In the News: VP leaves toddler in the car.

Another highly publicized tragedy has happened in our footprint. The vice principle of Glen Este Middle Schools has made a terrible mistake that will haunt her for the rest of her life. The reports state that this was an accident. Being human, much of our local population is skeptical. Was this truly an accident? I believe it was.
In case you haven't heard and don't know what I'm talking about, this poor woman left her two year old daughter in her locked up Mercedes SUV from about 7:30 in the morning until 3:30 pm in temps that topped 98 degrees outside. The estimated high in the car was 140 degrees. She had gone back to work and it was NOT her usual routine to drop her daughter off at the sitter. Her daughter was asleep and she didn't realize she was in the car. That poor little girl died in an unthinkable way.

This blog isn't about what happened. It is about the response of moms through out the city who thought they could never make such a dire mistake. Its about the moms through out the city who decided that this poor woman deserved to loose everything else she had; her husband, her other children, her career, and even her freedom.

I understand that the facts aren't all in, the investigation is still pending. I understand that after the Marcus Fiesel case that people stopped believing in good people. Some have said that if she wasn't the principle of the school or someone with money, that she would already be behind bars. This is in-accurate. All evidence pointed towards this being a huge mistake, an accident, and THAT is why she is at home grieving with her family instead of in a yellow jump suit in county lockup.

Why do people seem to think that she needs to be in jail? Was this negligence? She wasn't aware her child was in the car, how can you be negligent of someone you don't even know is there? Is she really a threat to society? I think the only person she is a threat to is herself! She has to live with the fact that her mistake, her lack of parental intuituion even, is the reason her daughter is an angel in heaven. She is the one who is going to fight serious marital issues and nightmares. She is going to punish herself more than any judicial system could.

He who has not sinned cast the first stone.

I guess I just don't know what I'm talking about. Apparently there is no reason to have sympathy for an upstanding citizen who made such a horrible mistake that I only pray is never repeated. Apparently she needs to be hung by her toes too. Apparently I'm too tired to finish this.

Rest in Peace Cecilia. I'm praying for your family tonight.

Bengals Preseason Kinks Will Be Worked Out

This preseason is shaping up to be the worst in Marvin's brief tenure. From the injury riddled defense to players suffering from "camp legs" and fatigue, this does not look like a team two years removed from the playoffs. But looks can be deceiving.

On first glance it would appear that the Bengals are sliding back not going forward. 21 players on the PUP/Reserve list going into Saturday's game with the Saints made for a sloppy and sometimes stomach churning performance. However, if you step back and take a little closer look there is a lot to be positive about for this season.

Firstly, for a young player in the NFL, nothing is as important as getting reps. With 21 players out this gives your second, third and fourth strings, a little extra playing time that they wouldn't necessarily see otherwise. When you have players like Levi Jones and Willie Anderson out nursing injuries that may keep them out for an extended period of time, these backups are going to need every snap they can get. These are the two positions this team needs to keep strong, healthy and consistent. With no appreciable help at the QB position, this team absolutely cannot afford for Palmer to go down. While Willie remains highly optimistic about starting the opener on Sept. 10 and Levi is holding some guarded optimism, that cannot be solely relied on. Let's take this for what it is and give these younger guys a chance to step up and take that role if need be.

There also has to be something said for the fact that this IS the preseason. Injuries aside most of these younger guys, will never see a snap this season, although they still have to learn the system. What you are seeing right now is basically full speed practice. There are going to be wrinkles, and miscues. Isn't that why there is a preseason in the first place? I mean really, how many times this season do you expect Carson to take a drop and run into Rudi Johnson? Timing and rhythm will come with more practice.

On the defensive side of things, there is some room for concern. Besides being decimated by injuries, it looks like the guys trying to fill those spots just aren't getting it. Lewis and Bresnahan keep telling us that this is just a vanilla defense and that is why it has looked as bad as it has. I don't care what your defensive scheme is, if your line can't plug a hole, and your MLB can't make a tackle, you have problems.

For all the hype that Ahmad Brooks has gotten this preseason, I can see Ed Hartwell coming for this job in a hurry. Brooks is and exceptional physical specimen, but that alone cannot help him. He has to get in there and DO it. Hartwell, while no where near the player Brooks is physically, has the experience to make up for that. He has had enough time in this league at LB to be able to see adjustments, that only experience can give. While Saturday, Brooks was second in tackles only behind S Herana-Daze Jones he lacked the punch up the middle that allowed Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush to look like they were going for a Sunday stroll through the Bengals defense.

