In the Editor’s Letter for our August print issue, I discussed my Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati athletes. You know the game: Which four faces do you carve in stone to represent ultimate achievement? We were going to include it and other Mt. Rushmores in the 100 Greatest Cincinnati Athletes Ever! section but ran out of room. So I asked our regular sports columnists and other sports-crazy media folks to send in their own Mt. Rushmore lists and I’d publish them on our website.
As a reminder, my Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati’s overall greatest athletes is Barry Larkin, Anthony Munoz, Oscar Robertson, and Pete Rose.
Robert Weintraub’s Mt. Rushmore of Sporting Events That Happened in Cincinnati
1981 AFC Championship Game Bengals vs. Chargers: The “Freezer Bowl!” Cincinnati dominated the chilliest game in NFL history to reach its first Super Bowl.
1985 Reds vs. Padres: Cincinnati’s ultimate hero, Pete Rose, notched his 4,192nd hit with a first inning single off Eric Show to pass Ty Cobb as the all-time Hit King.
2021 AFC Wild-Card Game Bengals vs. Raiders: At last, the Bengals won a playoff game after a 31-year drought thanks to Germaine Pratt’s end-game interception.
1940 World Series Game 7 Reds vs. Tigers: Shortly after the death of his father, Paul Derringer hurled a gem to hand the Reds their first “earned” World Series (1919 was a gift).
Robert Weintraub covers the Bengals for Cincinnati Magazine.
Chad Dotson’s Mt. Rushmore of Most Underrated Reds Players
Adam Dunn: Ranks among the Reds’ all-time leaders in homers (270) and walks (940) and hit 40-plus homers four times in Cincinnati. His career on-base percentage here (.380) was higher than Hall of Famers Tony Pérez and Johnny Bench.
Reggie Sanders: One of the rare players in Reds history to combine power, speed, and defense, he hit .306 with 28 HR, 99 RBI, 36 stolen bases, and a .579 slugging percentage in 1995. Often overshadowed by Barry Larkin, but his peak seasons stack up favorably with the era’s better-known outfielders.
Vada Pinson: Obscured by teammate Frank Robinson, Pinson was a four-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and consistent top-10 finisher in hits, runs, and extra-base hits during his Reds tenure. By age 30, he had over 2,000 hits; only Ty Cobb had more at the same age.
Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell: Known for his terrifying sidearm delivery, Blackwell led the NL in strikeouts in 1947 and made six straight All-Star teams. Arm troubles shortened his career, but at his peak he was one of the most feared pitchers in baseball.
Chad Dotson covers the Reds for Cincinnati Magazine.
Charlie Goldsmith’s Mt. Rushmore of Joe Burrow Games
2021 Week 17 vs. the Chiefs: Backed up against his own goaline with the score tied, Burrow threaded the needle on three aggressive throws to clinch the AFC North. Third-and-27 down the sideline to Ja’Marr Chase was an iconic moment that highlighted Burrow’s fearlessness, confidence and moxie in a perfect snapshot.
2023 Week 8 vs. the 49ers: Facing the eventual NFC champions, Burrow was as close to flawless as you’ll ever seen in professional sports. He delivered a famous third-and-10 throw to Tee Higgins he started by escaping an army of sack attempts and then delivered as he got crushed.
2022 Week 6 vs. the Saints: In Burrow’s return to Louisiana, he carried a Bengals team whose defense couldn’t stop an injury-ravaged Saints offense. His walk-off touchdown throw in the fourth quarter was an elite combination of aggression, situational football, accuracy, and playmaking.
Week 17 2024 vs. the Broncos: With the Bengals facing elimination and one of the NFL’s most feared passing defenses on the other side, Burrow made the Broncos seriously regret their blitz-heavy game plan. He challenged the NFL’s best cornerback and won the one-on-one matchup, and Tee Higgins reeled in one tough catch after another.
Charlie Goldsmith covers the Reds and Bengals for Cincinnati Magazine.
