Hey all. I am a film maker based in Columbus. I am filming a documentary this fall on OSU football, its fans, and its relationship to the Columbus community.

I am looking for some fans to be interviewed for the film and one or two to film watching the game - at home, tailgating, or at a local watering hole. I am looking for a true fanatic - someone who truly lives, breathes, and bleeds scarlet and grey.

If any regulars are interested (or know someone who might be interested) send me an email. I can provide compensation for your time. It requires zero commitment, and I know it would be a fun experience for the right fans to show off their love for Ohio State football.

Ben

Hey everybody. I know we have some Buckeye fans on here, and we also have an appropriate number of OSU detractors. I am making a documentary on the OSU football phenomenon and I am looking for a pretty-die hard fan or fans to interview as subjects in the documentary.

If anyone thinks they might qualify, or if you know someone else who would be interested, please let me know in the comments section and I will get in touch with you. I can provide some compensation for your time. Whoever I interview will have to live in the Central Ohio area. I'm sure a lot of people know a few crazy fans who are eager to show off their devotion. This is the perfect opportunity to do that. Thanks!

As someone who has visited and read this site pretty frequently over the last two years, often as a silent observer rather than a full participant, I thought I might add some observations I have had over the last couple of days.

The signing of Aroldis Chapman came in the midst of the RR Community Prospect Rankings, and seems to have fueled discussion of the Reds future while drastically brightening the potential of that future. Signing a player like Chapman, for whom the sky is the ceiling, should warm the heart of every Reds fan. The fact that he was sought by many other teams with deeper pockets, larger media markets, and a much more recent history of winning has renewed the hopes of myself and many others here that this is a legitimate baseball franchise.

The tone of so much of the reporting and commenting on the site has been pessimistic - usually with reasonable justification. I will point to JinAz's recent excellent analysis of the 2009 Reds. We have collectively cursed crippling acquisitions, questionable trades, T-Virus, Corey Patterson, and of course Dusty Baker. Slyde may even be close to giving up hope. We have bemoaned, analyzed and quantified the failure of our beloved team. We have assigned blame. To be sure, there have been bright spots: Joey, Jay, Homer, Cueto, Volquez and a host of young studs who may raise our hopes or crush them. We have had dim hopes for success, tempered with a Gatsby like resilience that "one fine morning . . ." But something has changed in what I see since Sunday.

And that is what I wanted to point out. The threads since Sunday have been remarkable. I don't ever remember seeing so many comments go green in such a short amount of time. Everyone has truly enjoyed each others company, such as it is. The discussion has been lively, dynamic, and bubbling with child-like optimism. While Chapman could squash our expectations, our excitement is completely justified in my opinion. While we still do not have too much pitching, this young man makes our farm system shimmer. Combined with many of our other prospects, and young players just beginning to establish themselves in the Bigs, I cannot remember a time when the prospects for near-term success have seemed brighter from my perspective. We have ceased to assign blame in favor of showering Walt, Bob and company with praise - and I believe they deserve it.

Its been a thrill reveling in the Chapman signing with all of you, albeit from a distance. I'm enjoying this tide of optimism. Lets hope that the Reds give us no reason to break that tide.

I've applied to grad school to study history and I am starting to get my decisions. I have been accepted to Miami and UC, was sadly rejected by OSU today and still awaiting word from OU. Miami has offered me full-funding. UC wait-listed me in that regard, but I am still hopeful that they may come through with some money for me.

UC is paying for me to come down and visit the weekend of March 7-8. I don't know the city well so I was hoping some of you guys should give me some things that I should check out and maybe some areas I might want to look at for housing (and places I might want to avoid). I have never even been to Oxford, but I have had friends attend MU, but any other takes on the school and town would be great.

Also, I would guess we have some Miami and UC alums on here, so I would love to here anyones take on the schools. Academically they are both pretty equal for my field. UC gets the slight edge for me because of the Reds. I am still not sure if I am city or country boy, so no edge there. I will probably follow the money but I would like as much perspective as I can get.

Any thoughts/advice/opinions would be welcome.

So are we all still on for Byrne's tonight at 8? I am.

How do we identify eachtother? I will be wearing a grey striped shirt with khakis.

Any other issues? I need about forty more words here.

Hmmm. How about that snow? What I hate the most about snow in the city is that it starts to turn black immediately. Vile.

Anyway, a few more words. Hope some people can make it out tonight.

According to MLBTR Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady are available. I don't see the point to acquiring Nady since it would be a rental, but I think Swisher could be intriguing.

He is a switch-hitter, gets on base, decent fielder (I think), and relatively cheap (about $21 million through 2011) and he will be around in 2010-11, which I think is the most forseeable window for the Reds to contend. I also think he could make the 2009 team at least respectable. He could be the big bat. He would absolutely RAKE at GABP, don't you think? He could fit nicely between Bruce and Votto, and play left field. This would also force Dusty to play the bench players on the bench. He could spell Votto

Here is a lineup I divined with Swisher in it:

Taveras - CF

Phillips - 2B

Bruce - RF

Swisher -LF

Votto-1B

Encarnacion - 3B

Hernandez - C

Gonalez/Someone worse - SS

 What would it take to get him? I suspect it would take a small package, including a upper-tier prospect, probably not an outfielder. I think it is at least something that Jock should look into. Payroll could be an issue, since a lot of people will be getting raises over the next couple of years. He could also complicate the myriad of position shifts that have been discussed.

I need something to look forward to, and Cherry at short with Hopper in left is just not getting it done.