Good Monday morning to you....

I’m having a hard time trying to figure out what a lot of people have against Dusty Baker. You listen to this show, you listen to any of the talk shows in the Greater Cincinnati area and you hear a constant grumbling about his way of managing. Even the support he has around here is tepid at best.

I guess Bob Boone and Jerry Narron are officially off the hook.

And now comes a couple of fresh attacks on his style, one from Baseball Prospectus and another from Sports Illustrated. In each, the writers question exactly how Dusty manages to keep managing. The guy who wrote the SI piece is Joe Sheehan. We’re going to hear from him in a little bit. His contention is that the only thing that made Baker as successful as he was in San Francisco was putting Barry Bonds in the line-up every game. The reason for the article this week was the Reds signing of Gary Matthews, Junior. I’ll admit, I don’t get that move. Matthews appeared to be washed up playing for the Mets this year and the Angels the two years prior to that.

He appeared to be stealing the 22-million he’s made the last two seasons.

Sheehan’s worry, and mine too for that matter, is that signing Matthews could cost at bats for Jay Bruce, or Drew Stubbs or Chris Heisey, a man who needs to be playing everyday somewhere, and not rotting on the bench here.

I’ll give you that Baker stuck way too long with Corey Patterson. He was a latter day Eric Milton. But what other choice did Baker really have? And besides, a general manager spends an owners money on a player, the player should be good enough to play.

I’m not here to carry water for Baker. He’s big enough to do that for himself. But what I’m hearing a lot these days is that the Reds are winning despite Baker. Don’t think that’s true.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: there’ve been two managers this town has embraced and accepted since Sparky Anderson left town: Pete Rose and Lou Piniella. Davey Johnson was the last guy to manage a Reds team to the playoffs. He was run out of town by the owner and the fan base here didn’t produce a whimper about it. Jack McKeon? Too old. Bob Boone? Thought he invented the game. Dave Miley? Minor leaguer. Jerry Narron? Talked like he was an escapee from the cast of Hee Haw.

In a way, Dusty Baker is a lot like the general manager we had around here a few years ago, Dan O’Brien. O’Brien inherited a mess. Under Marge Schott, the Reds minor league system went to hell in a handbag. She let Jim Bowden go out and buy aging veterans, but never saw the need to build a franchise the way you have to do it in a town like Cincinnati, through player development. Carl Lindner kept Bowden. Bowden’s talents at finding and developing young talent had apparently eroded by the time Carl started signing the checks. Look back on any of those drafts that happened while Lindner owned the team, while Bowden and his staff did the selecting and tell me what players have lit it up. O’Brien began the thankless task of rebuilding a system, without enough players at the major league level to compete. Ultimately, it cost him his job,

Baker spent the first couple of years watching his best talent go through growing pains. Jay Bruce and Joey Votto come to mind. Lately Drew Stubbs. That’s what happens when you inherit a team with dead wood and not enough big league talent.

I don’t know if Dusty Baker will get this team into the post season this year. Don’t know if he’ll ever be the kind of manager you want him to be. But I’m not running him out the door, right now. Last I checked, the Reds are in first place.

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Good Monday Morning!

Walt Jocketty is CIA all the way. Stealth. The only one who knows what he’s up to is him. Remember the trade last year for Scott Rolen? Didn’t see that one coming, did we? Aroldis Chapman? Fidel Castro didn’t see that one coming either. So today, as we sit here with your Cincinnati Reds a game and a half out of first place, who knows what the silver fox is up to? Let’s hope he’s up to something. Because, as constructed, this Reds team isn’t good enough to win their division. And worse, the Cardinals haven’t made their big move yet. And you know that’s coming.

Here’s what the Reds don’t have that they need to be considered serious contenders: they need power pitchers in their bullpen. They need a legitimate number one starting pitcher. Mike Leake? Nice story, but the guy has only got so many more miles on him. The way they’re doing the math at Great American Ball Park, he’ll be out of gas by early September, or just in time for what could be a showdown series with the Cardinals in St. Louis. Bronson Arroyo? Historically, he’s a .500 pitcher and there aren’t too may legit number one starting pitchers who’ve been called that. Aaron Harang careens from good to bad like mood swings. Johnny Cueto throws too many pitches and lasts too few innings. Homer Bailey’s return has no arrival date and Sam Lecure, a month ago, was the answer to the question “Who’s That?”

It’s not Jocketty’s fault. But it’s his problem. This franchise stopped developing starting pitching at Scott Scudder. Richie Gardner, Ty Howington, Dustin Mosely, Chris Gruler, Ryan Wagner. The list of first round pitching selections by the Cincinnati Reds from 1999 through 2003 is astoundingly bad. Jim Bowden’s barren field has been left to Dan O’Brien, Wayne Krivsky and Walt Jocketty to sow.

But the man in the chair now has a decision to make. He knows he doesn’t have a pitcher that matches up with Chris Carpenter, or Roy Halladay, or Clayton Kershaw, or Ubaldo Jiminez. Jocketty can find one. He can go to the Mariners and ask about Cliff Lee, or the Royals and ask about Zach Greinke. But it will cost him, in prospects and money. Trading for now, could hurt the future.

