It's been a while since I've written anything. Not sure if I haven't had any time, strong opinions, or if it was just laziness. But I got called out. So I have to tell my side. And 140 characters isn't going to cut it this time.
If you ever read Brad Johansen's blog on Local12.com, you'll see a post from yesterday. Or if you haven't, you can see it here now. I'm the guy. I asked the stupid question. Now, if you get where I'm coming from, you'd know the reason I asked. In this particular instance, I wasn't worried about if the game would sell out in a football sense. I was worried about it from a TV standpoint. I can't remember from year to year if people go to preseason games. What I do remember is that in the 3 years I've worked at Local 12, I've been witness to, and rolling live breaks for, several Bengals preseason games. But instead of calmly explaining "they never sell out home games, no one does. You must just be thinking of away games". I get snark. But it got me thinking about two things: One, I might just start asking Brad stupid questions to get him to post blogs, and two, who was I as a Bengals fan.
Brad has painted me as some sort of uber-fan, so anxious for a productive and entertaining season that I believe that the city of Cincinnati will sell out preseason games, and I began to wonder 'Am I?'.
Decidedly, I am not 'That Guy' as Brad proposes. I'm far too pessimistic toward the Bengals for that. But my allegiance to the team has evolved over the years. In the fall of 2001, I was in the 8th grade and becoming more understanding that there was a world outside of the tiny bubble I called my life. At that time I was a scrawny little kid who's only experience in organized sports was baseball. And I wasn't even very good at that. So football was not my wheelhouse. I had friends at school who played, sure, but I could not have been on the field with them. I'd have gotten snapped in half. So I lived and breathed Reds. But around this time, I also became aware that you could be a fan of a sport without ever having played it. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I began to expand my horizons.
It would have been understandable at that time if I had chosen to root for a team other than the Bengals. They were mired in something worse that terrible. I don't think anyone would have faulted me for rooting for Denver, Green Bay, or San Francisco. These were some of the biggest teams at the time, and perennials every playoff season since the inception of the sport. But the draw of staying loyal to the hometown appealed to me. And there was some loudmouth rookie receiver from Oregon State who proclaimed that he wanted to be in Cincinnati, to turn the team around. It intrigued me. I got hooked on the stripes.
Over the next couple of years, as the Bengals shifted away from being the Bungals, I grew with them, in my understanding of the game. I began to understand subtle nuances to the game. I started to understand how and why certain teams run particular plays at various times and with different results. It was a learning process that I began to enjoy. I relished watching each week. And while each year often starts with hope now, there's always that underlying Bungaldom that remains a part of every person who has ever rooted for them...and I too, have acquired that trait. I understand that with great expectations, comes great let down.
So while I am excited for the beginning of a fresh new season for a Bengals team that seems to be headed in a more positive direction than any Bengals team since I've been a fan, I can't say that I'm overly excited for the preseason. Because as you'll remember, I won't be getting to sit on my couch with a bowl of chips, enjoying the game. I'll be at work, making sure the game hits the air properly for everyone else.
So, I foolishly asked a grizzled sports veteran if he thought a meaningless preseason game would be sold out. And I got what I deserved; a snarky answer. But all I wanted to know was how many people he thought were going to care about this year's edition of the Bengals as much or more than me...and if I was going to get to go home from work on time.
Showing posts with label Bengals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bengals. Show all posts
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Super Bowl Pros and Cons List
I have taken a, what's the word? Brea...? Hiat...? Sabbati..... Oh right, that's it. I got lazy. Yeah. I just couldn't find the right topic to get excited enough about to make time to sit down and slap down some stuff that a million other people didn't already beat to death (I'm looking at you, Manti Te'o). Plus, I'm doing this for my own amusement and the few people who take the time to look. But, since the match-ups are set, I thought I'd get into a little Super Bowl talk.
Now, even though the Bengals made the playoffs, I never hold out hope for them. And as evidenced by the interwebz, lots of people didn't get the teams they wanted in the Big Game, either. But honestly, unless you're a fan of one of the two teams, are you ever really happy with the teams that make it? Every team has an element of "that's a neat story, good for that guy" mixed with "boy I hate that player/team".
But if you want some reasons to root for or against each team specifically here are my top 3 reasons for each team, pro and con.
