Unabated Sports

Unabated Basketball Schedule

2006-11-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

It's color coded for your convenience. Miami University if red. Cincinnati is black. Xavier is blue. Just like last year. But we've added two more teams that aren't quite local but will probably draw the interest of area fans. The Ohio State Buckeyes are grey. And Bob Huggins's Kansas State is purple. It's gonna be a valuable resource for me and you might find it interesting, too.

11/15 at No. 22 Kentucky 7:00 PM
11/15 at Rutgers 7:30 PM
11/17 at Virginia Commonwealth 6:00 PM
11/17 Florida A&M 8:30 PM
11/17 Eastern Kentucky 7:00 PM
11/18 Tenn Tech 8:00 PM
11/20 San Francisco 8:00 PM
11/21 Wofford 7:00 PM
11/21 Illinois-Chicago 7:30 PM
11/21 at New Mexico 8:00 PM
11/24 Youngstown State 8:00 PM
11/24 at Illinois 8:30 PM
11/25 American University 12:00 PM
11/25 Central Michigan 6:00 PM
11/25 Coppin St 8:00 PM
11/29 Miami (OH) 7:00 PM
11/29 at Xavier 7:00 PM
11/29 Oakland 8:00 PM
11/29 at No. 2 North Carolina 9:00 PM
11/29 at California 10:30 PM
12/2 UAB 4:00 PM
12/02 at Colo St 5:05 PM
12/2 Western Carolina 7:00 PM
12/2 Valparaiso 8:00 PM
12/5 Detroit 7:00 PM
12/05 Clev St 8:00 PM
12/5 at Illinois State 8:05 PM
12/7 Michigan 7:00 PM
12/9 Cleveland State 12:00 PM
12/9 at Temple 4:00 PM
12/09 at ND State 8:00 PM
12/9 at No. 23 Creighton 8:05 PM
12/10 Oakland 1:00 PM
12/13 Xavier 7:00 PM
12/13 at Cincinnati 7:00 PM
12/16 No. 4 Ohio State 3:45 PM
12/16 at Cincinnati 3:45 PM CBS
12/16 Arizona State 6:00 PM
12/17 Kennesaw 2:00 PM
12/19 Iowa State 8:00 PM
12/19 UMES 8:00 PM
12/20 at Dayton 7:00 PM
12/20 Bucknell 7:00 PM
12/22 at USC 8:00 PM
12/23 North Carolina State 12:00 PM
12/23 at No. 1 Florida 4:00 PM CBS
12/27 Miami (OH) 7:00 PM
12/27 at Cincinnati 7:00 PM
12/29 Illinois 9:00 PM
12/30 Ohio 6:00 PM
12/30 Coppin State 8:00 PM
01/2 Indiana 8:00 PM
01/3 Kansas State 7:00 PM
01/03 at Xavier 7:00 PM
01/4 at No. 14 Memphis 9:00 PM
01/6 at Illinois 2:00 PM
01/6 Temple 7:00 PM
01/06 at #13 Texas A&M *8:00 PM
01/7 Rutgers 2:00 PM
01/7 Kent State 5:00 PM
01/08 Texas Tech 10:00 PM
01/9 at No. 9 Wisconsin 9:00 PM
01/11 at Akron 7:00 PM
01/11 at Fordham 8:00 PM
01/13 No. 24 Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
01/13 at Missouri *4:00 PM
01/13 at Saint Louis 8:00 PM
01/14 at South Florida 2:00 PM
01/14 at Buffalo 2:00 PM
01/17 at No. 20 Syracuse 7:00 PM
01/17 Bowling Green 7:30 PM
01/17 Northwestern 8:00 PM
01/17 Baylor 8:00 PM
01/18 Massachusetts 7:00 PM
01/20 West Virginia 12:00 PM
01/20 at Iowa St *1:45 PM
01/20 Iowa 8:00 PM
01/21 at St. Joseph's 1:00 PM
01/21 Ohio 5:00 PM
01/22 Chicago St 8:00 PM
01/24 at Central Michigan 7:00 PM
01/24 at St. Bonaventure 7:00 PM
01/24 No. 5 Pittsburgh 8:00 PM
01/24 at Northwestern 9:00 PM
01/27 at No. 8 Georgetown 12:00 PM
01/27 Dayton 12:00 PM
01/27 Nebraska 6:00 PM
01/27 at Toledo 7:00 PM
01/27 Michigan State 9:00 PM
01/30 Northern Illinois 7:30 PM
01/31 at Duquesne 7:00 PM
01/31 at Purdue 7:00 PM
01/31 Louisville 8:00 PM
01/31 Missouri *9:00 PM
02/03 at #19 Texas 3:30 PM
02/3 Charlotte 4:00 PM
02/3 at Michigan State 4:00 PM CBS
02/3 Western Michigan 7:30 PM
02/4 St. John's 12:00 PM
02/6 Michigan 7:00 PM
02/6 at Providence 7:30 PM
02/7 Saint Louis 7:00 PM
02/7 at Eastern Michigan 7:00 PM
02/07 at #3 Kansas *9:00 PM
02/10 Purdue 12:15 PM
02/10 Ball State 3:00 PM
02/10 at Rutgers 4:00 PM
02/10 Colorado *6:00 PM
02/10 at George Washington 8:00 PM
02/13 at Nebraska 8:00 PM
02/14 at Penn State 7:00 PM
02/14 at Kent State 7:00 PM
02/14 at Villanova 9:00 PM
02/17 Richmond 6:00 PM
02/17 Iowa St *6:00 PM
02/18 at Minnesota 1:00 PM CBS
02/18 Notre Dame 2:00 PM
02/19 #3 Kansas 9:00 PM
02/21 No. 8 Georgetown 7:00 PM
02/21 Rhode Island 7:00 PM
02/21 Akron 7:30 PM
02/21 Penn State 8:00 PM
02/24 at DePaul 12:00 PM
02/24 at Dayton 4:00 PM
02/24 at Colorado *4:00 PM
02/24 Buffalo 7:30 PM
02/25 No. 9 Wisconsin 4:00 PM CBS
02/27 at Oklahoma St *9:00 PM
02/28 Seton Hall 7:00 PM
02/28 St. Joseph's 7:00 PM
03/1 at Ohio 7:00 PM
03/3 at Michigan TBA
03/3 at La Salle 2:00 PM
03/03 Oklahoma *3:30 PM
03/3 at West Virginia 4:00 PM
03/4 at Bowling Green 2:00 PM

Those are probably the five teams we'll be following the closest at Unabated Sports. did we leave someone out?

Are We Still Doing This?

2006-11-04T14:48:00.000-05:00

Nuck Fancy
Originally uploaded by Woodmania.

I should have gotten to this sooner but I wanted to mention that I saw a lot of Nancy Zimpher animosity at the last University of Cincinnati football game. A number of people in the student section in Nippert Sttadium were sporting "Nuck Fancy" shirts. This picture was taken in October of 2006, a full year removed from the height of the whole controversy. This was October of 2006, a full year removed from the height of the whole controversy. I didn't know if this sentiment was back in vogue or if someone just had an overstocked inventory that had to go.

I'm suprised to see some people still holding onto this incident. Bob Huggins landed on his feet. Andy Kennedy landed on his feet. And the Bearcats have a quality coach who can continue to build up what his mentor resurrected from the ashes over 15 years ago. Personally, I've moved on. Am I alone?

Submit Your Questions For Pete Rose And WIN!

2006-10-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

1450 AM The Ticket - Cincinnati's ESPN Radio and Fan's Choice Sports Collectibles are giving you, the fan, the opportunity to ask Pete Rose just about anything! Pete will be appearing on Unabated Sports at 6PM on Wednesday November 1st. Hosts Woody and Jeremy intend to make this a very unique interview, avoiding the overused questions Pete always gets about his thoughts on the Hall Of Fame, Steroids and his ban from baseball. During the Interview Woody and Jeremy will select the 3 best/most creative fan submitted questions and ask them to Pete on-air!

So submit your questions NOW by sending an email to askpete@cincinnatisports.com. If Woody and Jeremy ask your question you will receive a free glossy photo of Pete Rose courtesy of Fan's Choice in Kenwood! It's the perfect item to get signed when Pete Rose opens the newest Fan's Choice stores on November 7th!

Can't think of any questions for Pete? Be sure to tune in anyways to 1450 AM WMOH next Wednesday to hear Pete LIVE on Unabated Sports, voted Cincinnati's Best Sports Talk Radio Show!

As You Can Tell...

2006-10-08T15:14:00.000-04:00

We've been experiencing some technical difficulties on here, as well as a general lack of content. To be honest, we've been concentrating on the weekly radio show as well as working with Cincinnati Sports to bring you our stuff all week long. So, if you're looking for some original takes on the Queen City sports world, head over there. Not only is there the podcast area which contains their weekly show as well as ours, but articles on the Reds, Bengals, and lots more local teams and any other sports story that might tickle your fancy.

This Week's Show

2006-09-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

It's time for the 5th oldest rivalry to recommence: Victory Bell time.

This Week's Show

2006-09-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Paul Keels, voice of the Buckeyes, will break down the big battle between Texas and THE Ohio State University. And he'll also look ahead to Mark Dantonio's return to the Horseshoe as the Bearcats travel to Ohio State this weekend. We'll also ask him his thoughts on the Bengals as he was the announcer of the team's pre-season games.

Joey Hudson, MAC Defensive Player of the Week, will join us at 7:00. We'll ask him about his big week at Purdue and to preview the MAC opener against Kent State this Saturday. By the way, we'll be giving away sets of tickets to this Miami-Kent State game.

We'll probably be talking about the Cincinnati Reds, too, after last night's win keeps them technically alive. Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

UPDATE: Just found out we will be joined tonight by Will from Deadspin. He's going to be in town for the Bengals-Browns game so it should be interesting to get his take on the Cincinnati Sports world.

Unabated Podcasting

2006-09-08T09:40:00.000-04:00

Mac Has Cracked The Headset Tangle
Originally uploaded by DickStock.

What to do during the other six days of the week that Unabated Sports is not on your radio? Or what do you do if you are one of the unfortunate souls to live outside of the listening range of Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket? Is there any hope for you? There is now. Go to our podcasting page! FULL episodes are now available for download.

We've been working with our good friends at Cincinnati Sports to spread our Unabated Goodness across this world wide web of ours. So far, you can get our interviews with Jason Maxiell, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty, and Gerald Smith talking about EA Sports new NFL Head Coach Game. Keep an eye out for them to be joined by our discussions with Bob Huggins, Carson Palmer, and Madieu Williams. You can also hear a couple editions of Pardon The Horn where we bat around the top stories in the Queen City sports world.

Not only do you get some of the best clips from our show, but the guys at Cincinnati Sports also put out a weekly podcast that are available for download or through an iTunes subscription.

Stay tuned as we work to get you more Unabated Sports that you can take with you anywhere you go with your iPod or mp3 player.

Stump The Unabated Sports Crew

2006-09-06T13:17:00.000-04:00

Stump the Schwab.
Originally uploaded by newler.

Another exciting night around the studios of Cincinnati's ESPN 1450 The Ticket as we have another action-packed show for you starting at 6:00 p.m. You'll have a chance to meet the new co-host, Jeremy, as we break down the broken down Reds, put our eyes on the Texas-Ohio State game, and act like Big Chiefs for the Bengals Week 1 match-up against Kansas City.

At 6:45, we'll talk to the analyst who will be in the booth for that big game, Dave Lapham. The former Bengal will help us get ready for the season opener that we've been salivating for all year long.

We'll switch over to college football in the 7:00 hour when we welcome in linebacker, Clayton Mullins, who had nine tackles for Miami against Northwestern last week. At 7:45, we welcome in another analyst to talk football. This time it's Jim Kelly who looks ahead to this Friday night's River City Rivalry between Pitt and UC.

At 8:25, we'll meet the King of Sports Trivia, Howie Schwab. The fourth season of Stump the Schwab kicked off on ESPN Classic on Monday and we'll talk to him about the challenges of being a know-it-all.

We'll probably be talking about the Cincinnati Reds, too. Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Mark Chalifoux Owns The Internet

2006-08-30T13:50:00.000-04:00

ESPN.com's Mark Chalifoux
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Tonight was the last show for Mark Chalifoux. But if you keep needing more MC, he cranks out columns every week that look at some things on the stranger side of sports. If you remember, we had a psychic on the show a couple weeks ago who channeled baseball's original Hit King (click here to hear the interview with Babe Ruth), but that wasn't enough for MC. He had an extended interview that ran on ESPN.com's Page 2. Add that to the boxing story he did around Memorial Day and our man Mark has an official backlog. Check out the Mark Chalifoux's ESPN.com archive. He's also a big man down at Sports Fan Magazine. And that's not even including the Enquirer editorial taking the Bengals back in the issue of character. So even though he's not behind the Unabated microphone on a full-time basis, you can still get Mark Chalifoux 24 hours a day.

Life's A Beach On Tonight's Show

2006-08-30T13:05:00.000-04:00

A favorite event of the show, the AVP Cincinnati Open, is coming into town. But, once again, the Bengals and Reds will drive tonight's show. Man, did Carson Palmer look good. Man, have the Reds looked bad. We'll talk about both and break down what to expect for the next couple weeks.

