If sad stories of player's pasts were the determining factor in whether a team won championships Hobson would make the Bengals ten time world champions.. I know a lot of you think he's a terrible football writer and he really does deserve a lot of the knocks he takes, but the guy does have a knack for making you want to root for guys who's grandmothers and grandfathers had it tough.. 
File another of Hobsons stories under Germain Pratt's grandma and even great grandmother.. https://www.bengals.com/news/old-soul-pratt-eyes-new-role
I could write all day about how tough my own grandparents had it, but they would never turn me into a world class athlete.. Never underestimate the power of some somewhat interesting human interest feature story to make a player one of the all time greats, eh? 
In no way do any of his stories make anyone a worse nor better player. I think at best it fills that off season hole in our otherwise boring time of awaiting the beginning of training camp.. 

I don't read many of them, but if you listen to local broadcasts of the games you will pieces of a lot of these personal interest stories. There are only about 12 minutes of action in a 3 hour game, so there is a lot of time to fill.

Why does he refer to Pratt as a middle linebacker, twice? Hasn’t he been practicing at WLB?

I want to know why an NFL player cannot seem to be photographed without having to throw up hand signs...….

(06-21-2019, 01:38 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I want to know why an NFL player cannot seem to be photographed without having to throw up hand signs...….

In all fairness, lots of people who get photographed a lot seem to have a go-to pose.  Social media-obsessed chicks usually have a go-to pose for the majority of their pictures, and I can think of a handful of older than dirt rock stars who seem to reflexively go into certain poses or flash some sort of peace sign, thumbs up, etc.  

On the other side of the spectrum, I know people who almost never have their picture taken and if they notice you are taking a picture of them they pretty much stand there and look nervous and look off to the side of the camera and keep their hands down at their sides.  It's rather odd.

(06-21-2019, 11:44 AM)fredtoast Wrote: I don't read many of them, but if you listen to local broadcasts of the games you will pieces of a lot of these personal interest stories.  There are only about 12 minutes of action in a 3 hour game, so there is a lot of time to fill.

In the case of Hobson he's got all week, season sometimes to think about these stories..
Some people can barely spit out their last names when talking, others could rattle on endlessly with great stories. Writing is a different dynamic with different skills than saying things and we all process the two differently as well. 
I grew up reading the great Hal McCoy and sometimes even credit him with teaching me to read (jokingly) and didn't appreciate writing skills until later in life. On the other end of the spectrum (and I'm really referring to baseball more than football) the Reds had the great Waite Hoyte broadcasting games who could make people look forward to rain delays during games..He was more known for rain delays than the games themselves. Reds fans were known to pray for rain during the seasons. Again, two different skill sets. McCoy could write great, but his voice sounded like a combination wood chipper and engine throwing rods. Hoyte was an old rummy who buried himself in a bottle before finally getting sober late in life...not exactly the sound you'd want to listen to, but he pulled it off brilliantly behind the microphone. Hobson, on the other hand is difficult to listen to at best, but he can write things about peoples lives better than most.

(06-21-2019, 10:50 AM)grampahol Wrote: If sad stories of player's pasts were the determining factor in whether a team won championships Hobson would make the Bengals ten time world champions.. I know a lot of you think he's a terrible football writer and he really does deserve a lot of the knocks he takes, but the guy does have a knack for making you want to root for guys who's grandmothers and grandfathers had it tough.. 
File another of Hobsons stories under Germain Pratt's grandma and even great grandmother.. https://www.bengals.com/news/old-soul-pratt-eyes-new-role
I could write all day about how tough my own grandparents had it, but they would never turn me into a world class athlete.. Never underestimate the power of some somewhat interesting human interest feature story to make a player one of the all time greats, eh? 
In no way do any of his stories make anyone a worse nor better player. I think at best it fills that off season hole in our otherwise boring time of awaiting the beginning of training camp.. 

There is writings out there about our 1st round pick and they are saying he could be done for the year, which is probably true because they are keeping it such a big big do not tell story.Could be shoulder,or chest injury.Just unbelievably to even hear this.I still say Cincy is snake bit and now I see a losing season Again. I think we will hear the truth the coming week.He is for sure injured and will miss time and he needs to be learning in real time.Players play 4 years in college and never have issues and come here and just die on the vine. :andy:

(06-21-2019, 10:50 AM)grampahol Wrote: If sad stories of player's pasts were the determining factor in whether a team won championships Hobson would make the Bengals ten time world champions.. I know a lot of you think he's a terrible football writer and he really does deserve a lot of the knocks he takes, but the guy does have a knack for making you want to root for guys who's grandmothers and grandfathers had it tough.. 
File another of Hobsons stories under Germain Pratt's grandma and even great grandmother.. https://www.bengals.com/news/old-soul-pratt-eyes-new-role
I could write all day about how tough my own grandparents had it, but they would never turn me into a world class athlete.. Never underestimate the power of some somewhat interesting human interest feature story to make a player one of the all time greats, eh? 
In no way do any of his stories make anyone a worse nor better player. I think at best it fills that off season hole in our otherwise boring time of awaiting the beginning of training camp.. 

