See you tonight
The Bengals are usually off on Monday. They will practice tonight in preparation for the Thursday night game vs the Eagles. We will have two players kind enough to join us that are on currently on injured reserve.
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Redfest
Video: Marc Amazon blows his Home Run Derby performance
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Reds
Ludwick, Reds agree on 2-year deal
CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the signing of free agent OF Ryan Ludwick to a 2-year contract through the 2014 season with a mutual option for 2015.
Ludwick, 34, in 125 appearances last season for the Reds hit .275 with 26 home runs and 80 RBI while making a team-high 107 starts in left field.
"Ryan was very important to our success last year, and we're looking to keep that momentum going into next season," Jocketty said. "He and his agents made it clear he enjoyed his time here last season and that he wanted to continue to play in Cincinnati. We know he had other offers, and we're glad we were able to reach an agreement to bring Ryan back for at least 2 more years."
In 2012, Ludwick was a finalist for the Players Choice Comeback Player of the Year Award and tied the club record for fewest errors in a season by a left fielder (1). As the Reds battled for the National League Central Division title, in his last 80 games of the season he hit .313 with 18 HR and 53 RBI, including .421 in his last 57 at bats with runners in scoring position.
While Joey Votto missed 48 games with an injury in August and September, Ludwick led the Reds in hitting (.340), home runs (12, tied with Jay Bruce) and RBI (36).
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UC football
Q/A with Tuberville
ESPN
Do you intend for this to be your last job? Do you intend to make this a destination point?
Tommy Tuberville: Yeah, I sure hope it is. My wife's family lives here. We've got personal connections. It's a great place to live. I've got two boys, one who's a freshman in college, one is a 10th-grader in high school. And I've got a lot of years left, but I'd sure love for this to be it. There are a lot of possibilities here.
Tuberville talks on Tim Brando Show, CBS Sports
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Bengals
ReFo: Cowboys at Bengals
ProFootballFocus
Awesome Atkins
What more can you say about Geno Atkins (+8.5)? The world finally seems to be waking up to the idea this guy isn’t just good, but pretty darn special. A legitimate defensive player of the year candidate, Atkins started slowly but was in dominant form by the time the third quarter rolled around.
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Redsfest
Did you miss them?
***There are issues with parts of the podcast skipping or overlapping. The issues are being worked on.
Podcast hour 1: Walt Jocketty, Dusty Baker, Joey Votto, Zack Cozart and Chris Heisey.
Podcast hour 2: Tony Cingrani, Brandon Phillips, Mark Sheldon, Dmitri Young, Mat Latos, and Drew Stubbs.
Podcast hour 3: Sean Marshall, Devin Mesoraco, Jim Maloney, and Ryan Hanigan.
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Stats of day
From listener AJ in Bridgetown
Over the last two and half seasons the Bengals have sold out 7 out of 19 games at PBS.
Bengals 1-6 in games that sold out (0-2 in 2011 and 1-4 in 2012).
Bengals 8-4 in games that didn't sell out (2-2 in 2010, 4-2 in 2011 & 2-0 in 2012).
In Andy Dalton's 30 starts (including playoff game vs Texans):
Bengals 0-10 in games scoring less than 20 points.
Bengals 16-4 in games scoring 20 points or more.
Bengals-Cowboys: Upon further review
Some things that jumped out after watching the game again this morning:
Simply brutal to count the dropped passes, dropped interceptions, 3rd down conversions failed on, 3rd down conversions allowed, penalties, disappearance of the run game and red zone failings.
3rd QT red zone sequence:
Whit false start, Rob Ryan penalty, Jones out of bounds on catch, Gresham can't hang on back end zone, Dallas penalty 12 on field, AJ drop=FG.
2nd last drive Bengals:
Adam Jones poor PR decision, BJGE bailed out with big run, AJ push in back -10 yards, Cook hold, instead of midfield, they punt from own 25.
Final drive Bengals:
Back to back passes got 1st down with 5:34 remaining.
Then pass incomplete, pass short, sack, punt with 3:55?
Last 2 drives Cowboys:
Stunning number of crossing route completions.
3rd and 5 1:17, Dunlap lost contain, Murray got 1st down.
Run game
The last carry by BJGE came at the 11:59 mark of game. Bengals ran 8 offensive after that: 7 passes, 1 run.
