Big League Ball

Cincinnati Reds Unsung Heroes Continue to Produce

2010-08-26T18:41:00.003-04:00

The Reds are chalk-full of talent.

Sure they have a possible Triple Crown candidate in Joey Votto—and fellow All-Stars Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen. The pitching staff has been solid if not spectacular, lead by the most consistent pitcher in the majors: Bronson Arroyo.

But the glue that keeps this team together is the bench. They are unsung heroes that have proven to be the WD-40 to the Reds machine when it gets a bit rusty. The players that were expected to be after thoughts have instead been essential to the Reds success.

Dusty Baker has told media members that the team would be lost without them. Votto calls them "essential" to the team’s good fortunes. Here are the unsung heroes of the 2010 Reds:

Paul Janish

Janish is known for his spectacular defense. He has incredible range and could perform a mean two-step with the incredible footwork is posses. He also has a cannon for an arm and has shown in the past that no play is out of his reach.

The issue has always been his bat. The concern was horrific enough that the Reds had to sign Orlando Cabrera over the winter. Right as Janish was preparing for his first season as a starter, the Reds scooped up a new guy. So Janish returned to a familiar place—the bench.

Once Cabrera went to the DL it was finally his time to show he indeed can carry a decent stick. He's played everyday for a month and has produced a .286 average and a .366 OPS. He has collected 10 RBI in the eight spot in the lineup. He had the game tying single in the wacky 12-11 win over the Giants on Wednesday.

I'd argue he should stay in the starting lineup when Cabrera and his .260 average, .302 OBP and limited range at short return. Tough decision for Dusty.

Ryan Hanigan

Being the backup catcher isn't quite a glamorous job. But Hannigan has looked oh-so smooth doing it. The 30 year-old has produced a .282 batting average in 52 games. He has knocked in 32 RBI, tripling his previous career high, and has solidified the bottom of the order.

Hannigan is the personal catcher of Arroyo, but has hit his way into playing more than just every fifth day. The reliable "Hanny" has been a key tool on the Reds belt.

Chris Heisey

Heisey was brought up in early May to make his major league debut. So far, so good for the 25 year-old out of Lancaster Pennsylvania, he has been invaluable as a late game replacement. He has blasted three pinch-hit homeruns in the eighth inning of later.

He provides stellar defense wherever you put him in the outfield. He hit .323 in the month of July with a .364 OBP. He has turned into one of Dusty's top pinch hitters in the late innings.

The strikeouts need to be cut down (34 K's and only 15 walks), and the .186 August average indicates he hasn't completely figured out how to hit major league pitching.

As September approaches, the Reds will need Heisey to make the necessary adjustments to continue to be the feared bat he has been off the bench.

Logan Ondrusek

Ondrusek is another rookie, whom has come out of nowhere to be a consistent contributor out of the Reds bullpen. He went 20 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. The 25 year-old Texas native has a nasty sinker that has stunning movement.

He's 3-0 and has been the go to pitcher in the seventh inning lately for Dusty. Expect him to be placed in some huge situations over the next two months.

Jordan Smith

Yet an additional rookie, Smith didn't come to the big club until the middle of June. Since then he has been back-and-forth between Cincinnati and Louisville like a yo-yo.

He allowed only a single run in his first 8.2 innings pitched. He has excelled in his role as a long reliever or situational pitcher. His location has been terrific, allowing only six walks compared to 21 Ks. The 3.67 ERA is a little misleading due to a few bad outings, but this kid has late inning potential.

It will be interesting to watch his progress amidst a pennant race that's getting hotter than black concrete in August,

Miguel Cairo

The biggest unsung hero of them all? Cairo has been invaluable to the Reds with his ability to play anywhere on the field and provide timely hitting.

Spring Training was a last ditch effort for Cairo to hang on with a team. The journeyman made a bet with his daughter he would make the squad—even she thought his career was over.

Fast forward six moths and the Reds would not be in first with out him. After sitting next to a box of Dusty toothpicks until June, his number was called and he delivered.

He has .287 average and .353 OBP, but the stats only tell half the story. Cairo is seeing the ball better than ever in his career. His 8.1 percent walk rate is a career high. He has a 27 percent rate of scorching a line-drive—much better than the league average.

The 36 year-old Cairo also brings to the table a strong veteran presence amongst all the young Reds players. He has teamed with Rolen, Cabrera and Rhodes to show this team how to win and keep winning.

Playing for the veteran’s minimum, Cairo is a steal and a valuable piece of the '10 puzzle. A crucial ninth inning AB awaits and Reds fans can feel safe with him at the plate.

Detroit Tigers' Johnny Damon Rejected Boston Red Sox

2010-08-26T18:38:00.000-04:00

Does a bad break-up ever have a happy ending?

After being the poster boy for the Red Sox 2004 “Idiots,” current Detroit Tiger OF Johnny Damon could of gone back to the scene of the crime. Damon instead used it as an opportunity to give a subliminal middle finger to the Red Sox organization.

The Red Sox claimed Damon off the waiver wire in hopes of bolstering a stale lineup down the stretch. While his career average is down 14 points (.272), he still has provided the veteran leadership needed for a young team like the Tigers.

The Red Sox don’t necessarily need his leadership. But the experience of a two-time World Series champ is quite invaluable. Damon knows how to win, he isn’t intimidated by the six-game deficit with five weeks to go scenario the Sox currently find themselves in.

The waiver wire pickup could have been to block the two AL East teams currently ahead of the Red Sox in their quest for a seventh postseason appearance in the last eight years.

Boston was ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees in the waiver order and both teams (the Rays more than the Yankees) could of had a great deal of curiosity in adding Damon themselves.

Damon famously switched allegiances in the biggest rivalry in sports when he bolted from Boston to the Bronx after the ’05 campaign. The beloved Damon became the archenemy for Boston fans.

The ironic part of the saga is that his ’05 season was statistically the best in his career with his .326 average and 35 doubles. Entering the free agent market, only the Yankees could offer him an eye-popping contract. So like most pro-athletes (and virtually everyone that finds themselves in this situation in their line of work) he jumped to the hated rivals.

He consistently was booed in his return appearances to Fenway as the fans looked at him in the same light as Benedict Arnold. When he returned to Yankee Stadium earlier this year as a member of the Detroit Tigers, he was showered with cheers and respect. Damon (without the beard) led the Yanks to a World Series in ‘09 and New York fans didn’t forget.

The question remains, would Sox fans have booed Damon if he had gone to any team besides the Yankees in ’06? Nobody knows for sure but the bitterness that is in the blood of Boston fans really resonated with Damon.

With all of the Red Sox injury problems, Damon’s .358 on base would have certainly bolster their lineup.

But would Sox fans learn to cheer him ever again? Maybe that’s a question that can never be answered. It does seem as if this had a part in Damon’s final decision. How big a factor is up for debate.

“My teammates are making this decision easier by saying they want me to stay,” Damon told reporters Monday. “My gut and everything else tells me Detroit’s the place for me.”

The 63-63 record of the Tigers defines mediocrity. Yet the Tigers are not a lost ship. They have been decimated by injuries and have a plethora of young, talented players on the roster. So don’t discount the patience of Damon as well. MLB should be cautious of the ’11 Tigers, Damon may just be looking ahead.

Bernard Scott, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: 2010 NFL Fantasy Football Gold

2010-08-26T18:37:00.002-04:00

Everybody loves a good under the radar fantasy pick.

Each year an unheralded player becomes a household name after a few weeks of double-digit fantasy points.

The Bengals have one on their hands this year in 26-year-old Bernard Scott.

The AFC North is not a pretty division. All four teams traditionally win with a strong defense and a solid running game.

It took the Bengals awhile to realize this. Finally in '09, they figured it out. Starting running back Cedric Benson received the rock early and often in the 13 games he played.

301 carries and 1,251 yards were career highs for the former top five pick. There were games in which he would almost reach 40 carries.

Benson has already shown in three preseason games that he is poised to repeat that performance. Without a doubt he is the starter for the Bengals. Yet the physicality of the division requires each team to have solid back-ups in the running game.

Benson missed three games last year with a hip issue and you can expect him to get banged up once again against the likes of New England, San Diego, New Orleans, and Indy—not to mention the teams in the AFC North.

Overlooking his backup would be a huge fantasy blunder. Scott is entering his second year out of Division II Abilene Christian. He set all kinds of records in college yet dropped all the way to the sixth round (209th overall) of the '09 draft due to dreaded "character issues."

The Bengals noticed his problems occurred in the early years of his college career. In his final two seasons he was a model citizen.

As a sixth round pick with a chip on his shoulder, Scott emerged as the clear-cut second string back right off the bat. Most would consider his first year a success. He had 321 yards on 74 attempts, good enough for a 4.3 yards per carry. Filling in for Benson against the Raiders underrated defense, he ran for 119 yards, including a 61-yard gallop.

He also began to return kickoffs, taking one to the house against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. That touchdown ended up being the difference in a 18-12 Bengals victory.

He ended up with a 31.5-yard average on 16 returns. Expect a similar role for him this season. He has been returning kicks in each of the first three preseason games.

The 5'10", 197 pound Texas native has break away speed and can be very hard to tackle. He has great elusiveness and holds onto the ball. He didn't lose a single fumble in his rookie season.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski admits he hasn’t had a back as explosive catching the ball out of the backfield in his 10 seasons here.

“No question he’s the kind of guy you want to put the ball in his hands,” Bratkowski says. “You can use him in the slot; you can do some different things with him.”

The ability to break off a long run is extremely appealing for a second string back. The versatility of Scott leads one to believe the Bengals will get this guy on the field in one form or another.

“If I have the ball in my hands, I feel like I can make a big play and help the team,” Scott says. “If they want to put me in the slot, and throw me a couple balls out of the backfield, that’s fine, too. We did a little bit of that (this spring) in camp. Now that I’m more familiar with the offense, I think they’ve got the confidence that I know what I’m doing and they can use me doing more things.”

While you shouldn’t use a top pick on Scott, a mid-draft selection of the underrated back will look make you look like a fantasy genius before the 2010 campaign is over. You have been warned.

Cincinnati Reds' Laynce Nix Deserves Nod Over Ice-Cold Jonny Gomes

2010-08-26T18:35:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Reds offense has been nothing short of spectacular this season. But it could be even better with one simple tweak.

The line-up has been excellent—first in the N.L. with 602 runs to be exact. It’s been a major factor in the Reds' '10 success.

Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, and Brandon Phillips have been the chief contributors. Ramon Hernandez, Miguel Cairo, Jay Bruce, Chris Heisey and recently Paul Janish have been solid if not extremely steady. Drew Stubbs as been up and down but he does have more RBI (57) than Derek Jeter, Jason Heyward, Ryan Ludwick, Lance Berkman, Chipper Jones, Jason Bay, and Jose Reyes.

But there is one part of the line-up that hasn't been producing for quite a while now. LF Jonny Gomes started the year in a platoon situation with Laynce Nix. As both players split time throughout the first two months.

Gomes blasted out of the gate as fast as a jackrabbit. He separated himself by hitting .364 with 22 RBI in the month of May. Manager Dusty Baker decided that was enough production to hand the reigns to Gomes for virtually every start since.

Since then Gomes has fallen off in a big way. He hit a mere .244 in June, followed by a .288 OBP and a .240 clip the next month—while starting all but three games in July.

In his last 54 games he's hitting a miserable .222 with four home runs and 19 RBI. Since the All-Star break (31 games) he has hit .218 with two homers and six RBI. He is one for his last 19.

Do these numbers look like starter material? I haven't even mentioned his dreadful defense that is amongst the worst for outfielders.

Yet it's not as if Gomes isn't valuable to the team. He is a great presence in the clubhouse and keeps the team's energy at a high level. But let's face it: Gomes is a career .245 hitter and the back of his baseball card is starting to show.

Enter Nix.

He had a tortoise-like slow start to the season, but has been great in limited action of late.

Pinch-hitting is as tough as it gets for baseball players. Sit for eight innings while trying to stay mentally ready, grab a bat—while having sat for three hours—face the other teams top relievers and deliver in the clutch.

Nix has made it look easy. He's 18 for his last 37 with seven starts over that period of time. He has raised his average 60 points since mid-July to .291.

His defense isn't gold glove caliber, but it's much better than Gomes. Nix has a cannon for an arm and has made his fair share of run saving catches.

So the question remains...why does Dusty keep neglecting post-May Nix? He deserves to be playing more—especially with Gomes struggling so much.

The Reds need to give Nix a shot at playing everyday again and see what happens. Imagine how much better the Reds offense would be with a guy NOT hitting .218 since the break? Imagine a stronger left field defensively?

If Gomes is the hare than Nix is the tortoise. We all know who wins the race in the end.

Brandon Phillips' Comments Backfire as Reds Get Pummeled by Cardinals

2010-08-11T19:41:00.002-04:00

“I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ‘em.

“I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”—Reds 2B Brandon Phillips prior to three-game set against the Cardinals this week.

First off, let me say that the comments uttered by Phillips are spot-on. The Cardinals complain about stupid little things like balls being rubbed differently and Bronson Arroyo's hat. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan are whiners. The real problem is that they are whiners who are also winners.

Nobody likes the team that beats everyone in a game of basketball yet still complains that the opponents were fouling like crazy. Herein lies the problem Phillips has with the organization—they are complaining about things that don't even affect the win and loss totals for the Cards. They are the divisional powerhouse and are still not satisfied.

So in that regard, Phillips is indeed correct. Many other players around baseball nodded their heads in agreement when they read his comments.

The part of all this I disagree with is the timing of it all. The veteran Cardinals have been on cruise control for most of the 2010 campaign. Why light a 20-foot fire the day you go in the forest? Why give them the motivation needed to beat the crap out of you? Baseball is all about being steady, not getting too up or too down.

That was not the case on Tuesday.

The brawl between the two clubs was a joy to watch—by far the best one of the season, as even the two managers were jawing at each other!

Former Cardinal turned Reds third baseman Scott Rolen was playing peacemaker until the uncalled-for comments of pitcher Chris Carpenter—directed towards Reds manager Dusty Baker—enraged Rolen. Next thing you knew, starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was pinned to the backstop kicking Cardinal players away just to avoid being trampled.

Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue was the only player to get hurt, but plenty of punches and pushes were thrown. I'd say the fight was a draw. And yes, Cardinal fans, you would start kicking people away too if you were pinned against a wall with 50 professional athletes getting shoved in your direction.

The problem is that now it looks as if Rolen and Cueto will be suspended. Carpenter might be the only one on the Cardinals' side to be punished (and I'm sure they will complain about it). All of this stemmed from Phillips' comments.

Now let's talk about actual play on the field.

In a nutshell, the Cards have crushed the Reds over the past three days. A two-game lead for the Reds has turned into a one-game lead for St. Louis. The Cardinals have been playing extremely angrily, and the Redlegs weren't ready for the boost in intensity.

There is no way to judge how much of an impact Phillips' comments had on the Cardinals' performance. Former Cardinal Al Leiter places all the blame on Phillips for the brawl. So is this whole disaster of a series his fault?

No, not at all. Is it his fault that the Reds' pitching has been horrendous? Is it his fault the outfield has looked like there were three Adam Dunns out there? Sure, he only collected two hits in the series, but there were plenty of other problems that could be blamed for this debacle.

But this is not a "ship has sailed" moment either. It's only three of 162 games. There are 50-plus games to go. The two teams play each other one more time in St. Louis in early September. The Reds have the easiest remaining schedule in all of baseball. The NL Central dregs are all still on the slate.

Don't take this series as anything more than what it was. The Reds have shown they aren't ready to take down the older brother just yet—but let's see if they can a month down the road.

Chalk this up as a learning experience for the young Reds. Pennant fever is getting hotter and hotter.

The Cincinnati Reds Trade For Jim Edmonds, Turning Villian Into Savior?

2010-08-09T16:21:00.001-04:00

The list of former Cardinals turned Reds grew again today. Cincinnati sent OF Chris Dickerson to the Brewers for the 40 year-old Jim Edmonds.

Former Cardinals and current Reds G.M. Walt Jocketty has acquired Scott Rolen, Jason Isringhausen, Russ Springer, and Miguel Cairo in the past year—all Cardinals at one point or another.

The big question: does Edmonds have anything left in the tank?

In 217 plate appearances he is hitting .286, but only has eight homers and 20 RBI after sitting out the entire '09 season. He's a left-handed stick, and has been hitting pretty consistently since the break (.333).

The majority of his time has been spent in CF, and that's where he will be starting for the Reds on Monday night. Can you guess who they are playing?

The Cardinals come to town for the biggest home series in 10 years for the Reds. There are two games separating them and Jocketty has obviously acknowledged the importance of winning this series.

Edmonds has played in the postseason seven different times. He is a .285 career hitter that will bring a great deal of veteran leadership to the club. He has accumulated eight gold gloves over his career. He can tell a guy like Jay Bruce what it's like to play in meaningful September and October games.

I don't think this move was a great idea, but giving up Dickerson isn't the end of the world. He's a guy that never seemed to fit into the Reds plans and he just coudn't get over the hump.

Dickerson has been consistently injured. He has been hurt for three months—just like last year. He was hitting just .205 in 44 at-bats with the Reds this season. Since his return, though, he's been hot while batting .442 with three homers and six steals in his first 13 games at AAA Louisville.

So, while I'm not a huge fan of Edmonds, it's not as if the Reds gave up a five-tool prospect. But I think there is a subliminal reason for Reds' fans to not like Edmonds.

He used to be one of the most disliked players when he was a Cardinal. Remember when there was a report that Ken Griffey Jr. called ESPN to complain that Edmonds was making it on "Top Plays" more than Junior? The rumor said that Griffey was jealous and wanted ESPN to do something about it.

That report really pissed me off. The guy was already a Reds killer on the field, (like many of the top N.L. Central hitters of the 00's) and now some stupid fake rumor like this was floating around? I'm sure Edmonds had nothing to do with it, but it angered me just the same.

Well now it's 2010 and Reds fans have to root for the guy. It was a low risk move that might have it's most profound effects outside of the box-score. If he's still able to play a decent CF and continue to hit in the .280's, well done Jocketty.

If not, he will certainly have a short lease with me. But then again, the starter for most of the year (Drew Stubbs) is still hovering below .240.

A move had to be made and Jocketty went with a familar face. We will know very quickly if it was the right move.

What Should the Cincinnati Reds Do With Drew Stubbs?

2010-08-03T18:54:00.002-04:00

The Reds are starting to get to the end of the bat stub with their starting center fielder. Drew Stubbs is currently going through the worst stretch of his short major league career. In his last 36 at bats, he has just one hit and 17 strike-outs. Ewww...

That's a monster-sized slump that can't be tolerated on a team in a pennant race. Going back even further, in 52 games since June 1st, he's sporting these numbers: .222 BA/.271 OBP/.634 OPS with seven HR, 24 RBI and 58 K.

Bottom line, a .229 overall batting average is not going to cut it for a team 12 games above .500.

But it's not as if Stubbs is completely useless. He plays a great center field and has 18 stolen bases. Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman called him the fastest player he's seen in his 20 years covering the game.

The speedster has pop as well. Stubbs has 13 home-runs and 49 RBI. Hitting out of the seven-hole, 49 RBI isn't shabby.

The problem? There is another option down in the farm system. His name? Chris Dickerson.

Dickerson is on fire at AAA. He collected three more hits last night. He's hitting .421 in 12 games on his rehab assignment. He's drawing walks (.511 OBP) and stealing bases (five of six). Remember, he was the guy patrolling CF on Opening Day.

His wrist is healed and he is ready to go. What's the harm in sending Stubbs down to AAA for a few weeks and letting him get his stroke/confidence back? A fresh Dickerson, along with Chris Heisey, can man the CF spot for the next month and allow Stubbs a chance to clear his head.

Normally, the Reds wouldn't touch Stubbs during this time of year. "Give the young guy reps" is always the mantra when a team is well out of the play-off race.

This year is different. The margin for error is very slim when the competition (St. Louis) is much more experience in a pennant race. The Reds can't afford the young Stubbs time to work out the kinks in his swing.

For now, why not roll the dice and see what Dickerson can do in pressure ABs? The oft-injured California kid has never had this opportunity in three big league seasons. If he doesn't work out, Stubbs can be vaulted right back up to the Reds line-up.

But for now, Dusty Baker needs to do something. Shake up the order a bit and let Stubbs figure his swing out at the AAA level, not for a team trying to make the post-season for the first time since '95.

The Cincinnati Reds' Core Relievers Need Relief

2010-05-26T17:28:00.001-04:00

Dusty Baker has always been criticized for overusing his starting pitching. Critics point to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior as exhibits A and B. Then there is the whole fiasco with Aaron Harang in May of '08.

I always thought he got a raw deal on that label. Wood's delivery made him destined to screw up his arm, and Prior was simply a one-and-a-half-year wonder. Harang seems fine mechanically; he just hasn't been able to avoid the home run ball.

Homer Bailey has recently been placed on the DL, and the critics are starting to blame Baker again. But his shoulder injury has nothing to do with Dusty, and Bailey looks to be ready to go in 15 days. Bailey himself got angry with the media when they tried connecting those dots.

The real problem for Baker and the Reds: his over-reliance on the back end of the bullpen. Sure, seemingly every game has come down to the final few innings. Sure, the Reds boast one of the best setup men in the league. But Arthur Rhodes, Nick Masset, and Francisco Cordero are all on pace to set personal records for appearances.

The 40-year-old Rhodes, who just pitched in his 800th career game, is on pace to pitch in a career-high 74 games. It's hard not to use a guy with a 0.47 ERA and 0.62 WHIP. The problem is that he is ancient in baseball years and needs more rest if the Reds plan on using him in September.

The 28-year-old Masset hasn't pitched well of late, blowing two games in the past week. Yet he is still a reliable setup man that can provide key outs in the eighth inning of a tight game. Giving up an Opening Day grand slam to the Cardinals' Yadier Molina has left Masset's 7.29 ERA as bloated as a Goodyear blimp.

He is projected to pitch in a whopping 88 games. That is 14 more than his career high of last year. He has closer velocity, but injuries are certainly a concern if he keeps this rate up.

Cordero, the $12M, 11-year veteran, has not been his usual dominant self this season. The 35-year-old "Co Co" has already blown three saves—he blew a total of four saves last year.

Is it because of his workload? His current career high in appearances is 77. This year Dusty has him on a pace for 90 games! That's waaay too many. Sure, he's on pace to have 54 saves, but there is no way his arm doesn't fall off before that. In a five-game stretch last week, he pitched in four of them.

Why hasn't Baker used the overpaid Mike Lincoln more? He's only pitched three times since May 8. His ERA is a fat 5.87, but that is the result of two rough outings. Give him the ball a bit more to relieve the relievers.

What about Carlos Fisher? Pitching only twice since May 7, he hasn't had a chance to deflate his 9.39 ERA. He has been better of late and is another fine candidate for a bigger part of the winning formula. After starting off the year on the DL, Fisher is 100 percent, young (27), and hungry for a bigger role. Why not give him a shot?

But the biggest head scratcher of the bunch is the lack of use of Micah Owings. I assume Baker views him as the long reliever, but why not utilize him more often? On pace for only 77 innings, the former starter threw 119.2 innings last year—including a stint on the DL. Clearly this guy has plenty of juice in his arm still. A perfect 3-0, and he averages a strikeout per inning so far.

The 27-year-old righty has a 3.43 ERA and is also a legitimate threat at the plate. Dusty always tiptoes around the pitcher's spot in the batting owner, and Owings is an easy solution. Why can't he be relied upon more often?

Baker has a bad rap for screwing up starting pitchers' arms. Yet the real problem may be the lack of rest for the meat of the bullpen. Rhodes and Cordero are getting to the twilight of their careers and are being worked harder than ever. The results have shown lately in the multiple blown leads over the past week.

The time is now to ease up on them and give some of the others a larger role. If not, Baker could have a new title: reliever wrecker.

Epic Collapse Dampens Cincinnati Reds Winning Vibes

2010-05-21T00:18:00.002-04:00

Ouch.

The tires are flat just a few days after the Reds bandwagon was getting full.

After holding a commanding 9-1 lead, the Reds end up losing 10-9 in stomach punching fashion to the Atlanta Braves.

The Reds jumped out to a eight run lead in the second inning and everything seemed juuuust fine. Rookie Mike Leake had his seventh quality start in eight appearances, going six innings giving up five hits and three runs (one earned).

Mike Lincoln breezed through two innings before manager Dusty Baker inexplicably left him in for the ninth. At 9-3, it didn't seem like a big deal.

After getting into massive trouble Nick Masset was brought in for damage control in a 9-5 game. He walked a batter then was the victim of a Miguel Cairo error and was relieved by the 40-year old veteran Arthur Rhodes. He promptly struck out the Braves best hitter Jason Heyward (the guy that beat the Reds on Wednesday).

Then Dusty brought in closer Francisco Cordero to finish of Atlanta and those pesky Braves once and for all. Yet another questionable call if you ask me. Well, guess what happened? Pinch hitter Brooks Conrad hits a grand slam, and the Braves complete the epic comeback.

This one hurts bad. Really bad. Giving up a lead like that might stick with the club for awhile. It's a loss that could be looked at in September as one of the reason the Reds just didn't cut the mustard in '10. Losing two games in a row via the walk-off has given the Reds a taste of their own medicine.

The Cardinals have regained first place, and now the Reds are playing catch-up again. This isn't a "the sky is falling" article, but holy crap this is a tough one to swallow. The best thing the Reds can do now is completely erase it from their collective memories, and beat the living daylights out of the Cleveland Indians.

There are now legit concerns regarding the $12M closer, Francisco Cordero. He has blown three saves already, he only had four of last year! He is 35, and clearly not quite the pitcher he once was. He might be getting over worked by Dusty, but either way something aint right. Simply put, he is having trouble throwing strikes. Oh, and the set-up man Masset blew the game before.

As a strength for most of the year, the bullpen is now becoming a startling problem for the Reds.

It's not the end of the world, but this next week will be very telling about the resolve of this young Reds team. This is the time when veterans such as Scott Rolen and Orlando Cabrera need to lead by example, and make sure the team doesn't unravel. Sure it's still May but the Red Legs need to put a hurting on their Ohio rivals to regain the swagger they had built up over the past week.

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Cincinnati Reds Are Rolling The Right Way In May

2010-05-13T14:53:00.002-04:00

The month of May has been good to the Cincinnati Reds. They have gone 7-4 through a Cardinals, Cubs, Mets and Pirates slate.

The hitting is coming around, currently ranked fifth in the N.L. with 158 runs scored. But the major turn-around as been courtesy of the starting pitching.

After a magical one-hit complete game shut-out by Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey followed suit. He gave up a whopping five hits over a complete game shut-out. The legendary Dayton Daily News beat writer Hal McCoy sums it up best:

"Reds pitchers gave up one run over 27 innings. The Pirates third base coach was as lonely as a cop directing traffic in the Arctic Circle"

Bailey (1-2) needed only 90 pitches—73 for strikes—to close out the Reds' fifth straight win. He did not go to a three-ball count the whole game and only went to a two-ball count four times.

“That's the epitome of pitch conservation right there,” manager Dusty Baker said. “He followed Johnny Cueto’s lead right there. That’s the most well-pitched two days that I’ve seen in a long time.”

Cueto and Bailey become the first pair of Reds pitchers to fire back-to-back complete-game shutouts since Jose Rijo and Tom Browning accomplished the feat on June 9 & 10, 1989 at Los Angeles.

Bailey loves the Pirates—he has a 5-0 record lifetime against the AAAA club. Sure he got rocked against the Cubs last week, but he seems to have found out how to conserve his pitches better than in the past. He is still a work in progress, but the 23 year-old is finally learning from previous mistakes.

Couple the terrific past two days with a seemingly revived Aaron Harang, a steady Bronson Arroyo a phenom in the making in rookie Mike "who needs the minors" Leake, and the Reds suddenly have one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball.

Sure the ERA and wins, loss records aren't there. Yet after a rocky month of April the Reds hold 16 quality starts—sixth in the N.L.

Sure it's only May, there is plenty of games to be played (128 to be exact), but the season is over 20 percent complete.

Still too early to declare 2010 "the year", last season the club was 26-20 at one point. But this team has the right chemistry. No more aging stars with ego's too big for the clubhouse. No Corey Patterson's or Willy Taveras'. Just a lot of youngsters that are enjoying the ride that is being a Major League baseball player.

Reds media relations guru Jamie Ramsey blogged about how manager Dusty Baker took the team out to dinner Sunday night. Baker seems to genuinely like this team:

"He gave a heartfelt post-dinner speech to the guys in which he called the group "special" and told the guys to believe they can win this season. It was nice and the team responded to it. There was a nice energy in the room"

Dusty picked up the check for the whole team too!

On the offensive side, the veterans (Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Orlando Cabrera, Johnny Gomes) are starting to put up numbers usually expected when looking at the back of their respectiveve baseball cards. Joey Votto is on his way to the All-Star game, and even Jay Bruce has righted the ship.

“He’s been much better,” Baker said. “We try to give him some theories and philosophies. We have talk to left-handers who can hit left-handers.”

Baker has had Bruce talk to Luis Gonzalez and Raul Ibanez.

Bruce’s splits are pretty even this year, quite the opposite of '09. He went into Wednesday hitting .250 off left-handers and .273 off right-handers. He has two homers off LHs and two off RHs, even though he had 49 more at-bats vs. righties.

He is second on the team with 16 walks and seems to not fall for the garbage in the dirt as much over the past few weeks.

So all is well in Red Leg land, but a larger question still remains. Can this team compete with the division leading St. Louis Cardinals? Beating the Pirates is one thing, but getting Albert Pujols out consistently is a whole different beast.

Nobody likes to throw the term "must win series" out in May, but the Reds need to take two of three to let themselves know it's not just a one team race in the N.L. Central. The Reds sit only one game out of first, but it feels like the gap is much wider. This weekend the Reds can prove that's not the case.

Brandon Phillips Will Never Be the Leader the Cincinnati Reds Need

2010-05-06T17:00:00.002-04:00

Brandon Phillips is a good player, one of the best players for the Cincinnati Reds. Yet he continually disappoints fans with his lack of hustle.

Case in point: Tuesday night against the New York Mets.

Phillips laces a pitch off the left- center field wall that ended up taking a weird bounce. Had he been hustling, Phillips would have easily cruised into third with a triple. Instead he admired his hit and managed to only make it to second.

