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<channel>
<title>Big C&apos;s NFL Blitz</title>
<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</link>
<description>Carlos &quot;Big C&quot; Holmes, football analyst and radio personality, has operated BigCProFootball.com and written for the Dayton Daily News for 11 years. Holmes takes yearly trips to the Senior Bowl, the pro football combine workouts and NFL training camps to evaluate prospects.</description>
<dc:language>en-us</dc:language>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
<dc:date>2010-02-08T10:13:20-05:00</dc:date>
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<item>
<title>Bengals&apos; Maualuga, Peko and Fanene lend hand</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2010/02/08/bengals_maualuga_peko_and_fane.html</link>
<description>Cincinnati Bengals Rey Maualuga, Domata Peko and Jonathan Fanene traveled to native Samoa on Sunday, Feb 7 to deliver the $50,000 they raised for the tsunami relief efforts. Samoa and American Samoa were devastated by an earthquake and tsunami on...</description>
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Cincinnati Bengals Rey Maualuga, Domata Peko and Jonathan Fanene traveled to native Samoa on Sunday, Feb 7 to deliver the $50,000 they raised for the tsunami relief efforts.  Samoa and American Samoa were devastated by an earthquake and tsunami on September 29, 2009.

In addition to the funds raised, Maualuga personally provided 700 pairs of new Under Armour cleats and the players also collected close to 300 pairs of shoes from the locker room at the end of the season.

Maualuga took a camera along for the trip and will provide DDN with pictures and video footage of the devastation in Samoa upon their return.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16596903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-02-08T10:13:20-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Bengals statement regarding Rey Maualuga</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2010/02/02/bengals_statement_regarding_re.html</link>
<description>Today in Covington, Ky., Bengals LB Rey Maualuga entered a guilty plea to charges arising from a traffic accident that occurred last week. The Bengals are disappointed in the actions by Rey that led to the charges against him. We...</description>
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Today in Covington, Ky., Bengals LB Rey Maualuga entered a guilty plea to charges arising from a traffic accident that occurred last week.

The Bengals are disappointed in the actions by Rey that led to the charges against him. We expect a higher standard from our players, as is stressed to them continually. Rey must work to repair the damage this has done to his reputation, and he has begun that process with an apology, an expression of strong remorse and a prompt resolution in the Kentucky court. 

We expect that Rey will keep taking further steps, and the Club will actively follow up with Rey in working with him from a personal standpoint. Rey&amp;#8217;s on-field play and community involvement were excellent during his rookie season, and the Club continues to anticipate an outstanding Bengals career for him.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16544303@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-02-02T14:11:01-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Statement from Bengals LB Rey Maualuga</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2010/02/02/statement_from_bengals_lb_rey.html</link>
<description>I sincerely apologize for letting everyone down and making a terrible decision to drive under the influence. I wanted to acknowledge fault quickly and accept the consequences for my actions, which are the same that anyone else facing these charges...</description>
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I sincerely apologize for letting everyone down and making a terrible decision to drive under the influence.  I wanted to acknowledge fault quickly and accept the consequences for my actions, which are the same that anyone else facing these charges would receive.  

I&amp;#8217;m thankful to have the legal implications resolved this morning so I can begin to move on and make positive changes in my life.  I know it&amp;#8217;s going to be hard to believe in me, but I will do everything in my power to gain your trust back and I promise to learn from this.  

I&amp;#8217;m truly sorry for the humiliation and embarrassment I&amp;#8217;ve caused myself, my family, the Bengals organization and this great city of Cincinnati. I&amp;#8217;d like to thank the entire Bengals organization, my teammates, family, friends and all the fans for the outpouring of support I&amp;#8217;ve received since this incident took place.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16543503@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-02-02T13:38:38-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Bengals sign cornerback Ratliff</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2010/01/05/bengals_sign_cornerback_ratlif.html</link>
<description>The Cincinnati Bengals added to their secondary with the signing of free agent cornerback Keiwan Ratliff, a sixth-year NFL player. Ratliff (5-11, 188; Florida) played in eight games for Pittsburgh during the 2009 regular season, logging four tackles and two...</description>
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The Cincinnati Bengals added to their secondary with the signing of free agent cornerback Keiwan Ratliff, a sixth-year NFL player. Ratliff (5-11, 188; Florida) played in eight games for Pittsburgh during the 2009 regular season, logging four tackles and two passes defensed on defense and five tackles on special teams. He was waived by the Steelers on Nov. 24. Ratliff is a former Bengal, a second-round 2004 Cincinnati draft choice who played for the Bengals over 2004-06 and a portion of 2007.

