Game is not on TV. No problem, we're Tweeting from this afternoon's Indians-White Sox game!
The Big Ten could announce the divisions later this afternoon
Nike video introducing Ohio State 1942-themed uniforms
Here we are on a Wednesday, with the season ready to start on a Thursday night, new uniforms having been unveiled for the Michigan game and the Big Ten possibly announcing new divisions that would affect the status of The Game.
This is still Ohio State football, right?
The Thursday game is no big deal to me, a nice change that gives the Buckeyes two very helpful extra days of preparation for the Miami game as they shoot for a national title.
The possible unveiling of divisions, which a Nebraska assistant athletic director said on radio last night he expects and many, many other people are speculating will happen - well, that could make some people very angry.
But I think the first real announcement of the day turned out pretty well for Ohio State fans, as Nike showed off the new Pro Combat jerseys in New York, giving a glimpse at what the Buckeyes will wear for the Michigan game.
Not bad. As we wrote yesterday, I like the theme honoring the military service of the 1942 Buckeyes. You can see a little bit on the gray sleeves under the uniform the camo pattern.
So, with one announcement down for the day, what do you think?
PD Ohio State writer: If Big Ten fouls up the OSU-Michigan rivalry, they will decide to fix it in a few years.
Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Branson Wright and Chuck Yarborough. Let's go to today's show highlights: • The Ohio State Buckeyes kick off their 2010 season Thursday night with a home game against Marshall. (Don't miss Thursday's preview section in The Plain Dealer and on cleveland.com.) Everyone knows QB Terrelle Pryor is key to OSU's title hopes, but what other player needs to step up the most to help the Buckeyes win the title? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll..
• Today's guest, Plain Dealer Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises, says when it comes to under-the-radar players, he is interested to see more of running back Jordan Hall this season.
Also, Doug talks about tonight's expected announcement of the Big Ten divisions for 2011 football. Doug expects the Big Ten to split OSU and Michigan, which is different than the divisions Doug has proposed.
SBTV will return Wednesday morning.
Manny Ramirez does something quirky. FLASH!
Cleveland, Ohio -- If Manny Ramirez is expecting a pass on media scrutiny in Chicago, he's gonna get caught looking, just as he watched his last strike as a Los Angeles Dodger go by.
David Haugh, writing for the Chicago Tribune, took the former Indians-Red Sox-Dodgers slugger to task for his bizarre decision to use White Sox coach Joey Cora as an interpreter . . . despite having spent 25 of his 38 years in the United States. Oh, and the Dominican Republic native has never needed – or used – an interpreter in his 18 years in the big leagues.
Now lots of writers, including The Plain Dealer's own Paul Hoynes, took note of Manny's latest Manny being Manny. But few were as strident, for lack of a better term, as Haugh:
Indeed, nothing defines pro sports' win-at-all-cost mantra more than the Sox adding Ramirez to a team desperate for bullpen help more than another bat.
The price to rent Ramirez for a month is a hefty $3.8 million, but the cost of self-respect to the Sox may be harder to quantify. The organization used to build ad campaigns around a gritty style and undeniable mental toughness in which their fan base rightfully takes pride. Tuesday they began considering the sale of "Manny Wigs," to promote a guy infamous for being a steroid cheat and quitting on teams.
Pretty stiff, but not quite all. Haugh had more to say:
"Manny better bring in another 10,000 fans here," (White Sox manager Ozzie) Guillen kidded before the game.
Perhaps Ramirez will generate more buzz Friday night in Boston than he did in his first major-league city, where only 12,006 showed up. It was amusing to ask a group of teenagers holding tickets along Ontario Street if they were excited to see Manny Ramirez again.
"Who?" said a boy wearing a Browns cap. "We're here for the Jonas Brothers."
Wonder if the Sox know that a big hit for the Jonas Brothers, maybe their biggest (and Starting Blocks is a little chagrined at having wasted a brain cell on knowing this) is one called "S.O.S." Only in Manny's case, instead of saving our ship, all they got was the same old stuff.
Ozzie on Manny
Over at mlb.com, Anthony Castrovince on Wednesday followed up on the Manny situation with Ozzie Guillen and the comparisons between the two, both of whom are among baseball's more colorful characters.
"I think Manny manipulates the media better than I do," Guillen said. "They made a big deal out of him not speaking English [in his press conference Tuesday]. Whatever he says, whatever he does, people will talk about it. One thing I know for sure is he doesn't want to be the guy to get attention. He just wants people to worry about the White Sox, not him."
"He doesn't want to be the guy who gets attention?" Well, that explains the dreads, the three-sizes-too-big uni and choosing to avoid English.
Not.
One more Manny
The Chicago Sun-Times had a little fun at Manny's expense. In English, no less. The newspaper ran a survey asking readers if Manny and his dreadlocks qualified for Chicago's All-Hair Team. Other members include Joakim Noah, Dennis Rodman's bleached 'do, Jose Cardenal's Afro, Mike Ditka's oil slick and more. Pretty funny stuff.
From The Plain Dealer
Oh, yeah. They played a baseball game at Progressive Field Tuesday night. Oh, yeah. The Indians lost. Justin Masterson pitched a good game, but it went for naught when A.J. Pierzynski hit a homer in the ninth to claim the 4-3 win. Hoynsie's game story finds the silver lining: Masterson's performance helped strengthen his case to be in the rotation in 2011.
Indians and White Sox are tied, 1-1, through three innings.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Tribe plays host to the White Sox this afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
Pitching matchup: RHP Carlos Carrasco (----) vs. RHP Freddy Garcia (11-5, 4.89).
