UC basketball
Hoard: No binoculars needed
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Holy contract offer Batman!
The @CommandosCincy are pleased to announced they have offered a one-game contract to @LanceMcAlister
Cincinnati Commandos @CommandosCincy
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NFL
Roger Goodell drops the hammer on Saints
Saints coach Sean Payton suspended for one year without pay ($7.5M)
Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams suspended indefinitely
GM Mickey Loomis suspended for eight regular-season games
Assistant coach Joe Vitt for the first six games.
Saints fined $500,000
Saints lose two second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013
NFL memo: Statement from the NFL
NFL memo: All clubs directed to ensure bounty programs do not exist
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Reds
Brandon Phillips for Cole Hamels? Anyone?
Trading Hamels is Phillies best hope?
The Trentonian
His value will never be higher, and it’s time to cash in that chip.
Criticize if you will, but before you call the men in white coats, consider that a source in Cincinnati said on Tuesday that the Phillies and Reds had at least talked about a Hamels for Brandon Phillips swap.
This is the kind of deal that would make sense, and here are the reasons.
ESPN: Joey Votto is your best bet for NL MVP
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March Madness
Sweet 16: Most indispensable players
ESPN
Who is everyone else's Marshall? Who's the most indispensable player on each of the Sweet 16 rosters, the one each team could least afford to lose? Well, we're glad you (OK, we) asked. Here's what we came up with:
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Curses!
Do not vote for him under any circumstances!
VOTE: Madden Cover (AJ Green)
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Did you miss it?
I was honored to host Reds Hot Stove League last night.
My guests included: Marty Brennaman, Jeff Brantley and Aaron Boone.
Listen to the podcast HERE.
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I'm ready for baseball....so is he!
Listener Jade Chandler sent me this yesterday. It is his son signing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
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“Cincinnati’s Most Beloved Sports Figures”
Cast your vote HERE
We're looking for your favorite Pro athletes, college athletes, radio / TV announcers, coaches, owners . Starting Thursday (3/22) we'll take the top nominations and then you can vote on who is Cincinnati's Most Beloved Sports Figure.
Don't forget to register DAILY for your shot at the Hometown Sports and Collectibles Prize Pack!
Prize Pack includes: T shirts: UC, Louisville, OSU, Xavier - Hats: UC, UK, Louisville - UC Flag and magnet - Other OSU Stuff, Logo Bands, face stickers, magnet - Other Louisville stuff: magnet, banner, antenna topper, pencils - Other UK stuff: metal sign, poster
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Check it out
The Enquirer's John Kiesewetter has a new 700 WLW photo gallery
Marty B!
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Happy Birthday
Bill Plummer is 65 years old today.
He was the back-up catcher to Johnny Bench from 1970 to 1977.
He hit .186 in 797 career at-bats for the Reds.
He spent 10 years in major league baseball hitting .188 in 892 at-bats.
I remember his career day as a Red: June 6, 1976 he drove in 7 runs in a 13-2 win over St Louis.
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Reds/NL Central
Baseball Tonight Bus Tour: Reds camp
ESPN
Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said “one way or another," the contract negotiations with second baseman Brandon Phillips are expected to be done by Opening Day. A club source said that they really want to keep Phillips, and he wants to stay. It’s not going to be an easy negotiation, but from most indications, the Reds are going to sign Phillips to a long-term deal.
Carpenter returns to St Louis
St Louis Post Dispatch
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals co-ace Chris Carpenter returned to St. Louis Tuesday to be further examined after experiencing symptoms associated with a bulging cervical disc that has truncated his camp.
Carpenter, who threw live batting practice Sunday, experienced renewed discomfort in his neck and upper arm on Monday. He was scheduled to throw more live batting practice today; however, his name appears under neither "throwers" or "non-throwers" on today's workout sheet.
Baker not worried about Mesoraco
Mark Sheldon, MLB.com
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Through 10 games this spring, rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco is batting .136 (3-for-22).
Mesoraco, who batted .180 as a September callup last season, is expected to split time with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate this season.
His offense should be part of the equation to help the Reds in the regular season, but manager Dusty Baker was not concerned about the current results.
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Afternoon baseball
UC vs #2 Kentucky (21-0), the last remaining unbeaten team in NCAA Division I baseball, 4 p.m.today at Marge Schott Stadium. Former Kentucky Mr Baseball, Luke Maile (Covington Catholic), is hitting .360 with 5 HR and 27 RBI for UK.
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March Madness
Alumni in the Greater Cincinnati area
127,472 Cincinnati
50,000 Xavier
10,800 Kentucky
8,839 Indiana
8,500 Ohio State
8,000 Ohio
4,000 Louisville
(Enquirer)
He said it...he said "Kentucky"
Bob Knight joined ESPN Radio this morning..and yes...he said Kentucky.
"If I were coaching Kentucky and they got beat as they did (IU) I would remind my team..but not put a lot of talk into it".
Now UK fans and media can go back to focusing on something that matter.s
NBA draft projection
I was looking at ESPN Chad Ford's first NBA mock draft. Check out his projections for players in the region:
1. Anthony Davis, UK
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, UK
8. Cody Zeller, IU
13. Jared Sullinger, OSU
17. Terrance Jones, UK
OSU-UC cold war not likely to thaw
Bob Baptist, Columbus Dispatch
Matta and two other athletic department officials said yesterday that neither program has contacted the other since then about playing. Ohio State had seemed receptive in the past to playing host to a game in Columbus but not playing in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have insisted on a home-and-home arrangement.
Asked if it was possible the two sides could meet somewhere in the middle on the issue, Matta smiled and said, “Jeffersonville? At the outlet mall?”
Buckeyes, Bearcats rarely play, but rivalry bitter
Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch
Yates believes some highbrow Buckeyes are scared to put their school’s premier status to the test because they’re not sure what would happen.
That worry works itself down into much of the older fan base, too. It is left to the younger generations to declare, “Buckeyes vs. Bearcats? Bring it on.”
On Thursday, finally, it gets brought. Buckle up. It should be a good one.
NCAA success helps UC, XU wash away some of brawl's lingering stink
Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News
Of all the twists the current college basketball season has witnessed, perhaps the most curious is that Cincinnati and Xavier, the Crosstown Shootout rivals, find themselves both alive in the NCAA Sweet 16 a little more than three months removed from the late-game brawl that led to players from both teams being suspended and the character of several players being questioned.
Coach Mick Cronin’s Cincinnati Bearcats (26-10) will play Ohio State in the East Region semifinals Thursday in Boston. Coach Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (23-12) face Baylor in Atlanta on Friday night.
That both teams remain active is fascinating because of how far apart their teams stood when they faced off at XU’s Cintas Center, when the Musketeers won by 23, and how divergent their paths have been since.