In addition to signing Ratliff, the team placed defensive tackle Pat Sims on the Reserve/Injured list. Sims, a second-year player from Auburn, suffered a forearm fracture in yesterday&amp;#8217;s game at the New York Jets. He played in all 16 regular season games, with seven starts, compiling 36 tackles, a shared sack and a fumble recovery.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">16236103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2010-01-05T07:41:57-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Audio: Chris Henry&apos;s final interview</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/18/audio_chris_henrys_final_inter.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!...</description>
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The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!



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<guid isPermaLink="false">16107103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-12-18T15:42:30-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Say a prayer for Chris Henry</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/17/say_a_prayer_for_chris_henry.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&#8230; Who Dey! &raquo;Update: Police: Bengals&#8217; Henry dies day after dispute If someone would have told me that Chris Henry would be fighting for his life less than 24 hours after a phone conversation I...]]></description>
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<![CDATA[The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&#8230; Who Dey!

&raquo;Update: Police: Bengals&#8217; Henry dies day after dispute

If someone would have told me that Chris Henry would be fighting for his life less than 24 hours after a phone conversation I had with him on Tuesday night, I would not have believed it.

Henry was hospitalized on Wednesday after falling out of the back of a pickup truck during an apparent domestic dispute with his fiancee, according to reports. He was found in the road in south Charlotte, N.C., suffering from life-threatening injuries.

When I received the news of Henry&#8217;s tragic accident I was stunned. You see, I exchanged text messages with him during the day on Tuesday in an attempt to narrow down a time to chat later that evening. One of his last texts read: &#8220;Whenever you&#8217;re ready hit me up C.&#8221;

Chris called me shortly after 8 p.m. and we rapped for about 15 minutes or so. We caught up on some personal things before conducting a brief interview. Chris was upbeat about his wedding plans and couldn&#8217;t wait to return to Cincinnati to be with the team. More than anything, he missed being out there on the field. 

Chris sounded enthusiastic about the future and was the happiest I&#8217;ve ever heard him. He was a much different person than 2 years ago when we met. Chris was in a very dark place back then and dealing with some legal troubles. I watched this man transform his life filled with negatives into something positive. All he ever talked about was wanting to prove to the people of Cincinnati that he&#8217;s a good person. He wanted their acceptance and now he&#8217;s fighting for his life.

It&#8217;s tough for me to see someone end up this way after trying so hard to overcome adversity.

I&#8217;m really at a loss for words. Please say a prayer for Chris and his family. I know I will.

Talk Box

I will be joining 1410 WING ESPN Radio Host Mark Neal on the highest rated sports talk show in Dayton and Dayton Sports Scene, Thursday, December 17, at 5:00 p.m. to discuss the latest on the Chris Henry situation. 

When you think sports talk radio think 1410 ESPN.

1410 ESPN Radio
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<guid isPermaLink="false">16086403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-12-17T00:11:29-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Bengals miss Henry; Henry misses Bengals</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/16/bengals_miss_henry_henry_misse.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&#8230; Who Dey! &raquo;Update: Police: Bengals&#8217; Henry dies day after dispute Editor&#8217;s Note: The following story was written hours after Chris Henry&#8217;s last interview. Henry talked to the DDN&#8217;s Carlos Holmes on Tuesday night. Henry...]]></description>
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<![CDATA[The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&#8230; Who Dey!

&raquo;Update: Police: Bengals&#8217; Henry dies day after dispute

Editor&#8217;s Note: The following story was written hours after Chris Henry&#8217;s last interview. Henry talked to the DDN&#8217;s Carlos Holmes on Tuesday night. Henry died Thursday morning.