In-game updates: The White Sox and Indians were tied, 1-1, through three innings.
Alex Rios hit a two-out homer in the first -- his 20th. He ripped an 0-1 fastball over the wall in left-center.
Carrasco gave up one other hit. Andruw Jones had a swinging bunt in the second.
Carrasco got Manny Ramirez to ground to short leading off the second.
The Indians tied it in the third. Jason Donald walked and stole second. Chris Gimenez failed to advance him by grounding to short.
Donald moved to third on Michael Brantley's grounder and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's single to right.
Pregame notes:
The Indians have added Carrasco, reliever Jensen Lewis and outfielder/infielder Jordan Brown from Class AAA Columbus. They bring the major-league roster total to 28.
Rosters can expand to 40 beginning Sept. 1.
Carrasco, 23, has spent the entire season at Columbus, where he went 10-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 25 starts. He ranks 4th in the International League with 133 strikeouts.
Lewis begins his fifth stint with the Indians this season. He has gone 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 25 appearances (25.2IP, 24H, 11R/ER, 16BB, 18K). He was with the Indians most recently from July 30 to Aug. 6.
At AAA Columbus, Lewis went 2-1 with two saves and a 2.67 ERA in 24 appearances.
Brown begins his second stint with the Indians, for whom he has batted .226 (7-for-31) with 4 doubles, one RBI and 4 runs in nine games. Since being optioned to Class AAA on Aug. 15, he went 13-for-54 in 14 games. He has spent most of the season with Columbus, hitting .298 (97-326).
The Indians' roster consists of 14 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders and five outfielders. The 40-man roster stands at 39.
Man-Ram in the lineup: Manny Ramirez will debut with the White Sox as the starting designated hitter. He will bat fifth.
Lineups:
White Sox (72-60) -- 1. Juan Pierre lf; 2. Omar Vizquel 2b; 3. Alex Rios cf; 4. Paul Konerko 1b; 5. Manny Ramirez dh; 6. Mark Teahen 3b; 7. Andruw Jones rf; 8. Ramon Castro c; 9. Alexei Ramirez ss; and Garcia.
Indians (53-79) -- 1. Michael Brantley cf; 2. Asdrubal Cabrera ss; 3. Shin-Soo Choo rf; 4. Travis Hafner dh; 5. Jayson Nix 3b; 6. Jordan Brown 1b; 7. Shelley Duncan lf; 8. Jason Donald 2b; 9. Chris Gimenez c; and Carrasco.
Umpires: P -- Tim Welke; 1b -- Jim Reynolds; 2b -- Bill Welke; 3b -- Mike DiMuro.
Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy will gain some much-needed game experience against the Bears and the bubble players will get one last chance to impress the coach before final cuts on Saturday.
CLEVELAND -- Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Bears is a chance for rookie quarterback Colt McCoy to get some much-needed game experience for down the road and for the bubble players to impress coach Eric Mangini one last time before the final cuts on Saturday.
The Browns must trim 22 players to reach the limit of 53 by 6 p.m. Fortunately for McCoy, he doesn’t have to sweat out the cuts. Sources have told The Plain Dealer that the Browns have assured him he’ll make the final roster and that this year was all about learning from the day he was drafted in the third round of Texas.
But he’ll see his most extensive action of the preseason and would like to show his progress. Starter Jake Delhomme and backup Seneca Wallace will sit out the game, leaving McCoy and Brett Ratliff to play two quarters each. It’s Ratlilff whose roster spot is uncertain.
"I’m excited to play," said McCoy, the winningest QB in NCAA history. "I’m really looking forward to it. To be able to know you’re going to go into a game and play a good bit of time, it’s going to be fun. When you’re on the field awhile, you can kind of get in synch, get in the flow. At least I hope to."
So far this preseason, McCoy has completed 15-of-26 attempts for 101 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 34.3 rating. He showed improvement Saturday in Detroit, completing 10-of-14 attempts for 76 yards, with no TDs or interceptions for a respectable 84.2 rating. But he was strip-sacked once and then made back-to-back poor decisions on the final two plays, failing to throw it out of bounds on the first play to stop the clock with 26 seconds remaining, and then throwing it out of bounds instead of in the end zone on the final shot. At other times, he’s thrown it into the end zone when he shouldn’t.
"Colt has shown growth, I think he was 10-for-14 last game," said Mangini. "I think there were a couple decisions, again, that he needs to improve on, but he improved on the decision-making from the earlier games. We’re not where we need to be, but it’s been better than what it was. That’s going to keep coming with time and experience."
Delhomme, who’s spent much time mentoring McCoy, said the rookie has done OK considering his opportunities.
"Let’s be honest, Seneca and I have gotten the majority of the snaps," said Delhomme. "He started all through high school and college and it’s very difficult for a young guy when you’re not getting reps. You’re getting mental reps, but it’s nothing like game reps and practice."
The good part, Delhomme said, is that McCoy isn’t getting discouraged.
"He’s still getting here early and staying late," said Delhomme. "He’s going to be fine. I’m not saying that just try to soothe things over."
McCoy said he’s still having fun, studying all he can and learning from the other quarterbacks.
"Improvement — that’s the mentality I have every day before I go to practice," he said. "I make sure I’m working on something that’s going to make me better today than I was yesterday. Obviously I’ve got really high expectations for myself, so do a lot of people on this team, my coaches and probably outside of here. I’d like to go out there and play the best I can and get something going offensively that we can put on tape and be proud of."
