Brianna Lee further exemplifies the fact that chicks named Brianna are hot....

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As the Reds are set to begin a 9-game homestand tonight....I'll be interested to see what the crowds look like and what the confidence level of the team (and fans) have after getting swept in San Diego. Considering the Reds face a Phillies team that is pretty hot lately...it would be a great momentum swing if they can pick up a couple wins before facing two sub-par teams like Cleveland and Houston at the tail end of the homestand.

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Fans warming to youthful Reds
Shannon Russell, Enquirer
The Reds haven?t done this well since starting 23-14 in a season that culminated in an 80-82 record. Attendance hasn?t been overwhelming, but fans are still filling seats. ESPN said the Reds have averaged 21,756 fans at 16; home games, which ranks 24th in Major League Baseball thus far. The team was 23rd overall last season with an average of 25,415 fans. Although the economic landscape has been bleak, the Reds make it easier for fans to come to games, said Sandy Briggs? husband, Jim. He likes the discount beer and food options in particular.

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News on the Reds Injury Front
From Rob Butcher, Reds PR

LHP Bill Bray was examined yesterday by Reds medical director Timothy Kremchek, who today will perform surgery on Bray?s left elbow. Bray has been on Louisville?s disabled list since April 16 with a strained left elbow.

Reds 1B Joey Votto became light-headed following Sunday?s game at San Diego. Instead of flying home with the team, as a precautionary measure he was admitted for tests at Scripps Clinic at San Diego. He will be examined again in Cincinnati today. Votto missed 5 games last week with the flu and twice more left games with dizziness

RHP Edinson Volquez yesterday received treatment on his back without complaint. Volquez left Saturday?s start with mild spasms in his mid-back. He is not expected to miss a start.

At some point today, the Reds are expected to disable RHP Nick Masset (strained left oblique muscle), retroactive to May 11, and recall from Louisville RHP Ramon Ramirez.

Masset went 1-0, 1.23 in 11 relief apps for the Reds.

Ramirez (#58) went 0-3, 5.08 in 7 starts for the Bats (39ip, 37h, 27r, 22er, 17bb, 28k, 4hr).

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Need more reasons to go to the homestand? Here are some
From the Reds

HALF-PRICE TICKETS: Throughout the month of May (not including Indians games), the Reds are offering all students half-price tickets, thanks to First Student. From preschool to grad school, all students can receive half-price tickets for select seating sections at Reds games in May, excluding the Cleveland series May 22-24. Fans can purchase student tickets at the Great American Ball Park ticket windows or in advance at Reds.com.

4 tickets for $40 to see the Reds vs. the Indians?plus a LaRosa's pizza coupon! ($90 value) Fans can buy four (4) View Level tickets for just $40 to either of the Reds vs Indians games May 22-24 and receive a coupon for a FREE large two-topping LaRosa's pizza!

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What an opportunity Bengals fans have
P-Doc, Enquirer
The bad economy and the bad Bengals intersected at the same spot in time. Mike Brown called fans a "theme." He pays himself millions as GM. On the other hand, you might like the offseason moves (Tank, Williams, Coles) and the draft picks. On the other, other hand, UC is coming off a BE title and an Orange Bowl appearance and Bearcats tix are less expensive.

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Palmer ready to hit the field
Joe Reedy, Enquirer
"You kind of get the sense that the moves we made hadn?t been done here in awhile. We had a good offseason and made great moves to help the teams in areas where we needed to be helped. There were some aggressive moves."

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Returning stars on a short leash?
Mark Sheldon, Reds.com

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It's about time that MLB figures it out.....Major League Baseball is going to turn back the clock for the start of World Series games this season. The network said on Monday that weeknight games will begin at 7:57 ET. The start of Saturday night games could be even earlier, and Sunday games will continue to begin following the conclusion of the network's NFL coverage.

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"Chucky" invades the Monday Night Football booth.....

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If Charles Barkley is swinging a golf club, you probably shouldn't be standing behind him....

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Mike Vick will be a free man, kind of.....For two months, the suspended NFL star will be largely confined to his Hampton home and will wear an electronic monitor that allows federal probation officials to track his movements. He will be allowed to go to his full-time construction job and will likely be allowed about five hours a week for other court-approved activities, according to Ed Bales, managing director of Federal Prison Consultants, an inmate rehabilitation advocacy group.

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The Kenyon vs Cuban bout continues to fester.....The feud simmering between the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin and Mark Cuban continued to boil this weekend, a week after the Mavericks' owner set off the acrimonious tete-a-tete by making an insulting comment to Martin's mother after a Game 3 loss. "He's a coward," Martin said about Cuban, according to HoopsHype.com. "He couldn't face it. You all read the only apology that he's made [on his blog].

(hat tip to CatFan for the link)

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Today's Definition of Duh.....don't EVER cross the barrier at the Tomb of the Unknowns...

Although this has to be a solid #2.....A man who robbed his local takeaway pizza shop forgot one important element of a hold up - leaving the scene of the crime.

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I'm no business-buff...but targeting customers of a store that went out of business doesn't exactly seem to be a good idea. Cuz, ya know, there was a reason it went out of business.

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Biggest mistake Anna Kournikova ever made....she's moving away from her image as a sexy tennis star in hopes of reaching out to a much younger audience.

Personally, I think she's better off marketing herself like this...

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Jim Bowden Syndrome extended to the Grounds Crew....

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Another day of bacon related Food Porn....introducing Bacon Cream Cheese Rolls

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Another day of bacon related Food Porn....introducing Bacon Cream Cheese Rolls

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I'm a big Family Guy fan...but I'm not really sure about this yet...

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FAIL of the day....

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FAIL of the day....

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Today's "You know you've got issues when..." story comes from Berlin, Germany.....

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Things just didn't work out for this kid today....

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Today's Definition of Irony.....the National Fire Service Training College which offers "training courses in fire prevention and control" catches fire, burns to the ground.

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The Top 10 Worst Sports Names
Time

10. UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs

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