Battle For Ohio

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Reds v. Indians: The Calm Before the Storm.

Posted by George Herron on May 20, 2011

Not so fast, I'm not sure who they think they are, but the Indians are winning again. Someone call them and tell them it's not 1995 please.

Dear Andy,

Who would have thought that coming into the annual “Battle For Ohio” that we would find both teams playing excellent baseball, leading the division and sexy picks for the talking heads?  What a great series this should be!  And the best part, I have no animosity with Cleveland and inter league games really don’t matter, so I can just sit back and enjoy them. Unlike the recent Cardinals series which might have given me an ulcer.

But being as these games are one of the inspirations for the blog I feel it apropos to engage in some conversation, spirited debate and other crap that no one will really care about.

Here’s what I got for ya:

  1. Since Brandon Phillips came from Cleveland and of course now plays for the Reds, I always like to ask you how you feel about it.  I remember talking to you about it a year after it happened.  I asked you because it was obvious the kid had talent, but I wanted to know why Cleveland had given up on him.  So I asked you what the deal was.  You said then that he was kind of a punk and I’m not sure, but I think there was a money issue.  I just remember you saying the kid was an ass and wasn’t worth the inconstant flashes of talent.  And looking back Brandon has been nothing but great since he has been here.  And it’s not like the Reds were always good, that have just been a last two and a half years.  I really don’t mean to rub it in, but I do wonder how you feel about it at this point.  Are you pissed, do you think that they should have gave him a little longer, or is it simply it was best for both to part ways and start over?  Do you have those “what if” thoughts if they would have kept Phillips?
  2. How do you feel about the Indians so far?  Cautiously optimistic?  Completely confident?  Waiting for the other shoe to drop?  Too early to really tell?  What has surprised you and what has let you down?  What’s the Indians weakness?
  3. Do you pitch to Joey Votto?
  4. Even though I know that he is a quite legit all around outfielder, I just can’t take a man named Sin-Soo Choo seriously.  Do you feel that he is slightly disrespected because of his silly sounding name?
  5. How do you feel about the weekend?  The Reds rank slightly ahead of Cleveland offensively, but pitching isn’t even close.  Cleveland blows Cincy out of the water, I’ll be honest I think that is what surprises me the most about this years Indians, is how good the pitching has been.  Defensively both teams are about even as well, so it just might come down to the solid pitching of Cleveland that could seal this series.  Does it make you feel better to see that the Reds just choked hard and dropped two straight games to the Pirates?
  6. Is Chris Perez getting ready for his Halloween costume as a lumber jack or a homeless guy or Rosie O’Donnell?

That should be good enough to get the ball rolling.  I look forward to your answers, comments and questions.

Posted in Indians, Reds | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Browns Draft Un-Spectacular Or Brilliant?

Posted by pacmanxu on May 14, 2011

OK.  With the lockout going on the draft was a bigger event this year than any other.  It’s always big for Browns fans because we’re usually in the top 10 and looking to see how they’ll screw it up.  Whether it was seeking out trouble like Gerard Warren or completely wasting the opportunity like trading down 3 times to collect New York Jet also-rans while passing up Mark Sanchez, it always seems to be entertaining and heartbreaking…at least until they hired a real President (Holmgren) and GM (Heckert).

Now it actually seems like they know what they’re doing.  Last year, despite criticism, they drafted Joe Haden, Colt McCoy, and TJ Ward, who all became starters that look promising and Montario Hardesty who will be a good RB if he stays healthy.  There were some late-round throw away picks that quickly got cut…no surprise there.

So this year we were all excited when the Browns had pick #6 with a front office that knows their stuff.  AJ Green, Patrick Peterson, and Marcel Dareus were the guys they were targeting, but the Browns always seem the be the first pick after all their targeted guys get picked.  So at the time the city of Cleveland was thinking about Robert Quinn, Nick Fairley, or Julio Jones in a Browns uni.

We were all SHOCKED when it was reported that the Browns traded down…not because they traded down, but because they went from #6 to #27!!!!  I was sick at first.  That was just too far to go down in the draft for a team that needs elite talent.

After the initial shock, reality set it. “OK.  What did we get for trading down?  It must have been a haul.”  And it was.

