Too Much Football? Never!

After a weekend chock-full of football, I'm watching the Steelers on MNF and getting ready for another weekend of high school, college, and NFL ball. This past weekend may have been the best ever for football in Cincinnati. All of the high school playoffs, the national stage for UC, and the Bengals and Ravens in a key AFC North tilt. My only complaint: my job got in the way and I had to watch far too much action on television instead of being there. For all of those guys I hear say "it's a hassle going to the game with traffic, parking, the crowds. I'd rather stay home and watch it on television with my bathroom, my beer...." Well guys, you just aren't real fans in George's book. In fact, you are wimps and whiners. If you can't afford it, I get it. But if it's not a financial hardship, I don't get it. I'll take end zone seats with the noise and the buzz and the excitement of being there over a tv screen any day. Unless the game is airing on WLWT. In that case, please stay home and watch.

The Bengals are still getting quality play from an offensive line that appeared to be a weakness coming into the season. I paid particular close attention to the offensive line in the first half of the Ravens game and the line was excellent. Even when the Ravens were firing blitzes up the middle with you know who, the interior line was up to the task. Who woulda thunk it? The line is becoming a strength and center Kyle Cook deserves some serious credit for that.

What's more surprising than the Bengals having a solid offensive line? The Bearcats having a quarterback controversy/situation. I'm not sure how you sit Collaros at this point unless Pike is 100 percent. Even then, it would be tough. But I will say this: I saw West Virginia play Colorado earlier this season and before falling apart with 3 picks, Cody Hawkins was a having a good time against that West Virginia secondary. I was thinking "man, Pike will kill these guys." After seeing Collaros throw that ball to Armon Binns against UConn the other night, I'm thinking "man, Collaros will kill West Virginia." UConn's Cody Endres toasted the Mountaineers for 378 yards 3 weeks ago.

I almost forgot. The UC game Saturday night against UConn pulled in a local television rating of 22.1, which means 22.1% of the television households in greater Cincy were tuned into the game. That is a big number. Our General Manager asked Friday if we thought it would go over or under 21. (wow, he was close!) I picked the over but I wasn't confident. I was the only one in our group to take the over. The Ohio State/Penn State game pulled a 8.8 (not bad at all), while Notre Dame/Navy did a 3.1. The Bengals on Sunday did it's usual number of the mid to upper 30's, averaging out to a 34.5 for the time period. I checked ratings of hit shows throughout the week and didn't see anything close. (14.8 for a 15 minute time period was the biggest number i saw) But maybe the regular programs are in reruns, I don't know. If it's not a sporting event, news shows, or history/military channel type stuff, I don't watch it. I'm not real interested in whether Kim Kardashian's dad cut his mullet or if some large person lost 3 more pounds than another large person. By the way, the final World Series game between the Yanks and Phillies pulled in a local rating of 11.3, which isn't bad.

And another thing. If NBC already has the Notre Dame home package, could the Peacocks please expand their Saturday programming to include a Big East Game of the Week? Maybe they could couple it with a Mountain West/WAC package so NBC can do regional telecasts and have something more to offer on weekends besides bull riding and time slots for infomercials.