There's nothing better than high school football. And the best of this sport is championship weekend. That's where we are tonight, the eve of championship weekend. Friday night, Anderson High School plays for the first football championship in that school's history. Saturday night, St. Xavier is back in familiar territory, playing for an Ohio Division I state title.

Both teams have great senior leadership, solid coaching staffs and have executed best when the games have counted the most. Jeff Giesting is the rookie head coach at Anderson, but a long time assistant coach there. Steve Specht was a long time St. Xavier assistant, before ascending to the top job three years ago, when Steve Rasso retired.

For those of you who aren't living in the greater Cincinnati area, you should know that high school football rules around here. Crowds in excess of 10,000 for a regular season game aren't rare. In the playoffs, double headers have drawn over 40,000. It's a big deal.

We've got a story tonight on our 11p sportscast on Brian Kelly. My graphic will have a picture of the UC football coach and the phrase "One and Done"? Notice the question mark. There's a lot of buzz tonight about the University of Nebraska getting permission to interview Kelly. It may happen. But Kelly denied in a radio interview today that either he or his athletic director, Mike Thomas had been contacted by Nebrasksa interim athletic director, Dr. Tom Osborne. Later today, both Kelly and Thomas issued statements that essentially said both of them were working to move the UC football team forward. A little too cute. UC's athletic department has struggled lately handling PR during 'crisis' times.

I'm sure Kelly isn't bothered by his name being bantied about for openings. At the end of the day, he either takes one or gets more money and benefits to stay at Cincinnati. Thomas can't say much, because the pilfered school can do little but watch these things play out.

I don't think Kelly is Nebraska's number one choice. Osborne is savvy enough to know the perils of hiring a coach outside of the Nebraska family. They just got done with an outsider, Bill Callahan. If not Bo Pellini, the current LSU defensive coordinator and former Huskers assistant, I'd look for the current University of Buffalo head coach, former Husker Turner Gill to get the job. Maybe, Wake Forest coach, Jim Grobe, who's already been interviewed.

At UC, I believe they've got time with Kelly, maybe another year. But, if the athletic donors don't poney up enough dinero to build Kelly a practice facility and if the school's administration balks at a salary increase for Kelly next season (if he has a season like this one), he'll be gone. Just my opinion, but I'd worry more about an ACC school or SEC calling a guy who's an "east coaster" then a school where corn stalks outnumber people.

It's breaking fast and furious today....done deal, Francisco Cordero signs that 4 years, $46 million dollar deal with the Reds....more coming.

The Papajohnsbowl.com? Huh? With a $300K payout, lowest among all the bowl games? And UC is excited about this? I know the athletic department has to put on the happy face. But if you're Brian Kelly and his players, don't you ask yourselves this question: we go 9-3 and deliver the best season of UC football since before Eisenhower was President, and this is the best we get?

If I'm this those guys, I'm honked off. More on this later.

Just posted on my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest "Bengals Report Podcast". You can find it on the front page. Enjoy!

AFC wild card logjam

One of my favorites guests, while hosting Sunday Morning Sportstalk on 700 WLW in Cincinnati, is Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. You can catch his work at profootballtalk.com. He also does video podcasts you can find on his web site. Here's today's, as Mike (on the right) and his partner scope out the AFC Wild Card situation.

So help me out here. Exactly what was it that Brian Kelly's team did wrong? They were one win away (a win over West Virginia) from a potential BCS bowl game and tonight, the best they're staring at is a pizza party in Alabama. Really?

The Sun Bowl said sorry to the Bearcats Monday night. They are committed there to taking the second place Big East Conference team. The Sun Bowl instead took the fourth place finisher, South Florida. The rationale was they were tied into taking a Pac 10 team and want Oregon State. Since UC had already played Oregon State this season (and beat THEM too), the Sun Bowl took a pass. OK. Now along comes the Meinke Car Car Bowl in Charlotte. Allegedly, this group is supposed to take the third place finisher in the Big East. UC finished tied for third (with South Florida). Instead, they elect to take Connecticut, yet another team UC beat this season.

You want to see Brian Kelly turn tail and run on UC? Forget new facilities and more salary, tell Kelly despite his team delivering the best season of football in Clifton in over 50 years, it's still not good enough to impress anyone on the national stage. Hello Lincoln.

Bowl game committees select teams not only based on the teams records, but also on the number of fans they think will travel to watch their team play. Honestly, three days before Christmas, only die hard UC fans will make the trip to Birmingham. And the other side of the attendance argument is this: is the bowl game and the city it's held in attractive enough to get a fan to travel? My guess is whatever UC fan base travels to watch this game, won't be big enough to enhance UC's standing for next bowl season. Advice to Brian Kelly: win at least eleven in 2008. That's awfully sad to have to say that, isn't it?

We're still waiting to hear of the Cordero deal is finalized. The hang up is Cordero passing a physical and that examine is set for Wednesday (tomorrow). My guess is he passes, signs the deal and we get to talk to the highest paid closer in baseball history sometime after that.


Meantime, two articles of interest I found today on the Reds. This one, on the Sports Illustrated web site will give you some hope.


But then, take a look at this one on the espn.com web site and it'll make you think twice

askROCCO.com: Rocco Rocks

It's Pittsburgh Steelers week around here. It doen't matter if the Bengals are out of playoff contention, this is always a big week. Here's a Sports Rock memory from last year, when our favorite Steelers' fan Billy Bob Belcher received a visit from Cincinnati fitness expert, Rocco Castellano. Don't forget, the Bengals play the Steelers this Sunday night on channel 5. Right after the game, Sports Rock breaks it all down.

Good Morning!

Just posted on my web site, www.kenbroo.com is the latest "Broo View Podcast". I've got some takes on the Bengals situation and you'll hear comments from Rudi Johnson, Carson Palmer and TJ Houshmandzadeh. Check it out its in the "Podcasts & More" section.

What a mess in Pittsburgh last night. The Steelers win it on a short field goal with :17 left, 3-0 final.

More on the day in sports later this afternoon.

Random thoughts from a random weekend....Why can't the Bengals play this way every Sunday? This is a team that seems to play its best against the better teams, then lets down against inferior teams. In a word, the Bengals seem immature. It should be infuriating to fans who invest either their time or money on this group. Don't even think about the playoffs. It's going to take ten wins for any AFC team, except the West Division champ, to make the playoffs. at 4-7, even if they run the table, the Bengals are done....Getting Francisco Cordero is huge. It's a lot of money for a relief pitcher, even a closer. It's going to make Cordero the highest paid closer in baseball history, if the deal goes to its full five years, $57 million. It's a big gamble by Bob Castellini, who ultimately had to sign off on the deal. But he HAD to do something to show his fans he really wants to win. Listen to this stat: last year, the Reds bullpen either lost a game or blew a save 59 times. 59 times! The pen lost 31 games and blew 28 saves. Now remember, 85 wins is all it took for the Cubs to take the NL Central. The Reds won 72 games despite its horrid bullpen. If you halve either the number of losses or the blown saves, then the Reds would've won the NL Central with either 87 wins...or 86. Now, let's see if Cordero makes that kind of difference in the real world, not just paper....Why do I believe the BCS Championship game will be between West Virginia and Ohio State? Because WVU will throttle Pitt in Morgantown this Saturday, then climb to number one when Oklahoma beats Missouri in the Big 12 title game. Missouri will fall to fourth in the final poll. Ohio State will move from 5th, to 3rd to #2 by doing nothing sitting and watching other teams win......


I'm impressed with the way Xavier's basketball team handled Indiana Saturday. But these kinds of games happen a lot in the early part of a season. Let's see where both teams are in March. Not to denegrate Xavier's accomplishment at all, it was a convincing win, but basketball teams go through a lot of peaks and valleys during a season. Still, I'd be shocked if Xavier doesn't put together at least a 25 win season now.....


