3-dot lounge welcomes lou piniella

Congrats to Sweet Lou, who just torpedoed further his managerial legacy by taking a job w/the Cubs, 3 years, $10 million. Piniella wanted the Yankees job, it says here, because he believes his ticket to the Hall of Fame will be punched because of his managing... so he goes to the Cubs? It only means 1 thing: When they tell you it's not about the money, it's about the money... Bengals couldnt have picked a worse week to lose Levi... Peppers and Rucker are the best bookend DEs in the league... Palmer will be running and ducking unless Rudi makes like Jim Brown...

Got a call from my best friend today... he lives in Tucson, I see him once every few years... nothing reminds you about the power of friendship than an out-of-the-blue call from someone you can tell anything to... loners are not loners by choice...

We know Mick Cronin can recruit... we're about to learn if he can coach...

Am I the only one wanting Chad Johnson to be as audacious as he has been in previous years? 85 has been Marvin-ized... it has taken some of his spunk and, I think, some of the offense's swagger along with it... give me brash Chad any day, over "mature'' Chad... BTW, Sports Illustrated is running a big feature on him in the next few weeks...

Another reason to love Bob Castellini: Back in about May, I wrote that the Reds had .500 talent and that the best thing about baseball is, over a 6-month season, teams almost always wear they face they deserve at the end of 162 games... the owner sent me a note, proposing a bet: They finish above .500, I owe him 2 pints of Graeters... below .500, he owes me... last week, 6 pints of Graeter's coffee ice cream arrived at my door, express-sent in dry ice, in a styrofoam box... I hate it when I'm right.

Live big, with raspberry chip.