Pinch hitting on Thinking Out Loud today is Scott Priestle of View from the Hill. Scott is a senior writer for CNati, a part-time marketing associate and a sleep-deprived father of a very energetic 1-year-old.
The 11 months since I got laid off from The Columbus Dispatch have been frustrating, humbling, even humiliating at times. Then there are days like yesterday. Days that can energize a person for a week.
I took my son to the zoo for a few hours. Got home in time to catch the end of BYU-Florida, which was only the beginning of a great day of basketball. Met my wife and some of her family for dinner at Price Hill Chili. Then watched more basketball, with my wife and son.
Sometimes it is nice being semi-employed.
* Was that the best opening day ever?
How 'bout the Bobcats? From the No.9 seed in the MAC tournament to the second round of the NCAA tournament. I'm sure OU grad Paul Dehner, CNati's resident hoops head, will have more on his blog later today.
* It is too late now for them to help you fill out an office bracket, but there are a couple local sources for some interesting analysis of the NCAA tournament: Prediction Machine and What If Sports each simulated the tournament thousands of times and came up with Kansas beating Baylor in the championship game.
If you are so inclined, Paul Bessire of Prediction Machine offers in-depth analysis of every game. It is quite a tool for the serious, um, fan.
You will find more whimsy at What if Sports, more games. The company is run by an Elder grad, so you know it's good.
* Had a nice little trip to Columbus last weekend for some sweet-crust pizza and a Blue Jackets game. It was a reminder of how important Rick Nash is to that team (without him, they had only one line that was even worth watching) and how nice that arena is (with or without a decent team on the ice).
ESPN once ranked Nationwide Arena No.1 in "stadium experience" among all the venues of all the major pro sports franchises. It is definitely my favorite pro sports venue in Ohio: more character than Paul Brown Stadium or Cleveland Browns Stadium, classier than the gaudy Great American Ball Park, newer and cleaner than Jacobs Field, bigger than the minor-league parks without being too big.
I'll even put it my top 10 venues at any level. In no particular order: Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium (the previous one), Safeco Field, PNC Park, The Pit, Yost Arena, Nationwide Arena, Ohio Stadium, Lambeau Field.
I have not yet been to Augusta National or Daytona. Haven't been to a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium or a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hopefully someday.
What about you? Any favorites not on my list?
* In case you missed it: sweet-crust pizza. It is worth a drive to Columbus.
* Ohio State fired hockey coach John Markell this week. I am not surprised: The athletic department spends a lot of money on the non-revenue sports, and the expectation is to contend for national titles in everything.
That approach is paying off in wrestling, just a few years after OSU fired an accomplished, popular and classy coach in Russ Hellickson.
I had the pleasure of dealing with Russ and John, and I learned a lot about their respective sports because they were patient with me. I wish them the best.
I understand the athletic department's stance: The pursuit of excellence is generally a virtue, and considering what the department is spending, it is not unreasonable to expect tangible success. On the other hand, there should be a place in sports -- even major-college sports -- for guys like Russ Hellickson, who genuinely love the sport and the kids they teach. I suppose the best we can hope for is a balance: to pursue excellence without selling souls.
Which is why my opinion of Jim Tressel is changing. For years I was convinced there is dirt behind his too-polished image. Nobody is as golly-gee-clean as he projects, and he speaks like a politician. But apparently his players, assistant coaches and staff members -- including former players, assistant coaches and staff members -- speak very highly of him, which means something.
* I could only chuckle when I saw this. Cliff Lee has rubbed a few people wrong over the years with his stubborn, cocky competitiveness, so I wasn't surprised to see him throw at an opponent in an exhibition game.
I never like seeing a pitch at a guy's head, but I also would not ask Cliff to change his approach. The attitude generally serves him well on the mound.
He might want to find some backup, though. Maybe a guy like Jonny Gomes.
* Count me among those who think Brady Quinn will do well in Denver. Maybe I just want to see Browns fans suffer a little more. Maybe I'm biased because I was a Notre Dame fan as a kid. Just seems a little short-sighted for an organization that is woefully short on offensive talent to give up on a high-profile quarterback after 12 starts.
* If you are in the Chicago area and appreciate live theater, check out Ragtime at Drury Lane in Oak Brook. It is the equity-theater debut of Cincinnati native Genevieve Perrino, a talented singer and dancer who happens to be my sister-in-law. Break a leg, Genny!
Growing up in Indiana I really enjoyed watching the high school tournament games at Hinkle Fieldhouse. I remember watching my high school team beat Ben Davis in the regional final one year and it felt like a real life 'Hoosiers' moment.
Also, and I know I may be alone in this, I really enjoyed watching basketball at Chrysler fieldhouse in New Castle, IN. It was such a unique place to watch Indiana high school basketball, especially before the IHSAA went to class basketball.
I do really enjoy 5th/3rd field in Dayton for a Dragons game. Very family friendly.
This is going to sound a bit unusual, but Diddle Arena at WKU was a really fun place to watch a game. I don't think people realize how big WKU basketball is in those parts, and that they are top 10 all time in wins for NCAA basketball D I teams. I went to a game about 8 or 9 years ago when Chris Marcus was there. The place was awesome.
I've also been to several UK games at Rupp Arena. I'm not a huge UK fan, but any arena where they only hang Final Four banners is pretty special. Not to mention I've been there for some U of L games, UNC, and Michigan State, that place can get pretty loud.
I used to feel the same about Tressel, he's the head coach of a major program, he's got to be a little dirty, but as the years have gone by and I hear stuff from fans about him visiting in hospitals, sending letters to kids who are in middle school telling them to work hard and take school seriously. I'm convinced that isTressel, it's not a role he's playing.
Also, I loved Riverfront/Cinergy when they knocked out "the wedge" and put grass on the field instead of the turf. I don't know why but I loved it there.
Tressel's father was the same way-completely genuine.
There are two places I played as a lowly division 3 running back that will be forever ingrained. Tiger Stadium on Wittenberg's campus was absolutely pristine. Coming out of the visitor's locker room, you step on a very spongy grass that absorbs your feet as you are looking at a 10-foot tiger's face roaring/growling at you. I thought it was a stuffed head the first time I saw it. Muskingum College also had a wonderful grass surface, but the crowd was so close to you-there wasn't a track around the field. The students would "F-Bomb" you from kickoff to final gun.
The only place I've been as a spectator is Lambeau Field. If all football games were played there, I'd be OK with that.
Scott,
I agree with many of the venues on your list. Here are the ones I would add: UD Arena is a pretty neat place to watch NCAA Tournament games. Petco Park in San Diego is a fantastic ballpark that fits in really well with its downtown setting. But Huntington Park in Columbus has become my favorite ballpark of all time in the short course of one season. I went to 16 games the first year and it is mindblowing how good this park is.
Benny, I am looking forward to seeing a game at Huntington Park this summer. I was impressed the first time I saw an artist's rendering of it a few years ago, and I've heard nothing but good things from my friends in Columbus.
It is amazing how much that area of town has changed since the arena and ballpark were built. It is a cool place to be even when there is not a game being played. It only reinforces my belief that Cincinnati blew it when it built Great American and Paul Brown on the river, with very little development around either stadium.
When does Cincinnati ever have vision when it comes to stuff like that though? I mean if the banks materializes into something and not just a big flop it may be pretty cool down there, but I won't hold my breath on that.