A FEW MO' THINGS, 9/27/12

Programming Notes: Our already impossible-to-follow on-air schedule has a wrench thrown in it today.  I'd normally be on, but I'm taking a vacation day to go watch one more regular season Reds game.  Tomorrow the Bengals Pep Rally show replaces our normal programming.  But on Monday, I'm back to being on every day.  I'm excited about this, even if you're meeting this news with a lukewarm reaction.

The major news is that I'm updating my page during a vacation day.  Finally, Lance's work ethic has rubbed off.

-Last night's Reds game was a stinker.  Not much to talk about there.  We've pounded the makeup of the rotation into the ground.  The "who do you not want to play" discussion lost its legs weeks ago, and sorting through the different possibilities on the lower end of the roster has relevance, but that discussion, for me at least, comes down to one bullpen spot, and who they play in the NLDS should dictate that. (Miguel Cairo would be my 25th guy. I can certainly see the case for keeping Mesoraco so they can take advantage of Navarro's bat, but Devin is an offensive zero.  Cairo might not be very good, but no moment will be too big for him.)

Of far more importance...

1) Dusty Baker's health.  If his doctors say he can manage, he manages.  If they say he can't, he doesn't.  (There's a pretty solid piece on Dusty Baker by Mark Sheldon here.)

2)  Ryan Ludwick's health and availability.  The offense comes to a stall often enough with him, it might grind to a stop without him.  His absence would drastically cut into the bench and even if he is available, I wonder how much the groin injury (which often persist even after the player returns) affects his game.

3)  The temporary 2-3 format in the Division Series. I'm way in the minority, but I like it.

I actually think it's an advantage for the team with homefield advantage.  It puts pressure on the lower seeded team to win both home games, and it the higher-seeded team the cushion of never playing an elimination game away from home, and the soft landing of never having to play on the road in the series if they lose the first two games. 

Let's say the Reds play the Giants in the NLDS, with games one and two in San Fran.  Think of the pressure the Giants will face to win their two home games, not wanting to need two road wins in three games.  Think of what it'd feel like if the Reds managed a split, knowing the series would never return to AT&T Park. Imagine how demoralizing two Reds win would be for the Giants, knowing they couldn't rally around the idea of getting the series back to their park.  And if the worst-case scenarios presents itself, and San Francisco wins the first two, the Reds at least won't have to go back.

Does it give a lower-seeded team a slightly better chance to get a jump-start on the series?  Yes.  But it also gives the higher-seeded team every potential closeout game in the series.

I know it's different.  I know it'll feel odd watching teams with the better record open the playoffs on the road.  But we've had this format before.  I remember 1995, the first full year of the wild card, how devastating it seemed to the Dodgers when the Reds won the first two games in LA, knowing the series was returning to Cincinnati. I remember the Mariners heading home down 0-2 against the Yankees, and publicly taking solace in the fact that at least the series would not return to the Bronx.  The ended up winning a classic in five.

I'd actually take it a step further and award the team with the best record in each league four home games out five, playing game one in the park of the Wild Card Game winner, then the remainder being played in the higher seed's ballpark.

I also like this because it eliminates a travel day in the postseason.  Who likes travel days?

I know this year's format is temporary and was put together out of necessity.  I know it could help put the Reds behind 0-2 in a series, but I also don't think it's unreasonable to ask a higher-seeded team to win at least a game on the road.  If they can at least manage a split, they'll have a far more decided homefield advantage than normal.

-Some are going to say this cheapens Major League Baseball.  Those people are wrong. I say it's classy.  And awesome.

-If you don't visit Pro Football Focus regularly, you should.  They break down Bengals v. Redskins.  They are not kind to the linebackers, particularly Rey Maualuga...
This was not a good day for the Cincinnati linebackers. Washington worked the middle of the field a lot (19 of RGIII’s 29 aimed passes went between the numbers), and the Bengals couldn’t keep track of crossing receivers, shut down routes up the seam, or prevent themselves missing tackles after catches had been made. Rookie Vontaze Burfict (0.2) and Vincent Rey (-1.2) didn’t exactly distinguish themselves, but it was Rey Maualuga (-6.2) that had the true nightmare in the middle. He allowed a catch on all seven passes into his coverage for 89 yards, and missed three tackles.

The Bengals had high hopes for the USC product, but he can’t continue to have games like this if he expects to hold on to the middle linebacker job. He struggled to recognize crossing routes quickly enough, and wasn’t able to live with players like Fred Davis on deeper routes down the field.

-If you missed Turning Point on NBC Sports Network last night, it featured Sunday's Bengals game at Washington.  It's always an outstanding show and lived up to itself last night.  (Trying to find embeddable video)  If you missed it, it airs again Saturday night at 9:00.

-The real NFL refs are back.  They will make mistakes.  Probably tonight.  They're inevitable.  So too is the overreaction to them.  That they make mistakes isn't the point.   Also, Cleveland is getting way too many tonight (-12) against Baltimore, playing in its fourth game in 17 days and coming off that emotional win over New England.  Ravens win, but the Browns make it a game.

 -I'm a day late on this, but when I'm elected MLB commish, we are outlawing clubhouse champagne celebrations after teams clinch postseason berths.  The Braves celebrated like they won a championship Tuesday night.  Weak.

-I think it would be awesome to have a Triple Crown winner in my lifetime (talking baseball here, horse racing guy).  25 years ago, Miguel Cabrera's attempt to be the first two do it since Yastremski would've led every sportscast and would've tracked by nearly every sports fan.  Today, I'm betting most casual baseball fans have no idea Cabrera has a chance to be the first player in 45 years to accomplish this. (And while I too view OPS as a more important stat than batting average, we're not adjusting what constitutes a Triple Crown simply to satiate stat nerds)  That's too bad, because in a year that's been incredibly fun to watch locally and nationally, with some great team and individual accomplishments, Cabrera's feat would be the coolest.

-If there truly is a God, someone will put video of this on YouTube.

-Here is a logo for the Holy Grail.  I'm posting it to remind you to attend the first ESPN1530 Holy Grail Bengals Watch Party of 2012.  I'll be there at 3:00.  You should get there earlier.  Prizes, bucket beer specials, and me.  Be There.

-LOL. Charles Barkley.

-Browns games look fun....

-I'm not the world's biggest South Park guy, but this is pretty awesome.

-I just remembered that I'm on vacation today, so I'm going to stop blogging now.  We'll get back to it tomorrow. In the meantime spend the next 14+ minutes pointing and laughing.