If you ask any Monday morning quarterback what the problem is with Cincinnati &#8217;s struggling passing game you likely would hear the name Chris Henry. Critics believe that the Bengals&#8217; problems on offense began when the team lost its deep-threat receiver. Henry suffered a season-ending forearm injury in the game against Baltimore in Week 9.

The Bengals are ranked 23rd overall in passing yards and seem to take a dip in the rankings each week. The offense had its lowest output of the season passing against Minnesota . Quarterback Carson Palmer completed 15 out of 25 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, Minnesota beat up on the Bengals, 30-10.

Head coach Marvin Lewis gave his assessment of the team&#8217;s passing game at his Monday news conference.

&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to do a better job of executing,&#8221; Lewis said. &#8220;We have to protect. We have to be in the right spots at the right depths and give the opportunity to the quarterback. And I think we&#8217;ve got to go back and do a better job of manufacturing some balls down the field.&#8221;

There&#8217;s another reason for the sputtering passing game. No Henry!

Bengal opponents had to respect, if not fear, Henry. Teams would game plan for him because he&#8217;s a receiving threat. Now it seems oh so easy for opposing defenses to put the kibosh on the passing game. 

With Henry out of the lineup, it leaves Chad Ochocinco as the only consistent downfield threat, which means he&#8217;ll draw a lot of double- and triple-teams in coverage. Henry gave the team a viable option before going down with the injury. He averaged 19.7 yards per catch and was a go-to-guy for Palmer in clutch situations. The Bengals have had 63 possessions and scored only five touchdowns during Henry&#8217;s absence.

So what has Oh Henry been up to these days?

&#8220;Man, I&#8217;ve been trying to get a bunch of my wedding stuff taken care of since my injury,&#8221; Henry said during a phone conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 15. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been back and fourth between Cincinnati and North Carolina getting ready for the big day.&#8221;

Henry is set to marry his Polynesian Beyonce and mother of his three children in March 2010.

What does he think of the offense and will he be back next season?

&#8220;I hate sitting back watching my team struggle,&#8221; Henry said. &#8220;It won&#8217;t be easy, but I know they&#8217;ll figure out a way to turn things around. The team is pretty much in the playoffs and I know they&#8217;re going to do their thing once they get there. I only wish that I could be out there with them helping them as much as I can, but I won&#8217;t be back out there until next year.&#8221;

Maybe, maybe not?

Henry is in the final year of this contact with the Bengals and at the end of the season will become either a restricted free agent (RFA) if uncapped or an unrestricted free agent (UFA) if the Collective Bargaining Agreement is extended.

&#8220;I wish for something to happen so I can remain in Cincinnati and play for the Bengals,&#8221; Henry said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to go anywhere else, to tell you the truth. I love being a Bengal and love (Carson) Palmer. What he can do for me and what I could do for him is unlimited.

&#8220;I like the system that I&#8217;m playing in and will continue to work hard to be that No. 2 guy. I really want to show Cincinnati what I&#8217;m all about as a receiver. Hopefully, I&#8217;ll get that opportunity.&#8221;

As far as the injury, Henry&#8217;s broken left forearm is in a full cast right now and will be in a smaller version next week.  The diagnosis for recovery is 10 weeks and rehab will begin immediately thereafter.
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<guid isPermaLink="false">16081503@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-12-16T17:35:29-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Art Schlichter and Gary Burbank come clean</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/14/art_schlichter_and_gary_burban.html</link>
<description>I came across something very funny from my favorite book publishing company, Orange Frazer Press, and wanted to share it with our readers. As you may know, Gary Burbank and former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter will be appearing at...</description>
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<![CDATA[I came across something very funny from my favorite book publishing company, Orange Frazer Press, and wanted to share it with our readers. As you may know, Gary Burbank and former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter will be appearing at Books&amp; Co at the Greene on Tuesday, Dec 15th and Thursday Dec 17th.

Orange Frazer Press took time to sit down with their two celebrity authors and interview them about their last book signings and their plans for the holidays. Here is what Burbank and Schlichter had to say. 

Where will you be spending the holidays this year?

Gary Burbank: With Earl Pitts and Gilbert Gnarley in Florida.

Art Schlichter:  Not in prison, hopefully.

What do the two of you like best about the holidays?

GB: Sugarplums. Does anyone know what those are anyway?

