Trade Alonzo for WHO??

I don't report on a lot of rumors that I read online because most of them are just bull. Did you see the rumors today that the Reds were looking to deal with Toronto...one rumor had the Reds trading Yonder Alonzo for yes, you guessed it, Scott Rolen!

Please, Walt, tell me this is just a terribly ugly rumor!

UPDATE> The Reds did in fact trade for Scott Rolen today. They traded Zach Stewart, Josh Roenicke and Edwin Encarnacion. I was a supporter of Edwin's for a long time, but backed off of that just this year. He has not realized his full potential and could use the change of scenery. Rolen doesn't have a big power bat any more and has some health concerns, but when he can stay in the lineup he is still a nice right handed bat, hits for a nice average. He is also a really good third basemen...not quite the arm he once had but he can certainly pick it over at third. I am okay with the deal now.

2010 Nominees for the Reds Hall of Fame

The ballot for the Cincinnati Reds HOF 2010 class is:

Contributions while playing for the Reds
Bret Boone (1 AS, 1 GG) - decent numbers but not hall worthy, blossomed in Seattle.
Jeff Brantley - had a couple solid seasons as the closer in the mid-90's.
Norm Charlton (1 AS) - posted good numbers with the Reds, ERA under three for 4/5 years.
John Franco (3 AS) - career 2.76 ERA with the Reds, 1.57 ERA with 39 saves in 1988.
Danny Graves (2 AS) - Graves still has left a bitter taste in my mouth upon his couple horrific years near the end of his days with the Reds.
Kevin Mitchell - put up a 30 HR year but I'll always remember him as a Giant.
Hal Morris - never an all-star but a solid player. Batted over the .300 mark five of his years with the Reds.
Paul O'Neill (1 AS) - a solid year in 1991 but he's a Yank.
Chris Sabo (3 AS) - over 20 dingers in three of his years. The eyeware alone gets him in.
Scott Sullivan - seriously!

Barry Larkin was the lone recipient last year as the Reds only allowed one player to win the honor for the Class of 2009. This year three players will be selected. My votes go toward John Franco, Chris Sabo, and Norm Charlton. Although Franco will be remembered by many as a Met he was really good with the Reds.

Your Thoughts on who you think should be voted?

Reds make a trade with Seattle

The Cincinnati Reds have traded right-handed pitcher Robert Manuel to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Wladimir Balentien.

Balentien, who made is MLB debut in 2007, has only played in 130 career games in three seasons. During that span he has hit .209 with 12 HR and 41 RBI. Balentien is a right handed bat and has played a number of games at each position in the outfield.

Manuel made his MLB debut this July for the Reds and in three games and 4.1 innings pitched Manuel gave up five hits, no runs, walked one and struck out two. Not really sure the thinking behind this deal. Balentien has shown some inconsistencies at the plate, but he is only 25. Waldimir was designated for assignment by the Mariners on July 25th. This season he has dealt with some wrist injury issues. He has mainly been labeled as a disappointment in Seattle, as he was one of their highly touted prospects.

Yan Moukoury Transfers to NKU

Yan Moukory, a soon to be junior formerly with the D-1 Houston Cougars, has transferred to Northern Kentucky University.

Moukory played limited minutes as a reserve during his first two years at Houston and will be eligible for the Norse this upcoming season. Moukory was highly recruited out of high school where he led Christian Life Academy to the championship his senior year averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists a contest.

Anytime you get a D-1 transfer to NKU you have to consider it to be a good pickup. It will be interesting to see where Dave Bezold plays Moukory as the Cougars played him at guard where the Norse are lacking bodies inside.

Florence Freedom No Hitter

On Sunday, Preston Vancil (2-0) of the Florence Freedom pitched the first no-hitter in team history. In a 149 pitch outing, Vancil walked seven and hit a batter but did not give up a hit while striking out eight. The no-hitter came on only the second professional start of his career. Vancil is yet to give up a run in two appearances for the Freedom. The win propelled the local Frontier League team to a 28-29 record.

Preston Vancil's no hitter is the first in Florence Freedom team history and only the 13th no hitter in the history of the Frontier League.

Adreian Payne Narrows List to 5 - Kentucky Among Them

Adreian Payne, one of the top centers in the class of 2010, has narrwed his list to five schools. The 6'10, top 20 prospect out of Dayton, Ohio is now choosing between powerhouses Kentucky, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan State and West Virginia. Schools such as Dayton, Xavier and Cincinnati were in the mix prior to Payne narrowing his choices.

It seems Kentucky's incoming class has upped the interest for Payne and it's also interesting how Arizona is now in the mix with Sean Miller landing in the desert.

Selig Considering Rose Reinstatement?

According to the New York Daily News Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is considering lifting the lifetime ban of Pete Rose, making him eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Cincinnati Reds News and Notes

* The Reds are now 9 games under .500, their lowest point the season. Mired in a 6 game losing streak Cincinnati is now 7.5 games out of first place also their lowest part of the season. The Reds started the season decent going 26-23 in April and May but have seriously tailed off in June and July with an abysmal 18-30 record.

* Not only did the Reds get swept by the Cubs this weekend in Chicago they also suffered the loss of Chris Dickerson, Jared Burton, and Micah Owings. Owings left the game with tightness in his shoulder, Dickerson also injured his shoulder after a fall in the outfield, and Burton has been dealing with issues such as fatigue and shortness of breath.

