Have you nominated your team? The 1530 HOMER/Team Fitz Graphics HS Team Of The Week Your team can't win if they aren't nominated Tell me why your HS football 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 6pm each Monday. I will announce the winning team each Tuesday. The chosen team will receive 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
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Put your thinking cap on for Tuesday Got a topic to "fill the void" tomorrow? We could do Bengals 48 hours after the fact...or something different. Something fun?
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Show preview Marvin Lewis, 3pm Topics Bengals UC, UK, OSU Your weekend: Anyone to watch UC, OSU or UK? Did you go to Dallas? Did you find something better to do than watch/listen to the Bengals? Do tell.
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Looking for these? Click here for: Joe Nuxhall tribute Adam Dunn banana phone call Mike Valenti's rant "You Don't Live in Cleveland" "Playoffs?" Meg Ryan version of Manalac interception Interviews with: Rose, Montana, Pitino, Harwell, Rose, Faust, Summerall, Pollack
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Shot of the weekend CBS bump-in shot of Dallas Cowboy cheeerleader...prior to kickoff at 13:06 mark of first quarter.
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What they are saying *Geez, would somebody in Cincinnati put Chris Perry in touch with Tiki Barber? Tiki learned how to stop fumbling, and Perry better, too, otherwise the next thing he might lose is a job. -Clark Judge, CBS Sports *If I'm Marvin Lewis, I'd puke at the next mention of a "moral victory.''-Peter King, SI *The Bengals say Marvin Lewis isn't in jeopardy of being fired despite an 0-5 start. As long as Bengals management keeps bungling roster decisions, Lewis should be immune from job scrutiny.-John Clayton, ESPN Seeing winless teams in Houston, Detroit, Cincinnati and St. Louis this late in the season. You get the feeling one of that foursome (my money is on Detroit) is going to make a serious run at 0-16. -Charles Robinson, YAHOO
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My stat of the day Chris Perry this season: 5 fumbles Chris Perry carried 717 times in his final three years at Michigan and did not fumble once. 2001: 112 carries 2002: 267 carries 2003 338 carries 0 fumbles
Stat of the day II From listener Statman Carson Palmer QB rating 2004 - 77.3 2005 - 101.1 2006 - 93.9 2007 - 86.6 2008 - 69.0 Prior to the injury - 90.2 Since the injury - 87.9
Stat of the day III Notre Dame is unranked at 4-1 for the first time ever. They have been 4-1 and 3-1-1 after five games on 27 previous occasions and were ranked each time.
Who would have thought? Bengals 0-5 Dolphis 2-2 Falcons 3-2
Headlines read in Dallas "Cowboys nearly blows it" "More lucky than good" "Cowboys almost bungle away a win"
Pittsburgh Post Gazette No Willie Parker. No Rashard Mendenhall. No Carey Davis. No Kendall Simmons. No Marvel Smith late. No problem. Watching the Steelers come from behind to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 26-21, on the road last night after a short week and a body-bag Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens brought back memories of something Bill Cowher always said after his team stood tall in the face of the roughest adversity: "I've never been more prouder of a bunch of guys." Well, Mike Tomlin was pretty darn proud after this one, too.
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Photo/quote of the day
(AP photo/Matt Slocum) "I enjoyed myself today," he said. "But it didn't go right for us as a team. We lost. The way we played is the way we need to play. We're going to be fine. The only way we can get out of this is to help ourselves."
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Cowboys players need more fire from their coach Dallas Morning News "It was my emotion," Jerry said of heading to the field in the third quarter. "In my own way, I was reminding everyone how important - not that they needed reminding - this game was. I added an additional impetus to it. This game was every bit as big as it was against Washington last week."
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Brooks not happy with UK's play Lexington Herald Leader If you saw the final score from Saturday's Kentucky-Alabama game, it probably gave you the impression that the Wildcats did OK. Even if you saw the game, you might have given UK kudos for hanging in there with the nation's No. 2 defense.
