Random thoughts for a Wednesday

The Bengals say they need to change their attitude this week. Huh? You've got seven months to prepare for an NFL opener and you're already talking about 'changing your attitude'? Really?

I think last Sunday was just the case of a good team having a bad day. Period.

But Cedric Benson will have to rush for more than just 2.9 yards per carry for this team to have any chance of having a good season.

I think Ochocinco is in line for a very big year. Last Sunday was just a 'taste'.

The Reds appear to be running out of steam. Or at least, some of their better players need a few days off. But when you still have a "Magic Number" of 12, that's almost impossible. Good to see Rolen getting a night off tonight.

Lot of UC fans are getting a little anxious over the Bearcats 1-1 start (particularly with the way the team looked in the second half of the Fresno State loss and the first half of the Indiana State win.). But the facts are this: the team lost its best impact player from last year, it's number one wide receiver this year and the defense has switched back to a 4-3. Mix in a new coaching staff and anyone who thought this would be a seamless transition from Brian Kelly to Butch Jones isn't paying attention....

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It's Monday! Don't worry, it's all downhill from here....

Two questions I heard a lot this weekend: what did you think of the Bengals draft and what can be done to fix the Reds Short answer for both questions: Bengals draft, OK. Reds? Not much.

I liked the Bengals first round pick. If you were with me last season for Bengals group therapy or for this show before the games, I consistently said the teams that are successful in the NFL now throw the ball and they consistently throw it to the tight end. San Diego, Antonio Chapman. Indy, Dallas Clark. Dallas, Jason Whittman. Pittsburgh? Heath Miller. Pick any team that wins, they’ve got one. The Bengals finally got one. By all accounts, Jerrmaine Gresham can catch and run and is a big target to work the middle of the field. You don’t have to send an under-sized wide receiver to work that territory anymore against big linebackers. You got yourself a horse. Gresham, good pick.

Second round pick Carlos Dunlap? Don’t like the pick. It’s got nothing really to do with the DUI. Yes I know, the Bengals have had too many of those on their resume. I don’t like the fact that they drafted a guy who has some motivational problems. The rap on Dunlap is that he doesn’t always work hard and takes plays off. You don’t get better with guys who have to be motivated and takes plays off. Now I know he said all the right things when he was in here yesterday for his session with the media. You’d expect that at least. I watched Dunlap play a lot this season. He made some plays. He plays high. I think that’s going to be a problem. I heard Mike Zimmer say Friday night that if motivating Dunlap is necessary, he will. But you expend a lot of coaching energy doing that. And there were plenty of other players available to the Bengals in that second round who didn’t appear to need motivation. I hope I’m wrong. But I’m not buying it yet.

Third round, Jordan Shipley is a nice addition. I saw a lot of his games the past couple of years. I watched him against Oklahoma a couple of years ago. He was one of the best players on the field. Saw the game the Longhorns played against Central Florida this past season. Even though it was an overmatched opponent. Shipley was all over the field. He reminds me a little bit of TJ. He’s not the fastest guy in the world. But he gets open and has good hands. And he runs precise routes. Good clean, crisp cuts. That’s crucial in an offense like the one the bengals operate out of. pp2 Brandon Ghee, the cornrerback out of Wake Forest, the other third round pick I thought was a reach. I didn’t see a lot of Wake’s games this year. I know he played for an excellent coach and a good system down there. But when you’re a starting cornerback in a conference like the ACC and you have only one career interception, that’s a problem for me. The Bengals defense is at its best when it takes the ball away. That’s how it helps the team win. If Ghee is a guy they’re looking at to eventually replace one of their two starting corners, they’ve got a lot of coaching up to do.

Anything after round three is a crap shoot. The Bengals have had their share of guys drafted late who’ve been solid players. Bernard Scott in round six last year. Jonathan Fanene in round seventh in ‘05. TJ in round seven back in 2007. But by and large, after round three, you’re hoping. And I have to laugh when I hear some ot the talking heads on the cable channels grading drafts. You can’t grade a draft the day after it’s completed. They don’t, you dont’ and I don’t know how any of this is going to play out for any other these picks. But I thought on the whole, the Bengals draft was OK.

The Reds? I think Dusty Baker and Walt Jocketty, and probably Bob Castellini have some serious decisions to make. And I hope they turn out better than the one big decision they made this week. Because moving up Bronson Arroyo to start a day early to give Johnny Cueto an extra day’s rest was a disaster. Arroyo gives the Reds their best chance to rest the bullpen. He may be a ‘500’ pitcher, but he eats inings. Except when the Reds did what they did this week. If Arroyo pitches better in the daytime than at night, then why move him from a daytime start to a nighttime start? Makes no sense. And Cueto didn’t benefit from it. There are serious issues with both Cueto and Aaron Harang.

You know what I’d do? I’d put Harang in the bullpen. If the Cubs can do it with Carlos Zambrano, this team can do it with Harang. For whatever reason, he refuses to pitch inside and because of that, too many pitches are left over the plate. Long relief, 7th inning work, set up anything that will give him a different look at the game. It may help him become an effective pitcher in the rotation again.

