UC 69, Villanova 66

By defeating #16 Villanova, UC moves to 3-1 in the Big East! The hell?!

Does Villanova still start four guards? I seem to remember something about that last year, but I'm not sure if that's still the case. They might want to re-think that lineup. UC didn't score pretty, but a lot of offensive rebounds (holding 'Nova to one, I think) led to a lot of free throws and weird jump shots. In any case, I'll take it.

Remember McClain, Bishop, Mitchell, and Davis are all freshman. Vaughn is a sophomore. Next year, Yancy Gates and another blue chip I can't recall at the moment arrive. Nick Aldridge transfers in next year from Western Carolina. He's a pure scorer - let's hope he's a team player.

Speaking of Gates, did anyone catch the high school matchup between Withrow HS and Canal HS on ESPNU following the Bearcats game? In 8 minutes, I saw Gates bust a post move with a little jumper, knock down a three-pointer, and then follow his own miss with a two-handed dunk. The future is bright.

Next game is @ Notre Dame, Tues. Jan 15, 7:00 pm.

UC 74, Syracuse 66

Their offense played just well enough and got hot at the right time to sink the Orangemen of Syracuse. But what really won the game was their defense, holding Syracuse well below their season average. And I like what I'm seeing from the 7 ft. freshman McClain.

The UC mens basketball team is now 7-8 overall, but 2-1 in Big East conference play! They've really been playing well lately. With the exception of the St. John's game, their last few losses to Memphis (at home), NC State (on the road), and Xavier (on the road) were competitive. Could we be turning the ship around?

Go Bearcats!

Twist on 4th St.

Hit up Jean-Robert's Twist Lounge the other day. My overall impression is positive. There were lots of comfortable areas to sit and converse. Drinks were good and priced what you may expect. My only piece of advice: don't go there if you're hungry.

Biggest Main St. News Yet

I was encouraged when I first started reading this article about OTR's "new plan" for Main St. This quote from the third paragraph is in line with what I have said previously.

"...The vision now is for Main Street to become a real neighborhood with people living, working, shopping and sleeping there."

But reading on, instead of retail and neighborhood restaurants, I saw only plans for more bars and clubs. So I'm not sure what exactly the "new plan" is.

I guess there is some mention of involvement in the arts scene, and re-opening of Harry's Pizza.

But anyway, the real news in the story - it made me sit up straight - is tucked away in the sidebar:

"The owners of Martino’s on Vine in Corryville will open a second location in the former Cooper’s on Main, at 1345 Main St. "

Martino's! Footlong hoagies! The Italian Stallion! The Underboss! This may be the best thing to ever happen in OTR. If you've never been to Martino's yet, you should go and get a preview before the Main St. location opens. The pastas and pizzas are good, but stick to the sandwiches.

First Homicide Of 2008

You may have heard about the first homicide of 2008, at Ocho Rios in OTR. Dude was shot inside the club on the dance floor. Think about all the times you've been on a crowded dance floor. Incredible. What's more incredible? That in a crowded dance club filled with a thousand people, there were no witnesses.

Teachers Have It Easy

Every educator and politician in America should read this book.


From the back cover:

Teachers Have It Easy is a landmark work examining how bad policy makes the teaching profession unsustainable. Interweaving teachers' voices from across the country with hard-hitting facts and figures, the book presents a clear-eyed view of the harsh realities of public school teaching.

With a look at the problems of recruitment and retention, the myths of short workdays and endless summer vacations, the realities of the work week, and shocking examples of how society views America's teachers, Teachers Have It Easy explores some of the best ways to improve public education. Case studies demonstrate how current salary reforms are transforming schools, the lives of our teachers, and the educational experiences of our children.

Who. Dey.

I think most people underestimate the role of injuries in the Bengals season that recently came to a close. Enough has been said already of the small army of linebackers the Bengals went through. But the linebacker corps is just the start of it. If you believe what they say, 2nd-year DB J-Joseph came on strong at the end of the year, as if the stress fracture in his foot was a real problem earlier in the year.

And that's just defense. On offense, it seemed like there wasn't a week when you could guess who was starting at left or right tackle. The constant instability of the O-line was a problem. When the O-line is not productive, the running game will suffer. Not to mention that their top three backs (Kenny Irons, Rudi Johnson, and Chris Perry) have either never played a full season or had lingering injuries. When there's no running game, defenses can sit on the pass. No wonder that T.J. set a record for receptions and Carson Palmer set a record for completions this year - there was no running game! With more attempts and defenses sitting on the pass, Carson threw for a career high in INT's.

Does this mean that the Bengals stand pat? Hardly. Get rid of the players that can't stay on the field. Get rid of players who have put in their time but maybe have now lost a step. Get rid of coaches who have never shown any ability to adjust (how come we can never cover tight ends? Or pass to our own tight ends?)

And above all - if there is only one change to make this offseason - hire a GM!!! Look at Holmgren in Seattle. He went 31-33 in four years without a GM. Then they hired a GM, and Seattle went to the Super Bowl (losing to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL).