A FEW MO' THINGS, 11/1/12

-Programming Notes:  I'm doing this week's chat tomorrow at 1:00.  Take a long lunch.

-Ryan Ludwick is a free agent.  I can't blame him for wanting to hit the open market.  If some team wants to sign a player who's had one good season out of the last three, and who's in his mid-30s, to an absurd contract, I wish both that team and Ryan Ludwick well.  I'd like for Ryan to be a Red in 2012, but I wouldn't go overboard to keep him.

-On the David Wright story from yesterday....yes, the idea of Wright offering protecting J. Votto setting up J. Bruce is enticing.  But given what he'd cost, both in terms of players and dollars, is it worth asking if David Wright - not a huge power guy even with the CitiField fences moved in - is that much of an upgrade to justify what the Reds would have to give up to get him, and then what they'd have to pay to keep him?

The idea of trading for David Wright reminds me of those people who take cars that have important defects and throw money into crap like expensive sound systems and rims while ignoring the engine and never changing the oil.  They're nice to have but they're not where the money should go.

If it takes three or four people to trade for David Wright, what's leftover to go find a center fielder?

-One theme I keep hearing: they Reds need to find someone to replace Scott Rolen as the team's designated "great clubhouse guy."

I disagree.

The Reds strike me as a team filled with great clubhouse guys.  I'm sure Scott was one of them, but they're chemistry can't solely be attributed to the part-time presence of one broken-down guy.

The need for a leader is also overstated.  This isn't the 2009 or 2010 teams, squads filled with players in the early stages of their careers.  Joey Votto is 29 years-old, and the team just invested a quarter of a billion dollars in him.  He should lead.  Same with BP.  Arroyo and Hanigan look like leaders. Bruce might get there soon. 

They need better players at important positions.  They don't need broken down players taking up space simply because of whatever intangibles they bring to the clubhouse.

-The Bengals do need leaders, at least according to Marvin Lewis.  I agree with the sentiment, and I love what it might do for the team.

Mind you, I think I have a better chance of impregnating Kate Upton than the Bengals do of beating Denver, but this team has, for weeks, looked like it's needed an injection of energy, something to jolt them.

Whatever Marv's doing behind the scenes hasn't done the trick.  Why not use the media to not only send a message, but infuse the team with a little something extra?

-As the college basketball season gets set to begin, two reminders based on early feedback.

1) I am going to talk about the teams I feel large chunks of our audience cares about.  You might not like the team I'm talking about.  My job isn't to talk about one team because I might be a fan of it, and my job isn't to talk solely about the teams within the borders of our city.  If I felt like large chunks of our audience cared about the basketball team at Montana State, I would spend time talking about them.

2) If you want topics geared toward your favorite team, introduce them.  Don't Tweet "talk about UK."  That's not a topic.  Tweet "What were your thoughts on UK's win last night? Is Cal not using (fill in the blank player) enough."  And call the station.  I react to what I get.  Audience response dictates topics.  Silence gets me to switch gears.

Thank you.  I'm mildly excited for the season.

-I think we are nearing a day when I turn on the radio and hear a commercial advocating the assassination of a political candidate.  I'm not kidding about this, sadly.

-The NHL lockout will be the least-impactful major sports work stoppage in my lifetime.  There's not enough casual fans to turn off, and the sport's diehards will have nowhere else to turn.  That said, I hate what the league is doing to it's fans.  At the same time, I did enjoy these lockout-themed Halloween costumes.

I like this one as well....

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-I'm with ya, kid.

-Sometimes smart people say really stupid things.  I'm not smart, but rest assured I'll say some really stupid things today at 3:04 on ESPN1530.  I want one of these, please.