A Closer Look at the Reds in 2010

With less than a month until pitchers and catchers report (on February 17th) to Spring Training and just over a month until position players report (on February 22nd), the Reds haven’t made that much of a splash this off season. That is, until Owner Bob Castellini, General Manager Walt Jocketty and the Cincinnati Reds organization announced a week ago that they signed one of the most sought after free agents this year in Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman. Chapman, a soon-to-be 22 year old left-handed pitcher stands 6’4” and weighs about 180 lbs. His fastball has been clocked at 100 mph with a plus slider and has earned comparisons to a young Randy Johnson.

The Reds made the signing after standing firm all off season long with the motto of going with what they have, as opposed to spending money that the organization really didn’t have. This has included re-signing catcher Ramon Hernandez to a lesser amount and also reworking third baseman Scott Rolen’s contract to try to give the club more flexibility. The Reds have been unable to re-sign free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes so far as the two parties have been unable to reach an agreement. But maybe there’s more to this signing than what is out there. Maybe the Reds knew they had some wiggle room to sign the young, highly demanded Chapman and at the same time, knew that they could win out over the likes of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

The signing doesn’t hamper the Reds too much though, as Chapman’s six-year, $30 million contract will be paid to him over the next ten years, with the young lefty making $1 million in 2010 with a chance of pitching for the big club. Most likely, he will start out in the minors and work his way up, as his control and need to develop a third pitch (probably a changeup) are the only things keeping him from starting the season on the opening day, 25 man roster. The signing shows that the Reds are still working toward the future, as if Chapman proves to be worth the $30 million, current Reds’ mainstays Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo could be on another team, in another city.

The Reds look to have a strong, young rotation by 2011 or 2012, as Homer Bailey, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake and Aroldis Chapman could lead this team to the playoff land.

Moving past the Chapman signing, the Reds agreed on a two-year contract with pitcher Nick Masset. Masset, a current reliever, showed signs last year of becoming the future Reds’ closer after going 5-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 74 relief appearances. Reliever Jared Burton is the lone Red who has yet to sign after filing for arbitration. Burton, who went 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA in 53 appearances, was a bit shaky in 2009 after his breakout performances in 2007 and 2008.

The one signing the Reds have been unable to complete, which has upset Reds fans throughout the Greater Cincinnati Area, is Jonny Gomes. After being completely loaded with left-handed power bats the last few years, the Reds were finally able to find their right-handed power in outfielder Jonny Gomes, who ended 2009 with 20 home runs in only 98 games.

The inability to sign Gomes begins to show that the make-up in the outfield for 2010 could consist of Juan Francisco in left, Drew Stubbs in center and Jay Bruce in right. With Scott Rolen signed through 2012 after his contract extension in December, the chances of Francisco coming to the Big Leagues to play third base on an everyday basis seems slim to none. But with Francisco having some experience in the outfield, it looks as if Manager Dusty Baker would like the power left-hander to try playing left field in the big leagues after going 9-21 (a .429 batting average) with one home run and seven RBIs in 14 games with the Reds last September. The necessity of a shortstop that has some pop in their bat will continue to rise once the season begins if current shortstop Paul Janish is unable to hit at least .250. At the end of the year last year, Baker made it public that as long as Janish could hit .250 in the majors, the starting shortstop job is his. Janish will need to perform better than that though, as prospects Chris Valaika, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart could compete for the job within the next few years.

Currently, the Reds are talent-rich in most positions, which can only help the ball club return to the greatness this city hasn’t seen since the 1990 team and even before that in the 1970s during the Big Red Machine era.

Cincinnati Falls to Seton Hall 83-76

Gobearcats.com

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -Jeremy Hazell scored 33 points and Seton Hall snapped a four-game losing streak with an 83-76 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night.

Herb Pope added 14 points and the Pirates (10-5, 1-3 Big East) used a 29-4 spurt to take control and beat the Bearcats (11-5, 2-2) for the third straight time.

