Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: cincinnati bengals

  • Do Bengals fans drink the most?

    Do Bengals fans drink the most?

    YES

    SportsHandle surveyed NFL fans across the country to ask all about their drinking habits in order to find out which are the “booziest” of them all.

    Cincinnati fans drink more but spend slightly less.

    Baltimore fans come in second at 4.7 drinks per/game. Bengals fans top all of the NFL teams averaging 5.2 drinks at the Jungle inside Paul Brown Stadium.

    Since this is a fan survey, perhaps Bengals fans skewed the results; maybe needing something/anything to brag about. Or, is it that local fans drown their sorrows.

    Will this stat go up this season with toasts to Joe Burrow’s successes?

    LINK to the study.

  • Public calls for fair districts in first redistricting commission meetings

    Public calls for fair districts in first redistricting commission meetings

     State Sen. Vernon Sykes, co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, opens Monday morning’s public hearing on redistricting on the campus of Cleveland State University. A full week of hearings will be held across the state to discuss gerrymandering in the state. Photo: The Ohio Channel

    BY: SUSAN TEBBEN and Ohio Capital Journal

    A week of double-header public hearings on redistricting began Monday in Cleveland and Youngstown, with members of the public calling for more fair districts.

    Ohioans shared with the Ohio Redistricting Commission stories of unrepresentative and oddly-drawn districts (including the “snake on the lake” of Ohio’s 9th district, so-called because of it’s long, skinny appearance on the map), and urged the commission to keep the process transparent and the mapmaking fair.

    “There are things that we like and things that we don’t like, but no matter how you slice it, you need to slice it fairly,” said Rita Mayhew, a retired teacher from Lorain.

    Speakers at the hearings on the Cleveland State University and Youngstown State University campuses, touched on the impact of redistricting and gerrymandering on everything from education to abortion rights and being an informed voter.

    Former Democratic state representative, John Patterson, co-author of the Fair School Funding Plan and Ashtabula County resident, said at the Youngstown hearing that the current legislative districts “lend themselves to candidates who either lean left or lean right, and in the extreme, force potential candidates to run further left or further right.”

    “We need to work together, but we need the opportunity to do just that,” Patterson said. “And fairly drawn districts give us that opportunity.”

    Some in the packed meeting rooms expressed outrage as members of the commission sent proxies, rather than attending themselves.

    “We have put aside everything to come here today, and we are not getting the same response from the people who are supposed to be on this commission,” said Cleveland Heights resident Sue Dyke.

    At Monday morning’s Cleveland hearing, Auditor of State Keith Faber attended, along with House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, and commission co-chair, state Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron.

    House Speaker Bob Cupp, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Gov. Mike DeWine and Senate President Matt Huffman all sent designees in their place.

    For Cupp, state Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-North Canton, stood in; LaRose sent chief of staff Merle Madrid. DeWine’s chief legal counsel Matthew Donahue sat in on his behalf, and Huffman sent state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green.

    At the afternoon meeting in Youngstown, Faber and Sen. Sykes were both in attendance, but stand-ins were still present for Cupp, DeWine, LaRose and Huffman. State Rep. Timothy Ginter, R-Salem, was in for Cupp this time and state Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, was in for Huffman.

    Donahue was again in for DeWine, and Madrid repeated his proxy appearance for LaRose.

    Minority Leader Emilia Sykes also sent a proxy to that meeting, state Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan, D-Youngstown.

    One speaker at the Youngstown hearing noted that DeWine was attending a practice with the Cincinnati Bengals. A number of sports reporters posted pictures and videos of DeWine on the sidelines of Monday’s practice.

    DeWine’s spokesperson Dan Tierney said the governor intends to take into consideration the information given at the hearings, but also said the hearings “are not official committee hearings, these are listening sessions.”

    Asked whether the DeWine will attend any of the hearings, Tierney said that is “yet to be determined” and his calendar has not been finalized.

    A spokesperson for Huffman said the Senate president chose to let representatives from the districts where the hearings were occurring to attend in his place.

    “President Huffman believes this is an important opportunity to give members from the regions around the state where the hearings are held to participate in a process that only happens once in a decade,” said spokesperson John Fortney.

    Fortney said Huffman plans to attend the hearing set to happen Thursday at Ohio State University’s Lima campus, in his district.

    LaRose’s office said the secretary “was supposed to be on orders from the U.S. Army, but as with many things with the Army, those are constantly changing and we expect him to be able to attend upcoming hearings.”

    A spokesperson Cupp did not respond to a request for comment.

    Another criticism hitting commission members was the time of the meetings, which some speakers said kept those who work during the day and can’t afford to take a day off from being able to speak at their local meetings.

    “The hope is that you all understand that their interests need to be represented even though they’re not here, even though they may not have voted for you, even though they may not have voted,” said Reginald Williams, an attorney and Shaker Heights resident.

    Even the one person in either hearing who publicly denied the idea of gerrymandering and charged that Republicans had instead “dominated” elections in the past, causing their supermajority, said the commission should have more hearings. Those hearings should be held at locations other than universities, he said.

