Williams: 4 random thoughts on Reds, Bengals stadium, Hilton Head, Camden Yards
1. The Cincinnati Reds are boring
Not necessarily boring in how they play the game. I'm a pitching-and-fielding guy, and they're decent at both. If your Reds fandom started in the 1980s, then you know how big of a deal it is that the Reds finally have pitching.
Nonetheless, they're treading water. They're just another team that the logjammed wildcard standings suggest has a shot. Not good. Not bad. Stuck around .500 (like last year at the All-Star break) and no one knows what's next other than the tease of a short winning streak followed by the madness of a short losing streak.
Wake me when the Reds fall out of love with some of their prospects and make a big splash for a run producer at the deadline.
2. Hilton Head is boring – and that's why I love it
My family has been vacationing on the Southernmost Point of Ohio since 2010, and we've never had a bad experience. Last week was no exception. I love that place so much, the HHI Chamber of Commerce needs to put me on payroll.
A buddy recently asked why I love it so much. Simple answer. No drunk college bros. No trashy beachwear shops on every corner. The beach is never overcrowded (except for the first big, we're-free-to-live-again weekend post-pandemic). And I know where everything is located (which is a big deal in a place that doesn't have street lights or big glaring road signs telling you where Kroger, Starbucks, Walmart and every store is located).
Perfect. Only downside is everyone else from Ohio vacations there, and I'm tired of being asked if I'm a Buckeyes fan.
3. It's frustrating that there's not more outrage about the Bengals' Paycor Stadium deal
It's such a Cincinnati mentality to say: Well, it's better than the last deal. Play nice and settle instead of fight. Take the moral victory and be fine with it. Just be happy to have an NFL team rather than hold the Bengals accountable for how they do business. So predictable. So Cincinnati.
It doesn't behoove someone who writes opinion for a living to say this too often, but I told you so. I wrote last summer the commissioners 'will cave and pay way more for the stadium upgrades than local government should.'
Some of us in the media like to call the county-Bengals stadium saga 'the gift that keeps on giving.' And whoa buddy, that's going to be manna from media heaven when the Bengals and county officially tell us the team wants (not needs) a new stadium. In the seventh year of this 10-year deal, the Bengals and county are going to assess whether Paycor Stadium is still functional.
By putting it in the contract, it means the assessment is essentially already done. Taxpayers are going to pump $350 million more into the stadium in the coming years only to be told in 2032 – right about the time the original stadium debt is paid off – sorry, time for a new stadium.
4. Camden Yards is a baseball bucket-list visit
If you could only visit one baseball stadium, my recommendation has long been Dodger Stadium. The energy in that place for a night game is unlike anywhere else in baseball. And MLB's third-oldest stadium still feels retro-new. It's so clean, you could eat a Dodger Dog off the concourse floor.
If you could pick a No. 2, it should be Baltimore's Camden Yards. I covered a series there 20 years ago, but didn't walk around. This was the first stop on a three-stadium tour I did with my two sons and a close friend and his son. We're trying to visit as many ballparks as possible before the kids are grown up.
History is so important to baseball, and the Orioles celebrate it right. The statues of their great players are inside the stadium gates. There's a marker for every home-run ball hit in the air onto Eutaw Street, between the right-field stands and the iconic warehouse.
This offseason, they'll place a permanent baseball-sized plague in the concrete to commemorate Reds outfielder Jake Fraley's mammoth home run in April. For now, it's marked with black paint, and we got to see it.
The outfield standing areas are fantastic. Great sightlines and the area in center field allows fans to practically stand in the visiting bullpen.
The ballpark workers are incredibly nice and helpful. There's a gentleman who sits on a stool at a podium in front of the warehouse who'll give you the history of the Eutaw Street home-run balls and the stadium, which remains the best of the wave of retro ballparks that began popping up in the 1990s.