Except, there is no future in baseball. Baseball, like every other professional sport is day to day. We hear that 2011 will be the year the Reds will blossom with their prospects ready to help the big league club. But seasons don’t translate. Teams don’t get to pick up where they left off, one season to the next. What guarantees are there for 2011? Will Scott Rolen stay healthy, and as effective as he’s been this season? Will Jonny Gomes hit in 2011 like he’s hitting now? Can anyone say for certain that arm injuries won’t infest the Reds key pitchers?

The 1999 Cincinnati Reds were similar, in a lot of ways to this current club. Bowden went out and traded for Juan Guzman. He went 6-3 and got the Reds to within a whisker of the playoffs. But the Reds paid a price. They gave up BJ Ryan to Baltimore, who turned out to be a very good closer.

In 2006, Wayne Krivsky traded two everyday players to get, at the time, the two best bullpen pitchers available. It turned out to be a lose-lose for both the Reds and Nationals. Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez were busts in DC. Gary Majewski arrived here hurt. Bill Bray has been nothing but a rumor since the deal.

Now, like Bowden and Krivsky before him, Jocketty must make a calculated decision. He needs to decide if his team is a player or two away from making the playoffs. And then he needs to do something about it, without being completely beholden to the future.

The playoffs don’t come our way very often. That’s why Bowden and Krivsky did what they did. It didn’t work out either time. But you’ve got to try. And you have to start trying now. Play it smart,. But play it quickly.

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It is game on in college football In the last 48 hours, we’ve seen more upheaval in college football than anything in the last 15 years.

Here’s what’s gone down since Friday morning.

Boise State jumped from the WAC to the Mountain West Conference. Now we’re hearing that the Mountain West, tired and irked at not getting into the BCS automatic bid club, is pursing Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri.

Except hang on, says ESPN’s Joe Schad, the Pac 10 leaders want Utah instead of Kansas…which means the Mountain West may have to add someone else.

Those schools are available because the Big 12 is imploding as we speak. Colorado has jumped to the Pac 10, soon to be Pac 16. Nebraska has booked for the real Big 12 now, running alongside Ohio State and Michigan.

Stand by for more.

The lower tier of the Big 12, the south division, has split from the rest of that conference like the San Andreas fault line. Saturday, the Pac pick your number commissioner, Larry Scott was in Oklahoma and Texas, delivering personal invitations to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech and Texam A&M to join his conference. He may only get four of those five teams. But late last night the Oklahoma City newspaper reported that Oklahoma gave the Pac 10 a thumbs up.

Because late Saturday, SEC commissioner, Mike Slive was in College Station Texas to talk to that school’s administration about joining his conference. One report last night had the A&M Board Of Regents ready to OK a move to the SEC. But one of the regents, Gene Stallings, the former A&M and Alabama coach says nobody has asked him about voting on a move.

Are you with me so far?

Over at East Carolina, Athletic Director, Terry Holland posted an open letter on the school’s web site to his faithful, detailing the life and death struggle that he believes the Big East Conference finds itself in today.

Interesting that Holland got an urge to write about this, as he’s been salivating all over the Big East, wanting to bring his Pirates the land of Bearcats and Cardinals.

According to the gospel of Terry, the Big East is trying to figure out a way to not only hang onto its eight football playing teams. It’s also trying to add teams who play football.

Oh and Holland adds this: the Big East is holding out hope that Notre Dame will finally join as a football playing member.

Someone needs to get Holland an aspirin

Meantime, at Notre Dame, the body snatcher posing as an athletic director told the Chicago Tribune his school has no interest in joining a conference.

But that opinion will only hold until another super conference or two is formed. Think about it. If we really do get to four 16 team super conferences, the majority of the conference games will be against each other. Who does Notre Dame, as an independent schedule if that happens? Maybe the Irish can make Tulsa, Western Michigan and the military academies yearly opponents. That oughta get NBC to keep forking over $14 million dollar contracts.

All of this affects nothing at UC, not yet. But here’s how it will. If Notre Dame continues to cling to its independent status, the Big 10 will look elsewhere to get to 16 teams. It will need four more. The most likely league to be poached is the Big East. The most likely teams would be Pitt, Rutgers…they want Rutgers for the New York TV market but honestly, the majority of people in the New York area couldn’t give a flying hop about that team…..and Syracuse. If that happens, that would leave the Big East with just five football playing members. Here’s the math: that’s seven teams short of the 12 needed to stage a conference championship game, which appears to be the critera for futre BCS status.

The Big East’s problem is also it’s strength. It’s the best basketball conference on the planet right now. But eight of its league members don’t play football. If you add seven teams to the equation….if you add only two, you’ve got an unwieldy lot of teams for basketball scheduling. Does the Big East, as was suggested in some reports this week, tell schools like Seton Hall, Providence and DePaul to take a hike? Don’t see that happening.

In short, college athletics have been a mess in the last 48 hours. And the domino effect of what the Pac 10 is doing right now will be significant. One of the epicenters of the shake up could be right here, in river city.

