Just published the latest edition of The Broo View Podcast. My guest in episode #246 is Hub Arkush, the editor of Pro Football Weekly. Hub and I discuss the unsteady labor situation in the NFL, as well as the prospects for the Bengals in 2010.

You can download this latest edition here.

You can also find this latest Broo View Podcast on the front page of my web site, www.kenbroo.com.

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So are you ready for some TO? In the be careful for what you ask for department, Carson Palmer has apparently sent back glowing reports on his new workout partner. If you haven’t heard, Palmer has been playing pitch and catch with TO out on the left coast.

But hang on, now we hear that the Rams are ‘seriously interested’ in signing Donovan McNabb’s BFF. And, that’s the ménage a tois that Drew Rosenhaus was looking for. Two teams, one client. Let the bidding war begin.

The Rams, according to various reports, will meet Monday to decide whether or not to offer a contract to Owens. The Bengals?

If you’re a Bengals fan who believes that running a football team is just like you running your fantasy football team, please go butter some toast. The adults would like to talk for awhile. It was on some chat board Saturday where a ‘get a lifer’ posted, “Just sign TO right now”. Sure, and deactivate some other wide receiver, make sure you have a quarterback and a defense that isn’t on a bye week and post your line-up. You’ll be all set.

Terrell Owens has been a very talented plague on some very good football teams and a rash on some very good quarterbacks. Carson Palmer has sent glowing reports back to the Bengals on TO. Somewhere, Tony Romo just did a laugh spit. Here’s what TO has done in his career: he’s sicked wide receiver against wide receiver, quarterback against wide receiver and pouted when he didn’t get the football. That’s not opinion, that’s fact. You don’t know about this? You obviously haven’t been paying attention. Google him and see what you find.

But Terrell Owens is tremendously talented, even at the ripe age of 37. He’s a big man, who can still run, still get open, still catch the ball. He didn’t do a lot of catching last year when he was banished to Buffalo, consoling himself with six millions dollars. In fact, the great TO only had a couple of touchdown catches in his final five games, only 15 receptions over that time too. But of course, Trent Edwards is no Carson Palmer. TO was also on his best behavior, knowing that he was on a one year deal and would have to pedal his services all over again this spring. Except, nobody was buying, not even teams that really need wide receivers.

Seattle? No thanks. Chicago? Not interested. Tampa, Pittsburgh, Kansas City? Thanks for thinking of us, sorry. If a wide receiver is as talented as TO, if teams what have a real need at wide receiver have all taken a pass, do you think there might be a reason why he’s unemployed?

We’re all judged by what we do in life. Most of us make mistakes, some of us get second chances. TO is on his fourth chance by my count. Maybe the real TO was the TO in Buffalo last year. Maybe he finally understood that when divas get older, so does their act.

Your Cincinnati Bengals have done very well with reclamation projects. Tank Johnson, Cedric Benson, the late Chris Henry. The latest class includes Pacman Jones and Matt Jones and maybe TO

It may be that the Bengals are interested in TO, not so much because Palmer is filing glowing reports. It may be there is something wrong, really wrong, with Antonio Bryant’s aching knee (and just for the record since there hasn’t been an ounce of physical contact since Bryant sign his deal for potentially 28-million dollars, if his knee continues to be an issue, didn’t any doctor pick up on that BEFORE he was signed?) It may be the Bengals are thinking about TO just in case there’s something that keeps Bryant off the field for a significant amount of time, or just in case some of the younger receivers on the roster simply can’t yet cut it.

Being a great wide receiver, being an asset to a team, is more than just running downfield, getting open, making the touchdown catch. A winning team is made up of more than just great athletes. Teams that stand with the Lombardi Trophy every February all seem to have one thing in common: discipline and a no nonsense approach to the game. The Saints, the Colts, the Patriots, pick a team from the last decade.