The Giants got smoked Sunday. But I still think they'll be an NFC Wild Card team. My other pick? Detroit, the Lions will rebound from their Thanksgiving Day loss.....In the AFC, I'm going with Jacksonville and Cleveland. I was tempted by Denver, until I saw how they botched their game with the Bears. If Mike Shanahan is really this football genius, how do you kick to Devon Hester and let him return two on you? Statistically, Cleveland has the easiest schedule remaining among the contenders. If Vince Young gets healthy, the Titans may still make a run.
But the Nashville Tennessean isn't giving them much of a shot after that loss to the Bengals.

For the record, cbssports.com has info as to who's in, as of today.

I'll see you tonight on Cincinnati's channel 5. And check out my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. I'll have the latest "Broo View Podcast" ready for you first thing Tuesday morning.

Two major things happened on this day after Thanksgiving. I don't know which was bigger, although I have an inkling.

The Reds have reportedly signed the best free agent closer on the market, Francisco Cordero. When I spoke with him earlier tonight, Reds GM, Wayne Krivsky, would only say that both sides have 'held talks'. But I suspect the only thing keeping Krivsky quiet is the lack of a signed deal. Reportedly, that deal is for $46 million over four years, with a fifth year option that would send the total dollars to $57 million. Both foxsports.com and espn.com are reporting this as a done deal.

What this means is that the Reds bullpen is now 100% better than last year. That isn't saying much, as the bullpen last season was miserable. This will allow David Weathers, last year's closer, to go back to 'set up', with hard throwing Jared Burton and Bill Bray behind him. I smell another bullpen move coming. But even left at this, this is a bullpen that can compete in the NL Central. The Reds won 72 last season. Division champ, Chicago won 85. The Reds bullpen was tagged with 27 blown saves. Let me repeat that, 27 blown saves. The Reds bullpen was tagged with 28 losses. Halve either of those two numbers and the Reds win the division. And remember, the 8th inning was the one that gave the bullpen the most trouble. Weathers moving to 'set up' should change that.

The other big thing that happened today: LSU lost. In a great game to watch, the number one team went down, at home, to unranked Arkansas 50-48 in triple overtime. LSU missed a two point conversion that would've tied the game and forced a fourth OT. This now throws the BCS championship scenario wide open again. Should Missouri knock off Kansas Saturday, and if UConn springs the upset at West Virginia, all hell will break loose in college football. And remember, the Big 12 still has to play its championship game. Riddle me this: how can the NCAA sanction a THIRD post season Division I basketball tournament and no OK at Division I playoff in football?

Just posted on my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/ is the lastest Broo View Podcast. You can find it in the "Podcast & More" section. And on the front page is the latest "Bengals Report Podcast". Marc Hardin, the executive editor of that fine publication, and I break down this Sunday's Bengals vs. Titans game. Check 'em both out and drop me an email and let me know what you think of them and how we can improve the product. My email address: ken@kenbroo.com.

I'm talking sports this Sunday morning, as always, on 700 WLW and 1530 Homer WCKY. I'm on at 9am. If you live outside the greater Cincinnati area, you can listen on line or on XM channel 173. Then Sunday night, I'm back on both stations for your phone calls on Bengals Feedback. Sunday night on Cincinnati's WLWT channel 5, it's Sports Rock! We're on after Sunday Night Football (the Patriots again???) with the last, best word on the Bengals vs Titans.

Have a great rest of this holiday weekend!

If you didn't know you were in Fairfield, Ohio, you'd swear that you might be in Washington, DC. Joe Nuxhall's wake was something not unlike what you'd see upon the death of a head of state. The line to pay respects began forming at 10:30am Tuesday and by 3pm, more than a thousand people were in line at Fairfield High School to say 'so long' to the Old Lefthander. When the final mourner had passed through the Fairfield High gym, it was 11:15pm, or about three hours after the intended end. Joe's family remained to shake anyone's hand who extended it. If wakes can be called beautiful, then this was a beautiful event.

On my web site, http://www.kenbroo.com/ I have more comments on the life and times of Joe Nuxhall, and some comments from baseball's Hit King, Pete Rose. You can find it, in the latest edition of my Broo View Podcast. Just head to the "Podcasts & More" section.

The University of Kentucky basketball team is back on the court tonight, a full two weeks after getting embarrassed by Gardner-Webb. This is a big game for the new coach, Billy Gillespie. He may come off as a grinning, shuffling 'aw shucks' country boy, but Gillespie knows his impatient fan base will be watching to see how his team rebounds from that bad loss. So will a lot of potential recruits.

Interesting thoughts from ESPN's Jayson Stark, who usually gets it right, on what the Reds may do in the next few weeks to get phenom Jay Bruce into the everyday line-up. Check it out on mlbtraderumors.com.

Not two, but three Thanksgiving Day NFL games tomorrow (unless, of course you're saddled with cable in which case, the NFL Network is probably a rumor). I think Green Bay throttles Detroit. The Jets are at Dallas (getting a crazy 14 points). Even 14 won't be enough. I'm going with the 'boyz, big. And, the Colts gallop (limp?) into Atlanta to play the over matched Falcons. Peyton will do just enough and then he and his mates get ten days to heal up.

If you're near a radio this Sunday, I'm talking sports, as always on Cincinnati's 50,000 watt flame throwers: 700 WLW and 1530 Homer WCKY. I'm on from 9am until 11:30am and then back after the Bengals vs Titans game with Bengals Feedback, or as I'm calling the show Bengals Group Therapy. Every phone must begin with "Hi I'm (insert your name) and I'm a Bengals Fan...." If you live outside of the area and have XM radio, I'm on channel 173.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you're with your family and no one says anything inappropriate around the dinner table.

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

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

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

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

I can't begin to tell you the overwhelming sadness I feel today, over the loss of Joe Nuxhall. I wasn't as close to Joe as some other people. But if you knew Joe and he knew you, that's all it took.

Nuxhall died late Thursday night, after a long battle with cancer. He beat it once, in the early 90's. But those who've been touched by this insideous disease know you never really beat it. Yet, until the end, Joe was Joe. He played golf last Friday with Marty Brennanman, his broadcast partner and life long friend. He led our Octoberfest celebration in downtown Cincinnati this year in the annual "Chicken Dance". He was one of a kind.

If a generation is defined as 25 years, then more than two generations of Reds fans knew nothing if not Joe Nuxhall in the summertime. His title of the "Youngest Ballplayer In Major League History" is well documented. But he was more than that, of course. He had a solid major league career and when that ended, an easy transition to the Reds broadcast booth. He remained there for more than 30 seasons, part time of course the last few.

Joe would mangle the English language, but would say later he wasn't an English major and if you understood what he was saying, what was the problem? Fly balls would go to 'right-left-centerfield'. He'd simply say 'one day, I've got to get that right'. Pete Rose related to me today one of Joe's classic calls. It was a west coast game, and well after midnight back in Cincinnati. Pete said Joe called a double play and then said "And if you're scoring in bed back in Cincinnati, that was six to four to three". Only Joe.

They don't make baseball announcers these days like they used to. Too many are caught up in stats, batting averages with runners in scoring position, OPS, OBP...mostly BS. They think the game is all about numbers. It's never been about numbers. It's all about people. The Old Lefthander got that. And we got him. How lucky we were.

Well, let's see how long this lasts. Chad Johnson said today he's done talking to the media, and presumably in public, because he doesn't want to become a distraction to his team for the rest of this season. So, it was OK to be a distraction while the Bengals were stumbling to a 3-6 record? And beside, who wants to take odds on Johnson being able to keep his mouth shut? Do you mean to tell me, if he catches three touchdown passes in the game this Sunday against the Cardinals he won't talk? He won't talk if the Bengals miraculously get into the playoffs? If Chad doesn't talk when the Bengals get to the Super Bowl (OK, ease up), he'll get smacked with a fine like no other he been hit with by the NFL.


Besides, Chad Johnson to TV cameras is like a moth to a 60 watt bulb. I give him a week.

One of my favorites Reads is Pro Football Weekly. Take a look what that PFW has to say about the real source of the Bengals troubles this season.

