The Key for the week of February 16, 2026
Are you ready for some baseball?
With everyone in Goodyear, the Reds are getting down to spring training business. After a taste of the postseason last year, it’s clear that Reds’ manager Terry Francona is looking for more. His message to the team on the first full day of work? “It’s Time.” After an 83-win season last year, Francona is making the goals a little higher this season, with young players a year older, Eugenio Suarez back in camp and a pitching staff that comes in healthy. Hope springs eternal, and hope is the leadoff batter this spring.
MLS Already?
Doesn’t it seem as if the MLS season just ended? Truth be told, it just did. The MLS championship was played December 6, and here we are, jumping back into the 2026 season this week. The first CONCACAF match Wednesday against Estadio Cibao Futbol Club is followed by the home opener Saturday against Atlanta. And remember this season does a little stutter step in mid-summer as the league’s calendar starts its adjustment to Europe schedules. Are you ready for some Futbol??
Trey Hendrickson redux
Every off season we seem to talk about Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals, and this year is no exception. The NFL calendar opens its Franchise Tag calendar this week, and closes it on March 3. That means the Bengals have to decide whether to franchise Hendrickson. Whether or not he’s part of the team’s long-term plans, the deadline is important because Hendrickson’s deal with the Bengals expires March 11—that’s when the new League Year begins. The Bengals don’t have control of him—and his contract—after that date, unless they franchise him or, unlikely, sign him to a new contract. We’ll find out in a couple of weeks after the Bengals chat with other teams at the combine on whether there’s interest.
Ben says goodbye..
To Robert Duvall, who turned in a memorable performance in “The Natural” as a sleazy sports reporter who relentlessly dug into Roy Hobbs’ past. Every feel good movie has its protagonist, and Robert Duvall played it perfectly. He’s known for “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” but Duvall, brought the sports story to life in “The Natural.”