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Starting lineups for Thursday's Cleveland Indians -- Kansas City Royals game

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Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup for Thursday's series opener between the Indians and Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup for Thursday's series opener between the Indians and Royals.

Pitching matchup: Corey Kluber (10-6, 2.95 ERA) vs. Danny Duffy (5-10, 2.66 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. LF Mike Aviles

3. CF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. RF Ryan Raburn

6. DH Nick Swisher

7. C Yan Gomes

8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

9. SS Jose Ramirez

Royals

1. CF Jarrod Dyson

2. 2B Omar Infante

3. LF Alex Gordon

4. C Salvador Perez

5. 3B Mike Moustakas

6. RF Lorenzo Cain

7. 1B Billy Butler

8. DH Norichika Aoki

9. SS Alcides Escobar


Weather has been rocking the boat for area anglers: D'Arcy Egan's Fishing Report

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Windy weather and thunderstorms have made the fishing difficult all around Northeast Ohio, and while today's weather should be picture perfect, more inclement weather is in the weekend forecast.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Windy weather and thunderstorms have made the fishing difficult all around Northeast Ohio, and while today's weather should be picture perfect, more inclement weather is in the weekend forecast. Walleye and small yellow perch were being caught along the Lake Erie shoreline. Inland anglers were taking good numbers of channel catfish and some largemouth bass.

CLEVELAND AREA

Despite the weather, some anglers braved the big waves and caught walleye off Cleveland Harbor in 52 to 60 feet of water off East 72nd St. and Bratenahl. Fair walleye catches were also reported in 37 to 38 feet of water off Lakewood's Gold Coast.

The yellow perch were biting, but large perch are still very hard to find. Schools of perch were scattered off Cleveland Harbor in 35 to 43 feet of water. The white bass fishing has perked up again, especially early in the morning and late afternoon. Anglers are catching white bass on small flies and spoons worked behind agitators.

CENTRAL LAKE ERIE

The walleye seem to be schooling in water shallower than 32 feet and deeper than 42 feet from Huron to Avon Point. Vermilion, Lorain and Avon Point still seem to be hot spots for walleye, despite the lack of fishing pressure due to the big waves this week.

Minnow-style diving plugs, including Reef Runners, and spinner rigs and nightcrawlers still rule when trolling for walleye. Spoons are coming into play, if only because of the nuisance white perch and large white bass are hitting those walleye lures.

The hot walleye colors have been green-gold and green-white, with the pink and purple color schemes still working.

The deeper waters off Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut have all been good for walleye. Top locations include 56 to 72 feet of water northeast of Geneva and 70 to 73 feet of water off Ashtabula.

The perch fishing off of Fairport Harbor and Ashtabula in 47 to 50 feet of water has been a bright spot, and in 54 to 65 feet off Conneaut.

The white bass fishing has been fair to good early and late in the day for breakwall anglers. White bass in the 14 to 16-inch range weighing up to two pounds have been common. White bass are also being caught in 20 to 40 feet of water off Cleveland, Eastlake and Fairport Harbor.  

The smallmouth bass fishing has been good in 25 feet of water or less around the harbor areas from Huron to Conneaut. The feisty bass are hitting crayfish, emerald shiner minnows and leeches worked just off the lake bottom, as well as tube jigs, jigging spoons, drop shot rigs and diving plugs.

WESTERN LAKE ERIE

It's been quiet on the western front, with schools of walleye scattered by the windy weather. Fair walleye reports have come from anglers fishing west of Rattlesnake Island, off Camp Perry and north of Cedar Point.

The yellow perch bite has switched from the south side of Kelleys Island to the Marblehead Lighthouse area and about a mile west of Green and Rattlesnake islands.

The largemouth bass fishing has been fair to good around East and West harbors and the Catawba Island shoreline. Smallmouth bass are being caught around the north side of Kelleys Island, and many of the rock piles in 12 to 20 feet around the Bass Islands.

INLAND LAKES, RESERVOIRS

The big winds have been a problem on the larger reservoirs, especially Pymatuning and Mosquito. With the dog days of August just around the corner, a limit of walleye has been difficult to catch. Trolling minnow-style plugs such as the Long A Bomber around the weed beds seems to be the best bet, or casting a jig and nightcrawler to the weed beds.

