This and that

• Check out the Q&A with Mike Brown from Cincinnati.Com. He had some pretty interesting things to say, and not just because we're hearing from him for the first time in months. I don't want to read too much into the quote about Marvin, but it makes you wonder how much job security he still has. If that's Mike Brown's opinion, I'm surprised Marvin hasn't been fired yet.

Don't know how well this will be received ... it's one of those deals where we can make fun of ourselves but we take offense when an outsider takes the same jabs. The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston offers a notebook (third item down) where he calls the Bungles the "worst team I've seen in the 21 years I've been covering the NFL." Ouch.

There is proof that not ALL of the Bengals have completely given up. This crossed on the wire a short time ago ...

-----

Safety Marvin White played most of the Cincinnati Bengals' latest loss on a torn knee.

Tests on White's right knee found that he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in the first half of a 34-3 loss to Baltimore on Sunday. White didn't realize the severity of the injury and stayed in the game.

Coach Marvin Lewis said on Monday that the test results were surprising, given the way White played. White was at a hospital on Monday. He'll miss the rest of the season, but is expected to be recovered from surgery by next season.

-----

And in case you missed it, the 49ers cut Ahmad Brooks over the weekend.

• Two plays that I saw Sunday (during the few minutes I got to watch aside from Bengals-Ravens) ticked me off. Ryan Clark's hit on Wes Welker in the third quarter of the Steelers-Pats game was dirty - helmet-to-helmet and completely unnecessary. He did get flagged and will hopefully get fined. He destroyed Welker (who did not return) for no good reason. Have to disagree with SI.com's Andrew Perloff, who said he enjoyed it. Local relevance: It's the Steelers.

The other play wasn't quite as vicious, but it angered me because it was the most blatant late hit that didn't draw a flag that I've ever seen. On Sunday Night Football, Adewale Ogunleye knocked Gus Frerotte to the ground about 4 seconds after he threw it. I don't know how referee Bill Leavy could have possibly missed it. Frerotte was livid. TwinCities.com's Tom Powers wrote about Frerotte's impressive effort after one of the worst roughing-the-passer non-calls I've ever seen.

• By the way, I didn't realize until last night how many Vikings have some sort of tie. Frerotte, Madieu Williams, Leslie Frazier obviously spent time with the Bengals. Ray Edwards went to Woodward HS. Antoine Winfield was a Buckeye. Chester Taylor played in the MAC. Did I forget anyone? Maybe they can pick up Ahmad Brooks.

• The Lot D's C. Trent has some solid quotes from Brian Kelly, including some about a Seattle Times report that he'll interview for the Washington job this week.

SI.com's Stewart Mandel (Sycamore HS) still has UC meeting BC in the Orange Bowl, Ohio State playing Texas in the Fiesta Bowl and Kentucky-Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl in his latest bowl projections.

• Must-see video: Mardy Gilyard on palestra.net talking about how UC is no longer Ohio State's little brother. Pretty strong words. It'd be a bigger deal if they were going to play each other, though.

• The Enquirer's John Fay talked to Walt Jocketty about the possibility of acquiring Jermaine Dye. But several other teams apparently have expressed interest as well. And the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales reported over the weekend that his source says a deal involving Dye and the Reds is complicated by financial matters.

• Non-local link of interest: Someone had asked me about a complete list of free agents. Check out Sporting News Today's free agent watch.