Grant Freking’s Mt. Rushmore Failed FC Cincinnati Signings
Jurgen Locadia: Three goals in 27 appearances for a striker with English Premier League, German Bundesliga, and UEFA Champions League experience is just woeful.
Aaron Boupendza: The nomadic striker was less than two years removed from leading Turkey’s first division in goals when he scored on his debut in Cincinnati, but he exited barely a year later. He died in April.
Kamohelo Mokotjo: I thought he’d bring the sort of defensive tenacity and disruption to defensive midfield in 2020 that Obinna Nwobodo eventually did as a centerpiece of Pat Noonan’s defensive spine. But Mokotjo never rediscovered his form playing in England’s second division.
Fanendo Adi: FCC gave up a warchest of Allocation Money to make Adi its first Designated Player, and in return he tallied five goals in 25 appearances across the club’s final USL season and first campaign in MLS.
Grant Freking covers FC Cincinnati for Cincinnati Magazine.
Lance McAlister’s Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati Sports Talk Interviews
Pete Rose: Best storyteller I’ve ever met. Razor-sharp recall of each and every detail and moment of his career, down to each pitch of each at-bat. Uncanny.
Sean Casey: Makes me laugh so hard I cry every time. A WWE-wrestler-like energy and passion … brother!
Kerry Coombs: Oozes energy, passion, and Cincinnati pride. That raspy voice jumps through the radio. Makes you want to run through a brick wall.
Charlie Coles: Grandfatherly sound. Kind. Reflective. Wise. Warm. I always wanted to sit on a porch with a pitcher of iced tea and listen to him tell stories. I miss him.
Lance McAlister hosts his sports talk show on WLW (700 AM).
Mo Egger’s Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati Sports Radio Topics
Joey Votto’s salary and stats. One day we’ll have to explain to future generations why Votto was actually polarizing for a large chunk of his career. When the future Hall of Famer signed his massive contract extension in 2012, he became a lightning rod for fans who viewed his salary as overly inflated relative to his actual value to the Reds. It took longer than it should have for him to win everyone over, and whatever anyone thinks of his career, there’s no one I’ve discussed, debated, and defended on air more.
Any UC football coaching search. There have been four since we started doing our show, and each one has been a treasure trove. Hell hath no fury like a college football fan scorned, especially when they have their own ideas for who the next coach should be and which criteria should matter when vetting candidates.
Carson Palmer v. the Bengals. For 11 months in 2011, not a day went by when we didn’t talk about Palmer’s decision to no longer play for the Bengals. Most fans sided with what was then a massively unpopular owner versus a player who was—like many in Cincinnati—examining his relationship with the organization. Nearly a decade and a half later, if I so much as reference Palmer and the way he left I’ll hear from fans who either still haven’t gotten over it or celebrate his ultimatum as a pivotal and positive turning point in Bengals history.
The Crosstown Shootout Brawl. Take one of the best rivalries in college sports, two fan bases constantly at each other’s throats, throw in a massive brawl, and you have sports-talk-radio gold. As unfortunate and ugly as the December 2011 melee between the UC and Xavier basketball teams was, it gave us a layup line of callers who either had watched the fight on YouTube for the 500th time and wanted to place blame or who wanted to weigh in on the silly suggestion that the game itself should’ve been cancelled moving forward.
Mo Egger hosts his sports talk show on WCKY (1530 AM).
Jack Greiner’s Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati Athletes Who Starred at Notre Dame
Bob Crable, Moeller: His position was linebacker, but his job description was “beast.” He set the ND single game record for tackles with 26 against Clemson and holds the career record for tackles with 521. He was a consensus First Team All-American his senior season in 1981.
Marc Edwards, Norwood: In his ND running back career from 1993 to 1996, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry and scored 32 touchdowns.
Tony Hunter, Moeller: The tight end played two years for Dan Devine and two for Gerry Faust (1979-1982) and caught 120 passes for 1,897 yards, an average of 15.8 yards per reception.
Michael Mayer, Covington Catholic: He played tight end for the Irish in 2020-2022 and holds the ND record for most career receptions by a tight end, most receiving yards by a tight end, and most career touchdown receptions by a tight end.