Deonta Vaughn scored a season-high 20 points, freshman Lance Stephenson added 15 and Yancy Gates had 14 for Cincinnati, which cut a 14-point deficit with 5:42 to play to four points before the Pirates closed out the game from the foul line.

The Bearcats will travel to Madison Square Garden in New York to take on St. John's tomorrow night and will follow that by hosting Notre Dame at Fifth Third Arena on Saturday. 

Xavier Musketeers Men's Basketball Preview

Goxavier.com

The X's and O's

• Xavier, 10-5 overall and 2-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, is coming off a sweep of a two-game road trip to open the Atlantic 10 Conference season after winning 68-62 at La Salle on Jan. 7 and 76-69 at George Washington on Jan. 10.

• Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford has earned Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. Crawford averaged 26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 steals in two games for the week ending Jan. 9 (at Wake Forest and at La Salle). Crawford leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring at 19.3 ppg., including a career-high 30-point game at Wake.
 
• Xavier’s lone senior, Jason Love, leads the team in rebounding at 9.5 rpg. (fourth in the Atlantic 10) and blocked shots at 2.1 bpg. (fourth in the A-10). Love is coming off of his fifth double-double of the season, a 19-point, 13-rebound game at George Washington on Jan. 10.
 
• Xavier sophomore Terrell Holloway is second in the Atlantic 10 Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.59-to-1.00. He leads the A-10 and is 18th in the nation in free-throw percentage at 90.9 percent (60-of-66). He also leads XU in assists at 3.8 apg. (seventh in the Atlantic 10).

• Xavier junior Jamel McLean recorded a double-double with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds at Wake Forest. McLean is second on the team and 12th in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding at 6.8 rpg.

• Xavier, undefeated at home in Atlantic 10 Conference play each of the last three seasons, has won 24 straight Atlantic 10 Conference games at Cintas Center, which is tied for the second-longest streak in A-10 history.

• Xavier’s 14-year Atlantic 10 history, which began in the 1995-96 season, includes seven regular season and four tournament titles. XU won the last three A-10 Regular Season Championships (2009, 2008 and Co-Champs in 2007).

• Xavier made its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and its eighth in the last nine years, including the NCAA Sweet 16 this past season (2009) and the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.

Disappointing End to a Great Season

On Saturday, in front of a sellout home crowd watching only the second playoff game in Cincinnati since 1990, saw the Cincinnati Bengals fall to the New York Jets by a score of 24-14. A game in which the Bengals were able to run the ball very effectively against the NFL’s number one rushing defense, the passing game was not able to take off as Carson Palmer, for the eighth time this season, failed to throw for 200 yards in a game. Cedric Benson was able to give the home crowd something to cheer about as he rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries including a 47 yard touchdown run.

After a fluke loss, the Bengals were able to get their heads on straight and have a dominant beginning and middle part of the season. But when the Bengals visited Oakland at 7-2, the Bengals started a 3-3 stretch that saw them go from a potential home field advantage winner to a fourth seed who was blown out in their final regular season game.

If you’re like me, and all you wanted for Christmas was the playoffs in Cincinnati, then you got your wish. But obviously our secondary wishes of making sure the Bengals went deep into the playoffs weren’t heard as the Jets once again, for the second week in a row, trounced the Bengals. Now that the season is over, it is time to look forward to the NFL Draft, training camp and the pre-season.

It’s no secret that the Bengals need to address some key issues and positions come the off season. The biggest need is for help on offense at the receiver position. Jerome Simpson will most likely be gone this off season due to his inability to get on the field in his second season as a second round draft pick. Next year, the position looks to hold Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell, and Quan Cosby. Look for 2009 draftee Freddie Brown and Carson Palmer approved Maurice Purify to also vie for a roster spot. Again, this is assuming Jerome Simpson is gone, or can’t get on the field again. Most likely, the Bengals will draft one or maybe even two wide receivers in April’s draft. Early indications show the Bengals wanting a burner with height, which is what they had in Chris Henry.