[Side note: I will be at the helm of Master Control at Local 12 the night of the Super Bowl, so I'll mostly be rooting for a long, long game so that the news starts late and I don't have to stay for the whole thing. My own selfish reasons, I guess. Unfortunately, I anticipate extra people to be lurking around all night, so I'll probably have to stay away from social media and stay on my game. You'd all like to see the Super Bowl and not a repeat of Homeworx or Andy Griffith right? Guess I better do my job.]
Now, even though the Bengals made the playoffs, I never hold out hope for them. And as evidenced by the interwebz, lots of people didn't get the teams they wanted in the Big Game, either. But honestly, unless you're a fan of one of the two teams, are you ever really happy with the teams that make it? Every team has an element of "that's a neat story, good for that guy" mixed with "boy I hate that player/team".
But if you want some reasons to root for or against each team specifically here are my top 3 reasons for each team, pro and con.
Ravens-Pros
| 49ers-Pros
|
Ravens-Cons
| 49ers-Cons
|
The obvious storylines will be there. The Harbaugh brothers coaching against one another. The 'love him/ hate him' situation surrounding Ray Lewis as he retires. But the one I think a lot of people will gloss over is possibly my favorite. As franchises (Just the Ravens, not a team that used to play in Baltimore under a different name) both teams are undefeated in Super Bowl play. RayRay's first Super Bowl win was also the Ravens only Super Bowl. Conversely, the Niners will appear in their 6th Super Bowl, tying Denver for 3rd on the list of Super Bowl appearances. San Fran has won all 5 previous match-ups (Although, admittedly, two of those were against the Bengals, soooooo...yeah). So, in two weeks, one team will be undefeated in Super Bowl play, and the other, will not be.
As I noted last night on Twitter, last season's playoff victory margins versus this year's break-down like this:
Wild Card
2011: 6, 17, 21, 22
2012: 6, 10, 14, 15
Divisional
2011: 4, 7, 17, 35
2012: 2, 3, 13, 14
Conference
2011: 3, 3
2012: 4, 15
Super Bowl
2011: 4
2012: ?
So as you can see, this playoff season, we've been treated to some tighter games than last year. And unless I lay down a 5 dollar bet with someone, I'm just gonna root for a good game.
Wild Card
2011: 6, 17, 21, 22
2012: 6, 10, 14, 15
Divisional
2011: 4, 7, 17, 35
2012: 2, 3, 13, 14
Conference
2011: 3, 3
2012: 4, 15
Super Bowl
2011: 4
2012: ?
So as you can see, this playoff season, we've been treated to some tighter games than last year. And unless I lay down a 5 dollar bet with someone, I'm just gonna root for a good game.
And on that note, I leave you with the Super Fans, to pick the winner of the Super Bowl...although their quip about 'the queers' might be a bit insensitive.
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Community returns: 18 days
Walking Dead returns: 20 days
...In case you're counting.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The Return From Hiatus
It's been a long time. How is everyone? Good. Good to hear. Now, since I've been away for a while, my pal Juice has de-followed my blog. So I'm going to try to reel him back in. Let's see how it goes.
Well, first, an over-view of the Big To-Do. It rained the day of the wedding, so the pictures were indoors. I barely ate all day. My bride was stunning. The food was good. The cake looked sweet as hell (cause I designed it myself). The music was jumpin'. I did a sweet move to go under her dress to get the garter. It was met with much acclaim. My friends started a hashtag on Twitter for our wedding (one friend live-tweeted it). It is physically impossible to have fun dancing with your friends and say hi to everyone at the same time. We got to the hotel and crashed. I felt like I hadn't sat down in hours. The next day was full of laundry and packing. We arrived at CVG at 5:30am Monday morning to hit our 7:00am flight. Down to Miami and onto our cruise ship and away we went. The next 5 days were spent eating, sleeping, and laying on beaches. Oh, and on Wednesday we got to watch E.T. on a huge screen. Back to Miami on Saturday morning. A full day of hanging out in airports. A quick stop-over in Chicago, and we were home by 11:30pm Saturday night. And the rest of the time has been spent getting adjusted to normal married life.
Time out! Just remembered. Tuesday in Nassau, I was offered cocaine. It was simultaneously the strangest and most cordial interaction I had the entire trip. As I walked the streets of Nassau to procure more sunscreen, i encountered a man leaning on a fence in front of a taxi stand near the Nassau Hilton. The exchange went a little something like this. And mind you, I never stopped walking.
Dealer: Hey, how's it going?
Me: Good.
Dealer: Hey, you want some blow?
