Elder head coach Doug Ramsey discusses playoff win over Princeton
Elder head coach Doug Ramsey discusses the Panthers playoff victory over Princeton, 32-30, to advance in Division 1/Region 4.
Message: Finally! A playoff game at Paycor.
Reply: Ha! Appreciate a little jab at the Bengals.
Count Friday’s massive, so Cincinnati showdown between the GCL South powers as a “reasonable” event being played on a “reasonable” day. That’s a jab at the language in the new (and old) Bengals-Hamilton County stadium lease, which says the county can use its stadium on a “reasonable number of days” each year as long as it doesn’t conflict with Bengals practices, games and team-related events.
More of this, please.
It’s embarrassing that it’s been 7 years since the last high school game at Paycor Stadium. There should be multiple high school football games at Paycor Stadium each season, especially early season showcase events and playoff games.
As commissioner Denise Driehaus said about the Elder and St. Xavier players, it’ll be a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for them to play in an NFL stadium. Let other kids, coaches and parents from big and small schools from across the region have that same experience each season.
It’s a big deal for the players and school communities. The Reds have held a high school baseball showcase at Great American Ball Park for the past decade. In May, 10 high school teams from Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Dayton got to play a game on the GABP field.
The county also owns GABP. The commissioners didn’t have to jump through hoops to get the Reds to do the high school games. The commissioners didn’t have to put out statements saying how grateful they are to the main tenant for allowing high school teams to use the field.
And it’s logistically more challenging to do non-Reds game events at GABP, because it has a grass playing surface. Paycor Stadium has artificial turf, and there is no additional groundskeeping expense or risk of the field being torn up for the Bengals.
The fact it didn’t get specifically defined how many days the stadium can be used for non-Bengals events was a frustrating part of yet another sweetheart deal for the NFL club. The Bengals essentially have to give permission for any outside use of the stadium since the club has its daily operations based inside the stadium, where its corporate headquarters, locker room and training facility are located.
Commissioners Driehaus and Alicia Reece have pushed for the county to use the stadium more throughout the year, and maybe that’ll happen. Driehaus said she’s hoping the Bengals’ agreement to let Elder and St. Xavier to play at Paycor Stadium is a sign of more high school and non-Bengals events to come. I’m not criticizing Driehaus, who’s a good commissioner and public servant.
I’m criticizing the Bengals for not definitively giving up more control of our stadium and spending money to build a corporate headquarters and practice facility away from where they practice and play home games. You know, like almost every other NFL team has done.
It’s time we, the Hamilton County taxpayer, start getting more of a return on the investment after the county agreed to cover $350 million of the $470 million in stadium upgrades over the next decade.