1-0 in the AFC North, the Bengals have an excellent chance to make it 2-0. The Browns stink. After watching their game against the Steelers last Sunday, that is absolute fact. I'm still in awe of a team managing to draw four separate penalties on one play. The Browns not only managed that, they ran their starting quarterback out of town after only one game.



Charlie Frye is gone. Derek Anderson is next. And he's only renting. Eventually, this will be Brady Quinn's mess. And regardless of whatever talent and ability he has, Quinn seems doomed to the same fate of the nine other starting quarterbacks the Browns have had since rejoining the league in 1999.



You wonder if the team's ownership group wants to allow Quinn to play under the present coaching staff, which seems destined to be launched any day now. You think Bill Cowher would know what to do with Brady Quinn?



The Bengals enter Cleveland about a 6.5 point favorite. That looks like easy money: take the Bengals lay the points. But Cleveland probably isn't as bad as it played last week, or as bad as I have them in paragraph one of this post. And the game is in Cleveland. The Browns defense simply ran out of gas from being on the field too much last week. But I don't see that changing this week.



More on the Bengals on my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. On the front page is the latest Bengals Report "The Podcast". Marc Hardin and I recap the Bengals Monday night win over the Ravens.

With two more home runs Tuesday night, can the Reds not pick up Adam Dunn's option for 2008? How can they honestly tell their fans they're intent on winning a pennant or a World Series when they allow a consistent 40-home run a year, 100-rbi a year threat, to take a walk?

The issue for Bob Castellini isn't picking up Dunn's contract. It's buying some pitching. Dumping Dunn's $13 million salary and buying pitching are not mutual exclusive. If they are, he needs to sell the team and find another line of work. You either want to play the game to win, or you don't. Past ownership didn't play to win. Castellini says he wants to. This winter, it's put up or shut up time.

I talk sports every Sunday morning from 9am-Noon Eastern time on 700 WLW in Cincinnati. It's streamed on line and you can also catch the show on XM Satellite radio, channel 173.

And right after the Bengals-Browns game Sunday, I'll take your calls on 1530 Homer's "Bengals Feedback" from 5:30p-8:00p Eastern.

And right after that, you can catch me on "Sports Rock", the last best word on the Bengals every Sunday night. It's on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, channel 5, after Sunday night football.

Looks like Sunday is going to be a busy day.

Here's what I want to see when the Bengals take the field Friday night to finish up the pre-season. I want to see Carson Palmer and that first team offense play one series. In that series, I want to see Palmer toss the ball to each of his wide receivers and let Rudi rip off a long run. I want to see Tab Perry step up and catch a touchdown pass. I want a long drive where the Bengals can show all the doubters that their offense is one of the top three in the NFL.

On defense, I want to see the first teamers hold the Colts to three and out, in Indy's first drive. I want to see the first teamers take the ball away, the second time the Colts get the ball.

Then, I want to see every one of the 22 first teamers on the bench. That would be the perfect way to end the pre season.

What do you think the chances are of that happening?

The Bengals are banged up. Willie Anderson is back practicing. But we'll be lucky to see him on the field by opening night. Anderson's foot injury isn't getting better. He'll need corrective surgery when his career is done. Now, it's just a matter of dealing with pain.

Just posted, the latest Bengals Report Podcast. It's on my web site, www.kenbroo.com. I've made it easy for you. It's sitting on the front page, ready for downloading.

The Reds are back to seven games out. I want to believe. But here's what's keeping me from doing that. No pitcher on the roster you can count on who's not named Aaron Harang. Even the Reds #2 starter, Bronson Arroyo is now an iffy proposition. He left after throwing only 80 pitches in Pittsburgh Monday night, claiming fatigue. Arroyo was wheezing after the second inning, by his own admission. Mark Belisle, Tom Shearn (who?) and whomever else the Reds can round up to fill out the rotation aren't good enough for this team to be seriously taken as a contender.

I may be wrong. I hope I am.

I'm not worried about the Bengals offense. Willie Anderson will be back at right tackle by the season opener and all will be right with that side of the ball. It has the ability to average between 28-31 points per game. BUT, having to average that amount of points to win is an entirely different deal.

It's the other side of the ball I'm worried about. Other than using a first round pick to draft cornerback, Leon Hall, the Bengals have done little to fix a defense that hemmoraged points last season. Yes, rookie safety Marvin White, will be a good player and sure, they brought in a number of defensive linemen in the off season. But I've seen nothing to make me believe that this year will be better than last year, defensively.

We won't get any updates in this pre season finale Friday night when the Colts gallop into town. You'll be lucky to see any starters play in that game. I remember two years ago, when the Colts came here to finish the pre season, Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and the rest of those first team offense stars were rumors. They never played a down. I doubt if it'll be different this year.

Looking at the tape of the Bengals and Saints co-workout today, it made me think of just how 'old school' the Bengals are. Today was the first time they ever shared a practice field with another team, in their 40-year history.

It's common around the NFL these days to see two geographically close teams scrimmage before the pre-season begins. When I worked in Washington, DC, I covered the Redskins-Steelers scrimmages every summer. And that's plural: scrimmages. Once a summer they'd meet in Frostburg, Maryland, then the 'Skins summer base. Once a summer, the teams scrimmaged in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The Bengals, for 40-years have only held an intra-squad scrimmage. Some coaches have told me they don't like this. When you scrimmage against yourself, your offense against your defense, it doubles the chances of you players getting hurt. Today, it was a full speed, non contact workout with the Saints. Maybe it'll lead the Bengals into the same turf the rest of the NFL has been enjoying, for year.

I'm now officially concerned about Willie Anderson. The big tackle showed up today wearing a protective 'boot' on his right foot. Anderson was injured in December, 2006, in a game against the Colts. Apparently, the injury never healed properly. And today, Anderson hinted he may not be ready for the season opener, now in just 25 days. This week, Anderson went to Atlanta to see doctors other than those who tend to the Bengals. His injury, in his words, was 're-injured' to promote healing. That, to me, sounds like the re-breaking of a bone that had healed improperly. Anderson, one of the greatest players in Bengal history, said there's a 60 percent chance this will help heal the injury. If it doesn't, could it mean the end of a possible Hall of Fame career? I hope not.

More on the Bengals can be found on my web site: www.kenbroo.com. On the front page, you'll be able to download The Bengals Report Podcast. In the "Podcasts & More" section, you'll get the latest Broo View Podcast. And of course, if you live in the greater Cincinnati area, I'll see you tonight at 6p and 11p on WLWT Channel 5.

I'll have more detailed entries as the night progesses. But I wanted to get a head up out to you that the latest edition of The Broo View Podcast is up and running. You can find it at my web site, www.kenbroo.com in the "Podcasts & More" section.

Also, the latest edition of the Bengals Report Podcast is just out. You can find that, on the front page of www.kenbroo.com.

Back with you soon....

Just some random thoughts on this Tuesday night....

The top 50 mens tennis players in the world are in Cincinnati this week. It's been that way for more than a generation. Amazing, isn't it, that we host a tournament of that magnitude in a town the size of Cincinnati? I got to talk with Roger Federer tonight, the number one player in the world. He's down to earth, self deprecating and very funny. Maybe he's that way, because he grew up in the game of tennis not only playing, but serving as a ball boy at at number of events....

Federer is great. But Andy Roddick plays with the kind of passion that Jimmy Connors brought to the game. Gee, wonder who Roddick's coach is?

If the Reds pick up Adam Dunn's $13 million dollar option, it's really a $12.5 million dollar deal. To let him walk after this season, it'll cost the Reds a half-million. In this day and age in pro baseball, if you can't afford a 40-45 home run, 100-110 RBI player at $12.5 mil, you should get out of the business...

Of course, it's not my money....

I want to believe the Bengals will be better this season, but why should I? The offense has lost its third wide receiver for the first eight games and it's back up running back. The defense has a number one draft pick in its secondary this year. But should we expect Leon Hall to play anything but like a rookie?

I'm saying 9-7, but that could win the division....

The Ravens will not have the kind of season they had in '06. They're playing a first place schedule this season, not the 6-10 schedule they played in last season....

Why do I think Barry Bonds will have a lot of company in the soon to be finished steroid investigation Major League Baseball is conducting?

I'll give you Bill Bray and David Weathers. Name me one other current pitcher in that Reds bullpen who you think will be back in '08.......

The more I watch Pete Mackanin, the more I'd like him to return as manager in 2008. But I don't think it'll happen. He suffers from the Miley-Narron syndrome: minor league, interim managers who were eventually hired full time and did not work out.

I'm talking sports every Sunday morning on Cincinnati 700 WLW from 9am-Noon. The electrifying Gregg Doyel of cbssportsline.com fame is with me. If you don't live in and around the Tri-State, you can catch us on line at www.700wlw.com and on XM channel 173.

Later this week on my web site www.kenbroo.com, you'll hear my latest Broo View Podcast, as well as the latest edition of the Bengals Report Podcast. Check in late Wednesday for both.

I've been putting off writing this latest entry, hoping that what happened last Thursday really didn't, hoping that it was just some bad joke.

It wasn't.

Along the road that is the journey of life, you meet certain people you never forget. Some people you remember because of who they are, or what they did or how they impacted your life. Someone once told me, you'll be lucky to find five people in your time on earth who'd be like that. I'm not sure if Skip Prosser was one of those five. But I know I'll never forget him.

Prosser, as I'm sure you're well aware of by now, died too suddenly and too soon last week. He was 56 when his heart gave out on him. His resume says he was a basketball coach. He was more than than.

Prosser had been at Wake Forest the last six years. But I knew him first, as an assistant coach at Xavier under Pete Gillen, later as the head coach of the Musketeers. He was a man who could quote Wooden in one sentence, Thoreau in another. And he always knew something about who he was talking with.