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Phil Simms analysis Jim Nantz: "Marvin talked this week about the need to finish games" Phil Simms: "Sometimes you don't finish games because you simply aren't good enough....the other team has more talent" Also from Simms: "There is a lot that makes you really like Chad and TJ. They can bring energy and leadership.....but they don't. And the one thing a team can't overcome is superstars that bring negative feelings. Nantz: "You think their personalities dicate the emotion of this team?" Simms: "Oh, you can see it" Nantz: "When the Bengals were introduced as a team today you saw it" Simms: "Chad and TJ the only players to run out with their helmets off"
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Sights seen in Dallas Dallas Morning News A disgruntled Bengals fan, wearing a Rudi Johnson jersey while sitting in the row in front of the press box, had a classic sign that borrowed from the old Peanuts cartoons to rip Cincinnati's owner. "GOOD GRIEF MIKEY BROWN. YOU'RE A BLOCK-HEAD," it read. There was a picture with Jerry Jones playing the role of Lucy, pulling the ball away as Brown tried to kick it.
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Bengals play it safe, cost themselves a win Dallas Morning News Desperate times did not produce desperate measures. Other than an onside kick in the fourth quarter, the winless Bengals were content to take as few chances as possible.
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Jr's baserunning big for Sox MLB.COM "To be honest, I thought Griffey cheated," Guillen said. "I never thought he went back to the bag. That's good, smart baserunning. I think that was a big, big, huge play for us in that inning. Huge."
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Lewis appears safe in Cincinnati Adam Schefter, NFL.COM Very quietly, Bengals management has informed head coach Marvin Lewis that he is welcome to coach in Cincinnati as long as wants, according to a high-level Bengals source. It is as strong an indication to date that ownership has absolutely no plans to fire its head coach, certainly not now.
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Heard it from Hoard GoBearcats.com Has there ever been better proof that Brian Kelly is one of the best coaches in college football?
It is amazing UK takes Alabama to the wire in a heck of a game OSU rallies on an 80-yard drive by a freshman QB to stun Wisconsin UC wins on the road with a freshman QB making his debut...the third QB to start for UC this season. All the callers to Sunday Morning Sports Talk want to talk about the 0-4 Bengals
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I wonder...... How many times has a college football team won a game with three different starters in the same season? UC: Dustin Grutza, Tony Pike, Chazz Anderson
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Line of the weekend Columbus Dispatch Ohio State was getting the ball back on its 20-yard line with 6:31 remaining, needing a touchdown. Wells turned to Pryor. "I told him, 'This is a man's world, and you're stepping into manhood right now,' " Wells said. Pryor remembered Wells adding a challenge to the end of that: "Are you going to be a man or a kid?" As if that wasn't enough, OSU coach Jim Tressel -- always understated -- sent Pryor onto the field with one simple line: "All right, Terrelle, big drive." Luckily for Wells, Tressel and the rest of the Buckeyes, Pryor isn't the type to get rattled. The 19-year-old capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with an 11-yard option keeper for a touchdown with 1:08 remaining that gave OSU a comeback 20-17 victory over Wisconsin.
