Show preview
6:05, The Roundtable Show w/ John Thornton
8:05, Mick Cronin Show
Friday Off Beaten Path: Looking for a fun topic for 8pm hour Friday.
Something tied to sports, current events, movies, music....maybe:
*A spin on the petition from Cowboy fans asking President Obama to remove Jerry Jones as owner? What things would you like to petition in sports?
*The always fun "Brush with Sports Greatness" with KC RB Jamal Charles asking for Peyton Manning's autograph?
*In honor of the passing of Marvin Miller, 10 most influential sports figures in history? How about this? I bought a book called Zobmondo: Would You Rather? The book creates bizarre scenarios/choices for you to make.
Maybe create a sports version? Example: Would you rather your college team cheat/win a championship and later get a 2-year bowl ban, or play it straight up/be in mix for title/but not win?
Suggestions? Nominations please.
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Bengals
Check out Marvin and Andy mic'd up for the Raiders game.
Takeo Spikes regrets
Geoff Hobson.com
As for that call about Spikes leaving Cincinnati when Lewis took the job after the 2-14 season in 2002 capped Spikes's five seasons at 19-61, it is now the stuff of legend and lore. What we do know is that Spikes, a transition free agent, basically told the media before he sat down to talk with Lewis is that he didn't want to come back no matter who the coach was.
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Must read
Shuler overcomes tragedy with help of two families
Paul Dehner Jr, GoBearcats.com
Supporting Shuler wasn't just something Jones wanted to do, it was something the entire team believes they have to do. It's part of being a family. It's part of Cincinnati football.
"The great thing is that's why we talk about the foundation of our football program being structured around the core value of family," Jones said. "(Shuler and I) have spoken a few times, because I've lost my father. And my father was my hero. He was everything to me. But just having that open line of communication having the support system in place from not only his coaches but his peers, teammates, that's really helped him. Plus, he's got a great mother, he's a high character individual. Just love everything about him."
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Crosstown Classic
Illustration by James Yamasaki
Make it, take it
Justin Williams, Cincinnati Magazine
The reaction among fans and media was swift and unequivocal. “This was a breakdown of epic proportions to allow [the rivalry] to get to this point,” says Lance McAlister, 700 WLW Sports Talk host. “It was a breakdown of the administrations, the facility, the security, the coaches, the players, and it led to an ugly statement about the city of Cincinnati’s two Division I basketball teams.”
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This date in Reds history
From Baseball-Reference.com
1971:
Reds trade 1B Lee May, 2B Tommy Helms, and OF Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for 2B Joe Morgan, OF Cesar Geronimo, OF Ed Armbrister, INF Dennis Menke and P Jack Billingham.
2002
The Reds and Padres reach an agreement to trade Ken Griffey, Jr. for Phil Nevin, but Nevin, with a no-trade clause in his contract, nixes the deal. He says he will only agree to a trade to a West Coast team that trains in Arizona.
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MLB
I forgot to post this last week:
What is the best offensive stat?
CBS Sports
Here are our nine candidates for best primary offensive stat -- and please note that every offensive stat here is very important, we're just trying to pick which is the top dog. Also note, categories such as doubles, triples and stolen bases are clearly important but couldn't be rationally argued as the most important stat. Thus, they were left out. - Matt Snyder
Spare us from baseball writers' sermons
Bernie Miklasz, St Louis Post Dispatch
If you enjoy inflated egos, posturing, moralizing, self-righteous sermons, brazen double standards, conveniently shifting principles, glaring inconsistencies, selective justice and the general delusions of sportswriters who believe they’re as important as Chief Justice John G. Roberts or Pope Benedict XVI — Wednesday was your lucky day. Don't punish the steriod era players
Sporting News
It is time to stop acting like history didn’t happen from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Otherwise, in 20 years we might have a Hall of Fame that completely ignores what has been labeled the “Steroids Era” unless you’re named Derek Jeter*.
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Conference realignment
Big East needs return to basketball roots
John Feinstien, Washington Post
For all intents and purposes, the Big East no longer exists. It should be re-named Conference-Anywhere or Conference-We’ll-Take-Anyone-We-Can-Get-As-Long-As-You-Field-A-Football-Team. A bit unwieldy, but accurate. The saddest part in all of this is the fact that Mike Tranghese, Gavitt’s successor as commissioner, brought football into the conference 21 years ago to appease Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Boston College; all three, naturally, have bolted for the ACC.
