Watch Friday Night Lights
SurfTheChannel.com
Last night....and every episode
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Thursday show preview
Guests
Paul Keels, voice of the Buckeyes
Dan Clasgens, Fantasy Playbook, GetSportsInfo.com
Erin Rynning, handicapper
Topics
College football: A TON of it. I'm going to start using Thursday's as more of a college football day. Would you like to play along?
Come one, come all: UC, UK, OSU football fans....anyone road trippin' to your game this weekend? Ever been to Camp Randall? Ever eaten at DreamlandBBQ in Tuscaloosa?
MLB playoffs
Coolest movie/TV cars: Knight Rider returned to TV last night. I don't think I've ever watched an episode. But it's a cool car. What are the coolest cars all-time from TV and movies?
Topics I won't cover: Chad kissing the star
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Cover 2 with Haruki
Carroll County Times
This week during practice the vets told the rookies how important Monday Night football is for the players. It is the only game that all the other NFL players watch, the vets said. Plus, they said your former college teammates and family would be gathered around the television.
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It's a wrap
I was looking over the final season notes for the Reds. Here are a few of interest.
*The Reds used a rookie starting pitcher 46 times this season: 10-23 5.21
*For the first time in franchise history they had four pitchers with 150+ strikeouts
*10 Reds made their major league debut in '08
*Adam Pettyjohn became the first lefthanded pitcher to start for the Reds this season when he started the final game. It snapped a streak of 180 straight starts by RHP for the Reds.
*Reds SP ranked 14th in NL 4.97
*Reds relievers ranked 3rd in NL 3.81
*Johnny Cueto started 31 games....the first Reds rookie RHP to start 30+ games since Gary Nolan in 1967
*Reds record when they homered: 57-52
*Reds record when they did not homer: 17-36
*Record when scoring fewer than 3 runs: 5-47
*Reds ranked last in the NL in hitting (.247) and 12th in runs scored
*Jeff Keppinger k'd once every 20.9 plate appearances...best in NL
*Francisco Cordero converted 34 of 40 save chances(85%).. including his final 14
*ERA by catchers: Hanigan 4.16, Bako 4.36, Valentin 5.05, Ross 5.09
*Record by starts at each position:
SS Hairston 18-15, Keppinger 46-55, Janish 8-10
CF Hairston 11-4, Bruce 17-18, Patterson 33-49, Freel 6-13
C Hanigan 14-11, Bako 42-46, Valentin 2-4, Ross 16-27
LF Dunn 48-62...others 26-26
RF Jr 43-46.....others 31-42
*David Weathers: Last 36 appearances 2.45 ERA....last 44 appearances 2.60
*Joey Votto led NL rookies in hitting, hits, HR, total bases, mult hit games, on base percentage, slugging.....he was 2nd in RBI, runs, doubles and extra base hits. His 18 games with atleast 3 hits led all ML rookies.
*8th inning runs allowed this year: 65
*8th inning runs allowed last year: 97
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Reds want to see Buchholz at SS
MLB.COM
"I would call it an almost seamless transition," Cincinnati director of player development Terry Reynolds said. "A majority of guys have a problem moving from aluminum to wood bats. But he didn't seem to have that issue."
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Baseball course is a hit at college
MSNBC
The course was first offered at the small liberal arts college in 2005, a year after the Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series. This year's class, the second time it has been offered, is open only to freshmen, who get full academic credit toward graduation.
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The passion for Marshall football
Bill Koch, Enquirer
When I talked to Rick Minter yesterday he said he was impressed by the passion that Marshall fans have for their fooball team. He didn't say this, but that must be a nice change for him, considering that there was very little passion for UC football while he was there
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Are you ready? Marshall fans are
From the Marshall team website
Which 2008 home football game are you most looking forward to?
Cincinnati - 36.9% (1013 votes)
UCF - 18.5% (508 votes)
Tulsa - 15.7% (431 votes)
Houston - 15.2% (417 votes)
Memphis - 10.6% (292 votes)
Illinois State - 3.0% (81 votes)
The Marshall athletic department is conducting "Whiteout '08" and 7,500 white t-shirts will be distributed to fans at at the game. The first 1,000 students will also receive white rally towels and an additional 1,000 fans will receive "rolla banner" signs.