We'll also be talking lots of college football as we preview the upcoming opening weekend of games and the entire season. We'll talk to Tony Castricone from WBNS who will break down Ohio State's National Championship hopes.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Join The FREE Unabated Sports Fantasy Football League

2006-08-24T09:42:00.000-04:00

Last year, Unabated Sports ran a fantasy football league where you could go head to head with the members of the show. Well, we're back again. So we're calling all fantasy football players who have the skill, the intelligence, the desire... or a computer... to join up now. It simple, and IT'S FREE. Just email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com and tell us why you belong in the league.

It's a good chance to have some fun and smack talk live on the air. Woody will be looking to go deeper in the playoffs this year... and Jeff will just be looking to make the playoffs. So email us now. Do it. Hurry, the season is quickly upon us. Tell your neighbors. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors friends and your friends neighbors. It's a blast.

Don't Forget! We're On Tonight!

2006-08-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp, originally uploaded by Erik Eckel.

We've moved and our first night in our new Wednesday night timeslot begins tonight at 6:00 p.m.

We'll be talking quarterbacks tonight as Carson Palmer prepares to start agains the Packers next Monday night, we'll talk to the newly-announced Miami Redhawk signal caller, and the woman who runs the Cincinnati Sizzle huddle will also join us.

We'll also talk to friend of the program, Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown, will talk about local prospects and who the Bengals might be looking at in next year's draft. And don't forget to email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com if you want to be a part of our 2006 Unabated Fantasy Football League.

But we're not just sticking to the gridiron. The Reds are still hanging on to that Wild Card lead but needs a closer, a fifth starter, and to spread some of last night's 14 runs into other games.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Thanks To The Crew

2006-08-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

Maggie and Kristin
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Big props to Maggie and Kristin from the MDX Crew who visitted us in-studio for this week's show. With the up and down way the Reds have been playing, we definitely needed a morale boost. The MDX Crew will be at every home game for the rest of the season, and even for the recently-announced Redsfest. Stay tuned to the Cincinnati Sports podcasting page to hear what they had to say about life as an MDX Crewmember, what their hidden talents are, and whether they sided with Mark or Mark's girfriend in a recent scheduling dispute.

MDX Crew In The House

2006-08-17T08:15:00.000-04:00

IMG_5071
Originally uploaded by ickey.woodz.

We're always excited to have folks come by the studio and visit. No more so than tonight. Coming up in the 7:00 hour, members of the Reds new MDX Crew will be joining us to talk about their inaugural year.

And there's still a little bit of time left in our email contest. Be sure to email us what you would do if commissioner of Cincinnati sports to unabatedsports@gmail.com to win one of those awesome bobblehead sets.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Katz High On Former Cat

2006-08-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

The NCAA players are allowed to start practicing this week as Mignight Madnesses and other such celebrations are going on this upcoming weekend. We really haven't gotten into college basketball on this site but that is sure to change as it's my feeling this is a NCAA basketball town. As such, let me cut the ribbon on the Bearcat, Muskateer, Buckeye, Hoosier, Redhawk, and Wildcat talk with a look back at a 2006-2007 preview.

It may have been summer vacation on campuses across America but Andy Katz is always in college bball mode. He was running a Summer Sessions list that counted down his top teams for the upcoming season. And some local notables have made appearances:

It looks like Katz is drinking the purple Kool-Aid as he put Huggins in his top 35. Sure, Huggs will take that program to new heights. But can a school that's not near a decent airport or any major form of civilization draw the top talent away from other more atractive destinations?

The Muskies are just outside the Top 40. If I remember right, Fox Sports was higher on Xavier but I can't find the link to back that up.

It's be interesting to see UC ended up off of A.K.'s radar. They were not so good here. Are you kidding me?! Cincinnati is #98 of 144 teams?! I'll take the under on that ranking.

Okay, no need to get fired up yet. We're haven't even hit football season and are still two months away from Midnight Madness. But it looks like we're going to be in for another exciting college basketball season around these parts.

Win A Set Of Big Red Machine Bobbleheads

2006-08-10T17:31:00.000-04:00

By now, you've probably been shut out in your attempt to track down those ever-popular Big Red Machine Bobbleheads. Fortunately for you, we here at Unabated Sports are coming to the rescue. The kind folks at Matthew 25 Ministries set aside a set for us to give away any way we deemed fit. (click here to hear our interview with Tim Mettey about the bobbleheads) And this is what we decided:

In 100 words or less, tell us: "What Would You Do If you Were The Commissioner Of Cincinnati Sports?" Creativity and entertainment are encouraged. Write it down and email it to us at unabatedsports@gmail.com and then listen to next week's show between 6-9 on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. We'll announce the winner of the essay that struck us as the funniest, best, or the one that uses the biggest words.

Get to work and you might have this sweet collection to add to your collection.

This Thursday's Show

2006-08-09T14:19:00.000-04:00

Coach Calling Out The Plays
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

The Reds are wrapping up a series with the division-leading Cardinals, the Bengals are opening up the pre-season this weekend at Paul Brown Stadium, and Cincinnati now has a Jerk Hotline. We'll discuss all that and more starting at 6:00 on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket.

We're also going to talk to UC Football coach Mark Dantonio to see how the Bearcats look on the gridiron. I don't know if we'll get into the struggle to bring in the fans, since we already covered that before. And we stand by our suggestion: get Carmen Electra into the crowd and many fans will follow.

We're gonna wrap up the show with the fellas from Cincinnati Sports and hear about ll the fun stuff they have on their site. Plus, what they've been doing for us and our podcasting ways.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Big Fun on Big Anniversary Show

2006-08-04T10:02:00.000-04:00

Mock Game-22
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Just wanted to thank everyone involved in our one year anniversary show yesterday. We had Jeff, the many who started the show, in-studio for all three hours. Thanks to him and Martin and Ciji (I probably spelled that wrong) for getting it started and thanks to Mark, Rich, Eric the Intern, and Scott the Producer for keeping the show going.

Also thanks to the fine folks at Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket for letting us on their airwaves. Especially station manager Chris Theiss and program director Bill Douglas.

And most importantly, thanks to you listeners. Without you, none of this would be possible. Stay tuned, there's lots more good stuff coming up. A lot of it having to do with our growing partnership with Cincinnati Sports.

Between 1450 The Ticket, Cincinnati Sports, and you listeners, we'll create a new fun corner of Cincinnati sports talk.

Unabated Anniversary

2006-08-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

Shane Montgomery
Unabated Sports.

Big time celebration on tonight's show as we're celebrating one year on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. Special guest include Miami Head Football Coach Shane Montgomery and Local 12 Sports Director/Voice of the Bengals Brad Johansen. Both were guests on our very first show.

Also coming back is the man who started this whole crazy show, Jeff!

But it won't just be all about us tonight. We'll be talking about the fading Cincinnati Reds and camping Cincinnati Bengals. We'll also get more into fantasy football and play Pardon the Horn and Rapid Fire!

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Running Out of Freedom

2006-08-01T00:11:00.000-04:00

Pre-Game
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Summer's winding down and there's fewer chances to enjoy an affordable night of fun with the Florence Freedom. The season wraps up on Labor Day which means there's less than a month to check out the action at Champion Window Field. There's three six-game home stands coming up. One starts Wednesday, the next starts the 15th, and the final homestand begins on the 30th. I've told you about the fun we Unabated Sports folks had when we went, so give it a try yourself.

Unabated Podcasting

2006-07-27T15:26:00.000-04:00

Mac Has Cracked The Headset Tangle
Originally uploaded by DickStock.

What to do during the other six days of the week that Unabated Sports is not on your radio? Or what do you do if you are one of the unfortunate souls to live outside of the listening range of Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket? Is there any hope for you? There is now. Go to our podcasting page!

We've been working with our good friends at Cincinnati Sports to spread our Unabated Goodness across this world wide web of ours. So far, you can get our interviews with Jason Maxiell, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty, and Gerald Smith talking about EA Sports new NFL Head Coach Game. Keep an eye out for them to be joined by our discussions with Bob Huggins, Carson Palmer, and Madieu Williams. You can also hear a couple editions of Pardon The Horn where we bat around the top stories in the Queen City sports world.

Not only do you get some of the best clips from our show, but the guys at Cincinnati Sports also put out a weekly podcast that are available for download or through an iTunes subscription.

Stay tuned as we work to get you more Unabated Sports that you can take with you anywhere you go with your iPod or mp3 player.

The "Two Days To Georgetown" Show

2006-07-26T18:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a long, dull winter, spring, and summer. Well, at least for football fans. This week, that wait is over. The Bengals hit the practice facility and get ready to defend their AFC North Title. We'll be talking to the Cincinnati Post's Kevin Goheen to see what he expects to see in Georgetown during training camp.

And, not to be overshadowed, the Cincinnati Reds are still leading the Wild Card race. What will it take to seal a playoff spot? Another big trade? Homer Bailey? We'll talk about what kind of impact the young Chattanooga Lookout phenom could have down the stretch.

Babe Ruth
Originally uploaded by carlo the b-tard.

We've come up with some big guests in the last few months: Carson Palmer, Bob Huggins, Madeiu Williams, etc. But there's no bigger name in the history of sports than our guest this week: Babe Ruth. Sure, he may be dead. But we here at Unabated Sports have worked hard and long to somehow snag baseball's original Hit King. Interested in how we pulled down #3? Tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket between 6-9 p.m. to find out how we get it done.

Other guests include Tim Mettey from Matthew 25 Ministries, the folks behind all that great work with disaster relief efforts across the US and worldwide. Oh, yeah, and they produced those Big Red Machine bobbleheads that are sweeping the city.

Channel 9's Lisa Cornwell will join us for our weekly Pardon The Horn game. She made the Unabated Sports crew look foolish last time she was on. Can she repeat that performance?

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket Thursday night between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Reading Too Much Into Between-Inning Entertainment

2006-07-23T11:54:00.000-04:00

Disturbing Scoreboard Graphic, originally uploaded by Woodmania.

Ever since I was a kid, there's this thing the Reds do on their scoreboard that just bugs the crap out of me. Maybe I'm looking more into this than I should but it just wigs me out to no end. And believe it or not, it's not even the image you see above that creeps me out. Although, that does, too.

The scenario begins with a human-sized hot dog-thing, in a bun and wearing a cap, sliding into a base under the tag of a baseball player. And the following conversation ensues between the umpire and the baseball player:

Ump: Yer... a hot dog?
Player: Your blind! That's a smoked sausage!
Ump: I call 'em like I see 'em and that's a hot dog!
Player: Smoked Sausage!
Ump: Hot Dog!
Player: Smoked Sausage!
Ump: Hot Do... GULP!

At this point, the player takes the smoked sausage and stuffs it into the umpire's mouth. Then he sees the light and realizes, yes, it was a smoked sausage.

Am I the only one bothered that the umpire just ate the baserunner!?!? One minute, he's sliding into second base. The next: he's being digested by the man who was supposed to call him safe. I mean, isn't that some violation of ethics if umpires can begin devouring ball players?

And how the hell did the smoked sausage get to be so big and learn the intricacies of a complicated game like baseball? Might this be the start of a terrifying planet of the smoked sausages?

We're Not The Only Ones Podcasting

2006-07-21T11:48:00.000-04:00

Apple iPod Classic
Originally uploaded by johnmuk.

The fellows at Cincinnati Sports have created their first ever podcast. They give their takes on the Bengals character issues, the big Reds trades, and other fun bits. There's also gentle words of encouragement to get more involved in all the goodness that Cincinnati Sports offers. We're also looking to team up with them to supply more audio goodness for your computer and iPodding needs. And it's not just because of the nice things they said about us. But it doesn't hurt.

Actually, it looks like they've already created a podcasting place for us. Sweet. Go here for the Unabated Sports podcasts presented by Cincinnati Sports.

Unabated Sports, Part Dieu

2006-07-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

IMG_5175
Originally uploaded by alex.grunewald.

Another fun good-time show for you tonight between 6-9 pm on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. We'll be talking about all the stuff Cincinnati sports fans are itching to sound off about from the Reds to the Bengals to whatever else is on your mind.

As football season gets even closer, Bengals fever is heating up. And we'll help spread the disease with Madieu Williams joining us tonight.

NCAA Football 2007 came out this week. We're tracking down one of the game's devellopers to talk about the latest installment of this EA Sports powerhouse. It looks like Dan Baker, who we interviewed last year, will be talking about all the improvements they put in the game since last year.

We'll also play Pardon the Horn with News 5 Sports George Vogel.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket tonight between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Second Half Reds

2006-07-14T17:19:00.000-04:00

Pete Rose 4-Ever
Originally uploaded by SEOULMAN66.

Now that it's back to regular season games, Jerry Nerron's gonna have to do something different to get off on the right foot and stay in the playoff hunt. And it starts here and now. Looks like 20 of the first 26 games of the second half are at home. That losing record at Great American Ball Park is gonna have to change here and now. Here's a look at the rest of the home games in the 2006 season.

