Reds Hot

A little baseball talk this evening. Non-interested parties can skip this one. So the Reds sweep a series for the first time since July of last year. That's hard to believe, but not really. Subtract the quick start last year and this whole decade's been forgettable. We had a good conversation about the ball club before church tonight, maybe you can chime in.

First, David Weathers gives up three straight hits with two outs in the ninth to blow the lead. Tye, who was at the game, thought it was bush for fans to boo him; I read a sports writer's blog tonight who felt the same way, claiming that Weathers has been the MVP this year. I would counter that being the team's MVP in the worst season in 50 years isn't much to write home about. I do think Weathers is a decent pitcher, but isn't closer material. I still say that blowing Harang's gem, he deserved to get booed.

Second, they have to see if they can pull a some trades here quick. Dunn, Hatteberg, and Lohse should all be dealt. I already picked up Joey Votto in my fantasy baseball league anticipating his call up.

Finally, let's not let the Pete Mackanin love-fest get out of control. He's a definite interim, a good stop-gap guy. I'm beginning to think that Bob Castellini is going to get Joe Girardi [as well as Paul O'Neil?!?!?]. That would be huge. The only thing keeping me going is that this team isn't really that far away from contending in the NL Central. If they can get a little chemistry, next year could be very good.

Did I miss anything else, Reds fans?

Eat It

I'll admit: I made a point of tuning in yesterday to to watch Nathan Hot Dogs' Gluttony-fest 2007.  I've noted before my fascination with this competition, but this year's might have been the most interesting yet. On one side you had the legend, Kobayashi. On the other, the upstart American Joey Chestnut. Chestnut claimed his first victory over Kobayashi earlier this year, but yesterday was the Super Bowl of competitive eating. And Kobayashi nursing a sore jaw had me worried. But we all received the match-up we were waiting for: they both shattered world records, with Chestnut prevailing. This result will jettison the sport into a higher stratosphere.

At least you think so if you were listening to the commentators.

The only thing about the event that really left me scratching my head was some of the things the play-by-play guys said. They couldn't be serious, but since they weren't joking throughout the competition dialogue, you can't be sure.

First, they offered that yesterday's event, "could be the greatest moment in American sports history." Alright, we all get excited so we can let that slide. But another statement was even better: “Google the word ‘hero’ tomorrow, and you’ll get Abe Lincoln and Joey Chestnut.” Well, I actually tried that, and neither of their names showed up. Sucks for Lincoln, I guess.

Memo to hot dog contest announcers: allow the sport to stand on its own merit; don't over-hype it. Competitive eating doesn't need a Don King or Flavor Flav person selling the sport the event, hyping it beyond belief. Things will work out just fine if you let the eaters do the talking . . . or something like that.

What's in a hot dog, anyway?

Foreknowledge

Just sitting here this afternoon looking over tonight's message with the Reds game in the background as ambient noise. When the 4th inning started they were leading 5-4. A half inning later and they're losing 8-5.

I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet but I would venture to say that Jerry Narron will be fired soon.

Management has no choice.

UPDATE: The truth will set you free . . . for a new job.

The Beautiful Game

I recently read a friend’s thought’s on soccer, who was down on the sport. Noting the recent riot in Argentina and how television ratings suck for US's Major League Soccer, he held that soccer would never get a foothold here in the states. As a soccer apologist, I’m called once again into action.

First, about the riot and similar violence: all these actions are indefensible, but is it much different than Raiders fans throwing urine or cities rioting when their team wins a championship? You ever wonder why we hear so many of these stories concerning soccer from around the world? It's because the game is played all over throughout year; there are hundreds of professional leagues [not counting semi-pro leagues] on six continents. I'm sure if you were to take into account the number of embarrassing incidents in proportion to how many games are played, this kind of stuff would look miniscule. In fact, I'd bet that if you pulled the averages of these incidents happening among American sports, you'd find comparable results.

About the television ratings, he is right. The MLS is being watched less than the WNBA. But here's the deal: it's second rate athletics. America's professional league lacks the talent of the world's best. And bringing in Beckham and Posh ain't going to help much. But if you pay attention to World Cup ratings, you'll see that there is a US audience, but it's a selective audience; they're not going to watch crap because it's their sport. We live less than two hours from a MLS franchise and only attended one game, almost ten years ago.