AS:  They sound questionable to me. I&#8217;m suspicious.

Can you sing the 12 days of Christmas?

GB: I like the version where the brothers from Canada sing about beer and turtlenecks.

AS:  &#8220;Eight comic books, seven packs of smokes&#133;&#8221;

GB: And bacon.

Do you believe in Santa? 

GB: Of course. 

AS: What&#8217;s not to believe in?

GB: I still leave him milk and cookies and a shot of Jack Daniels. I hope his suit is warm.

AS: Can he really make it around the world in one night? I am a fast driver and it still takes me over three hours to get to Cleveland from Cincinnati.

GB: It&#8217;s those eight reindeer. They have atomic horsepower. Your hemi is a turtle against eight reindeer, even if they are tiny.

AS: I hope Ford or GM reads this. 

Any thoughts on Jesus&#8217;s birthday?

GB: Jesus said he was going to teach me how to walk on water. But I told him I&#8217;d rather learn how to fish.

AS: I think I&#8217;ll send him an autographed football. You know, I bet Jesus would have been a great wide receiver.

GB: Jesus would have been a quarterback. And his disciples would have been his offensive linemen.

AS: Agreed. But wasn&#8217;t there one disciple who was a dud or betrayer or something?

GB: Judas.

AS: Judas. Right, right.

GB: And I think Judas failed to block Jesus at a crucial moment and the Romans blitzed him.

AS: He must&#8217;ve been a late draft pick.

GB: He never made All-Apostle.

AS: And he was traded.

GB: To the Romans.

Any New Year&#8217;s Resolutions?

GB: I resolve to not resolve anything. Oh, and eat more lima beans; even if they do taste like dirt.

AS: I am addicted to Diet Coke. I probably need to see someone about that.

Thanks guys. Happy Holidays; see you at your book signings.

GB: Yep.  I&#8217;ll be at Books&amp; Co at the Greene on Thursday, Dec 17th at 7pm

AS:  And I&#8217;ll be at Books&amp; Co at the Greene on Tuesday, Dec 15th at 7pm

GB &amp; AS: Have a safe, peaceful, and happy holiday!

Funny stuff!

&#8220;Busted, the Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter&#8221; and &#8220;Voices in my Head, the Gary Burbank Story&#8221; are available wherever books are sold.
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<dc:subject></dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-12-14T10:02:58-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Sports Editor talks smack about Bengals-Vikings matchup</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/12/08/sports_editor_talks_smack_abou.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey! Let the smack talk begin! Attention: Dayton Daily News readers and especially Bengal fans. Here&amp;#8217;s a possible opportunity that you may not want to miss out on. Dayton Daily News Sports Editor...</description>
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The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!

Let the smack talk begin!

Attention: Dayton Daily News readers and especially Bengal fans. Here&amp;#8217;s a possible opportunity that you may not want to miss out on. 

Dayton Daily News Sports Editor Brian Kollars has agreed to take pies in the face for charity if the Cincinnati Bengals can pull off an upset win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Kollars, a native South Dakotan, is a lifelong Vikings fan and is confident that the Bengals have no chance of winning the game. That being said, I challenged our Sports Editor to back up the smack talk with a friendly wager.

If Cincinnati defeats Minnesota, anyone willing to make a $5 donation to the Dayton Daily News United Way campaign can come to the newspaper from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14, and put a pie in the Sports Editor&amp;#8217;s pie hole.

After his smug interview with me this morning, pies could start flying before the game.

&amp;#8220;There&amp;#8217;s no way Cincinnati can go up to Minnesota, where it&amp;#8217;s going to be about 10 degrees outside. The Bengals will freeze getting off the bus,&amp;#8221; Kollars said. &amp;#8220;They&amp;#8217;ll never recover. It&amp;#8217;s a different environment for them and the Metrodome will be rockin&amp;#8217;. Nobody will be able to hear what Chad Johnson, oh, Ochocinco has to say. It&amp;#8217;s going to be too loud in there and the Vikings are just too good.&amp;#8221;

I wonder if he watched the Vikings get dismantled by Arizona this week?