Prosser loved to needle me about Ohio University. He knew I bleed hunter green. It wasn't anything big, things like 'tell those guys in Athens to stop ducking Xavier' or 'you know your Bobcats have no shot against Miami'. It was his way of letting you know he knew what was important in your life. It wasn't just me. He was like that with everyone, if you listen to some of the testimony about him since his death.

The world we live in is filled with bad things and a lot of bad people. There aren't enough good people in our world. And we just lost one.

I know where Skip Prosser is tonight. I just wish he was in the world I live in.

On the eve of reporting to training camp, the Bengals still don't know if they'll have Odell Thuram this season. He's still waiting to hear whether or not commissioner Roger Goodell will reinstate him from a year long suspension. The betting here is, Thurman will hear soon. And the betting is it'll be good news. But it's my feeling that the Michael Vick fiasco is holding up a lot of business at the NFL office these days. And Goodell is going to go the extra mile with Thurman and anyone else who's sitting out to take sure there are no 'bad news bombs' waiting to drop on his league.

Meantime, the Bengals are chipper about their chances this season. At their annual pre training camp luncheon this week, Marvin Lewis told me he expects his team to be better this season than last. What else can he say, right? I see nothing yet that will make me believe the Bengals defense is any better this year than last. They still have a lot of questions in their secondary. And the defensive lineman they've brought in seem pedestrian. But it's not always great talent that wins championships. It's usually good talent playing together.

Offensively, this team is 'as billed'. There should be no drop off from last year. And honestly, with Chris Henry suspended for the first eight games, it may give rookie Kenny Irons a real opportunity to show his stuff.

It's too early for a prediction. I'll save that, for down the road.

We're six days from the MLB trading deadline and the Reds have yet to make a move. They may be in line for one after tonight. Kyle Lohse tossed a pretty fair game against the Brewers: 5.2 IP, 5 Hits and 2 Runs. Statistically, despite being 6-11, Lohse is one of the top pitchers available. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go by the end of the week.

And why Scott Hatteberg isn't in a Yankees uniform yet is amazing to me. Even if Jason Giambi is now playing his way back into shape, Hatteberg is one of the best left handed bats on the market. But internet buzz persists the Yankees may be more interested in the ageless Jeff Conine.

If you watched any of David Stern's one hour news conference Tuesday, you saw a man trying desperately to hide abject agony. He's trying to put a good spin on one of his referees who's been accused of point shaving and dealing inside information. But even Stern knows that if another ref or a player is caught being a part of this, he has a conspiracy to deal with. And if that happens, the NBA will be looked at as the WWE with a baskebtall. Stern says that Tim Donaghty is nothing more than a 'rogue'. For Stern's sake, he better hope that's all this is.

Check out my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. There's a new Broo View Podcast to check out and a fresh Bengals Report on the horizon.

I like the new head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, so I'm willing to give Brian Kelly a pass on this one. But he was either ill advised or wasn't thinking when he shot his mouth off at the annual Big East Conferecne football media day this week.

Kelly was upset that no local media from the greater Cincinnati area was on hand to participate in the day. He said, among other things, that the local media now has no credability when it comes to covering his team and chastised his predecessor, Mark Dantonio, for not being more agressive in getting the local radio, TV and newspaper folks to this annual event when he coached the Bearcats.

Two thoughts on all of this. One, win some games before you start telling people how to do their jobs. Two, never pick your battles with someone who buys his ink by the barrel.

Cincinnati is a lot of things. It's a great place to live, outstanding city to raise a family and offers great amenities, even sports. One thing Cincinnati has never been, at least in the 20 odd years I've called it home, is worldly in its politics or its taste in sports. It is a very parochial town, with the majority of its interests lying inside the I-275 beltway. We have a lot of interest in what happens with UC athletics and are anxious to see what the new coach does with the football team. We have little interest in what the other seven Big East football coaches have to say about their programs. When it comes time for them to play UC, we'll probably have some interest. But the majority of our intrique will come from what Kelly and his team will do that week.

Let me put it another way. You could put West Virginia University football coach, Rich Rodriguez on Fountain Square at high noon any day of the year and no one would know him from some 'suit' who works at P&G.

Of the eight cities that field Big East football teams, only one sent television crews to the conference media day. Both were from the Connecticut market. By the way, I got everything I needed from my network, NBC, which provided a feed to every one of its affililates across the country.

So I had no interest in sending a crew, nor asking for my news director to send a crew, to Newport, Rhode Island, for two days of schmoozing with coaches no one in my town really cares about. That would be approximately $1,500.00 that will be better spent on something else, maybe when UC goes to a bowl game this winter.

Cincinnati is first and foremost interested in Reds baseball, Bengals football, high school football and then whichever other sport may be in season. You can get angry with me saying that. But when you're done doing that, you'll still have the same situation I just described.

I anticipate covering UC football like a blanket this season. I'm geeked about what Brian Kelly brings to the table. But the new coach needs to worry about his job. I'll worry about mine

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.

My guess is, the Reds keep Adam Dunn for the rest of this season. If they trade him, they'll do that after exercising his $13 million dollar option for 2008. And even at that, $13 million for a power hitting, if strike out challenged, outfielder will be a bargain.

I could be wrong. My sense is Reds owner, Bob Castellini doesn't want to blow up his current team and subject his city to another rebuilding plan. Whichever way it goes, we saw something Sunday why sluggers like Dunn don't come around these parts often.

Sunday, against the Mets, Dunn hit one of the longest and most damaging home runs in Shea Stadium history. His 5th inning blast hit about 40 feet up on the scoreboard in right centerfield, hitting the board so hard, he knocked out a half dozen lights. It was reminiscent of the scene in the movie "The Natural", when Roy Hobbs hit a ball that blasted apart part of a light tower. Art imitating life.

Those are the kinds of things that sell tickets. And fielding the team with the second worst record in Major League Baseball, Castellini needs to sell ticket. I know, it's always easy to spend someone else's money. But why would the Reds' owner want to deal away a box office attraction for a couple of players who may never get a whiff of Great American Ball Park. Because with the way Dunn's contract is structured, that would surely be all Castellini would get.

Check out my web site www.kenbroo.com. I've got a lot of cool audio to listen to and tomorrow, Tuesday, I'll have the latest edition of The Broo View Podcast posted.

When you think about the size of Cincinnati and the enormity of the Tennis Masters Series, it makes no sense. It borders on the absurd that a tournament this big could be help in a market so small.

But it's become one of the biggest sports events every year in Cincinnati and one of the biggest tournaments in international tennis. This year, every one of the top 42 players in the world will descend on the Queen City, beginning August 11th. And for the next eight days, the stars you see every year at Wimbledon and the US Open will smack the ball around in the shadow of Kings Island.

For this tradition, you can thank one man: Paul Flory. He is mister tennis in Cincinnati, and the chairman of this stop in the Tennis Masters series. Shephard would be a better moniker for Flory, who's guided this tournament through it's rapid growth and through uncertain times. His latest coup, was the sale of the Tennis Center facility, second only in class to Forest Hills where the Open is played every year, from Carl Lindner to the city of Mason. That sale ensured the tournament stability for decades.

Next month, for eight days, Cincinnati and its surrounding area will be showcased world wide. The benefits of that will be measured in tourist dollars, down the road. The finale on Sunday August 19th could offer us a Wimbledon rematch, as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will surely be on opposites sides of the draw. Along the way, we'll get to see Andy Roddick, James Blake, Tommy Haas and every other major tennis star in the universe. All of this, in the 33rd television market.

The numbers don't add up, but they don't have to. We have Paul Flory, whose vision for this tournament has been crystal clear since it arrived here 30 years ago. Cincinnati has hosted championship tennis for over a century. But it's only since Flory's arrived, that it's blossomed.

Thank you Paul.

As we cruise into the weekend, just a thought about Reds pitcher Kyle Lohse, maybe the most infuriating pitcher on the entire staff. He was absolutely 'aces' Friday night, taking a one hitter into the 9th inning before settling for an 8-1 win over the Diamondbacks. It was a complete game win. But look at his record. Lohse is only 5-10 on this season.

That's because, Lohse has been nothing but inconsistent. One game, like Friday, he pitches like a 'number one' on a staff. The next time out, he'll pitch like he belongs in "A" ball. Lohse is making $4 million this season. He's free agent eligible, which means even with a below '500' record, he'll be in line for a pay raise. The Reds can afford to pay a pitcher in the $6 million range, they're already doing that with Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. But they can't afford to do it with Lohse. Inconsistent is something the Reds must put in their wake, on the road to becoming a contender.

Here's your chance to play Reds owner. You are now free to spend Bob Castellini's money, without retribution. Whom would you like for your new manager?

Would you go to the Yankees and try to pry Joe Girardi from the broadcast booth? Or to Chicago and do the same with current Cubs broadcaster, Bob Brenly. Do you wait until the end of the season and hope the Yankees part ways with Joe Torre? Maybe the Cardinals will do the same with Tony LaRussa. You know that Castellini covets anyone with that St. Louis franchise.

Any one of those candidates will cost you between $2-5 million dollars. You might get Girardi for less, it might cost you more for LaRussa.

My choice? It'd be Bob Brenly. OK, enough with the Ohio University stuff. I'd like this guy managing the Reds even if he wasn't a fellow Bobcat. I think he's patient (he stuck with Tony Womack as his lead off hitter for three years in Arizona even though Womack's OBP was bad) and he's a winner. The Diamondbacks contended every year he was there and won it all in 2001. And, Brenly is from Ohio. He even lived in Cincinnati for a year, before taking the manager's gig in Phoenix.