* The Reds starting pitchers are now 2-13 over their last 18 games.

* Where is the offensive firepower? The Reds have only scored in double digit runs twice, both were against the Diamondbacks. 13-5 W on May 11th, and 10-3 win on May 13th. On the flip side, the Reds have allowed double digit runs on 8 occasions. (One of which was 22 runs, a franchise record)

Matt Holliday to the Cardinals

The NL Central just got stronger. The Reds are now closer to the basement dwelling Pirates than they are the NL Central leading Cardinals, and the Cardinals just got a little better. Holliday's numbers have suffered in Oakland this year but he has historically shown that he has some pop in his bat. St. Louis will more than likely solidify themselves as top of the NL Central once again. The Reds are rebuilding but it is tough to match up with the Cards with Pujols, Holliday, Carpenter, and Ludwick.

Where Are They Now? Akili Smith

I'm sure everyone remembers the #3 pick from the 1999 NFL Draft, Akili Smith, and the great numbers he put up during his NFL career..... just to think the Bengals passed on Donovan McNabb and payed Smith a 10.8 million signing bonus to be the franchise of the Bengals for years to come. Unfortunately that didn't work out and Smith's life has taken him elsewhere, away from the field.

A recent report from SI stated that during his playing career Smith was prone to jetting back to San Diego [his hometown] and partied. He constantly got calls from multiple women, his boys, club promoters ... and he gave in to temptation. In his own words, "I was a complete embarrassment off the field."

After he retired from football in 2007, he returned to San Diego to take on a QB coaching job at Grossmont Junior College. He's also working towards his masters in theology and divinity. You may ask, why is Smith working towards a masters in divinity? Reason is he's following in the footsteps of his father, Ray, who's a pastor at the United Missionary Baptist Church, where Akili is already a deacon. He's also quarterbacking the church's flag football team named God's house.

From Top 5 draft pick to a deacon and flag football starting QB in less than 10 years..... how time flies.

NKU Mens Basketball Opens Season Against D2 Runner-Up

The Northern Kentucky University mens basketball team will open up their 2009-10 season on Nov. 15th against Grand Valley State University (GVSU). The Lakers finished last year as the NCAA Division 2 Runner-up after a loss in the finals to the University of Findlay. If you recall, GVSU beat Michigan State in an exhibition game a few years back and finished the season with a 21-10 record last year.

Video: Jordan Crawford Dunks on Lebron James

Click the title for the video

*From eBaumnation.com
Personally, I think the dunk was way to hyped up in the first place and I'm not all that impressed. It looks like Lebron comes over to play help defense on Crawford as he's dunking.

California Dreaming?

July 28, 2005, does that date mean anything to you? This was the last time that the Reds have defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Chavez Ravine. 2005 (In case you didn't know that was also the year the Bengals won the AFC North Division!) So far this season the Reds are 0-5 against California. (0-3 against San Diego, 0-2 against the Dodgers so far)

Houshmandzadeh giving up Madden

The ever humble TJ Houshmanzadeh has announced that he will no longer be playing the Madden video game series and personally boycotting Madden '10 which will be released next month. Why?

"Man, they don't get my rating right," Houshmandzadeh said while appearing on Colin Cowherd's ESPN Radio show Monday. "I just looked at the game and they have this wrong and that wrong. And I understand I averaged 10 yards a catch (in 2008), but it's the offense, man, not me."

"I'm not playing Madden no more, until they get my rating right," Houshmandzadeh said. "It might be a little pouting, too. It might be. But, you know, I used to be the best in the world at Madden, so I'm going to miss not playing it. But until they do me right, I'm not playing it no more."

But what I find interesting is the fact they have TJ ranked as the sixth highest ranked receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith, Anquan Boldin, Roddy White, and Calvin Johnson. So this means that Madden has TJ ranked higher than receivers like Andre Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Reggie Wayne, Terrell Ownes, Hines Ward, and Randy Moss just to name a few. I don't think TJ should be mad about that, I think they overestimated TJ. Furthermore, TJ proclaims that he used to be the best in the world at Madden, but I haven't seen him on the bus. The more I hear this man speak (and butcher the English language in the process) the more I dislike him.

Check out the Fox News Story here

Random Thoughts

- I don't see the Reds making any moves at this trade deadline and that would not all together bother me. There is no reason to trade our young studs like Votto, Bruce, Volquez, Cueto. No one will want the overpaid veterans like Harang, Arroyo, and Taveras. The only player that I see that could bring some value would be Francisco Cordero. Cordero has a big contract but he is also a big arm. If a team that has some cash to spend and needs a closer for the stretch, don't be surprised if they deal Cordero. Outside of that I don't think the Reds will make any significant moves at the deadline.

- I was very excited about the Reds pitching this season and the last couple of months have been extremely disappointing. Homer Bailey was roughed up again last night in LA raising his ERA to over 7.00, Micah Owings has already racked up 10 losses this season, and so has Harang. The only bright spot has been Johnny Cueto. Cueto has shown some great stuff so far this season but he is not yet ready to be a number one. Who knows what will happen with Volquez when he returns.