While hosting 700 WLW Sunday Morning Sports Talk a couple of weeks ago, I took a call from a UC fan whose contention was that all Brian Kelly was doing was winning with Mark Dantonio's players. I didn't disagree with the notion. Most of the UC roster are players the ex-coach recruited in his three years here. But the caller had no answer for my comeback: Kelly is winning with Dantonio's players. But Dantonio wasn't winning with the same kids. Not as big as Kelly is. Reminds me of a line Bum Phillips had when he was the head coach of the Houston Oilers. Speaking about Steelers coach, Chuck Noll, Phillips one said "He can take his'ns and beat your'ns....and he can take your'ns and beat his'ns." English teachers all over America passed out, hearing that. But everyone else got the logic. I think it applies in this case.

UC had better start figuring out a way to keep Kelly around longer than the typical UC coach stays. It doesn't matter what penalty has to be paid if another school comes calling for Kelly. You don't think Nebraska, Michigan or LSU have enough booster money to cover the cost?

In Denver, Travis Henry has apparently passed a lie detector test in his claim that he did not take an illegal substance, drugs or alcohol, as the NFL contends. Henry is facing a suspension if he has flunked a test. But his lie detector test score and the results of an analysis done on hair samples say the results of the NFL imposed test were wrong. If it holds up, not only will Henry beat the rap and continue to play, it will also throw into serious question the way the NFL goes about testing its players for substance abuse. Let the law suits begin if that happens.

John Allen stepped down today, effective at the end of the year, as the Reds Chief Operating Officer. This is a good man, who was a loyal soldier to the Reds owners he served and the country he served. Maybe you didn't know that Allen is a combat vet, Viet Nam. If you didn't know, don't worry. Allen didn't wear his 'badge of honor' on his sleeve, preferring to operate in the present day, not the past.

Allen had a meteoric rise through the ranks of Redsland, arriving in 1995 as a controller. Within a year, with owner Marge Schott under siege by baseball owners and watch dog groups for her continued insensitivities, Allen was running the team. It became official in 1999, when then owner Carl Lindner named Allen his COO. Allen took the job and became a lightning rod.

Lindner let Allen run the club, virtually unchecked, weighing in only on big trades (like the one that brought Ken Griffey, Jr. here) and big free agent signings (Eric Milton would come to mind).
Because of that fan outrage over under performing teams usually began with Allen, who'd done nothing really than let his GM's work deals and his managers manage. The Reds never really managed to win on his watch, which was a shame. He knew the game, the economics of it, really, better than the strategies. And now, he'll ride off into the sunset over Kansas, his home state. I hear his wife has some big job waiting out there and I'd be shocked if Allen did stay connected to Major League Baseball someway. He was very active in the imminent launch of the new 24 hour Major League Baseball cable TV channel.

His departure might open up some interesting scenarios. One, could bring former St. Louis Cardinals GM, Walt Jocketty here. He's a friend of owner Bob Castellini. But tonight, Castellini is saying that won't happen. A more likely event could be the return of Barry Larkin, an antagonist or protaganist in his dealings with Allen, depending on your view. His brother, Byron, hinted tonight on 700 WLW that his brother may be open to the idea of returning in a front office capacity. I spoke with Barry tonight. He's living in Orlando these days, just back from Japan, working a clinic there. Though he remains an employee with the Washington Nationals (part of former GM Jim Bowden's Cincinnati connection out there) Larkin told me tonight returning to work for the Reds is "on my to do list".

Whatever the fall out, I'll miss John Allen. He never told you much when you were working on a story. But he always had a smile and a handshake. I wish him well.

Just posted on my web site: www.kenbroo.com is the latest "Bengals Report Podcast". Marc Hardin and I break down the Bengals win at Baltimore. You can find that on the front page. If you head to the Podcasts and More section of my site, you'll be able to download my latest "Broo View Podcast".

And of course, I'll see you tonight on Cincinnati's NBC affiliate, WLWT Channel 5.

As I watched the Bengals bag a rare win Sunday, here was the over whelming feeling I had: anger. I'm mad a Chris Henry.

In case you missed it, the troubled wide receiver caught four passes for 99 yards in his first game back from an eight game suspension for a garden variety of off field offenses. He looked like he hadn't missed a series of downs, let alone eight games. Henry out ran coverage for catches, made a toe tapping sideline grab and gave the injury depleted Ravens secondary one more headache to deal with. In a word, Henry was terrific. And that's why I'm angry at him.

Imagine Chris Henry on the field against the Seahawks, when the Bengals lost by three points. Imagine him on the field in Kansas City, where the Bengals lost by a touchdown or Buffalo, where they lost by 12. Do you think Henry would've have spun those close Bengals losses into Bengals wins? I do.

Imagine Chris Henry on the field last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was sitting out a different suspension then. The Bengals lost by a point, 14-13 on a last second Tampa Bay touchdown. Don't you think that Henry would've help the Bengals to more than just 13 points? I do.

After watching him perform Sunday, we now know why the Bengals front office has been patient with Henry's off field antics. He's a gifted athlete who can help them win football games. They'll suffer public scorn for his behavior (we're not sure if Henry has suffered any scorn) in order to have his talent on game day. But there in lies a warning.

Bengals coaches can game plan for his talent, work on schemes with Henry's talent, allow him to match up against weak defensive backfields. But what they can't do is count on him. Not yet. The football world is littered with coaches who've placed their faith in star athletes who aren't around on game day. The practice all week, only to do something to keep them off the field. Cronic injury, the phantom knee or hamstring problem come to mind. But so does behavior that gets the star athlete in trouble with the law and then his league. This is why the Bengals coaches can't completely count on Chris Henry. Not yet anyway.

I hope that the light has gone for this guy. I hope he's finally realized that he not only is a vital part of one of the NFL's most lethal offenses. But it's only hope tonight. Chris Henry's recovery will take more than just four catches and more than just one game. I guess Sunday was a start.

But I'm still mad at him. I'll get over it.

Here's what I'm looking for this weekend, as I vegetate on my couch doing 4 ounce curls with my television remote.....I'm looking for more of the same from Ohio State. Illinois is good, but the Illini aren't in the Buckeyes' league....I'm looking for an upset, of sorts, at Nippert Stadium. I think UC will beat UConn for its eighth win of the season. And eight wins would equal the amount the 2006 team gave us. But that squad needed a bowl game to get to eight. A win tomorrow tees the Bearcats up for a double digit win season. And UC hasn't had one of those since 1951....

I'm looking for the Ravens to beat the Bengals. OK, that may not be a popular pick in Cincinnati. But let's face it, this season is toast for our "Men In Stripes" and Baltimore has a smidgen of hope for a playoff spot. Besides, Caleb Miller, Ahmad Brooks and Willie Anderson are all officially 'out'. Reggie Kelly, Anthony Schlegel and John Thornton are all officially 'doubtful', which means, it's one chance in four they play. Baltimore is a physical wreck too, with its entire defensive backfield either out or doubtful. But I'm going with the Ravens....I'm looking for the Steelers to temporarily derail the Browns surprising season. But I believe the Browns will seriously contend for a wild card spot after this weekend....I'm looking for the Colts to rebound and beat the Chargers in San Diego on Sunday Night Football on WLWT Channel 5....I'm looking for Adrian Peterson to run for far less than the 296 yards he put up on the Chargers last week. And I think his Vikings lose to the NFC's most surprising team, Green Bay.....I'm looking for the Rams and the Dolphins to remain winless, even if Steven Jackson is back in St. Louis blue and gold.....

And I'm looking for you! I'm talking sports this Sunday morning on 700 WLW in Cincinnati and 1530 WCKY. It's a 'simulblast' on two 50,000 'flame throwers! I'm on from 9am until Noon. The show is "Sunday Morning Sportstalk". You can catch it streamed 'live' on line at www.700wlw.com and on XM channel 173. Right after the Bengals vs Ravens game, I'll be back on 700 WLW and 1530 Homer "The Sports Animal" with Bengals Feedback. And then, Sunday night, after the Colts and Chargers on channel 5, join me, George Vogel, Box Miller and former Bengals Dave Lapham and David Fulcher for Sports Rock! It's always the last, best word on the Bengals.