July

13 Colorado 7:10
14 Colorado 7:10
15 Colorado 6:10
16 Colorado 1:15
18 New York 7:10
19 New York 7:10
20 New York 12:35
21 Milwaukee 7:10
22 Milwaukee 6:10
23 Milwaukee 1:15

August

1 Los Angeles 7:10
2 Los Angeles 7:10
3 Los Angeles 7:10
4 Atlanta 7:10
5 Atlanta 1:20
6 Atlanta 1:15
7 St. Louis 7:10
8 St. Louis 7:10
9 St. Louis 7:10
10 St. Louis 12:35
18 Pittsburgh 7:10
19 Pittsburgh 6:10
20 Pittsburgh 1:15
21 Houston 7:10
22 Houston 7:10
23 Houston 12:35

September

4 San Fransisco 5:10
5 San Fransisco 7:10
6 San Fransisco 12:35
8 Pittsburgh 7:10
9 Pittsburgh 6:10
10 Pittsburgh 1:15
12 San Diego 7:10
13 San Diego 7:10
14 San Diego 12:35
22 Chicago 7:10
23 Chicago 6:10
24 Chicago 1:15
25 Chicago 12:35

When the team wraps up the final home stand with the Cubs, will they still be in the hunt?

Break Over

2006-07-12T13:04:00.000-04:00

Cluttered Screen
Originally uploaded by Woodmania.

You try watching the All Star game last night? I know stations have a responsibility to keep us up to date on dangerous weather but, between the radar, tornado warnings, bulletins issued by the cable company, there was so much crap on the screen that it made all of it pretty much worthless. What'd you think of the parts of the game you could see? Were you impressed by the tight contest or disinterested by the laxidasical approach to the game?

The All-Star festivities are over and it's time for the second half of the Major League season to get underway. Can the Reds remain in the hunt? Do they have to pull the trigger on a deal? A week after appearing on our show, Paul Daugherty says make a move! We'll talk about what should or should not be done to keep the Reds alive in the playoff hunt.

Former Bearcat and current Detroit Piston Jason Maxiel is scheduled to call in at some point.

We'll play Pardon the Horn with Chris from Cincinnati Sports.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket tonight between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

Stay Tuned To This Space

2006-07-11T13:33:00.000-04:00

Light Up Cincinnati 5-01-06
Originally uploaded by daveballoonman.

We'll be having some announcements coming up soon as we begin to form a partnership with Cincinnati Sports. We're going to be working together to bring you the most interesting takes on the Queen City sports scene. As it looks right now, they'll be helping us get our radio content onto the web and other internet-y things. And we'll be adding a boost to their stellar line-up of contributors who take unique cracks on the Reds, Bengals, Bearcats, and anything else that raises the pulse of fans in this area.

Oh, and don't forget to sound off about our CINSPY awards. We announce the winners on Thursday night's show.

The Ballad of the Bengals Fan

2006-07-08T16:51:00.000-04:00

You probably already saw this on Deadspin but I think it's good enough to share. It's great for Bengal fans and even you Steeler haters out there. The songs from a musician named Ryan Parker who has a few other Bengal songs, as well as those for the Reds, UK, Wildcats, and even Marshall.

"We say 'Who Dey?', they say 'We Dey!', we say 'No Way, Not Again!'”

Back to Business

2006-07-06T01:17:00.000-04:00

Woody @ Wrigley
Originally uploaded by Woodmania.

I hope you enjoyed the extended holiday weekend. Personally, I made it out to Chicago to visit friends and family. And while I was there I had to swing by Wrigley Field. No, I didn't actually make it inside. This weekend was the Crosstown match-up with the White Sox and I sure as hell wasn't going to fork out that kind of money for seats. They weren't doing tours while the Cubs were in Houston so my experience was pretty much what you see here: me guestering to a mostly empty building.

But that's enough of that. It's time for the Unabated Sports crew to get back behind the microphone and talk about what's going on the in the Cincinnati sports world.

The Reds bring in a closer. Is Ed Guardado the answer to this brutal bullpen?

The Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Daugherty, will stop by around 7:00. Yeah, the same guy who puts the city's sports opinions in your morning breakfast will share his thoughts with us tonight.

Doug Decatur, creator of the General Manager IQ test, will give us a call at 6:45 and tell us what it takes to wheel and deal in the Major Leagues.

We'll also get more into the CINSPYs, our look back at the best, worst, and most emberrassing displays in the Cincinnati sports world over the last 365 days.

Keep checking back for updates on other potential guests and show topics. And be sure to tune in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket tonight between 6-9 pm. Give us a call at 868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to have your voice heard.

CINSPYs

2006-06-29T23:36:00.000-04:00

The first batch of the CINSPY nominations, Unabated Sports own Cincinnati ESPY awards. The winners will be announced in two weeks.

categories and nominees

Best Athlete- Bronson Arroyo, Ken Griffey Jr., Chad Johnson, Carson Palmer, Angela Bizzarri, Tara Boothe

Team- Xavier basketball, OSU football, Reds, Bengals

Moment- XU coming from behind to upset St Joes in the A-10 final, Griffey Jr.'s walkoff HR in extra innings the day he come off the DL, The Bengals beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh

Best Couple- Heather Mitts/AJ Feely, Rich and Raquel Aurilia, Chris Henry and Monica Beamon (his 18-yr-old hooker), Santonio Holmes and girlfriend

Biggest Embarrassment- Chris Henry, Dedrick Finn, Huggins exit, UC-WVU football, UC losing to dayton

Breakout player- Josh Duncan, TJ Housmanzadeh, Troy Smith, Brandon Phillips

Rookie-Devean Downey, Dustin Grutza, Andy Kennedy, Odell Thurman

Event-Crosstown Showdown, Crosstown Shootout, Steelers game, Opening Day, Flying Pig

Controversy- Kimo cheapshot?, Huggins exit? Bearcats snubbed for NCAAs, Chad Johnson-Hue Jackson halftime showdown

Henry arrest- DUI, Marajuana, Limo/gun, underage girls/booze

Chad TD celebration- Tiger Woods, Santa Claus, Riverdance, Cheerleader Proposal

Best Crossover Performer- Heather Mitts, sideline reporter. Carson Palmer- Cornhole. Bronson Arroyo- singer. Ben Roethlisburger- Demoliton Derby

Best Red- Ken Griffey Jr., Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Austin Kearns, Brandon Phillips

Coach- Andy Kennedy, Sean Miller, Marvin Lewis, Jerry Narron

Bengal- Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson, Deltha O'Neal

Worst moment- Steelers win the Super Bowl, Carson gets injured, Bearcats get snubbed for NCAA tourney

Venue- Paul Brown Stadium, Great American Ball Park, Cintas Center, Champion Window Field (Florence Freedom), The Pit (Elder).

Comeback- Eric Milton, James White, Ken Griffey Jr., Chris Perry

Email us your votes and nominations at unabatedsports@gmail.com

-mc

Up Against The Royals

2006-06-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

If you can't wait until the show starts, check out some of our most recent interviews whcih are now online. You can catch up with our discussions with the likes of Carson Palmer, Shayne Graham, and Heather Mitts. Also, the Executive Director of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum, Greg Rhodes, and Greg Wyshinski, author of Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer : The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History.

But there's lots to talk about on this week's show. The Reds management team has been told to stick around for a while. We'll tell you who is the most untouchable player when it comes to trades and who needs to be shown the door NOW.

The 2006 ESPY nominations were announced this week. We'll tell you who will be nominated for the CINSPY awards we just made up.

The Cincinnati Post's Josh Katzowitz joins us to play Pardon the Horn at 6:45.

And we'll talk to a guy who says he has the key to putting a whammy on opposing players. Mark already has knowledge of Sports Voodoo. You can, too, by listening to our show and hearing what Michael Regan has to say about that around 7:25.

Tom Browning, Mr. Perfect, will join us at 8:00.

So tune in Thursday night between 6-9 on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. Call us at 513-868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to be a part of the show.

NBA Draft Calling On Local Players?

2006-06-27T00:05:00.000-04:00

Eric Hicks on Senior Night, originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

We're not gonna make a big deal out of this like we did the NFL Draft but there are a few guys of interest who are looking forward to hearing their name called this week. Will Eric Hicks be one of them? He's been working hard this off-season trying to improve on his solid senior season. James White, who missed out on much of the year with an injury, seems to be more on scouts' minds than his all-Big East teammate. And UK Wildcat Rajon Rondo, who was on our show last week, has even been considered a lottery ticket according to some mock drafts.

NBA Draft.net:
Rajon Rondo: #23 to New Jersey
James White: #39 to Milwaukee
Eric Hicks: #60 to Detroit

About.com:
Rajon Rondo: #19 to Sacramento
James White: #28 to Dallas
Eric Hicks: Last Ten Out

Inside Hoops:
Rajon Rondo: #22 to New Jersey
James White: "Upper Second Round"
Eric Hicks: Undrafted

College Hoops:
Rajon Rondo: #13 to Philadelphia
James White: #39 to Milwaukee
Eric Hicks: "Next In Line"

Hoops Hype:
Rajon Rondo: #17 to Indiana
James White: No Second Round
Eric Hicks: No Second Round

CBS Sportsline:
Rajon Rondo: #24 to Memphis
James White: No Second Round
Eric Hicks: No Second Round

Well, it looks like Rondo is a consensus first rounder, with the occassional mock listing him as a lottery pick. James White seems assured to hear his name called before the night is over. Eric Hicks, however, can take no consolation in these mocks since a good number of them leaving him out. Hopefully, he'll get a chance to catch on with someone and show he's pro-caliber.

Freedom at Home

2006-06-25T17:56:00.000-04:00

Grimace Pounds the Rock With Freedom Players
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

A couple of weeks ago, Mark and I had a chance to make it down to Champion Window Field and see the Florence Freedom play. With the team back for a six-game homestand, now's your chance to do the same. We've had the chance to check out the experience first-hand and were thoroughly impressed. Every time you turned around there was some give-away or something involving folks in the crowd.

We were there on a McMonday, which is exactly what you'll have on this Monday's game. That means McDonald's characters and special offers and clowns on the concourse. I got a chance to meet Grimace, so that was my personal highlight of the night. And those clowns have skills. They make balloon animals, swords, and who knows what else. First pitch against River City is 7:05.

Take It To The Bank Tuesday is next where a portion of every walk-up ticket will be donated to one of three pre-selected charities. The baseeball on the field begins at 7:05. Winning Wednesday follows when all fans will have the opportunity to win valuable items from local retailers. That's a 7:00 start.

Florence Freedom Game
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Thirsty Thursday is their answer to college night. Or people who live like they're still in college. Drinks are only a dollar. So this is where you young'ns go before hitting the clubs or the ice cream parlors or whatever those whippersnappers do for fun nowadays.

The end of the work-week's a different crowd as the Freedom have a "Salute to Mom" Friday that includes a Family Happy Hour. Food and drink specials 5:30-6:30 with live music. You can even watch Batting Practice from 5:30-6:00. The first 500 moms even get a T-Shirt & Gift Bag, so you definitely want to get there before the 7:05 start.

The homestand wraps up with Super Saturday. The first 500 kids get a Puzzle & Poster Set. Oh, and if that weren't enough: post-game fireworks. Game begins at 7:05 and you don't leave until the last explosion is set off. Sounds like good entertainment value.

And did I mention the ticket prices? No seat costs more than $10. Toss in the plentiful free parking and my wallet is very appreciative. Yes, I'm cheap. Sue me. Actually, don't. I'm poor, too.

The only day we miss out on this time is Family Sunday featuring Newport Aquarium games, activities, entertainment and special offers. And Kids-Run-The-Bases after the game. Maybe they'd let me, too.

Go to their website for more info from a more coherent source.

And don't forget to check out our Florence Freedom Flickr pics. Man, I'm glad I typed that instead of said that.

Adam Dunn's Trade Value

2006-06-24T10:31:00.000-04:00

We talked a lot about whether or not to trade Adam Dunn. So we asked various baseball & sports writers take on Adam Dunn's trade value:

I think it would be considerable. Don't know if he'd bring a No. 1 pitcher, but pretty close, given his numbers and youth and athletic ability. I'd guess -- and it's all just guessing -- that his trade value is probably at least the equal of his actual value
Lonnie Wheeler

Adam Dunn is a DH-in-waiting. He's still young enough, he could/should command either a 12-15-game winner who'll give you 200 innings, or a club's best pitching prospect and a current major leaguer capable of winning 10 games at the back end of a rotation, a Jeff Suppan type
Paul Daugherty Cincinnati Enquirer

Adam Dunn is worth two or three prospects in a trade, one near major-league ready. He's an offensive force who may have more value to an American League team, which looks to be his long-term future.
Tom Verducci Sports Illustrated

He's a unique player, because of his defense/position issues, and lack of contact. But he's a guaranteed 45 homers a year, 40 of which will travel about 800 feet. Since he's a year and a half away from free agency, he'd have more value than a rental. So you could probably get two good young players for him. Anything more than that would be greedy. But the impression I get is that, as long as the Reds are playing well and in the race, none of the key figures is available. If you were wondering what his dollar value might be, it's a little soon to tell. Brian Giles got $10 mil a year. Mark Teixeira, with a lot less service time, got $8 mil a year. Never know.
Jayson Stark ESPN

He'd have immense value, particularly with wealthy contenders like the Yankees and Cardinals needing corner outfielders.
Alan Schwarz Baseball America

My understanding is that the Reds have no plans to move Dunn. If they were, he'd attract some interest because of his power and ability to get on base. But his lack of a position really limits his market to American League clubs. And his high strikeout totals and big salary limit it even further.I love his power, but I don't think there's any way you get a big-time, front line starter for him.
Jerry Crasnick

Things we noticed from those takes are that the Reds probably won't part with him while they are in contention. Also, most of these guys feel Dunn's best days would be spent in an American League ballpark.