Torre would be nice, in the fact that he brings a pedigree second to none. And, his wife's family lives in Cincinnati, another nice connection. I seriously doubt LaRussa would leave the Cardinals. They'd be nuts to let him walk. And as for Girardi, he'd be the tough no nonsense guy a lot of these current Reds need. But despite winning the NL manager of the year award with the Marlins, he had a celebrated blow up with his owner that ultimately cost him his job. But still, he's a winner.

This short list is impressive. But I'm still touting Brenly. I know he's interested. I hope the Reds are too.

Almost from the start of this season, Jerry Narron was doomed. His 'every day 8' was chock full of free swingers who could not hit for aveage, his number two starter was slow out of the gate and slower as the season began and his bullpen was atrocious.

And worse, expectations were high. The Reds finished just three and a half games behind the Cardinals last season, carrying the pennant race into the final two weeks of the season. As the Reds GM, Wayne Krivsky, told me today there was no one in the organization who saw the 'bummer of '07 coming. Narron certainly didn't. After losing his job late Sunday night, he'll have a long time to reflect on what might have been this season.

What if his bullpen had featured a legitimate closer in Eddie Guardado? The lefty arrived from Seattle with a bad arm that needed surgery late last summer. But in the off season, the Reds did nothing to address the most key component of any bullpen. You build a pen from the back. Without a legit closer, set up pitchers like David Weathers and Mike Stanton had to close. And while Weathers did well in that role, it left his normal spot, set up, to middle relievers. Long relievers had to middle relieve. In essence, every pitcher was out of position in the bullpen. And with Gary Majewski still sore-armed from last summer and Billy Bray hurt in spring training, the Reds bullpen became a real liability, losing more games than any pen in major league baseball this season.

Bronson Arroyo was the 'steal' of 2006. When Krivsky swung a deal to get Arroyo here for Wily Mo Pena, and when Arroyo performed like a stud, the Reds suspect rotation became, over night, strong. But Arroyo was slow out of the gate and, in back to back games, tossed in excess of 120-pitches. Narron was forced to keep Arroyo in close games longer than he'd like, because his bullpen was abysmal. Arroyo paid the price with a tired arm.

Which brings us to the free swingers. The Reds 'every day 8' never saw a pitch they didn't think they could jack out of the park. 2-1 counts, 3-0, 0-2, 2-2, it didn't matter. The Reds would swing for the fences. They led the National League in home runs when Narron was fired Sunday. But hits with runners in scoring position, advancing the base runner, bunting and sacrifice flies were as rare in Cincinnati as low humidity in July.

It all caught up with Narron on Sunday. And a very good and decent baseball man is out of work. Don't cry for Narron. His contract runs through the 200 season and he'll collect evey nickel of the approximately $750,000 he has coming.

But the franchise he leaves behind remains in shambles, covered with the finger prints of three general managers, two owners and now four fired managers in less than seven seasons. The Reds farm system has yet to recover from the atrophy it fell into under owner Marge Schott, who held scouts in disdain. It's yet to recover from her general manager, Jim Bowden, who never met an over age free agent he didn't fall in love with. It's yet to recover from general manager, Dan O'Brien who understood how important rebuilding the minor league system was, but did it at the expense of making prudent major league roster adjustments.

Jerry Narron was fired Sunday. But he may be the lucky one in this equation. He doesn't have to clean up the mess he was handed.

Just hours away from July 1, you wonder how long it will be before the Reds fire sale begins. It's no secret, for the right price, you can have anyone on the roster, with the exception of Homer Bailey and Aaron Harang. Here are my odds for who goes first:

Scott Hatteberg 1-2
Jeff Conine 2-1
David Weathers 3-1
Adam Dunn 8-1
Bronson Arroyo 10-1
Ken Griffey, Jr 15-1

I think Hatteberg is the right price, is hitting as well as he's ever hit in his career and is a left hander who hits for average. The Yankees are interested, I'm hearing. Conine fits the same suit, from the right handed side of the plate.

Weathers would be a perfect set up guy for the Yankees, Mets and Phillies. Dunn's salary and the fact he can terminate his option year of $13 million in 2008 makes trading him problematic. But the Reds may so inclined to deal him, to get out from under that deal. Arroyo is throwing better than he did in May. But he appears to have a 'tired arm'. Still, I'm told at least one contending team inquired about Arroyo right around opening day this year. The Reds weren't interested in dealing him then. They would be now.

As for Griffey, Jr, I'm hearing he's close to being untouchable. The Reds are said to be less interested in dealing him, as Junior is a local guy, chasing a milestone (600 career HR's) and is a box office attraction. As the Reds aren't expected to be good in 2008, Junior can be counted on to sell tickets.

The big question in all of this, is what can the Reds legitimately expect in return for any of their players. The answer, as you'd expect at this time of the year, is not much. You normally get prospects for 'stars' in mid season. That's what the Reds got from their fire sale in 2003. Eventually, like Harang in '03, you'll get a nice payoff for a mid season sale. But it's a payday that's years away.

Homer Bailey got a lesson in major league baseball tonight. He was rocked in Philly. The phenom only made it through two outs into the second inning, allowing six runs in the process.

This shouldn't be a shock to anyone. Every great pitcher, early in his career, has growing pains. Whether or not Bailey becomes a great pitcher will be determined in the next few years. But what happened to him in Philadelphia tonight, shouldn't do any long term damage. If he's what we think he is, it will probably make him determined to atone, his next time out.

The Mitchell Commission may or may not get to the names of the stars involved in steroid abuse in major league baseball. It may be nothing more than just a ceremonial group, designed to appease the fans, maybe the US Congress. But if it does nothing more than just expose the use of that drug, it will have served its purpose. Look no further than suburban Georgia to see why the side effects of steroids may be so lethal.

Police are just finishing up their investigation into the double murder-suicide of professional wrister, Chris Benoit and his family. Investigators are now saying that Benoit strangled his wife, then suffocated his son and then killed himself using a pulley from a weight machine in his home. Steroids were found, when investigators began their search of the house.

Whether or not 'roid rage' is to blame for this horrific event is something that a coroner will have to determine. But clearly, steroid abuse has sent many professional wresters to an early grave. Eddie Guerrero, Curt Henning, Davey Boy Smith all pro wrestlers, all died early and in their wake, friends and family blamed steroid use (abuse?) for their deaths.

Steroids are a real problem for some professional athletes. But the real concern is how steroid use (abuse?) is becoming a problem with high school athletes. Some states, including New Jersey, have begun mandatory testing of high school athletes to determine whether or not they're taking these illegal drugs. Is it too young to start? Is 43 too young to die? That's how old Benoit was.

Just posted on my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest "Broo View Podcast" Just go to the "Podcast and More" section to download it and check it out. I've got some comments from the new head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, Billy Gillespie.

Clip and save this! I don't think the Reds are going to trade Ken Griffey, Junior this season, or next. Here's why.

The Reds are brutal, a team pieced together haphazardly and with the hand prints of three different general managers and two ownership groups. It is a classic example of how not to build a baseball team. Worse, there is a whole half of a season upon us with more than half of a home schedule to play. What would make you buy a ticket and watch this team play (other than a loaded gun to your head or a bad case of machochism?) The answer: Griffey.

As he closes in on 600 career home runs, there is at least that drama. And that drama will sell tickets. Bob Castellini is taking a "bath" this season. Next year isn't looking so hot either. The 'buzz' from his buying the Reds has been replaced by the 'fizzle' of wondering if he and his front office know what they're doing. Don't think I'm right? Listen to radio talk shows in Cincinnati or read some chat boards. The ticket buy public isn't happy.

By keeping Junior, Castellini at least keeps a box office attraction. It won't be the same as fielding a winning team. But it will allow Castellini to cut his losses. After the Rheal Cormier, Mike Stanton, Kyle Lohse and other brilliant moves, cutting losses have replaced wins as a barometer for success, for the Cincinnati Reds.

The world lost a true gentleman today and the college football world lost a great coach. Indiana University football coach, Terry Hoeppner lost his battle to brain cancer early this morning. He died just after sunrise, on another glorious day on the Bloomington, Indiana, campus. It was going to be a day of celebration at IU. Groundbreaking was scheduled for a new $55 million dollar athletic complex that included, among other things, an end zone facility for the IU football stadium. In a way, a benchmark for the rebuilding that Hoeppner was doing with the Hoosiers' football program.

Terry Hoeppner was the head coach at Indiana. But to me, he'll always be the head football coach at Miami, Ohio. It's there where I first met him, first as a long time RedHawk assistant and for six years, the head football coach. He knew I was an Ohio Bobcat. But he also knew I respected the job he'd done with the 'Hawks. Not only did they consistently beat my beloved 'Cats, his RedHawks did it with class and style. I always asked Terry to take it easy on my team. He always laughed and said 'no way'. I loved that about him, just loved it.

It says a lot about the man when you look at how he landed Ben Roethlisberger. Hoeppner began recruiting Roethlisberger, when Ben was a receiver at Findlay High School. Roethlisberger didn't quarterback his high school team until he was a senior. And while Ohio State and other bigger schools caught onto him when he blossomed as a senior, Big Ben didn't forget the classy coach who'd been wooing him with the beauty of Oxford. Roethlisberger signed with Miami. And, you know the rest of that story.

The world doesn't have enough Terry Hoepnners. Certainly, the coaching fraternity doesn't have enough. If my son were fortunate enough, or good enough, to have played collegiate football, there are a finite number of coaches I would have wanted him to play for. Even with "green and white" running through my veins, Terry would have been one of those coaches.

May he rest in peace. And may all he touched in his too short life remember how good a person he was.

Here's the problem with dealing Adam Dunn. The best the Reds will get for Dunn is a couple of prospects, probably prospects still a couple of years away from playing in the majors. Is it worth it for the Reds to unload their best power hitter for that?

