City Blights

If it means a safer neighborhood, I would too. Tattletale? I call it improving the quality of life, if someone is doing something illegal. Let's call it what it is, which is telling on another person for what someone is assuming is going on or has happened.. To address the slumlord, why not attack him, you may be surprised at how much he might owe the city. Again, if you're gonna make assumptions on your neighbors, go all in and have them clean up the entire property (and possibly others), not just have the police come out to one apartment and tell them that rumors are flying about antisocial behavior emanating from that unit. Putting slumlords on the plank is a very significant way of making the community safer and more comfortable. An ordinary tenant being called to the rug is just that, one guy paying a ticket.

I'm high on Stubbs as a talent, but the Reds organization never taught him how to bunt consistently to utilize his speed and up his OBP. Drew is superlative defensively, and may be the fastest player in the bigs. He'll be great for that wide outfield in Cleveland. I think he needed a change of scenery and he can be a .265/.340/.500 player. Stubbs has light-tower power and effortlessly can knock one out the park. Cincinnati fans and media essentially ran him into the ground mentally and his performance last year reflected that. Maybe Cleveland can make him more comfortable being in a town that isn't as critical of its own and the hitting coach can shorten up that swing a little.

Cleveland is one of the worst teams in baseball; Cincinnati is one of the best. A winning track record and future does a lot to convince players where they need to be. Reds GM Walt Jocketty said that he liked the Choo deal because he's a one-year rental, and the organization has elite CF prospect Billy Hamilton waiting in the wings for 2014. I think Walt was blowing smoke and that he will find a way to sign Choo to an intermediate deal. I can see Ludwick gone in 2014 or spot starting as a 4th OF. There's always a chance Hamilton will struggle, almost certain to struggle at times, and having a good outfielder to plug in there, whether against certain pitching or to spell a regular, is a great thing to have. Choo of course would be the everyday LF in a situation like this. That team would have real speed and OBP at the top of the order with Hamilton and Choo. I think Walt protected himself nicely this offseason for whatever may happen in 2014. Hell, Billy may have to win the job from someone, which also favors the Reds trying to keep Choo around for at least one more year. I could see them coming to a one-year deal with a sizable signing bonus. Choo has never played on a big contract, and his agent realizes that his client is 30 years old and now is the time for a long-term deal. I think shopping him at 32 years of age still allows teams to see him as a four or five year solution and he'll get his money.

^Excited for Choo. He's not the usual bag of bolts Reds GM Walt Jocketty typically brings in to leadoff. Shin-Soo can actually play. The other day I said the player Cincinnati needs should have a line greater than or equal to .300/.375/.475. Choo's career line? .283/.373/.441. Great job, Reds! The only caveat is that the Reds traded their 2006 top pick in the MLB draft for a one-year rental, albeit a good one. That means the organization failed badly with Stubbs, who just turned 28 and is physically in his prime. A typical Walt Jocketty move would be to extend a player he just traded for, which I fully expect him to do. I think the Reds will avoid Shin-Soo going to arbitration and they sign him for three years, $20 mil.

^If you're gonna tattletale, why not dime on the slumlord?

It implies that when the Reds need a run, they can't scratch one out. You're right, the defense was good last year, starting pitching was bad, but even when they got a good pitching performance, the offense wouldn't capitalize. Another elite hitter that pitchers fear is what the lineup needs, not just another player. Jay Bruce is supposed to be that slugger, but he continues to disappoint, so the organization would serve itself by going out to get someone who is a proven .300/.375/.475 or anything resembling a feared bat.

The Reds even outdo the Bengals in roster complacency. They love to sell fans on the idea that their players being a year older is a massive upgrade in talent. 2011 failed because it was the same roster as 2010. Last year flamed out because 2012's offense was nearly identical to 2011's, which was at least 15 games under .500 in games where the Reds scored four runs or less. They won two in San Francisco, then reverted back to the 2010 NLDS edition that got swept by Philadelphia. There's still time to make moves. We shall see what Walt does.

^ More evidence of Jay Gruden's inconsistency that leads to Bengal mediocrity. BenJarvus started the game with what's turning into his patented strong-side run between Zeitler and Smith, going for a huge chunk of yards. Gruden promptly forgot all about his feature back until it was too late to run the ball consistently because the offense never established it. Why was Gruden giving Leonard carries? When the Bengals were up 19-10, Jay was trying his absolute hardest to THROW for six instead of taking the yards where they were easiest to obtain, which was on the ground. Even with 5 minutes to go and no momentum, Gruden still thought it fit to permit a quarterback that had been terrible to throw to receivers that were no longer fitting their job description of receiver of the football. The impact an offensive coordinator can have on a game is enormous and I simply don't trust Jay with that kind of responsibility over the long haul of a season. His ego may interfere with logic too often.

^ I definitely think there's something to the fact that they're based out of London. The British work ethic is stronger than some other Western European nations (Mediterranean region in particular), but overall, having a ton of holidays or a ton of holiday time is not optional, it's standard in that part of the world.