The game also marks the preseason debut of rookie running back Montario Hardesty, whom the Browns had penciled in as a feature back this season. Hardesty (right knee) said he’s ready for whatever they give him despite practicing only two full days so far.
"He’s a kid we thought very, very highly of in the spring," said Delhomme. "He picked up the offense extremely quickly. He’s very intelligent. Obviously playing in the SEC last year, you get battle-tested, especially as a running back. It’ll be nice to have him out there. He can really help us."
The Browns have a lot of other tough decisions to make at positions such as running back and linebacker. Running back James Davis, who showed so much promise last year, is iffy as is Chris Jennings, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh last season. Linebackers such as David Bowens and David Veikune are uncertain because of the surplus there.
"David’s going to get plenty of opportunities to play this weekend and he’s made a lot of strides," said Mangini. "He did pretty well last game. He’s played both inside, outside as a rush end, and he made a couple of tackles on special teams. All of those things are positive. He’ll get a lot of chances here this weekend and I expect him to do a good job."
Mangini said the game can either help or hurt the bottom-tier players.
"The other thing that comes in to play is that there’s going to be quite a few guys available that aren’t right now," he said. "They’re not only competing on our roster, but (that of others)."
Ohio State may have a tough time preparing for Marshall because the new Thundering Herd coaching staff has not revealed what type of offense or defensive scheme they will run Thursday night. But if you think that's tough, writes John Kampf of Journal Register News Service, how would you like to be Marshall coach Doc Holliday? In preparing for the...
Ohio State may have a tough time preparing for Marshall because the new Thundering Herd coaching staff has not revealed what type of offense or defensive scheme they will run Thursday night.
But if you think that's tough, writes John Kampf of Journal Register News Service, how would you like to be Marshall coach Doc Holliday?
In preparing for the Buckeyes, Holliday has a worse problem.
He knows what he is going to see. He just doesn’t know how he is going to prepare for it or stop it.
“For us to mimic Ohio State is very hard,” Holliday said. “They’ve got All-Americans at every position.”
At the top of Holliday’s list of concerns is quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
“Hope and pray, I guess,” he said when asked what his defense can do. “I’m not sure you can totally contain him. He is going to make his plays.”
Pryor can especially make plays when a team takes a chance with a blitz. Holliday is also concerned that Pryor is now developing into a complete quarterback. Holliday said he noticed a different type of player in Pryor during the Rose Bowl.
“Teams like to try to keep him in the pocket and make him beat you with his arm,” Holliday said. “With that being said, he has beaten teams with his arm toward the end of the season a year ago. He has the ability to do that, and he has the ability to get out of the pocket and beat you on the ground.
“He is going to be a great challenge for us.”
Iron Heyward
The Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises writes about Lineman Craig Heyward's plans to have a big year.
Reporter Tim May of The Columbus Dispatch also writes about Heyward's goal to become the best lineman he can be.
In fact, when asked whether he wants to be the Ndamukong Suh of 2010, he answered quickly:
"I want to be better than Suh," the senior captain said.
Whether he even comes close to the season Suh had for Nebraska last year, when he wound up fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, remains to be seen. But Heyward said a meeting with coach Jim Tressel earlier this year convinced him not to be bashful about striving for such lofty goals.
One of Heyward's biggest admirers is Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, writes May. He sees the 6-foot-5, 288-pound Heyward as a prototype disruptor.
"His size at the defensive end position is something that really stands out to me," said Kerrigan, who is 6-4 and 263 pounds. "I always felt like I was a big guy at that position, but then I looked at him and said, 'Well, I guess I'm just average.'
"He's a guy who really stands out because of his athleticism at that position and how physically dominant he can be at times. I was watching a replay of the Ohio State-Penn State game the other day on the Big Ten Network, and he just completely overmatched some of the players."
Top dog in conference
Toledo Blade reporter Jon Spencer breaks down the Big Ten in his preview. Spencer gives the Buckeyes the nod when it comes to winning the conference.
Ohio State: No offense to Wisconsin and Iowa, both of whom face the Buckeyes at home, but it will never be easier for OSU to win a conference crown. And not just because Tressel's gang has the kind of veteran talent to make a national championship push. With expansion and divisions looming, winning the Big Ten in the future could mean having to play in the league championship game seven days after an always emotionally-charged showdown with Michigan. Is it asking too much of a team to be at an emotional peak two weeks in a row? Not sure I want to find out.
There's another report that The Game will stay as the finale to the regular season, even with the teams on opposite sides.
The Big Ten will officially announce its division alignment during a show on the Big Ten Network starting at 7 p.m.
According to ESPN's Andy Katz, this will be the divisional split:
* Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota
* Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana
This is 30 days since Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said the league had a 30 to 45 timetable to make these decisions, so the timing is right. Whether the divisions are right is another questions.
With an eight-game league schedule for now, the split will allow teams to play the five teams in their division and three on the other side. Each team will have a protected cross-division rival, which is how the Ohio State-Michigan will be played every season.
The question that matters now is when that game will be played, and radio station 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit is reporting that The Game will remain as the final game of the regular season. The league is expected to announce the 2011 and 2012 schedules tonight as well.
The placement of The Game had become a focus point as signals grew in recent weeks that Ohio State and Michigan would be in opposite divisions. There had been a reluctance among some league officials to play on the last weekend and risk an Ohio State-Michigan repeat in the Big Ten Championship game. But it appears that tradition has won out over that risk.
