Cincinnati Devoid Of Sporting News

The Tri-State, despite or maybe because of Chad O...C....'s best efforts, has pretty much fallen pretty off the Sports Star Radar. I only say this because the well regarded and eminently fair minded Sporting News says so.

Recently they offered a rundown of the top 100 players currently on NFL rosters. The Bengals were shutout. To think that not one of the local lads warranted mention in such a wide open survey is a little troubling.

Well it got worse Thursday. We are closing in on the end of yet another decade, so S.N. felt compelled to issue its athletes, coaches and teams of the decade. Though they extended the criteria to best landmark MLB, NHL, NBA, NFL, college football and basketball games. All toll, some 129 categories or slots to be filled.

And Cincinnati nearly....makes the grade in some of them.

Current Bengal Roy Williams makes the All-decade team defensive roster, for his college exploits at Oklahoma. Same for former Bengal David Pollack, who starred at Georgia before his injured shortened pro career.

Lorenzo Neal who wasn't up to scratch with the Bengals, did make the All-Decade NFL offensive team.

Ohio State's double over-time 2003 Fiesta Bowl win over Miami claimed the college football game of the decade designation.

The Tri-State understandably didn't get a sniff of the NBA awards. But to be shutout in baseball is symptomatic of bigger issues with the local 9.

We do have a connection to the NHL Coach of the Decade, as Mike Babcock, of the Ducks and Red Wings, cut his teeth with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks.

There is one noteworthy Cincinnati connection to the best in their respective business, that being Florida Head Football Coach Urban Meyer, who is heralded as the College Football Coach of the Decade.

He did after all, play at the University of Cincinnati and interned as a defensive backs coach at St. Xavier High School in 1985. That entitles us to some claim on his fame doesn't it?

Here's hoping that the landscape changes dramatically by the Sporting News 2019 assessment, or I'll be forced to cancel my subscription. Because I'll be far too old to consider moving to where the “action is.”