Bengals news
The Bengals today waived HB Kenny Irons from the team’s Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list.

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Chad: "85 is back"
C. Trent's blog

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Xavier news
Xavier University's impressive 2008 Athletic Hall of Fame induction class includes former volleyball star Sara E. Bachus (Xavier '02), former Athletic Director Jeffrey H. Fogelson and basketball standout James M. Posey (Xavier '99), a key member of the NBA Champion Boston Celtics. The latest three inductees bring to 102 the number of individuals that are honored in the P. Douglas O'Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame at Cintas Center.
The 2008 Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place this year on Friday, September 12 at the Duff Banquet Center at Cintas Center. The reception begins at 7 p.m. The dinner and inductee ceremony begin at 8 p.m. Interested parties can call the Xavier Office of Special Events at 745-3571 for reservation information.

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UC hoops 11th best all-time
MSNBC
Few college basketball programs have hit Cincinnati's highs. Multiple national titles and Final Fours, legendary players and a bevy of conference crowns make the Bearcats among the all-time elite.

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Quotes from the weekend for us to discuss
I'm not down on Dusty. I think he and Walt Jocketty will spend the winter with the broom and the wrecking ball. They will start assembling a team more in their images. Judging both should begin next season. But the manager has disappointed in one area within his control: He hasn't provided strong leadership.-Paul Daugherty, Enquirer

"I have never wanted to win more than I do right here, and I will, but this is Wayne Krivsky's team, not Walt Jocketty's and not mine. I just hope there is enough out there after the season that we can get to help us." - Dusty Baker in Dayton Daily News

Until the Reds show they at least know Adam Dunn's agent's phone number, there's no use writing and talking about him as part of the Reds' future.-John Fay, Enquirer

Lewis downplayed the absence of first-round pick Keith Rivers, the projected starting outside linebacker. "Keith is missing some time. But I'm not going to make a big deal out of it,"-Marvin Lewis in Enquirer

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Show preview
Guests
John Erardi, Enquirer
Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News
C. Trent checks in from Georgetown
Topics
Bengals
Reds: How do you improve the defense?
Favre
College hoops

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Hope to see you tonight
Freedom Outing
Tonight...7:05
Mention Homer and get $1 off an $8 reserved seat....
$1 hot dogs, popcorn and 12oz soda and $2 for 24-oz beers all night!
Call 859.594.HITS (4487) and press ext. 30 for the Box Office. When the staff answers, mention Homer Outing, Box Office Manager Sarah Straughn and her staff will do the rest.
Tickets can be purchased the night of the game as well.
Freedom outing update
Casey will throw out the first pitch Monday night.
Drop me an email if you plan to atttend...our list is growing. See ya Monday!
Monday's game is themed "Are You Ready for Some Football?" Wear your favorite football jersey and you will be eligible to register during the game for 4 first row, mid-field club level seats to the first Bengals exhibition game

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If you haven't checked it out
The new daily on-line edition of The Sporting News is pretty cool.
The daily content is amazing. Today Mike DeCourcy writes about UC's new recruit. There is a feature on OSU LB James Laurinaitis. NFL notes on every team. They cover all sports.
Best parts: It's free...and they email it to you each morning.

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Mick reels in 7-foot-2 Reik
Enquirer
"John has worlds of talent as a shot blocker," said Dave Telep, recruiting analyst for Scout.com. "There's enough tools there to work with offensively but he's got to get his body ready to play in the NBA."

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My stat of the day
When was the last time the Reds scored a run in the first inning?
I looked it up: Saturday July 12 vs Milwaukee.
Dunn hit a 3-run HR in the first as the Reds won 8-2 that day.
So the Reds have not scored in the first inning in 17 consecutive games.
During that span the Reds have been outscored a combined 18-0 in the first inning.
The Reds record is 5-11 in this stretch...(pending Sunday's outcome)
Record this season:
When Reds score first: 33-11
When opponent scores first: 18-49

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Things heard from fans this weekend
-"They need to fire Dusty...now"
-"They should hire Pete Rose"
-"You guys ran Jr out of town, how many games have they won since the trade?"
-If they get rid of Dunn, I'm done, I'll never go to another game"

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Reese still flashing smile and glove
Columbus Dispatch
"I live day to day," Reese said. "What's in the past is in the past. You can't live on the past. My mother keeps me strong. The heavenly Father keeps me strong. I have no reason to be down. I'm playing the game I love. It's not where I want to be, the minors, but hey, I'm back at it, and who knows, maybe I'll get a chance again."