Some of the blame can be placed on the Defensive line, although they seemed a little tighter and more focused that we have seen recently. Justin Smith looked great, but someone please explain to be how Reggie Bush takes a dump pass and runs for ten yards, before anyone gets to him, and the guy that finally brings him down is a lineman(Smith) 5-6 yards off of the ball. Where are the safeties? Domato Peko looked really good. He seemed to be getting a great push at the line and spent most of his time on the Saints side of the line of scrimmage. They did look a little better at run defense than a week ago, yet there are still gaps that need to be filled on this line. Still, I don't see reason to panic just yet. Everyone uses the Indianapolis Colts as the gold standard, not only because they are the defending Super Bowl Champs, but also because they are so similar to the Bengals.

Indianapolis has not had a winning preseason in who knows how long. This is the same team that ALL of the analysts said could never be a Super Bowl contender. Why? No defense. Amazing and dominant offense, but little or no defense. At least not until December. Cincinnati is almost identical to this. High powered offense, no defense.
Yeah, well Carson Palmer is no Peyton Manning. No but he looks like he is going to make a great run at it. The Colts have been good for a long time, but they were hardly on the radar until mid-way through Manning's career. Then they obtained the stigma of "But they can't win the big game." How may time do sports writers and analysts have to look like fools, before they quit making half cocked predictions and over analyzing everything. The answer is never, that's what they get paid for. Even so, that does not mean that just because some guy on ESPN or on the radio says they think the Bengals are in trouble, doesn't mean they are.

Last year after coming off a great 11-5 playoff season, the Bengals were a favorite in the division. They get off to a slow start, the talks of mediocrity and the 90's start creeping in. Then they go on a run, looking at 8-5 going down the stretch, and a chance again to win the division. Oh yeah, here we go, playoff time baby; Who Dey! Low and behold, they blow the last three games of the season, and miss the playoffs. In a span of 17 weeks this team went from Super Bowl bound, to deep in the crapper, back to contenders, then to buried. This goes to my point. If a team can have that big of a swing throughout the same season, and know one really knowing what's going on. How can anyone POSSIBLY say that this team has no chance after seeing two, preseason games that amount to nothing more than game speed practice.

Your Cincinnati Bengals will be fine. Will they be the dominant force in the AFC? I doubt it, but they will contend and they are going to prove that they can hang in the toughest division in the AFC, maybe the NFL.

Predictions:

Ahmad out - Hartwell in by week 3

Willie Anderson, Starts Sept. 10 Levi does not.

Leon Hall - Rookie of the year contender.

Bengals 11-5, out in the second Rd. of the Playoffs

In the News: Child Abuse in Cincy

Marcus Feisel. If you haven't heard of this little angel then you live under a rock somewhere in the 275 beltway. Why does it always take a tragedy to open our eyes to the reality of our city? Why are we so shut down and cut off that we pretend that this doesn't happen until the media shoves it down our throats with a hot poker?

He was just one example of children being bred like bunny rabbits by deadbeat loser parents who can't so much as wipe their own noses, let alone raise a child. These are the 'winners' who bring 2,3,4,5 children into this world to be abused and neglected until someone steps in. Then once one or so is taken away, another is due in 9 months. Animals should be spayed or neutered.

So whose rights are more important? That of a negligent excuse for a mother to conceive, or that of an unborn child to not have to live the life their brothers and/or sisters suffered? When is it enough? When do we cut the federal funding for these people? How can we make sure they can't ruin another child's life?

We can't. Not legally. It's the womans body and we can't screw (pardon the pun) with her uterus.

Check this out and pray for this little angel in heaven.

Video Link

New NFL Preseason Format

With the NFL pre season well underway it shouldn't be too long before we start hearing the complaints of the pre season being too long. How there is no need for four pre season games. Obviously having those four extra games is going to increase the chances that someone could be injured. which seems to be the main concern for detractors. Still teams have to evaluate their guys. Simply put the pre season is about giving everything you have to make the squad. In order to properly gauge the level a player is playing at, he has to play. Training camp and practice are good for getting your bearings and learning the system but in the end it is like playing chess against yourself. You already know the next move. To really see what a player is made of you have to see him play against top level opposition.

That brings me to my point. In a recent interview, Bengals WR Chad Johnson said of practicing with another team, that he would like to do this every year. That they should practice a couple of days with each team they don't face that season. Hmmmm. Now that is an idea.

