Quick Takes

It's the home stretch of high school football recruiting. I saw Dominique Brown at Winton Woods today. He said he visited U.C. and Ohio State over the weekend. He plans on visiting Louisville next week. He said the Ohio State visit was great, the U.C. visit was fine, and U.C. is still very much in the picture.

If you are a college football coach, these final days of going back and forth with youngsters trying to make decisions, it has to be nerve wracking. The more this happens, the more I like a LATER signing date for football. At least let some of the dust settle before this crush happens.

The U.C. basketball team is a tough nut to crack. I got what I thought I would get out of the Louisville game. Inconsistency. A game they could have won, but.... That's what happens with a team that is young at the guard position. Cashmere has to play the way he did in the final 10 minutes if he's going to help this team kick it into gear. But the inconsistency extends through some of the veterans. And there cannot be defensive lapses. Everyone concentrates on the offensive inconsistency, but there were two stretches in the game where the Cardinals picked up too many easy baskets.

Mick wasn't happy with just 4 free throws, and that is a tough one to buy. But the Bearcats haven't gotten to the line all season long. They shoot less free throws per game than any team in the Big East.

Oh, and let's hope the p.a. announcer at Louisville stays at Freedom Hall next year and doesn't move into the new arena. I can do without the extended threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee every time a Cardinal hits from long range. Annoying. Tired. Cliche. Small time. (I think that proves I grew up a Cincinnati guy)

My Conference Championship picks didn't fair too badly. 2 for 2 against the spread, that's enough of a track record to open my own 800 number!

I think the Super Bowl is going to be terrific. I give an early lean to the Colts, because I suspect their defense might be a little better than the Saints. But I'll have to delve into things a little deeper before I feel comfortable with a final pick. As for the Pro Bowl this weekend, who cares? Certainly a lot of players don't.