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Steam ends regular season in style
The Cincinnati Steam were able to get their 30^th win of the season defeating the Anderson Servants 8-4 on Friday night. A back and forth contest until the bottom of the sixth inning, the Steam put together a string of runs to put this one on the back burner. The Steam set a franchise best with 30 wins and an 18-2 home record heading to the playoffs in Xenia.

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Is football the official sport of Indiana?
Indy Star
Kerry Coombs "begged" for Indianapolis and southern Indiana as part of his recruiting area when he joined the University of Cincinnati coaching staff a year ago after a successful run at Colerain High School in Cincinnati.
"I said, 'We're going to make a living in Indy,' "Coombs said recently. "Purdue, Indiana and Notre Dame are in there, but we really didn't run into that many schools in our recruiting. That will change. I think you're going to see more schools on a national stage recruiting Indy. Football at the high school level is just growing by leaps and bounds."

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Does it take an act of Congress to get Chris Dickerson up?
They Reds are 51-61...season done. It's all about 2009. So why the heck don't the Reds call-up AAA CF Chris Dickerson to at least see what he can do? Take the time to answer a question now. He was 3 for 5 last night, batting .279 with a .381 OBP, 11 hr's, 49 rbi's and 25 sb's. Same with AAA all-star catcher Ryan Hanigan....hitting .311 and a .381 OBP. Can they play? I have no idea. That is the point. If you see they can't, cross them off the list.
I got news for you, fans realize the season is over. It's not throwing in the towel....it's extended spring training.

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Medical alert
Dragons starting pitcher Kyle Lotzkar left the game with an undisclosed arm injury in the third inning. He was the 53rd overall pick in the supplemental 1st round of the 2007 draft.
He's 2-3 3.86 this year with 48 k's in 35 innings.

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Bengals and Rivers "far apart"
ESPN
The two sides remain in constant negotiations. The source added that talks could improve dramatically at any time, but as of Sunday afternoon the team was not close to striking a deal with Rivers.

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Things I think I know
(To borrow a page from Peter King)
No MLB team that hopes to contend will have the following in 2009
Encarnacion starting at 3B
Keppinger or Hairston starting at SS
Hairston or Freel starting in CF
Bako, Ross or Valentin as their starting C
Things I don't know, but wonder about
Edwin in LF......or 1B
Votto in LF
Phillips in CF
Things I know
Phillips would be a heck of a SS

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Reds offensive woes
Sunday was the 35th time this season the Reds have scored fewer than three runs in a game. 35 of 102 (34%). They are 1-34 in such games.
They scored fewer than three runs 40 times (25%) in 2007.....going 7-33 in those games.

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Improving the Reds defense
Enquirer
The priorities for the Reds are acquiring 1.) a go-get-'em center fielder, 2.) a better shortstop and 3.) a catcher.

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Worst TV camera angles in sports
(Compiled with the input of TV game crews)
1. Nationals Park behind home plate camera
2. Oklahoma St basketball overhead camera
3. Cameron Indoor Stadium
4. UD Arena (a director's nightmare)

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Reds stuff

Pitch count
Pitches thrown in first inning of last four games:
30 Cueto, Sunday
24 Fogg, Saturday
31 Bailey, Friday
21 Volquez, Wed

Sure glad the Reds had a players only meeting
I shudder to think how they would have come out Sunday without one.
4 run allowed in the first. Error on Dunn. Phillips picked off.

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Training camp postcard: Bengals
CNNSI
The search for a No. 3 receiver to replace Chris Henry, released in the offseason because of misconduct issues, could end with Antonio Chatman.

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Camp fun for kids, not so much for players
MSNBC
The romance is seeing those boys lined up for autographs twice a day in Mequon, and the kids in Green Bay loaning their bikes to Packers players to ride to and from practice. It's probably why even after sweating through two-plus hours of body slamming, most players willingly stand there forever signing every bit of memorabilia shoved in their faces even though they trudge off that practice field exhausted after two-a-days.

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Bengals looking to move on after chaotic offseason
ESPN
The Bengals need Johnson to perform this year if they want to be a playoff team, so his happiness is important. Along those lines, the team reportedly recently agreed to revisit his contract status in 2009, which should cease the constant infighting between Johnson and the organization.

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Those classy Steeler fans
Dayton Daily News
A Pittsburgh fan, in a black truck with an inflatable Steelers mascot in the truck bed, surfaced on the hillsides near both ends of the stadium at different intervals on Friday and Saturday, laying on the truck horn in an attempt to interrupt the proceedings.