A Mish-Mash of Stuff on Tonight's Show

2006-06-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

We're gonna be all over the map tonight between 6-9 on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. Baseball, football, soccer, basketball, we'll be covering it all. Maybe even some hockey. Stay tuned to this space for a guest list that will be updated throughout the day.

The U.S. World Cup team goes down today and will not move on to the field of 16. What does this mean to the future of the sport in America. Can this nation ever compete with these tiny little countries who have yet to experience the wonders of TiVo? We'll talk to Thies Hermann from the Cincinnati Kings to see if there's any room in the United States for another kind of futbol. We'll talk about some of their upcoming youth camps and the rest of their season, including this weekend's match against Wilmington Hammerheads on the campus of Xavier University.

There's a new game in town for football video game enthusiasts. You've gone for the Heisman, been an NFL Superstar, and now you can don the headset and take over a franchise. Jerrold Smith, Senior Product Manager for NFL Head Coach, will join us at 6:25 to talk about this latest franchise from the company that brings you Madden NFL and NCAA Football. That won't be the only mention of the gridiron, I'm sure. Frostee Rucker saw to that.

Kentucky Wildcat fans, heads up! We just got confirmation that Rajon Rando will join us at 7:00. Next week is the NBA Draft. Where does he expect to go? What are his thoughts on the Tubby Smith criticisms? And no UK in this preseason 25?

So tune in tonight between 6-9 on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. Call us at 513-868-9664 or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to be a part of the show.

Vote For People Goofier Than Elected Officials

2006-06-20T15:18:00.000-04:00

You can decide the next bunch of characters to go into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Of course, you would already know that if you listened to our show last week when we had on David Raymond, the HOF's founder and original Phanatic. The Phillie Phanatic, Phoenix Gorilla and Famous Chicken were the members of the inaugural class inducted last year. To be eligible, a mascot must have been in existence for at least 10 years; have a major impact on its sport, industry and community; and have a performance that is consistently memorable and groundbreaking. Go here to vote on the 2006 class. This year's induction ceremony will take place on August 15 at Love Park in Philadelphia.

Top weekend games

2006-06-18T22:11:00.000-04:00

This was a huge weekend for sports, with some great games and choke jobs going on. While the Reds getting humiliated didn't rank high on my sporting weekend, there were a few things that did.

1. USA v Italy- The Americans finally played strong enough that tax-paying citizens don't have to be embarassed about their soccer team. It would've been great if they could've pulled off a win, but they did play one of the best teams in the field very tightly. Things now seem to be lined up for them to advance, whic is something most of us didn't think had a chance of happening.

2. Brazil v Austrailia- I'm still waiting for the other shoe to dropped on a Brazil team which has to be overhyped (they can't be the best team ever, right?), but they got the job done again today. I think this team will really step up once they have to, but they haven't been put in that position yet.

In case you can't see, I'm big on the World Cup right now. I've been playing around with a soccer ball again, I've enjoyed the games, and I've found myself as a big supporter of it all. It is what it is. It's like going to a family reunion. You see someone there that you get along with better than you remember, then you start to wonder why you don' t hang out with them more. You end the night vowing to spend more time with the family member, but then reality hits and you dont see them again until the next reunion. I've loved the action, but soccer will never be huge on a regular basis in this country.

3. Phil Mickelson's joke job- Loved it. Would've watched it all night long if I didn't leave my TiVo at my apartment. Phil is one of the most hated athletes in sports, and gets wayyyy to much love from fans. I'm glad he imploded, he deserved it.

4. Erik Cole playing game 6- Huge announcement before the game. 45 games after having his neck broken on a cowardly check from behind, the Carolina Hurricanes best player finally returned to the ice. It's great to see the former Cyclone Cole on the ice again, but it wasn't enough for the Canes to stop the Edmonton Oilers. It sure sets the stage for an epic, epic game 7 Monday night in Carolina. I expect Cole and company to do their lap with the greatest trophy in sports by the end of the night.

Interview update- there was some problem with the podcasting software tonight, but we should have the Carson Palmer, Shayne Graham, Heather Mitts, Greg Rhodes, and Greg Wyshinski interviews up on the site in the next day or two.

-mc

The Reds are on a roll

2006-06-18T21:53:00.000-04:00

You have to love the way things keep spiraling out of control. I am enjoying the roller coaster ride. What's fun about going one direction all the time? I like going up, it makes going down that much more fun. Of course, now it's time for us to roll out another 8-game winning streak or something like that.

I'm pretty sure we will never win another game at home though.

Manic McMonday

2006-06-13T00:13:00.000-04:00

Champion Window Field
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Co-host Mark and I made it down to a Florence Freedom game this week. Good times. This was our first seeing the experience in person and we were impressed by the effort throughout the evening to keep the fans involved and entertained all night long.

I'll have more on it in the future but check out this space for more pictures.

Big Ben Injured In Bike Wreck

2006-06-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

Just hours after joking it up on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio, Ben Roethlisberger got into an automobile accident. Apparently, he went face first into a windshield. And we all know how the former Miami University star feels about wearing a helmet when he's on his hog. He may be a Steeler but we at Unabated Sports wish him well.

Buckeyes Featured In New Saturday Primetime Line-up

2006-06-09T00:17:00.000-04:00

We talked about this a few weeks ago but 2006 will sport a Saturday night line-up of games on ABC. Ohio State fans should be happy cause their team makes two primetime appearances. Just check out his schedule as it is stacked with quality games.

Sept. 2 8 p.m.
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
Sept. 9 8 p.m.
Ohio State at Texas
Sept. 16 8 p.m.
Nebraska at USC
Sept. 23 8 p.m.
Notre Dame at Michigan State;
USC at Arizona
Sept. 30 8 p.m.
Ohio State at Iowa
or Michigan at Minnesota*
Oct. 7 8 p.m.
Oregon at California;
ACC, Big 12 or Big East**
Oct. 14 8 p.m.
Michigan at Penn State;
Arizona State at USC
Nov. 4 8 p.m.
UCLA at California;
ACC, Big 12 or Big East**
Nov. 11 8 p.m.
ACC, Big 12 or Big East**
Nov. 18 8 p.m.
California at USC;
ACC, Big 12 or Big East**
Nov. 25 8 p.m.
Notre Dame at USC
Dec. 2 8 p.m.
Big 12 Championship Game

* One game will be on ABC and other other in primetime on ESPN



** TBD games will be selected on a 12-day basis



Dates with multiple games will be split national telecasts

A Doctor In The House For Today's Show

2006-06-08T00:05:00.000-04:00

It doesn't seem like all that long ago folks were giving up on the Cincinnati Reds and dismissed the season's fast start to a fluke of nature. But a hell of a road trip has put Jerry Nerron's crew back in contention. Is it the starting pitching that's been the biggest reason for the wins or that timely hitting?

Mock Game-5
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

Or is it the fact that Ken Griffey, Jr, has been bringing out the starting lineup card before the games? We'll talk to Dr. Richard Lustberg from Pyschology of Sports, a site that gets into the minds of today's athletes. He'll talk to us about the importance that superstition plays in sports. It's also a fair bet that we'll talk to him about Chris Henry. And what is Chris Henry thinking? The Bengals hands are tied... for now. Is this "foolishness" going to cost Henry his professional career or will he dodge this bullet, too?

The good doctor isn't the only guest we have on tap. One of the biggest stars in the NHL, Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets, will be on around 6:25. The first overall pick of the 2002 draft will talk about his career with the CBJ and talk about the state of the league in the midst of the Stanley Cup Finals.

And you'll have another chance to win "The Cincinnati Reds 1975 World Series Collector's Edition." That was the Big Red Machine in one of the greatest Series of all time. This box set has all seven games on DVD for the first time ever, plus rare bonus interviews. Get 'em at Shop-A-E-T-V or call in to win.

Be a part of the show! Call in at 513-868-9664 and email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com and we'll read it on the air.

THIS JUST IN: The University of Cincinnati's Atheltic Director, Mike Thomas, will join us at 7:00 tonight.

Look Who's At It Again

2006-06-04T14:56:00.000-04:00

According to Sirius NFL Radio, Chris Henry has been arrested for driving under the influence. Again. This page on the Clermont County Clerk's site seems to confirm that. It's already been a busy 2006 for Henry's lawyer and this just seems to put his already shaky roster spot in a more perilous position. Len Pasquirelli says Henry is subject to a fine, suspension, or even both. And Henry's driving a car from 1984? Unless it's majorly pimped up, that's kinda lame, Chris. My mom doesn't even drive a car from the 1980s.

I'm Torn

2006-06-04T12:35:00.000-04:00

I don't know which way to feel about the possibilty of Albert Pujols being out for about a month. Sure, it means the NL Central race is open again which is great news for the second place Reds, who are three games behind. But I was rooting for the Cardinals slugger to pass Barry Bonds for the single season homerun record. So, which is stronger. My love for the Cincinnati team, or dislike of a cheater? Hmmm...

June Reds Games

2006-06-01T11:37:00.000-04:00

The Reds finished May with a 12-16 record, and it's going to be a while before they can return home to recover from that rough month. Here's when they'll be back in town.

8 Chicago 7:10
9 Chicago 7:10
10 Chicago 6:10
11 Chicago 1:15
12 Milwaukee 7:10
13 Milwaukee 7:10
14 Milwaukee 12:35
16 Chicago White Sox 7:10
17 Chicago White Sox 6:10
18 Chicago White Sox 1:15
27 Kansas City 7:10
28 Kansas City 7:10
29 Kansas City 7:10
30 Cleveland 7:10

Hopefully, this month will be better than the last one.

Unabated Huggs

2006-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:00

We've brought you some big names every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and tonight will be no different. Former U.C. coach Bob Huggins is scheduled to talk to us tonight at 8:00. Yes, THE Bob Huggins.

The Reds win last night, but what a crappy May. Only 12 wins against 16 losses. Is it time to panic? Toy with the line-up?

Bob Huggins tonight at 8:00!

Character in sports seems to have stepped into the forefront. From a Bengal break-in to a Major League franchise run by Christian doctrines, the full spectrum has been in the headlines this week. Should these behind the scenes beliefs and actions affect how the fans look at these teams?

Bob Huggins tonight at 8:00!

We'll also have Clint Brown, GM of the Florence Freedom, joining us to talk about baseball in northern Kentucky.

Bob Huggins tonight at 8:00!

There will be time for you to call in at 513-868-9664 and email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com and we'll read it on the air.

Bob Huggins tonight at 8:00!

And fans of the Big Red Machine will definitely want to listen as we give away a box DVD set of the 1975 World Series from A & E Home Video.

And did I mention Bob Huggins at 8:00?

Legal Trouble

2006-05-31T13:23:00.000-04:00

Law enforcement officials are required to protect the health and safety of civilians, and when civilians break rules punishment is required. As professional athletes, these individuals are not immune to these troubles. Tuesday, May 30th provided for a busy day for athletes and law enforcement. Chris Henry's trial was again pushed back to a future date, leaving the Bengal's in further doubt of the availibility of their rising star.
Local baseball product Scott Sauerbeck (Northwest High School, Miami University) of the Cleveland Indians was arrested for obstructing official business and allowing someone intoxicated to operate his vehicle, after he and friend Lily Miller parked their car in a drive way and hid in the owner of the house's bushes. Police found the two hiding after the owners alerted the police of noise in their back yard.

Along with Sauerbeck, former Ohio State wide receiver Santonio Holmes was arrested in South Beach, Florida for disorderly conduct at a hotel. Holmes was the Pittsburgh Steeler's first round selection this year.

Tune in Thursday to Unabated Sports and sound off on your thoughts of athletes acting as criminals.

Having Fun At Cincinnati's Expense

2006-05-30T21:43:00.000-04:00

Donald Little
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

The Queen City made a couple appearances in this week's Deadspin. The first revolved around an article highlighting athletes that took off-the-field antics to a whole other level. And Donald Little was referenced for going Resevoir Dogs on his roomate. Art Long also made an appearance in the source article counting down the 20 most surreal crimes perpetrated by athletes. UC's not alone as Buckeyes and UK Wildcats are spotlighted, too.

And the other article revolved around Carson Palmer's Cornhole Classic. What would possibly get their attention, you ask? Deadspin had fun with the sport's name and wished CP well in his recovery. Then went back to snickering at the term "cornhole." The event has also been Farked.

Woody Goes To The Reds Hall of Fame Museum

2006-05-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Catch At The Wall
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

I'm a little emberrassed to admit it took me this long, but I finally made it down to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum. I felt even more foolish after walking through the place. It is pretty sweet. There's lots of interactive features in the museum. You can step onto the mound and try to hit the strike zone from 90 feet away. You can also get behind home plate and call balls and strikes from the umpire's point of view. And you can be even more active, leaping above a segment of Riverfront Stadium's wall and try to steal a home run. I watched Executive Director of the Museum Greg Rhodes lob tosses to a group of kids for about five minutes and they loved it. Their parents had to drag them away. How often can you say that about something in a museum?