As I’ve been saying for a while, and the way it looks on some of the mock drafts I’ve seen, Mardy Gilyard from the University of Cincinnati will definitely be there for the Bengals taking in the second round. This fills the void for speed at the position, but the need for height could be addressed in the later rounds of the draft. According to Walterfootball.com, the Bengals are projected to take a 6’3” wide receiver from LSU in Brandon LaFell. Looking at what he’s done overall, over 900 yards receiving last year and over 700 receiving yards this year and running a 4.54 40, he could be a great replacement for Chris Henry.

Also, there are questions at tight end and have been for the past few years. Last year the Bengals spent a third round pick on Chase Coffman from Missouri and he couldn’t get on the field this year. Why? Main reason being because he can’t block and the Bengals want a tight end that can block more than a receiving tight end like Brent Celek from Philadelphia or Jason Witten from Dallas. Why do you think the team has stayed with Reggie Kelly and allowed him to start at least 11 games from 2003 to 2008? Simply put, Reggie Kelly can block. The Bengals use the tight end at times, but have always utilized their third or fourth option receivers and backs more. To put it in perspective, in 2006, when Kelly started all 16 games, he caught 21 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown.

Back ups J.P. Foschi and Daniel Coats are good options that play hard and never give up. But they’re inability to catch the ball and make plays when their numbers are called needs to be addressed. I would look for the Bengals to try and draft a tight end maybe in the early to middle rounds of the draft like last year. According to CBSSports.com, the Bengals in the first round will take Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma. I don’t mind the pick, as this would give the Bengals a marquee name at tight end that is big enough to block ends at 261 lbs. and tall enough (6’6”) to run down the field and catch a ball in the back of the end zone.

On the offensive line front, I don’t believe many changes are needed, as the line is young (besides right guard Bobbie Williams) and showed promise during the year. I would look for Andrew Whitworth to continue to anchor the line along with Andre Smith at tackle. Evan Mathis and Nate Livings also made good contributions at guard. I believe it is crucial to get Anthony Collins in somewhere after he showed lots of promise and poise standing in there as a rookie last year.

Defensively, the Bengals will need to add a cornerback as a better option to nickel back over Morgan Trent. Most games throughout the year, the tandem of Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall shut down the number one and two receivers while Morgan Trent and a consortium of linebackers and defensive backs struggled with tight ends and third and fourth receivers.

Adding a safety may also help, as Roy Williams is not only getting older, but he got hurt, again. When he’s healthy, he’s a force. But when he’s hurt, he doesn’t offer this club much. When it comes to linebackers, I’d like to see the Bengals draft a middle linebacker. I like Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga on the outside, as Rivers gives the team a coverage linebacker and Maualuga is your run-stopping backer. I like Dhani Jones and his leadership and experience to the team, but he’s getting old and I think he’ll need to be replaced soon. The Bengals wouldn’t need to draft a linebacker if Rashad Jeanty or Brandon Johnson moved to the middle, but I’m not sure if that would happen. I like Abdul Hodge, but just like Ahmad Brooks and Landon Johnson, back up linebackers are a dime a dozen now a days.

The defensive line is a little more complicated. You’re obviously set with Domata Peko in the middle, but the Bengals can either line up Tank Johnson or Pat Sims there. I like both of them, and I’d go with Sims over Johnson because at a young age, he’ll be able to get better quicker if he’s starting. The ends, Robert Geathers and Antwan Odom were set at the beginning of the season and you’d expect them to be the starters come September. Only problem is Johnathan Fanene and Michael Johnson did very well in Odom’s place and could compete for that starting spot.

This is the spot the Bengals want to be in. The Bengals want to have lots of young talent to compete against each other for the starting positions. Not only does it give Head Coach Marvin Lewis some peace knowing that if one guy goes down, another can step up and play just as good.

