Andre Smith ate his way, and maybe talked his way, out of millions of dollars this week. Smith is the just finished junior at the University of Alabama, who just happened to be the highest rated offensive tackle in the 2009 NFL draft. That is, until he showed up at the NFL Combine more than a little out of shape, had a series of interviews with NFL teams that were anywhere from bizarre to disasterous and then left the Combine, unannounced, to return to Atlanta where apparently he'll try to drop some tonnage.

I guess this would be a good time to throw in that Smith wasn't allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl in January, because he was deemed to have had inproper contact with an agent. Great agent, who'd allow Smith to show up at the most important pre-draft gathering impersonating a train wreck.

Smith was supposed to have been the top player in the entire 2009 draft class. My guess is, he'll still go in the first round and probably before the middle of the round. But he kissed a boatload of money sayonara with his non-performance in Indianapolis.

More juicy NFL tibbits from our buddy, Mike Florio, at profootballtalk.com

Now, for something completely different. The hardest working man in show business, the late James Brown. But check out the fresh fresh behind him playing bass guitar. That would be a very young 18-years old Bootsy Collins, proud resident of eastside Cincinnati and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, class of 1997

Recess is over. Tiger Woods returns to competitive golf Wednesday. The line will form over there for second-100th place.

Finally, exihibition games begin around MLB on Wednesday. Aaron Harang tossed an inning of scoreless ball today, in an intrasquad game, then 20-more pitches in the bullpen afterward. It all hinges on him, whether or not this is another 72 win season, or the Reds actually have a pulse ni 2009.

Welcome to the weekend! To get you going, my latest video podcast with some NFL predictions for week #10


Must see for me on Saturday is UC's game with West Virginia. The chance to play in a BCS bowl game is riding on this one, for the Bearcats. Defending WVU quarterback, Pat White, will be no small trick. But to win, UC will have to figure out a way to do that.

We'll get to see how some of our college basketball teams are shaping up between now and Monday, starting with Xavier tonight, at the Cintas Center. The Muskies take on Findlay College. Yep, we'll have the highlights on channel 5 tonight at eleven, along with all of the high school football action.

Picking up on my 'take' on the New England at San Diego game this Sunday, here's a more indepth look at what I think is a 'must' win for the Chargers from profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio.

Good Morning! Here you go, a couple of NFL Week #6 predictions for you, as I relax in the backyard of the palatial (but ever decreasing in value thanks to the economy) estate in suburban Cincinnati.


Also, you can now download the latest Bengals Report Podcast from the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. Mark Hardin and I are previewing the Bengals vs Jets game this Sunday in the Meadowlands. You'll hear comments from Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer. But, if you're in a hurry, you can also download it here. And you can subscribe to all of my podcasts through Itunes.

More to come on this Friday...

I asked this question on Channel 5 the other night. Which would you rather be: a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that will be lucky to win 6 games this season, or a fan of the New England Patriots, which just lost it's all world quarterback?

Well, which would you rather be? Let me know. I'll read the best answers you send in on my comments link this Sunday morning on 700 WLW beginning at 9am.

As for what the Pat may do without Tom Brady, here's an interesting 'take' from our buddy Mike Florio, at profootballtalk.com.

With Bill Belichick and his 'system', the Pats may be able to squeeze out a playoff berth using Matt Cassell. And not to jump on Florio's jock too much, look at number 6 on his list of ten thoughts from opening day in this, from sportingnews.com.

Here's what I figured out this weekend...the Bengals have no running attack. And that's why they can't throw deep. The opposition plays their safeties deep, challenging the Bengals to run. It leaves the middle of the field open for short routes, but that's about it. Until and if the Bengals figure out how to run (and rushing for only 72 yards against a very pedestrian Arizona defense isn't exactly a running attack) the Bengals will struggle...as for Carson Palmer....not good Sunday. But he's, on the average, very good. We'll give him a pass this time, even though he gave the Cardinals secondary four passes to pick off....Antrel Rolle? ....I learned the Steelers can look very ordinary when they match up against a smaller, quicker front seven...that's what the Jets used to spring the upset....I learned it ain't over until it's over, particularly in Baltimore, although it's over for the Ravens. Can you believe the field goal that Cleveland kicked to tie the game, ruled no good initially, is NOT a reviewable play? Me neither....I learned the Patriots are showing no mercy on any team this season. But they better be careful, or some player on some team they're abusing will take a shot at Tom Brady's knee....you wait and see....