Kollars&amp;#8217; heart towards the Bengals is as cold as the frigid winters of South Dakota, where during Kollars&amp;#8217; junior year of high school the thermometer never got above zero the entire month of January.

&amp;#8220;Jared Allen is going to toss Carson Palmer around like a ragdoll,&amp;#8221; Kollars said. &amp;#8220;He&amp;#8217;s going to treat him like Ndamukong Suh treated Colt McCoy. It&amp;#8217;s not going to be pretty. Adrian Peterson is going to run through the Bengals defense. The Bengals don&amp;#8217;t have a chance.&amp;#8221; 

When asked if the Bengals were overrated, Kollars had the testicular fortitude to say that Minnesota could trot out former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman and win the ballgame. Ouch!

He&amp;#8217;s playing the Bengals like they&amp;#8217;re the Rodney Dangerfield (R.I.P.) of the NFL. 

I believe Kollars has convinced himself that the Bengals are overmatched and will take an &amp;#8216;L&amp;#8217; Sunday. His prediction is 34-13, Vikes. I think maybe the boss just needs a hug.

Needless to say, I will be rooting for the Bengals. If they win, this will be my way of sticking it to the man. ;) 

Say your prayers, Kollars. Your Vikings are going down: 24-17, Bengals.

In case you&amp;#8217;re wondering, should the Bengals lose, I get to stand outside in front of the building wearing a humiliating costume while selling newspaper subscriptions.  

Let&amp;#8217;s go Bengals!

Team news: The Bengals today released S Brannon Condren from the practice squad. Condren, from Troy University, is a third-year NFL player and had been signed to the practice squad on Nov. 17.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">15986403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-12-08T14:47:49-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Bengals O-Line rising to the occasion</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/11/12/bengals_oline_rising_to_the_oc.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey! Coming into the 2009 season, not many people had anything good to say about the Cincinnati Bengals&amp;#8217; makeshift offensive line. Now that the team leads the AFC North Division with a 6-2...</description>
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The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!

Coming into the 2009 season, not many people had anything good to say about the Cincinnati Bengals&amp;#8217; makeshift offensive line. Now that the team leads the AFC North Division with a 6-2 record, some of the team&amp;#8217;s skeptics are singing the line&amp;#8217;s praises.

The Bengals offensive line has performed well midway through the season and is improving each week. Although the unit is being recognized around the league for its performance, Bengals center Kyle Cook says the O-line will only get better as the season progress.

&amp;#8220;I don&amp;#8217;t think we&amp;#8217;ve peaked,&amp;#8221; Cook said in a recent interview. &amp;#8220;In fact, I don&amp;#8217;t think we&amp;#8217;ll ever peak. I think we&amp;#8217;re going to get better each and every game. We&amp;#8217;ll find out more about each other and what we can do as a group. You want to prove people wrong, especially when they doubt you, and keep proving them wrong. 

&amp;#8220;We want to top our performance each week and make sure that Carson (Palmer) doesn&amp;#8217;t get touched at all, and so Cedric (Benson) can rip off 5-yard runs every time he touches the ball. These are goals that we want and can achieve each week as we get better.&amp;#8221;

Cincinnati has surrendered only 12 sacks this season, keeping Palmer virtually upright. The offensive line gave up nine sacks in its first four games and has allowed only three sacks in the last four.

The team&amp;#8217;s ground game has prospered with Benson running for 837 yards and six touchdowns. Benson is currently ranked second in the league in rushing behind Tennessee&amp;#8217;s Chris Johnson.

I believe it&amp;#8217;s a complement to the Bengals coaching staff for the way it has restructured and brought the offensive line together.  They plug guys in and out of the lineup without missing a beat. When left guard Evan Mathis when down with an injury in Sunday&amp;#8217;s game against Baltimore, Nate Livings stepped in and performed brilliantly. When right tackle Anthony Collins began to struggle, they inserted Dennis Roland. This is a true testament to the quality of depth the team has built along the line. I didn&amp;#8217;t even mention rookie first-round pick Andre Smith.

So what&amp;#8217;s the secret to the line&amp;#8217;s success?  Cook has the answer.   