Someone whose opinion I trust worked in the Reds front office when Cueto was drafted. He was projected as a bullpen guy. It makes sense now, given how many pitches it takes him to complete five innings. Saturday was actually good by his standards: six inings 88 pitches. I think it might be time for Cueto to take a trip to Louisville. He needs to relearn how to pitch ahead in the count, not get swept up in trying to strike every batter out. He needs some quality time with Louisville pitching coach, Ted Power.

I don’t know a whole lot about Bryan Price. I just know he had some success in Arizona and Seattle before that. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. But a different voice, particularly one who is a very good tactical teacher like Power may be the best course for Cueto. So even though this team can’t hit consistently I’d start with pitching. Cueto goes to Louisville for awhile and Harang goes to the pen.

That opens up two spots in the rotation. I think you’ve got three candidates. One option is Micah Owings. The other two are in Lousiville. Sam Lecure is 2-0 with an earned run average of 2.08. Opposing hitters are hitting .222 off him. Matt Maloney is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.16 and the other guys are hitting .242 off him. I think there are options right now, before this thing gets completely out of hand.As we said last week, this is looking a lot like last year. Before it morphs into it, it’s time to be proactive.

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It's a Fantastic Friday...

Check out my new Broo View Podcast with my guest, former Red Eddie Milner. It's on the front page of www.kenbroo.com. If you're in a hurry, you can listen to it here.

Also, the latest Bengals Report Podcast is up and ready for your downloading pleasure. That's also on www.kenbroo.com.

It's Thursday. Go out and celebrate.

With one episode to go in the Bengals' Hard Knocks series, I'll rate the show a hit. For the average fan, it's painting a realistic portrait of what this team is really all about. Marvin Lewis is tough again, changing his demeanor back to what it was when he got herein 2003. The front office values winning at the bank more than winning on the field. It's revealing that, once and for all to the average fan. And the players are coming off basically as who they really are.

Ochocinco has stolen the show. We could've figured that ot the minute the series was announced. But we've also seen some clips that have been truly enlightening.

For example, in segment four, aired Wednesday night, Mike Zimmer talking to Tank Johnson about his perceived negative attitude offered a glimpse of what Tank is now with his third team in the last three years.

Carson Palmers blunt assesment of an offensive tackle that caused his brother Jordan to take a sack and fumble gave us, in one sentence, more candidness than the elder Palmer has displayed in the last year.

And when Mike Brown told his latest millionaire, the balloonish Andre Smith, that he was 'out of shape' I about fell on the floor laughing.

In truth, the show has done its best to depict the Bengals as a struggling, but legit, NFL franchise. We know about the struggles. But since we live with it every day, we also know the Bengals are far from a legit NFL franchise. But it's been fun to watch.

Speaking of Smith, despite what the NFL network reported two nights ago (that he'd only be sidelined 7-10 days with his stress fracture), I'm hearing it will be more like the next month. And don't rule out a longer stay on the sidelines. Stress fractures are tricky things, particularly in over sized athletes. The NBA Houston Rockets can fill you in about Yao Ming. The Portland Trailblazers can do the same with Greg Odom. And being a 364 pound man (Smith's reporting weight) will complicate things for the Bengals 1st round pick.

More troubling is his weight. He reminds me of the Bengals 2nd round pick in 1989, a rather robust guard out of Arkansas named Freddie Childress. Freddie was described on draft day as a strong, nasty blocker. But he ate himself out of the NFL. Unless someone from the Bengals is constantly monitoring Smith, he could be headed down the same road Fat Freddie traveled.

I may be wrong, but I may be right.

Carson Palmer isn't playing Thursday night in the exhibition finale against the Colts, nor should he. It would be irresponsible for Marvin Lewis to risk his 'franchise' in such a meaningless game. The only argument against Palmer sitting is that he's only had a few game snaps in this pre-season. But after watching the Broncos last Sunday night, I'm not sure you couldn't quarterback the Bengals to a win over Denver on opening day.

I'm glad the Reds are hot. But what does it mean? Nothing. This is still a AAA ballclub that is in NO, repeat NO danger of competing next season. And if the economy continues to stink, don't look for Bob Castellini to spend a nickel more than the $72 million he spent this year on salary. In fact, it will probably be a lot less.

Just posted on www.kenbroo.com is an interview I conducted with Dave Laurila of Baseball Prospectus. We talk about the current state of the Cincinnati Reds. It's on the front page, easy to find.

Good Monday Morning!

Xavier a #4 seed? Good, better than I thought. Figured on a #5. Getting shipped out to Boise? Bad. Only a smattering of Xavier fans will make that trip. And if they're going to, they better start leaving today.

Portland State isn't great, but good enough to give Xavier some problems. The second round match up could be intriguing, particulary if Florida State prevails over Wisconsin. Sean Miller should watch the FSU-North Carolina game from the ACC Tournament. He'll get an eyeful.

