It's hump day....

We're hearing it's going to be the best and the biggest women's hockey game in history. Thursday, it's the Gold Medal skate to the finals for the USA women, up against the Canadiens. Both teams have had their wins in games against each other. Team Canada was solid in the late Fall and early Winter. But Team USA is red hot now. This will be must see TV. Make sure you find it on whichever NBC outlet televises it.

I don't know what Yancy Gates did to incur Mick Cronin's wrath. But you can't leave your most dominant inside presence on the bench for the final seven minutes of regulation and all of overtime in a game you absolutely have to win to get into the NCAA Tournament. Marquette should send Mick a giant 'thank you' card for that one.

It's all about seeding now for Xavier. If the Muskies win out, I think they can snag a seven seed in the NCAA's. Joe Lundardi, from ESPN, had an interesting observation about this team. He told me that teams will key on Jordan Crawford in the tournament because Crawford is the only threat the Muskies have. But Lunardi was quick to add, in most NCAA Tournament games, it all comes down to the final three minutes, when most teams have only one 'go to guy'. And the Muskies have Crawford.

I'm glad the Reds signed Jonny Gomes. But honestly, I'm hoping that either Todd Frazier or Chris Heisey has a the kind of spring training camp that makes it impossible for the Reds to send them back to the minors. Gomes didn't attract a lot of interest in the off season (he was holding out for a major league deal which the Reds finally gave to him) because teams didn't know if the 2010 Jonny Gomes would be able to replicate what he did in 280 at bats in 2009. Personally, I think he will. But I'd sure like to see Heisey or Frazier make it a tough call for Walt Jocketty and Dusty Baker.

Check out my latest podcast on www.kenbroo.com. My guest this time on The Broo View Podcast is Wes Bunting, from the nationalfootballpost.com. Wes is the college football guhru at NFP and has an inside look at this week's NFL Combine. You can find this current episode on the front page of my web site.

Random thoughts for a random kind of Tuesday....

Can snow removal be that tough? I'm just asking.....

The Reds are picked to finish 11 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central this season. So says the PECOTA theorists and numbers crunchers at Baseball Prospectus. St. Louis, predicted to win the division with 88 wins in 2010. Are the Reds really eleven games worse that the Cards? I'll give you Prince Albert at first, Matt Holliday in left, Yadier Molina behind the plate and the top of the rotation with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. But you'll have to concede Brandon Phillips at second, Scott Rolen at 3B and Drew Stubbs in CF. And, I'll take Francisco Cordero to close over Ryan Franklin. The Cards may win the division, but not by eleven over the Reds.....

I'm hearing more and more grumbling about the Bengals having the audacity to offer Pac Man Jones a tryout. I'll grudgingly accept Matt Jones, who had his trouble with coke, among other things, while with the Jags. But Pac Man Jones? The 'Make It Rain Man' from Vegas?

Let me ask you this: when the Indianapolis Colts want to get better, do they look at thugs? Or do they draft smartly? When the Giants Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg by carrying a concealed weapon into a New York City night spot, what did the Giants do? They suspended him indefinitely even though they were in the middle of trying to make the playoffs. When the Colts Mike Doss got into trouble, Indy cut him. The Bengals then signed him. Just when you thought the Bengals were about to behave like a responsible organization, they go back to their future. And they wonder why they can't win.

If you had any doubts about the Big East being the best conference in college basketball, they should have been erased after what happened inside of 36 hours this weekend. Sunday, Rutgers goes on the road and beats Georgetown. Rutgers has struggled all season and the Hoyas will skate into the NCAA Tournament. Then, Monday night, Connecticut goes on the road and knocks off #3 Villanova. That's two road upset wins inside of a day and a half.

Xavier is back home Wednesday night against St. Joe's. I have a feeling the Muskies will now run the table into the Atlantic 10 Tournament and reach, at least, the finals. If all of that happens, they'll be no worse than a #7 seed, maybe higher.....