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If you go: OSU-Wisconsin
Columbus Dispatch
Thomas supplies Buckeyes fans with a few restaurant and sightseeing options as Ohio State prepares for its showdown with the Badgers. And, with a bye week, Thomas might even be jumping around with the fans in Camp Randall Stadium. If you don't take advice from a Badger, Big Ten travel guru Paul Keels is back with his five-star dining selections
Tressel makes his point: Best will play
Columbus Dispatch
"Nobody's job is safe," said Jim Cordle, who should know. He was the starting center through three games until left guard Steve Rehring suffered a sprained foot at USC.
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"Mount Cody" looms for UK
Louisville Courier Journal
"We all know it's going to be a challenge to get back to the line of scrimmage, let alone gain any yards, against Alabama's rush defense, because look what they did to one of the best backs in the nation last week," Brooks said. "That guy's a great player, and they destroyed Georgia's running game."
UK defenses embraces Bama challenge
Lexington Herald Leader
Rib meat and greet is absolute Dream
USA Today
"If Alabama had an official restaurant, this would be it," University of Alabama senior Tim Chandler said. "Look at the walls. You see Coach Bryant's photo. Coach (Nick) Saban. Coach (Gene) Stallings. It's the best ribs in the world, and it's all from a cee-ment shack."
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Happy Birthday: Kelly Rippa turns 38
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50 years ago today: Huckelberry Hound debuts
The Office: Jim's best pranks
Entertainment Weekly
As the Dunder Mifflinites get settled into a new season, we revel in 16 of Jim Halpert's best schemes of seasons' past -- mostly at the expense of poor Dwight Schrute
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Mr Clean dead at 92
CNN
House Peters Jr., a TV actor who became the original Mr. Clean in Procter & Gamble's commercials for household cleaners, died Wednesday. He was 92.
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Holliday and Atkins news
Denver Post
If shopped aggressively, Holliday, 28, would be arguably the best player on the market. He has power, athleticism and a work ethic that would make a monk blush. He also has Scott Boras as an agent, who confirmed Wednesday that there has been no progress on a long-term contract. The left fielder is signed through next year at $13.5 million - so the Rockies stand to lose leverage in trade talks every day he creeps closer to free agency.
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UC offense "Conference USA like"
The Charleston Gazette
"No more Wisconsins, no more Illinois States, slowly getting out the huddle and running the ball. This is basketball on grass at its best, so really, it's not only a challenge for us, but it's an opportunity to mold and shape ourselves to all the conference teams."
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Mint(er) condition
The Charleston Gazette
Rick Minter will tell you, with a straight face, that this is just another week in the football coaching business.
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Longhorn coach says he's proud of Benson
American Statesman
"I'm really proud for Cedric Benson that he got a chance to restart his professional career," Brown said Wednesday. "Good for him. I told the team yesterday, and they are all very proud of him."
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SPiN Centerfold Picks
Careful opening. Hey, one of them picks the Bengals
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Forget the NFL-I'm pro college
Paul Daugherty, Enquirer
It could be a symptom of 20 years of living in Cincinnati, where the NFL dwells sporadically. It could be 30 years in the business, and a longing for times not so cynical. It could just be that college football is the better entertainment. Regardless, I know what I Knowshon: College or pro no longer is a debate.
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The 49ers' Football Intellect
Wall Street Journal
He had made his professional reputation with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 through 1975 under the tutelage of his mentor, the legendary Paul Brown. Mr. Walsh blossomed with the Bengals and it was widely assumed that Mr. Brown was grooming him for the head coaching slot. But that didn't happen
Not only did Mr. Brown snub Mr. Walsh, he actively bad-mouthed him when the coach left to pursue other NFL opportunities. Mr. Harris suggests that perhaps Mr. Brown became jealous of his protégé. Because of Mr. Brown's august status and his failure to appoint Mr. Walsh as his successor, football people assumed something must have been wrong with him. Mr. Walsh instead left the NFL to coach Stanford to respectability in the always tough Pac-10 conference.
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Did you know?
For the first time since 1973 Xavier will be playing a varsity college football game on Oct 11th. They will be playing Lincoln College of Missouri who is a NCAA division 2 school coached by former Bengal Lamar Parrish.