No NIT for UC? Surprised a bit. I figured UC would get in, given its total body of work. But I guess that committee took a long hard look at UC over the last seven games this season. Which wasn't very good

I think the flame under Mick Cronin just got even hotter. He has to make the NCAA Tournament next season. If you're on the job 4 seasons and can't get in, there's something wrong. The first season he was at UC can be written off to the horrid way his AD and school President handled the Huggins-Kennedy affair. But after that, he's on his own.

Stay with me on this one. This has nothing to do with the way Bronson Arroyo pitched Saturday. Four innings, four hits, three earned runs and a home run allowed. Late spring start, maybe a little dead arm, it happens. Arroyo will be fine. But, with what team this season?

If you’re Walt Jocketty and you’ve seen Homer Bailey and Micah Owings throw this spring, aren’t you thinking about a way to get each of them in the starting rotation? Do you really want to banish one of them to Triple-A, or the bullpen? If I’m Jocketty, neither of those are good options for Bailey or Owings.

And if you’re Bob Castellini, any you’ve seen your personal wealth take a dive like a buzzard pouncing on road kill, and you know your revenue stream for your team will be another victim of the economy, aren’t you looking for ways to cut over head?

To me, Bronson Arroyo would be a prime candidate for a late spring training trade. Why not? It’s happened to him before. How do you think he got here?

Arroyo is due to make $20.5 million over the next two seasons. If the Reds don’t pick up his $11 million dollar option in 2011, they have to pay him $2 million to leave. That’s at least $23.5 million they owe Arroyo before his current contract is up. I don’t know where you come from. But where I’m from, $23.5 million is a lot of money.

So who could could Bronson Arroyo? It would have to be a contending team in a large market, right? The Yankees? They’ve always got dough. They’ve got CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. Arroyo isn’t as good as those two, but better than the third and fourth starters the Yankees have, Phil Hughes and Chien Ming Wang. How ‘bout Arroyo to the Yankees for Xavier Nady? 300 hitter, good power, can play left field?

You know who needs pitching? The Dodgers. Their everyday 8 is pretty good: Manny, Russell Martin, the catcher, Casey Blake at third. You might have a tough time getting outfielder Matt Kemp for Arroyo. But what about Adam Ethier, a big left handed bat? Don’t think the Dodgers would like

Arroyo in their rotation? Chad Billingsley is their ace. But after him? It’s a shaky group.

Look, I like Arroyo. I’d like him even more if he’d throw some wins early in the season this year. That didn’t happen in ’08. I’d like him even more if he’d cut down on the number of pitches it takes to get out of innings. I like him as a guy. Great interview.

But if the goal is to get young and the young arms are ready to go, why not see what you can get for him? Harang, Volquoz, Cueto, Owings & Bailey. With Ethier or Nady in left field and the rest of the “Everyday 8” the Reds have? That’d slap old “Pot Roast” to attention up in Chicago, wouldn’t it?

Good stuff again from our pal Mike Florio, at profootballtalk.com and the huge mess that's brewing with the NFL's players' union and how it may impact the game.

Florio stirs up the pot. But he knows his stuff.

Meantime, Charles Barkley is now a free man, again. He's been released from that jail tent he was sent to, for a DUI conviction. Must be a lenient sheriff out there in Arizona. He left Charles hold a news conference, even though he was there for only a couple of nights.

To more mundane matters, the fight for the Reds' fifth starters spot in the pitching rotation is getting very interesting. Michah Owings was terrific again on Sunday. Homer Bailey was terrific again on Saturday. The tie breaker could be Owings hitting ability. But ponder this: if both continue to show this kind of stuff, should the Reds entertain offers for Bronson Arroyo...or just outright shop him? Would the Red Sox consider taking him back. Would the Yankees think about a swap of Arroyo for, say, outfielder Nick Swisher or Xavier Nady? And wouldn't that solidify the Reds outfield, while reducing cost?

It's still early in the spring. And pitchers are facing watered down batting orders because of the World Baseball Classic. But I'm just askin...you know?

I think I'm starting to see something I haven't seen in awhile. I watched the Bengals news conference today, the one where they trotted out wide receiver Laveranues Coles. I heard all the stuff you usually hear at these things. He's happy to be here, wants to mentor the younger Bengals wide receivers, says Carson Palmer will be fantastic to play with. But here's something else I heard and saw.

Marvin Lewis, circa 2003.

Lewis came in here breathing fire and spitting gasoline. He shook up a franchise that at disintegrated into the worst in the NFL and maybe all of professional sports.

The Bengals had become the moral equivalent of Soviet Union agriculture. Full disclosure, the terrifically talented George Will used that line 20 years ago to describe the Chicago Cubs. I always wanted to use it. Thanks George.

When Lewis arrived, things changed in a hurry. In 2003, the Bengals went 8-8, which would have been cause for a parade around Fountain Square in most seasons. Within three years, the Bengals were a legitimate contender and a playoff team.