3rd down & 5+ yard conversions allowed by Bengals:
3 & 6: Romo complete to Harris 21 yards
3 & 9: Romo complete to Austin 11 yards
3 & 10: Romo sacked, face mask penalty on Dunlap, 15 yards
3 & 21: Romo incomplete, personal foul Nelson, 15 yards
3 & 10: Romo complete to Austin, 15 yards
3 & 5: Romo complete to Whitten 9 yards
3 & 5: Murray run 5 yards
Bengals 3rd down failures:
3 & 4: Dalton sack at Dallas 5=FG
3 & 3: Hawkins drop at Dallas 15=FG
3 & 7: AJ drop at Dallas 7=FG
3 & 7: AJ drop at Dallas 34=FG
3 & 4: Hawkins drop at Dallas 49=Punt
3 & 12: Dalton sack at Cin 32
3 & 4: Dalton sack at Cin 36
I can't imagine not having Twitter last week as the Butch Jones/Tommy Tuberville stories unfolded. Why wait for news? You don't have to tweet, just follow me, or a group of people, to keep you up on breaking news. Get Reds, Bengals, UC, XU, UK, OSU news and opinions. You decide who you follow and what news you want to get. You can follow me @lancemcalister. Thanks to the over 17,000 that are now following.
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What they are saying about Bengals
Hoard: Kicker Josh Brown was certainly impressive in his Bengals debut. I just wish that we hadn’t seen him so much.
Hobson:The Bengals had a one-game lead over the Steelers with three games to play right in their hands Sunday.
Reedy: The Bengals didn’t take advantage of a golden opportunity to seize the final playoff spot and now they are in the same situation as last year – 7-6 and needing help. Unlike last year though they are tied for the final spot instead of being one game out.
NFL Playoff picture with three weeks remaining.
ESPN: What it means: Failing to hold onto a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Bengals (7-6) missed out on a prime opportunity to take control of the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC with the Steelers losing. Cincinnati's four-game winning streak ended on Dan Bailey's 40-yard field goal as time expired. The Bengals allowed 10 points in the final 6 minutes, 35 seconds.
Next up: Eagles
Celek sidelined with concussion
Eagles defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to interview for Temple head coaching job today.
Foles invented play on late game winner
CSNPhilly.com
TAMPA, Fla. – The Eagles’ offensive playbook is huge. Massive. Endless, almost.
There’s one play that’s not in it. And that’s the one that went for 22 yards on 4th-and-5 with 16 seconds in the game left Sunday.
The Eagles trailed the Buccaneers by five points and faced fourth down on the Buccaneers’ 23-yard-line with no timeouts remaining.
So Foles dropped back and found Jason Avant for 22 yards down the middle to set up his game-winning touchdown a moment later to Jeremy Maclin.
On a play that doesn’t exist.
“We don’t have that play,” Avant said. “He made it up.”
Cowboys 20 Bengals 19
Opening observations
*Red zone failure + dropped passes + dropped interceptions=ball game.
*That was brutal. Up 9 with 7-minutes left. Margin of error greatly reduced.
*Now gotta bounce back for a Thursday game?
*Can't lose home games in December.
*Felt like the stretch run of 2006 season....and last year's Houston game when the Bengals led 19-10 with about 6-minutes left in the game and lost 20-19.
*Had been 53-20-1 when leading at half under Marvin.
*Bengals, Steelers and Ravens lost. Bengals 7-6, 3 games left.
*Tied with Steelers for final playoff spot (but 1 back due to tiebreaker)
*Heck, a win and the AFC North could have been in play for Bengals.
*Final timeout used with 14:29 left in game?
*How about all the Dallas fans? Notice the Cowboys fans behind the goal post on the winning kick that raise their arms.
Offense
*Play callng seemed to get out of whack: 33 passes/20 rushes?
*5 straight passes after the Dallas TD with 6:35 left in game?
*Rushed 20 for 146 (7.3)....1st H: 12 for 85, 2nd H: 8 for 61.
*Passing 20 of 33.....1st H: 10 of 14, 118 yds, 2nd H: 10 of 19, 88 yards.
*Killer AJ drop and penalty
*5 sacks allowed?
*Loved TD pass to Hawkins. Nice blocking by Smith and BJGE.
*Nice game Marvin Jones. Big end around for 37 yds. Nice blocks Whit/Gresh.
*How about Gresh one hand catch. They all make one handed catches.
*Huge momentum swing/field flip on Dalton INT by Carr returned 35 yds.
*If Andy hit Jones in stride on 17 yd gain it's probably a TD.
*Cook seemed to struggle.
*Final two drives: 0-2 on 3rd down, 2 sacks, 2 penalties..7 passes/3 runs.
---Run BJGE 38 yds, run BJGE 3 yds, Dalton INC/HOLD, run Leonard5 yds, sack, punt.
---Pass Gresh 5 yds, pass BJGE 5yds, Dalton INC, pass 6 Gresh yds, sack, punt.
