Bruised Men Beat Bloodied 'Fins
It takes a limping man to play on Thursday night
“These Thursday night games, you get used to just doing the best you can." — Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel
That’s the essence of TNF. Gather your brains and your bones, get out there and put on a show. Here’s a fact: Most players hate playing on Thursday.
By Thursday, they’re just starting to feel human again after the previous Sunday. They’re only a couple ibuprophens from not aching somewhere. Tonight is a classic example. Bengals-Dolphins, a couple clubs trying to outlast their own bruises.
The Dolphins, especially. Without the word “questionable,’’ they wouldn’t have had an injury report this week. Most of the Questionables will play: Tua, burner wideout Jaylen Waddle, left tackle Terron Armstead. Corner Xavien Howard might not.
If the NF of L really cared about its players, it would ditch Thursday nights. I know, I know, the players aren’t turning down the cash an extra prime time game brings. But sometimes you have to pretend they’re your children and act in their best interests. Their best interests are not best served by playing full-contact collision-ball twice in five days.
All that said, the Men will win this game, in part because they’re not as exhausted and pulpy as Miami is. The ‘Fins spent much emotional gas beating the Bills last week, but that’s nothing compared with the petrol their defense burned by being on the field for 90 snaps in the 90-degree sauna that is Miami.
The Dolphins also had to vacate Florida to avoid Ian. Their houses didn’t have that luxury. Those with families had to worry about that, too.
In short, the visitors should be in no shape to be winning at PayJoe tonight.
The Men, meanwhile, showed life Sunday. I wouldn’t get too fired up about that, though. The Jets might be better this year (not hard) but they still had Flacco last week. Miami has a couple pass rushers (Ogbah and Ingram) who combined for 12 pressures and two sacks of Josh Allen Sunday. If Tagovailoa’s body makes it through four quarters, he’ll be somewhat more successful than the Munsters (Trubisky, Rush, Flacco) the Bengals have faced so far. And he has better receivers.
Not better enough, though. Not on a Thursday.
Men 27, Fish 20.
Now, then. . .
MOMENTARILY, we will re-introduce two stars from the TML 1.0 firmament, who will expertly instruct you on what to drink responsibly this weekend, and where to go while doing so. Welcoming back Imbiber Dave and Hey Michelle! to the lineup is like getting a 20-game winner off the IL as the playoffs start.
First, a rant.
THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW against anyone at the gym who sits on a machine and plays with their cell phone. At the gym where I work out, there is a particular ab machine I like. It’s the only one of its kind in the place. Two days ago, I stood for — count ‘em — 10 minutes, while one backwards ballcap-wearing guy somehow squeezed in three sets in between reading a novel’s worth of text messages.
Just stop.
There are other atrocities committed routinely at the gym — guys wearing wife beaters, guys toting two-gallon jugs filled with muscle-building crap, guys grunting while lifting. As if they’re, you know, really strong.
Cell Phone Man is the worst.
Put your phone away, do your workout, don’t be a selfish ass. Thank you.
AS FOR THE LOCAL PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PARTICIPANTS. . . Some website, Yahoo! maybe did a story on which bad teams are currently doing the best jobs rebuilding, ie teams that were most adept at dealing major-leaguers for 19-year-olds who sleep in the luggage racks of Greyhound buses while traveling from Huntington, WV, to Johnson City, TN.
The Reds ranked 3rd, behind Baltimore and AZ, and ahead of the Pirates and Cubs. At least they’re (fairly) good at something:
The Reds partially redeemed a depressing offseason with a strong run of moves this summer. Their savvy trade deadline sale added valuable top-100 middle infield prospects Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo to the burgeoning potential superstar Elly De La Cruz and polished college bat Matt McLain. Up in the big leagues, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft look like solid long-term rotation arms. Former top draft pick Hunter Greene has taken his lumps, and needs to find a way to cut down on homers, but the abundant strikeouts signal a pitcher with serious potential.
Burgeoning potential superstar. What does that mean, exactly?
STICK TO SPORTS. Something I don’t understand. Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis rounds up immigrants in Texas and ships them to Massachusetts. Meantime, his own state is booming with construction and service industries that are begging for workers. We don’t think a few of the political pawns shipped to Martha’s Vineyard could qualify as day laborers on construction sites or dishwashers in restaurants?
A question I ask anyone who decries the influx of immigrants:
Ever been to DisneyWorld? There are approximately 36,000 hotel rooms there. That means, oh, 60,000 beds. Whom do you think makes those beds, cleans those rooms, works in the kitchens, on the grounds crews etc etc etc?
A certain MLB owner has lamented the shortage of field workers needed to pick his produce. And so on. These “unskilled’’ workers do jobs that Americans won’t or don’t have to do.
Our immigration system is a mess. We can all agree on that. Immigrants wishing permanent residence in the US should take the proper steps. We all agree on that. Seasonal workers should be documented and pay taxes.
But we need these people. They perform a service that benefits all of us. They deserve not to be treated like cattle. Until folks like DeSantis get up at 4 in the morning and start picking tomatoes, maybe those folks should act maturely and address responsibly an issue that affects us all.
