SI: East Carolina joining Big East in football

More of the same lame: Tulane joining Big East
CBS Sports
The Big East has now, today, completely bastardized itself in the chase to not lose out on a big payday for its next, most crucial, TV deal. Is this good for Tulane? I don't know. Who cares? It's Tulane. That's the point. It's Tulane. Reaching this end is exposition enough on what the Big East has crumbled itself into, a mutated version of what Conference USA never managed to be.

Practice with the UC President

College football TV ratings
Michigan-OSU game Top 5 viewing markets:
Columbus (47.5) rating
Dayton (32.8)
Cleveland (25.0)
Detroit (22.8)
Cincinnati (14.2)
Mike Humes (@MikeHumesESPN)

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UK football

Twitter reaction
Colerain coach Tom Bolden on Stoops:"I’m really excited about working w/ them in terms of recruiting Cincy kids & esp Colerain kids."
Tom Bolden says Stoops name has resonance in Ohio. "Hopefully we’ll get some Colerain kids to Kentucky."
Steve Jones, Louisville Courier Journal (@SteveJones_CJ)

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Show preview
6:05, Reds Hot Stove, live from Holy Grail Banks with Marty B.
7:05, Sports Talk
Guest
Charley Frank, on Redsfest
Cooper head coach Randy Borchers, playing for Class 5A state title Saturday
Kerry Coombs, OSU assistant coach
Topics
Reds: Chapman to rotation, Broxton closing? Cool?
OSU: I believe OSU football deserves conversation for an unbeaten regular season in Urban Meyer's first season.

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Reds

Broxton deal
The day of the Jonathan Broxton trade with Kansas City (July 31), Walt Jocketty told me on Sports Talk it was easier to part with a 2nd pitcher in the deal because of his belief they could re-sign Broxton. The Reds gave up RHP J.C. Sulbaran and LHP Donnie Joseph.

Hot Stove gone cold?
For fans panicking and/or complaining about lack of movement by the Reds keep this in mind. Dates of transactions:
December 17: Mat Latos trade
December 23: Sean Marshall trade
January 13: Ryan Madson signing
January 16: Ryan Ludwick signing
Relax, the winter meetings start Monday in Nashville, Tennessee.

(US Presswire)

How about Shane Victorino?
CBS Sports
At least seven teams -- the Reds, Indians, Yankees, Rangers, Giants, Rays and Red Sox -- are believed to be interested in Shane Victorino, one of four excellent center fielders in a strong but still developing market.

Sources: Reds in serious talks with Broxton
Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports
The Cincinnati Reds, paving the way for left-hander Aroldis Chapman to become a starter, are in serious talks with free-agent right-hander Jonathan Broxton on a three-year contract, according to major league sources.
Potential deal may put Chapman in rotation
Mark Sheldon, MLB.com
His triple-digit velocity and dominance made for electric ninth innings at Great American Ball Park.
On the other hand, Chapman was often unable to work more than two straight games and starting would put him on a regular pitching routine. Last spring, he had a 2.12 ERA in five games (four starts), and had the best starting pitcher numbers in camp.

Ryan Madson close to deal with Angels

Does Dodgers' new TV deal spell doom for small-market teams?
SB Nation

P&G and Reds Community Fund seek nominees for ‘Community Makeover’
CINCINNATI (Nov. 26, 2012) — Do you know of a park, ball field or neighborhood recreation area that is in need of a renovation? This summer, P&G and the Reds will makeover one special community in the surrounding Greater Cincinnati area.  
Nominate your community today!
1. Interested communities should complete the application at reds.com/community by Jan. 15, 2013.
2. Communities must be located within the surrounding Greater Cincinnati area.
3. Projects must include a minimum of one baseball and/or softball field and should also include a significant community park or asset in need of renovation.
4. Please also provide photographs, site maps and/or additional narratives to highlight relevant information regarding the project needs.

