Henry allowed to go to tryout
Enquirer
Former Bengal Chris Henry will be allowed to travel to other cities in hopes of reviving his professional football career, a judge ruled today.

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King on Bengals' future at WR
CNNSI
It sounds like the Bengals didn't draft three wide receivers last week just because of the Chad Johnson holdout and the Chris Henry firing. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis tells me there's a T.J. Houshmandzadeh element to it, too.

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Weathers missed a chance last night
I get the idea that people want to give David Weathers credit for showing leadership skills and going to bat for his teammates after Jeff Brantley's comments Sunday. However...he missed a chance to put the focus where it should be...on the performance of the team. Why is David or any other player worried about what Jeff has to say? Heck, why even admit to hearing it? No other player would have heard it 10-minutes after the game. This team is 13-20 because of the players, not a broadcaster. David put the story thru another news cycle. This is about a team's play. Not a broadcastser. The response from Weathers should have been:
"Wow...as poorly as we are going as a team, we have a lot more to worry about than what a broadaster says about us. If Jeff doesn't think we are in it to win it, then our play on the field will have to prove him wrong."
For David to play the "put on a uniform and get out there" card is a copout.
And it's disappointing. This team has worried about what is written and said about them for far too long.

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A triple play last night
Not a bad sports night for me Monday
1. Watched Reds vs Cubs at GABP
2. Walked over to catch Cyclones in game 7 at US Bank Arena
3. Capped the night off by watching Chris Paul lead the Hornets over the Spurs in game 2

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UPDATED Show preview
Guest
Chuck Weber, Cyclones coach
Topics
Single day performance: What's the greatest athletic perforance for a single day?
Not a season. Not a career. Not a streak. A single day.
Reds-Cubs
Cyclones: Game 7....did you go? 2,523 showed up for the biggest game of the year?
NBA playoffs
Ethics In Sports: Do you take issue with what the White Sox did in their clubhouse? Read below.

Discuss in my FORUM

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Send Jr home
I hope the Reds deal Ken Griffey Jr.... back to Seattle.....today.
I think he deserves to experience the final stage of his career in the city that appreciated him the most and saw him at his best.
Seattle deserves to see #600. Seattle deserves to see his final at-bat in the majors after witnessing his first at-bat in the majors. Time to send Jr full circle.
That isn't meant as a knock on Cincinnati....but rather praise for Seattle and recognition of what's happened.
The Reds trumpeted Jr's arrival...but never surrounded the roster with the ingredients to win. Then Jr got hurt....and got hurt again. Suddenly the all-star level play in Seattle was replaced by trips to the DL in Cincinnati. Sadly, and unfairly, Jr became the face of the Reds failures. Fans believe they were sold a bill of goods. Seattle got the best of Jr. Seattle should now get the rest of Jr.
Jr is in a no-win situation here. Dive for a ball, get hurt, get blasted by fans. Don't dive for a ball, preserve the body, get blasted by fans.
If he stays, does it get better or worse? I'm guessing the fan resentment will grow. Resentment over losing, Resentment over his salary. Resentment for having Jay Bruce's spot in RF.
He's chased 600 while staying clean of steroids. But fans see it as crawling to 600 in a losing season. If he doesn't hit 600 soon, any potential anticipation and excitement for history will turn to fan complaints about the wait and the struggle.
Heaven help Jr if he gets hurt.
Some will say the Reds should squeeze all the marketing and ticket sales they can out of Jr's chase to 600. And that the Reds can't afford to trade him before he reaches the mark. Anyone feel a buzz in the air? The Reds have two more home games before going back on the road for three games. Then they return home next Monday for a seven game homestand. Do you plan to run to the ticket window?
A trade makes sense for all sides. Seattle needs offense. Jr can make a heroes return and DH when he wants. The Reds can hand RF to Bruce.
Face it, Seattle loves Jr more than Cincinnati ever has or ever will.
Seattle's response to Jr last season was magical. Jr deserves magical.
Jr. deserves to go home. Send him home. Do it for Jr and for the fans.
Start Jay Bruce's career in Cincy. End Jr's career in Seattle. A perfect final chapter.