If To can really help the Bengals, if he’s grown up, if he now understands how wrong he was in the way he dealt with McNabb, Romo and Jeff Garcia, then Mike Brown, go get him. You and your staff, your head coach and his staff have put together a team that appears to have the talent to win and win deep into January this year. I’ve said this for awhile: I like this 2010 Bengals team. But if TO is just a player at the end of the line looking for a payday, keep moving. There’s nothing to see here….nothing that all of us haven’t seen before.

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A reminder that this blog may not be reproduced, retransmitted or repuposed in any manner without the express, written consent of Ken Broo

Some random thoughts on 'hump day'.....

The Reds aren't thinking about signing Jason Isringhausen to replace Francisco Cordero...yet. Isringhausen, who impressed Reds GM Walt Jocketty enough in his Tuesday tryout to earn a contract offer, will be strictly for set up, no closing. But, should Cordero falter, Jocketty will have someone in Isringhausen that he knows a lot about. While in St. Louis, Jocketty signed Isringhausen to a free agent deal and the righty wound up giving the Cardinals several good years of game enders......

Since Isringhausen and another recent Reds signee, Russ Springer both played for Jocketty in St. Louis, I'm wondering, can Jim Edmonds be far behind? Just kidding...no really, I am.....

Very interesting move by Reds manager, Dusty Baker in Tuesday night's 8-7 win over the Nationals. Baker pulled a double switch in the top of the 8th with one out, bringing in Laynce Nix to play right field, along with pitcher Arthur Rhodes. Nix replaced Jay Bruce. Both are left handed bats. But Bruce has looked clueless at the plate since late June. Nix, who got to hit in the bottom of the 8th inning, delivered a double......

No first round pick will sign until Sam Bradford gets his deal done in St. Louis. But a few more will have to sign up before the Bengals do business with their first round pick, Jermaine Gresham. With the Bengals due to report one week from today (Wednesday), a Gresham holdout seems likely. But, what do you think? You can vote on the poll that's on the front page of this blog.....

Lou Piniella, who announced Tuesday he'll retire at the end of this season looks like a beaten man, doesn't he? He takes forever to make a pitching change and his dugout demeanor is of a man who looks like he'd rather be anywhere but managing the Chicago Cubs....

37 years ago yesterday (Tuesday), the White Sox Wilbur Wood made history by pitching in and losing both games of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. I know because I was there. Never seen that before or since. I paid $1.50 for a seat down the first base line in the upper deck of the now 'old' Yankee Stadium. Can't imagine what a ticket in that location of the new park goes for....

41 yeas ago Tuesday, man walked on the moon for the first time. If you're old enough to remember that, I'll bet you can tell me where you were on the night of July 20, 1969. I was in a hotel room in Breezewood, Pennsylvania, on my way out to look at Ohio University for the first time. It's mind boggling to think that the man who first stepped on the moon, Neil Armstrong, lives about two miles from where I live today.....

If some major league baseball contending team is looking for bullpen help, they should call the Nationals. Tyler Clippard appears to be the real deal. He was 3-1 as a starter with the Yankees before winding up in DC. All he does is throw strikes, topping out at 96 mph on Tuesday, and his fastball 'moves'.....

Stephen Strasburg mania hits Cincinnati Wednesday night. Can't wait....no really, I mean that.

The Reds are one game up at the All Star break. It’s not that being in first place at the break guarantees anything. In fact, baseball history gives up about 15 strong examples of teams that have looked woefully out of it at this point, that’ve rallied to win division titles or pennants. But being in first at this time of the year, this late in the season, should be a strong psychological boost to a ballclub.

Except, look what we’ve seen the last three ballgames.

Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake and Travis Wood have each delivered outstanding starts in Philadelphia. And the Reds have nothing to show for it. Nothing. The offense has left small armies stranded, on base, in each of the last two nights. And the bullpen has failed this team in all three games.

