Loveland, Ohio – This week only 1/2 of the dynamic duo was able to get a recording in, and Chris of course used it to talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers, a topic that doesn’t get mentioned much here in Southwestern Ohio. And it’s really a shame, too, because the Cavaliers are the most recent non-college Ohio team to win a Championship, and they are real contenders to do so again.
Chris explains just what has changed this season to transform Cleveland from a middle of the pack Eastern Conference team into one that is already counted among one of the league’s best. It all starts with the hiring of Kenny Atkinson as head coach. His system and coaching style have this team maximizing its potential. And with General Manager Koby Altman making all the right moves in terms of trades and draft picks, the success isn’t just for the short term.
So have a listen, get your NBA and Cavaliers fix, and very soon Chris and Mark will get down to a deep dive into the upcoming Reds season, as well as what the future holds for the Bearcats on the basketball court. The Wolverines also looked prime to make a good run in the NCAA Tournament, so there will be plenty to discuss in the coming weeks!
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Don’t look now, but the Bearcats have some life! They’ve won 3 straight games, and scored 84 or more points in each of them. Jizzle James is dominating on offense, and the Cats are getting back to their dominance on the glass. Their offense is playing to its strengths once again, and what seemed like a program on the brink just a short few weeks ago has a pulse, and a realistic chance to make the NCAA Tournament. Mark and Chris talk you through exactly what the numbers look like, and just how Cincinnati has pulled itself back into the hunt. They are still behind the eight ball with very tough tests upcoming against Iowa State, Baylor, and Houston, but there is still hope in the Queen City.
The guys next talk about the Michigan Wolverine’s big home win against the top 10 Purdue Boilermakers, avenging a huge blowout lost a few weeks ago in West Lafayette. Dusty May has transformed a program that won just 8 games last year into one that now sits atop the Big 10. Although the Wolverines turn the ball over far too much, Mark and Chris explain why some of these turnovers are the result of the offense the Wolverines run, and just how efficient they can be if they are cleaned up. Ahead of a big matchup with Ohio State this weekend, Michigan looks to keep the momentum rolling as they climb in the polls.
Finally, the guys bring you a recap of the Super Bowl and a tough loss for the Kansas City Chiefs. Jaylen Hurts answered the call and led the Eagles to victory as Saquon Barkley was relatively quiet. Though Patrick Mahomes had an uncharacteristically poor performance, he surely had no help from his line, running backs, or receivers. In the wake of this loss, Kansas City has plenty of holes to fill, and we will see if they can return to the title game in 2026.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Our Super Bowl preview episode is here! Chris and Mark touch on whether Jalen Hurts can win this game on his own if the Chiefs’ run defense shuts down Saquon Barkley. It’s ultimately going to come down to the game’s biggest players, and that means, of course, Patrick Mahomes. The combination of Mahomes and Andy Reed are creating quite a dynasty, and a third straight Super Bowl win will cement them among football’s best franchises.
The guys also get to the week in Bearcats basketball. They skip over a bad loss against West Virginia to recap a much more positive 93-83 win on the road against UCF. The Cats played their game on offense and got some better looks at the basket, which resulted in shooting nearly 60 percent from the field. It was a win the program desperately needed, but it remains to be seen if they can stay on track.
