Is it Time to Believe in Andy Dalton? Kevin A. Answers Bengals Questions.


1) Andy Dalton is off to an amazing start. But, deep in your bones do you fear he will once again ruin the season with a historically bad playoff performance?

Andy's playoff struggles have been overblown.  In 2014 he was playing without Marvin Jones, AJ Green, Tyler Eifert, and a host of others.  In 2011 he was a rookie on a team many thought wouldn't win three games.  In 2012 we saw Jermaine Gresham drop seemingly every big throw he needed to catch, and the defense hasn't shown up for the most part every year.   That being said, he needs to play at a higher level when the bright lights are on, and having Eifert back healthy should bring the Bengals their first playoff win since 1991.

2) Who is more to blame for the Bengals playoff struggles: Andy Dalton, Marvin Lewis or neither?

If someone is to blame it's definitely Marvin Lewis.  His signature strength is defense, and that's been a huge failure in the post season.  Being brutally honest, AJ Green hasn't taken the criticism he deserves either.  He has vanished in many big games, not just the playoffs.

3) That said, this is an excellent football team. If they can stay healthy, how many wins are possible? 

When this season started, I felt having Eifert and Jones back was really under reported in the media, and we are seeing what kind of an offense this is when they are together.  This team can literally hit you from anywhere on the field, and defensively get back Vontaze Burfict possibly as soon as this Sunday against the Steelers.   13 wins is not out of the question, but I'm sticking to my pre season prediction of 12.

4) The game this Sunday almost has a playoff feel. Which team needs it more?

The Bengals currently sit as a 1.5 favorite on the road, and that can't sit well with a Steeler team that is already three games back in the loss column.  Definitely a bigger game for Pittsburgh, as another loss all but eliminates them from winning the division.  On the flip side, its a chance for the Bengals to step on the throat and end this race early.

5) Who do you see winning and how does it happen?

It will be a physical game for the running backs on both sides, and Le'Veon Bell should be playing with a chip on his shoulder after last year when Reggie Nelson ended his season early.  That being said, this game will also see plenty of passing with Dalton and the probable return of Ben Roethlisberger.

I will take the Bengals +1.5, with a score somewhere in the 27-23 range.  I don't think the Steelers will be able to cover Eifert, and I think he's the difference this week.

Kevin Albanese is an expert on the Bengals, Red Sox and KISS. He writes things sometimes.

The World Series is Mostly Dead. I Think I Know How to Save It - by Colin G.

Baseball has hit a new low. The commissioner can trot out all the numbers he wants explaining how healthy the game is, but let me tell you, here at the coffee shop on Main Street USA, NOBODY cares about the World Series. In fact, if it were to be cancelled today without notice, I suspect only 4 or 5 customers would even mention it. Remember the public outrage when a labor dispute cancelled the Series in 1994? Those days are long gone.

And to make matters worse, the kids really don't give a dang about the World Series. My son Owen is eleven years old and he is a huge baseball fan. He plays in the summer & fall and his room is decorated with a giant Joey Votto fathead along with hundreds of baseball cards taped to his wall. This is exactly the kind of young fan that can lead the sport into the future. Problem is, he has never seen the end of a World Series game. Ever. Think about that. This eleven year old baseball fan has NEVER seen the end of a World Series game. It's hard to make a connection with a sport when the biggest moments happen long after your bedtime. 

And I don't watch either. It's just too late to justify staying up. I know a handful of nerds who do bother to stay awake to watch and they show up at the coffee shop the next morning looking tired saying, "I sucked it up to stay awake and watch the game and now I am paying for it." Uh, yeah, that sounds like good entertainment value.

Let's glance quickly at the numbers. First the good news: The NLCS on Fox at 8 p.m. tied for second among all viewers 18-49 years old with a 1.3 rating. The bad news: It tied with an episode of the Family Guy airing at 11:30 p.m. I doubt the NFL or NBA would find these numbers acceptable. 

Anyway, you get the point. Baseball is sucking wind and something has to change. Lucky for them I have the answer: it's easy to execute and can be done as soon as next season.

All World Series games should start at 6 p.m.

Yup. That is my solution. Starting next year all World Series games should start at 6 pm. It's a new tradition that never changes. Baseball loves tradition.  Forget shortening the season or speeding up the games. Maybe in some future fantasy hippie utopia that would be possible, but not on this planet during my lifetime.   

I got the idea while watching the World Cup this summer. Most of those games started around 5 pm on weeknights. Yet, I found myself watching games with Owen and a big group of his friends and they were all into it. They weren't even soccer fans. It was just cool because it was on. As a baseball fan it pains me to admit, but soccer is the future and baseball is the past. It's time to borrow a page from their book and put these games on during daylight hours. 

"But why not just start at 7 pm?"

Nope, baseball has to go all-in on this. Didn't a wise man named Mr. Miagi once say, "Walk in middle of road and you get squashed by football" or something like that? A 7 pm start, while an improvement, wouldn't be a big enough change. By starting at 6 pm baseball is creating a unique time slot to showcase its biggest event of the year. It's not all about the game ending late, though that is a part of it, it's about making the World Series feel special. A 6 pm start would do that.

