The Key for the week of March 9
What is “legal” tampering?
Because Ben’s pal, Daniel Webster, defines tampering as “causing damage or making unauthorized alterations.” If that’s legal tampering, what’s illegal? Be that as it may, the tampering made Max Crosby a Raven for a minute or two, but also sent former Bengal Trey Hendrickson to the aforementioned Ravens. Nothing like having a disgruntled employee go to the arch enemy. As for the Bengals themselves, they legally tampered enough to bolster their defense. Let’s see if any other noteworthy deals may be in the works.
It's not always “Greene”-r
Hunter Greene has gone on the injured list every season since he made his MLB debut in 2022. Shoulder strains, a hip injury and groin strains have kept the Reds ace on the sidelines each year, and this year is no different. Bone chips he first felt last fall have flared up again in the spring, so he’ll have elbow surgery. Right now the Reds are saying he should be back around mid-season.
What’s next for UC?
Yes, it was a long shot for the Bearcats to make the NCAA tournament, but most observers agreed that a healthy run in the Big XII tournament would have gone a long way to put the ‘Cats back in the field. But one win was all Wes Miller’s group could muster. Wednesday’s game against UCF looked to be a UC win, with a double-digit lead and under 10 minutes to go. But three straight turnovers (19 for the game) in the final seconds of regulation let UCF tie, then win the game in OT. Was the late-season winning streak, including on the road at Kansas, enough to keep Coach Miller around? We’ll see-probably soon.
Ben’s Best Bet
The World Baseball Classic has given us some great moments already, and we still have until March 17 to watch some spectacular baseball. When the WBC opened play, the United States was a solid favorite, but a surprise loss to Italy in group play bumped Team USA to the middle with Japan and Venezuela. The Dominican Republic, by the way, became the favorite after that US loss in Pool B. Rounding out the top six favorites are Mexico and Puerto Rico. Ben says, Italy may have had an advantage with its own espresso machine in the dugout, but that won’t stop the US from charging back to the top in the WBC. Go with the Dominican team as your second pick.