I learned the University of Cincinnati isn't all that far behind the elite teams in the Big East....but they're not close enough to be talked about in the same breath as West Virginia....I learned we finally live in a college town here in Cincinnati. It only took 56 years to get there....

I learned no matter what the Bengals do this season, it all comes back to Mike Brown. On my call in shows Sunday on 700 WLW radio, Brown was blamed for everything from being cheap, to not wanting to win, to causing all of the penalties the Bengals committed in their loss to the Cardinals....some of it was fairly comical.

We'll talk more, later today.....

What we saw in the last 36 hours in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis is the kind of football we deserve in Cincinnati.

Sunday, we saw two teams, each capable of winning a Super Bowl, performing at the highest level possible in the NFL. Indianapolis and New England played terrific defense and fundamentally solid offense in a game that was in contention until the final couple of minutes. There was no showboating, no grousing among team mates on the sideline and there were no massive breakdowns in execution (in other words, you didn't see three separate penalties called on the same team on the same play).

Monday night in Pittsburgh, a team just slightly below the Colts and Patriots on the NFL food chain put on a show. The Steelers may not have the firepower to stay with either of the NFL's two marquee teams. But this is another team fully capable of winning the Super Bowl this season, if things break the right way for them. Ben Roethlisberger, everything Carson Palmer wants to be, found open receivers, threaded the ball to receivers who weren't completely open and ran an offense that drilled a proud Baltimore defense.

Ray Lewis was interviewed on ESPN at the conclusion of the game. In addition to throwing his offense 'under the bus' by pointing out several times that 'you can't turn the ball over four times and expect to win' and 'I don't play offense...', Lewis also said that half the season is done and they've played all three AFC North division opponents on the road. Now, those teams have to go to Baltimore. One of those teams, of course, would be our Bengals, who beat the Ravens on opening night for one of their two wins. Do you think the Bengals were watching last night and saw what the Steelers did to the Ravens? Do you think the Bengals heard what Lewis had to say? Or do you think our Bengals have packed it in, now 2-6 and going nowhere this year?

I'm hoping the answers to those questions are yes, yes and no. What do you think?

Random thoughts from a random guy on a ramdom Friday in the Queen City. I going with the Colts at home Sunday against the Patriots. It's inside, Tony Dungy won't let it get to a shootout and will limit the Patriots' possessions. That may hurt his offense some. But it will benefit his defense, which frankly is just a tad behind the New England 'D'.....Never has the NFL had a game this early in a season that has captivated the country like this one. It's for home field in the AFC playoffs. Put the Colts outside in January and you might as well give the title to the Patriots....Here's a question for the NFL: why is there any other game scheduled against this one? I'm convinced fans in Oakland, Houston, Cleveland and Seattle would rather watch the Patriots play the Colts than have to watch their teams....well, maybe not convinced but I have a strong suspicion....it must have something to do with 'JIC'...that'd be just in case Indianspolis is hit with a massive power failure along about 4pm Sunday.....

This is a sad story. I had one of our loyal viewers email me this article about the Bengals former first round draft pick, Peter Warrick:

----------------------------
HOUSTON (AP) -- The multicarat diamond studs adorning Peter Warrick's ears are
a reminder of the life he once led.

Two seasons removed from his last NFL game, the fourth pick in the 2000 draft
is far from fame and riches. Now he's at a place he never thought he'd be: trying
out for the fledgling All American Football League.

The two-time All-America selection at Florida State is 30 years old and still
looking for a path back to the NFL. Released after five lackluster seasons in
Cincinnati, he was cut last season by the Seahawks after one year there.
"I was in Atlanta working out and waiting on the NFL call," he said before his
workout. "I'm tired of sitting at home. I just got an opportunity and I'm trying
to make the best of it right now."

The receiver and returner was the most recognizable name among hundreds this
week at Rice Stadium for invitation-only evaluation sessions to find players
for the six-team league that plans to start its 10-week season in April.

