Well done Hemingway, Joe. I have more faith in this Bengals team than I expected. Anything can happen and I am a superstitious soul. Don't want to jinx anything.
Love that your soccer ball kid is on board for Who Dey! Those moments are precious.
The difference between The Men and the Ravens is two players: Burrow and Chase. The Ravens don’t have players like them. I’m more interested in where Lamar Jackson ends up next year. If I were Miami or Vegas , I might make a run to sign him. He’s not coming back to Baltimore
Very nice. I think you speak for many of us who just can't believe what we're seeing! Winning. Period. Why is it so hard to get used to? The Bengals are good, whether or not they win any particular game. This is a good team, they are entertaining to watch. I just can't get USED to it ...
Well done Joe - especially on the "Dad" front. I am especially fond of your finish: "Go Bengals!" Perfect. IMO much better than the other chant, ok fine, I'll write it here - "Who Dey" I'm stikcing with Go Bengals!
I’ve lived in Cincy for 12 years. In that span the Banks have gone from dirt to entertainment center, FCC is the third major sports team, the economy is much better, population has grown, and Mike Brown finally got outta the way and the Bengals are legit. As you said, these are the good old days. Nice job today.
"Numbers are a tool to make good decisions. They are not the arbiter of truth." ~ Terrific line, as has already been mentioned.
And the story about your boy and the soccer ball Maya Angelou'd me - missed my brain and went straight to my heart. My eyes are a little cloudy.
I grew up on Reds baseball, Bengals football and played year-around soccer my whole childhood. My son loves baseball, soccer & football a ton (played the former 2 for a few years). But now he has joined his big sister on the high school show choir stage, and he plays trumpet in our high school marching band, which happens to be one of the best in the state. These are not pursuits I thought I'd ever watch my kids do in a million years when they were born - but I love every single moment of it!
Anyway, here's a #whodey for a win on "the pitch" this weekend!
Great read. Right there with you on those thoughts. The small market curse. As far as baseball, it's always going to be my favorite sport, but I fear for its future. In an increasingly fast world, where everyone wants to be the Hare, baseball is the Tortoise, and I'm not optimistic it wins that race. Your story about your son matches with my only son. Too many other things to do. Ah well. I still love the guy! And baseball. Go Bengals!!!
"These are the Good Old Days. We are in them right now, and I never thought we’d live to see it." Having grown up in the Good Old Days 1.0 and then gone through the Lost Decade, I definitely can appreciate this point of view. I guess it's because I'm older now and have seen how small the window of opportunity usually is for most teams in any sport. This time 'round in the Good Old Days 2.0 I am pretty much content with the fact that my NFL team is once again relevant and appreciate the exposure and love that the Bengals are getting outside of the Midwest. I'm hopeful that future successes as well as the future big contracts and egos won't get in the way of the team flourishing for at least another 3-4 years.
It is more than just the Bengals being about woulda, coulda, shoulda. It is Cincinnati being the proverbial Linus with Lucy always pulling the football.
The Bengals led the Rams with 4th down and a minute to go last year, but as a Cincinnati sports fan I never felt that they were going to win. The Reds led the Giants 2-0 in the NL Playoffs with three home games coming to win one, but I never felt good. The USL version of FC Cincinnati led the MLS NY Red Bulls 2-0 with 20 minutes to play in the Lamar Hunt Cup, but it seemed illusory.
Those are specific moments on top of the bad breaks we all bemoan like Kenyon's leg and Andy Dalton's thumb that affected playoff runs.
As long as Joe Burrow is healthy, I feel like the Bengals have a chance in any game.
I have one child. A 12-year-old daughter. She played soccer one year and hated it. She will watch the Bengals and Reds, but she's not that into sports. She's into music and artistic pursuits, and I love it, because I am a music fiend. I remember when we knew we were going to have a baby, but didn't know the gender, and my wife asked me if I wanted a boy. I said, "As long as the baby is healthy, I don't care." I meant it then and I mean it now. My little girl has been such a joy to me and I love her more every day. So, Joe, Hope is cool. Just like you said!
This description of tredpidation is exactly how I feel as a 51 YO Bengals fan. I was at the Super Bowl when Tim Krumrie broke his leg and John Taylor broke my heart. I suffered through all the stupid games against the Steelers and the dumb things the Men did to lose games.
There is a small nag in the back of my head, but I have faith that these are new Men. They are not Burfect or Adam Jones. They do smart things to win games -- the defense gets late game turnovers, Perrine puts his head down and gets the first down.
And we have Joe. No one else has Joe. Joe might not win every game but I know he CAN win every game.
Well done Hemingway, Joe. I have more faith in this Bengals team than I expected. Anything can happen and I am a superstitious soul. Don't want to jinx anything.
Love that your soccer ball kid is on board for Who Dey! Those moments are precious.