- The Bengals have announced their inaugural class of the Bengals.com Virtual Hall of Fame. The inductees are Paul Brown, Anthony Munoz, Ken Anderson, Isaac Curtis, and Boomer Esiason. I love that someone is paying homage to the great Bengals of the past but the way that they are doing it is kind of ridiculous. Mike Brown has held on to this mantra of "lets focus on the players on the field" for a long time. This mindset, which I imagine comes from his father, has kept the Bengals from recognizing some of their best legends. I have news for Brown, with your track record you may not want people to focus on the players on the field.

- The Bengals signed their fourth round pick Center Jonathan Luigs this week. There are still four players that remain unsigned. Those players just happen to be the four top draft picks in Andre Smith, Rey Maualuga, Michael Johnson, and Chase Coffman. I worry about Smith and Maualuga. The Jets have signed Sanchez to a ridiculous deal and Smith with his carousel of agents will surely try to get Sanchez money for their guy. But O-lineman don't get QB money.

- Cincinnati is holding on as long as they can to that 2005 season, today the headline on Bengals.com: Bengals Rewind: Bengals magically close in on North. They are re-running the story when the Bengals beat the Steelers to set up a AFC North title. That was 4 years ago, I think it is time to let it go.

- I just can't get excited about College Football. I have tried very hard to be a fan but I just have never followed a program. I like watching Notre Dame on Saturdays, and will try to catch the Buckeyes, but early on in the season I just can't get into it. Once the player story lines develop and we become familiar with names I may try to watch some of the big matchups but I am just not a college football fan.

New Shaq TV Show

Shaq will be hitting our televisions soon with a new reality TV show on ABC Shaq vs. You can read the full article here on USA Today. The premise of the show will be Shaquille O'Neal taking on some of the worlds best athletes at their sport. The series will premier August 18th and will show Shaq competing with the likes of Michael Phelps, Ben Roethlisberger, Oscar De La Hoya, Serena Williams, and Albert Pujols among others.

Shaquille is one of the more entertaining athletes around. He will surely bring an element of humor to the show. I am interested to see how Shaq stacks up against the best at each competition but more excited for the humor.

Erin Andrews of ESPN - Victim

LOS ANGELES, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- With respect to recent Internet postings of Erin Andrews, she has authorized her attorney, Marshall B. Grossman of Bingham McCutchen LLP, to issue the following statement:

"While alone in the privacy of her hotel room, Erin Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped without her knowledge or consent. She was the victim of a crime and is taking action to protect herself and help ensure that others are not similarly violated in the future. Although the perpetrator or perpetrators of this criminal act have not yet been identified, when they are identified she intends to bring both civil and criminal charges against them and against anyone who has published the material. We request respect of Erin's privacy at this time, while she and her representatives are working with the authorities."

NKY SportsWorld Stumper

Since 1960 there have been six Cincinnati Reds players who hit 40 or more home runs in a season. Who are they?

Ponder it this weekend. I will post the answer in the comments by Monday.

Last Night's Scoreboard Stumper

Since 1970, there have been five Cincinnati Reds players who have made the All-Star game with the last name starting with the letter "C." Who are they?

(Answer is in the comments section, we got 4-5)

Jamail Jones Takes 2nd Visit to Xavier

Jamail Jones, a 6'6 stud from Georgia, recently took his second visit to Xavier University with his parents this past week. Jones is the 64th ranked recruit for the 2010 class on Rivals. Jones has offers from Xavier and Cincinnati but also has offers from more than 10 other major D-1 programs. We could use a quality small forward so I wouldn't mind having him. And Kentucky... stay out of this, you already have enough top recruits on your team fighting for playing time!

Billy Kopp Finishes in 12th at 2009 WSOP Main Event

Once chip leader Billy Kopp was knocked out of the WSOP tournament today in dramatic fashion. On the hand he was eliminated, Kopp opened for $600,000 preflop and was called by Darvin Moon. On a flop of KD, 9D, 2D, Moon had first action and checked. He then called when Kopp bet $750,000. On the turn, 2H, Moon checked again and drew a bet of $2 million from Kopp. Moon then check-raised to $6 million. Next, Kopp moved all in for close to $20 million total. Moon called! Kopp:5D,3D Moon:JD,QD. Moon gets the higher flush and now is the overall chip leader and is currently in 1st place with nine people left.

Kopp finished the tournament in 12th place and made a dismal... $896,730! I don't think he'll be going back to UK, congrats!

Billy Kopp in 7th Place at Day 8 of WSOP

Local Billy Kopp is now in 7th place at the dinner break of Day 8 of the WSOP main event. With only 14 players left, Kopp only needs 5 more people to be eliminated in front of him to make the final table of 9. Kopp currently has $13.5 million in chips and trails leader Eric Buchman by more than twice that amount as Buchman currently has a stack of over $28.5 million. The last player to exit the WSOP was Nick Maimone who was eliminated in 15th Place, good enough for $633,022!

We'll keep you updated.