Me: No thanks, I'm good.
Dealer: Ok. Have a nice day.
And that's it. He was the least pushy person on the entire island. So that was fun.
Sooooo, now that you're all caught up, let's do a quick sports round-up of teams that I care about (even if you don't care about them).
REDS- A month into the season, I suppose this is okay. .500 pretty much is the definition of okay. They definitely need to find a way to score more runs. Losing Madson hurt a lot, but I don't think it is totally crippling. Everything I like about Zack Cozart is pretty much everything I hate about Willie Harris. Cozart figures out a way to get on base, plays defense, and he has the one quality that I value a lot, he hustles. No matter what he does, Cozart hustles. Harris needs to figure out how to hustle somehow, or get shipped out when Cairo comes back. I still think this team has a lot of upside if it can get some run support for these pitchers. The bullpen, even without Madson has been stellar.
BENGALS- The draft has come and gone. A lot of pundits have suggested that the Bengals had the best draft of any team this year, and also possiby the best draft the team has ever had. Let me know when that means something. I'll say it was the best draft ever IF half the rookies play and contribute significantly and this team figures out how to win a playoff game. Theoretical championships based on draft grades are just that; theoretical. That being said, I do believe that they have the potential to do well. As it has been the past few years, I think the receiving corps will be dangerous if they stay healthy. I can't wait to see Shipley back. And if they're firing on all cylinders, I think this defensive front seven could be one of the most dangerous in the AFC, if not the entire NFL.
PREDATORS-I'm not a hockey fanatic. But since we don't have a hometown team, a few years back, I just picked one. When it came to picking a hockey team, I wanted one with a cool mascot. I thought the Sharks were the best, but I have a friend who already rooted for the Sharks and I didn't want to be that guy. Plus the Preds are in Nashville, so there's a legitimate chance I could take some time to go see a game there. Unfortunately, the Preds are down 3-1 in the best of seven series to the Coyotes and game five is heading back to Phoenix. It's still possible to come back, but Pekka Rinne is going to have to do a better job at keeping the Coyotes out of the net.
MAGIC- I'm a long-dormant Magic fan. I stopped caring about the NBA for a while. Plus its hard to root for a team that habitually loses in the first round of the playoffs...if they even make it. And I feel bad now backing Dwight Howard, because I didn't realize he was such a dick. But I've rooted for the Magic ever since I had an Orlando Starter jacket when I was eight. I was a big Shaq and Penny Hardaway fan. Plus it's cool cause they're basically as old as I am. And with their 2-point overtime loss to the Pacers, like the Preds, the Magic are trying to stave off elimination at 3-1. The Magic will also have to contend this game away from home court. And without Dwight because of his injury, I can't see them coming all the way back here. But a guy can hope.
PONIES-I'm not big on gambling, but I did get a chance to see the featured race from the Derby. The build-up for the Big Trot seems like the biggest anticipation followed by the most sadness in sports. At least if its the Super Bowl or the World Series, you get some regular season games first. And when its over, you assume that roughly half the people watching are happy.But for the Derby, you wait an entire year for this one race. If they all run, you get 20 ponies and 20 little men sitting astride each one.
The gun goes off. The gates open. And off they go. In the next 2 minutes, a lot of hopes, dreams, and money hangs in the balance. Sometimes your horse gets out well. Sometimes it falls back. Sometimes your horse closes after the final turn. Sometimes it runs out of gas. Hopefully no one spills their Thousand Dollar Mint Julep and no floppy hats blow away. And then, one horse hits the finish by a nose. And a small group of people are elated, throw their hats in the air, and become a little (or possibly a lot) richer. And a very large group of people is pissed off, throws their hats on the ground and walks away a lot poorer. And then, as if the whole thing had never happened, the anticipation begins to build for next year. It's an amazing phenomenon to watch. Especially when you're not betting.
PIGGIES- A different kind of racing went off today. Much like Opening Day, the Flying Pig Marathon is an institution in Cincinnati. My wife is a hardcore runner. I ran track in high school, but doing more than a lap was not my forte. She's been trying to get me to start running again. She has designs of making me a 5K runner. Maybe it'll work out. Mostly I just don't want to get fat. So I give in and run with her. She had issues with some fluid in her knee about two months ago. The doctor said she had to stop running for several weeks and it really threw off her training schedule. She was set to do the entire marathon, but said she'd need to decide when she got to the split-off point whether she'd do the full or the half. She just told me she finished in 2 hours and 33 minutes in the half marathon. I'm very proud of her. I'm always proud of her no matter how she finishes. The fact that she run that far is crazy to me. Maybe soon I'll be doing 5Ks. Maybe I'll just be jogging around the block. We'll see.
