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For all the precautions, I would bet the bug is passed easily on money.

Esp coins.

At work I see people over the top with the wipes and hand sanitiser

and pumping quarters into the Pepsi machine, pulling out the change.

How many people have handled that?

 

Maybe starting a rumor but... think about it.

 

Just came from my local Kroger.

They did have toilet paper (aka Pittsburgh napkins) but didn't even bother

putting it on the shelf.  People (inc me) were taking it out

of the boxes it came in.

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On 3/14/2020 at 12:16 PM, bfine said:

nah, I was talking to SF but definitely meant no slur. Jim Boeheim was on Sirius yesterday and he mentioned how the kids on the UD basketball team most likely feel. He said they had a good shot of making the final 4 and a decent chance of winning it all. That said a lot coming from the Syracuse coach. 

 

Now, can somebody explain this Rugby to me?

Rugby is awesome. Fortunately, I got to play in a tourney in Savannah a week ago before they shut everything down. 

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11 hours ago, SF2 said:

Kroger ran out of meat this morning.  Looks like its time to pull out the .22 and hunt me some squirrels and rabbits.  Maybe take the fishin pole down to the pond.  Better yet, just go grab one of those annoying Canadian Geese by the throat.

I think Id rather be up there eating yours rather than what SoFla can contribute to the final countdown, LOL.

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And on a more positive note in Columbus, a patron was in a local restaurant here on Sunday when the news came down that all the bars and restaurants were closing, so he left a $2500 tip to be split among all of the employees. 

 

My son works at a nursing home so when he gets back from vacation, he will have to undergo a daily health screening before he can go into the facility, and the facility is not allowing any visitors with the exception of end-of-life situations. 

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43 minutes ago, Shebengal said:

And on a more positive note in Columbus, a patron was in a local restaurant here on Sunday when the news came down that all the bars and restaurants were closing, so he left a $2500 tip to be split among all of the employees. 

 

 

We have done the same thing at our local Liverpool FC pub: big monetary contribution from all of us. Plus, free insurance and legal advice from those who know it. 

 

We go by the Liverpool motto: "You'll Never Walk Alone". 
 

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2 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

We have done the same thing at our local Liverpool FC pub: big monetary contribution from all of us. Plus, free insurance and legal advice from those who know it. 

 

We go by the Liverpool motto: "You'll Never Walk Alone". 
 

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Perusing around the forum, and this thread reappears. 
 

“Life Without Sports” as a question or state of mind, seems quaint (or whimsical) in the context of what is happening. Perhaps—albeit more somber—what about “Life Without Life?”

 

Getting ready time go into state-ordered isolation...goes into official effect at midnight. Won’t really change anything many have already been doing...however the mere insistence that “thou must” has an unsettling feeling about it. 
 

Haven’t been watching many sports channels—I mean, when they are showing the I-Hate-Christian Laettner game for the 70th time? Some semi-interesting “greatest of” things—mostly Premier League pieces on events in the ‘70’s-‘90’s which I did not know. All in all, no sports...and quite honestly, given the current state of affairs, haven’t really thought about it.

 

I did notice that the 2nd Jewel in the NFL Crown—the Draft—is being moved to a TV event only (would assume no crowds). Green Room—if indeed there will be such a thing—will be social distances properly. Elbow bumps or hearty “hellos” will certainly replace the bear hugs after selections. Other than drunken Jets fans making spectacles...not much will be different I suppose, so the Show will go on.

 

Saw something over the weekend that brought something to notice: the Aussie Rules League had a match on—but there were no fans. Found it fascinating, but at the same time troubling. Haven’t seen the NFL address a possibility (whether by just ignoring it, or not to publicly speak on it): what if their season cannot begin—whether delayed, or simply cannot? What if this Leviathan cannot get off the ground? Believe me, scenarios like this are being openly discussed in many of the world’s other sport establishments. 
 

Does cause thought. Oh well, back to isolation. Stay safe, everyone. 
 

   

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On 3/16/2020 at 6:39 PM, High School Harry said:

For all the precautions, I would bet the bug is passed easily on money.

Esp coins.

At work I see people over the top with the wipes and hand sanitiser

and pumping quarters into the Pepsi machine, pulling out the change.

How many people have handled that?

 

Maybe starting a rumor but... think about it.

 

Just came from my local Kroger.

They did have toilet paper (aka Pittsburgh napkins) but didn't even bother

putting it on the shelf.  People (inc me) were taking it out

of the boxes it came in.

It survives on stainless steel the longest. 

It survives the least amount of time on copper. What the majority of our coins are these days. Copper zinc mix. 