The only reason World Series games start at 8 pm now is because that is the way they used to do it. There used to only be 3 TV channels to choose from, too. (At least that's what my aged friend Ricki C. tells me.) And with local affiliates filling the time between the nightly news and prime time, that was only spot to put it.  Of course the World Series did well. There was no competition.  That isn't the case anymore, so baseball has to change with the times. And its not like MLB is locked into any one network any more.. Hell, even I couldn't find some of the playoff games this year. I think I missed the one was on Animal Planet. ESPN would be nice but surely another network would go crazy for the chance to own the World Series. But they have to have the games on at 6 pm. You could even use the series as a lead into a new show at the 10 pm slot. Not too shabby.

As for the West Coast, they will get over it. What are we talking about anyway? Worst case, some people leave work a little early three times a year to catch the final three hours of a baseball game. These games average four hours in length. Fans will be hitting the bars by the third inning.  And the kids can come home from school and watch. If people care so little about your sport they won't even do that then you don't deserve to survive. In exchange for this minor inconvenience, baseball picks up an extra hundred million eyeballs to possibly watch the end of your event when the drama really matters, when fans - die-hard fans - are rewarded for their loyalty and new fans are forged.

There is no drama in sports like a tight baseball game played with a championship on the line. Baseball needs to stop chasing the fans and playing by the other sports' rules. They have tried that and it isn't working. Baseball needs to make a bold move to insert itself back into the public eye. Have a little faith in your product. You have seen the movie: "If you build it they will come." It's time to start every World Series game at 6 p.m.

Colin Gawel started Pencilstorm at Colin's Coffee, where he wrote this bit. You can learn more about him and other Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here.

 

 

What the Hell Does "Play Like a Brown" Mean Anyway? The NCP Ponder the Question.

We are nearing the halfway point of the season.  What are your thoughts on the Browns so far?

Big$:  Well, I guess I could break down the razor thin margins by which the Browns are losing, or the porous, Charmin soft run defense, but these are not the issues I find most concerning. What is truly aching me in the pit of my grizzled Cleveland sports fan soul is a much more infuriating topic. My friends, I’m at my wits end due to the consistent reminders that this team’s motto is “Play like a Brown.”  Is there a more self-manufactured pile of BS than this anywhere?  When the powers that be settled on this moniker, did they snicker in hopes that gullible fans would shift their thoughts to a rumbling Jim Brown or a muddy Ozzie Newsome? Or (gasp) do they think that the current organization at any level exhibits the type of effort that should be lauded. My worry is that Scheiner, Haslam and Farmer are so tone deaf that they do believe that this current configuration offers components that should be emulated anywhere at any time.  Accountability, from the GM’s complete personnel failures and itchy texting finger to a renegade backup QB who is receiving the same coddling he did when he was a relevant (yet troubled) college phenom, is nonexistent.  Players feel comfortable taking weeks off for injuries that wouldn’t sideline a middle schooler and this softness prevails in situations such as last week’s offensive and defensive failures in OT.  When the chips are down, expect a sack on a 2 step drop or a 40 yard run up the gut. This team is infected by complacency and delusion (maybe kicker Travis Coons and punter Andy Lee received immunity at previous stops) and I personally don’t have the answer.  My guess is that Pettine will become the fall guy, but my belief is that the true problems reside in positions higher on the table of organization.

Well put.  Despite these problems what should we expect to see on Sunday?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  First of all, the Rams have a tough defense.  It is 3rd in the league in sacks, led by what is one of the best defensive lines in the league with Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Chris Long.  With former Buckeye James Laurinaitis patrolling the middle, the Rams 4-3 also ranks 10th in yards surrendered per game.  Browns QB Josh McCown must eliminate the errors he has made under pressure this year—taking avoidable sacks or launching ill-advised throws.  Cleveland also needs to stay in third-and-manageable situations to prevent the Rams from pinning their ears back.  If they can do that, the Browns may be able to move the ball against a Rams D that, despite its strength upfront, ranks in the middle of the pack on third-down.  St. Louis is allowing conversions 39 percent of the time.  When the Browns are on offense, look for recently added running back Robert Turbin to get some more touches this week as the team adds a seat to its running-back-by-committee.

On the flipside, the Rams offense is a bit of an enigma. In what is now a pass-first league, Rams QB Nick Foles is only completing 16 attempts per game and no receiver has more than 200 yards on the year.  They rank second-to-last in the NFL in points per game, total yards, and passing yardage.  St. Louis has an explosive ground threat, though, in rookie running back Todd Gurley.  He has more than 140 yards in each of the last two games, which both included runs of more than 50 yards.  The Browns’ beleaguered rush defense cannot have a breakdown on any play or Gurley can take it the distance.  First-round pick Danny Shelton needs to start paying some dividends in stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback.  The secondary, which will be without Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson again this week, has to be sure not to miss tackles either.  This game gives the Browns D a great opportunity to flip the script on the story of its season.