It's a question that has to be making the rounds of the Reds front office. Dunn is infuriating with his ability to hit for power, tempered with his inability to field and his propensity for striking out. He'll also be making $13 million dollars next year, if the Reds hold onto him. If they don't, if he's traded, Dunn can void the final year of his deal. He'd be a free agent after this season. So that's why he won't bring the kind of payback he would have even a year ago. A "rental", which is what Dunn would be, usually only brings minor leaguers, low level minor leaguers.

And here's the other question the Reds brass has to be asking itself: where do you find offensive numbers that Dunn puts up and at what price? An established outfielder who can approach 30 home runs and drive in 90 (numbers under Dunn's yearly average) would cost between $5-6 million. That's if you can find one on the open market. So in reality, the Reds would be saving $7-8 million in dumping Dunn, regardless of what players come to Cincinnati in the deal. And they'd have to go find an outfielder, as the best outfield prospect in the Reds system is "A" star, Jay Bruce, still years away from the majors.

So it's not quite so simple as merely unloading Dunn and believing that the Reds will get immediate help at the major league level. Dunn may be going. But what comes in may not be what you think.

As Dave Mason once rhapsodized....'Been away, haven't seen you in awhile, how ya been?'

I've been out east the past week and away from the blog. Hope you're well. Sports in a moment. First, my brush with greatness.

I don't know if you're a "Sopranos" fan or not. I am and truly believe it's one of the classic television programs of all time. In a writer's medium (television) the recently concluded HBO series 'raised the bar' to new heights. The fact that it was shot in and around the neighborhoods I grew up in was merely a side light for me.

The ending of the series last Sunday night was controversial, in that it provide no clean and definitive end to its eight year run. So what? was my reaction. If you followed this series, you knew its creator, David Chase, wouldn't go down that road. His disdain for episodic over the air television is well documented, with each hour neatly packaged with a beginning, middle and end.
That controversy aside, to my brush with "The Sopranos".

The final, controversial scene was shot at an ice cream parlor I've been to dozens of times, mostly as a kid and not in the last 20 years. It sits on Passaic Avenue in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Holsten's is a landmark in that town, a great place for a burger and fries and an ice cream cone. It's also about ten minutes from the home I grew up in. So, on a lark after lunch Tuesday, not 48-hours after the airing of the final "Sopranos", I took a quick drive to Holsten's. Not wanting to be just a gawker, but gawking anyway, I entered the store and bought some candy. While the owner took care of that, I looked around, found the booth where the Sopranos family sat for the filming of the final scene and checked for bullet holes! None found, by the way. It looked exactly how it did in the final episode, and exactly how I remembered it from all those years ago.

I bought the obligatory T-shirt, paid for the candy and left. Though I've spent my entire adult life in television, it was actually pretty cool to be exactly where the penultimate scene of a great television show was filmed.

I'm a geek, I admit it. But if you were into it like I was for the past eight years, you'd do that same thing.

Homer Bailey made his second start for the Cincinnati Reds today. Not great, but not bad either. 101 pitches, only 67 for strikes. He continues to get too cute with marginal hitters and winds up getting in trouble. But I believe he's here to stay.

The more troubling trend is the ineptitude of the Reds bullpen, particularly the centerpiece of that now controversial trade the Reds made last summer. Gary Majewski is either still hurt, or not good. But it's clear now, Reds GM, Wayne Krivsky (whom I still like) should not have made this trade. He sent one quarter of his every day line-up to the Nationals for a pitcher who showed up with a sore arm (Majewski) another pitcher who's developed a sore arm (Bill Bray), a washed up short stop (Royce Clayton) and an infielder that the Reds gave up on who's now tearing it up with Tampa Bay (Brendan Harris).

If you're Bob Castellini and you've seen this mess, do you now allow Krivsky to deal Adam Dunn without first holding Krivsky's feet to the fire over that horrid deal he made last summer? I don't. Dunn is scheduled to make $13 million next season and can opt of that and become a free agent if he's traded before 2008. That means which ever team deals for Dunn is getting basically a 'rental', a player for just the balance of this season. At best the Reds will get prospects in return. That's a major, major step for this organization. Castellini will not only have to sign off on it, he should also make sure he gets a second, unbiased opinion from someone outside the Reds organization that what happened last summer, when Krivsky dealt Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for a bucket of spare parts, doesn't happen again.

Not bad....not bad at all. 114 pitch night for the phenom....and Homer Bailey only lasts five innings. But he stuck around long enough to leave with a 4-2 lead and pick up his first ever major league win.

He didn't get a lot of help from the Reds defense (welcome to Cincinnati, Homer). A first inning run would've been avoided had Norris Hopper hit the cut off man. But he did get decent run support from Brandon Phillips (solo home run), Jeff Conine (two run home run) and Ken Griffey, Junior (solo home run, career #577).

Bailey needs to concentrate on his 'out' pitch a little more in his next start. He had the count at 2-2 and 3-2 several times and lost the batter. But for starters, no bad, not bad at all.

It's not like the NFL draft. You won't see any of the players the Reds (or any MLB team) drafted today in the major leagues any time soon. But the first pick was more than interesting.
The Reds selected Pennsylvania high school catcher, Devin Mesoraco. He's an interesting choice. Mesoraco missed an entire season of high school ball, recovering from Tommy John surgery. But he built his arm strength up and now has one of the best arms in the country.

Mesoraco has a full ride waiting at the University of Virginia. But he left no doubt today that he'll sign with the Reds, instead.

The countdown to Homer Bailey-mania (not to be confused in Cincinnati with Brennaman-ia) is on. The phenom makes his major league debut Friday night, at Great American Ball Park against the Cleveland Indians. Tough opponent to draw in game one. The Indians have one of the more potent line-ups in the game.

Another thing to watch for Friday is whether or not charges will be filed in Georgia against Bengals linebacker, Odell Thurman. Two man and a woman have filed a coplaint with the Monticello, Georgia, police about an incident that happened at a party in that town last weekend. The complaint alleges that Thurman beat up a man and that one of his relatives, a cousin, was involved with theatening a party goer with a gun.

If charges are filed against Thurman, who has the right to apply for re-instatement to the NFL this Monday, it will further his supension that is coming up on a year.

I laugh a lot when I hear fans call for a manager's head. We hear it a lot here in Cincinnati and we're hearing it a lot this season. A lot of fans want Jerry Narron gone. Like last week.

Criticism of Narron ranges from his inability to manage his bullpen to being too placid inside the dugout. He caught a lot of heat a few weeks back when he didn't bolt from the dugout and corral an umpire for a bad call on a third strike. The fact that the game was over and that the next manager to win a 'ball strike' argument will be the first manager to do so didn't matter. They wanted Narron to bust a vein.

I laugh a lot, because I've heard it all before in Cincinnati. It was the same criticism that Bob Boone attracted, Dave Miley too. When things go badly, first blame the manager. Team broadcasters, stand by, you're next.

The facts about our Cincinnati Reds are this: they can't hit with runners in scoring position, they have the worst bullpen in the National League and their defense is anywhere from passable to atrocious.

Narron has control over the third of those problems. Why he hasn't demanded daily infield practice, which was a major league staple for all teams up until about ten years ago, is beyond me. But you can't hold him responsible for his roster. He only has imput, but not the final say.
That rests with his general manager.

The Reds are where they are by no accident. The new owner hasn't been in charge long enough and the owner before him wasn't interested in spending money for players, after signing Griffey, Jr, to a greatly discounted deal in 2000. The owner in the late 80's through the late '90's did her best to dismantle a once prideful minor league system. And her GM failed to sign and develope a starting pitcher of major league quality in eleven years on the job.

But if you fire Jerry Narron, it'll fix all of that right?

It's official. Homer Bailey makes his major league debut this Friday night in Cincinnati against the Indians. The Reds decided to move him up a day, much to Bailey's surprise. Immediately after getting the news he was coming up, he began phoning friends and family members. Within an hour, the Reds brass had changed their minds. It's Friday, not Saturday they told Bailey. Homer scrambled to let his family know. But by then, he was riding a bus back from Durham, NC, through the hills of West Virginia. No cell service ment the update had to be put on hold. Eventually, everyone got the news. And a large contingent from Texas will be at Great American Ball Park Friday night, watching the Reds phenom toss his first major league game.

More thoughts on Bailey are in my latest Broo View Podcast. You can find it on my web site, www.kenbroo.com. It's in the 'Podcast and More' section.

If you're the Orlando Magic, would you force Billy Donovan to honor his contract? They won't, of course. But in the real world (where you and I live) you know we'd be forced to honor it. It just proves the absurdity of contract law in professional and collegiate sports. The written word means nothing. College coaches can walk on contracts that have two, three, five years left on them. College presidents allow them to. Now we know that a five year, $27.5 million dollar deal is worthless, for a team trying to make a coach adhere to his written word. What does that say about the spoken word of good faith. Right.

I'm sure the Reds have thought this through. They'd have had to. Homer Bailey will get the call sometime this week to join the team and start Saturday's game against the Indians. His arrival has been hailed and expected for over a year, every since he began making his meteoric rise from the depths of the Reds minor league system to where he is now, "AAA". He is the phenom, the first legitimate pitcher the Reds have developed in almost 20 years.

But think about this: if Bailey comes up and pitches well on Saturday, what happens? A team as desperate as the Reds for a kick start to this dismal season really can't afford to have Bailey here for one start and then banish him back to the minors. They would have to keep him here, right? Well if they do, then what? The next time the Reds would be in need of a fifth starter would be in early July. Surely, they won't let Bailey sit on the bench, or in the bullpen waiting until then. So that means either Kyle Loshe or Matt Belisle must leave the rotation to make room for Bailey. If he pitches well Saturday, keep an eye on that situation.