Discuss in my FORUM

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What is the greatest single day performance by an athlete?
Today is the anniversary of:
*Roger Bannister becoming the first to break the 4-minute mile in 1954
*Kerry Wood K's 20 in 1998
What do you consider the greatest single day accomplishment by an athlete?

Discuss in my FORUM

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Jr's days in Cincinnati may be numbered
USA Today

 

(AP photo)

"I wouldn't change anything," says Griffey, who was traded to the Reds on Feb. 10, 2000. "I had to leave Seattle when I did. I just had to. They know the real reason why I left." More than eight years after departing Seattle, it might be time to leave again, perhaps returning to the Northwest. Discuss in my FORUM

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Clones headed to American Conference finals
The Cincinnati Cyclones advanced to the American Conference Finals with a 6-1 win over Reading Monday night in the seventh game of the best of seven series. Jason Deitsch and Mathieu Aubin each scored a goal and had tow assists to pace the offense. Cedrick Desjardins stopped 30 shots in taking the win.

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13 worst free agent signings in baseball history
The Love Of Sports

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Alexander could have options beyond Cincy
NFL Network

(Getty Images)
With Cincinnati failing to draft any running backs, Alexander could provide some depth that the Bengals failed to procure last month. It also helps that Alexander, a former Mr. Kentucky football player, is revered in those parts.

Alexander's possible role
Mark Curnutte's blog

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Impact NFL rookies
WhatIfSports
#3: Keith Rivers, LB, Cincinnati
Anyone who watched the Bengals last year knows they need help at linebacker. Then, the team let its top tackler, Landon Johnson, go in free agency. Whether the reinstated Odell Thurman or previously injured Ahmad Brooks and Rashad Jeanty return to form or not, Rivers will be given every opportunity to help this defense this season - and he will.

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Boy takes Favre jersey off after four years
ESPN
Witthoft conceded his son was starting to become more concerned about his appearance after the jersey barely came down to his belt line.

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PBR me R.I.P.

Fox News
Bill Bramanti will love Pabst Blue Ribbon eternally, and he's got the custom-made beer-can casket to prove it. "I actually fit, because I got in here," said Bramanti of South Chicago Heights.

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What they are saying in Chicago
Chicago Tribune
After ripping Cubs fans last month, Reds announcer Marty Brennaman proved he's an equal-opportunity offender, proclaiming during a loss to Atlanta on Sunday that Cincinnati "may never win another game."
But the Reds proved him wrong Monday night with a 5-3 win over the Cubs before 20,889 at Great American Ball Park, scoring five unearned runs off Ryan Dempster.

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Downey charged with simple assualt, suspended
ESPN
University spokesman Russ McKinney said the charge stemmed from an argument Downey had with another student on campus last week.

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Maxim Hometown Hottie
Careful opening at work

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Weathers responds to Brantley's comments
Enquirer
"All I said is, if it's this easy to play baseball, he should find a uniform and play," Weathers said. "I was basically taking up for my teammates. I heard some comments that he thought guys were quitting. "I didn't feel that way. It's easy to say that when things are going tough for a team. It's easy to dog-pile. I felt like he was doing that."

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5 teams that could get over the playoff hump
Fox Sports
Cincinnati Bengals (7-9): Despite the recent efforts of linebacker Ahmad Brooks and Chad Johnson, I believe the Bengals have enough talent to stagger into January. Yeah, the blame for most of this risky optimism rests on the shoulders of QB Carson Palmer, but I'm also supportive of adding LB Keith Rivers and DT Pat Sims to the Cincinnati defense.It also should be noted that if Johnson is moved, the Bengals may have drafted one or two kids capable of keeping T.J. Houshmandzadeh from drawing triple coverage.

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US Bank Arena cuts ties with UC-Miami game
Enquirer
"We were hoping early on when we started the concept that we could build the Miami game into something close to what was happening with UC and Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout," Harris said, "that we could get that rivalry going back and forth and that would boost attendance levels. That never seemed to take off in that vein."

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Cincinnati Steam announce schedule