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Bearcat News
Saving Barwin From The Bank « CBS Houston
You can't make this up. First of all, this might be the worst designed bank I've ever heard of and, second of all, Connor, don't go into a bank after hours. Enjoy.
Withrow’s Doc Gamble resigns; accepts coaching position at UC | High School Sports Blog
Doc Gamble follows in the footsteps of Troy Everhart as he takes an off-the-field coaching position at UC. His position is officially listed as 'Offensive Quality Control', whatever the fuck that means, but he's probably going to have the same duties as Everhart, which were mainly centered around recruiting. He composed a very solid record at Withrow and will be joining his former player and 2011 commit DT Brandon Mitchell at UC.
College Football Countdown: No. 62 Cincinnati – College Gridiron 365 Blog – Orlando Sentinel
I'm going to look past the fact that she lists Armon Binns as both a 'key loss' and 'top returnee' and goes on to use his 'return' as a strength for UC in 2011. She also lists Jake Rogers as a key returnee. In spite of those mistakes, it's a solid analysis and something all Bearcat fans understand: O-Line needs to step up, 11 returning starters on defense could be a good thing or a bad thing, and Cincinnati's offense will put up points.
Bearcats Breakdown: JaQuon Parker | June
Scott over at BearcatsBlog took an in depth look at JaQuon Parker. He certainly was one of the most disappointing Bearcats last season after having a very solid freshman year. It was so disappointing that I remember reading tons of comments about how he might transfer due to playing time issues. I sure hope that doesn't happen because JaQuon was one of the best leaders on the bench last season and UCwill need him to guide the younger players that are coming in this summer. If he can combine that leadership with his numbers from his freshman year, UC will have a strong starting 5 next season.
Recruiting
Big 33 Game - Akise Teague/Jameel Poteat playing
One of the best high school All-Star games in the country will played on Saturday. If you don't know, it pits the best players in Ohio against the best players in Pennsylvania. Cincinnati will have representatives on both sides in Akise Teague and Jameel Poteat. As you probably suspect, this is a huge honor for both of them. You will likely see a lot of Teague returning kicks and Poteat in the backfield at his natural position of half back. The game airs at 7:00 pm EST on the NFL Network..
Around the BEast
Big East title chances: Rutgers - Big East Blog - ESPN
Despite being the longest tenured head coach in the Big East and being solely responsible for reviving college football at Rutgers, Greg Schiano is about one more bad season away from getting the boot. The biggest problem in 2010 was the offensive line and, like UC, there are still huge questions with it going into 2011. Also like UC, Rutgers has a lot of playmakers on offense but if that O-Line doesn't gel, they won't be able to get the ball. I don't think Rutgers has a chance to win the Big East next season but they'll probably make a bowl game. There's just too much talent on that team to NOT make a bowl game.
Around the Nation
Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Phillips takes to Twitter in the hope of transforming image - ESPN
If you're a Reds'fan like me, you know what a class act Brandon Phillips is. But it really hasn't been noticed on a national scale until this past year when he decided to become the newest Twitter sensation. Going to Reds games, I would always see Brandon signing autographs before and after games, laughing withfans, and generally enjoying hanging out withpeople. Now he's taking that to the next level with daily contests via Twitter, asking fans questions about where to eat, hang out, etc. when he visits new cities on road trips, and putting smiles on people's faces. My favorite story was when he was bored on a day off and asked what there was to do. One fan replied that he had a baseball game and would love for Brandon to show up, which he did, and cheered them on from the stands. That's just the kind of person Brandon Phillips is.
Tucker: A four-point plan for ending the lockout - ESPN
This guy's plan to end the lockout should be forwarded to every NFL owner and NFLPA representative. All four are valid points but I wanted to focus on #3: New rookie deals and rookie wage scale. This absolutely has to happen in a new NFL and works for three reasons:
1.) Fewer money for rookies means that owners will have less risk on drafting busts like DaMarcus Russell and if they happen to hit a good pick, they can resign him for more money after only 3 years.
2.) More money can be allocated to proven veterans. The NFLPA would like that.
3.) It gives more incentive to rookies to adjust quickly to the NFL and work towards the first deal after their rookie one. Essentially, rookies won't sit on their massive signing bonuses ( and sometimes asses: Andre Smith) and actually give effort throughout their first contract.