He also gives gifts to kids who are visiting for the first time – a button badge with the game date, postcards and a City Connect compression arm sleeve (some of the 'drip' the kids wear nowadays).
Meanwhile at Yankee Stadium, they tell kids to scan a QR code to download a digital certificate to mark their first time to a game there. That stadium is corporate and sterile.
Want that $25 bucket of chicken strips and fries at the concession stand? You can only buy it if you have a MasterCard, something you don't learn until after you've waited in line for 20 minutes to order it.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at jwilliams@enquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Summertime thoughts: Reds, Hilton Head, Bengals stadium, Camden Yards
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Of Henry's 16 rushing touchdowns last season, 14 came against a stacked box. – Glenn Erby, Ravens Wire Buffalo Bills: WR Khalil Shakir It's simple and just like last season. Shakir was Buffalo's top receiver in 2024 and there are a slew of new wideouts around him. The Dalton Kincaid draft pick has always been curious because quarterback Josh Allen does not appear to look toward his tight ends as much as his receivers… and that showed last season when Shakir was the team's leading receiver. Expect that to remain the same. – Nick Wojton, Bills Wire Carolina Panthers: DL Derrick Brown The Panthers fielded one of the worst defenses of all-time in 2024, setting a new NFL record for points allowed (534). 16 of their 17 games in that 'historic' run did not feature Brown, who sustained a season-ending knee injury during the team's Week 1 loss in New Orleans. 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He is the first player in NFL history to record four consecutive seasons with at least 14 sacks, and coming off of a mega-contract, there is no reason to think Garrett will slow down. Especially in what looks to be a down year in Cleveland as they try to spin the wheel once again on finding a quarterback of the future, there is not a more valuable player on their roster than Garrett. – Cory Kinnan, Browns Wire Dallas Cowboys: DE Micah Parsons This one's a bit of a no brainer. Parsons is the most impactful non-QB in the league, so of course he's the most impactful non-QB on the team. While he hasn't won a Defensive Player of the Year award yet, his finishes in the top three his first three years in the league speak for themselves. The first NFL player to have over 50 sacks in his first four years out of college is a demon to pass protectors, and if the Cowboys force him to play on a contract year, he might break every record imaginable just to force them to shatter contract records. – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire Denver Broncos: CB Pat Surtain PS2 is an obvious choice for the Broncos. He is the best cornerback in the NFL and the best overall player on Denver's roster. After winning the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024, Surtain returns as the most important player on the Broncos' defense. The NFL is a quarterback-dominated league, so Bo Nix is the team's most important overall player, but Surtain is an easy choice as Denver's non-QB MVP going into 2025. – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire Detroit Lions: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown There are a lot of worthy candidates here: Aidan Hutchinson, Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kerby Joseph. 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He's been worth every cent of what continues to look like the best contract in the NFL entering training camp. – Cole Thompson, Texans Wire Indianapolis Colts: RB Jonathan Taylor Taylor gets the nod here for two reasons: his overall production and the massive impact he can have on the Colts' offense. Taylor rushed for 1,431 yards last season, the fourth-most among running backs, and he was lights out during the final month of the year. But going beyond the numbers, Taylor's success will be vital to the success of the Colts' quarterback–whoever that is–and the overall offense. When there is a strong running game to lean on, it keeps the offense ahead of the sticks, out of predictable passing situations, and can open up opportunities through the air. On the flip side, without a steady run game, offenses find themselves in predictable passing situations, where the defense then has the advantage. 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The trickle-down effect of this is that not only does this help create additional opportunities for Thomas, but also for those around him as well. – Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire Kansas City Chiefs: OC Creed Humphrey While left tackles are usually considered to be the most valuable players on a team's offensive line, Humphrey is the rare type of interior lineman who deserves recognition in a 'non-quarterback MVP' discussion. His savvy leadership has helped star quarterback Patrick Mahomes lead Kansas City to two of its three Super Bowl titles in the Andy Reid era. The former Oklahoma Sooner has yet to miss a start in his career. Entering his fifth season in the NFL, Humphrey is consistently ranked as one of the league's top centers. 