Injuries to watch for when workouts arrive and training camp starts will be Odom’s Achilles, Maualuga’s ankle, Jeanty’s leg and Sims’ forearm/wrist. The Bengals will need both Maualuga and Jeanty to heal up quick, as the defense is definitely different without them. Odom has been oft-injured in his career and I believe he needs a full season with the Bengals without serious injury to prove that the eight sacks he recorded before the injury wasn't a fluke. Sims is young and will need to bounce back quickly, as he'll be pushing the older Tank Johnson while competing for that starting tackle position next to Peko.

The Bengals have only made the playoffs in back to back seasons once in their franchise history. That was in 1981 and 1982. I’d look for the Bengals to come back next year not only focused on running the ball, but putting the ball in the air and having a balanced attack reminiscent of the 2005 AFC North Champion Bengals. The defense will be a year older with a lot more experience under their belt and that can only help at this point, as there is talent all over the defensive side of the ball.

A New Frontier

As suggested by Gray & Company Publishing and the Head of Marketing for the Publisher, I shall begin to promote the new project/book on Sports Blog Cincinnati.  Myself and a co-author will be co-authoring a book that, as we put it, is a perfect "Toilet Book."  This book, which will have information about the NFL, it's teams and miscellaneous information regarding facts from the Super Bowl to the Preseason to the officiating crew, is currently in the research and creation stages of the publishing process.  We expect the book will most likely be between 100 and 150 pages and to sell this book at about $15-20. 

Credit must go to my co-author, Gregg, as without him, this idea and opportunity to grow not only as a writer but as a fan as well would not have come along.  There will be about 32 different facts, that are the same for each team.  For example, one may be about why the team name is what it is, and each team would have it's own answer.

More information will be posted as it becomes available, but as is, the book will be a must need for any fan of the NFL or football for that matter.  At this point, with doing just the NFL, Gregg and myself are trying to leave options open to return with sequels dealing with the MLB, NBA, NHL, College Football and College Basketball.  Please start sending information out as we'd love to get this done as soon as possible, and the more buzz about it would definitely get the Publishers and ourselves kick started into high gear. 

Getting this book to the public is a necessity, as there is information in here that many people think about, but just don't know the answer to.  For example, do you know how many players taken after the first round have made the Pro Bowl for the Cincinnati Bengals?  To find out, you'll just have to get the book. 

That is all for now.  Until next time, keep up with the reading, writing and blogging as shall I.  Oh, and by the way.  If you have any suggestions for titles, please feel free to email myself or anyone else here at Sports Blog Cincinnati. 

The Easy

The Announcing Flow Chart

We here at Sports Blog Cincinnati love Thom Brennaman and his dad, but we do not agree with his choice to fantasize about Tim Tebow while he is on the air.  If ol' Thom would like to continue broadcasting our Reds' games, he may want to find a new college quarterback to fantasize about.  Zach Collaros anyone?Thanks to Mo Egger for the flow chart. 

After Loss in Sugar Bowl, Seniors Depart and Underclassmen Get Ready for 2010

On Friday January 1st, 2010, the Cincinnati Bearcats football program lost the biggest game in their program’s history to the Florida Gators in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Before kickoff, the game has been and was dominated mostly by the headlines of former UC head coach Brian Kelly’s departure, UF head coach Urban Meyer’s resignation and withdrawal of that resignation and UF quarterback Tim Tebow’s final college football game. Looking for a statement to show the nation that their loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game was a fluke, Florida found it in their 51-24 blowout rout of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

If you were to look at the stat sheet, and not have watched the game, you would have asked what happened. UC quarterback Tony Pike was 27 for 45 for a completion percentage of 60% and threw for three different touchdowns. The problem was that he threw for 170 yards and could not complete the long, big pass plays this offense loves and thrives on. The problem was that Florida’s defense didn’t allow Tony Pike time to make those types of throws and wait for a receiver down field to get open.