But here's the thing about soccer that makes the world love it: the game is fluid. I'll give basketball the same credit; the game has a consistent flow to it. Why do you think basketball has blown up in foreign markets while baseball and football struggle? Because in those sports, the game action is choppy.  An average NFL game only contains like 15 minutes of playing time. Subtract all the 1-3 yard running plays and it gets worse. And as for baseball, it now seems it was invented to be boring.

Now I say all this as a huge sports fan who loves college and pro sports, despite all their shortcomings. We have to be honest about the entertainment we're watching [especially when the Spelling Bee gets better ratings than most sports championships]: a lot of the stuff we like is boring. But soccer is easy to hate on, especially when soccer fans do a bad job of defending their passion for the sport.

Look, I wish that people could get into soccer here but I'm also a realist: the American public [along with their ADD] are incapable of embracing soccer. It's as if it's anti-American. And that's fine. But that doesn't mean the sport lacks merit.

About The Reds

I have a clergy pass that affords me free admission to every home game [sans the Indians series]. How many games have I seen in person this year? One.

In fairness, they show practically every game on cable now and the team was really bad really early. And it isn't getting any better. After tonight's loss they are nineteen games below .500, 15.5 games out of first place, and currently hold the worst record in MLB.

I'm trying to look for something to be positive about but I'm at a loss.

31 days until Bengals training camp.

Still Another Reason Why The NCAA Sucks

The NCAA and I aren't BFF; I've made no secret of it. So whenever they do something really dumb, I feel obligated to make sure everyone I know recognizes it. A reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal had his press credentials revoked for live-blogging a regional championship baseball game. Realize what the NCAA is trying to do here: they want to monopolize the decimation of their games, controlling not only television and radio, but internet game casts. So they have a policy prohibiting live internet updates from venues of championship events. That's why they kicked the blogging journalist out.

The paper's attorney explains this situation rather well, "Once a player hits a home run, that's a fact. It's on TV. Everybody sees it. (The NCAA) can't copyright that fact. The blog wasn't a simulcast or a recreation of the game. It was an analysis."

Think about that statement. It's not intellectual property that is being stolen here; it's the reporting of an occurrence. Who else thinks that they can control the reporting of facts?

The real issue here is that the NCAA is oblivious to the changing world around them. The internet affords them an ally to help promote their sports but they just don't get it. While they're worried that they're losing pocket change with people not purchasing their internet gamecasts, they forget that these blogs are actually promoting their product. How much money do those gamecasts really make anyway? It's not like it's Major League baseball, which is struggling itself. It's freakin' regional college baseball. They need all the help they can get. What does this prove?

This is a 1st ammendment issue that the NCAA will lose. Why they choose to continually embarrass themselves like this is beyond me.

Last Night You Missed . . .

. . . one of the greatest athletic performances of the past decade. Maybe even longer. Lebron James single-handedly defeated the Pistons last night, scoring 29 of his team's finally 30 points. It was like it didn't matter that there were four other guys on the court with him. I watched Jordan lead his teams to championships but I really don't think he's had a late-game performance quite like that.

And he's only 22 year old.

If Cavs management could just surround him with a couple more capable players, they could possibly develop a Celtic-like dynasty.

I'd love to hear Tim's take on it because he's a consistent NBA watcher and a huge Pistons fan. What's it like to witness a feat like that when it's done to your team?

Seeing Angels In The Outfield

There's not much to cheer for if you're a Reds fan. Ryan Freel's collision in the outfield yesterday with Norris Hopper is just insult to injury. But at least after Freel went all out, Norris made sure it wasn't in vain. It appeared that Freel made the catch but, apparently, he dropped the ball. As Hopper went over to check on Freel, he placed the dropped ball in Ryan's glove. Check the video with this ESPN box score and you can see Norris move the ball. Instead of an inside-the-park home run, it was an out. That lightning quick move helped secure a rare win for the Redlegs. All of which begs for the hyperbole: [Chuck] Norris Hopper is so fast he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

Gotta Laugh

If you don't, you'll cry. Kelly and I decided to do some work tonight and left the Reds game on the television. They're tied and go into extra-innings where the Reds proceed to allow EIGHT RUNS in the tenth.

I was but a young lad in 1982, unaware at how bad the Reds really were. That year they lost a franchise high 102 games. This year's team is on pace to break that record. Could be a very long summer.