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MLB

AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler

Reaction on Twitter
“Marvin Miller is certainly one of the ten most impactful people in baseball history.”--Bob Costas, MLB Network
It's tragic on many levels that Marvin Miller wasn't inducted into the HOF during his lifetime. I'd have loved to have heard THAT speech.--Jayson Stark @jaysonst, ESPN
Marvin Miller is 1 of 5 most important figures in baseball history. His absence from Hall enshrinement is a blight.--Joel Sherman @Joelsherman1, NY Post baseball columnist
Marvin Miller was not just responsible for changing the economics of #MLB, but all sports.--Bob Nightengale @BNightengale, USA Today Baseball
Marvin Miller's impact on professional sports -- not just baseball -- cannot be overstated.---Buster Olney @Buster_ESPN

Marvin Miller dead at 95
CBS Sports
Miller was one of the most influential non-players in baseball history. He was the union head from 1966 through 1983, overseeing the union become one of the most powerful collective bargaining groups in the United States.
MLB union legend Marvin Miller dead
USA Today
Miller was called by Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber as one of the two or three most important men in baseball history, along with Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. Yet, he was never inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame.

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Bengals

            The Bengals today made the following practice squad moves:
            * Signed TE/LS Bryce Davis, a rookie from Central Oklahoma. Davis (6-3, 245) originally signed with the Bengals as a college free agent on May 2. He played in all four preseason games, with two receptions for 13 yards and three special teams tackles. He was waived on Aug. 31, signed to the practice squad on Sept. 1 and released on Sept. 4.
            * Signed OT Dan Knapp, a rookie from Arizona State. Knapp (6-5, 305) entered the NFL on May 2 as a college free agent with Oakland. He played in all four Raiders preseason games and was waived on Oct. 31.
            * Released rookie C Scott Wedige of Northern Illinois to the Arizona Cardinals, who signed him to their 53-player roster. Wedige had joined the Bengals practice squad on Nov. 6.
            * Released rookie LB Ben Jacobs of Fresno State. Jacobs had joined the practice squad on Nov. 12.

Tweet, tweet
Bengals QB Andy Dalton is 1 of 3 players in NFL history with 20+ TD passes in each of 1st 2 seasons (P Manning, Marino)
Jon Zimmer (@NFLhistory)

Vote: Benjarvus Green-Ellis Fed-Ex Ground Player of Week

Cedric Benson the DJ?

(From Deadspin)

DVR alert
Andy Dalton and Marvin Lewis were mic'd up for Sunday's game vs Oakland.
They will be featured on the NFL Networks' Sound FX Wednesday at 10:30 pm.

Peter King on AFC Playoff picture: AFC (Byes: Houston and New England): Cincinnati at Baltimore (Saturday afternoon, NBC), Indianapolis at Denver (late Sunday, CBS).
Any doubt about the wisdom of Mike Brown playing hardball with Carson Palmer in 2011 got erased Sunday. The Bengals have the better quarterback for the long-term, to be sure, in Andy Dalton and building-block cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (from the first-round pick acquired from Oakland in 2012), not to mention a pick that appears to be around 35 or 37 in the upcoming draft, also from Oakland. "Hopefully everyone believes the Bengals did the right thing,'' Dalton told me after the Bengals' 34-10 rout of Oakland and Palmer. "I think they do. I think my teammates do. We went to the playoffs last year, and now we're playing complete games and should have a good chance to go back this year." More importantly: Palmer didn't want to be in Cincinnati. Dalton craved it, because it was a place that would give him a starting job from day one.

Bengals Line

Thanks to Kevin Huber and Michael Johnson for joining us at Holy Grail Banks last night. Thanks to a great crowd!

Did you miss them?

Podcast with Kevin Huber

Michael Johnson

Dave Lapham on Carson's return, the beating he took, Whit reaching out with a dinner invite and being ignore by Carson, a recap of game and preview of Chargers.

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