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Heard it From Hoard: Column 32

In Cincinnati we have our own dictionary that doesn't necessarily make sense anywhere else.

We say "3-way, 4-way, and 5-way" when ordering chili.

We say "please?" when we want someone to repeat what they just said.

And we have one long 11-letter word to describe the perfect soundtrack of summer. It's "MartyandJoe."

I moved to Cincinnati in 1996 and remember listening to Joe Nuxhall for the first time. As a young, wannabe baseball announcer who thought he knew everything, I wasn't initially impressed. After all, Joe mangled names, made some mistakes, and often went long stretches without saying a thing - you would just hear the crowd noise in the background.

Well, like all Reds fans, in a very short period of time I was hooked, listening to that rich, grandfatherly voice describe the game he loved in a city that loved him. You could just tell there wasn't a phony bone in his body.

It took me awhile to figure out what made Nuxy such a great broadcaster and eventually I decided it was this - somehow the goodness of the person cut through the air, soared through the night and came through your radio.

I had the incredible privilege to fill-in for Marty Brennaman on several occasions and work with the Ol' Lefthander. I can honestly say I've never met a kinder, more generous, or more genuine person in my life. God bless his memory.

On to the West Virginia game. Since UC started playing football on the sight of Nippert Stadium in 1902, there have been 18 US Presidents, 2 World Wars, and countless inventions ranging from something as simple as the zipper to something as mind-boggling as the artificial heart. But there has never been a football game at that sight as significant as the one played on Saturday night. While the outcome wasn't what we were hoping for, it's hard to be disappointed.

The 'Cats are one of the best stories in college football this year and still have a shot to win 10 games for the second time in school history. They are obviously bowl-bound, and I look forward to toasting to their success with many of you at team headquarters the night(s) before the game.

And while it's scary to think that UC will still have to deal with West Virginia QB Pat White for another year, I couldn't help but notice that Ben Mauk wasn't included in senior night ceremonies at the Nip - a sure indication that he hopes to get another year of eligibility from the NCAA. If Ben doesn't receive one, his replacement could be the Big East's NEXT Pat White - Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones.

That Cincinnati dictionary I mentioned includes another term I'm fond of - Catitude. I've got a feeling we're going to see a bunch of it next Saturday night at Syracuse.

Happy 80th Birthday wishes go out this week to one of the greatest Bearcats of them all -- Jim Kelly Sr.