I'll have some comments on the retirement of Ken Griffey Junior later today. Right now, here's my latest Broo View Podcast. My guests are USA Today's national baseball writer, Bob Nightengale and from BetUS.com, Damon Durante, to talk about the wagering on World Cup Soccer games. You can find this podcast, as well as a nice inventory of past show, on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. You can also download the latest Broo View Podcast here.

Welcome to Wednesday....

Watching the Reds beat the Cardinals last night was watching two heavyweight boxers go the distance. Each side took some heavy punches and each side delivered damage. It was one of those in season classics you get during the course of a 162 season. We haven't had a lot of those around here lately, because the Reds haven't played a lot of games lately that've mattered. Now that they're good again, I think we'll see a few more.

I raised this question this past Sunday on my radio show. I asked my audience on 700 WLW what the Reds should be thinking about, right now, about how to make this team better. I was amazed to hear some callers, emailers and even the great Hal McCoy, Hall Of Fame writer, suggest that the team should stand pat. Now understand, I couched everything I said by saying that no trades or roster adjustments should be made this early in the season. You simply don't trade, or get maximum value on return, until you approach the trade deadline of July 31st. But you have to at least be thinking about what you're going to need to help you get to the playoffs.
You do that for two reasons. One, your competition will be looking at ways to get better and two, you have to know your weaknesses and explore improving them or they'll haunt you for the rest of the pennant run.

Look at any contending team, in any season, and see what it does to get better during the course of a season. Last year, the Yankees won it all. But it didn't stop them from making deadline deals, including one that sent Jerry Hairston, Jr. to New York. In 2006, the Reds got a whiff of what a pennant race is like. The sent Felipe Lopez and Austin Kearns to the Nationals in return for relief pitchers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray. That's a deal that worked out for neither side. But the Reds recognized a weakness and tried to address it.

McCoy had the best rationale for not trying to make a deal. His thought was waiting on current relievers Nick Massett and Daniel Ray Herrera and see if they can pitch their way out of their problems. McCoy, like a lot of us, senses a good chemistry inside the Reds clubhouse and worries that bringing in an 'outsider' through trade may mess-up the chemistry. That's a real possibility. And, there's always the possibility that the answers to the Reds bullpen problems may like in "AAA". Matt Maloney, Jared Burton and maybe even Aroldis Chapman, the $30 million dollar phenom, could contribute out of the Reds bullpen. As early as August, Edinson Volquez could return from his elbow sugery and rehabilitation. He'd be a candidate for the pen, at least in the short term.

But not thinking about your weaknesses and how you would address them come trade deadline is simply irresponsible. My guess is, a veteran general manager like Walt Jocketty has spent a lot of time working this. The hope is, he'll have to.

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Quick hits....looking forward to tonight's NHL Stanley Cup game #3. I think the Flyers will feed off the emotion of the home crowd and make this a 2-1 series. By the way, if you have Home Box Office and haven't seen the documentary on the 1970's Broad Street Bullies, you're missing something. I hated those Flyer teams. But they were good, and tough.......

The NBA finals begin Thursday. I love the story the Boston Celtics have been writing. But I think it won't have a happy ending. Lakers in six.......

Tiger won't win the Memorial this weekend. And I don't think he'll ever approach the dominance in golf he once had. He'll win tournaments. He'll win major tournaments. But given his knee problems and his off course behavior, never again.....

I miss Graeter's ice cream, one of things I've had to cut out after my heart attack. But sorbet and sherbert aren't bad at all.....

Glad to see my good pal Andy Furman getting some fill in work wih Fox Sports Radio. I've known Andy for over 30 years, back in the days when he was Sports Information Director for Oral Roberts Univeristy and I was the Sports Director for KOTV in Tulsa. He's one of a kind (which is a good thing) and a very decent person at the core (which is an even better thing).....

I've had emails from dancers and dance instructors who've told me that the training that Chad Ochocinco had for his stint on Dancing With The Stars will make him a better football player. They claim he's had to exercise and use muscles that are different from the ones he uses to catch passes and run on a football field. I'm no muscle expert, so I'll defer to them. But I wonder if Marvin Lewis is buying into that theory. Seems to me, when you play for a team that's been a classic under-achiever and you're the face of that team, you really need to be with that team helping it get better, not off ballroom dancing......

But I'll give Ochocinco this: he's the smartest athlete to come through Cincinnati in a long, long time. He's setting himself up for life after football. And if you believe what Jack Bechta a player agent, my recent guest on Sunday Morning Sportstalk on 700 WLW, told me 75% of all NFL players are broke three to five years after leaving the game. Chad looks like he 'gets' that. So in that case, good for him.....

See you tonight at 6p and 11p on Cincinnati's Channel 5 WLWT. And be sure to check out my web site www.kenbroo.com

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Random thoughts for a random Thursday....

