Quote of the day
Wednesday Marvin Lewis news conference
Q: What advice do you have for the fans?
Marvin: "Do what you gotta do. I'm not going to keep......I don't.....if you are a fan, be a fan.
You get to determine that"

I continue to be amazed by the smug, condescending arrogance of a Lewis.  
Where and how does he summons the nerve to continue to dismiss fans that have followed and supported  this product for 18+ years?
Almost five years ago he said the fans didn't have an investment in this team.
November 2003
Asked if he understood that Bengals fans carried the baggage of 12 consecutive non-winning seasons before he was hired in January, Lewis said: "I understand that. But again, when you don't have anything invested in it, how can it be baggage for you? (Team employees are) the ones that carry this around."-Enquirer
And all the while he does this living off  a reputation built off Ozzie Newsome's draft picks in Baltimore? Stunning.
But hey, .......do what you gotta do Coach.

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Grutza update
University of Cincinnati quarterback Dustin Grutza (Maysville, Ky./Mason County) underwent successful surgery on his right leg Wednesday.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Angelo Colosimo, the Bearcats’ team orthopedic surgeon.
Grutza suffered a fractured right fibula and high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of UC’s 52-26 loss at No. 4/4 Oklahoma on Sept. 6.
He is out indefinitely and no timetable has been set for his return.

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Bengals stuff
C. Trent's blog

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Can this be fixed?
Paul Daugherty, Enquirer
Twenty years following the football team, I’ve sensed a different mood this year among Bengals faithful. The hot air of frustration always blows around the Cincinnati Bengals. Until now, that’s all it has been. Empty threats, overwhelmed by a love of Sunday afternoons.
The feel now isn’t like before.

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Carson prediction
USC 42 OSU 17
"It'll be close early and then SC pulls away in the 3rd and 4th quarter"

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Show preview
Topics
Bengals: Marvin and Carson speak
Carson concerns: Legit or not?
UC's QB situation
OSU-USC
UK: What's up with the fans vs Rich?
Reds
20 Best athlete names

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Look what they are turning into a movie!
The Greatest American Hero
Here is the intro for the TV version

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How 'bout those Reds!?
They beat the Brewers in 11 innings.
I actually stayed up til 12:30 to watch the end.
That's three straight 1-run wins in their last at-bat.
That's 8 of 11.....and 14-12 since the Dunn trade.
And that is three in a row and 4 of 5 vs the NL Central leader and the Wild Card leader.

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Typical Reds?
Contrary to popular belief....the Reds don't "always play well in September".
In fact, prior to this September, the Reds have had seven consecutive September's without a winning record.
2007 10-17
2006 13-14
2005 11-17
2004 13-15
2003 10-16
2002 12-15
2001 11-11
Total: 79-105 .429
Last winning September
2000 (18-10)
Last time they had a winning record in final 40 games of a season: 2000 (25-15)
The question is....what do you make of this September and the fact they have gone 14-12 since turning the page? Something? Nothing? Hope? False hope?

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20 Most Appropriate Athlete Names
The Love of Sports
Like Bolt, every so often there's an athlete whose name is perfectly suited for his profession, position, style of play or particular team. There are also athletes who have names which are completely contradictory to their abilities or specific role.

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Timeout needed for Young
David Climer, The Tennessean
The hints have been out there for a while, even if we failed to pick up on them. In May, Thomas George of NFL.com wrote that Young said he "really thought long and hard" about retiring prior to the '07 season because of the pressures of being an NFL quarterback and other factors.

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OSU looking to restore reputation
Chicago Tribune
Losing to top-ranked USC would add to the perception that Ohio State can't dance with the nation's elite. There's also a practical element to the win-or-be-eliminated talk.

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Critics won't have OSU to kick around: Saturday is must win
Paul Daugherty, Enquirer
Perception is reality in the BCS' tangled web of voters and computers. The Buckeyes won't survive a loss to USC on a schedule that includes Youngstown State, Ohio U. and Troy, even if the Big Ten is better than we supposed a month ago. The playoff mob will have to seek fresh flesh.