Warrick seems to be a perfect fit for this league that hopes to build its fan
base by stocking teams with star college players who either didn't make it in
the NFL or whose careers there were cut short.

"A lot of players that were stars in college still have a lot of name recognition,"
said 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers, who is helping promote the league.
"This league will give people who are still hungry for football between April
and July a chance to go out and see some of the names that they're familiar with."

Warrick was upbeat and reflective in a candid interview discussing what went
wrong in his NFL career and how difficult it has been to be away from the game
he loves for so long.

The man who was such a dynamic player at Florida State he was nicknamed "The
Great One" was back on a college field again this week simply hoping to make
an impression. AAFL officials said the top players from these sessions would
be invited back for further evaluation.

"It's kind of hard because all my life I'd been at the top," he said. "Now I'm
not playing football but I'm not at the bottom because I had good times and now
is one of those times to get back up."

Warrick was solid in his first four seasons in Cincinnati, but never quite lived
up to expectations for a top-five pick. His best season came in 2003 when he
had 79 catches for 819 yards and seven touchdowns.
He troubles in Cincinnati, he said stemmed from playing for a bad team without
veteran leadership.

"I never really had a mentor," he said. "Reggie Wayne had Marvin Harrison, Randy
Moss had Cris Carter, Torry Holt had Isaac Bruce. Those guys had people to look
up to. When I got to Cincinnati, it was just me. I had Darnay Scott, but first
year he got hurt so now I'm just going out there playing off athletic ability.
I'm not making any excuses because I know I had to learn, but it was hard."
Arthroscopic knee surgery, followed by a cracked shin bone and an infection kept
him out of all but four games in 2004. Cincinnati released him in the 2005 preseason
and he ended up in Seattle where he remained hobbled with injuries.
His only notable contribution with the Seahawks was returning punts in their
Super Bowl loss to the Steelers and they cut ties with him before the 2006 regular
season began.

Warrick said the injuries are behind him now, but that NFL teams don't want to
"take a chance on him" because of past problems. He's worked out consistently
since his release from the Seahawks and said he's in good shape.
After sitting out for so long, the call from the All American Football League
was just what he needed. Waiting day after day for a phone call from an NFL team
that never came got frustrating and he sometimes wondered if he should give up.

The past two years have taught him patience. He's hungry to play again and believes
this league could be a good change for him.
"I'm going to come over here and give it a try and I'm going to make the best
of it," he said. "You never know, I might come over here and enjoy this league
better than the NFL."

As a child, his goal was to play in the NFL. Though he wants another chance more
than anything, this son of a preacher said he is blessed to have made it. If
he doesn't get back, he can't complain because he knows he was lucky to have
played at all.

"I just had to sit back and look at everything that I've done in my life and
say that I accomplished my goal," he said. "I didn't do what people expected
me to do in the NFL. No, I didn't go out there and have Randy Moss numbers, but
I thank God I did make it."

------------------------
P-Dub, as some people liked to call him around here, never fully recovered from a broken leg and knee problems in the 2004 season. I saw Warrick at the RCA Dome in December, 2006, as his former Bengal teammates left the field after losing. Warrick was desperately trying to catch an eye, a glance from anyone. Very few stopped to talk with him....

By the way, the latest edition of "Bengals Report Podcast" is now posted and ready for your listening and/or downloading. You can find it on the front page of my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. Marc Hardin and I preview the Bengals vs Bills game this Sunday in Buffalo.

If Dusty Baker really doesn't like young ballplayers, as we've heard a lot since his hiring, would that not lend some credence to the rumors of moving Adam Dunn to first base and using phenom Joey Votto as trade bait? And if it is true that Baker likes veteran players, would it not then scotch the rumors of a Ken Griffey, Jr. trade this winter? Just askin'.....

I'm still sticking with my belief that Ohio State runs the table, which means the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin Saturday....

With games at South Florida and Syracuse and home games with UConn and West Virginia, how many more wins does UC have this season? My prediction: three. UC will beat UConn at Nippert and defeat either South Florida (which would be a mega upset) or West Virginia (somewhat milder upset) and win at Syracuse.....that'd be nine wins for Lord Kelly, Brian Of Clifton and would guarantee the Bearcats of playing in bowl game Christmas week....

