Guest Afternoon Line: Thanks to Paul Daugherty for letting us come along on this journey
Editor's Note: We had two submissions today, so here's the afternoon edition of the Guest Morning Line.
Live from Wrigley Field by Draft Kings, it’s Steven Frederick Shundich, in one last time for the immortal Paul “Doc” Daugherty. I don’t know about youse, Mobsters, but I’m gonna miss the guy. It’s not a stretch for me to say that Doc – with the daily rhythm of his columns – reminds me of Marty and Joe, night after night, on my transistor radio. He’s become part of my routine. But there’s nothing routine about him.
Do you know how hard it is to write at a high level, day after day, for three decades? I wrote a weekly column (“Travel Dude”) for the Port St. Lucie Tribune for one year back in the ‘90s, and that almost killed me. Doc writes at least FOUR columns per week, on top of everything else he has to cover.
I just hope the people of Cincinnati appreciate all that he’s given us. He let us in. Through his words, we’ve met his wife, Kerry, and children, Jillian and Kelly (now adults). Even his pets (Lucy the Wonderdog and the cat that, sadly, went missing). We know where to find Doc on vacation. And we’ve learned about Down syndrome, that “Words matter” and professional athletes shouldn’t be praised for just trying.
Doc also increased our vocabulary, with fun new words and phrases such as “checkitout,” “FIE ON ... !!!” and “Lookitup kids,” which he likes to use a lot. That last one is a personal favorite of mine, as it reminds me of the time I got called into the publisher’s office (and nearly fired) for writing “dressage (look it up)” in a story. I laugh and shake my head every time I see it.
But really, Paul – what a joy. It’s been an amazing ride. Thanks for letting us come along.
Without further ado ...
FIE ON FIFA! ... It was a long shot, no doubt, and I promise I wasn’t holding my breath, but the usual suspects won out in the 2026 World Cup sweepstakes. Of 11 US cities selected, eight are what I would call “coastal.” (Sp)oil-rich Dallas, with “JerryWorld” (aka AT&T Stadium) always gets picked, as does perennial sponsor Coca-Cola’s home town of Atlanta, with super-fancy Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That leaves Kansas City (76,416 seat Arrowhead Stadium) to represent flyover country.
Heck, Chicago didn’t even bother to enter the competition. After Oprah’s epic failure to attract the 2016 Summer Olympics (Rio de Janeiro won, which means it actually lost), city and state officials here in Illinois have decided to go all in on pot, casinos and what some pols are calling “abortion tourism” to fill the massive pension deficits.
The citizens of Cincinnati, with no-frills Paul Brown Stadium (65,515), will soon have to decide whether to pony up the cash for something a bit more glitzy. That lease with the Bengals expires in 2026. Can you imagine a SoFi Stadium on the banks of the mighty Ohio River? In the immortal words of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s supermodel Bruno, “Ich don’t think so.”
20-18 SINCE 3-22 EQUALS FOURTH PLACE ... Our AAA Redlegs didn’t even have to play Thursday to move up in the standings, as Chicago’s North Siders obliged by losing their 10th in a row. This weekend, the World Series champion Atlanta Braves come to Wrigley, while the Reds host second place Milwaukee. It should be a titanic struggle for both teams as they battle to stay out of the NL Central Division cellar.
SINCE WE’RE TALKING REDLEGS ... I can’t believe this wasn’t Lance McAlister’s top story on WLW last night, but another Cincinnati Red has been added to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ... in Canada. Yes, Jeff Francis, the second winningest lefty (72 wins) in Canadian MLB history, will be inducted at 1 pm in St. Marys, Ontario. Name the top Canadian lefty, win fabulous prizes. Pedro Martinez, who originally starred for the Montreal Expos, also is an inductee. No doubt it was Francis’ five innings with the Reds in 2014 that put him over the top.