Joey Votto followed Phillips with a deep drive to left-center. Had Phillips been on third he would have been able to trot home on sacrifice fly. Not a big deal? The Mets beat the Reds by one run.

“He’s been talked to about this,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve talked to Brandon quite often".

Phillips is one of the Reds best players. He plays outstanding defense at second base, and has a Golden Glove to show for it. He has been a career .274 hitter for the Reds and is very durable, having battled various finger and wrist injuries throughout his Redlegs tenure. He's the only Red to play every inning this year.

But he is not the leader the Reds need.

He has claimed in the past of his desire to be the "face of the franchise", and how he wants to play the rest of his career in Cincinnati. Sure, he busts out that huge grin for the annual Reds van PR campaign. He does his part in the community to ensure the Reds maintain a positive image with it's fans.

Unfortunately, he simply doesn't lead by example on the field.

"I guess he’s better than he used to be. We’re trying to get him to the point where he can be a big difference maker every day. He certainly has the skill and ability,” said Baker.

Better than he used to be?? Last year he was called out in a series against the Royals for missing a sign. He was also criticized for lack of hustle on another deep hit that could have been a double or triple. Instead, Phillips got a single out of it.

There is no need to admire the ball you hit Brandon, that's what replays on the scoreboard and game tape are for. The Reds are bad enough on offense as it is (.238 team average), they need every base they can get.

Joey Votto and Scott Rolen hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning of the Mets game, and both players practically sprinted around the bases. Was this a direct signal from the true leaders of the team to Phillips?

Baker has always been a "player's manager," and it really does show with the way he handles Phillips. A day after the gaffe he was once again in the starting lineup, business as usual.

“What’s tough as a manager is when you’ve got an A-student who’s getting Bs,” Baker said.

Time to put Phillips in detention for a few games until he learns his lesson. But will he even get the message?

History says no.

Fans Hate The Cincinnati Reds More Than The New York Yankees?

2010-04-29T21:01:00.002-04:00

The latest article by the Wall Street Journal puzzles me to say the least.

According to the report , the Cincinnati Reds are the third most hated team in baseball with a 1.5 ranking.

An Internet algorithm built by Nielsen Co . analyzes how people feel about certain things, and the nation apparently hates the Reds. The system uses various keywords to find out whether people have positive, negative or neutral reactions to different brands and products.

The most hated team oddly enough was the Cleveland Indians (.9). What's up with all the Ohio hate? The Boston Red Sox (1.1) were second, a much more believable ranking.

My thoughts on how this could happen are directly at the self hatred for the two Ohio teams. Reds and Indians fans are extremely hard on their respective teams. The losing adds up and you would have to scour the web to find a lot of positive message board comments and blog posts praising the two franchises.

For some reason the brand logo isn't well liked either. What's wrong with a big "C"? I happen to like Mr. Red, why hate him Rosie and Mr. Redlegs? The jerseys are as plain as it gets.

It's not like there a ton of players on the team to hate. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips,

There is no way the Reds would finsih third in a straight-up poll of fans on most hated teams. The Yankees (1.8) only finished fifth in the rankings! Clearly that isn't the case—the Yanks have been coined "The Evil Empire!"

This study might go on to prove something that fans already know, the team sucks and we are going to type, read, and talk about how much they suck. It's depressing to think about, but it's true—fans are fed up with the constant rebuilding, retooling, and reloading.

We the fans want to win NOW. I don't care about how awesome the prospects in AAA are. How good is my team right now?

Or maybe it has to do with the location of the teams. Both Ohio teams are in the top three in most hated while the Bay Area San Francisco Giants (4.5) and Oakland Athletics (4.2) were the most-liked teams on this scale.

Either way this study really perplexes me. If anybody can make some sense out of this...help me out.

Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds Still Doesn't "Get It"

2010-04-15T13:55:00.003-04:00

A perfect example of Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey came Wednesday night against the Florida Marlins. The frustration fans have felt about this guy is back.

We all thought he had turned the corner. We all thought the former phenom finally "got it." We all thought the Reds had found a solid starter for the next 10 years.

Looks like we were wrong.

Sure, the season is still in its infancy, and the marathon is still in the first mile, but so far Bailey has shown he is still not there yet.

After the Reds won back-to-back extra-inning games against the Marlins, the bullpen needed some rest for game three of the series on Wednesday. The 'pen had pitched a combined 10 innings in two days, and there isn't a day off till Monday.

Bailey knew he needed to give his teammates a break—so he promptly labored through two innings and 47 pitches, giving up two runs in the process. It could've been more if it wasn't for some defensive brilliance by 3B Scott Rolen and SS Paul Janish.

His final line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 115 pitches with the Reds down 5-1.

It seems that he tries too hard to aim the ball. He rarely hit the spot where C Ramon Hernandez placed his glove. He would get behind in the count and try to force a fastball on the corner that would get smoked by a Marlin slugger.

He still thinks he can overpower major league hitters the same way he could in AAA. Sorry Homer—you're not that good.

Sure, he was 6-1 with a 1.71 ERA down the stretch last year. But nobody remembers that four of the wins were against the AAAA Pittsburgh Pirates—not to mention the fact of how little the games meant in the standings. I still wasn't convinced that he could pitch well when the games actually mattered.

Much had been made about a splitter he learned during a stint in AAA Louisville last year. Adding a fourth pitch was just what the doctor ordered. Well, Homer himself said that wasn't the case. He only uses it three to four pitches a game and the effectiveness is questionable.

Sure, he is only 23. He pitched okay in his first start (5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 106 pitches, plus a balk and two wild pitches).

On the season Bailey has given up 15 hits and five walks, hit two batters, and given up runs in eight of his 10.1 innings.

He is not being efficient with his pitches. He is not consistently throwing strikes. He is not doing the in-game adjustments Reds fans assumed he was ready to do on a regular basis.

It's not time to wave the white flag on Bailey yet—but the Reds don’t need to show much patience, not with Aroldis Chapman and Travis Wood ready, as well as Matt Maloney and Justin Lehr. Don't forget about Edinson Volquez either when he returns from Tommy John surgery in July.

If Bailey doesn't shape up in his next two starts...let Chapmania begin!

BTW: Reds and Astros are the only two teams without a win by a starting pitcher.

2010 Cincinnati Reds Season Preview

2010-04-07T15:45:00.001-04:00

The 2010 baseball season is upon us and that means it's prediction time.

The consensus on the Cincinnati Reds is sleeper status. They have the potential to make a run with their abundance of young talent. On the other hand, a injury here or there and the Reds will be lucky to break the horrid streak of nine straight years finishing below .500.

The problem is there are too many questions.

What if Aroldis Chapman and his 100 mph fastball are called up in June and he takes the National League by storm?

What if Jay Bruce lives up to the sky-high expectations set for him as a 20-year-old rookie?

What if Aaron Harang bounces back from a disgusting 12-31 mark over the past two years?

What if Mike Leake makes fans forget about Chapman as he shows his critics why he's the first pitcher since the '80s to skip the minor leagues completely?

Veteran skipper and ex-big league player Dusty Baker leads the Reds. Plenty of fans in Cincinnati can't wait for the toothpick-toting, armband-wearing manger to be fired. He still carries the "kills young pitching" rep that unjustly followed him from the Chicago Cubs.

He does tinker with the lineup a bit much in regards to always trying to match righties and lefties, but other than that, he has not been the issue in his two years at the helm for the Reds. He hasn't killed any young arms and has done a magnificent job juggling the innings of the No. 3 ranked bullpen.

Francisco Cordero has been the key cog in allowing fans to relax with a one-run lead. He had 39 saves in 43 chances last year, was the only All-Star for the team, and he is the vocal Latino leader in the clubhouse. He is the veteran presence that keeps the likes of young guns Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez grounded and focused.

Combine Cordero with Nick Masset and Arthur Rhodes, and the seventh, eighth, and ninth are in good hands with a lead.

When talking about starting pitching, the biggest question is Harang. I detailed the possibilities here. Long story short, he is possible of anywhere from five to 15 wins—same goes for the amount of losses.

We all know what Bronson Arroyo brings: about a .500 record with a few gems and a few atomic bomb outings. He has never missed a start since high school and will more than likely continue the trend.

The 24-year-old Johnny Cueto was on fire in '09 till the Civil Rights game against the White Sox in mid-June.

He was sporting a 2.17 ERA up until that point. Then the wheels slowly fell off, culminating in allowing nine runs in 2/3 of an inning against the Phillies. Just like that, his ERA jumped to 3.45.

This is the year to see if he can maintain success over the grind of 162 games. He didn't pitch in winter ball and should be able to finally reach the 200-inning plateau after falling about 30 innings short the past two campaigns.

Homer Bailey is also 24. He is also badly needed for the Reds to be successful. Everyone knows about his dominating 6-1 finish to the season—but let's not forget that four of those were against the lowly Pirates.

So, he is still a wild card in my mind. Adding the split-fingered fastball is what most media credit his late season success to. In reality, he only threw the pitch an average of three or four times a game. The jury is still out.

And then there is the new college grad Mike Leake. Boy, oh boy, did he steal Chapman's thunder or what? The Reds No. 1 pick in last year's draft has been flawless to this point.

But I can't say he will be anything better than mediocre considering all the adjustments he will have to make. I know he dominated in the spring, but that's a whole different ballgame. No more minor league hitters getting their reps. No more star Major Leaguers caught off guard by the lack of tape viewed on a new pitcher.

I can see Chapman taking his spot right around June 1. Chapman will blaze through the National League and finish strong. Leake will be back late in the season after a few months of fine-tuning his pitching approach.

The lineup looks good on paper, but that doesn't mean a thing especially when there isn't a sure leadoff hitter.

OF Drew Stubbs and OF Chris Dickerson will swap all year in the leadoff role. Baker is hoping that one of them will emerge as the clear-cut choice. My money is on Stubbs due to his power, but don't count out the superb defense that Dickerson contributes on a nightly basis.

Newly acquired SS Orlando Cabrera quietly hit .171 in the Spring.

Cause for concern, or just another "ehh, it's only Spring training?"

We do know he has a superior glove but it remains to be seen if he can hit in that .275 range required by a good No. 2 guy. I have a bad feeling he won’t. The 35-year-old's bat speed has looked very slow.

1B Joey Votto, 2B Brandon Phillips, and 3B Scott Rolen are the three locks on the squad. You know what to expect by looking at the back of their baseball cards.

They will not be the reason the Reds continue their losing ways in 2010.

If anything, this is the year Votto becomes a household name with a 35 HR, 100-plus RBI, and .320 batting average season. Watch out for the aging Rolen on the injury front.

The other big question mark in '10 is OF Jay Bruce, as documented here. No way can the Reds survive with Bruce hitting in the .220s, but a .260 average with about 35 HR and a decent OPS will do wonders for this lineup. Remember the guy is only 22.

The bottom of the order will be filled with OF Johnny Gomes and OF Laynce Nix. Both have decent power, but need to cut down on the strikeouts. For a team tight on payroll like the Reds, this option will have to do.

Last but not least C Ramon Hernandez will bat eighth. He is a guy that will provide support for all the young pitchers while probably batting .265 in the process. For the Reds, that is all you can ask for from a catcher.

So what does it all mean? The overwhelming trend is that this team is young at key positions. Bruce, Bailey, Cueto, Stubbs, and Leake are all under the age of 24. This means the future is very bright in the Queen City. But this year? Not so much.

As the Reds continue their push to finally have a winning record, they ultimately will fall just a bit short. The depth on the bench is great in the pitching department and awful in the batting lineup. When journeyman Miguel Cairo makes the team after he had all but written himself off? Not a good sign. Paul Janish and Ryan Hannigan? Meh.

I am very intrigued with 3B/OF Juan Francisco. While he has an awful career K/BB rate, his raw power is exciting to watch. He hit .429 in 21 AB after a late September call-up so he has the potential to consistently get base knocks. Watch for him to force his way into the starting lineup by August.

Ultimately, the Reds record will be 79-83 and they will just fall short of breaking the nine-year losing streak.

G.M. Walt Jocketty is laying the bricks, but the concrete is still drying.

The weak bench will hurt when a key offensive injury occurs. Harang will be trade bait as the Reds look to unload the overpaid ($12.5M), one-time ace.

Hate to say it Reds fans, but "wait 'til next year."

Is Jay Bruce Going To Live Up to His Potential in 2010?

2010-03-30T19:44:00.002-04:00

Bruuuuuce.

It's a sound that Reds fans bellow every time Jay Bruce steps up to the plate.

Outsiders may think the noise is some sort of boo. The reality is quite the opposite—Bruce is a vital piece of the 2010 Cincinnati Reds, and the fans know it.

He has quickly become one of the most beloved players on the team.

After being touted as a "can't miss" prospect coming up, he has struggled to live up to lofty expectations. After a red-hot start to his pro career in '08, his bat has cooled off mightily.

Last year, Bruce began to fall in love with the long ball while failing to reach base at a consistent rate. He hit 22 home runs but hit just .223 with a .303 on-base percentage.

Bruce himself wasn't too pleased with his 2009 season.

"I was embarrassed with the way I played last year. I expect way more than what I was doing," Bruce said. "That's not me."

After breaking his wrist against the Mets in July, Bruce was able to sit back and learn from the vets.

He was immediately catapulted into a starting role and never had the chance to soak in the small details that must be grasped in order to be successful at the major league level.

He was able to come back in September, and the difference was noticeable. Upon his return, Bruce hit .375 in 12 games.

Maybe he just needed a mental break after experiencing failure for the first time in his life. Then again, it was only 12 games against the Astros and the Pirates. But he goes into this season with lofty expectations from not only himself, but his coach and teammates as well.

"He hasn't even scratched the surface on what he can do and what he's going to be," said Reds manager Dusty Baker.

"If he hits .223 or whatever he hit, I would be absolutely shocked. I think he's fine," said 1B Joey Votto.

"I think it's a good year for him. Everyone thinks having a bump along the road is a bad thing, I think it's a great thing for him. It happened in the best year for him, when we were losing."

Bruce's stats through 16 games and 40 at-bats aren't drastic improvements—he's hitting .250/.286/.475 this spring—but it sounds like he's feeling much more comfortable at the plate.

"I'm still working on that every day to be consistent," Bruce said earlier this week. "It's going well, I'm making progress, and things are going where they need to be going."

His range in right field is average, but one facet of his game never questioned is his arm strength. He has a cannon for a left arm that will certainly make runners think twice before advancing on his watch.

As Opening Day inches closer, Bruce looks to be a candidate for the five or six spot in the lineup.

Votto and SS Brandon Phillips will provide protection for the slugger. Having Scott Rolen in front of him should enhance his RBI totals.

If he can increase his OPS and cut down on the Ks, the future for Bruce and the Reds is bright.

"Every year there's a buzz around us, they always say we can be the sleeper, dark horse, whatever, but the bottom line is it comes down to doing it," said Bruce.

"We haven't done anything in 10 years and until we do, it's going to be tough to make people believe we're capable of doing it. If we go out and play this year like we know how and take care of business and people stay healthy, we've got as good a chance as anyone. We're as capable of anyone of doing it, but we've got to do it, that's the bottom line."

Bottom line: The Reds will not be successful without a major contribution from Jay Bruce.

Los Angeles Lakers: New Piece of the Puzzle Just Doesn't Fit

2010-03-25T18:41:00.001-04:00

Last year's magical run left Laker fans spoiled. No major riffs between players, no lapse in effort, and every player knew their role and embraced it.

This year's squad just isn't the same.

Kobe Bryant is the same dude. He can put up 25 in his sleep. He knows exactly what it takes to win and has the determination and drive to do it. I loved hearing that he worked on his post moves all summer with Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon.

He knows he doesn't have the lift he used to when he was posterizing players left and right. Bryant's game is still just as effective with mid-range jumpers, fade-aways, and up-and-unders. He epitomizes the way an aging super-star should play.

He isn't the problem. Neither is Lamar Odom. His rebounding off the bench kills opposing second teams. He is averaging just under 10 boards in addition to his 10 points a game on 46 percent shooting. While Mr. Kardashian may have grabbed a few headlines in the offseason, he has been all business this season.

How about Pau Gasol? His numbers don't lie...17 points and 11 rebounds a game is nothing to sneeze at. His impressive 53 percent shooting shows that his shot selection has been superb. No problems with Mr. Gasol.

The emergence of Andrew Bynum has been fun to watch. He went from an 18-year-old softy to a legit third-banana on a Championship-caliber team. Problem is, he still can't shake the injury bug that has plagued him his entire career. A healthy Bynum is a necessity for the 2010 Lakers run.

Will he be healthy? That's the $100,000 question.

And the million dollar question? The one and only Ron Artest.

The man can play, that's obvious. He used to be the best defender in the entire NBA. Today he is still in the Top 10.

Problem is, Artest can't seem to find his comfort level in Phil Jackson's triangle offense. Watching him out there makes me think he doesn't understand the basic ball-moving concepts of the offense, thus disrupting the flow.

He makes bad decisions on the fast break and makes a few plays a game that leave you scratching your head. You get the sense that he is desperately trying to fit in, but it's almost April and he has yet to do so.

"With Ron, there's a little synapse there, a little delayed reaction," Coach Jackson said. "That's just Ron, regardless. All the guys have had to get used to it."

Trevor Ariza was the perfect fit due to his on-the-ball quickness and good decision making. Artest hasn't shown those two qualities.

Ariza was fit nicely into the puzzle, while Artest is trying to cram into a space that just doesn't connect to the other pieces of the puzzle.

Artest even admits as much.

"He probably is," Artest said. "He's a role player, a great role player. I haven't been a role player. Many times I've had to carry the load, this is a different look for me."

And it's frustrating to watch. He is trying to shed the crazed image he created and groomed over the years. He has been a model citizen amidst the madness that is L.A. But for whatever reason, he just doesn't fit this Lakers team.

All is not lost. I think Artest still has the opportunity to figure it all out. But the window is closing as the playoffs are fast approaching.

Bynum needs to get healthy fast. Artest needs to figure things out. If both occur, we have defending World Champs on our hands.

If not, the parade will be in Denver or Cleveland this year.

Ohio St Proves Quality Over Quantity Works

2010-03-24T18:48:00.002-04:00

The skeptics are all over the Ohio State Buckeyes lack of depth.

“How can they survive two games in two days,” ask the critics.

It’s a simple answer… it’s about the quality not to quantity in 2010.

Ohio State is not a deep team.

The Buckeyes regularly play a rotation of no more than six to seven guys. The top four players average at least 34 minutes a game and it isn't uncommon for a few to play the entire 40 minutes.

On Sunday against the No. 10 seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Buckeyes had three players go the distance while the other two starters played 36 and 31 minutes. That's a lot! But it doesn't matter due to the way the game has changed.

With the integration of T.V. there is a mandatory timeout called at a dead ball on four separate occasions each half. Each team is awarded four timeouts per half, eight for the game. So we are up to a potential for 16 timeouts in a game.

Add that to whistle-happy referees calling more fouls than ever before and the outcome is a game of stop-and-go. There are so many opportunities to rest during a game now that it's not a big deal to go the full 40 minutes.

Not to mention the whole "these guys are 18-22 and are at their physical peak" theory.

Make no mistake about it, the quality is certainly there. Junior do-everything guard Evan Turner won the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented annually to the national player of the year in college basketball by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Turner returned from missing six games with a back injury to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. Including his two NCAA Tournament games, he is averaging 20 points and a shade over nine rebounds per game. He was only a rebound and assist away from a triple double on Sunday against Georgia Tech.

The veteran leader David Lighty (the only remaining member of the Greg Oden led final-four team) has shown excellent veteran leadership while averaging over 12 points and four rebounds a game.

Sharp shooting junior guard Jon Diebler forces a defender to shield him at all times due to his red-hot 42 percent shooting from behind the arc.

Dallas Lauderdale, the 6'8 junior forward, supplies the bulk in the paint. He is averaging five-and-a-half rebounds a game while banging with the other teams best big man.

This brings me to the one problem the Buckeyes face...foul trouble. OSU can't afford for any of their starters to get in early foul trouble. This is especially the case for Lauderdale.

They don't have the depth to lose the big fella for an extended period of time. Yet somehow the Buckeyes have done a solid job of shielding this chink in their armor.

Credit must be given to coach Thad Matta for teaching the proper way to defend in the post without hacking the other guy. Credit must also be given to Turner, whom is terrific at avoiding the ticky-tack fouls that so many players fall victim to.

The No. 2 seeded Buckeyes will be in St. Louis Friday at 7:30 to take on the No. 6 seeded Tennessee Vols in the regional finals of the Midwest bracket. No. 5 seed Michigan State will play No. 9 seed Northern Iowa 30 minutes after the first game.

I can’t picture a scenario where the Buckeyes won't be dancing their way to Indianapolis and the final-four. They are much more disciplined and better coached than the Vols, and they have already beaten the Spartans at Michigan St. with a healthy Kalin Lucas.

The need to have a deep bench is simply not as important as it used to be. So what if the OSU bench isn't very good. The starters are all more than capable of taking a ride down the final-four highway.

Ohio Bobcats Do the Impossible!

2010-03-19T13:40:00.002-04:00

This is why you love sports. This is why the NCAA tournament is the greatest event in all of sports. This is why you stick with your team, even when they look to have no chance.

The (14) Ohio University Bobcats did the unthinkable. In a game where they never trailed, the Bobcats dominated the (3) Georgetown Hoyas 97-83.

As an Ohio alum, I feel qualified to say that this is the biggest win for the school in the past 40 years—maybe ever. This team was under .500 in the MAC! They had to win four games in the MAC tournament as a No. 9 seed. They got blown out by the only Big East team they played (Pitt) by 25.

None of it mattered on Thursday night.

Armon Bassett is a certified legend in Athens, Ohio. The Indiana transfer dropped a game-high 32 on a team that had no way of stopping him. Time and time again, he blew by the Hoya guards and finished strong over the weak help defense. He hit everything, pull-ups, hand-in-their-face fade-aways, and was 5-for-10 from behind the three-point line.

The media keeps asking who on Georgetown should be blamed.

In reality, OU simply played lights out. They had an answer for every G-Town comeback. Every time the Hoyas would cut the lead to single digits—Bobcat nation began to panic.

Everyone except the players, that is. Never once did the team look scared or nervous. The 'Cats only had 11 turnovers.

"They were spectacular, to tell you the truth," coach John Thompson said. "They handled everything we threw at them."

Eventually even Greg Monroe, the Hoyas' best player on both ends, seemed in awe. He was twice called for traveling and twice for charges while trying to find his way to the basket, as he finished with 19 points.

Bassett's partner-in-crime turned out to be freshman D.J. Cooper. He dropped 23 points while dishing out eight assists and three swipes.

One of the steals was a ESPN top play. Cooper had one of those YouTube plays that will be viewed over and over.

It was a clean strip of Georgetown's Jason Clark followed by a full-speed half-court sprint, capped by a gorgeous alley-oop that floated near the rim before teammate DeVaughn Washington slammed it home.

"You can sit and talk tactics and strategy, and at the end of the day, sometimes it just comes down to players making plays," Thompson said. "And those two kids, over and over again, made plays, regardless of how we approached it."

The win sends Ohio (22-14) to a second-round game against No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday at Providence. Can they do it again? Could former Thad Matta assistant at Butler, Xavier, and Ohio State John Groce play OSU in the sweet 16?

You know who I'm rooting for.

Think sports don't matter? Check out the scene on campus after this epic event.

Worst No. 1 Seed Duke Gets Easiest Final Four Road

2010-03-15T22:17:00.001-04:00

Wow. Just wow. Some how the Duke Blue Devils have by far the easiest path to Indianapolis and the final four.

After a cake walk to the ACC championship, a No. 1 seed seemed likely for the Dukies. The consensus was they were the weakest one seed and could potentially fall to a two seed, getting bumped by Big East tournament champ West Virginia.

Duke ended up getting the third No. 1 over Syracuse. If you compare the overall body of work, the two were similar (Duke had more L's). The biggest difference was the fact that 'Cuse beat Georgetown twice, while Duke got spanked by the Hoyas.

A minor gripe that can be forgiven.

The problem lies in the teams placed in the South region alongside the Blue Devils.

Villanova, the two seed, lost five of it's last seven games. Typically the strongest two seeds are paired with the weakest one seed. In this case West Virginia was the strongest followed by Ohio State. Yet the committee inexplicably put OSU in Kansas' bracket and WVU in Kentucky's.

Another head scratcher, but the gift wrapped bracket for Duke gets even better.

The three seeded Baylor Bears have lost to the likes of Alabama and Colorado and don't exactly strike fear into the top tier teams. This is especially the case when you compare Baylor to legit three seed threat's Georgetown and Pittsburgh.

Four seeded Purdue is a shell of it's self due to the torn ACL of star Robbie Hummel. They were last seen barely squeaking out a win over Northwestern and getting hammered by 27 to Minnesota. Considering Maryland, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin were the other four's—Purdue is clearly the weakest. Oh and Duke lost to the Terps and the Badgers.

Texas A&M is slotted as the fifth seed. Another stretch that just so happens to be in the Blue Devil's region. Michigan St, Temple and Butler all have better resumes as the other five seeds.

One of the biggest surprises of the entire tournament is Notre Dame getting a six seed. A perennial bubble team up until last week, now they are a six seed?

The Richmond Spiders are properly ranked as a seven seed, no qualms with that, but California isn't worthy of an eight seed. Their lack of quality wins is a joke.

Going over the top eight teams in the south region, every single one of them is over-seeded with the exception of Richmond. How is this fair?

Kansas and Kentucky should be the teams rewarded because they were the top two teams this year. Yet Kansas must go through the gantlet of OSU, G-town, MD, and MSU. Kentucky must potentially beat the best No. 2 in WVU.

Why did Duke get such preferential treatment?

The Dukies havn't beaten a team seeded better than fifth in the nine years since their last championship. This team was prime for an upset in a stronger bracket.

But alas, the cupcake South is set up very nicely for Duke. Needless to say, I am strongly considering a Louisville upset in round two.

Are The Steelers The New Bengals Off The Field??

2010-03-12T13:53:00.002-05:00

For years the running joke in the NFL has been the extensive criminal records of the Cincinnati Bengals. Owner/G.M. Mike Brown has been given the "redeemer" tag on many occasions. He loves to take the high risk/high reward players. He ignores the off-the-field stuff.

But over the past three years, it has been their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been making the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Let's start with the most obvious.

QB Ben Roethlisberger has been involved in some sort of controversy in three of the past five off-seasons. First it was the reckless driving of a motorcycle without a helmet. How can a guy with the concussion problems of Big Ben not wear one?

Roethlisberger did not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license at the time of the accident, only a temporary permit that he had obtained after moving to Pittsburgh which had expired four months earlier. Roethlisberger would later say in interviews that paramedics on the scene stopped the bleeding in his throat just in time to save his life.

Last July Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting Harrah's casino executive Andrea McNulty, 31, in his hotel room while he was in Lake Tahoe for a celebrity golf tournament. He allegedly called her into his room to fix his T.V. When she determined it was working just fine he blocked her from leaving and began kissing her. According to the lawsuit, McNulty required hospitalization for depression after the alleged attack.

Last week, a 20 year-old female has accused him of sexual assault at a college bar in Milledgeville, Ga. KDKA, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, reported Roethlisberger told police he did not have sexual intercourse with the woman. He said he had contact with the woman and afterward she slipped and fell, injuring her head.

He may be innocent of the two allegations, but either way his reputation has taken a massive hit over the past year. But he seemingly doesn't care, he continues to put himself in situations that turn into a "he said, she said" ordeal. The latest charge could turn into a painfully drawn out case that sucks millions of dollars in court fees and advertising away from Big Ben

I'm sure he will get out of the charges because he has money, and power, but he has certainly lost everyone's respect.

The QB grabs the headlines, but what about other Steeler mishaps?

Santonio Holmes was busted for smoking marijuana mid-season in 2008, not to mention his domestic violence charges in '06 that were later dropped. All was forgiven when he won Super Bowl MVP.

The kicker Jeff Reed is a one man disorderly conduct storm, collecting two separate charges over the past year. One was for destroying a gas station bathroom.

In March 2008, star LB James Harrison was arrested and charged with simple assault and criminal mischief stemming from a domestic altercation with his girlfriend.

Those are just the current players. Check out the rap sheets on former players (not including the infamous Plaxico Burress).

TE Johnathan Dekker was arrested in January 2009 and charged with obstruction of justice. In March 2008, WR Cedrick Wilson is arrested for simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct.

In June 2007, a 19 year-old woman accused LB Richard Siegler of spending several months persuading her to become a prostitute, and he took the first $450 she earned. Najeh Davenport was charged with child endangering, domestic violence, and unlawful restraint after a dispute with the mother of his son in October 2007.

All the above players were cut soon after the charges were filed. The Rooney family sends a loud an clear message: Don't get arrested or you will be cut... unless you are a good player. But since their reputation isn't like the Bengals, fans around the country look at each incident and are surprised.

With the Bengals the general consensus is "just another Bengal arrest". Well it's time for that perception to change. The Bengals did have the Rey Maualuga DUI setback, but other than that they have been quiet in the police blotter for the past three years.

In the past thee years, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers that are making the headlines off the field.

Cincinnati Bengals: No to T.O, Yes to Antonio Bryant

2010-03-10T22:15:00.002-05:00

The Cincinnati Bengals needed a wide receiver desperately, and their needle looked to be pointing in Terrell Owens direction. Chad Ochocinco openly campaigned for the 14-year veteran to join the Bengals ever since the Pro Bowl. But alas, they decided that the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Antonio Bryant was the better fit.

The deal is worth $28 million over four years, and he can gain an extra million through incentives, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy. Official word from the team isn't expected until tomorrow. Everyone knew the Bengals needed a deep threat at receiver after the Chris Henry tragedy, and Bryant and Owens had emerged as the top two candidates.

Bryant made a visit to the Bengals team facilities on Tuesday, but left town without a deal. Rumors surfaced that the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins were also interested.

The contract is very similar to the one given to Laveranues Coles last year. We all know how that one turned out; I am very surprised by the move. Yes, the 6’1" Bryant is the tall receiver QB Carson Palmer craves (or at least according to Coles), and has big play ability, averaging over 15 yards per catch over his career. But this guy isn’t a Pro Bowl talent.

