Feelin' the Love

Hi, Sheila here.

Reds legend Johnny Bench told us on Opening Day that when he was playing for our team, he never knew about the celebratory atmosphere of the Findlay Market Opening Day parade. He was too busy getting ready for the game to see that thousands of people, with or without game tickets, had taken to the streets to observe Cincinnati's unofficial holiday.

Boy, was he missing something!

Of course, this year Johnny served as the parade's Grand Marshal.

I've been riding with Rob (and now Frank) in the Findlay Market Opening Day parade for several years now to represent Fox 19, and never before have I seen so many Reds fans lining the streets of Cincinnati. Every time we turned a corner in the pickup truck in which we were perched, we saw more people, sometimes 10 or 15 rows deep. All of them wearing their red, happy to be part of something truly special in our city.

While they were all there to cheer on our Reds, many waved to us and yelled that they watch the Fox 19 Morning News every day. What a great feeling! Rob, Frank, and I get up early every day to help our viewers start their day, and we don't often get to see them face to face. Hearing those comments and seeing all of those smiles was exhilarating and truly humbling. It gave me a warm feeling all day long. If you were one of them, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!