From my many 'alerts' in and around the world of sports comes this from minorleaguebaseball.com. Say what you want about former Reds GM Dan O'Brien (and I admit I have) he did have an eye for young talent. It was his strength. When and if the Reds finally contend, no small thanks should go to Dan-O for finding talent like Homer Bailey and Jay Bruce.


Speaking of baseball, I'll be holding down my regular shift Sunday at 9:00am on 700 WLW. We've got three big hourse and baseball will be part of the discussion. Tim Dierkes from mlbtraderumors.com will join me at 9:15am to preview the upcoming MLB winter meetings and to weigh in on the Reds outlook for 2007. Later in the hour, Cincinnati Post sportswriter, Josh Katzowitz will check in to visit about UC football and Brian Kelly. Doug Pelfrey stops by for his outlook on the Bengals vs Steelers. And after you watch the game on Cincinnati's channel 5, you can call me and vent about the outcome on 700 WLW and 1530 WCKY's Bengals Feedback. And for you displaced Cincinnatians, all of this is on XM Radio's channel 173!


Sports Rock follows the game on Channel 5. We'll have an indepth breakdown of the game, with George Vogel 'live' from Pittsburgh.


Just posted on my web site http://www.kenbroo.com/ is the latest "Bengals Report Podcast". Marc Hardin and I preview the upcoming Bengals vs Steelers game. You can find it on the front page!


Stand by for the latest "Broo View Podcast" on http://www.kenbroo.com/. That should be posted for your downloading and listening enjoyment Saturday morning. You can find it in the "Podcasts & More section.

Just for grins, here's a little video of me from looooooong ago, when I worked in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My good friend, Dave Ransom from Tulsa TV Memories sent this to me. Check out how I barged into this promo shoot at KOTV back when I think my hair was in style.

HighSchoolPlaybook.com: Broo-Ya!!!

Here's a great taste of what high school football is all about in the greater Cincinnati area. This is a prom spot WLWT is running for our high school coverage, every Friday night!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AFC wild card logjam

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

askROCCO.com: Rocco Rocks

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

Good Morning!

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

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

More on the day in sports later this afternoon.

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great rest of this holiday weekend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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