Then, the artist formally known as Chad Johnson had his celebrated halftime meltdown in the Bengals playoff game in January, 2006 and the rest is a matter of history, and police blotter.

Worse, Marvin Lewis seemed to go 'soft'. He' d certainly lost his bite. And when Mike Brown tossed him totally under the bus last summer by bringing back Cincinnati's favorite clown, Chris Henry, Marvin was toothless.

But here's what I saw today: the Marvin of 2003. I have nothing to base this on, other than what's always been a keen eye for body language. But Lewis looks like his old self. He talked about how Coles can take the wide receiver corp to a new height. Wednesday, in welcoming back running back Cedric Benson, he talked about retooling the offense. He had a flash in his eyes that was there in 2003-2005, until he became Dead Coach Walking.

Maybe it's not so dramatic as I think. Lewis' greatest weakness as an NFL head coach, I believe, is his inability to deal with the media without coming off condescending. That in itself is amazing, considering that two of the head coaches he's worked under, Brian Billick and Bill Cowher, were excellent in dealing with some of the fools who work in my business. Marvin's problem is that he seems to think we're all fools. Maybe we are, at different times, but so too can be an NFL head coach.

But I think I saw something today that's leading me to believe that owner, or knuckle head players, or media be damned. I think I saw a coach who has seized control again. I'll admit it was subtle; a couple of looks, voice inflection, a quiet confidence. But they were the things I saw six years ago when he was first hired.

I could be wrong. But I think I'm right. Welcome back Marvin. Where the hell have you been?

Can you feel the heat building under UK's Billy Gillispie? No? The read this from foxsports.com and get back to me.

Look, I had a lot of trouble this off season with all of the 'blue skies, unicorns and rainbows' BS about the Reds and how competitive they were going to be in 2009. The team lost 100 RBI when it traded away Adam Dunn and were going to have us believe that a career minor leaguer (Chris Dickerson) was a viable option for left field. After eight losing seasons in the last nine and no playoffs since 1995, it was flat out Reds propaganda. But...

I've got to admit when I've seen what the Reds pitching has been like so far this spring, I AM impressed. And Dickerson, Lance Nix and Jonny Gomes have all had their moments. It's a long way from now until April 6th. But I'm not as cynical about the Reds as I was, even two weeks ago.

Maybe I'm getting soft.

See you tonight at 11p or tomorrow night at 6p on WLWT Channel 5. Or both.

Just posted on my web site, the latest Bengals Report Podcast. In this latest episode, Mark Hardin and I break down the Bengals most recent loss (great we have to say things like that, right). You can find it on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. But if you're in a hurry, you can download it right here.

And my latest Broo View Podcast will be posted sometime after midnight. I have an indepth interview the man who invented instant replay, changed television forever in the process. That too, will be on my web site.

You'll have to scroll down a bit, but Ken Rosenthal of foxsports.com has an interesting tidbit in his blog from the Winter Baseball Meetings about the Reds pursuit of Jermaine Dye. Apparently, it isn't completely dead.

He's one of the best football beat writers in the biz. I got to know Mark Maske when I worked in DC a few years back. Not a very complimentary article turned in by the Washington "Postee" about your Cincinnati Bengals.

Random thoughts bouncing around inside my head like a ping pong ball on this Wednesday night...Brian Kelly's name will come up for every head coaching opening from now until/if he leaves UC. It's the reality of coaching at at a non-mega major. But ask yourself this, as I'm sure Kelly has: would he have a better chance of playing in the national championship game by going unbeaten at UC or coaching at a mid to low level SEC or Big 12 school? There are only a few jobs that I think Kelly will be interested in. Boston College, Notre Dame and Southern Cal come to mind. But those gigs are taken. As long as UC makes a genuine effort, and delivers on keeping him happy, Kelly will stay.....Mick Cronin's UC basketball team beat a good exhibition opponent last week. Carleton has smacked around some big time D-1 schools this fall.....Penn State will suffer, unfairly, from Ohio State's poor performances in recent BCS Championship Games. So long as the Nittany Lions remain unbeaten, they'll go. But, if they fall into the "Land of the One Loss" teams, they'll have no shot.....Alabama will not go unbeaten this year....Watch out for Southern Cal. I still think if they have only one loss by bowl time, they could get to the championship game.....

The Tennessee Titans are good, but they're also very lucky. You get both, when you have a team and a season going like Tennessee has....The Giants are the best team in the NFL, terrific 'front seven' on defense, a magnificent offensive line and their three headed attack at running back is just unreal....The Bengals were talking today like they could run the table and finish 8-8, with Carson Palmer suggesting that 8-8 might get them into the playoffs. I thought he had an elbow injury, not a head injury....The only way Chris Perry carries the football again for the Bengals this year is if Cedric Benson gets hurt.....Perry is finished in Cincinnati, after this season....as if he ever started....

