Shows / First Word
First Word
First Word with James Rapien is Cincinnati’s ONLY daily morning sports show, delivering the latest news, analysis, and insider insight on the biggest stories in sports.
Rapien is joined by Marisa Contipelli and Jacob Tissot to cover everything happening with the Bengals, Reds, FC Cincinnati, Bearcats, Musketeers and Ohio State Buckeyes.
From breaking news and game reactions to exclusive interviews, roster updates, and expert analysis, First Word gets you caught up on everything you need to know…
Episodes
- First Word
10/29/26: Hours 3 and 4, Jeffery Simmons Trade, Joe Goodberry, Ari Meirov, and Brad Evans Interviews
Topics include: reaction to the breaking news of Tennessee Titans DT Jeffery Simmons being traded to the Chicago Bears, plus interviews with Joe Goodberry…
- First Word
10/29/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Trade Deadline Options, Give Me the Keys
Topics include: options for the Bengals as the trade deadline approaches, Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, and more…
- First Word
INTERVIEW: Geoff Hobson (Senior Writer for Bengals.com)
Geoff Hobson, Senior Writer for Bengals.com, joins First Word in-studio to discuss the Cincinnati Bengals. --------------------------------------------…
- First Word
10/28/26: Hours 3 and 4, Interviews with Paul Dehner Jr. and Geoff Hobson
Topics include: interviews with Paul Dehner Jr. (The Athletic) and Geoff Hobson (Senior Writer for Bengals.com) --------------------------------------------…
- First Word
10/28/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Trade Options, Shemar Stewart Situation, Headlines
Topics include: trade options for the Bengals as the deadline nears, the Shemar Stewart situation, headlines while you slept, Give Me the Keys presented by the…
- First Word
10/27/26: Hours 3 and 4, John Breech Interview, NFL Top 10 Power Rankings, Freezing Cold Takes
Topics include: interview with John Breech (CBS Sports Analyst), freezing cold takes from the Bengals, NFL Top 10 power rankings, and more…
- First Word
10/27/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Well-Rounded, CFB AP Top 25, True or False
Topics include: the Bengals being well-rounded in all three phases of the game, college football top 25, a game of "True or False," and more…
- First Word
10/26/26: Hours 3 and 4, Winners and Losers, Overreaction Monday, Give Me the Keys
Topics include: winners and losers from Sunday, overreaction Monday, Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, and more…
- First Word
10/26/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals beat Ravens 35-13 after Huge Second Half
The Cincinnati Bengals scored five touchdowns in the second half to beat the Baltimore Ravens 35-13 in Baltimore on Sunday…
- First Word
10/23/26: Hours 3 and 4, Mike Petraglia Interview, Bengals Over/Unders, World Series Predictions
Topics include: interview with Mike Petraglia of CLNS Cincy, Contipelli's Countdown, Bengals trade options, World Series predictions, and more…
- First Word
10/23/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals vs. Ravens, Wyler Keys to the Game, Marisa's Matchup
Topics include: Bengals vs. Ravens thoughts, Keys to the Game presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, Marisa's Matchup, and more…
- First Word
10/22/26: Hours 3 and 4, John Sheeran and Brad Evans Interviews, NIL Arms Race
Topics include: interview with John Sheeran (Bengals) and Brad Evans (fantasy football), plus the NIL arms race in college basketball, Give Me the Keys…
- First Word
10/22/26: Hours 1 and 2, Chase Brown's Next Step, While You Slept, Trey Hendrickson Signing
Topics include: what Chase Brown needs to do, everything you missed while you slept, is Trey Hendrickson the greatest free agent in Bengals history, and more…
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INTERVIEW: Mike Renner (247 Sports) on Bengals
Mike Renner of 247 Sports joins in-studio to share his thoughts on the Bengals -------------------------------------------- Subscribe to First Word on YouTube…
