Every day there are three things, here are those three things.
I took today off, yet here I am. Can't say that this particular entry won't peter out, because there's things I want to do that don't involve me staring at a computer screen, but I'll make the effort nonetheless. Let's see how it goes.
1) Jalen Ramsey says that AJ Green is "soft." I have some advice that I'd share for Jacksonville's second-year corner, who's a fine player, even if he seems like a disgruntled young man.
Pray.
Or at least hope.
Pray or hope that you end up being half as good at your jog as AJ Green is at his. Pray or hope that when you're six and a half seasons into your career, you've accomplished a fraction of what AJ's gotten done. Pray or hope that after you've established yourself as one of the best at your position, the worst thing anyone can muster up to say about you is that you're soft.
Ask.
Ask around your locker room. See if any of your teammates would like to work with AJ Green. Talk to your crappy quarterback and find out if he'd like to have AJ to throw to. Discuss this with your head coach, and see if he'd like to have AJ Green to revolve gameplans around.
Go seek out your team's VP of football Ops, a guy who's been around a few times and won a couple of rings.
Ask him if he'd like to have "soft" AJ Green.
I'd be interested in hearing the answers.
2) The day before, and let's play two. As rough as the UC football season has been, I'm pretty excited to see both the basketball and football Bearcats play on the same day tomorrow.
In large part because I want to spend my Saturday watching a bunch of really good college football games while skipping around to different watering holes.
Mainly, though, after a 94-loss Reds season, a Bengals season that's going nowhere, and a UC football campaign that's taken a backseat to what's ahead for the program, I'm ready for college basketball to begin, even more so than usual.
Adding to the excitement and intrigue are the expectations for UC and Xavier this season. Both seemed primed for excellent seasons capped by deep NCAA Tournament runs. Both are being mentioned as either dark horse or legit Final Four contenders. Both have high-end players that will chase individual accolades while playing for quality teams.
There's questions heading into the season. Will UC play with the up-tempo pace that's been promised with Cane Broome running the offense? Can Keith Williams become this year's Jarron Cumberland, a freshman off the bench capable of drastically influencing games? Can Jacob Evans tap into an aggressiveness that gives the Bearcats yet another gear on offense? How do the pieces fall in Xavier's frontcourt? Can Paul Scruggs live up to his seemingly limitless potential?
And, of course, can both teams manage outsiders' expectations?
I love what's being said and written about both teams heading into the season, things that build interest, start conversations, and give fans a gauge for how good both UC and XU can be this season. Coaches always balk at things like preseason rankings, prognostications, etc, but as a fan, I embrace them. On the radar is where you want to be.
Both Cincinnati programs are most definitely on the radar.
I can't wait for this season to begin.
3) The fight at the top. Forget any NFL game you watch this season, the fight for control of the National Football League between Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell is the most fascinating thing happening with the league right now. I'm really not sure which side to root for, but it's going to be chaos, and I love chaos.
That is all. '
Don't Forget: We'll be at Smoke Justis in Covington for Thursday Night Football. You should join us. I'll go with Arizona (+6.5)
Radio Show: As I mentioned, I'm off today. But yesterday, we did two things I'm really happy with. Tucker Barnhart joined us to talk about winning a Gold Glove, and Channel 9's Tanya O'Rourke came in studio to talk Bengals, Marvin Lewis, and her TV news career. You'll enjoy both.
Recommended Link Of The Day: Lance's podcast with FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding (Note: I have no real FC Cincinnati Stadium take. If it's built, I'll go to games and find the positives in wherever its put. Also, nothing makes my attention drift toward other things more than stadium financing talk.)
Also.....The Bilas Opus: Here to rescue college basketball
And...Why Won’t The Bengals Play John Ross?
Follow me on Twitter @MoEgger1530.
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