Otherwise, the divisions make sense from a competitive standpoint. Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State were the four best teams in the 17-year time period, starting with Penn State joining the Big Ten in 1993, used by the conference as a gauge. So those teams were split two and two. Iowa and Wisconsin were clearly the next best teams, so those teams were split. Then rivalries were preserved as much as possible.
So does this work for you? I'd prefer Ohio State and Michigan in the same division, but failing that, if they do in fact play the last week, I think this setup is as good as the league could have done.
Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot preview the Cleveland Browns game against the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium Thursday.
Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot preview the Cleveland Browns game against the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium Thursday.
Carlos Carrasco pitches superbly in his season's debut, but bullpen can't hold lead as Indians lose to White Sox, 6-4.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This time, Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco made the Sept. 1 season's debut work for him. The payoff should have been his first major-league victory.
Instead, reliever Justin Germano gas-canned it.
Paul Konerko hit a two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning as the White Sox defeated the Indians, 6-4 [Box score], Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field.
The White Sox (73-60) swept the three-game series, using late homers in each. Friday night, Brent Lillibridge's homer off Rafael Perez sparked a four-run 11th inning in a 10-6 victory. Saturday night, A.J. Pierzynski's three-run shot off Frank Herrmann in the ninth delivered a 4-3 conquest.
The Indians have lost four in a row. They slipped to 8-7 against the White Sox.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and runners on first and second, Shin-Soo Choo struck out swinging against Chris Sale. Sale, a rookie lefty, earned his first major-league save.
Carrasco, poised and confident from the outset, carried a 4-1 lead into the eighth. Alexei Ramirez hit a one-out homer, jerking a 1-0 fastball over the wall in left. After Carrasco walked Juan Pierre on four pitches, Tribe manager Manny Acta signaled for lefty Rafael Perez.
Carrasco received a loud ovation as he walked to the dugout.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen pinch-hit Carlos Quentin for Omar Vizquel. Quentin flied to right. Acta then hooked Perez for righty Germano. Pierre gambled with a steal of second on a 3-0 pitch to Rios. Rios walked on five pitches.
Konerko launched Germano's 1-1 breaking pitch onto the home-run porch. It was Konerko's 33rd homer of the season, five coming against Cleveland.
The White Sox tacked on one in the ninth against Jensen Lewis.
Carrasco, Lewis and Jordan Brown were promoted from Class AAA Columbus earlier in the day. Rosters can expand to 40 beginning Sept. 1.
Carrasco gave up three runs on six hits in 7 1 /3 innings. He walked one and struck out four. He threw 65 of 101 pitches for strikes.
On Sept. 1, 2009, Carrasco made his major-league debut in Detroit. It did not go well. He gave up nine hits -- including three homers -- and six runs in an 8-5 loss to the Tigers. Carrasco was burned on largely straight fastballs as he tried to throw hard, harder and hardest. His off-speed stuff was ineffective.
Carrasco finished the month with an 0-4 record and 8.87 ERA in five starts.
A different pitcher took the mound Wednesday. Carrasco was in control throughout, commanding a mid-90s four-seamer, low-90s two-seamer, hard slider and curve.
Rios's homer gave Chicago a 1-0 lead. The Indians tied it in the third. Jason Donald drew a leadoff walked and stole second. Chris Gimenez failed to advance him by grounding to short. Donald moved to third on Michael Brantley's grounder and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's single to right.
The Indians took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Jayson Nix squibbed a one-out single past the mound toward second. With Brown batting, Nix took off for second. Catcher Ramon Castro's throw was in time to shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who applied the tag, but Nix's back leg knocked the ball out of the glove. Ramirez was charged with an error.
Brown rolled a single through the right side, Nix scoring easily thanks in part to a terrible throw by right fielder Andruw Jones.
The Indians scored twice in the fifth off White Sox reliever Tony Pena. Starter Freddy Garcia had exited after four innings because of a stiff lower back. One of the runs scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's double-play grounder. A Nix infield single/White Sox throwing error made it 4-1.
Oh, by the way: Manny Ramirez made his White Sox debut. It was highly uneventful. He went 1-for-3 and was hit by a pitch. He started at DH and batted fifth.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West will return to the Boston Celtics, writes A. Sherrod Blakely on CSNNE.com. In July, the Cavaliers traded West and Sebastian Telfair to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins. Minnesota released West shortly after the deal. West was drafted by the Celtics in the 2004 draft. He played for...
Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West will return to the Boston Celtics, writes A. Sherrod Blakely on CSNNE.com.
In July, the Cavaliers traded West and Sebastian Telfair to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins. Minnesota released West shortly after the deal.
West was drafted by the Celtics in the 2004 draft. He played for the Celtics for three years before he was traded to Seattle.
West will sign a non-guaranteed contract and will be in training camp this fall. West is suspended for the first 10 games this season for pleading guilty to a gun charge.
Maurice Clarett sidestepped questions about his past Wednesday in his first comments since signing with Omaha's United Football League team, saying he wants to discuss what lies ahead. The former Ohio State star said that he hoped for but was unsure he would be given a chance to play again. He said his legs are fresh and he's confident...
Maurice Clarett sidestepped questions about his past Wednesday in his first comments since signing with Omaha's United Football League team, saying he wants to discuss what lies ahead.
The former Ohio State star said that he hoped for but was unsure he would be given a chance to play again. He said his legs are fresh and he's confident he can be successful once he readjusts to the demands of football.
Clarett hasn't played in a game since helping lead Ohio State to the 2002 national championship. He broke NCAA rules for accepting gifts, lost a bid to enter the NFL after his freshman year, got cut by the Denver Broncos once he was drafted, and then served 3½ years in prison for his role in a robbery.
