Reds being investigated...

The Cincinnati Reds have won their first division title in 15 years. The postgame celebration was nothing out of the ordinary; lots of yelling and jumping around, some champagne spraying, and some cigar smoking. But the aftermath of that celebration is anything but ordinary.

Reds' owner Bob Castellini joined the team in the clubhouse after the game to celebrate. Castellini was seen on TV passing out victory cigars, and lighting one up himself. That's when at least five people who were watching the celebration on TV reported the organization for violating Ohio's indoor-smoking ban. And yes, I'm serious. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the five people called the state's smoking ban complaint hotline. Now, the Cincinnati Health Department will investigate. A health inspector will make a surprise visit to Great American Ball Park within the next 30 days.

Jane Prendergast, from the Enquirer writes,

"If the inspector sees someone smoking, the Reds will be sent a letter notifying them of the violation, which the team can appeal. No fine is attached to any initial violation. If another complaint is filed and an inspector responds again to the ballpark and sees someone smoking, the Reds could be fined $100. The fine escalates to $500 after that."

I'm a non-smoker. I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. I think indoor-smoking bans are a great idea. BUT, I just want to say, this is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. The people that made the anonymous complaints weren't even there. So why was it necessary to make that phone call? The people that made those phone calls must lead miserable lives. Or it was just a couple of idiots with nothing better to do. With that being said, it was probably Yadier Molina and Chris Carpenter.

link to the article in the Cincinnati Enquirer... http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100930/SPT04/10010340/1055/NEWS/Reds-cigars-bring-complaints

Trouble in East Lansing

According to The Michigan Messenger two Michigan State University basketball players are in trouble, accused of sexual assault. The incident occurred in August, and the two players involved are described as "high-profile."

The MSU police department recommended the men be charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct 1, but Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III has declined to prosecute the case.

For more information about the case, you can read the entire article by Todd A. Heyward of The Michigan Messenger here http://michiganmessenger.com/42253/msu-sexual-assault

In the article, Heyward writes,

"Michigan Messenger is not naming the players because they have not been arrested or charged with a crime. The names have been confirmed by law enforcement and other sources, as well as Dunnings, who released the police report after Messenger filed a Freedom of Information Act request citing the names of the accused. Messenger does not report the names of sexual assault victims without their consent."

While I definitely agree the victim's name should be withheld, the names of the two players being accused in this case need to be released. We're talking about a group of 12-14 young men. Two of the players have been accused of committing a crime. The other members of the team are NOT INVOLVED. It's ridiculous to withhold the names of the two men who are involved. Speculation around East Lansing, and around the MSU campus (and around the country once the national media picks up the story - some already have) will run wild. While I don't think any member of the media would speculate publicly, many people will begin to formulate their opinions, thus resulting in rumors. If you were a Michigan State basketball player, how would you feel? Two of your teammates have been accused of a sick, disgusting crime, and everyone knows about it. But until the names are released someone may think it was you, because the Michigan Messenger is sitting on that information. Withholding the names of the two men accused in this incident is irresponsible, and unfair to the MSU players that are not involved.

2010 NL Central Division Champions

After 9 straight losing seasons and a 15-year playoff drought, the Reds are in. Last night the Reds clinched the NL Central Division on a walk-off homerun by rightfielder Jay Bruce. In the bottom of the 9th, with the game tied at 2, Jay Bruce homered on the first pitch he saw from the Astros' Tim Byrdak. Bruce became the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homerun to clinch a playoff spot.


The Reds last made the playoffs in 1995. It's been 20 years since they've won the World Series. But it feels like an eternity. I was only six-years-old when the Reds swept the defending champion Oakland A's to win the 1990 World Series. Some of my all-time favorite players were a part of that Reds team; Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Eric Davis, Paul O'Neil, and the "Nasty Boys." The Reds were playing a "pre-steroids" Mark McGwire and the heavily favored Oakland A's.


The Reds pounded the A's in Game 1, behind an Eric Davis homerun and the start of Billy Hatcher's streak of seven consecutive hits. Game 2 went into extra innings with the Reds winning in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off single by Joe Oliver. In Game 3, Chris Sabo hit two homeruns and the Reds won decisively. Jose Rijo retired 20 consecutive batters in Game 4, leading the Reds to their first World Series championship in 14 years. Rijo was named World Series MVP.