Two seasons ago, Bryant caught 83 passes for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns with the Buccaneers. This was by far his best year. In 2009, he was effected by a knee surgery that repaired torn cartilage, and his production dropped to 39 receptions for 600 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. Not exactly eye-popping numbers for a guy set to make seven million dollars a year.

The fact is, for his eight-year career, he has averaged fewer than four TDs a game and a measly 710 receiving yards—not worth the money he's getting.

The 29-year-old Bryant was drafted by Dallas in 2002, and has also played with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers in addition to the Bucs. Last year he received a franchise tag from the Buccaneers and was paid $10 million for the one-year deal.

Owens arrived Tuesday night and visited the team on Wednesday, tweeting his happiness on the way out. Now it looks like the Bengals will not sign him.

They could have had a guy with a Hall of Fame caliber career. They could have had a guy that is a home-run threat on any given play. They could have had a guy that has averaged over 10 TDs and 1,068 yards per season over his 14-year career (Not to mention T.O. would have come at a bargain bin price).

Sure he saw a drop in production with the Bills in 2009 (829 yards and five TDs), but who was his quarterback? Ryan Fitzpatrick. Every Bengals fan knows what happens when he is your QB. Critics thought Ochocinco was washed up after a dismal 2008 with Fitzpatrick behind center: This year he was once again a Pro Bowler.

They also could have had a guy that has proven time and time again that he can destroy a locker room at the drop of a dime. But last year he was a model citizen with the Buffalo Bills. He bit his tongue every time a reporter laid the bait. He was finally showing signs of maturity.

In the end, all of Ochocinco’s public campaigning for T.O. went for naught. Two alpha dogs were prepared to share the ball and spotlight. Such is a rarity among the diva’s that are big play wide receivers in the NFL.

It appears that the Bengals flirted with Owens to appease Ochocinco, and possibly for leverage on Bryant. It also looks like internal discussions regarding a possible run at Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall were a tactic to knock down the expectations of both Bryant and T.O.

Maybe Bryant goes onto to have a stellar career as a Bengal. The problem is that questions surround Bryant’s health and overall production. The questions regarding the “look at me” side of T.O. were answered last year. The production and health subjects were never in question.

Bengal fans are left with 99 other questions regarding the passing game, but T.O. ain't one.

Red in the Face: Cincinnati's Five Worst Free Agent Signings

2010-03-09T19:40:00.003-05:00

While the Reds have made plenty of bad trades over the years, historically they haven’t gotten torched for signing the wrong free agents. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t five worthy candidates.

Willy Taveras

The following players have sucked money out of the Reds wallets like a vacuum while giving the team next to nothing on the field. Highway robbery indeed.

Yeah he was only with the Reds for a year, but his awful performance gave Reds fans nightmares all last summer. His prediction of swiping 90 stolen bases before the season excited Red fans. Cincinnati hasn’t had any speed in the lead off position in years. Finally a guy that could get on base, cause havoc on the base paths, and a solid center fielder was going to play at Great American Ballpark. That was the idea anyway.

Instead he was one of the absolute worst everyday players in all of baseball last year. Speed is great when you can get on base, but Taveras couldn’t figure out the first part. His OPS (.275) and 18 walks were abysmal for a guy batting in the eight hole—let alone a lead off hitter.

Dusty had plenty of excuses for the guy since he convinced management to drop 6.25 million over two years on Taveras. But even he backed off after the All-Star break. Taveras was shelved with a bogus hamstring injury and was a spot starter for the rest of the season.

The Reds were forced to play a rookie fresh off the farm prematurely in Drew Stubbs just to ensure they could cut ties with this small market money killer. He was traded to the A’s in the off-season. Good riddance.

Jimmy Haynes

The Georgia native actually pitched pretty well with his first year as a Red in 2002. He went 15-10 while posting a 4.12 ERA (which is excellent for Reds pitchers during this time frame).

Once again a free agent, the Reds re-upped on Haynes. Whoops.

Haynes got absolutely rocked throughout the ’03 campaign—to the tune of a 2-12 record with an eye-popping 6.3 ERA. His 1.8 WHIP was down right frightening, until he pitched again in 2004.

How do you follow up a 14 winning percentage? How about a 9.6 ERA and win less record? Needless to say, this was Haynes last season in the majors.

Joey Hamilton

After posting a 5.89 ERA with the Blue Jays in 2001, the Reds took a stab at him, and was named the opening day starter in ’02. What high hopes G.M. Jim Bowden had.

A 4-10 and 5.27 ERA later—the Reds still refused to give up on the one time solid hurler. Once again Hamilton disappointed the Reds, getting rocked to the tune of a 12.66 ERA before the Reds said enough is enough and released him.

How bad was the ’02 Reds rotation for this guy take the hill for opening day? No wonder the playoff drought is 19 years and counting.

Corey Patterson

Dusty Baker’s first big move as manager of the Reds was to severely over pay a player that had never lived up to expectations. The sad thing was, Baker witnessed Patterson’s terrible bat as head honcho of the Cubs.

Dusty saw something in him that clearly nobody else had seen. The Reds threw $3M to the guy right before spring training began. If he was still available right before the season, clearly his phone is not ringing off the hook. They could have had him for a fraction of the cost.

And how did Patterson return the favor? The opening day lead off man mustered a comedic .205 average, 16 walks (nine caught stealing), and a .238 OBP in 366 plate AB’s. He failed in every single offensive category. The stats speak for themselves.

What you don’t know from the back of his baseball card is the comedic reactions Dusty received anytime he was asked if Patterson was playing just because he was dating his daughter at the time. He was the ’08 Taveras. Will somebody please stop Dusty from making any more decisions on lead off hitters!

Eric Milton

A fly ball pitcher in Great American “Small” Park? Not exactly a match made in heaven. The 2004 Reds pitching staff was abysmal. Jose Acevedo (5-12 5.94 ERA) was the third starter!

So G.M. Dan O’Brian figured he needed to make a splash in his first full off-season with the team. He threw $25M small market dollars to Milton.

Too bad it turned out to be a tidal wave of disappointment. In ’05, Milton was the equivalent of a pitcher throwing to hitters at the home-run derby. He gave up 40 dingers and 134 total runs. His 8-15 record matched his 6.47 ERA and 1.55 WHIP.

In his three year stint with the Reds Milton went 16-27 with a 5.83 ERA. The Reds shelved him after going 0-4 only six starts in ’07 as common courtesy to a guy that was getting beat to a pulp. The Reds released him as soon as the ’07 season came to an end.

Congrats Milton, you are the worst signing in the 140 plus years of the Reds franchise.

Aaron Harang and the Significance of Starting Opening Day

2010-03-03T18:11:00.003-05:00

Cincinnati Reds' manager Dusty Baker has announced that Aaron Harang will once again take the ball for the first game of the regular season in 2010.

He has been has starter the opener every year since 2006. Harang's fifth consecutive Opening Day ties the team record set by Pete Donohue (1923-27) and Mario Soto (1982-87).

You really have to pitch well the previous year to receive this honor right?

Wrong.

Harang is coming off consecutive six-win stinkers. His record the past two season is 12-31 with a 4.50 ERA. Does that look like the numbers of an "ace"? He has battled various injuries ever since Baker pitched him four innings on three days rest in an 18-inning game against the San Diego Padres in '08.

Last year the Reds best starting pitcher was clearly Bronson Arroyo. He won 15 games with a 3.84 ERA. He has been the model of consistency during Harang's struggles, pitching at least 200 innings all four seasons he has been with the Reds. In fact, Arroyo hasn't missed a start since high school.

Baseball is America's pastime. It has been in the DNA of U.S. citizens since 1869. The fans of the game care deeply about legacies, stats, and pride. The same simply can't be said about football, basketball, and hockey in this country.

Being named the opening day starter for your team is considered the highest of honors for a starting pitcher. It means that the manger wants YOU to have the chance to pitch the most innings for the team. The manager trusts YOU with going up against the other teams best. The opening day starter is considered the "ace" of the entire pitching staff.

But I think this old tradition certainly doesn't mean as much as it used to.

With so many off days, rain-outs, injuries, and minor league call-ups—the No. 1 will only face the other teams No. 1 a hand-full of times throughout the marathon season.

The allure of being the opening day starter has to do with the traditionalists of the game. Sure it's an honor, but it means next to nothing come May.

And this is why Dusty went with Harang. He is rewarding him for his long tenure as a Red (entering his eighth season, by far the most of any current player). He knows it's a pride thing for Harang, while Arroyo could care less:

“I’d rather enjoy that day and soak in all the festivities,” Arroyo said.

“It’s not a big deal for me to pitch in the one hole. I pitched in the five hole in Boston. I ended up throwing against five No. 1s in one season. Once you get a rain-out, one off day, somebody’s a little sore and they get bumped back a day, match-ups don’t matter—until you get to the playoffs."

Well that and the night owl Arroyo is MUCH more comfortable pitching at night than during the day—in 2009 to the tune of 13 night wins versus two during the day and over a run difference in ERA. Too bad Baker has slotted Arroyo third after the young hurler Johnny Cueto. Guess what time game three is... 12:35 p.m. So much more that logic, Dusty.

As spring training rolls on, remember that this whole naming a opening day starter thing is really not important. It certainly wont have an impact on anything that happens in the fall. Even Baker agrees:

"After day one it doesn't really matter anyway."

Terrelle Pryor's Knee Worse Than Previously Expected?

2010-03-01T22:36:00.002-05:00

Was Terrelle Pryor playing with a severe knee injury?

His routine surgery to strengthen a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament three weeks ago turned into a much more extensive procedure. The doctor found additional issues within the tear according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Pryor told the media before the Rose Bowl that he had been dealing with a slight PCL injury. Sunday at a team charity event in Columbus, he said that the arthroscopy was performed on his left knee, not the right as the school announced in early February.

Pryor has begun strength training but hasn't rejoined team workouts. He is expected to be back in time for spring practice in April.

"You lose a type of leadership," Pryor said of missing the team workouts. "I laid at home for about five days and then I went in and started to do upper body [workouts]. My upper body got real weak because I was sitting at home taking pain pills and I lost a lot of weight because I wasn't really eating."

Anybody else find it strange that the Buckeyes would announce an injury to the wrong leg of their star quarterback? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Not sure if Ohio St. is trying to cover up the severity of the injury or Pryor is embellishing it. Considering the fact that Pryor is scheduled to be back in time for spring practice, it's no big deal. But why even mention it? Is he making excuses for his mediocre play in the second half of the season? Lots of un-answered questions in this whole situation.

This is the type of thing that would be much bigger news if it happened in the fall, but no big deal in March.

Odd story either way.

Reds Chris Dickerson Wants Chance To Start In Center

2010-02-26T18:23:00.003-05:00

Spring training is barely a week old and players are already complaining. Not in a "waah I want to play" sort of way, but more of a "can i get a little respect up in here" way.

Chris Dickerson told reporters yesterday that he doesn't understand why Drew Stubbs should automatically be penciled into the starting center field position.

"It's kind of angry and it's frustration and I know it's going to come out that way, I know," Dickerson said.

The 27 year-old Dickerson has had a frustrating career with the Cincinnati Reds. He has been plagued with injuries throughout his minor league and major league career. He was only able to play in 77 games last year due to injury—while watching Stubbs tear it up from the dugout

The 25-year-old Stubbs played well in his short time in Cincinnati last season, hitting eight home runs in 180 at-bats, while hitting .267 and playing above average defense.

What irks Dickerson is that his numbers weren't that different when he came up the previous year. Dickerson also came up in the middle of August '08 and he hit six home runs in 102 at-bats, while batting .304. Like his 2009, the season was cut short by a trip to the disable list.

So what did the Reds do last offseason? Sign Will Taveras.

'Nuff said if you watched the Reds last year.

Dickerson took it as a punch to the gut to hear that the same numbers he put up in '08 now automatically gets Stubbs the starting spot in '09.

"Dickerson has as much ability as anybody, it's just a matter of him staying healthy, the same thing I said last year," manager Dusty Baker said.

"People want to know why he didn't play every day, and that's because I wanted to keep him healthy with his history of injuries."

So by not playing him you are helping him avoid injuries? Great logic Dusty.

Beginning in August '08, Dickerson has been on the disabled list three times. He also spent time on Class AAA Louisville's disabled list in 2008. So the concern is there but you can't be afraid to play him.

Dickerson played all three outfield positions last season, starting 27 games in left, 19 in center and 13 in right. He produced, finishing sixth among National League rookies in batting average (.275), fourth in stolen bases (11), third in on-base percentage (.379), sixth in walks (39) and tied for third in outfield assists (five).

Sure Dickerson can still be the starter in left field, but he will be battling Johnny Gomes and Laynce Nix for ABs all season. But Dickerson is light years ahead of the two in the defensive department. Dickerson feels that playing in center field is in his DNA.

"I've played that my entire career since I've been with the Reds," Dickerson said. "Now I've been slated as left field and even then it's not maybe he'll take over center, nope, no, he's battling for left.

"I don't understand it. You can ask anyone I've played with what my best position is and they'll give you a clear-cut answer. It's not even a question for them, it's centerfield."

Strong words from a guy that clearly sounds frustrated with Reds management.

I tend to agree with the guy; why does Stubbs automatically get the job? Every game Stubbs played in was meaningless as the Reds were already out of contention. Not to mention the fact that the Reds played the woeful Pirates and Astros a combined 16 times in the month of September.

At the very least Baker should give Dickerson a chance to win the job. He is more experienced and has a better glove. Offensively the two are very similar.

I'm not saying Stubbs isn't the best option for 2011 and beyond—but right now Dickerson gives the Reds the best chance to win. Usually that's the goal of a baseball team, I think.

Dickerson isn't going to demand a trade— but he will have to settle for using this as motivation for the new season.

"I guess I'll just have to go out and hit .450 this spring".

Sick of It: Cincinnati Bearcats Can't Stick with Mick

2010-02-22T23:42:00.002-05:00

Patience is a virtue...except when it comes to sports. I want to win now—none of that "wait till next year" crap.

Cincinnati Bearcats coach Mick Cronin has worn out his welcome after a slipper-shattering 79-76 OT loss at home against the Marquette Golden Eagles.

It doesn't matter any longer if he inherited a program that was wiped clean after the ugly divorce with Cincinnati icon Bob Huggins five years ago. Using the "it's so tough in the Big East" excuse is just as lame. The top tier of the Big East shifts from year-to-year, except for the consistently mediocre Bearcats.

This is Cronin's fourth year as head coach. He is an excellent recruiter that has been able to haul in the likes of Yancey Gates and Cashmere Wright and he also took a huge chance with Lance Stephenson.

But the facts are facts.

The Cats sit at 15-11 and 6-8 in conference play after a sizzling start to the season. After wins over Maryland and Vanderbilt, the expectations grew quickly. A 10-3 start had fans thinking about a possible deep run in the tourney. The sky was the limit.

Freshman Lance Stephenson was looking like the next big thing with only greatness to follow. Sophomore Yancy Gates was punishing weaker opponents in the paint with his bulk strength and excellent rebounding.

Not happening.

The players haven't made enough progress during the season. The supposed freshman sensation Stephenson aka "Born Ready," has regressed. He seems uncertain of his role. Cronin yanks around his minutes to the point where he only was on the floor for 11 of the team's 45 in the OT loss.

Yancy Gates, whom had 14 points in the 22 minutes he did play on Sunday, sat with 7:07 to go in regulation and never returned. He sat the final 12:07 of the game—which amounted to 48 real time minutes. The Golden Eagles played down the stretch with nobody taller than 6'6...Gates is 6'8,'' 260 pounds.

So Cronin sat his top-two players for the vast majority of the game, including crunch time. The Bearcats are a poor-shooting team: poor from the field, from three-point territory, and from the free-throw line. The offense lacks movement. And the players lack hustle.

The most startling stat a coach can have: Cronin has never won a game in March (0-10).

Check-out UC down the stretch under Mick:

'06-07: 1-11 in last 12.
'07-08: 0-7 in last 7...including CBI loss.
'08-09: 1-6 in last 7...including losing final four games.
'09-10: have lost 5 of 7, and 7 of 11.

Preaching patience worked the first three years. This year's underachieving team has no excuses. Cronin simply lacks the "X's and O's" knowledge necessary to coach in the Big East. He consistently gets out coached and his philosophy on substitutions are insane.

The Cats have 10 players that average at least 10 minutes a game. The lack of a consistent rotation is wearing on the players and the blame goes straight to the coach.

Another fizzling ending can not be tolerated and Cronin should be fired. He might have four more years remaining on his deal, but the team needs a better leader. They clearly are not the most self motivated bunch. The Cats need a guy that will get in their face and demand results. That isn't Cronin's style. He's simply too nice a guy

UC's AD needs to revitalize the program and generate some actual excitement. The foundation of Gates and Wright will be around for two more years. The Stephenson experiment will likely be over at the end of this year. Hire a new coach that is recognizable and willing to not settle for average.

Status quo is not good enough.

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins of Kentucky: College Basketball's Best Duo

2010-02-17T20:04:00.001-05:00

John Wall will be the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft barring some catastrophic injury. That was decided back in December.

But is he currently the best player on his team?

He possesses all of the tools to be a pro: speed, quickness, ball handling, and jump-out-of-the-gym hops, and he's a strong finisher around the rim.

He is shooting 47 percent from the field and just under 80 percent from the line while averaging 17 points a game. He has proven he can score at will and in crunch time as well.

Mississippi State found out last night as he hit a key jump-stop 12-footer and also converted an old-fashioned three-point play when Kentucky was on the brink of defeat. He ended up a mere two assists shy of his first career triple-double.

His 6.5 assists a game put Wall near the top of the NCAA. He has the ability to go into "LeBron Mode," where scoring is secondary to getting teammates involved. He even recorded an eye-popping 16 assists against Hartford earlier in the season. But when the Cats need a bucket, Wall will fearlessly call his own number.

The above information is not groundbreaking. Wall has become a media darling to the 10th degree seemingly over night. But people tend to forget about the other ferocious freshman that was imported with John Calipari.

DeMarcus Cousins is an absolute force in the paint with his back to the basket. His wide 6'11" frame makes it tough on defenders trying to block his shot. Cousins is extremely strong, so he is able to create space down low and feast on smaller, weaker defenders.

He has recorded a double-double in eight of the past nine games and averages 16 and 10 a game while shooting almost 55 percent from the floor. He is a guy that can carry an offense for long stretches of time.

He has also greatly improved his vision in the post, and his assists have increased significantly over the second half of the season because of it. Cousins is able to read where the double team is coming from and find the open man. He struggled doing such early in the season.

He has created lots of open three-point looks for Wall. His defense has improved, and he is now able to avoid foul trouble for the most part.

So yes, Wall is great, but so is Cousins. Most casual fans would tell you Wall is the best player on UK. While they may be right, the big fella isn't too far behind.

That's why I believe the Kentucky Wildcats are destined for the 2010 championship.

Why? Because they quite possibly have two of the top five players in all of college basketball. The killer inside-outside combo will be extremely hard to stop, especially when Cousins gets your best big man into early foul trouble and essentially takes him out of the game.

The fact that they are freshmen doesn't bother me. They have yet to choke away a game in crunch time due to nerves or lack of focus. Calipari continues to push the right buttons to get his top players in the right mindset.

In a weak year for overall talent, the freshmen from UK are the cream of the crop and will be the hope and savior of two desperate NBA franchises come June.

Cincinnati Reds Must Make One Last Addition Before Spring Training

2010-02-15T15:27:00.002-05:00

The time has come. The date circled on the calendar for MLB pitchers and catchers has arrived.

For the Cincinnati Reds, Thursday is the day players convene in their new spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Position players are to report the following week.

Most of the roster has been decided—except for left field. As of now, the Reds certainly have options...but not good options.

Yet there remains a free agent out there that the Reds need to grab.

He's a guy that can play LF, hit for average and for power, and who actually wants to play for the Reds. He hit 20 home runs and batted .267 in roughly only a half-season of work in 2009—for the Reds.

He wasn't called up till the end of May and had to settle for pinch-hitting roles up until the final two months of the season—which coincidentally is when his numbers took off.

I am talking about the 30-year-old veteran Jonny Gomes.

“There’s a still a chance (with Gomes),” GM Walt Jocketty said over the weekend. “I don’t know how soon we can get it done. We’ve got to see how much opportunity for playing time is there, and we’ve got to work out with the payroll.”

The Reds need help on offense, and this is the guy that can provide it. Besides, check out the other available options.

Chris Dickerson

He is the front-runner heading into spring training. He hit .275 in 255 ABs last season while playing in 97 games. He has a solid OBP of .370 and has a decent glove (although he admits LF is his weakest spot in the outfield).

His main problem is his durability. He has battled injuries throughout his minor league career as well as his time with the Reds. If he stays healthy and plays 140-plus games, then the Reds will be all right. Odds aren't likely.

Laynce Nix

He was red-hot for a few weeks early last season and helped pick up the slack when Joey Votto was on the DL. But he slid down the depth chart once Gomes emerged after the All-Star break. He's got pop (15 HRs in 277 ABs), but he is awful against lefties. He hit a paltry .156 against them a year ago.

Wladimir Balentien

He played his way into the fold because he hit .264 in the 111 ABs he had late in the season with the Reds. He is out of options, so the Reds have to keep him on the 25-man roster. He had stud written all over him when the Seattle Mariners brought him up in 2007. But as a career .227 hitter, he hasn't lived up to the label placed on him only a few years ago.

There are also Juan Francisco, Aaron Miles, Chris Heisley, and newcomer Josh Anderson that will be available. But Miles is more of an infield backup, and the rest will all likely start 2010 in AAA.

Clearly the Reds' options in LF aren't exactly world-beaters, but Gomes has the power the Reds crave in their homer-friendly ballpark. Since Gomes still doesn't have a team, he will be cheaper than Valentine's Day candy in March.

Despite speculation on who the Reds might be interested in, Gomes is the only free agent the club is talking to.

“We’ve pretty much shut it down,” Jocketty said.

If that's the case, please oh please make this one final move. It bolsters the depth and power in the lineup, and he won't even make a dent in owner Bob Castellini's wallet.

The Redemer Strikes: Matt Jones Signs with Bengals...But No Pacman Yet

2010-02-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

Same song and dance.

NFL free agency hasn't even begun, and the Cincinnati Bengals are already making moves.
Today they announced the signing of former Jacksonville wide receiver Matt Jones to a contract in what was first reported by ESPN. It is a one-year deal worth around $700,000.
He also had the Titans interested, but the Bengals ultimately won out.

It is a low risk, high reward-type move like the Cedric Benson and Tank Johnson signings. Both of those worked, so owner Mike Brown figured why not? He gave Chris Henry 1,496 chances and gave Odell Thurman plenty of chances—you know, the guy that got arrested for punching a dude at an amusement park.

The Jones addition doesn't mean they won't get a receiver in the draft or T.O. He's another body. He can probably be as productive as Laveranues Coles, and if he blows in training camp, they cut him. He's cheap, experienced, and is a former first round pick. He'll be 27 in April.
The move doesn't mean that the Bengals are Super Bowl-bound—but it's a start.

But that's not the only troubled Jones that is on the Bengals' radar. Numerous reports state that the one and only Adam "Pacman" Jones has worked out for the men in stripes. The poster boy for what's wrong with the league, Jones has a list of arrests even the Bengals would be impressed by. He has played in Canada and wrestled since his last stint in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008.

Mike Brown thinks he still has something left in the tank. Yes, the Bengals need a talented nickel defender who can return kickoffs and punts. He'll be available at a bargain bin discount. But he was awful for the Cowboys. He was outmuscled by receivers, and his height (5'11") is a big issue.
Then there is the whole "this guy was suspended for all of '07 and didn't play a single game in '09" deal. Sort of a big deal.

Why does this guy get so many chances? He only has four career INTs and has had major issues with fumbles on kick returns.

Because Brown loves being the redeemer. He loves being the guy that turns a troubled man's life around. It's the one thing the Bengals lead the league in.

I like the Matt Jones signing, but Pacman will bring a circus-like vibe to the Bengals. Mike Brown doesn't care. Cheap players + cheap owner + cheap franchise = the redeem team.

Stuck In Netural, First Place Cavs Need To Make a Move

2010-02-09T15:24:00.002-05:00

With the All-Star break just around the corner, the NBA grind is over halfway completed.

Steam-rolling through the vast majority of the league, the Cavs are sitting pretty at 41-11. They are currently 22-3 at home and have ripped off 11 W’s in a row. They are rolling even without the services of two of the most important guards on the team: Delonte West and Mo Williams.

LeBron James has been…well he has been LeBron James. His second straight MVP award might be on the way as he has dominated to the tune of 29.8 PPG, just over seven rebounds and eight assists to go along with a career high in shooting percentage (50.4 percent) this season.

Daniel “Boobie” Gibson has filled in for the injured guards averaging over 12 points a game in the last eight games. He has taken over the offense and is looking like the 2007 playoffs version of himself.

Back then I thought he was destined for stardom as he hit big shot after big shot as the Cavs made it to their only ever NBA Finals appearance. Considering he’s only 23, he can be a big piece of the Cavs offense for not only this year but for the foreseeable future.

One guy that is not in the Cavs future plans is the “Big Aristotle,” or “Shaqtus,” or “Big Witness Protection,” Shaquille O’Neal.

He is averaging just a shade under 12 points and seven rebounds a game and is starting to finally feel comfortable in his new 23 minutes a night role. He is getting easy buckets off the pick-in-roll with LeBron and has held his own on the defensive end.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been with the team longer than any other player and he hasn’t created chemistry problems in the locker room due to his new role of coming off the bench and receiving less playing time. Now, he is some sort of a three-point specialist.

J.J Hickson is not making the offensive jump many expected from him this year. Scoring 7.2 points a game is underwhelming and he needs to show more if he expects to play key minutes in the playoffs.

The new guys Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon don’t do a whole lot for me or the Cavs. They are role players for a fourth of fifth-seeded team, but not the Cavs with their championship aspirations. Their contributions are minimal and certainly not vital for the Cavs to succeed.

So, just like last year, the Cavs are dominating yet are still missing something. This team added a 37-year-old Shaq to the playoff mix. Will he really be able to control the wild beast also known as Dwight Howard?

Can the much younger Cavs play smart enough to win in a seven game series against the heady cast of players in Boston? And what about the Hawks, whom have some terrific one-on-one scorers that get it done in crunch-time.

And these are just the hurdles in the Eastern Conference!

I don’t trust Mo Williams in the crunch time. Ditto for Moon and Parker. Shaq can’t play in close games due to his wonderfully awful free throw shooting. So what is going to happen when LeBron is double teamed and forced to pass? Hmmm, sounds like the same problem the Cavs had last year.

They need to unload Moon or Hickson and a guard to swoop in to steal a guy that is on the trading block because of financial reasons. Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire might be too much, but what about Caron Butler?

A proven crunch-time scorer that plays excellent defense as well. Or how about the Wizards’ other All-Star forward Antwan Jamison? He is a 20 point a game guy that has hit big time shots in the past. Each player can be had for less than their value as the Wizards cut their losses on a disastrous season.

Or what about Kevin Martin of the Kings. One of the league’s leading scorers lost his spot when he went out with an injury and super rookie Tyreke Evans took over. Andre Iguodala is available, as is Marcus Camby. Richard Jefferson hasn’t worked out for the Spurs and is looking for a trade. There are lots of options for the Cavs and what player doesn’t want to play with LeBron?

Last year, the Cavs thought they had enough to win a championship with the team they had and we all know how that worked out. The Cavs need another bona fide All-Star (sorry Mo—you aren’t) that wasn’t in the league when teams still wore short-shorts (sorry, Shaq).

This year, it’s the same exact situation. Don’t repeat history, Cleveland—this city has already been tortured enough. Find a guy that spreads the floor, plays strong post D, and can make a shot in the clutch. Who knows…maybe this year affects the next 10-plus years of the franchise. No pressure, Dan Gilbert!

Goofy Super Bowl Prop Bet Predictions

2010-02-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

The Colts are favored to win Super Sunday by six points on Sunday. I'll take the Saints to cover but Indy to win 31-27.

But the far more exciting bets to keep track of hardly include the action on the field. The phrase "prop bet" is just that—a proposition bet on events that may or may not directly relate to the final score of a game. These bets have been popularized in the past 10 years or so and the Super Bowl has the most options to bet on. You can bet on practically everything over the four hour span.

Check out the value of some of these prop bets:

How many current NFL Players will be arrested during Super Bowl Week?

Over/Under 0.5

No Barrett Robbins or Eugene Robinson's here. In 2010, players know the insanely bright lights and intense media microscope are nothing to mess with. And the strong veteran leadership of both teams help as well.

How Many Times will CBS show Kim Kardashian on TV during the Game?

Over/Under 2.5

This all depends on what Reggie Bush does on the field. If he scores a TD, she will be shown. Ditto if he has a long punt return. Considering CBS will most likely show her early in the game anyways...I think the over is a safe bet.

How Many Times will CBS show Bourbon Street on TV during the Game?

Over/Under 2

FOX showed Bourbon St. three times in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game, so I think this is another easy over. Especially if the Saints get an early lead.

Will a member of the Who smash a guitar on stage during the halftime show?

Yes +120 No -150

Rock 'n roll and the Super Bowl? Combine the two and there should be enough energy pumping to have at least one guitar fall casualty to. Who cares how old the band is.

HISTORICAL MATCHUPS:

Total Rushing Yards, which will be higher?

Joseph Addai Sunday +175 Addai Super Bowl XLI (77 Rushing Yards) -215

Addai had 77 yards back in the '07 Super Bowl and the running game has been a smaller piece of the Colts offense in the three years since. That's the crazy thing about the Colts, they aren't balanced offensively at all, yet it doesn't even matter. I'll take under 77 yards for Addai.

Total Passing Yards, which will be higher?

Drew Brees Sunday +120 Dan Marino Super Bowl XIX (318 Passing Yards) -150

Is Vegas predicting a Marino-like performance out of Brees? Great individualy—but not good enough to get a ring? Maybe, but I do think that the Saints deep ball threat opens up enough space for him to achieve the gaudy numbers. Racking up 319 passing yards is well within his reach—especially if Dwight Freeney is a no-go.

What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?

Yellow 1/1 Clear/Water 7/5 Orange 4/1 Lime Green 5/1 Red 12/1 Blue 12/1

Take the second best choice with the bigger payout. Yellow is the most common Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, but orange isn't too far behind. Nick Saban had red dumped on him with Alabama's title in Jan. Is this a new trend? Stain the crap out of your coaches clothes? At 12/1, odds are it was a fluke.