For giving the Falcons the #6 pick, the Browns got Atlanta’s #27, 2nd Rd, 4th Rd, 2011 1st Rd, and 2011 4th Rd.  That’s pretty good, especially for a team that had major concerns about all the remaining players on the table as far as top 10 grades go, and because they don’t just need one or two guys, but probably 20 guys to turn this team into a winner.  Savvy move.

As a result, here’s what they got.

1st Round:

DT Phil Taylor (Baylor) – Who?  I watch every college game I can see and never heard of this guy.  He was a 5 star recruit to Penn St., got in a little trouble and transferred to Baylor, where he was the only good player on a shitty Baylor team.  He had high grades among all NFL teams and is an absolute LOAD that will anchor the D line along with Rubin.  Not a flashy pick, but played about 80 snaps/game compared to Fairley’s 25.  He’ll play and stuff the run, which the Browns have historically been awful at.  With no other DT of this caliber left in the draft, they made a smart move instead of the flashy one.

Grade: A-

2nd Round:

DE Jabaal Sheard (Pitt).  Who? the Big East defensive players of the year, that’s who.  Learned to play DE under Dave Wannstedt, who know a few things about defense.  On the lighter side at 255 lbs, but that is how Heckert likes his DEs…fast to the QB.  Sheard was a sack machine at Pitt and will be a true edge rusher that the Browns haven’t had in a while. Again not flashy…but talented and under the radar.

Grade: A-

WR Greg Little (UNC).  Who?  Well, he isn’t as anonymous as the others, but did not play this year after gathering a suspension as part of UNC’s NCAA problems from last year.  Little is a freak of an athlete who is big, fast, and has great hands.  Had he played this season he may have been picked about Julio Jones, so this is a steal of a pick.  He’s a perfect fit for the West Coast offense with his catch and run ability and a high ceiling guy that will probably start and contribute big time.

Grade: A+

3rd Round:

Pick traded to KC in order to move up from 27 to 21 to pick Taylor

4th Round:

TE Jordan Cameron (USC).  Who? He didn’t play that much and had a total of 18 catches last year for the Trojans, but another freak athlete who will be a project at TE in the mold of Antonio Gates.  He was a college basketball player before deciding he’d rather play football, so he’s a little raw.  He’s definitely not going to be a typical TE that blocks 80% of the time.  He’s going to be a receiving TE who will be an instant mismatch with LB’s.  Some risk with this pick, but another high ceiling talent, so worthy of a 4th Rd pick.

Grade: B+

FB Owen Marecic (Stanford).  Who?  This guy we know.  He was the only two way player in college last year, playing both FB and LB.  He will strictly be a FB for the Browns.  This pick is solid as Marecic is a just football player, but a little curious because the Browns have one of the best in Lawrence Vickers.  But Vickers is a free agent and the Browns may not want to pay a blocking FB $3M when the West Coast offense requires a FB that can block and be a receiver.  The Browns had bigger needs than FB, so this was questionable.

Grade: C

5th Round:

CB Buster Skrine (Tenn-Chatt).  Who?  Well, that’s a valid question.  Basically he got drafted because he ran a 4.22 40-yd dash.  He can absolutely FLY, but was inconsistent as a CB.  This is clearly a project that could have a big upside with his speed.  Probably a backup or nickel back at best, but will be a gunner on special teams.  It’s the 5th Rd, after all.

Grade: C

OT Jason Pinkston (Pitt).  Who?  Another Pitt guy.  Clearly Heckert got some real good info on these guys after interviewing Dave Wannstedt for the DC position.  Pinkston played OT and may be able to play that position in the NFL, but he is probably more likely to be an OG.  This is another solid player and developmental pick, but the Browns did not get a true OT, which is what they really need.

Grade: B-

7th Round:

S Eric Hagg (Nebraska).  Who? Well, he’s a hitter, not a cover guy, but this smells of a special teams guy.  Not someone who will ever play Safety.  This was a compensatory pick and it looks like they were on autodraft.

Grade: ??  Who the hell knows with a 7th Rounder.

Fans must remember that this draft will not be truly complete until we see who the Browns pick with Atlanta’s 1st Rd pick next year.  The players they got were needed and all solid to very good players, which is what is needed to build a team.  Little may be the only future pro-bowl candidate, but that is fine.  You can reasonably expect to see most of these guys be productive players for several years.