&amp;#8220;Everyone is comfortable with each other,&amp;#8221; he said. &amp;#8220;I think we mesh pretty well and are real comfortable with the way that we&amp;#8217;re playing together out there. Bottom line is we trust one another to do our job.&amp;#8221;

This week the Bengals travel to Pittsburgh and the O-line will be faced with the daunting task of warding off a ferocious Steelers pass-rush. The Steelers defense has eaten well against Cincinnati&amp;#8217;s offense by feasting on the quarterback. Bengal quarterbacks have been sacked 10 times in the last three meetings.   

&amp;#8220;We&amp;#8217;re going to be under the gun against Pittsburgh,&amp;#8221; Cook said. &amp;#8220;We&amp;#8217;ll be in a hostile environment and it&amp;#8217;s going to be extremely loud. Our mission is to protect the quarterback. The whole line has to lean on each other whether it&amp;#8217;s making a call, helping out on blocking assignments or anything that you can do in order to get the job done. I think that&amp;#8217;s what we do so well. We can lean on each other and we don&amp;#8217;t break.&amp;#8221;

The Bengals&amp;#8217; game plan this week is rather simple. Stick to the basics. Cook believes that might be the key ingredient to victory. 

&amp;#8220;This game is huge,&amp;#8221; he said. &amp;#8220;Obviously, we want to win every game on our schedule.  We want to go in there and start off on a roll like we did against Baltimore. We want to drive down the field, score and have our defense sitting on the bench. We want to come out of there with a win.  Pittsburgh is a very tough team and we have a lot of respect for them. However, we&amp;#8217;re prepared and ready to go to work against these guys.&amp;#8221;

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<guid isPermaLink="false">15684903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-11-12T19:20:04-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Voice of &quot;The Synonymous Bengal&quot; coming to Miamisburg</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/10/27/voice_of_the_synonymous_bengal.html</link>
<description>Gary Burbank, creator of the radio skits &amp;#8220;All my Bengals&amp;#8221;, the call- in contest &amp;#8220;Sports or Consequences&amp;#8221; and the voice of &amp;#8220;The Synonymous Bengal&amp;#8221;, will be at the Miamisburg Barnes and Noble (2619 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.) on Thursday, October 29th at...</description>
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Gary Burbank, creator of the radio skits &amp;#8220;All my Bengals&amp;#8221;, the call- in contest &amp;#8220;Sports or Consequences&amp;#8221; and the voice of &amp;#8220;The Synonymous Bengal&amp;#8221;, will be at the Miamisburg Barnes and Noble (2619 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.) on Thursday, October 29th at 7pm to promote his new book, &amp;#8220;Voices in My Head, the Gary Burbank Story&amp;#8221; which was written by ex sportscaster turned author, Greg Hoard.

The book not only chronicles Gary&amp;#8217;s life but also radio&amp;#8217;s transformation from individual ownership to corporate conglomerate. Gary worked at different radio stations, changing locations frequently depending on who was in charge. &amp;#8220;I knew instantly, when a new boss came in, whether or not we&amp;#8217;d get along. If I sensed we wouldn&amp;#8217;t, I&amp;#8217;d start sending out demo tapes of my material to other stations so I could get the heck out of there. It was important to me to be able to be myself on the air and do these skits and have these characters. I can&amp;#8217;t turn that stuff off in my head, it had to go somewhere.&amp;#8221;

Burbank, legendary funny man from radio station 700 WLW, is known for his wacky cast of characters and zany skits that he&amp;#8217;d unleash on listeners all over the airwaves. Gilbert Gnarley, Earl Pitts, the Synonymous Bengal, and Dan Buckles are just a few of the voices that frequently came bull charging out of his brain. &amp;#8220;Listeners used to think that I had about ten people in the booth with me when really it was just me and maybe one other guy. Those were the days when radio was fun and interesting. One reason I retired was because it just wasn&amp;#8217;t enjoyable anymore. Stations now want controversy and heated discussions. That&amp;#8217;s just not me.&amp;#8221;

Burbank, who has been off the airwaves since December of 2007 says he is busier now than he was when he was working for 700. &amp;#8220;I need a job just so I can get some time off,&amp;#8221; he joked.