"I learned a lot, but more so just be humble about everything and stay positive in character and keep a good attitude about what goes on," Clarett said.
The Omaha Nighthawks are a first-year franchise in the UFL. The league's mission is to give exposure to veterans who hope to get back to the NFL and second chances to young players who have been cut or fallen through the cracks. Average pay is $50,000 for an eight-game season.
Pro Bowlers Jeff Garcia and Ahman Green are on the Nighthawks' roster, and this week's addition of Clarett thrust the league into the national spotlight.
The team has said it would provide a support system for the 26-year-old Clarett, who was made available for a short group interview after practice. He took 11 questions in five minutes before the team's public relations director ended the session.
Clarett walked through some plays during his third practice with the Nighthawks and got a look as a kick returner and member of the punt-coverage unit.
"My confidence level is good right now," he said. "Get in the weight room, get inside the playbook. I've got a good relationship with my teammates, just taking things day by day."
He said his biggest challenge has been learning terminology, remembering plays and getting acclimated to the short bursts of action and the feeling of wearing pads again.
"That was kind of foreign to me at first," he said.
Asked if he had anything to say to people who are scrutinizing his comeback bid, Clarett said, "I really have nothing to say to them. My focus is here with the Nighthawks. I'm going to keep it right there and figure out how to contribute to the team."
Clarett had to convince UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue that he was serious about playing football and being a good citizen. The two met Monday, and Huyghue gave his blessing.
"I'm sure he had his concerns and everything," Clarett said. "It was a personal discussion between me and him. I told him how I felt, where I was at in my life, how I felt about my family, about having an opportunity to play again and being around the guys around here."
Green, who grew up in Omaha and is the Green Bay Packers' career rushing leader, is serving as Clarett's mentor.
Clarett sits with Green in meetings and shadows him at practices.
"Ahman is a real positive dude," Clarett said. "I talked to him on the phone before I came here, and he said he would be a resource to me on any level. Every question I have asked him, he's been real helpful."
The Nighthawks' first game is at home in three weeks against the Hartford Colonials. Clarett said at one point that it was premature for him to think about how much playing time he would get.
But before being led away by the public relations director, he said, "I'm just looking forward to getting started on Sept. 24."
With many of the high school's athletic facilities damaged or destroyed, Streetsboro administrators and students are proud of their ability to cope as the new year begins.
STREETSBORO, Ohio -- Shortly after he saw the smoke billowing and the flames dancing across the roof and the fire trucks roaring through his neighborhood on June 1, Streetsboro football coach John Arlesic began doing what coaches do.
He began leading.
"My first thought wasn't, 'Oh, woe is me, what are we going to do now?' It was more like, 'What do we have to do?'" said Arlesic, who was taking his 10-year-old son, Ty, to his baseball game when a fire broke out at the high school just a short drive from the ballpark. "People aren't going to feel sorry for you, and if you start feeling sorry for yourself you might as well pack it in."
So, the day after parts of Streetsboro High burned to the ground, destroying three classrooms, the cafeteria, the gymnasium, locker rooms, wrestling mats, high jump pits and other pieces of athletic equipment, Arlesic rallied most of the fall sport coaches, who continue to be affected by the fire.
He put together an action plan of where and when the fall sports teams would practice, utilizing the gymnasium and cafeteria at Streetsboro Middle School and parts of Defer Intermediate School, if needed. He presented the plan to Principal Eric Rauschkolb and Superintendent Linda Keller. It was approved and the Streetsboro community began moving forward.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing, Streetsboro fire inspector Kevin Grimm said.
With help from the administration, 13 double-wide trailers were brought to the school grounds. Eleven serve as classrooms, two as locker rooms. Six of the modular classrooms also serve as the cafeteria. The trailer that will serve visiting football teams -- starting Friday in the home opener vs. Ravenna -- came equipped with two small showers, but Streetsboro players will walk about a quarter mile to shower at Streetsboro Middle School, which they did throughout two-a-days.
"I am proud of every kid in this school, not just the football players or the other athletes, but all the kids," said Arlesic. "They have faced all this adversity and I haven't heard one student complain. I think it says a lot about the type of people we have in this community."
Normalcy has been the target.
"Our theme is that we are going to make this school year as normal as possible," said Rauschkolb, whose hiring was approved three weeks before the fire. "No events that were normally held in our gymnasium will be canceled. That means pep rallies, dances and games. They might be moved, but they will not be canceled."
Of the fall sports teams, the highly successful volleyball squad has been affected the most. Matches are held in the middle school gymnasium, while it frequently practices in the middle school cafeteria.
"The kids have been fantastic," said Rauschkolb. "The volleyball team has endured the most because they have been displaced the most. Every practice and every game has been moved. But, they have been very flexible."
The soccer teams, cross country teams and the football team did not lose their practice facilities and Gillentis Stadium, site of Friday's football game, was not damaged.
Looking ahead to the winter season, the middle school will host wrestling matches and girls basketball games, Rauschkolb said. Home boys basketball games will be played at nearby high schools, such as Kent Roosevelt and Ravenna, although a decision on a specific schedule has not been reached.
Volleyball coach Bill Smerglia, whose teams have won five consecutive Portage Trail Conference Metro Division titles, has taken a logical approach.
"It is what it is," he said. "You have to handle what you can handle. There has had to be some jostling around, from site to site. Our players have had the opportunity to get down, discouraged and disgusted, and early on they talked about it. But, they have pulled together as a team and are trying to be successful."