The sad stories are irrelevant to football and I wish they would just drop them. All that matters is if the guy can play the position better than the next guy. If you fill up a team or company with a bunch of people with sad stories then your team or company is going to become one big sad story and suck.

 

(06-23-2019, 12:12 PM)fortyyearfan Wrote: There is writings out there about our 1st round pick and they are saying he could be done for the year, which is probably true because they are keeping it such a big big do not tell story.Could be shoulder,or chest injury.Just unbelievably to even hear this.

Now this would be a sad story. Damn, our luck just plain sucks sometimes. Oh, and his too.

Not directed at OP, just a general note...

Human interests stories are there to create a connection to the players, make them more relatable. They aren't unique to Hobson, or Cincinnati, and complaining about them is kind of pointless. If you don't like them, don't read them. I don't personally like them, however I know during sporting events my mother really enjoys them. There is more to sports then the hardcore fans.

(06-23-2019, 12:12 PM)fortyyearfan Wrote: There is writings out there about our 1st round pick and they are saying he could be done for the year,

Where?

Link Please.

(06-24-2019, 11:49 AM)Au165 Wrote: Not directed at OP, just a general note...

Human interests stories are there to create a connection to the players, make them more relatable. They aren't unique to Hobson, or Cincinnati, and complaining about them is kind of pointless. If you don't like them, don't read them. I don't personally like them, however I know during sporting events my mother really enjoys them. There is more to sports then the hardcore fans.

I can agree with that. Hobson sometimes takes them a tad too far at times, but he's still easy to read as opposed to some other writers I've seen.. 

(06-23-2019, 01:31 PM)BengalChris Wrote: The sad stories are irrelevant to football and I wish they would just drop them. All that matters is if the guy can play the position better than the next guy. If you fill up a team or company with a bunch of people with sad stories then your team or company is going to become one big sad story and suck.

 

could not disagree with you more.. I want to hire people coming from tough times who have shown the grit to make it where they are now instead of hiring some silver spoons..

(06-23-2019, 01:31 PM)BengalChris Wrote: The sad stories are irrelevant to football and I wish they would just drop them. All that matters is if the guy can play the position better than the next guy. If you fill up a team or company with a bunch of people with sad stories then your team or company is going to become one big sad story and suck.

 

I disagree.  What's wrong with getting to know a new face outside of football? To me it tells a little about their character or make-up. I would say a vast majority of NFL players didn't have it that great growing up. 

I have seen the Bengals win two AFC Championship games, but I was affected more by the victory over the Ravens the week after Vicki Zimmer died than either of those.

For me being a sports fan is all about emotion. All of my favorite teams are "home" teams. I don't get carried away with every personal interest story, but I definitely have an emotional attachment to my teams.

(06-25-2019, 03:31 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I have seen the Bengals win two AFC Championship games, but I was affected more by the victory over the Ravens the week after Vicki Zimmer died than either of those.

For me being a sports fan is all about emotion.  All of my favorite teams are "home" teams.  I don't get carried away with every personal interest story, but I definitely have an emotional attachment to my teams.

Heck, I remember feeling sad when the Bengals had an on-field retirement ceremony for Rich Braham years ago, so I agree with you completely.

When the Bengals finally started winning again in 2005 it was awesome for us fans, sure, but man did I feel good for Willie Anderson and the like.

I think that emotional connection makes the wins sweeter and the losses sting more, but if the payoff ever comes... man.

(06-23-2019, 12:12 PM)fortyyearfan Wrote: There is writings out there about our 1st round pick and they are saying he could be done for the year, which is probably true because they are keeping it such a big big do not tell story.Could be shoulder,or chest injury.Just unbelievably to even hear this.I still say Cincy is snake bit and now I see a losing season Again. I think we will hear the truth the coming week.He is for sure injured and will miss time and he needs to be learning in real time.Players play 4 years in college and never have issues and come here and just die on the vine. :andy:

Unfortunately you were 100%correct about Joanie Williams. 

Seems we do better with players that were injured in college. I expect the RB we took out of Oklahoma to be an Ironman

Here's some Hobson to get you through the Williams injury. After all, we don't need to let the Williams injury dampen our hopes of a Super Bowl run:

With Boling (109 starts) or Jerry (101), the Bengals have potentially more experience on the left side than the Patriots did when they began their run to last year’s championship run. The Pats went with a seventh-round pick in his fourth season at left tackle in Trent Brown and third-year man Joe Thuney at left guard.

When first-round pick Isaiah Wynn suffered a season-ending torn Achilles on his ninth pre-season snap, they were trying him at right tackle. But they’ve got enough confidence in Wynn, the 23rd selection back in 2018, that they let Brown go in free agency and put Wynn in his place.
After Williams works through his rehab and learning of the scheme, he figures to get the same vote of confidence from the Bengals. An injured red-shirt year hasn’t spelled doom.

It certainly didn’t hurt cornerback William Jackson III. Jackson, the Bengals’ No. 1 pick in 2016, has played at a high level (Pro Football Focus.com put him in the top 16 cornerbacks in snaps per reception in 2017 and 2018) despite suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in his first training camp. The club opted to exercise their fifth-year option on him in 2020.

https://www.bengals.com/news/shoulder-surgery-likely-sidelines-jonah-williams-for-season