The rich sporting culture in Ohio certainly shone through once again in the year gone by across multiple major leagues. While culture and heritage themselves don’t ensure great results on the pitch, overall, 2022 was an excellent year for many of Ohio’s sports teams. Some made their presence felt in the most significant sporting events, while others paved the way for a great 2023. Here’s a brief look at how four of them went in 2022.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals shocked the NFL world when they made it to the Super Bowl but fell just short against the Los Angeles Rams. In Joe Burrow, they’ve got a new hero.
He took his excellent form from the 2021-22 season into the new season by completing 34 touchdowns — the second-highest in the league at the end of 2022. The Bengals had an 11-4 record at the end of the year and once again look like solid contenders – they’ve established their stature as no longer being plucky underdogs. As of the start of 2023, Ohio has officially legalized online sports betting, and big brands like BetMGM, Caesar’s, Draftkings, and Bet365 are all key sportsbooks on the Ohio sports betting scene that attest to the fact that the Bengals are among the favorites to be at the Super Bowl once again. With odds hovering around the +750 mark on all of them, who can argue?
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were the lesser of the Ohio football teams in 2022 – and it wasn’t the biggest of surprises, as they’re very much a team in transition. They didn’t have a great NFL campaign and were out of contention for the playoffs pretty early on, long before star player Deshaun Watson’s suspension had ended, and he made a return to the gridiron. Before the new year, they succumbed to nine losses and got just six wins.
The Browns brought in Watson to replace Baker Mayfield but hadn’t taken to the field for over a year because of a now settled court case. The Browns have shown signs of the team they want to be this season but will likely make a bigger impact in the NFL next season.
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds had an MLB season to forget in 2022. They had a 62-100 win-loss record, and it didn’t help that their 33-48 home record wasn’t much better.
Despite all the negatives, there are reasons to believe that 2023 will be much better for the Reds. Important players like Joey Votto, Tyler Stephenson, Nick Senzel, Tejay Antone, Lucas Sims, and Tony Santillan were injured for extended periods in 2022. They should be fitter in 2023, and many rookies are looking to break in. Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Brandon Williamson, Spencer Steer, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are some players to keep an eye on.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the most exciting teams in the NBA this season and are looking good sitting high up on the Eastern Conference standings – a lot of the legwork for that was done in 2022.
The addition of Donovan Mitchell to a team that already had the talents of Julias Garland and Evan Mobley, along with the experience of Kevin Love, has been inspired. Mitchell averaged just over 28 points and 4.5 assists per game in 2022, with a field goal percentage of 48.4 percent, and has begun the new year with a strong claim to be one of the best athletes playing in Ohio at the moment.
This is the most exciting Cavaliers side since the title-winning team of 2016, and there’s no denying that a title run might be on at some point this year, and they could be alongside the Bengals as one of the best sports teams from Ohio.
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