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Bengals mock game
C. Trent

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Ken Griffey Jr says thanks and apologizes
Jr released the following statement Saturday evening:
I would like to thank the Cincinnati Reds organization for allowing me to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for my hometown team. I will always value the lasting friendships I have with the Lindner, Castellini and Williams families.
While my nine seasons there were filled with personal highlights - like hitting my 400th, 500th and 600th home runs in a Reds uniform - and the negatives of having to fight through too many injuries, my biggest regret is that we were not able to win a world championship while I was there.
I also would like to thank my many teammates, managers, coaches and Reds employees for their help and support and to acknowledge the many friendly relationships I had with most of the members of the local media. I will miss the banter.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Reds fans for their support. I really do understand that the overwhelming majority of fans wanted so badly for me to succeed. Additionally, I would like to sincerely apologize to those fans offended by my wrongful actions last Saturday night. It was an overreaction on my part to what I felt was a series of public inaccurate and unfair remarks about me.
I wish nothing but success for the Reds both on and off the field.

Sincerely,

Ken Griffey Jr.

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UK announces basketball schedule
"We're extremely excited about this year's very challenging schedule," said UK head coach Billy Gillispie. "It should prepare us for anything we could see over the entirety of the season. We're particularly excited about our home schedule, which will be very demanding and exciting for our fans. We can't wait to get started."

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How about this Dragon tale?
Dayton, Ohio--Randy Ruiz was 23-years-old when he belted 20 home runs for the Dayton Dragons in 2001. Since that season, Ruiz has played in 11 minor league cities in seven organizations, but on Friday, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time by the Minnesota Twins at the age of 30.
Ruiz becomes the 28th former Dragons player to reach the major leagues. He was the designated hitter and went 1 for 3 in the Twins win over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.
Ruiz had spent the first four months of the 2008 season, his 10th year in professional baseball, with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, Rochester. He batted .320 with 17 home runs and 68 runs batted in while playing in 111 games.
Ruiz, from Bronx, New York, reached the Dragons in his third professional season in 2001, when his manager was current Dragons manager Donnie Scott for a team that reached the Midwest League semi-finals.
Ruiz returned to Dayton in 2002 and hit eight more home runs while batting .302 in a half season of action, earning a promotion to Stockton. He was released by the Reds the following spring.
Since 2002, Ruiz has played in the Orioles, Phillies, Royals, Yankees, Pirates, Giants, and Twins organizations. He has played in the California League, the South Atlantic League, the Carolina League, the Texas League, the Eastern League, the International League, and now, the American League.
Ruiz has hit at least 20 home runs in four different seasons in his career. In 2007, he had the ultimate nomadic experience when he played for four different clubs including three different teams in the same league, appearing with Altoona, Reading, and Connecticut of the Eastern League.

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Must see TV
ESPN Classic is running a Muhammad Ali Marathon today. UNREAL.
I just watched the 1964 Heavyweight Title Fight between 19-0 Cassius Clay and the 36-1 champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. Liston was an 8 to 1 favorite. The footage is incredible. Joe Lewis is the ringside commentator. Clay's hands and speed is unreal. Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer; is probably 40 years old, with black hair. This is the fight where Clay gets a substance in his eye, that almost blinds him for two rounds. Some speculated the ointment was placed on Liston's glove between rounds.
Clay wins in 7 when Liston did not answer the bell with a shoulder injury. Some thought Liston gave up. The post fight was incredible.....Clay was screamin...."I am the greatest....I'm so pretty.....I shook up the world.....I'm a bad man."
Lewis called it the greatest upset in heavyweight boxing history during the post fight..
Dundee said, "This guy is the greatest thing that could have happened to boxing".
The next day Clay announced he was changing his name to Muhammad Ali.
Later today they will replay the Rumble in The Jungle, The Thrilla in Manila and other bouts.

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Defense shines in scrimmage
C. Trent's blog

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A Royal debut for Jr
Chicago Tribune
What came from the addition of Griffey -- at least in his first Sox game -- was a left-handed swing that looks like art, and a presence that can make opposing pitchers gnaw their nails between innings.
''If we're going to have all this media because we have Griffey, we're going to send his **** back to Cincinnati,'' Guillen said after the game. ''He was part of three of the four runs we scored, he's going to make everyone better, but if Javy didn't have the game he did and [closer] Bobby [Jenks], we don't win.''

(Chicago Tribune Photo)

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Nakamura uses hard work, instincts
USA Today
"Haruki is like a magnet with the ball," secondary coach Chuck Pagano said. "He's very instinctive. You've seen the way he can play the ball, his nickname is: Johnny on the spot."

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Hey Homer
The Washington Nationals entered action Friday night as the worst hitting team in MLB vs right handed pitching....hitting .233. That was just below the Reds at .242. The Nationals had scored the fewest runs, 275, of any team in MLB vs right handed pitching......18 fewer than the Padres.