Final Verdict:  I’m giving this draft an A- overall.  The actual players they picked would grade out at a B, but the fact that they got 2 additional picks in this draft and two additional next year, including a 1st Rd. pick, makes this draft very good for the franchise in turning things around.

Posted in Browns | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Football talk? Hello? Anyone?

Posted by George Herron on April 18, 2011

They are probably similar in their draft analysis as well.

Yeah this will be tough for me too.  Let’s all just try to get through this together.  Actually this is kind of a bittersweet time for me.  The Reds are off to a great start.  Offensively shredding, which is bailing out the inconsistent pitching.  But there is enough to be optimistic about, and just enjoy getting out in front to start the season.  So life is good right?  Well yes….but….this is normally the time of year that I start to get really excited about the NFL Draft and the upcoming spring camps.

Hope springs eternal.  I can always get excited about the Bengals this time of year, where there is always that hope that they fluke their way past bumbling management and powerless, apathetic coaching.  Right?  You get a look at the exciting talent coming in that might be useful for about two, if the fans are lucky three, years before the contract is up, or the player has become Bengalized.  If you need an example of what I’m talking about look no further than current quarterback/pink elephant in Mike Brown’s office, Carson Palmer.  A former company man turned trade-demander with a drastic measure in place to ensure he won’t ever play here again….man.

Tough to blame him though.  Seriously, as much as it hurts to get dumped by the prom queen, it might be better in the long run.  While Palmer did give Cincinnati some good years, and I have no doubt that he always gave you everything he had and tried to make the best out of a great many situations he was given here.  The reality is that he knows that he is about to be 33 and has no real shot at ever winning with this organization.  I think what hurts the most is that this is a staunch reminder that things really haven’t changed, they are more the same than ever.  Palmer is slapping the blindfold from everyone’s eyes.  Those good years spoiled a starving Cincinnati fan base.   The promise of even better things to come was there finally, but after questionable bad drafts filled with more risks that didn’t pan out than did and talent that has regressed in ability it clears that 2005 was either a fluke or the blind squirrel finding the nut.  Good luck Palmer, although I doubt as to how successful you will ever be again due to the beating that this awful offensive line allowed you to go through the last three years.

It is best for both sides to part ways.  Give Palmer a chance to win somewhere else, because it won’t be here.  This offense is in year two of another rebuilding year and Palmer doesn’t have the time to go through more rebuilding.  The Bengals signed Owens last year knowing that Palmer’s window was shutting, and it just made them worse.  Plus this will allow the Bengals to start over and have young receivers develop with a young quarterback and hopefully give this team a couple nice years of football before the players are Bengalized.

And then there is this ugly battle going on between the owners and players that’s just nauseating.  As Andy pointed out if you are choosing sides, you should really choose the owners.  I myself choose to hate both side equally.  Shame on you, you selfish bunch of A-holes.  We the fans get to turn on Sports Center, read in the Newspaper and hear on the radio all about every time one of you farts.  We are over indulged with information and I think most people would agree that both sides just come off as greedy turds fighting over how to properly share a billion dollars.  There are other issues on the table, but that is what 80% of the people hear about.  Get it settled, now.  The longer this goes on and the uglier it gets, the harder people are going to be able to relate.  Personally, I think both sides are smart enough to get a deal done before the season actually starts, but for now football is disgusting and just so hard to talk about.

Rant over.

Just a friendly reminder of a "good" Bengals decision.

Whew still with me?  Alright, let’s talk draft.  What will the Bengals disastrously do with the fourth over all pick in the draft?  The decision that the Bengals make can really only go a couple of ways.  They can either make the right call and draft a great player, with promise and a seemingly high ceiling of ability, only to be ruined in three years due to the other 98% of bad decisions.  Or The Bengals can make one of the just previously mentioned bad choices.  See as recent as Andre Smith.  Either way we all know the end result here.