The Reds are making their second playoff appearance since that 1990 World Series Championship and the first since 1995. They came close in 1999, losing a playoff for a wild-card berth against the New York Mets. The Reds finished with a winning-record in 2000, but still didn't make the playoffs. In the last fifteen years the Reds have been through three owners, five general managers, and seven managers. Ray Knight, Jack McKeon, Bob Boone, Dave Miley, Jerry Narron, and Pete Mackanin all tried to lead the Reds back to the playoffs after Davey Johnson did it in 1995. And after the Reds hired Dusty Baker it didn't get any better. Baker's first two seasons in Cincinnati were awful, finishing 5th (74-88) in 2008 and 4th (78-84) in 2009. But Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty had faith in Dusty. As it turns out, it was a great decision.

Baker deserves alot of credit for leading this young team to the playoffs. No one expected the Reds to be here. And they've done it by being good on offense and defenese, at every position. Cincinnati is a solid defensive team; 1B Joey Votto, 2B Brandon Phillips, 3B Scott Rolen, SS Orlando Cabrera, LF Jonny Gomes, CF Drew Stubbs, and RF Jay Bruce all rank in the top-6 in fielding percentage in the National League. And the Reds are even better swinging the bat. Currently, the Reds lead the National League in runs scored (768), batting average (.271), hits (1461), home runs (181), slugging percentage (.435), and they're tied for first in on-base percentage (.338). Arthur Rhodes, Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto were NL All-Stars. Votto should win the National League MVP. And newcomer Aroldis Chapman (RP) is the most exciting player in baseball.


The Reds go into the postseason with some question marks. In my opinion the biggest question concerns the bullpen, and more specifically, Reds' closer Francisco Cordero. Can Cordero get it together? Cordero has a 6.75 ERA in his last 9.1 innings. He has given up 15 hits and 7 earned runs. I'm not worried about the offense. I'm not even worried about the sometimes inconsistent pitching staff. But the lack of a dominant closer can doom a team in the postseason. Hopefully CoCo will come through in October.

Even with some concerns, I'm going into the postseason optimistic. I'm happy and content with a division title and playoff appearance. How could you not be after being a Reds fan for the past 20 years? But I want the Redlegs to make a run. My 1990 World Series Championship t-shirt is getting really thin and worn out. I want a new one.

NFL Week 3

- Anquan Boldin catches alot of balls. Boldin caught 8 passes for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns on Sunday. He has 606 receptions in 98 games, reaching 600 catches in the fewest amount of games in NFL history. Oh, and the Ravens beat the Browns.

- The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0...half way to their win total from the last two seasons combined. The Chiefs were 4-12 last year and 2-14 in 2008. The Chiefs beat the 49ers, 31-10.

- Garrett Hartley is one lonely dude tonight. It's his fault the Saints are 2-1 instead of 3-0. New Orleans lost to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime after Hartley missed a 29-yard chip shot. After the missed field goal by Hartley, the Falcons' Matt Bryant kicked a 46-yard game-winner. And now, an excerpt from Adam Sandler's song, "The Lonesome Kicker."

"Once again, I'm ignored by my teammates and all my coaches
"Go back where you came from!" Scream 70,000 fans
Well, I know I could win their love back
By catching a winning touch-down
But, unfortunately, I was born with these very small hands

And I hope that the cameras don't come in too close
'Cause they might see the tears in my eyes
As I sit on this bench made of cold-hearted wood
And the splinters go deep in my thighs
And the towel boy snickers as he walks by
The Lonesome Kicker"

- The New York Giants beat the New York Giants, with Tennessee picking up the win.

- The freakin' Pittsburgh Steelers continue to win without Big Ben. I was really looking forward to them being in a hole when Worthlessberger came back. Instead, they sit atop the AFC North at 3-0. Charlie Batch played his best game as a Steeler, and Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay 38-13.


- Cedric Benson is the Bengals offense. He scored both of Cincy's touchdowns. Carson Palmer struggled again. But the defense (and Ced) stepped up for Cincinnati, as the Bengals beat the Panthers and rookie QB Jimmy Clausen, 20-7.