What side of the ball will the Players that perform the Gatorade Shower be from?

Offensive +140 Defensive -170

This one depends on the team that wins. I can envision the Colts running the clock out with its offense on the field in the final minutes. This means the D is in charge. But the Saints will have won on a last second Manning INT so the offense will be drenching their coach. Tough pick.

Will they show clothing apparel proclaiming the Super Bowl Champion before the final whistle?

Yes -130 No Even

Easy. Unless the game comes down to the final play, the camera will get a shot of a brand new Super Bowl champs hat on at least one player. I feel like this happens every year, which does make me a little skeptical of the odds. Maybe they have a new policy of not showing the champ apparel til when the clock hits zero. Hmmmm never know what's up Vegas' sleeve...

Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?

God 4/5 Teammates 8/5 Does not thank anyone 4/1 Family 11/2 Coach 10/1

Since a QB is most likely to win this, you need to look at Manning and Brees' personality. Both don't mention God a whole lot. Family is usually mentioned, but not first. Ditto for the coaches. Since both QB's and their teams in general are very team oriented, I'm taking teammates.

As you can see the betting world cares about the insanely stupid and minute occurrences in the biggest game of the year almost as much as the game itself. This is only a small sample size of the vast amount of prop bets for Sunday. Just remember, winning an under dog prop bet is just as rewarding in the wallet as a bet on the spread of the game. But which one do you think Vegas puts more time into figuring out and perfecting????

Rey Maualuga of Cincinnati Bengals Charged with DUI

2010-01-29T15:21:00.002-05:00

The offseason was less than one month old when Mr. Rey Maualuga decided to use some awful judgment.

The 23-year-old was arrested at 1:45 a.m. Friday in Covington, Ky. on charges of drunken and careless driving after he allegedly struck two parked cars and a parking meter.

Maualuga, 23, of Cincinnati, appeared in Kenton County District Court via video link from jail. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his promise to return for future appearances.

Maualuga smelled of "intoxicants" and told the officer that he had "about six Captain and Coke drinks," the report states. The officer gave Maualuga field sobriety tests, which he failed, the report states.

"Subject had slurred speech, blood shot, watery eyes and he was unsteady on his feet," the officer wrote.

Maualuga had a blood-alcohol level of .157, according to a Covington Police report. The legal limit is .08.

A Bengals spokesman declined comment.

Covington literally borders the city of Cincinnati, so I'm sure he had partied in the city and was trying to make it to his apartment or whatever in Kentucky.

But this story gets funnier. He was driving a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. C'mon Rey, that's the best a second round pick can do? No Hummer or Escalade?

Even funnier: He was with two female passengers.

Funniest: One of the girls was 18, and the other was a minor! Rey Rey! Can't find any 23-year-olds in the city on a Thursday night?

In the words of Michael Irvin—C'MON MAN!!!!

The Reds Hot Stove Finally Heats Up

2010-01-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

It's the end of January and that means the Reds start their Christmas shopping.

The majority of players left are at least 50 percent off. Everything must go! Agents are beginning to sweat as they look at their list of clients that are jobless with less than a month to go before pitchers and catchers report.

The Reds are finally making noise—albeit a very hard to hear sound. This is what a team with a payroll in the bottom third of baseball has to do. A-Rod and Manny would never even give the Reds the time of day. But a washed-up Willy Taveras will. Buy low, don't expect much, that's the Reds way.

The Dusty Baker era has provided two last minute signings gone horribly wrong. Corey Patterson signed for 3M to be the Reds '08 lead-off hitter. After putting up a gaudy .205 average with only 14 steals, he was toast. Last year Taveras was the 4M bust. The Reds are on the hook for another exhilarating year of Taveras grounding out to short 200 times.

This year the Reds already made a splash by signing left handed rocket-arm Antonio Chapman to a fat contract. But his salary will only be 1M towards the cap this year. So he isn't gobbling up a Scott Rolen size chunk of the payroll. So the Reds do have a little bit of cash to work with.

Many fans are calling for a 35 year-old Orlando Cabrera to take over at shortstop. Paul Janish and his .214 average is currently slotted in as the starter. He covers a lot of ground on the field but has a minuscule 22 RBIs in 381 major league ABs. He is a great back up, but certainly not a starter for a play-off caliber team. It remains to be seen how much Cabrera is asking for at this point.

The outfield's only certainty is Jay Bruce in right. Chris Dickerson and Drew Stubbs are projected to fill left and center. That threesome doesn't exactly scare any teams. Dickerson is constantly battling injuries and Stubbs only played in the majors when the Reds were miles away from first and winning wasn't too important.

What player could bring leadership, plate discipline and excitement to Cincinnati?

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN.com reports that Scott Boras is targeting the Reds as a possible location for free agent Johnny Damon.

If they can get him for under 5M—this would be an excellent move. But considering the Yankees claim he was asking for too much money, this might all just be smoke and mirrors.

Is Boras just creating fake rumors to scare big markets teams? Would Damon ever want to play in Cincinnati after being in New York and Boston?

He would be a great fit for the Reds. If a salary cap was involved, Damon might play for a small market team like the Reds. Instead fans of financially starved teams are left dreaming.

Walt Jocketty announced the signing of RHP Jose Arredondo to a minor league deal. Arredondo, 25, went 10-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 52 games in 2008 with Angels. He led both leagues’ relievers in victories, and opponents batted only .190 against him. He was considered a lights out future closer.

So how did the Reds sign him to a minor league deal? In 2009 he went 2-3 with 6.00 ERA in 43 games. Hmm that's not going to get it done for the Nationals. He battled elbow problems all season and had surgery to fix it. Problem is, the surgery will require him to miss the ENTIRE 2010 season. The Reds are hoping that '09 was a anomaly and when healthy, Arredondo can boast the Reds 2011 bullpen.

And yes, already talking and thinking about the 2011 season is not a good omen for your 2010 chances.

Johnny Gomes is still out there. So is Jermaine Dye. There are 93 unsigned free agents looking for jobs. As a frosty January comes to an end, the Reds, and other small market teams hot stove is just beginning to heat up.

Carson Palmer Skips Pro Bowl For Thumb Surgery

2010-01-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

The Pro Bowl is such a joke.

The reason why Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was named to the Pro Bowl as a fourth alternate is because third alternate, Carson Palmer, is recovering from thumb surgery.

As reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer , Palmer had successful thumb surgery last week on his non-throwing hand and is recovering in his home in California.

The thumb was injured way back in week five against the Ravens. For the rest of the season he played with a glove on his left hand. Palmer was forced to hand the ball off with his throwing hand which made for some awkward hand-offs. Plenty of commentators foreshadowed a chance that the unorthodox hand-offs could lead to a fumble sooner or later. Despite not looking pretty, Palmer never had a problem with the exchange.

Palmer would rather go through surgery than play in the meaningless contest. The lack of memorable moments in the game is outrageous considering the star power. Name me your favorite Pro Bowl memory? I can't think of one.

Gobs of players find any injury excuse to get out of playing in a game that has less importance than a preseason game. Now that's saying something.

The game is next Sunday, a week before the Super Bowl. Great, don't let any player from the two best teams in the NFL get a chance to be in the game. Makes perfect sense to me.

I always thought the Pro Bowl was a way to extend the NFL for one more week. It already has the smallest schedule of any of the four main sports, so why shrink the calender? Does moving it to Jan. 31 really make the NFL any more money than having the game two weeks later?

Players know that their bodies are basically what gets them paid. So why put your money-maker on the line in a exhibition that pays you only a sliver of your current multi-million dollar deal? Why put forth any effort at all? What's the worst that can happen; some random coach from a team you play every four years gets mad and benches you?

These are the questions I'll be asking when I get to meet Roger Goodell.

Something needs to be tweaked in this game to make it relevant.

Why Are the Bengals Sticking with Bratkowski?

2010-01-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

The biggest running complaint about the 2009 Bengals wasn’t concerning receivers, special teams or the tight end; it was about the play calling. The once high-powered Bengals offense had been reduced to a motorized scooter running out of battery power.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski has taken the majority of the criticism, and rightfully so. The run, run, pass scenario played out way too much for most fans' liking. The creativity consisted of a reverse to a receiver with the quarterback having to throw a block. The lack of flea-flickers and zigzag routes didn’t bother fans as much as the predictability. Talk radio was consistently oozing ungodly amounts of "fire Bratkowski" venom.

More often than not, a seasoned Bengals fan had a good idea of the play that was about to be run. If it's pretty obvious to the general public, imagine the lack of strategy needed for opposing defenses. The midseason tweaks and adjustments were ineffective, and it cost the team dearly in the end.

Unfortunately, the Bengals have an owner that takes penny-pinching to a new height. Firing a guy before his contract is up would require Mike Brown to fork over some extra cash—not going to happen. Bratkowski will be back for his 10th season as offensive coordinator of the Bengals, according to the team's official Web site.

How is this possible? Coordinators are hired and fired at will. There are only two head coaches (Jeff Fisher, Andy Reid) that have been at their current positions for more than 10 years; a coordinator sticking around that long is unheard of. It's understandable if Brat has achieved multiple seasons of success during the decade. Well, having two playoff losses doesn’t scream being worthy of such a rare feat.

For the entire second half of the ‘09 season, the passing game consisted of nothing but slants and screens—with maybe the occasional overthrown deep ball just to keep the defenses thinking the Bengals had some sort of vertical attack.

The running game was without a doubt the bread and butter of the ’09 offense. But the stubbornness and repetitiveness of the Bratkowski approach was easily sniffed out as the year wore on. Cedric Benson had more than 27 carries six times, and that includes the three-and-a-half games missed because of his hip injury. He had 301 total carries, and he might have had close to 400 without the injury.

The best offensive performance in the second half of the season was the 27-24 loss to the Chargers. The deep slants were there, and Chad Ochocinco caught a 49-yard bomb that came courtesy of a vintage Carson Palmer pass. The running game was actually not relied on to do the heavy lifting for once, as Benson only had 15 carries.

The 24 points were the most scored in a game during the second part of the year. Palmer looked comfortable with the aggressive game plan as he racked up a season-high 314 passing yards (43 yards more than the next highest).

The hurry-up style implemented in the second half of the game provided a more fluent and balanced attack. Never was the game plan or offensive fireworks it provoked ever implanted again for the rest of the season. The result was scoring 17 points against the Chiefs and a combined 14 points in two straight games against the Jets.

This past season, the Bengals defense was seventh against the run and sixth against the pass for the forth overall ranked D. It is only the third time in franchise history—and the first since 1989—that they had finished in the top 10 in all three categories in the same season. In short, they had a phenomenal season, and next year the unit could get even better with all the young guys coming back.

The major question for Bengals fans going into the 2010 season is simple: Can Bob Bratkowski be trusted with navigating this stale and underachieving offense?

Evan Turner Puts OSU on His Back, Earns Player of the Week Honors

2010-01-18T19:36:00.002-05:00

Junior forward Evan Turner averaged 23.5 points over two games last week to lead Ohio State to back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, as the Buckeyes defeated the sixth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers and the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers. His prize? Big Ten Player of the Week.

During Tuesday’s contest at Purdue, Turner posted 23 of his career-high 32 points in the second half to ignite a late rally as OSU recovered from a 13-point deficit to top the Boilermakers, 70-66.

Ohio State is No. 21 in the Associated Press media poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll that were released today.

With Turner in the lineup, Ohio State is 3-1 against the Associated Press Top 25 this season. In those contests, the 6'7 "guard is averaging 24.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and shooting 58 percent from the floor.

This is the fourth Player of the Week award for Tuner on the year and his seventh overall.

If the Ohio State Buckeyes want to make any sort of noise in the NCAA tournament it will be because of Evan Turner.

After a promising start to the season, the entire Buckeye nation was slapped in the face when Turner landed roughly on his back after attempting a dunk. The early reports were that he would be out for eight weeks with a fractured back. It looked just as painful as it sounds.

But merely a month later Turner was back on the floor and picking up where he left off. The team struggled in his absence, going 3-3 ,with the wins against Presbyterian, Delaware St., and Cleveland St—not exactly the cream of the crop. Now that Turner is back, the Buckeyes are once again a force and Turner still isn’t even 100 percent yet.

For the season he is averaging 18.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists a game. He still has some issues to iron out, specifically his 28 percent mark from three-point range and his 4.2 turnovers a game. And is his back fully healed? Can a hard foul tweak it again?

He is the catalyst for the squad and makes the offense flow as smoothly as a waterfall. Whether it is a slam dunk, a tough board, or a steal on defense, Turner is the guy making all the big plays when it counts. But he can’t win it all himself.

Turner is going to need David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and William Buford to continue spreading the floor with their shooting. All three players are averaging 13.3 points a game and provide balance to the inside outside attack.

Turner is looking more and more like a lottery pick, and dominating the conference at this sort of pace will certainly garner Big Ten Player of the Year honors. His size and speed will make him a hot commodity to NBA scouts.

So this is the year OSU, be prepared to ride the achy back of Evan Turner into the tournament. He has proven to fans and players a like that he is up to the challenge.

Aroldis Chapman's Signing Sends Positive Message To Reds Fans

2010-01-14T22:54:00.002-05:00

Maybe the Reds haven't given up on 2010. As an extremely dull offseason rolled on something happened.

The Reds forgot about their mid-market status and splurged on a player that the Red Sox, Angels, or Yankees usually sign.

The Reds made an extremely high-risk, high-reward move that has the potential to either turn the franchise around—or bury them into the only place they haven't hit yet—below the Pirates. The Reds are investing a big piece of its franchise on the left arm of a 22 year-old kid from Cuba.

So $30 million later, Aroldis Chapman is a Cincinnati Red. He's a lefty and reportedly throws a 100 mph heater. The Reds haven't had a decent lefty since the 90's. But the Reds actually have a rich history with players from Cuba.

One of the greatest position players in Reds history is Cuban native Tony Perez, the only Cuban-born major league player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was elected in 2000. In 1911, the first two Cubans to play major league baseball both played for the Reds—Rafael Almeida and Armando Marsans, who was a star.

So in a way, the historical implications make sense, and the oldest professional franchise cares a heck of a lot about its history. But reports of wildness scared away other suitors. He has allowed 200 walks in just over 400 innings of work in Cuba. He is compared to a young Randy Johnson—wildness and all.

Several scouts call Chapman, “A can’t miss,” and even though he isn’t ready to step into the Cincinnati rotation, he probably isn’t far away once he can tighten up his control.

Bryan Price, in his first year as the Reds’ pitching coach, knows what kind of chance he’s getting.

“These opportunities don’t come along too often,” he said. ”Young, left-handers who throw hard are a commodity in our sport, especially ones who are around the plate.”

Chapman’s agent cited the fact that Price and manager Dusty Baker speak Spanish as a factor in signing with the Reds.

The signing of Chapman also means Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo will most likely not be back for 2011.

Both are in the last year of their contracts, with options for 2011. The Reds could use the payroll flexibility and if all goes well, Chapman and first-round pick Mike Leake pitches to this potential, both will be in the rotation, along with Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey for 2011.

GM Walt Jocketty, who admits to the riskiness of the signing sums up the move:

“For us to compete in the market size we’re in, we have to do some things like this from time to time—a bold move. We can’t go after the high-priced free agents who are out there. This is stretched out over a long period of time. It’s a significant undertaking for this organization. But it’s something we felt we had to do. There’s a big upside.”

You have to applaud Jocketty for working with the payroll he has been given, but will it pay off? Will more Reds fans go to games this year? Will the Reds sell thousands of Chapman jerseys in 2010? Will team leaders Arroyo and Harang look at this as a precursor to their eminent departure?

This is the kind of move that will make or break Jocketty. This is the move that will let fans know there is some ray of hope. Before the signing, there was no hope going into 2010. There wasn't even a chance that they would be .500. Now there is at least a reason to be optimistic about the Cincinnati Reds.

At the very least the Reds helped Cincinnati fans brighten up a bit a day after the neighbors across the street blew a golden opportunity against a rookie QB.

Carson Palmer's Passing Precision Perfectly Fine

2010-01-07T20:52:00.002-05:00

The popular consensus this week is that Bengals QB Carson Palmer has dropped a peg on the quarterback hierarchy.

"He was beyond awful in Sunday's Jets game."

"He is throwing the ball away consistently on blitzes."

"He doesn't look like the same quarterback that he was in '05."

Well nobody can argue with the first two statements. He hasn't been very good at handling pressure and he has had some questionable interceptions. It's no secret, Palmer's numbers haven't been up to par in the second half. For the year he completed 282 of 466 passes (60.5 percent) for 3,094 yards with 21 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

But the third statement is false, Palmer is just fine. After the Week 10 win over the Steelers, the Bengals sat at 7-2 with a 5-0 AFC North record. Coach Marvin Lewis decided that it was time to play keep away. The entire game plan revolved around the running game, bend-but-don't-break defense, and controlling the time of possession battle. The passing game was very vanilla.

In the first half of the season the passing game was much more a part of the offensive philosophy. Palmer successfully led game-winning fourth quarter drives against every single divisional opponent (Browns, Steelers, and Ravens) and that is not counting the game-winning drive with seconds remaining against Denver that was wiped out by the immaculate deflection. Anytime the Bengals are in a game at the end, Palmer has delivered.

He led a game-tying drive against the Chargers that went for naught due to a poor prevent defense. He lead the division-clinching drive against the Chiefs two weeks ago. Put the ball in his hands at the end of a game and good things happen.

Each of those drives showed me that Palmer still has it. He comes up big when his team needs him most and doesn't buckle under the pressure. Is it his fault that the offensive line has way to many false start penalties? Is it his fault that the pass protection has slowly but surely deteriorated?

Or how about his lack of receivers?

Jets CB Darrelle Revis was selected as a starting corner for the AFC in the Pro Bowl, and deservedly so. No receiver has more than 35 yards against him this season.

WR Chad Ochocinco is getting put on Reevis Island and somebody needs to give Palmer a reliable target...Laveranues Coles is a solid veteran that needs to show up, especially against his old team. He hasn't been on the same page with Palmer this year but his numbers aren't awful (514 yards, five TDs.)

WR Andre Caldwell has really lost his confidence since that game-changing fumble against Oakland. He has made some huge plays this season but none of late. He needs to create that separation on those slants that he seemingly loves to run. WR Chris Henry's deep threat is missed greatly.

TE J.P. Foschi is not much of a receiving threat at tight end. He doesn't have great hands and can't make a guy miss in the open field.

Palmer isn't working with a bunch of All Pro's. Drops, missed blocks and penalties can't be blamed on the QB. He is still accurate and more than capable of leading a team deep into the playoffs. Now the playbook will be opened up to trick plays and others that have been waiting on deck until the playoffs.

He has gotten this team into the playoffs and he knows the rarity of that. This is the third postseason appearance in the last 19 years for the Bengals. How bad do you think a seven-year veteran wants to win his first playoff game?

Saturday will come down to quarterback play and give me Carson Palmer over his former ball boy Mark Sanchez.

Sky Hasn't Fallen on Bengals after Jets' Pasting

2010-01-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

37-0.

On national TV, the Bengals got whupped. Beaten to a bloody pulp. The only positive from this game is that a bomb didn't go off in the locker room.

Chad Ochocinco played less than a half and was held without a catch, ending a string of 120 straight games played with at least one. He hurt his knee in warmups (though the MRI on his knee today was negative).

He said he would change his name back to Johnson if he got shut down, but after the game he responded to the question with an emphatic "child please."

Overall, the offense set a team record for fewest net yards in a game (72). Carson Palmer was an outrageous 1/11 for zero net yards and an INT. WOOOF.

Valuable defensive tackle Pat Sims broke his arm and is done for the season. Backup safety Tom Nelson, whom was filling in for the injured Chris Crocker, suffered a left knee injury after getting burned by the Jets on seemingly 20 plays in a row. The Jets found the weakness in the D (Nelson) and abused him as much as humanly possible.

37-0 seems like quite possibly the worst way to head into the playoffs.

But all is not lost.

Knowing his team needs to get healthy, coach Marvin Lewis chose to rest five starters— LDT Domata Peko (knee), LE Robert Geathers (knee) and FS Crocker (ankle) on defense, and RB Cedric Benson (hip) and TE J.P. Foschi (neck) on offense.

That's five key guys (OK, maybe four...Foschi stinks) that will be well-rested in the rematch this Saturday at 4:30. As much as you wanted to believe coach Lewis and the players that said they were "in it to win," once the inactive list had that many key cogs on it, it was obvious Lewis didn't feel the urge to win this one.

If anything, this is a credit to the Houston Texans and a message to the Jets. The Texans beat the Bengals at home early in the season, and Matt Schaub and Co. would have been back in Cincinnati for the franchise's first-ever playoff game with a Bengals win.

The Bengals want to play the Jets and their rookie QB Mark Sanchez.

While the final score clearly indicated dominance, Sanchez was a paltry 8/16 for 63 yards. Yes, the Jets didn't need to throw the ball, as the running game provided all the scoring necessary. However, any time Sanchez had to drop back and throw the ball, he seemed uncomfortable and hesitant against two of the best corners in the league in Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph.

The Bengals know Braylon Edwards as well as any reciever in the league from his days with division rival Cleveland. Jerricho Cotchery is not a deep threat and doesn't need anything more than single coverage, and there isn't much of a tight end presence.

The key will be if the top-five run defense of the Bengals that got abused for 257 rushing yards can fix it against the No. 1 rated run offense.

Two starters on the line will be back. Peko is one of the best at stopping the run in the NFL, and is certainly the best on the Bengals. The exotic schemes that defensive coordinator has been dialing up for most of the year will be back. I don't expect the Jets O-line to handle the Bengals D-line again.

After only allowing one 100-yard rusher all year up to Week 12, the Bengals have allowed a 100-yard rusher in three of the past four games (1-3). Peko has been out for the past four games—go figure.

The playbook for the Bengals was as vanilla as could be. No reason to open it up in a meaningless game. The Jets, on the other hand, busted out the Wildcat, and now you can bet the Bengals will be ready to defend it next week.

“There isn’t much more they can do,” said Ochocinco of the Jets offense. “There is no trickery. They can add to their game plan.”

In the meantime, the Bengals have been hatching up schemes for over a week and will be eager to show the world that the passing game is still there. Palmer will not let his ballboy in college beat him like that twice in a row. No way does the veteran not give it his all in virtually his first playoff game.

The one matchup that still is a concern is Chad Ochocinco vs. Darrelle Revis. Chad might be banged up, and Revis is the real deal. He is a shutdown corner that can be left alone on the "Revis Island." Chad needs to stop talking trash to that guy.

Overall, the reaction to this game has been predictable; a lot of it has to do with the time slot. But Bengal fans are all gloom and doom, and think the sky is in the process of falling.

37-0. And it wasn't even that close.

But take heart; the Bengals have opened as three-point favorites at home against the Jets, a week after being 10-point dogs and a day after 37-0. Vegas knows something, and it's simple: The biggest turd of the season will mean nothing come Saturday.

Bengals Upend Chiefs, Cruise To AFC North Title

2009-12-28T18:21:00.000-05:00

In a game that was closer than it should have been, the Cinncinati Bengals (10-5) finally clinched the AFC North title on their third try Sunday, with a 17-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs (3-12).

The Bengals were literally running on fumes by the time they took the field, after a tough loss in San Diego last week, they had a late flight home, then flew to New Orleans on Tuesday to attend Chris Henry’s funeral. The receiver died from injuries suffered during what police describe as a domestic dispute in North Carolina last week.

They had just enough left in the tank. For only the second time since 1990, the Cincinnati Bengals will make it to the playoffs.

Cedric Benson had 133 yards on 29 carries as the Bengals pounded the Chiefs on the ground. He had a few long runs including a 32-yarder that jump-started the offense in the third quarter.

In an exciting subplot that didn't pan out, ex-Chief Larry Johnson only had four carries for 11 yards.

The first half was uneventful, with both teams deadlocked 3-3, offensively stunted. The Bengals, clearly distracted after just recently burying one of their teammates, were booed off the field after committing a plethora of mistakes and penalties.

Cincinnati had 53 total yards of first-half offense, and Carson Palmer struggled mightily, going four-of-nine for just 19 yards and pick, and getting sacked once (for a nine yard loss). Their offensive game plan was nothing but runs up the gut and short screens and slants.

The 10 total yards of net passing in the half was the worst by a Bengal since the legendary Jeff Blake against the Houston Oilers in 1996.

The Bengals received a late Christmas gift towards the end of the second quarter when the Chiefs long snapper Thomas Gafford sent one over the head of the punter, allowing the Bengals to set up inside the 10 yard line. Yet the Bengals couldn't capitalize, settling for a Shayne Graham 29-yarder with just under two minutes to play.

At the half, the scrappy Chiefs had outplayed the Bengals, and the crowd began buzzing, thinking about the "Bungels" of old; wondering if it was possible that their home team could falter for the third straight week and possibly not clinch a playoff spot. (Little did anyone know at the time that Cincinnati also would have won the AFC North even if they'd lost, thanks to the fact that the Ravens fell against the Steelers later that day).

The offense finally got the wheels in motion at the start of the third quarter on a drive that took 5:50 off the clock, and culminated in a Laveranues Coles 10-yard TD.

But the Chiefs battled back and were able to tie the game at 10-10 early in the fourth.

Later in the fourth, starting at their own two-yard line, the Bengals drove down the field to take the lead on a six-yard touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco with 2:03 left on the clock. Ochocinco made a beautiful diving catch and then raised one finger on one hand and five on the other, a tribute to Henry's jersey number 15.

The entire Bengals team wore No. 15 decals on their helmets in his memory.

The Bengals' 14-play drive went 98 yards with seven first downs and took 7:18 off the clock. It was their longest drive of the season, and they completed all three of their third down attempts.

The Bengals D would hold the Chiefs in check over the final two minutes, and with the win they were able to crown themselves division champs for the first time since 2005.

But the question marks surrounding the squad were not answered.

Another bad team another week of playing down to the level of competition. I'm assuming that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski didn't want to bust out much of the playbook against a clearly inferior opponent, but the "Cardiac Cats" cut it too close. There was a real possibility of them losing the game and the vanilla game plan didn't help.

But once again the Bengals offense was able to get a score when they absolutely had to. Credit Palmer for not getting frustrated, and credit the line that blocked wonderfully on the game winning drive.

False start penalties continue to be a concern. Chronic guilty parties LT Andrew Whitworth and RT Dennis Roland both had flags tossed their way. At this point in the season it seems that this is an issue that can't be fixed and will have to be taken into account for the rest of the year.

A key injury will set the Bengals back even more defensively. Rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga broke his ankle and is likely done for the year. He will be sitting next to Antawn Odom, Roy Williams, and Reggie Kelly on injured reserve.

The Bengals' tenth victory of the season allowed coach Marvin Lewis to pass team founder Paul Brown for second place on the team's all-time wins list, with 56.

The Bengals played an ugly game, but they got the win and that's what counts in the end. Next week they travel to New York to play the playoff hungry Jets (8-7) in the final game at the Meadowlands. It will be the first prime time game of the season for the Bengals, who can still get the three seed in the AFC with a win and a Patriots loss to the Texans next week.

The Bengals know that the only thing people will remember is how they perform in the playoffs.

"The AFC North hat is just a hat," Palmer said. "The AFC Championship hat is one you want, but the Super Bowl hat is what we are working for. The title is one of the many goals we set out to achieve. We are not going to pound our chest over this. We don't feel like we have conquered the world. We still have a lot of work to do."

The 2009 Bengals didn't dump Gatorade on coach Lewis after the game. They know that the bigger task at hand has only begun.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the Same Team?

2009-12-24T17:33:00.001-05:00

Dwayne Wade and LeBron James on the same team in 2010 is a long shot. But it's not out of the question.

Can two mega-stars in their prime ever coexist? Can their egos be set aside?

Wade recently made some very intriguing comments to the New York Post regarding his free agency after the season:

"Before we agreed to terms, LeBron and I had a couple conversations," Wade said. "I can't recall exactly what we said, but the gist of it was we wanted to give ourselves the flexibility and the option to play together."

The two played together in the 2008 Olympics so they have experience playing together. The two most successful players from the 2003 draft have developed a friendly relationship over the years.

The only way this would work is if the dynamic-duo would take a significant pay cut. Nobody expects pro athletes to do that. There's going to be a white Christmas in Hawaii before a athlete surrenders some of his money.

But Wade says that is not necessarily the case:

"A lot of times in this league, players usually wind up going where they can get the most money. We're both blessed within that area. We've made a lot of money. So we wanted to base our decision on two things, the organization and the ability to win a title. And that's what we'll do. When the season is over, we plan to sit down and talk about it."

This is great news for New York Knick fans. The franchise might be able to pull off something this outrageous. James and Wade can make up the lost salary with all the endorsements deals they can handle.

"I'm not saying it will happen. But I'm intrigued by the idea."

How much money can a franchise make off the star power of combing those two? How many new fans can they attach with a combo like that?

I'm quivering at the mere thought. This is going to be quite the summer for the NBA.

Epic Choke: Chicago Bulls Blow 35 Point Lead Vs Kings

2009-12-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

Goodbye Vinny Del Negro, your pink slip awaits.

In what is the biggest choke job in recent history, the Chicago Bulls let a 35 point lead go down the drain against a the third youngest team in the NBA—the Sacramento Kings—in a 102-98 back-breaker.

The Bulls led 79-44 with 8:50 left in the third quarter, and were still up 83-50 two minutes later, before the Kings went on their run. The Kings closed the third quarter on a 19-5 run and then took over in the fourth.

They outscored the Bulls 33-10 in the fourth led by the sensational rookie Tyreke Evans. He had 23 points to go along with eight rebounds. The Bulls had no answer as they could only watch in horror as the road team completely embarrassed the Bulls faithful. The Kings outscored the Bulls 58-19 to end the game. 58-19!!!

The Bulls sit at 10-16 and if Del Negro has a job this weekend I would be surprised. Duds like losing to the woeful Nets, getting blown out by the mediocre at best Raptors, and a 2-10 road record add up to a terrible start for a team that was expected to improve on last year's playoff appearance.

Instead they sit nine-and-a-half games back of the Cavs in the Central division and appear to be going no where.