As the Reds keep on winning (now a full game up on the Cardinals after Wednesday night) the two pressing questions outside of the bullpen are: How much longer can they afford to play Drew Stubbs and should Chris Heisey get at bats at Stubbs' expense? The answers are simple: you play Stubbs for as long as it takes for him to his major league 'act' together and, no. Stubbs is a young gifted player who has struck out far too much so far this season. But he has speed, plays good defense and has tremendous upside. So long as the team wins with Stubbs struggling, he should stay in the line-up. Heisey presents a different kind of dilemna. Like Stubbs, he's gifted and young. And Heisey was generally considered to be the second best prospect in the organization, right behind Todd Frazier. The problem for Dusty Baker is that the team is winning, and his platoon in left field of Jonny Gomes and Laynce Nix is working well. With Jay Bruce emerging as a more patient and effective hitter (and with his cannon of an arm) Heisey is caught up in the proverbial numbers game. Getting him enough at bats (he homered again Wednesday night, his third home run in just 25 big league at bats) will be tricky for the Reds manager.....

All of a sudden, these NBA playoff series are competitive again. I'd be more worried if I'm the Celtics, rather than the Lakers. Remember, as bad as Orlando played in the first three games of this semi final series, the Magic was that good in every series before.......

I'm still betting on Lebron being anywhere but Cleveland next year....

The Chicago Blackhawks Duncan Keith takes a puck to the mouth and loses seven teeth and still keeps playing? And he won't have oral surgery until after the finals? As the Hanson Brothers would say "old school hockey,eh? Toe Blake...".........

Despite the Supreme Court ruling this week that prevented the NFL from gaining anti-trust law exemption status, I still think the NFL owners will try to lock the players out before the 2011 season. This ruling this week will embolden the players union. And that could be trouble....

Got a pretty good topic already for my Sunday Morning Sportstalk show, 9am-Noon EDT on 700 WLW. BetUS.com has odds out for the upcoming World Cup on which match should offer the most fights. You can listen on line at 700wlw.com....

Having spent 18 years of my life in the state, I'm happy for New Jersey that the 2014 Super Bowl will be played there. And I don't think anyone who gets a ticket to the game will complain about the cold weather. You know it'll be cold, you'll dress accordingly. But I hope the NFL doesn't try to make a cold weather climate a part of its Super Bowl rotation. You want optimum conditions to play the biggest game of the year. Players should have the ability to excel in the best climate. Putting the game in the New York City area is great, because the city isn't fully recovered from 9/11 and because there's a lot to do in the Tri-State area. But dome teams and warm weather teams will be at a decided disadvantage. 13 NFL teams play in either warm-moderate climates or a domed stadium....

Chad Ochocinco is the smartest athlete working in Cincinnati. He's preparing himself for life after football with shrew marketing maneuvering. But you have to wonder if his head is in the game for this 2010 season. He hurt himself Tuesday lifting weights, trying to squat 420 pounds without warming up. He missed the finale of Dancing With The Stars because of that. Now, he's about to embark on his latest venture, hosting a reality TV show about his dating exploits. Don't be surprised if Chad shows up for mini-camp in the middle of June unable to participate because of his weight lifting injury. Don't be surprised if all of these television appearances will force Ochocinco to play catch up to his team mates who've been working up a sweat while he's been out dancing. Don't be surprised if this season is his last season in Cincinnati....

On the other hand, two ballroom dance instructors have taken the time to email me to let me know that the training Ochocinco had for DWTS will make him a better athlete. Apparently the muscles Ochocinco had to develope to dance this Spring are different muscles than what he uses as a wide receiver BUT will enhance his quckness on the field.....

I dunno. I don't even play a dancer on TV....

See you tonight at 6 & 11pm on Cincinnati's channel 5

A reminder this blog may not be reproduced or retransmitted, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of Ken Broo Check out Ken's web site: www.kenbroo.com.

Just posted to the front page of my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo View Podcast. In this episode, I'm joined by NFL player agent and columnist for The National Football Post, Jack Bechta. Jack believes and states his case that 75% of all NFL players are broke, 3-5 years after leaving the NFL. You can also click here to listen.

You ever play ‘what if’? It’s something that can be fascinating, time consuming and totally non productive all at the same time. It’s all about the road not traveled, about decisions made in life that might have turned out differently had another road been taken.

I found myself playing ‘what if’ this week. I was sitting inside of US Bank Arena the other night, watching the Cyclones win another Kelly Cup. 13-thousand 482 other people were sitting there with me. The building had life in it, it hasn’t seen in a long time.

I was wondering, ‘what if’ the National Hockey League had placed a franchise here all those years ago. You know, we came close to getting an NHL franchise three times in the last 35 years or so. That building was once known as Riverfront Coliseum. It was built on spec, hoping to attract an NHL team. The league was expanding. Three towns were competing for two franchises that would join the league in 1974: Kansas City, Washington DC and Cincinnati. Didn’t happen that time.

Instead we got the World Hockey Association’s Cincinnati Stingers. That was a wild group. I know, I was the team’s first public address announcer back in 1975, the Wildman Walker of that era. When the WHA finally forced the NHL into a merger in 1979, the Stingers were offered a chance to join. There was also a cash payment the owners could take to simply fold and go away. Bill DeWitt and his group, including Bob Castellini, took the money.