Jack Greiner is the top First Amendment attorney in Cincinnati and got his J.D. degree from the Notre Dame School of Law.
Emma Balcom’s Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati Mascots
The Bearcat: He has the most personality and swag of any mascot I’ve seen or interacted with. I’m obsessed with how he jaunts around UC’s campus. My first week of college, he came up to me, grabbed my arm, and sprinted with me straight to a table giving out free Skyline coneys—it was the best introduction to Cincinnati.
Gary: FC Cincinnati is my team, and therefore Gary is my mascot. He’s the most plush-looking mascot we’ve got, and his anti-Miami tweets make me laugh.
Gapper: I needed a Reds mascot on this list, though the Redlegs family simply creeps me out. Their eyes are too human. Gapper is superior.
Who Dey: He’s iconic.
Emma Balcom is Cincinnati Magazine’s Associate Editor.
Elizabeth Wood’s Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati Sports Icons
Joey Votto: He was king of the Reds when I moved to Cincinnati in 2009, and my baseball-loving husband dragged treated me to many, many Reds games in those days where the most exciting plays were inevitably by Votto. I also find his enthusiasm for chess and his social media personality incredibly charming.
Nick Hagglund: I’m a sucker for hometown stars, and I’ve been a Hagglund Fan Girl (Fan Woman?) since his earliest FCC days. My 9-year-old is fully convinced he will play for FC Cincinnati some day, and Hagglund’s hometown journey is proof that those wild childhood dreams can come true.
Joe Burrow: I’m sorry, I have to include Joe Cool. He got us to the Super Bowl, which I will forever love him for. He’s so intense he’s chill, like Icy Hot in human form. And did you know he taught himself to play piano? Adorable.
Amanda Borden/Jaycie Phelps: Forgive me for cheating with this one, but they both deserve a spot (albeit shared) on my Mt. Rushmore. They were on the Gold-winning 1996 Magnificent Seven Olympic U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team, and they trained at a Cincinnati gym I frequently competed against as a young gymnast. I remember seeing Borden and Phelps casually hanging around local meets and thinking they were true goddesses of the sport.
Elizabeth Wood is a regular freelance writer for Cincinnati Magazine.
David Holthaus’ Mt. Rushmore of Cincinnati Sports Experiences
Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth’s home run record. I was with my Dad on Opening Day at Riverfront Stadium in 1974 when Aaron hit a shot over the left field wall. I don’t recall a lot of celebration and so on even though the game was stopped and the President and MLB Commissioner were on hand to give him some recognition. I still recall the mixed feelings that a lot of people had that Aaron, a Black man, was going to break the legendary Ruth’s record.
Game 2 of the 1972 World Series. My friend and I decided at the last minute to try and see the Reds take on the Oakland A’s at Riverfront Stadium. We were freshmen in high school, and we were able to get standing-room-only tickets. The Reds were down 2-1 in the ninth inning when Denis Menke blasted one to left field and leftfielder Joe Rudi robbing him of a homer and sealed the game for the A’s, who went on to win the Series.
Pete Rose’s first game back in Cincinnati in 1984. It wasn’t a good season for the Reds, but in August they made a trade to bring back Rose as player-manager. My friend and I got tickets in the leftfield seats, and in his first at-bat Rose hit a classic single up the middle; the centerfielder misplayed the ball, and Rose not only took second base but went to third, executing his classic head-first slide. The crowd was ecstatic. It felt like a World Series or playoff game.
My interview with Joe Morgan. In 2008 or 2009, I was covering business for The Enquirer and was assigned to write a feature story about Morgan opening a Honda dealership just off I-75 in Monroe. I was able to score an interview with him at the bar of the Cincinnatian Hotel. We were the only people there on a mid-afternoon weekday. Morgan was gracious with his time, and we talked for an hour or so one-on-one, not just about the dealership but about his extensive career after baseball, his playing career and style, his family, growing up, and lots of other things.
David Holthaus is a regular freelance writer for Cincinnati Magazine.
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