Who would you start LeBron James in place of this week?

Big$:  This week I’d have LeBron take the place of Paul Kruger.  Not at OLB mind you, but as the resident Johnny babysitter.  If he can keep the magnanimous Earl “J.R.” Smith in line he has a shot at Cleveland’s own urban cowboy.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Just like Big$, I’m going to take this question in a slightly different direction.  I would swap LeBron out for high-priced free-agent wideout Dwayne Bowe.  While King James has decided just to sit out the rest of the preseason, Bowe—a weekly healthy scratch—appears to have decided to sit out the regular season. 

 

Where Did it Go Wrong for Cardale? Baver Answers Colin's Questions

Colin: Have we witnessed the end of the Cardale era at Ohio State?

Baver: If JTB stays healthy, I think you have indeed seen the end of Cardale, except in mop-up duty. But Barrett hasn’t finished a football season healthy since 2011, his junior year in high school. So, we’ll see.

Colin: Cardale never came close to looking like the same player he was last season. Where did it go wrong?

Baver: The OSU coaches limited Cardale’s choices in the trilogy run and catered the offense to his strengths. After viewing 3 games of film, OSU’s 2015 opponents chose to make Cardale beat them vertically, and he hasn’t been able to do it. They all but eliminated Cardale’s running threat, often using an LB as a QB-spy. Also, there has been no deep threat for OSU now that Devin Smith has moved on. Smith bailed Cardale out on several deep balls last year that helped mask some of Cardale’s deficiencies. And Cardale seemed overwhelmed having to learn much more this year. In fairness, the WR injuries have hurt Cardale’s production big time and the coaches haven’t done him many favors with the offensive schemes this year. Also, the O-line has not protected Cardale like they did in the post-season run last year.

Colin: It appears that the demise of the read option was greatly exaggerated. Is this our bread and butter from here on out?

Baver: Yeah….the Buckeyes are going to ride it going forward. It’s certainly JTB’s bread and butter. This is despite what Urban Meyer has said publicly about the read option.

Colin: If you were Offensive Coordinator, what would be your ideal amount of touches for our top 6 offensive players?

Baver: Zeke 22, JTB (as a runner) 8, M Thomas 6, Braxton 6, Jalin 5, and Samuel 3. This is prior to Sparty coming to town. Against MSU, they will need to get Zeke more touches and JTB will need to run the ball more. But for now, they need to limit the wear and tear on Zeke and JTB. With Braxton, as they learn how to use him, his touches will need to increase.

Colin: Why does Joey Bosa hate Penn State so much?

Baver: The kid is an absolute force. He was probably a bit more dominant against Penn State than other opponents, but Bosa has been almost unblockable in every game he’s played this season. And State Penn will certainly be happy when Bosa goes pro after this season.

Colin: I can't think of anything to ask about Rutgers except, Should they even be in the Big Ten?

Baver: No….but the almighty dollar always rules the day. Shifting to some quick thoughts on the game….Rutgers WR #4 Leonte Carroo is about as good as it gets. He’s only played in 4 games, yet has 9 TD’s. The Bucks will have problems keeping Carroo in check. On the other side of the ball, with JTB now at the helm, Rutgers will have a tough time keeping the Bucks under 45 pts. I like the Bucks to cover the 21….will call it OSU 52 Rutgers 24.

Colin: Can you give us a quick recap of your picks to date and what games and lines will you be watching this week?

Baver: 14-6-1 against the spread, which includes 5-2 ATS in the Ohio St games. Predominantly picking dogs has been a good move so far. While I understand USC being favored at home against undefeated Utah, I think you have to take Utah getting 3 ½; I foresee a tight game. And as bad as Auburn has been, the 6 point spread at Arkansas is too high; I like the Tiger plus the pts. As mentioned above, I’d say lay the 21 with OSU. And to add to the comments above, I think Urban may want to start earning some style points that he didn’t care about early in the season.

Willie Phoenix & the Soul Underground Set To Open Rosie Reunion Show at the LC, Friday October 23rd

The beating heart & soul of Columbus rock & roll - Willie Phoenix - will be opening the Rosie Reunion show this coming Friday, October 23rd at the LC.  Doors are at 7 pm, the mighty Soul Underground (Myke Rock on bass, Kim Crawford on guitar & drummer-extraordinaire Jim Johnson) takes the stage promptly at 8 pm, so get out to the show early if you would like to witness the effortless command of a Big Stage that Willie Phoenix has been exhibiting in Columbus for close to 40 years.

Further, Willie's brand-new CD - Captain Psychedelic - will be available for sale at this show for the first time anywhere.  Get 'em while they're hot. 

 

(Incidentally, Pencilstorm's own Ricki C. will be wrangling guitars for Willie & the Soul Underground at this show, reprising a role he began in 1978 and continued up until 1990, when Ricki first met & befriended The Wire - soon to become Watershed - and established a friendship with Colin Gawel that continues to this day.  Willie Phoenix has many times been the glue that binds the Columbus music scene together.)