Just posted the latest Bengals Report Podcast! Mark Hardin and I review the Bengals loss last Sunday to the Jets. And you'll hear comments from Marvin Lewis, Carson Palmer, Dhani Jones and Chinedum Ndukwe, who had that sweet fumble recovery for a touchdown. You can find the Bengals Report Podcast on my web site: www.kenbroo.com. If you're in a hurry, you can download it here.

Just posted, the latest Broo View Podcast. I've got an indepth interview with the national football writer from USA Today, Larry Weisman. We talk about the myriad of problems the Bengals have. And we also discuss some other hot topics in the NFL. You can find the latest Broo View Podcast on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. But, if you're in a hurry, you can also download it here. But take a minute to check out my web site. There are archived Broo View Podcasts, as well as Bengals Report Podcast. I'll have a new one of those posted sometime overnight, Tuesday.

Your Cincinnati Bengals are NOT going to go 0-16. It’s harder to go 0-16 in the NFL than it is to go 16-0. Even in the deep, dark bad old days (and I know anyone under 20 can believe there were bad old days worse than these new days), even back in the David Klingler, Artie Smith, Rod Jones-The First, Jeff Query bad old days, the Bengals never managed to go 0-16. Always, late in those lost seasons of the 90’s, there was a team or two that’d swagger into Riverfront Stadium all full of itself and expecting a win just for showing up. Invariably, the Bengals would get a win. Doug Pelfrey would kick a last second field goal, Harold Green would watch a couple of defenders slip and run for a score. Presto, 3-13 season. Believe in those miracles. They could happen this year too.

What we’re witnessing this season should come as no surprise to anyone. It’s the mythical tri-fecta of bad football: poor drafting, bottom feeding in free agency, injuries. That not opinion. It’s fact.

Look at the Bengals drafts since 2003, the year Marvin Lewis arrived. They had the number one overall pick that season. Hard to miss on Carson Palmer. Who were you going to take besides him? Byron Leftwich? Terrence Newman? How about Charles Rogers. That would’ve been a stellar selection. Fact: any of the other 31-teams would’ve taken Palmer with that first overall. Everyone of the first 10 teams selecting needed a quarterback that season. But look what happened after that.

Eric Steinbach in round two, good selection. Bad business decision to let him walk after the 2006 season. They passed on Antwan Peek from right here at UC and Lance Briggs. Rounds four through six, busts. Only tackle Scott Koostra remains. They took him in round seven.

2004, trade down with Denver. But, there’s Steven Jackson sitting there. Oh, wait a minute, here comes Chris Perry. Up until this season, a litany of injuries.

2005 draft. We know that sad story. David Pollack round one, Odell Thurman round two, Chris Henry round three.

At a time when high draft picks should be playing in their prime in Cincinnati, they’re either out of the game, or someplace else.

And what about the free agent market? Best free agent on the block in 2007 was Adalius Thomas. He was done in Baltimore. But what a ride he had there. The Ravens played him at linebacker, down lineman, even safety. He was a playmaker, difference maker. Would he have made a difference here? Are you kiddin’ me? Did the Bengals make a run at Thomas? Are you kiddin’ me? No, they dropped a chunk of bonus money on Justin Smith two weeks before free agency began that winter. They couldn’t, or wouldn’t do a long term deal with Smith before the 2006 season. That money they used to tie up Smith with a franchise player tag would’ve been a nice part of a deal that might’ve attracted Thomas here. Instead we got this bucket of bolts in free agency that winter: defensive linemen Kendrick Allen and Michael Myers and linebacker Ed Hartwell. Allen and Hartwell were gone by the final cut of the 2007 training camp. Myers turned out to be, just a guy.,

Thomas, meanwhile, helped the Patriots to a 16-0 regular season.

And injuries: Pollack broke his neck, done with the game. Perry hasn’t been healthy, really, until this season. 2007 second round pick, running back Kenny Irons blew out his knee in an exhibition game last summer. He’s never recovered and has been released.