Woody & Sparky
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

You can even get your picture taken with greats from the Reds' past. Here I am trying to give Sparky Anderson some advice on how to run the Big Red Machine. Yeah, you can tell he's impressed with my wisdom. You can also sit in the booth and call one of a half dozen classic plays from the team's recent past. We'll see what Marty & Joe think of your performance behind the microphone.

1919 Last Out ball. Photo provided by the
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum.

The featured exhibit right now is all about the 1919 World Series. Yes, that World Series. You can find out why the Reds were the team to beat that year, Black Sox scandal or not.

The museum's open every day during the baseball season and you can even double up and get a tour of it and Great American Ball Park. Go to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum web site for more details.

Unabated Calvacade Of Stars

2006-05-24T11:09:00.000-04:00

You definitely want to tune in to Thursday night's show that airs between 6 and 9 p.m. on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket. We've always tried to bring you the biggest guests we can here at Unabated Sports. But this week we've really outdone ourselves. And by "we", I mostly mean Mark. Well done, new guy!

The biggest star on the schedule has to be Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. The Pro Bowl QB not only will appear on our show, but on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Not Carson's first time, though. It's a pretty extensive article, he goes off on the Steelers and those who doubt his comeback from a major knee injury. And what a long process that has been. We'll ask him about the injuries, the Steelers, and as much as we can in the time we've got with him. He'll also talk about the upcoming Carson Palmer Cornhole Classic. He's currently scheduled to call in at around 7:00 p.m.

Heather Mitts: Sideline Reporter
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

How do we follow that up? I don't know. How about one of the hottest women in sports? Yeah, Heather Mitts. The soccer player/sideline reporter has a soccer camp coming up at the end of next month at Summit Country Day School. She's slotted in the segment behind Palmer at about 7:25.

We've also got Greg Rhodes, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum. He'll talk about the museum and the newest exhibit spotlighting the 1919 World Series. And last, but certainly not least, George Vogel, executive sports producer at Channel 5. Even though he's a longtime favorite of the program, we'll have a new twist to throw at him.

Despite the heavy guest list, we still want to hear from you. There will be time for you to call in at 513-868-9664 and email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com and we'll read it on the air.

Big Guest For This Week

2006-05-23T12:56:00.000-04:00

We've had some pretty impressive guests on the show but this one takes the cake: Carson Palmer. Yes, the Bengals Pro Bowl quarterback is scheduled to join us on this Thursday's show around 7:00 p.m. He's going to be talking about lots of stuff, including the Carson Palmer Cornhole Classic coming up on June 17. This benefits Lighthouse Youth Services. We're compiling a list of questions to fire at the former Heisman trophy winner. Have any suggestions? We'll see if we can squeeze them in, but I've got about a dozen myself and there's only so much time he's going to be on. You can bet one of them will be about his cover appearance on Sports Illustrated.

Kicking Off Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-23T04:39:00.000-04:00

As you heard when Shayne Graham was a guest on last week's show, there's a special event coming up Kicks For Kids: the annual RGI Runners Club River Run. Oxford’s The RumRunners will perform live, Panera Bread will supply bagels, and Domino’s Pizza, the Tavern Restaurant Group and the Newport Aquarium will provide awards. Participants will have the chance to win a $500 Meijer shopping spree, and each entrant will receive a ticket good for food/drink at the Runners’ Club of Greater Cincinnati post-event party at the Newport Hofbräuhaus. Pre-register here. The event begins 9:30 at the Purple People bridge in Newport. Race day registration begins at 8.

It's As If A Million Baseball Fans Cried Out At Once, Then Were Suddenly Silenced

2006-05-21T00:34:00.000-04:00

What many purists have dreaded has come to pass: Barry Bonds hit his 714th homerun. How many of them were juice induced doesn't really matter. In this game, it's all about the numbers and one of the most treasured has now been touched. We may find out in the coming years that "tarnished" may be a better word but I feel kinda dirty either way. I was definitely not rooting for BB to tie or pass Babe Ruth. But there is some good news: we're one step closer to not having to hear constantly about him going for this mark. Yep, that's me. Always looking at the bright side.

85 has some doubters

2006-05-17T20:53:00.000-04:00

Apparently Don Pierson from nbcsports is one of them. From a piece today on players with targets on their back ...

5. Chad Johnson. The knee injury to Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer leaves the receiver undaunted. He has predicted the Bengals will have little competition in the AFC North, which they won last season only to fall in the playoffs to Pittsburgh.
Johnson promises to enhance his weekly list of cornerbacks he intends to victimize. He also promises that new rules limiting touchdown celebrations will not cramp his style. These are heavy burdens for one man to bear, but Johnson appears to need added motivation. Not only that, he thrives on it.

I may be the only one, but I like Chad being so confident. In a very questionable and uncertain time as a Bengals fan, I love someone like Chad being so confident that things will be normal. It's such a refreshing change from "typical cincinnati fan" and his constant doomsday predictions. Mabye it's because I'm not over 40 yet, but there's very little I dislike about Chad Johnson.

New Show, New Crew, New Time

2006-05-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

We're coming at you this week with a new lineup and a new timeslot. But we still want you to tune in and sound off. We go live at 6 on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket and are looking for your calls and emails. Ring us at 513-868-9664 and email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to give us your opinion.

What is up with the Reds? A week ago, this team was on top of the world. Their superstar returned in grand style and Cincinnati was on top of the baseball world. Now, they're not even on top of their division. Are the wheels coming off or is this just a bump in the long, long road that is the MLB season?

We'll also be talking football. The Bengals are practicing this week, the rookies have been broken in, and there's even been some news about what you can expect Saturdays on TV in regards to the college game. And speaking of Bengals, we'll have kicker Shayne Graham on to talk about the OTAs and RGI Runners' Club River Run 5K, benefiting Kicks For Kids.

We're still lining up guests but I can tell you for sure we have a guy scheduled who knows a thing or two about bad ideas. Greg Wyshynski, author of Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer : The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History, will join us. We'll also have Brian Ekberg from Gamespot.com who will break down all the sports video games that were unveiled at E3 earlier this month. Go here to hear the last time he was on our show.

Stop by. Tune us in. Meet the new guys. 6-9 Thursday night. Ring us at 513-868-9664 and email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com to give us your opinion.

The New Guy

2006-05-16T23:31:00.000-04:00

Like all Unabated Sports fans, I'm saddened that Jeff is headed for greener pastures in Hazard. I thought it would be nearly impossible to find someone capable of making up for that loss. I do feel somewhat better, however, after finding out that I've been added to the team. And who am I?

I'm coming to Unabated sports from ESPN Radio 970 in Athens, where I co-hosted a daily show. I got my start in sports broadcasting as a color analyst with the Cincinnati Cyclones a few years back and spent two seasons doing radio broadcasts for the Ohio University hockey team. I broke into sports talk as the producer of The Monday Night SportsZone on SportsTalk Cleveland and began hosting by doing an internet sports talk show out of my dorm room. I hosted Great Americans on the SportsRant Radio network before joining WATH in Athens.

I'm also a sports columnist. I've been a feature writer and columnist with SportsFan Magazine since April of 2004. I write the popular “Sports Gospel” column, which is syndicated on dozens of Web sites, and I do some freelancing on the side (I just finished a big feature for espn.com). I'm a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association of America and the Mascot Hall of Fame Executive Committee.

I'm not the only new guy. Our new producer, Rich Lamping, comes to us from SportsRant Radio, where he was a producer and fill-in host. He was responsible for setting up a number of big-time interviews and producing special segments. He also co-hosted the SportsRant Radio March Madness special and was a fill-in host on Great Americans.

I think I speak for Richie in saying we are both excited to be a part of the show and are anxiously looking forward to our debut Thursday. Hopefully we will have some big changes coming to the blog soon, so stay tuned.

-Mark Chalifoux

The NFL Just Got A Little Bit Dumber Today

2006-05-16T17:25:00.000-04:00

That line was from NFL Live's Trey Wingo when commenting on the fact that the Bengals cut Craig Krenzel. He wasn't talking about the intelligence of the move itself, just that the formber Buckeye QB must've known a thing or two to get by with a 3.68 GPA in Molecular Genetics. Not exactly "criminal justice" or whatever the kids are taking nowadays. This may not be the last we hear of this move, however, as C.K. might have been injured when he was cut and the players' union kinda frowns upon decisions like that.

Rain Delay Theater

2006-05-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

Jeff Getting The Tough Interviews
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

For those that were tuning in to Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket yesterday, you might have been a little surprised not to hear our sparkling wit. We had been bumped. The baseball games that were rained out Wednesday were pushed back to Thursday. These things happen but it's really unfortunate as that was supposed to be Jeff's last show. As you may recall, he's heading to Hazard, Kentucky to be a sportscaster at WYMT-TV. His first day is today. He specifically waited so he could do May 11 as his last show. Ouch. Anyway, the show will go on next week with a revamped line-up and a new bump-free time slot: 6:00-9:00. We'll have great guests as usual and the standard examination of the local sports scene and askew takes on what's going on in this wacky world of ours. We'll even hear from Jeff who will call in and give his curtain call from Hazard. So tune it to 1450 AM on Thursday nights, email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com and call us at 513-868-9664 to join in on the fun.

Sunday Night Party

2006-05-11T10:01:00.000-04:00

Line It Up!
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

It looks like UC will be a part of ESPN's new Sunday Night College Football. The Bearcats' game against South Florida will be moved to October 22 at 8:00 p.m. It'll be interesting to see if this game can hold it's own against NBC's new Sunday night NFL game. This will be Cincinnati's third primetime game this season. The other games are the River City Rivalry with Pitt on September 8 and October 28 against Syracuse.

Talk Derby To Me

2006-05-07T10:43:00.000-04:00

Another Kentucky Derby has come and gone. Lots of coverage all day long. The race itself may be a bit overrated... or not. It's quick, but not to quick for Deadspin to liveblog.

Hey, if I had a horse, you know what I’d name him? Steve. Everyone else’s horse would be named something weird like “The Firm Calves On Betsy Sue,” or, “Anti-Microbial Goat Shampoo,” and my horse would just be named Steve. And he would make fun of the other horses for their dumb names.

Funny, but I do love me some horsey names. And dig those crazy hats.

Reds Roll Rockies

2006-05-05T13:03:00.000-04:00

Isn't winning fun? The Reds seem to think so. They split their duplay series with the Rockies by crushing Colorado 7-1. The starters continue to pitch extremely well. Aaron Harang was great, going 8 1/3 and giving up just 1 run.

And one of the things that we talked about on the show came into play again, depth. Chris Denorfia, just called up from Louisville (where he was hitting the crap out of the ball), stepped in and went 1-4 with an RBI double. It's easy to see how the Reds are winning when you look across the roster and see some really good players sitting on the bench because there is no place to play them.

Do you believe in this team? Are you cheering with cautious optimism or waiting for the other shoe to drop? For the first time in a while, it seems as if the fans are starting to believe. Do you belive?

Today's Show

2006-05-04T09:12:00.000-04:00

Mel Kiper on ESPN TV
Originally uploaded by Unabated Sports.

The dust has settled on the NFL Draft, Mel Kiper's hair is going back into it's hermetically-sealed room, and baseball is trying it's darnedest to take center stage in our sports world. Catch us today on Cincinnati's ESPN Radio 1450 The Ticket and this is what we'll be talking about:

Cincinnati Reds
- The Major League-leading Reds. Sounds funny to say. Is that the most unlikely phrase heard all year?
- Is this team for real? How do you know when a team is for real?
- What games are you going to go to when the team is home this month at GABP?
- Our Gauntlet Question: What would be your at-bat music if you played for the Reds?

Barry Bonds is two shy of Babe Ruth.
- How will history remember Barry?
- Should Major League Baseball do something to mark it?

NFL Draft
- Bengals. Here's what Jeff thinks. What do you think?
- Winners/Losers (not just teams, but also players, schools, whatever)
- How about them Buckeyes? Five Ohio State players went in the first round. Is that a good thing or bad thing for you OSU fans?
- Biggest Surprises
- Character causing several players to fall?
- Local Guys
- Where they went (both draft and FA)
- Odds of sticking with the team
- How much of it did you watch on TV? Anybody see NFL Network's inaugural coverage.
- Wow! How wrong was our mock draft!?

NBA Playoffs
- How clutch is Lebron?
- Kobe, did we miss the boat on him being the MVP?
- Is the best matchup of the entire playoffs possibly next round with Spurs versus Mavs?

Do we want to do anything with the Derby?
- Pick your winner. What strategy do you use? I like picking by my most favorite name.

The Most Unlikely Phrase in ALL of the Major Leagues This Year...

2006-05-02T17:11:00.000-04:00

The first place Reds next go on the road to face the first place Rockies. Let me say that again in case you didn't catch it or didn't believe it. "The first place Reds next go on the road to face the first place Rockies."

Yes indeed, both clubs currently sit atop their divisions. I am having a hard time coming up with a more unlikely phrase that could have been uttered in the Major Leagues this year.

