I’ve been to a few high school football games this season and I’ve noticed an alarming trend. No, not the rash of concussions we’ve been led to believe will wipe out an entire generation. The thing that has me shaking my head: punk kids jabbering during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner as if they’re at recess. If you hear about a cranky adult being sued in the coming weeks for verbally berating some idiot parent’s little angel, it’ll probably be me.

I think the Bengals will be pretty good this season. Trouble is, they play in the league’s toughest division, the AFC North. A 9-7 record is realistic, but it won’t guarantee a playoff berth. Cincinnati’s defense looks good, but the offensive line could be an issue. We’ll learn a lot Monday night when the Bengals take on the Ravens in prime time.

The Browns have been known to make shaky decisions, but Mike Holmgren’s call to cancel plans to “recognize” the late Art Modell prior to today’s game was a smart move. Of course, he had to be talked out of it by Modell’s family. A moment of silence, or a video tribute, would’ve caused a riot in the Dawg Pound.

There are plenty of familiar faces the NFL has left behind this year. Chad Johnson, Terrelle Owens and Hank Williams Jr., three talented guys who used to be show-stoppers, are out. Their skills have diminished and their baggage makes them unemployable in America’s most popular sports league. Hopefully the real officials will return soon, but I thought the replacement refs did a fine job during the Giants-Cowboys game.

I picked up my daughter at a birthday party Saturday and was lucky enough to nab a cupcake. I felt like a college football coach. Some of this week’s matchups were an embarrassment to the sport; not one game featured two ranked teams. Topping the list of shame was Florida State vs. Savannah State. SSU has won 12 games in seven years. One of those setbacks was a 1-point loss to Central State in 2005.

Joey Votto is back with the Reds, which has folks fretting about Todd Frazier’s playing time. With Votto still not at 100 percent and Scott Rolen limping to the finish line, there’s no chance Frazier becomes as anonymous as a bucket of sunflower seeds in the Reds dugout.

Andy Roddick retired from tennis at age 30 after losing in the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Quick, name another decent American male tennis player. Can’t do it, can you? There is exactly one American male ranked in the ATP top 20, some guy named John Isner at No. 10. I doubt anyone would recognize John Isner if he walked naked across Courthouse Square at lunch time.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2163 or bkollars@coxohio.com