And in 1997, the Hartford Whalers were shopping for a new home, before settling in Raleigh, we got a look. But we never got the team.

Would the National Hockey League have worked here? If we got a franchise in 1974 instead of DC or KC, would it still be here today? Was there enough money in the region to support three major league franchises. What if it had happened, would it have been the Stanley Cup being paraded around that arena Friday night instead of the Kelly Cup.

What ifs work with the Reds. What if Pete Rose never placed a bet on a baseball game or what if he never got caught. Would he still be the manager of the Reds today? Would he have managed the Reds to a wire to wire World Series win in 1990, as Lou Piniella did? What if he stayed on the job, would Paul O’Neill have been traded to the Yankees? One of the biggest reasons why O’Neill was traded was because he and Piniella were oil and water. Would the Yankees have won all of those World Series titles without O’Neill?

What if Marge Schott wasn’t so bullheaded and tried to keep Piniella here, rather than running him off. Would the Reds have won another World Series?

What if Jim Bowden never made the trade that brought Ken Griffey, Junior here in 2000. What if, in the end, Junior decided to remain in Seattle? Would Carl Lindner have spent that money on other players? A lot of Reds fans seem to think so. But you don’t know that he would’ve , neither do I. Lindner probably doesn’t either.

What if the Reds didn’t fire Jack McKeon and replace him with Bob Boone? Would McKeon have won a World Series with his 2003 Cincinnati Reds team, like he did with the Florida Marlins?

What if in 1992, the Bengals didn’t draft quarterback David Klingler and instead used that first round pick on tackle Leon Searcy or tackle Bob Whitfield, both of whom went onto be Pro Bowlers. Its not like Boomer Esiason was washed up in ’92. Would the Bengals have been as abysmally bad as they were in the ‘90’s if they built around Boomer instead of running him off to the Jets?

All this I was thinking about, as I was watching the Cyclones skate to another Kelly Cup the other night. See what I’m saying about what if?

It can drive you crazy….

What if, the Board of Trustees at the University of Cincinnati didn’t hire Nancy Zimpher in 2003? What if she turned them down and they had to move onto the next candidate? Would that candidate have come to town with Bob Huggins in the crosshairs? And what if Huggins had stayed here? Would the University and the school’s athletic department be as strapped for cash as they are now? Would its basketball team have been more successful than it’s been lately? If Huggins stayed, would his team have generated enough revenue to renovate Fifth Third Arena or Nippert Stadium by now?

Sports, like anything in life, give us decisions to make that produce ramifications. The trade made, the botched draft pick, the triumph of money over dreams, the road not traveled. Chances are, a lot of this stuff would have turned out much the same as it did. And that’s OK. Cincinnati is a pretty good to call home. But sometimes you wonder, at least I do, how different things might’ve been around here, save for a handful of situations and decisions that were largely out of our control. Next time someone tells you life is what happens when you’re making other plans, at least when it comes to sports, you might want to offer up a ‘what if’ of your own.

This blog may not be reproduced or retransmitted in whole or part without the express written consent of Ken Broo

I've got my latest Broo View Podcast posted to my web site: www.kenbroo.com. In episode 240, I'm joined by Tom Deinhart from rivals.com. We talk about the Big 10's expansion plans and how that may affect the total landscape of college football. Tom has some interesting thoughts on how things may play out for the University of Cincinnati. Here's a quick link to the show. Plenty of cool interviews and past Broo View Podcasts episodes can be found in the "Podcast & More" sections of www.kenbroo.com.

Tuesday it is....

What team are you more geeked about: the Reds or the Cyclones? Plenty of reason to be feeling good about both of our teams right now...

They Cyclones went west to Boise last weekend and came away with two wins in the Kelly Cup finals against the team that had the best record in the ECHL this season. The Idaho Steelheads now have to come to Cincinnati for the next two, and if necessary the next three. The Cyclones are skating like a team that wants no part of a return visit to Idaho.

Think about this, the 'Clones have played six games in the last eight days and have won all of them. Four of those wins were with their proverbial backs again the wall, having dropped the first three games in their conference final to Reading. After storming back to win that series in seven, the Cyclones were on a bus barely six hours after game seven and heading to Dayton for a early bird special out west.

They won the first two games in the finals, with goals in each game in the final minute of play. Saturday night, in game two, a puck bounced into the Idaho net with just 20 seconds to play. It was the only goal of the game.

This could be the 'Clones second Cup in three seasons. Most of the team has turned over since the spring of 2008. There are two holdovers of significances. This year's team captain, Barrett Eghoetz skated on that club. And head coach, Chuck Weber was behind the bench. Eghoetz has been a consistent scorer for the Cyclones in the playoffs. And Weber's defensive system is sure to get him a few looks this summer from AHL, and maybe NHL teams trying to fill out their coaching staffs.

As for the Reds, they continue to win with pitching and defense. Yes, the offense has been a lot better over the last couple of weeks. But the Reds field the ball as good as anyone in the National League. And on Sunday, Bronson Arroyo's complete game win over the Cards was the third complete game win for the starting rotation in a week.

