Just posted on my web site, www.kenbroo.com is my latest Broo View Vidcast. You can find it on the front page. The topic is my pick for the two most important Reds on the current roster.

Sunday morning on 700 WLW, my guests will include Michael McCann, noted sports attorney and si.com columnist, on the Michael Vick saga, as well as yahoo sports' columnist, Josh Peter, on how to keep drunk NFL players off the road. Mark Sheldon, from mlb.com will join me, as well as Robert Boland from thenationalfootballpost.com, who has ranked the 32 NFL franchises from top to bottom. Any guess where he has your Cincinnati Bengals? I'm on from 9am-Noon ET.

You can listen on line at 700wlw.com.

And the phone lines will be wide open Saturday, as well, when I host Saturday Sportstalk on 700 WLW. I'm on from 3p-6:30p ET.

Then I'll go enjoy a pre-birthday dinner. My birthday is Sunday. Don't ask the age.

Sports Rock! Sunday night at 11:35p on Cincinnati's Channel 5 will feature a 'live' interview with the 2009 Indianpolis 500 winner, whomever he or she maybe, as well as Ohio University head football coach, Frank Solich in the studio.

Hope you're having a great weekend. How about the Reds FINALLY calling up Johnny Gomes and DFA-ing Darnell McDonald?

Just posted on my web site www.kenbroo.com is my latest Broo View podcast. Click here, if you're in a hurry and can't get there. I don't take it easy on the Bengals.

Also, I've finally posted a radio interview I did with Ohio University football coach, Frank Solich, earlier this month. It's in the "Podcasts & More" section in the "Ken's Other Gigs" category. But, I'll save you some time today, just because it's Monday. You can click here to listen to my interview with the man who's resurrected the Ohio football program.

Sometimes, you have to get up early to get the 'scoop'.

I was up before sunrise today, filling in for Richard Skinner on 1530 WCKY "The Sports Animal" in Cincinnati. I'd forgotten there was another 6 o'clock in the day. That's what happens when you work nights.

It was a full range of sports talk. Chick Ludwig, the talented writer from the Dayton Daily News who covers the Bengals for a living, was one of my guests. He isn't putting much stock ni the 'back to the future' Marvin Lewis, who is vowing to get tough with his team again. Chick believes the only way that will occur is for the Bengals to clean house, somewhat, and get rid of some of the players that Marvin needs to get tough with.

Among other issues we talked about: Marvin Lewis leaving to coach the Steelers. Not going to happen. Marvin is under contract through at least 2010 with the Bengals and because of the relationship between Mike Brown and Steelers owner, Dan Rooney, Pittsburgh won't be robbing the Bengals stable.

What do the Bengals need most now? A pure, pass rushing defensive lineman is the top priority. That may have to be addressed through free agency, as the Bengals draft 18th this year and the top rushers may be gone. Defensive back, Chick says, is another priority, given the age and attitudes of Deltha O'Neal and Tory James.

Ohio University football coach, Frank Solich, was another of my guests. His Bobcats (my Bobcats) will play Southern Mississippi in the GMAC Bowl Sunday night. Solich told me he had no doubt his team would rally after starting the year 2-0, then falling to 2-3. It did. The Bobcats ripped off seven straight wins. Solich also agreed with me when I mentioned the Bobcats workhorse running back, Kalvin McRae, reminded me of some of the running backs you'd find in the Big 12, where Solich spent his entire coaching life before arriving at Ohio.

There's a lot of buzz out there that Solich may be ready to move on after only two years at Ohio.
The University of Minnesota is one rumored place. I asked Solich if he'd 'found a home' in Athens, Ohio. And while not specifically addressing his immediate future, he took great pains to compliment the people he works for, Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt and Ohio President, Dr. Roderick McDavis.

Personally, I don't think he's going anywhere. He's got scholarship offers out all over the country to high school seniors and he appears to be motivated more by situation not money.
He works for a university president who wants to make athletics the 'face' of the school. How many schools want that in this day and age? Frank is 62 and has worked in the 'big time'. He's made a lot of money. And while a Big 10 or SEC school could offer him more 'dough' in one year than he'd make in five at Ohio, I know he's living comfortably with what he's making coaching the Bobcats.

As long as McDavis remains school president and Hocutt stays at AD, I believe Solich remains. I'm no visionary on any of this. It's merely a gut reaction, after talking with the man on live radio today.

Finally, Marc Lancaster, the talented Cincinnati Post writer joined me. Marc has covered the Reds the past four seasons. He's leaving to take a similar job with the Tampa Tribune. He and his daily blog will be missed.

Marc thinks the Reds still have one more major trade or signing left before heading to spring training and it may involve Ryan Freel. Like me, he thinks signing Alex Gonzalez to play short stop is a big time move, shoring up the defense. But, losing Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez last season put a serious dent in run production. The Reds may be trolling for offense now.

And, he doesn't see pitching phenom Homer Bailey in the rotation to start the season.

Friday, I'm back on 1530 Homer again. Among my guests, the national writer for cbssportsline.com, Gregg Doyel and the head coach of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, Brian Kelly.

I'm just back from the US Bank Arena here in Cincinnati. I saw a lot of purple in the stands for tonight's game between Xavier and Kansas State. But I think most of that purple was on Cincinnatians and not K-State alums.

Bob Huggins was back in town with his Wildcats. That was the reason for all the purple and the over 12,000 that showed up to watch Xavier pound Huggins' new team.