    “You do not have a representative cross-section of Ohio in this room,” said Thomas Hach, a Concord resident. “This is wrong, you need to have another week of hearing from the people.”

    The other hearing locations and dates can be found on the Ohio Redistricting Commission website.

  • Former Loveland Magazine Intern Willie Lutz launches Same Old Stripes podcast

    Former Loveland Magazine Intern Willie Lutz launches Same Old Stripes podcast

    On the debut episode of Same Old Stripes, Tyler Olson, Billy Heenan, and Willie Lutz break down the Cincinnati Bengals path in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the pick trending towards Ja’Marr Chase, the trio took aggressive paths towards fixing empty spots on the rest of the roster in their four-round mock drafts. Plus, they get into some interesting opinions on the rest of the 2021 NFL Draft at the end of the show. Like and subscribe now – don’t miss next week’s episode of Same Old Stripes. 

    Willie Lutz is a Loveland, Ohio native and a graduate of Loveland High School.

  • Cincinnati Bengals Draft Targets in College Football Championship

    Cincinnati Bengals Draft Targets in College Football Championship

    By: Willie Lutz at Last Word On Sports

    Former Loveland Magazine sports writer Willie Lutz is now writing for Last Word On Sports. Here is what he says about a few exciting Cincinnati Bengals draft targets who will play in the National Championship tonight.

    In the last college football game of the 2020 season, Ohio-based fans plenty of reasons to watch. Certainly, Alabama and Ohio State are already an exciting pairing of teams in the headline-grabbing game. However, there are a few draft targets for the Cincinnati Bengals in this game, adding an extra level of excitement for those fans.

    In the National Championship, There Will Be a Few Exciting Cincinnati Bengals Draft Targets

    While the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t in the playoffs, they’re dreaming of a chance to make that splash in 2021. However, a player who could help the team cross that threshold could cap their own playoff run tomorrow. Ohio State and Alabama face off in tomorrow’s College Football Championship with a slew of top NFL prospects. Both have players on their roster that should be draft targets for the Cincinnati Bengals. With Zac Taylor returning in 2021, there are some obvious needs to fit his scheme and regime.

    Obviously, the Bengals need to target offensive line help this offseason. It seems like the team’s top priority this spring and summer.

    Read on…

  • Cincinnati Bengals Safety Jessie Bates III Honored as Second-Team All-Pro

    Cincinnati Bengals Safety Jessie Bates III Honored as Second-Team All-Pro

    By: Willie Lutz at Last Word On Sports

    Former Loveland Magazine sports writer Willie Lutz is now writing for Last Word On Sports. Here is what he says about Jessie Bates III being honored as Second-Team All-Pro.

    As playoff weekend arrives with the Bengals sitting at home, an emerging member of the team’s core received exciting news. Finding his footing well in the NFL so far, Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III was named to the AP All-Pro Second Team as a Safety.

    After a 4-11-1 season with a crash ending, Cincinnati Bengals fans have a reason to celebrate their campaign. Third-year safety Jessie Bates III was selected as an AP All-Pro safety on their Second Team. This news comes as the team heads towards an incredibly important offseason that includes augmenting the defense around Bates. Earlier, Bates was named a first-team All-Pro by Pro Football Focus, who graded him the fourth-best defender of the 2020 season, earning a 90.1 grade on the season.

    Read on…

  • As the Dust Settles, Cincinnati Bengals Firings Seem to Miss the Mark

    As the Dust Settles, Cincinnati Bengals Firings Seem to Miss the Mark

    By: Willie Lutz at Last Word On Sports

    Former Loveland Magazine sports writer Willie Lutz is now writing for Last Word On Sports. Here is what he says about Cincinnati Bengals Firings of Coaches.

    After a putrid loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals’ firings began in the coach’s room. While the roster has its shortcomings, the recent shake-up doesn’t address obvious staffing issues. 

    As the Dust Settles, Cincinnati Bengals Firings Seem to Miss the Mark

    In the early hours of the NFL’s Black Monday for coaches, the Cincinnati Bengals stood by head coach Zac Taylor. The team’s owner and general manager, Mike Brown, released a statement announcing his confidence in Taylor moving forward. However, recent development revealing a number of other Cincinnati Bengals staff firings show that confidence isn’t booming inside the team’s front office. 

    Read on…

  • The Bengal Boys Present: VOTE – Who will you cheer to victory?

    The Bengal Boys Present: VOTE – Who will you cheer to victory?

    The Bengals Boys – The boy band that only knows one song. Showing their love for the Cincinnati Bengals by presenting the Cincy renowned fight song, “Bengals Growl” by George Bird, in a different genre/style every week.”

    Bengal Boys Members: 

    Dylan Bodley – Loveland HS Grad (2012)

    Alex Dolezal – Loveland HS Grad (2012)

    Parker Phillips – Loveland HS Grad (2012)

    Colin Cooper – CHCA Grad (2010)