So where the Bengals are today should be anything but a surprise. They have a good quarterback, two, maybe three good wide receivers. If this was arena league football, they’d be all set. On defense, it’s better this season, but where are the playmakers? Why do they constantly lose the time of possession,? Allow, consistently 200 yard rushing days by their opponents? Where is the defensive lineman who can rush and sack the quarterback?
Opening remarks pp.3

The Bengals want to do it there way. They don’t want to hire a general manager, they have a small scouting staff, they don’t manipulate the salary cap like the Patriots, Cowboys and Redskins.

Can they win doing it their way? Yep. Why not? But their wiggle room, their margin for error, is a lot tighter than it is for most of the other teams in the NFL. It’s a lot of pressure to get it right.

Doing it their way, the Bengals have to “hit it out of the park” with every draft pick and with every free agent they sign. They haven’t, they’ve had too many whiffs.

No secret, no mystery why they are now 0-6

As always, I'm talking sports this Sunday on the 50,000 watt flame thrower, 700 WLW, this Sunday morning. Belterra Casino Sunday Morning Sports Talk airs from 9am-11:30am EDT. Among my guests: Bill Koch, the UC Bearcats 'beat' writer from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Mark Curnutte, the Bengals 'beat' writer and Larry Weisman, the national football writer from USA Today. If you have XM Radio, it's on channel 173.

No Carson Palmer against the Jets this Sunday? Yikes!

Bummer, because according to my hometown paper, the Newark Star Ledger, you can beat the Jets with passing.

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

Just posted, the latest Bengals Report Podcast. It's on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com as well as here. Bengals Report executive editor, Mark Hardin and I preview this Sunday's Bengals vs Jets game. You'll hear comments from Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer...

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


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

More to come on this Friday...

Ramblings on a Thursday night, getting ready for the 11p sports....If the Bengals are going to win their first game of the season Sunday in New Jersey, they'll have to be able to run on a very good Jets front seven. If the Bengals can't do that, they'll be less than successful throwing against a weak Jets secondary....Brett Favre throws 3 touchdown passes Sunday vs Bengals....I keep hearing that Carson Palmer's inflamed elbow is 'getting better'. But he continues to get limited practice time....The fine UC Bearcats 'beat' writer from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bill Koch, raises an interesting question this week: what if Brian Kelly coached the Bengals. Koch's angle is the way Kelly merrily approaches his job compared with the almost always dour Marvin Lewis. Nice thought, good column, it'd never translate. Coaches who come from the college ranks into the NFL fail miserably. Why? Because they don't have the same kind of control in the NFL they have in the collegiate ranks. Want a list? Bobby Petrino, Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, even Lou Holtz.....

The Reds front office says it's not going to pursue free agents Paul Bako and Corey Patterson. Hallelujah!....If Walt Jocketty wanted to blow up the entire roster, save for Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Aaron Harang, Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, fine by me.....Dodgers win the NLCS, Red Sox win the ALCS. Great story lines: Manny back to Boston, Joe Torre managing against the Sox again...Wondering tonight if this miserable economy we're mired in will affect the amount of money teams will toss at free agents this off season. Tough time to be Adam Dunn....I heard it's so bad around the greater Cincinnati area, car buyers (car buyers, not home purchasers) can't get financing. They want to buy, dealers want to sell, banks can deliver the note...

By the way, I'm over all of this political advertising. I know it's keeping a lot of television stations floating. But honestly, have you heard anything from the two principals running for US President that gives you any hope they actuall now how to fix our economy? Me neither....

You've got one player to build your NFL franchise around, only one. Who would it be? Might be a topic for me this Sunday morning, at 9am EDT on 700 WLW....

Tomorrow morning, when you check back here, I'll have a couple of nuggets for you. I'll have the latest Bengals Report Podcast posted. Marc Hardin and I preview the Bengals vs Jets game this Sunday. And, I'll also have my latest video podcast posted, as I pick my two 'locks' for this week in the NFL.

