Unabated Sports

The college football season kicks off this weekend and want to watch it with you! There will be a Miami/O-S-U gathering at Crossroads Sports Bar and Grill in Mason Saturday at noon for the big game. The "Unabated Sports" crew will be on hand. We'd love to meet you! Plus, there just MIGHT be some giveaways. Redhawk fans welcome. Buckeye fans welcome. Heck, Michigan fans will be welcome. There's lots of TVs at Crossroads so plenty of games will be on. To get you ready for Miami U and OSU, here's the MURedhawks game preview and Ohio State's official game preview.

Peter Warrick is a Cincinnati Bengal no more. After a frustrating training camp, the team's first round pick in 2000, fourth overall, was released today. According to his agent, other teams have been calling and expressing interest in the former Florida State star so he looks like he'll land on his feet. Warrick's career in Cincinnati has had it's highs (career bests in 2003) and lows (injury-plagued 2004). The Bengals also waived rookie free agent Kyle Takavitz, a former University of Cincinnati player, and cornerback Terrell Roberts.

Other big cuts around the league include Peerless Price and former Ohio State runningback Maurice Clarett. Go ahead and smile, Buckeye fans, but remember what I said: You can't hate Mo with all your soul.

Last night, the Philadelphia Eagles showed up the Bengals. Squabbling teamates Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb showed no signs of problems on the field as they torched Cincinnati's secondary. Even without the Eagles help, the team looked shaky. Lots of penalties, dropped passes, blown covereages, missed tackles... rough night all the way around. Probably not a good sign for so many players involved in roster battles. It doesn't look like there were any major injuries, so that's always good. David Pollack got his first live action. Head Coach Marvin Lewis is not happy. I'm mildly disappointed. I start to get a bad feeling that this offense might be this year's Seattle Seahawks. We're already seeing the dropped passes, the inability to get in synch. Hopefully, these are just some of the kinks that will worked out before the September 11 opener in Cleveland. Also, this team has lost to the Eagles and the Patriots so far. It's not like they lost to some scrubs.

I can't remember the last time the Cincinnati Bengals preseason took a backseat to another sports story. 1999, I guess? Anyway, there is a game tonight and the rest of the nation might be more interested in it than we are. Terrell Owens will play tonight in front of the home fans. This will be the first time he's played in a game since the Super Bowl. It should be interesting to see how he does and how his fans react to him.

Speaking of the men in stripes, you can hear our brief interview with Mark Curnutte, Bengals Beat writer for the Enquirer. I'm sure we'll try to get him back on in the future. If you can't wait that long for your Curnutte fix, check out his blog.

What has been speculated for most of the week has become a reality: Andy Kennedy has been named UC's interim head coach. For a guy who interviewed at Southern Miss and Louisiana Monroe and didn't get those openings, the University of Cincinnati is a great job with bad timing. On top of that, he is only the interim coach and the school is expected to conduct a nationwide search for the long-term solution. In fact, UC's athletic director Bob Goin announced he will step aside at the beginning of next year and allow his replacement evaluate where the program is and decide on a permenant coach. And what coaching candidates they can lure will depend on the ground rules set forth by the new A.D. and University President Nancy Zimpher.

While Kennedy's interim status was being determined, the former coach stopped by a local restaurant to thank fans who were rallying to support him last night. Bob Huggins is well known for his emotional outbursts on the court, but this was a much different side of the man that most don't get to see. While his place in history is secure, his immediate future outlook is hazy. No word yet as to what he will do this winter or if he will return to coaching.

Bob Huggins and Nancy Zimpher will now have the freedom to experience life without the other, just like after any break-up. The school president can try and court other coaches. Huggings can test the waters at another school.

The president and the board of trustees have a tough road ahead. Some coaching candidates will be wary of stepping into this situation following the way Huggins was dismissed. Also, following a man who was considered to be not just the face of the program, but the program itself, will intimidate some. Every move the president makes now has the complete attention of a very angry fan base with a long memory. Fans are not only criticizing her athletic department moves, but also questioning academic appointments. When people are bringing up the head of the law department on sports talk radio, that's a clear cut sign that you've made some bad PR choices.

