HoosierCat

From what Dehner has said, the defense’s success so far in camp is at least partially due to the offense focusing almost exclusively on under center stuff and less used parts of the playbook. The theory is that after six years they have the downfield passing game down, so let’s use camp to knock the rust off the rest of the playbook. And that’s led to some wins by the d as the o fiddles around. So I wouldn’t say it’s empty commentary but the o is sort of playing with one hand behind its back right now. We’ll see how things look when they unlimber that second arm.

You can just feel it coming. Like Thanos, it’s inevitable.

I have complete confidence that this year’s team is fully capable of losing another Super Bowl. Let’s go Bengals! Rip my heart out one more time!

Good read from Charlie. https://substack.com/@charlieschalkboard/note/p-209674205

I guess he didn’t want to be a raven after all. Adenjii retires: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/former-bengals-draft-pick-suddenly-133048114.html

So I’ve been reading the coverage of the first couple days of camp and it appears that Carter and Knight are now definitely pro bowlers and probably first ballot hall of famers. See Army, I told you there was nothing to worry about!

Just happy because that “day one season injury” thing sucks for every team and every fan and of course every player. Shit happens in this game but come on, that’s always bs. Hope he’s up for week 1.

He’s a DT, was thinking more about how they were playing Shemar inside too. In any event it looks like he will be ok. Taylor says he’s out several weeks with a hyperextension. Not believed to have any ligament damage at this point. So bullet dodged.

I’ve seen everything from knee bruise to hyperextension to pcl injury to acl tear so far. Just have to wait and see. If he misses time, well, Navy can use the reps.

Sigh. Might be it for Shemar this year.

As usual the numbers are being spun in the player/agent’s favor. Ward was already set to make about $34 million in 2026-27. Now he will make about $70 million in 2026-28. So we are talking about $44 million in actual new money over three years. His average for those three years (26-28) is around $23.3 million. In comparison Spotrac has Turner’s value around $21 million a year. So I don’t think the Ward deal will have any impact.

Bengals camp look like it’s going to be duller than dishwater. Our week 1 opponent might provide some laffs tho… https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49465466/two-pro-bowl-dt-vita-vea-requests-trade-buccaneers

The claim yesterday was that they are just taking it slow after he played on an injured foot all of last year. I suppose, but if the foot is still an issue now, then I suspect it’s a permanent one. Not particularly alarming but worth keeping an eye on.

For all the fun I have accusing Mike of being behind every bad thing that happens, the dude is turning 91 soon. It’s borderline remarkable that he’s even going to toddle out for a bowl of mock turtle soup. My sense is that Tobin and Taylor really are more or less in charge of all things football at the moment, with Katie clearly in support as evidenced by them spending this off-season. As to the FO it seems clear they want to make Liz the point person. I dunno, she still comes off like a corporate factotum to me but I suppose that’s a step up for this organization.

So back to movie reviews. Since it’s now free on prime I watched the new He-Man movie the other night. It’s got pacing issues and it never quite finds a tone — it keeps bouncing between serious and self-aware comedy — but overall it’s a fun, goofy ride. Best meta-joke bit for me was a reference to Highlander in act one that pays off in the needle drop for the big act 3 battle, Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” written for…Highlander. 3.5/5 stars.

BJ Hill to PUP. Kattus to NFI. cant even make it camp without injuries. https://www.wlwt.com/article/bj-hill-out-with-injury-as-training-camp-set-to-get-underway/73263366

Without question the biggest loss of the off-season. She will be missed. https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/big-things-brewing-field-tampa-jake-browning-wife-plans-upgrade-fit-checks

Yeah none of that stuff bothered me. My issue was the flashback structure Nolan chose ti keep from the original work. So it feels a bit like a movie that got stitched together by taking the highlights from a season of a tv show (anime does this a lot). Third act slaps tho.

Schedule is out for any locals who’re interested. https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-2026-training-camp-schedule-announced

So, The Odyssey. Good movie even if it is 3 hours. Nolan makes an…interesting…choice in formatting it more like a mystery than an adventure. All the set pieces from the story are there and all of them are fantastic, especially the cyclops. But it all struck me as a bit disjointed because of the aforementioned choice. Still worth the price of admission tho. 4/5 stars.

As usual AI is hallucinating

The content monster must be fed constantly. If your audience ain’t clicking, you’re dying. And now due to AI all that requires is pointing a bot at an article and demand it produce some outrage pR0n over a listicle. The internet is eating itself and the end can’t come too soon.

Still Curtis for me.

If anything it looks like he lost weight.

I guess AI has never heard of “wide receiver.”