CINCINNATI -- Good Morning, It's Friday August 26:
ON THIS DATE: It was August 26, 1939 that the first major league baseball game was televised by WXBS. The Reds and the Dodgers were playing at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.
EVER NOTICE? The Reds are part of a lot of firsts when it comes to big league baseball.
FRIDAY'S FRENZY IS HERE: It's the first three-state blast of high school football. Indiana and Kentucky got it going last week, Ohio joins the show Friday night. La Salle begins pursuit of its third straight state title when it plays Sycamore in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.
OUR COVERAGE: Here's where we'll be sending photographers Friday night: Glen Este at Princeton, Loveland at Lakota East, La Salle vs Sycamore, Lakota West vs Moeller, NCH vs Wyoming, Reading vs Roger Bacon, Turpin vs McNicholas, Conner vs Boone County, Lloyd vs Beechwood, Bellevue vs Dayton, Badin vs Taft.
THURSDAY NIGHT: I got to see half of a shootout between Oak Hills and CovCath. The Colonels scored 3 times in the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead at halftime. CovCath ended up winning 56-48.
SLEEPING GIANT: There's a great deal of optimism around the Oak Hills program, Again. Former Highlander Kyle Prosser has taken over and I'm told that their numbers increased from around 85 players to near 125 this season. It would be great to see them finally do something in football. Good coaches haven't been able to build a winner there. Too many good players have gone to Elder and La Salle instead.
ELSEWHERE: Indian Hill beat New Richmond 49-35. Paint Valley over Hughes 21-6. Ponitz Tech over Clark Montessori 48-6.
CHECKING OUT THE BENGALS: The players from St. John Bosco High School in California arrived in town Thursday and watched a portion of the Bengals practice. They'll play St X in the Crosstown Showdown on Saturday.
ALUMS: Though John Bosco is considered a football powerhouse in California, their most famous sports alumni are from baseball, Nomar Garciaparra and Evan Longoria.
OLDIES BUT GOODIES: I watched the NFL game on NBC Thursday night for awhile and kept hearing some kind of NFL ad. The music bed was "I'm so Excited" from the Pointer Sisters. Imagine that! It was popular in 1982. Great song, but it amazes me that these oldies seem to still resonate with viewers today. Just last week, I heard the Human Beingz's "Nobody but Me" as the jingle for another product. That song goes back to 1968.
ALL OHIO: In case you wondered, the Human Beingz were from Youngstown, but "Nobody but Me" was first written and recorded by the Isley Brothers of Lincoln Hts.
SPEAKING OF OLDIES: My wife and I went to see Don Henley at PNC Pavilion Tuesday night. He was fantastic and had an extraordinary band and three fabulous backup singers.
I'M JUST GETTING OLD: I don't mind people singing, humming, dancing and swaying at a concert. It's supposed to be fun. But it really ticks me off when people start talking when the artist is playing a song they don't know or don't care about. Or the artist is trying to tell a story. Sometimes people should just shut the hell up. Especially in section 206, Row E.
PRESEASON FOOTBALL: Saw both UC product Isaiah Pead and Miami product Zac Dysart in last night's Dolphins-Falcons game. Dysart directed a touchdown drive. He's trying to be the Dolphins #3 quarterback. Pead got some playing time but suffered a hamstring injury.
AND MO: Former Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu now plays for Atlanta. He had a pair of catches for 19 yards.
ANOTHER MO: The radio is my friend on a long drive back to Indiana each night and it was great to hear WLW's Mo Egger on ESPN last night doing the national stuff. Very talented guy. Knows so much. I usually listen to Freddie Coleman at that hour and I guess he was on vacation. I'm not sure what they do sometimes at ESPN. Freddie is great solo, but they've teamed him for the past few months with some other guy, who adds very little.
AND NOW...MORE MOE: Moeller people say that the Minnesota Twins will call up former Moeller pitcher Alex Wimmers later today. Wimmers is a 2007 Moeller graduate who had a great career at Ohio State. He's been at AAA Rochester where he's appeared in 38 games out of the bullpen with 11 saves.
LUCKY #13: Wimmers will be the 13th Moeller player to make it to the big leagues when he gets in a game. The Twins are at Toronto tonight. Earlier this week, another former Crusader Brent Suter got his first big league victory with the Brewers.
BOSTON SETBACK: Madeira's Andrew Benintendi was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Boston Red Sox after he sprained his left knee in a Wednesday game. They're keeping their fingers crossed that it's not anything more severe. I think they're still awaiting further tests.
AND BACK ON THE ROAD:The Reds begin a weekend series Friday night in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Brandon Finnegan gets the ball. Game time is 9:40.
BOXING UNDER THE STARS: Some top-notch amateur boxing will be presented Saturday night at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park. They're calling it "Future Champions" and it will feature top amateurs from Cincinnati against opponents from St Louis and Indianapolis.
WEAR EAR PLUGS: And if you want a real kick, go out to Cleves this weekend for the 46th edition of Gravelrama. I can't explain it, but it's a lot of dust and noise and fun. Go to gravelrama.com for more info.
Hope you can join Ken Broo and I tonight for Friday Football Frenzy at 11:15.
Read Mike Dyer's coverage on wcpo.com and on Facebook.
Have a fabulous Friday.
JPopovich@wcpo.com | @Popo_WCPOSports