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Ohio State Postgame notes: OSU 20 Wisconsin 17 • Ohio State snapped Wisconsin’s 16-game home win streak. • Ohio State is 803-305-53 in its 119th season of play. The win total ranks fifth all-time in Division I college football. The only other schools to have 800 or more wins are Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas and Nebraska. • Overall, the Buckeyes are 417-127-14 as a Top 25 team. • Ohio State is 125-101-12 all-time against ranked opponents and 37-40-7 on the road against ranked foes. The Buckeyes are 31-10 overall and 10-5 on the road against ranked teams under Jim Tressel. • Under Coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 14-7 in night games and 7-3 in Big Ten night games away from Ohio Stadium. • Jim Tressel’s record with the Buckeyes now is 78-17 and his career record is 213-74-2. Tressel’s 213 wins are fourth most among active FBS coaches. • Chris “Beanie” Wells scored on the game’s opening possession, darting 33 yards for his second touchdown of the season. His last four touchdown runs have been 65 (vs. Michigan), 62 (vs. LSU), 43 (Youngstown State) and 33 yards. • Wells’ last four touchdown runs against the Badgers (dating back to last season) have been 33, 23, 30 and 31 yards. • Chris Wells rushed for a season-high 168 yards and one touchdown, including a 54-yard run in the third quarter – Ohio State’s longest play from scrimmage this year. • Chris Wells recorded his third 100-yard game of the season, the 12th of his career and his fifth-consecutive dating back to last season. • Terrelle Pryor made his third-consecutive start at quarterback for the Buckeyes. He is now 3-0 as a starter. Pryor was 13 of 19 through the air for 144 yards. He also ran for 20 yards, including an 11-yard TD run to win the game with 1:08 to play. • Robiskie has caught a pass in 30-consecutive regular-season games. • Brian Hartline has caught at least one pass in 24-consecutive games. He led Ohio State with three catches for 57 yards. • James Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with 10 tackles, marking the 12th game of his career with 10 or more. • Ross Homan also tied his personal best with 10 tackles for the second game in a row. • The Buckeye defense has held their opponents scoreless in 12 of 24 quarters this season. The held the Badgers scoreless in the first and third quarters. • Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins picked off his 10th career pass with under a minute to play to seal the victory. • Cameron Heyward recorded his third career sack and his first of the season. Marcus Freeman recorded his fifth career sack and had two TFL’s.
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UK games notes Final Score: Alabama 17, Kentucky 14 October 4, 2008 * Bryant-Denny Stadium * Tuscaloosa, Ala. Team Records and Series Notes * Kentucky is 4-1, 0-1 in the SEC. Alabama is 6-0, 3-0 in league play. * Alabama leads the series, 34-2-1. * Kentucky has never defeated Alabama in this state. The Crimson Tide has posted 20 wins and a tie vs. the Wildcats in games played in Alabama. * Alabama ended Kentucky's five-game winning streak, including the 2007 Music City Bowl victory over Florida State. * Kentucky returns to action Sat. Oct. 11 at home vs. South Carolina. The game will begin at 12:30 p.m. and is a regional telecast on Raycom Sports. UK Team Notes * Kentucky trailed at the half, 14-0, for the first time this season. * Kentucky has only surrendered three offensive touchdowns through five games this season. * Kentucky surrendered 219 yards to Alabama's Glen Coffee. The last time UK gave up 100 yards rushing to a single player was against Florida State in the Music City Bowl. (A.Smith) UK Individual Notes * Dicky Lyons caught six passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Lyons is now fifth all-time on the UK career receptions list with 137 and ranks fifth on the career receiving yardage list with 1,740 yards and tied for third on the career receiving TD list (18). * Trevard Lindley broke up three passes against Alabama to increase his total to 29 career breakups, breaking Antoine Huffman's previous school record of 27. The three pass breakups ties his career-high for a single game. * Derrick Locke caught eight passes for 81 yards, both career highs. * Braxton Kelley had a career-high 13 tackles against Alabama, His previous best was 11 tackles versus Kent State in 2007. Kelley has made at least three tackles in 17 consecutive games.
Henry back, Watson cut Bengals news Added WR Chris Henry to the roster. Henry practiced with the team this week on a roster exemption, following his return from a four-game NFL suspension. Terminated the contract of HB Kenny Watson, releasing him to free agency. Watson, a seventh-year NFL player, played in Games 1-3 this season, with 32 rushing yards on seven attempts and two receptions for three yards.
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Marvin can't escape fallout from Bengals mess Stephen A Smith, ESPN The depressing circumstances surrounding the Bengals were in Cincinnati long before Marvin Lewis arrived in town. Their record is 114-194 since 1989 entering Sunday's game at Dallas. They've made a grand total of two playoff appearances in the past two decades. Their present coach is responsible for one of them, and -- this is important, folks! -- his 42-42 record makes him one of three coaches in the franchise's 41-year history to sniff at having a winning record. For the moment. That last part is very interesting because the Bengals (0-4 this season) should have been better in his five-plus years as their coach. That they have not been painfully illuminates the likelihood of Lewis' imminent departure, no matter what he says.
