Happy Friday, all! Buckle up for a thrilling few days of college hoops! But first ...
When I look at Andy Dalton's track record, I have a tough time reaching the conclusion - as so many "experts" have since the Chicago Bears signed Dalton and apparently told him he's their guy - that the sky is falling if you're considering entering an NFL season with Dalton as your starting quarterback.
Why? Because he's not allowed to go back to being a starter if he backed up Dak Prescott last season in Dallas before Prescott got hurt? Because he hasn't won a playoff game? Because he's not one of the five or six best quarterbacks in the league?
Michael Wilbon said on PTI that Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy should be fired for having the nerve - in addition to other perceived blunders - to bring in Dalton as the new starter instead of sticking with Mitchell Trubisky. DeAngelo Hall said on NFL Network that Tyrod Taylor would've been a "much better upgrade over Andy Dalton." Many on Twitter - in a not-so-stunning upset - have been even less respectful toward Dalton.
Dalton hopefully hasn't read all of the horrible comments but did acknowledge Thursday there's "been a lot of talk" before suggesting that he's confident he'll win Chicago over. His critics point to his record last season with Dallas and his last couple of seasons as a Bengal, but what kind of offensive lines did he have? If you give a proven, veteran QB a shot - especially given the opportunity he has to work again with Bill Lazor - and it doesn't work out, you pivot, right? Not the end of the world. I'm just not sure how you can definitively say that Dalton isn't going to work.
ANOTHER FORMER BENGALS QB who's hard not to root for is Ryan Fitzpatrick, who started for Cincinnati for most of the 2008 season and backed up Carson Palmer in 2007.
Fitzpatrick signed a one-year, $10 million deal earlier this week with Washington Football Team, his ninth NFL team. And that means a reunion with WFT quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese, the Bengals' QBs coach from 2003 to 2015 and their offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017.
You've got to love, too, that Fitzpatrick embraces the journeyman label:
WHAT HAPPENS TO AL AND CRIS with Drew Brees and Mike Tirico potentially set to replace them on Sunday Night Football sometime after this season?
Tirico and Brees will be calling Notre Dame football games on Saturdays and then teaming on the “Sunday Night Football” pregame show before Michaels and Collinsworth call the NFL games.
The whole situation has a Leno-Conan late-night vibe.
Asked if he wants to call a Super Bowl one day, Brees danced in the pocket, avoiding the question while making his love for Tirico clear.
“I’m as excited to be in the booth with Mike Tirico as I was to throw passes to Michael Thomas on Sundays,” said the 42-year-old Brees. “I am dead serious when I say that.”
NBC’s plan is understandable from a strategic standpoint. With new 11-year NFL TV deals on the horizon, they don’t want to be caught on the announcer carousel, like ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
Tirico is more than ready to go, but Michaels is still in his way. Meanwhile, the 62-year-old Collinsworth now has Brees lurking over his shoulder.
“With Mike and Al, that process and conversation continues,” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said, borrowing Brees’ dancing shoes, when asked directly what the plan is for the future. “It will be similar to last year [when Michaels did the majority of the games and Tirico did some fill-ins] in terms of how we map that out.
I'VE HEARD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE SAY they're not as excited to watch this year's NCAA Tournament because it's the first one since 1985 with neither UC nor Xavier. No Miami, no NKU. No UK, no Louisville. On Sunday night, WKRC and WCPO both declared that Ohio State is the only local team playing. I'm not sure the Buckeyes are any more "local" than the Ohio Bobcats. And given the number of Ohio alumni in Cincinnati, there will be a lot of people here rooting for Jason Preston & Co.
Even if you can't get behind the Buckeyes or Bobcats, check out the list of players and coaches with Greater Cincinnati connections in this year's tournament, and you'll see there are plenty to follow.
Personally, I'm enough of a college hoops junkie that after missing last year's tournament, I've had this week circled (hoping, of course, it wouldn't be again spoiled by COVID-19). And if Thursday's action is any indication of the excitement this Big Dance will provide ...
BIG WIN FOR MICK LATE LAST NIGHT as the Bruins advance past Michigan State. Nice moment too captured by the TBS broadcast of Mick visiting with coronavirus-slayer Hep - who hadn't seen Mick in person in a year even though they speak regularly by phone - right after the win.
LEAVE IT TO FORMER BEARCATS STANDOUT DEREK WOLFE to, uh, not sugarcoat our predicament:
AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR FAVORITE -ESPONDENTS ...
Funmaster Brien recommends some live music and fresh air:
If you are ready to get outside and have a little fun, you are in luck: there is live, outdoor music this weekend. Riverfront Live (down on Kellogg) has an outdoor, afternoon show featuring the Rumpke Mountain Boys with support from the Kyle Tuttle Band.
The Rumpke Mountain Boys have been on the scene for a while. Traditional blue grass mixed with a bit of jamming and psychedelia, they “combine signature vocals, a unique command of string instruments (acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass, and banjo) and dynamic special effects into a singular musical experience.” Think Infamous Stringdusters, Keller Williams, and The Grateful Dead. I have seen them a handful of times and they always put on a great show.
Opening act Kyle Tuttle is an International Banjo Champion who has been “shredding his way through the jamgrass scene.” He plays the traditional Scruggs style of banjo with newer flourishes and experimentation. Tuttle has played with Larry Keel, Leftover Salmon, and Railroad Earth (to name a few).
The show is Saturday at 3 p.m. The weather is supposed to be pretty good. This is a seated, socially distanced event, so plan ahead. For tickets, please head over to www.riverfrontlivecincy.com
Imbiber Dave suggests keeping with the Irish theme ...
It’s all about the Irish this week. At my advanced age, I claim this to be the calmest St Patrick’s Day of the last 20+ years every March. This is because following our college years filled with entire kegs of green beer, we moved to Chicago where they have thousands more kegs of green beer.
Yes, my days of knocking back 12 Guinness before, during, and after the river dyeing celebration are long gone. That said, I really do enjoy the occasional pint when at a bar or restaurant. Thankfully the can they created years ago with the little ball of nitrogen inside makes the home experience quite enjoyable.
I also love the Half & Half. Start with half a Harp Lager in the bottom of your favorite pint glass. Then, using a spoon resting against the inside of the glass, slowly pour half a can of Guinness over the spoon. The result is a two-tone, separated drink that tastes amazing.
You can use any spoon, but the actual Guinness version that hooks onto the rim of your glass is quite handy. I have these giant .75L Guinness glasses that are fun for this, although it seems crazy that I used to pour an entire Harp in the glass, nearly the entire Guinness pint, and then simply finish said pint before drinking my Whole & Whole.
On the whiskey front, I don’t go through the Jameson or Bushmills like we used too. These days, I prefer a nice glass of the Red Breast 12 year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. It’s amazingly smooth with that unique Irish Whiskey balance.
Hope everyone found a way to celebrate this year. Slainte! [email protected]
TUNE O' THE DAY:
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