Bruce A Bad Boy?

Nah, Jay Bruce is fine by me. After breaking an 0-17 slump last night with a double, Jay flipped what appeared to be a double-bird to someone in the Reds dugout. Bruce apologized today for doing it, and he should apologize. The baseball field is a stage for all to see, but that being said, Bruce is a good guy and has been great to deal with, through thick and thin, since his arrival in Cincinnati. So from this corner, it's no big deal. Breaking the slump was a big deal. the numbers don't show it, but Bruce has been hitting the ball well for the past week. I lost track of the number of line drives he ripped right at someone.

The Terry Bradshaw-Ben Roethlisberger flap is juicy. Reading between the lines, Bradshaw is calling Big Ben everything but a quarterback. Here's a story about Bradshaw's issues with Roethlisberger. I've heard a lot of things from a lot of people who knew Ben and dealt with Ben when he was at Miami University. The sentiment is the same: Big Ben's changed from his collegiate days, and not for the better.

The Xavier basketball banquet is tonight, and I would imagine Jordan Crawford will be there. He's taking the smart route, checking his NBA possibilities before signing with an agent and saying so long to XU for good. If he comes back, you have to like Xavier's chances to be have another great season. If the Musketeers find another big man, they could be thinking Elite Eight and Final Four. Seriously, it could have happened this year.

I still can't figure out why Lance Stephenson took the leap. I mean, besides a chance at immediate money. He really needs to stick around another year, play the way he did down the stretch this season, get his shot together, and make himself a legitimate first round pick. Could he hurt his stock by staying? Maybe a little, but I think he could improve his stock a ton, and therefore hit the jackpot a lot sooner than he will by rolling the dice now. He does have serious potential, but Born Ready is Not Ready.

And that brings us to the state of U.C.'s basketball team coming into next season. Sean Kilpatrick better be a great shooter, Yancy Gates better bring it every night, Cashmere Wright and Ibrahima Thomas better keep improving, Rashad Bishop better toe the line, plus a rabbit or two out of Mick's hat in April might all be essential to give the Bearcats a chance to turn the corner next season. I have my strong reservations about that.