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The Athletic is running a series of "Inaugural Hall of Fames" by City. They just did one for Cincinnati, written by Jay Morrison, This is a paid for web site but WTF :

 

 

The idea of putting another Mount in Cincinnati seemed ridiculous, not to mention incredibly difficult.

With seven Mounts already here – Adams, Airy, Echo, Healthy, Lookout, Storm and Washington – there was no room for a Mount Rushmore of Cincinnati sports. And even if there was, it would be impossible to distill the city’s long, rich sports history down to four figureheads.

So instead of a monument, we decided to create a Hall of Fame shrine that could house 25, for starters. And that still was hard as hell.

In fact, it took a runoff election to narrow a field of eight semifinalists to three inductees. But more on that later.

To create a Cincinnati Sports Hall of Fame – or, technically, Greater Cincinnati Sports Hall of Fame, as athletes as far south as Northern Kentucky University and as far north as Miami University were considered – eight local writers and editors who make up The Athletic Cincinnati staff took part in the balloting. The group consisted of myself, Dave Niinemets, C. Trent Rosecrans, Paul Dehner Jr., Shannon Russell, Justin Williams, Mo Egger and Laurel Pfahler.

There was no official ballot, as everyone was free to vote for whomever they wished while paying attention to just three guidelines, two of which were rigid and one that was more subjective.

The fixed mandates were that voters had to pick exactly 25 people, and the nominees had to be retired as players but could still be active as coaches, administrators, broadcasters, etc.

The more open-ended piece was that nominees needed to have played a substantial portion of their careers in greater Cincinnati. There was no mathematical equation. Voters were on their own to decide whether players such as Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr., who played half their careers in Cincinnati and half elsewhere, were worthy of consideration.

There are some players on the list who only spent their school days in Cincinnati before moving on to the pro ranks, but they merit consideration based solely on what they achieved in college. And when you look at it through that lens, they played their entire college careers in town.

The main purpose of that criterium was to exclude people who were born locally but went on to stardom elsewhere, such as Roger Staubach. Cincinnati is proud to call him a native son, but he was never a part of Cincinnati college or pro sports. (There is one exception for national team performance, as you will see.)

The process resulted in 54 people receiving at least one vote.

Before unveiling the inaugural class of 25, here is a reminder to share your thoughts and/or ballots in the comments section. This Hall of Fame is fictional and should be fun for the readers as everyone deals with quarantined isolation and the lack of actual games.

Unanimous selections

Johnny Bench

As good offensively as defensively, Bench is regarded as the best catcher in baseball history. He helped the Reds win World Series titles in 1975 and 1976, was a two-time National League MVP, World Series MVP, Rookie of the Year, 14-time all-star and 10-time Gold Glove winner. Bench, who spent his entire 17-year career with the Reds, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 with 96.4 percent of the vote, the third-highest number at the time.

Paul Brown

One of the most innovative minds in football history, Brown already was a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee before he brought the NFL to Cincinnati for the 1968 season. As owner and head coach, Brown had the expansion Bengals in the playoffs in just their third season, and playoff berths followed in 1973 and 1975 before Brown retired from coaching and put 100 percent of his focus on the front office, where he built Super Bowl teams in 1981 and 1988. Brown won 166 games as an NFL head coach, which is 15th on the all-time list.

Ezzard Charles

The Cincinnati Cobra turned pro in 1940 at the age of 19 and went on to win 95 fights, including 52 by knockout. He didn’t get his first shot at a title until 1949 when he beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the National Boxing Association heavyweight title, which he retained in his next eight bouts. That included victories against Joe Louis and Walcott in a rematch. Charles defeated numerous Hall of Fame boxers on his way to earning induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, 15 years after dying from ALS at age 53. The year after his death, the city of Cincinnati renamed Lincoln Park Drive – the street on which he grew up – to Ezzard Charles Drive.

Bob Huggins

At the age of 35, Huggins took over a University of Cincinnati basketball program that hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament in 12 years while recording just one winning conference record during that stretch. He had the Bearcats in the Final Four in his third season, and the following year they fell one game shy, losing in the regional final. Huggins never had a losing year at UC and won at least 20 games in 14 of 16 seasons, finishing 399-127 (.759). After qualifying for the NIT in his first seasons, the Bearcats went to 14 consecutive NCAA tournaments under Huggins.