How about... "Today it was revealed that there is indisputable proof that Barry Bonds did not use steriods."

Can you come up with any other phrases that we would have been more unlikely to hear at the beginning of the baseball season?

Holy Clutch Hitting Batman

2006-05-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

Did the Reds really just take another series? That means that they are 7-1-1 in series this year. And they are a monster performance from Albert Pujols away from being undefeated.

Cincinnati stand all alone atop the Major Leagues after a come from behind performace for the men in red. They knocked off the Cardinals 3-2 in a day game at Great American Ballpark.

Thanks to some great pitching (by Dave Williams, no less), and some clutch hitting by Valentin, the Reds are the best team in baseball. Dunn and Encarnacion went yard. That's a good sign to see Adam Dunn climbing 0ut of a slump and Edwin Encarnacion continuing his great season at the plate.

Also good to see was Todd Coffey once again keeping a team off the board. Coffey has now gone 11 straight appearances without giving up a run. It's been a while since I felt confident in a Reds reliever being able to shut down the other team.

I don't know how long this can last, but I right now I don't care. I'm too busy enjoying it. How about you?

Box score

April Road Games Bring May Homestands

2006-05-01T15:15:00.000-04:00

Of the 28 Reds games this month, 14 of them are at Great American Ball Park. Huh. I don't know why it seemed like there were more of them home this month than last, but I guess it's even. Anyway, here's the schedule for games in Cincinnati in May.

1 Stl. 7:10
2 Stl. 12:35
9 Washington 7:10
10 Washington 7:10
11 Washington 7:10
12 Philiadelphia 7:10
13 Philiadelphia 6:10
14 Philiadelphia 1:15
22 Milwaukee 7:10
23 Milwaukee 7:10
24 Milwaukee 7:10
26 Arizona 7:10
27 Arizona 6:10
28 Arizona 1:15

Which series peeks your interest the most?

My Thoughts on the Bengals Draft

2006-05-01T11:07:00.000-04:00

My reaction to the Bengals Draft:

1.) Their first day drafting was a contingency plan for 2007. Mark Curnutte made a similar statement on Sunday in the Enquirer.

Jonathan Joseph, the first rounder out of South Carolina is in line to battle to replace Tory James (possibly this year, actually). Andrew Whitworth from LSU seems ready to replace either Willie Anderson or Levi Jones after both of their contracts run out after this season. And Frostee Rucker adds depth to a thin position at DE for the Bengals and is insurance for Justin Smith whose contract runs out after this year as well.

2.) Speed Kills. At least, that is what the Bengals were thinking with their last 3 picks. Reggie McNeal, the QB turned WR out of Texas A&M and two other WRs, Ethan Kilmer (Penn St.) and Benny Brazell (LSU) give the Bengals a lot of speed to play with. And Reggie, seriously, you are not an NFL Quarterback. Get over it.

3.) Was anybody else surprised to see the Bengals take Frostee Rucker in the third when Dominique Bird was still there? I was glad they got some DE help (they needed it), but Bird would have been a serious pass catching threat at TE.

4.) Jonathan Joseph will probably have the biggest impact on the Bengals this year as he fights for the Nickel back position and a possible starting gig in the future. Who will have the next biggest impact on the Bengals this year? Frostee Rucker, A.J. Nicholson, Reggie McNeal as the new slash, or one of the others? My money is on Frostee since he'll probably get the most opportunity.

What are your thoughts on the Bengals draft? What grade would you give them? We'll give you our grades on the show on Thursday, but we would love to see what your grades are. Leave it in the comments or email us at unabatedsports@gmail.com.

Your Newest Cincinnati Bengal Is...

2006-04-29T16:18:00.000-04:00

This guy. Jonathan Joseph is the first cornerback ever to be taken in the first round by the franchise. Here's Scott Wright's write-up of Marvin's first round choice over at NFL Draft Countdown. From his first round reaction page:

As expected the Bengals grabbed a defensive back although I thought Jimmy Williams would have been a better fit because he could have helped them out at safety as well as cornerback. Joseph has a ton of upside though and this was right about where he was projected to go so it is a solid pick overall and with Tory James getting older they needed to bring in a top youngster. Wow, it's weird but I don't think I've had to really slam a Bengals pick in a few years now.

Yeah, pretty weird. I'm honestly not all that familiar with this guy but think I probably would have preferred Jimmy Williams. I can't believe he was still available. I can't believe the Bengals passed on him. I wonder why he fell so much.

First Round Buckeyes

2006-04-29T14:44:00.000-04:00

A.J. Hawk to Green Bay, no surprise. Donte Whitner to Buffalo? A little bit more of a shock. Bobby Carpenter, another OSU linebacker who needs a haircut, will play for the Tuna. And the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to get Santonio Holmes. Yeah, so no rooting for that guy anymore. Center Nick Mangold will replace Kevin Mawae for the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets. That's five Buckeyes that went in the first round. Florida State had four athletes drafted in the oepning frame but it looks like Jim Tressel's kids reigned supreme in the 2006 NFL Draft. That's one shy of a record and over half of the Big Ten players taken today.

Once again, Columbus has infected the NFL as the talent pipeline that is Ohio State football continues to flow.

God in Sports

2006-04-28T14:19:00.000-04:00

God has played a part in sports throughout time. And in honor of God making his wrestling debut, Mark Chalifoux of Sportsrant.com has put together his top moments of God in sports.

"I think it's just God disguised as Michael Jordan," Bird said.

It's a good article, but it left out one of the most controversial moments of God in sports, Diego Maradona's Hand of God Goal for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup.

And is it just me, or does this statue look like Jesus is taunting the kids? It also reminds me of the video of Walt Chamberlin holding the ball over his head as the players just looked up at him.

Chatting with Jay Bruce and B.J. Szymanski

2006-04-28T11:57:00.000-04:00

My trip to Dayton Thursday night was not only to check out Paul Wilson's start, but also to say thank you to Jay Bruce and B.J. Szymanski for doing our show a couple of weeks ago.

I caught up with them after the game and just talked to them. First of all, let me say that they are very funny, especially when playing off of each other. Secondly, Jay looks like he just got his learners permit. And although he looks 16, and is actually 19, he carries himself like a much more mature person.

We talked about the infiltration of the Reds by people from Texas. (Jay is from Beaumont, TX and B.J. is from Witchita Falls, TX.) I asked them if they envisioned an all-Texas Reds outfield in a few years with Adam Dunn (also from TX) in Left, Bruce in Center and B.J. in Right. B.J. said he didn't care where he played, as long as he was in the Majors. Also noted, were Ryan Wagner, Homer Bailey and 4 other Dayton Dragons players who are from Texas. It's a Lone Star State take over of the Reds organization.

B.J. is a smart man. You have to be to go to Princeton University. But he also talked about finishing up his Senior Thesis on the bus on their last road trip. With that behind him, he can now focus solely on baseball. When I asked him what his thesis was on, he rolled off a two line title. Something about the pyschiological development of athletes from an early age into adult hood, I think.

It was also good to hear them both talk about how they learn from each other. It isn't a one-way street. They go back and forth.

And finally, we talked about googling yourself. It was brought up when Jay, talking about how young he looks, mentioned that if you google "Jay Bruce" you will find a picture (right) of him from High School where he looks 15. To which B.J. responded "You still look 15." That started a debate about whether or not you should google yourself to see what comes up.

It was great to get to meet them. They were both very engaging and genuine. If I wasn't a big fan of Jay Bruce and B.J. Szymanski before, I am now. I look forward to when we can have them both back on in the future. Hopefully together. That's when they are at their best.

Wilson Makes Rehab Start in Dayton

2006-04-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

Paul Wilson took the mound in front of a crowd for the first time in a while last night for the Dayton Dragons. And I made the trip up I-75 to check it out. And this was my expierence.

I wasn't the only one who made the trip up north. Bob Castellini was there. So was Doc Hollywood. And several Reds coaches, including Ken Griffey, Sr. checking out everybody and Jamie Ramsey logging every Paul Wilson pitch were in attendance.

It started a bit rough as Wilson gave up an RBI double before most people even got seated. But he calmed down to stirke out the next batter on an off-speed pitch. His off-speed looked good most of the night. He gave up a two-run home run later, but for the most part got through the game throwing some good pitches. He threw a lot of strikes which was good to see. He didn't look good. He didn't look bad. But it was just good to see him out there.

After the game, Doc Hollywood commented that "his changeup kept them off balance." And also, that Wilson is "in as good of shape as he's ever been as a pitcher." The Doc wouldn't give an exact timeframe for his return, only that he will pitch again in 5 days at one of the minor league levels and that he needs to continue to improve.

As for what Wilson had to say:
"I'm pleased with my command." - On his thoughts on his performance.
"It's an honor. It shows his dedication to the team." - On Bob Castellini being at the game.
"Sh#t yeah it did." - On whether the homerun he gave up pissed him off, which got some good laughs. (By the way, he is a very passionate player. That was obvious in talking to him.)
"I'm more anxious and more impatient than ever." - Talking about his mental state throughout this time.

I was impressed with him as a person and as a competitor after hearing him speak. Here's to hoping that his recovery is a swift and good one.

Unabated Sports 2006 Mock Draft

2006-04-25T17:03:00.000-04:00

On our show LIVE today, we hammered out who would go where if we were in NFL War Rooms. Here's a look at what went on in our studio. You can see who went where and, more importantly, which one of the Unabated Sports crew sent them there.

1. Houston Texans
Reggie Bush, RB USC
Clinton
2. New Orleans Saints
A.J. Hawk, LB Ohio St.
Jeff
3. Tennessee Titans
Matt Leinart, QB USC
Woody
4. N.Y. Jets
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, UVA
Clinton
5. Green Bay Packers
Mario Williams, DE NCS
Jeff
6. San Fransisco 49ers
Vernon Davis, TE Maryland
Woody
7. Oakland Raiders
Vince Young, QB Texas
Clinton
8. Buffalo Bills
Winston Justice, T USC
Jeff
9. Detroit Lions
Michael Huff, DB Texas
Woody
10. Arizona Cardinals
Jay Cutler, QB Vanderbilt
Clinton
11. St. Louis Rams
Jimmy Williams, CB Va Tech
Jeff
12. Cleveland Browns
K. Wimbley, DE/OLB FSU
Woody
13. Baltimore Ravens
Haloti Ngata, DT Oregon
Clinton
14. Philadelphia Eagles
Ernie Sims, LB FSU
Jeff
15. Denver Broncos
Chad Jackson, WR UFA
Woody
16. Miami Dolphins
Santonio Holmes, WR OSU
Clinton
17. Minnesota Vikings
Chad Greenway, LB Iowa
Jeff
18. Dallas Cowboys
Manny Lawson, DE/OLB NCS
Woody
19. San Diego Chargers
Antonio Cromartie, CB FU
Clinton
20. Kansas City Chiefs
Tye Hill, CB Clemson
Jeff
21. New England Patriots
Demeco Ryans, OLB, bama
Woody
22. San Fransisco 49ers
Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, BC
Clinton
23. Tampa Bay Buccanears
Eric Winston, T
Jeff
24. Cincinnati Bengals
Donte Whitner, S Ohio St.
Jeff
Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Clinton
Jason Allen, S/CB Tennessee
Woody

Yeah, we eached picked a player for the Bengals and cut off the draft after that pick. We're a local station so we didn't think there'd be much point in going forward with the rest of the first round. Besides, we ran out of time!

Tuesday's Show... Making a Mockery of the Draft

2006-04-25T00:32:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. We've been gearing up for this ever since the day after the Super Bowl. It's Draft time. No, not the cold sudsy type of draft, the NFL Draft.

I swear that some people enjoy this more than the actual games. Either way, that is what we will be talking about this week.

GUESTS:

Dave Lapham, Bengals Color-Analyst @ 5:00

Scott Wright of NFLDraftcountdown.com @ 6:25

We'll talk with Scott about what the Bengals are going to do, some of the things to keep our eye on on draft day, what surprises may we see, and get the lowdown on a couple of local guys hoping to hear their names called this weekend.

Topics:

We will make a mockery of the NFL Draft.
- We are doing our own live mock draft of the first 24 picks. Clinton, Woody and Jeff will rotate on picking for different teams. And all 3 will pick for the Bengals.

Bengals
- Draft Strategy
- Possible guys to watch for playing in pinstripes.
- Are the Bengals entertaining the thought of a 3-4 defense?

Locals
- There are several guys with local ties that could add a bit of spice to your draft watching fun.

Reds
- The Reds have made some moves, and are on the move as well. They look to push their win-loss records for series to 5-1-1 with a win tonight.
- Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips are at the top of the Reds in RBIs, if you had that at the beginning of the year please raise your hand.

As always, we want to hear from you. Give us a call during the show at 868-9664 or shoot us an email at anytime to unabatedsports@gmail.com.

Bengals select TE Pope on ESPN.com

2006-04-24T16:26:00.000-04:00

With the 24th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals select...

Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia

That is who Sportsnation picked for the Bengals in an online vote. Pope picked up 28% of the vote, with fellow TE Marcedes Lewis picking up 23% of the vote. 40% of Ohioans picked Ohio State S Donte Whitner.