Junior Alex Todd, a 6-4, 285-pound lineman, believes he and his teammates will benefit from the incident.
"I think it has brought us all closer together and I think it's teaching us that you have to overcome adversity," he said. "We realized right away what we had to do. You hear about these things happening at other places but you never think about it happening at your school."
Pepper Pike's Rob Moss won the Northern Ohio PGA section championship for the first time in his career.
WESTLAKE, Ohio -- When Rob Moss stepped onto the first tee at Lakewood Country Club for the final round of the Northern Ohio PGA's Professional Championship on Wednesday, he had no idea of what he would have to shoot in order to catch second-round leader Gary Trivisonno.
He just knew he had to be aggressive.
"With the way Gary was playing, I think we all felt the need to be aggressive because we had to be," said Pepper Pike Club pro Moss, who trailed Trivisonno by four shots heading into the final round. "Really, I just wanted to go out and shoot the lowest score I possibly could."
Moss, a three-time Ohio Open champion, dialed in the right amount of aggressiveness to win the section championship for the first time in his career with a final-round 1-under 70 for a 54-hole total of 4-under 209 under perfect conditions.
The one-stroke victory was worth $2,700 and assured Moss a spot in the 2011 PGA Professional National Championship next June at the Hershey (Pa.) Country Club. Playing in that event could lead to an appearance in the PGA Championship, which Moss played this year at Whistling Straits. The other top seven finishers at Lakewood will join Moss.
Trivisonno, seeking to become the first NOPGA player to win the Senior Pro Championship and the Pro Championship in the same season, shot a final-round 75 and was one of four players tied for second, one shot behind Moss.
That group included Mill Creek Park's Denny Miller, whose run at the title was derailed by a second-round 75, but who finished in a flurry with the day's best score of 66 and joined Trivisonno, Mitch Flemming (GolfTec) and Jaysen Hansen of the Inverness Club in Toledo at 210.
Moss, who said his game has improved dramatically since early May, got his round off to a great start with an eagle on the 379-yard, par-4 second hole. He canned his second shot from the right rough at 98 yards and later added a birdie on the 590-yard ninth when a gap wedge from 90 yards stopped six feet from the hole.
That made up for a double-bogey six in the 406-yard seventh. After that it was nine straight pars, which enabled him to emerge from a pack of eight players who were within one shot of the lead.
Quartet earn Mid-Am berth: Canton’s Nick Lambos earned the final qualifying spot for the U.S. Mid-Amateur championship on Wednesday when he made par on the first playoff hole in the qualifying tournament at Shale Creek in Medina.
Canfield’s Jim Perry and Todd Humrichouser, of Westerville, shared medalist honors with rounds of 2-under 69. Mike Hyland, of Ottawa Hills, was third and Lambos was fourth. They all qualify for the 30th U.S. Mid-Am national championship in Bridgehampton, N.Y., Sept. 25-30.
Case Western Reserve vs. John Carroll? It's about time they play again.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Greg Debeljak became the head football coach at Case Western Reserve University, he never thought this day would come.
"Play John Carroll, I don't think so," he said, remembering his first season as the Spartans' head coach.
CWRU was down to 45 players. Debeljak had attended John Carroll, and had been the Blue Streaks' offensive coordinator. He knew all about the Ohio Athletic Conference, where local schools Baldwin-Wallace and JCU battle powerhouse Mount Union and other nationally ranked Division III schools.
"It's always been a league with big, physical players," said Debeljak. "I never knew if we could even get to the level of most OAC programs."
But so much changed at CWRU when Willoughby South quarterback Dan Whalen arrived on campus is 2006. Suddenly, the Spartans began to win, and win big. They will host John Carroll at 7 p.m. Saturday, putting their 31-game regular-season winning streak on the line. Their only three losses in the last three seasons have been in the playoffs.
But they have not played an OAC school.
"For the last four years, the kids have been after me to upgrade the schedule," said Debeljak. "I have talked to OAC schools, they have room for only one independent game, so scheduling was a problem. That's why I'm happy this worked out."
Whalen has graduated, with his name next to nearly every significant school passing record. Walsh Jesuit product Joey Baum takes over, having waited three years for this chance. Along with Mentor running back Billy Deitmen, Baum is a team captain. Holy Name product Dale English is the team's sack leader.
Nearly every CWRU player has heard they'd be lucky to play .500 in the OAC. They heard that their University Athletic Association isn't much of a football league because only four schools play -- Carnegie Mellon, Washington (of St. Louis), the University of Chicago and CWRU. The conference does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs, so CWRU has been an at-large selection
"Obviously, we are in a stronger league, but Greg has done a fantastic, unbelievable job at Case," said JCU coach Regis Scafe.
He's in position to know. Scafe graded from CWRU in 1971. He coached the Spartans from 1994-98, having a 16-34 record. He is 72-42 at John Carroll.
"They have a tremendous stadium [Case Field, opened in 2005] which helps their recruiting," said Scafe. "They just don't lose at home. Next year, they come to our place. I love this game, it's a local rivalry that we want to develop."
The two teams haven't played since 1988. For years, the reason was CWRU. The football program wasn't ready to compete with OAC schools.
"Now, I think we can," said Debeljak. "We couldn't go 10-0 or 9-1 in their league. There are too many good teams, and you have Mount Union to deal with. But we can be competitive."
Why not open with Mount Union? The 10-time national champion often has a hard time finding independent opponents.
"I'd love to play them," said Debeljak. "But only in the playoffs. John Carroll is very tough."