Defense
*Could not get off the field on 3rd down....11 of 19 (57%)
*13 play drive to lose the game?
*Sunday: Allowed back to back drives of 8 plays/13 plays, TD, FG to lose.
*Last year vs Hou: Allowed back to back drives of 13 plays/13 plays, FG, TD to lose.
*Rey M missed tackles, including a 3rd and 1.
*Jones missed tackle 3rd and 5 led to 21 yd gain.
*Newman dropped an INT.
*Held to FG on opening drive...still no TD allowed. (Bengals/Bears only in NFL)
*Where was helmet to helmet on Nelson? Huge on 3rd and 21.
*Gino was Gino...sack, 3 TKL, 3 QB hits.
Special Teams
*Welcome Josh Brown: 4 FG's, PAT, and 5 touchbacks
*Heck of a debut by Boom Herron
*Nice job Miles downing ball a 2-yd line.
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UC football
Can't we all just root along?
Wayne Box Miller, GoBearcats.com
I challenged UC fans who were so critical of Butch Jones leaving his players behind to view Coach Tuberville the same way. If you can, thank you and trust me I am not mad at either one of them. It's the business of college sports like it or not. Contracts aren't worth the paper they're printed on and a coach's word is only real when it doesn't interfere with their next stop. I think Chris Rock said it, "People are only as loyal as their options."
What did Tommy Tuberville say to fans in Lubbock? Check out this 1-on-1 interview Saturday at 5th/3rd Arena.
5th things Tuberville left in better shape at Texas Tech than he found them.
AP: Tuberville's challenge is to attract fans to winning program.
Jones' staff taking shape at Tennessee
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5th/3rd Bengals Trivia
Each week I post a Bengals trivia question. I will randomly select one winner each week. Each winner will be entered into a year end drawing for 2 suite tickets for Bengals vs Ravens at PBS on Sunday, December 30. Weekly winners will be notified by email. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. Deadline is noon each Friday.
This week's question: The Bengals have 15 post season interceptions in franchise history. One of those playoff interceptions has been returned for TD. Name the player to accomplish the feat, the year and the opponent.
Send answer to: LanceMcAlister@clearchannel.com
Last week: 25 former OSU Buckeyes have qualified for the Bengals' official all-time roster. What school has placed the 2nd most players on the Bengals' all-time roster?
Answer: Florida.
Each week Meijer offers you a chance to win tickets to a Tri-State sporting event. Tickets include Bengals, UC, Ohio State and more. Register to win by clicking on the Meijer Game of the Week button on the left hand side of my blog. A weekly winner will be drawn on Thursday evening and notified by email.
Next week: Ohio State vs Winthrop (December 18)
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Thanks
Great seeing everyone that stopped by the Meijer on 6550 Harrison Avenue Saturday afternoon. We had free tailgating samples: Sliders, chips and drinks. We gave away four tickets to Bengals-Cowboys and Cyclones tickets. The Ben-Gals stopped by for pictures and autographs. Who-Dey was on the scene. Meijer had deals on cool Bengals gear for the holidays. Thanks to the Meijer staff and Jill of the Bengals for all their help and for taking care of us. Thanks to Rodney from 700 WLW promotions for helping pull it all off.
Can't beat a free lunch of sliders, chips and drinks!
It's a tough job, but somebody must hang out with the Ben-Gals.
Great meeting Dustin & Nikki who drove from Manhattan, Kansas to see their first Bengals game.
Looked who stopped by, Jim Breech, the greatest Bengals kicker of all-time!
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Reds
Report: Ludwick, Reds agree on two-year deal
Redsfest
Photos from Redsfest: Check our gallery of photos
Getting ready for Sports Talk
Seg, Joey Votto and Me
Brandon Phillips hangs out
Mat Latos talking pitching and tattoos
Dmitri Young joins the stage to compare tattoos with Mat Latos.
Thanks to everyone that stopped by see and listen to the players
Seg impressed by BP's watch
Seg stunned by BP's gold shoes
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Stuff
Xavier basketball holds off Kent State
Update on former Reds pitcher Frank Pastore
Did you know Xavier has a hockey team?
Xavier hockey is a member of the ACHA which is essentially the club hockey equivalent of the NCAA. They compete at the D3 level which is a function of the size of the student body enrollment. The team has become nationally ranked for the first time in the programs history as well as having the leading scorer in the nation.
In fact, they have two of the top five scorers. They also held a crosstown "ice" out when they competed against UC earlier in the season. The teams collaborated to raise money for the American Cancer Society and earned a great deal of national recognition from the ACHA.
