A FEW MO' THINGS, 5/4/12
There's some serious personal space violating going on here.

Good teams win in spite of, bad teams lose because of.

There's a lot of reasons the Reds could have, and probably should have, lost yesterday.  The lineup was head-scratching, the managing was mystifying, and the hitters spent much of yesterday afternoon looking like they were swinging while holding the wrong end of their bats.

And they still won.  In spite of themselves.

The sheer ineptitude of the Cubs had a hand in it.  So did some continued outstanding bullpen work.  And give the Reds credit for putting together enough good at-bats in the ninth to put pressure on Carlos Marmol and Rafael Dolis.

The dramatic win was badly needed - a 4-4 homestand would've been unacceptable - but it does not and should not mask the continued offensive issues that have now plagued this team for four weeks.  If anything, the thing that stood out yesterday, aside from the four runs in the ninth and tenth, is that when Dusty Baker has to call on the scrubs, the options continue to be very, very, limited.

It's still early, but it's not as early it was two weeks ago.  Unfortunately, this offense is just as maddeningly inconsistent as it was back then.

-Homer Bailey.  Jay Bruce.  Drew Stubbs. 

Three players we absolutely couldn't wait to see in the Major Leagues.  Three players we couldn't wait to ship back to the minors when we determined they weren't ready.

Let's remember this when we start putting pressure on the Reds to get Billy Hamilton tomorrow at the latest.

-It's time for the first #RedsTweetUp of 2012!


It will be next Friday....Reds v. Nats.  $25 gets you a mezzanine level ticket, the new #RedsTweetUp t-shirt, and a $10 credit for concessions.  Plus, it's both Free Agent Friday and Fireworks Friday.  I will be there.  You should be there too.  For all the info go here.

-I know we're predisposed to not root for the Yankees, but this sucks...

The greatest closer of all-time isn't supposed to go out like this.  Here's to hoping Mariano Rivera decides to pitch again and comes back next season.

ESPN's Sweet Spot Blog agrees.

Some NBA....

*As the Miami Heat have asserted their dominance over the Knicks, the national pundits have attempted to make my favorite NBA team's issues deeper than they are.

The problem isn't Carmelo Anthony.  He's been miscast and added to a team that's deeply flawed.  No, he's not great defensively, and he takes some awful shots, both characteristics that put him on a lengthy list of celebrated players just like him.

The problem wasn't 'Melo when he was carrying his team down the stretch.

The problem is that they're simply not good enough to beat elite teams like Miami, especially when LeBron is as good as he was last night.  New York could've had eight guys on the floor and they'd still have no chance to slow down James.  A Knicks team at full strength could make this series interesting, but has not chance to compete without their missing pieces.

But they still wouldn't win.  Miami is better at nearly every position, can impose their will on defense, and are led by the best player in the sport.

It doesn't go much deeper than that.

*This is an outstanding account, from a former Seattle Supersonics employee, of the final days of the franchise.  It will make you hate Starbucks, among many other things, just a little bit more.

*It's scary how good the Oklahoma City Thunder can be when they contest shots at the rim.  They put on an interior defense clinic in drubbing the Mavericks last night.

*I'm not sure what's more sobering as a Knicks fan...the NBA record 13 straight playoff losses, or the fact that they've played 38 straight postseason games without scoring 100.

*This....

-I'm not a huge hockey guy, but there's been a compelling NHL playoff game on nearly every night.   That's all I got.

-I'm not irresponsible enough to conclude that Junior Seau's suicide is connected to head injuries he suffered during his football career.

But I do know that Seau joins a list of former players who took their own life that includes Andre Waters, Dave Duerson, and recently Ray Esterling.

Coincidence?  Maybe.

I know that hundreds of former players and their families have already joined a legal action against the NFL, claiming the league was negligent in not doing enough to lessen the risks from head injuries.

Could Seau's family join this litigation?  Maybe.

Seau's death, aside from the devastating impact to his loved ones (the footage of his mom addressing the media is very difficult to watch), sharpens the scrutiny that the league and the sport in general are facing.  It only amplifies the arguments, even if you disagree with them, against the very existence of a game we all love, and it will probably intensify the efforts of Roger Goodell to continue to change the league, probably for the better.

-Kentucky and Indiana won't play anymore, at least for a while. 

I don't care who's more at fault.  I don't care about the finger-pointing.  I don't care where they play.  I care that fans lose.

-As a fan of a sport that needs colorful, transcendent stars, I want Bryce Harper to live up to the hype. 

-Registration is now open for the 8th annual Scott Christian Scholarship Cup golf outing to be held on June 2, 2012 at Twin Oaks Golf Course in Covington. We will have a shotgun start at 8:00 with lunch and prizes after golf. Cost is $360 per foursome or $90 per golfer with multiple sponsorship packages and opportunities. Registration closes on May 22 and spots are expected to fill up fast, so please register your foursome and sponsorship on the Foundation website as soon as possible.

-Kate Upton is getting a trading card.  I will probably buy it.

-Radio programming notes....I'm in for Ken Broo on Sunday Morning SportsTalk starting at 9:05am Sunday on 700WLW, and I'm on ESPN1530 in the afternoon Monday through Thursday of next week.  You should listen to every minute

-And you should follow me on Twitter. Please?

-Enjoy the weekend.  Here's your April Fail Compilation.