Toughest thing to do is get into a sport if your city doesn't have a franchise....the NBA is a non starter for me....the games on TV are great. But you can't follow a team unless you have indepth coverage from your local media. The NHL is the same way.....

Brandon Phillips won a Gold Glove tonight, which goes to the best fielding player at each position. It's well deserved. He actually should have won it last season....Phillips has become the 'face' of the Reds organization. It's a perfect fit....Good luck and best wishes to our new President. Barak Obama has energized the youth of this country like no politician such JFK. Like Ronald Reagan, he's the right person for the job at the right time. But like Reagan, Obama will soon realize what he's promsing and what he can deliver are far different. With our economy in a full-fledged crisis and a continuing war, the President-elect's honeymoon will be short. Reagan endured and flourished with his personality and charm. He delivered. Obama has the same charisma and the same chance. Delivering is an entirely different thing.....

I'll have a new Bengals Report Podcast ready for you to download on Thursday. Mark Hardin and I will be reviewing the Bengals win over the Jaguars. And Friday, look for my NFL Week #9 predictions in my latest video podcast. You can find both on my web site: www.kenbroo.com.

Posted and ready for your downloading pleasure the latest Broo View Podcast. It's a good one (if I do say so myself!), that includes an interview I did with nationalfootballpost.com and former Oakland Raiders general manager, Michael Lombardi. Great thoughts from Mike on the state of the Bengals. You'll also hear comments from Carson Palmer and TJ Housmandzadeh. You can find the latest Broo View Podcast on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. Or you can dowload it here.

Here’s a question to ponder: how many more weeks do we worry about game Bengals strategies and match ups. At what point will it stop to matter. Back in the back old days, in the 90’s, it was tough to deliver the nightly sports and talk about game strategies for the Bengals teams. You could never get to that, because Bengals fans could never get by the fact that the team was bad, and any talk about strategy was dismissed. You didn’t worry about how Tony McGee would do against the Browns strong side linebacker. It didn’t matter. You knew the Bengals were going to lose.

How close are we to that again?

Last Sunday, I asked this question: is this game, the game against the Tennessee Tigans, is this the biggest game the Bengals will play in the last 18 seasons? Not from an on field perspective, but off the field. Was it the biggest game they were going to play, to hold your interest and
not let the mood of the town drift from disappoint, to anger to apathy. At least there was one positive from the wind storm. Not many of us got to see the second half of that debacle.

As I sat in the dark this week and watched the candles melt, I wondered when we’d ever have a winning team to talk about, something that galvanizes the city like the 1990 Reds did, or the ’88 Bengals. College teams are great. What UC did on the football field last season and what Xavier did in basketball a couple of years ago were both terrific. But let’s face it: when it comes to college sports, interest is fractionalized. In Cincinnati, you’re either a UC or X fan. If you’re a Kentucky fan, you’re neither. Then, of course, are the other schools that have pockets of support around here, OSU, Notre Dame, Miami, maybe IU.

The Cyclones wrote a nice story last year. But it’s hockey, always an acquired taste in a non NHL city.

No, if anything is going to lift us from the land of loser-ville, it’s going to be either the Reds or Bengals. And honestly, do you see any reason to believe its going to happen any time soon.

The Reds are playing good baseball right now. But the heat is off, has been since June. We’ve seen this a lot in the last ten years. Reds out of the playoffs, play good baseball in September, false sense of hope, big let down by the following June. Repeat the cycle.

Look at this month. The Reds delayed the Cubs clinching the Central by winning two of three, They won two of three at Milwaukee earlier this month. They won two of three from the Brewers this past weekend. They’ve won 15 of their last 22. But it’s September. When was the last time they did it when it mattered? Hey, the current line up is playing well. But do you believe for a moment the everyday eight the Reds are running out there lately will be able to compete with the Cubs everyday eight, man for man next season? I don’t.

Some magazine, I don’t remember which one most of them give me a headache, but some magazine said recently that Cincinnati is one of the toughest towns for a sports fan. No playoffs in baseball since 1995, one playoff appearance for the Bengals in the last 18 years. But yet, you believe. And better, you support. The Reds went over the two million mark in attendance Saturday afternoon. The Bengals have a waiting list out the door and down the street for season tickets, every seat every Sunday now sold out.

But the economy stinks, gas is four bucks a gallon and you’re lucky if you’ll get a three percent raise this year. You’ve got some tough choices to make now. We all do.

At what point will your patience with waiting for a winner run out? Everybody has their limit. How close are you, to yours?

Maybe it’s a good thing we don’t have blackouts all that often. Having too much time to think is almost as bad as watching the food rot in the refrigerator. But unless I’m reading this wrong, I think you’re in need of something today other than a warm shower and a promise from Duke Energy this will never happen again. I think you’re in need of a dose of hope. What I want to know, is do you see it coming anytime soon?

Just posted on my web site: www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo View Podcast. I have the complete interview I conducted this past Sunday on 700 WLW with former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, Tom Browning. We visit about the 20th anniversary of his perfect game, which happens to be tonight! If you're in a hurry, you can dowload the podcast here.