Luol Deng is simply not a player to build a team around. Deng's injuries have kept him out of 72 games in the previous two seasons. He has been playing with a fractured left thumb that will take 6-8 weeks to heel, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Second year guard Derrick Rose is averaging 17 points a game and 5.6 assists but has not made the Chris Paul like jump many experts predicted he would make this year.

And when a career bench player like John Salmons is third on the team in scoring and averaging 37 minutes a night, there is going to be trouble.

So maybe Del Negro doesn't have the best weapons at his disposal. But the lack of passion and energy has clearly been established. That falls on the coach. It appears that the players have tuned him out and wouldn't mind a new guy barking at them.

His name has already been mentioned as a possible candidate to be fired, and after a game like this, he should be.

Cincinnati Bengals Emotional Comeback Denied By San Diego Chargers

2009-12-21T18:33:00.002-05:00

The set up was perfect.

The Cincinnati Bengals had been trailing all game long against the San Diego Chargers in a sunny Qualcomm. They looked deflated after the horrific tragedy that occurred Wednesday.

But with Chris Henry on the minds of everyone in stripes, the comeback began.

It all started with a outstanding bobbled one-handed interception by linebacker Keith Rivers with the Chargers up 24-13 and chalk full of confidence.

Carson Palmer found Laveranues Coles in the end zone a few plays later. After a courageous two-point conversion run by Palmer, the score stood at 24-21.

After punts by both teams the Bengals were backed up to their own three yard line with around six minutes to go. Palmer methodically drove the team down field with slants up the middle to JP Foschi and Andre Caldwell.

Quan Cosby, the punt returner, who made the first catch of his career earlier in the game, caught a huge third down bullet from Palmer.

Sitting at the 30-yard line of San Diego, it began to feel like one of those "cardiac cat" drives that the Bengals did on a weekly basis early in the season. The clock was under two minutes and the Bengals were making all the right plays.

But then a hard hit by safety Eric Weddle on Andre Caldwell knocked the ball back 20 yards and was recovered by a diving Palmer back at the 45 yard line.

The Bengals were able to get back in field goal range but couldn't pick up the 36 yards needed for a first down. Shayne Graham drilled a game tying 34 yard field goal with 54 seconds left and overtime looked eminent.

But the Bengals prevent D prevented that from happening.

Phillip Rivers was able to get his team in field goal range with no timeouts and Nate Kaeding easily booted a 52-yarder with three seconds to go.

27-24, game over.

A few things must be remembered about this devastating loss:

Carson Palmer showed the doubters that he is perfectly fine going 27 of 40 for 314, with two TD's and one INT. He showed how much he wanted to win the game with the run for the two-point conversion, the dive to save the Caldwell fumble, and the terrific block he executed on a Ocho Cinco reverse. He lead his team by example and his teammates needed to take note.

Chad's performance was typical for him (three receptions for 79 yards and a TD), but the emotions he battled through and the focus he showed must be applauded. He was wearing a heavy heart and came through with an inspired performance. The 49-yard bomb for a TD was a thing of beauty and a refreshing sight for fans.

Keith Rivers had his best game as a Bengal. He only had three tackles, but one was for a loss and he had a INT, sack, pass deflection, and a QB hit. He played well in coverage and took away the gaps in run coverage.

Rey Maualuga, on the other hand, had one of his worst games. He over ran the QB and running back numerous times, he was shaky in pass coverage and missed a few tackles. He certainly played like a rookie.

While cornerback Leon Hall has been outstanding this year, he got lit up by the Chargers Vincent Jackson. Hall was beat on two long TD throws to Jackson and played too far off him in coverage.

Cedric Benson didn't look very good (53 yards on 15 carries), but Larry Johnson (35 yards on four carries) looked explosive. Marvin Lewis needed to give LJ more touches as the game went along.

Penalties once again were a problem. The in-excusable sequence of three penalties and a timeout without even snapping the ball is insane for a NFL team. Nine penalties for 55 yards is not going to get it done against a team like the Chargers. They must clean-up the false starts and delay of game penalties or the Bengals are going no where.

Next up is a sorry Chiefs team that has nothing to play for. A win and the Bengals are in the play-offs. The chance of a two seed is history but the performance on Sunday leaves hope for the rest of this season.

A Bengals team that can have a key players return injury (Domato Peko, Chris Crocker, Bernard Scott) could certainly beat San Diego the second time around. This team has a lot of fight left in the tank and I think the best is yet to come.

The Bengals still haven't peaked in '09, but Sunday was a step in that direction.

DeSean Jackson Jets Up Pro Bowl Ballot

2009-12-14T20:50:00.001-05:00

Faster than the speed of a screaming Tom Coughlin.

DeSean Jackson is officially one of the best receivers in the league, after his performance against the New York Giants on Sunday night.

He caught six passes for 178 receiving yards and a touchdown, to go along with a punt return TD to boot.

Jackson scored on a 72-yard punt return and a 60-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, sparking the Philadelphia Eagles to their most points this season in a 45-38 shootout victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night.

Jackson missed last week with a concussion, but was in Pro Bowl-form in boosting Philadelphia (9-4) into the NFC East lead.

Jackson has eight touchdowns of 50-plus yards this year, tying the NFL mark.

The step-back move that set up the punt return was a thing of beauty.

The five or so defenders running full force towards him were all faked out and left in Jackson's dust, as he bolted right down the sideline 72 yards.

"I told them to get the ball in my hands," Jackson said. "I think of myself as a go-to receiver. I want the ball there. I knew there were things we could do when they had me in single coverage."

He is the most explosive receiver in the NFC East and maybe even the entire conference.

He possesses the lateral quickness to turn the corner, and has the blinding-fast foot speed to glide right by with reliable hands that don't turn the ball over.

Sounds like everything you would want in a receiver or return man.

"There's nothing he can't do on a football field," said Michael Vick, who at one time received the same complaint. "He's going to be a great one. I've never been around anyone like him."

With the Eagles' former most explosive player's (RB Brian Westbrook) season in doubt, Jackson has been able to keep the pressure off backups Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy, who combined for a pedestrian 61 yards against the beat-up Giants D.

Jackson is a Pro Bowl lock. Even having missed a game, he has 947 yards and 10 total TD's (seven receiving, two punt returns, and a rushing TD).

Sidney Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Miles Austin, and Steve Smith (NYG) all have more receiving yards than Jackson in the NFC.

Only Fitzgerald and Austin have more TDs, while Jackson is the only one in the group to return punts.

Jackson is approaching a Devin-Hester-in-'07-like level.

Defenses are terrified of getting beat by him deep, yet it continues to happen.

Why did the Giants not double-team Jackson at any point?

The explosive play ability of Jackson and the Eagles will keep this team afloat well into January.

In only his second year, Jackson (who needs a nickname ASAP) has a chance to be one of the top receivers for the next five to 10 years.

"He loves to play the game," Eagles' coach Andy Reid, who can't help chest-bumping Jackson after a TD, said. "He wants the ball, and I love giving it to him."

LeBron James Hasn't Improved In Over Two Years

2009-12-09T22:59:00.001-05:00

Let me clear this up right away...LeBron James is the second best player in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant. He can get to the rim at will and has improved his defense tremendously since entering the league. He is the face of the NBA and is a model citizen off the court.

But his actions since last May are becoming too hard to ignore. He has gotten a free pass from the media since he was in high school and the man can get away with things that essentially every other player can't.

This all started back in May after the Conference Finals.

He attempted to single handily beat the Magic and when he came up short he refused to shake hands with the victors. He stormed off and even left his demoralized teammates out to dry as James skipped out on the post-game press conference as well. Most people looked at this as if he was the ultimate competitor or he just hates losing so much so they rationalized.

Who likes losing? Of course most players don't want to deal with that crap after getting beat but they do, because they are professionals. LeBron acted liked an amateur.

This summer James sat back and let rumors about his impending 2010 free agency swirl . He didn't make a single comment on the situation and left Cavs fans sweating bullets in full on paranoia mode. That's not what I have a problem with.

When the Cavs invaded Madison Square Garden last month James looked like a foster kid that just met his real dad.

He was engaged with the crowd and with all the famous celebrities sitting court-side and even wore shoes that had NYC written on them. After the game there was a line of famous people waiting on him to talk. Jay-Z, A-Rod, C.C. Sabathia, and Mark Texeria were all there giving him the New York pitch.

And just last week he was doing a dance on the sideline during a blow-out win against the Chicago Bulls. IT WAS DURING LIVE ACTION. I've never even heard of anything like that before. Where is the professionalism and respect for the game at?

All the above is off the court stuff. On the court he has created a unique situation. He is the most exciting player in the NBA, so you would think he is on a must-see team. The reality is that the Cavs have turned into quite possibly the most boring team in the league and the hardest to watch.

Time and time again four Cavs are spectators as LeBron sits on the ball waiting to breakdown an opponent one-on-one. The offensive game-plan for the Cavs seemingly has two plays: High pick for LeBron with Shaq or Z, and a curl screen for Delonte West or Mo Williams.

Tuesday night's game against the Memphis Grizzles was a perfect example. He held the ball for 15-20 seconds of the shot clock before launching a three or barreling down the lane making the officials blow the whistle. The Grizz figured this out and Rudy Gay was able to get a few crunch time steals because of it.

On the final possession in regulation James sat at the top of the key for a good 15 seconds with no movement at all by the other four Cavs. Finally with about five seconds left on the shot clock he lowered his shoulder and barreled down the lane drawing the foul and sending the game into OT.

James has gotten into the habit of using his brute strength to punish the defender. He doesn't give them a chance to move their feet and attempt to play solid D. He knows the refs give him the benefit of the doubt and he takes advantage of a ton, especially in the last two minutes of games.

He tried to do the same in OT but this time the Grizz were able to avoid his initiated contact and force him into a bad shot. Then his shot to win the game resulted in a extremely tough fad-away that didn't have a prayer.

Sure he had 43 points and 13 boards, but why did he shoot 13 three's?

James is taking the city of Cleveland for a roller coaster ride of emotions and he seemingly enjoys doing it. He asked reporters to stop asking him about his free agency saying its getting old. What's getting old is the way he continually shoves his other options directly into the face of Cavalier ownership.

James needs to spend next summer with Kobe and learn from him. He needs to develop a post up game so he can stop running over people while taking a beating in the process. He needs to stop taking so many three-pointers and fade-aways.

James hasn't improved his game since the improbable run to the 2007 NBA Finals against the Spurs. It seems that he is comfortable with his current averages of 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Amazing numbers for sure.

But he is capable of more. He was touted as the next MJ but that killer instinct isn't there.

The straight out of high school star has become complacent with his current position. But will the team that he plays for next year feel the same way after dropping hundred's of millions of dollars on him? Who knows...

Cincinnati Bengals Stale Pass Offense Still Sputtering

2009-12-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

Another day another win full of question marks for the Cincinnati Bengals after Sunday’s 23-13 victory over the Detroit Lions. Of course it’s incredible that the Bengals control the AFC North at 9-3, a year after finishing 4-11-1.

Cedric Benson picked up where he left off after a two game hiatus to gain 110 yards on 36 carries. The run blocking continues to impress and Benson looked fresh (although 36 carries is too much when you have a healthy Larry Johnson).

The problem is that the previously standards have been set for this team. The bar has been raised a few feet and now the new expectations are not being met.

This has nothing to do with the defense that has given up the fewest points in the league at 187.

The job that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has done will likely earn him a head coaching gig next year. Middle linebacker Dhani Jones is the definition of a leader, both on and off the field. And the starting corners Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall both deserve Pro Bowl consideration.

Kudos to the entire D. BUT, let’s talk about the offense. Throw out the Jonathan Fanene defensive TD, and the Bengals offense scored 16 points on the leagues worst secondary. This is a week after dropping 16 on the punch less Browns.

Is it the QB’s fault?

For the first time since 2004 Carson Palmer is looking quite average. He finished 17/29 for 220 yards with one TD and two INT’s plus a lost fumble. Although both INT’s looked to be Laveranues Coles’ fault, Palmer was not very accurate. He missed a couple of throws down the field and at times got “happy feet” in the pocket.

Maybe it’s due to the multiple injuries he has suffered over the years, but Palmer does not hang in the pocket and trust his lineman the same way Tom Brady or Brett Favre does. He is tucking the ball away and running more than ever.

The issues with any receiver without a Mexican last name are becoming more apparent as well. As stated above, Coles was either not breaking correctly out of his routes or Palmer miss read the defense on multiple plays.

Caldwell, the supposed third receiver, didn’t have a single catch. A closer look reveals that he simply wasn’t open. If he can’t create separation against the Lions 31st rank pass coverage then there is a problem.

The lack of a deep threat continues to plague this team. Without Chris Henry, the deep ball isn’t even an option any more. And the second round pick of last year Jerome Simpson is unable to get on the field. He was drafted for his explosive play ability and superior speed. He has been a complete bust a pick so far, especially considering the outstanding play of this years second round pick linebacker Rey Malaluga. Simpson has one catch for two yards in his career.

Having said that, Chad OchoCinco is looking just fine (except for the false start that has become routine). Nine catches for 137 and a TD is another day at the office for “the interesting one”. The best play of the game was a 36-yard beauty that Palmer led right into the hands of Chad for the lone offensive TD. It was a reminder of what could be done in this offense.

But Chad can’t do it alone. The tight end position continues to be a major weakness. Ben “stone hand” Coats dropped yet another TD. J P Foschi wasn’t much better; he only had a 16-yard grab with a holding penalty to boot. As the season rolls along it has become clear that the tight end spot is the weakest on the team.

Meanwhile fourth round pick Chase Coffman out of Missouri rots away on the practice squad. He had all the opportunity to make a difference but it seems he is simply not NFL ready yet. Consider this a red shirt season for Coffman.

Penalties are not helping either. Nine more for 75 is not going to cut it against better teams. The offensive line has been called for way to many false starts and holding penalties. Andrew Whitworth seemingly has at least one of each per game. Dennis Roland has been guilty of similar crimes in recent weeks.

As the season rolls along the cliché “we are who we are” begins to ring true. The 2009 Bengals are a team built off defense and running the ball. The offense isn’t going to light up the scoreboard. Yards are gained in chunks, not gobs. The big play, quick strike ability doesn’t exist in Cincinnati this year.

It’s about ball control, time of possession, and sound special team coverage. Will this formula work outside of the AFC North? A date at the Meterodome with the Vikings is on tap, followed by a trip to sunny San Diego to decide who get the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

The Bengals have played to the level of competition all year long, will this trend continue?

Brian Kelly: Put Cincinnati Out of Its Misery

2009-12-03T21:59:00.002-05:00

Every December reminds me why I love to hate college football. And I’m not here to talk about the insane BCS “play-off” system either. It’s the process of coaching changes and the destruction it leaves the school that gets dumped.

Why does the NCAA condone a system in which its top coaches are forced to make career decisions in early December, when they should be attending to the business of winning big games? Does all the hard work and team camaraderie that has been achieved since August get lost in the dollar signs?

It’s all about recruiting. It’s about National Signing Day, which for some reason occurs in February. Not having a coach for a long enough time period can lead an athletic director to pull the trigger in panic and drop the ball (see Notre Dame for the past three coaches).

Cincinnati's Brian Kelly has been a winner everywhere. No need to barrage you with stats but the guy has never had a losing season. He has taken the UC football program and given it an extreme makeover winning addition. The excitement for UC football has never been so high. Prior to his arrival, the Bearcats had only one season with double-digit wins (1951).

The team is undefeated and ranked No. 5, a year after getting to their first ever BCS bowl. Kelly has assumed the throne in the Queen City and is as beloved a figure as Pete Rose right now. The guy can rob a bank in the Nati' and get a slap on the wrist. He is the savior, the one that did the unthinkable.

All this excitement is now being transformed into paranoia and depression.

Once Notre Dame started going down the tubes the rumors began to swirl. Kelly is Irish, he is Catholic, he's an east coast guy, he can handle the media pressure because his dad was a politician were all reasons he could fit the job description.

Forget the fact that Kelly had once told the media how much he loved the Cincinnati school system and his kids told him they don't want to ever move. That was waaaay back in September, ancient news now.

As Cincinnati's historic season rolled on, so did the rumors of their coach. Once Notre Dame lost to Navy, it turned into a Kansas size tornado of speculation. As Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, John Gruden, Gary Patterson, and Kirk Ferentz all publicly declined, Kelly's name crept farther and farther up the list.

This week alone there has been a report on Irishcentral.com that a so-called “Irish expert” already confirmed he will sign a contract on Monday. Another report says that Kelly announced he was staying put on a Cincinnati radio station.

The No. 5 Bearcats (11-0, 6-0) play for a Big East title and possible berth in the BCS National Championship Game on Saturday at Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1). The players and their coach have been forced to talk about a team they might never play more than the team they play for a Big East Championship this week.

Kelly isn’t being vocal about it to his players either.

"He hasn't addressed it," tight end Ben Guidugli said. "We would have liked for him to address it, but he didn't. It's not taking anything away from this game. All the work we have done, we are not going to let anybody take away from this game we got coming up."

An 18th-straight regular season victory, combined with a Nebraska upset of Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game, could deliver a spot in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 8 against the winner of the SEC title. At the very least it would be back-to-back BCS Bowl appearances to match consecutive Big East titles.

But Kelly could be the next Irish coach as early as Sunday or Monday. Kelly’s even familiar with the awkward situation. After Mark Dantonio left Cincinnati in the dust to go off to the Big Ten to coach Michigan St, Kelly came in to lead the Bearcats to a win in the International Bowl.

The bottom line is that the Irish will flash enough dough to get their man and the Bearcats will revert to the norm. A season that should be so memorable, a season that could end with a perfect record just leaves fans with the depressing knowledge of knowing that it’s team is nothing more than a pit stop on the coaching carousel.

Kelly was on the verge of owning the city. He was inching toward the Bob Huggins stratosphere of king of the city. He could have signed a 15-year contract extension if he wanted.

Instead he will take the money and slowly get beaten to a pulp by the Notre Dame media. Every year will be like sticking your head in a pressure cooker and hoping for the best. At first he will be loved, but look how far Charlie Weiss fell after taking the Irish to a BCS game in his first season.

Good luck getting to a BCS bowl with that defense BK.

“It’s not comfortable for me,’’ Kelly said Tuesday. “It’s not comfortable for those involved. (But) it’s the reality of it. The only thing I can control is the message every day to our football players, how we can become champions. I can’t handle all these other things out there.’’

Yes you can actually. Do what so many others have done and say thanks, but no thanks. Instead, the most legendary year of an entire program has been overshadowed by a 6-6 team’s interest in their coach. This is the way college football works in 2009. Loyalty is drowned by fame and fortune.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals Need to Air It Out Sooner or Later

2009-12-02T22:26:00.002-05:00

OK, we get it, Marvin: the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals want to establish the running game.

You have proven to the entire league that the four-headed monster that is Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott, Larry Johnson, and Brian Leonard can run, jump, juke and spin around opponents.

Fans are beginning to wonder if QB Carson Palmer is even the key to success anymore.

While the pass happy magical-turned-nightmarish 2005 is a distant memory, the key to winning is the same. Palmer was a Pro Bowler that year, had a fantasy player's dream of a stat line.

Now he is tucking the ball and running at a career-best rate. Everybody is getting in on the running game it seems.

Palmer hasn't thrown for over 300 yards going back to the 2007 season. He threw for 110 yards against the freakin' Browns last week. What is the deal with Palmer, has he lost his skills?

Not quite...

Palmer is one of the top seven or eight QBs in the NFL. He is forgotten by the national media because of the flashy, yet overrated young guns like Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler, and Tony Romo.

This season he hasn't been asked to carry the team until the end of games. When he does throw, it has been screens, slants, and curls. Long bombs have been harder to find than a believable Tiger Woods excuse.

This has nothing to do with Palmer's arm strength or accuracy. It’s the lack of a deep threat (Chris Henry on IR hurts bad) as well as the overall offensive philosophy that has changed.

Why not have Palmer sit back in the pocket that extra two-to-three seconds and wait for the deep ball?

The Bengals are well aware that No. 9 going down also means the team goes down. He is the one guy that can't get hurt. They already had two scares this season with his health.

In a "here we go again" moment, Palmer sprained his ankle in the first game of the preseason and didn't play again till Week One after missing 12 games last year. In October, Palmer sprained his non-throwing hand, having to wear a protective glove and hand-off with his throwing hand ever since.

So, naturally, Bengal fans are concerned for his health. But concerned with the 29-year old's ability? No way.

Remember earlier in the season when the Bengals earned the nickname "the Cardiac Cats"? They made a habit of demoralizing the opponent with a last second scoring drive.

Palmer drove the length of the field to beat the Broncos with 17 seconds left (until the immaculate deflection).

He conducted a clock devouring six-minute drive that culminated in a TD and a win with 20 seconds to go against Pittsburgh. He had a 15-yard scamper setting up a field goal on a fourth down in overtime against the Browns that prevented a tie, and he marched down the field against Baltimore in the final minute as well.

Coach Marvin Lewis understands this. He knows what Palmer is capable of. That's why he is protecting him so much. But as the NFL schedule hits Week 13, it's time to go deep.

Enter the Detroit Lions.

The Lions will visit Paul Brown this Sunday sporting the 31st-ranked passing defense. They rarely pressure the QB and have an extremely mediocre secondary.

This is the game where Palmer can dial up some bombs to Chad or some deep slants to Coles. They need to put up 21 by halftime, to show the Lions (and more importantly the rest of the NFL) that they are more than a running team. Open up the floodgates early to quiet the offensive doubters.

Aside from the 45-point Bears explosion, the offense has put up a measly 17, 18, 17, and 16 points. But they won three out of four.

Sunday needs to be the day to take advantage of the matchups and make a statement, not to mention the importance of keeping the one and only Chad Ochocinco interested. You know deep down he is fuming over the pedestrian numbers being put up. The last thing the Bengals need is a late season Chad concern.

I have a feeling this won't be the case since coach Lewis brought in his new toy, Larry Johnson.

He is saving the majority of the playbook for the Vikings and Chargers in back-to-back road games following Sunday. Lewis understands the significance of those two games, and the insignificance of the Lions game.

Be prepared to complain about the offense for another week Bengals fans. But when they travel to the Metrodome to play the Vikings, I’ll expect the offense to finally have the training wheels taken off.

Maybe a basic game plan can still yield 28 against the Lions, or it will be another 16-7 yawner.

Bengals Run Over Hapless Browns

2009-11-29T22:10:00.000-05:00

The Cincinnati Bengals played the ball control game as they ran down the Cleveland Browns throats in a 16-7 workman like victory. The Bengals held the ball for just over 38 minutes as they rushed for 210 yards on the ground.

The Browns were simply unable to stop the Bengals two-headed rushing attack of Larry Johnson and Bernard Scott. With Cedric Benson out for the second straight game with a hip injury, the team continued to impose its will in the running game. Johnson had 22 carries for 107 yards; Scott had 87 yards on 18 carries.

The stellar play of the Benglas defense continued Sunday. An overmatched Brady Quinn looked awful, going 15/34 for 100 yards. That’s a 51.3 QB rating. He threw behind several receivers. His passes too often were at the shoelaces. A couple of times, he threw downfield between two receivers—but the pass was so bad, that it was hard to know who the intended receiver was.

Quinn wasn’t even pressured much by the Bengals front four, but the pass coverage was once again top notch. The linebackers were all over the field, especially Brandon Johnson and his eight tackles. The Browns finished with only 58 yards on the ground and 169 total.

Overall the game plan was incredibly vanilla. The Bengals had zero trick plays and lots of runs between the tackles. No reason to empty the play book in a game like this.

"There are no tosses or loop-di-loop plays. It's basically, `Line up and go after it,' " Johnson said.

Punter Kevin Huber was able to keep the ball out of Josh Cribbs on punt returns and he barely touched the ball at all. Although he did throw an 18 yard bomb to Quinn that was the second biggest offense play all day for the Browns.

The Browns defense knew what was coming but simply couldn’t do anything about it. Carson Palmer had a pedestrian 110 yards, completing 13 of 24 passes with a touchdown. He didn’t have an exceptionally accurate day. He has gone 15 straight games without having a 300-yard passing day. He only has two TD tosses in the past four games.

Palmer has really adapted to the “game manger” role in this offense. He doesn’t have to do it all for the Bengals to have a chance. He continues to take care of the ball and be the leader on offense.

"It felt like a bad-weather game," said Palmer. "It was just a physical, run the ball, control the field position and feed off the defense game."

Past concerns did arise during the game. The team is averaging around 18 points a game minus the Bears 45 point explosion. The offense is settling for field goals and getting killed by penalties. An infuriating 10 penalties for 75 yards continually killed momentum on drives.

The main culprits were the offensive line—too many holding penalties. The pass protection was below average as well. As great as the run blocking was, the pass blocking was pretty awful. Palmer was sacked three times and hurried throughout the game.

Chad Ochocinco (three receptions for 38 yards) is still playing at a high level, but if teams take him away, Palmer is struggling find other receivers. Partly because they are not getting open, and also because he is getting hit before he can get to that second or third read.

So what does it all mean? Well 8-3 is 8-3. A perfect 6-0 divisional sweep for the first time in franchise history is a tremendous achievement. But there are still things that need to be cleaned up.

CBS Sports analyst Boomer Esiason said it perfectly after the game. Maybe it’s a good thing that the Bengals haven’t hit on all cylinders yet. They are doing what needs to be done in order to win the game. Maybe they’re saving the best for December and January.

"If we can run the football and play good defense, I can drive into the stadium pretty confident most days, and that's a good feeling," coach Marvin Lewis said. "I think we are at that point."

Ten Reasons Why the Bengals Lost to the Raiders

2009-11-23T18:01:00.001-05:00

Talk about your classic "Don't let a bad team hang around" game. The Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t hold a 14-0 lead and let the Raiders slowly inch back into this ugly contest. The Raiders scored 10 unanswered points over the final minute to take a 20-17 win. How did this possibly happen?

1. The playcalling on offense. The Bengals abandoned the passing game in the second half. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski called way too many runs on second and third and long. Bernard Scott did rush for 119 yards on 19 carries but didn’t convert enough third downs to run out the clock.

Fullback Jermi Johnson had a key fourth quarter fumble with the Bengals inside the Raiders 15-yard line. He almost never gets a carry, why decide to give him one when Scott was running so well? For the day the Bengals had three fumbles and QB Carson Palmer’s last hail mary was picked off to make it four total turnovers.

2. The previously invincible offensive line couldn’t protect Palmer in the second half. The Raiders were getting consistent pressure which led to an antsy Palmer. He rushed numerous throws in addition to the strip-fumble

3. Shayne “franchise tag” Graham shanked a 37-yard field goal that ended up costing his team. This guy used to have the highest percentage of made field goals of all-time. He is now a below average kicker that will most likely not be a Bengal next year.

4. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer allowed rookie nickel cornerback Morgan Trent to “cover” Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy on the final drive.

Trent got twisted around when getting burned by Murphy’s game-tying, 29-yard TD with 33 seconds remaining. The rookie sixth-round draft pick has played well up to today, but QB Bruce Gradkowski kept throwing his way in the fourth quarter.

This was the first game the Bengals really could have used recently IR’ed safety Roy Williams.

5. With Bernard Scott (21 carries, 119 yards) promoted to starting tailback in the wake of Benson’s deactivation, the kickoff return job fell by default back to Andre Caldwell.

Caldwell fumbled Oakland’s kickoff with 0:27 on the clock, setting up Sebastian Janikowski’s game-winning, 33-yard field goal with 0:15 remaining. Caldwell shouldn’t have even returned it as he caught the ball mid-way in the end zone.

Scott had returned a kick to the house last week against Pittsburgh after a mediocre performance by Caldwell to start the season.

6. Their opening drive, which went for a touchdown, was more crappy magazine than textbook perfection. The drive covered 78 yards, but included six plays for negative yards. Three were penalties. Chad OchoCinco had two false starts and the team overall seemed to lack focus.

7. Cincinnati is 0-10 in Oakland, 1-14 on the road vs. the Raiders. Not sure what it means but that is not a good stat for the Bengals. The Oakland Coliseum was half empty and the crowd was a non-factor. Didn’t matter

8. The Bengals have scored less than 20 points six times in 10 games. Since putting up 45 against the Bears, the Bengals have combined to score 45 in the last three games.

9. The prevent D in the last two minutes. Soft coverage, shoddy tackling, and no pressure on the QB… sound like a recipe for success??

10. Jonathan Joseph lets a game-ending interception fly right through his hands. On one of the final plays on the game-tying TD drive, QB Bruce Gradkowski threw a rocket that Joseph jumped the route and simply didn’t catch.

“We didn’t play winning football long enough or consistently enough. When you don’t win we better learn a hell of a lesson because we paid a hell of a price.”

—Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game. Sounds about right.

The New York Knicks Needed Allen Iverson

2009-11-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

The NBA is about winning, just like every other sport. It is also about entertainment. You must entertain the people that decide to dedicate three hours of their life to watch your product. The 2009-2010 New York Knicks are as exciting as a Joe Lieberman speech. That’s why they swung and missed with free agent Allen Iverson.

Team president, Donnie Walsh, confirmed the decision early Friday at the team’s training center.

The Knicks are not a very good team; the 2-9 start is not quite play-off material. The Knicks are already six and a half games back of the Celtics in the Atlantic standings. The Yankees have as many wins this month as the Knicks. The defense has been abysmal, giving up almost 110 points a game. I could go on but I’ll spare the Knick faithful.

In other words, the Knicks are going nowhere this season. It is painfully obvious that the front office is hoping to jump in a time machine and set the date to July 2010. They could also go the Austin Powers or Eric Cartman route and freeze Donnie Walsh till July. In other words, this is a complete throw away season.

So when a player like Iverson is coming off the scrap heap, eager to prove all the doubter wrong, you HAVE TO GET HIM.

The guy has been a top ten talent for the past decade plus in the league. His highlight reel is a mile long. A.I. plays with a fearlessness that anybody can admire. The Knicks are one of the only teams that could start him, something extremely important to Iverson.

Iverson would have been given only a one-year contract, probably for the veteran’s minimum of $1.3 million. His signing would have no direct impact on the Knicks plans to pursue a superstar free agent next summer.

But it’s more than that. The Knicks need a star, a recognizable name. It’s safe to say that most people could not name three players on the current squad.

The Knicks have few players on the team that excite the crowd. Maybe Nate Robinson, but that’s even a stretch. Putting a player like A.I. on the Knicks would insert some instant energy in the team and fans. If the Knicks didn’t play in Madison Square Garden, the team would be playing in front of half empty arenas on a nightly basis.