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Bengals tickets in the bargain basement
Enquirer
"Every year, we could always count on the home opener being a really good game," said Jeff McDonald, spokesman for Riverfront Choice. "This year, it's scary. These prices we have are absolutely ridiculous, because we have to sell the tickets."

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OSU-USC goes deeper than football
Columbus Dispatch
The old wounds resurface this week. Like that nagging football injury from back when, the mere mention of playing Southern California has many Ohio State fans rubbing the sore spot on their psyches.

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Can't win if you don't nominate
I've gotten a number of emails complaining Team A, B or C wasn't named The 1530 HOMER/Team Fitz Graphics HS Team Of The Week.
There is a simple answer to why......they didn't get nominated.
Each week I take your email nominations.
Tell me why your team is deserving for the week.
Did they pull off an upset? Beat a rival? Tell me who they played, score, record, coach, etc.
I will accept email nominations until noon each Monday.
I will announce the winning team each Tuesday.
The chosen team will recieve a 4ft by 6ft 1530 HOMER/Team Fitz Graphics Team Of The Week banner for their lockerroom.
I will only accept emails sent to the address to the right, by my photo.
This week: Congrats to the Milford Eagles
The Eagles are 3-0 and off to their best start since1956 following their 27-13 win over Little Miami last week. In a driving rain, QB Ethan Daiker was 6 of 9 passing for 119 yards and rushed for a TD. RB Nathan Termuhlen rushed 12 times for 84 yards and two TD's.
Congrats to Coach Pat Fagan and the Eagles!
Next up for Milford: Woodward

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Alabama star picks IU over UK, UL and others
Indy Star
Watford is ranked No. 34 in the nation in the Class of 2009 by rivals.com. He becomes the highest-ranked player in an IU recruiting class that also includes three other players ranked in the top 110.

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The Wire..Seaon 4....spoiler alert
Wow...we finished off the final two episodes last night.
After a slow start it rallied big time. Fantastic....from the mayor's race to the school's to Omar vs Marlow. A listener had emailed me a while back encouraging me to hang with the show and describing it as "heartbreaking". It was.
It took me a few episodes to adjust to the plot change. But what a look inside the school systems. I spent the final episode thinking various characters would be killed off....and hoping they would not. Dang, my guy Bode!
I would rank this season 2nd best....Kelly puts it as the best.
My rankings:
Season 3: Stringer
Season 4: Schools
Season 1: Gets it all started
Season 2: The docks

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Titans news
Young "hurting inside and out," mother says
The Tennessean
A psychologist was among those who met with Young at his Brentwood home on Monday, and what she concluded and told team officials led to a bizarre, 24-hour period that ended just after midnight Monday. That's when Fisher met with Young and police at Baptist Sports Park.
Simms takes back-up job for Titans

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No gain for Patterson, no pain for Cats
Lexington Herald Leader
Patterson gained only one pound and 1 percent body fat in the time between ankle surgery and the beginning of his rehabilitation this off-season, UK Coach Billy Gillispie said Monday.

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Phillips done
In the 11th inning of last night's 5-4 victory at Mil, 2B Brandon Phillips suffered a broken right index finger when he was hit by a pitch on a bunt attempt...in that same plate appearance he singled to drive in the game-winning run...he is scheduled to be examined in Cincinnati later today and will not play the rest of the season.

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E.D. to be roving instructor in '09
MLB.COM
"We'll probably have him in the instructional league some," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "He wants to work with us, but he's not ready to do it full-time. He adds a lot with his knowledge of the game, obviously. He's still well respected and revered by today's players that recognize who he was and what he was as a Reds player. He'll be another valuable asset to the organization that will be able to provide some resource for these guys to go to, and supplement our coaching staff at the Major or Minor League level."