I'm talking sports this Sunday from 9am-11:30am on Cincinnati's 700WLW. If you don't live in the greater Cincinnati area, you can catch me 'live' on http://www.700wlw.com/ or on XM channel 173.
And, after the Bengals vs Bills, I'll be hosting "Bengals Feedback" on both 700WLW and 1530 Homer "The Sports Animal".

Sunday night at 11:35pm or there abouts, I'll also be co-hosting "Sports Rock!" on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate WLWT 5. George Vogel and former Bengals Dave Lapham and Eric Thomas complete the panel.

Have a great weekend!

Sorry I've been away. I've had a lot on my plate. But I'm back now and ready for some Monday Night Football. I think....

When the Patriots ride into town next week, it will be a stark reminder of how bad football has been around here since we last saw them. That Pats rolled the Bengals last season. Including that loss, the Bengals have gone 6-10 in their last 16-games. And now, at 1-2, things are looking so hot for a seventh win.

You don't have to be a football Einstein to figure out why things are going so poorly. Just look at the roster. The Bengals number one pick in the 2004 draft has been a rumor, almost since day one. Chris Perry might as well be doing commercial for an HMO. The top three picks from the Bengals 2005 draft are all missing. David Pollack may never play again. Odell Thurman might, but probably not in a Bengals uniform. And Chris Henry is supposed to be back after the first eight games are in the books. But that guy is one good DUI from a full year suspension. Add in the season ending injury Kenny Irons, the second round pick in this year's draft, and you realize why things are the way they are. Those are a lot of 'hits' to take.

Subs are now starters. Waiver wire players have replaced the subs on special teams. And on defense, there are few playmakers. To win, the Bengals defense has to take the ball away. There hasn't been enough of that, so far in 2007.

And here comes New England. If the Patriots have been spying on the Bengals, they know about their problems. But does it matter? This is a team that plays fast and loose with the salary cap, and always seems to find just enough money to sign the best players. Randy Moss is having the biggest comeback since Lazarus. Adalius Thomas was the most lucrative free agent in this past off season. Guess which team got both of them? Right.

Can the Bengals win Monday night? Sure. It'll be a packed house, loud and more than a few will be liquored up. Remember a few years ago when Denver rolled in here on a Sunday night, a heavy favorite? The Bengals stepped up and pulled off the upset.

But realistically, there won't be many picking Cincinnati to win this game, at least not with a straight face. And at 1-3, at the bye week, the Bengals will have to get healthy, and better in a hurry if they want to play any games in January.

NFL training camps open up in a week. I'm sitting here wondering why I should believe the Cincinnati Bengals will be any better than 8-8. In three of the four years Marvin Lewis has coached this team, that's exactly what they've been. And while back in the '90's, 8-8 would've ben cause for a downtown parade, right now, fans in this town are expecting more, a lot more.

But the offense is basically the same as last year, without Chris Henry for the first eight games of the season. That offense has proven it can score points. But can it score enough points with the defense the Bengals will field.

There's the problem. The Bengals did nothing to appreciably upgrade their defense from last season. Sure, they've got a promising young cornerback in Leon Hall, their first round draft pick. But what else do they have that's different than last season. They've brought in a couple of journeyman defensive linemen. And they misplayed the Justin Smith scenario, badly.

Smith played out his contract in 2006. Rather than sign him to a long term deal before last season (or during, for that matter), the Bengals elected to let the contract run its course and slap a franchise tag on Smith, holding onto him for 2007 by paying Smith the average salary of the top five defensive linemen in the NFL. Amazingly, they chose to do this just two weeks before the start of the 2007 free agent period. By tying up $8.2 million in salary to keep Smith, rather than signing him long term and pro rating the bonus money, the Bengals were unable to make a run at the most desirable free agent on the market, linebacker Adalius Thomas. Somehow, the Patriots figured out how to pursue this difference maker. The Bengals didn't.

So here we sit, a week before camp opens. And I'm looking for anything that will make me believe this team is any better than it was last year. You got any ideas? I'd love to hear them.

The latest Broo View Podcast has just been posted. You can find it on my web site: www.kenbroo.com. Just click on the 'Podcasts and More' section to find it.