The Fifth Third/Cincinnati Financial Tragedy

OK, listen-up. We're talking Core of Cincinnati here. Fifth Third--Leads to Jack Schiff of Cincinnati Financial--Leads to Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals). Oops, got off track with Mike Brown. What is happening to the "Fifth Third Cin Fin" debacle is the biggest failure to this town's upper crust wallet (CINF down almost 2 yesterday as people begin to realize what this sleepy but respected insurance company did) since the collapse of D. H. Baldwin and Morely Thompson. And it will be worse because it is The Big Fifth Third, which has the bank trust monopoly of the century in one city.

Perhaps there is hyperbole in what I say. I can also remember the day Procter fell by 1/2. And I don't mean the 1987 Crash, either, when P&G fell 33% but quickly recovered.

I can also remember when Cincinnati Bell was "Cincinnati Bell," if you know what I mean. And Frost & Jacobs was "Frost & Jacobs," not Frost Brown & Todd.

People are geniuses until they are not. Brand Names are brand names until they screw up.

And then those that screwed up come back. A.K. Steel, Cincinnati Bell (I think it's coming back after looting itself of the good guys).

Oh, with Stan Chesley's downfall, there's air in the room for another class action lawyer: Rick Wayne of Strauss & Troy. But there will never be another Stan Chesley.

So what happens to Graydon Head & Ritchey? The Good Guys who stayed the Good Guys (and had the Fifth Third account)?

And James K.L. Lawrence of Frost Brown -- quietly dominating a firm over time with good work and a good heart? (I was best man at his wedding.)

It's a new world every day, don't you think?