What the Hell is Going on Out Here!!!???
by Erwin McIntosh
I mean that, what is going on here? The Reds are two games under .500 and in fourth place, Shaq gets traded to the Cavs (finally!!!), and the USA beats Spain, the number one soccer team in the world, to advance to the Confederation Cup! Really are we living in a parallel universe or something!? As I sit here we are still talking about Brett Favre playing football and Nadal can’t defend his Wimbledon Title! Shall I continue?…wait give me a sec., oh yeah as the world rooted for Phil to take the US Open, he choked…again. Now, lets discuss.
The Reds go as their pitching goes and it hasn’t been great lately. They need to beat the Blue Jays to avoid the sweep and snap their three game losing streak. Even by avoiding the sweep the Reds have still lost two straight series. Still, the Reds are in it due to the fact that no one can pull away in the Central Division because they are all inconsistent. If the Reds just get consistent, they can actually take this division.
Shaq gets traded to the Cavs without the Cavs unloading their entire team! What a deal for the Cavs, but they’d better win or Lebron will be in New York and Shaq will be retired and the Cavs will suck again.
Um, I’ll say it again, THE US SOCCER TEAM BEAT SPAIN!!! That was not supposed to happen and now the US team is in the Finals of the Confederation Cup. If they win it all I hope Americans notice it because that victory for the US would be as big f not bigger than the US beating Russia in the miracle on ice when the US national hockey team went on to take gold in the 80 Olympics. People listen up, this is huge for American sports especially the ones that are judged internationally. Hopefully our American soccer team can finish the deal just like the US National Hockey team did!
So whats up with Nadal being hurt? Now we can’t have the rematch of the century! Wimbledon is now Federer’s to lose. I fully expect him to win his 15thmajor. Too bad it won’t mean anything, not with Nadal out due to injury. Sports just doen’t feel the same without the best players playing.
Brett Favre needs to go home and stay there. His family is more important than the game at this point. Brett just can’t deliver anymore, its time he recognized that.
Finaly, its not Mickelson’s fault that he lost that Open. Did he choke? Yeah he did, but he also has a wife at home battling breast cancer. I can’t go to work if my wife gets sick and he goes out and gets within two shots of winning the US Open. Phil you are a wonderful golfer, let no one say otherwise because then they would just be dead wrong. Tiger may be the best, but Phil would be number two and in golf that title is othing to sniff at.
Topics: General, MLB, NBA | No Comments »
Outside of Ohio…
by Erwin McIntosh
Okay so it has been more than a few hours but hey, I’m here!!! Lets recap the sports happenings outside of Ohio shall we? First Kobe and the Lakers win yet another title and Kobe now has solidified his legacy and legitimae star. Yeah he did win without Shaq but is he as good as Jordan? I think not! However I do think that Phil Jackson is the best coach in all of sports. Hopefully the Lakers can keep Phil, Odom, and Ariza, but they won’t be able to becaue that would break even the Lakers bank. Now Turkoglu of the Magic who just lost in the Finals is leaving, but not because the Magic are’t good, but because Stan Van Gundy is that hard to play for. Hedo will make more money playing for a more laid back coach. Where? No one knows.
The Penguins win in seven over the Red Wings in the NHL championships and good for them! A great series with two repeat teams and the younger team ins. NHL got it right and Crosby is the best in the NHL right now! Can they repeat…yes and they will.
The Yankees are contenders (were in first until they faced the Red Sox/…its about time, and guess what they started winning when ARod came back. They might actually win it all, and don’t be shocked if ARod ins the MVP juiced up and everything. They still need to fix their pitching or they won’t win and they will have their starting rotation and those pesky Red Sox to blame…again.
Manny will be back soon and he doesn’t give a damn hat people think about his roid use which means that he will continue to use them, not get caught and he will be clebrated by the fans. Why, because the fans don’t care about steroids. Probably why no one is paying attention to Raul Ibanez’s rare homerun power surge, except for a nw famous blogger. Hey, maybe his numbers are legit, maybe they aren’t but do we care? No, why? because bseball doesn’t care, because Selig doesn’t care. I say scrap the whole damn testing idea and let them take whatever they want. All I know is Griffey will retire clean and without a ring which is a damn shame because he is more deserving of a ring than anyother athlete in the world. Dont’t worry, he is HOF bound and will win a ring as a manager, I guarantee it. Other than Ken Griffey Jr., I speculate everyone else in baseball is on the juice and so do the fans and that’s why the fans ignore this issue and don’t care.