UC needs to beat one of the big three left on its schedule to get in, IMHO (Georgetown, Villanova or West Virginia) and the Bearcats have to take care of business with Marquette, DePaul and South Florida. But if they beat at least one of the 'big three' they have left on their schedule, it will be the NCAA clincher.....

I'm into the Olympics big time. But if NBC doesn't change its mind and put the USA vs Canada men's hockey game on 'over the air' TV, I think the network is making a big mistake. NBC has a vested (monetary) interest in the NHL. How can you have that and not put your home country's hockey game on TV, banishing it to cable? The rumor is, the game goes to cable so NBC can televise ice dancing. If the suits at NBC like ice dancing so much, why did their programming department pass on the chance to buy the Dancing With The Stars franchise, which instead was gobbled up by ABC,

Like I say...I'm just asking here....

Just how old is Chinese gold medal winning Olympic gymnast, He Kexin? The Chinese government insists she's 16, the minimum age to compete in the Olympics. But now, according to this International Times report, the USA has filed an official protest and a computer programming has provided the USA with the evidence.

Out in the desert, it seems as though they value Adam Dunn a lot more than we do around here.
According to the paper out there.

More on Dunn in the desert, from Yahoo Sports!

I still maintain, the Reds will rue the day they let Dunn walk. They've now sent a letter to their ticket holders telling them to be 'patient'. Isn't that what they've been, since about, oh, 1991?

Our friend Mike Florio is checking in with his preview of the NFC South.

I've got Tampa Bay in the South. If it's Atlanta, you've got the all time upset of this coming season. For the record, I'll take Dallas in the NFC East, Detroit in the North and Seattle in the West. In the AFC, I'll go with New England in the East, Indianapolis in the South, San Diego in the West and Pittsburgh in the North. Wild Card teams will be: Cleveland and Jacksonville in the AFC, Giants and Saints in the NFC. What do you think? Hit the comment icon.

I'm going to add a lot more as the day goes on but a couple of things to get you going. I have my latest Broo View Podcast posted on my web site: www.ken broo.com. But here's a quick link to the latest edition. As you might expect, the hot topic is Chris Henry's return to the Bengals. You'll hear comments from a lot of Bengals, including Henry.

Also, the latest edition of the Bengals Report Podcast is up and running. You can find that as well, on www.kenbroo.com. But if you'd like, you can download it here.

Olympic congratulations to former St. Ursula soccer star, Heather Mitts, who won the gold medal with Team USA today. And the same to former Wyoming High and UC track star, David Payne, who won the silver in the 110m hurdles.

Is Michael Phelps the great Olympian ever? If you listen to some of the commentators on NBC this week, there is no doubt, he is. But, I don't think so. Catch my thoughts here, in my latest Broo View Podcast. And while you're at it, check out my web site: www.kenbroo.com.

The first week of the Olympics have offered us a boatload of highlights. Michael Phelps has been nothing short of sensational. But the highlight for me? This Olympic moment with Bela Karolyi, guesting as an analyst for NBC,

Karolyi has been a breath of fresh air, openly taking on the Chinese for allowing, what appear to be, under age kids competing for gymnastic medals.

In the aftermath of the Adam Dunn trade, foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal doesn't offer a lot of hope for Reds fans in his latest post.

And as for Dunn, according to si.com Jon Heyman says he shouldn't buy that yacht just yet.

Sunday morning on 700 WLW, my guests will be Chick Ludwig of the Dayton Daily News.

We'll talk about the Bengals who tee it up that night against the Lions.

Chick is a little suspicious of this new found connection between Chad Johnson and the Ravens' Ray Lewis. Check the up to date Ludwig At Large.

And we'll also converse with Tim Dierkes, from mlbtraderumors.com. We're on from 9am-Noon, and available on XM channel 173.

Have a great weekend!

Well, here's a not so Olympics golden moment. Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian obviously upset being DQ'd in the semi-finals and having to settle for the bronze. Check it out.

And being of Swedish heritage, I've always been told our greatest virtue is patience. Another diappointment in life!