Have a great weekend!

Almost as amazing as the Bengals non-contending this season, almost, is the leathargic play of the Baltimore Ravens. The two teams meet again this Sunday in Maryland. While the Bengals have shown no life defensively, the Ravens haven't had a pulse when they've had the football. A lot of that can be traced back to an historical problem for the Ravens: no legitimate quarterback. In fact, the last legit QB the Ravens had, was Trent Dilfer. And the Ravens ran him off.

This predicament is strange for the Ravens, since their head coach, Brian Billick had the reputation of being an offensive 'genius' before arriving in Baltimore. The incumbant QB is former Titan, Steve McNair. He would appear to have arrived in Baltimore with his best days behind him. Yet McNair said in this article in the Baltimore Sun, he can still play the game.

But McNair should know well how to beat the Bengals. He saw them enough when the Titans played in the Bengals division. And it took six Bengals' take aways for Cincinnati to beat the Ravens in this season's opener. That seven point win was sealed, only when a bad call was made on an apparent game tying touchdown catch by Todd Heap.

Just posted today on my web site: www.kenbroo.com is the latest "Broo View Podcast". I've got comments from Bengals Carson Palmer, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and Rudi Johnson. You can find the latest "Broo View Podcast" in the "Podcast & More section.

My alma mater went down hard last night in Akron. The 2007 season hasn't been as sweet at 2006 for the Ohio Bobcats. They lost a lot of talent from that surprising team. But along the way, the Bobcats also forgot how to tackle. They've lost too many games this season because their defense has been unable to get off the field. I hear Frank Solich (and let me say again what a rare, lucky break it was to lure him to Athens, Ohio) has a stout recruiting class lined up for 2008. Among his signees will be players who'll allow him to play more of a ball control offense and an agressive defense. I'm told the recruiting class will include players who'll be able to contribute immediately. Stay tuned on this one. As long as Ohio can hold onto Solich and their bright, young athletic director, Kirby Hocutt, the 'Cats will be fine.

Wait until you see how slow the free agent market will be in Major League Baseball this winter. With the breaking news today that 11 free agents are linked to the on going steroid and HGH investigation, teams will be wary of wading into that water. Which makes the Indians re-upping with Paul Byrd all the more curious.

I'm talking sports, as always, this Sunday morning on 700 WLW and 1530 WCKY in Cincinnati. I'll be on the air from 9am until Noon. If you live outside the greater Cincinnati area and would like to tune in, WLW is available on XM channel 173.

Sunday night, we'll break down the Bengals vs Ravens game on Sports Rock!. We roll right after Sunday Night Football on Cincinnati's WLWT Channel 5.

When the news broke, mid day, about Chris Henry's alleged involvement in a parking lot altercation (just a day after getting reinstated from an eight game suspension) you could almost hear the howls all over town.


I don't know if Henry is guilty of anything this time. A 35 year old valet attendant claims Henry was physically and verbally abusive toward him. But I do know this: every move Henry makes for the rest of his NFL career will be scrutinized. His litany of arrests has guaranteed that. So, if he were asking for advice (and so far, he hasn't) I would suggest this: be the most polite person on the face of the earth. When you get involved in a disagreement, keep it short and civil. If there is going to be even a whiff of trouble in any situation you might be in, leave immediately. You have millions of dollars at stake in this fight. And if your football career comes to an end, what exactly are you equipped to do? That's what I'd tell him. But I doubt if Chris Henry is listening to anybody.


Now if he could play defense. Here's a big old 'ouch' for that Bengals defense from from SI.com.


Here's what the rest of that article should've said: the Bengals can't stop anyone when their top two picks from 2005 are out and their number two pick from 2004 has been cut. 12 of the 19 defensive draft picks in the Marvin Lewis era are either hurt, released or suspended. There are no secrets to success or failure in the NFL. Nothing happens by chance. The Bengals have picked their path and are now paying the price.

And then, there's the raw, unvarnished writing of my friend Chick Ludwig in the Dayton Daily News about the Bengals.

Check out my web site: www.kenbroo.com. I'll have the latest edition of "Bengals Report The Podcast" posted for your dowloading and listening pleasure around 1:00am Thursday EST

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

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

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

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

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

With the 2007 season sinking quickly into an abyss, don't expect to see any drastic changes with your Cincinnati Bengals. Let's take it from the top....



MIKE BROWN:

Not selling the team anytime soon, in good health and believes he has the right formula for running a franchise. He says he's got a three headed GM: His, his daughter and his son in law. No changes coming here.



MARVIN LEWIS:

He will not be fired. Get that notion out of your head. For one, he provides a great service off the field to Mike Brown. Lewis takes most of the heat when things are going poorly, and are they ever now. Two, the Bengals would never, NEVER pay a head coach to NOT to work. Another scenario floating around is that Marvin may leave on his own. Don't bet on that, either. Why would he walk away from guaranteed money through 2011? And if he did, the Bengals would NEVER allow Lewis to coach for another team without deal breaking compensation in return. And, Lewis needs to repair his reputation as being a 'defensive guhru'. Besides, what team would look at him seriously as a head coach, after this mess this season?



ASSISTANT COACHES:

Here may be where the real change occurs. My guess is, the entire defensive staff is out at the end of the year. It's been an unmitigated disaster for this bunch this season. There is no way I see coordinator Chuck Bresnahan returning. A new coordinator will want to bring his own staff with him. On the offensive side of the ball, Bob Bratkowski is probably safe, but his stock as a potential head coach is taking a severe hit this season. I wouldn't look for many changes on the offensive staff.



PLAYERS:

For the second time in five years, Lewis will have to purge his locker room. He did a massive purge when he first arrived, weeding out the players left behind from years of losing. Now, he'll have to rid the team of some of the players he's responsible for. This team has a lot of terrific players on both sides of the ball. But it's been crippled by injuries and by players who've simply been poor acquisitions or susceptible to criminal behavior.



In the NFL, nothing is non-fixable. But the Bengals have a long history of not being able to fix pronounced problems. It can be fixed. But it won't be a quick fix.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great weekend!

This is pretty funny. Apparently, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune, there was a stare down before last Sunday's Bengals vs Steelers game involving Carson Palmer. You think it had anything to do with the outcome? Nahhh. But you gotta love the drama.

The lastest "Broo View Podcast" is now up, running and ready for your listening or downloading. You can find it in the 'Podcasts & More' section on my web site: www.kenbroo.com.

Things that make you go hmmmm (as another famouse Ohio University alum once said). Could a trade be in the works between the Reds and Braves involving Ken Griffey, Jr. Check out this, from today's Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Clearly, if the Reds want to get phenom Jay Bruce in the big league line-up in 2008, one of two things have to happen. They'll have to move one of their outfielders to first base and trade another phenom, Joey Votto. Or, they'll have to trade one of their outfielders. If its an off season trade, the only candidates are Junior and Josh Hamilton. Adam Dunn's contract stipulates that he can NOT be traded until June 15th and even then, only to a select number of teams. Would the Reds entertain offers for Junior? Why not? He's clearly on 'the back nine' and will make $12.5 million in 2008, with a bunch of deferred money coming after he retires.

Any deal will have to have Junior's approval. He's a "10-5" guy, ten years in the majors with five consecutive years with the same club. My guess is, if it's Atlanta, he'll seriously consider accepting the trade, as it's close to his home in Orlando. But will Bob Castellini have the guts to OK it, knowing Junior is one of his big gate draws?

Breaking news from the Reds today. Bob Castellini went shopping and dropped about $15 million in payroll for next season. Today, the Reds picked up the option years on Adam Dunn, Scott Hatteberg and Javier Valentin. They took a 'pass' on the $3 million the Reds would've owed Eddie Guardado, although 'Everyday Eddie' is on the radar screen for a new deal at less money.