Waiting in the minors along with Bailey is another phenom: first baseman Joey Votto. Right now, Votto is hitting .318 with 8 homers and 34 runs batted in. And, Votto has been playing some left field. New contact lenses have helped Votto at the plate this season. He could be another call up. If the Reds are out of the running for the NL Central title, and as bad as that division is, no one is out of it right now, then Scott Hatteberg would be a likely candidate for trade. Like Hatteberg, Votto is a left handed hitting first baseman. It's a natural exchange: Hatteberg traded somewhere for whatever the Reds can get. Votto up from the minors.

Votto doesn't strike out a lot, 43 times in only 236 plate appearances. As much as Bailey's call up is anticipated, Votto should draw the same excitement.

Now Chad Johnson wants to race a horse. And he'll do it, for charity, one week from this Saturday at River Downs in Cincinnati. Johnson will race a thorobread, with the money raised from betting going to one of Marvin Lewis' Foundation charities.

It's not the first time a Cincinnati Bengal has raced a horse. It's not even the second time. In 1983, a young Cris Collinsworth raced against a horse that was winless. The horse left CC in the dust. Collinsworth repeated the effort ten years later....he lost again, badly.

Johnson will certainly meet the same fate on Saturday June 9th. You just hope he doesn't pull a hamstring in the process.

Watching the Cubs Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett rumble in their dugout this afternoon made for great theatre. The fact that Lou Piniella now manages the Cubs made it even better. Piniella had an infamous club house dust up with his relief pitcher, Rob Dibble that was caught on tape. Piniella took awhile to explode over the situation. When he did, he said that team mates should fight the opponent, if they have to, not each other.

And they say people don't learn things when they get older.

Have a great weekend. If you live in the greater Cincinnati area, I'll see you Sunday night on "Sports Rock", at 11:35pm on channel 5 WLWT. Among our guests, UFC's Rich Franklin.

And I'm hosting "Sunday Morning Sportstalk" on 700 WLW from 9am-Noon EDT. If you live outside the greater Cincinnati area, it's on XM channel 173.

Just posted on my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest editions of The Broo View podcast, as well as Broo v. Broo, the most opinionated podcast in cyber space.

Check it out....and to make it easier for you, here's a direct link to The Broo View podcast.

In the National League Central Division, where all things are possible, it's crazy to say the Reds are dead. Not now. The Brewers jumped out like rabbits, but have come back to the field. And as of early tonight, the Reds are just 9 games out of first, with 108-games to go.

The key for the Reds to jump back into the race is to play defense, and get pitching, like they've had the past three games. Starters pitch deep when their defense performs and when starters pitch deep, it doesn't tax the bullpen.

Josh Hamilton homered again tonight....and again, in his rehab assignment in AAA. That's three home runs for "The Natural" in his two games with the Louisville River Bats. With the Reds a little thin in the outfield, look for Hamilton to rejoin the team when his DL stint is up, on Sunday.

I'm a hockey freak. Truth be told, I used to be a season ticket holder, while in high school, with the New York Rangers. I would hop a bus from north Jersey after school and do my home work in Madison Square Garden, waiting for the Rangers games to begin. I've also had season tickets for the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL and the Cincinnati Cyclones, when they played in the IHL.

But I'm troubled by the TV ratings the Stanley Cup Playoffs are getting. Only a little more than 500,000 homes tuned in to watch game one between the Ducks and Senators. That's probably because not too many fans can find the games, now on the Versus network. This weekend, the games flip to NBC and channel 5 here in Cincinnati. I know NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wasn't playing a strong hand when he made his latest TV deal. The NHL is still suffering from it's lockout/strike of a couple of years ago. But for the good of the game, Bettman needs to re visit with ESPN. This is a sport that desperately needs casual fans to rejoin its party. And the casual fan simply can't, or won't, find Versus.

The good news is, Ryan Freel will be OK. He's sore tonight, after hitting into fellow outfielder, Norris Hopper and then slamming into the turf at Great American Ball Park.

But the heads up play of the day goes to Hopper. Replays show that Hopper, before the umpire arrived on the scene, put the baseball back in Freel's glove, as Ryan lie motionless on the ground. It appeared that Freel made the catch, anyway, as he took at stumbling step after catching the ball before hitting the turf. Though the TV replay didn't show it, the ball apparently fell out of Freel's glove, while his body sheilded it from view.

Fast one by Hopper, but quick thinking.

And this game showed what Kyle Loshe can be. He went the distance, throwing his fifth complete game of his career. But he'd lost his last six decisions, lasting only an out into the second inning in one of those games. In this game, he pitched ahead in the count, and won for the first time since April 15.

Here's a stat. In their last 17 games, the Reds are 5-12. Division leading Milwaukee is 3-14.

Somebody who'll remain nameless, wrote a less than flattering email to me today, questioning why I'm so 'hard' on the Reds and the Bengals. Negative, was his implication.

The fact that teams are what they are, and reporters merely report, is often lost on some alleged fans. They want cheerleaders, not journalists. But my guess is, these kind of fans would howl bloody murder if the team slighted them, say by its players not signing autographs or jacking up ticket prices.

I explained to my critic that rather than being upset with something someone on TV or in print says, be upset at the team; the Bengals for all of their player arrests, the Reds for now having the worst record in all of major league baseball.

You pay for the players' salaries with inflated ticket prices (or by investing your time watching the games on TV if you're too cheap to buy a ticket.) Think of the team as a stock. If the investment doesn't return what you believe it should, hold it accountable. Don't get upset with the folks who report what's going on.

Eventually, the Bengals will keep their players out of jail and the Reds will win again. But along the way, understand the role of the journalist. He or she is there to represent you, ask the questions you want answered and report on the team you live and die with.

My guess is, at the end of the day, the guy who takes for fall for releasing the misinformation on Chris Henry will be Kenton County, Kentucky, attorney Gary Edmondson. If you're not living in the Tri-State, you might not have heard that early Monday, Edmondson admitted to a lot of news outlets that Henry had flunked a random drug test. And because of that, Edmondson stated, Henry had violated his parole and was going to jail.

Turns out, a second test on the same sample was clean. And for the moment, Henry is back to his former status: suspended for the first eight games of this season. Edmondson says a third test on that same sample will be conducted.

If it's even possible, it's turned Henry into something of a sympathetic figure. His multiple misteps leads even a rational person to believe he'd be guilty of flunking a test. But it just shows how the wrong information about the right person can lead to a very dangerous situation.

I wouldn't be surprised if Henry seeks legal action against the Kentucky attorney. The tests are supposed to be held in strict confidence.

Funniest story I've seen today involves former heavyweight boxing champ, George Foreman. He's now saying his trainer gave him something to drink before his classic fight with Muhammad Ali that had some sort of medicine in it. Foreman said he spit it out but "After the third round, I was as tired as if I had fought 15 rounds"

Foreman has this in a new book he's written. All of that is rich. Foreman wasn't drugged. He 'punch drunked' himself...flailing away at a defensive Ali in the African heat. By the eighth round, Foreman could not have stood upright, even if he was attached to a derrick.

Makes for a good story, though.

I had to laugh today, listening to the local radio here in Cincinnati. A sports talk host and a lot of his callers were upset that Jerry Narron didn't rush out to argue a ball four call that forced in the winning run from third base. It was a walk off 'walk' for the Padres on Wednesday night, a night when Narron left his starting pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, in for a nine inning 129-pitch game.

Like Narron getting up in an ump's face AFTER a game is over would have a different.

Look, get made with the way Narron handles pitching. Get mad because he doesn't force his woefully inept team to take infield practice. But getting on the guy for not screaming at an umpire? It never works as a motivational tool in major league baseball. That's high school, show pony stuff.

Here's what you should get mad at. The Reds bullpen is pathetic, save for David Weathers a complete untrustworthy bunch. The defense is dreadful. And the only organization with fewer hits, is NBC prime time programming.

Narron is one of the last things the Reds and their fans need to worry about right now.

If you head to my web site right now, you'll catch the lastest edition of Bengals Report, our off season look at the Cincinnati Bengals. Bengals Report newspaper executive editor, Marc Hardin joins me. Also, there's a fresh edition of the hottest sports show in cyber space: Broo v. Broo.

You can find it all on my web site: www.kenbroo.com

Sam Adams was sent packing by the Bengals today. He had to see it coming. For the last month, the Bengals were attempting to get younger on that defensive line. They drafted a player in April and signed two other free agents.

The fact that Adams was still recovering from knee surgery and that he struggled last summer with his weight and missed most of training camp had to factor in this decision.

Cap money, apparently wasn't an issue, as Adams was only going to count about $700,000 against the cap in 2007.

It's a shame, really. If Adams had been in any kind of shape like he was in Buffalo the year before he arrived here, he would have really helped this defense. As it was, he started all 16 games last season and help the Bengals defensre shore up against the run.

He'll remain in town for awhile, as we continues to run the AF2 team in Cincinnati, the Jungle Kats. But my guess is, a 14 year veteran recovering from a surgically repaired knee may have a tough time finding another NFL team.

This is a hillarious story, confirmed to me by Ken Griffey, Junior's agent, Brian Goldberg this afternoon. It happed at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, a verbal spat between Junior and a fan. Here's a link to the story, that appears on the fan's my space page: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=40172915&blogID=263990044

I think it shows that Junior has a sharp sense of humor, which he parlayed into being named the National League player of the week.

I'll have some more things here in my blog as the night progresses. But I wanted to get this to you, now that I've stopped laughing.

The Bengals are filling in the blanks. That's what you have to do when you spend a second round draft pick on a player who's really a luxury, and you need help on defense.