The Blue Streaks are coming off a 3-7 season. They are led by Frank Ross, a two-time All-OAC receiver from Canfield.
For JCU, the game is a chance to prove "that we're better than [being picked] eighth in our conference," said Scafe.
"For us, it's a big game," said Debeljak. "We think we've really grown as a program, and this is a real test for us."
One that is worth watching for area Division III football fans.
In a Big Ten divisional alignment that puts Ohio State and Michigan in opposite divisions, the tradition of The Game was saved.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith had his bullet points ready, gleaned from fan emails and what he already knew about the rivalry.
When the proposed 2011 Big Ten schedule popped onto his screen during a video conference call with league athletic directors on Wednesday morning, if the last game of the regular season wasn't Ohio State vs. Michigan, Smith was ready for a fight.
"I would have used a lot of different things had it gotten to that point," Smith said Wednesday night. "But I felt pretty confident going in we wouldn't get there."
He was right. He didn't have to put up a fuss, never had to use the hammer.
In a Big Ten divisional alignment that puts Ohio State and Michigan in opposite divisions, the tradition of The Game was saved, still the season-ender for both the Buckeyes and Wolverines on the 2011 and 2012 schedules.
But just because Smith didn't have to fight Wednesday doesn't mean fans didn't have to do it for the last 10 days or so.
The official unveiling of the divisions on the Big Ten Network on Wednesday night was almost anticlimactic: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota on one side; Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Purdue on the other. Almost anyone who followed the league could have come very close to that even before they leaked.
So what mattered was the schedule and saving The Game. And how it all happened. From talking to Smith and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, here's the general order of things.
• It was agreed that Ohio State and Michigan would be in opposite divisions, "from jumpstreet," Smith said, with the OSU AD saying both schools supported that move, encouraged by the possibility of meeting in the title game. "We thought it would be kind of cool," Smith said.
I understand this as a sticking point for a lot of people, as it was for me. But this was never going to change. File it under what Delany generally referred to as "reasonable people can disagree."
• The ADs never talked about money in their discussions, Smith insistent when I said no one would believe that. So splitting the Buckeyes and Wolverines wasn't for cash, he said, because the league's TV contract is set, other than the title game. "We've already got our money," Smith said.
Asked if just the possibility of Ohio State and Michigan meeting adds value to the title game as a TV property, Delany said he thinks it'll get great ratings regardless and "it wasn't a consideration at all."
• The idea of playing Ohio State-Michigan around Nov. 12, and saving the last two weeks for divisional play, was considered. Delany said the conference moved away from this idea for several reasons, one of them because "we heard the fans. There was no doubt about that. Their voice matters," Delany said. "We're off-base if we don't respect our fans."
• But thousands of fans wouldn't have emailed Ohio State and the Big Ten office without the public expressions from conference officials, including Ohio State president Gordon Gee and Michigan AD David Brandon, that moving the game was a real possibility.
So that was that part of the plan, to float the idea and gauge reaction?
"I don't do trial balloons," Delany said, sounding a little peeved at my question. "I know some ADs made some general comments about what might happen. I don't know what their intention was. I think when you do that, my thought would be you would get some reaction."
They got it.
• After receiving that reaction, Smith and Brandon talked on the phone several times, then called the league office last week to say their preference was for the teams to meet to end the season, "not knowing which way they were going," Smith said.
• The ADs met through the video conference Wednesday, saw a schedule for the first time, and approved it unanimously. Every team has a protected rival in the opposite division. Wisconsin got the worst deal, playing only one of its three obvious rivals every year in Minnesota, while missing out on Nebraska and Iowa. Division names and a new logo, to be figured out by professional marketers, should be announced around Dec. 1.
The Game was saved.
Maybe this was a diabolical plot by the Big Ten to make this compromise seem like salvation. Or maybe the fans made a difference.
So before Ohio State and Michigan fans get down to disliking each other on Nov. 27, slap each other on the back. This was worth the fight.
Jim Tressel's sweater vest has come to symbolize not only him and Ohio State, but his style of coaching and personality.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tom Landry was known for a fedora perched atop his head, a classic symbol of his old-school reliability and authority on the sidelines.
Joe Paterno has those enormous, thick eyeglasses that never go out of style in his never-ending Penn State world.
Bear Bryant had his own jaunty houndstooth hat, a merging of vintage and modern at Alabama.
So it makes sense that if there is to be one visual representation of Ohio State coach Jim Tressel after 10 years with the Buckeyes, it would be something as staid and buttoned-up as he is: The sweater vest.
Simple in its style, elegant in its execution, the sweater vest has come to symbolize all that is Ohio State football in the Tressel Era.
It's old-school. It's authoritative. It's the style of football that the Buckeyes play on the field, and a representation of the leader who stalks the sidelines each game.
"No matter how you feel about the vest, it fits him," said Susan Luc, co-owner of Hudson-based Shop Your Closet.
Luc isn't referring to the size of the vest, though the image consultant does say that the vest is suited for Tressel's "trim" body type. She assesses whether someone's personal style is right by reviewing three categories: whether it fits the person's body type, their personal style and their lifestyle.
"He does have a particular style," Ohio State President Gordon Gee said. "He wears a vest and he wears a tie. How many coaches do you see who are so clearly in charge on the sidelines and as buttoned-down as Jim is? I think that's the way he lives his life."
In essence, Tressel is his sweater vest. It's as much a part of him as Landry's fedora was, as Paterno's thick glasses. Wear a sweater vest to a game as a fan, and everyone assumes you're rooting for the Buckeyes.