I really, really want to get into the NBA this season. But that has to be the second toughest sport to follow if you don't live in an NBA franchise city. The toughest is hockey. But I'm an NHL freak. I've got the best one-two goaltending in my fantasy league (yes I play fantasy hockey, 14th consecutive year for that) Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury.....Detroit wins the West again this year. I'm not quite there yet on the East....I kinda like the Devils.....Tough admission for a life long and former season ticket holding Rangers fan...

I can't believe college basketball begins this weekend. Midnight Madness will be held at a number of schools around the USA. I have a sneaking suspicion Xavier, here in Cincinnati will be very good again.....I think Mick Cronin will have UC in the upper tier of the Big East and will qualify his 'Cats for the NCAA Tournament....I really believe Indiana will be good. I know all about the sanctions and defections....I think Tom Crean knows what he's doing....He'll be the best basketball coach at IU since Bob Knight's prime (which was a long time ago).

Is there anything better than high school football at this time of the year, particularly here in the greater Cincinnati area. Shameless plug for the best high school sports web site on the planet: www.highschoolplaybook.com.

I'll see you tonight at 11p on News 5 and tomorrow night 'live' from the Hamilton at Oak Hills game. It's the latest stop on the now, seemingly mythical High School Tailgate Party....I made that 'seemingly mythical' stuff up....It's only mildly mythical...

Coaches on the hot seat? Two are already gone. So is the GM in Detroit (that'd be the General Manager of the Lions, not GM the car manufacturer). Who's next? Here's our buddy Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com.

When we first heard the rumor (and it turns out, that's all it was) that the Bengals were shopping TJ Houshmandzadeh, it seemed strange. But with the way the Bengals conduct their business, not totally out of the range of possibility. Here's the history.

Tuesday, on its web site, the Dayton Daily News reported that the Bengals and the 49ers were in discussions about a deal that would send TJ out west. The trading deadline in the NFL is next Tuesday. So the timing made some sense. Here's what didn't: Houshmandzadeh is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Why would a team, particularly the 49ers who are a long shot to make the playoffs, deal for a player that has a good chance of leaving in free agency next winter? Turns out, several sources and web sites were shooting down the alleged interest on the part of the 49ers by the middle of last evening. Today, at his regularly scheduled news conference, Marvin Lewis torpedoed the story as well.

The Bengals spent two high draft picks on wide receivers last spring. Neither Jerome Simpson nor Andre Caldwell have played much at all this season. They might soon, with this season spiraling out of control. But until and if they show they can play at this level, any thoughts of trading or letting Houshmandzadeh go are simply nuts.

It's posted! The latest Bengals Report Podcast. Marc Hardin and I review the Bengals vs. Cowboys game. You'll hear comments from Marvin Lewis and TJ Houshmandzadeh. You can find the Bengals Report Podcast on my web site: www.kenbroo.com OR you can download it here!

Just posted, the latest Broo View Podcast. It features an interview I did this past weekend on my radio show Sunday Morning Sports Talks, on 700 WLW in Cincinnati. My guest in this latest podcast is Jarrett Bell, the national football writer for USA Today. You can find the latest Broo View Podcast on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. But if you're in a hurry, you can also download it here.

I caught this piece of video on youtube. Can you imagine Mike Brown reacting to a win (of course, the Bengals would have to win first) the way Redskins' owner, Dan Snyder, is reacting here? Me neither.

The reaction is coming in fast and furious from the Bengals latest loss, this time in Dallas. From the Dallas Morning News, this on how the Bengals played it.

Clark Judge of cbssports.com is here, and check out number 14 on his list of judgements this week.

And of course, what would a Monday be without the highly reccomended Monday Morning Quarterback column by si.com's Peter King? Have to dig deep to see his thoughts on Marvin Lewis and the Bengals.

0-5 and with a road game in New Jersey up next against the Jets, then home against the Steelers and back on the road to play at Houston. It could be an 0-8 start for the Bengals.

The Bengals are 0-5. No NFL team has started a season 0-5 and made the playoffs. So we can officially end that charade right now. Five games into this season, the Bengals are four games off the AFC North lead, in a one playoff team division at best. If you were one of those fans who watched the Bengals lose in overtime to the Giants and believed they were real close and showed a lot of improvement, welcome back to us who live in the real world.

