My parents had about 50 family members at their house Sunday for an early Thanksgiving dinner, the first of four my wife and I will eat this week. I will attend the Elder game Saturday with my parents, a few of my brothers, my uncle and father-in-law. My wife works with her mom, aunt and grandpa.
We are, in many ways, the stereotypical West Side family, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Especially during a holiday week. I essentially sacrificed my newspaper career to move back to Cincinnati, because it was important to me and my wife that our kids know home and family the same way we do.
Even in the sports world, where ego and ambition are as oversized as the physiques, those concepts matter to some folks. Joe Paterno has coached at Penn State for 60 years. Frank Beamer is becoming a Virginia Tech lifer. Pat Fitzgerald said he would like to do the same at Northwestern, his alma mater.
Maybe Brian Kelly feels the same way about Cincinnati. More than likely, he will follow the Thad Matta path to Something Bigger. UC is a steppingstone, same as Xavier basketball.
The key for each program is to find the coach who values Cincinnati more than he values unlimited budgets, posh facilities and national television. Because there will always be Something Bigger, but there is not always Something Better.
There is value in being home. Especially -- but not exclusively -- during a holiday week.
UC VS. ILLINOIS
Illinois seems to be following the same pattern under coach Ron Zook as Florida: win a few high-profile recruiting battles and produce a couple encouraging seasons, but fall apart just as folks expect a breakthrough. The Illini will not play in a bowl game this year.
Arrelious Benn was one of those high-profile recruits who chose Zook and Illinois. He has the talent to torment UC defensive backs, but he has been slowed by injuries and poor quarterback play this season.
BENGALS VS. BROWNS
The game is sold out, the 50th consecutive sellout of a Bengals home game but only the third this season that was sold out prior to Friday of game week. The team announced that more than 6,500 tickets remain for each of the final two home games.
The Browns had a six-point lead with no time left on the clock Sunday but still managed to lose.
Brady Quinn threw four touchdown passes, more than doubling his career total.
The strength of the Cleveland defense is its defensive backs, specifically its cornerbacks, but they did not play well against Detroit.
The Browns used a no-huddle offense at times Sunday, and coach Eric Mangini accused the Detroit Lions of faking injuries in order to slow the game and buy time for the defense. I remember Buffalo doing that against the Bengals in the late 1980s.
ELDER VS. HILLIARD DAVIDSON
Davidson runs the triple option, which is a particular challenge for teams who are unfamiliar with the scheme. But this will be the third time Elder defends a triple-option offense this season: Colerain and Columbus DeSales also run it, and the Panthers beat both teams.
The Wildcats played a chunk of the season without two starting running backs, but they are healthy now and on a roll. It's the same story in Price Hill. Elder stumbled in midseason after losing tackle Pete Bachman to a broken leg and receiver Tim O'Conner to a broken wrist; O'Conner has since returned.
ELSEWHERE
My best to Bills lineman and Elder grad Eric Wood, who suffered a compound fracture of his left leg Sunday -- an injury so gruesome CBS elected not to show a second replay. Wood's career is a testament to hard work: He was not good enough to start on Elder's freshman or JV teams, but by his senior year he had made himself a Division I recruit, and at Louisville he played his way into the first round of the NFL draft. Here's hoping for a full recovery.
Another Elder grad, Raiders linebacker Ricky Brown, was placed on injured reserve Sunday because of an ankle injury.
The Steelers are shaky at quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger suffered a head injury and Charlie Batch suffered a broken wrist in the loss to Kansas City. Roethlisberger could play this week, but Batch's season is over.
The Lions might have paid a hefty price for their win in Cleveland: QB Matt Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson are not expected to play Thursday. The fact Stafford played the final snap with a likely separated shoulder is sure to win him points in the locker room, which is no small thing for a rookie quarterback.
Rick Nash is the face of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Rostislav Klesla might be the franchise personified. He arrived to much fanfare as the No.4 overall draft pick, the first in franchise history. He was rushed to the NHL before he was ready, and for a few years he was a mediocre player on mediocre teams. Since the arrival of coach Ken Hitchcock, he has made slow but steady progress. He is now a solid NHL defenseman on a solid, playoff-caliber team.
The Red Wings have struggled at times on defense and in the net, and coach Mike Babcock says his top forward line is not doing enough, either.
The Chicago Tribune annually recognizes the top player in the Big Ten, but there are no clear candidates this season.
Leave a comment