Pat Forde's article on Cincinnati...

[OesterPoster]

...sorry if already posted, but I didn't see it anywhere here. Ties together Reds-Bengals-Bearcats and just about everything else in Cincinnati sports. I'm not real sure what to make of the article though. Seems like he's trying to stir the black vs. white pot to me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/colum...t&lid=tab1pos1

[dabvu2498]

Nothing like interviewing a dancer from The Foxxx to add credibility to your story.

Usually I like Forde. Stick to your side of the river, Pat.

[Dom Heffner]

So the 51 year old ex-wife of Tom Dinkel gets arrested and that looks bad on the Bengals?

Am I missing something?

[Chip R]

So the 51 year old ex-wife of Tom Dinkel gets arrested and that looks bad on the Bengals?

Am I missing something?

I think that was a big stretch. In fact, I think that was so big of a stretch, I hope Pat didn't pull anything. But he does raise a lot of good points. I'm not sure he's trying to stir the black/white pot since I think a lot of people have a question on whether it's a double standard to support Josh Hamilton and not support Chris Henry. I'm guessing if Henry stays out of trouble and comes back to the Bengals and performs they way he has, the fans will embrace him as they have done with Josh. And a lot of what he's said happens everywhere. The Driving While Black happens probably in ever major city in the US. I would have like to seen him delve into the support for the NFL and high school football versus a lack of support for UC. If you want to talk contradictions, that's a big one. But we can't just say, "Oh, he's from out of town so he doesn't know what he's talking about."

[Hoosier Red]

I must have skipped over that line Dom.

Personally I think the article was pretty much spot on.

[Dom Heffner]

Personally I think the article was pretty much spot on.

I think I could write that article about any city in America.

[KYRedsFan]

Lotta stuff many many of my friends have brought up when talking about Cincy over the years. Forde has turned into a pretty good writer since he left Louisville.

[Dom Heffner]

I think Forde is a wonderful writer, which can sometimes be a bad thing. Good writers can make you believe things that aren't true. The prose is wonderful, but wonderful prose can take these things (quoting a few individuals to make his case for him, tying Dinkel's wife to the Bengals) can prove a false point.

FOrde quotes someone as saying that Pete Rose would get inducted into the hall of fame unanimously if the city got tot vote , and that isn't anywhere near true. It's an important point because Forde is trying to say that Cincy is forgiving of some but not of others. THis board is a giant collection of Reds fans, and I don't think Pete makes it if we voted. It certainly wouldn't be unanimous.

Henry and Hamilton are two different birds altogether: Hamilton committed his sins on another team with no Cincy investment whatsoever. Henry was drafted by the Bengals and we are still dealing with his mishaps years later. Hamilton is turning a corner before our very eyes; Henry is stuck behind the building and he's not coming out anytime soon. And the best part of this all is that neither of them is even from Cincinnati. And neither of these guys have anything to do with the city other than they play here.

There is no doubt that Forde is gifted at stringing words together, but that doesn't mean he has proven his assertions.

Who couldn't look at any city, take a few famous people from that city, and then compare those people to say, "How can a city that produced this, produce this as well?" "How can a city that believes this, believe that?"
Human beings are full of these contradictions, and who makes up cities?

Human beings.

The world is full of things that are apparent contradictions.

The fact is that different types of people come from the same cities.

Whoopity doo. If you find that fascinating, you'd be happy to know we've put a man on the moon.

Lotta stuff many many of my friends have brought up when talking about Cincy over the years.

The world is a little too big a place to argue by anecdote.

I live in Florida. We hear all the time about Doc Gooden, our strip clubs, athletes being arrested in Orlando on a weekly basis, etc. When my dad was alive he used to ask me what the heck was going on down here.

You could write the same article about New York, Philadelphia- almost any modern city.

These writers get paid to write interesting articles, and I think Forde succeeded there. But to say he was successful at saying something about the city of Cincinnati that couldn't be said about other metro areas- I don't think so.

We mustn't confuse writing talent with argumentative talent.

Jerry Springer is a non-issue. That happened 30 years ago. Marge Schott was over a decade ago. So was Pete Rose.

It's tempting to look at these together and try to find a connection, but these are unrelated events, other than they happened in a city the size of Cincy. Wow, that's stunning. Nothing like that has ever happened anywhere else.

Forde tries to say that Cleveland and Cincinnati are two different places.

I could write an article right now about Albert Belle running down trick or treaters with his SUV and tie it to Lake Erie being on fire. Wouldn't that be fun? And then I could bring up how Ernest Byner fumbled a ball on the two yard line, assuring their pro football team it wouldn't go to a Super Bowl until it got the heck out of Dodge.

Couldn't we all a write an essay that could tie those things together to make Cleveland appear a certain way?

[Heath]

Couldn't we all a write an essay that could tie those things together to make Cleveland appear a certain way?

However, in Cleveland, you don't have to write it in a way, you just have to collect the data.

As a Browns fan and having family in the Cleveland area, I am hoping the Cavaliers win the NBA this year. They don't have a point guard, they can't play sustained defense and they are the most inconsistent 50 win team ever assembled. But, if they make the NBA finals, the above essays will be written.

[TeamBoone]

Dom, I tried to give you some rep, but I must spread it around (it usually says that for about 6 months after you rep someone).

Anyway, I found your post to be right on the money. It would make a wonderful written response to the story if there is an option to do so.

It would even be a wonderful 'letter to the editor' in The Enquirer if you named the source of the original article.

[michst]

I agree with you Dom, but he does make some points that are pretty much dead on about Cincinnati that are pretty unique to us. The Xavier AD brought up that most people who grew up in Cincinnati don't appreciate how good this city really is. We like to see the negative and sometimes don't appreciate the positives. Its weird because we do defend our city to other people though (almost like only you can make fun of your own family). I'm sure thats true to a certain extent with other cities.

The point about east/west and asking what highschool one goes to, is also spot on.

[westofyou]

The point about east/west and asking what highschool one goes to, is also spot on.

So... what High School did you go to then?

[KittyDuran]

Dom, I tried to give you some rep, but I must spread it around (it usually says that for about 6 months after you rep someone).

Anyway, I found your post to be right on the money. It would make a wonderful written response to the story if there is an option to do so.

It would even be a wonderful 'letter to the editor' in The Enquirer if you named the source of the original article.

Very good post... and I gave Dom rep points for ya, TB!

[TeamBoone]

Very good post... and I gave Dom rep points for ya, TB!

Thx Kitty!

[michst]

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