Why not...keep the schedule the same. A few weeks of training camp with the team by its self. Then once teams break camp and head back to their respective home facilities, instead of intra sqaud practice and game prep for a pre season game, they bring in a team that is not on their schedule, and just practice with them. Hold a few scrimmages, half, maybe three quarter speed. Nothing nearly as demanding as a full on game. This allows a chance for coaches to examine their players against opposition. This will also give teams an outside perspective on their teams. They will not see each other during the regular season so there shouldn't be too many problems with sharing notes. That solves problem one, putting the players against opposing teams.

But...

A team can't really tell how a player will react in a game situation, unless he plays in actual game situations. By the last two weeks of the pre season most of the cuts have been made and the coaches know who is staying and who's on the practice squad. But, you still have your holes and questions about who will fall where in the end. Now you need to put them in a game situation. The determining factor in starting a position and being the back up is how well you perform in a real time game environment. This is an easy fix. Two games. Two. One home and one away for every team. By now all of the teams should be down to final cuts and organizing the depth charts. Two games should be enough to know who is in and who needs to ride the bench and pick up some experience.

There you have it. A full pre season, that allows for all of the important points of why the pre season even exists, while at the same time limiting the number of opportunities for injury. That isn't to say players will not get injured, but it should dramatically decrease the probability.

Reasons to Enjoy Reds Baseball

Mathematically speaking the season is not over for the Cincinnati Reds. Realistically, well that is a whole other story. The Reds have been a miserable wreck of a baseball team this season. From the nausea inducing performance of the bull pen, the inconsistent starting pitching, substandard offensive production, the list goes on and on. So much so that I could easily write an entire series of articles about the things that are plaguing this team. Then again who needs more negativity in the midst of an already dismal situation.


Instead, maybe we have reached the point in the season where we have known it was over and now we need to look to the future. There are a lot of pluses about this team, that could give a good manager and GM a solid foundation to build a team around. It may involve some unpopular and downright ugly moves, but that is the game. It has been said countless times, that professional sports are businesses, and as such sometimes tough and unpopular moves need to be made to allow the business to thrive. I have compiled a list of ten things I believe make this team more watchable then we as the fans and the media give them credit for.



1. Pete Mackanin

Face it, Cincinnati, the guy can manage a team. The Reds have the best record in the Central since Pete took over in July. He has a 4-1 win ratio. He is not afraid to step on toes and make moves that make people question his sanity, but ultimately work. You have to love the way he reacted to Todd Coffey being left in the bullpen. He said plainly that he would not use him and he has not. When Adam Dunn asked not to be taken out late in the game, Pete goes out that very same night and takes him out of the game in the eighth. Mackanin may not be the skipper next season, but he is putting on a great audition.



2. Junior 600

This is by far the most under-appreciated event that is going on in Reds baseball today. Let's look at the landscape of baseball right now. Every slugger in baseball has a taint over them because of the steroid era. Every hitting milestone that has been reached in this season has had a cloud of doubt over it, excepting Biggio's 3000 hits. Bonds was a no brainer, right? Sosa reaching 600 barely put a blip on the sports radar. Then in this little town called Cincinnati, Ken Griffey, Jr is on the verge of hitting 600 career home runs, and even local fans hardly acknowledge it. Here is a guy, that when spoken about by the media is almost unequivocally considered to be clean, yet no one is glorifying a milestone that we have been begging for. Why are we putting the players we know we have doubts about so far out in front of an amazing and CLEAN career. Because he is on a poor baseball team. Junior is THE reason we should be at the ball park. We should all be holding our breath every time he comes to the plate. We have seen it from the fans out side of Cincinnati, they love Junior. Now we need to give him the same.



3. Jeff Keppenger

This kid has got it. he is great with a bat, and looks good on defense as well. He is still young and will make some mistakes, but overall I think he is a great addition to this team. He plays hard and smart. He can seem to read pitches well and make adjustments pitch to pitch on the fly. I don't see a permanent spot for him on this roster with everyone healthy. At the very least making him a utility guy just to get his bat in the lineup is not a bad idea.



4. Bullpen Development

Bullpen problems are the bane of any baseball team. That said, at points this year I don't think this bullpen could have pitched themselves out of an inning against the Hamilton All Stars little league team. I mean for months,and even to maybe a lesser degree now, if the started couldn't pitch a complete game it was almost certainly over. Then we slowly saw guys coming in and out in the bullpen. Granted a great deal of seemingly bonehead moves (Coffey is still here I believe) and a whole lot of shuffling the same guys up and down has gone on. Still, I see it as a good thing. When dealing with the minor league system you have to realize the most of these guy have little or no major league experience. They are going to take their lumps and get beat, sometimes beat a lot. At the same time when you are this far out of it, why not shuffle guys around, get them some big league time, that way when spring training rolls around next year there is a little better idea of who is going to cut it and who isn't. As much as we as fans would like to see Coffey and Stanton grab a greyhound to Louisville we need these guys in that bullpen. They are probably both at the trailing end of their careers but they still have valuable information to feed to the young guys who has the ability, but need guidance. Watching these guys is great fun, you get to see their development on the biggest stage.