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Marshall whitewashed by UC The Herald Dispatch "Cincinnati played awfully well," Thundering Herd head coach Mark Snyder said. "I was disappointed, obviously, in our performance tonight. I thought the defense played pretty well for the positions we put them in.
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Lap in the fold I'm excited and honored that Dave Lapham will join me each Wednesday from 5 to 5:30 to talk Bengals and take your calls. The segment is brought to you by Richter and Phillips Jewelers.
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Looking for the Carson intro and other stuff from the show? Click here The page includes Mike Valenti's rant, the Adam Dunn Banana Phone Call....plus interviews with Pat Summerall, Brooks Robinson, Joe Montana, Frank Caliendo, Ernie Harwell, Pete Rose and more.
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State of Hoops '08 in Ohio CollegeHoops.Net 2. Xavier: Sean Miller has picked up where Thad Matta left off, and Matta followed the success of Skip Prosser, who continued the foundation set by Pete Gillen. Since 1986, there's been a continual run of impressive postseason success at Xavier, including 2 Elite Eight trips in the past 5 years. 4. Cincinnati: This is obviously a storied program, but the post-Huggins era has gotten off to a slow start. There hasn't been a tourney trip in the past three seasons, nor a finish above .500 in conference play. 2009 should be better, but the Big Dance will most likely have to wait another season.
Best young coaches today Rivals.com THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Who is the best young (40 or under) coach in America?
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Gunnar Esiason fights illness, makes family proud Newsday Gunnar Esiason -- a week removed from serious complications in his ongoing battle against cystic fibrosis that kept him out of uniform in the team's opener Sept. 12 -- promptly led the Quakers on a scoring drive that concluded with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Alex Zisfein. It was the second touchdown pass of Gunnar's varsity career and the first in front of his father, the former Jets and Bengals quarterback.
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Thoughts and prayers Joey Sciarra(C-are-a) plays football in the Boone County Pee Wee Football League and this past Sunday changed his life forever. He was hurt on the field, then began having seizures and was taken to Childrens where they operated on him all day Sunday.
Where is the outrage over steroids in NFL? Wall Street Journal Suppose they gave a drug scandal and nobody came. On Sept. 21, the San Diego Union-Tribune published a blockbuster report listing 185 NFL players who had used performance-enhancing drugs -- men at every position from every team over the past three decades. (George Mitchell's headline-grabbing 2007 report on such drug use in baseball listed 100 fewer players in that sport.) Charles Yesalis, professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University and one of the country's leading anabolic steroids experts, believes that "we're just touching the tip of the iceberg."
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From the UC game notes • UC forced a turnover for the 19th-straight game. • The secondary produced a season-high three interceptions, UC’s first three-interception game since the 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl. • The UC defense has produced five sacks in its last two games after recording only three in the first three games of the season. • UC opens BIG EAST play against Rutgers at Noon on Oct. 11 in Nippert Stadium. UC will be the last BCS team to start league play in 2008. INDIVIDUAL • #14 Chazz Anderson started at quarterback for Cincinnati. It was his first collegiate appearance • Anderson is the fourth UC quarterback to see action during the 2008 season and the third different starter. He finished the game 16-of-26 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also added one rushing score. Anderson had his first-career rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. • He is the fifth different starting quarterback in Brian Kelly’s 19 games as UC’s head coach. • #16 Dominick Goodman caught a pass in his 25th-straight game. • Goodman caught a14-yard pass from Anderson for a touchdown with 4:54 left in the first quarter. It was the first-career passing TD for Anderson. • Goodman had two touchdown catches of 14 and 7 yards from Anderson. He has five touchdowns on the season and the 20 for his career. He is one TD shy of tying Jim O’Brien (1967-69) for the all-time lead with 21. • #21 Mike Mickens recorded his 12th career interception just before halftime, tying him for UC’s all-time lead with Blue Adams & Jocelyn Borgella. • Mickens finished the night with nine tackles, giving him 20+ stops tackles in the past two games. • #5 Connor Barwin blocked a punt with 1:02 left in the first quarter that went for a safety. It was the second block of his career. Barwin’s other career blocked punt came on Nov. 3, 2007 at USF. He also tipped a punt in the first quarter. He also had a sack, a pass break up, and a quarterback hurry. • #97 Jake Rogers kicked a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter. It was his third-straight game with a made field goal and he is 3-for-3 in 2008. • #49 Torry Cornett recorded a career-best nine tackles. He also finished with 1.5 tackles for a loss. • #20 Jacob Ramsey recorded a career-high 99 yards. • #1 Mardy Gilyard did not score a touchdown for the first time this season, snapping his four-game scoring streak. • #23 Isaiah Pead entered the game at running back in the fourth quarter and recorded a career-best 59 yards on 11 carries.