At least there'll be no problem getting tickets to the games.

Breaking [Inaccurate] News

I feel the need . . . the need for a mini-rant.I was a little angry early today when I heard that Chris Henry, maligned wide-receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, was in trouble again. This time a Kenton County Kentucky prosecutor claimed Henry tested positive for opiates, which would net him an automatic three months in jail. This would have to be the last straw, forcing the Bengals to cut him.

But then the source of my anger shifted as, apparently, the prosecutor now admits that he might be wrong. One test might be negative but the other test is still pending. So what motivated this attorney to come out and make such a strong statement? I'd say this guy wanted some media face-time. Already ESPN has picked up the story and who, lawyer or not, wouldn't want a sound-bite on SportsCenter?

Now if Chris actually failed a test, then this is all a moo point, as Joey from Friends would claim. But if he didn't fail a test then I would hope Kenton County would profusely apologize. And, who knows, maybe Chris could sue them.

I hate this situation because it forces me to defend a guy in Henry who can't seem to stay out of trouble. But his misdeeds don't ignore the fact that Kenton County was irresponsible in the way the disseminated information. What if Chris has finally decided to turn his life around? What if he he's figured out that a lucrative NFL career is more important than hanging with strippers? But because certain civil servants are more interested in feeling important by distributing inside information instead of the truth, then his road to restoration gets steeper.

In addition to this lawyer, where is the responsibility from the media here? Rather than trying to be first, maybe they might want to try getting their facts straight. Even if Henry is clean, the damage has already been done. He's again viewed as a deviant, now for things he hasn't done. In this age of instant news, the media needs to be even more responsible in the way they handle their jobs. An arrest/indictment is front page worthy but an acquittal is relegated to page 13? Where's their accountability? I had a friend go through a local media frenzy this year because of an indictment and I was disgusted by the lack of integrity the reporters brought to the table. False truths were aired and nothing can be done about it.

Then again, maybe we're all culpable because we want the latest news. We give in to our 24-hour news channels and websites not realizing that we're contributing to the system. I believe that the media can attain a balance between their speed and their accuracy.

Additionally, I'm feeling sorry for head coach Marvin Lewis. I still think he's the best thing the Bengals have done since Super Bowl 23. Sure, he's had some guys get into trouble, but he's coming into his own as an NFL coach. This, along with the AJ Nicholson arrest this last week [who, by the way, was released today and, interesting enough, his girlfriend is already admitting she made the story up], is another black-eye for a coach who's trying to get it right. The national media will continue to run with the over-used "the Bengals are thugs" storyline regardless of what happens in these cases.

Just one last comment: It seems like all of these Bengals keep getting into trouble in northern Kentucky. Maybe they'd be best served to hang out on this side of the river.

Speaking The Truth

The Reds suck this season: true. We're looking for scapegoats: true.

The easiest target is always Ken Griffey Junior: true.

But he isn't an acceptable scapegoat because he's playing well this season: true.

Even better, Junior's having fun this season: true.

At least Junior tossing his jock-strap to a heckler gives us something fun to talk about this season: true.

Nothing but blue skies for the Redlegs for the rest of the season: false.

Obscure Sports

I like a wide variety of sports. And since I'm ticked off at the Reds bullpen [again] for blowing the game tonight, I thought I'd give a little coverage to some of those sports I don't discuss much. Soccer: I love the sport but I don't get to see a lot of games of my favorite team, Manchester United. They're having a pretty good year in the Premier League [English Soccer League] and the FA Cup [tournament of all the teams in England, like the Florence Freedom getting a chance to play the Yankees], but the big deal has been their performance in the UEFA Champion's League. This is a tournament of all the best club teams in Europe, which Manchester United won in 1999. Man Utd was in this year's semifinal and all they had to do to advance was win or tie against Italian team AC Milan. I watched the game Wednesday and they got thrashed. Seriously, it was like watching the Buckeyes lose to Florida in the BCS Championship game all over again. Not a good showing, at all.