I know that many of the Buckeye state picked Whitner simply because of his Ohio State background, but I have to admit that he would have been my pick as well. I think Pope and Lewis are too big of stretches here.

More Bengals TE Opinions

2006-04-24T12:40:00.000-04:00

As we get closer to the Draft, more and more people express their opinion for what teams are going to do and what they need. Jerremy Green of Scouts Inc. has this to say about the Bengals TE position:

"Cincinnati Bengals: They have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL despite not having a legitimate TE in the passing game. Last season, they used more of a TE-by-committee approach. TEs Reggie Kelly and Tony Stewart were used primarily in the run game, while Matt Schobel played on passing downs. Schobel departed in offseason as a UFA, leaving them a huge void in the passing situations. This team really needs to find a complete TE. They need to find a guy who can be an every-down player.

Outlook: It is expected that the Bengals will spend the majority of their high picks on the defensive side of the ball where they need to fix their run defense. The one exception should be the TE position. This team is set everywhere on offense except TE. Kelly is one of the best blocking TEs in the NFL, but he is limited as a receiver. A TE such as UCLA's Lewis or Fasano would take a lot of pressure of receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. "

Shaun Alexander: He's In The Game

2006-04-24T00:33:00.000-04:00

Good news for Boone County's favorite son: Shaun Alexander is on the cover of Madden 2007. Bad news for Boone County's favorite son: Shaun Alexander is on the cover of Madden 2007. Sure, it's great that the 2005 NFL MVP will get the recognition he deserves. But it comes at a horrible price: the Madden Curse. Maybe "curse" is too strong a word. But there is certainly a trend that develops for the Madden cover boy. It usually involves the player featured to suffer a season-killing injury. At the very least, it practically guarentees a sub-par year. Don't believe me? Then how do you explain Marshall Faulk? Eddie George? Michael Vick? Daunte Culpepper? Donovan McNabb? Hope it turns out different for #37.

Bengals Whip Out the Checkbook

2006-04-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

The Bengals have opened up their wallet the last few days. They passed out cash for a new passer and extended and reworked a deal for someone to catch those passes.

The Bengals signed QB Anthony Wright to a one-year deal. Wright, a career backup who has played in Dallas and more recently in Baltimore, will compete with Doug Johnson and Craig Krenzel for the backup QB positions. He knows his role in the NFL as a backup and as a spot starter.

Chad Johnson got some "new money". The excitable wide receiver got an extension that will take him to the 2011 season. Johnson still had four years left on his contract, but the Bengals ponied up some cash to keep him happy and here longer. For anyone who wasn't convinced yet, this is not the '90s Bengals. The '90s Bengals were weak, gutless, sad excuses for an NFL franchise. These Bengals are aggressive and play and act like true tigers.

Reds Rally Thrills Fans

2006-04-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

If you caught our show on Thursday, I put out a code red to play hookie to go see the Reds and Marlins play on Wednesday afternoon. If you followed my advice and skipped work/school then you were treated to an exciting come from behind Reds win, 9-8.

The Reds rallied several times, overcoming deficits of 5-0 and 8-4. Cincinnati won on a ninth inning RBI double by Edwin Encarnacion down the line that plated Adam Dunn. It was also good to see Jason LaRue behind the plate again and Brandon Phillips continued his hot hitting by going 2-5 with 3 RBIs. (Box Score)

The Reds won the series by beating the Marlins in 2 of 3 games. Cincinnati next travels to Milwaukee before heading to Washington.

Baseball in Blue Ash

2006-04-18T18:41:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a fun time this weekend and can help a good cause, check out the A.J. Cohen Memorial Tournament. The event is scheduled for April 21, 22, and 23 and will be held in Blue Ash during the Blue Ash Baseball Festival and at the Summit Athletic Complex. Big Red Machine great George Foster will be delivering the game ball via Hamilton County Sheriff helicopter at 2:00pm on Saturday in Blue Ash.

Counting Down With NFL Draft Countdown

2006-04-18T16:03:00.000-04:00

Friend of the radio program, Scott Wright, has updated his FREE 3-round NFL mock draft. A lot has changed since last week's draft and the one from two weeks ago. Obviously, the Sam Adams signing gives Cincinnati some flexibility with their first round selection. Let's see how Scott thinks this will go.

Round 1, 24th pick overall: Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State
Not necessarily a home town pick, but a lot of area fans would enjoy seeing the Buckeye stay in the same. He might be the second-best safety in this draft behind Texas's Michael Huff. Seems like a good amount of value if this ball-hawker is still available this late in the game.

Round 2, 55th pick overall: Darryl Tapp, DE, Virginia Tech
The second week in a row that Scott thinks Cincinnati will select a defensive end on the first day of the draft. High motor guy who doesn't quite have the physical tools to crack the first round.

Round 3, 91st pick overall: Tony Scheffler, TE, Western Michigan
We know Marvin Lewis is not averse to choosing a player or two from a directional Michigan school. He's reportedly got good size, speed, and hands.

Other local notables include Miami's Terna Nande to the Bears with the 88th overall pick, for the second week in a row. And it looks like Martin Nance might not be a first day pick, according to Scott Wright. Head over to NFL Draft Countdown to see speculation on what the Bengals might do as well as where college football's biggest stars will be playing on Sundays. And keep going back. Scott will continue to update as April 29 gets closer. We'll also try to get him back on the show before Reggie Bush goes off the board.

Today's Show... Tuesday Edition

2006-04-17T23:09:00.000-04:00

We are moving to Tuesday for the next two weeks due to High School baseball. You would think that the quick turn around this week would throw us off, but it has not. In fact, we have a great show lined up for you tonight. Check out the guest list.

Guests:

Brad Johansen, Voice of the Bengals and Sports Director for Channel 12 @ 4:45
Brad will talk about the Reds start to the season, what the Bengals have done in the off-season, what they are looking to do in the draft, and we will ask him about UC and what Mick Cronin is doing there.

Amy Livingston, Captain of the MDX Reds Crew (The new cheerleaders/dance team) @ 5:45
They're brand new, the MDX Reds Crew, and they have raised more than eyebrow or two. We'll talk to the Captain and get her take on the public reaction so far, and what their role is in the Reds organization and how they can help. The former Diamond Deputy (the Marshals cheerleaders) also had an interesting season with the indoor team as well last year.

B.J. Szymanski, Reds 2nd round pick in 2004, currently playing for the Dayton Dragons @ 5:25
The former Princeton University outfielder and Wide Reciever will talk about his progression, what life is like in the Minor Leagues, his leadership role, and what the deal is with all the Texans in the Reds Minor League system.

Topics:

Reds Talk
- Recapping the St. Louis Series
- Taking a look at the series against the fish
- Could they have looked any better last night?
- Griffey is out again

Bengals
- The NFL Draft is now only 11 days away, are you ready?
- More importantly, are the Bengals?
- Marvin's draft history has been pretty darn good so far, what are the Bengals in the market for, and who are the top guys at each position?
- We will explain our special Mock Draft show, and how you can get involved, coming up on the 25th.

UC Basketball
- Mick Cronin has added another JuCo guard to the mix, where does he go from here?
- Who will be running the point next year?
- What are your early impressions of Mick so far, and how much rope are you going to give him this year?
- Let's not forget that a lot of UC Seniors that we have watched over the years are moving on. In fact, no one will be able to say that Mick Cronin won with anybody elses players. How do you rate this years graduating class?

Spring Football
- UC and Miami both have their Spring games this weekend. And both have some major questions, especially Miami, who lost a boatload of Seniors this year.

NBA
- The Playoffs get under way this weekend. Now is when a lot of people actually start paying attention to the Assocation. If you're like Jeff, you could use a quick preview to get caught up to speed. Clinton will try to do just that, time (and patience) permitting.

As always, we want to hear from you. And we are continuing to give out golf coupon books (a $39.99 value) from cincigolf.com for free to all our callers. So join in on all the fun by calling 868-9664 or emailing us at unabatedsports@gmail.com.

UC Signs Third Recruit

2006-04-17T15:02:00.000-04:00

The University of Cincinnati has announced the signing of its third player for this years class of basketball players. Jamual Warren is a JuCo who has garnered several awards in his two years of playing collegiate basketball so far. Here is the official release:

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Jamual Warren, who earned junior college All-American honors at Globe Institute of Technology this past season, has signed a national letter-of-intent to continue his basketball and academic careers at the University of Cincinnati.
A 6-2 scoring guard from Springfield, Mass., Warren averaged 22.2 points and 5.9 assists in 2005-06 while leading Globe to a No. 14 ranking in the final junior college polls. Warren was named to the NJCAA All-Region XV first team and was a second team NJCAA Division I All-American. He was also selected to the Region XV all-tournament team after helping Globe reach the championship game.
Warren played at Colby Community College in Kansas in 2004-05 where he earned Jayhawk Conference\nFreshman of the Year honors. "Jamual is a veteran performer and a solid young man who can give us toughness at the guard position," stated UC head coach Mick Cronin. "He is a scorer. He can make shots from the perimeter and he takes the ball to the basket with great strength. Obviously, we have a need for immediate help at the guard positions with our departures, and Jamual is very capable of providing\nthat."
Warren is the third member of Cincinnati's signing class. The Bearcats previously securred the commitments of Marvin Gentry, a 6-3 guard who was the conference's player of the year at McLennan Community College, and John Williamson, a 6-6 forward who was a first team All-American selection at Cincinnati State.

Jamual Warren
6-2 • 195 • Guard
2006-07 Eligibility: Junior
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.

Playing Experience

2005-06 Globe Institute of Technology
• 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds,
5.9 assists, 3.7 steals
• NJCAA Div. I Second Team All-American
• First Team All-NJCAA Reg. XV

2004-05 Colby Community College (Kan.)
• Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year

Reds: Pretenders or Contenders

2006-04-15T11:34:00.000-04:00

That is the question Jason Stark of ESPN.com is looking at today. His verdict:

The verdict: Not for real

This is one funky team. What the Reds do well, they do really well. They lead the league in homers and steals, for example. But there's no need to hire a private investigator to find their warts, either. Their pitching staff had a 5.45 ERA after eight games. And they were last in the league in defense, with 12 errors (three times as many as St. Louis). So unless Bronson Arroyo joins the 20-win, 40-homer club, this probably isn't the year.

"You've got to like their offense," said one NL executive. "You can't like their pitching staff. But they're no fun to play. You've gotta outscore them."

Sports By Brooks Girls Do Cincy

2006-04-13T13:05:00.000-04:00

The Sports by Brooks girls were in town to check out a Reds game recently. You can check out their pics from the game and several local hot spots.

Here's a couple from out front of Great American.

Thursday's Show

2006-04-12T16:48:00.000-04:00

The Reds are red hot right now. But we have seen this hot start melt into nothingness before. But don't worry about that now. The weather is beautiful and the spring is full of hope for the Reds. And the NFL draft is only 16 days away. Have you already made your plans to watch it? Are you having a draft party?

And speaking of some beautiful weather, have you been getting outside to enjoy it? We have. And all of our callers will get an opportunity to get outside and enjoy some of the area's finer golf courses, because again this week, we are giving away the cincigolf.com golf coupon book to all callers for free. A $39.99 value (and worth every penny). So make sure to call us at 868-9664.

Guests:

Redleg Nation, The best Reds Blog that you will ever see @4:25

Dave Berk from Bearcatinsider.com @ 5:25

Topics:

The Reds
- Does this fast start make you believe that this is a .500 ball club? We've seen this before in the recent past.
- Any pleasant surprises so far this year? Unpleasant?
- They are knocking the ball out of the park, but the bullpen has been terrible. Can you win without a solid bullpen?
- Bronson Arroyo... Early returns on the trade have been quite favorable. Will he win the Silver Slugger?
- Jeff was at the Dayton Dragons game last night. He'll fill you in on the club and what the Reds have up there.

Mocking the Mocks
- We're going to look at some of the Mock Drafts that have been put out there. There are 3 from CBS.sportsline on our site that you should check out (they mostly suck). Mel Kiper's mock is in, and friend of the show Scott Wright has his at NFLDraftcountdown.com.
- We'll critique them and see if anything stands out... go over who they have the Bengals picking (Mike Dodd is on crack if he thinks Vernon Davis is going to fall to the Bengals)... Give our possible picks for the Bengals... and anything else on the draft that you want to get into.

Bengals
- Go over the Free agent QBs who are left.

3 Hottest women in sports
- We'll both give our 3 hottest women in sports and our reasoning for them.
- We'd love to hear who you would put on that list.

Gauntlet Question: Now is the time of year for road trips (I just made one myself). So we want to talk about the best snack for a road trip. We'll tell you some of our favorites, and we would love to hear some of yours. Plus, we'll even toss in some good road trip stories.

We want to hear from you. So give us a call during the show at 868-9664 or shoot us and email to unabatedsports@gmail.com.

Downey Decides to Leave

2006-04-12T00:15:00.000-04:00

In a popular Clash song, they sang "Should I stay or should I go now?" Devan Downey was asking himself that same thing over the past couple of weeks. And his answer was... I should go now.