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Bengals Free Outing OVGA The OVGA, in conjunction with Carino's Italian Grille and the Enquirer's and WLW's Paul Daugherty, are putting on the Bengals Free Outing, Sunday, October 12 at Walden Ponds. Why waste another Sunday watching the Bengals get trashed (this time by Brett Favre and the Jets) when you can play golf, get free golf and help us raise money for Angels Among Us in the name of Jonah Borngrebe, grandson of OVGA golfer Mark Borngrebe. Details of the event include: $60 cost --includes green fee/cart, range, FREE 18 hole voucher for future round at Walden and dinner 11:00 tee time start...could change to 1:00 if more than 60 play Skins/CTP Post round raffle for a chance to win cool prizes All proceeds from the event benefit Angels Among Us, for more on Jonah Borngrebe and how you can help even if you don't play, please see the article written on Jonah by the Omaha World Herald: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=3940&u_sid=10421061 If that's not enough to entice you, here's a Top 10 list straight from the desk of David Letterman as to why playing in the Bengals Free Outing is better than watching what should be an 0-6 team by the end of that week's game: 10) Price of admission is cheaper 9) You receive free gifts about equal the price of admission 8) You won't have to put up with a Marvin Lewis press conference if you miss a putt on 18 for a skin 7) Nobody ever wants to see Ocho Cinco on their scorecard 6) Parking is free 5) Better looking venue 4) You don't have to do your own cooking to tailgate/cookout 3) The beer is delivered by someone better looking than a beer man 2) $6 gets you 3 beers instead of 1 AND THE #1 REASON WHY THE BENGALS FREE OUTING IS BETTER THAN WATCHING THE BUNGLES... 1) You get to help the less fortunate instead of watching the unfortunate.WHO DEY THINK THEY'D RATHER WATCH BAD FOOTBALL? Join us at the Bengals Free Outing at Walden Ponds on October 12!
Bengals news Signed LB Adbul Hodge from the Bengals practice squad. Hodge (6-0, 236) is a third-year player from Iowa. He entered the NFL in 2006 as a third-round draft choice of Green Bay. He played in eight Packers games in '06 and was on Green Bay's Reserve/Injured list (knee) last season. He played in all four Packers 2008 preseason games (20 tackles) and was waived by Green Bay on Sept. 1. He was signed to Cincinnati's practice squad on Sept. 16. Waived CB Simeon Castille, rookie from Alabama. Castille played in Games 1-4 this season, with six tackles.
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Bengals Breakdown Location: Buffalo Wings and Rings Tri-County Former Bengals OL Joe Walter will join me 3-4:30. Chick Ludwig 4:30-5:30 Bengals Trivia Showdown involving fans in attendance. Fun, food, prizes and football Got a question about the Bengals and the OL?.....Joe will take your calls....as will Chick.
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Trivia today...who wants to play? Here is an advanced look at the trivia we will do at Buffalo Wings and Rings. I'll take four contestants that are in the house with us. 1. Know your opponent: 20 Dallas Cowboys that have appeared in 5+ Pro Bowls...list them. 2. Pick it! Chinedum Ndukwe recorded the first interception of the year for the Bengals last week. List the 23 players with at least 10 career interceptions with the Bengals. 3. TD Tossin': Carson Palmer threw career TD number 105 last week. List the Bengals QB's in order of career TD's passes with the Bengals.
