CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

As the Bengals report to camp, we're going to hear the whining. Not that Bengals haven't done enough to lose the benefit of the doubt -- but I'm always amazed at people who bemoan "only the Bengals." We're going to hear that from the usual places for the next couple of days as Andre Smith remains unsigned. Funny thing, it's not "just the Bengals." Only six first-rounders are signed, so it's just the Bengals... and the Rams, Chiefs, Seahawks, Raiders, Jaguars, Packers, 49ers, Bills, Broncos, Redskins, Saints, Texans, Chargers, Bucs, Eagles, Lions, Vikings, Falcons, Dolphins, Colts, Giants, Titans and Cardinals. UPDATE: You can scratch the Raiders and possibly the Rams from that list. There are reports Darrius Heyward-Bey has signed and Jason Smith is close. So many times, I think there's an echo chamber of complaints. When you have the same message over and over, people start to tune you out. There are plenty of valid criticisms of the Bengals, but just make sure they're accurate. * The Bengals have their practice jersey sponsor: SpongeTech. I guess Mike Brown is sponge-worthy. * Good news for Bengals fans, John Thornton's All-Pro Blogger will return soon * I honestly am not that upset I'm not sitting around waiting for people to roll up in their cars today. But I'm sure you'll be able to catch TV coverage of it. * According to the Toronto Sun, the Reds made their pitch for Scott Rolen last night. * I really, really wish I could take credit for this, but I can't. A one-time reader, SD Dennis, did this over at Red Letter Daze message board. Just amazing:

Cabbage and Beets, and Reds Without Meds Way out by a river in O-hi-o state A business man’s taken too much on his plate He says without relish, he says without glee, “Oh why buy a team here in Cincinnati!” “I could have bought Oakland or Texas, you know, “I could have been he who owns San Diego. “The Padres aren’t much of a team, it is said, But they seem to outplay every last Cincy Red.” With that last word he moaned and he looked at his feets Then he looked at his warehouse of cabbage and beets And he wished that he hadn’t said, “We just won’t lose” After dining with Walt over cockles and booze. The business man’s mind seemed to always be trusty But what happened back when he hired tired, old Dusty? He seemed to be competent back with the Cubs, Was that just a deal made with Beelzebub? He seemed, with the Giants, to manage quite well But was that from a pact with the forces of Hell? He can’t write a lineup, he can’t seem to manage He can’t get the “theory” of on-base percentage! The business man said, “This is some tee-vee prank “Ashton Kutcher has punk’d me and so has my bank! “No. It can’t be,” said the old business codger “It’s just what you get when you hire a Dodger.” Way out in an office above the Queen City A man in a suit gazes down in self-pity “I once was a man who was well worth his salt! “I made Redbirds fans stand and cheer the name ‘Walt!’” “But these days I can’t seem to fix up these Reds “I think it began when I went off my meds.” The man in the suit says, “This just is too much I’ll give anything for a player who’s Dutch!” He calls for his minions to scout far and wide He calls Bill Bavasi to be at his side “It’s time for some action, Bill, what’s in the cards?” Bill says, “Trade Joe Votto for Eric Bedard!” Way out in a city with non-sporty mayors A uniformed geezer address his players “Embarrassed I am, ‘cause you play far from fine! “You’d better shape up, or I’m off to make wine!” The geezer goes on, “the Pads beat us again. “Aren’t you tired of losing? Don’t you want to win? “I know that you’re hurting, I see on your faces, “But why must you always keep clogging the bases?” And so it goes on through the dog days of summer The Reds fans are riding one big wave of bummer But still we watch all of the bumbling misplays And we laugh ‘til we cry here on Red Letter Daze.

Just so awesome. * Yesterday while I was doing TOL, the Reds released their Hall of Fame candidates. I was so underwhelmed that I didn't even put anything up about it. I pretty much agree with Chris at Redleg Nation about it. Where I think the Baseball Hall of Fame gets it right is there are years where nobody is voted in (well, by the BBWAA -- there's usually a veteran's committee inductee). If nobody deserves it, nobody should get in. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a minimum number of players that must get in every year. It reminds me of when I'd do all-area teams for high school sports at a previous spot, I always said about honorable mentions -- the fewer mentions, the more honorable it is. * ESPN has an interesting story on pitch counts... I'd worked on one of these at my last job, but never finished it. Anyway, it's about the 100-pitch limit and starts with an anecdote about a pitcher saying he was done after 90 pitches. The good folks at Big League Stew figured out that pitcher was Micah Owings. * As frustrating as it is to be a Reds fan, can you imagine being Zack Greinke? As Joe Posnanski points out, with his 2.08 ERA is good only for a 10-6 record. The 10-7 Jamie Moyer has a 5.32 ERA. Greinke doesn't have a win in his last five starts, despite a 2.53 ERA and each start is a quality start, giving up three runs in only one of those. * J.P. Ricciardi's deadline of July 28 to trade Roy Halladay is over, but it looks like that deadline is over. * The Yankees may have identified the missing piece to put them over the top: Corey Patterson. I hear he's dating George Steinbrenner's daughter. * The best in the business, Vin Scully, is hanging it up after 2010. * Remember when Tom Hicks  signed A-Rod to crazy money? Now there are reports the Rangers' clubhouse managers ordered only enough baseballs to get through July to save a couple of bucks. * An interesting opinion on what a beat writer's Twitter feed should be. Good points, I think. You don't want it all sunshine and puppy dogs, but I think there's a level-headedness that a beat writer should show. * My friend Jacob is among those still looking at the Black Sox scandal of 1919 -- really cool stuff. * This is a really, really cool story -- and I feel bad that I'd never known this before -- about Emmett Ashford, the first African-American umpire in MLB. This is my favorite part:

During games, he was accurate and courteous. Once, when a 3-and-0 count turned into a walk, Ashford told the batter, "That, sir, is a ball, and you may now proceed in the general direction of first base."

* Are colleges offering too many scholarships? An interesting question raised by the AJC's Chip Towers. * Speaking of the AJC, their former college football writer, Tony Barnhart, is going to have a weekly show on CBS College Sports Network. Congrats to Tony, one of the classiest guys in the business. * Smart move here by UK Athletics by putting out its official Twitter accounts of coaches * Even more trouble with the NCAA for USC * I can't say I'm not guilty of texting while driving, but I'm also not against a law that makes it illegal. * One of my favorite local blogs, The Cincinnati Man, asks if bloggers really are shaping the future of journalism. * Listen to WVXU on Saturday to hear some old recordings from the Ludlow Garage, including The Allman Brothers and Santana * The Bob Marley greatest hits collection, Legend, has surpassed 10 million in sales, proving every year there are more and more freshmen in college. * Collin Meloy talks about the Decemberists' musical * According to a study, 69 percent of adults don't know enough about Twitter to have an opinion -- what's unsaid is the other 15 percent who don't know enough to have an opinion, but do anyway * A tweet by one person meant a $50,000 lawsuit. I do have an interest when "citizen journalists" will have to play by the same rules as regular journalists -- and that includes libel laws * My alma mater is No. 4 in the list of party schools. Not too shabby. Third in the SEC, though. The Conference That Can't Count also has four in the top 20 (same as the SEC), and No. 1 -- but that's before the national championship game, so don't read too much into that ranking. * I wouldn't pay that much, but I gotta admit, I like the G.I. Joe Nikes (actually, they're Cobra, but you know...) * Wait, you're telling me a publisher had some issues with Dustin "Screech" Diamond's tell-all Saved By the Bell book? No....