Leader At Day 7 Dinner Break Billy Kopp: 2009 WSOP Main Event

Billy Kopp Currently in 1st Place at 2009 World Series of Poker

It's now day seven of the 2009 World Series of Poker and local product Billy Kopp is currently the chip leader with $15,100,000 in chips. Kopp is being chased by seasoned vet Phil Ivey who currently has $12,200,000 in chips, good enough for second place. Kopp is way ahead of everyone else in the field when it comes to total chips considering the person in 10th place currently has a little over $7,000,000

With only 29 players left in the tournament Kopp is guaranteed to rake in some dough considering the the last person knocked out who came in 30th place made $254,000.

For Kopp's playing card, click here.

Kopp resides in Erlanger and attended St. Pius for grade school and Villa Madonna Academy for high school.

We'll keep you updated.

Brian Kelly Receives More Accolades

Brian Kelly is continuing to grow in the national spotlight. The latest growth came in the form of the Sporting News. This past week, the Sporting News released their list of the best coaches in college football. The list is loaded with wins, national prominence, and national championships. One name, the name of University of Cincinnati Head Coach Brian Kelly, will surprise you.

Im not so sure that I would rank Kelly quite so high this early. Don't get me wrong, I love the national attention and the accolades that Kelly is reeling in. He is no doubt a top up and coming coach, however, the move to place him as a top 5 coach in college football is a questionable one. This year with a mix of a powerful returning offense and a young defense will really go a long way in showing just how good of a coach Brian Kelly can be. Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel ranked on the "five on the outside." Take that Ohio State!

1. Urban Meyer, Florida
2. Nick Saban, Alabama
3. Pete Carroll, USC
4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
5. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati

What do you think? What is your top 5?

Bengals Picked Dead Last in AFC Central

The Vegas odds for wins in 2009 are out. If you are a Bengals fan, they are down right sickening. The Cincinnati Bengals have been set with an over-under of 6 wins for next season. This puts them last in the AFC Central. The Pittsburgh Steelers lead the way in the division and the NE Patriots were picked with the highest overall predicted win total.

I personally think this is a joke. A healthy Carson Palmer. A much much improved defense. A solid top few draft picks. A weak schedule. I think this team has a lot to look forward to as far as the 2009 season. I would definitely take the over on this one. How many wins do you think the Bengals have in store for 2009??

Vegas Odds: Over-Under Win Total
Patriots 11.5
Steelers 10.5
Ravens 8.5
Browns 7
Bengals 6

Your Sports List

This would be more of a radio topic but I am kind of interested in what you guys feel are some of your best sports memories, heroes, and moments.

My favorite baseball player of all-time: Kirby Puckett, you may ask why would a Cincinnatian select Kirby Puckett as their favorite player of all time? I have the answer for you, because he was fat. Sure Kirby wasn't that big but he was short and stocky. Kirby gave 100% all the time and as a kid he was fun to watch. In 1992 I was just really getting into baseball and Kirby and the Twins were on top. I loved Barry Larkin, Reggie Sanders, and other Reds players but Kirby has always been the man for me.

Baseball player I wished I could have watched: Roberto Clemente. Clemente was a player that I learned about early in elementary school because of his humanitarian efforts. From early on in my youth I was very interested in what he did both on and off the field. I can remember when ESPN came out with ESPN Classic my uncle Tim taped a game with Clemente in it. I watched that game in awe. I wish I could have witnessed in person.

Favorite Memory at the Ballpark: I can't remember the year but I can remember who we saw. It was my brother, myself, and my uncle Tim. It was at Riverfront in the blue seats, we were on the first base side and the Reds were playing the San Diego Padres. Bip Roberts led off the first inning with a Triple, he ran the bases so fast it seemed like he flew. I remember that very vividly. I don't recal much more of the game other than sitting and enjoying the game. But that is one of my favorite memories at the ballpark.

This is a start, what about you? What are some of your memories or your highlights? I may add some more as we go.

Let Pujols be the Hero

All eyes have been fixed on St. Louis this week with the MLB All-Star festivities taking place in the Gateway to the West. And the Cardinals have taken the opportunity to showcase their greatest talent, Albert Pujols. Pujols has been everywhere this week, from taking cuts at the Home Run derby to doing press with ESPN. And Albert is not disappointing so far. In his interviews he has stayed very humble and shown a higher knowledge of the game and a respect for its past. In an era where so many mega stars have been exposed as cheaters Albert Pujols continues to put up gaudy numbers without ever being tested positive for steroids. Of course there will be speculation, that is the culture that we live in now. But in a recent article with USA today Pujols stated that he would be tested every day for steroids and if he ever tested positive he would repay every dollar that the Cardinals organization has paid him throughout his career. I believe him. Pujols is very fun to watch at the plate, I really think kids should rally around this man who is a good father, good man, and a great baseball player. Check out the full story here.

Northern Kentucky's Billy Kopp in Top 10 at 2009 World Series of Poker

Billy Kopp, a Northern Kentucky resident and current student at the University of Kentucky, is currently in 7th place with $4,500,000 chips at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event. To put this in retrospect, the average stack of remaining players currently stands at $1,928,910.

Kopp raised his chip count to his highest mark in the tourney at nearly $6,000,000 chips earlier tonight but has since lost a few chips.

After six days only 100 players remain in the main event which will be televised on ESPN at a later time.

Kopp will more than likely be at a feature table when the tournament airs on ESPN. The payout to the winner of this years event is $8,546,435.

We'll keep you updated as the tournament progresses. For up-to-date information on the current standings, click here.