So you get it straight from the horse's mouth, here is the UC Press release in full:

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Devan Downey has decided to leave the University of Cincinnati basketball program to be closer to his family. The 5-10 freshman from Chester, S.C. will transfer at the conclusion of the spring quarter at UC.
“This has been a difficult decision because of the great support I have received from the UC fans who have made me feel like family,” stated Downey. “I thank them for their support. Family is important to me and I would like to take this opportunity to play closer to home, where my family can see me play.”
“I had the opportunity to come home, so I know the value of family,” stated Mick Cronin, a Cincinnati native who became UC’s head coach on Mar. 23. “We respect Devan’s decision and wish him the best both in basketball and in his academics.
Downey, a former state high school player of the year in South Carolina, started 31 of UC’s 34 games this past season. He was the team’s third-leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points, and leader in assists with a 4.3 average and steals (1.9).

It is a tough blow to an already thin lineup. The new questions are:
1.) Where will Downey go?
2.) What about Herrera and McGowan?

Answers:
1.) Since he said that he wants to go closer to home, 2 schools really jump out. Charlotte and South Carolina are both within an hours drive of home for him. South Carolina has a stud point guard (Tre' Kelley) who is a JR and will be gone when Downey becomes eligible to play. And there are no point guards listed on their 2006 recruiting list. I'm not sure what they have as underclassmen there. Charlotte has a very good JUCO player coming in who only played one year at a JUCO, so Charlotte's need for a point guard is not strong. South Carolina looks like the lead candidate.

2.) McGowan only has one year of eligibility left so I would think that he is most likely staying put, but you never know. Herrera is a bigger question. As with any situation, all you can do is wait and see how it plays out.

Bronson vs. Wily Mo HR Watch

2006-04-11T22:11:00.000-04:00

After Bronson Arroyo's first homerun of the year, we started the Bronson vs. Wily Mo Homerun Watch. And well, Bronson was at it again as he hit a lead-off homerun in the 3rd inning at Wrigley Field. As Bronson said, "I got lucky again. Just keep hacking. ” I don't how long Bronson can "keep hacking", but for now, he's got a 2 dinger lead.

Official Bronson Arroyo vs. Wily Mo Pena HR Watch:

Bronson Arroyo 2
Wily Mo Pena 0

Hot and Funny

2006-04-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

SI On Campus on SI.com runs a segment called Hot or Not. Sometimes the article itself can be hot or not, but this one is definately hot. It cracked me up. It included snippets about nerds pulling college pranks (seriously, we need more good natured pranks), the college rock, paper, scissors champion, President Bush making fun of Dick Cheney and possibly the line of the week:

"In a sad day for Beaver enthusiasts, OSU pulled the plug on its cheerleading program"

The OSU it refers to is Oregon State, obviously. But either way, it makes me laugh.

Huggins, Kennedy and Sampson

2006-04-11T11:48:00.000-04:00

What does the future hold for these 3 new coaches? How quickly will success come and what have they been up to since they took their new positions? Andy Katz of ESPN takes a look at it in this article.

Just a taste of the article:

"Huggins has spent five days in the Little Apple since taking the job. He has been out recruiting, with two scholarships open for this spring and six in 2007."

And optimism is riding high in Manhattan, Kansas. Read for yourself.

More Mock-Ups

2006-04-11T11:23:00.000-04:00

Friend of the radio program, Scott Wright, has updated his FREE 3-round NFL mock draft. A lot has changed since last week's mock draft. Obviously, the Sam Adams signing gives Cincinnati some flexibility with their first round selection. Let's see how Scott thinks this will go.

Rouund 1, 24th pick overall: Kamerion Wimbley, DE, Florida State
I'll be completely honest, I'm not really familiar with this guy. It sounds like he's a speed rusher, but not exactly a run-stopper. Looks like I've got some more to learn about this guy. Although, most of the teams that have been associated with this prospect are running the 3-4 defense.

Round 2, 55th pick overall: Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Scott still thinks Marvin goes for a tight end here, but this time Marcedes Lewis is off the board by this point. I'm surprised to see Pope still available at this point consindering he's almost 6 foot 8 and has decent hands.

Round 3, 91st pick overall: Spencer Havner, OLB, UCLA
A big guy with some decent speed, but some injury questions.

Other local notables include Miami's Terna Nande to the Bears with the 88th overall pick. And it looks like Martin Nance might not be a first day pick, according to Scott Wright. Head over to NFL Draft Countdown to see speculation on what the Bengals might do as well as where college football's biggest stars will be playing on Sundays. And keep going back. Scott will continue to update as April 29 gets closer. We'll also try to get him back on the show before Reggie Bush goes off the board.

Casey vs. Hatteberg

2006-04-11T11:22:00.001-04:00

On the show last week, we debated who was going to have a better series, Sean Casey (making his return to GABP) or Scott Hatteberg, his replacement. Well, here are the results:

Casey - 3-13 (2B, HR), 4R, 2RBI, BB, HBP.... .231 AVG, .538 SLG, .333 OBP

Hatteberg - 1-6, 2R, 3BB.... .167 AVG, .167 SLG, .444 OBP

And the winner is.... Sean Casey. All though, to be fair, he definately had more chances to do something. But none the less, it was good to see Sean back last week.

Mock Me if You Will

2006-04-10T15:10:00.001-04:00

Just an update on some mock drafts and what they expect the Bengals to do. This off of CBS.Sportsline.com:

Dennis Dodd - Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
Clark Judge - Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA
Pete Prisco - Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP

Notes: Do you have any idea how thrilled I would be if Vernon Davis were to slip to the Bengals at 24, but it's not going to happen. Marcedes Lewis may be a bit of a stretch at 24. And I don't know if the Bengals would take a LB here, but Howard is a freak of nature.

Reds Parking

2006-04-07T11:40:00.000-04:00

A lot of people complain about having to pay a lot to park when they go to a Reds game. I completely agree with those sentiments. So to help you out, because that is what we try to do here at Unabated Sports, we will give you a list of places to park for cheap.

Ultimately, it comes down to how far are you willing to walk. If you're dragging kids along or plan to have a few beers, then probably not that far. But for most people, here are some options not too far away.

Public Landing - It's Free and right next to the park, but it usually fills up very early so get down there for batting practice.

Metered spots - They are also free in the evenings. They are available both in Cincinnat and across the river in Newport. In fact, there are plenty just across the bridge in Newport. Especially around the Liberty Bell or right in front of the courthouse.

$1 Parking from the City of Cincinnati Check out the map to find the best and cheapest places to park. I personally usually park in the Westin Parking garage. It's a dollar after 5 on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays as well. And its only a few blocks from the Stadium.

Primetime, Primetime

2006-04-06T15:07:00.001-04:00

Sure, MLB just started this week but the #1 story in the sports world today is the release of the 2006 NFL schedule. Here's a look at the first few Bengal games. The Men In Stripes will be in the national spotlight at least twice this season. A Thursday night game on November 30 against the Baltimore Ravens and a Monday Night match-up with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. With the flexible scheduling Here's the schedule in it's entirety:

PRESEASON (day, date, opponent, time)

Sunday, Aug. 13, WASHINGTON (NBC), 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 18, at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 28, GREEN BAY (ESPN), 8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 1, at Indianapolis, 7 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON (day, date, opponent, time)

Sunday, Sept. 10, at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 17, CLEVELAND, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 24, at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 1, NEW ENGLAND, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 8, (BYE)
Sunday, Oct. 15, at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 22, CAROLINA, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29, ATLANTA, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5, at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 12, SAN DIEGO, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 19, at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 30, BALTIMORE (NFL Network), 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 10, OAKLAND, 1 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 18, at Indianapolis (ESPN), 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 24, at Denver, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 31, PITTSBURGH, 1 p.m.

And here's the NFL's Monday Night Football lineup, now on ESPN.

Jamie Martin, Possible Bengals QB

2006-04-05T23:58:00.000-04:00

The 11-year pro out of Weber State could very well be the next backup QB for the Bengals. He fits the bill perfectly. He knows that he fits in the NFL as a backup and spot starter and has been quite good when called upon.

His career numbers:

Passer Rating - 81.9 Comp. % - 65.6 Yds - 3606 TDs - 19 Ints. - 20

Thursday's Show

2006-04-05T23:11:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air... and so are the baseballs at Great American Ballpark. They have been leaving the yard in a hurry. And Sean Casey makes his return to Great American Ballpark with the Pirates in town.

Speaking of being in town, Sam Adams is. And Mick Cronin is not, as he continues the whirlwind recruiting journey that he is on. Rajon Rondo will soon not be in Lexington. And President Bush has come and gone after throwing out the first pitch. But in the house for the Reds are the brand new MDX Crew, the Reds cheerleaders. We'll get to all this and more, but first, our guest list.

Guests

Mick Cronin, UC Head Basketball Coach @ 5:00

Kevin Goheen, Bengals Beat Writer for the Post @ 6:00

Topics:
Reds
- Jeff was at Opening Day. We'll get his thoughts on the day. And we want yours if you were down there.
- Speaking of Opening Day, with the President throwing out the first pitch, a debate broke out. At the end of the baseball season, will the President's approval rating be above or below the MLB leading batting average?
- The Reds are doing some new things this year to get you out to the ballpark, and to keep you longer once you are there. Including cheerleaders/dance team, among others. Also, Jeff will give you some good ideas on where to park when going to a game.

College Basketball/UC
- The Devan Downey saga has begun. We all feared it, his possible departure. But before you start wallowing in self-pity, do realize that he hasn't left yet. He is exploring his options. We'll take a look at some of his options.
- Two JuCo players who can step in and give quality playing time so far for Mick Cronin on the recruiting trail. Anyone impressed? What more do you want?
- UK is losing Rondo to the NBA. How will this effect the Cats? Who is else is going pro? Who should go pro?
- Winners and losers from the NCAA Tourney.
- Our Final Four for next season.

Bengals
- The Benagls pulled in one of the biggest (and I'm not just talking girth) Free agents of the franchises history. I think that statement explains a lot about the 1990s. How much of an impact will this have on the Bengals? What does this say about a franchise that previously couldn't get a big name Free Agent before?
- Speaking of Free Agents... another QB anyone? Who is it going to be?
- Sticking with Free Agency, the Bengals haven't made a lot of moves but the ones they have will change things up a bit.
- What about Lavar Arrington?
- And how will the Bengals actions in Free Agency affect what they do in the draft?
- The NFL will also release the full Season schedule today. We'll find out how many primetime games the Bengals will get. We'll break it down today.

And this week we welcome back in the Gauntlet Question. It is a very simple question where we give our opinion and then ask for yours. So here it is: In honor of the start of baseball season, whose Reds Jersey, former or current, would you most like to wear to a Reds game?

Of course we want to hear from you. Give us a call during the show to 513-868-9664 or email us anytime at unabatedsports@gmail.com.

And all callers will get Free stuff this week. Unabated Sports and 1450 the Ticket have teamed up with CinciGolf.com to give away free coupon books with deals to courses all over the city. The books are a $39.99 value. So give us a call today.

New UC Basketball Assistant Coaches

2006-04-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

Not only does Mick Cronin have to fill the roster with players for next year, but he also needs to have the guys in place to help coach them. While Cronin searches from coast-to-coast for next years players, he has added 3 coaches to the mix.

Larry Davis, Associate Head Coach
Davis comes to UC after 9 years at the helm of Furman where his teams posted a 124-139 record. Davis was also an assistant at Minnesota, Ball State, Wake Forest and Delaware. He also coached at the well known Oak Hill Academy for two years, compiling a 51-9 record.

Chris Goggin, Assistant Basketball Coach
Goggin coached at Murray State with Mick, and before that was a video coordinator and administrative assistant with the Bearcats. Video Coordinator was a job that Cronin once himself held at UC. He also had a hand in helping recruit at Murray State.

Matt Grady, Director of Basketball Operations
Grady was an assistant coach at Murray State under Cronin. Before that, he was a graduate assistant with Louisville.

Cronin will hire another assistant coach, a video coordinator and a graduate assistant.

Added Reds Entertainment

2006-04-05T00:43:00.000-04:00

Last week on the show, my suggestion (as has been for many years) was that the Reds should add a dance team/cheerleaders. My theory is that everything in this world could be made better by adding dance teams and cheerleaders. I even think dance team competitions would be made better by giving them their own cheerleaders. But anyway, back to the Reds.

Keeping with that theory, say hello to the new MDX Reds Crew.

They will dance, throw out T-shirts and generally try and bring more energy to the ballpark. As for now, their role is a little limited, but it will grow throughout the year.

If this is the new Castellini era that we have heard so much about, I say "Well done Bob." This is a good start. The only real question to ask is, how long before we get them on the show? You better believe I am already looking at some open dates and taking down contact names.

Heard on Campus

2006-04-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

Just some quick info for your benefit.

1.) Head Ice Hockey coach Enrico Blasi has been named the National Coach of the Year.
2.) Sticking with Miami Hockey, Senior Andy Greene has signed with the Devils and will join them to make a push to the playoffs.
3.) Miami has announced its 2006 football schedule which includes 2 non-conference games agains the Big Ten and 2 against the Big East.
4.) UC Senior Jon DeLuca has been named Big East baseball player of the week after going 7-12 with 7 RBI in a 3 game sweep of South Florida. The sweep improved UC to 16-10 overall.