Line of the night "And the city by the lake is under water" -Vin Scully, voice of Dodgers, as Cubs go down 0-2 in series to LA
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Thanks again Thursday I experimented with a lot of college football conversation. I think it worked. The tough part of doing college football talk on Thursday is most callers want to react AFTER a game...not so much leading into a game. Agree or disagree? Should the Thursday college football talk should be more guest driven? The best opening for college football callers is Monday...but that is usually the day Bengals fans dominate. Maybe that changes? I'm not going to ignore the Bengals on a Tuesday or Thursay. I played what Carson told C. Trent about his elbow....but there really wasn't any other Bengals news. But I'm not going to jam Bengals stuff down your throat....especially when I have three hours for Bengals each Friday. I also tossed in a lighter topic Thursday, spinning off the TV return of Knight Rider last night. We compiled a list of the classic TV/movie cars. That was fun. Based on reaction, I probably should have brought it up earlier in the show. Let me know what you think. It only works if you like it and want to get invovled. Keep the ideas coming for a "change of pace"/"Off The Beaten Path" stuff. The last two days have been a blast.
5 points to ponder: UC-Marshall Herald Dispatch Which team will thrive, rather than overreact, to tonight's ESPN-charged, 'White Out' atmosphere?
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There's more than one way to skin a Bearcat Herald Dispatch "We want to create tension and some doubt in their kid's mind," said Minter. "We always go in thinking we carry X number of weapons in our arsenal."
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Milan/Central ref dies at 93 The Star Press Although he was an official for 35 years, Birge was best known for calling that 1954 title game that was the basis for the movie Hoosiers.
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First SEC road start a test for UK QB Lexington Herald Leader Tim Couch made his first SEC road start as a true freshman in 1996. The Cats were buried in a 65-0 avalanche at the hands of Florida. Jared Lorenzen's first start also came in the Swamp in 2000. While Lorenzen and the UK offense had some success, they lost a 59-31 shootout. Shane Boyd and the Cats were pounded 42-6 at South Carolina in Boyd's first start the next season. And in 2004, a young redshirt freshman named Andre Woodson took a 42-10 beating at the hands of Auburn. Hartline will try to avoid a similar fate Saturday.
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OSU confident Pryor can handle the pressure Columbus Dispatch Ohio State will head into a hostile environment Saturday night in need of a victory over Wisconsin that could resurrect its big dreams for the season. At the helm will be a freshman quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, and no one connected with the Buckeyes seems to have a concern with that.
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Expect an Ocho Cino-T.O. showdown Chick Ludwig, Dayton Daily News It's a grudge match between two of the NFL's perennial Pro Bowl wide receivers: the Bengals' Chad Ocho Cinco vs. the Cowboys' Terrell Owens.
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Should these Reds stay or go? John Fay, Enquirer It will be a little while before we know what the Reds are going to do with their nine free agents. Players have until two weeks after the end of World Series to file for free agency. Clubs have to until Dec. 1 to offer arbitration. That's can be a key thing because you have offer a player arbitration in order to get compensation for him. Players have to be in the top 40 percent of their position statistically for clubs to get compensation. Not many players on the Reds list fit into that category
****** Xavier adds recruit for 2008 Dustin Dow, Enquirer Parrom, a 6-foot-6 small forward originally from Bronx, N.Y., told Xavier's coaching staff that he would accept a scholarship offer from Xavier, which now has one scholarship left to give for the 2009 class. Saturday's commitment came during Parrom's official campus visit to Xavier, which prompted his announcement.
****** Big 12 challenges SEC supremacy Houston Chronicle "At this point, the league is absolutely the strongest it has ever been," said Texas coach Mack Brown, whose fifth-ranked Longhorns play four ranked teams over the next five weeks.
****** Doctor Z on Bengals-Cowboys CNNSI Cowboys giving away ... hold your breath ... 17 1/2 to Cincinnati. My own line last Sunday night was 13. This one tells me that the guys who set the price believe that Palmer is definitely out. I never gave away that many points in my life -- until now.
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."
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."
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."
****** 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.