Barry Larkin

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Larkin played his entire 19-year MLB career with the Reds after starring at Moeller High School. He turned down a football scholarship to Michigan and starred on the baseball field instead, leading the Wolverines to retire his No. 16. The Reds took Larkin in the second round of the 1982 draft, starting the clock on a Hall of Fame career that included a World Series title in 1990, an NL MVP award in 1995, 12 all-star selections and three gold gloves.

 

Kenyon Martin

The central figure in perhaps the most tragic “What might have been” tale in local sports, Martin’s career at the University of Cincinnati ended with a broken leg three minutes into the first round of the Conference USA Tournament in 2000. The Bearcats were ranked No. 1 in the country and Martin would go on to win the National Player of the Year award, averaging 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. He remains the school record holder in field goal percentage and blocks and is one of two UC players, along with Oscar Robertson, to record multiple triple-doubles.

Anthony Muñoz

Muñoz, a first-ballot selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is considered one of the greatest offensive tackles ever. He played for the Bengals for his entire 13-season career, which spanned both Super Bowl appearances in 1981 and 1988. Muñoz was voted to 11 Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro nine times, both of which are franchise records. Only Jerry Rice and Jim Otto were voted All-Pro more times (10) than Muñoz.

Oscar Robertson

If we did limit this little exercise to a four-person Mount Rushmore, Robertson likely would be a unanimous pick no matter how many people cast votes. He led the nation in scoring and was voted a first-team All-American and the College Player of the Year in all three seasons he played at the University of Cincinnati. He averaged 33.8 points per game as the Bearcats went 79-9 and made two trips to the Final Four. He went on to play 10 more seasons in town with the Cincinnati Royals as part of a 14-year career in professional basketball that saw him win a championship in 1971 with the Bucks, an MVP award in 1964 with the Royals and make 12 All-Star appearances, including three All-Star Game MVP awards. Robertson famously became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.5 assists in his second season with the Royals.

First-ballot inductees

The following people, listed in alphabetic order, received between four and seven votes to make the cut into our inaugural class:

Ken Anderson: The 1981 NFL MVP played a team-record 16 seasons for the Bengals while leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl. Anderson is the team’s career leader in passing yards and attempts and second in completions and touchdown passes.

Sparky Anderson: He went 863-586 in nine seasons as Reds manager, leading the team to the World Series four times, including back-to-back championships in 1975-76. Anderson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Marty Brennaman: His voice was the soundtrack of summer for generations of Reds fans who listened to the 2000 Ford C. Frick Award winner call games from 1974 until his retirement at the end of 2019.

Boomer Esiason: The 1988 NFL MVP led the Bengals to within 34 seconds of a Super Bowl championship as part of his inaugural nine-year run with the team. Esiason returned after four seasons with the Jets and Cardinals and ended his career in memorable fashion, leading a bad Bengals team to an explosive 4-1 finish on his way to retirement.

Byron Larkin: The younger brother of Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, Byron starred at Moeller High School before embarking on his own Hall of Fame career at Xavier, where he is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,696 points. Larkin led the Musketeers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1987 and his No. 23 jersey was the first one the school retired.

Heather Mitts: After helping St. Ursula win a state championship in soccer as a freshman, Mitts was a two-team All-Ohio selection before heading to the University of Florida, where she led the Gators to a national championship in 1998 and was voted first-team All-American in 1999. Mitts went on to win three Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team and was inducted into the Florida Hall of Fame in 2013.

Joe Morgan: He played eight of his 22 MLB seasons with the Reds, including 1975 and 1976 when he won back-to-back NL MVP awards and World Series championships. A mix of power, speed and defense, Morgan won five gold gloves – all with the Reds – and played in 10 all-star games. He drove in at least one run in 10 consecutive games in 1976, a Reds record that still stands.

Joe Nuxhall: You won’t find a more beloved figure on this list than the Ol’ Left-Hander, who holds the distinction of being the youngest player in MLB history at the age of 15 while a ninth-grader in the Hamilton school district. After appearing in one game, he returned to the majors in 1952 for his second of 15 seasons as a member of the Reds. Nuxhall joined the radio booth after retiring in 1966 and called Reds games for 41 seasons, during which he crafted his signature sign off, “This is the Ol’ Left-Hander, rounding third and heading for home.”

Tony Perez: One of the best clutch hitters in baseball history, Perez enjoyed two stints with the Reds as a player from 1964-76 and 1984-86. He is one of the few people who won three World Series rings in Cincinnati, serving as the team’s first-base coach and hitting instructor in 1990. A seven-time all-star, Perez still ranks 32nd in MLB history in RBIs and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Frank Robinson: Prior to winning the triple crown in his first season in Baltimore, Robinson spent 10 seasons with the Reds, hitting .303 with 324 home runs and 1,009 RBIs. He remains the only player in MLB history to win NL and AL MVP awards. The 14-time all-star also won the 1966 World Series MVP and the 1989 AL Manager of the Year awards after leaving Cincinnati. He was a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, and in 1998 the Reds retired his No. 20.