With Iverson drawing the attention of opposing defenses, there would be better scoring chances for Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and David Lee.

There would also be some short-term disruption. Either Chris Duhon or Toney Douglas would lose a starting job. Iverson would also cut into the playing time of Larry Hughes and Robinson. One of those players might fall out of the rotation entirely. Was this the reason they didn’t want to sign Iverson, so Hughes could continue to play? Garbage.

The team needed some sort of energy boost and declined.

“Our goal this year was to try to develop the young players and to see which of the young veterans we have could fit into what we want to do in the future,” Walsh said.

Way to waive the white flag in November Walsh, just remember that it’s going to be mighty hard to convince LeBron, D-Wade, or Bosh to come to a last place team that doesn’t even own a 2010 first round pick. It could get extremely ugly in the “Mecca of hoops” by the time Santa is making his rounds.

Larry Johnson Signed by Bengals for Stretch Run

2009-11-18T22:40:00.003-05:00

The "redeemer" strikes again.

The Cincinnati Bengals have signed former Kansas City RB Larry Johnson.

After being released by the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, Johnson was left jobless. He cleared waivers, meaning every team had a chance to grab him and all declined.

From leading rusher to leading a rush to the unemployment line: a humbling experience for a guy that needed just that.

Bengals owner Mike Brown has been nicknamed the "redeemer" in Cincinnati for giving troubled players a second chance (or fifth, for Chris Henry) to be an NFL player. The theory is that a lot of these players have plenty of talent left in them, plus they are as cheap as can be.

Johnson's contract is prorated for the league minimum for the rest of the year. Not bad for a guy that was only 70 or so yards away from being the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher.

But if the Chiefs paid $2.1 million for Johnson to stay away, how much does he have left in the tank?

The Bengals got a steal when they scrapped Cedric Benson off the trash heap. Everybody passed on him till the Bengals signed him during Week Five of the 2008 season. This year he is in the top five in rushing yards with 859 to go along with six TDs.

So why would the Bengals need this guy if they have a top rusher like Benson?

It is nothing more than, in coach Marvin Lewis' words, "a insurance policy." Benson is at 205 carries and is on pace for the seventh most in league history. He is entering uncharted waters, as his career high is only 214. He suffered a hip flexor against the Steelers and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Oakland.

Lewis said during his Monday press conference that Johnson would be the fourth running back and that the role of the three backs on the roster would be the same.

“It would have zero affect on Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott, or Brian Leonard,” Lewis said. “I’m very happy right now with what they’re doing and their roles, and I want to see Bernard’s role continue to expand as it did yesterday (Sunday).”

Johnson will be limited in practice and evaluated throughout the week as the club prepares for its trip to Oakland.

Lewis said he will be expected to do all the things a fourth running back is supposed to do, such as special teams. Not sure if Johnson will be okay with that for more than a few weeks. But after eating an extra large piece of humble pie, maybe he has gained a new perspective.

In the end, it is a low risk, high reward move for the Bengals. The locker room is finally strong enough for Johnson to just slide in and do his job. The veterans will not allow him to pull any of the crap he did in Kansas City.

He might not have any gas left in the tank, but it's worth a shot. He had a few outstanding years in KC, and now the Bengals are extremely deep at running back.

He will also come in handy as the temperatures drops and his physical style of play and ball protection will be needed. The NFL is a long and grueling season, and I have no problem with the Bengals going out and making a move to ensure they don't sputter down the stretch.

Oh, and by the way...the Chiefs make a visit to Cincinnati on Dec. 27. I wonder if Johnson has already circled that one on the calendar. Maybe he can pull a Benson and destroy his former team and exact some sweet revenge.

The Cincinnati Bengals Physicality Punishes Pittsburgh Steelers

2009-11-15T21:39:00.003-05:00

Are you a believer yet?

The bandwagon is filling up with fans at a feverish pace.

The Cincinnati Bengals went into Pittsburgh and came out with a hard fought, tough as nails 18-12 victory. Neither team scored an offensive touchdown in what turned out to be a battle of the trenches. Usually the Steelers win the physical match-up, but not against this Bengals team.

''That's probably the most grinding football game I ever experienced,'' Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after the game. The Bengals were able to punish the Ravens and Steelers on back-to-back weeks and beat them at their game.

The D was able to get consistent pressure on QB Ben Roethlisberger. He came into the game tied for first in the NFL with a completion rate of 70.6 percent, but he was 20/40 on Sunday with an INT. He rarely seemed comfortable in the pocket.

DE Jonathan Fanene had six tackles with two being for losses, two sacks, two QB hits and a pass deflection. DE Frostee Rucker was able to intercept a tipped pass that set up a field goal. For the game the Bengals were able to take down Big Ben four times.

Every time the Steelers got into the red-zone, the Bengals D got stingy. Pittsburgh could only muster four Jeff Reed field goals. Once again the stellar secondary led by Leon Hall, and Jonathan Joseph were able to shut down WR Hines Ward (26 yards) and rookie WR Mike Wallace (16 yards). That was big considering both had big games in the first match-up.

''They're clearly the best team in the division,'' Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark said. ''I'd give my left arm to play them again.''

Offensively the Bengals didn’t set any records by any stretch. It was a lot of short slant routes and runs up the gut. QB Carson Palmer was 18/30 for 178 yards and didn’t have a turnover. In fact the team was turnover free.

RB Bernard Scott came in to replace the injured Cedric Benson and finished with 33 yards. As a team the Cincinnati only gained 61 yards on the ground.

But Scott proved coach Lewis right when he inserted him as the new kick-off returner He took a first quarter kick 96 yards for the only TD of the game. What a way to start off in your new role.

The biggest issue facing Cincinnati now is the health of Benson, who left the game with a hip injury. If Benson's injury were serious, that would be a big loss for the Bengals. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that he is expected to play next week at Oakland. There have been rumors linking free agent Larry Johnson to the Bengals even before Bensons injury. This story will gain more steam as the week progresses.

The Steelers were without star safety Troy Polamalu for all but the opening series as he aggravated the left knee injury that previously sidelined him for four games. He underwent an MRI exam, but there was no immediate word about his status.

By sweeping the season series for the first time since 1998, the Bengals effectively lead Pittsburgh by two games because they own the tiebreaker and, for the first time in their history, a 5-0 division record.

''In the past, we would lose games like this,'' center Kyle Cook said.

Cincinnati ate up much of the clock in the final seven minutes, culminating in a 43 yard Shayne Graham field goal. The Steelers got the ball back with slightly less than two minutes to play, but Roethlisberger threw incomplete on four consecutive downs from the 33, and it was over.

"This was a statement game," Cincinnati safety Chris Crocker said. "Beat Pittsburgh two times. Beat Baltimore two times. Now everyone [in the AFC North] is looking at us from behind."

So what did we learn today class?

1.) The Bengals beat the Super Bowl champs without big days from their two biggest offensive weapons. Benson had 22 yards on seven carries before leaving the game and Chad OchoCinco only had two receptions for 29 yards.

2.) The Steelers offensive line struggled against the front four of the Bengals D. Rashard Mendenhall was held to 36 yards and the pressure on Ben was there all game long.

3.) Carson Palmer didn’t have a great game and his team still won. Usually the Bengals live and die by the play of the franchise QB. He was high on a multiple throws and put a little too much mustard on a few as well. But he played the game manger role and was able to keep the Steelers off balance even without a great effort in the running game.

4.) Willie Parker is done in black and gold. One carry for seven yards? No way he is a Steeler in 2010.

5.) The Bengals are for real, for real. Talking heads on T.V, and radio were all predicting a Pittsburgh win. Even Vegas still didn’t believe in them. After being favored to lose by three AT HOME against Baltimore, the Bengals were once again favored to lose, this time by seven.

6.) The Bengals are a perfect 4-0 on the road this season, with wins at Lambeau Field, Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium and the Big Ketchup Bottle in Pittsburgh.

7.) With a AFC North crown in clear view; the goal shifts to play-off positioning. This team has a real shot of finishing in the top two and earning a coveted bye in the play-offs. Who wudda thunk it after that week one miracle tip loss against Denver? The Cincinnati Bengals are 7-2 and the bandwagon is getting bigger by the day.

I’ll leave you with the quote of the game courtesy of LB Brandon Johnson, whom filled in nicely for injured starter Keith Rivers.

“I’m almost diabetic right now it’s so sweet. I’m so excited right now I can barely contain myself.”

Child Please: Chad OchoCinco Fined $20,000 For "Bribe"

2009-11-14T00:12:00.000-05:00

The No Fun League strikes again.

On Friday, Cincinnati Bengals wide-out Chad Ochocinco was fined $20,000 for flashing a dollar bill at an official during a replay review in the third quarter of last Sunday’s 17-7 win against the Baltimore Ravens.

He had what appeared to be a first down catch over two Raven defenders before Baltimore threw the challenge flag. The play was overturned and the Bengals were forced to punt.

What urked the league office was his use of the word “bribe” during postgame remarks.

Ray Anderson imposed the fine on Ochocinco for violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (b), of the Playing Rules which prohibits use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures toward game officials.

He was also in violation of Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (f) of the Playing Rules which prohibits possession or use of extraneous objects that are not part of the uniform during the game on the field or sideline.

In a letter to Ochocinco, Anderson said, “The very appearance of impropriety is not acceptable. Your conduct was unprofessional and unbecoming of an NFL Player.”

Earlier this season Ochocinco was fined $7,500 and $10,000 for chinstrap violations. Ochocinco is now up to $37,500 for the season in fines.

This is yet another example of the NFL thinking they are an "image conscious" league.

They fine players for the most ticky-tacky actions.

Meanwhile, the NFL off-season is plagued by off the field incidents that can include DUI's, drug usage, manslaughter, possession of unregistered fire arms, dog fighting, and even murder.

That's OK as long as it's not on a Sunday in the fall.

The NFL under Roger Goodell is a joke and something needs to be done, but at the same time, $20,000 is nothing for the "Mexican footballer" Estaban Ocho Cinco aka Chad Johnson.

But seriously, $20 G's for what was clearly a gag? Does the league office really think he is serious? Do they think the refs can be swayed by a George Washington? How much do the refs get paid? The NFL perplexes me.

Today, and for the past couple of years, the NFL gets a big "Child Please" from this writer.

Notre Dame Football Coach: Not So Great Of a Job Anymore

2009-11-12T19:30:00.000-05:00

Notre Dame is a shell of its former self.

Sure they have a stud quarterback that can put points on the board with the best of them. But the tradition in South Bend is fading faster than the value of the dollar. It isn't prestigious to go to Notre Dame anymore.

As the Fighting Irish wrap up another disappointing season; the status of Charlie Weis continually is questioned. If he were to be fired, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly and ESPN's Jon Gruden have been mentioned as a successor (along with Urban Meyer, but he would be straight loony to leave the swamp).

My question is why?

Why would Kelly leave a program right as they are peaking? Kelly is quickly achieving a tremendous reputation in the Cincinnati area and the fans think the man turns everything into gold. He can do no wrong in the Queen City, turning into one of the biggest figures in the whole state of Ohio in 2009. Why leave the throne?

With quarterback Jimmy Clausen possibly leaving after this year, whomever takes over will have to enter the dreaded "rebuilding stage." The backup quarterback is saddled with an ACL injury that will keep him out of next year's spring practice.

It will be rocky for whomever takes over. So if you're Kelly, why piss off the same people that worship you and willingly be placed under a gigantic microscope of second guessing and criticism?

Jon Gruden has settled in nicely as an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst. He brings strong passion and valuable insight to the table every week.

Lots of swirling rumors report that a return to coaching in 2010 is eminent for Gruden. But will he have the patience to deal with college kids after being in the NFL for so long? Not to mention the lack of recruiting experience he brings to the table.

Think about football in the Fighting Irish's heyday under Lou Holtz, and think about it now. Back then, being on TV every game was a huge deal. Now every BCS conference team has games on T.V. The Big Ten even has its own channel.

The team hasn't won a championship in 21 years and hasn't had a Heisman winner in 22, yet the ridiculously high expectations from the fan base continue. The tradition of a school is a non-factor for kids today, that used to be a major selling point at Notre Dame.

It's not a great place to go to school in terms of hot girls or campus/town life either. That is a major reason why the Florida schools, Texas, and USC are flourishing. They have the "extras" that ND can't provide. The weather stinks, lots of rain and wind. Why deal with that when you can go to school next to a beach?

While everyone else is battling for conference titles, Notre Dame is on an island as an independent. As a player, if you lose three games, you have nothing to play for. And playing USC every year doesn't help.

So what is appealing about the Notre Dame job? Money. It's a fat pay check that can rarely be matched. And unfortunately in college football, the coaches follow the money. So even if Gruden or Kelly read this article, the endless money symbols will cloud their judgement. This is how Notre Dame stays relevant ... $$$.

As you listen to the never ending debates about Charlie Weis getting fired just remember that the same debates will continue to ring, regardless of the head coach. But when the $$ is right, most coaches can handle that juuuust fine.

Bengals D Show Flacco, Ravens How To Be Top Notch

2009-11-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

How long does it take to earn respect? Even after jumping to a 5-2 start the Cincinnati Bengals were still not viewed as serious contenders.

Virtually all of the “experts” predicted the Baltimore Ravens defense would avenge the 17-14 loss of a month ago. Boy were they wrong on a gorgeous November afternoon. It turned out to be the Bengals defense that set the tone on a sunny side up 17-7 victory in front of a sold-out Paul Brown Stadium.

The Ravens were stymied by the excellent pass coverage of the Bengals secondary. The Ravens were a poultry 1-10 on third down conversions in the game while the Bengals converted 8-18. The one conversion for Baltimore came with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Bengals DB’s are quietly becoming one of the top tandems in the league. Leon Hall had an INT, three tackles and two pass deflections while Jonathan Joseph also had an INT to go along with four tackles and five pass deflections. In the two-game sweep the duo essential shutdown the Ravens receivers.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco and WR Derrick Mason connected on just three of 13 targets Sunday, and Flacco connected on just five of 18 receiver passes. Baltimore receivers in the two games against Cincy were thrown to 27 times and made just nine catches. A mind boggling stat that speaks volumes of the terrific coverage. For the game Flacco was 18/32 for 195 yards and two interceptions.

The Bengals offense came out firing much like in their last game against the Chicago Bears. After a hot start, QB Carson Palmer “cooled off” to finish 20/33 for 224 yards and one TD.

His favorite target on this day was WR Laveranues Coles whom caught six balls for 74 yards. Coles finally looked like the player the Bengals signed for $27.5 million. He broke multiple SS Ed Reed tackles (tough task) and converted a couple stick moving third downs.

It was another typical ’09 Palmer performance that featured slants, curls and a few more scrambles. The one deep ball thrown to Chad was forced into double coverage and broken up. Palmer’s new found scrambling ability bought him and his recievers more time and now defenses have to stay at home on coverage down the field. It does seem that the days of long bombs are over for the Bengals.

After a 73-yard opening drive that culminated in a TD to WR Andre Caldwell, the Bengals drove 80 yards on their second series. Two pass interference penalties on the Ravens covering Chad Ochocinco—one of which converted a fourth down— led to a Cedric Benson one-yard touchdown.

Shayne Graham's 23-yard field goal on Cincinnati's third possession increased the Bengals lead to a 17-0. At halftime, the Ravens were out-gained in total yards 235-44. At one point the Bengals had 12 first downs and the Ravens had run 11 total plays. Mid way through the third quarter the Bengals had 19 first downs to the Ravens five.

Once again RB Cedric Benson ran for over 100 yards against a cocky Ravens defense. A few Ravens (mostly Ray Lewis) considered last month’s 120 yards a fluke. Well, after another 117 yards and TD, maybe Lewis and company will take him seriously next time.

He was aided by another stellar performance by the O-line. Benson enjoyed a few gapping holes in a first quarter where he gained 45 yards. And for the first time all year…no false start penalties!

The multi-millionaire rookie RT Andre Smith could have played for the first time this season, but I think Marvin Lewis didn’t believe he was one of the best eight O-line players available. Not sure if that speaks to the terrific play of the line or the ridiculously slow progress of Smith. Either way it’s a luxury to have the overpriced BMW in the shop for as long as it needs to be.

Chad had a roller coaster ride of a game. He made several catches in double coverage while picking up first downs in the process. He made an unbelievable dive on a fade route that was a beauty to watch. He had 66 yards on five catches. BUT…

Once again he was stripped by Bengals killer Ed Reed and lost the fumble. It was a punishing drive that would have made the Ravens “kiss the baby”. Instead it gave the Ravens a little bit of life in the fourth quarter. He also had a second fumble that was nullified by an illegal contact penalty earlier in the game. Speaking of penalties…

The Ravens shot themselves in the foot time and time again. They had seven penalties for 80 yards on the day. The Bengals second TD drive was aided by multiple pass interference calls on the Ravens secondary. The Bengals knew what looks obvious to the rest of us now—the Ravens DB’s are unable to cover receivers one on one. This is a major issue for Baltimore and their alleged top-notch defense.

Hard Knocks hero RB Brian Leonard once again provided some huge third down plays. He converted three of em’ and came a foot short of another. He has been everything that RB DeDe Dorsey wasn’t, a tough, physical grinder that always knows where the first down marker is.

The injury bug chomped down on WR Chris Henry’s form-arm. Looks like he will be out for the year (terrible luck in a contract year). LB Keith Rivers also left the game with a calf injury, as did G Evan Mathis with an ankle. CB Fabian Washington of the Ravens also went out of the game on the same play Henry went down.

Bottom line for the Bengals: last year they lost to the Ravens 34-3 at Paul Brown while being swept in the process. This year it’s a 17-7 home win and a Bengals sweep. My oh my what a difference a year makes. With the win, Palmer improved to 8-3 in his career against the Ravens.

At 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the AFC North, the Bengals are forced to play yet another divisional game that could decide the final standings when they travel to Heinz field to battle the Steelers. I’m sure the talking heads will favor Pittsburgh, citing last year’s success. But clearly last year means nothing in the NFL and especially to the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals.

NFL Fans Suffer from Bye Week Blues

2009-11-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

Without a doubt the longest stretch in the NFL season for a fan is the bye week.

The six days leading up to it crawl by as you read stories of players resting and taking a few days off.

The headlines on ESPN hype up the big matchups of the week and break down the upcoming games with no mention of your team.

Hearing of vacation destinations for bye week players makes me more nervous then interested in the off week (maybe because I'm a Bengals fan...but still).

Once Sunday arrives, your whole routine is thrown off. Who wants to watch the pregame shows when the team you root for will not even be mentioned? The Lions and Rams will get more coverage for this one week.

Once the games start, an odd feeling of indifference strikes. Most Sundays are filled with hype and a large dose of emotion. On bye week you are relegated to rooting for fantasy players and teams playing divisional foes.

By the end of the day nothing has changed much in the grand scheme of things. Maybe you gained or lost a half-game.

Then the highlights begin to roll in. There is no opportunity to see what the "expert" analysts think of your team's game. (One of the great feelings a fan has is when his or her team wins and you can watch the highlights and talking heads gush over them on ESPN, NBC, FOX, and CBS.)

No predictions about the upcoming games or updates on injuries. Nothing at all when it's bye week.

After it's all said and done, the bye is still not over. Now the team is subjected to minimal mention at the beginning of the week because they haven't played in a while. Rarely does a big story occur during a bye.

Dan Snyder and the Redskins had the perfect bye week because it allowed people to forget about their awful season for a week. The media pressure went down a notch (from boiling to simmering).

But for a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, the bye was ill-timed. Off a 45-10 pasting of the Chicago Bears, the momentum was strong for QB Carson Palmer and the offense. The team was relatively healthy and seemed extremely focused. Taking a week off doesn't do anything for this team.

Odd stat of the day: Marvin Lewis is 1-4-1 with the Bengals after a bye. Not sure how to interpret that one. Do the players get too much time off? Does Lewis fail to keep the squad focused on the task at hand? Or is the stat a complete coincidence? I wish I had the answer.

So while byes can be quite beneficial for teams that are banged-up or trying to release some of the steam from the pressure cooker, it doesn't always help every team—and it makes fans suffer through two painfully long weeks.

Sunday can't come soon enough.

Where Has Parity Gone In Sports??

2009-10-28T19:20:00.002-04:00

As the NBA opens the book on the 2009-2010 season one thing is certain: the great teams are going to absolutely dominant while the bad teams might have historic loss totals. This trend extends beyond the NBA and into the NFL and MLB as well.

The Lakers are the team to beat for now. They have the potential for a 60-win team with stars like Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Ron Artest.

The San Antonio Spurs have reloaded with the additions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to go along with the big three.

Superstar Carmello Anthony and his Denver Nuggets will be a contender after last year’s Conference Finals appearance.

Maybe Chris Paul pulls a miracle with the New Orleans Hornets or this is the year Greg Oden and the Blazers put it all together.

The Eastern conference will be decided by the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. All three will get 50-60 wins.

Shaq, Vince Carter, and Rasheed Wallace will all be counted on to play second or third fiddle (or fifth in Wallace’s case) to young guns and veteran all-stars. All three teams are head and shoulders above the rest of the conference.

The rest of the NBA seems to have a worse shot than Darko from deep.

The Memphis Grizzles, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Oklahoma City Thunder all enter the new season with virtually no shot of winning anything more than a high draft pick (bad news Knicks fans considering you don’t have one).

Ok, maybe one of the above teams surprise and sneak into the play-offs. The reward will be a juggernaut one seed that wipes 82 games out of your memory in the span of one week. If you are counting at home, 10 teams go into the season with slim to none chances, a third of the entire league!

The same can be said about the NFL. The bottom feeders are historically bad. The Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, and Carolina Panthers all stink. They stink like a soggy sock after you step in a puddle.

That’s nine of 30 teams that are incredibly awful. Vegas is currently in shambles because they can’t set a line high enough on these terrible teams. I used to be afraid of any line that was higher than two touchdowns. Now it is a lock every freaking week. And the good teams are covering with ease! Week 7 was considered by many Vegas experts as the worst in terms of lost money EVER.

Baseball is usually about the have’s and have not’s. Oh, the Yankees are in the World Series? Big surprise. With the exception of the Tampa Bay Rays last year, the MLB is as predictable as a FOX news anchor’s reaction to Obama’s new plan on marijuana. The list of small market teams with little to no chance is staggering.

So what happened? Why did we arrive at this point? Well like most other occurrences in 2009, blame the economy.

The sports landscape has shaded the country and its financial state. Teams like the Yankees, Lakers, and Patriots have enough money to weather the storm. They can still take risks without worrying about losing all their assets and fan support.

C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J Burnett for more than some entire team’s pay-rolls? Sure we have our own T.V. station.

But most teams don’t have this luxury. The Cincinnati Reds need a shortstop, left fielder, and a catcher. The GM Walt Jocketty was told that they might be cutting payroll for next season. They will be the guy at Wal-Mart sticking his head half way down the bargain bin looking for that hidden steal of a washed up cheap veteran.

The Yankees will buy that Ed Hardy $100 T-shirt because they saw a commercial that made the shirt look stylish.

Over half of professional sports teams can’t take any risks. They have to think conservative because a couple of wrong moves mean your team could land in L.A., Las Vegas, Canada or even England.

The Memphis Grizzles cut their entire scouting department this summer in order to save a few bucks. The Cleveland Indians within the past year and a half had both pitchers set to start Game One of the World Series (Sabathia and Cliff Lee). But due to financial constraints and free agency, they had to sell them for 60 cents on the dollar.

NFL teams are dealing with potential blackouts that prohibit the hometown fans from even viewing the product. The 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals need Chad OchoCinco and a grocery store to bail them out and buy a few thousand tickets at the 11^th hour for two separate home games. Not even winning is always the cure.

This years NBA season will be extremely predictable. The cream of the crop will dominate all season, and a team like the Kings will struggle to reach 10 wins in front of half empty arenas.

The NFL is facing a scenario where a few teams could end up either win-less or with a one in the victory column. This is coming after the Lions already had to suffer the all-time embarrassment of having to endure a win-less campaign last year.

MLB is featuring the defending champs versus the all-time franchise. Teams like the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, and Cleveland Indians enter each year knowing everything has to go right for them to have a chance at the postseason.

Something isn’t right. Let’s hope this is nothing but a phase, much like the economic downturn.

In 2009, the rich get richer and the poor go broke. The middle class has vanished. Fan emotions run off the feeling of hope with a “ya never know” mentality. It has become next to impossible to have any.

Without hope in sports—fans get apathetic—they mock the team that they have invested so much time and money into.

The Redskins were once a proud and historic franchise. Now they have billboards pleading the owner to step down. They aren't even allowed to bring signs to games anymore. This can be compared to the filthy rich CEO that blows his money on unnecessary material things that ultimately makes him look like a selfish jerk.

Here’s to hoping that the term “apathetic” doesn’t become a household word in the sports world. Until then, enjoy the Nets and T’Wolves barn-burner Wednesday night, or the Rams vs. Lions Sunday showdown.

Bengals make it Look Easy against Bears

2009-10-26T01:51:00.001-04:00

Lots of different scenarios were predicted for this game, a 45-10 Bengals romp was not one of them.

Up 21-0 in the first 17 minutes the Bengals never looked back. It was a complete beat down.

The Bengals scored 31 points in the first half, their most in the first half since scoring 31 on Sept. 23, 1990, vs. New England.

After a disappointing home loss to the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals came out and took the Chicago Bears to the woodshed. They beat them senseless and threw away the escape key. The Bengals surpassed last seasons win total in the process.

When it was all said and done, Cedric Benson had a career day with 189 yards and a TD. He showed the Bears what they were missing with multiple plays of tackle breaking, ankle turning runs. He showed his old team the speed and agility they thought they had when he was drafted fourth overall in 2005.

"He wanted to get back at us," Bears safety Danieal Manning said. "We expected that, and would expect nothing less."

Benson was so inspired that he got a little too excited.

"There were a few times where I may have gotten a little too hyped up, a little too antsy," he said. "A couple of drives, I found myself having to calm myself down and gather my emotions to stay poised. Once I got past that, we were good to go. Keep it rolling."

"Everybody knew. What a wonderful day and a wonderful thing, to go out there and strut your stuff."

He simply looked faster than the Bears D, after his first 31 carries he possessed a nine yard per carry average with only a long of 26. He consistently was getting first downs on seemingly every play. The Bengals finished the game with 30 first downs to the Bears 15.

The Bengals were superb in all facets of the game. QB Carson Palmer torched the Bears secondary for five touchdowns and 233 yards while completing 20 of 24 throws. Every ball was on the target and Palmer was only a victim of two drops on the day and no turnovers. Huge improvements over last week’s drop fest and tight end nightmare.

The O-line had zero penalties and Pamler wasn’t even sneezed on by Bear defenders. The 6’9 Dennis Roland out of Georgia has shown Andre Smith that he will not be just handed a starting position when he is healthy.

WR Chad OchoCinco recorded his second 100 yard receiving game in as many weeks for the first time since Sept. 2007. He hauled in 10 receptions for 118 yards and two TDs. He was wide open in single coverage for most of the game; OchoCinco was making CB Charles Tillman “kiss the baby” all game long.

The Bengals line was dominant on both sides of the ball. After losing the league leader in sacks last week Antwan Odom’s replacements filled in nicely. DE Frostee Rucker had a sack and three QB hits and DE Michael Johnson was in QB Jay Cutler face on numerous occasions.

CB Leon Hall had two INT’s with substantial return yards to boot both times. SS Chris Crocker had a pick as well. Linebackers Dhani Jones and Keith Rivers shut down TE Greg Olson (24 yards) and did not miss any tackles.

Even the special teams had zero penalties. All the long snaps were accurate and punter Kevin Huber only recorded one official punt. Now that is the best way to neutralize the Bear’s stud punt return-man Devin Hester

In a statement game for both teams, the Bengals physically pounded the Bears. The Bengals could do anything they pleased. Carson Palmer looked light years better than Jay Cutler and his three INTs.

The Bengals confidence has returned, making the bye week a lot more enjoyable. Resilient 5-2 sounds a whole lot better than reeling 4-3. With Baltimore and a trip to Pittsburgh on the slate after the bye, nothing has been determined yet. But I think it is safe to say this years Bengals are play-off material.

Week Seven Is Heaven For NFL

2009-10-23T13:05:00.001-04:00

Teams are beginning to make some moves, either up or down. I think we all know who is dregs of the ’09 NFL season (Rams, Bucs, Browns, Chiefs, Titans) but that’s about it. Last week the Giants looked flawless, now they have big issues.

The Vikings can only have so many miracle wins right? Has the Texans finally broken through into the collective NFL fans consciousness? Have the Chargers thrown in the towel already? Will the Saints keep up this record pace? Can the Cowboys save Wade Phillips job? On to the picks

San Francisco at Houston- The Texans introduced themselves to the 2009 NFL season with the convincing win at Cincinnati. The 49ers are coming off the bitter taste of two straight losses followed by a bye. The game might come down to the RB with the bigger day. Steve Slaton and Frank Gore are both vocal points of their respective offenses.

But when you match-up the receivers…give me WR Andre Johnson. A top three receiver in the league has been killing DB’s and safeties all year with 572 yards and four TDs. The 49ers counter with the NFL debut of Mr. Mike Crabtree. Hmmmm Texans 24-16

Green Bay at Cleveland- The Packers just had two bye weeks in a row after a week off and Detroit. The Browns have been struck by the flu bug this week, with up to 12 players catching it. Unfortunately QB Derek Anderson is just fine. Packers 28-10

San Diego at Kansas City- Times are tough for the Chiefs when they are sitting 0-3 at Arrowhead. The Chargers are playing on short rest with a couple of players lacking in the effort department. It’s not rocket science to figure out that L.T. and Shawne Merriman are free agents at the end of the year and both see the writing on the wall. Chiefs 23-21

Indianapolis at St. Louis- Short trip for Manning and Co. where half the stadium could will be filled with Colts fans. So the Colts are coming off a bye, in a semi-home game, against a winless Rams team with Kyle Boller? Colts 32-14

Minnesota at Pittsburgh- The Steelers are favored but the Vikes have the undefeated record. The Steelers are officially a passing team now, but the D can still stop the run. Adrian Peterson will be contained and this is the week Favre gets exposed Steelers 24-22

New England vs. Tampa Bay- This game is in the old England not the new one so the Bucs lose a home game and the Pats get rid of a road game. But wouldn’t the fans root against the Patriots? Patriot is a bad word over there. The Buccaneers pull off the upset of the year Bucs 21-20

New York (A) at Oakland- Jets coach Rex Ryan said he is simplifying the playbook for rookie QB Mark Sanchez. This game will also be played in the California sun, his old stomping grounds. The Jets D is still a force and WR Braylon Edwards is getting more comfortable in the offense. Jets 17-7

Buffalo at Carolina- Who cares about this one? Well I wouldn’t completely disregard the Panthers just yet. They are 2-3 and filled with veterans that have plenty of experience winning. As for the Bills and their 1-0 QB Ryan “crazy legs” Fitzpatrick? No hope at all. Panthers 24-17

Chicago at Cincinnati- The Benson bowl. RB Cedric Benson seeks revenge on his old team that he says, “black-balled him”, as does DT Tank Johnson. The Bears O-line is crumpling. Orlando Pace killed his team with that fourth down penalty in the fourth quarter last week.

