Let’s take a look at that and more from the local sports scene:
Reds open camp with mostly good news and some bad
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Good: They have a bona fide manager now in Terry Francona, the front office made a series of moves to fortify a roster full of talented young players who hopefully improve with age and there is at least some chance the team as a whole enjoys better health this season.
Bad: They already have two guys with health questions.
Pitching prospect Rhett Lowder is behind schedule because of soreness in his right (pitching) elbow according to MLB.com.
That sounds ominous, but the team says there is no structural damage.
More curious is the revelation utility man Spencer Steer has lingering shoulder soreness. That bothered him at the end of the season and is still not 100 percent apparently, which seems odd given that he is a professional athlete with access to the best doctors and trainers (theoretically, right?) one can find at all times.
Hopefully there is not more going on under the surface in either case.
Ohio State football staff coming into focus
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Ryan Day hired a big name from within his staff to take over as offensive coordinator and a big name from outside his staff as defensive coordinator.
With Brian Hartline taking control of the offense and Matt Patricia getting the keys to what was the nation’s No. 1 defense, I broke down the pros and cons of each move: CLICK HERE
I have some misgivings about both, but there is a lot of upside in each case as well.
Check it out in what (I hope) will be a regular feature of the offseason: This Week in Ohio State Football
The boys high school basketball regular season is winding down
Congratulations to Centerville, Dunbar, Alter, Tri-Village, Dayton Christian, Northridge and Catholic Central, who enter this weekend already at least co-champions of their leagues.
More teams are hoping to join them with wins this weekend, but they will all be starting tournament play next week.
(The girls tournament already began, but not many games have been played.)
Here’s a look at what you need to know about the newly expanded seven-division setup for the boys and the girls.
The Super Bowl winners did it differently than the Bengals
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
That was my main takeaway from the Philadelphia Eagles spanking the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl XIL.
Ironically, Cincinnati has been built to beat the Chiefs, who are a pass-first offense with a great quarterback and a strong defense. The Eagles are more old-school, winning with the NFL’s best rushing attack, efficient quarterback play and a stout defense with a ferocious defensive line and opportunistic young secondary.
The Bengals almost beat one team in the regular season, but the other one handed them their most decisive defeat.
What does that tell us? CLICK HERE
If you have any questions, notes or questions for this newsletter, please reach out to me at marcus.hartman@coxinc.com.
Have a great weekend!
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