Burbank and Hoard will be on their book tour until mid-November. Copies of &amp;#8220;Voices in My Head, the Gary Burbank Story&amp;#8221; are available wherever books are sold. Visit www.orangefrazer.com for a complete listing of book singing dates and times.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">15418703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-10-27T08:58:01-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Bengals to sign autographs</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/10/21/bengals_to_sign_autographs.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; WED., OCT. 21, 2009 FROM CINCINNATI BENGALS PUBLIC RELATIONS Cincinnati Bengals defensive starters Jonathan Fanene, Rey Maualuga and Domata Peko, plus other selected teammates, will sign autographs at 5...</description>
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<![CDATA[The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&#8230; Who Dey!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; WED., OCT. 21, 2009
FROM CINCINNATI BENGALS PUBLIC RELATIONS

Cincinnati Bengals defensive starters Jonathan Fanene, Rey Maualuga and Domata Peko, plus other selected teammates, will sign autographs at 5 p.m. this Friday (Oct. 23) as part of the Bengals Bash in downtown Cincinnati.

Fanene and Peko are natives of American Samoa, and Maualuga is the son of Samoan parents, and the players will also be seeking donations for relief efforts in support of the recent tsunami disaster in American Samoa.

The Bengals Bash takes place in the Backstage Alley area, across Walnut St. from the Aronoff Center and adjacent to Nicholson&#8217;s Tavern &amp; Pub.
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<guid isPermaLink="false">15341903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-10-21T16:38:58-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Bengals&apos; Ndukwe fighting for good cause</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/10/20/bengals_ndukwe_fighting_for_go.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey! CINCINNATI &amp;#8212; Cincinnati Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe and his teammates would like to invite fans to join them as they champion health and wellness initiatives for local youth. A portion of Ndukwe...</description>
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The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!

CINCINNATI &amp;#8212; Cincinnati Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe and his teammates would like to invite fans to join them as they champion health and wellness initiatives for local youth. A portion of Ndukwe Foundation&amp;#8217;s first fundraiser&amp;#8217;s proceeds will benefit Mercy Franciscan at St. John and St. Raphael. 

The event, CHAMPION A CAUSE, will be held on Monday, October 26 from 6-9 p.m. at the Rookwood Restaurant 1077 Celestial Street in Mt. Adams.  The evening will include dinner-by-the-bite, cocktails, and a silent auction, all to support health and wellness for local youth. 

The cost will be $25 per person ($35 at the door).

For more information, please visit www.ndukwe.org. If you have an item that you would like to donate, please contact Adam Heller.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">15317603@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-10-20T11:43:28-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<title>Bengals have no answer for Texans&apos; offense</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/10/18/bengals_have_no_answer_for_tex.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey! CINCINNATI &amp;#8212; Houston, we have a problem! Not really. The Houston Texans had no problem exposing Cincinnati&amp;#8217;s pass defense in a 28-17 victory on Sunday in Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals did...</description>
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The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!

CINCINNATI &amp;#8212; Houston, we have a problem! Not really.

The Houston Texans had no problem exposing Cincinnati&amp;#8217;s pass defense in a 28-17 victory on Sunday in Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals did all they could to nullify the offensive explosion put on by the Texans, but to no avail.

The Bengals defense played its safeties high in an attempt to neutralize the deep passing game. What that did was open up the floodgate for underneath passes to the tight end, slot receiver and running back. The Bengals even played Cover 4 on occasion to prevent getting burned deep. In a sense, they robbed Peter to pay Paul. Now Paul is broke as well. 

The Bengals defense held one half of Houston&amp;#8217;s dynamic receiving duo, Kevin Walter, in check.  Although he wasn&amp;#8217;t a factor in the passing game with only three receptions for 29 yards, his presence on the field helped the team&amp;#8217;s game plan work to perfection.

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub shredded the Bengals defense passing for 392 yards and four touchdowns versus one interception.

Everything the Bengals defense tried, the offense appeared to be two steps ahead.

&amp;#8220;We had a good game plan this week,&amp;#8221; Walter said. &amp;#8220;It seemed like whatever defense they had we had an answer for it. All we had to do was execute and play our game. We did that. The Bengals have a great team and will go far this season. But when we&amp;#8217;re on our game we&amp;#8217;re tough to beat.&amp;#8221;

Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe, who started in place of Roy Williams, filled in admirably. He had six tackles on the day. Ndukwe gave the offense their props after the game, but understands that miscues by the defense played a vital role in the loss.