Quarterback.  Assuming Palmer follows through and just retires, or Mike Brown continues to be Mike Brown and refuses to do something smart like listen to trade requests for Palmer.  The quarterback situation will need to be addressed.  Here are the likely candidates:

Guys I’m warm on:

  • Blaine Gabbert.  He got better every year and has looked good over all this off-season and looks to be one of the first three quarterbacks taken.    If the Bengals feel the need to draft a quarterback in the first round they could do worse than drafting this guy.  I might be more excited if I knew what a disaster this kid was coming into and can’t help of think about what Tim Couch came into at Cleveland and what happened to a promising talent.  But I wouldn’t completely hate this pick either, I could be persuaded to get behind it.  But ultimately I don’ think he will be available in the draft for our chance to snag him.  He would have to slip past Carolina at 1 and a very quarterback hungry Bills team as well.  If they both take quarterbacks that SHOULD eliminate a first round quarterback selection for the Bengals.
  • Christian Ponder.  He intrigues me, but only in the second round.  He should scare me a little bit….will the ghost of Chad Pennington haunt him this early in his career?  It’s not like the Bengals have a top-notch training and doctor staff either, so yeah this is a very real concern.  But the smarts and accuracy might be worth a roll of the dice in the second round.
  • Colin Kaepernick.  I really like this kid, but he comes from a weird Nevada offense and we have already seen the Bengals struggle time and time again with projects.  Would they be able to teach him a pro offense?  Would they show the fore-site to include some plays that would help him and try to play to his strengths or try to force a square peg in a round hole like they typically do?  Doubtful, which is why as excited as I am about the potential for this kid, I ultimately know that he probably needs better coaching than the Bengals have to offer.  Plus I think that he is not polished enough to take at 4 over all and I don’t think he will be there in the second round when the Bengals draft again.  The Bengals would have to make a trade on draft day in order to make it happen, losing valuable picks that they really can’t afford to give up.  Plus, the Bengals don’t like trading up to get a player.

Guys I hate that the Bengals have shown interest in:

And with their first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals select....

  • Cam Newton.  Seriously?  Did they learn nothing from Akili Smith?  Is Mike Brown’s memory that short?  Newton is a mistake, he’s not Michael Vick.  That is what makes Vick so special (on the football field, I personally find him a disgusting human being) there is only one of him.  I don’t know that Newton is smart enough, motivated enough or possesses the intangibles that allow someone like Tom Brady to be the quarterback he is.  Cam Newton doesn’t feel like a leader, and Cincinnati needs that.  He might be gifted athletically, but he is not what the Bengals need.
  • Jake Locker.  Who is Brady Quinn?  Final answer.  Seriously does anyone else get that feeling from Locker?  Please stay away from picking Locker, this guy has more question marks than the Riddler’s suit.
  • Ryan Mallet.  Sadly I really think that if the Bengals do have to settle for another position in the first round this will be their pick in the second round.  I think this kid is a mental case and much like Newton doesn’t posses the mental maturity you want in a NFL quarterback.  Cannon for an arm, but what was it that Crash Davis says in Bull Durham?  “Come on, Rook. Show us that million-dollar arm, ’cause I got a good idea about that five-cent head of yours.”  Yeah that pretty much sums up Ryan Mallet.  I would stay away even though he should be available in the second round, but the Bengals will love all the baggage like prior drug related arrests he will bring to the table.

Wide receivers.  Chad Whateverhisnameis is 200 years old and clearly not the guy he was 5 years ago.  He must still be respected, but he isn’t the deep threat he once was and no longer needs the double coverage on every play.  Plus there will be no familiarity with whatever rookie the Bengals are going to bring into the franchise.  Chad is even less likely to be mentally engaged enough to care about this season.  There are some options at receiver after Chad, but none that are screaming to be studs to be counted on every game.  The Bengals might consider drafting a couple of guys at number 4, although the Bengals have almost never taken a receiver that high in the draft.

Guys I like:

  • A.J. Green.  A great receiver and an immense talent.  Might be a good idea to take someone like this and then draft a quarterback in the second round and start off fresh with two guys who can grow into each other.  Just an idea.  Green is a talent that you might not come across every year, and while I’m only luke-warm on most of the quarterbacks, I love what this kid has to offer.  But as I mentioned, the Bengals rarely if ever look at receivers this early.  Mike Brown is the anti-Jerry Jones.  He hates shiny toys.  He prefers to shop in the bargain aisle and get cans with dents to save a couple bucks.

This is why the Bengals SHOULD draft Julio. Look at how he sells out to block for his running back.