Darius Miller and Men's U-19 Team Win Gold

Today, the U.S. Men's under-19 basketball team won their first gold medal since 1991 with a 88-80 win over Greece.

Darius Miller, a soon to be sophomore at the University of Kentucky, played a key role on the team. In only 14 minutes per game, Miller averaged 5 points and also led the team with 12 blocks and 14 steals throughout the tourney run.

This win is really big because the team is made up of guys who are for the most part under the radar in college basketball.

Roster
DeAngelo Casto, Washington State
Seth Curry, Duke
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Gordon Hayward, Butler
Shelvin Mack, Butler
Darius Miller, Kentucky
Arnett Moultrie, UTEP
John Shurna, Northwestern
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas
Howard Thompkins, Georgia
Klay Thompson, Washington State
Terrico White, Mississippi

Cincinnati Reds No-Hitters

With the San Francisco Giants Pitcher Johnathan Sanchez pitching the first no hitter of the 2009 baseball season last week I was curious as to how many Reds pitchers have thrown no hitters. We all know about Johnny Vander Meer's back to back no hitters in 1938 and Tom Brownings Perfect game in 1988. But do you know any of the other names on the list? Below are a list of all of the Reds no hitters since 1900:

Noodles Hahn
July 12, 1900
Reds over the Phillies 4-0

Fred Toney
May 2nd, 1917
Reds over the Cubs 1-0 in 10 innings

Hod Eller
May 11, 1919
Reds over the Cardinals 6-0

Johnny Vander Meer
June 11, 1938
Reds over the Boston Braves 3-0

Johnny Vander Meer
June 15, 1938
Reds over the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-0 (Vander Meer did it on back to back starts a feat that has never been accomplished and has not happened since)

Clyde Shoun
May 15, 1944
Reds 1-0 over the Boston Braves.

Ewell Blackwell
June 18, 1947
Reds 6-1 over the Boston Braves

Jim Maloney
August 19, 1965
Cincinnati 1-0 over the Cubs in 10 innings

George Culver
July 29, 1968
Reds over the Phillies 6-1 in the 2nd game of a double header

Jim Maloney
April 30, 1969
Reds 10-0 over Houston Astros. (In the very next game of the series Don Wilson of Houston would pitch a no hitter against the Reds)

Tom Seaver
June 16, 1978
Reds win 4-0 over St. Louis

Tom Browning
September 16, 1988
Reds 1-0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Perfect Game)

NKY Sportsworld: Ireland Edition - Hurling

Galway, Ireland:  This doesn't quite make the list of sports you would see people playing in Northern Kentucky, nor see many people gathering at the local watering hole to watch on Sunday.  Hurling is kind of like lacrosse, kind of like, hockey, and distinctly Irish.  It's intense, physical, and a heck of a lot of fun to watch.  Before, I get in to the rules of the game, some general observations about Irish sports are needed.

Irish sports are fierce.  This is not the Cristiano Ronaldo, Ginobili, act-like-I'm-dying-to-draw-a-foul crap.  The most popular sports here are rugby, hurling, Gaelic football (which might be another post), and soccer.  I should note that even though they don't take many dives in soccer, it's still not very good play.  Professional athletes are often not paid and they play for the teams in the county in which they live.  Because the money isn't in Irish sports the way it is in others, you don't see any Steinbrenners or Russian oil tycoons ruling running the show and there is much more pride in hometown teams.  

Hurling is considered the fastest sport on grass.  It's played on a 130m x 90m field, or pitch, with a ball kind of like a baseball and all of the players have big clubs they use to whack the ball up and down the field.  Each side tries to either get the ball through either a) a goal that looks like a soccer net, or b) a field goal that is mounted on top of the soccer-like goal.  If you get it in the net, it's worth three points, else it's worth one through the uprights.  Even though players are not allowed to hack at each other with their clubs, there are a fair amount of clubbings on the field.  In fact, as a defensive strategy, the players often try to run through an opponent's swing as he's trying to hit the ball instead of laying back or jumping up in the air (I told you they're intense). 

Here's a video of some highlights... don't mind the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luQ2Vxez2V4

Cincinnati Recruit Lance Stephenson Avoids Jail Sentence

Lance Stephenson, a highly touted 2009 recruit for the University of Cincinnati, will not serve jail time in his sexual assault case.

Stephenson, pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Friday and will perform three days of community service, according to sources.

Stephenson and high school teammate, Darwin Ellis, were charged after being accused of fondling a 17-year-old girl near Lincoln high school in October of last year.

However, the NCAA is still expected to look into Stephenson's amateur status involving his tour of the Under Armour factory while visiting the University of Maryland earlier this year.

Supposedly, the University of Cincinnati isn't worried about Stephenson's status or the assault case at the present moment.

Garrett Atkins to the Reds?

This has been the latest rumor floating around that the Rockies have contacted Cincinnati dangling Garrett Atkins for a reliever. Most are reporting that they are looking to grab Nick Massett. John Fay has dispelled the rumor citing that $3.4 million owed to Atkins and the fact the he is a first and third baseman are the primary reasons. I agree, those are two positions that we do not currently need any help at. There are a number of viable options at third. You have already given Edwin the money to play there you might as well ride him out. Votto has first locked for hopefully a long time. There is no where to put him. If his salary was cheap then I might consider but he is not. I am with Fay, this isn't happening.