Finally, the Eagles will win this year’s Supr Bowl, mark it down…championship!
Pace!
Topics: General, MLB, NBA, NFL | No Comments »
Don’t Call It A Comeback!!
by Erwin McIntosh
Man has it been long! I am so sorry for taking such a long hiatus from writing here! So much has happened over the last few months and so much has taken place, that I really don’t know where to begin! Well let’s start locally first shall we? First it’s June, and the Reds are actually a game over .500 and in third place. Yeah I know, shocker, but this team can pitch and they play small ball really well. Not only that, but the Reds are in the hunt with Encarnacion and Votto on the DL. Our best hitters hurt and we are still contending. Keep and eye out for this team, they are gutty, now if we could just avoid the sweep from the Royals we might be alright.
The Bengals have good news as Chad Ocho Cinco seems to be smiling in camp. Could the Bengals be the sleeper pick after a successful draft and Chad in high spirits and in good condition? Well we won’t know until the season starts but the success of the Bengals is all in the hands of Carson Palmer. The Bengals go as he goes.
The Cavaliers got bumped in the Eastern Conference Finals probably because they have one elite player and a bunch of role players who got scared when the stage got bigger. Lebron showed up, but once again nobody else did and the Cavs missed the Finals again. Now there is talk of Shaq or Boozer coming to the Cavs. Even if they can land one of those big names they still need a sharp-shooter off the bench to put the nail in the coffin some games. And I’m sorry to say, but Delonte West has got to go!!!! He sucks worst than drunk girl at a frat party!
Again, “maybe next year” is the phrase of the week around Ohio. The Reds are close but so far away, I won’t be fooled by the Bengals smiles, and the Cavs will have to wait while Kobe solidifies his legacy. Its far away, but next year may be just the year that we Ohio fans get to taste playoff and even championship deliciousness. Next we will discuss other issues in sports taking place outside of the heart of it all. See you ina few hours!!!!
Topics: MLB, NBA, NFL | No Comments »
Power Outage Not Keeping Reds Down
by Chris Murdico
The Cincinnati Reds are a half a game out of first place after the first two and a half weeks of the season. Now I know that’s not a big deal. Who cares what place a team is in a given division this early in the season! So much can and will happen in the next five plus months that the team in first right now could be in last come the end of the season, and vice versa (unless you’re the Washington Nationals that is).
This is a different Reds team though, one without Ken Griffey Jr. One without Adam Dunn. Basically one with out an established power source in the middle of the lineup. The team is tied for 27th in the league with the fewest runs scored (46) this season. They rank dead last in team batting average, hitting .218 through 12 games. Yet this team finds themselves two games above .500, on a hot streak right now and winners of five of their first seven road games.
How are they doing it? This is a team that relied on the longball and now, outside of Joey Votto, they have to rely on timely hitting and strong pitching. Aaron Harang is back to his pre-2008 season form. Bronson Arroyo is 3-0 and showing he can possibly be an anchor for this team in the middle of the rotation. Edison Volquez and Johnny Cueto have been up and down, but if they can get on and start hitting their spots more consistently, and you add a servicable number five starter in Micah Owings, there aren’t many, if any teams in the National League that will rival the starting rotation of the Redlegs.
The bullpen has probably been the biggest strength for the Reds in the early going. Francisco Cordero is five-for-five in save chances and has battled out of some rough spots to pull out a couple of those saves. The biggest surprise so far, however, has come from an offseason acquisition of reliever Arthur Rhodes. The guy is just nasty! He’s not afraid to come at a hitter no matter what the count is and he can buckle a hitter’s knees with a breaking ball when necessary too. It won’t be long before he overtakes David “Stormy” Weathers as the setup guy, even though Stormy has had a good start to the season as well. Throw in Jared Burton and Mike Lincoln and you have a pretty strong bullpen even before adding Danny Herrara or bringing back Bill Bray from AAA.
Pitching has been the foundation for this team so far in this young season. But don’t expect the bats to keep quiet too much longer. This team isn’t going to score a ton of runs. I expect them to be in the middle of the road in the rankings when it comes to runs scored come the end of the season.