- First Word
10/21/26: Hours 3 and 4, Mike Renner and Joe Goodberry Interviews, NFL Top 10 Power Rankings
Topics include: Mike Renner and Joe Goodberry join the show to talk Bengals, NFL Top 10 power rankings, and more --------------------------------------------…
- First Word
10/21/26: Hours 1 and 2, Ja'Marr Chase Deep Threat, Bengals Trade Possibilities
Topics include: the Bengals needing to find Ja'Marr Chase deep, Bengals trade possibilities, Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family…
- First Word
10/20/26: Hours 3 and 4, Buy or Sell, Fair or Foul, Rookie Class Rankings
Topics include: buy or sell, fair or foul, rookie class rankings, and more -------------------------------------------- Subscribe to First Word on YouTube…
- First Word
10/20/26: Hours 1 and 2, Making the Bengals Better, NFL Takeaways, CFB Week 8 AP Poll
Topics include: what to do to make the Bengals better, takeaways from Week 6 of the NFL season, college football Week 8 AP Poll, Give Me the Keys presented by…
- First Word
10/19/26: Hours 3 and 4, College Football Recap, Chris Ballard Fired, Bengals Concerns
Topics include: a recap of a wild college football weekend, Chris Ballard fired as GM of the Indianapolis Colts, Bengals concerns, Contipelli's Countdown, and…
- First Word
10/19/26: Hours 1 and 2, Around the NFL, Winning the Bye Week, True or False
Topics include: headlines from around the NFL, winning the bye week, true or false, Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, and more…
- First Word
10/16/26: Hours 3 and 4, Jeremy Rauch Interview, Ohio State/Indiana Interview, Buy or Sell
Topics include: interview with FOX19's Jeremy Rauch, a preview of Ohio State vs. Indiana, buy or sell, plus a special surprise for Jacob's birthday…
- First Word
10/16/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Defense, College Football, Hell is Real Preview
Topics include: discussion about the Bengals defense, Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family about College Football Playoff expansion…
- First Word
10/15/26: Hours 3 and 4, College Basketball Eligibility, Brad Evans Interview, Thursday Preview
Topics include: Paul Fritschner joins the show to discuss the ongoing eligibility lawsuits across college basketball, Brad Evans joins for his weekly fantasy…
- First Word
10/15/26: Hours 1 and 2, Steve Helwagen Previews OSU/IU, QB Rankings, Injury Discussion
Topics include: Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts joins the show to preview Ohio State vs. Indiana, plus QB rankings, the impact of Tanner Hudson's injury, and plenty…
- First Word
INTERVIEW: Bengals TE Erick All Jr. for In-Studio Discussion
Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. joined the First Word crew for an in-person interview on Wednesday. -------------------------------------------- Subscribe to…
- First Word
10/14/26: Hours 3 and 4, Erick All Jr. Joins, Bengals Grades, Give Me the Keys
Topics include: Erick All Jr. joins the show in-studio, the First Word crew gives out grades for the Bengals, plus Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler…
- First Word
10/14/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Report Cards, NFL Top 10 Power Rankings
Topics include: report cards for the Bengals from the First Word crew, reaction to the NFL Top 10 power rankings, and much more…
- First Word
10/13/26: Hours 3 and 4, Joe Goodberry and John Breech Interviews, Breaking News on Tanner Hudson
Topics include: interviews with Joe Goodberry (Locked On Bengals) and John Breech (CBS Sports Writer), as well as breaking news regarding Bengals tight end…
- First Word
10/13/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Stock, Real or Fake, NFL Power Rankings
Topics include: Bengals stock, real or fake, Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, NFL Power Rankings, true or false, and more…
- First Word
10/12/26: Hours 3 and 4, Takeaways from Bengals/Dolphins, Locker Room Sound, Overreactions