The Sports Network asks an interesting question about Marvin Lewis today. My answer, if he has, it happened the day Mike Brown brought Chris Henry back to this team.

Random thoughts from a mind that thinks randomly on this random Wednesday night....the NCAA is jerking Ben Mauk around. It's one thing to deny his re-instatement bid. It's another to say no, then wait a minute not yet, and then ultimately no in three separate phone calls this week....that said, Mauk needs to move on with this life. It's over at UC....The Bengals are in no postion to trade Rudi Johnson. Chris Perry has been nothing but injured since he arrived in Cincinnati in 2004, this summer withstanding....If the Bengals are really trolling for another wide receiver by dangling Johnson as trade bait, what does that say about the quality of the receivers they drafted this spring, three in all? The Bengals worst problem, among a lot of them, is procurement of quality players, whether through the draft or free agency......I'm certain the Bengals will play their best this summer against the Colts Thursday night. But they'll prove nothing by doing that. The Colts aren't going to play any of their first teamers....Bengals tackles, Levi Jones and Stacy Andrews can't handle a good edge rusher. Watch and see if that's not where most teams blitz the Bengals this season...Can Corey Patterson do anything besides ground out to second? Oh wait, yes. Patterson can strike out....After tossing the first complete game by a Reds' starting pitcher this season, we have further proof why the Reds didn't dump Bronson Arroyo at the trade deadline. In ten of his last eleven starts, Arroyo has gone at least six innings....I still haven't given up on Homer Bailey becoming a decent starting pitcher. But I think the Reds have....Even if Brian Kelly coaches the UC football team to another 10 win season, I still think he's back in Clifton for a third season. Here are the jobs I think Kelly would leave UC for: Boston College, Notre Dame, Colorado, Michigan and Texas. I don't see any of those jobs opening up for awhile.....The problem with Olympians? They fade away immediately after the games for four years, impossible to keep track of them. Michael Phelps will be around, doing endorsements and the like for awhile. But after hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he'll fade too....

Upcoming over night, my latest Broo View Podcast, available at http://www.kenbroo.com/. I'll have an indepth interview with the brains (ok, the brawn) behind http://www.bengals.com/, Geoff Hobson. It'll be on the front page of my web site and I'll also include a link to it on the blog as well.

Yikes, more and more bad press for you Cincinnati Bengals. Here's former NFL'er Matt Bowen with his take on the running Ocho Cinco sports opera.

ESPN.com is writing about what we all know here in the 'nati. Things are getting a little dicey for the Bengals.

I'm sure glad Walt Jocketty is somewhere talking about the future of the Cincinnati Reds. Apparently, it's in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he reveals the Reds are in fullfledged rebuilding.

Wait 'til 2010 isn't just the Olympic battle cry of NBC Sports. It's the cold, hard reality of baseball in Cincinnati.

He's one of our favorite guests on 700 WLW's Sunday Morning Sports Talk. Here's some more of profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio on the return of Chris Henry to the Bengals.

My over/under on Henry getting into legal trouble is November 15. I'm taking the under.

Good Morning!

If you’ve read this blog over the last eight or nine months, you’ve heard me say this at least a hundred times. The reds need to keep Adam Dunn. I haven’t wavered in that. I looked at his age, his durability, his ability to hit for power, work the count, get on base, drive runs in. I tempered all of that with his fielding deficiencies and his infuriating amount of strike outs.

Obviously you listened to me. The Reds obviously did not.

There were a lot of you who would never consider the positives that Dunn brought to the game. And that’s fine. But you have to consider this.
You’re losing who holds 4th place all time in Reds home run hitting history
You’re losing a guy who hit a home run in less than every 14 at bats, who three times produced 100 rbi, 100 walks and 100 run scored seasons. Only one other Reds player has done that. Thanks to the Enquirer’s John Erardi for that. He’ll be joining us in a little bit.

Who does Adam Dunn compare to, statistically at this point in his career? How about Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, how about Barry Bonds? Not my opinion. That’s straight out of Baseball Reference.

And the Reds let him go. They got three players for Dunn, two we know about, one we think we know. One is a 23 year old pitcher in Single-A, coming off Tommy John surgery. The other is a 24 year old catcher who was stuck in triple-A when the Reds got him. We think pitcher Micah Owings is headed here. His arm trouble right now actually had some baseball experts suggesting the Reds may try converting him to an everyday player. For a guy who compares favorably to Reggie Jackson.

I’ve heard this a lot since the deal when down on Monday: well, the Reds couldn’t afford to pay Dunn the dollars he’ll be looking for this winter. I’ve never heard Bob Castellini says that. But if it’s true, then the Reds are playing a fool’s game. You want the numbers that Adam Dunn puts up, you want to run with the big dogs, it’s going to cost you.