  • Julio Jones.  Another kid that I really like and would not hate the Bengals for drafting even as high as number 4.  It might be a little bit of a reach, but this kid is a great receiver, he is also a very good and aggressive blocker that is invaluable in the AFC North division.  Just ask Pittsburgh how valuable Hines Ward is to them.  Look at Hines career with the Steelers, wouldn’t you kill for that kind of consistent production plus a great blocker to help with the running game?  It would be a smart pick, which all but rules it out.
  • Jonathan Baldwin.  Great size and decent speed.  If the Bengals go quarterback in the first round this would be a nice gift in the second round if he was still there.  Obviously not worth drafting at number 4, but a worthy consideration in round 2.

Other guys the Bengals will consider:

  • Leonard Hankerson.  A kid of average size that had a great Senior Bowl that Marvin Lewis got to witness first hand.  He has huge hands apparently which will cause the Bengals to be enticed to reach for him in the second round if he is available ala Jerome Simpson.   At least Hankerson has Division I experience.
  • Randall Cobb.  Never heard of him?  A receiver from Kentucky that is a bit undersized will get the Bengals attention, because scouting him was so easy due to only being a couple of hours away.  I doubt this kid will get much attention till maybe late third round or fourth round, but you never know with the Bengals.
  • Greg Little.  A kid from North Carolina that has second round talent but also has more red flags than anyone knows what to do with.  Just the type of kid the Bengals look to roll the dice on.  If he is there the Bengals will draft him in the third round despite what they have drafted in the first two rounds.  Mark my words.  This guy screams Mike Brown pick.

The Bengals have other needs, but none that can be answered with the pick that they have.  They have holes on the offensive line, but not at tackle.  And at that high you would have to take a tackle, it’s to early for centers or guards.  Running back will be a need, but again I don’t see an overwhelming need to get one at the four spot, there are none that are that talented.  Same with safety.   It is rare that a safety of any kind would normally go that high anyway, but especially not this year.  Linebacker will have to be addressed as well, but it is not so urgent that it can’t be addressed later, maybe first thing day three?

Some might point to the defensive line as being a spot to consider.   I like what the Bengals have on the defensive line.  I like the tackles, Pat Sims, Geno Adkins, and Domata Peko.  The Bengals could use one more for the rotation, but it is not an overwhelming need, so I think all the Nick Fairley talk is just a smokescreen.  And am I alone in wanting to see what would happen if the Bengals decided to line Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap up across from each other?  Geathers and Odom have been wildly unspectacular.   Why not give the kids a chance?  Let them loose, at this point what harm could it do?  Can it be any worse than year after year being at the bottom of the NFL in sacks.  You have to be able to get to the quarterback in the NFL to stand a chance of winning.  Rattle them, make them worry and scramble, force them into errors, help out your corners that are covering the receivers.  It’s so important, which is why it might be time to see what the talented by raw kids can do.

Cornerback might be a need, but I still think that it will be more important to get a receiver or quarterback with that first pick.  Corner might just have to wait until the second half of the draft.  plus I think that the Bengals will make a VERY strong push to bring back Jonathan Joseph, making a corner a luxury pick.  If Joseph comes back you still have Adam Jones and Leon Hall as well as some guys like Ghee and Trent that are young and still developing.  Oh and some how Keiwan Ratliff made it back on this team.  So provided Joseph does come back drafting a corner like Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara in the first round would be ridiculous.  Of course saying that almost guarantees it will happen.

Well I hope that was a fun little trip to Never-Never Land for everyone.  The Bengals are unconventional and unpredictable when it comes to drafting talent.  So all this was more than likely an exercise in futility.  But it makes me feel hopeful, if just for a few mere seconds.

My final analysis:

  • Trade Palmer.  Trade him and get a second and fifth round pick.  He certainly isn’t worth a first round pick to anyone, even Arizona.  But I think getting a second and fifth isn’t too outlandish at all.

Well, he seems to be able to take a sack like a champion, and thats all you have to be able to do to play quarterback for the Bengals.