But it was good to see Bob again. We forget what it was like around here, back in the late 80's an early 90's. Sam Wyche with the Bengals, Lou Piniella with the Reds and Huggins at UC. Those days were a reporter's dream. The quotes just kept on coming, from all over.

Huggins has his hands full at Kansas State. But he also has Bill Walker. And Walker's special guest tonight with courtside seats was his former running back at North College Hill High School: OJ Mayo. Mayo has verbally commited to Southern Cal. But seeing him there tonight makes you go "hmmmmmm". Did Huggins get a chance to talk with Mayo? You think?

If you live in the greater Cincinnati area, you can catch me tomorrow morning and Friday morning subbing for Richard Skinner on 1530 Homer WCKY.

My guests tomorrow between 7am-10pm will be Chick Ludwig, the Bengals beat writer from the Dayton Daily News, Frank Solich, the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats and soon to be ex-Reds beat writer from the Cincinnati Post, Marc Lancaster.

Friday, my guests include UC head football coach Brian Kelly, CBS sportsline.com national writer, Gregg Doyel and my boy, George Vogel.

I didn't want this to get lost in all that's going on today with the NFL and the Bengals. I'll have more on that later in the day.

I spent this weekend in Cleveland watching my alma mater completely dominate a school in the Big East. Ohio brought balanced scoring, tenacious defense and the most important thing a team needs to do, make free throws.

I was particularly impressed with a couple of players, three actually. Leon Williams couldn't be handled by anyone on the UC team. He was fouled virtually every time he touched the ball in the paint. Of course, it wasn't always called. But when he went to the line, Leon was 'money', 12 of 15 from the line. Leon also hauled down 12-rebounds and managed a couple of blocks and a couple of assists.

Whitney Davis looked sharp too. He's got a unique style handling the ball, but he not only gets it into his playmakers hands, he also can score.

Jerome Tillman was solid and so was Sonny Troutman. I made the observation after watching Ohio defeat Bellermine earlier this year: Troutman may have a sweet lefthanded shot and he will penetrate the lane, but his best weapon is the pass. He's very unselfish.

I spent some time talking with Tim O'Shea. The Bobcats head coach told me there wasn't any secret to his defense on UC. Like Ohio did with Louisville, the Bobcats packed it in tight and allowed the Bearcats to try and beat them with the three ball. Neither team, historically, has shot well from the outside. The strategy worked.

It was great visiting with some other coaches. I got to talk with Kevin Kuwik and Brian Townsend. Brian said he grew up watching me on television (ouch!), while he was a stand out athlete at Cincinnati's Northwest High School.

I got a chance to visit again with assistant coach Doug Dewey, who was a standout athlete at Cincinnati's Glen Este High School. Terrific guy and is learning a lot from the other coaches on the Ohio staff.

Bubba Walther said the same thing too. That was a little easier to take, considering Bubba isn't that far removed from Moeller.

Ohio will play deep into March. I've seen Miami play. Charlie Coles will get everything that team has, but I don't see the RedHawks being any kind of factor. But with solid wins over a Big East team (UC) and an Atlantic 10 team (St Joe's), Ohio has laid the ground work for a great run through the MAC. Bobcat fans should be stoked.

By the way, the Ohio football team leaves Tuesday for the GMAC Bowl. If you live in central and southern Ohio, I'm filling in this Thursday and Friday morning on 1530 Homer WCKY. Ohio head football coach, Frank Solich, will be my 'live' guest from Mobile at 9:10am this Thursday. If you don't live here in the greater Cincinnati area, you can catch it on line.

I'll have more on the Bobcats later in the week on my The Broo View podcast, which you can catch on my web site, www.kenbroo.com.


Go Bobcats!

Ken

To anyone who bleeds Ohio University green and white, he is the saviour. Frank Solich has led the Bobcat football program out of the oblivion and into the ranks of respectability. And on Monday, he was rewarded.

Solich has been named the Mid American Conference coach of the year. The Bobcats record is now 9-3, with a chance to hit double digit wins this Thursday night.

A little history lesson. Ohio was once the biggest, baddest little college football program in America. You have to go back to 1960 to appreciate that, when the Bobcats had the best "small college" team in the USA. Today, all Division I programs are on the same level, all play for the same national championship. But back in '60, there was no mid major football team better than Ohio's. In 1968, under Bill Hess, a disciple of Woody Hayes, the Bobcats won the MAC and went to the Tangerine Bowl. The long nightmare began soon after.

In 1973, Ohio went 5-5. I know, I was the color commentator on their radio broadcasts. I remember going to Chicago with the 'Cats when they were 29 point underdogs to a very mediocre Northwestern University team. Ohio beat Northwestern, by four points if I remember correctly and Hess was named the national coach of the week. A large man, Hess was asked if he was disappointed his team didn't carry him off the field after that glorious victory. A self-deprecating man from the start, Hess quipped, "No, I was glad they didn't try to do that. As big as I am, they'd've had to made two trips."

A long, long nightmare began soon after that, plenty of two, three and some one win seasons. In the late 90's, Jim Grobe arrived for a brief moment of sunshine. But after he skated for Wake Forest, the Bobcats found themselves back in the college football abyss.

Until Solich arrived.

I found it ironic that Ohio can go to 10-3 with a win Thursday night against Central Michigan in the MAC Championship game. Nebraska fired Solich after the 2003 season for 'only going 9-3'.
Their loss, our gain.

Way to go Frank. We've been waiting for you....a long time.

Ken