This game with Dallas went about the way I thought it would. I predicted, on Sunday Morning Sports Talk on Cincinnati's 700 WLW that the game would be well within the 17 point spread. My theory, factually supported, is that and big underdog team that plays on the road in an opposite conference venue more often than not plays within the spread. The Bengals actually should have won the game.

And it wasn't as though the Cowboys aren't immune to losing back to back home games. It's happened several times in this decade. But it didn't happen Sunday.

NFL.com, incidentally, is reporting that Marvin Lewis has been told by Bengals owner, Mike Brown, that Lewis can remain with the Bengals as long as he wants. That should end speculation that Lewis is about to be fired. Of course, he could always quit. But don't count on that.

I watched, maybe like you did, the UC-Marshall game Friday night. It got me thinking about last season, and how the Bearcats were unbeaten, ranked in the top 25 and students were camping out over night to buy tickets. We called it Kelly-ville on channel 5. The head coach even delivered pizzas to the students waiting over night. I was thinking about this because there are still tickets available, not great seats but still tickets to most of the remaining home games at Nippert.

I think if you’re a UC fan, it’s time to step it up. I’ve conversed with a lot of you this week, by phone, email and in a chat room. I know you’re passionate about your football team. Light a fire under a friend, a neighbor, your brother in law. As good as that team was last season, Brian Kelly is doing, in my opinion, a better job this year than last. What is he down to on the depth chart, a fourth string quarterback. By the end of that game Friday night, Chazz Anderson looked like he got it. Anderson was more poised as the game wore on. He throws a nice ball.

But think of the work the coaching staff had to put in to get Anderson, a red shirt freshman, ready. Was the playbook pared down from the one Dustin Grutza or Tony Pike was using? Kelly says no. I believe him. Which means Anderson, who had a limited amount of practice time, if any, with the first team before the Akron game, made up a lot of ground inside of a short week. That’s coaching.

I admit, I’m ‘in the tank’ for Kelly. In over 30 years of covering sports, I’ve never seen a head coach work as hard on and off the field, as this guy does. He’s a born salesman. I wanted to throw a shoe trough the television set Friday night. The announcers who were doing the game wouldn’t shut up about how it’s only a matter of time before Kelly moves on to some big time program.

No. UC is a big time football program. But you have to behave that way too. Buy tickets. Don’t let an ESPN camera ever see an empty seat. Take Uncle Harry to the game this Saturday when they play Rutgers.

Trying to jump start things....been very, very busy this week. But a couple of things worth mentioning. I've got the latest Bengals Report Podcast posted on my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. It part of a conversation I had this week with former NFL safety, Matt Bowen, who now writes for http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/. Very interesting comments about the Cincinnati Bengals. You can find it on the front page of my web site, and the you can check out past episodes of The Broo View in the "Podcasts & More" section.

Also, the latest edition of Bengals Report Podcast is posted on my front page.
Finally, some thoughts on two upcoming games this week, on my video podcast.

Taps soon for the Bengals. As far as the 2008 playoff race is concerned, the 0-4 Bengals are dead. This is a team that wasn't very good going into the season. And it's playing down to it's talent. How else do you explain how poorly this team played against one of the worst teams in the league, the Browns? Cincinnati foolishy used a time out on the first play of the third quarter to challenge a Cleveland non scoring play. Why would you do that, knowing you had a quarterback playing in a real game for the first time in almost three years? Don't you think someone on that Bengals sideline would've thought, gee, maybe we should save a few TO's to help Ryan Fitzpatrick out later in this game. The other two TO's were burned because their defense couldn't get the proper personnel on the field. Bad, bad bad.

If you’ve been with me all along on this program, you know where I’ve stood with regard to the Bengals, ever since their reported to Georgetown. I don’t think they’re a great team. I don’t think they stink. 0-4 record aside, they’re not one of the five worst teams in the NFL. There are teams with a win that’re worse: Seattle, Miami and Oakland. But they’re no playoff team. I didn’t think they were in July, and since the last team to start 0-3 and make the playoffs was eleven years ago, they aren’t now. Not at 0-4. The Bengals are like 20-or so other NFL teams. They will finish this year with a record somewhere around 6-10 to
8-8.