  • Sign a veteran quarterback.  It would be nice if the Bengals were serious about trading for Kevin Kolb from Philly, but I doubt that will happen.  So at least sign a veteran guy to sit in until whatever rookie you are going to draft is ready to step up.  Current roster quarterbacks Jordan Palmer and Dan LeFevour, are not even temporary answers.
  • Now armed with three pick in the first two rounds the Bengals can virtually get whoever they want.  They can take Gabbert if he is there with the fourth pick.  They can draft a receiver either Jones or Green in the first and use one of the second round picks on a quarterback.  Or they could decide that none of the quarterbacks are worth drafting this year and wait till next year when Andrew Luck will be available.  The Bengals have to know that they will have a lottery pick again next year.  Then they are free to use those three picks on and offensive lineman or three, a running back, and receiver is still a need.
  • Go to the Golden Corral to celebrate.  Let’s face it Mike Brown had to be a Golden Corral guy, it’s a buffet, more for your money that way.  Plus i’m sure it reminds him of all the player projects he has taken on.  Golden Corral has never given anyone a reason to trust it as a reliable source of food, but they are still in business, so there has to be something to it right?  Golden Corral, the Chris Henry of restaurants.

I hope you all made it through this un-holy football talk.  I promise I will try to keep it to a minimum.

Posted in Bengals | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

I’m Back. And with some thoughts.

Posted by George Herron on April 4, 2011

Turn up the AC/DC.  I’m Back.  I’mmmmmmmm Baaaacccckkkkkkk.   Maybe it was the super nice day.  Maybe it was the Reds finishing off an opening series sweep of the media elected 2011 National League Central Champions, the Brewers.  Well, only your hairdresser will know for sure.  Whatever the case maybe, you lucky ten people reading this are once again treated to my musings.  Enjoy.

Football:

Death to the BCS

Don't we all wish. Too bad there is too much money in it.

  • The BCS is having a rough offseason, and I’m just tickled.  For anyone that might have missed it in the wake of the disaster in Japan, one of the BCS’ major bowls got blown up with allegations. These allegations were  ”a report of brazen, scandalous behavior by Junker and others on the Fiesta Bowl payroll that included, but wasn’t limited to: funneling money to politicians through bowl employees; coaching witnesses, and altering documents during the investigation that followed; taking junkets to college football games with politicians and their families — all on the bowl’s dime. On page 210 is a charge that the bowl footed the $33,188 bill for Junker’s 50th birthday party, a four-day bacchanal in Pebble Beach that had, according to one attendee, absolutely no business purpose.”

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/03/29/fiesta-bowl-junker/index.html#ixzz1IUirn1D2

  • No wonder there is such a  push to keep the BCS around. If there was any doubt as to how much money bowl games are producing on a yearly basis look no further. I never want to hear that B.S. about how it’s better for the kids, it’s all about the kids.  No sir, this is all about losing control of your personal cash cow.  Those kids play the game just as long as they have to in order to be eligible to get drafted and make the money they more than deserve, are nothing but dollar signs to you.  I have no doubt that some of you have spread sheets of which kids are worth more and just how much.  Some graduate from MIT has wasted his time coming up with a formula that will measure all that instead of something useful because the BCS has that kind of money to waste, they can out pay something useful like cancer research.  But this is pretty blatant, it doesn’t look like there will be any dancing around this one.  And if you read further in the article two other Bowls are under investigation as well.  Now is the time to change.  My friend Andy even posted something he found on the highlights of a bracket system like what works so well for college basketball here.
  • This dove tails nicely into my next issue.  The lockout.  Andy wrote a great article about this already, here.  I agree completely with him, but I will say that unfortunately as a Bengal fan it doesn’t matter what will happen.  I would go to say that maybe the lockout is a good thing and that Bengal fans everywhere should embrace the lockout and hope that the owners and players don’t realize how damaging a lockout into the season could be.  That way we can forget that no matter what happens with the lockout that Mike Brown is still the owner in Cincinnati.
  • People don’t like that Chad Whatshisname is playing soccer.  Who really cares?  He’s locked out of his current job, he likes to play soccer.  Go for it.  If he gets hurt playing soccer will it really affect the Bengals?  Who’s going to throw him the ball?  Jordan Palmer?  A rookie that they are going to be forced to draft because the former face of the franchise threw everyone a curve ball and demanded a trade or he will retire.  To which I again say, who cares?  Most anyone that had a voice was complaining about him and how he was a washed up bust.  And really, who can blame him?  He had finally been “Bengalized.” It happened to all the greats in the Mike Brown era.  It’s not like this team was just a piece or two away from a Super Bowl.  Unproven, untested receivers, plus a 33-year-old prima donna.  A questionable offensive line that featured one of the fattest, dumbest human beings in another first round bust in Andre Smith.  No way Cedric sticks around this giant turd, he will declare free agency as soon as football activities resume.  Which the bell cow running back is often injured and undersized Bernard Scott.  The only two bright spots are an undersized receiver that was a rookie last year and an extremely talented receiving tight end that was a rookie as well that couldn’t block an invalid.
  • Carson Palmer will have to retire.  If there is anything I have learned it’s when Mike Brown says something he means it.  That man will win any pissing match he is involved in and he has proven it countless times. Just look back to Hard Knocks and negotiations that he would have with Andre Smith’s agent.  So I believe him when he says that he isn’t going to trade Palmer, despite interest from other teams.  I doubt he even answers the phone.  This is the same man who turned down two first round picks for Chad when Chad wanted out a couple of years ago.  Nice try Carson, but you can’t out con a dumbass.  He’s already out-conned himself.

