BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

2002 The Year Of The Bengals?

Having not made the playoffs since 1990, the Cincinnati Bengals are ready to step up and shock the world this year. When looking for a surprise team for the upcoming season, you have to look at several factors: Defense, Running game, Schedule, Surprise factor. The Bengals have all these factors in their favor.

1.) Defense: Takeo Spikes is the second best middle linebacker in the NFL this side of Ray Lewis. The Bengals defense ranked 9th last season in the national football league and should only get better. Rookie Justin Smith has some experience now. Cincy also signed CB Jeff Burris from the Colts.

2.) Running Game: Corey Dillon has proven to be as good as they get at this position. Dillon has rushed for over 1,000 yards in his first five seasons in the NFL. When you consider that the Bengals haven't had a good QB since Boomer Esiason, it shows you what kind of a stud Dillon has been.

3.) Schedule: The AFC Central is the NFL's version of the AL Central. On paper, the Steelers should kick ass and win the division. In realityville, Kordell Stewart will stink and the Steelers defense will struggle to match what they did a year ago. Throw in an often injured Jerome "The Bus" Bettis and the Steelers have many questions. The Ravens have already given up on the 2002 season. The Browns don't know if Tim Couch is anygood.

4.) Surprise Factor: The New England Patriots went 5-11 the year before they won the Superbowl. The last three Superbowl champions have had a combined record of 17-31 the year before they won the bowl. The Bengals have all the factors including the hunger to get it done. The NFL is a league of surprises and Cincinnati is ready to do just that.

The key to the Bengals season is the passing attack that should improve as the club added veterans Gus Frerotte (QB) and Michael Westbrook (WR). As long as Frerotte is not a total stiff, the Bengals should be able to win enough games to secure a playoff spot for the first time since the first President Bush.

BenMaller's NFL Preview coming soon... check back for other surprise teams in 2002 permalink

Monday, July 22, 2002

The Most Powerful Word in Sports

By Ben Maller

Several fan websites over the past couple of weeks have tried to get fans to boycott major league games. The thought is that if enough people skip games, it will send a message to the owners and players and the game will be fixed. Well, the reality is that the teams could care less about these protests. There is only one thing in pro sports that scares owners and players alike.

Apathy: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm.

When fans start showing indifference to the game of baseball, and thus apathy, that's when the game of baseball and other sports are in trouble. Think about the WNBA, LPGA and other sports you could care less about. You have apathy towards them.

The people in sports want fans who are fanatics, guys that have passion and enthusiasm. When that goes away, then there is a serious problem. When people call radio shows and send letters to the editors at their local newspapers, and say they are never coming back to the game of baseball, all that does is show the people in the game that this person has great passion.

In 1994, many people claimed they were never coming back to the game and most of them ended up buying tickets again. Yes, you can say it's because of Cal Ripken, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Whatever the reason, the fact is the same, the fans came back, and until there is apathy among fans baseball is not going to change. Why should they when they know you're gonna come back. You always do.

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Sunday, July 21, 2002

Getting Rose Back In Baseball

By Ben Maller

Pete Rose signed a lifetime ban from baseball back in 1989 and almost ever since has been trying to get back into the game. I can tell you that Rose has only has one shot at getting back into the game anytime soon. The sponsors of major league baseball must rise up and demand that Rose is allowed back in the game. Money talks and everyone else walks in the game.

Remember back to game 2 of the 1999 World Series when Rose was on the field before the Braves played the Yankees as part of an All Century promotion made possible by MasterCard. It was the guys at the credit card company who helped Rose get back in the game for one day anyway. That allowed Jim Gray of NBC Sports to ambush Rose on the field.

I guarantee if Anheuser-Busch, Century 21, Gatorade, RadioShack, Viagra, Adidas, Nike and the other official sponsors of major league baseball threatened to not pay unless Rose was in the Hall of Fame or back in the game, then the next day Bud Selig would announce that Rose had served his time and was welcome back into the sport. permalink