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He was injured in week three and the Raiders immediately lost 11 of their next 12 games. The only 'win' was the one Deshaun Watson gift wrapped for them in week four. That being said, I'm sure Crosby and the rest of the team is hoping Geno Smith can be the first QB in a while to make a strong case for being Raiders team MVP. – Levi Damien, Raiders Wire Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE Khalil Mack Mack contemplated retirement following the 2024 season, but decided not to hang up the cleats and stay with the team that traded for him in 2022. The 34-year-old Mack has been vocal about wanting to win and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, which was the primary reason he stayed in Los Angeles, calling it a "no-brainer' of a decision. Mack is coming off another productive season, even while dealing with multiple groin strains. He finished first among the team in quarterback pressures (54) and second in sacks (6). Mack also had the second-highest Pro Football Focus run defense grade among all edge rushers in the NFL (88.0). Mack's presence off the edge is the most vital out of any other player on the team, not named Justin Herbert, if the Chargers want to have success in 2025. – Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire Los Angeles Rams: WR Puka Nacua Aaron Donald was always the easy choice for this exercise, as was Cooper Kupp. But now that both players are gone, the decision is a little harder. Thinking of the player the Rams can least afford to lose, I think it's Nacua. He just does everything well, from turning screens into big gains to running dig routes over the middle for large chunks of yards. He's a good blocker in the run game, too, which adds even more value in a scheme like the Rams'. There's a reason the offense took off last season after Nacua returned from injury, showing just how valuable he is as a receiver. As long as he can stay healthy and available, he'll go for at least 1,200 yards in his sleep – even with Davante Adams now in the mix at receiver. – Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire Miami Dolphins: DL Zach Sieler De'Von Achane jumps out as an obvious choice and he'll likely have the gaudy stats to justify that, but there's a reason Dolphins players voted Sieler their team MVP at the end of the 2024 season. The unheralded former undrafted defensive lineman finished each of the last two seasons with 10 sacks, no small feat for a 300-pound defensive tackle. Following the departure of Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey, and Jevón Holland on the defensive side of the ball, the Dolphins will be looking to Sieler more than ever to be a leader, anchor, and cornerstone up front. – Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire Minnesota Vikings: LB Blake Cashman Not likely to be the pick that many people will expect to read here, but his impact can be summed up not by any fancy metric or box score number. Instead, look at the games he missed in 2024 in the regular season. He missed three games, two of which were Vikings losses, and they exposed the team's lack of run defense in the process. In his three games he missed, the Vikings gave up 105 rushing yards per game compared to their usual 95 they did the rest of the year. It may not seem like much, but time of possession means a lot, and those ten yards extend drives, and in those games, it came down to the wire. – Andrew Harbaugh, Vikings Wire New England Patriots: CB Christian Gonzalez The best player currently on the Patriots' roster is All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez. He looked like one of the best defensive backs in the league as a rookie in 2023, despite playing in only four games. Last year, he took things to another level and earned his first All-Pro nod in his first full NFL season. A day is coming when Gonzalez will be widely recognized as the best cornerback in the league. He will do wonders in Mike Vrabel's reconstructed defense and help make the Patriots a formidable out against every opponent they face. – Jordy McElroy, Patriots Wire New Orleans Saints: C Erik McCoy Here's a stat for you. When McCoy was available last year (logged at least 68% of snaps in five games), the Saints went 4-1, losing to the Washington Commanders by a single point. When they had to work without him after he exited two games early and missed ten more, New Orleans went 1-11, beating the Atlanta Falcons by three points. They badly missed the Pro Bowler in the middle of the