Pete Rose: The Cincinnati native still is not eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but there is no keeping him out of our fictional shrine, although one of the eight voters did not include him on the ballot. In addition to having the most hits in MLB history, the 17-time All-Star ranks first in games played, at-bats and plate appearances, sixth in runs scored and ninth in total bases. He also won 412 games as Reds manager from 1984-89.

Wally Szczerbiak: The driving, long-range force behind the greatest season in Miami Redhawks basketball history, Szczerbiak averaged 24.4 points per game in 1999 while leading the 10th-seeded RedHawks to the Sweet 16 with upset victories against No. 7 Washington and No. 2 Utah. Szczerbiak was the MAC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American that season. He remains the school’s career leader in 3-point percentage (.431) and is second to Ron Harper in career scoring with 1,847 points despite forgoing his senior season to enter the NBA draft, where he was selected sixth overall by the Timberwolves. Miami retired his No. 32 in 2001.

David West: The four-year star at Xavier capped his Musketeers career as a consensus All-American and the National Player of the Year award in 2003. The two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year led the Musketeers in scoring three consecutive years and became just the second player in school history to have at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. The New Orleans Hornets drafted West in the first round, and he played 16 NBA seasons, the final two of which ended in championships with the Golden State Warriors. XU retired his No. 30 and inducted West into the school’s hall of fame in 2010.

The runoff ballot

Our eight unanimous selections and 13 inductees who received four or more of a possible eight votes brought the enshrinement total to 21.

With eight people garnering three votes, we needed to break the tie to find our final four. So each voter ranked the eight in order of preference. The nominees received eight points for a first-place vote, seven for second, six for third, etc.

After the runoff ballots were tallied, only two points separated fourth place (the No. 25 spot in the Hall of Fame) from fifth (the first person left on the outside).

Chad Johnson: He mixed showmanship and style with athleticism to become the Bengals’ career leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches. Johnson/Ochocinco/Johnson played 10 seasons in Cincinnati from 2001-2010, recording at least 87 catches and 1,100 yards in five consecutive years from 2003-2007. He was a catalyst in turning around the franchise.

Willie Anderson: Selected 10th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft, Anderson played 12 seasons in Cincinnati. He appeared in 174 of a possible 176 games in his first 11 seasons while garnering four Pro Bowl berths. Many people view Anderson as worthy Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate based on what he did on the field, but playing during one of the darkest periods of Bengals history robbed him of national exposure in primetime and playoff games and he remains atop the list of most talented offensive linemen not in the hall.

Nancy Winstel: The Newport, Kentucky, native led the Northern Kentucky University’s women’s basketball team to Division II national championships in 2000 and 2008. Winstel went 636-214 from 1983-2012. In addition to being named National Coach of the Year in 2000, she earned six conference coach of the year awards and the Division II coach of the decade honor from 2000-09. When Winstel, who still ranks third on the school’s career rebounding list, retired from coaching, she ranked third in wins and ninth in winning percentage in Division II history.

Ted Kluszewski: Big Klu played 11 sleeve-snipped seasons with the Reds from 1947-57 and hit at least 40 home runs in three consecutive seasons from 1953-55, setting records with 49 homers and 141 RBIs in 1954. He was the hitting coach for the Big Red Machine era from 1970-78 after his playing career end.

Just missed

The four people who received three votes but lost out in the runoff ballot, listed in order of runoff results:

Dave Lapham: A third-round pick 1974, Lapham spent 10 seasons on the Bengals offensive line, where he played all five positions during different portions of his career. Following two seasons of cashing checks from Donald Trump as a member of the New Jersey Generals in the USFL, Lapham returned to the Bengals as the radio color analyst, a job he still holds today.

Ken Griffey Jr.: The Mariners made the Cincinnati native the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 MLB amateur draft and Griffey Jr. enjoyed a celebrated homecoming when he signed with the Reds in 2000. He struggled to match the production he had in Seattle but still hit 40 home runs in his first season in his hometown and 210 during a nine-year run before being elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Ron Harper: The Dayton native had the most decorated basketball career in Miami University history from 1982-86, leading the then-Redskins to three NCAA tournaments before having his No. 34 retired. Harper was the first player in Mid-American Conference history to have at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, and he remains Miami’s career leader in points, rebounds, blocks, steals and free throws.

