It's Tuesday Aug. 30:
Happy Birthday: To my longtime friend Dennis Janson, who sat next to me in the sports department for 29 years. They don't make 'em much better.
Happy Birthday-Belated: To the king of sportstalk radio in Cincinnati, Lance McAlister. He hit the big 50 on Monday and continues be creative and engaging in his work.
TIME TO GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE'S WORK: Eleven Cincinnati Bengals were chopped from the roster Monday. The best known are linebacker Jayson DiManche who has been here for a few seasons, kicker Zach Hocker from Arkansas and wide receiver Michael Bennett of Georgia. Two guys with local ties were let go, former UC linebacker Jeff Luc and former Lakota West and Mount St. Joe tight end John Peters.
NOT DONE YET: The Bengals are at 79 players. They need to reduce their roster to 75 by 4 p.m. Tuesday, but that's not the hard part. They have to further reduce the roster to 53 by Saturday afternoon.
HE LEFT US LAUGHING: There are certain movies I can watch repeatedly, even though I've seen them dozens of times and even though I know all the punch lines. "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" are in that group. Gene Wilder, who starred in both movies, died Monday at age 83. Those are my favorites, but "Silver Streak" with Richard Pryor also has some classic moments.
AND NEARLY GONE: You've probably already seen that Charles Osgood is leaving the "CBS Sunday Morning News" in a couple of weeks. He inherited that host role from Charles Kuralt and continued to give it great dignity and substance. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the producers and the reporters, but Kuralt and Osgood exude class. Most network morning shows are a joke. They are skimpy on the news and heavy with the pop culture. Osgood and Sunday morning never lost their way.
TO STAND OR NOT TO STAND: Colin Kaepernick wasn't even relevant as a quarterback any longer. He's had poor seasons and has been largely forgotten by fans. However, that changed when he decided to sit on the bench during the national anthem at the 49er's preseason games. He says he's doing it to instigate change and challenge authority when it comes to race relations. This is the classic American quandary. We have the ability to say and do what we want within legal limits, but it shows a deep level of disrespect for the flag and the country it represents. And it's a slap in the face to those who die to defend that country, those patriots who have given people like Colin Kaepernick the chance to make a fabulous living. I'm guessing that this will die out shortly, especially if Kaepernick gets cut. I'm willing to bet it won't be as memorable as the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics raised by John Carlos and Tommie Smith. That's still talked about 48 years later. I doubt we'll talk about Colin Kaepernick in 2064. I know I won't.
LESSON FROM PETE: Tony Perez's son Eduardo was doing the MLB game on ESPN last night when he related a story about being a kid in the Reds dugout. He was 13 years old and was flicking seeds during a game. Pete Rose spotted him and told him to sit on the top step of the dugout. Then Pete told him to watch every delivery from the opposing pitcher, what he threw, where he threw it and how he threw it. Pete apparently sat there and talked to him pitch-by-pitch until he caught on. He said he never watched a game the same way again. And it kept him out of trouble in the dugout.
THE BACON COMMUNITY: I was struck by an interview I reviewed with Roger Bacon principal Steve Schad last night. Sunday's incredible rainfall flowed into the high school and made a mess. Schad said that as soon as the pictures appeared on Facebook Sunday night, he got calls from a couple of Bacon alums, Dan Mitch of Teasedale Fenton and Iggy Niesen of Niesen Plumbling. They said they were coming in to clean up the mess and they spent all Sunday night and Monday morning at the school. "We are blessed" said Schad as he described the level of help he got. He said he had to turn people away. Schad had a big recovery job at Bacon, but he suggested that we all "say a prayer for the people around here", meaning the St. Bernard and Norwood communities that took a severe hit. Bron Bacevich Stadium was under 15 inches of water, but as Schad put it, "it's just a football field." Well said.
Have a great Tuesday.
Popo....jpopovich@wcpo.com
