Greetings from the Super Bowl

Hello from Jacksonville, Fla., home of Super Bowl XXXIX. Things are somewhat quiet on the Bengals front this week. I hope you're enjoying the Enquirer's coverage of the buildup to the game and the circus that this week has become.

I am looking forward to having greater interaction with readers in this new blog. I value the
many e-mail responses and questions I receive from readers and appreciate how some of you have become my electronic pen-pals. Thank you.

I am proud of what we produce as a newspaper both in print and on the Web site -- and not just on the Bengals/NFL beat or in the Sports department. I'm closing in on 12 years at the Enquirer, and I see a bright future for the entire newspaper.

Back to football. A few quick observations from Jacksonville:

1. Having covered Bengals coach Marvin Lewis closely for two years, I can see the similarities in
his program with those of Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, the Patriots and Eagles coaches. Lewis,
like the two Super Bowl coaches, is very decisive and knows what he wants. Lewis has found his
quarterback in Carson Palmer, the same way Belichick and Reid have Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb.

Lewis has grown on the job, too, as a head coach, just like the two Super Bowl counterparts.
Lewis has a stable and increasingly better coaching staff.

Bengals fans have legitimate reasons for optimism. I predicted when Lewis was hired that Year 3 would be his first playoff season. The pace and path the team is on after two seasons do not
force me to change that prediction.

2. The Patriots are truly a team for the ages, especially in the era of free agency and the
salary cap. It's going to be interesting to see how Belichick replaces coordinators Charlie Weis
and Romeo Crennel.

3. Speaking of Crennel, and from somewhat selfish reasons, it's going to be interesting to have
him in the AFC North with the Bengals as the likely new coach of the Cleveland Browns. If the
Browns do indeed hire Crennel, congratulations to them for showing the patience and focus to wait for him to complete his work as New England's defensive coordinator. The Bengals get to play him twice a season.

4. I am continually impressed with my fellow Miamian Ben Roethlisberger. He was in Jacksonville the other day and will be back to receive another corporate-drive rookie award. At just 22, he shows maturity and a natural ease with people. There's no question he'll rebound from the AFC championship game loss and learn from his mistakes. Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh is a perfect fit.

Thanks for reading. I'll be back with you soon.
-- Mark Curnutte