Random thoughts: Things that popped into my head
This has gotta be the longest Bengals bye week... ever
The use of the harmonica in Supertramp's late 70's classic 'Take the Long Way Home' is just classic.
I can't recall a game where a team (UC) had more shots blocked (7) than shots made (4) in a half of basketball like Wednesday night at Truist Arena.
YellowStone might very well be the best TV show in the history of TV shows. OK that might be a bit of hyperbole, but I'd put it in my top tier of all-time TV dramas with: The Wire, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, '24' and The Sopranos.
I'll never understand why Pete Rose, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds can't be in the Hall of Fame.... with the designation of their issues listed on their plaques. Their impact on/place in the game can't be whitewashed. Their careers happened. Their stats count. They are clearly Hall of Fame players.
I came across the movie 'Rebel Without A Cause' while flipping channels this week. I had no idea Jim Backus (Thurston Howell III from Gilligan's Island) was in the 1955 classic.
Man, if I had a $1 for each time the name of Bob Huggins is brought up after a UC loss. Do fans forget Huggs led the Bearcats to ONE Sweet 16 appearance over his final nine seasons in Clifton?
I've read a lot of 'should they' and 'will they' stories about the Reds this offseason. Let me answer that: They won't.
After making the rounds to 53 breweries within 50 miles of home over the last couple of years, Kelly and I can't wait to have 23 breweries in one spot Saturday at the Fowling Warehouse Cincinnati. Hope you will join us for Beer, Booze and Bonks! We kick things off at 1pm. Two sessions: 1-5pm, 7-11pm.
Found in the archives: The radio call of Xavier beating St. Louis for the MCC Championship, March 1, 1986 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. Dale McMillan and......Dave Lapham were on the radio call. I'll have to play some of it for a Sports Talk Extra one night soon.
Ever assume you knew the artist of a certain song, only to find out years later you were wrong? Example "You're My Best Friend" is Queen, not The Partridge Family.
In the running for Eye Opening Quote of Year: "Quite honestly, I thought we were the better team ....and it wasn't close.....from a talent standpoint and a performance standpoint."......NKU coach Darrin Horn on UC win on Fox Sports 1360 postgame.
I could not tell you the last time I watched Sports Center.
What a journey for Xavier's KyKy Tandy. 4-star Kentucky H.S. Player of Year (Hopkinsville), having scored 3,363 points in his career. Four years ago he made the Big East Conference All-Freshman team. After reduced playing time as a sophomore he entered the transfer portal, but changed his mind and returned to XU. He missed all but five games last season with a stress fracture in his leg. XU went through the coaching change. Tandy has changed his body. He has started all three games this season, his first career starts, and is averaging 22 minutes a game this season.
I'll never forget this date: November 18, 2008. I started feeling minor discomfort in my upper chest that morning. I stopped by the emergency room on my way to work. I was alone in the exam room when I passed out. I remember waking up on the table and looking up into the lights with doctors and nurses surrounding me. I asked what happened and was told I'd passed out.....and that my heart had stopped for 60-seconds. I refused to believe it until a nurse tore the strip of paper off the monitor to show me a flat line of my heart beat for 60-seconds. Three days later I had a pacemaker implanted.
I once interviewed Mr. T on my TV show in Chicago, Sports Page. He was in full costume. At the end of the interview he leaned into the camera and with a scowl on his face declared, "I pity the fool that doesn't watch Sports Page. If you don't watch Sports Page I'll come to your house and throw your TV out the window." Then he growled.
NKU sophomore Sam Vinson is such a fun player to watch. So dang smart and fearless. He sees the floor. He does so many little things. And he will just take the ball away from the guy he's guarding. Not knock it away. Take it. Right out of his hands.
There remains a path for UC football to play in the AAC championship game for the fourth consecutive year and make a New Year's Six bowl game. All things considered..........
Reminder, if Twitter goes away (sigh), I'm on Instagram @ lancemcalister and Facebook.
I love The Athletic. Really strong writing. I wonder if publication plans to add beat writers to cover FC Cincinnati and Xavier?
I could not be happier for former UC QB Zach Collaros. This week, he became the 5th Canadian Football League player to win Most Outstanding Player in back-to-back seasons. His Winnipeg Blue Bombers play for the Grey Cup this weekend. He's been the starting QB on two Grey Cup champions and was the backup QB on a third champion. The 34-year old is in his 11th CFL season with over 24,000 career passing yards and 151 passing TDs. He's become a CFL legend.