Editorial: Cincinnati football fever

Pigskin pride abounds in Greater Cincinnati thanks to our beloved Cincinnati Bengals and the UC Bearcats.Both teams are having amazing seasons, shining a bright national spotlight on our community.Imagine: It's been three decades since Who Dey nation celebrated three straight wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers — and the Bengals did it by putting an absolute beatdown on our AFC North rival.Bearcat football dates back to 1885, making it one of the nation's oldest college programs. Cincinnati made history by being the first team not in a Power 5 conference ranked in the top four spots by the College Football Playoff Committee. Regardless of the season outcome, that distinction will last forever. What these two teams are achieving off the gridiron is equally important. We call it sports diplomacy.Fans from different races, political beliefs or economic status put down those differences for three hours each Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and unite flying the red and black colors of the Bearcats; the black and orange of the Bengals; or perhaps both. At some point, the season will end for both teams. But sports diplomacy does not have to end when the whistle stops blowing.How can we keep the lines of communication and compromise open just like the o-line opens holes for Joe Mixon and Jerome Ford?Sports teach teamwork and comradery. Let's put those qualities in our everyday playbook and let's continue to support both of our teams.To paraphrase Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, “Let's keep ‘civility’ matriculating down the field.”