Never deny my incredible work ethic.
I'm on vacation, yet I still felt compelled to update this space, not to promise you pages worth of vacation photos, but because it's the first Friday of college football and I believe in consistency.
I'm heading out to the east coast this morning for a long weekend that I've been pumped about for a while. Four days, four events, two cities. I've always wanted to attend the US Open Tennis Tournament (#7 on this list), so I'll be in Flushing tonight to see what might be Andy Roddick's final match. Then it's a trip to Yankee Stadium for a big Yanks/O's tilt before the trip's main event: Springsteen back-to-back nights in Philly Sunday and Monday.
I'm pretty sure this guy > the fireworks.
(Sorry FM coworkers, it's true.)
I didn't roll out of bed early on my day off to drone on about my vacation. I hate myself for even bringing it up, because nothing is worse than having to read about someone's vacation, but people who get paid a lot of money consulting radio hosts and bloggers say that we need to talk about ourselves more. I can't imagine how bored you'd be if I talked about myself more. Some local college football teams play this weekend, the Bengals played a "game" last night, and the Reds resume play tonight. God forbid I let those things happen without me weighing in.
-First, the Bengals. The preseason is over, mercifully. That NFL owners can look themselves in the mirror while they charge regular season prices for the product on display around the league in the final week of exhibition play almost defies logic.
Once Andy Dalton came out of the game, whatever care I had for how last night's "game" played out went out the window. For the record (like it matters), I wouldn't have played Andy, or anyone of consequence, last night. By the time I'd taken a breath as it appeared that Dalton was okay, I'd started flipping channels in between plays.
I don't know what you pull from last night's game. Marvin Jones continues to impress, catching another TD. There was a Mohammed Sanu sighting. He was productive, albeit often in garbage time, (To be fair, the entire 60 minutes of the last preseason game could be considered "garbage time.") though both he and Jones highlighted the first TD drive. The Bengals defensive scrubs committed way too many penalties. The TV sideline reporter hit players with such hard-hitting queries as "Are you ready for the season" and "The first game is gonna be fun, huh?" The TV shots of fans in the stands showed people who looked like they were being held against their will. DeQuin Evans alternated between moments of brilliance and stupidity. The backup safeties tackled like guys trying to corral a runaway cat. The offensive line opened up some nice holes for Brian Leonard early. After a beautiful drive to start the half (beautiful because it took more than eight minutes off the clock), the sixth-team offense did nothing but either fumble or stall before punting as the game became increasingly less watchable. No one on either team's sideline looked remotely concerned with what was happening on the field. And I came away from the game both very excited about what'll happen in Baltimore in ten days and very uncertain about how good this team will be.
My gut, right now, tells me this is an 8-8 team.
I'd like to be wrong about that.
More on that next week.
Today though, should be interesting. I think some of the players the Bengals let go today will pop up elsewhere and could make contributions to other teams. As well as Marvin Jones played this preseason, has he done enough to be the number two guy? Did any of the other players at that spot do enough this past month to warrant much confidence in them? Can Jeff Faine get caught up in time to help block Haloti Ngata a week from Monday? Do the Bengals take advantage of the new rule allowing one player on IR to return midseason and designate Kyle Cook as that player? Or it is Brandon Ghee? How do the chips fall at secondary? At linebacker? And what player can the Bengals successfully hide on the practice squad.
Interesting decisions. Interesting speculation. All after a very, very, uninteresting game.
-Far more interesting was Caught Looking on NBC Sports Network, which was a really in-depth look at the Reds/Cards three-game series last weekend. Not that we really learned anything knew, but the Reds were cast in a really positive light and the production value was outstanding. If anyone finds the whole episode on YouTube, I'd love to post it.
-Jona Keri's piece on the Reds on Grantland.com had people talking yesterday. There's some good look at some of the Reds major issues without frothing at the mouth or the calls for massive firings. This, among many things in the column, is worth pointing out....
According to Elias Sports Bureau, in the history of baseball, only 11 World Series winners have regularly started multiple position players with on-base percentages of .290 or lower; none of those teams have batted two sub-.290 OBP guys 1-2 in the order. If the Reds win it all with Cozart and Stubbs setting the table with torn paper plates and dirty napkins, they'll have accomplished something no other team has done in 100 years.
-Dusty Baker likes his players. That's pretty obvious even to the most outside observer. The players seem to reciprocate. And the Reds have good team with an intact nucleus. So logic dictates that the manager would want to stay.
But with Baker's stock higher than it was when the Reds hired him (at least for now), with his family still three time zones away, with (I'd imagine) designs on making a little bit more money, and with the lack of appreciation for his work and downright nastiness many display toward him, why would he sign a deal here without thinking about other potential options first?
-College football. Sweet, sweet, college football. My Bearcats take on Pitt in six days. Mildly excited about that. And mildly excited that UC getting a bye in week one allows me to enjoy the trip I'll be headed off on 25 minutes after I finish typing this sentence.
There's intrigue in week one....from Alabama/Michigan, to Urban Meyer's Buckeye debut, to the scene at Penn State tomorrow, to the big question of the weekend, which is whether I will be able to get up in time to see the 9AM kickoff in Dublin when Notre Dame plays Navy (which I think is pretty cool by the way).
If you've been reading this blog for a while (I feel really self-important even imagining that anyone has been reading this for a while), you know that on Fridays I make NFL picks (which I believe is a requirement for a sports blog, and which also illustrates some self-importance), including a score and rationale for the Bengals game, and I make picks on the college games being played by the locals.
I had to start doing this because a few years ago, I'd write about the upcoming UC game and get emails from people who think this is a high school sports blog, upset that I didn't mention their school.
Anyway, here we go.
Ohio State v. Miami
Ohio State's march toward martyrdom begins with a home tilt, kicking off the Urban Meyer regime, against Miami.
I can guarantee you three things.
1) I will take Kerry Coombs up on his offer to call in with regular Buckeye updates because I think there's an audience for it and because I enjoy the nasty correspondence from my fellow Bearcat fans who never call talk shows to talk about our favorite team.
2) By the end of the season, I will still not be able to tell you which Big Ten schools are in the Legends Division and which ones are in the Leaders Division.
3) I will see fewer and fewer t-shirts like these as the season wears on. The buzz for Meyer's arrival in Columbus isn't UK/Calipari-esque, but it's close.
Zac Dysert enters his 11th season at Miami with one of the best receivers in the country in Nick Harwell, who will hopefully get some national and local run this season. But the Buckeyes will still dominate defensively. Braxton Miller will be passable. The announcers will talk about how Urban Meyer is home a lot more. Jim Tressel turn his phone off after the Akron coaches call him looking for advice on how to improve upon the egg the Zips laid last night. Buckeyes 27 Redhawks 10
Kentucky v. Louisville
Look, does it matter? About five months ago these two schools played in the Final Four. In basketball. A sport both schools' fans care about 32323829483438498 times more than football. Kentucky won. The Cardinals could win the next 3000 basketball games between the two and Wildcat fans would have what happened in New Orleans. So it stands to reason that a Cardinal win really won resonate all that much.
I do think Louisville will win the Big East.
I can't believe I just said that.
Tickets for Big Blue Madness will be available three weeks from tomorrow.
Cards 34 Cats 16
Dayton v. Illinois State
Who needs the Honey Badger? Flyers 20 Redbirds 17
I'm out. Back on Wednesday for a radio show and a blog. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend, and a solid weekend of sports. And stay safe. Let's allow The Boss to play me out...