Haha, they have rebounded nicely. This is a true team, and last week vs. San Diego proved it. That was a Steelers-ish victory where the better team makes up their mind that they're going to play 60 minutes of football, whereas the other guys can't wait for quadruple zeros to hit the scoreboard. Dalton still needs to play better. There have been three wide-open TDs in the last two weeks Green should've had that Andy has airmailed out of bounds. The running game has made this a complete team and when they run behind Zeitler, they get chunks. I expect better chemistry with Marvin Jones this week against Dallas, but that depends on Andy hitting guys while they're still streaking, as opposed to when they've already been open for fifteen minutes. Marvin is a different coach with this offensive group of players. He trusts them more than he ever did Carson and Chad. He routinely goes for it on fourth down, something he NEVER did in previous years. Lewis went from one of the most conservative coaches in the league to a Les Myles clone. Says a ton about the change in culture among the players and their heightened level of accountability. Gruden still drives me nuts despite the team scoring 30 or more in three of the past four. Last week in San Diego in the second quarter, they were on the Chargers' one yard line and tried a play action pass. What the hell is Green-Ellis on the team for? Hand it off, and if he doesn't get in, run it again on 4th and half a yard. If they don't get the TD, line up your defense and make them run the length of the field. The score was 10-7 Chargers. Didn't understand that at all. I'm taking it one game at a time even as a fan, but this has the look of a team that'll still be playing come late January. They are physical, they rush the passer, and they're great in the red zone. Those are the elements of a team that can execute in make-or-break moments in close games.

I enjoy the ease with which I can park whenever I'm in Cincinnati. Be careful what you wish for folks, because if Cincinnati turns into Columbus in terms of parking patrol, towing, etc, I'm not sure how satisfied you'll be with the results.

Let me go ahead and beat my dead horse by stating that there are several arterial roads in the City that are ideal for bus ROW such as Reading, Paddock, Montgomery, etc, etc. Some planning goes into altering parking rules, frequency, fleet, any route changes and whatnot but it ain't that complicated. Why it hasn't happened yet is more of a mystery than how to execute such a plan.

Wow, talk about not wanting to make any money. They should stay greasy and unshaven at home then!

I was unaware of that, if that is in fact set in stone, I have nothing but lamentation for the State of Ohio... Ohio has to be one of the most non-functional, illogical (corrupt) regions in the Union. Maybe the most considering all of its resources and history. Mississippi probably still takes the crown, though.

Brent Spence is unsafe and an eyesore. Cincinnati really does need a shiny, modern bridge with modern dimensions to boost its image, economy, and to increase the size of downtown by a third. As much disappointment that surrounds the state of downtown residential and retail right now, the realignment of 75 coinciding with the Brent Spence project will catalyze all kinds of development west of Race for years to come. That freed up land will not sit vacant like the mudpit between the stadiums did. Even if you feel keeping Brent Spence around is progressive planning for the region, the fact that building anew increases the size of downtown so dramatically has to resonate as critical for the future of urban Cincinnati.

Or you move to Barcelona where the subway and night buses run 24 hours on weekends.

That is a tremendous amount of surface parking in the image above. I'm more concerned about those lots disappearing and how long that will take.

I think a comprehensive transit plan could work. The most valid and frequently-spewed argument of streetcar opponents is that the route is relatively short. They've been clamoring for a regional network and don't even know it. I would love to see local pro-transit leadership give it to them.

Will it even be taller than the hotels that'll be adjacent to it? I'm thinking no. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/print-edition/2012/06/15/dunnhumbyusas-fifth-and-race-project.html?page=all This article is old, but it shows how dedicated the City was to making this a success with the residential component. For the dynamic vision that was agreed upon to disintegrate into a shoebox-sized blend-in is disdainful.

The Reagan Administration or the Red Congress of the 90's did nothing to make you feel as if the party was taking political duplicity to heights that even a tolerant public couldn't ignore?

There is no wildlife in Spanish cities, urban obsession toppled nature a while ago in Barcelona. As for Montreal, one wonders why it doesn't get more play internationally.

We're seeing day and night comparing these projects because the Streetcar is being constructed by the City and the Oasis is a County priority. I still think having intercity rail in Cincinnati, period, is a big step. Cincinnatians will eventually notice the Oasis coming to fruition and cry about how it doesn't serve enough people. One of the solutions to that will be LRT up 75 as planned with the Brent Spence project. We all know ODOT is fickle when it comes to rail anywhere outside NE Ohio. The Oasis being built is one reason it could happen no matter what. County demand would be behind it. Then again, we seen what happened with the Streetcar...