Votto has been the only bright spot in the lineup so far. Once Brandon Phillips stops pressing, his bat will come around and he will be the B-Phil we all expect him to be…but he has to realize that he’s not the power source for this team and he just needs to make contact. Jay Bruce has been out for a few games after getting hit on the hand, but even before then he was struggling mightly at the plate. He needs to come out of his funk in order to protect Phillips in the lineup. The biggest disappointment so far has been Alex Gonzalez who is batting under .100 right now with just one RBI. When a pitcher, that being Owings, has been better at the plate than you, then you know you need to make adjustments. Will he? Can he? He’d better because Paul Janish won’t be kept down for long. Gonzo is in the lineup more so for his glove and his arm in the field, but Janish isn’t a big step back in that department when he’s in there.
Anotehr key acquisition in the offseason came in the form of the Reds new table-setter, Willy Taveras. The guys is a speedster and can cover more ground in centerfield than pretty much anyone the Reds have seen since make Mike Cameron was here in the last 90s. He’s got more speed than Ryan Freel and more discipline on the basepaths and at the plate, not to mention he takes great angles on balls in the outfield. He will continue to get on base, there’s no doubt there, its just a matter of whether or not the guys behind him can drive him in.
Mark my words, the bats will start to heat up soon. Once they do, this team could really surprise a lot of people and stay in the hunt all season as long as the pitching continues to be strong from top to bottom as it has been.
Topics: MLB | No Comments »
Lions Get New Logo
by Chris Murdico
The Detroit Lions unveiled their new logo yesterday. I guess they’re going to try just about anything to reverse their bad luck on the field over the last several years. The Lions were 0-16 last season, becoming the first team ever to go winless in a season. The talent is there and obviously they can’t get any worse than an 0-16 year. With a terrible season the likes of which the Lions had last year comes the first overall pick in the draft. All signs point to them drafting Georgia’s quarterback, Matt Stafford.
The Lions have been ridiculed in past years for using their first round pick on wideouts. They’re under new management now so hopefully, for their sake, things will begin to turn around soon. They’ve taken one step in changing their image. Next is filling a position of need by taking Stafford on Saturday afternoon.
Topics: NFL | 1 Comment »
Hall Cited for DUI, Pleads Not Guilty
by Chris Murdico
Cincinnati Bengals’ cornerback Leon Hall was cited this past Sunday for driving under the influence and driving left of center in in Clermont County on Ohio 125. It was reported that Hall had a blood-alcohol level of 0.149, which is almost twice the legal limit of 0.08 in Ohio.
Hall’s attorney entered a not guilty plea this morning on his behalf. A cruiser cam shows Hall telling the officer that he was rushing home because his wife was having a baby.
The Bengals have had their fair share players with a run in with the law. Hall, a third year player out of Michigan, is just another added to the list. For a player with a bright future and one that was coming into his own last year, this would be a step back and just another offense that the media can spin and use to dig against the Bengals, again.
On a personal note and as a huge Bengals fan myself, I am giving Hall the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully more information will come out as this goes forward and we will find out that his wife was in labor and that was why he was driving erratically. Drinking and driving is never okay. If Hall has to face a DUI charge and he gets found guilty then he’s just another in the long line of professional athletes that, for some reason, think its alright to drive intoxicated rather than calling a cab or a friend or a teammate and have them drive them wherever they need to go.
Hall has a very bright future with the Bengals. If found guilty, the sad part isn’t so much that he made the decision he made, but that the image of the team he plays for just takes another hit. The Bengals don’t do themselves any favors with the players they choose to sign that come with baggage, but in this case Hall was one of the last guys you’d expect to find getting in trouble with the law. Hopefully he will be found not guilty and all of this will go away, Even if Hall is found not guilty you can count on the crew from ESPN covering the NFL draft in a couple weeks to talk about it along with every other player that’s had a run in with the law on the Bengals.
Topics: NFL | No Comments »
Bengals Sign Tank
by Chris Murdico
John Clayton of ESPN.com reports that the Cincinnati Bengals have signed defensive lineman Tank Johnson to a one-year deal. The addition of Johnson adds much needed girth to the defensive line for the Bengals. There have been projections for the upcoming NFL draft that have the Bengals taking a defensive lineman, but now with the signing of Johnson its very possible they will go in a different direction, possibly drafting an offensive lineman or even a wide receiver.