The Reds are still a flawed team. And I think we'll see some of those weaknesses (lack of a true leadoff hitter, no big bopping bat in the order, although Jonny Gomes is certainly stating a case for him to be considered for that) as the Reds get into the meatier part of their schedule. Playing the Phillies and Rockies and Dodgers will be a lot different than playing the Pirates and Astros. But the Reds are in first place as we begin this Tuesday. And how many times in the last ten or so years have we been able to say that?

Later today, I'll be publishing my latest Broo View Podcast. My guest in this upcoming episode is Tom Deinhart from rivals.com. We'll be talking about Big 10 expansion, Notre Dame's role in that and how it will affect teams like the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Check back for that. Or, if you'd like to be alerted, sign up to follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/kenbroo.

And you can always find up to date sports news on my web site: www.kenbroo.com

Just published to the front page of my web site www.kenbroo.com is my latest Broo View Podcast. My guest in episode #239 is Michael Lombardi, former NFL GM and now reporting for the nationalfootballpost.com and the NFL Network. We're talking about the wisdom (or lack there of) of the Bengals signing Pacman Jones. If you want instant gratification (and who doesn't, right?) you can simply download this episode right here.

Random thoughts on this random Monday...

I dont' think Pacman, I'm sorry, ADAM Jones is going to begin a holy reign of terror in Cincinnati, now that he's signed with the Bengals. The guy has to know this is his last chance. He's been out of West Virginia since 2005 and has played just a little more than two seasons. Nobody, it seems, except the Bengals wanted this guy. In fact, some noted NFL minds like Michael Lombardi from the nationalfootballpost.com and the NFL Network and foxsports.com's John Czarnecki both told me this weekend on my radio show on 700 WLW that they think Jones is nothing more than a return guy and will have a tough time making the final roster.....

Still, I'm waiting for the Deja Vu to put up the welcome sign for Jones....

How sad has it become for Tiger Woods that he has to hold a news conference to announce that the neck injury that forced him out of the Players Championship this weekend has nothing to do with the neck injury he suffered on that infamous night in Orlando last November?......

How cool is it that the Cyclones, down 0-3, have battled back to make this a competitive series with the Reading Royals. The team's PR flak, John Hamel checks in with this stat: only three times in professional hockey has a team that's been down 0-3 in a best of seven series come back to win the series. The Cyclones still have a boatload of work to do before that happens. But having game six and, if necessary, game seven at US Bank Arena is a big plus.....

One of our guests last night on Sports Rock was UC head football coach, Butch Jones. He says part of the training for his team involves video games, using a video game simulator to let players see how plays develope. He also says Facebook has become the latest way to recruit......

Best thing I saw this past weekend was the Suns' Steve Nash playing with only one good eye. A collision caused a gash over Nash's other eye, swelling it almost completely shut. The Suns completed the sweep of the Spurs and I didn't hear Nash says once "Cut me Mick"......

That was a Rocky reference, for the unknowing....

The Reds have been the "Drama Kings" of baseball this season, winning nine of their 16 wins in their final at bats. But they've also won a large share of those games on home runs. This was supposed to be a team that was moving away from the long ball, when Adam Dunn was sent packing. But the dimensions of Great American Ball Park are such that you can't ignore the home run. It just doesn't make sense.

The Tacoma (Washington) News has a story today that the Mariners are seriously considering releasing Ken Griffey, Jr. According to the story, not only is Junior not hitting, he was unavailable for pinch hitting on one occasion because he was asleep in the clubhouse. Two unnamed Mariners players confirmed the story. Read more about it, here.

This time of the year, I want to want two players: the Lakers Kobe Bryant and the Penguins Sidney Crosby. They are, to each of their sports, money players at the money time of the year.

My buddy Freekbass is catching some heat for this. But he's also getting a ton of praise. Commissioned by Notre Dame to bring its marketing into the new millenium, Cincinnati's funk master came up with this video that will play in the stadium this fall and is already being used as a marketing tool.


I love Freekbass's Reds Fan video. I think this is right up there.

More coming later, including the latest Broo View Podcast...

Welcome to Tuesday...

Nice walk off win for your Reds last night. They are what they are right now, about a .500 team that, with an added bat in the line up and a solid pitcher to the bullpen (don't let last night fool you. there's one guy out there Baker can trust on a continuous basis and it's Rhodes) they might be able to contend. Will they make that move? Check out this from mlbtraderumors.com. It'll give you a good glimpse into the financial situation the Reds will be dealing with, the rest of this year.

Brand new Broo View Podcast has been published to the front page of my web site www.kenbroo.com. My guest is Joe Lemire from sportsillustrated.com. And we talk about the inequities of punishment in Major League Baseball, specifically, to Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez. What Lemire has to say might surprise you.

Random thoughts for this random Thursday....

Best thing about Reds rookie pitcher Mike Leake? He's always around the strike zone, which means the ball gets put in play a lot. He also works very fast. No games go beyond three hours, if Leake pitches into the seventh..