line, and he'll be even more important in 2025 with an inexperienced starter next to him after Trevor Penning moved to left guard. The offensive line goes as far as McCoy take them, and the offense goes with them. Whether it's Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler starting under center, having McCoy snapping the ball to them makes a difference. – John Sigler, Saints Wire New York Giants: NT Dexter Lawrence Even when factoring in the quarterbacks, there is no better player on the New York Giants' roster than nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. He has established himself as the premier interior defensive lineman in football and has dominated at a level unheard of. In 2024, Lawrence faced a double-team rate of 74.5%, more than any other iDL in football by a country mile, but still generated 36 QB pressures over 13 games. That has been a theme for the past three seasons, with Sexy Dexy recording 103 total QB pressures. The next closest iDL? Vita Vea with 23 – Dan Benton, Giants Wire New York Jets: LB Jamien Sherwood Sherwood started to make a name for himself in 2024 once CJ Mosley went down with an injury again. That's why Mosley was expendable as a cap casualty this offseason as well. It was surprising to see how seamlessly Sherwood stepped into Mosley's shoes, but new head coach Aaron Glenn will lean on Sherwood after his breakout season and he'll only improve, potentially as the Jets' best defender in a unit that includes cornerback Sauce Gardner. – Nick Wojton, Jets Wire Philadelphia Eagles: OL Lane Johnson The Eagles have the NFL's best offensive line, and everything starts with the All-World right tackle. Philadelphia is nearly unbeatable with Johnson in the lineup. Since he was drafted to the team in 2013, the Eagles have a 102-55-1 record with Johnson on the field. They are just 15-23 without him. That discrepancy is one of the largest for any offensive lineman in the league. Last season, Johnson ranked 1st among NFL right tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade (88.1), pressure percentage (2.2%), and knockdown percentage (0.2%). Johnson allowed zero sacks and 1 QB hit in 451 pass-blocking snaps. – Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Broderick Jones It would be easy to point to a guy like edge defender or wide receiver DK Metcalf when it comes to a non-quarterback MVP but we are going a a different direction. After a very strong rookie season, Jones didn't show much growth in 2024. But if the Steelers are going to contend in 2025, Jones, the new starting left tackle needs to have an All-Pro caliber season. – Curt Popejoy, Steelers Wire San Francisco 49ers: RB Christian McCaffrey It sure feels like the 49ers' offensive success this season relies heavily on McCaffrey's availability. Last year he played in only four games and the 49ers offense spent the season fighting uphill. With Jauan Jennings dissatisfied by his contract situation and a shaky wide receiver depth chart behind him, the run game will be imperative for San Francisco this season. If McCaffrey is on the field, the 49ers offense should once again be one of the more formidable outfits in the NFL. If his health is a problem again, it's hard to see the 49ers making any serious run at a postseason berth. – Kyle Madson, Niners Wire Seattle Seahawks: LB Ernest Jones IV Seattle's defense, especially against the run, went from being abysmal once more to a stone wall seemingly overnight. This was thanks to the midseason acquisition of linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who was traded by the Rams and Titans last year before finally finding a permanent home in the Emerald City. Jones immediately proved himself to be a difference maker and a leader, as Seattle entrusted him with playcalling responsibilities despite coming in halfway through the year. 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The combination of Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat gives the Titans one of the best defensive tackle duos in the NFL. While so much focus is on the offense, Tennessee's defense was good for a portion of last season. Simmons is an interior disruptor, and he can make up for the Titans' concerns on the edge. If Tennessee is to surprise this year and compete in the AFC South, its defense needs to rise to the occasion. It all starts up front with Simmons. – Bryan Manning Titans Wire Washington Commanders: LB Frankie Luvu It was tempting to go with WR Terry McLaurin here. He will be excellent again. But Washington needs more from its defense in 2025. Enter Frankie Luvu. Luvu was excellent last season, finishing second on the team with eight sacks and earning second-team All-Pro honors. The Commanders didn't bring in a ton of help on the edge because they know Luvu can help there. Von Miller's signing will not impact Luvu's usage as a pass rusher. 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