Mark and Chris briefly talk about the Wolverines’ tough win over Oregon, and the difficulty their guards have in creating offense without such high turnover rates. The guys break down the Cavaliers’ huge acquisition of Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter and it’s a move both the guys really like. And Joe Burrow has been making the rounds doing media events prior to the Super Bowl, and Chris and Mark bring you just how his comments may impact the Bengals’ offseason plans.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
And don’t forget, it’s almost time for Reds’ Spring Training! In just a few short weeks the Cincinnati Reds will be taking the field on February 22 for some split squad action. The first broadcast game will be on February 26, so catch it if you can! The Reds open the regular season against the San Francisco Giants on March 27th!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – The Cincinnati Bearcats are struggling mightily and are now 2-7 in the Big 12 after a very good start to the season. Mark and Chris do a deep dive on what has gone wrong during this last stretch of very winnable games for the Cats. The problems stem from what we all thought was going to be a huge strength for this team, namely rebounding and hustle. Cincinnati has been outrebounded in their last several games, and it is making it nearly impossible to win, especially when the offense has also struggled. Mark and Chris disucss just what has gone wrong and what it means for the rest of this Bearcats season, and even the prospects for the team going into next year. The guys also get into the NFC and AFC Championship games, and the impact that both Saquon Barkley and Patrick Mahomes had on their teams’ victories. And don’t forget to tune in next week when we preview the Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Is it time to panic for Bearcat basketball fans? After the loss against Texas Tech this past week, Mark explains exactly why there is still plenty to be positive about for Cincinnati. Make no mistake though, this next stretch of winnable games for the team could very well could decide whether they end up becoming a promising NCAA Tournament team, or whether their season is effectively over. Chris and Mark also give their reactions to Ohio State winning the National Championship and the reflection the Irish defense’s performance had on Bengals fans perceptions of their new hire in defensive coordinator Al Golden. Chris also discusses the Wolverine basketball team’s grueling overtime win against Northwestern and their big matchup with top 15 Purdue on Friday.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
_______________________
Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – The Bearcats got their first conference win on Wednesday night and Mark is here to break down how they did it. The Bearcats’ offensive struggles are still an issue and he and Chris discuss which Bearcat player is the catalyst for turning it all around. It’s also going to be a crucial stretch for Cincinnati in their next run of winnable games, in Mark’s opinion they have to take advantage in order to improve their resume before the NCAA Tournament field is announced in the coming weeks. For his part, it was a rough Thursday night sports-wise for Chris, as the Thunder blew out the Cavaliers and Michigan had an ugly loss on the road to a determined Minesota team. But Mark was able to talk him off of the ledge and the guys discuss how both teams can learn from these losses and how they don’t mean the sky is falling for either team. The guys also touch on the upcoming championship matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame, and why they feel the game will be closer than most of the pundits are predicting.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
_______________________
Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Chris and Mark survived the Snowmageddon to bring you this weeks’ podcast. We discuss how the Bengals season has come to a close and reflect on just how they got here. There were plenty of missed opportunities along the way which really dampened amazing the numbers put up by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson. But at the end of the day the Bengals ended the year on a very nice winning streak. Zac Taylor improved his play calling, and the defense played much better. And while the season may have ended in disappointment, there is plenty to be positive about.
This offseason is perhaps the most crucial in Bengals’ history, and Chris and Mark delve into the opening moves Cincinnati has made to start that offseason, and how the firing of defensives coordinator Lou Anarumo and other assistant coaches impact the plan for next year. Then, Mark breaks down just what has gone wrong with the Bearcats basketball team and their 0-3 start to conference play, and how they can bounce back with a big game looming against the Kansas Jayhawks at home this Saturday.
The guys also touch on whether the Michigan Wolverines are legitimate Final Four contenders, and just what the Cleveland Cavaliers’ big win over the Western Conference heavyweights, the Oklahoma City Thunder, might mean for Cleveland’s chances to make it to the NBA Finals.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
_______________________
Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – It’s the first podcast of 2025! The Bengals need a win on Saturday night, and then a lot of help from the Chiefs and Jets on Sunday in order to make it into the playoffs. Chris and Mark break down just how likely it will be that Carson Wentz and Aaron Rodgers come up big, and they try to find some positivity. They also look back at another cardiac Cincinnati win, this time against a very talented Broncos team. The defense played decently for the first time in recent memory against a quality opponent, and Joe Burrow was his old magnificent self. Then, Mark addresses the Bearcats’ first loss in conference play against Kansas State, and explains why there’s no reason to panic. Cincinnati has a chance to erase all the questions with a big win at home against the Arizona Wildcats.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Chris and Mark are back at it again! This time the duo talks about the Bengals’ much-needed win over the Browns. Just how much faith can we have in this Cincinnati defense? It has played much better as of late, but has done so against much lesser quarterbacks than the one it will face this week in Denver’s Bo Nix. Joe Burrow was once again Superman against Cleveland, and Chris and Mark discuss just how much of a boost Chase Brown has been this year. Having a running back of his quality on the roster only spells good things for this team. Next, Mark clues us into the state of Bearcats basketball and just how special this team might end up being. Their next run of very tough conference games will tell us quite a lot about just how good they are. They will face off against some of the best college teams in the country in the coming weeks, including Kansas, Arizona, and Baylor. Finally, the guys take a look at the upcoming slate of College Football Playoff games and discuss which ones may be close, and which could get ugly.
Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Willie Lutz is a former Loveland resident, a graduate of Loveland High School, and former sportswriter for Loveland Magazine
by Willie Lutz
Those who endured the 12-minute run from the Bengals, who looked lifeless in Miami, down 23 points on a day many at home hoped to be the final loss on one of the worst seasons of the last decade in Cincinnati, despite eight losses being within one possession.