2009 Deveroes Summer League: Current Standings, Rosters and More

2009 Deveroes Summer League Standings
OHC 4-1
S.I. Pool Care 3-1
Game Day Communications 3-2
Camp's Collision Center 3-2
SuperiorCars.com 3-2
Jackson All-Stars 3-2
McCluskey Chevrolet 2-2
SLATS 1-3
John H. Flessa Law Office 1-3
Clovernook Health Care 0-5

The top team right now is OHC’s team which includes Mark Lyons, C.J. Anderson and Norman Plummer.

S.I. Pool Care is a half-game behind and their team includes some Holmes boys in Arrez Henderson and Greg Rice.

My old employer, Game Day Communications, is at 3-2 behind a pretty solid team which includes Cashmere Wright, Armein Kirkland, Gary Lumpkin and Eric Daniels.

The rest of the teams include the following players:
Camp’s Collision Center: Jordan Crawford (when he’s there), Jamel McLean and Brian Walsh.
Superior Cars: Deonta Vaughn, Dante Jackson and Anthony McClain.
Jackson All-Stars: a bunch of old farts.
McCluskey: the NKU squad.
SLATS: the main UC team with Yancey Gates, Dion Dixon, Sean Kilpatrick, and many others.
John Flessa: Kenny “You Just Got Frozen” Frease and Deonte Byrd.
Clovernook: Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford.

Some players switch teams on occasion but for the most part this is how each team is structured for the league.

Who I think will win the league tournament.....Superior Cars. The tandem of Vaughn and Jackson is pretty good.

Best name of any player at the summer league belongs to Wimpy Woods, seriously that has to be made up.....

Photographers Response to Nike

This story of Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron James has just been blown up by all forms of media. (This site included.) I really find the whole situation to be intriguing. What I think is interesting is it is obvious that LeBron James had the Nike representatives get the tapes to avoid a media storm and attention to this video. However, by confiscating the tapes it has created that little internet story that everyone latches on too and now has this "Legend of Jordan Crawford" surrounding it. If it were released it would just be a flavor of the week and could be put on You Tube with the rest of the posterizing dunks. But the way that James and Nike handled the situation it has really been blown out of proportion. We don't even know how impressive the dunk was. It could just be mediocre.

One of the camera men who has his tape taken responds here.

Shayne Graham's Good Deed

Shayne Graham is using that one year, 2.5 million dollar contract for a good cause. Through the Shayne Graham Foundation the Bengals kicker is going to provide free health care services for retired Cincinnati area NFL players and coaches. It has been a very public issue that retired NFL players and coaches have has some issues being able to afford health care and have lingering issues from their playing days. I think this is a very class move from a very classy player. Since coming to Cincinnati Shayne Graham has been very involved in the area youth and other philanthropic endeavors. He had teamed up with Doug Pelphrey's Kicks for Kids early in his career and still continues to be involved in that organization. Graham is planning on making the announcement with Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and former kicker Jim Breech.

Check out the full story here.

Moeller Star Griffin McKenzie Receives Offers from Xavier and Cincinnati

Griffin McKenzie, a 6'9 power forward out of Moeller high school, recently received scholarship offers from Xavier and Cincinnati. McKenzie was injured most of last year and averaged only 9.7 points per game in limited time. The senior to be also recently picked up offers from Tennessee and Wake Forest. Many sites have rated McKenzie as the #2 power forward in Ohio for the class of 2010 behind Adreian Payne.

I like Xavier's chances of getting McKenzie. They seem to do a good job of recruiting local talent, especially from the GCL (i.e. Josh Duncan, Johnny Wolf, etc.).

Morehead State Basketball Program Under Investigation

Check out the story in the Ashland Daily Independent here. The allegations against Morehead State are that an alumnus of MSU recruited and paid for tuition for a men's basketball player. The name of the alum and the player have not been released. The 2008-09 Morehead roster is listed below.

