Speaker 1: The Elder playoff game has in fact been moved from
Speaker 1: Mason down to pay Court Stadium. And you know something
Speaker 1: Willie and I were kind of pushing hard for. But
Speaker 1: someone who deserves a lot of the credit and making
Speaker 1: this happen is Hamilon County Commissioner Denise Dreehouse. And she
Speaker 1: joins us right now, Commissioner Dreehouse, how are.
Speaker 2: You well, I'm in a good mood. Yes, let me say.
Speaker 2: Can I just say though, that it took Willie reaching
Speaker 2: out to me to put it on my radar, so
Speaker 2: you know, I wasn't in the loop on this, and
Speaker 2: so when he told me what was going on, I
Speaker 2: was like, oh, wait a minute. And so so I
Speaker 2: appreciates credit, but credit where credits due? I mean the
Speaker 2: impetus came from Willy Cunningham.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so explain the machinations going on here, Denise? Where
Speaker 3: did you go once you had this information?
Speaker 4: So talk to.
Speaker 2: Willy a little bit about it. I'm familiar with Elder
Speaker 2: and ex cocidentally and what a big rivalry. And so
Speaker 2: I said, oh my gosh, we should so have this
Speaker 2: down at pay Corps. And so I called Katie Blackburn
Speaker 2: and said, hey, we had been talking through the least
Speaker 2: the least. We just signed about having high school football
Speaker 2: games at pay Corpse Stadium, and we were thinking, yeah,
Speaker 2: we'll work all that out next year, have a model
Speaker 2: that we can you know, sort through. And it just
Speaker 2: came sooner than later, that's all. And Katie said, well, yeah,
Speaker 2: let's see if we can make it happen. And so
Speaker 2: she and her team reached out to the O H
Speaker 2: SAA and said, hey, we've got the capacity down here.
Speaker 2: We think, you know, we're open to this. Would you
Speaker 2: think about moving it because I'm hearing horror stories right
Speaker 2: at these schools where that the students can't get tickets,
Speaker 2: the parents can't get tickets, the teachers can't get tickets,
Speaker 2: and so we just they took it from there. But
Speaker 2: the Bengals did a lot of the groundwork here and
Speaker 2: then finally got in okay, and then it took you know,
Speaker 2: the county Commission to say yes to it as well.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that was the issue a lot of folks
Speaker 1: that it reached out to me and you know, we're
Speaker 1: kind of screaming, look, you know, nothing against Mason High School,
Speaker 1: great place, but since it's about you know, six thousand
Speaker 1: people and you go to just your average regular season
Speaker 1: Elder game and there's eight ten thousand people. You go
Speaker 1: to your average regular season, say next game, there's eight
Speaker 1: ten thousand people at that thing.
Speaker 5: So it just it's crazy.
Speaker 1: And you know, they released the tickets during school hours,
Speaker 1: so a lot of the students who yeah, and you
Speaker 1: want the students to be at the game. That's the
Speaker 1: lifeblood of high school football is having the you know,
Speaker 1: the kids there and stuff. So I guess, I mean,
Speaker 1: I mean talk about some of the other I guess
Speaker 1: hurdles that had to be you know, kind of overcome
Speaker 1: here to make this happen to these well there Actually.
Speaker 2: There's quite a bit to it when you talk about
Speaker 2: the personnel that needs to be down there at the
Speaker 2: safety of the stadium, you know, opening that thing up
Speaker 2: on a day that you didn't anticipate. Remember, the Bengals
Speaker 2: are in town on Sunday, so that's a quick turnaround
Speaker 2: for them. We can do it, but it's it's no
Speaker 2: small task to turn that around. So they work well
Speaker 2: with us. They had to run through all that. They
Speaker 2: were working last night through the night trying to figure
Speaker 2: out whether or not they could pull it off for Friday.
Speaker 2: And then I heard from Katie this morning and she said, yep,
Speaker 2: she said, we can do it. We just need the
Speaker 2: nod FROMHSAA. And then that came, and then we had
Speaker 2: to get approval from the county commissioners and so that came,
Speaker 2: and it's like so everything just kind of fell into place.
Speaker 2: But you know, hopefully this will serve as a model
Speaker 2: as we move into next year and we get more
Speaker 2: aggressive about being on the radar WITHSAA. I don't want
Speaker 2: to do this this way next time, right. I want
Speaker 2: to be on the radar and have them thinking through
Speaker 2: oh wait a minute, pay corpse and option why don't
Speaker 2: we have some of our games down there, because I
Speaker 2: want this to be open to any high school team
Speaker 2: that you know in this kind of game. I mean,
Speaker 2: this is exciting step for the community and by the way,
Speaker 2: the taxpayers on the stadium, so I think.
Speaker 5: We should let them use it agree.
Speaker 1: And look, when you're talking about the regional finals every year,
Speaker 1: it's going to be one or multiple of these schools.