After a 35-38 overtime loss at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the Cincinnati Bengals secured the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, a pick that should bring a new franchise centerpiece, Joe Burrow. LSU’s Heisman-winning quarterback won the nation’s collective hearts with a dazzling senior season, finishing with 4,715 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, completed 77.9% of passes, and averaged 10.7 yards per attempt. With only 6 interceptions and without a loss on his Tigers’ resume, he represents the nation’s top seed in the College Football Playoff as the nation’s best player.
If the jungle kittens don’t win next Sunday…
If the jungle kittens don’t win next Sunday against Cleveland, they’ll have the worst record of any Bengals team ever, though a win would tie the team with the Jon Kitna-led 2002 team who finished 2-14. That finish put Cincinnati in place to draft Heisman winner Carson Palmer with the top pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Certainly, a narrative exists in which the Andy Dalton-led Cincinnati Bengals crush the messy Cleveland Browns in a fitting end to the 2019 season. It’ll likely be Dalton’s last game in a striped helmet and the Browns are about to wrap up one of the most embarrassing seasons of NFL football in recent memory. As we learned on Sunday against the Dolphins, Dalton is here to win; he passed for 396 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and completed 33-of-56 passes, nearly leading the team to the biggest comeback victory in team history.
It’ll likely be Dalton’s last game in a striped helmet and the Browns are about to wrap up one of the most embarrassing seasons of NFL football in recent memory.
Dalton will want to impress the potentially red-hot quarterback market, as many teams seem ready to move a different direction with their passers. Teams like the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among teams that may make a change at QB in the coming months. Potentially, Dalton could head to one of those teams in a favorable trade for the Bengals, as a move could net the team a second or third-round pick if Andy continues to impress against the Browns.
For Cincinnati, loss to Miami made a few things pretty clear; Joe Burrow is obviously the pick at the top of the draft and that this team needs to add more good players to the roster this offseason.
There is obviously bound to be plenty of pressure from a central Ohio-minded fanbase to go with Burrow’s teammate and practice opponent at Ohio State in DE Chase Young. There probably won’t be as much pressure to draft QB Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama, as the 21-year-old quarterback will enter the league with a cumbersome injury resume.
It’s amazing to hear so many college-aged people rave not about the player, but about the human being.
Having graduated from Ohio State in 2019 and thus meeting a handful of people who are friends or former classmates with Burrow, it’s amazing to hear so many college-aged people rave not about the player, but about the human being. What some knew before but many learned during his incredibly touching Heisman speech, Joe Burrow has the heart of a leader and the poise of a title fighter, essentially the intangibles you’d dream of in a franchise quarterback.
Before the season, I think like many people, I thought Dwyane Haskins had a higher upside and was probably a better player than Joe Burrow; it’s impossible for me to feel that way after everything I’ve seen from the senior passer’s closing season at LSU.
Burrow does everything you’d hope from a young quarterback all before NFL refinement.
Navigating the pocket like a pro and keeping his eyes on a level plane while reading the defense, Burrow does everything you’d hope from a young quarterback all before NFL refinement. In Cincinnati, he’ll have the chance to work with Zac Taylor and Brian Callahan, two coaches with backgrounds as quarterback coaches from their earlier days in the NFL (of course both are under 40, so those earlier days aren’t exactly ancient).
“New Dey” promise
When Cincinnati comes to the blatant conclusion that they’ll take Burrow at the top of the draft and set this franchise on a brand-new trajectory, it’ll finally deliver on the “New Dey” promise that became apart of the team’s marketing pitch following Zac Taylor’s hire. As many know by now, Burrow is an Ohio kid and a willing leader; he’s more personable than Palmer ever was and doesn’t bring any baggage to a lockerroom currently loaded with likable personalities.
If this team drifts from Joe Burrow, they’re making a mistake that the 6’3” passer will certainly find a way to make them regret in years down the road.
If this team drifts from Joe Burrow, they’re making a mistake that the 6’3” passer will certainly find a way to make them regret in years down the road. Sure, Ohio State when got lucky when Justin Fields decided to join the Buckeyes via transfer, filling the gap left by the Burrow departure in 2018, but even they might feel the brunt of that move if they advance to the National Championship game. In the NFL, Burrow will have the chance to make the Bengals pay once every four years, at the most minimal rate.
The pick seems obvious to this sports-watcher, draft Joe Burrow and call it a day; it’ll give your team one of the best chances in its history to construct a contending roster. However, like many others, I think this is all just preaching to a Bengals-based choir, one including Duke Tobin, Troy, and Katie Blackburn.
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
