Hard to say which would benefit the Bengals more. Facing Mayfield or not facing him.
Apparently, he (she/it) is a sports fan. He’s been spotted on the infrastructure of the 71-75 bridge and on the roof at GABP. The Bengals are 3-0 since the creature was first spotted.
Around here, we focus rightfully on the bone-headedness of Burfict and Jones as the reasons for the ’15 playoff L. We forget Roethlisberger, shoulder so bad he couldn’t throw more than 10 or 15 yards downfield, managing to take the Steelers from inside their 10 into FG range.
Just because you hated the guy doesn’t mean you couldn’t admire him. His winning nature was why you disliked him in the first place.
With Ben done, the Steelers have no QB. Baker Mayfield has shown lately why he is not the answer in Cleveland. Lamar Jackson’s season was as questionable this fall as last season was brilliant. The Men have the best QB in the North, maybe for the first time since Boomer.
If you’ve been off the bandwagon, now’s a good time to leap back on. All is forgiven.
YOU SAY YOU DON’T CARE, BUT. . . The Enquirer’s baseball guy Bobby Nightengale writes of MLB’s current labor situation, “A delay to the start of the season would have devastating consequences.’’
I don’t think so.
I’ve been writing about fun-n-games for, um, four decades. Not much is certain, but this is: Every time baseball fights with itself, we predict doom for the game. Every time, it doesn’t happen.
Maybe temporarily, but never permanently. Fans say they won’t go back. Most do.
A work stoppage won’t kill baseball. Changing tastes might. But certainly not right away.
Baseball is a bus ride in an era when private citizens are flying in rocket ships. Rob Manfred has promised significant changes to speed up the game. It’s slower than ever. Baseball has made a project of getting more African-Americans engaged in the game, playing and spectating. I haven’t noticed an attendance boom fueled by Black fans.
As for non-Latino players of color, send out a search party.
Entertainment tastes are subject to change, of course. The culture constantly shifts. But baseball has been out of step with the zeitgeist for a significantly long time.
The what, Doc?
Zeitgeist: The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
It does the game no good when billionaires fight with millionaires over money. But it won’t be fatal. We just aren’t in a baseball place in this country anymore . Haven’t been for a couple decades.
PKING HAD AN ISSUE with Bart Scott dogging the Bengals, but not because Scott went off on the Men running up the score against Scott’s old club, the Ravens. Rather, because Scott used the word “we’’ when talking about his former team:
“We?” Bart Scott last played for the Ravens 13 years ago. “We?” Is he employed by the Ravens? “We?” How does ESPN feel about one of its employees saying a team he worked for 13 years ago is working to get a coach in the division fired?’’ (Football Morning in America)
Local radio and TV “personalities’’ often use “we’’ when referencing the teams whose games they talk about. Some are paid by the teams; some are beholden to the wishes of ownership. Some are just fans. Few pretend to be objective observers. If you’re expecting objective analysis from radio-TV guys, you’re gonna be disappointed.
And Marty Brennaman is still retired. Unfortunately.
AS FOR ANTONIO BROWN. . . If a person has mental-health issues, he should be dealt with compassionately and with empathy, and he should get the help he needs. What he shouldn’t do is embarrass the coach and team who took a chance on him and the quarterback who urged that chance and even put the distressed player up at his home.
No one should fault Brown for apparently having emotional issues. That shouldn’t give him a pass for the way he behaved during the game Sunday. Respect the game, your team and yourself.
TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . Played this before, I’m sure. It's groovy. Discovered it on Sirius’ Underground Garage, a station that’s worth the subscription price all by itself.
