Latest Friday
Bengals news
The Bengals today announced the signing of eight college free agents.
The list includes three players with local/regional connections. HB Bradley Glatthaar is from Cincinnati (Elder High School) and played at the University of Cincinnati. LB Anthony Hoke played at the University of Cincinnati, and FB Tyler Whaley is from Ironton, Ohio (Ironton HS) and played at Ohio State.
The complete list of today's signings:
--James Blair, G, 6-3, 323, Western Michigan; Detroit, Mich.
--Justin Britt, G/C, 6-4, 302, Alabama; Cullman, Ala.
--Simeon Castille, CB, 6-0, 195, Alabama; Birmingham, Ala.
--Bradley Glatthaar, HB, 5-11, 245, Cincinnati; Cincinnati, Ohio
--Anthony Hoke, LB, 6-0, 238, Cincinnati; Warren, Ohio
--James Johnson, HB, 5-11, 202, Kansas State; Port Arthur, Texas
--Michael Marquardt, DT, 6-3, 292, Arizona State; Vista, Calif.
--Tyler Whaley, FB, 5-11, 252, Ohio State; Ironton, Ohio
Each of the eight players signed a two-year contract.
TRYOUT PLAYERS
The Bengals also have arranged for a number of unsigned players to work with the team during the minicamp on a tryout basis.
Seven of the tryout players have local/regional connections. OL Tom Anevski of Boston College is from Cincinnati (Elder HS). CB Clay Hamblen is from Georgetown (Ky.) College. HB Greg Moore is from the University of Cincinnati, and his hometown is Dayton, Ohio (Trotwood Madison HS). HB Jay Peck of Alabama State is from Columbus, Ohio (Brookhaven HS). WR Brian Piper is from Georgetown (Ky.) College, and his hometown is Villa Hills, Ky. (Covington Catholic HS). QB Jeff Smith is from Georgetown (Ky.) College, and his hometown is Fort Thomas, Ky. (Newport Catholic HS). S Anthony Williams is from the University of Cincinnati.
Names of other players participating on a tryout basis will be available during the minicamp.
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Top 15 sports movie quotes of all-time
The Love Of Sports
Even though a vast majority of fans will generally agree on the all-time greats, I can't help but wonder why? I mean, one or two of them might be worth of cinematic praise, but aside from that, none of them are so cinematically superb that they should be cherished the world over. So again, I found myself wondering what it was about the great ones that made them so memorable?
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Attending The Kentucky Derby
ESPN
One of those "must do in my lifetime" events for sports fans - racing or not. Yes, there will be crowds, and Louisville bursts at the seams, but the adrenaline rush is second-to-none ... especially if you're cashing winning tickets
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Debating Shaun Alexander
NFL Network
Terrell Davis weighs in
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Maxim Hometown Hottie
Careful opening
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A muddled field
Washington Post
By disregarding the two favorites, a horseplayer should be able to find some lucrative exotic-betting opportunities in the Derby. Yet it is hard for me to muster much enthusiasm or conviction on behalf of the others. This is a weak crop of 3-year-olds. In a typical year, the eventual Derby winner will come into the race showing that he can run a Beyer Speed Figure in the 105 to 110 range. In this year's lineup, Big Brown's 106 is the best, and only six horses ever have earned a triple-digit figure.
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BCS holding college football hostage
American Statesman
We enter Year 11 of college football held hostage.
The 11 conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director gathered in Florida this week. And once again they refused to reveal the whereabouts of college football, which remains bound and gagged in an undisclosed location, where it's forced to watch "Deal or No Deal" on an endless loop and will not be released until the ignorant fans and clueless media finally concede there is no need for a playoff system.
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OSU changes policy for alumni football tickets
Columbus Dispatch
"Whatever the ticket office does causes hard feelings," Leslie Croyle of Bay Village, whose husband graduated from Ohio State 36 years ago, said Thursday. "Unless everybody gets 50-yard line tickets, somebody is upset."
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Cooper realized what mattered after firing, and it wasn't win total
Columbus Dispatch
"And he made a comment to me that was loud and clear, 'Big ... deal,' " Cooper said. "He said, 'On your tombstone, all they'll have is, 'Here lies John Cooper -- 200 victories.' That put a stop to that. I decided to spend a little more time with my wife, my children and my grandbabies. Life is good right now."
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Police called after IU player tells Crean he's transfering
Indy Star
"His behavior took me, along with the other people in the office, by surprise,'' Crean said in a university release. "We saw him as a danger to himself and wanted to take precautionary measures to help him.''
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8th grader picks UK, still deciding on HS
Louisville Courier Journal
"We're very flattered and excited that Michael will have the opportunity to one day play at Kentucky," Howard Avery said. "After going through the thought process and talking to a lot of people, when you have a program like Kentucky wanting you, there's not any better. They have a coach that appreciates what my son can offer. What else can you look for?"
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Clones fall in game 5
Brock Hooton scored the lone goal of the hockey game 15:48 into the third period to give Reading a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones Thursday night. The win gives the Royals a three games to two edge over the Cyclones in the best of seven series for the North Division championship.
Danny Taylor turned aside 43 shots to record the shutout for Reading. Cedrick Desjardins took the defeat for Cincinnati, stopping 24 of the 25 shots he faced. Game 6 is Saturday night in Reading.
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Friday
Turncoat U
Wall Street Journal
It's one thing for a paid professional athlete to switch sides in a rivalry. It's quite another when a collegian does it
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5 ways to fix the Reds
Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News
4. Corey Patterson is hitting .214. Ryan Freel is hitting .321. Who should bat leadoff and play center field - even though both seem to need anchors or ankle bracelets when they run the bases?
