Thumbs up

               1. Great American Ball Park. OK, so it's still basically a steel and concrete shell, but it's getting there. And, unbelievably, it's getting there on schedule and under budget. Imagine that.

        2. The UC Bearcats. The doubters bark it out: No non-league challenges; C-USA is awful; they'll choke in the second round. ENOUGH. No apologies are necessary after a 20-game winning streak.

        3. Super Bowl commercials. Sad but true, they've darn near become a bigger attraction than the game. Or, at least as popular as those pools with the squares.

        4. Tubby Smith. The UK coach silenced his legions of critics — at least temporarily — with that victory at fifth-ranked Florida.

        5. High school basketball. Sure, it's not quite as popular as prep football in these parts. But it has been a great season, both boys and girls, on both sides of the river.

Thumbs down

               1. The Super Bowl. Well, sure it's the championship game of the most popular league in sports. But why is it such a letdown all the time?

        2. The Cyclones. Hey, minor-league hockey and promotions go hand in hand. We even get NASCAR night, as bizarre as that marriage seems. But the promo about winning a date with a player? Sounds a bit desperate.

        3. Mike Tyson. He's just a mess. Put it this way: Are there any cells left at Guantanamo Bay?

        4. The Bengals. Poor, poor, destitute Bengals. Hey, why not raise tickets prices by $6 per ducat instead of $4? That'd be a nice round $1 per victory.

        5. Kentucky and Alabama football programs. Probation arrives. Nothing worse than cheating and still being bad.

Sports Stories

Mike Tyson: Exhibit A for national regulation It's a Cincinnati State of mind Page Two Power Rankings Ursuline swimmer wins Big 12 honor College basketball Top 25 roundup Minnesota 88, Indiana 74 No. 25 Ohio St. 58, Northwestern 57 Ohio 94, Marshall 78 Road remains unkind to Miami Three's a charm for UK Tristate colleges Gold Cup: United States 2, Costa Rica 0 Hula Bowl: South 45, North 28 Request for Parole wins Frog Stakes Khabibulin sparkles in NHL All-Star Game Nets beat Raptors Coming up this week

Marquette's Wade sparks upset of Bearcats
Former Bearcats coach dies at 85
SULLIVAN: Loyalty to Jucker endures
UC notebook
Beautiful rally, ugly end
Williams saves day for Muskies Big baskets lead rally
DAUGHERTY: Super Bowl XXXVI
Don't fence him in
Patriots seek to disrupt dynasty
Super Bowl: The Edge
Bengals Q&A with Curnutte
Super Bowl XVI: 49ers 26, Bengals 21
Five named to Hall
Knight content as coach
Baseball notebook
Stoll strong choice to take over Turpin football
West Carter upsets No. 2 NewCath 52-48
Roundup: Ohio boys
Roundup: Ohio girls
Roundup: Kentucky girls
Roundup: Kentucky boys
Boys basketball sectional draw
Boys sectional draw
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Indiana boys basketball scores
Indiana girls basketball scores
Wrestling: No. 4 Purcell rules day on mat