&amp;#8220;They did a great job putting us in some tough situations matchup wise,&amp;#8221; Ndukwe said. &amp;#8220;Hats off to them for playing a well-rounded game. They did a good job running after the catch but we have to make those tackles. Bottom line: we have to make plays when put into those positions. We&amp;#8217;ll learn from it and do a better job next week against Chicago.&amp;#8221;

The only thing the Bengals defense could do to cool off the offense was subject them to a cold shower. That&amp;#8217;s right, there was a bit of delay for the media to enter the Texans locker room after the game, due to the hot water being turned off in the visiting team&amp;#8217;s shower room.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">15298403@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-10-18T23:59:45-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Bengals corners must bring A-game vs. Texans</title>

    

    


<link>http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2009/10/17/bengals_corners_must_bring_aga.html</link>
<description>The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey! CINCINNATI &amp;#8212; The Cincinnati Bengals&amp;#8217; secondary have an impressive resume of star receivers they have shut down so far this season. Receivers Greg Jennings, Braylon Edwards and Derrick Mason were all closed...</description>
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The Bengal banner means Bengals coverage&amp;#8230; Who Dey!

CINCINNATI &amp;#8212; The Cincinnati Bengals&amp;#8217; secondary have an impressive resume of star receivers they have shut down so far this season. Receivers Greg Jennings, Braylon Edwards and Derrick Mason were all closed for business with zero catches when going against the unit. The only receiver to have some success was Brandon Marshall and even he was held in check. Marshall caught four passes for 27 yards in Week 1.

This week&amp;#8217;s matchup against the Houston Texans will be a horse of a different color. The Texans present a dual threat on offense with wide receivers Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter.

Johnson is considered by many as being the top receiver in the league and for obvious reasons. He&amp;#8217;s a big, fast, physical receiver with great hands and is a complete package. Walter, on the other hand, serves as the perfect complement. He&amp;#8217;s strong, has good speed, great hands and is a precise route runner. 

This is not a favorable matchup for the Bengals corners. Both receivers fared well against them last season.

Johnson caught 11 passes for 143 yards and Walter, a former Bengal, had five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Houston won the game in a 35-6 shellacking of the Bengals.

To ensure that there won&amp;#8217;t be a repeat performance by the receivers, the Bengals cannot afford mistakes in coverage and must play physical.

During the game last season, Walter&amp;#8217;s second touchdown reception came by way of a lapse in mental judgment on behalf of cornerback Johnathan Joseph. 

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub hit Walter with a short pass in front of Joseph. The receiver rolled to the ground in the process of making the catch but no contact was made.  Realizing that he hadn&amp;#8217;t been touched by Joseph until he was back on his feet, Walter alertly hauled buns down the field for a 39-yard score.

I&amp;#8217;m certain the play is in the back of Joseph&amp;#8217;s mind and he will seek redemption.

Joseph is the team&amp;#8217;s best corner and is off to a fast start this season. He has three straight games with an interception with two coming in the end zone, and one returned for a touchdown. Joseph has shown outstanding cover skills and always appears to be a step away from making a play on the ball.

On the flip side, Leon Hall has struggled and will draw the daunting task of covering Johnson. 
Hall has shown a lack of aggression this season and appears to be a little gun-shy on making plays. 

Last week against Baltimore, Hall could be seen standing around on a missed tackle by linebacker Brandon Johnson, which sprung Ravens running back Ray Rice for a 48-yard run to the end zone. Hall must play more physical, especially against Johnson.

The Bengals cornerbacks will have to play out of their minds this week or this game could turn into a shootout.

The Texans offensive approach on Sunday will be trying to take advantage of the Bengals 23rd rank pass defense. Schaub has been on fire the last two weeks completing 46 of 72 passes for 595 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

There is no question the Bengals secondary will be under attack.

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<guid isPermaLink="false">15286303@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/</guid>
<dc:subject>Bengals</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2009-10-17T12:15:30-05:00</dc:date>
<dc:creator>cholmes@coxohio.com</dc:creator>
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