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Bengals WR/seer
Chad Johnson:
Any more "guarantees" for us? How about an AL MVP pick? Paris Hilton's future in film? Maybe handicap the Democratic presidential race?
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
BUNGLE. THIS!
You can keep Parcells, Belichick, Fox and
Vermeil. NFL Coach of the Year was sewn
up Sunday when Marvin Lewis' Bengals knocked off the
previously unbeaten Chiefs.
Consider the symbolism: Cincinnati, the NFL's
punchline for more than a decade, beat KC, the team
with this season's biggest bandwagon (new slogan:
Sixteen and ... D'oh!).
Then there's the rub-your-eyes reality: The
Bengals are tied for first in the AFC North.
That's not a misprint.
Going worst-to-first in Cincy in only one
season (even over just 11 weeks) may be the coaching
job of the decade.
NFL Week 11 Hot/Not
Nothing hotter: Bucs-bashing. How many
of you out there had them to repeat? (Be
honest! ...Who, me?) Does title of "ex-champ" get
officially bestowed today?
No one wants to play 'em:
Hot: Eagles
Not: Vikings
Backup QB:
Hot: Rick Mirer
Not: Doug Flutie
Coach off hot seat:
Hot: Dave Wannstedt
Not: Jim Fassel (still)
Mystifying:
Hot: Raiders over Vikings?
Not: Colts over Jets
Cowboys wisdom:
Hot: House o' cards
Not: Not enough credit
Who's No. 2?
A controversy-free Sugar Bowl between
Oklahoma and USC Sugar Bowl is no lock:
Last week's BCS No. 3 Ohio
St is expected to flip-flop with USC into the No. 2
spot (USC blanked Arizona 45-0,. but OSU beat a real team,
No. 10 Purdue).
Then next Saturday: The toughest games of the
season
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IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THE FULL QUICKIE |
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| TODAY'S THREE HOTTEST STORIES |
1 So much for 16-0: Chiefs lose to -- gasp -- the Bengals!
2 New BCS standings come out: Whither USC/OhioSt/LSU/TCU?
3 AL MVP announced today: Wide-open race; A-Rod the fave |
| THREE STORIES YOU SHOULD JUST LET GO |
1 Tampa Bay Bucs' playoff hopes: Loss to Packers ends 'em
2 "Winston," NASCAR title sponsor: Deal ends; Nextel next
3 Bud Selig gave $$$ to the Brewers: Yeah, THAT helped ...
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for the Buckeyes (at Michigan) and BCS No. 4
LSU (at Ole Miss).
If OSU or LSU (or both!) defy the skeptics and
win those huge games, that No. 2 BCS slot becomes the
No. 1 sports snafu of the year.
BCS Reform: What Next?
If the goal of hush-hush weekend meetings
about BCS reform was to create more "inclusion"
(read: money) for current BCS have-nots (and not just
hire more iffy consultants to revise the process),
here's a quick(ie) solution:
*Create a fifth BCS game.
*Brand it the "Cinderella Bowl."
*Schedule as a doubleheader with the
national-title bowl game.
*Guarantee one slot always be given to a
mid-major conference team.
MLB 'Roids Fallout
What could MLB have done to avoid a
weekend of humiliation over their laughable reaction
to the steroids-testing report?
*Recognize/admit that 5 percent of players
testing positive is, oh, a ton.
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*Get out front, pressuring the union to consent
to penalties with more teeth.
*Threaten to out 'em all with an anonymous
media leak. (Ah, there it is ...)
Scared straight? Fear of fines and suspensions
won't deter a player pumping 'roids for the sake of
his entire professional life; fear of public
condemnation sure will.
MLB Awards
Today: AL MVP, and it doesn't get any
more contentious. Should be A-Rod's by
performance -- and because you have to invent
arguments for all the other top contenders.
Tuesday: NL MVP. Voters picked Barry Bonds if
they had any sense, and Albert Pujols if they just
wanted to pick a fight.
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Four Raiders:
Reportedly tested positive for THG and will be suspended. This is what those in the business call "the tip of the iceberg."
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Today on ESPN.com
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| P2: Best college football rivalries |
| NFL: Week 11 Wrap-Up |
| College Basketball Preview |
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| Ranking NFL's Top 5: |  Titans (8-2)
| Suddenly, KC seems mortal
|  Chiefs (9-1)
| Had to lose at some point
|  Panthers (8-2)
| Not pretty, but effective
|  Patriots (8-2)
| Blanking 'Boys not THAT hard
|  Bengals (5-5)
| | You beat KC, you make the list |
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Pipe down, TCU-backers: Schedule strength is still a
farce, and the anti-BCS rhetoric is moot until after
Thursday's game at So. Miss ...
NASCAR's LeBron: 20-y.o. Brian Vickers (Busch Series
champ), youngest Nextel Cup (nee Winston) full-time
driver ever ...
Today is the 35th anniversary of the famous/infamous
"Heidi" game. Guess it depends on how you feel about
Heidi ...
MNF: T.O. alone is enough to tune in for the
49ers-Steelers game, but how about that brewing SF QB
controversy? ...
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