All of it makes sense. Dunn is a cornerstone of this team, despite a hefty $13 million he's now due in 2008. The Reds have several options here. They could try to sign Dunn to a long term deal. After their lunch, Castellini came away a big Dunn fan. They can't trade Dunn now, per his contract, until mid-June and only then to about ten teams of his choosing. Hatteberg is a bargain at just over a million for next year and could be used as trade bait. Valentin, due $1.5 mil in 2008 now, is a solid left handed bat off the bench, and wound up as the everyday catcher after Jerry Narron was fired.


Just posted on my web site, http://www.kenbroo.com/ is the latest 'Bengals Report Podcast". It's right on the front page for easy downloading. Marc Hardin and I break down the loss to the Steelers. Look for another "Broo View Podcast" at the same address later tonight.


Speaking of our Bengals Rudi Johnson was back at practice today. But it appears to be another week without RT Willie Anderson and middle linebacker, Ahmad Brooks. Both are officially 'out' for Sunday's game at Buffalo.


And check out this piece of work from foxsports.com on our Bengals. Ouch.


Among other things, we're tracking with great interest tonight's tipoff to the UC basketball season. The Bearcats have an exhibition game scheduled against Northern Kentucky University. Mick Cronin's team suffered mightily last season, from defections and a late start on recruiting. The players he's brought in since, seem to fit more of his up tempo style. I'll have highlights of that game, and exhibition games at UK and Ohio State tonight at 11p, on Cincinnati's channel 5.


And to close it out, an update from our good friend Pete Rose, again courtesy of foxnews.com.
This could be revisionist thinking on Rose's part, who probably is beginning to wonder if he'll ever be welcomed back by major league baseball before he dies.

I don't think he will, frankly.

I'm writing this latest entry in and around preparing my 6p sportscast. Look for some Bengals, Dusty Baker and HS football tonight at 6p.


First things first, the latest "Broo View Podcast" is posted and ready for your download on http://www.kenbroo.com/. Just go to the "Podcasts & More" section and scroll down to the latest show. Maybe you'll be able to figure out why Marvin kicked a field goal instead of trying to convert on 4th and two last Sunday against the Steelers. Then again, maybe you won't.


Speaking of Baker, I participated in a conference call with the Reds new manager today. He's just getting into his new gig full time, having arrived back from his ESPN work Monday. He says he has a large amount of reading ahead of him, scouting reports sent to him by Reds GM Wayne Krivsky. Baker has been allowed to hire only two coaches and made those decision known today. Former major leaguer, Chris Spier will be his infield instructor and bench coach. Juan Lopez was hired as his bullpen coach.


I asked Baker if the 'recruiting' part of his job has begun. Remember, he said at the news conference introducing him as Reds manager that he'd use his name and reputation to lure free agents to Cincinnati. Baker says he hasn't had time to do that. And says published reports that he spoke with former Cub Mark Prior and soon to be former Cub, Kerry Wood, are true. But, Baker says, those conversations were about everything BUT baseball.


Baker says he and Krivsky will lay the groundwork for trades and acquisitions before the winter baseball meetings in December. He sounded like a guy who expects to make up of his new team to change somewhat.

It ws a day off for the Cincinnati Bengals. They continue to get no love. Power Rankings all over the internet have them in the bottom quarter of the NFL.

And then there's this on Sporting News.com.

I said this before the season began and I'll repeat it today: it will take any AFC team, with the possible exception of the AFC West champ, 10 wins to make the playoffs. The Bengals would need to finish 8-1 in their final 9 games to reach 10 wins. Have you seen anything this season that would allow you to believe they'll win 8 of their final 9? Me neither.

Marvin Lewis is all over the map explaining his decision to kick a field goal on fourth and one from the Steelers two yard line Sunday. He kicked and took three, got booed and second guessed for the rest of the game, then said in his post game news conference he made the wrong decision. Today, Lewis said he'd though about it over night and that his initial decision to take the '3' was the right call.

Let me help him out. I understand why he kicked the field goal. Think about it and you might agree too. Most of the Bengals-Steelers games have been tight, particularly in the last five years. Last year's game at Paul Brown Stadium went to overtime, before the Steelers won. So with just over 2:30 to play in the first half Sunday, Lewis figured take the '3', it'll probably be that close again. I understand how he thought that way. But it was the wrong call. Lewis placed his faith on the wrong side of the ball. He said Monday he believed his defense would stop the Steelers ensuing drive and the Bengals would go to the locker room down only eight, geting the ball to start the second half.

I don't know what defense Lewis has been watching this season. But if he was watching his, he'd have known his Bengals defense hasn't stopped ANYONE this season. It was a bad call. Lewis got it right immediately after the game. He should've stuck with that story. Tonight, he appears to be someone indecisive

And are the Bengals now officially dead in 2007? They're 2-5 and only three teams since 1990 have started 2-5 and made the playoffs. The national media is piling on. Check out what the very fine writer from cbssportsline.com Clark Judge has to say:

Black The Right Color For Bengals
cbssportsline.com

Now come two very lose-able games. Buffalo could very well be 5-2 instead of 3-4. Dallas needed a field goal, at home, at the gun to beat the Bills. And Buffalo has beaten Baltimore, the team the Bengals will face in Maryland in two weeks.

Bad times in Bengal-dom, to say the least.

Right now, Ohio State and Boston College are unbeaten. But could we have a scenario this year where no major college football team plays for the national title unbeaten? There's a good chance. In fact, we may have a two loss team contending for the title in the national championship game.


Ohio State still has rough road games remaining at Penn State and Michigan. Boston College still has games on the schedule at Maryland and Clemson and dicey home tilts with Miami and Florida State.


Oklahoma, LSU and Oregon are the best of the one loss teams. But each faces choppy water between now and the end of the season. LSU's toughest test will be at Alabama. But that could be it for the Tigers, until the SEC Championship game. Oklahoma still has a dicey road trest at 6-2 Texas Tech and a home game against instate rival, Oklahoma State. West Virginia could be lurkiing at the end. But the Mountaineers have some tough Big East games coming up, including one at Cincinnati.

My guess is no team will be unbeaten come early December. And that is yet another compelling reason to have a playoff system. But I'm not holding my breath, waiting for one.

Just posted today the latest "Bengals Report Podcast". You can find it on my web site: www.kenbroo.com. It's on the front page, easy to find.

Sports Rock! rocks this Sunday night at 11:35p on Cincinnati's Channel 5 WLWT. My guess is, we'll have plenty to talk about in the wake of the Bengals vs Steelers game. Check out our 'internet only' version of Sports Rock! on www.wlwt.com.

And if you can locate the Colorado Rockies offense, please call the team. It's 'gone missing' and they need it badly.

Have a great weekend!

Here's why the the Bengals MUST get an early lead on the Steelers: Pittsburgh will run the ball down the Bengals' collective throat if it gets the lead. And we all know, the Bengals can't stop a running attack if their lives depended on it. If Pittsburgh gets up 14-0 on the Bengals, you are going to get a lot of Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport....maybe 45 carries worth.


The game plan could not be more basic and obvious. But, like anything else, it doesn't matter what we know. It's whether or not the Bengals players can execute it.


Just posted on my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/ is the latest "Bengals Report Podcast". We've got a look back at the Bengals big win over the Jets. Check it out now. The next edition will be up tomorrow, when Marc Hardin and I scope out Sunday's game against the Steelers.


Some internet/blog buzz that the Reds may be big players in the free agent market this season, now that they've hired Dusty Baker. A blog devoted to Cubs baseball (one of about a million) predicts the Reds will chase Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, now that Dusty is here. Reds owner, Bob Castellini would have to take a leave of mental absence for either of those two scenarios to happen. Bonds is about to become radio-active again, with the Mitchell report release on the horizon. Whether or not Bonds is implicated, he's been linked to the story since day one. That should end any thought, knowing the conservative Castellini. As for A-Rod, unless Bob has a printing press in his basement, where will he come up with the money for that?

A-Rod is making $25 mil a year right now. Only a few teams figure to have the dough to bid on him, if he elects to leave the Yankees. And one of them isn't named the Reds.


I'm talking sports, a lot this weekend. From 9am-11:30am this Sunday, I'll be on 700 WLW in Cincinnati, co-hosting Sunday Morning Sportstalk with Gregg Doyel. If you live outside of the greater Cincinnati area, you can listen on line at www.700wlw.com or on XM satellite radio channel 173. Then, after the Bengals vs Steelers, I'll be hosting "Bengals Feedback" on 700 WLW and 1530 WCKY. And Sunday night at 11:35pm, I'll be in the WLWT channel 5 studios co-hosting Sports Rock! with our usual cast of characters, breaking down what went down at Paul Brown Stadium.


I thought Sunday was a day of rest!

First things first, the latest "Broo View Podcast" is up and running on my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. You can find in in the "Podcast & More" section. Good stuff on the Bengals win over the Jets.

The buzz from the weekend was a report on ESPN that the Bengals are considering trading Chad Johnson this winter. As the report goes, the Bengals are supposedly tiring of Johnson's sideline and off field antics and will try to get equal value on the market after this season. The reported quoted a 'high ranking Bengals official."

Marvin Lewis had an interesting take on this. While not flatly denying the report, the Bengals head coach said Monday that there is only 'one voice' in the Bengals organization and it's his. And Lewis then denied telling anyone at ESPN about shopping Chad this coming winter.

Do I think the report was accurate? Yes. Do I think Lewis is telling the truth? Yes. I'm sure ESPN's Craig Mortenson talked with someone in the Bengals front office. He's too good of a reporter to not have factual accuracy. And I'm certain there's been some discussion about whether or not Chad is really worth the trouble. But the ultimate decision on whether or not to trade a player the status of Chad Johnson rest with Lewis and owner Mike Brown. And I'm equally certain neither has arrived at that point.

To trade Johnson, signed under market to a long term deal just two years ago, the Bengals would take a huge salary cap 'hit' on Johnson's bonus money. The Bengals never really approach the ceiling of the salary cap any year. So to dump Johnson and have accelerate his bonus payment is just not the way this team does business.

So my guess is, barring some tremendous blow up or off-field incident which would be totally out of character for Johnson, he stays. But it's a long time from now until next draft day.

Before we all get giddy about the Bengals win Sunday over the Jets, let's remember this: these were two bad football teams and one of them was bound to win. Sunday, the Bengals figured it out in the second half of the game, and the Jets crashed.

Yes, the Bengals running attack returned. It was great to see a good player and equally good person, Kenny Watson, rip apart the Jets defense. Watson's longest run was only 12 yards, which means he simply wore the Jets defense down. In reality, it was the Bengals big offensive linemen who took the under-sized Jets defensive linemen to the shed, mash blocking holes for Watson to run through.

But make no mistake about it, the Bengals still have serious deficiencies. They gave up over 30-points again Sunday, a number they've averaged the entire season. The Jets put up over 350 yards of offense. This from a New York team that's struggled to do anything offensively coming into this game. And, the Bengals gave up a hundred yard receiving day to Lavernius Coles.

The road to the playoffs get a little less bumpy with this win. The Bengals still have to finish out 8-2 in their final 10 games to get to ten wins. And this season, 10 wins may be the minimum amount needed to either win the AFC North or qualify as a wild card. The schedule does get easier, with teams like Arizona, St. Louis and Miami on the horizon. But two games remain with the Steelers, one with the Ravens and there's a home game with the tough Tennessee Titans to come.

But the road to ten wins is a bit easier at 2-4 than it would've been at 1-5. And that's good. But not good enough to get all giddy about it. Beat the Steelers, and then we'll talk.

Check out my web site: www.kenbroo.com. I'll have the latest "Broo View Podcast" posted over night and you can either download it or listen on your computer early Tuesday.

I'm not sure what it means, but Chad Johnson said today he's playing horribly this season. It's a bit of an over statement. Johnson is among the league leaders in catches, on pace for an 1,800 yard season. Maybe he's talking about touchdowns. Through four games, Johnson has only three TD catches, which means only three TD celebrations. Maybe that's what the self marketing Johnson is talking about.

Carson Palmer's take on the underachieving Bengals is that he's disappointed, not depressed. Most of the fans of this team would ask, can you be both? Most of them are. Here's the deal: the Bengals are a team with a great quarterback, a handful of outstanding players and a whole lot of headaches after that. The headaches would be either injuries or suspensions. But this is anything but a championship calibre team.

We should have seen this coming. Since 2003, the Bengals have lost an inordinate number of top draft picks to injury, suspension or ineffectiveness. Their inability to run consistently has led to defenses playing 'cover two', or two deep safeties. The Bengals inability to find an effective third wide receiver, while Chris Henry sits out his suspension, has led to a struggling offense. Defenses have let TJ Houshmandzadeh and Johnson to run up their personal stats, without affecting the outcome of a game. Think I'm wrong? Check third down efficiency and time of possession stats. The Bengals are converting only 33% of the time on third down. And in time of possession, they've lost the battle in three of their first five games.

Their schedule gets easier now. But at 1-4, who of their opponents is looking at their game against the Bengals and are saying 'We can't win this one". My guess, not many.

The lastest "Bengals Report Podcast" is posted and ready for your downloading or listening on line pleasure. It's on the front page of my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/.

Now, some quick hits. I love the Rockies story this season. Winning 21 of 22 in a row and making it to the World Series on a $35 million budget. But can they consistently win with that low a payroll. In a word, no. So enjoy it now Denver.....Why am I afraid that a talented, promising career in the person of golfer Michelle Wie has been ruined?......The longer it goes on, the more it looks like Joe Torre stays with the Yankees....The NBA is playing exhibition games in China this week. For what? Do you honestly believe there are 18,000 people in China who could afford an average NBA ticket price of $100.00 per game? So if expansion to Beijing is out of the question, what are you doing there? Promote you wheezing game in the USA, in markets that can't see live games....like, oh...Cincinnati? Don't tell me this is to pump the Olympics. Please....Speaking of the Olympics, will we ever watch those games again without wondering which athlete is on the 'juice'? .....Here's what the UFC will allow local television stations to photograph at their event in Cincinnati Saturday night: video of what goes on between the fights, but not the actual fights....like what, guys burping in between swigs of beer? Or maybe the line to get into the mens' room.....But they'll beg you for pre fight coverage....If that's the way "Vegas type events" operate, please stay in Nevada.

First things first: the latest "Broo View Podcast" is up and running and available for listening at http://www.kenbroo.com/ and downloading, among other places, at Itunes and http://www.podcastalley.com/.

I've got thoughts on the Reds hiring of Dusty Baker and why the Bengals are in the dumper. You'll hear comments from front office folks, coaches and players.


I can't believe the amount of flack the Reds are taking on hiring Baker. Positive articles are few, other than the locals here in Cincinnati.


Check out this article from The Chicago Daily Herald.

Ray Ratto from cbssports.com has his take on all the Dusty bashers.

Here's what the Colorado Rockies are proving: you don't have to spend mega dollars to make a run at a pennant. The were basically a .500 team untl September. Now, they're on a rocket ride, having won 21 of their last 22 and have earned a spot in the World Series. They should enjoy it. Their bargain baseball payroll will have to increase, if they want to be a perenniel contenders. You don't find consistent winners in major league baseball with limited payroll. Colorado, enjoy it while you can.

The Yankees want to dump Joe Torre? For Don Mattingly? Excuse me, exactly what has Don Mattingly managed in his life? Even his restaurant in Evansville, Indiana, went under. Mattingly is George Steinbrenner's golden boy. But King George is relinquishing control of his team to his sons. That could, could buy Torre a repreive. The problem with the Yankees is they've over paid for aging pitching and their farm system has been ravaged by trades for 'talent' they'd hope would win them another title. And how does GM Brian Cashman get a free pass for this?

So it's Dusty Baker. Good. I'm glad the Reds owner, Bob Castellini, settled on a manager with a healthy resume. All due respect to Jerry Narron, Pete Mackanin, Dave Miley and any other bargain contender, hiring a manager with proven big league experience means the Reds can't go cheap, when it comes to players. The Reds will now have to spend money to keep players, and attract better ones.

Why else would Baker or any other proven manager want to take a job managing a big league club?

A lawyer of some note (OK I my kid) sent me a list of Mark Prior's 2003 appearances, while pitching for Baker in Chicago. 17 times, Baker allowed Prior to throw 115 or more pitches in a ballgame. Six of those appearances, Prior threw 124 or more, topping out at 133 twice.

A lot of fans around here want to point to that and say Baker ruined Prior. Kerry Wood gets thrown into the discussion as well. Wood apparently had some medical issues long before Baker arrived on the scene in Chicago. But the Prior situation is disturbing. Baker said today, that he learned some lessons in Chicago about handling pitchers. But he also pointed to his time in San Francisco, where his staffs pitched well and relatively injury free.

Honestly, the biggest news coming out of today's news conference was Castellini's declaration that he'd like to keep Adam Dunn on the team. It sounds as though the team is trying to work out a long term deal with Dunn, who shares the same agent with Baker.

Baker is one of the top hitting instructors in the history of the game. Not allowing him to work with Dunn would be foolish now for the Reds. If Baker can harness Dunn's free swinging, while allowing him to keep his power, would be a terrific 'value added' to whatever gravitas Baker brings to the Reds dugout.

The latest "Broo View Podcast" should be up and running by Tuesday morning. You'll be able to find it on my web site: www.kenbroo.com

Here's what I'll be looking for this weekend....in no particular order.

How many of the nine unbeaten Division I (or whatever they're calling it this week) teams win. Can the University of Cincinnati and the University of South Florida stay on a collision course for a November 3rd showdown? That could be the game that decides who wins the Big East title.

Can Kentucky beat LSU? Don't laugh, UK is good, last week's loss to South Carolina not withstandings. And could LSU experience a letdown, after a late rally last week to beat arch rival Florida?

How badly will Southern Cal beat Arizona? If the Trojans are the team I think they are, I think the Wildcats will be the team that pays for the Southern Cal loss to Stanford last week.

Sunday, I'll be looking to see if the Bengals can win a game they're supposed to. Yep, they're banged up. But the Chiefs aren't that good. It will be interesting to see if the KC running game gets healthy against a pourous Bengals defense. But this is a game that could make or break the Bengals season. How will they respond?

I really want to see if the Cowboys are for real. They barely got by the Bills last Monday night to remain unbeaten. The week, they have to play another unbeaten team, New England. The combined record of Dallas' opponents this season is 6-19. This will be their first, real test of the season.

I'll be keeping an eye on the Houston at Jacksonville match up. These are two upstart teams in the AFC South, which is becoming the toughest division in the NFL.

Outside of football, I want to watch the Rockies and Diamondbacks. Both are writing terrific stories on how to put together a major league baseball team and then, how to execute the game on the field. I think the Rockies will ultimately prevail in this series. But the emergence of both is a great sign for the game of baseball.

I also want to see if the Yankees pull the trigger on Joe Torre. Because until and if they do, the rest of the teams with managerial openings, like the Reds, are on hold. If Torre goes, does Tony LaRussa head to New York opening the way for Joe Girardie to take the Reds job. Or do the Reds dream big and make a run at Torre?

These may be some of the topics I hit this Sunday morning from 9am until Noon on 700 WLW in Cincinnati. I'll be in my usual "Sunday Morning Sportstalk" seat, fielding your phone calls, leading up to the Bengals pre-game show.

Then, at 5:30pm, I'll be on 1530 Homer in Cincinnati, fielding your phone calls on the Bengals post game show.

And to top it off, Sunday night, after the Saints and Seahawks game on WLWT channel 5 in Cincinnati, I'll be hosting "Sports Rock"! It's always the last, best word on the Bengals. Join George Vogel, Dave Lapham, Box Miller and me for the liveliest sports show on the planet. How's that for hype!

And, head on over to my web site: www.kenbroo.com. The latest edition of Bengals Report Podcast is posted on the front page. Bengals Report executive editor, Marc Hardin and I preview the Bengals vs Chiefs game.

It's a big weekend in sports. Have fun!

When I confirmed this afternoon that the Reds had indeed interviewed Dusty Baker about their manager's opening, I began to think: is this just complying with the Major League Baseball edict to interview minority candidates or is Baker is legitimate contender for the job?

Baker is an interesting study. He was a terrific hitter as a player. He's been successful as a hitting coach in his career. And he also led the Giants to the World Series five years ago. He's unfairly remembered as flaming out in Chicago, managing the Cubs and being at the center of the Sammy Sosa meltdown. But he knows the game, knows hitting. And that could help immensely with current Reds Adam Dunn, Josh Hamilton and Edwin Encarnacion. All three showed both brilliance and frustration at the plate this past season.

My gut still tells me the Reds aren't 'there' on Baker yet. There is still some interest, I'm sure, in Joe Girardi, possibly even Bob Brenly. Putting everything on hold is Joe Torre's situation in New York. If Torre stays, it may open the door to negotiate with Tony LaRussa, who almost certainly is done in St. Louis. It would also open the door for Yankee manager-wannabe Girardi to look elsewhere for his next opportunity.

But if it's Baker, I wouldn't be disappointed. Any manager worth his salt has been recycled. Maybe for Dusty, and the Reds, the third time is the charm.

When you're the NFL's version of The Sopranos, you get no breaks. The Bengals, and all of us, were reminded of that again today. No the Bengals haven't 'whacked' anyone or anything, except maybe their playoff chances. But like Tony and his TV crew, they run afoul of the law, constantly. And now, it's again affecting their game prep.

Second year cornerback, Jonathan Joseph was arrested last January in Northern Kentucky and the cops found pot in his back pack (tucked neatly next to a video game system). Joseph copped a plea, did community service and the charges were eventually dropped. But in the NFL, it ain't over until the commissioner says it's over. And Commissioner Roger Goodell is gunning for guys like Joseph these days, particulary if they wear Bengal stripes.

Because of Chris Henry, Odell Thurman and a laundry list of other Bengals offenders, Joseph will pay a stiffer price for his offense. In an unusually harsh sentence for a first time offender, Joseph has been suspended for this Sunday's game against the Chiefs. He can rejoin the team for next week's game with the Jets. But Joseph will be playing for free. As part of his punishment, he'll be fined a full game check IN ADDITION to the check he'll not get this week.

Maybe this will be a wake up call for a young player with a bright future in the NFL. That's the hope. But the real hope this week lies with the Chiefs, who suddenly got more interested in passing the ball on a bad Bengals defense that got a lot worse Tuesday afternoon.

More coming later today, including some thoughts on the Reds' manager situation. But heads up: my latest Broo View Podcast is now posted on my web site: www.kenbroo.com

You can find it in the "Podcasts & More" section. And you can download it from Itunes as well.

Another week goes by without the Reds taking the interim manager tag off Pete Mackanin. In fact, they’re only paying Mackanin through the end of October….and…at the rate of pay he was making as a scout….before taking over the team in July.

Mackanin isn’t getting this job unless four or five other contenders turn it down.

Joe Girardi, Bob Brenly and Dusty Baker have been rumored to be candidates. Here’s why you want a “big name guy” to get this gig. The only way one of them will take the Reds’ job, is if they get a commitment from the owner, Bob Castellini, to aggressively pursue pitching help. That means, increasing the payroll from the $69 million spent this year to the $85 million range. Even in a pitching poor free agent pool, there are a few guys who can help. The Indians Paul Byrd and the Twins Carlos Silva come to mind.

That’s what a “big name guy” will demand.

Why else would any established manager want the job? To go through the same frustration that Jerry Narron, Dave Miley, Bob Boone and Jack McKeon did? I don’t think so.



