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6:05, Sports Talk
6:35, UC vs Rutgers
Topic
College hoops: UC, XU, UK
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College basketball
Hoard: Wright appreciates Cronin using caution
Xavier: It's been 11,708 days since Dayton last beat Xavier in Cincinnati.
The date was January 10, 1981. The Musketeers have won 27 consecutive games vs the Flyers in Cincinnati.
Attendance
Last week UC athletics tweeted that basketball attendance is up nearly 27-percent from a year ago (8,056). Student attendance is up 180-percent. Bill Koch wrote about the attendance increase. I've been asked many times why Xavier is outdrawing UC this season. I started looking at numbers over the years.
In 1989, Xavier outdrew UC by 839 fans per game (4,411 to 3,572).
In 1990, Bob Huggins arrived and UC outdrew XU by 1,716 fans per game (9,273 to 7,757). Huggins' arrival started a streak of 16 consecutive seasons of UC outdrawing XU. Since the departure of Huggins, Xavier has outdrawn UC each of the last seven seasons. Why is Cincinnati going to be outdrawn by Xavier for the eighth consecutive season?:
*Level of success
*Huggins/Zimpher
*Cintas Center vs 5th/3rd Arena
*Campus parking/safety
*Mick Cronin
*Marketing
*Ticket cost/UCATS
*Conference uncertainty
*Football success
*Other
Here is the attendance breakdown over the last 25 years:
2012-2013 Average attendance this season
Cinnnati: 8056
Xavier: 9,772
Capacity
5th/3rd Arena: 13,176
Cintas Center: 10,250
Average attendance by year/NCAA rank:
2013: UC 8,056………….......XU 9,772
2012: UC 8,069 (59)……...XU 10,155 (39)
2011: UC 7,344 (71)........XU 10,098 (44)
2010: UC 8,076 (64)........XU 10,123 (44)
2009: UC 7,818 (70)........XU 10,097 (41)
2008: UC 8,534 (63)........XU 10,008 (47)
2007: UC 8,831 (63)........XU 9,910 (50)
2006: UC 9,300 (53)........XU 9,774 (44)
2005: UC 11,304 (27)........XU 9,903 (44)
2004: UC 12,805 (24).......XU 9,902 (46)
2003: UC 12,182 (25).......XU 10,178 (41)
2002: UC 12,058 (25).......XU 10,224 (37)
2001: UC 12,906 (19).......XU 10,072 (44)
2000: UC 13,176 (23).......XU 9,072 (49)
1999: UC 12,977 (24).......XU 9,540 (43)
1998: UC 11,009 (31).......XU 9,924 (40)
1997: UC 13,158 (21).......XU 9,436 (46)
1996: UC 12,719 (26).......XU 8,871 (55)
1995: UC 13,099 (23).......XU 8,201 (58)
1994: UC 12, 629(27).......XU 6,943 (74)
1993: UC 12,238 (28).......XU 7,236 (68)
1992: UC 10,111 (38).......XU 8,296 (57)
1991: UC 10,188 (37).......XU 6,812 (79)
1990: UC 9,273 (51).......XU 7,757 (64)
1989: UC 3,572 (143).....XU 4,411 (117)
*1990 Bob Huggins arrives
*2001 Cintas Center opens
*2005 Final season for Bob Huggins
*2006 Andy Kennedy interim coach
*2007 Mick Cronin arrives
UK picks perfect time to play best game of year
John Clay, Lexington Herald Leader
Ole Miss brought out the actor Morgan Freeman, the Fox News anchor Shepard Smith and the popular football coach Hugh Freeze for a big night at Tad Smith Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Kentucky brought Kyle Wiltjer.
Ole Miss brought the talk of the nation, the outrageous shot-maker Marshall Henderson.
Kentucky brought the phenomenal shot-blocker Nerlens Noel.
Ole Miss brought a No. 16 ranking and the hopes of a look-at-us win over a college basketball blue blood.
Kentucky brought, well, the best version of itself.
Finally.
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Reds
A Great American idea for All-Star games
MLB.com
The Reds were baseball's first professional team, which means they deserve special treatment over their 29 peers in the game. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, because I had a revelation a few days ago. It came after Major League Baseball announced it was making Cincinnati the host city for the 2015 All-Star Game.
The revelation? Given the Reds' significance to baseball history, why not make Cincinnati the host city to the All-Star Game on a regular basis? Like every five years or something? They do such a thing in college basketball.
Phillips, Cozart make for dynamic duo
Mark Sheldon, MLB.com
Heading into 2013, stability reigns in Cincinnati's middle infield, as Phillips and shortstop Zack Cozart have all the signs of being a lasting combination.
Phillips, 31, was signed last April to a six-year, $72.5 million deal that lasts through 2017. During this offseason, the Reds moved their top shortstop prospect, Billy Hamilton, to center field and traded another prospect in Didi Gregorius to Arizona.
"It was tough trading Gregorius, but we feel we have a shortstop in Cozart for a number of years," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "And we're set at second base for a number of years."
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Did you miss him?
Jim Anderson announced his retirement yesterday, after 29 years as running backs coach of the Bengals. He joined me on Sports Talk last night: Interview starts at 15-minute mark.
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Reds
Thought of the day: Three years ago 100% of fans loved the signing of a Cuban starting pitcher. Now, approximately 98.1% hate the idea of having him start.
Prospect Watch: Top 100 prospects
11. Billy Hamilton
51. Robert Stephenson
66. Tony Cingrani
Opening Day ticket opportunity
CINCINNATI (January 29, 2013) — In a continuing effort to make Opening Day tickets available to as many fans as possible, the Reds have announced the annual online ticket opportunity for the April 1 game vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Now through Wednesday, February 13, 2013, at 12:00 p.m. ET, fans can register on reds.com/openingday for a chance to purchase up to four (4) individual Opening Day tickets.
There are a limited number of tickets available through this opportunity.
Applicants must complete and submit the registration form online on Reds.com to participate in this opportunity to purchase Opening Day tickets.
Winners will be selected at random from the pool of registrants.
Winners will be notified via email and will have the opportunity to purchase up to four tickets to Opening Day.
The best way to guarantee Opening Day ticket options is with a VIP Full, Weeknight or Half-Season Mix plan.
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Bengals
Facebook Data Science: NFL fan breakdown by state
Ohio is another interesting story, with the Cleveland Browns in the north, Cincinnati Bengals in the south, and Pittsburgh Steelers fans occupying the middle of the state.
Bengals have sold over 1,000 new season tickets
More than 1000 Bengals season tickets have been sold to new subscribers in the first week and a half since a new pricing schedule went into effect.
In 2013, for the second straight year, Bengals season tickets will cost less than the previous year in a significant number of sections of Paul Brown Stadium.
Price reductions are in effect in 20 stadium sections. A number of sections priced last year at $50 per game have been added to the areas selling for $40, and many sections priced at $60 last year have been reduced to $50.
“It’s an encouraging start toward our goal of maximizing homefield advantage by selling out every game in 2013,” said ticket sales manager Andrew Brown. “We are getting particularly heavy volume in the new $40 and $50 sections, but response is good across the board, and there are still good locations remaining on all three levels of the stadium.”
Fans may obtain tickets or get further information by calling the Bengals Ticket Hotline at 513-621-TDTD (8383), or by clicking the “Tickets” tab on the home page of Bengals.com.
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Stuff
It's cold and rainy, here is SI swimsuit model Julie Henderson
Jose Canseco is doing what? What could a metal/post-hardcore band and a MLB heavy hitter possibly have in common? Find out at here >>
