Williams inbox: Kenyon Martin's injury still most devastating in Cincinnati sports history
Digging back into the inbox. Send an email to ask me anything − sports, local politics, Cincinnati food, youth baseball coaching, etc. − and/or let me know if you agree or disagree with a column. And I'll pick some of your messages and respond right here a few times a week. Keep sending emails to jwilliams@enquirer.com.
Subject: Kenyon Martin's injury most devastating in Cincinnati sports history
Message: "It’s Kenyon Martin’s injury hands down."
Reply: The people have spoken. Kenyon Martin's broken leg in the 2000 Conference USA basketball tournament is the most devastating injury in Cincinnati sports history, according to several readers.
My column after Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending wrist injury set the inbox on fire. I suggested his injury may be the most devastating in Cincinnati sports history. My argument centered on Burrow's importance to a franchise that, despite early season struggles, still had Super Bowl title expectations right up until he crashed to the turf on Thursday Night Football in Baltimore. There is no bigger prize in American sports than the Lombardi Trophy, something the Bengals have never won.
(Side note: A few emailers pointed out that I omitted former UC and Bengals quarterback Greg Cook from my list of historically brutal injuries. Shame on me. Paul Brown believed Cook was destined for greatness. Cook was AFL Rookie of the Year in 1969, despite playing most of the season with a bum shoulder. Sadly, he was forced to retire.)
But I get it with Martin. His devastating injury came after UC had proven throughout the regular season that it was a legitimate national-championship contender and the odds-on favorite to win it all. Martin was the best player in the land. The Bearcats were merely a handful of games away from the ultimate prize.
It's a matter of timing on the injuries − midseason with Burrow and postseason with Martin. Regardless, they're all sad. I know we can agree on that.
Subject: Why did Cincinnati Bengals pass on Michael Mayer?
Message: "Your column (about the Bengals’ roster flaws being exposed in Sunday’s loss) was 100% right on. As far as tight ends go, why did the Bengals pass on selecting Michael Mayer? A local product who is a productive tight end for the Raiders? Keep up the good work."
Reply: I’ve received a lot of kind emails off this column, and though I don’t have the space here to include them all: Thank you! It means a little extra because, as an objective observer, I was talking about the roster flaws back when everyone else didn’t want to hear about it.
Logical question about Mayer, the former CovCath great. Tight end isn’t a focal point of Zac Taylor’s offense, and therefore, the Bengals weren’t going to use a high draft pick on the position. And now the Bengals are being exposed for how unbalanced their offense is.
Having a good route-running, sure-handed tight end would be helpful in the short and intermediate passing game, especially to help backup quarterback Jake Browning build confidence. You could also argue such a tight end would’ve been helpful during the early weeks of the season when Burrow was battling through the calf injury.
The best teams in the NFL – Baltimore, Philadelphia, Kansas City, San Francisco – are balanced on offense. Tight end is a key part of those offenses, especially for Baltimore (when Mark Andrews is healthy), Kansas City and San Francisco.
Subject: Louisville Cardinals fan happy Scott Satterfield is gone
Message: “As a long-time University of Louisville fan, we just want to thank you for taking Satterfield!!! I can also say U of L would not be sitting at 10-2 if he was still the coach here. We would probably be sitting around .500. So, from me and other U of L fans, we just want to say THANK YOU for taking him before our athletic director had to fire him at this season’s end for another mediocre season.”
Reply: Not sure this reaches three exclamation points and all-caps level excitement, but I get it, Cardinals fans are enjoying how the coaching change worked out. Native son and former Cardinals quarterback Jeff Brohm is a perfect fit there, and he has Louisville in the ACC Championship on Saturday.
Time to move on. Your team is doing great. Focus on that. No need to pile on a coach who’s no longer part of the team you support − especially since Satterfield didn't embarrass himself or disgrace the university while there.
Contact columnist Jason Williams by email at jwilliams@enquirer.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kenyon Martin, Joe Burrow: Forever linked in Cincinnati sports history