AND NOW. . . When I decided to bring back TML, the first folks I contacted were Dave Bailey and Michelle Jones. The full-service blog needs something to take the edge off. Imbiber Dave has been recommending libations in This Space for, I dunno, five years at least. Hey Michelle! came on board early this year. Please, welcome them back to the TML stage.
IMBIBER DAVE BIDS YOU WELCOME.
Welcome back sports fans! It’s always nice to have a break, but no one asked for the apparent permanent hiatus that our gracious host announced earlier this year. Now Doc is back, and he’s assured me, TML will continue being published until he resembles the crypt keeper. Amen. (Wipes tear from digital page)
Now for our new readers, what do we do in this silly annex near the end of the Thursday TML? What started years ago as a beer-focused blog written by my much more intelligent, slightly less good looking friend, has been expanded to speak more generally to all things imbibing.
You may have heard the word imbibe being used in the context of consuming a drink, and it’s typical to see it written in terms of “overdoing it.” But, it can also mean to receive into the mind or to assimilate. So as I began the scope creep a couple years ago (one can only drink so many pumpkin beers), I started calling out delicious cocktails, wine, or even meals that I was lucky enough to have while traveling.
When that become a not thing during that thing that no one wants to talk about, I expanded further to focus on hobbies like golf, and other more simplistic topics, like my top 5 hikes to complete during Week 100 of pre-Armageddon.
Thankfully, I travel a bit again, and I may even be more attune to my surroundings, so we have a shot at sharing the occasional interesting factoid.
I love this city, and although I live in Northern Kentucky, we spend a lot of time all over Cincy, so please hit me up if you know of a must do item.
At the risk of overusing ink on my first day back, you know I can’t leave you hanging. Have you tried one of these boozy shakes yet? I don’t care if society-level depression is the creator of these 3,000 calorie juggernauts, they are a national hero and should be regarded as such. Check out the delicious Bellevue taco shop called Nomad. Truly nothing washes down a spicy margarita and fish taco better than a cookies and cream milkshake loaded with a few shots of vodka. Cheers!
HEY MICHELLE! KEEPS YOU ENTERTAINED on a Bengal-less weekend.
Hyde Park Art Show~ Sunday 10-5. The largest one-day art show in Cincy with over 207 exhibitors will line the streets of Hyde Park Square and if you’ve never been it has some really beautiful artists of all kinds.
A World War II ship is here for you to tour ~ Now thru Oct 3rd check out this 328-foot landing ship that is parked at Sawyer Point. Visitors can walk around the ship and learn the history of what took place like rescuing 600 soldiers out of the North Sea. Tickets (discounts for military) Public Landing 435 E Mehring Way
JazzFest at Owls Nest Park in East Walnut Hills ~ Mambo Combo will be playing and the fun goes on from 2-6 Saturday. Bring your chairs for the music! There will also food trucks, children’s games and more.
Sunflower Festival ~ Oct 1st and 2nd 10-6 at Gorman Heritage Farm on Reading Rd. Grab your tickets and enjoy live music, hayrides, pumpkins, vendors, food trucks, farm animals and more Family friendly event!
Oktoberfest Vintage & Handmade Market~ Six Ways Markets is hosting this event with over 35 vendors Saturday & Sunday 12-7 at Woodburn Brewery. Enjoy music, beer, German sausages and more.
McNick High School Rocketoberfest~ Saturday Oct 1st 5-11 party on with a Beerfest, food, live music, raffles and a bourbon tasting event. Ticketed event
Wyoming Fall Festival ~ This 39th year celebration will have over 80 artists, crafters, vendors and more. Saturday 10-5
AS ALWAYS, please SHARE the blog. Tell everyone you know, and everyone you don’t. And e-mail me with any suggestions for making it better: pdoc53@gmail.com
TUNE O’ THE DAY. A very good tune from the Stones’ most overlooked and underappreciated album. Goats Head Soup rocks.
I hope your prediction holds for the Men this evening. I see a lot of the '21 Bengals in the Dolphins. This may be a week where they are hobbled, as you suggested. But what I've seen of both teams this year makes it hard for me not to pick Miami - 31-28.
Politicians from both parties know two things: Our economy benefits from the availability of migrant workers and our Immigration system has needed a thorough overhaul for decades. But rather than acting like adults and getting to work on it, they continue playing to their respective Bases because that's where the campaign funds and Primary votes come from. Someone come wake me up when that changes.
Doc, DeSantis action to send 50 illegals to Martha’s Vineyard was symbolic and trying to re-Inforce the double speak coming from the Dems who say they welcome illegals but only if NIMBY. I live in FL and can tell you we have LOTS of immigrants … many of which are legal but many others not. Your comments could be taken to think that FL should welcome all 2MM illegals that have crossed since Brandon opened the flood gates? I prefer your sports logic, wit and wisdom. I’ll defer from responding to your future political posts. Congrats to Issac and Willie on their well deserved recognition tonight in Bengals lore. Hoping The Men will put a cherry on the evening!