SPORTS: Daugherty calls out Mike Brown

Who can save the Bengals?

The media...

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081102/COL03/811020446

Paul Daugherty is using his power to hopefully light a fire under Mike Brown. Someone needs to get to him and explain that the Bengals fans would love a winning team, that he should hire a GM and expand the scouting staff so that we don't waste six years of first round picks (the last successful pick was Carson...Rivers is still a question mark).

You'd be amazed by how many costumes in Athens were Bengals fans with bags over their faces.

SPORTS: The boldest prediction of them all

BOLD PREDICTION:

The Tennessee Titans will remain undefeated this weekend, as they square off against the Colts. Indy just hasn't been the same this year. It's just what happens in the NFL, the balance of power/talent shifts. The Colts are now stepping down from their AFC South thrown, and Tennessee is ready to reclaim the division and possibly get that covenant Super Bowl trophy. Too bad Eddie George is retired; I loved the Titans in the McNair-George days... they did come one yard away from winning the Super Bowl.



BOLDER PREDICTION:

The Bengals will WIN this weekend. They are playing a 2-4 Texans team that is pretty bad on defense. I expect, what now is unexpected, that the Bengals' offense will actual click and make big plays. Hopefully the defense can make huge stands, or at least one stand to allow our offense to take over. Hint: Lets not give the ball to Perry who, for the past couple of years has suffered from various injuries and fumble-itus.


THE BOLDEST PREDICTION OF THEM ALL:

The Bengals will, in the next three weeks, not lose a game..
Oh yeah, Rivers is out, Palmer is out, Jacksonville is after Houston... and we have a bye week 10.

I like my odds.

SPORTS: Sportscenter will have plenty to talk about today

-RYDER CUP-

After nine years, the United States has finally won back the Ryder Cup from the Europeans. For those that don't know, the Ryder Cup is a golf tournament set up as a Europe vs. U.S. match. It is played every two years*, and the U.S.'s last win was in 1999.

As a young golfer, I never saw the United States win. I have great pride in my country, especially in events such as the Olympics, Ryder Cup, etc. I am ecstatic to see the United States take its claim as best in the world again.

The United States team managed to pull off the victory without the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods. Woods has been out with an injured knee that he suffered while winning the U.S. Open. 

Going into the tournament I gave the Tiger-less United States a slim chance to win. However, they managed a convincing victory over Europe 16.5 to 11.5 improving their overall Ryder Cup record to 25-10-2.

*the 2001 Ryder Cup was delayed due to the 9/11 attacks

-YANKEES-

The boys in pinstripes won't be playing in October this year, and today's game against the Baltimore Orioles marks the final game ever to be played in Yankee Stadium. 

Media outlets across the U.S. have been providing viewers with packages showing 85 years' worth of memories. Clips of DiMaggio, Ruth, Jeter and Mantle. Memories of rock concerts, the pope and boxing matches. The clip of the first NFL game to go into overtime that was played in Yankee Stadium. Clips of fans trying to find their normal life again after the 9/11 attacks. 

The House that Ruth built will be torn down, along with its memories. The greats will live on. The clips will remain in storage. The fans will reflect on all the games. When its all said and done, come next spring the Yankees will be playing in a new state of the art stadium, attempting to match the accomplishments held in the old Yankee Stadium.

-The Bengals-

Yes, the Bengals lost yet again. They made it to overtime, but with what appeared to be a lack of urgency the offense ran two runs and an incomplete pass. It appears nothing can go right for this team now, even though the offense was repeatedly called the "old Bengals offense we're used to" by the announcers. 

I hope we can manage a ten game win streak, or pull of a miracle playoff birth. I'm not going to maintain my expectations for the season because I can't afford to be continually let down. Maybe we should just hope for the first draft pick, and scream 'Who Dey!' next year. 

SPORTS: Who dey...? Power of sports press

CINCINNATI

Cincinnati is terrible. Even the press thinks so. 

I know its week 2, I know it was windy today, and I know I should be patient. I also know the Cincinnati Bengals are terrible.

The one prayer they had was the offense, and its simply not there. The once explosive Palmer looks like he is playing to stay alive, the WR core doesn't scare defenses and the line isn't much of one. Once the offense fails, our defense stands no chance. They have been consistently bad, and there seems to be little hope for the year.

Since I am already considering selling my Bengals gear on eBay and just wait until February to watch football again, I figure I should focus on something I still have faith in. The media.

Thursday Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati Enquirer columnist wrote of the downward spiraling Bengals. He noted that he hasn't seen fans enraged this much in twenty years and that the enraged fans are now simply throwing in the towel.

As a future journalist, I'm glad to see people reading and responding to such articles. Not everyone will agree with Daugherty, but his valid points open many eyes. He opened the discussion to fans, and got an interesting assortment of opinions. 

"The Bengals will be what we've been the last 20 years as long as the Brown family owns them. All that's left to do is pull myself away from the TV and...go outside and enjoy the fall."

"We've been a national punch-line for the bulk of my existence."

"I refuse to look like an idiot any longer."

Sports is an obvious target for media. Teams are made up of over-payed individuals. Entire cities glorify players and find faith in their teams. Sports has a solid presence in our country, as does the media. When they collide, it can get ugly because the truth isn't pretty.

As Daugherty said, "It won't stop. It never does."