Johnson spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys where he recorded 33 tackles and three sacks. He was drafted in the second round in 2004 by the Chicago Bears but was released after serving an 8-game suspension in 2006 for a gun violation.
Johnson, 27, is two years removed from his legal issues and seems to have put it all behind him, but the fact that he signed with the Bengals, a team that has had its fair share of troubled players/convicts on the team over the last few years, will likely be the focus of most of the media outlets. While even I joke about the signing and say that its just the Bengals doing what the Bengals do, signing players with baggage, the focus should really be on the fact that the Bengals just picked up a huge piece of the defensive puzzle. Johnson will likely be a part of a three-player rotation at defensive tackle with Domata Peko and Pat Sims.
The style of defense that the Bengals defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, runs fits Johnson perfectly. Zimmer, who is a former defensive coach with the Cowboys, will love having a big man who is athletic in the middle of his line. Johnson should be a force in the pass rush as Zimmer runs a very agressive 4-3 style which will allow him to shine and become the force up the middle the Bengals have been looking for for quite some time.
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Miller Leaving Xavier for Arizona
by Jason Mondy
Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Sean Miller has accepted the job at Arizona a day after he initially turned the job down. Apparently he asked to sleep on his decision, then informed Xavier at noon of his decision to leave.
This is a big loss for Xavier, but as I mentioned yesterday, this is something they’ve grown accustom to and I would fully expect athletic director Mike Bobinski to make yet another great hire. They survived the loss of Skip Prosser and Thad Matta. I would fully expect they can survive the loss of Miller. Assistant Chris Mack would probably be the favorite to succeed Miller.
Miller was reportedly offered an annual salary in excess of $2 million. His salary at Xavier was somewhere in the $1 million per year range, although they were prepared to compete for the coach if necessary. It looks as though they were unable to match the package that Arizona offered.
Topics: College Basketball | No Comments »
Predicting the Season
by Jason Mondy
Well, it’s Opening Day today in Cincinnati, which means the parade, the game, and of course… snow. Regardless, for many teams, this is a time of renewed optimism. That said, it’s time for my predictions:
| National League | American League |
| East Champion: Phillies | East Champion: Rays |
| Central Champion: Cubs | Central Champion: Twins |
| West Champion: Dodgers | West Champion: Angels |
| Wild Card: Reds | Wild Card: Red Sox |
| League Champion: Dodgers | League Champion: Red Sox |
| World Series Champion: Red Sox | |
| Awards | Awards |
| MVP: Manny Ramirez | MVP: Evan Longoria |
| Cy Young: Cole Hamels | Cy Young: Jon Lester |
| ROY: Cameron Maybin | ROY: Matt Wieters |
| Other | Other |
| Dark-Horse Team: Marlins | Dark-Horse Team: A’s |
| Breakout Player: Joey Votto | Breakout Player: David Price |
Topics: MLB | No Comments »
Xavier Coach Sean Miller Meets with Arizona
by Jason Mondy
Sean Miller, who has led Xavier to an Elite Eight and a Sweet Sixteen in each of the last two seasons, respectively, is meeting with Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood in Albuquerque, NM, on Sunday to discuss the Wildcats’ opening. Miller is the most recent in a long line of Xavier coaches to attract interest from other schools. In 2001, Skip Prosser left the Musketeers for Wake Forest. He was succeeded by Thad Matta, who left in 2004 for Ohio State. Many expected Miller would be different though. He has had a great deal of success at Xavier, including a Sweet Sixteen this season, where the Musketeers lost a hard fought battle with Miller’s alma mater Pittsburgh.
The Musketeers were thought by many to building for next season, when a highly touted recruiting class would give Miller arguably his most talented team, but Miller did a masterful job of building team chemistry and cohesiveness.
Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski has said Xavier will make a counter-offer if necessary to keep their coach, but I would be shocked if it comes to that. Miller has built a top 15 program. He has a talented group of recruits coming in next season and making a Final Four run is absolutely possible. If he continues to recruit, he has an opportunity to win a National Championship at Xavier.
Topics: College Basketball | No Comments »
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