A Day For a Miracle

When only a miracle would do

We spent all of Thursday afternoon on power-glide, didn’t we? Miracles have that effect on people. If you don’t believe what has occurred in the last 24 hours to be a miracle, you haven’t been paying attention.

In that beautiful and soul-filling press conference yesterday afternoon, two doctors gave voice to the miracle. “You won the game of life,’’ Dr. Timothy Pritts recounted telling Damar Hamlin earlier in the day. Hamlin’s first thought upon regaining consciousness was, “Did we win?’’

Hamlin won. We all won. The EMTs at Paycor, the medical staffs of the Bills and Bengals, the doctors at UC Medical Center, the fans standing vigil. The coaches and players. The human spirit, invincible. Big W. The biggest.

Now more than ever, we need to know that we can do good and be good. It’s a soul-testing time to be alive in the world. We need desperately to be reminded of who we can be, of who we are called to be, when our best selves are all that are required.

Damar Hamlin’s injury and our response to it awakened something within us. It’s vital we remember that, hold it and keep it.

Hamlin nearly died Monday night. In fact, technically he did die, in those horrible moments when his heart ceased. For two wrenching days, Hamlin remained on the brink. Then on Friday, he came back. He came back.

Hamlin is moving his hands and feet. His heart is good, his brain is intact. “All the cylinders are firing in his brain,’’ one of the UC doctors said Thursday. No one can say for certain how complete his recovery will be. The fact that Damar Hamlin will recover is blessing enough for now, and evidence of, of. . . something.

The great and immediate care he received, obviously. The expert attention he got at the hospital. And maybe, just maybe, an expertise of a different sort that can’t be seen or felt or proven.

Hamlin, by all accounts, is an exemplary guy. A giver. A young man with his head on straight who remembers where he came from and lets it guide his actions. “He has always wanted to give back,’’ Hamlin’s teammate Dane Jackson said Thursday. “He has always wanted to help. He’s always looking for the next opportunity to be a light for someone who wants to be in our position.’’

His GoFundMe is approaching $8 million. A lot of kids will be getting a lot of toys for a long time.

If you believe there is a power greater than us, you have to think that mystical force has decided Hamlin’s job on Earth is not yet complete. The world isn’t finished with him yet.

Rock on, Damar. You, too, world. Spiritual uplift runs rampant today. Long may it run.

Now, then. . .

IN TRIVIAL NEWS. . . The NFL will decide today how its playoffs will look. It’s kinda complicated, certainly way more complicated than my brain can handle at 8 in the morning. But here, via CBS Sports, is something that stands out for us around here:

The NFL is also giving the Ravens a chance to possibly host a wild-card game even though Baltimore can't mathematically win the AFC North. Even if the Ravens win on Sunday against the Bengals, that would put them at 11-6, which would still be a half game behind the Cincinnati, who would finish 11-5 with a loss. 

Under that scenario, the Ravens wouldn't win the division even though they swept the Bengals AND had a better division record. To fix that problem, the proposal on the table is that the NFL will flip a coin to see who hosts a Ravens-Bengals wild-card game if: 

1. The Ravens beat the Bengals on Sunday, and ...
2. If the two teams are scheduled to play each other in the wild-card round. 

Wait. Flip a coin?

FLIP A COIN?

Men, you’ve been at this every day since mid-July. You’ve sweat, you’ve frozen. You’ve ached. Some of you have all but fallen apart in service to your sport. As a reward for your efforts, we here on Park Avenue have decided to put your postseason fates in the hands of a coin-flipper. Thanks for understanding.

Surely, football’s smartest, shrewd-est minds can do better than that.

How ‘bout a dance-off? Musical chairs would be good.

Rock-paper-scissors, Frisbee golf, lawn darts, a rousing game of Parcheesi.

You laugh. I laugh. But any of those solutions are just as good as — and certainly more entertaining than — a coin flip. Hopefully the Men make it moot Sunday by beating the Ravens.

AND NOW. . .

Hey Michelle! makes your weekend better than your wildest dreams.

Anastasia ~ if you love a good fairytale this is for you! The stage sets were really stunning and the voices were beautiful! Go escape and enjoy this wonderful performance going on now thru Jan. 15 at The Aronoff (they are having a donation collection for the local organization Kenzie’s Closet so bring some costume jewelry and help make a girls Prom night amazing :) 

Cyclones ~ Saturday 7:30 Throwback Night bring a gently loved stuffed animal to throw after the first goal. $2 hotdogs, soda & beer 

Moerlein Lager House and Everything Cincy Pre Game ~ Sunday 10-1 get pumped for the Bengals vs. Ravens game with a live DJ, Fowling, 360 digital photo booth, face painting , Corn hole and more! 

Get Moving with a 3 mile hike at Gorman Heritage Farm ~ 10020 Reading Rd. Sat 10-12. This is a fun way to get fresh air and get your body moving!  Beginner-Moderate, No pets. 

American Sign Museum ~ Winter is the perfect time to visit hidden gems in Cincy and this museum is def one of them! The history behind these awesome signs from all over is so cool and you’ll for sure find one or 10 that you’ll want to take a picture in front of! 

Fifty West Brewpub is Re Opening ~ We’ve all been waiting and here it is… This weekend the Brewpub is opening with Jackson Rouse in the kitchen! I’m so excited to check it out... See you there ;) 7605 Wooster Pike 

Do you want to know where to eat, drink and have fun in Cincinnati? Check out my page  
https://heymichelle-help.com

IMBIBER DAVE GETS STEAK-ED

Finally got to mark a long-awaited to do off my list this week. Losanti is a very unique steakhouse, which took over inside a familiar former restaurant location in OTR, and was absolutely worth the wait.

I was particularly excited to face a menu where they don’t tell you exactly what steaks will be on the menu, or exactly what size those cuts will be until their day of grilling. I anticipated a sushi like experience, and this place even further exceeded my expectations.

Once faced with the choice, it was super cool to hear about the different sizes of filet, strip, and ribeye that had been cut that day. I of course went with the ribeye and was absolutely pleased with both the marbling and the charred flavor of the meat.

The Losanti Old Fashioned was delightful. They use brown sugar, and I’m very into that. With my super silly steak we enjoyed way too much Mac n cheese, potatoes, Brussels, and asparagus. Basically, imbibing level 11.

The wine list was awesome too, and our bottle of Syrah Grenache helped to wash down every bite.

You know you had an awesome night, when you finish your evening with a few sips of a Truth IPA in your friend’s hotel lobby, discussing the insane meal you just finished.

Cheers!
cincybeerguydave@gmail.com

TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . This one is about a car, not a person, but the title is apt and I really like the tune.