The defense could not stop Tim Tebow and the Gators, and that was expected. Next year on the other hand, the defense should be much better, as they will be much more mature and ready for the roles they will play. The offense next year should be star studded once again as sophomores Zach Collaros and D.J. Woods are coming back along with junior wide receiver Armon Binns. The offense, under new head coach Butch Jones will be trying to continue the high scoring spread offense UC fans have gotten used to seeing on Saturdays.

As for the impact of the game, the Bearcats not only let down their fans, but also themselves. I am not the only one that believes UC could have kept up with Florida. The one thing that would have definitely helped the Cats in this game would have been Butch Jones coaching the team, not Jeff Quinn. I have nothing against Quinn, as I like him and I think that without Quinn, Kelly’s system would not have worked as well as he needed it to. But after the game, Quinn leaves and heads to Buffalo and Jones comes here to Cincinnati. Quinn has nothing to coach for in this game as he will have his job regardless of the Bearcats result.

At the same time, the players have no reason to play under Quinn either. I’m not saying that Quinn wasn’t really trying to coach, or that the Cats players didn’t really play hard under Quinn. What I’m saying is that there was no reason for them to play other than respect, glory, an undefeated season and their first ever BCS Bowl win, which in my mind is a whole hell of a lot. If Quinn wins the game, he receives no compensation other than a hand shake and a swift kick out the door to Buffalo. If Jones coaches, he has the chance to start his program off the right way. Underclassmen would have had the chance to see what it would be like over the next few years playing under Jones as well.

All in all, I believe Jones should have been coaching the Sugar Bowl and I know that was definitely not the Cincinnati Bearcats that I saw playing on that field. It seemed like this team forgot who they were, what they did to get here and how they got here. This past year may have been the best season, the UC versus Pitt match up may have been the best game, and the Sugar Bowl may have been the biggest game but the next season is the biggest season in the program’s history. Brian Kelly left, and the Cats lost the Sugar Bowl.

Now with a new coach and a disappointing loss, the Bearcats must show the nation that they are a program and not a coach. Anything less than a 10 win season may place the Bearcats back into the scrap heap of the Big East. Whether or not Quinn should have been kept, there is a reason he has been playing second fiddle to Brian Kelly all these years. There is also a reason he was beat out at Central Michigan, after Brian Kelly departed for Cincinnati, by Butch Jones and here in Cincinnati, following Brian Kelly’s departure by the same man in Butch Jones.

According to FBSchedule.com, the Bearcats will play at least four games in the first six weeks, with the first two being at N.C. State on the fourth of September and at Fresno State on the 18th of September. The other intriguing match up is that of the Oklahoma Sooners traveling to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats for the second time in three years. The game will not be taking place at Nippert Stadium though, as it will be played down at Paul Brown Stadium in late September.

I believe this was just a brief road bump that the Cats will hurdle on their way to being a top 25 finishing team for years to come. I believe that we will be seeing the Bearcats in many more BCS Bowl games, winning their fair share, and will in my mind, be playing for the BCS National Championship in Pasadena in 2012.

Bengals and Jets to Face Off in Jungle for a Rematch in Playoffs

Following Sunday’s 37-0 loss to the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals will be opposing the Jets for a second weekend in a row in the heart of the Jungle down at Paul Brown Stadium. Kickoff for the game will be around 4:30 PM as the home team Bengals are the quick 4 1/2 point favorites following their blowout loss.

Last night’s game didn’t provide a lot of game film for the Jets to look at, but basically rolling over for the team when the third seed was in grasp is not something I would encourage. Carson Palmer was completed one pass in 11 attempts for zero yards while throwing an interception in a little over two quarters. While defensive end Robert Geathers, defensive tackle Domata Peko and linebacker Rey Maualuga did not play due to injury, running back Cedric Benson sat to rest up for the playoffs to allow back ups Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson to rack up 58 yards combined. Head Coach Marvin Lewis is doing and going to do what is best for this team. Whether we like it or not, he is the coach, not the fans, and he has put the time in to earn his title, fans have not.