Best thing about Aroldis Chapman's night in Wilkes-Barre, PA? He went six innings, the deepest he's gone into a game this season. He gave up three runs, two earned on a couple of solo home runs. But his control was a lot better than in previous starts...

The Cyclones skate on after winning their second series in these 2010 Kelly Cup playoffs. The 'Clones beat Charlotte Wednesday night, 2-1 in North Carolina. It's starting to feel like 2008 all over again. Next up, Reading, in a series that starts Friday night at US Bank Arena....

How bummed is the NHL that one of it's top young players, Washington's Alex Ovechkin, is done for the season? His team was knocked out of the playoffs Wednesday night by Montreal...

I like getting home in time to watch late NBA playoff action. I watched the Nuggets stay alive Wednesday night by beating the Jazz in Denver. But what I really like is watching Charles Barkley in the TNT studio. Must see TV.....

Clip and save, as they say, the Mets are in first place in the NL East. Anybody want to make book on where the Mets will be a month from now?.....

I think Joe Torre has got trouble. The Dodgers GM spouted off Wednesday about his underachieving team and the the Dodgers husband-wife ownership group is in divorce court. Watching Joe in the dugout Wednesday, he looked like a guy who needed a beer....

Tiger Woods tees off Thursday in his second tournament of the spring. Pardon me while I yawn. We in the media, some of us anyway, have turned professional golf into US Weekly......

The Bengals open rookie camp Friday. Here's who I want to see: former Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe. He did a free fall to round five, largely on off field issues. But on the field, this dude caught 31 touchdowns in 37 games at KU.......

Just posted to my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo View Podcast. Pete Rose joins me to talk baseball, and whether or not it's more difficult to hit a 102 mile and hour fast ball, like Aroldis Chapman throws or to hit a pitcher who tops out at 86 mph. You can find the latest Broo View Podcast on the front page of my site. But if you'd like to listen while reading my blog, just click here.

Welcome To Tuesday....

Pete Rose says send Aaron Harang to the bullpen. Rose was one of my guests this past Sunday on 700 WLW Sunday Morning Sports Talk. Rose told me if the Cubs can do that with Carlos Zambrano (who incidentally tossed and inning and two thirds of relief in Monday night's Cubs win) then surely Harang can pull it off. Pete says it will give Harang a different view of the game, and maybe help him regain his confidence. Rose says Harang's big problem right now is he's not pitching with confidence, something every major league pitcher needs to be successful.

It's great to see that Ben Roethlisberger is acknowledging that being a lout in public (to say nothing about the way he's treating women) is a bad thing and is apologizing for his behavior in a Georgia bar. But honestly, I've heard that song and dance far too often from professional athletes. Roethlisberger needs to 'walk the walk'. And he needs to do that for a long time, like say the rest of his life. I believe he'll wind up with only a four game suspension, barring any other occurrence of sexual deviancy. I think that was commissioner Roger Goodell's plan all along, as the Steelers 'bye' after their fourth game this next season. Roethlisberger's rehabilitation aside, the issue for the team is finding a way to get through those four games without a complete disaster. The prospects of Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch running that offense should offer no comfort to any Steelers fan, not since the team refused to address its woeful offensive line in the latest draft. Nice first round pick. But this team needed to draft offensive line a lot more (just two picks total) than it did.

The NCAA will surely now expand from 65 to 68 teams. All it needs is the OK from its board of directors later this month. But here's the bigger issue: why even bother? All of that build up to the possibility of expansion and it's only three teams? That will solve nothing and certainly not end the debate about teams left out of the tournament. Once again, the answer to this question is the answer to every question in life: money. The NCAA got its television partners (CBS and TBS) to pony up a record $10.8 billion in a new 14 year agreement without losing the NIT, which the NCAA now operates. Had the tournament expanded to the rumored 96 teams, the NIT would have folded. Chances are, added more than three extra teams would not have significantly raised the rights fees. So the NCAA gets money on the front end of this deal from CBS and TBS and retains rights (and other TV fees) from the NIT. Win-Win for the NCAA, but for you and me? Not so much.

Read more about it in this article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Later today, I'll have my latest Broo View Podcast posted on www.kenbroo.com. I'll have that entire Pete Rose interview, among some other tidbits. It should be posted right after you get back from lunch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THIS BLOG MAY NOT BE REPRINTED, REPURPOSED OR RETRANSMITTED IN PART OR IN WHOLE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF KEN BROO

It's Friday!

The Bengals got their man last night. In a sense, selecting Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham was probably their strategy all alone. The only drama was whether or not he'd be available when they picked. Not even the thought of Dez Bryant lining up next to Antonio Bryant and Ochocinco could sway the Bengals in their quest to finally find a pass catching tight end.

Think how much frustrating it must be to have to take a tight end with a first round pick just a year after taking a tight end with a third rounder. That Chase Coffman couldn't get onto the field last season is an indictment of his position coach, the few Bengals scouts that exist and Coffman. It's probably a combination of all three.