Benson now claims that he's not looking for revenge and won't try to send a message.
Right…. based on how Benson has been playing when he isn't pissed off, I’m interested to see what he'll do with even more motivation. And give me Palmer over Cutler everyday of the week Bengals 27-23

Falcons at Dallas- The Cowboys are fresh off their bye and QB Tony Romo is in dire need of a huge game. The Falcons are coming off an emotional win against the Bears. In a high scoring affair, it will be the Cowboys D that makes the biggest play. Too bad Jerry Jones didn’t jump at the Bengals offer of WR Chris Henry and a No. 2 pick for TE Martellus Bennett. Would have helped both teams out big time. Cowboys 33-30

New Orleans at Miami- Great spot for a let down for QB Drew Brees and the Saints. Coming off a huge win against the Giants, the Saints are riding high. The Dolphins are coming off a bye, which allows them to throw some new wrinkles into the wildcat offense. Call me crazy, but this Chad Henne guy aint so bad. Call me insane, but I like the Fins in this one Dolphins 24-23

Arizona at New York (N)- Let history show that QB Kurt Warner is not a good QB in the wind. He never played well with the Giants because half the games were played at a extremely windy stadium. The cold weather will also be a factor for the sunny-side Cardinals. Not to mention the pissed-off factor of the Giants getting trounced last week Giants 27-19

Philadelphia at Washington- I am so sick of hearing about the job status of Jim Zorn. Dan Synder will wait till the end of the year to fire him, so can we all just stop talking about it? The worst thing to happen for the Skins is that the Eagles were just embarrassed by the Raiders. No way it happens twice in a row Eagles 25-13

Bengals Michael Johnson: New Most Important Johnson

2009-10-20T23:37:00.002-04:00

Just when it looked like the Cincinnati Bengals had a constant pass rush for the first time in years, DE Antwan Odom and his eight sacks promptly lands on the IR. Odom tore his Achilles against the Houston Texans on Sunday and is now lost for the season.

To add insult to injury, DT Domata Peko went down with a knee injury as well. His status for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears is in the air. With the pair, the Bengals are third in the league with 16 sacks through six games.

Enter Michael Johnson. The rookie from Georgia Tech was considered a top 10 prospect going into his final year of college. A physical specimen that would translate well to the NFL. The knock on him was his effort. He took plays off scouts said.

He dropped all the way to the third round in the ’09 draft. He impressed early on in training camp with his 6’7 and 260 pound frame. But like most first year players, the learning curve was steep.

After the first six games of the season Johnson has collected 11 tackles. He has slowly received more playing time as he learns the consistent effort needed to be successful in the NFL. With the way Odom was playing, it was hard for him to even get on the field at all. Now he will be playing a much bigger role for this team.

Johnson has the physical tools to be a disruptive force on opposing QBs. Long arms and quick feet allow him to get penetration in the backfield. He has a pass deflection in each of the past three games. He will block a kick sooner or later in his career.

“Every week he gets quite a few snaps,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis of Johnson. “I think Michael played his best football that he played this season yesterday (Sunday.) Hopefully that continues as a trend. He’ll have an opportunity to do more and more.”

While the injury to Odom is a real bummer for Bengal fans, the door is now open for Johnson. If he can put fourth maximum effort for on every snap his physical talents will do the rest.

If the Bengals want to keep the top spot in the division, they must get big contributions from Johnson. If not, then the secondary will have to continue to defend receivers for six to seven seconds. Just like the last 10 plus years.

NFL Week 6: Dust is Starting to Settle

2009-10-15T18:26:00.001-04:00

This week’s slate features the undefeated Giants going to the undefeated Saints. Both teams are rolling and both QBs are playing at a Pro-Bowl level.

Speaking of which, I think Week Six is the time to start labeling players possible pro bowlers. The season is 30 percent finished and certain players are consistently putting together big games in a row now.

This is also the time to start labeling players busts for single-handedly killing fantasy teams across the country (LT, Matt Forte, and DeAngelo Williams.) On to the picks:

Kansas City at Washington - The Redskins have yet to play a team with a win this year and yet sit at 2-3. The Chiefs are fresh off a heart-breaking loss to the Cowboys and officially have an awful running back. Larry Johnson is averaging less than three yards a carry. That's not going to get it done against DT Albert Haynesworth. Redskins 20-16

Houston at Cincinnati - The cardiac cats have brought hope to the 'Nati. Carson Palmer is looking more and more like the Palmer of ’05 and potential pro bowler Cedric Benson has resurrected his career. The Bengal corners, Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall, have been outstanding in pass coverage. This is a possible let down spot for them, but the talent level is too wide Bengals 26-17

Cleveland at Pittsburgh - The Pitt D is hurting after the loss of DE Aaron Smith. They were allowing the Lions to move the ball at will before QB Daunte Culpepper self-destructed in the fourth quarter. The Browns can’t move the ball on anybody, so even an overrated ’09 Steelers D will look like the ’08 version. Steelers 27-6

St. Louis at Jacksonville - Not a good game to watch by any stretch of the imagination. The Rams have been blown out in every game this year and have 13 straight losses going back to last season. Make it 14. Jags 27-13

Detroit at Green Bay - The Packers had two weeks to fume over the Vikings loss. The Lions are not horrible, but they’re not beating the Pack at Lambeau. The Packers are still struggling with the new 3-4 defense, but this will be the week A.J Hawk and company figure it out. Packers 30-17

New York at New Orleans - This Game-of-the-Week features two of the top QBs in the NFC. Drew Brees has had two weeks to study the Giants, and Eli Manning has a foot problem that will likely bother him for the rest of the year. This one comes down to which D can get the crucial fourth quarter stop. I’m taking the better rested team Saints 24-21

Baltimore at Minnesota - Intriguing matchup that will be extremely physical. Ray Lewis will be eager to redeem himself after last week’s costly penalty. If the Ravens can get to Brett Favre then the gunslinger version appears. The Vikings have yet to play a D the caliber of the Ravens and it will be interesting to see how the Vikes offense handles it. Baltimore 21-18

Philadelphia at Oakland - The Eagles offense looks like top-five material. They can put points on the board with the best of them. Against Oakland? Blowout city Eagles 35-10

Arizona at Seattle - With Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks are a legit NFC West contenders. Hasselbeck is extremely accurate and provides quality veteran leadership. Arizona is hit or miss on a week-to-week basis. With one of the only home-field advantages left in the NFL, I’m going with the home team. Seahawks 27-23

Buffalo at New York - The Jets are not for real after all. But then again, nobody ever thought the Bills were. Reminder: never fire your offense coordinator right before the season starts. Jets 26-12

Tennessee at New England - The Titans are cooked. Stick a fork in them, they might as well throw in QB Vince Young. Or is he so bad that the Titans have absolutely no confidence in the former first-round pick? The Pats are coming off a tough loss at Denver, and they never lose two in a row. Patriots 27-19

Chicago at Atlanta - Coming off the butt whipping of the 49ers, the Falcons' confidence is riding high. QB Matt Ryan throws a beautiful deep ball and plays more like a 10-year vet than a second-year guy. The Bears had a bye last week and will be fresh. RB Matt Forte has yet to really have a break out game… until now. Bears 23-19

Denver at San Diego - A Broncos win puts them in the driver seat in the AFC West. A loss opens the door for the Chargers. Broncos QB Kyle Orton is overdue for a clunker and Chargers QB Phillip Rivers is due for a gutsy, grind out type of win. Rivers has to be aware of the Denver secondary duo of Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey. There may even be an LT sighting. Chargers 21-17

Cincinnati Bengals: The Cardiac Cats Raise City’s Collective Blood Pressure

2009-10-14T22:59:00.002-04:00

What a five game stretch for the 2009 Bengals.

Every game has been decided in the final 60 seconds and the feeling of excruciating defeat and astonishing victory has been felt weekly. These Bengals don’t do anything easily, but 4-1 is 4-1. 3-0 on the road and 3-0 in the division are numbers that can’t be ignored.

Quick recap: crushing loss to Denver on a fluke tip after the Bengals drove the length of the field to go ahead with 20 or so seconds remaining, QB Aaron Rodgers runs out of time on a possible game tying drive in Green Bay.

Two game winning last second TD’s from QB Carson Palmer to WR Andre Caldwell over divisional powers Pittsburgh and Baltimore sandwiched between a should have been game winning last second drive at Cleveland that was forced to OT due to the errand snap on the extra point. The game was later won by another solid Palmer led drive in OT.

Callers to Cincinnati sports radio have been complaining of high blood pressure all week. The Cardiac Cats are doing wonders for doctors in the region. Each week the offense shows flashes of brilliance in the first quarter, before going into hibernation until halfway through the fourth quarter.

This team reminds me of the kid that is real smart but doesn’t do his homework till right before it needs to be turned in. He scribbles down the answers frantically and gets it in just in the nick of time and he some how receives full credit.

One of the big reasons for such tension was released yesterday in Brad St. Louis. After two bad snaps against Baltimore and six over the first four games, the Bengals released the veteran long snapper/tight end on Tuesday and signed Clark Harris.

Kicker Shayne Graham has looked extremely tentative in his kicking and as a result has had two field goals blocked against the Browns’ Shaun Rodgers. A competent long snapper should solve that problem.

The offensive line looked to be a huge issue going into the season because of the horrid play of last year. But the unit has unexpectedly gelled together nicely. The line has protected Palmer well and has opened holes up the middle for RB Cedric Benson.

Speaking of Benson, he leads the NFL in rushing with 487 yards. He is on pace for a team-record 1,558 rushing yards which would shatter the Bengals team record. The scary thing is that the Bengals have yet to use unknown explosive rookie RB Bernard Scott much.

The rookie from Abilene Christian has only 10 carries on the year for 45 yards but has shown signs of his raw speed. He scored 60 TD’s his last two years in college after letting off the field incidents derail his chances of getting a division one scholarship.
But this guy has talent and considering Benson leads the NFL in carries, Scott will be getting more touches as the grueling 16 game schedule rolls on. He will be a good waiver wire fantasy pick-up in the coming weeks.

Back to the O-line, once LT Andre “the giant” Smith is able to get on the field the depth will only increase. He has been sidelined all year with a broken foot. Reports out of Cincinnati suggest that his foot is almost 100 percent healed and he actually is in decent shape. Considering the Alabama product didn’t even allow a sack in his final year in the SEC, his future is promising.

In the secondary the line-backing core is black hole deep. Dhani Jones provides the veteran leadership, Keith Rivers leads the team in tackles with 29, and rookie Rey Maualuga provides the devastating blows. On top of the stellar starters, back-up Brandon Johnson has provided solid support in the run game and Rashard Jeanty, whom has been battling injuries all season, is a asset in the passing defense.

The secondary features two of the top young corners in the league in former first round picks Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall. The duo held wide receivers Greg Jennings, Braylon Edwards, and Derrick Mason catch-less and limited Hines Ward and Brandon Marshall under 40 yards. That is some impressive coverage on each teams top target.

Add it all up and at 4-1, the Bengals can still improve in multiple areas. Nobody’s ready to crown them AFC North champs yet, because these are the Bengals, but it seems as if the clouds have cleared up over Paul Brown Stadium. Three home games in a row and a bye means they wont be on the road again till a Nov. 15 tilt at Pittsburgh.

For the first time since 2005, the sky is the limit. It’s no coincidence that Carson Palmer is at his healthiest since ‘05, and the veteran leader seems determined to resurrect this franchise.

All the talking heads on radio, and T.V. forgot about the guy, instead praising the likes of Tony Romo and Joe Flacco over Palmer. Well folks, now is the time to jump back on his bandwagon. Now is the time to watch a 29-year-old pro bowler in his prime.

Sit back and enjoy the show Bengal fans, even if it means you have to keep your heart doctor on speed dial.

Outspoken Washington Wizard Gilbert Arenas Fined for His...Lack of Words?

2009-10-14T21:35:00.001-04:00

I think you know what SI's sign of apocalypse will be this week.

Washington Wizards PG Gilbert Arenas was fined $25,000 for NOT speaking to the media. The team was fined the same amount. The self coined “Hibachi” is feeling cold.

This guy never used to shut up! Countless press conference and interview rants and raves. The commercials, nicknames, video games and blog posts are all a thing of the past for Agent Zero.

In the Washington, D.C. area, "Gilbertology" was the name given to his unorthodox behavior on and off the court, first coined by former Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan. After being criticized for shooting too much as a point guard, Arenas would play games nearly without shooting at all, and then score at will the next game.

On road trips, he often avoided team outings on the town in favor of sitting in his room and ordering products from infomercials, such as a colon cleanser. He has admitted to enjoying sleeping on the couch rather than on his bed, and that he once ate 12 cheeseburgers while on a road trip with the Wizards in Canada.

He was one of the first athletes’ to jump on the blog train. NBA.com called him the first “blog superstar.”

Media day this season signaled his intention to keep quiet, declaring, "I'm not the entertainer anymore."

Arenas is returning after playing a total of 15 games the past two seasons following three operations on his left knee. Wouldn’t you think he has been chomping at the bits to remind everybody about Gilbert?

"I don't feel like speaking anymore. I just want to go out there and play," he said during media day.

“When I was entertaining, all you guys focused on was my words. Now I'd rather you just focus on my basketball."

A changed man?

Arenas is pulling a complete 180 degree turn...but why? He thrived on his cockiness. He was a free spirit that kept the Wizards loose. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler fed off the incredibly high energy level he brought to every game. A serious Arenas is a serious problem for the Wiz.

The closest sports comparison to Arenas is Chad OchoCinco of the Cincinnati Bengals. Both players are in the top 10 at their position. Both had flamboyant personalities that fueled them into the spot light constantly, for better or worse. Each one was the face of their franchise and for their respective leagues as well.

In 2008 Chad had a boycott on the Cincinnati media, didn’t talk for almost a year (unless he was on ESPN complaining about his contract.)

The results were spectacularly awful. He had the worst season of his career and the Bengals were 4-11-1. This year Chad is yapping again and everything is back to normal. He has returned to Pro Bowl form and the Bengals already have last seasons win total after five games (4-1).

I’m not saying the two players are wired the same way. But sometimes athletes need to be talking. The desire to challenge the opponent is installed in a player at a young age. It’s a mentality they will carry for as far as the sport will take them.

There is little doubt that Arenas will continue to talk plenty of trash on the court. But is the guy going to completely shut down directly after? Seeing a quiet version of Arenas just doesn’t seem right.

We’ll see how long this lasts but don’t be surprised if the Wizards struggle early on as they adjust to a rusty Arenas and his newly found off the court persona.

NFL Week Five Picks Vs Spread: I'll Win You Money

2009-10-09T00:08:00.001-04:00

Not a very good slate of games this week. Lots of terrible teams playing early season contenders. I count only three games that feature two teams above .500. How does that happen? The result is some ridiculously high spreads that smart bettors can take advantage of.

Bengals +8.5 @ Ravens- Cincinnati is still not getting much respect from the wise guys in Vegas. QB Carson Palmer continues to show flashes of brilliance, but has yet to put together a full game. If Ravens LT Jared Gaither (neck) can't play—the entire O-line shuffles around.

With the confidence of the Bengals rising by the day, expect another nail bitter for the 2009 cardiac kids that will come down to who has the ball last. Oh and beware; WR Chad OchoCinco has a special Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights TD dance to display…assuming he reaches pay dirt.

Vikings @ Rams +10- QB Brett Favre is due for a let down right? After last week’s sweet revenge, a let down is in store. He is spending all week watching and thinking about his stellar performance last week. Now I’m not saying the Rams are going to win outright…but for once this season they will put up a fight.

Raiders +15.5 @ NY Giants- This is waaay too big of a spread for an NFL game. Factor in the questionable status of QB Eli Manning and the chance that David Carr could start is enough for me to side with Oakland and QB Ja “off the mark” Russell.

Buccaneers +15 @ Eagles- Donovan McNabb is going be a bit rusty and slow after being out the past three weeks with broken ribs. And surprisingly enough, Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman looked like a serviceable NFL QB last week against the ‘Skins. The Eagles can win by two TD’s and the Bucs will still cover. Good enough for me.

Cowboys -8.5 @ Chiefs- Cowboy fans are losing patience with Tony Romo. Doesn’t he know it’s only October? He isn’t supposed to start playing this bad till the holiday shopping season is in full swing? The remedy for Romo is a terrible Chiefs team that has lost their once intimidating home field advantage. Should have stayed a backup Matt Cassel.

Steelers -10.5 @ Lions- QB Matthew Stafford is questionable, but the chance of the Lions winning is not. The Steelers usually steam roll over the crappy teams and Detroit fits the bill quite nicely. The emergence of RB Rashard Mendenhall is frightening to the rest of the AFC just as the “fast” had been removed from Willie Parker’s name.

Browns @ Bills -6 – If it’s brown flush it down. After watching WR Braylon Edwards drop and punch his way out of town, other Browns player’s must be hatching schemes to kick Grady Sizemore’s brother or slap Shaq’s agent. Or just go for the gold and attack King James himself.

Redskins+3.5 @ Panthers- Tough one to pick. Both teams are underachievers that have left little hope for their respective fan bases in 2009. QB Jason Campbell is got to be living in a hotel at this point—ready to get his pink slip at any time—while Carolina’s QB Jake Delhomme isn’t going anywhere. Give me the points with the desperate QB with two wins over the win less comfortable QB.

Falcons @ 49ers -2.5- 49ers QB Shaun Hill is a legit NFL “game manger.” He is careful with the ball and seems to have a good grasp of the offense. With a solid running game (minus Frank Gore this week) and a punishing D, San Fran is legit.

Atlanta’s QB Matt Ryan has already made a name for himself, but he looked lost at times against the Pats. Plus the D isn’t of the same caliber of the ’08 team. Plenty of question marks surround this team.

Texans+5.5 @ Cardinals- The loser of this game is toast and the winner can toast to salvaging their season. Still waiting on the monster fantasy game for RB Steve Slaton.

Jaguars+1 @ Seahawks- This game should be picked with a flip of the coin. The Jags suddenly look decent two weeks in a row after laying two eggs. The Seahawks play well at home…but are starting QB Seneca Wallace. A wide range of results are plausible, none of which I would be too surprised about. Stay away from this one.

Patriots -3 @ Broncos- The Cinderella story ends this week in Denver. QB Kyle Orton can only be competent four games a year. After that you’re playing with house money. Too bad he already used up his four good games. Advantage goes to the veterans QB Tom Brady and Bill Belichick over the young Orton and Josh McDaniels.

Colts -3.5 @ Titans- Does Vegas know something about this game? Are they unaware of how money QB Peyton Manning is in regular season night games? Have they watched Titans QB Kerry Collins force errant throws to his mediocre at best receivers? This game is almost too easy…which makes me wonder what secret info Vegas knows. Screw it I’m still talking the Colts.

Jets -2 @ Dolphins- After a minor setback last week, the Jets will be ready to take out their anger on the ultra mediocre Dolphins. This is QB Mark Sanchez’s first prime time game and the will be ready. WR Edwards is expected to play—not sure if this is a great idea—look for him to be used as more of a decoy.

Riddle me this batman…who decided that the Dolphins should host two of the first five MNF contests? People don’t care about the Wildcat that much.

NFL Week Four Picks: Sweet and Sour

2009-10-02T15:44:00.003-04:00

After three weeks of football, the only certainty is the lousiness of certain teams. The Rams, Browns, Bucs, and Chiefs are all junk. All the other teams have plenty of questions to be answered. Here’s hoping this week is as exciting as last week.

Oakland at Houston- Will Steve Slaton ever score a TD? If there was ever a week to pick one up…this is it. TEXANS 21-13

New York at Kansas City- ArrowHead used to be a sizeable advantage for the Chiefs. Now it’s a mere inconvenience. Sooner or later the Giants will be tested, but not this week. GIANTS 27-17

Seattle at Indianapolis- Peyton Manning is cruising along just fine without Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez. Seattle’s addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh (14 rec. 145 yards) hasn’t panned out for the Seahawks so far. Missing the Bengals yet Housh? COLTS 31-20

Tennessee at Jacksonville- Considering the pathetic attendance at Jacksonville, we’ll call this a neutral site game. I’ll give the edge to the more than desperate team with the much better coach. TITANS 20-17

Tampa Bay at Washington- Josh Freeman has a 38 rating in Madden ’10. That has Albert Haynesworth salivating. REDSKINS 20-9

Baltimore at New England- What a measuring stick game for the Ravens. Is Flacco unflappable? Can this somewhat shaky (so far) D clamp down and punish Tom Brady? All the talking heads think so, which means they are probably wrong. PATRIOTS 24-20

Cincinnati at Cleveland- Derek Anderson has had some success in the past against the Bengals, but this D is much different than even two years ago. Plus Carson Palmer is due to show the world that his elbow and ankle are juuust fine. BENGALS 31-20

Detroit at Chicago- Congrats Lions, the winless monkey is off your back. You can pass that monkey over to Jay Cutler if you beat the Bears. Don’t get a head of yourselves Lions, baby steps. BEARS 21-13

Buffalo at Miami- I’ll take the somewhat new QB (Trent Edwards) over the BRAND new one (Chad Henne.) The eminent T.O. blow-up will be put on the back burner for this week. BILLS 23-10

New York at New Orleans- The battle of 3-0 teams will come down to the ability of Mark Sanchez to match Drew Brees TD for TD. When will Sanchez have to make a win or lose type of play? Uhhh not gonna happen this week rookie. SAINTS 28-20

St. Louis at San Francisco- Even without Frank Gore the 49ers will pick up a divisional victory. The Rams should look at Jeff Garcia ASAP. 49ERS 17-14

Dallas at Denver- This is the game where the winner is a media darling and the loser is banished to the scrap heap. Tony Romo better not throw in Champ Bailey’s direction because Roy Williams won’t be helping him on any errant throws. A Bailey pick-six is the difference. BRONCOS 24-17

San Diego at Pittsburgh- Few thought the Steelers could lose two in a row, but three? Not against a banged up Chargers squad that never wins in Pittsburgh (zero for the last 13.) STEELERS 20-13

Green Bay at Minnesota- Ryan Longwell makes his triumph return to play against his old team the Packers. Oh wait; somebody else is doing the same thing? It comes down to the QBs and since Brett Favre has circled this game a thousand times on his calendar, I’ll give him and the dome field advantage the game. VIKINGS 31-27

MLB Payroll Versus Performance: Yankees Walk a Straight Line

2009-10-01T23:18:00.001-04:00

Recently, I came across a very interesting graph showing the overall increase or decrease of a baseball team's wins compared to money the team spent.

Each team's ranking as far as team payroll is contrasted with the overall record up to this point in the 2009 regular season.

The New York Yankees spent the most and have the most wins, so they have a straight line.

The only other team that's walking a straight line between salary and wins is the Cincinnati Reds.

The New York Mets have the steepest line in the wrong direction. The team with the second highest payroll places 25th in total wins with 67.

The Chicago Cubs have the second biggest drop-off.

The Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Oakland A's have all overachieved in the American League considering their payrolls.

In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres have win totals that exceed their payroll.

You can check out the graph here.

Cincinnati Bengals: If You Can’t Beat Em…Join Em

2009-09-30T14:55:00.001-04:00

Three days after the franchises biggest win in nearly five years, nobody is dancing through the streets in Cincinnati. Things are different for the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals hadn’t beaten the Steelers in Cincinnati since ’01, and had lost five in a row overall. After Sunday’s 23-20 victory, hope has sprung in a sports depressed city.

Gone are the thugs, gone are the over paid veterans cashing in one last fat check, gone are the player’s that worried more about stats than the team. This version of the Bengals has complied with the standard you must set to compete in the AFC North.

After watching the Ravens and Steelers running backs scamper all over them on the field for years, the Bengals have figured out that if you can’t beat em—join em.

The team has developed a power running game that has been grinding opponents down as the game wears on. RB Cedric Benson had 58 of his 76 yards in the second half, including a 23-yard touchdown run.

Benson has revived his career in Cincy and counting the last two games of the 2008 season with the first three this season, Benson leads the NFL in rushing yards.

The Bengals used to be known as a team that would light up the scoreboard, but give up plenty of points as well. In 09’ it’s the D that has been leading the way.

After collecting 17 sacks in ’08, the team leads the NFL with 10 after three games, led by Antwan Odom’s seven. The D line has also done a great job stopping the run. RB Willie Parker had only 17 yards on 11-second half carries. The D has yet to allow a 100-yard runner. For the season they are allowing 88.7 yards a game on the ground.

The linebackers have infused a certain toughness that was never there in years past. Rookie LB Rey Maualuga was taken off on a stretcher, only to be back in the game on the next series on Sunday. He has already forced two fumbles on the young season. Wily veteran captain Dhani Jones continues to lead by example with 17 tackles on the year.

The next test for the Bengals is beating a team they are supposed to thump. After being nine point underdogs to the Packers and four point home dogs to the Steelers, the Bengals are now four and a half point favorites on the road against the Cleveland Browns.

This Browns team is in shambles and most experts and pundits will be picking the Bengals.

But this isn’t the first time they have been in this situation.

After a wild win against the Ravens in the ’07 opener, the Bengals got into a shoot-out with the Browns that turned into a loss. This was the highlight of Derek Anderson’s career.

Guess who was named the starting QB today? Anderson.

Cleveland did not score an offensive touchdown in its last six games in ‘08—an NFL record. The lone offensive touchdown this season was Brady Quinn’s 26-yard pass to Robert Royal with 35 seconds left in the season opener against Minnesota.

The Browns’ last meaningful offensive touchdown was Jerome Harrison’s 72-yard run in Game 10 last season at Buffalo. It came on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Counting the 22 offensive plays the Browns ran in the Buffalo game after Harrison’s touchdown, that’s one touchdown in their last 525 offensive plays from scrimmage.

So clearly the Bengals should win. The Bengals are 6-4 at Cleveland since they re-entered the league in ’99. Carson Palmer should blow up a suspect secondary for the Browns. Benson should pick up another 100-yard rushing day (he had 177 yards in week 16 last year.)

Sunday is the litmus test to see where the team is mentally. Will they take the week off and get an unpleasant surprise? Or will they take care of business against a lesser opponent? Stay tuned

Cincinnati Bengals: Redeem Team Crashes the Party in Green Bay

2009-09-21T14:21:00.000-04:00

Going into the season most experts figured the Cincinnati Bengals would be 1-1. But I doubt anybody could have mapped out the path to 1-1 the Bengals took.

After last week’s heartbreaking loss to Denver, the Bengals came into Lambeau Field (having never won a game there) and dominated the (1-1) Green Bay Packers 31-24.

For most of the game it seemed as if the Bengals were their own worst enemy. Cincinnati had 13 penalties for 100 yards, lots of false starts and holding calls.

Carson Palmer (15-23 for 185 yards, three TDs, two INTs) looked shaky early. He threw a pick-six to CB Charles Woodson and set up another Packer TD with an ill-advised throw that landed in Woodson’s hands as well.

In the second quarter, Bengals down 21-14, backed up at their own seven-yard line—facing third and 37, it seemed as if the game was unraveling for Palmer, whom had already thrown two picks in the quarter.

Palmer threw a screen pass to Daniel Coats and the field opened up like the Grand Canyon. Coats rumbled 23 yards before being stripped by a gang of Packers. But a hustling Laveranues Coles pounces on the ball as it bounces past the first down marker.

Four plays later Palmer connected with Chris Henry for a five-yard TD that not only tied the game, but also sucked all the wind out of Green Bay’s sail.

The offensive star of the game was RB Cedric Benson. He had 141 yards on 29 spectacular carries. He made the first man miss constantly. He fought for every inch of those 141 yards and helped eat up the clock in the fourth quarter.

The biggest star of the game wasn’t on offense. It was DE Antwan Odom and his five sacks. Yes FIVE sacks. He tied a Bengals single game record and now has seven in two games. He only had three all of last year.

He had seven QB hits on Aaron Rodgers, whom was hurried for the majority of the day. The Bengals D was light on the pressure in the first quarter, and the Packers had 14 points. But in the second half the Bengals D was constantly in Rodgers face and the Pack would only scrap together a field goal.

The tandem of former first-round picks CB Jonathan Joseph and CB Leon Hall in the secondary is superb.

They have played together for three years now and have been great in coverage the first two games (except the tip fluke play in week one). Joseph shut down WR Brandon Marshall last week and WR Greg Jennings put up a big goose egg yesterday.

While the rust of Palmer is still evident, the Bengals told the rest of the league that they wont be the “Bungals” this year. With so many new players on the roster—the losing culture that has plagued this franchise is a foreign concept to most of the team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers invade Paul Brown Stadium next week, with second place in the AFC North on the line.

The Bengals have never beaten Big Ben at home, but over half the team wasn’t there and doesn’t care. If this D can continue to pressure the QB and stop the run against a mediocre Pitt O-line, this game could force fans to re-think the powers of this division.

After a gloomy week in the Queen City, all is well again—at least for one week.

NFL Week Two Picks: More Questions Then Answers

2009-09-18T14:36:00.000-04:00

Week one answered a few questions but created even more. Week two will answer some, but will leave fans more confused then ever. Ladies and gentlemen, the 2009 NFL!

Carolina at Atlanta- Jake Delhomme is already on the hot seat and needs, at the very least, a turnover free performance. After having 11 in consecutive games, fans in Carolina are ready to put Delhomme on the chopping block. The good news is that Delhomme’s teammates still believe in him.

Left tackle Jordan Gross was the most avid, telling USA Today, "I love that guy. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to re-sign here. I love blocking for him and he's our quarterback."