The incredible, shrinking Big East
Memphis Commercial Appeal
It's not really the Big East anymore. The Middle East, anyone? Only without the inherent stability.
Rutgers and Notre Dame are leaving. Now Louisville is leaving. Like some of your finer hotels, the Big East should start charging by the hour.
Breaking news: The Big East is prepared to extend a membership invitation to Whomever Wins the Powerball jackpot.
Big East in danger of being runover
Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports
The A-10 has added VCU and Butler to the likes of Xavier, Richmond and Saint Joseph's. The A-10 knows what it is, and is trying to get stronger. The Big East knows what it wants to be, but doesn't realize it'll never get there. And so it becomes weaker. Every few days, it seems, another relevant school leaves or another irrelevant school joins. The Big East is a haphazard collection of useless junk. It started out as a designer boutique of basketball; now it's Kmart.
Timid ACC should have added UC and UConn
Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News
The ACC’s gamble today is that Connecticut and Cincinnati always will be there for them, and that’s probably true in the case of UConn because of its geography. And it might be true, as well, with Cincinnati, but the Bearcats can present themselves as a pretty formidable candidate for Big 12 expansion.
Essentially what lifted Louisville above Cincinnati was facilities. Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium is a sweet place to watch a football game, and the KFC Yum! Center is a basketball palace. Cincinnati could attempt to counter that to the ACC, but it largely would be a bluff.
UConn never had a chance vs UL AD Jurich
Rick Bozich, WDRB
Tom Jurich didn't build and upgrade all those facilities on the Louisville campus to be left behind. He hasn't chased all those nationally recognized coaches in every sport to be told, "No." He didn't agree to move the U of L basketball program to that elegant new arena by the Ohio River to be told that it was time for his school to resume scheduling East Carolina and Tulane. How did Louisville snatch an invitation from a league that was alleged to turn its nose up at the Cardinals' credentials, especially its academic credentials?
How Louisville got the call from the ACC
Louisville Courier Journal
they had to convince the ACC that U of L was a better option than Connecticut, which seemed to have the advantage in academics, geography and market size.“We were definitely the underdogs,” Jurich said. “People had UConn not penciled in, but penned in.”
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UC football: Represent the D
Earlier this week some UC players visited a local elementary school to talk about how they "Represent The C", only to find out that the school is "Representing The D".
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Stuff
ESPN's Tom Rinaldi does it again. What a story:
NKU men face Ohio State on Big 10 Network Saturday
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Did you miss them?
If you miss the show be sure to checkout the podcast section of my blog.
Click on the button down the left side of this blog for shows/interviews.
In hour one last night I talked with Reds reliever Jonathan Broxton (6:11) and New Cath football coach Eddie Evistion (6:35):
In hour two I talked with Moeller football coach John Rodenberg (7:05), Heather Mitts (7:15), Christian Laettner (7:35), and UC Athletic Director Whit Babcock (7:40):
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Help
From listener Brian:
On November 18th, Emily Langdon (6th grader at Dillsboro Elementary School) was involved in an ATV accident with her uncle, Mike Langdon. They hit head on and thankfully, they were both wearing helmets. Emily's Dad and Mike's brother, Todd was there when the accident happened. Todd immediately started CPR on Emily. She was air cared to Children's Hospital and Mike was air cared to UC. Emily remains in a coma, she broke her arm in 3 places, has a collapsed lung, and a laceration on her liver. The extent of her brain trauma/damage will not be fully known until she wakes up. I did hear today that they were able to remove her breathing tube today. She is trying to wake up and they are hopeful she will soon. Mike is still at UC, he is awake but due to his broken jaw and eye socket fracture, he will face many surgeries once the swelling goes down. They also found a blood clot in his leg.
Emily has a younger sister named Hannah who is in the 3rd grade. Emily's parents are visiting Emily in a 2 day rotation. Barb and Todd's Mom will stay for 2 days and then come home to stay with Hannah while Todd and his Dad go to see Emily. During their 2 days at Children's, they also go over to UC to visit Mike.
The Langdon's are an amazing family. I can't imagine what they are going through.We are collecting gas cards from Shell and BP, and also pre-paid visa and mastercards to help with purchases such as food tickets at Children's Hospital.If your looking to help a needy family out for the holiday, or want to donate gift cards please let me know. I can be reached @ bemerson33@hotmail.com.Please keep the Langdon family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you very very much.
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