If you were in the Dump Dunn camp, I’ll ask you the same question I ask every week, and never seem to get an answer: where are you going to get those 100-rbi he’s taking with him to Arizona?
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Where is the bat in the Reds line-up that will make the opposing pitcher work the count as well as Adam Dunn did? What bat in that Reds line-up strikes fear into any opposing pitcher’s heart?

It’s never been about Dunn. It’s always been about where the numbers come from. You think they’re in the Reds minor league system? Go look.

You think they Reds will be able to trade for those numbers this off season?
Who do they trade for that? You may get 100-rbi, but it’ll cost you Jay Bruce, or Joey Votto or Brandon Phillips or a combination there of. You can always ask Texas if they’ll send Josh Hamilton back. But my guess is the asking price begins with Edinson Volquez. You think they’ll find 100-rbi on the free agent market this year? Really?

And the last time they did that was when?

Here are the top two free agent outfielders this winter: Pat Burrell now with the Phillies and, Adam Dunn.

The Reds probably have a plan to address all of this. But I couldn’t tell you what it is right now. In the last seven months, they’ve dismissed a man who could win the American League MVP, paid the White Sox four million dollars to take Junior off their hands and they’re sending another four million to the Diamondbacks to be rid of Adam Dunn.

All the while, an entire generation of Reds fans bave grown up knowing nothing but losing.

The business of baseball is more than OPS, OBP, average with two out and runners in scoring position. It’s about selling tickets. Winning sells a lot of tickets. So do star players. Please tell me today, when does the winning begin, and where exactly are the star players.

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!

I'm sure we'll be talking about this a lot when I settle in for my regular Sunday Morning Sports Talk show on Cincinnati's 700 WLW. But if you're in the 'goodbye Adam Dunn and good riddance camp, you need to read this posting by the savvy John Erardi, in his blog on cincinnati.com.

I actually heard a rather knowledgable baseball fan say the other day that he didn't care if Dunn left, that it hadn't worked with him and let's see if it worked without him. Frustration, I guess, is what brought that on, frustration over an under achieving team. It was completely misguided.

You want to sign a free agent this off season to replace him? You know who the top two free agent outfielders are in 2008? Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn. They will both command the same free agent money and Dunn is younger and has never been hurt.

You want to bring someone up from the minors to replace Dunn? Good, who? Chris Dickerson will get a shot, but he's an older AAA player. And you need two corner outfielders, right? If Jay Bruce moves to center, you'll need that. If he stays in right field, you'll need a center fielder. Please, don't get into Ryan Freel and Norris Hopper. Exactly where have they been this season?

You want to trade for an existing outfielder who hits for power? Great, who are you going to trade. Do you actually think you'll get any player of any value for anyone on the current Reds roster besides Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Bruce, Edinson Volquez or Aaron Harang? Do you want to trade any one of them?

Despite the blather you'll hear from the front office and ownership, this team is a long way from competing. Check back with me in 2010.

Michael Phelps is amazing, isn't he? So is his diet, as outlined by the NY Post. He consumes in one day what I consume in one week. But it'd take me a week to swim as far as Phelps has in Beijing.

Fox sports still think the Bengals are going to be something special this season. Alex Marvez is a former Bengals beat writer, years ago, for the Dayton Daily News.

Speaking of that, our pal Chick Ludwig has the sobering news that the Bengals may be considering Chris Henry Part II. I hear this is all Mike Brown. Marvin Lewis wants no part of this bad news guy.

Bummer about the US women gymnasts. Had a shot at the gold, until Alicia Sacramone fell a couple of times. Don't get on her for that. She'll liable to knock you out. Have you seen this video of her at a party at Brown University from about a year ago
? Ouch!

And folks, you know that's gotta hurt!

Let's just say this, Bob Castellini isn't getting a lot of love from at least one New York paper. Newsday isn't very kind to the Reds owner.

Castellini's biggest problem are the promises that he makes. He said the day he bought the team that we'd have a championship here in Cincinnati. Hasn't happened. He said after he fired Wayne Krivsky the team wasn't going to lose anymore. It has. And as late as two weeks ago, Castellini said his team was still in the pennant race. It wasn't then, it really isn't now.

The time for talking is over.

So let's see, in the last seven months the Reds have traded an odds on favorite to win the American League MVP award winner, one of the 50 greatest players of all time, the current MLB home run leader (and consistent 100 RBI a year man) and they've paid the White Sox and Diamondbacks a grand total of $6 million. Sounds like a plan to me.

And Bob Castellini now says that his team can win next year. After he fired general manager Wayne Krivsky in April Castellini said "We're just not going to lose anymore". As late as ten days ago, he told one of his TV announcers "We're not out of it". When he bought the team in 2006, he proclaimed that the Reds would contend for a championship. I don't doubt the man's sincerity. But the time for talking about things is over. It's long past the time for accomplishing things.

2009? They've got no shot.