Topics include: takeaways from Bengals/Dolphins, locker room sound, overreactions on a victory Monday for the Bengals…
- First Word
10/12/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals beat Dolphins 31-24
The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Miami Dolphins 31-24 on Sunday, October 11th. Full reaction, including thoughts, takeaways, and a lot more…
- First Word
10/9/26: Hours 3 and 4, Mike Petraglia Interview, Over/Under, Keys to the Game (Bengals/Jags) and Predictions
Topics include: interview with Mike Petraglia of CLNS Cincy, over/unders, Keys to the Game presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, and predictions from…
- First Word
10/9/26: Hours 1 and 2, True or False, Bengals/Dolphins Preview
Topics include: preview of Sunday's Bengals/Dolphins matchup, a game of True or False, and more -------------------------------------------- Subscribe to First…
- First Word
10/8/26: Hours 3 and 4, Interviews with Dan Hoard and Brad Evans, Give Me the Keys
Topics include: interviews with Dan Hoard (Bengals) and Brad Evans (fantasy football), plus Give Me the Keys presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive Family…
- First Word
10/8/26: Hours 1 and 2, Players vs. Scheme, Bengals Injury Report, Give Me the Keys
Topics include: discussing whether the Bengals' problems are more player or scheme focused, the Bengals' injury report, and "Give Me the Keys" presented by the…
- First Word
10/7/26: Hours 3 and 4, Interviews with Joe Goodberry and Ben Baby, Play of Amarius Mims, and Give Me the Keys
Topics include: interviews with Joe Goodberry (Locked On Bengals) and Ben Baby (ESPN Bengals Reporter) talking Bengals, plus the success of Amarius Mims this…
- First Word
10/7/26: Hours 1 and 2, CareSource Invitational Preview, NFL Power Rankings, and Contipelli's Countdown
Topics include: preview of Wednesday's CareSource Invitational, the men's college basketball exhibition doubleheader at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, with…
- First Word
10/6/26: Hours 3 and 4, Jake Liscow Interview, Looking on the Bright Side,
Topics include: interview with Jake Liscow (Locked On Bengals) talking about injuries, tackling, and more, plus Contipelli's Countdown, and looking on the…
- First Word
10/6/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals' Identity, CFB Top 25, Real or Fake, Give Me the Keys
Topics include: the Bengals' identity, going through the college football top 25, real or fake, and Give Me the Keys, presented by the Jeff Wyler Automotive…
- First Word
10/5/26: Hours 3 and 4, Top Takeaways from Bengals' Loss, Overreactions, Give Me the Keys
Topics: top takeaways from the Bengals' loss to the Jaguars, overreactions, Contipelli's Countdown, Give Me the Keys, and more…
- First Word
10/5/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Lose to Jaguars 22-17
Topics include: reaction to the Cincinnati Bengals' 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday -------------------------------------------- Subscribe to…
- First Word
10/2/26: Hours 3 and 4, John Sheeran and Tony Wiggins Interviews, Bengals/Jags Predictions
Topics include: interviews with John Sheeran (Bengals) and Tony Wiggins (Jaguars), plus predictions and more --------------------------------------------…
- First Word
10/2/26: Hours 1 and 2, Keys to Bengals/Jaguars, Sound from Jags, Importance of Sunday
Topics include: keys for the Bengals on Sunday against the Jaguars, sound from the Jaguars' locker room, the importance of Sunday for the Bengals, and more…
- First Word
Interview: Paul Dehner Jr. Previews Bengals/Jaguars and Answers Roster Questions
The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. joins the First Word crew in-studio. He breaks down what went wrong for the Bengals against the Steelers, answers roster…
- First Word
10/1/26: Hours 3 and 4, Interview with Brad Evans, Bengals Week 4 O/U's, Dax Hill's New Role
Topics include: interview with fantasy football expert Brad Evans, over/unders for the Bengals in Week 4, Dax Hill's new role, and more…
