How Appropriate

How appropriate that the Cincinnati Bengals go 0-4 on the same day the Reds end the season with an 11-4 loss (and a dismal 74-88 record).

I'm left wondering, after essentially a decade of futility by both teams with only rare occasional glimpses of hope (or simple flares of improbability), why I became a Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan. Proximity by birth (and now residence) are the only factors, other than the fact that the mid-70s Reds rank among the best baseball teams ever. And, I'm fortunate to have seen the Big Red Machine play with my late father.

All that said, both of these franchises are suffering. Worse, with no serious pitching prospects (for the Reds) and likely lingering elbow disability for Palmer and no defense to speak of (for the Bengals), there's not much cause for hope.

Sad.

Thankfully, Louisville basketball starts soon. That should help satiate my sports appetite.

Meanwhile, I won't even bother attempting to dissect the trouble Louisville football is experiencing. There's always next year, right?

UPDATED: Just how bad are the Bengals? A single-seat ticket for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was selling for a minimum $200 two months ago, can now be had for 40 bucks. That's bad.