Speaker 1: It's going to be Saint ax is going to be out,
Speaker 1: it's going to be Mole, or it's going to be
Speaker 1: you know, it could be Leasal could be Lakota West,
Speaker 1: you know, I mean you you're talking about some and
Speaker 1: others I haven't mentioned, but you're talking all big time
Speaker 1: fan bases. So I mean, no matter who of a
Speaker 1: bunch of like say a group of ten teams, any
Speaker 1: one of those are going to bring a big fan base.
Speaker 1: So it just makes sense to just let's make this
Speaker 1: precedent set right now that the regional finals are going
Speaker 1: to be held a pay corps.
Speaker 5: That'd be great.
Speaker 2: I think that'd be great too. That's not my decision
Speaker 2: to make right right, but here we are right doing
Speaker 2: this setting a precedent. You know, this is again this
Speaker 2: is the first foray because commissioners have said we set
Speaker 2: all along we want to bring more concerts and football
Speaker 2: games into this facility. So here we are right, and
Speaker 2: it's and it's quicker than we anticipated. But let's get
Speaker 2: this right. Let's figure out all the details, and then
Speaker 2: next year we'll be set and ready to go to
Speaker 2: you know, try to promote this pay course stadium for
Speaker 2: some more of these games.
Speaker 3: County Commissioner Denise Streethouses our guest and so who I
Speaker 3: don't know understand, not that it matter, just one of
Speaker 3: those behind the scenes thing that I was thinking about,
Speaker 3: who who staffs or who staffs the stadium on a
Speaker 3: on a night like this. Do the Bengals supply the
Speaker 3: staff does the county? How does that work? I have
Speaker 3: no idea.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the Bengals manage all of that. And so this
Speaker 2: is why it was so important that they reach out
Speaker 2: to OHSAA, because you know, there are those kinds of
Speaker 2: technical questions on what do you need, what do we
Speaker 2: need to open up? How many people do we need
Speaker 2: in there? And so it was critical that the Bengals
Speaker 2: do that outreach, which they happily did because they're excited
Speaker 2: about this too. And so you know, it hasn't always
Speaker 2: been this kind of relationship with the Bengals, between the
Speaker 2: Bengals in the county, but I think you see, you know,
Speaker 2: it's a new day. We've got the leaf behind us,
Speaker 2: and so this is a new posture between the Bengals
Speaker 2: and the county and I think it's it's a good
Speaker 2: thing for the community that we're all working together.
Speaker 1: Well, like you said, hopefully that the precedent is set
Speaker 1: that this is kind of the situation moving forward. If
Speaker 1: I can be of service and helping with that for
Speaker 1: next year, next please let me know because because I
Speaker 1: think it'd be fantastic for the community. But the Commissioner,
Speaker 1: dreaeh House, we really appreciate your time and great job,
Speaker 1: and thank you so much.
Speaker 2: Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.
Speaker 5: Yep, got it.
Speaker 3: Denise Treehouse are our guest, And uh yeah, that's man
Speaker 3: talk about getting a lot of there's a lot of
Speaker 3: machinations going on to open that thing.
Speaker 1: There is, yeah, just a lot of moving parts, but
Speaker 1: it just takes, you know, the willingness to do it.
Speaker 1: And where I had started to hear that this may happen,
Speaker 1: I have, you know, some police friends, and they had
Speaker 1: put internally put out hey, uh you know they're they're
Speaker 1: just checking with people to see if they will be
Speaker 1: available to work police details down at the game. So
Speaker 1: once you heard that, you knew that the wheels were
Speaker 1: certainly in motion here.
Speaker 3: Well, Rock, I don't know if you got another call
Speaker 3: to together for us, but I'm saying that we might
Speaker 3: have Kerry Combs on the line.
Speaker 5: Kerry Combs on the line.
Speaker 3: I do believe he is. Kerry Combs. Welcome to the program.
Speaker 4: Hey, how do you guys do today?
Speaker 2: Good?
Speaker 5: Now, if you're talking tri state football.
Speaker 1: Okay, you're talking about the love that is the Cincinnati area.
Speaker 1: It begins and ends with carry Combs, Carrie, how are you, brother, Rocky.
Speaker 4: I'm fantastic. I gotta tell you. I just called because
Speaker 4: this is a big deal playing this game at paycourps.
Speaker 4: And you know, the Bengals deserve a ton of credit
Speaker 4: because this is not easy for them to do. And
Speaker 4: it's not just open up the stadium and let people
Speaker 4: come in. I mean, it's it affects the coaches and
Speaker 4: the players and everybody affiliate.
Speaker 5: With the Bengals.
Speaker 4: You know, the Brown family, this is significant. And I
Speaker 4: know Mike Brown loves high school football. I know how
Speaker 4: it feels about it. I had great opportunity to coach
Speaker 4: down there in that stadium and some pretty dagone big games,
Speaker 4: and uh it was. It was a phenomenal experience for
Speaker 4: my players and and I did something they'll never forget.