Gresham now gives the Bengals something they haven't really had since Rodney Holman: a tight end who can both block and maneuver over the middle of the field. How many times did we see a tight end exploit the Bengals defense last season (too many, as I remember some of my rants on Bengals Group Therapy on 700 WLW) Todd Heap, Heath Miller, Ton Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, the Bengals saw them all. Now, they've finally got one.

The uniqueness of this year's draft, with only the first round on Thursday and rounds two and three Friday, gives the Bengals front office and coaches a chance to re-assess their position on players. Will they now combine their third round picks (they have two) and try to trade up in round two to get Southern Cal safety, Taylor Mays? Will they use one of their three Friday night picks to take former UC wide receiver, Mardy Gilyard? Or maybe take Southern Cal running back and kick return specialist, Joe McKnight? A lot of big names remain to be chosen.

Some other thoughts on round one of the draft....

Jimmy Clausen watched millions of dollars float away, as he went into a free fall. Clausen, believed to be the second quarterback on the board behind Sam Bradford, remains in play as the draft moves into day two...

My pal Ross Tucker of Sports Illustrated had the tweet of the night when he said "Its turning out to be a bad night for former Notre Dame quarterbacks." Clausen was one of them. The other was the last Notre Dame quarterback to go into a round one free fall: Brady Quinn. He's now with the Broncos, who selected Tim Tebow with their first round pick....

How about this theory, courtesy of profootballtalk.com as to why Clausen is probably fuming right now. By the way, that Gruden series with the top college quarterbacks that ESPN ran leading up to the draft is some of the best television I have ever seen.

Speaking of Gruden (whom I really believe will coach again and win big time. He makes Bill Cowher seem meek) did you catch him coming out of a taped feature leaning over and telling Mel Kiper Junior "It's a dumbass league....." He forgot the first rule of broadcasting: every mic is a live mic. But it was priceless.

Mel Kiper Junior doesn't thing Tebow can play in the NFL. But he's now with Bill Belichick protege, Josh McDaniels in Denver. I think he'll find a way to get Tebow on the field, a lot.

Incidentally, Tebow's first exhibition game this summer is at Paul Brown Stadium, against the Bengals.

Guess with CJ Spiller now in Buffalo, Marshawn Lynch will be shuffling off...

You think Clausen will last until the Browns pick, seven into round two?....

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bucs, with the third overall pick in round two, take Notre Dame wide receiver, Golden Tate.....

Although Southern Cal tackle, Charles Brown would be a great early round two selection.....

Random thoughts on a random Wednesday....

If the Bengals take a tight end with their first round draft pick Thursday night, they'll continue a trend of paying for past draft day mistakes. Two years ago, wide receiver Jerome Simpson was their second round pick. With as little time as Simpson has played, he might as well be in the witness protection program. He's been so much of a bust, the Bengals had to spend $28 million on Antonio Bryant this off season.

Last year, the Bengals took Missouri tight end, Chase Coffman with a third round pick. Coffman has yet to play a down in the NFL. He didn't appear strong or bright enough to make an impression during training camp (remember how the Bengals TE coach ridiculed him during the "Hard Knocks" segments?). Then Coffman hurt his foot, effectively ending his season. Because the Bengals don't know what they have in Coffman (who could wind up being a Simpson like draft day mistake), the Bengals are rumored to be leaning toward taking Oklahoma tight end, Jermaine Gresham Thursday night.

Best rumor out there: the Pittsburgh Steelers will draft Florida's Tim Tebow. Wouldn't that be a statement to their fans about the disdain they must hold Ben Roethlisberger.....

Of course, as many people are saying Tebow will be anything but an NFL quarterback as those who believe he'll be a productive NFL quarterback.

If the Bengals draft a quarterback in any of the first three rounds, it'll say a lot about how much longer they believe Carson Palmer will be an effective quarterback. Think about this, if there is no NFL in 2011 because of a labor dispute, Palmer will finish the 2012 season 33 years old, clearly an age when a quarterback is 'on the back nine'.......

I still believe Mardy Gilyard will be the best bargain in this draft, particularly if he slips to the third round....

Scott Rolen went three for four Tuesday night and the Reds rallied to beat the Dodgers. Think that's just a coincidence? Since Rolen arrived on July 31, 2009, the Reds have won 67% of the games Rolen has played in. Without him, they've won just 25% of the time....

I tend to believe Edinson Volquez when he says that the banned substance he tested positive for was a fertility drug. He claims he was taking it, hoping it would help he and his wife conceive a child. OK, I buy it. But if that's true, then Volquez is flat stupid for not informing the Reds or MLB about it BEFORE taking the drug...

Besides, 50-games? He'll still be at least a month away from pitching in a professional game when the suspension is over...

Man, could Mick Cronin use a big time recruiting commitment right about now....

Bearcat Bowl IV should be very interesting. It's this Saturday night at Nippert. The word out of the UC spring football drills is that Butch Jones' offense is even faster and more explosive than Brian Kelly's. And, that Jones actually cares about his team playing defense....

Just posted a new Broo View Podcast on the front page of my web site, www.kenbroo.com. Episode 236 is all about the NFL draft with the editor and publisher of Pro Football Weekly, Hub Arkush. If you're in a hurry, you can download it here.