I'm sick and tired of hearing these dumbbells complaining that the downtown Streetcar isn't prudent because it doesn't address neighborhoods and Joe Voter supports improving city neighborhoods. Is Over the Rhine not a neighborhood? Let's all pretend the City only had money to spend on one neighborhood. Now which area needs economic stimulus, police presence and general cleanliness the most? OTR... Using the "neighborhoods" argument to disapprove of the Streetcar is the flimsiest and most tired of all the single-celled one liners that have yet to be debunked in public forum. I'm gonna be up for murder if I have to hear it one more time.

The Bengals are all but done. The only reason I won't scoop dirt on 'em just yet is because the division is so weak this year. The AFC North hasn't been this weak in a long time and Pittsburgh isn't appreciably better than the Bengals. Expect Baltimore and the Steelers to drop games all season long. 10-6 wins this division handily and both AFC wildcards will be 9-7 football teams, so the Bengals have hope. Not much more than that, though. Dalton is a problem. His mistakes are killing this team, and even in the team's wins against Jacksonville and Washington, he made mistakes to make the game closer than necessary. The way he bumbled that pump fake was almost a pick six in itself just by poor field position for the defense to work with. This team looks like it's being dragged down by its quarterback instead of elevated. Jay Gruden is yet another example of a coordinator that knows his stuff but isn't getting the job done, but because he's shown flashes, he gets a lifetime pass. The Bengals have another coordinator that has been hit or miss lately, they call him Zimmer. I guess that's the way you get gashed in the run game all night and get away from the only thing that's consistently worked offensively which was Green-Ellis in the same game. Two coordinators who can't make up their mind. Why not force that Pittsburgh secondary to cover somebody deep without groping them? What happened to playing time-of-possession football? They get away from the power formations in the 2nd quarter after a few negative things happen in the game and stick to 7 yard patterns the rest of the night. Is that what you drafted AJ Green for? Gresham was targeted 3 times tonight if my memory serves me. Stop trying to prove that your battery of #4 receivers (Binns, Whalen, Tate) can keep teams from doubling Green. Wear out the other team's every-down linemen in the run game so that when you run five and seven-step drops, you only have to worry about the blitzers and pass rush specialists reaching paydirt. Marvin Jones going down was big. He is the #2 receiver that they need to get in there and leave in there because he can run past people and caught a lot of balls in college from bad QBs. None of these other guys can outside of Hawkins, and he's a slot guy. Dalton and Gruden are crushing this team. The Bengals offense should be yawning thirty a game. Zimmer's personnel decisions has gotten better with his LB's. Lawson has been playing a lot less and that's a wonderful thing to not have to see a 6'6'' linebacker jogging to the pile after missing his assignment every other defensive down. What Mike hasn't done is managed his secondary talent well. You need to play bump and run on Brown and not only did he not put a bump and run corner on him in Hall, but he stuck with Adam Jones who was playing too far off and isn't the best tackler. I know he was afraid that Wallace would put a double move on Jones and streak for a crowd-silencing touchdown, but instead Antonio Brown dices his defense underneath and keeps the chains moving, keeping his average defense on the field, making them look below average. Moral of this game: If Dalton's play doesn't improve and the team misses the playoffs, the team should draft a quarterback in the middle of the first round and trade Dalton. Teams get maybe 60 offensive snaps a game on average. One or two are going for turnovers by the QB plus another three or four tipped balls, usually a combination of the two, you're giving away almost a tenth of your snaps. You're also giving the other team points and great field position. This team beats Pittsburgh and Cleveland with a better quarterback and is only looking up to Houston for supremacy in the conference. The Bengals only have one above average corner right now. Dre Kirkpatrick playing in two weeks will give them a real boost back there. Having him cover Brown and Hall on Wallace would have made a real difference last night. Mike had some drops, but for the most part he was shut down by Hall. A more steady presence to cover Brown would have led to more 3 and outs and more mistakes by Ben trying to make plays that aren't there. Dre not participating in the first seven weeks has had a real impact on their 3-4 record. Kirkpatrick can cover Josh Gordon, Terrence Newman cannot. If Gordon is covered last week in Cleveland, do the Browns win that one? Now I'm really sure that Marvin was talking to his coaches when he said they were not decisive enough. Game on the line and you take exactly one shot down the field to Green or anybody else in the final three possessions? You forgot BenJarvus was on the team for two quarters and rediscovered him with six minutes to go in the game? Gruden really drives me crazy. The Bengals need to let that guy go coach elsewhere this offseason. I'll take consistency out of my OC over the fireworks he teases us with and then puts 'em back in the shed until the next hot-weather holiday.

The quicker Cincinnati gets started on its regional rail network, the better. I don't buy the conspiracies being tossed around, this is a pet project of the Eastside and it's the first domino in making the riverfront transit center the reason corporations want to build towers on Third. High-rise residential is feasible along the Oasis line. Every city with regional rail or even city transit has lines that have lukewarm ridership. I won't get caught up in the fact that Cincinnati's lesser-used line was built first. This project has long-term win all over it for transit supporters and metropolitan Cincinnati.