In this week’s review, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Football face personnel changes. Xavier Basketball gets their second Sunday buzzer-beating win in three weeks. Plus, a thought on the art of losing with grace.

Cincinnati’s two highest-profile football teams are emerging from a week of staff shakeups. The Cincinnati Bengals bid adieu to five assistants. Four were canned and one accepted a similar role with Kentucky Football. Running backs coach Jemal Singleton will take on the same role with Kentucky. The Bengals dismissed offensive line coach Jim Turner. Re-hiring former New York Jets O-line coach Frank Pollack for that job. Pollack was the Bengals O-line coach in 2018; he will also be the Bengals run game coordinator.

Troy Walters will be the Bengals new wide receivers coach. Walters succeeds Bob Bicknell in that particular role. Walters previously served in the same job with Nebraska Football and UCF Football. Defensive line coach Nick Eason and defensive assistant Gerald Chatman wont return either. Successors for Singleton, Eason and Chatman haven’t been named.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati Football’s defensive cooridinator Marcus Freeman is departing. Freeman will become College Football Playoff semifinalist Notre Dame Football’s defensive cooridinator. Joining former Cincinnati and current Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Freeman coached one of college football’s best defensive units in 2020. As of Monday morning, Cincinnati ranks 13th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense. The Cincinnati Bearcats finished first in their conference in that category. They even beat the team that ranks first overall, Army Football.

In other Bearcats football news, quarterback Desmond Ridder will stay for his senior season. Ridder made the announcement of his return last Friday. A day after backup quarterback Ben Bryant announced he’s transferring. Joining Eastern Michigan Football as a graduate transfer. Bryant and Ridder earned degrees last month in sports administration.

Bearcats offensive lineman James Hudson declared for the NFL Draft last week. Hudson joined the Bearcats after transferring from Michigan Football in 2019. He joins senior safeties Darrick Forrest and James Wiggins. In the list of Bearcats that have declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. Another local college football player that declared for the NFL Draft is Peyton Ramsey. The Elder High School alumnus just concluded his senior season with Northwestern Football. Helping the team win their second division championship in the last three seasons.

Northwestern lost to CFP National Championship finalist Ohio State Football. In the Big Ten Conference Championship Game last month. While beating Auburn Football in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.

The local college basketball roundup

Xavier Basketball beat Providence Basketball in a back-and-forth game on Sunday. Winning 74-73 through Colby Jones’ buzzer-beating three at home. A play that helped Jones earn the Big East’s Freshman of the Week award. The game-winner was part of an solemn week for the freshman. Jones’ grandfather died from COVID-19 last Friday. Last Wednesday, Xavier beat St.John’s Basketball at Xavier’s Cintas Center 69-61. Xavier will travel to play Seton Hall Basketball this Saturday at 3:30 PM Eastern.

Cincinnati Basketball had a mixed week with two road games. Beating SMU Basketball 76-69 last Thursday; while losing 82-76 to Wichita State Basketball on Sunday. Cincinnati will play East Carolina Basketball this Wednesday at 5 PM Eastern on ESPN+. They will play Tulane Basketball this Saturday at 6 PM Eastern. Both games will be at the Cincinnati Bearcats’ Fifth Third Arena.

Northern Kentucky Basketball had a rough weekend in Cleveland. Losing back-to-back games to Cleveland State Basketball. The NKU Norse never led in their 58-44 loss last Friday. Their next game was more of a battle by comparison. Losing 74-71 in overtime last Saturday; after Cleveland State broke away two minutes into overtime.

NKU will host IUPUI Basketball this Friday and Saturday. Both games will tip-off at 6 PM Eastern time and can be seen on ESPN3. This weekend’s Norse games will not feature spectators. Following a decision by Horizon League’s Board of Directors announced last Friday. That remaining men’s and women’s basketball games will be played without spectators.

Sports-related thoughts on last week’s Capitol attack

In the aftermath of last Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol by pro-Trump marauders. Two sports-related thoughts sprang into mind. The first was odd and related to the Cincinnati Bengals. One wonders if the Bengals defense would’ve done a better job squelching the attack. Compared to the undermanned and unfortunately quickly overrun Capitol Police. The second was more serious and related to a game that happened hours later.

Unlike President Trump, his eldest son and even former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. St.John’s Basketball showed that a group of New Yorker’s can still be graceful after losing. They didn’t throw a temper tantrum and their fans didn’t trash the Cintas Center. St.John’s began to prepare for their next game against No.8 Creighton Basketball. If the President and the rioters took the commonplace approach teams take after losing. An approach that many Trump supporters took since November’s election was called. Last Wednesday’s horrific events would not have even happened.