The coach will land on his feet, more than likely. He'll be on someone's bench next year, assuming he wants to go back into coaching. He may even take this year and try his luck with a TV job. People look at me weird when I suggest that. But he's got a dry wit that could work well in a studio environment for CBS or ESPN. Who knows, he may just want to fish all winter.

Either way, the coach is gone. He didn't burn any bridges publicly on the way out. He will be leaving as one of the patron saints of Cincinnati sports. The president and the trustees, though, are still here. With the fans. As everyone watches, Nancy Zimpher will have to make the transition to Huggins's successor as smooth as possible. With the high expectations that exist at U.C., that doesn't seem too likely. If it doesn't go well, she will be leaving UC as the person who killed Bearcat Basketball. Right or wrong, that is the title she will assume if she doesn't bring in the right person to fill some very big shoes.

The Sporting News writer joined us for our special Wednesday night show that broke down the whole Bob Huggins situation. Hear our interview with Mike Decourcy as he talks about what led up to it, where Huggins and UC go from here, and why Bearcat Basketball as we know it is over.

When news of Bob Huggins's departure came up, area message boards lit up with activity. One of those sites was BearcatNews.com. One of the guys who runs that site joined us on our Wednesday show. Hear Keith Wedingers's take on all the reaction from Bearcat fans.

Our show is being pre-empted at it's regular time this week for high school football coverage. But you know we couldn't let the story of the year, maybe even the decade around these parts, go by without us being heard. We will be on ESPN 1450 The Ticket tonight between 7-8 with Mike Decourcy leading off the proceedings. We'll also have Keith Wedinger from BearcatNews.com, and he'll tell us what the fan reaction has been like on their site.

Obviously, we want to hear what you have to say as well so you can give us a call at 513-868-9664, email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com, or leave a comment on this blog.

On top of all the Huggs stuff, we'll be filling up the last few spots on our fantasy football league and telling you about our NFL Survivor league.

Next week begins our new regular time of 8-10 p.m. Thursdays following HawkTawk.

Bad news for the former Bearcat quarterback, the Titans cut Gino Guidugli. It seems like just the other day we were talking about this situation. Even though Shane Boyd is the only remaining undrafted free agent QB Tennessee signed, it doesn't guarentee he gets the third string job. Former Lousiville Cardinals QB Chris Redman signed today and was in practice this afternoon. So, the third string job was a battle between UC and UK, now is between UK and UL.

There are a lot of Ohio State fans that wish Maurice Clarett bad things in life. The OSU faithful snicker with delight when they hear he's struggling in Denver. Buckeye Nation hates his guts. I understand this. He said things in order to bring down your school. Heck, I haven't been an Ohio State fan since I was in fifth grade and I'm mad at him. He tried to drag down the NFL, so that's my excuse. But I have a wake-up call for all you Scarlet and Grey clad folks. No matter how much you despise what he tried to do, no matter how disgusted you are at how he wasted his opportunities in the Buckeye backfield, no matter how betrayed you felt, remember this: You cannot hate him with all your soul. You need to have a little love for Mo.

That made you mad, didn't it? I know it riles up my friends who are Ohio State fans. The thought of preserving a kind thought for someone who inspires so much spite is infuriating. But it's true, you gotta do it. He was a major factor in the most treasured of football prizes, a national championship. You can't have that #1 year without #13.

After the initial infuriation, my Buckeye friends try to rationalize away the idea of having any positive feelings for Mo. "He was hurt for half the season. We won those games without him." That's true. But you couldn't have won other key games without him carrying the ball. Heck, all the games in 2002 are key or OSU doesn't remain undefeated and get into the Fiesta Bowl. For example, that Michigan game. Clarett rushed for 119 yards on 20 carries, scored on a 2-yard run and set up the other Ohio State touchdown with a 26-yard pass reception. Both are big deals in a 14-9 game. Numbers don't even capture the true results. Go back and watch film of any game. Even without the numbers on the back of the jerseys, you could tell when the Big Ten Freshman of the Year was in. That was the time when dynamic plays happened. Without him... not so much. Three yards, a cloud of dust, and a punt to set up field position. Clarett electrified an offense that was, at best, lethargic without him. He was a legitimate playmaker.