- Wade Phillips can breathe a little easier. The Dallas Cowboys actually showed up today, including Roy Williams and Marion Barber, giving Wade a little more time in "Big D." The Cowboys proved they can be legit contenders in the NFC. The Cowboys beat the Houston Texans, 27-13.



- Sam Bradford earned his first win as a starter in the NFL. The Rams beat Donovan McNabb and the Redskins 30-16, behind a solid performance by the rookie, Bradford. He wasn't great, but he was good enough. The running back duo of Steven Jackson and Kenneth Darby may have had a little to do with the win, combining for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Redskins weren't good when they really needed to be, going 1-10 on third down and 0-3 in the red zone.

- Peyton Manning is really good. Manning was missing two of his favorite targets, but Austin Collie stepped up for his quarterback. Collie caught 12 passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. Broncos' QB Kyle Orton threw for a whopping 476 yards, but that wasn't enough to overcome 2 turnovers and 60 yards of penalties. The Colts won, 27-13, to move to 2-1 on the season.


- Tom Brady is also really good. Brady completed 78% of his passes for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns. That was good enough for a 142.6 QB rating. The Patriots defense gave up 30 points to the Buffalo Bills, but Brady, Moss, and company were good for 38 points as the Patriots moved to 2-1.

- I'm sick of Brett Favre and it's only week 3. The Vikings beat the Lions 24-10, thanks to Adrian Peterson's 160 yards and 2 touchdowns.

- Michael Vick destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Eagles beat the Jags 28-3 and Vick accounted for all 4 of the Eagles' touchdowns. Vick threw for 291 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed for 30 yards and 1 TD. He looked comfortable in the pocket and he didn't run unless he needed to. Looks like Andy Reid made the right decision.

- Maybe Sebastian Janikowski and Garrett Hartley can be friends. After making 19 consecutive field goals between 30 and 39 yards, Janikowski missed a 32-yard field goal that would've won the game for Oakland. The Raiders lost to the Cardinals, 24-23. Janikowski also missed a 41-yarder and a 58-yarder.

- What did the Seahawks need to beat the Chargers? How about two Leon Washington kickoff return touchdowns. Washington returned the opening kickoff of the 2nd half 101-yards for a touchdown. Then, in the 4th quarter after the Chargers tied the game at 20, Washington returned a kickoff 99-yards for another touchdown. The Seahawks won 27-20, despite a 455-yard performance by Chargers' QB Philip Rivers.

- Seeing Braylon Edwards playing football tonight made me want to punch someone. Well, not just anyone, maybe Edwards or Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum, or Woody Johnson. Or maybe all four.

- What a rough Monday night for the Packers. Mason Crosby had a 37-yard field goal blocked. A Jay Cutler pass over the middle was picked off late in the 4th quarter, but a roughing the passer penalty negated the interception. Packers' WR James Jones fumbled the ball with a little over 2 minutes left, giving the Bears great field position. And with less than 60 seconds left another inteception was negated by another penalty, this time a defensive pass interference call on the Packers' Morgan Burnett. This set up a game-winning field goal by the Bears' Robbie Gould with only seconds remaining. Despite the absurd number of penalties (17 for 145 yards), the turnovers, and dropped passes the Packers were in the game all night. Aaron Rodgers deserved to win the game. Jay Cutler didn't. But the Packers' mistakes and Devin Hester's 62-yard punt-return touchdown bailed him out. The Bears remain undefeated and the Packers move to 2-1.

- An 18-game NFL season is a "done deal?" Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian said today,

"I think that the owners, and principally the commissioner, have decided that it's the way to go, and so the debate, such as it was, is over."

Although the NFL has yet to comment on Polian's remarks, it's looking more and more likely this is the direction the NFL is heading. I think they're making a mistake, but as of right now, no official decision has been made.


- Tim Tebow was demoted to the 3rd-string quarterback by the Denver Broncos. Broncos' coach Josh McDaniels better watch out this week...

Bledsoe Report and a few random notes

- The independent law firm that was investigating Eric Bledsoe's transcript released its report yesterday. After wasting alot of time and thousands of dollars, they found...nothing. Basically the law firm doesn't believe the reasons the teacher gave for changing the grade. The teacher and superintendent stand behind the grade change, saying that after Bledsoe made up work he earned the 'A' in Algebra III. The school board plans to take no action, making it unlikely the NCAA will take any action against UK. The NCAA and UK will still meet to discuss the report, but UK spokesperson Dewayne Peevy said as far as the University of Kentucky is concerned, the matter is closed.

and some random notes from this week...

