The name Pete Rose, when mentioned in Cincinnati, elicits one of two reactions: disgust or joy. Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963-1978, and again from 1984-86, eventually becoming the team’s manager. During that time, Rose built a reputation as one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball, and quickly ascended from mere celebrity to a status few ever achieve: legend. An award was named after him, along with a street, and a Pete Rose statue was built in his honor outside of Great American Baseball Park. When Rose died last year, his face lit up the ballpark’s projector, and thousands flocked to lay flowers and affectionate notes on his statue. For many, Rose wasn’t just a baseball player — he was an aspirational figure, a man whose life represented the values this country was built on: ingenuity, and accomplishment made possible by a lifetime of hard work. For others, Rose was a disgrace. Yet another powerful man allowed to cross moral and ethical lines with impunity while his fans drowned out the voices of critics. They point to his decision to gamble on games while still being a player and manager for the Reds, which ultimately led to his banishment from the MLB and the Hall of Fame. Or the five months he spent in prison for tax evasion, after not reporting memorabilia profits and gambling winnings. The official Pete Rose story rarely mentions the serial adultery that ended numerous marriages. Or worse: a sworn statement from a woman who alleged that Rose slept with her when she was a minor, and he was in his mid-30s. Ultimately, Pete Rose was talented. But his actions were objectionable, and so was the culture that protected him, defended him and made him into a hero. 

1. JD Vance
2. Liz Keating
3. Joe Deters

1. 3CDC
2. Al Neyer
3. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing

1. Matthew 25: Ministries
2. Longbottom Bird Ranch
3. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
4. La Soupe
5. ArtWorks Ohio
6. Innocence Project
7. Life Food Pantry
8. ArtsWave
9. The Friends of the Public Library
10. Aubrey Rose Foundation

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
2. Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub
3. Longbottom Bird Ranch
4. Great Parks of Hamilton County
5. Cincinnati Parks
6. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful
7. Krohn Conservatory
8. Cincinnati Nature Center
9. Indigo Hippo
10. The Friends of the Public Library

1. Bob Herzog (WKRC)
2. Jessica Schmidt (FOX19)
3. Megan Mitchell (WLWT)
4. Tana Weingartner (WVXU)
5. Lucy May (WVXU)
6. Tricia Mackie (FOX19)
7. John Matarese (WCPO)
8. Keith Pandolfi (Cincinnati Enquirer)
9. Nick Swartsell (WVXU)
10. Becca Costello (WVXU)

1. Jimmy Longbottom
2. Jim Tarbell
3. Missy Spears

1. Cincinnati Animal CARE
2. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio
3. Longbottom Bird Ranch
4. Matthew 25: Ministries
5. Freestore Foodbank
6. SPCA Cincinnati
7. ArtWorks
8. Cincinnati Public Radio
9. Aubrey Rose Foundation
10. ArtsWave

1. Aftab Pureval
2. Greg Landsman
3. Charmaine McGuffey

1. Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast
2. Cincinnati Zoo Tales
3. Jungle Jim's Podcast

1. University of Cincinnati
2. Xavier University
3. Northern Kentucky University

1. George Clooney
2. Nick Clooney
3. Maryanne Zeleznik
4. Kathrine Nero
5. Missy Spears
6. Cris Collinsworth
7. Otto M. Budig Jr.
8. Amy McGrath
9. Gary Holland
10. Lucy May

1. Covington
2. Newport
3. Union

1. Smale Riverfront Park
2. Eden Park
3. Ault Park
4. Washington Park
5. Devou Park
6. French Park
7. Mt. Airy Forest
8. Alms Park
9. A. J. Jolly Park
10. Bellevue Beach Park

1. Cincinnati Nature Center
2. Sharon Woods
3. Winton Woods

1. Anthony Munoz
2. Bootsy Collins
3. James “Jungle Jim” Bonaminio

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
2. Findlay Market
3. Jungle Jim's International Market
4. Over-the-Rhine
5. Smale Riverfront Park
6. The Banks
7. Cincinnati Art Museum
8. Cincinnati Reds Game
9. Cincinnati Museum Center
10. The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse

1. Smale Riverfront Park
2. Washington Park
3. Parky's Farm

1. Cincinnati Waldorf School
2. Elder High School
3. Saint Xavier High School

1. Aftab Pureval
2. Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
3. Kari Bloom