Although Lewis has not had to sit through and watch what the fans have over the last two decades, he is currently in his 7th season as Head Coach of our Cincinnati Bengals and trying to save the ship. In his tenure, Lewis has had to deal with criminals, deaths, a gut-wrenching and flag deserving hit on Carson Palmer, heart-breaking, nail biting wins and losses to go along with three .500 seasons, two sub-.500 seasons, and two playoff seasons as our Head Coach. But at some point, rolling over on purpose when our NFL laughing stock Bengals are playoff bound is unfathomable and unacceptable.

We as Bengals fans believe no game, no matter the record, is worth laying down for the sanctity of playing the same team the following week. But let me tell you what Marvin Lewis is thinking. Given the chance to take the same game back home, where a packed home crowd will rock the Jungle against a team with a rookie quarterback sounds pretty good. Extra motivation and momentum aside, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has thrown 20 interceptions this year. Fourteen of those interceptions have come in the fourth quarter and six of his interceptions this year have been on third down. With the additions of Geathers and Peko back into the defensive line mix, the Jets won’t be able to run as well as they did Sunday.

Sanchez wasn’t that great last night, completing just 50% of his passes (8 of 16) for only 63 yards. But then again, he did not have to be exceptional with the way Brad Smith, the wide receiver that runs the wildcats, Thomas Jones, the NFL’s third rushing leader and Shonn Greene ran the ball last night. The Bengals were reeling last night, missing Rey Maualuga’s presence and ability to stop the run while the Jets as a team racked up a total of 257 yards on the ground.

Come Sunday, the Bengals will need a lot of help when it comes to stopping the run as well as the pass, because Mark Sanchez has the ability to make plays with his arm and shouldn’t be taken lightly just because of the amount of interceptions he throws. The talent that New York possesses on the receiving end with wide receivers Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith and David Clowney along with tight end Dustin Keller is second to none.

At the same time, even though the Jets have the eighth best rush defense in the league, they will have to face off against Cedric Benson. This season, the Jets have faced Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Of those, Jones-Drew ran for over 100 yards, Johnson for 97 yards, Williams with 40 and Stewart with 35. Williams and Stewart occurred in the Jets’ 17-6 win against the Carolina Panthers. Benson, who has rushed for 1,251 yards on 301 carries this season, has six rushing touchdowns and is looking to help keep the ball rolling on offense against the stingy Jets’ defense.

For the Bengals to win this game, offensively, quarterback Carson Palmer will need to be more accurate, the offensive line will need to win the battle up front and protect Palmer, the tandem of running backs will need to find the holes and take them when the offensive line gives them, and the receivers need to do a better job of catching the ball and running their routes and for both Palmer and the receivers, they need to be on the same page. Defensively, the Bengals need to make tackles, disallow big plays, win the battle for the line of scrimmage, and act like the team that has one of the best defenses in the league. Due to injuries, safety Tom Nelson has been thrust into the starting role, and although he’s looked overmatched, especially last night, I trust that defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will help Nelson fix his problems.

However this week plays out, a one-and-done playoff team is not going to help Mike Brown win back fans. A deep playoff run is needed to help bolster not only this club, but help fans regain their trust in Marvin and the players.

Very disappointing loss for Cats fans. A 51-24 blowout courtesy the Florida Gators. More to follow in the next few days.

Going to need a UC-PITT type of miracle to win this game. UC down 37-3 with 11:13 left in the 3rd quarter.

End of 1st quarter, UC down 9. Pike needs to find his inner Heisman. Three straight punts to start game. Gotta stop Tebow on 3rd down.

Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes to kick off down in the Big Easy. Cincinnati is rockin and waiting to chew up the gators. Until kickoff this is The Easy.

UC has sold out there 17,500 of tix and took the Florida tix they couldn't sell. How odd yet refreshing that UC fans are in New Orleans.