That team won 14 games, half of which by less than a touchdown. They lose any one of those contests, it's up to the mercy of the BCS standings to see if they still get in. And how often have those heiroglyphics been right? If one of those losses is to a league opponent, then you lose out on winning the conference. Remember, Iowa was undefeated in Big Ten play. And if that loss came to Michigan? You're tied with them and they'd win out in a head-to-head tiebreaker. So, one loss means the difference from undisputed national champs to being middle-of-the-road.

And it's not like Clarett hasn't been punished for his idiocy. I know, you're saying "not enough." But if he had kept his mouth shut, earned his stripes, and done things right he would have won a Heisman Trophy, maybe two, and been a first round draft pick in the NFL and a multi-millionaire. Instead, he was lucky to get picked up on the first day, has a bad contract, and may not even make the team.

So, if you completely disown Mo, you have to trade in that magical 2002 season for a mediocre third place finish in the conference. Return the Fiesta Bowl for an Outback Bowl. You can't have the national championship without the necessary evil that was, and remains, Maurice Clarett.

Yes, the 2006 NFL Draft isn't until April. But it's definitely not too soon to start looking at which college players might be seleceted by NFL teams. Hear our interview with Scott Wright, founder and President of NFL Draft Countdown.com. He has been scouting players and evaluating the NFL Draft since 1993, and he had some nice things to say about a number of Miami Redhawks. We also asked him about prospects at Ohio State, Cincinnati, and Indiana. And find out why he has the Bengals selecting thirteenth overall in his mock draft.

Gino Guidugli was on the positive end of the Jason White retirement. White, Guidugli, and Kentucky's Shane Boyd were competing for the Tenessee Titans third QB spot. In the preseason opener against Tampa Bay, Gino was 4-for-14 for 44 yards. Check out Buccaneers.com for a drive-by-drive summary of the game, including Gino's performance. In the Titans second preseason game, Shane Boyd threw a game-winning TD in the same end zone that Tennessee couldn't get into at the end of Super Bowl 34 back in 1999. It's UK vs. UC in the Music City for Tennessee's third string job.

Time is running out for your chance to be a part of the innaugural Unabated Sports Fantasty Football League. As of this moment: six people are in, six spots remain. And those spots are going fast.

If the fact that the league is FREE and has potential for WINNING PRIZES doesn't get you fired up, maybe hearing this will. How can you listen to this and not get stoked?

To sign up, just email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com or just leave a comment on this post.

By the way, check out Martin's pictures from last week's Bengals game on our Flickr page.

It's tough to get too up or too down based on Friday's pre-season opener for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Enquirer called it a night of mixed results. Sounds about right. Geoff Hobson called it "tepid." Lukewarm. Accurate.

Carson starts off the night getting picked off. Chris Perry showed flashes of why he was taken in the first round last year. Matt Cassel, a guy who didn't even throw a TD pass in college led four scoring drives against the Bengals defense. Marvin Lewis will use this well. This game will be a tool to get to players who may be believing the pre-season hype. Let's hope the results are a little better next month when the outcomes matter.

Personally, I didn't catch too much of the game. I didn't watch the tape delay. I was listening to Brad Johansen's live play-by-play, but it was mostly just background noise. I had a hard time focusing on the radio call when the outcome of the game was inconsequential. I can during the regular season, just not for exhibition games. Fifty five thousand plus were in attendence, second best in the stadium's pre-season history. But because it wasn't a sellout, no live TV within about 100 miles. Stupid NFL Blackout Rule. What did you think? Did the game capture your interest! Did you watch it on tape delay, go to the game, listen live, all three?!?

Our own Martin Polk was one of those fifty thousand in attendance. Tune in to the show Thursday night and hear his take on the game, plus who got the gift certificates to Crossroads Sports Bar & Grill he had with him.