You want names? Ryan Hanigan whiffing twice last night with a chance, in each at bat, to drive home the go ahead run. Jay Bruce hitting into a double play Friday night, turning a potential three run inning into an inning that produced only one run. And pick a name in that bullpen. They’ve all had a hand in these losses. Jordan Smith Thursday night. Francisco Cordero and the usually reliable Arthur Rhodes Friday night. Bill Bray and Logan Ondrusak on Saturday night.

And now, after this afternoon’s game in Philly, the Reds have some serious thinking to do. It’s good they’ve got five days to figure things out. But figure things out they must, if they’re going to contend this season.

Here’s what we believe. The Cardinals aren’t going away And the six head to head games the Reds have left with St. Louis will go a long way in determining who wins the NL Central. Don’t bank on a wild card. The Wes and the East divisions have strong contenders for that.

Here’s what we know: as presently constructed, the Reds will have a tough time outgunning the Cardinals. Maybe Travis Wood and Mike Leake can match up well with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. But who in that Reds line up will be able to hit off either of those guys? Not even a perfect game for eight innings from Wood was enough last night.

So now, if you’re Walt Jocketty, what do you do? It’s less than three weeks to the trade deadline and you’ve just missed out on the best pitcher on the market. You know you have Edinson Volquez back by next weekend. You know that Aroldis Chapman might be here soon after that to give your bullpen a power arm. But will that be enough? Wood, Leake, Bronson Arroyo, Cueto and a combination of Aaron Harang, Matt Maloney and Homer Bailey might be good enough. You know you’ve got a problem with your closer. So do you pursue someone like the Mariners’ David Aardsma? He’s not pitching well this year. He’s allowed 17 runs in 27 innings of work. But he saved 38 of 42 chances last year. And Aardsma, while making just $2,75 is arbitration eligible after this season. But he’s also an established closer, insurance just in case Francisco Cordero continues to refuse to pitch on the inside part of the plate.

What ever he chooses to do, Jocketty must do something. This team is hanging onto first place because the Cardinals have chosen to lose everytime the Reds have. That won’t continue. Somewhere there’s an arm that can come in and stabilize a shaky bullpen, someone that Dusty can trust on a nightly basis. Somewhere, there’s a solid bad that can come off the bench and pinch hit and, every so often provided solid offense and defense when you need to rest Scott Rolen. Jocketty must do something to show to the players that the team is committed to winning this season. Players aren’t dumb. They like their team mates, but they also know what the team needsl Jocketty knows they know. And if the general manager is smart, which I know he is, he’ll get it done quickly.

You don’t choose when you contend. It’s chosen for you The Reds have been chose this year. Now it’s up to Jocketty to make sure it will happen.

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Don't you love it when a player plays 'mad'. The night after getting snubbed by National League All Star manager, the Phillies Charlie Manuel, Joey Votto delivers a three hit night in New York tonight, including two home runs.

I don't know whether or Votto was really mad. But he sure played that way.

Manuel can't be totally faulted for not picking Votto. The fans voted the Cardnials Albert Puljos as the starter. The National League players, and I don't know what they're looking a this season, voted Adrian Gonzalez, from San Diego, as their choice. And there was no way Manuel was going to pick Votto over his deserving first baseman, Ryan Howard. Think about it: if Dusty Baker was managing the NL Stars this year, do you really think he'd take Howard over Votto?

Negative.

But where Manuel fails the test, is when he chose a bench player, Atlanta's Omar Infante, simply because Manuel felt Infante would serve the team well because he swings the bat well coming off the bench.

Really? Charlie never impressed me as being that deep of a thinker. And if that is an indication as to the depth of his thoughts, perhaps Charlie should give his cranium a rest.

Votto will make the team. Someone will either become injured or sick and he'll certainly be the first replacement picked by Manuel (best way to work his way out of a bad situation). But you can vote Votto onto the team as the final National League star. You can find a link to the balloting on WLWT's web site. You'll get 20 chances to cast a vote. But you have to do that before Thursday afternoon.

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