Back in 2005 on The Mind's Eye, I posted this:
I am a huge football fan, plain and simple. Nothing entertains me like it. Baseball is a boring time-waster they do while there is no football. Why basketball games aren't four minutes long baffles me. Hockey just isn't my thing. But football... *shivers* That said, this weekend was absolutely huge for me and my teams. In fact, I think it is the biggest football weekend I can remember ever.
This Saturday, my old alma mater, Cincinnati St. Xavier High School, was playing for Ohio's High School Division I (the big one) state football title at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This was their fourth appearance in the big game - the others being '92, '98, and '01 - and they had lost all the previous three with me in attendance. Not so this time. The Massillon Washington Tigers are the historic Ohio team from the documentary "Go Tigers!" and formerly coached by Paul Brown, who created and coached both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in the past. The Tigers were defeated 24-17 in a well fought game in front of 20,000+ to capture the title for the first time in the school's 175 year history. It was fitting that this victory took place on the Catholic feast day for St. Francis Xavier. St. Xavier was ranked #9 nationally by USA Today on Nov. 28, with the next update to the Super 25 coming later today, and finished #2 in the computer-based Freeman Rankings (they also had the #1 ranked most difficult schedule in the country, including playoffs, by the same poll; they had the #4 most difficult if only the regular season is considered)
Article: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...0016/1074/SPT03
Article: http://www.stxavier.org/stxavier.aspx?pgID=847
Photos: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gal...ectionCat=SPT03
Unless you never watch ESPN, you should know that this past Sunday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers was a big one that would go a long way to decide what was going to happen to the playoff visions of both teams. The Bengals defeated the Steelers in an absolute thriller at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh 38-31 to stake their claim for the AFC North Division Title and secured a winning season for the first time since 1990. The Steelers had previously routed the Bengals 27-13 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati earlier this season. Unlike the first game, the Bengals were able to keep the Steelers out of their punishing rushing game by answering every score and creating turnovers, allowing them to actually get up on the Steelers by two scores at one point and forcing Roethlisberger to do something he rarely does: pass the ball. The Bengals should be able to clinch the division title outright next week by defeating the Cleveland Browns at home (the Bengals are currently 4-1 in the division with the Steelers 3-2). Capturing the AFC North title will also earn them their first playoff birth in fifteen years.
Article: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art.../312040001/1066
Article: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20051204_CIN@PIT
Photos: http://www.nfl.com/photos/football_2005_week_13/CIN@PIT
My oh my how things have changed. My high school, which as I mentioned won that Ohio Division I state championship in 2005 also won that same championship last year in a 27-0 shutout and had games featured nationally on ESPN twice in the past two years. Well, now they are 4-5 after losing yesterday in OT 16-13 to Cleveland rival St. Ignatius (alma mater of Anthony Gonzalez of the Colts*). This marks the first time that St. X will miss the playoffs since 2002. So that sucks.
Then you have the Bengals. My oh my what can I say. They seem to be playing better on offense now in the latter part of the 2nd quarter on offense but have been otherwise
horrible. The defense doesn't have great stats because the offense puts them in bad spots but they are a lot better than they were the past few years. But wow is the offense bad. I mean it's like watching the Bungles of the 90's all over again. Today their first offensive play was a fumbled handoff. They had a 15 yard punt. They are 0-6 and I wouldn't be surprised if they were 0-7 after this game. The Bungles are back.
Oh, and a quick fact. The Bengals have eight 0-6 starts in franchise history; the teams tied for second place have four. I guess maybe 2005 was just a tease, and this year is more of the norm.
But man it sucks to be a St. X and Bengals fan right now!
* Side note: My brother played football against at least 3 current NFL players: Chinedum Ndukwe from Coffman HS of Dublin (Bengals), OH, Brady Quinn of Coffman (Brown), and Anthony Gonzalez of St. Ignatius (Colts). I find that to be kind of an interesting fact.