The difference between The Men and the Ravens is two players: Burrow and Chase. The Ravens don’t have players like them. I’m more interested in where Lamar Jackson ends up next year. If I were Miami or Vegas , I might make a run to sign him. He’s not coming back to Baltimore
Many people are not up to the task when they have the opportunity to fill in for a legend. Joe is not one of them. Well done.
Very nice. I think you speak for many of us who just can't believe what we're seeing! Winning. Period. Why is it so hard to get used to? The Bengals are good, whether or not they win any particular game. This is a good team, they are entertaining to watch. I just can't get USED to it ...
Well done Joe - especially on the "Dad" front. I am especially fond of your finish: "Go Bengals!" Perfect. IMO much better than the other chant, ok fine, I'll write it here - "Who Dey" I'm stikcing with Go Bengals!
Doc, two comments from today's piece ...
1.) Win it comes to the Reds they are the MLB leader (or near the top) in WAR ... WINNING AINT REALISTIC.
2.) You borrowed the line from Andy Dufresne in my favorite movie of all-time ... https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3846058810?pwd=OW1DSklPQWtZTm1nTDNnSmRzMXJmdz09
Master Mobster Joe George Bernard Shaw. Well done.
I’ve lived in Cincy for 12 years. In that span the Banks have gone from dirt to entertainment center, FCC is the third major sports team, the economy is much better, population has grown, and Mike Brown finally got outta the way and the Bengals are legit. As you said, these are the good old days. Nice job today.
"Numbers are a tool to make good decisions. They are not the arbiter of truth." ~ Terrific line, as has already been mentioned.
And the story about your boy and the soccer ball Maya Angelou'd me - missed my brain and went straight to my heart. My eyes are a little cloudy.
I grew up on Reds baseball, Bengals football and played year-around soccer my whole childhood. My son loves baseball, soccer & football a ton (played the former 2 for a few years). But now he has joined his big sister on the high school show choir stage, and he plays trumpet in our high school marching band, which happens to be one of the best in the state. These are not pursuits I thought I'd ever watch my kids do in a million years when they were born - but I love every single moment of it!
Anyway, here's a #whodey for a win on "the pitch" this weekend!
Great Job, Mobster Joe!!!!
Great read. Right there with you on those thoughts. The small market curse. As far as baseball, it's always going to be my favorite sport, but I fear for its future. In an increasingly fast world, where everyone wants to be the Hare, baseball is the Tortoise, and I'm not optimistic it wins that race. Your story about your son matches with my only son. Too many other things to do. Ah well. I still love the guy! And baseball. Go Bengals!!!
"These are the Good Old Days. We are in them right now, and I never thought we’d live to see it." Having grown up in the Good Old Days 1.0 and then gone through the Lost Decade, I definitely can appreciate this point of view. I guess it's because I'm older now and have seen how small the window of opportunity usually is for most teams in any sport. This time 'round in the Good Old Days 2.0 I am pretty much content with the fact that my NFL team is once again relevant and appreciate the exposure and love that the Bengals are getting outside of the Midwest. I'm hopeful that future successes as well as the future big contracts and egos won't get in the way of the team flourishing for at least another 3-4 years.
It is more than just the Bengals being about woulda, coulda, shoulda. It is Cincinnati being the proverbial Linus with Lucy always pulling the football.
The Bengals led the Rams with 4th down and a minute to go last year, but as a Cincinnati sports fan I never felt that they were going to win. The Reds led the Giants 2-0 in the NL Playoffs with three home games coming to win one, but I never felt good. The USL version of FC Cincinnati led the MLS NY Red Bulls 2-0 with 20 minutes to play in the Lamar Hunt Cup, but it seemed illusory.
Those are specific moments on top of the bad breaks we all bemoan like Kenyon's leg and Andy Dalton's thumb that affected playoff runs.
Well done, Joe!
As long as Joe Burrow is healthy, I feel like the Bengals have a chance in any game.
I have one child. A 12-year-old daughter. She played soccer one year and hated it. She will watch the Bengals and Reds, but she's not that into sports. She's into music and artistic pursuits, and I love it, because I am a music fiend. I remember when we knew we were going to have a baby, but didn't know the gender, and my wife asked me if I wanted a boy. I said, "As long as the baby is healthy, I don't care." I meant it then and I mean it now. My little girl has been such a joy to me and I love her more every day. So, Joe, Hope is cool. Just like you said!
This description of tredpidation is exactly how I feel as a 51 YO Bengals fan. I was at the Super Bowl when Tim Krumrie broke his leg and John Taylor broke my heart. I suffered through all the stupid games against the Steelers and the dumb things the Men did to lose games.
There is a small nag in the back of my head, but I have faith that these are new Men. They are not Burfect or Adam Jones. They do smart things to win games -- the defense gets late game turnovers, Perrine puts his head down and gets the first down.
And we have Joe. No one else has Joe. Joe might not win every game but I know he CAN win every game.
Believe in Joe.
"Numbers are a tool to make good decisions. They are not the arbiter of truth." Great line.
Best Hemingway so far, IMO.