Speaker 4: So I'm expecting they're gonna get forty your fifty thousand
Speaker 4: people down there this weekend. You got two great high
Speaker 4: school teams with great tradition, two great coaches. It's just
Speaker 4: really exciting that they're that they're gonna do that. I
Speaker 4: just tell you. It just makes me love being a Cincinnati.
Speaker 5: And Rocky, you know what I mean, there's no doubt, bro.
Speaker 1: And and look, you know when I played, when you
Speaker 1: were coaching these these big regional playoff games, they were
Speaker 1: at Nipper, they were at you know, at the time,
Speaker 1: Paul Brown Stadium. For what a reason that that went
Speaker 1: away my understanding And you may know this, Carrie, like
Speaker 1: the reason why they can't be held at Nipper anymore
Speaker 1: is is a recruiting violation?
Speaker 5: Is that? Is that what you've heard as well? Yeah,
Speaker 5: it is, Okay, it is.
Speaker 4: And it was so frustrating last year we were gonna
Speaker 4: play we were trying to get the city championship down
Speaker 4: there because you know, those kids, it's uh from the
Speaker 4: city schools don't get to play in some of those
Speaker 4: environments and stadiums. And so we were gonna do a
Speaker 4: doubleheader uh city championship games down there, and uh NCAA
Speaker 4: wouldn't let us do it.
Speaker 5: And you know, we used to have.
Speaker 4: The early season the opening game there and and everybody
Speaker 4: played and everybody went.
Speaker 5: They can't.
Speaker 4: I can't imagine in any conceivable way that that's some
Speaker 4: kind of recruiting advantage and never never felt that way.
Speaker 5: I was on both sides of it as a.
Speaker 4: High school coach and as a college coach. Never felt
Speaker 4: like that at all. It just felt like this is
Speaker 4: where people ought to be. I mean, I don't know
Speaker 4: if you played in games down there. I coached in
Speaker 4: a ton of a little effort where people were hanging
Speaker 4: off the rafters.
Speaker 5: It was sold out.
Speaker 4: We lived before they did.
Speaker 5: Yeah, play them down there, Yeah.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, fantastic, And so I'm really glad the Bangles
Speaker 4: stepped up. I'm just telling you, man, it just and
Speaker 4: you guys had a big part in it. Don't think
Speaker 4: that you didn't. Between Willie and you getting it on
Speaker 4: the air and pumping that and uh you know, uh
Speaker 4: God bless mus gree House and Katie obviously for putting
Speaker 4: it together because that's not easy for the Bengals. I'm
Speaker 4: telling you that Bengals deserve a ton of credit on this.
Speaker 4: This is a huge, huge thing for them, and it's
Speaker 4: only because they love high school football. My guess is,
Speaker 4: rocket you go around, uh the other thirty two thirty
Speaker 4: one NFL teams, you probably aren't going to find any
Speaker 4: high school games being played in any of those Steaves
Speaker 4: going through the home game on Sunday.
Speaker 5: That's that's a great point.
Speaker 1: Well, well, now all these happenings, you need to be
Speaker 1: out there for the opening coin flip. I mean, let
Speaker 1: let's make this thing full circle, right, Let's get the
Speaker 1: embodiment of high school football out there and flip the coin.
Speaker 2: Right, It'll be, that'd be.
Speaker 4: It'd be a ton of fun. I'd love seeing Doug
Speaker 4: and Steve and love seeing the game. It would be.
Speaker 5: It just does my hard good.
Speaker 4: High school football in Cincinnati is different than anywhere else.
Speaker 5: I've told you that to hold people that all over.
Speaker 4: The country, it just is, and uh in the state
Speaker 4: of Ohio, but especially since Sinnati, it's it's remarkable. And
Speaker 4: I'm just so excited for those teams and those kids
Speaker 4: and just our town in general. You know, it's just
Speaker 4: it's what and you.
Speaker 5: Know we need that in.
Speaker 4: The fall, right, you need that kind of excitement and energy.
Speaker 4: It's just just fantastic.
Speaker 1: Carrie very Well said, we really appreciate calling on the
Speaker 1: show and checking in, my friend, and hope you do
Speaker 1: it again soon.
Speaker 5: Thank you so much.
Speaker 4: All right, Hey, good luck with your boys teams too.
Speaker 5: Now, thanks, carry appreciate you Bud.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it Kerry Carry Combs.
Speaker 5: Just the beast. How about that Carry comes calling it
Speaker 5: a rocky show.
Speaker 3: I thought you would have raised them. I'm like, you
Speaker 3: didn't tell me this.
Speaker 1: Going on. I'm sure the phone I was trying to
Speaker 1: get pull my hair out, was trying to get that
Speaker 1: Commissioner of Dreehouse on, and I'm trying to get Tim
Speaker 1: Streed from the OHSA to come on to talk about it.
Speaker 1: But yeah, and Carry calls about that. Cool, that's great.
Speaker 1: He's the best with that.
Speaker 3: We check in with trafficking weather, What is going on,