Ben Roethlisberger: The two-time Super Bowl champion with the Stealers first spent three seasons re-writing the record books at Miami University. Roethlisberger was named the 2001 MAC Freshman of the Year and the 2003 Player of the Year after leading the RedHawks to a 13-1 record. He still holds the single-season and career records for touchdown passes. His success locally continued after leaving Miami as he has gone 16-2 at Paul Brown Stadium, including 2-0 in the playoffs.

Maybe next year

The following people received at least one vote but fewer than three and will have to wait until next year, or whenever we get around to revisiting this exercise, to get the celebratory, and fictional, phone call.

  • James Brooks (Bengals running back)
  • Charlie Coles (Miami University player and coach)
  • Dave Concepcion (Reds shortstop)
  • Greg Cook (UC and Bengals quarterback)
  • Eric Davis (Reds outfielder)
  • Gerry Faust (Moller High School football coach)
  • Danny Fortson (UC basketball player)
  • George Foster (Reds outfielder)
  • Pete Gillen (Xavier basketball coach)
  • Gino Guidugli (UC quarterback)
  • Tyrone Hill (Xavier basketball player)
  • Bob Howsam (Reds general manager)
  • Brian Kelly (UC football coach)
  • Sean Kilpatrick (UC basketball player)
  • Chris Mack (Xavier basketball player, coach)
  • Drew McDonald (NKU basketball player)
  • Aaron Pryor (boxer)
  • Ken Riley (Bengals cornerback)
  • Ken Shields (NKU basketball player)
  • Tony Trabert (UC tennis player, winner of 10 majors)
  • Mary Lee Tracy (Gymnastics coach)
  • Bob Trumpy (Bengals tight end and talk radio pioneer)
  • Jack Twyman (UC, Royals basketball player)
  • Nick Van Exel (UC basketball player)
  • Sam Wyche (Bengals player and coach)

 

 

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1 hour ago, UncleEarl said:

Kenyon Martin and Bob Huggins over Pete Rose and Sparky Anderson.  GTFO. 

My thoughts exactly...I'd probably even add Barry Larkin, as much as I like him, as a GTFO the unanomous list.  Several others in the secondary lists are WTF too...I'd move lots of people around.  Miami/Oxford is not Cincinnati.  Big Ben?  NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  I guess everyone has an opinion based on their windows to the world.

 

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1 hour ago, UncleEarl said:

Kenyon Martin and Bob Huggins over Pete Rose and Sparky Anderson.  GTFO. 

I also disagree with Kenyon Martin's story as the "Most tragic "What Could Have Been" story. That title goes to Stanley Wilson or Greg Cook.

 

How in the hell does Ben Roethlisberger make this list? IDGAF if he did play at Miami. 

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10 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

I have always disliked Charlie Hustle. However the lifetime ban seems ludicrous now when compared to what Houston received for what they did.

 

I get disliking Pete Rose.  On the other hand you can't deny what he did as a player for the Reds.  Two World Series Championships from a player born and raised in Cincinnati.  Two Championships for Sparky.  How many national championships did Bob Huggins win?  Kenyon Martin?  I like both of those guys, but NO F'n Way!

 

David West was a great player at X and is a great guy.  He runs a model AAU program here in the Raleigh area.  He's a NC guy.  Has he ever even been back to Cincinnati since he graduated?  A Greater Cincinnati Sports Hall of Fame should want people who are actually Cincinnati people. 

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12 minutes ago, UncleEarl said:

I get disliking Pete Rose.  On the other hand you can't deny what he did as a player for the Reds.  Two World Series Championships from a player born and raised in Cincinnati.  Two Championships for Sparky.  How many national championships did Bob Huggins win?  Kenyon Martin?  I like both of those guys, but NO F'n Way!

 

David West was a great player at X and is a great guy.  He runs a model AAU program here in the Raleigh area.  He's a NC guy.  Has he ever even been back to Cincinnati since he graduated?  A Greater Cincinnati Sports Hall of Fame should want people who are actually Cincinnati people. 

David West saved the Pacers from being a cap load by just leaving..

Hes a fan favorite in Indy..

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7 minutes ago, claptonrocks said:

David West saved the Pacers from being a cap load by just leaving..

Hes a fan favorite in Indy..

I'm not a big NBA fan, but I know of what West does here in NC.  He does right by kids on his AAU teams, and not just the big time players.  Teaches them more than just basketball.  Frankly, I've never heard anyone say anything bad about David West.

 

Just the same, he's not a Cincinnati guy, IMO.

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