More to come, now that I'm back on my digital horse. Luckily, I don't have to wear silk or hit my computer with a riding crop to get something done.
Twitter bio profile of the day: @mjuszak
That's the link to my friend Marc Juszak. You probably wouldn't recognize Marc if you didn't already know him. But without him, you'd get a lot less sports information a day. Marc is one of the producers in the Local 12 sports department, and with Zach Wells, puts together the Sports Authority on Sundays after the 11pm News. Marc's dedication to his job can be seen every day. I can't recall a day in which I've walked into the Sports department that Marc wasn't writing, editing video, or searching for the biggest, most important local and national sports stories of the day.
Marc is an avid Xavier basketball fan. He'll root for the Reds. But sadly, the rest of his allegiances lie in Pittsburgh. He's the resident station Steelers fan, but is still able to be objective in his assessments of all NFL teams. The mark of a true professional. Marc also roots for the Penguins, and will defend Sidney Crosby to his death, even though Crosby is a dirty Canadian. While Marc admits he hasn't seen many movies that aren't comedies, I've attempted to help him broaden his horizons. But if you wanna know anything and everything about sports, Marc is you man. Definitely a quality follow.
Well, first, an over-view of the Big To-Do. It rained the day of the wedding, so the pictures were indoors. I barely ate all day. My bride was stunning. The food was good. The cake looked sweet as hell (cause I designed it myself). The music was jumpin'. I did a sweet move to go under her dress to get the garter. It was met with much acclaim. My friends started a hashtag on Twitter for our wedding (one friend live-tweeted it). It is physically impossible to have fun dancing with your friends and say hi to everyone at the same time. We got to the hotel and crashed. I felt like I hadn't sat down in hours. The next day was full of laundry and packing. We arrived at CVG at 5:30am Monday morning to hit our 7:00am flight. Down to Miami and onto our cruise ship and away we went. The next 5 days were spent eating, sleeping, and laying on beaches. Oh, and on Wednesday we got to watch E.T. on a huge screen. Back to Miami on Saturday morning. A full day of hanging out in airports. A quick stop-over in Chicago, and we were home by 11:30pm Saturday night. And the rest of the time has been spent getting adjusted to normal married life.
Time out! Just remembered. Tuesday in Nassau, I was offered cocaine. It was simultaneously the strangest and most cordial interaction I had the entire trip. As I walked the streets of Nassau to procure more sunscreen, i encountered a man leaning on a fence in front of a taxi stand near the Nassau Hilton. The exchange went a little something like this. And mind you, I never stopped walking.
Dealer: Hey, how's it going?
Me: Good.
Dealer: Hey, you want some blow?
Me: No thanks, I'm good.
Dealer: Ok. Have a nice day.
And that's it. He was the least pushy person on the entire island. So that was fun.
Sooooo, now that you're all caught up, let's do a quick sports round-up of teams that I care about (even if you don't care about them).
REDS- A month into the season, I suppose this is okay. .500 pretty much is the definition of okay. They definitely need to find a way to score more runs. Losing Madson hurt a lot, but I don't think it is totally crippling. Everything I like about Zack Cozart is pretty much everything I hate about Willie Harris. Cozart figures out a way to get on base, plays defense, and he has the one quality that I value a lot, he hustles. No matter what he does, Cozart hustles. Harris needs to figure out how to hustle somehow, or get shipped out when Cairo comes back. I still think this team has a lot of upside if it can get some run support for these pitchers. The bullpen, even without Madson has been stellar.
BENGALS- The draft has come and gone. A lot of pundits have suggested that the Bengals had the best draft of any team this year, and also possiby the best draft the team has ever had. Let me know when that means something. I'll say it was the best draft ever IF half the rookies play and contribute significantly and this team figures out how to win a playoff game. Theoretical championships based on draft grades are just that; theoretical. That being said, I do believe that they have the potential to do well. As it has been the past few years, I think the receiving corps will be dangerous if they stay healthy. I can't wait to see Shipley back. And if they're firing on all cylinders, I think this defensive front seven could be one of the most dangerous in the AFC, if not the entire NFL.