Ed Hartwell, a linebacker, Blue Adams a cornerback and Kendrick Allen, a tackle, all signed free agent deals with the Bengals this week. Be still my beating heart.

While the Patriots load up on established super stars and mortgage the future to win now, the Bengals are bargain hunting.

That's the difference between the two franchises. One will take a mortgage out on their future, the other wants to pay bills with cash now.

Two weeks after the draft, I still contend that Kenny Irons, while gifted player who will be a star in the NFL, was a luxury pick. The Bengals defense was crying out for help and was neglected in this draft. Maybe the fourth, sixth and seventh round picks will pan out. But you rarely find impact players that low in the draft. Instead of Irons, the Bengals could have taken defensive tackle, Turk McBride out of Tennessee or defensive end Tim Crowder out of Texas, both excellent young players with tremendous upside. Irons, with Rudi Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson and other wide receivers, may only get on the field a handful of times during a game. Few teams use two man backfields anymore.

I hope I'm wrong. I'll admit it if I am. But I've seen nothing so far since the end of last season, that makes me believe this season the Bengals defense will be any better.

The Reds bullpen remains a real liability. And unless I miss my guess, GM Wayne Krivsky is trolling for a solution. He didn't blink when he pulled the trigger on a deal that brought bullpen help (allgedly) last season. He won't now.

Gary Majewski should be ready to pitch in the majors again in a few weeks. He's been on the DL since the end of spring training but has pitched well at AAA. Monday, Eddie Guardado threw off a mound, amazingly just nine months down the road from Tommy John surgery.

But here's a solution that may be too tempting for the normally cautious Krivsky to pass up. At AA Chattanooga is a pitcher named Calvin Medlock. Through Sunday, Medlock is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA, His numbers have been just as strong before this season. At 5'9" Medlock won't scare anyone by sight. But his repetoire of pitches will do that for him. Medlock is also averaging a strike out per inning.

Don't be put off by the fact that Medlock is only at the AA level. Current Reds reliever, John Coutlangus was a AA pitcher coming into this season and has been a nice surpirse so far in 2007.
Medlock could be the same thing.

If it happens, remember, you heard it here, first.

The Reds bullpen remains a real liability. And unless I miss my guess, GM Wayne Krivsky is trolling for a solution. He didn't blink when he pulled the trigger on a deal that brought bullpen help (allgedly) last season. He won't now.

Gary Majewski should be ready to pitch in the majors again in a few weeks. He's been on the DL since the end of spring training but has pitched well at AAA. Monday, Eddie Guardado threw off a mound, amazingly just nine months down the road from Tommy John surgery.

But here's a solution that may be too tempting for the normally cautious Krivsky to pass up. At AA Chattanooga is a pitcher named Calvin Medlock. Through Sunday, Medlock is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA, His numbers have been just as strong before this season. At 5'9" Medlock won't scare anyone by sight. But his repetoire of pitches will do that for him. Medlock is also averaging a strike out per inning.

Don't be put off by the fact that Medlock is only at the AA level. Current Reds reliever, John Coutlangus was a AA pitcher coming into this season and has been a nice surpirse so far in 2007.
Medlock could be the same thing.

If it happens, remember, you heard it here, first.

This weekend and next, NFL begin the spring ritual of mini camps. Most of the early camps are for rookies and undrafted college free agents. Here in Cincinnati, the Bengals open their on Friday. There is one player that should draw lot of interest.

Kenny Irons is a gifted running back. In this current draft, he was the best of all the senior runnings back available. In the middle of round two, Irons was considered a good 'get' for any team. But for the Bengals, it was a reach.

This is a team that has no shortage of fire power. It can score from just about anywhere on the field. That's the good news. The bad news is, any team playing the Bengals can score from just about anywhere on the field. The Bengals defense is, to put it gently, pourous. So why would a team so desperate for defensive help choose a running back with its second round pick? Simply put, the Bengals were seduced by Irons' break away speed.

They thought they had that a few years ago, when they drafted Chris Perry number one. But he has been nothing but hurt in his time in Cincinnati. So this choice of Irons was really a make up pick. The thinking is, Irons will be a great change up from Rudi Johnson and insurance should Johnson get hurt. But if you're going to apply that logic to whom you pick, why not take a quarterback in round one, just in case Carson Palmer gets hurt? You don't, because that philosophy is usually termed a luxury. And few NFL teams can afford luxury picks.

The Bengals think they can. If their defense isn't any better this year than last, look back to draft day for at least one reason why.

Check out my web site: www.kenbroo.com. Friday, I'll be posting my latest Broo View podcast!

Any recovering alcoholic or drug abuser will tell you life is one day at a time. It's true for the Reds' Josh Hamilton, back in organized baseball for the first time in four year. Hamilton has been clean and sober for over a year and a half now. He never play an inning of major league baseball before this season. But for a man living life one day at a time, what a month April was.

Hamilton banged out six home runs, drove in 14 and hit .266. Wednesday, Hamilton was named the National League rookie of the month.

Hamilton has been a terrific story so far this season. It would be crazy to think he could keep up the pace, never having played above "AA" baseball before this season. But so far, he's written one of the best stories in Reds history. They took a gamble with him. He's paid off. With any recovering abuser, it could all end in a second. Hamilton has given no indication that second is in sight.

The Bengals adios'd linebacker Jason Berryman today. This is the guy the Bengals signed hours after Marvin Lewis declared he was going to clean up his act and take in only good citizens to his locker room. Berryman was kicked off the Iowa football team, for among other things, spending close to 300 days in jail for theft.

In another town, with another team at another time, Berryman might have been a good pick up. But not this town or this team. He should have never been signed in the first place, even if things for him are better now.

Just posted on my web site tonight, the latest Broo v. Broo podcast. Go to www.kenbroo.com and click on the "Podcast & More" section. This is the most opinionated sports show in cyber space. Guaranteed.

Check back...

The Reds have announced that they're going to retire Davey Concepcion's number 13 this summer. And while that's a great honor for the slick fielding short stop, it occured to me what an injustice it is that Concepcion is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Concepcion was without arguement, the best fielding short stop of his time. He defined the way the position was played on astro turf, a common playing surface in the 70's. Not that the little Venezuelan wasn't good on real turf. He was. But on the plastic grass, he exceled.

He was often over looked in the dream line up the Reds ran onto the field every night in the 70's. Pete Rose at third, Joe Morgan at second, Tony Perez at first and of course, Johnny Bench behind the plate. But no Red of that era fielded his position better than Concepcion.

20 years or so ago, the big injustice was, if you listened to the New York media, Phil Rizzuto not getting into the Hall. It was New York bias, to be sure. But Rizzuto was eventually elected by the veterans' committee. Now facing his final year of eligibility with the writers, Concepcion will have to wait another ten years before the veterans can judge his case, should he not be elected by the writers this fall.

Let's look at the numbers. Rizzuto played 13 seasons, all the the Yankees. He hit .273, hitting 38 home runs and driving in 563 runs. He fielded his position at .968.

Concepcion played 19 seasons, all in Cincinnati Red. He hit .267, hitting 101 home runs and drovein 950 runs. He fielded his position at .971. Aside from Concepcion's better power number, they're basically the same player.

Davey belongs in the Hall.

You read the experts, and most of them give the Bengals a "C" for their draft. I'm not into giving out grades. But I am into some second guessing.

Like why they had to draft a running back in round two. Or a quarterback in round 5? I simply don't get it. This is a team that did not make the playoffs last season, largely because it couldn't tackle and had trouble defending the run.

I doubt seriously if running back Kenny Irons or quarterback Jeff Rowe have the ability to stuff the run.

Don't get me wrong. These two players are good and each will have a chance to craft a career in the NFL in Cincinnati. But....both have to be considered luxury picks. And for a team with needs, I'd rather see a big of a reach for a player who can help, then a slam dunk for a player they don't really need.

Other draft day observations....the Lions are certifiably stupid. Another wide receiver? I don't care if he's Jerry Rice in his prime....the Browns made the right call with Joe Thomas at number three and a better call spending next year's number one to get Brady Quinn later in the draft....The Dolphins are certifiably stupid...Ted Ginn, Junior? The actually took a specialist rather than a quarterback who could be their franchise player for years....

The Reds had an expensive meal over the weekend. They ate the contract of relief pitcher Rheal Cormier. They've been trying to deal him since spring training started. Nobody wanted him. Cormier appeared to be finished when the Reds traded for him last summer. It happens. But why did general manager then sign Cormier to a new $2 million dollar deal after seeing what he did (or didn't do) when Cormier got here? I'm guessing Bob Castellini is asking the same thing today...since it's his money Krivsky is playing with.

Check out my web site Tuesday mid day www.kenbroo.com for the latest Broo v. Broo podcast. It's simply the hottest show in cyber space and the opinion are flying again this week.

Check back...

With apologies to fellow Ohio University alum, Arsenio Hall, things that make you go hmmmmm...

The Reds bullpen is in shambles. Like every year from here to back of memory, there is no one in that pen that Jerry Narron can count on consistently, to give him a top notch performance every night. So why then, did the Reds used today to give Todd Coffey a nice raise and sign him through next season?

Is the baseball world not full of Todd Coffeys?

Look, Coffey is another guy I really like. He got that easy going Texan approach to life and can, on occasion, be an effective reliever. His schtick of running in from the bullpen is charming. But Coffey has done nothing so far this season to make anyone believe that he's approaching consistency. Nor, has Coffey done anything to stake claim to the Reds closer role, something he had last year and lost.

It's another confounding move by Reds GM Wayne Krivsky, who I also like a lot. I like a lot of people, so sue me. Krivsky can knock it out of the park with some moves (Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo, Josh Hamilton). But sometimes, I wonder...