AND SINCE WE’RE STILL ON THE SUBJECT OF BASEBALL ... May Madness is over, so now we’re on the College World Series. The eight schools who qualified are: Oklahoma vs Texas A&M (today, 2 pm, ESPN); Notre Dame vs Texas (today, 7 pm, ESPN); Arkansas vs Stanford (Saturday, 2 pm, ESPN); and, Ole Miss vs Auburn (Saturday, 7 pm, ESPN2). Is there anyone from the North? Never mind.
QUICK HITS:
Memo to the NBA (and NHL): It’s June – nobody cares!
Memo to the NBA, Part 2: Is John Havlicek playing? In the olden days, the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals was must-see TV for me. Today, I couldn’t name a single Bean Town player.
Memo to the NBA, Part 3: Congratulations, NBA Champs! According to USA TODAY Sports, here are the salaries for Thursday’s Golden State Warriors starters – part of the most expensive roster in the NBA: Stephan Curry ($45,780,966), Klay Thompson ($37,980,720), Andrew Wiggins ($31,579,390), Draymond Green ($24,026,712) and Otto Porter ($2,389,641). My initial thoughts are: 1) The Chinese must be buying a heckuva lot of NBA jerseys; 2) Does Otto need roommates to afford San Francisco? And, 3) Why don’t they round up these figures?
RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT ... Wait for it ... remarkably, the USFL Playoffs begin Saturday, June 25, with the Stars vs Generals at 3 pm (FOX) and the Breakers vs Stallions at 8 pm (NBC). Name the four cities playing (without Google or Siri or Alexi) win valuable prizes. Did you even know the USFL was playing spring football? I accidentally watched 30 seconds of a game on FOX in a near empty stadium. Curious, I then read that the entire USFL season was being played in one city: Birmingham. And I don’t mean England. Thank god the kids get to travel to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, for the playoffs, with the championship set for July 3 (7:30 pm, FOX).
THREE NICE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT CHICAGO ... I know, I haven’t had much nice to say lately about my chosen home since 1994. We’ve had six murders in Lakeview and 273 citywide in 2022. Oh, sorry – that’s not positive. Let’s try again. Boeing and Caterpillar (after 100 years!) are leaving the state. Still no? OK, here’s my final attempt: 1) 1,700 film permits were issued in Chicago in 2021, the most of any Midwest location; 2) Tourism is back, with hotel occupancies at 80 percent; and, 3) Even when the Cubs lose 10 in a row, I can still charge $60 to $100 for parking. By the way, those tourists are still flocking to Wrigley Field, with an average attendance 31,764 so far in 2022. That’s good for seventh behind the Dodgers, Cardinals, Braves, Padres, Yankees and Angels. The Reds come in at No. 24, with 16,260 (using Friday fireworks smoke and mirrors, no doubt) per game.
TUNE O’ THE DAY ... I put a lot of thought into this, in honor of Doc. First, I considered “Heroes” (David Bowie, 1977). But then I thought, “Bowie? Wishes he were a dolphin? Nobody will understand what the hell that’s all about.” Doc’s the best! What about “You’re the Best” from Karate Kid (Joe Esposito, 1984). But then I learned that was supposed to be the theme to Rocky III. Can you even imagine? With Mr. T? I pity the fool who almost made THAT mistake. Plus, it’s a horrible song and I don’t want to denigrate the man so close to his last day. I mean, he’s probably listening to some vinyl right now. But he’s retiring, right? How ‘bout something about time? Like, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” (Chicago, 1969).
But then it hit me. Montreat. Near Ashville. In North Carolina. One of his favorite destinations. It’s gotta be James Taylor. From 1968. Happy trails, Doc.
Former Terrace Park resident and Mariemont High School grad Steven Frederick Shundich (All Southwest Ohio Soccer, Second Team, 1980) is a Chicago-based travel writer and humorist. Check out his blog and free newsletter at www.wheresthefunny.blog.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Appreciation for Cincinnati sports columnist Paul Daugherty's career