Hockey: I've probably watched 24 minutes of hockey all year. Doesn't help that almost all the games are televised by a network that nobody has. But I've had to take note because my favorite team is doing pretty well. In the mid-1980's, my neighbor took his son and me to watch a exhibition hockey game down at Riverfront Coliseum. It was then that I became a New York Rangers fan. I watched their entire Stanley Cup run in 1994. It's been a rough few years but they've had a pretty good playoff run this year. They swept their first series and, after a slow start, evened up their current series with the Buffalo Sabres. They got a gimme non-goal call this last game that helped them out. Me and The Dale [fellow Rangers fan who grew up a little closer to New York than me] might have to wear our Rangers jerseys to church on Sunday.

Horse Racing: Ever since I married a Kentucky girl, and inherited a father-in-law who is fascinated with race horses, I've enjoyed watching the Triple Crown. And since touring Churchill Downs a couple of months ago, I'm pretty excited for the Kentucky Derby this Saturday. Street Sense is the easy pick, a 4-1 favorite, but I'm really liking Any Given Saturday right now. I'm not going to lock in my pick just yet, but that's where I'm looking.

Curling: Currently, no news to report.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Depends who you ask.

That's a pic of David Beckham, international soccer star [who was awesome when he played for Manchester United], sporting a Cincinnati Reds hat. Apparently a tabloid paper in London thinks this is a faux pas, possibly offending LA Galaxy fans.

Someone should tell them that there are no LA Galaxy fans.

Low blow, but Becks has it right; he knows the Reds rock.

Let's Play Two

Well, maybe just one more thought on First Pitch-gate. Mayor Mallory was attempting to save some face on Jimmy Kimmel's show tonight. Kelly and I ended staying up to watch it. Had to see if he could redeem the reputation of Cincinnati. I will give it up to him: he has no problem with self-effacement. Kimmel dropped a great line on him. He suggested, "maybe you're not right handed."

So they gave him a second shot at making the pitch. They supplied the audience with batting helmets for their own protection. Kurt Russell was on the show, so he caught for Mayor. On the delivery, the ball sailed wide right. Yikes.

He asked for another chance and this time it was a one-hopper over the plate. Finally, a sense of vindication. Still not sure all the publicity is a good thing, but at least he's running with it.

I'll try to post a video link tomorrow to the spoof attack ad they made against the Mayor. It ended with "Cincinnatians want a pitcher, not a belly itcher."

Additional Unrelated Thoughts:

• Elliott Yamin, one of the old American Idol losers sang afterwards. Not quite sure who wants to buy that album.

• As I'm wrapping this up, Inside Edition is on. They were covering the release of the British soldiers from Iranian captivity and felt the need to interview a Fox News reporter about what it was like to watch the release unfold on television. Just to clarify: they interviewed someone about what they saw on TV. Our society is in trouble.

Foul Ball

OK, I have to revisit this. I figured that Mayor Mallory's poor attempt at the first pitch on Opening Day would attract some attention, but I had no idea it would go this far. It was wall-to-wall on ESPN today and, apparently, it even got mentioned on CNN International. Before we proceed, you out-of-towners gotta check out the effort:

I've met the Mayor on numerous occasions while on his Young Professionals cabinet. He is a quality guy: very intelligent, well spoken, and he even has a great sense of humor. The way the political system in Cincinnati and Hamilton County is set up, the mayor of this city can only do so much to make any change around here. Mallory receives a lot of criticism for being ineffective when, the real issue is, the entire system needs total rehaul. I really doubt any mayor will make a noticeable difference until city and county governments are combined. Mallory's doing the best he can do with what he has.

That being said, I honestly think that brutal first pitch dented his reputation. You might not think that people are that fickle, but I believe they are. Prediction to pack away: the first pitch footage will surface again during the next campaign. And if he ever runs for higher office, he'll be known as "that mayor guy who can't throw."

Today the Mayor made the following statement: "All I know is Bob Castellini called me up and asked me to throw out the first pitch and you can't say no to that."

Um, yes you can. You open up your mouth, pronounce the hard "n" consonant followed by the "o," as in, "oh no, that ball is headed for the dugout."

One thing I perceived is that I didn't think the Mayor was that athletic. He's in great shape, but not necessarily an athlete. All Monday morning I was telling Kelly that it wasn't going to be a good move. Again, I am a prophet.