Everywhere I went today, people asked me...who are the Bengals going to take in the draft. If I knew, I'd make a bet and retire. I have only a guess. And my guess is, they will take Darrelle Revis, the cornerback from Pitt, who is dropping in a lot of mock drafts. Revis can return kicks as well as play stout 'man' coverge. That's my guy, and I'm sticking to him.

Check back....and check out my web site, www.kenbroo.com. I've got my latest Broo View podcast posted, as well as the hottest sports talk show in cyber space, Broo v. Broo.

Look, I like Jerry Narron. I think he's a good manager and knows the game infinitely better than I do. But occasionally, he absolutely confounds me.

Wednesday night was a great example. Here he was, locked in a great battle with his counterpart in the the Cardinals' dugout, Tony LaRussa. The Reds and Cards were tied at one, with Bronson Arroyo and Braden Looper tossing terrific games. Narron had to know two things: one, Arroyo had thrown only 96 pitches through seven innings. Two: his bullpen has been anything but trustworthy lately.

Rather than allowing Arroyo to start the eighth inning, Narron elected to pinch hit for him, leading off the seventh. The fact that Ryan Freel, who hadn't picked up a bat since Sunday, failed to get on base is one thing. But why would you trade Arroyo for the bullpen, just to try and jump start your offense?

The Reds manager tried to defend himself on the Reds radio pre-game show Thursday. It didn't work, at least not for me. Lifting a starter who'd thrown only 96 pitches, allowed only five hits for the chance of scoring a run...given the shaky bullpen...is indefensible.

I like Jerry, but it was the wrong call.

Check out my web site, www.kenbroo.com. Just posted today the latest "Broo View" podcast. I've got comments from Marvin Lewis, Carson Palmer and other Bengals about the upcoming draft. It's in the podcast and more section.

Marvin Lewis appeared to have learned a lesson. We'll know for sure Saturday. But at his pre-NFL draft news conference today, Lewis said the Bengals won't be drafting players who are in need of reshaping their lives.

Apparently, he's been Frostee Rucker-ed and Odell Thurman-ed and Chris Henry-ed to death. Marvin can't blame anyone else for his troubles with troubled players. He brought most of them here through free agent signings and the draft.

Lewis is convinced he'll get a solid citizen and an impact player, when the Bengals pick 18th in round one. Most projections have the Bengals getting a corner back, either Darrelle Revis from Pitt or Aaron Ross from Texas. Either could come in and start a 'nickel'. But with the secondary as sparse as it is today, either may have to start.

The Reds open a ten day, nine game road trip tonight. They're in St. Louis, where they handled the defending World Series champs very well last season. They went 5-4 in Missouri, 4-2 at Great American Ball Park. It's not a stretch to say that the NL Central is baseball's most competitive division (competitive another word for weakest). Each team does a pretty good job of beating up the other. But what kept the Reds in the race until the last weekend of 2006 was their record against the Cardinals. If they want the same kind of ride this year, they'll need to do the same thing.

Just posted on my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo v. Broo podcast. We've got some of the hottest opionins in cyberspace. This week, we're all over the NFL draft, the NBA and NFL playoffs and Barry Bonds. Check it out, in the 'podcast and more' section.

Check back soon...

I'm back from Vegas and lost only eight bucks....but wondering about a few of these things on this Monday morning....

How can the Reds fix their anemic batting order? There are four stone, cold lock 'outs' in the batting order: Edwin Encarnacion, Brandon Phillips, David Ross and whomever is pitching. Does this make this year's hitting coach, Brook Jacoby look bad, or last year's hitting coach, Chris Chambliss look good?

What does it say about a team that has a Rule 5 player hitting clean up? Josh Hamilton was out of organized baseball for four years, yet Sunday, he hit fourth. What does it say that a guy out of baseball almost four years is your best hitter?

After Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang and Kyle Lohse (for the moment at least) who can the Reds rely on for decent starting pitching? The answer, no one.

Why do I believe that the only reason the Reds keep running Eric Milton out to the mound is hoping he'll string together three or four decent starts so they can trade him?

If character is so important in the NFL draft this coming Sunday, was it wise for three players to admit they smoked marijuana in college? A report in Pro Football Weekly claims three sure fire first round picks lit it up. Or, was it wise for the three to admit it, with teams knowing full well infinitely more players did dope and lied about it?

Just wondering....

The Vegas excursion continues....ate a one of those truly Americana places last night, off the strip and a spot that only veteran Vegas go-ers really know about. It's called "Batista's Hole In The Wall", a 1950's throwback Italian place where you get an entire meal, plus all the red or white wine you can consume, for about $25. Actually, that's exactly what the bill was, dinner for two was $50, even.

The place is littered with pictures of 1950-1970 Hollywood celebs who've dined there. Autographed pictures from people like John Wayne, Jerry Lewis, Oliver Hardy....just about every dead celebrity who's ever eaten at the place (sorry Jerry, we know you're still with us).

If you're ever out here, it's about two blocks off the strip on Flamingo. You can thank me later.

I have to walk through the Hilton sports book on my way to the breakfast buffet every morning and get to see the daily odds posted on their 'big board'. They also have hand out sheets. The NFL odds for this coming season are intriguing. The Bengals are three point favorites for their season opener against the Ravens. Cincinnati is right now 8-1 to win the AFC championship, 15-1 to win the Super Bowl. Interestingly, the Bengals and Steelers are both 2-1 to win the AFC North, behind the 8-5 Ravens.

Of course, two good injuries and another suspension and all of that changes, right?

I've yet to see anyone famous out here, not even Joe Piscopo, who spends three days a week here at the Hilton entertaining at the cabaret. Joe doesn't get the 'big room'. That's reserved for the semi-permanent act, Barry Manilow. I had to admit, I wasn't sure Joe was alive or dead. He's basically disappeared from show biz the past 15 years, except for those hideous power drink body building commercials he did back in the mid-90's. He, at one point, looked like he'd ingested a lethal dose of the Incredible Hulk.

I didn't get to see his act (he apparently not only tells jokes, but dresses up like Sinatra and sings. Remember that parody he did of Sinatra on SNL back in the 80's? Apparently now, life has imitated art). But I hear it's an entertaining 90-minues or so with Joe. I know this, it must be a tough ticket. The discount booths where you can buy half price tickets for same day shows don't carry his.

Check back...I'm here all week...try the veal.

Hi from Vegas, the city that doesn't sleep, or stops taking your money. Thank God I don't gamble. I don't see how anyone with even a remote addiction to 'action' can survive in this town. But in all honesty, when you get beyond "The Strip" this is a pretty cool area, big growth area. I've done Red Rock Canyon, beautiful topography and only about a half an hour drive out Charleston Avenue. But one of my more favorite places is Valley of Fire, about an hour north of the city. I'm there Friday. It's simply breathtaking.

Spent a large chuck of today inside the world's largest broadcast technical show, the NAB. Lots of gadgets for tech-heads (I don't like the word geek, in this sense, probably because I am one.) Let me just say this about what's here, the world as we know it is exploding with communication technology. Equipment that was cutting edge just a few years ago is obsolete. And everthing is digital.

I was helping some friends of mine who are in the sports production business shop for new equipment. In the process, we ran into their funder (venture capitalist) and got into the discussion of where all of the anologue equipment is going to go when over the air television must go digital in Feburary, 2009. The short answer is there will be no after market for the tape machines and microphones and editing equipment that has been broadcast standard for the last two decades. Expensive boat anchors, I belive is the term that was used. Oh well, enough with the technology, onto sports.

Why did Jerry Narron lift Aaron Harang so early tonight? I guess Harang was still woozy from his bout with the flu. Great for second guessing, considering how awful Todd Coffey and Rheal Cormier were. My guess is, Cormier is headed for a DFA, as soon as someone down on the farm separates themselves from the pack. I know that Reds' GM Wayne Krivsky tried to deal Cormier in the spring. But he also signed him to an extention last fall.

Josh Hamilton again??? Is there a better story anywhere in sports than this guy?

Mick Cronin recruits better than the Marines. First, he gets the best player in the city to commit earlier this week. Yancy Gates will be a huge, huge college player. I'd like to say you heard it here first...but I've got to be at least top 20 on that call. Now, Anthony McLain is in for a visit. He could, could sign by the end of the week. But if he does, by my math, somebody has to go from the current UC roster.

The Bengals continue to court middle linebackers. Now, they've got former Falcons starter, Ed Hartwell in for a visit. That's something that has to make you go 'hmmmmmm". First, they annoint Ahmad Brooks as their starting middle linebacker and now Hartwell is here for a visit. Is this an indication that Odell Thurman may be fading again, from the proverbial picture?

Check back again....

Hi again....
Spent a lot of Monday searching Vegas for a video camera (I know, I'm at the largest broadcasting convention in the world and I'm looking for a video camera). But, those $5,000 rigs are a big out of my price range....so I settled on a tricked out Panasonic DVD recorder, records right onto DVDs which you can then slap into your computer to look at or edit.

I've been audio podcasting, several shows, on my web site, www.kenbroo.com. I think I'm going to get into some video podcasting as well. I'll never abandon audiocasting, it's too cool. But, I think video will be fun to try. So....stand by for that.

Saw the end of the Reds game against the Brewers last night, sitting in the sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton. You can't spot the other guy ten runs in any game and expect to win. Eric Milton was, at the very best, serviceable last night. But he's not the answer in any of the five spots in the rotation. My guess is, two more starts at the most for Milton. If it doesn't turn around by then, look for Homer Bailey.