- Free Enes.


- Michael Vick has been named the starting QB for the Eagles, prompting the Philadelphia Daily News to print a distasteful, offensive headline on the front page of Wednesday's paper. The headline reads, "Top Dog." The man has paid his debt to society, but some media members refuse to let it go.

- Carmelo Anthony to the Nets? That would be HUGE for the New Jersey Nets, who missed out on all of the top-tier free agents over the summer. He's a punk, but a punk that can turn around a struggling franchise.

- MLB commissioner Bud Selig plans to look into the possibility of expanding the playoffs. Great, let's make a season many think is too long already, even longer. If he thinks expanding the number of teams for the playoffs will help his league compete with the NFL and college football for ratings and attention in October and November, he's sadly mistaken.



- Tom Brady needs a haircut. He looks ridiculous. Maybe Troy Polamalu will ask Brady to join him in those stupid Head & Shoulders commercials.

- Blue turf is stupid. Go Beavers!

Braylon Edwards is an idiot.

New York Jets WR Braylon Edwards was arrested Tuesday morning for driving under the influence. Edwards' blood-alcohol level was 0.16, which is twice the legal limit in New York. There is no excuse for driving drunk. First and foremost, he could've killed himself or someone else. Also, he may face a suspension from the Jets and/or the NFL. He is a crucial component of the Jets' offense, and in a competitive AFC East every game is extremely important. Jets' QB Mark Sanchez needs all of the help he can get. Now he may be missing his best WR for a game or two.

I have no problem with Braylon Edwards or any other NFL player going out and having a few drinks. They are allowed to have a life outside of football. But I do have a problem with him, or anyone else, getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. In fact, there aren't many things that make me angrier and more frustrated than someone drinking and driving. There's no reason for anyone to do it. There is definitely no reason why someone making over $4 million (Edwards' 2010 salary is $4.355 million) this year can't afford a taxi or personal chauffeur. Or leave your car at the bar/club and call a friend. Or if you know you have to drive later, just don't drink. It's that easy. But Braylon Edwards, just like Donte Stallworth, Vincent Jackson, Rey Maualuga, etc., is a dumbass. He endangered his life, the lives of others, and his NFL career. He let his teammates down. He let his fans down. He let the coaches, the Jets organization, and the NFL down. He deserves to be punished, by the state of New York and the NFL.

UPDATE: Braylon Edwards will be active for Sunday's game, but will not start. Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said,

"In light of the facts as we have them, [coach] Rex [Ryan], [owner] Woody [Johnson] and I have decided he will not start. He will dress, he will play at some point. When, we don't know. This is an area we pour a lot of organizational resources into. We're very disappointed in what happened."

This is absolutely ridiculous. So the fact that he was driving drunk with a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit, with two other players in the car, isn't enough to sit this dude down for at least a game? You're so "disappointed" that you're gonna' let this fool play? He won't start, but once the Jets are down by a touchdown he'll be in the game, right? The New York Jets should be ashamed and if I were a Jets fan, I would be embarrassed that my team is letting this happen.

NFL Week 2

- The Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Chiefs are 2-0. The Cowboys and Vikings are 0-2. Anyone see that coming?


- Michael Vick is back. And yes I said the same thing last week. But I'll admit that after I said it last week I remained a little skeptical. Today Vick led the Eagles to a 35-32 victory over the Detroit Lions. His numbers were solid. He threw for 284 yards, completing 21 of 34 passes, for two touchdowns. He also rushed 7 times for 37 yards. He has proven to me that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Sadly for him I'm not a coach or general manager. Eagles' QB Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion last week against the Packers and was ruled out by this week by the teams' medical staff. But head coach Andy Reid said that next week, barring complications, Kolb will be the starter. After the game Reid said about Vick,

"We've got more plays for him than we did a year ago, so he'll be on the field,"

So Vick will be on the field, but in a limited role.

- Brett Favre is playing like a 40-year-old quarterback that missed most of training camp.

- The Pittsburgh defense saved the day. On a day when the offense was terrible, the Steelers forced 7 turnovers. The Big Ben-less Steelers are still undefeated.