1 Maze Stallworth G, 6-4, 205, Jr, Elizabethtown, Ky./John Hardin

2 Cecil Brown G, 5-11, 18, Jr., Grand Rapids, Mich./Godwin Heights

0 Carl Taylor G, 6-3, 210, Jr., Decatur, Ga./Redan/Hiwassee (Tenn.) JC

10 Robert Murry G, 5-10, 185, Jr., Cleveland, Ga./Redan/Truett-McConnell Ga.) CC

11 Terrance Hill G, 6-1, 170, Fr., Columbus, Ga./Jordan

12 Andreas Coleman F, 6-7, 230, So, Danville, Ill./Danville

13 Ty Proffitt G, 6-4, 205, So., London, Ky./South Laurel/Trf-Notre Dame

15 Brandon Shingles G, 6-3, 175, Jr., Albany, Ga./Westover/Abraham Baldwin (Ga.)

20 David Forrest G, 5-9, 155, Fr., Atlanta, Ga./Columbia

22 Demonte Harper G, 6-4, 175, So., Nashville, Tenn./Whites Creek

23 Les Simmons F, 6-7, 215, Sr., Mountainville, N.Y./Cornwall Central/Cecil (Md.)

24 Derick Echols F, 6-5, 210, Fr., Bronx, N.Y./Covenant Christian Prep )Ga.)

25 John Lamb G, 6-1, 180, So., Indianola, Iowa/Indianola

32 Steve Peterson F, 6-4, 190, Fr., Columbus, Ga./Jordan

33 Leon Buchanan F, 6-5, 210, Sr., Albany, Ga./Albany/Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) AC

35 Kenneth Faried F/C, 6-8, 215, So., Newark, N.J./Technology

44 Blake Pettit C, 6-9, 235, Fr., Morehead, Ky./Rowan County

Jordan Crawford posterizes King James

There are a number of stories around the cyber land today relating to Xavier Guard Jordan Crawford and LeBron James during his LeBron James Skills Academy camp. According to reports, on Monday Jordan Crawford dropped a nasty two handed dunk on LeBron which brought some serious reaction from spectators. Following the jam King James walked over to a Nike official who then proceeded to confiscate the tape that we being shot to avoid some YouTube embarrassment.
Apparently James is very protective of his Kingdom and does not want footage of him being embarrassed by a mid-major guard to reach the masses. Good for Crawford though, if you ever get the opportunity to take it to LeBron James you have to go for it. I would say that 9 times out of 10 you are going to lose. But every once and a while you might just capitalize!

Read Gary Parrish here

Read The Dagger here

Tracking the Reds

As we enter July 8th this season the Reds are currently 41-41 and 3.5 games back in the Central Division. I was curious to see where the Reds stood at this point the last few seasons to see how this team stacks up against some of the miserable teams we have had the last few years.

*Stats as of July 8th

2008: 43-48 11.5 GB
2007: 36-52 13.0 GB
2006: 45-43 3.0 GB
2005: 34-52 21.0 GB
2004: 45-40 7.5 GB
2003: 40-48 5.5 GB

Kentucky 2009/2010 Final Roster

The Kentucky Wildcats have released their finalized 2009-2010 Basketball roster for John Calipari's first season with the Cats.
Below is a screen shot of the roster from UKathletics.com.

And the Highest ERA in the Majors Belongs to..... Bronson Arroyo

Bronson Arroyo currently holds the highest earned run average out of all starters with 10 or more starts in major league baseball. Congratulations Bronson! Not only is your 5.85 ERA the highest, you've also let up the most home runs (21) and third most hits (121) in just 103 innings pitched.

Fearless Forecast: Disabled List (carpal tunnel)

2009 National League All-Star Team

Listed below is the 2009 National League All-star team. Francisco Cordero is lone the representative for the Cincinnati Reds. Some possible Reds snubs in comparison to players who made the team are lsted below as well.

P
Johnny Cueto: 8-4, 2.69 ERA, 78 K, 32 BB
Jason Marquis: 10-5, 3.87 ERA, 51 K, 36 BB
Ted Lilly: 8-6, 3.32 ERA, 97 K, 22 BB

*Seriously, Marquis over Cueto? It's not like Marquis was the lone representative for the Rockies as well (see Brad Hawpe).

2B
Brandon Phillips: 268 BA, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 41 R, 11 SB
Orlando Hudson: .288 BA, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 48 R, 6 SB

*This is a close call, but Hudson got the nod.

National League
Starters
C Yadier Molina, STL
1B Albert Pujols, STL
2B Chase Utley, PHI
SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA
3B David Wright, NYM
OF Carlos Beltran, NYM
OF Ryan Braun, MIL
OF Raul Ibanez, PHI

Pitchers
P Heath Bell, SD
P Chad Billingsley, LAD
P Jonathan Broxton, LAD
P Matt Cain, SF
P Francisco Cordero, CIN
P Ryan Franklin, STL
P Dan Haren, ARI
P Josh Johnson, FLA
P Ted Lilly, CHC
P Tim Lincecum, SF
P Jason Marquis, COL
P Francisco Rodriguez, NYM
P Johan Santana, NYM

Reserves
C Brian McCann, ATL
1B Prince Fielder, MIL
1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD
1B Ryan Howard, PHI
2B Orlando Hudson, LAD
2B Freddy Sanchez, PIT
SS Miguel Tejada, HOU
3B Ryan Zimmerman, WSH
OF Brad Hawpe, COL
OF Hunter Pence, HOU
OF Justin Upton, ARI

2010 Recruiting Class: Best Ever in Northern Kentucky High School Football?

This upcoming high school football season will questionably have the most talent ever showcased on the football field in Northern Kentucky. More than 10 players will more than likely receive Division-1 scholarships, some of which have already signed with big programs. Listed below are the top-tier players to watch this upcoming season:

Miles Simpson (Simon Kenton - RB)
Simpson was unstoppable last season rushing for more than 2,300 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground. He scored 40 total TD's in just 15 games! Yes, you're not seeing things, he did run for 37 TD's and is drawing comparisons to Boone County great Shaun Alexander. Simpson single handily led his team to the 6A state championship where they eventually lost in the finals but he is hoping to get back to the championship game this upcoming season. Simpson is currently being highly recruited by several local teams and has scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois.