Look for the latest "Broo View Podcast" tomorrow morning on my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. I'll have some comments from Cincinnati Bengals players and a look at some of the more horrific injuries in the NFL from this past Sunday.



Wednesday, it's the Broo-meisters with "The Ultimate NFL Cyber Show". You can find that on http://www.theflypod.com/.



Blog alert! If you're into hockey, particularly the NHL, a good buddy of mine has a must read:

Ted's Take. The owner of the Washington Capitals, Ted Leonsis is blogging daily about his team and professional hockey. Now, if we could just get Mike Brown and Bob Castellini cyber current....

Several things I'll be looking for this weekend, as I settle into watch a boat load of football games.

Saturday, I want to see how UC's defense handles the first good running back they'll face this season. Ray Rice of Rutgers has made a lot of teams look foolish, trying to stop him. Maryland figured it out. But few teams have been able to stop Rice, a legit Heisman candidate. And I want to see UC operate against a hostile crowd, that spewed venom at a Navy team.

I want to see if Purdue really has what it takes to beat Ohio State. Because if Purdue doesn't, I don't see OSU losing until it has to play at Ann Arbor. And even then, I'm not sure Michigan will be able to derail the Buckeyes. Who would've thought the Buckeyes would be serious BCS championship contenders, this late in the season.

I want to see if my beloved Ohio University Bobcats can rebound from two very bad losses. They took the ball away from Wyoming seven times....seven times....and lost by a point. Then, they followed that up with a bad loss at home on Parents Weekend to Kent. The 'Cats hit the road for Buffalo.

Sunday, I want to see if the Packers are for real. They play Sunday night in Chicago, and on WLWT (NBC) channel 5 against the Bears. If the 4-0 Pack beats the Bears, I think they'll win that division. This game is that big.

I want to see if the Steelers can rebound from a bad loss at Arizona. Hines Ward is out. But the rest of that Steelers offense should be able to move the ball on Seattle. And defensively, I think the Steelers can shut the Seahawks offense down. But, we'll see.

And, I want to see who wins the early season survivor game between the Broncos and Chargers. Denver is 2-2. San Diego is 1-3. They meet in Denver. Three teams in that division are 2-2 and the Chargers only one game worse. In a tight division race, this game is BIG.

And I want to see you watching SPORTS ROCK! if you live in the greater Cincinnati area. We're on every Sunday night after SNF, on or about 11:35pm. This week, former Bengals Dave Lapham and Eric Thomas join us. We'll have another visit from the "Wizard of Kenwood", and our Bud Lite Stats Girl, Audra, will be in with all the numbers from Sunday's games.

And Sunday morning from 9am-Noon, I'll be talking sports on 700 WLW. If you don't live in the Tri-State, you can dial me in on XM Radio 173.

The latest "Broo View Podcast" is posted. It's on my web site www.kenbroo.com. Go to the podcasts and more page. I'll break down what's really available to the Reds in the free agent market and you'll hear comments from the Bengals about their Monday Night Football meltdown against the Patriots.

Have a great weekend!

I'll be hosting Sunday Morning Sportstalk on 700 WLW this Sunday, starting at 9 AM EDT. If you live outside the greater Cincinnati area, you can catch me on XM 173. One of the topics I'll be dealing with is the realistic chance the Reds can better themselves in 2008.

The only realistic way they get better, is to find better pitching. And the list of potential targets is slim.

Listen to the top names: Paul Byrd, Matt Clement, Bartolo Colon, Josh Fogg and Carlos Silva. Impressive, right?

Byrd is 36 and though he went 15-8 with Cleveland this year, he cost $7 million. Fogg won ten in the rarified air of Denver and made 27 starts. His ERA is under five. He made $3.7 million. Silva made 33 start, won 13 of 27 decisions and put $4.35 in his pocket. Clement didn't pitch this year, recovering from shouldar surgery and Colon was told to get elbow surgery last fall, didn't, rehabbed his arm and managed a 6-8 record and 100 innings for the Angels. All he cost that team was $14 million.

You think it's any better in the bullpen? The top three candidates are Todd Jones, Francisco Cordero and Scott Linebrink. Jones saved 38 for the Tigers, exactly one less than every year of his life. Jones will turn 40 in April. Linebrink is a set up guy. Cordero 'closed' for the Brewers, saving 44 and pulling down $5 million. He could double that salary now on the open market.

Check out my web site: www.kenbroo.com. The latest "Bengals Report Podcast" is posted on the front page. Marc Hardin and I recap that awful Monday Night loss by the Bengals. But hey, we make it interesting!

As another famous Ohio University alum likes to say...things that make you go hmmmm.

The St. Louis Cardinals fired General Manager Walt Jocketty today. Fired the guy who constructed one of the more solid franchises in baseball. Jocketty and his owner, Bill DeWitt, haven't seen eye to eye in over a year. Now, Jocketty is out. The current Reds' owner, Bob Castellini, is a former Cardinals minority owner. In fact, he's been a business partner of DeWitt's in St. Louis and in Baltimore, when they both were minorty shareholders with Peter Angelos. They also were in business with President Bush, as minority shareholders with the Texas Rangers, back in the mid-90's.

Would Castellini pick up the phone and call his buddy DeWitt (they both live in the Cincinnati suburb of Indian Hill) and ask him all about Jocketty? And if Jocketty and DeWitt didn't part by tossing grenades at each other, would Castellini then entertain the idea of signing Jocketty as his GM in Cincinnati, knowing that might be the carrot to lure Tony LaRussa here to manage the Reds. Current GM, Wayne Krivsky, would have to be sent packing. But to get a package deal of the best GM-Manager tandem in baseball, is that not a price worth paying?

Things that make you go, hmmmmm.

Check out my latest NFL podcast at www.theflypod.com. I do the show with a guy named Matt, who's still learning the broadcasting ropes. But together, we break down the latest issues in the NFL. The show is call The Ultimate NFL Cybershow and it's new, every Wednesday and on www.theflypod.com national page.

Marvin Lewis has time, but not much. He's got 12 days to fix his team. While the physical hurdles are finding enough healthy bodies to field a defensive side of the ball, the mental hurdles will be the toughes to negotiate.

Monday night's loss to the Patriots left the Bengals looking like bickering, clueless fools. Chad Johnson's behavior was nothing more than childish. Before dissing his quarterback, the best the Bengals have ever had at that position, Chad went through pantomine agony over not being able to negotiate one final yard for a touchdown. It didn't matter to Chad that his team eventually scored. What bothered him was it denied him a chance to deliver another side show.

This part of Johnson is becoming tedious. This week, as the Bengals were preparing for a national showcase and trying to snap a two game losing streak, I received two separate emails from one of Chads PR people, wanting me to remind you that if Chad scored a touchdown, his celebratory 'dance' would include throwing his arms in the air to raise awareness for human hunger. Not four hours before kickoff Monday, I received a voice mail from another one of Chad's PR people, asking me to ask you to log onto his web site, because Chad wasn't happy with the traffic it was generating.

I've got nothing again any one working for a charity. If we have the ability to do that, we all should. I have nothing against someone having their own web site (you're on mine, right?). But first things first: you have to take care of business. No one will care what dance you do for what charity and no one will gravitate to your web site UNLESS you do what you get paid to do.

There has long been a belief, among the media, that Lewis has a double standard: one for Chad, one for the rest of the team. Lewis is in danger of losing the locker room, unless he puts an end to dances, lists and whatever else his star receiver dreams up. Chad Johnson is paid to score touchdowns.

Johnson's behavior is one thing that needs to be corrected. Another is poor tackling and another is the Bengals inability to establish any kind of a running game. Marvin Lewis has a bye week and 12 days to fix an under achieving 1-3 football team. The season can be salavaged. But right now, it's all on the head coach's plate.

The latest "Bengals Report: The Podcast" is now available for downloading. You can find it on my web site: www.kenbroo.com. It's on the front page!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.