The Mayor is surrounded by a bunch of smart young guys who are incredibly proficient in their jobs. But I can't imagine that not one of them made sure to ask the boss if he could throw. There's no shame in admitting you can't. This is an instance where I say it's best not to try at all. I'm not going to be joining a hockey league with my friend Dale anytime soon. Sure, I love hockey, but I can't skate. I'm honest with myself about my abilities. And hopefully, I've surrounded myself with counsel that will let me know if I'm in over my head. Maybe it's a good lesson for all of us: do you have people around you who will bring you back to earth when you get caught up in your own hype?

I hope the Mayor can get past this event. In all likelihood, it'll probably be fine. But it could've [and should've] been avoided. Having to spend a day spinning a mishap like this is not time well spent.

endnote: I still laugh when I watch the footage. The best part is Eric Davis who was absolutely horrified.

Baseball Is Back

Tuning in to Fox Sports Ohio, we have great seats for Opening Day [and they're going to broadcast all but twenty games this year, so that's awesome]. Already saw Mayor Mallory butcher the first pitch, begging the question: if you know you can't throw, why offer to throw the first pitch of the biggest game of the year? And Adam Dunn already went yard, meaning he only needs a strikeout and a walk today for his natural trifecta. So we packed up the little girl this morning and headed to Over-The-Rhine to watch the Reds Opening Day parade. It's been about twenty years since I last saw the parade, and it was Kelly and Kaelyn's first. The weather was perfect and we had a blast. Here are some pictures of our outing. First, the cute ones:

And now for the other interesting things we saw:

A huge Pete Rose head , haircut circa 1978.

Nothing says "family friendly parade" like a strip club advertisement.

Nice to know that our tax dollars are going to Pimp The Air Force's ride.

And before I could post this, Adam Dunn hit his second home-run. He's now on pace to hit over 500 home-runs this year, allowing him to pass both Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron next year.

Predictive Prophecy

I've pretty much decided that this week was shot so I'm settling in to watch some March Madness. So far, the brackets are in tact. But to tip my cards, I have Xavier beating the Buckeyes tomorrow night. I think OSU is suspect. Anyway, I glanced up at the TV to watch a commercial for the Major League Baseball 2K7 video game. It shows these in-game pictures of players like Derek Jeter and Dontrell Willis. I guess it's pretty cool; this is why I don't play video games.

But something else caught my eye.

The unstoppable power of my DVR allowed me to rewind and study the end of the commercial in slow motion. They were showing a team winning either the pennant or the World Series. And who was that team? The Cincinnati Reds.

Not sure if this is a good sign or the Madden jinx.

About Basketball

I really think this year's NCAA tourney is wide open. After glancing at the brackets, I'm thinking about picking some serious upsets. As of 11:50 on Sunday night, I like Georgetown. For us UC fans, the most disturbing news was Syracuse not making the tournament. With a 10-6 record in the Big East, what more can you ask for? Apparently, only the ACC is capable of getting love from the selection committee. They got the most bids of any conference when this was a weak year from them. The Bearcats got screwed last year because the Big East was too deep. Maybe, in retrospect, the Big East jump wasn't the best idea.

Either way, this will be an awesome tournament. Make your picks.

How Sad Is It . . .

. . . that Xavier, Wright State, Miami, Eastern Kentucky, Ohio State, Indiana, and Kentucky will all make the NCAA tournament and UC is looking forward to next year? I'll be leaving town for a few days which means I'll have to push out my brackets Sunday night. Without knowing how things will set up, my Final Four is North Carolina, Wisconsin, UCLA, and Georgetown.

Subject to change, of course . . .

Madness

I missed the Duke/UNC game yesterday but apparently the most interesting play occurred with under a minute remaining. When Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough missed his free throw, he pulled down a rebound and went back up for a shot. Dukie Gerald Henderson decided it was time to deliver the forearm shiver to Hansbrough's nose, leaving it a bloody mess. Even more disturbing than the carnage was the comment by CBS's Billy Packer, known for his astute analysis [sarcasm implied], immediately absolving Henderson from any responsibility. Despite hundreds of replays, a few showing Henderson packing a sawed-off shotgun, Packer insisted the hit wasn't intentional.

If you haven't seen it, check it out here. Was Billy's monitor showing the same game? While Henderson was ejected and will miss at least one ACC tourney game, perhaps CBS should consider having Packer take a break from broadcasting a few games. At the very least, a trip to the optometrist would seam in order.

For more insight, read my neighbor Dustin reaction to the play-by-play.