Look, I had nothing against trading Dunn.....except the fact that he's taking 100 rbi a year with him. Look at the current Reds roster, then look in the minors, and tell me what player will deliver 100 next season. To get even close to that, you'll have to trade any one of these players, maybe a combination: Brandon Phillips, Edinson Volquez, Joey Votto or Jay Bruce. They're exactly the kind of players you need to win. You could always go the free agent route. Guess who's one of the top two free agent to be outfielders. You got it, Dunn. The other is Pat Burrell, who is Dunn from the other side of the plate and two years older.

2009? They got no shot.

The biggest problem the Reds have isn't personnel. The biggest problem they have is 'lack of buzz', in other words, no hype, no 'gotta see'. For the rest of this season, like most lately, they're reduced to an after thought in the sports world. Hello Bengals, see ya Reds. If a generation is defined as 25 years, then almost an entire generation of Cincinnati sports fans have grown up knowing nothing but losing baseball. You think that's not a big deal? Ask Mike Brown.

2009? They got no shot.

The Dunn deal is taking more shape tonight. It appears Arizona pitcher, Micah Owings is one of the 'players to be named later'. It'll be later than sooner, as the Arizona Republic is reporting.
Owings started the year 6-1, then developed arm trouble and has since been sent to AAA. He's also a very good pinch hitter. With the current Reds rotation, he'd be a 5th starter and maybe challenge for a 4th spot. He's better than Homer Bailey, period.

Out in Arizona, they seem happy to have Dunn, if only for another six weeks or so.

As for our Bengals, well not bad, not good in their exhibition opener. There will be plenty for the coaches to work on this week. Apparently, Chad Johnson has some things he's working on....like changing his name, according this in profootballtalk.com.

It's almost time for the nightly Phelps fix...gotta go. See you on News 5 tonight at 6p and after the Olympics.

A couple of things are bouncing around my head today….like a ping pong ball as Willie would say….

First, is a column that John Fay has in Sunday’s Enquirer. Apparently, Reds GM,Walt Jocketty believes the Reds are a team that can be fixed quickly. After watching this team play the last week and a half, my initial reaction was a loud guffaw. A bad Nationals team swept them, the Brewers toyed with them and for the last three nights, a very pedestrian Astros team has smacked them around. And to use the cable television news vernacular, the Reds offense has gone missing.

And Jocketty thinks all that he needs to do is a little tweeking.

You know what, I’m not sure he’s wrong. Look around the diamond. First base, young and solid. Second base, one of the top five at his position. Short stop, lots of options. Third base, lots of options there, too. In the outfield, questions, but not tottaly devoid of answers. Sign Adam Dunn and that corner is set for three to five years. Jay Bruce should be the right fielder for at least five years. Centerfield, you need to address that.

Starting rotation? Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Volquez in some order or another,, solid. You can find a fifth starter somewhere in the land of Homer Bailey, Darryl Thompson, Matt Maloney, maybe Bobby Livingston come back.

Bullpen? Burton, Bray, Cordero for at least another year, maybe even Majewski and the new guy, Masset. You don’t need to add much. You say a team is close, when it’s 15 under 500 and you can come off as foolish. Walt Jocketty hasn’t gotten this far in his life by being foolish.

The other thing that’s bugged me since the news broke Friday, is what’s happened to Ben Mauk, now the former UC starting quarterback. If you haven’t heard, the NCAA has denied Mauk an extra year of eligibility. It would have been his sixth. You can make arguments on both sides, as to whether or not he deserved it. Personally, I’m old school, I think a student athlete gets four years and that’s it. I’m not a big fan of redshirting. It’s just a way for schools to stock rosters. And I’m also not a fan of a school making it tough on students, athletes or otherwise, from completing their education in four years. You get out of course sequence, and you’re locked into education hell. Or you’re parents are, depending on who’s paying for it. But that’s another topic for another genre of show.

Mauk appealed his initial appeal twice, going 0-3 against the NCAA. My problem is the how the NCAA toyed with Mauk, allowing him to practice, while it’s appeals committee took its sweet old time deciding his fate. Hope is great. But there is nothing crueler in life than false hope. Mauk will be OK. Seems like a strong kid. But the NCAA didn’t do him right.

And last but not least, your 2008 Cincinnati Bengals. Their exhibition opener….and let’s be clear here, these are exhibition not pre-season games. Please NFL God Roger Goodell , please, lop two games off this August madness….this exhibition opener is interesting for one reason; to see if the Bengals defense is any better this year than last. I don’t need to see Carson Palmer, TJ, Willie or anyone else on offense. I know what they can do. I know Palmer is one of the top five quarterbacks in the game. I know TJ is his go to guy. I even know there’s a 50-50 chance of some drama with Chad Monday night. Monday night, ESPN, Chad. What, you think this is NPR? He lives for this. No, what I want to see is whether or not the interior line can stop a sneeze this season. I want to see if the secondary can stop the track meets that teams have consistently thrown at them. I’ll watch for about a quarter, and then, it’s over the rhythmic gymnastics. NFL pre season games are about as interesting at that, particularly in week one.