The All-Star game is over. Major League baseball is heading into the home stretch and although we are still a good two months away from the playoffs, I could not be happier.  The Cincinnati Reds are a half game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and a Red's fan has to be excited about that. 

Football season is about to start on the Div I level and the Commodores of Vanderbilt and the Bearcats of Cincinnati are starting the season with new head coaches.  The Bearcats are not likely to improve upon last season's record and Vanderbilt is well, Vanderbilt so you never know. At least this season they will not be playing twelve games in a row.  However they got that draw last year probably served as the beginning of the end for coach Bobby Johnson.  Whatever the reason to hang up the coaching cleats just before the beginning of the college football season, last year's record has to play some part. Speculation is that his wife was the biggest reason.  Certainly he had to know how she felt before summer and yet he held on.  Presumably to allow coach Robbie Caldwell is first head coaching assignment, If that were the case, he was successful. Coach Caldwell the darling of SEC Media Day was given the job officially this week.

The Bearcats have known that Coach Kelly was soon to go and when the ND job opened up he fle the coop.  Now the reigns Coach Butch Jones. You have to like what he is doing with the 1200 club and the improvements that he is making.  How well will the football team perform? I am expecting a 7 win season. There is a chance that an upset along the way could make the season even better but I am also figuring that with a new coach and new QB we have to expect the unexpected. Seven wins would be a good start.  That may even prove to be better that what coach Kelly is able to do at ND.

High School football is starting soon and in Clarksville and Fort Campbell all you can say is Falcons.  The post football team Falcons have won three consecutive IIA Kentucky Footaball Championships and only 1 loss in three seasons, last year finishing undefeated.  More to come on this team because they are amazing.  They deserve far more press around the country than they have been getting.  Why you may ask?  This football team has to reload every couple of years because the service member families are transferring to new duty stations.  As a result even scouts seldom learn about the talent becuase it was off the radar.  

Next week I will comment on the Titans and the Bengals, I have not forgotten NFL Footaball.




 

First let me say, I am a huge Cincinnati fan. I even went to school there and played football.  Up until now I was a strong supporter for Coach Kelly and make no mistake, I am greatful for what he has done with the program.  He put Cincinnati on the map and it will be the job of the next coach to keep the program on the right track.  However, he has chosen to go for the money, perhaps the prestige, and the glamour of being the head coach of Norte Dame.  Well, all I can say is coach Kelly, don't let the door hit you in the _____ on the way out.  Go already and good riddance.

I cannot stomach ND so I am not pulling for you to turn the program around.  Coach, you no longer have an automatic bid into the BCS.  You will have to rise above the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, and oh yes, the Big East.  Good luck with the Irish.  What stars could have stayed  are abandoning ship for a shot at the NFL.  I guess there are some that don't think you can do it.  Funny, from a basketball perspective, when Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky those players that were going to abandon ship decided to stay and wow, KY is now one of the best basketball teams in the country.  Maybe it is a bad analogy but despite your success it appears not everyone believe that ND being a power house again is a foregone conclusion.

What concerns me now is who will go to Cincinnati.  Since the Big East does have an automatic bid to the BCS and Phil Fulmer did not go to Louisville, maybe the Bearcats could give him a shout.  I don't know if they could pay him enough either.  I figure it will be someone on the way up.  Who wants to come into a program with 10 wins-11 wins-12 wins and it could possibly be 13.  No matter who comes it will be a rebuilding year or least you have to believe it will be more like 9 wins at the most.  Who is out there that would like to pick up the mantle that coach Kelly is leaving.  We will have to wait and see, and I have not heard anything yet.

Coach Kelly, pack your bags, get out of town. I no longer want to see you around.