PREDATORS-I'm not a hockey fanatic. But since we don't have a hometown team, a few years back, I just picked one. When it came to picking a hockey team, I wanted one with a cool mascot. I thought the Sharks were the best, but I have a friend who already rooted for the Sharks and I didn't want to be that guy. Plus the Preds are in Nashville, so there's a legitimate chance I could take some time to go see a game there. Unfortunately, the Preds are down 3-1 in the best of seven series to the Coyotes and game five is heading back to Phoenix. It's still possible to come back, but Pekka Rinne is going to have to do a better job at keeping the Coyotes out of the net.
MAGIC- I'm a long-dormant Magic fan. I stopped caring about the NBA for a while. Plus its hard to root for a team that habitually loses in the first round of the playoffs...if they even make it. And I feel bad now backing Dwight Howard, because I didn't realize he was such a dick. But I've rooted for the Magic ever since I had an Orlando Starter jacket when I was eight. I was a big Shaq and Penny Hardaway fan. Plus it's cool cause they're basically as old as I am. And with their 2-point overtime loss to the Pacers, like the Preds, the Magic are trying to stave off elimination at 3-1. The Magic will also have to contend this game away from home court. And without Dwight because of his injury, I can't see them coming all the way back here. But a guy can hope.
PONIES-I'm not big on gambling, but I did get a chance to see the featured race from the Derby. The build-up for the Big Trot seems like the biggest anticipation followed by the most sadness in sports. At least if its the Super Bowl or the World Series, you get some regular season games first. And when its over, you assume that roughly half the people watching are happy.But for the Derby, you wait an entire year for this one race. If they all run, you get 20 ponies and 20 little men sitting astride each one.
The gun goes off. The gates open. And off they go. In the next 2 minutes, a lot of hopes, dreams, and money hangs in the balance. Sometimes your horse gets out well. Sometimes it falls back. Sometimes your horse closes after the final turn. Sometimes it runs out of gas. Hopefully no one spills their Thousand Dollar Mint Julep and no floppy hats blow away. And then, one horse hits the finish by a nose. And a small group of people are elated, throw their hats in the air, and become a little (or possibly a lot) richer. And a very large group of people is pissed off, throws their hats on the ground and walks away a lot poorer. And then, as if the whole thing had never happened, the anticipation begins to build for next year. It's an amazing phenomenon to watch. Especially when you're not betting.
PIGGIES- A different kind of racing went off today. Much like Opening Day, the Flying Pig Marathon is an institution in Cincinnati. My wife is a hardcore runner. I ran track in high school, but doing more than a lap was not my forte. She's been trying to get me to start running again. She has designs of making me a 5K runner. Maybe it'll work out. Mostly I just don't want to get fat. So I give in and run with her. She had issues with some fluid in her knee about two months ago. The doctor said she had to stop running for several weeks and it really threw off her training schedule. She was set to do the entire marathon, but said she'd need to decide when she got to the split-off point whether she'd do the full or the half. She just told me she finished in 2 hours and 33 minutes in the half marathon. I'm very proud of her. I'm always proud of her no matter how she finishes. The fact that she run that far is crazy to me. Maybe soon I'll be doing 5Ks. Maybe I'll just be jogging around the block. We'll see.
More to come, now that I'm back on my digital horse. Luckily, I don't have to wear silk or hit my computer with a riding crop to get something done.
Twitter bio profile of the day: @mjuszak
That's the link to my friend Marc Juszak. You probably wouldn't recognize Marc if you didn't already know him. But without him, you'd get a lot less sports information a day. Marc is one of the producers in the Local 12 sports department, and with Zach Wells, puts together the Sports Authority on Sundays after the 11pm News. Marc's dedication to his job can be seen every day. I can't recall a day in which I've walked into the Sports department that Marc wasn't writing, editing video, or searching for the biggest, most important local and national sports stories of the day.
Marc is an avid Xavier basketball fan. He'll root for the Reds. But sadly, the rest of his allegiances lie in Pittsburgh. He's the resident station Steelers fan, but is still able to be objective in his assessments of all NFL teams. The mark of a true professional. Marc also roots for the Penguins, and will defend Sidney Crosby to his death, even though Crosby is a dirty Canadian. While Marc admits he hasn't seen many movies that aren't comedies, I've attempted to help him broaden his horizons. But if you wanna know anything and everything about sports, Marc is you man. Definitely a quality follow.
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