Wasn’t a huge fan of Atlanta going into this year and I’m still not sold on Michael Turner having another great year. CAROLINA 24-21

Minnesota at Detroit- Brett Favre will once again be able to play the game manager role. The Williams’ on the Vikings D-line will stuff the run and give Matthew Stafford nightmares. Adrian Peterson will more than likely win your fantasy round this week if you got ‘em. MINNESOTA 31-17

Cincinnati at Green Bay- If the Bengals can apply pressure to Rodgers, then this game will be a lot closer than most would think. If Carson Palmer can have some time in the pocket, then he will put up plenty of points, if the receivers can catch the ball (7 drops last week.) Too many if’s. GREEN BAY 20-17

Houston at Tennessee- The Texans were the biggest disappointment in week one. An angry Titans team is not the cure. If the Texans got blown out in it’s home opener, how will they score on the road against the airtight Titans D? I don’t think Matt Schaub has the answer, in fact, he just raises more questions on if he is a legit NFL QB.
TITANS 21-10

Oakland at Kansas City- Matt Cassel will be a game time decision, but this game comes down to the wire either way. It will be decided by a play on special teams or a dumb T.O. Who is more likely to commit a dumb turnover in the fourth quarter? JaMarcus Russell. KANSAS CITY 31-28

New England at New York- The Jets are talking lots of trash and the Patriots are sitting back smiling. Tom Brady looked a lot more comfortable in the second half and that’s a bad sign for the Jets. The Jets D looked great against the Texans, but it’s too early to tell if that means anything. A rookie QB in his second game, going against a Belichick D? NEW ENGLAND 20-17

New Orleans at Philadelphia- Drew Brees is currently the best QB in the league, and Donovan McNabb ribs won't allow him to play. The Saints offensive weapons are endless and the Eagles can’t win a shoot out with Kevin Kolb under center. NEW ORLEANS 31-17

St. Louis at Washington- Jason Campbell needs a win to get the Washington media off his back. Good thing the only scoreless team from week one comes to town. Clinton Portis will get a hundred yards and two scores… maybe by halftime. WASHINGTON 28-10

Arizona at Jacksonville- Arizona plays better on the road, and Jacksonville is not exactly a home field advantage. The Cardinals were banged up last week and Anquan Boldin looks to be feeling closer to 100 percent. The quest for Tim Tebow inches a little closer for the Jags. ARIZONA 24-20

Tampa Bay at Buffalo- After the Monday night debacle against New England, Buffalo is desperate. Trent Edwards looked like an above average NFL QB and that is great news for a QB challenged team like the Bills. BUFFALO 23-13

Pittsburgh at Chicago- If Willie Parker can’t move the chains, then the Bears have a chance. But with no Brian Urlacher, I don’t expect this to happen. Ben Roethlisberger will make more plays then the extremely overrated and whiny Jay Cutler. I would sit Matt Forte this week if he were on my fantasy team. PITTSBURGH 17-10

Cleveland at Denver- The Browns played superb for one half and still got blown away. The team’s only play-maker (Braylon Edwards) drops passes like the ball is on fire. They don’t have a running back, and their coach couldn’t decide on a QB till a few days before the season started. The D got abused by Peterson last week in Barry Sanders-like fashion.

At least the Broncos have a decent D with Champ Bailey and Elvis Dumervil.
DENVER 20-13

Baltimore at San Diego- The game of the week will come down to the running game of the Ravens. If they can grab an early lead and run Ray Rice to death, it should be a Ravens win. But if Phillip Rivers has a chance in the fourth quarter, my bet goes with the home team and the more experienced QB. BALTIMORE 22-16

Seattle at San Francisco- Frank Gore had 22 carries for 30 yards last week. No way they win if he puts up numbers like that again. The Matt Hasselback to T.J. Houshmandzadeh combination is going to do some serious damage to 49er corners. SEATTLE 27-19

New York at Dallas- This game has shoot-out written all over it. Tony Romo will be airing it out, but the O-line is a concern. He was sacked five times against a suspect Tampa D, while the Giants have the deepest D-Line in the NFL.

The Giants need a receiver to step up and take hold of the number one spot; my guess is the other Steve Smith. With all the hoopla surrounding the new Dallas stadium, the Giants come in and steal the first one. NEW YORK 34-28

Indianapolis at Miami- The Dolphins looked very vanilla against the Falcons. Chad Pennington has been the same average QB his entire NFL career. The Colts don’t have many options at receiver since Anthony Gonzalez will be out for two months. But I will take Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney over the Fins Pennington and Joey Porter.

INDIANAPOLIS 23-16

Redskins, Panthers, Texans: No Need to Press Panic Button

2009-09-16T14:22:00.001-04:00

Football games create colossal amounts of over-reacting. It makes sense; there are only 16 games in a season compared to 162 games in baseball.

But frantic fans are ready to jump ship on their team after only one game. Let’s take a look at three teams that shouldn’t be panicking…yet.

1.) Redskins- The Meadowlands is not an easy place to play by any stretch of the imagination. The Giants are a Super Bowl contender and looked great on D against the ‘Skins. Jason Campbell was 19-26 for 211 yards with a TD and INT for a QB rating of 93.6. Not terrible but he leaves something to be desired.

Enter St. Louis.

The next three games for the ‘Skins are home against the Rams, at Detroit, and home against the QB challenged Buccaneers. Righting the ship shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Santana Moss only had two catches for 12 yards in week one. Credit should be given to the Giants for making sure the top Redskins receiving threat didn’t beat them. But I expect some serious stat padding games over the next three weeks for the entire Redskin offense.

2.) Panthers- Boy did they look great in that first quarter against Philadelphia. An eight plus minute drive that ended in a DeAngelo Williams TD. Then the Panthers unraveled quicker than a Kayne West apology.

Jake Delhomme has been a turnover machine of late, but if you look at his overall body of work, you can trust him to bounce back. He has been in the league for nine years and will have a short memory going into Sunday’s match-up with Atlanta and the Dallas MNF game in two weeks.

The running game still has the dual threat with Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The D-line, led by Julius Peppers, can still create consistent pressure on the QB.

While the Panthers schedule isn’t as favorable as Washington’s, I think the veteran’s on this team keep the ship a sail. Don’t forget they won 12 games last year.

3.) Texans- Boy oh boy did the trendy pick of the year get embarrassed at home or what? Letting a rookie QB, making his first career start, come in and pick apart your supposed “improved” D at home is horrendous.

QB Matt Schabb had a dismal outing, throwing for 166 yards on 18-33 attempts with an INT. I expect him to play better as the season progresses as he learns what it takes to be a team leader. And the Jets D is looking like a force to be reckoned with under new head coach and former Ravens D coordinator Rex Ryan.

A trip to an angry Tennessee team awaits the Texans this week. This is a huge game for both teams.

Nobody wants to start 0-2. But I think the lack of Titans offense will allow this game to come down to one or two plays in the fourth quarter. It’s up to the Texans to decide which way it goes.

But after that, the schedule opens up favorable for Houston. After the Titans they play two home games in a row against the Jaguars and Raiders, followed by trips to Arizona and Cincinnati. That’s four very winnable games in a row, so 5-1 or 4-2 is still a very distinct possibility.

No need to hit the red panic button just yet Redskins, Panthers, and Texan fans. It’s going to be a long and grueling season that will have you feeling different about your team each and every Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals: Offensively Challanged in Week One

2009-09-14T12:40:00.000-04:00

Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos game was a cold, brutal example of the old saying “it aint over till the fat lady sings”.

A brilliant drive by QB Carson Palmer put the Bengals up 7-6 with only 20 seconds to play.

But then the football Gods struck.

With 38 seconds to go, a QB Kyle Orton deep ball deflects into the air off CB Leon Hall’s hands and lands right into the gloves of WR Brandon Stokley.

Then 87 yards later the Broncos steal one in Cincinnati. Final 12-7. A rusty steak knife right through the middle of every Bengal fans heart.

Cincinnati’s Air Attack

The first pass of the game was an 18-yard bullet to Chris Henry. That was his only catch of the game. In fact, he wasn’t even thrown to again for the entire game.

On Palmer’s second pass, a 21-yard gain to OchoCinco, he looked like he was in midseason form with the kind of zip and accuracy Bengals fans have come to expect.

OchoCinco gets hit with a holding penalty that stalls the first drive and forces a punt. This would be the theme of the game, dumb mental errors.

The second drive is highlighted by another penalty and a huge third down drop by new Bengal Laveranues Coles. The pass simply bounced off his hands.

After the drive stalls on the Broncos 10 yard line, a terrible snap by long snapper Brad St. Louis results in a blown opportunity for three points.

Up to this point, the massive, Bengals O-line has looked respectable against the smaller, quicker Broncos D-line. RB Cedric Benson has space, and Palmer hasn’t been pressured.

This changes on the third drive. After another terrific throw by Palmer to OchoCinco for 34-yards, the O-line begins to fall apart. A blitz by Denver catches RT Anthony Collins off guard and this results in a 10-yard sack. Palmer didn’t have a chance on the play. They are unable to recover from a 2nd and 20 and punt the ball.

Cincinnati begins to move the ball down the field again on their next drive. FB Daniel Coats redeems himself with a 16-yard play after dropping an easy one earlier. After the O-line gets pushed back twice in a row, Laveranues Coles catches an 11-yard tight spiral from Palmer, first down at Denver’s 31.

On 3rd and six, Palmer forces a pass to OchoCinco. CB Champ Bailey tips the ball before OchoCinco can get to it, and Wesley Woodyard picks it off. It was a forced throw by Palmer that should have been incomplete, but on this day, it fell right into the arms of Woodyard.

After another drive of short Benson runs stall out, it’s halftime. Zero points for the Bengals. 3-0 Denver.

At this point Palmer is 9-15 for 132 yards with a INT, while Ochocinco had two receptions for 56 yards. They drove into Denver territory on their first FIVE drives but had nothing to show for it.

The second half wasn’t any better.

The Bengals had three drives in the quarter, but two of those went three and out. On the second drive, they got the ball on the Denver 45, but back-to-back sacks of Palmer killed that drive. He is getting no chance to read the D before the Broncos are in his face now.

FB Jermi Johnson drops a short throw then Coles followed suit with his third on the day. Great start with your new team Coles. Twice on Sunday, he dropped first-down passes on third down.

Seven dropped passes on the day for Cincinnati.

Through three quarters, the Bengals have a 201-167 advantage in total yards. Palmer line is 13 of 23 for 167 yards.

The fourth quarter starts with a 23-yard catch by OchoCinco erased by an offensive pass inference call on him. Palmer is facing more and more pressure as the game progresses. The lack of depth on the O-line is starting to be evident (thanks A. Smith).

The running game has come to a halt. Benson is getting no push from the O-line at the point of attack. Palmer is rushing throws because of the pressure.

Down 6-0 with 6:21 left the Bengals take over at their own 9-yardline.
OchoCinco has a 12 and a 13-yard catch sandwiched between a three-yard loss on the ground by Benson. A Palmer bullet to WR Andre Caldwell for 13 yards puts the Bengals on the Broncos 32.

With decent protection, Palmer finds a wide-open Brian Leonard for an 18-yard pickup. Great decision by Palmer, he was looking for somebody else but found the open man.

Inside the Broncos 10, Caldwell catches another that puts him down to the one-inch line. His butt was in, but the ball wasn’t.

With plenty of push, Benson bullies his way into the end zone for the first and only Bengals TD of the game with only 20 seconds left for Denver.

Then the refs’ inexplicably say that the previous play (Caldwell catch); was considered a lost challenge by Marvin Lewis and the Bengals. They were docked a timeout.

And some how they tack on 18 additional seconds. Too bad that with under two minutes in the game, EVERYTHING IS A BOOTH REVIEW.

You know the rest of the story… final Denver 12 Cincinnati 7.

“We have to find a way to score points on offense, and we will. It’s disheartening,” said Palmer, who was 21 of 33 for 247 yards and two interceptions.

“We moved the ball effectively, but just not into the end zone.”

He shook off some rust early, but looked fine for the most part. The second INT was a last prayer Hail Mary to end the game.

OchoCinco had five catches for 89 yards and looked rejuvenated. He was getting yards after catch (YAC), on every reception. Caldwell had 54 yards, Benson 32; Leonard 24, Henry 18, Coats 16, Coles 11 and Foschi 3.

The O-line had its moments, but is certainly a work in progress.

Coles is the goat of the game for his three drops.

The Bengals now go to Lambeau to play the Packers, and then it’s a date with the Steelers. Can they just hit the reset button?

Green Bay’s D was extremely aggressive against Chicago. QB Jay Cutler threw four INT’s and was roughed up physically by the Packers front seven. Palmer is going to have to keep his eyes on Cullen Jenkins all game long next week.

If Palmer and company can’t establish the run against a stout Packers frontline, it’s gonna be a loooong day. Thanks again A. Smith.

NFC Season Preview: Big Things In Big Packages

2009-09-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

The NFC will be better than the AFC this year. The Super bowl will come from this conference. Let’s take a look at some picks that are sure to win somebody some dough in Vegas.

NFC East

1. Redskins (10-6)- This division will be tight but I give the Skins an edge. Jason Campbell is in desperation mode and so is his coach Jim Zorn. The addition of Albert Haynesworth is huge (literally). Combine Haynesworth with rookie DT Brian Orkapo and I think the Defensive line will offset the Giants for best in the division. The most desperate team in this division plays like it. They should get off to a great start with the Rams, Lions, and Bucs after opening night against the Giants.

2. Eagles (10-6)- Donovan McNabb and company will be business as usual on offense. But I’m concerned with the loss of defensive leader Brian Dawkins. He was a difference maker that will be missed. Add the Mike Vick distractions and rust and it equals a borderline play-off team.

3. Giants (8-8)- Looks like a down year in New York. The loss of Derrick Ward damages the running game big time. Brandon Jacobs is always banged up and needs lots of rest during games. Not so much this year. The receivers are mediocre at best, and Eli will struggle to live up to his new reputation of highest paid QB. If only Burress didn’t… eh I wont go there.

4. Cowboys (7-9)- Tony Romo will actually miss T.O. in week five after he watches Roy Williams drop yet another pass for a TD. The depth at receiver is terrible and one injury will spell disaster. They released three legit starters in the other Roy Williams, Greg Ellis, and Tank Johnson. The new stadium’s novelty will wear off quickly for the Cowboys.

NFC North

1. Packers (12-4)- Aaron Rodgers is going to have a huge year. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver is one of the best receiving combo’s in the league. Ryan Grant is healthy again and should have plenty of 100-yard games behind a rock solid o-line. This is the year THEY stick it to Favre, not vice versa.

2. Bears (10-6)- While I don’t think Jay Cutler is the savior, he is a vast upgrade over Kyle Orton. The D looks to be back up to their standards and will be in the top tier in the league. Matt Forte will have a break out fantasy season. Biggest concern is the lack of quality receivers for Cutler.

3. Vikings (9-7)- Is it a good idea to put your entire franchises hopes on a 40 year old that looks like a grandpa in HD? The Vikes will start off hot with a very favorable schedule. But just like last year, Favre’s team will fall apart again in the second half. His consecutive game streak will end at some point this season.

4. Lions (3-13)- A three-win improvement is usually a good thing for most NFL teams, unless of course they go winless the previous year. Matt Stafford will struggle early and often. The D still stinks and even the head coach Jim Schwartz admits he is looking to 2010.

NFC South

1. Saints (11-5)- This is the year the D actually becomes respectable. New D coordinator Gregg Williams has plenty of surprises up his sleeve to improve the wretched 08’ version. The offense is one of the best in the league. Drew Brees is a potential all-pro QB with plenty of weapons. Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush are all huge threats to opposing teams. Looking good in Nawlans.

2. Falcons (9-7)- Matt Ryan had a season any rookie QB would dream of. This year he comes back down to earth. Tony Gonzalez was a great pick-up and should compliment Roddy White well. But Michael Turner has the curse of 370 carries looming over him and I think he doesn’t stay healthy. Not to mention that all Turner’s biggest games were against the dregs of the league.

3. Panthers (7-9)- After last year’s colossal melt down, I can’t trust Jake Delhomme. He is too up and down to think he can lead the Panthers back to the play-offs. Part of the reason for their success last year was the two headed running attack of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. But Stewart is already banged up and the injury prone Williams will have to carry the majority of the load.

4. Buccaneers (3-13)- A rookie head coach fires the offensive coordinator he hired one week before the season? This team has disaster written all over it. Byron Leftwich is a solid back up, not a starter. The D is old and is without mainstay Derrick Brooks. Expect a long year in Tampa Bay.

NFC West

1. Seattle (10-6)- Matt Hasselback and T.J. Housmandzadeh spring hope in Seattle. Running back is an issue but being in this division is not. After a ridiculous amounts of injuries last year, I think the football karma Gods owe the Seahawks one.

2. Arizona (8-8)- Remember this team was only 9-7 last year. I can’t trust Kurt Warner to stay upright for 16 games again and that will spell disaster. Matt Leinhart is simply not smart enough with the X’s and O’s to be a quality QB in the NFL. Could be a long and painful season for the best receiving tandem in the league: Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

3. St. Louis (6-10)- Not a lot of excitement coming from Rams camp. Trent Green is back, until his next injury, but whom is he going to throw to? Tory Holt is a Jaguar now. Second overall pick Jason Smith will be great on the O-line. This could mean Steven Jackson has another big year. Too many ifs to be considered anything but mediocre.

4. San Francisco (4-12)- Thanks Mike Crabtree. The biggest need of the 49ers was receiver and they picked a great one. But a guy that has never played a down thinks he is better than the slotting system. So now the 49ers are stuck with the Shaun Hill to an ancient Isaac Bruce combo. Patrick Willis is one of the best linebackers in the game but needs more help. Take the under on 49er games this year.

Playoffs:

1.Packers
2. Saints
3. Seahawks
4. Redskins
5. Bears
6. Eagles

Wild Card:

(3) Seahawks over (6) Eagles, (5) Bears over (4) Redskins

Divisional:

(2) Saints over (3) Seahawks, (1) Packers over (5) Bears

AFC Championship:

(1) Packers over (2) Saints

SUPERBOWL:

(1) Packers over (3) Ravens

AFC 2009 Season Preview: The Tide Turns

2009-09-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

AFC EAST

1. New England (11-5)- Brady is back but more importantly Belichick is still around. He is a coaching genius that has dominated the decade. A lot of the veteran leadership is gone on defense: Mike Verbal, Teddy Bruschi, and Richard Seymour. This will cost them in the play-offs. Expect some shootouts in Foxboro. Last year 11-5 wasn’t good enough…. this year it will be plenty.

2. Miami (8-8)- Chad Pennington and company snuck up on teams last year with the wildcat formation. Now teams are fully aware of the Dolphins and the surprise factor is gone. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are a formidable duo in the backfield, but I can’t trust Pennington to stay healthy for two straight years. And Joey Porter will come back to earth after a super human ’08.

3. New York (7-9)- The defense will be rugged under new coach Rex Ryan. Special teams are great too. But the year of the rookie QB was last year and Mark Sanchez only had 16 college starts. The Meadowlands last year will be a forgettable one.

4. Buffalo (5-11)- Firing the offensive coordinator a week before the season spells desperation. T.O. will be angry at the average arm of Trent Edwards by week five and Dick Jauron will be canned by week 10.

AFC NORTH

1. Baltimore (11-5)- The loss of their defensive coordinator Ryan and stud linebacker Bart Scott will hurt. But Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are still around and the D wont miss a beat. Joe Flacco will improve his completion percentage and limit his turnovers in his second year as a pro. The only question is the receivers. This doesn’t haunt them until the play-offs when Derrick Mason (back after retiring ala Favre) and Mark Clayton are worn down.

2. Cincinnati (10-6)- Kiss the baby cause its over, Chad OchoCinco is back. I expect big things from the rejuvenated receiver after he clearly didn’t even try in ’08. Chris Henry will emerge as a legit deep ball threat (that is all he is capable of doing), and they will have a healthy Carson Palmer throwing to them. The No. 12 ranked defense got better with second round steal Rey Malaluga. Concerns about the O-line are real because if Palmer goes down, so does the chance of a winning season for the Bengals.

3. Pittsburgh (8-8)- Yes they return 19 of 22 starters and yes they have a coaching staff. But when a team is a unanimous choice for winning the division, something usually goes wrong. Depth is a concern with the Steelers. Either Big Ben goes down or injuries at another key position decimate them. Is this a blind guess? Yes, but such is the NFL.

4. Cleveland (3-13)- After firing one former Belichick crony (Romeo Cremmel) the Browns think another will change things (Eric Mangini). But not even Bill himself can win with Jamal Lewis as your starting running back, no tight end, and a retched secondary that will be burned all year long.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis (11-5)- The same things have been said about this team for the past six plus years. As long as Peyton Manning stays healthy this team is a lock for the playoffs. Bob Sanders could be lost for the season. This is a huge concern for a defense that is championship worthy with him, and mediocre without. It remains to be seen what the loss of Tony Dungy translates to on the field, my guess is more of the same.

2. Houston (10-6)- A trendy sleeper pick might be getting too much hype, but this offense will surely be top 10 material. Andre Johnson is a super star and Steve Slaton will reward all fantasy owners who grabbed him with some truly gaudy numbers. All of the questions lie with the defense. Mario Williams will need to have a Dwight Freeny kind of year to avoid lots of shoot-outs in Houston.

3. Tennessee (7-9)- They blew their chance last year, they were the best team. Now the Titans will face QB issues sooner rather than later and the D will miss Albert Haynesworth big time. I think Kerry Collins will struggle early and the fans will demand Vince Young. He’ll be playing by the second half of the year, not a good thing for the Titans.

4. Jacksonville (5-11)- The Jags were decimated by injuries last year but didn’t address some issues in the off-season. They picked up an over the hill Torry Holt and lost half of their dynamic running duo (Fred Taylor). Maurice Jones-Drew is not going to hold up for an entire season as the main back. He was in the perfect role and now the Jags will be asking too much from him. He is already banged up and will be the entire season.

AFC WEST

1. San Diego (12-4)- The Bolts win by default. They will be playing in the worst division in football. Put them in the NFC East and they would be 8-8. But L.T., Phillip Rivers, and Antonio Gates will be lighting up the scoreboard against the crappy Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos. I am concern with the D and the Shawn Merriman fiasco, but it shouldn’t be an issue come December.

2. Kansas City (7-9)- Matt Cassel will be a huge upgrade on offense, but losing Tony Gonzalez is a real head scratcher. Dwayne Bowe has put up good numbers with bad QB’s, so expect big numbers from him. Mike Verbel will bring veteran leadership to the D but his effects wont show up till 2010.

3. Oakland (6-10)- Darren McFadden will have a breakout season but I can’t trust JaMarcus Russell. He has yet to show anything in the NFL and if he gets off to a rocky start, don’t be surprised to see Jeff Garcia take his job. Adding Richard Seymour is a plus, but he doesn’t want to be there and his effort will be lacking. The Raiders will give up a whole lot of rushing yards.

4. Denver (4-12)- Kyle Orton will be playing with a glove to start the year, yikes. This team has bust written all over it. Rookie head coach Josh McDaniel seems to be overmatched in his role. Brandon Marshall is making him look like a fool and wont be an impact player till October. It’s going to be ugly in the Mile High City.

Playoffs:

1. San Diego
2. New England
3. Baltimore
4. Indianapolis
5. Cincinnati
6. Houston

(3) Baltimore over (6) Houston, (4) Indianapolis over (5) Cincinnati

(3) Baltimore over (2) New England, (1) San Diego over (5) Indianapolis

(3) Baltimore over (1) San Diego

Hard Knocks #4: Marvin Gets Angry

2009-09-09T20:42:00.000-04:00

The latest edition of Hard Knocks should make Bengals fans uneasy about the upcoming season.

The show starts with Marvin Lewis screeching at his team about their poor performance in a loss to the St. Louis Rams.

"It's your football team. Find a way to fix it. Reach down inside and be a pro! I don't like this feeling. I can't stand it. I had this feeling yesterday morning when we were late getting on the field. We're going to be going on all cylinders. Because we're going to go with or without you. You guys wonder why you don't play and start. It's because you don't make tackles on interceptions. It's because you don't do what you're supposed to do."

Harsh words after a fake game but Lewis knows what’s at stake. HBO chronicles his history as a coach and basically calls the 2009 season his make or break year.

Classic Bengals moment: Marvin leaves his home at 5am. He pulls into the garage at Paul Brown Stadium. The security gate into the garage is broken. The arm won't go up so Marvin drives his SUV up over the curb to get around the pole.

Rookie safety Tom Nelson and his girlfriend take a carriage ride in downtown Cincinnati. The guy guiding the horses asked if they’re on vacation. He says they are both job searching.

The battle for the back-up fullback to Jermi Johnson heats up. Rookie Chris Pressley hits a guy so hard he bends his facemask. The equipment manager says he's never seen that before. Fui Vakapuna, the seventh round pick has better pass catching skills. In a coaches meetings it is determined they want a guy that can block. Good news for Pressley.

"That's the brother, not the star. That ain't No. 9" is overheard by a fan while Jordan Palmer (Carson’s little brother) signs autographs.

J. Palmer talks about how disappointed fans are when he signs autographs and they think he’s Carson. He also discusses a website he created, RUNPEE.COM.

It's designed to tell you the best point in a move to run to the restroom without missing much. There is a phone app that gives you a one minute warning when a moment is coming up and tells you what you are missing while you are gone.

As far as on the field, the younger Palmer is improving. One coach goes as far as to say he is the most improved player on the whole team. Against the Rams he floats a beautiful bomb over the defender’s head and Chris Henry gets an easy touchdown.

Carson calls Bernard Scott over during the Rams game. He puts his arm around him and praises him for bouncing back from the fumble that led to a TD by the Rams. Scott ran 22 yards on a third and long when they were backed up.

"Young fella, you're going to make mistakes...but that run you made right there coming out of the end zone, in a real game that's a game-changer," said Palmer who was still sidelined with his ankle injury. Good to see Palmer being a leader even when he isn’t out on the field.

The battle for the third running back between Brian Leonard and DeDe Dorsey looks to be the closest battle going into the season finale. Each offers a certain skill. Leonard is the bruiser that can get that tough yard and is an exceptional blocker. Dorsey has the home-run speed that the Bengals desperately need. Going into the last show it is still up in the air.

There are a lot of little things going on with the Bengals right now that Lewis doesn’t like, such as players arriving late to practice, players not tucking in their shirts and most importantly not taking care of the little things in games. Lewis says he isn’t coaching the pro’s, he is coaching a bunch of 8th graders.

Marvin is shown in his office talking to someone on the phone about the Andre Smith negotiations.

"I told Alvin (Smith’s agent) that I've been here seven years. I know them. I know Mike. He's not going to change. He's not going to cave". This is the kind of quote that Bengals fans have wanted to hear from Lewis about the owner. This is the real Mike Brown, a stubborn old man.

Finally the Bengals and the sixth overall pick Smith agree on a deal. Of course the first thing his agent Alvin Keels says when he signs is “Congrats, you’re now a multi millionaire,” instead of congrats you’re a Bengal.

This Keels guy has looked horrible on the show. He agreed to a contract that looks to be better for the Bengals after holding out for 32 days. His client has shown up weighing over 360 pounds and the Bengals put a weight clause in his contract. Smith will lose a lot of money if he doesn’t get under 350 pounds.

Keels has officially been “bungalized” by the team. Good luck getting any player that has HBO next year.

Over weight Andre walks into owner Mike Brown’s office to say hello and a hilariously uncomfortable scene ensues.

Mike says, "You've got a lot of hard work ahead of you. You are not in good shape from what I hear. You have to put your nose to the grindstone”. All of this while both men shake hands for about five seconds to long. Smith, high pitch voice and all agrees and keeps saying yes sir.

By the way…what the heck does put your nose to the grindstone mean?

“I’m eager to get back into football shape,” Smith claims. Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton tells Marvin they have to “widdle away the larger version”.

And 48 hours after he signs, Smith fractures his foot. He will be out for another three weeks. What a depressing ending. It is too early to label him a bust but jeez. What an awful start to a career. Smith is a mess.

Not a very encouraging show for Bengal fans.

Farve's Dirty Play for Vikings

2009-09-09T20:40:00.000-04:00

Yes it is still only the preseason and yes the games mean absolutely nothing…but did you see Brett Favre’s third quarter crack block on Houston Texans defensive back Eugene Wilson knees?

In the wildcat formation with Percy Harvin playing quarterback, Favre lined up as a receiver. Wilson wasn’t even looking in Favre’s direction while running toward the ball and BAM Favre takes out his legs. A 15-yard penalty was issued to Farve on the play. While Wilson was just fine it begs the question, what is going on in Minnesota?

First of all, why is the old man even playing in the third quarter of a preseason game? Farve had already told reporters he thinks he cracked a rib because it hurts him to take deep breaths. So one would think that playing the entire first half of a meaningless game would be sufficient.

To his credit, 13 of 18 for 142 yards and a touchdown is nothing to sneeze at (although the TD was off a screen pass that went for 28 yards and the TD to Chester Taylor).

Favre has never played in a Wildcat formation, and he has never been relayed upon to make a block. I wouldn’t call this play if this were a play-off game! The Vikings gained seven yards in two Wildcat formation plays.

That play in a nutshell shows you why the Vikings are in trouble. They are a desperate team that is taking a lot of big risks. Head coach Brad Childress seat will get incredibly hot if his team stumbles off the bat. Childress knows this and is basically moving all of his chips to the center and crossing his fingers.

I’m not sure if he even knows what to expect from Favre at this point. You can talk about the easy schedule, the dome and the familiarity he has with the offense till your blue in the face, but in the end Favre is a 40-year-old gun-slinger that will be amongst the leaders in interceptions.

He wore down in December and arguably cost the New York Jets a play-off spot with his lousy play. He has already set a bad example with his complete disregard for training camp, a time when players bond and actually develop some chemistry. Clearly Favre could care less about anything people think about him.

The big question will be if he can also be a league leader in touchdowns. IF he has to keep making blocks then the answer is a definitive NO.

Keep using Favre as a blocker coach Childress, and watch the odds of losing your bet increase dramatically. If Favre goes down they are back to square one at quarterback, which will be the case either way at the end of the 2009 season (unless Favre wants to play the retirement two-step again).

Good luck Minnesota because it looks like your going to need it.