UC football news
Statement from Director of Athletics Mike Thomas
Regarding upcoming decision on Alex Daniels’ Playing Status
“Earlier this week it was reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer that the University of Cincinnati would be making a decision on the playing status of a current UC student Alex Daniels. That decision is forth coming and will come from my office. We are reviewing the situation closely as we examine Alex’s character, academics, and conduct. Once we have canvassed the situation, I will make the final decision. “

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Woeful
Have you taken a look at the Reds numbers offensively lately? They are hitting .223 on the road trip. They have scored one run in three of their last four games.
More shocking is they have played 80 games....and have scored fewer than three runs in a game 27 times...that is 34% of the season so far.
Look at the team batting average compared to a year ago:
2007 .267 (17th ML)
2008 .245 (26th ML)
Look at the individual batting averages:
Patterson .194, Javier Valentin .220, Norris Hopper .220, Bako .223, Dunn .225, Ross .237, Encarnacion .241, Griffey Jr .241
They are scoring .60 runs fewer per game than last year. That would equate to 100 fewer runs for a full season.

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NFL commish: "There is something wrong"
ESPN
"And that money is not going to players that are performing. It's going to a player that never makes it in the NFL. And I think that's ridiculous."

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Show preview
Topics
Reds
Guy Trippin': See below
Happy Anniversary: See below

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This video below is not real

It's a Gatorade spot

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Guy trippin'
Do you made a yearly "Guy Trip"? Is it for golf? hunting? fishing? NCAA's? Where do you go?
I found this site with Guy Trip ideas. Give me yours or one you'd like to try.

How about this?: Man plus vacation equals Mancation

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Anniversary stories
Today is our 10th wedding anniversary. I did not forget this year. I forgot in advance a few years ago...that's a long story. Do you have a story about forgetting your anniversary? Got a wedding story? Ever give her a gift she didn't like?
I think I scored major points today. I proposed to Kelly at Halloween. At that point I was driving back and forth from Cincy to Chicago every weekend. We were carving a pumpkin one night.
I hid the ring inside. She found it as she was scooping seeds out.
So...this year...I was looking to bring it full-circle with some symbolism. I bought her a diamond ring. But I needed a pumpkin of some sort...in June. After strange looks from people at seven different stores I found a pumpkin basket and stuffed toy pumpkin.
Both were on clearance, in the back of the store...and cost $2.02.
So I put the ring in the bottom of the basket with the toy pumkin on top.
How good am I?

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On this date
*1984 Although he has stolen only one base all season, Dusty Baker is unstoppable on the base paths as he steals second, third and home in the Giants 12-9 victory over the Reds at Candlestick Park.
*2002 As part of a six-player deal , the Indians trade their #1 starter, righthander Bartolo Colon, to the Expos for first baseman Lee Stevens, three minor league prospects and cash. In exchange, Cleveland get top prospect Brandon Phillips as well as southpaw Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore.

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Letterman or Leno?
THR.COM
CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman" tied its lowest-ever adults 18-49 rating last week.

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On this date: Tyson vs Spinks
Check it out.....it took 91-seconds

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Maxim Hometown Hottie
Careful opening

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Brennaman's comments still echoing
Chicago Tribune
It turns out that two of Brennaman's grandchildren are Cubs fans. They live in Chicago's western suburbs with their mom, Dawn.

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Crawford to Lakers
Lexington Herald
Crawford is the first Wildcat selected in the draft since Rajon Rondo went 21st overall to the Phoenix Suns (he was later traded to the Boston Celtics) in the 2006 draft.

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Dunn to LA for Pierre and SS?
Fox Sports
It's the time of the year to be creative, and one GM offers this trade concept: Outfielder Adam Dunn to the Dodgers for outfielder Juan Pierre and shortstop Chin-lung Hu, with the Dodgers contributing enough money to knock down Pierre's average salary through 2011 from $8.8 million to, say, $6 million.
The Dodgers would benefit from Dunn's power, the savings on Pierre's contract and the two draft picks they would receive if Dunn left as a free agent. The Reds would get Pierre - who played for Dusty Baker with the Cubs - at a more reasonable price. They could play Pierre in center and move Jay Bruce to right field, with Hu becoming their shortstop of the future.

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The Fogg has cleared?
Louisville Courier Journal
He pitched a complete game, allowing 10 hits and striking out six. He threw 111 pitches, 71 for strikes."He looked very healthy. He kept us in the ball game," Bats manager Rick Sweet said. "He gave us a chance; we just didn't get much offense going."

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Astros will release Chacon....good for them
ESPN
If another team doesn't claim Chacon by Monday, the Astros say they will release the pitcher and terminate his contract for cause, which would set off a confrontation with the players' association over the nearly $1 million that would remain on Chacon's deal.

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For the record
The Reds will face a LHP in four of their next five games.
Again, the Reds hit lefties MUCH better than righties.
vs Pitcher..........batting avg............on base........slugging......OPS
Left .266 .355 .419 .774
Right .238 .310 .392 .702
The Reds are the 2nd worst hitting team in the ML vs RHP......batting .238.
Only the Nationals are worse. The ML average for teams vs RHP is .260.
The Reds were 10th best vs RHP in 2007 at .273.
Vs RHP
Encarnacion .238
Phillips .237
Ross .233
Bako .218
Patterson .199
Hopper .143

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Paging Dick Pole, paging Dick Pole
As Edinson Volquez struggled in the third inning.....
"Are they letting him figure out he's dropping his elbow on his own.....or does nobody else see the problem?.-Jeff Brantley
"Well, if nobody can tell him what he's doing wrong............"-Marty B
"How much longer do you allow him to drop his elbow.....and develop a bad habit?"-Jeff B.

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Who Am I?
The clue was.....I have the lowest stolen base percentage (min. 20 attempts) of any base runner in MLB history.......at 20%....stealing only 6 bases in 30 attempts.
ANSWER: Jay Buhner

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Good luck to Olympic hopefuls
Jacque Fessel , swimmer, is a 2002 graduate of St. Ursula High School and a 2006, nine-time All-American graduate from UT. She lead the Lady Vols to a 12th-place finish (its highest since 1997) at the NCAA Championships her senior year.
Fessel is the Lady Vol record-holder in the 100y and 200y backstroke and a part of the 200y medley relay team which toped the charts.
She will be in Omaha this weekend trying to make the Olympic team.
Whitney Myers is a graduate of Ursuline Academy, and hails from Oxford. She swam at Arizona University and was the NCAA woman of the year last year. She'll be at the Olympic trials as well.
Claire Dickman, Notre Dame Academy swimmer, bound for University of Florida. HS All-American. Northern Ky Clippers. Olympic Trials Cut in the 200 Fly.

Number of swimmers in USA Swimming: about 250,000
Number of swimmers competing at Trials: about 1,250, or .5 percent of the
swimmers who are members of USA Swimming.
Number of Spots available on the U.S. Olympic Team: 52