Baseball:

I don't really know about this guy, but it was certainly a clean sweep of the Brewers thanks to the heavy hitting of the Reds.

  • The media really fell in love with the Brewers in the off-season didn’t they?  Who can blame them really.  They went out and got a former Cy Young winner in Zach Greinke, and a good young pitcher from a tough American League east division in Shaun Marcum.  Those certainly are nice toys, and pitching is always smart.  And I guess that’s why I love the fact that the Reds, who had a very quiet off-season other than signing some of their own, just took the Brew crew to the back of the wood shed.  And no they didn’t have to face Greinke, but they did tee-off on Marcum.  Personally, I don’t think that the Brewers did enough to help them defensively especially up the middle.  But it’s a long season, just a nice start for the Redlegs.
  • The Reds had a mostly brilliant off-season.  They locked up Jay Bruce for six years.  Dude is only 24 and last year he had 25 home runs 80 runs, 71 RBI and a respectable .281 average.  The Reds get him through his prime.  Oh yeah and he has gold glove potential in the outfield.  Great deal, and Bruce seems to like it here, which is something that is always nice.
  • The Reds buyout Votto’s arbitration years.  Is it a nice long contract?  No, but this way the Reds have some time to decide what they want to do about Yonder Alonso while gently feeling out Joey and what the chances will be of getting him back here after the next three years.  All signs point to no way Jose.  He is 26 this year and already an MVP and easily the most consistent offensive player the Reds have.  Yonder I’m sure will be very talented, but he will never be able to replace Votto.  Tough call for the Reds and one that will more than likely be out of their control when the Yankees, Red Sox, Angles, Dodgers, Mets and Cubs come knocking in three years with more money than God.
  • Did the Edgar Renteria deal surprise anyone else?  In his best years Edgar was known more for his defense than his offense.  He wasn’t a slouch with the bat and he did have some speed. But the guy is like somewhere in the 40-50 range, we’ll never know for sure.  So this is the guy you choose to help that pit you get in your stomach when you realize that you are a big league team that is starting a guy with a soft ‘H’ in his name?  Soft J’s skills are almost entirely defense, he gives you only slightly more than a pitcher does offensively and you get a fossil that in his best days was a defensive guy as well?  Is Tood Frasier THAT BAD in the field that we can’t give this guy who has been a highly ranked guy in the minors for years a chance?  Is this Dusty’s ridiculous reliance on aging veterans coming to haunt again?  Whatever the case I didn’t like it then and I still don’t like it today.  Why not take that money and try to get a left fielder that maybe can hit lead off and kill two birds with one stone?
  • My thoughts on Jonny Gomes.  I love him.  As a person.  I don’t like that this guy will as always lose steam after the all-star break and have a terrible second half.  I don’t like that this guy is a definite liability in the field.  But the reason he is so popular around here is the same reason that Ryan Freel was so popular.  Why Chris Sabo was so popular.  It’s also exactly why people hated Adam Dunn even though he actually gives you more offensively and about the same defensively than Gomes.  Gomes goes 100% all the time.  I love that, everyone here loves it.  It reminds everyone of Pete Rose.  Unfortunately he is not Pete and although he is going 100 mph, he is still making the same errors out in left that Dunn was making, he just tries a lot harder to make them.  And on a line up that doesn’t really have a high percentage on base guy, Jonny becomes expendable.
  • Any one else notice that Ramone Hernandez has been out the last two games after going 4-5 with an opposite field home run to win the opener?  Not that it has mattered since Hannigan homered twice yesterday.  But do you think Ramone put whats left of that elbow in that opposite field shot?  Color me concerned.  It might be time to get Meseraco on the phone.