- As impressed as I was with Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers' performance on the field today, I was unimpressed with his weak attempt at the "Lambeau Leap?" The dude was so exhausted after 9-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter he couldn't make it up into the stands. Fail.

- Catch of the day: Randy Moss smoked Darrelle Revis and made a sick one-handed catch for a 34-yard touchdown. Revis left the island with a tweaked hamstring and hurt feelings.

- The Bengals were unimpressive, again. But they managed to kick their way to a win against AFC North rival Baltimore. I'm not sure who deserves more credit for the Bengals win: Bengals Kicker Mike Nugent, Ravens QB Joe Flacco, or Ravens Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron?



- In case you didn't see the underwhelming AFC North matchup, let me fill you in on what happened. Ravens' RB Ray Rice rushed for 87 yards on 16 carries. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Ravens' QB Joe Flacco was 17/39 for 154 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per completion. Flacco also threw 4 interceptions. Meanwhile, Carson Palmer was awful...at least when he threw to T.O. and Ochocinco. The duo combined for 7 catches on 20 targets. Palmer threw a total of 12 passes to rookie WR Jordan Shipley, and TEs Jermaine Gresham and Reggie Kelly. Eight of those 12 passes were completed. The Bengals were 3-18 on third down and 0-4 in the red zone. Bengals Kicker Mike Nugent was 5/5, scoring all 15 of the teams' points. In other words, the Bengals should thank Flacco (for the 4 picks) and Cam Cameron (for not giving Ray Rice the ball more) for the ugly win.

- So maybe Jahvid Best is for real. I pretty much ignored him last week. I know he had two touchdowns, but he only had 20 yards on 14 carries. But his numbers this week were too good to ignore. Best rushed for 78 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. He added 9 catches for 154, with one of those catches going for a touchdown. I think 232 yards of total offense and 3 touchdowns makes him legit.

- The Patriots are undefeated in the first half of games this year. Too bad they are forced to play the second half. Last week, after dominating the Bengals in the first half, they were out played in the third and fourth quarters. Luckily, their 24-3 lead was insurmountable. This week they weren't as lucky. The Patriots took a 14-10 lead into the locker room against the New York Jets. But the second half belonged to QB Mark Sanchez and the Jets. After the game Tom Brady said the Patriots "sucked." That pretty much sums it up. But the season is two-weeks young, and I'm still picking the Patriots to win the AFC East.

- Rough day for my fantasy football teams. Unless Pierre Thomas and the New Orleans defense combine for 20+ points on Monday Night Football, I'm going 0-3 this week. Chris Johnson (34 yards, 0 touchdowns today) will make it up to me. Brett Favre (0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions)? I'm not so sure. Someone trade me a quarterback. UPDATE: Pierre Thomas and the New Orleans defense saved me from a winless week.

- The 49ers beat themselves. The silly mistakes and turnovers were too much to overcome. There was a bad snap that resulted in a safety, a couple of interceptions, and a couple of fumbles. Last night the Saints were beatable. The 49ers had more first downs, were better on 3rd down, were better in the red zone, rushed the ball better, and had more passing yards than the Saints. The Saints, however, had no turnovers, and move to 2-0 on the season.

National League Triple Crown Update

Since ESPN spends all morning talking about the American League, or more specifically, the AL East, here's an update on the National League triple crown race.

St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols, Colorado Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez, and Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto are all still among the National League leaders in all three triple crown categories.

Home Runs
1. Albert Pujols - 39
3. Joey Votto - 34
4. Carols Gonzalez - 32

Batting Average
1. Carlos Gonzalez - .341
3. Joey Votto - .325
6. Albert Pujuols - .307

RBI
1. Carols Gonzalez - 106
2. Albert Pujols - 104
2. Joey Votto - 104

If Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Evan Longoria were in a race for the AL Triple Crown, it would be the lead story on Sportscenter every day. But the NL, and more specifically the Rockies and Reds, get little attention from the ultimate sports network. I don't think we'll see a triple crown winner. Carlos Gonzalez probably has the batting title wrapped up, and Pujols will more than likely finish with the most home runs. But it's a good story, a story that gets no love from ESPN. Depending on how their respective teams finish, these three guys will be in the conversation for NL MVP. Here's to hoping ESPN and baseball fans everywhere are paying attention.