rough remaining schedules. The Reds have 32 of their final 50 games against teams currently under 500. The Brewers are praying the pitching arms of Woodruff, Byrnes and Peralta don’t fly off at the shoulder with their next breaking balls. The Reds Big Three (Castillo, Miley, Mahle) show no signs of fatigue. And nobody knows how long the Padres won’t have Fernando Tatis.
The Reds are getting healthy. Moustakas and Lorenzen are a decent shot o’ cavalry. Sims gives them another proven bullpen arm. Antone will be back. Dreaming is free.
I’ve said in This Space that the Reds have the best roster in the division. Finding a way to overtake Milwaukee isn’t likely, especially if the Crew’s starting rotation holds up. Catching San Diego (18 games left with SF and the Dodgers) isn’t far-fetched.
Especially, as I wrote for this AM’s TM, when you get to play the Pirates nine more times.
JOEY VOTTO WILL LEAVE CINCINNATI BETTER THAN HE FOUND IT. . . He’s playing with joy. We saw it again Sunday. A Reds grounds crew guy must have sprinted a mile in the first couple innings, chasing down foul ground balls down the rightfield line. Votto took note, then after yet another foul grounder beyond first base and in front of rightfielder Nick Castellanos, Votto took it upon himself to sprint down the line and beat the grounds crew guy to the ball. (It was close. Votto’s not Vince Coleman.)
You had to be there. Trust me, it was funny. And very Votto-like in this summer of his renaissance.
He was asked after the game about his relationship with the Cincinnati RBI (Returning Baseball to the Inner City) team that won the RBI World Series over the weekend. Votto has made a point of stopping by the Reds Youth Academy to offer tips and encouragement. He explained why:
“I’m connecting with my community. It’s a two-way street, I give, they give. I feel like I’m learning from them. You collect a paycheck, you punch in, you punch out, you drive to and from work and you forget why you’re wearing the uniform. Connecting with those young people is a gift. You’re reminded the game is supposed to have passion. Watching them I feel like it reminds me of my very first days as an amateur.’’
We’ll never see another like him.
ROGER FEDERER WON’T BE HERE next week, when the Western and Southern Open returns to Mason. He withdrew with a knee injury. We might never see him here again.
Federer turned 40 Sunday. That’s ancient in any sport not named golf. He’s 47-10 at the W&S, most wins of any player. He’s also impossibly gracious.
In three-plus decades, I’ve encountered more than a few boorish tennis stars. For years, Andre Agassi was a jerk. Boris Becker’s coach, Bob Brett, once yanked my tape recorder out of my hand and took it with him to the locker room where I wasn’t allowed.
It was hard to miss the utter indifference to the media displayed by the Williams sisters.
But Federer was as nice as it gets. He’d give you a few minutes after his formal interview session. I never saw him not sign an autograph. Andy Roddick once said this about Roger Federer:
"He's a real person. He's not an enigma. If you met him at McDonald's and you didn't know who he was, you'd have no idea he's one of the best athletes in the world."
He’ll be missed next week.
BECAUSE TV IS MY LIFE. . . I watched the last episode of the final season of Bosch on Sunday night. I really liked Bosch.
It wasn’t great like The Wire or Breaking Bad. It was just solid, year after year for seven years. Titus Welliver made Det. Harry Bosch real and interesting and likeable. The storylines didn’t require your deep concentration, but were always engaging. Season 7 was typically satisfying.
TML sez ckout Bosch on Amazon Prime.
Also: The new season of The Sinner is streaming on Netflix. Very good. Just something to tide me over until Succession returns.
AND FINALLY. . . The extended Trip Report re my annual sojourn to the NC mountains with my son Kelly is here. The trip, 22 years old this year, is one of the most important things I’ve ever done, and will always remain thus.
TUNE O' THE DAY. . . If you don't tingle a little during the first minute or two of this live version of this great tune, I can't help you. What a joy rock and roll can be.
Source link