5 Filling the 5th Starter Spot

I realize that having a hole in the rotation seems like a really bad thing. Yet if kept in the context of, this season is a scratch, it makes for a good experience of the game. Forget pre-season what better way to see if a guy has what it takes than to put him right in the thick of it. When Bobby Livingston was put in as a starter, we all questioned how long he was going to last. then he came out strong in a couple of early games and mad a little room for himself. Since then he has taken some pretty good shots, but overall he has good stuff. Good games are what will make you a star in this league. Your ability to go deep and hold things down for your bullpen. Livingston can hold down a game and I think he will emerge as a dominant starter on this team. That leaves the 5th spot, which since the release of Lohse has been a merry go round. Once again this makes for very interesting baseball, you can watch a guy develop on the major league level. This is the best way to see if a guy has what it takes.


Everyone knows how hard it is to get behind a bad team. Just ask anyone growing up in Cincinnati during the 90's. The trick is I believe is to recognize that your team is bad, and to then go to an individual basis. Yeah the team as a whole may be awful, but there is always an Aaron Harang, or Griffey, or Phillips, that can make going to watch your last place team a little more enjoyable. You can always say "Well the bull pen blew it again, but did you see (insert player)? Great job!" A little light at the end of the tunnel beats no light at all, right?

Why Spelling is Unimpotant

Read the following paragraph straight through.


Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

I'm firing my Spellcheck as we speak!

Featured Artist

As the title implies I plan to feature a band that I am currently listening to and maybe a song or song sample. I have already posted some music from local product Black Tie Affair, but would also like to showcase some bands that are maybe not as mainstream but more readily accessible.

This weeks artist is Cute is What We Aim For

Started as a quintet in Buffalo, New York in 2005. CIWWAF quickly was reduced to only four members before recording their first full length album Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch on Fueled by Ramen records.

This emo-pop group is great for a fan of the one liner and quick quip type of writing. They blend very catchy melodies, with light hearted lyrics. Think Panic! or Fallout Boy.

Check their songs out on Myspace at www.myspace.com/cuteiswhatweaimfor
or on the web at
www.cuteiswhatweaimfor.com

Reds Go for Sweep

The Reds are looking to sweep the Cubs today at 2:20pm in Chicago for the first time since Aug. 8-10, 2005. Rookie left hander Bobby Livingston(3-2, 4.24 ERA) is looking to follow up and outstanding performance against the Padres in which he went for 8 1/3 innings allowing only three runs on four hits. He pitched six innings of one hit baseball before giving up a solo shot to Giles in the 7th inning, and a homer again off of Giles in the ninth, this time with a man on and one out.

He will be facing veteran righty Jason Marquis (9-7, 4.18 ERA). Marquis is coming off an outing against Colorado in which he gave up only one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings, struck out 5 batters and grounded out eleven more. His sinker and control were spot on until the seventh inning when he tried to go low and away to Jeff Baker and ended up hitting Baker in the head with the pitch.

Willie Anderson In Camp Wearing Boot

Willie Anderson reported to Paul Brown  Stadium this morning after returning from his week long stay in Atlanta with his right foot in a brace.  There has been no word from Bengals management as to his status, but Coach Marvin Lewis has said during training camp that he expects Anderson to start in the Bengals Monday night home opener against the Ravens on Sept 10.  Also today T.J. Houshmandzadeh and cornerback Johnathan Joseph did not dress for practice.

In case any one is concerned about Willie showing up apparently injured, keep in mind, out of a total of 176 possible starts in his 11 year tenure, he has started 174.  He missed only the 11th (foot) and 16th(ankle/knee) games of his career. 

Blogged with Flock

Hamilton Hits #15

WOW! What a hit. He barely moved at all, and plastered it into the stands. He was out an awful long time with that wrist injury. Now I can see why. I never noticed it before but a vast majority of Josh's power comes from his shoulders and wrists. Given how much he uses his wrists in his swing, I can almost see how he strained it in the Batter's box. Think about it he isn't just up there taking swings with the bat, it's also weighted.