Tate Nichols (Ryle - TE)
This 6'7, 240 pound monster committed to play for the Cardinals of Standford back in April of this year. Nichols only played in six games because of a injury last year. In the limited time he played last season, Nichols caught 11 passes for 98 yards. Nichols is projected as a tight end but could also play offensive line because of his stature. Prior to verbally committing, Nichols had other offers from Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana.

Austin Collinsworth (Highlands - WR/DB)
Son of former Cincinnati Bengal, Cris Collinsworth, Austin played wide receiver and defensive back for the state champ Bluebirds. Collinsworth is mainly being recruited as a WR/DB as he caught 47 passes for 840 yards and five touchdowns last season and also intercepted four balls. However, coach Dale Mueller has said he would like to use Collinsworth as a running back this year as he put up 190 yards and a score on just 11 carries last season. Collinsworth currently has offers from Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

Tyler Grubbs (Highlands - OL)
Grubbs is a 6-6, 280 pound behemoth and the core of the offensive line for the Bluebirds. Grubbs has verbally committed to play for the Miami Redhawks and prior to verbally committing also held offers from Western Kentucky, Ohio, Central Michigan and Troy.

Jordan Hansel (Simon Kenton - OG)
Another offensive lineman, Hansel stands 6-4 and weighs in at 285 pounds. Hansel anchors the Pioneers line and has currently received one offer from Ball State. He's also receiving interest from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky.

Nick West (Conner - QB)
West is described as a "dual-threat" quarterback. Not only did West pass for 2,700 yards and 30 touchdowns last year, he also ran for 622 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. West is being looked at by Alabama, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville and Ball State.

Other Notable Players:
Will Bardo (Highlands - QB): being looked at by Cincinnati, Tennessee, Boston College, Kansas State and Western Kentucky.
Charles Quainoo (Boone County - RB): being looked at by Cincinnati, Kentucky and Miami (OH).
Ryan Wilson (Dixie Heights - QB): being looked at by Cincinnati, Akron, Hawaii, Marshall, Toledo and Western Kentucky.
Seth Chappie (Lloyd - RB)
Andy Roenker (Holy Cross - RB)
Nick Buten (Highlands - WR)
David Hogue (Highlands - WR)
Kevin Connaughton (Covington Catholic - OG)
Brandon Roller (Highlands - LB/TE)

If you would like to view preseason rankings put together for the 2009-10 season, click here.

Adam Dunn Hits 300th Home Run

Adam Dunn today blasted his 22nd home run of the season and 300th of his career leading his team to a 5-3 victory over the Braves. Dunn and fellow teammate, Ryan Zimmerman, have been the lone players to watch for the lowly nationals, who are 23-55 on the season.

Dunn, who is 29 years young, is the 5th player in major league history to reach the 300 home run mark in less than 4,200 at-bats. The others are Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Ralph Kiner and Harmon Killebrew, not a bad class to join. Dunn has hit 40+ home runs six straight seasons and will more than likely hit that mark for his seventh consecutive season in 2009.

History of Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Joey Chestnut captured his third straight title downing 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes today, shattering his previous record of 66 dogs in 2007. While watching this I was interested to see the previous winners of the competition dating back to 1990.

2009 - 68
2008 - 59
2007 - 66
2006 - 54
2005 - 49
2004 - 53
2003 - 44
2002 - 50
2001 - 50
2000 - 25
1999 - 20
1998 - 19
1997 - 24
1996 - 22
1995 - 19
1994 - 20
1993 - 17
1992 - 19
1991 - 21
1990 - 16

Since the inception of Nathan's hot dog eating contest, from the first contest to 2000, no single person ate more than 25 dogs in a contest. It's remarkable considering the contestant who came in third this year ate 55!

Personally, I think the reason so many people can eat more than 25 now is because competitive eating has become a sport. Takeru Kobayashi redefined the sport in 2000 and since then competitors train year around for the contest. All I know is these people are insane!

SI- The 50 Highest Earning Athletes

Check out the list here

Not surprising the top two highest earners are golfers. Not for what they make on the course but for what they make on endorsements. Think about it, these guys are walking billboards. Its one thing to hire an NBA player to shoot a commercial that runs during the game, but Golfers have the ability to sell themselves on the course. Sponsors crave the ability to have their golfer in the hunt during the Masters with your logo pasted all over him.

Xavier Henry to stay at Kansas

There were numerous reports speculating yesterday that SG Xavier Henry may decide against attending Kanasas, but as it turns out Henry has decided that Kansas would be the best option for him and his brother and he will remain a Jayhawk. The report from his father was Henry was considering the University of Kentucky. Honestly, the kid is a great talent but he has been on record as not remotely interested in college basketball and is only interested in going to the NBA. With that being said I do not know how good of a locker room or court presence he will be for the Jayhawks. He really is a talent but the distraction may be better off staying in Lawrence rather than Lexington.

What is up with Bronson Arroyo?

Bronson Arroyo entered the month of June with a 7-3 record, his ERA has been rather high throughout the season but Arroyo was finding ways to win games which the Reds needed. Since then Arroyo has fallen to 8-7 and is now looking like a human batting tee.

I wonder if there is something wrong with Arroyo? He has noted that he has Carpal Tunnel syndrome which he claims is not affecting his pitching only his guitar playing. It leaves me curious if this really is hurting his pitching. Either way Arroyo has not been giving the Reds quality starts as of late and it is really beginning to become an issue.