Reds season ticket holders got the obligatory “Sorry About Everything” letter from team management recently. For the umpteenth time, the franchise is going to rebuild.

Here is a snippet of the letter:

“Since taking ownership of the franchise. we have aggressively tried to improve our major league roster for the purpose of restoring championship baseball to Cincinnati . . .

“We had high expectations for the 2008 season. Unfortunately, the team has not played up to our expectations and we have sustained injuries to key players within our starting lineup and rotation.”

Tipsheet expects big things now that former Cards GM Walt Jocketty is running the show, but these things take time. Meanwhile fans are grousing about the exit of Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. in trades and the team’s precipitous fall from playoff contention.

We’re not sure an apology, signed by Jocketty and chief executive officer Bob Castellini, will do a whole lot of good.

USAIN BOLTS!

The man’s 200-meter race is amazing. My friends at NBCSports.com didn’t put it up right away, since the tape-delayed version is a centerpiece of tonight’s network coverage.

But the race is all over the Internets, thanks to foreign feeds available elsewhere. Of course, the web police are out trying to get the race out of cyberspace . . . so you might or might not be able to locate it.

Either way, check it out tonight. Bolt looks like he will be lots of fun for media types to cover in years ahead.

REJECTING MICHAEL PHELPS

Not every young female is hot on the trail of Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps. Swimmer (and nude model) Amanda Beard told a Phoenix radio show that she hasn’t dated the kid.

Nor would she ever date Phelps.

“Ew, that’s nasty,” she told the audience. “Come on, I have really good taste. He’s not really my type.”