Or, if you grab one of John Amato's T-shirts on jupmode.com, wear just half the sweater vest. Amato capitalized on Tressel's fashion choice by creating the sweater vest T-shirt -- the front half of a sweater vest sewn onto a T-shirt with a silk-screened tie positioned beneath the vest fabric.
Amato has started a small sweater vest empire, churning out baby onesies, bibs, drink koozies and soon will doggie sweater vests.
"It's actually such a novelty item with Ohio State," said Amato, a Toledo native who graduated from Notre Dame. "And because coach Tressel is so iconic, in particular. He's a guy who has been there a long time, and has done very well. He's a class act. Even if you're a supporter of a different school, you have to respect that."
Chad Zumock didn't attend Ohio State, either, but he respects both Tressel and the sweater vest. The comedian owns 61 sweater vests and wears them on all occasions. With short-sleeves in the summer. With long-sleeves in the winter. Plaid and solid, in earth tones and even pink.
When he saw Tressel committed to the sweater vest at Ohio State -- with red reserved for when the team is in white, and gray for when the team uniform is red so he's easily spotted -- Zumock realized that the Buckeyes were headed toward years of success.
"Basically I saw that he's committed to winning as soon as I saw him wearing that sweater vest," Zumock said. "He thinks like a champion. You gotta dress for success."
Columnist Bill Livingston names his top Ohio State players in the Jim Tressel Era.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The list of the 10 best players of the Jim Tressel Era at Ohio State begins with a Heisman Trophy winner and ends with a Dick Butkus and Bronko Nagurski award winner.
How hard is it to make this team?
Harder than it has proven for Michigan, in a complete reversal of the trend of The Game before Tressel, to beat the Buckeyes. And that's proven to be a stumper eight times in nine years, including the last six in a row.
The Near-Misses
15. LeCharles Bentley, center (1998-2001)
14. Craig Krenzel, quarterback (2000-03)
13. Santonio Holmes, wide receiver (2003-05)
12. Beanie Wells, running back (2006-08)
11. Malcolm Jenkins, safety (2005-07)
The Top 10
10. James Laurinaitis, linebacker (2005-08) -- Three time All-American, Butkus Award winner as the top college linebacker, Nagurski Award winner as the top college defender, Laurinaitis was a very, very good college player. But he just didn't make that many game-changing plays and "hit the rewind button" collisions.
9. Mike Doss, safety (1999-2002) -- Fierce hitter and three-time All-American, Doss was a champion at every level of the game. His ramble with an intercepted pass got Ohio State started in the upset of Miami in the national championship game.
8. Will Allen, defensive back (2000-03) -- Doss' caddy for three years intercepted Michigan's John Navarre at the sill of the Buckeyes' goal on the last play in 2002; caught a pass Matt Wilhelm tipped in the end zone to hold off Cincinnati; knocked Willis McGahee out of the Fiesta Bowl on a clean hit, and recovered the fumble of the Hurricanes' Roscoe Parrish in the same game; and stopped an N.C. State running back inches short of the goal on fourth down in the third overtime. In his senior year, Allen was an All-American.
7. Ted Ginn Jr., wide receiver (2004-06) -- Scoring on kickoff and punt returns, swerving on end arounds, flying into the clear on deep balls, even passing for a score, the Glenville flash was an all-purpose threat. Opponents had to find him in a hurry, because he was the fastest man in college football.
6. A.J. Hawk, linebacker (2002-05) -- The best of a terrific trio that included Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel, Hawk won the Vince Lombardi Award as the best lineman or linebacker in the college game. No less than legendary Texas coach Darrell Royal left the Horseshoe in 2005 raving about Hawk and his fellow linebackers.
5. Chris Gamble, cornerback (2001-03) -- Yes, he was roughed up in the end zone on fourth down in the first OT by Miami, on the penalty that prolonged the tying drive. He also played 106 other snaps in that game and caught OSU's longest pass of the night. A throwback as a two-way player, Gamble made an interception to save the day against Purdue in 2002 was strictly Willie Mays/Vic Wertz stuff in terms of ground covered.
4. Michael Jenkins, wide receiver (2000-03) -- Facing fourth-and-14 in the first OT against Miami, or facing fourth-and-2 at the Boilermakers' 37 in the final minute and change at Purdue, who ya gonna call? Jenkins always answered with huge catches.
3. Will Smith, defensive end (2000-03) -- The leader of the ferocious front four of the 2002 national championship team, he recorded 10.5 sacks and set the tone for the upset of Miami with a bear-paw swat and sack of Dorsey for a loss on the very first play.
2. Maurice Clarett, running back (2002) -- The most polarizing figure in Ohio State football history, Clarett was the freshman on whose shoulders the national championship hopes rested. No one ever made more amazing runs for no gain or little gain, as time and again the one-year wonder avoided drive-killing losses. Clarett scored the winning touchdown after breaking a backfield tackle in the championship game, but the Buckeyes would never have gotten that far without the ball he stole from Miami safety Sean Taylor after Taylor's end zone interception. With no OSU field goal on that drive, there would have been no overtime.
1. Troy Smith, quarterback (2003-06) -- Video game numbers: 46 TD passes, 10 interceptions in his final two seasons, including a 30/6 ratio in his Heisman year of 2006. He was the leader of three wins over Michigan, all with "SportsCenter Play of the Day" efforts. The Glenville product was the dominant force in college football in his electric senior season. Had it not been for the resounding thud of his BCS Championship Game performance against Florida, he would rival two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin as Ohio State's greatest player ever.