- First Word
10/1/26: Hours 1 and 2, Mike Petraglia Interview, Ending the Burrow Narrative, Trade Opportunity Reaction
Topics include: in-studio interview with Mike Petraglia of CLNS Cincy talking Bengals, plus ending the Joe Burrow narrative, reaction to a trade opportunity…
- First Word
9/30/26: Hours 3 and 4, Interviews with C. Trent Rosecrans and Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals Special Teams Blunder
Topics include: interview with C. Trent Rosecrans about the Reds' future, interview with Paul Dehner Jr. talking Bengals, plus reaction to T. J…
- First Word
9/30/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Roster Moves, NFL Power Rankings, All-Pro Trajectory
Topics include: Bengals roster moves, NFL power rankings, All-Pro trajectory, and more -------------------------------------------- Subscribe to First Word on…
- First Word
9/29/26: Hours 3 and 4, Joe Goodberry Interview, Bengals Injury Updates, NFL Power Rankings
Topics include: interview with Joe Goodberry talking all things Bengals, plus injury updates, concern level, NFL power rankings, and more…
- First Word
9/29/26: Hours 1 and 2, Joe Burrow Clutch Gene, CFB, Costly Bengals Mistakes, Mitch Tinsley Signed
Topics include: Joe Burrow's clutch gene, the Week 5 AP Poll in college football, costly mistakes the Bengals made on Sunday, Mitch Tinsley signed off the…
- First Word
9/28/26: Hours 3 and 4, John Breech Interview, Overreactions, Reasons for the Loss
Topics include: interview with John Breech (covering the NFL for CBS) breaking down the Bengals' loss to the Steelers, overreactions, biggest reason the…
- First Word
9/28/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals Lose to Steelers 30-27, Reds Season Ends
Topics include: what happened in the Cincinnati Bengals' 30-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, where the Bengals went wrong, who is to blame, plus…
- First Word
9/25/26: Hours 3 and 4, Interviews with Chris Carter (Steelers) and Gabi Sorrentino, Keys to Bengals Game
Topics include: interview with Chris Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette previewing the Bengals/Steelers matchup, interview with FOX19's Gabi Sorrentino…
- First Word
9/25/26: Hours 1 and 2, Bengals/Steelers, Reds in Peril, Bengals Linebacker Discussion
Topics include: Bengals/Steelers preview, Thursday's article outlining the problems with the Cincinnati Reds, discussion about the Bengals linebackers, a trade…
- First Word
9/24/26: Hours 3 and 4, Brad Evans and Jon Ledyard Interviews, Bengals Depth, Road Games
Topics include: interviews with Brad Evans (fantasy football) and Jon Ledyard (Bengals/Steelers preview), plus discussion on the Bengals depth, road games, and…
- First Word
9/24/26: Hours 1 and 2, Mike Petraglia Interview, Vibe Around Steelers Game, NFL QB Rankings, Potential Trade
Topics include: in-studio interview with Mike Petraglia of CLNS Cincy talking Bengals, the vibe around the Bengals game against the Steelers, NFL QB rankings…
- First Word
9/23/26: Hours 3 and 4, Joe Goodberry Interview, Cashius Howell Impact, Amarius Mims Position Switch
Topics include: interview with Joe Goodberry previewing Bengals/Steelers, the impact of Bengals' rookie Cashius Howell, should Amarius Mims switch positions…
- First Word
9/23/26: Hours 1 and 2, Dexter Lawrence Trade Rewind, NFL Power Rankings, Concern for OBJ
Topics include: looking back at the Dexter Lawrence trade after the first two games, NFL power rankings, concern level for Orlando Brown Jr., and more…
- First Word
9/22/26: Hours 3 and 4, Reds Organization Accountability, Ja'Marr Chase's Performance, Confidence in UC Football
Topics include: accountability for the Reds organization after Barry Larkin's comments on Sunday's broadcast, Ja'Marr Chase's Performance, Confidence in UC…
- First Word
9/22/26: Hours 1 and 2, Sam Monson Interview, Joe Burrow's Performance
Topics include: interview with Sam Monson, NFL analyst, breaking down the Bengals, Joe Burrow's average performances so far, and more…