Basketball:

This is Kenny ready to hang with the Rat Pack.

  • Xavier had a surprising season.  I honestly thought that losing Jordan was just too much.  He seemed like a one man show most of the time last year.  And even early in the season this year it seemed like it was the Tu Halloway show.  If he was off, the team was off and ultimately lost.  They lost Redford, which would have been a huge player coming off the bench, a poor man’s Jimmer Ferdette.  The kid has crazy range.  Canty was hurt and another player was ruled academically intelligible.  Despite all that they only lost one game in A-10 play and got another NCAA berth.  Chris Mack deserved the A-10 coach of the year for the damage control he did.
  • Looking forward to next year.  Halloway comes back, hopefully ready to quit pouting so much and be the leader that Mack will need him to be.  Healthier and deeper.  My concerns are losing Jackson’s voice and leadership and Kenny Frease. As Missouri found out pretty quickly Kenny is SLOWWWWWWW.  While he has certainly gotten better every year and maybe next year he will be an even stronger presence in the paint, I doubt there is anyway he gets any quicker.  Just about any team that has very good slasher will be able to negate Kenny’s size advantage by just blowing right by him.
  • Jamel McLean reminded me of Lloyd Price.  I know there was talent there, but we only seemed to see it in flashes and ultimately just not consistent enough.
  • Mark Lyons needs to slow it down just a little.  I mean if he takes it down just one notch he is still playing faster than most guys out there, but he might play with a little more control, and that would be nice for my ulcers and heart condition that he caused to begin with.
  • The NBA still sucks.  But I will say that I’m shocked that announcers seem to make a big deal about how well the Lakers have played lately and how bad they were playing in the middle of the year.  They do this ever year, and every year the media makes a big deal about it.  Kobe is tired, his knees hurt.  Let him take the middle of the season off and come back and use the last month as a warm up to get the Lakers to the finals again.  Even with a bad middle of the year they are still going to go into the playoffs as at least a two seed.

That should be plenty for all of you to digest for a few days, and I promise to try to not let it go months before I post again.

Posted in Bengals, Random Thoughts, Reds, Xavier Basketball | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Why Is Anyone Complaining About TRU TV?

Posted by pacmanxu on March 16, 2011

I’ve seen a handful of stories and blogs about how TRU TV should not have NCAA tournament games on their channel.

WTF?  Are these people that short-sighted that they couldn’t see the huge zit on top of their shoulders?  I love that TRU TV has games on and not because I think it’s the most appropriate channel to televise basketball…it’s not.

But consider this all you wonk complainers who don’t see the big picture.  I’ll number items and go slow so you can comprehend.  Take a deep breath and read it twice if you don’t get it.

1.  TRU TV is owned and part of the Turner network of channels, including TBS and TNT.  That is important because:

2.  This is the first year that Turner Sports has teamed with CBS to cover the NCAA tournament, and TBS, TNT, and TRU TV are all carrying games.  That segues nicely into the reason all the complainer are morons, which is:

3.  This is the first time in history that EVERY tournament game WILL BE TELEVISED….in its ENTIRETY!!!!  If you don’t realize what that means, then you are no fan of the tournament and you have a hard time tucking your balls into your panties.  You can watch every game without having to try to navigate the On Demand website on CBSsports.com.  You can watch every game live with no cut in or cut away to other games because they might be more interesting to the general populace or worse, because you don’t live in their region.  No more cock teases by CBS showing you the first 5 minutes of a game you really want to see just to whisk you away to your regionally scheduled game.  Two games on at once?  Just DVR them.  Hell, DVR all your favorite teams’ games.  Now that they are all scheduled for their own channel, you can schedule it knowing it will be there (30 minutes after the end of the previous game).

So what is there to complain about?  Maybe you won’t be able to watch Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, Lizard Lick Towing, or Southern Fried Sting (all real shows, and yes, I had to look them up).

Posted in Random Thoughts | Leave a Comment »

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