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Vol's Lofton quietly faced and beat cancer
ESPN
"I'm not a guy who cries a whole lot around people," said Lofton, who's now cancer-free and as determined as ever to pursue a professional basketball career. "But I cried more this past year than I have my whole life combined.
"I cried a river this past year."
Amazingly, Lofton went through the entire ordeal -- the surgery, radiation treatments, recovery and excruciating emotional distress -- with very few people knowing.
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Thursday 3
Reds news
Dayton Dragons announced today that Cincinnati Reds reliever David Weathers is scheduled to pitch for the Dragons on Friday, May 2nd at Fifth Third Field on a major league injury rehabilitation assignment. The Dragons will host the Burlington Bees at 7:05 p.m.
Weathers may also pitch for the Dragons on Saturday in a 7:05 p.m. game against Burlington at Fifth Third Field.
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Brooks in trouble?
Enquirer
New poll
Thursday 2
Bengals news
The Bengals today waived LBs Roy Manning and Anthony Schlegel.
Manning is a fourth-year NFL player from Michigan. He played in five games for Cincinnati last season and had seven special teams tackles.
Schlegel is a third-year NFL player from Ohio State. He played in 13 games for the Bengals last season, with five starts, and had 34 tackles on defense with four special teams tackles.
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Method to Marvin's madness
Ludwig At Large
What does it mean to have three more competent receivers in the offensive arsenal?
Of course, the trio will help the passing game.
More importantly, the trio will ignite THE RUNNING GAME!!! How? By spreading the field. That's how.
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'08 College Football Hall of Fame class includes Holtz, Cooper
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UC QB uses ND experience as kindling
ESPN"
He's moved up in terms of our evaluation -- he really stunk and now he's just lousy," Kelly said, smiling. "If we had another spring, another 15 days, I could envision him competing for a starting position. Right now, it's a situation where it's going to take him all summer really to put himself in a position to compete."
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Scouts watching Reds for possible Dunn, Jr deals
MLB.COM
"They could get very good very quickly with a few more players. If they don't get going soon they'd be crazy not to try to move [Dunn and Griffey] for guys that could help them down the road, especially if both are going to be gone anyway when the season's over."
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Dunn what?
I hear fans say, "as the weather warms up, so will the bats"
I looked up Adam Dunn's career numbers, by month.
This is kind of scary. His BEST overall month during his ML career is April:
BA .268 (2nd best)
HR 47 (T-Best)
RBI 105 (T-2nd)
OBP .419 (best)
SLG .574 (best)
OPS .993 (best)
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Classic Borgman
Chad's corner
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Follow-up on softball act of sportsmanship
The Oregonian
Afterward, Central coach Frederick said he received a clarification from the umpiring supervisor, who said NCAA rules allow a substitute to run for a player who is injured after a home run. The clarification, however, could not diminish the glory of Holtman's and Wallace's gesture.
Interview with players involved
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April in review for the Reds
12-17 record
Biggest surprise: ?
Biggest disappointment: ?
MVP of April: ?
How/why does it get better in May?
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LaRussa's tinkering starts to pay off
St Louis Post Dispatch
To hang in the National League Central race, the Cardinals will have to consistently convert their scoring opportunities. And maybe, just maybe, La Russa has found ways to make that happen with the players on hand.
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So why isn't this happening with the Reds?
St Louis Post Dispatch
A year ago, the Cardinals franchise was spinning out of control. Baseball talk was off the table, replaced by sordid tales of drinking, death and destruction. The sacred Birds on the Bat logo was tilted and tainted by the disorder.
Now, after the opening month 2008, the Cardinals are looking like a fresh, crisp, cleaned-up contender.
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Nice story on UK seniors
KentuckySportsRadio.com
I just returned home from a long two days in the Simpson/Allen County part of the state with the Barnstorming Tour. During that time, I of course missed the biggest recruiting day in years, with the commitments of Josh Harrellson, Dominique Ferguson and the positive news from Jon Hood as well. However there will not be a regret on my end in the least as I experienced one of the more touching moments that I have seen in a long time in my life. Doing this tour has been enlightening on a lot of levels, from getting to see various parts of the state, to managing a large-scale operation to hearing interesting stories about UK players past and present. But maybe more than anything, it has allowed me to see the depth of passion around the UK program in ways that I havent been able to fully comprehend in the past. And along with that, it has allowed me to watch two young men who have helped build on the UK legacy, realize and embrace that passion as never before.
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MLB attendance soars to record breaking heights, again
Yahoo
MLB officials say attendance is 2.6 percent ahead of record-breaking figures from last season, when the 30 teams raked in more than $6 billion.
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Check this out
Jerome Simpson interview and highlights. Wait til you see some of his catches! Thanks to WPDE in Florence, South Carolina
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Alexander to contact Bengals
Mark Curnutte, Enquirer
Running back Shaun Alexander, cut loose by Seattle less than two weeks ago, will be contacting his favorite boyhood team, the Bengals.
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Five franchises we love to hate
CNNSI
4. THE Ohio State University: Buckeye fans have had the legs for their argument for dominance knocked out from under them lately, what with the way they keep losing in championship games. But you'd never know State can't win the big one by listening to them Buckeyes. (By the way, we get it: You're THE Ohio State University. Nice sweater vests.)
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Loved, hated, debated: DH at 35
MLB.COM"
The average fan comes to the park too see action, home runs," Finley said at the time. "He doesn't come to see a one-, two-, three- or four-hit game. I can't think of anything more boring than to see a pitcher come up to the plate when the average pitcher couldn't hit my grandmother. Let's have a permanent pinch-hitter for the pitcher."
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BCS driving it's rent-a-wreck til 2014
ESPN
What, you thought the 12 men who own the BCS car keys would actually improve their 10-year-old rent-a-wreck? You thought wrong.
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Maxim Hometown Hottie
Careful opening at work