It was great to see Josh Hamilton go 'yard' again. The home run was basically meaningless, exccept it was another chapter in his comeback story. The next step for Hamilton is hitting consistently when a game is on the line. But there's no denying this: he knows how to work a count. "Professional at bats" is the way the old per-fessor Bob Boone would call it.

I'm on my way to the NAB show to check out gadgets. Check back soon!

Good morning!

Two weeks into the season and the Reds are in first place. Who'd have thunk it? And who would've believed that the key to all of this decent start has been starting pitching. Kyle Lohse, with 12 strike outs on Sunday? If you told me that guy would be able to do that, I'd've said he was pitching to a net, not a decent Cubs line-up.

The concern now is the lack of hitting, particularly in with men on base. "Situational hitting' is what managers and baseball geeks call it. But it is a major, major problem. The bottom half of the order is getting killed by David Ross' inability to replicate his 2006 season. The top half of the order has been bothered by Brandon Phillips slow start. 7-5 after 12 games is good. But the lack of hitting will eventually catch up with this team. It's been pitching good, and lucky so far.

I'm traveling. I've in Las Vegas for the annual NAB (National Asssociation of Broadcasters) convention. I'm not involved in it, at all, out here as my wife works the floor for her company. So I get to play this week. My first order of business was nothing in the casinos. I took in a minor league game Sunday. The Las Vegas 51's (Dodgers AAA) vs the Salt Lake City Bees (Anaheim). I didn't know it until I arrived, but the game featured a rehab start for Angels pitcher, Bartolo Colon, who was terrifc, tossing shut out ball for seven innings. Colon has been nothing but injury prone since signing a big dollar deal with the Angels. He had a partial tear of his labrum that developed last season. Rather than surgery, the prescription was for exercise and non baseball activity for the past nine months or so. I guess it worked. This was his third rehab start and all have gone very well. I was told by a scout at the game that Colon has one more rehab start and then will probably get the call to rejoin Anaheim.

That's it for now. Check back....who knows, the dice may be hot tonight and I'll have a wonderful story to share. Right...

Not a great final tune up for Bronson Arroyo tonight. He went five, but gave up three runs. That's still better than the numbers Aaron Harang has been posting this spring and a light year past where Eric Milton is at this time. So I wouldn't be too concerned

Arroyo starts the second game of the season, next Wednesday against the Cubs.

That mid season trade Wayne Krivsky engineered in 2006 isn't looking so hot tonight. Felipe Lopez and Austin Kearns will be in the Nationals "everyday 8" line-up. Thursday, the Reds put pitcher Bill Bray on the DL and sent Gary Majewski to the minors. But both could be with the 'big club' within a month.

It's almost amazing, but Chris Denorfia has gone from fighting for a spot on the Reds roster to out for the season. Denorfia found out Thursday, his sore forearm is really a blown ligament in his elbow. He'll need Tommy John surgery.

Temperatures predicted in the mid-70's for Opening Day in Cincinnati. Which means it'll probably snow.

Now five days and counting until opening day. Both Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo have one more shot to get it right in spring training. Harang will toss on Wednesday, Arroyo will throw on Thursday.

Spring numbers mean nothing. That’s why you can’t get too worked up over Harang struggling this spring and Arroyo lighting it up.

Hitting is the same deal too. Adam Dunn is at .383, but has struck out every four at bats this spring. Josh Hamilton, the modern day Roy Hobbs is hitting .403, Brandon Philips is picking up where he left off last season, hitting .350.

The biggest concern is Ken Griffey, Junior, who didn’t get into a game this spring until last Sunday. Junior has three hits in his first ten at bat, including a sweet bunt down the third base line Tuesday night against that shift a lot of teams like to throw at him. I’d love to see that a lot more in 2007.

And, with just days to go before the start of the baseball season…my picks?
American League, Yanks in the East, Tigers in the Central and Oakland in the West. National League? Philies, Cards and Dodgers. Wild Cards, Mets in the NL, White Sox in the AL.

Now, check out my web site: www.kenbroo.com. The latest Broo v. Broo is up and running and the boy and I have some hard core opinions on a lot of what's going on in sports. Also up there, the latest "Broo View Podcast". I've got an indepth interview with Reds outfielder Adam Dunn. Later this week, I'll have an indepth interview with Ken Griffey, Junior. Check them out, in the "Podcasts and More" section at www.kenbroo.com.

It's official. When Ken Griffey, Jr, is healthy enough to play again, it will be in right field, not center. That's what Reds manager, Jerry Narron, said today, after the Reds lost to the Tigers in an exhibition game. Junior has been out of commission since breaking his wrist in December, while playing with his kids. He's taken batting practice, outfield practice, he's run, and he's thrown the ball. But Junior hasn't played in a game yet. He could play as early as Thursday, when the Yankees play the Reds in Sarasota.

Here's what I'm told. Junior knew about this move to right field as early as February, when he first reported to camp. He was also told, by Narron, that he would play some centerfield. But Narron backed off that as camp began. I'm also told, one of Junior's big concerns about the move has been the lack of a bona fide centerfielder to replace him. Ryan Freel will get the start in center. But Freel is a utility player with a penchant for getting hurt, and hurting other people.

Junior has been consistent about this: he has never raised the issue and has told Reds management he will play wherever they want him to.

Check out my web site, www.kenbroo.com. The latest edition of Broo v. Broo will be posted sometime over night. It's a really, really good one this week.

Ken

Rare is the team that can win a championship without struggling along the way. And such is the case in this NCAA Tournament with the Ohio State Buckyes. They entered the tourney the number one team in the USA and one of four number one seeds. Saturday, it almost came to a crashing halt.

Here they were, down nine to ninth seed Xavier, an upstart school from Cincinnati. Three minutes remained….when the Buckeyes got a wake up call. First, a three point shot by Jamar Butler…and then, Mike Conley Junior stole Xavier’s inbound pass.

Xavier would lead by three with nine seconds to play. But senior Justin Cage, playing the game of his life with 25-points on eight of eight shooting from the field…missed the back end of a 1-and-1. OSU got the rebound….actually, Conley did…and without calling time out streaked to forecourt where he found Ron Lewis. Lewis was playing the game of his life, 24 points…but three more were to come….with only two seconds to play.

That tied the game. But for all intents and purposes, Xavier was sunk. Zapped. Lewis could see it in their eyes.

In overtime, Xavier took a quick two point lead….but then Conley ripped off seven straight points. And Ohio State survived and moved on. Their coach, Thad Matta, left Xavier in a lurch three summers ago to take the Ohio State job. He knew, at the end of regulation, his team could be drained from having to play catch up the entire second half…or…Xavier could be stunned from being caught. I asked Matta how he kept his team from falling down the drain.
For his answers, head onto over to my web site www.kenbroo.com and click on the "Podcasts & More" section. Check out my latest "Broo View Podcast" for comments from Matta and OSU stars Mike Conley, Jr. and Ron Lewis.

Other observations from opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament? Stanford, Illinois and Arkansas proved their critics were right. Fast exits in lopsided losses showed none of the three belonged in this tournament.

Butler’s win over Maryland in the round of 32 has a lot of people thinking the Bulldogs are back to where they were in December.

And the easiest upset from the opening round to pick turned out to be Winthrop over Notre Dame. Just about every expert had that one.

My two champions from my two brackets remain Kansas and Memphis. We’ll see.

I've got Kansas winning it all. Which will undoubtably be the kiss of death for the Jayhawks. But as we begin the first week of "March Madness", they seem to have the easiest path to the title. We'll see.

I don't see a mid major having the kind of run this season that George Mason had last year. I just think the 1's and 2's are very strong. But you know there will be an opening round upset. My pick for that: Winthrop over Notre Dame.

I got a lot done in my recent trip to the Reds spring training complex in Sarasota, Florida. I saw three complete games and parts of two others. Three things struck me (and no, none were foul balls)

The Reds starting pitching seems to be a lot better this spring than last. Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang are a solid 1-2, or 2-1. Eric Milton is always a dicey deal. But he did keep the ball 'down' in the outing I saw last week. Kyle Loshe didn't pitch. He was nursing a sore hamstring. But Paul Wilson did. And he looked terrific. I know it's only one outing in the spring. But if Wilson is back from his shoulder surgery, the Reds may have a real bargain.

I loved what I saw, and heard, from Josh Hamilton. I did an extensive interview with Josh that will appear on WLWT in Cincinnati and an audio portion of it on www.kenbroo.com. Check back later in the week for both. Hamilton has hit the ball well this spring. True, he's not seeing the entire repetoire that pitchers have. But he has one of the sweetest swings in camp. His defense is solid. His past is his past. But if that's history now, the Reds may have come up with the steal of the century.

Finally, Homer Bailey isn't ready for the majors. He's close. But when I saw him last week, he was not making the 'in game adjustments' good pitchers have to make in the majors. His fastball is mid-90's. But, it was flat and worse, high. With the need for a fifth starter only marginal early in the season...two or three times between opening day and June 1, my guess is Bailey will start in AAA. Good for him. He needs the time.

Hello from sunny and warm Sarasota, Florida. I'm spending the week at the Reds spring training facility. Check in at www.kenbroo.com mid day Wednesday. I'll have my latest "Broo View" podcast up and running with some thoughts from Reds' ace, Aaron Harang.

I've caught part of one game and most of another since arriving on Monday. The Reds beat the Phillies Monday, 9-8 on a suicide squeeze expertly executed by relief pitcher Brian Meadows.

Tuesday some of the Reds regulars and a couple of their big league pitchers took a short bus trip up to St Petersburg and beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Adam Dunn and Scott Hatteberg each went two for three. And after a not so hot spring start, pitcher Eric Milton rebounded with a decent three inning one run effort.

They play the Yankees Wednesday night in Tampa. I'll have more before that game, on www.kenbroo.com.