Now, the Reds. I’m not buying any of this stuff that’s been going on since late August. Great, they’re playing better. It would have been a tough job to play any worse than they did in May and June.

Let me ask you a very basic question: as the Reds conclude another bummer of a season, do you honestly think the everyday eight they’ve been running out there has a chance to compete with the everyday eight the Cubs will trot out in 2009?

Ryan Hanigan? Nice story. But if he was this good, why did it take the Reds until late August to bring him up here? Jay Bruce will be one of the three outfielders in 2009. Who are the other two? Do you honestly think the Reds will contend with an outfield of Bruce, Chris Dickerson and Ryan Freel? Move Joey Votto to left field. OK, who plays first? Edwin Encarnaction? Really? The guy who’s committed 23-errors this season?

Now you want him handling the ball four times as much as he would playing third base?

I keep hearing the grand plan includes finding a right handed power bat in free agency? That would be Pat Burrell and who else? And Burrell, who’ll probably sign one more big contract in his career would want to come here because….

At his age, Burrell will want to go somewhere we he can win a championship. And if he is the best right handed bat available this winter, don’t you think the free spending Yankees or Angels or Red Sox chase him?
Money and a chance to go to an instant contender. The Reds offer neither, at this point.

Burrell, incidentally, is Adam Dunn from the right side of the plate. And we already know what they thought of Dunn.

I don’t doubt Walt Jocketty’s baseball brains or Bob Castellini’ wallet. But I’m having a tough time believing that the Reds will be contenders in 2009. Are you?

And I watched a lot of college football Saturday. This is a revelation: I usually don’t. It’s my one day away from sports in any week. I usually catch the highlights on ESPN News. But I watched the UC game Saturday.

I have a simple question: what was UC doing, scheduling a game at Akron?
Whose bright idea was that? As Brian Kelly is fond of saying, the Bearcats are one of only two BCS teams in Ohio. In your wildest, alcohol or other substance induced dreams, could you ever imagine Ohio State agreeing to play a football game in Akron?

Along about six o’clock Saturday night, Kelly had to be cursing whatever athletic director is was that sent him to the home of the Zips. But he was probably busting a sweat over losing another quarterback. Or maybe knowing that he’s got another bus trip next Saturday to Huntington, West Virginia to play a Conference USA team on the road.

His current AD should have bought the Bearcats out of both of these games. Isn’t that what the other Ohio-based BCS team did to UC this past winter?

Maybe Kelly signed off on this. Maybe there’s some sort of payoff coming back to UC down the road. All I know is this, when you’re a major-major, you get nothing out of playing on the road against a mid-major. If you win big, you’re supposed to. If you lose, and don’t win your conference you knock yourself out of any big bowl consideration at the end of the season.
If you win close, this should be the lesson: Act like a BCS team. Don’t ever do this again

I posted this picture back in February, when WTSP-TV (Tampa) meteoroligist, Dick Fletcher passed away. It's Fletch, Don and a me, the primary WTSP-TV anchor team. How good they were to me, how young I look and how this picture seems like only yesterday.

Stumbled onto this on the Washington, DC television web site www.dcrtv.com. It's a clip from former WBAL-TV anchor, Don Harrison. I worked with Don in Tampa, back in the early 80's. He was one of the nicest people I ever met in my business, warm, funny and genuinely interested in who you were, not only what you could do. Don, who went onto become the first anchor at CNN Headline News and the 'voice' of CNN liners and promos, was a rare breed. He died far too young. Don Harrison, was a 'pro's pro'.

Well, just in time for this weekend, here is another Broo View Video Podcast,direct fomr the palatial estate in suburban Cincinati. My topic this time, two very intriguing match-ups inside the AFC North.

Notice the shirt, as I show the colors for my beloved Ohio Bobcats whom I believe will win their first game of 2008 Saturday, over VMI, in Peden Stadium.

More later today...