Channel catfish are biting like crazy all around Northern Ohio for both boat anglers and shoreline fishermen willing to start casting early in the day or after dark. Typical catfish baits, ranging from nightcrawlers to shrimp, chicken livers, cut shad and processed baits, have all been working. Many bass anglers are taking incidental catfish on diving plugs and small jigs with trailers.

Shoreline anglers should target catfish along the breakwalls at Mosquito and Pymatuning reservoirs. Boat anglers are targeting the humps and drop-offs, and the outside edges of the deeper weed beds.

The largemouth bass fishing has been fair, with skirted jigs and plastic crayfish trailers like the Berkley Chigger Craw doing well. Plastic worms and small diving plugs are taking bass, with topwater frogs worked over the weed beds and lily pads a good bet early and late in the day.

Good bass lakes this week should be Mosquito, Pymatuning, Ladue and East and West reservoirs in the Portage Lakes chain.

TOURNAMENTS AND DERBIES

Northern Open Anglers Association – Mosquito Madness 10 (Mosquito Reservoir): 1. Johnny Barbetta and John Ernst, 5 bass, 12.89 pounds, $5,800; 2. Ed Schockly and Eric Dufala, 5 bass, 12.88 pounds, $2,204; 3. Blake Otterson and Rick Otterson, 5 bass, 11.71 pounds, $1,102. Big Bass: David Moss, 4.43 pounds, $348.

Trucking companies in Pilot Flying J case lose bid to launch discovery

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A half-dozen trucking companies who opted out of settlement with Pilot Flying J wanted to push forward with discovery, but a federal judge said Pilot must first have a chance to try to get their complaints dismissed.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Trucking companies whose complaints against Pilot Flying J are consolidated in federal court in Kentucky have lost an attempt to push forward with discovery in their lawsuit before Pilot has a chance to try to get the case dismissed.

U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar said that Shoreline Transportation and a half-dozen other trucking companies need a plausible claim in order to conduct discovery -- which involves compelling Pilot to turn over relevant documents in the case. To determine whether their complaints against Pilot are plausible, the court "must allow the defendants to test them with motions to dismiss," Thapar ruled Monday.

Thapar, in a 10-page opinion and order, also noted that an FBI affidavit that outlined allegations against Pilot didn't mention Shoreline or the other plaintiffs in the federal cases consolidated in his court.

The litigation concerns claims by the trucking companies that Pilot engaged in fraud and racketeering by cheating customers out of fuel rebates and discounts. The racketeering, or RICO part of the claim, alleges Pilot engaged in a pattern of corrupt activity that affected not just the plaintiffs but also other similarly situated companies.

Pilot Chief Executive Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns, has said that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing at his Knoxville, Tenn.-based fuel chain. Pilot reached an $85 million settlement with trucking companies last year, but some firms opted out of the settlement and pursued their own litigation.

The federal cases involving opt-outs are being heard by Thapar. Several state court cases also are pending.

Ten former Pilot employees have pleaded guilty in the investigation and are cooperating with federal prosecutors.

Pilot recently entered into a criminal enforcement agreement with the Justice Department that requires it to pay a $92 million penalty to avoid criminal charges against the company; more individuals could still be charged.

Matt Conn, a lawyer for Shoreline Transportation, referenced the enforcement agreement Thursday in responding to Thapar's decision.

"We agree with and respect the court's ruling," Conn said. "However, the court's ruling does not change the fact that Pilot has already admitted liability for the fraud that it perpetuated on Shoreline Transportation and the other trucking companies involved."

Conn added that the plaintiffs expect Pilot to file a motion to dismiss, but that they expect to survive it.

Aubrey Harwell, an attorney, said the judge's order was well reasoned and consistent with the law.

"It makes no sense to  begin massive discovery before a ruling  as to whether there is or is not a legitimate claim, which will be decided after appropriate motions are filed and considered by the court," he said.

In an earlier pleading, the company said the plaintiffs were trying to use discovery "as a fishing expedition to develop claims that cannot otherwise be adequately pleaded." The plaintiffs responded that the allegation of a fishing expedition was unjustified given that 10 people had pleaded guilty.

It's time to hit the road and get ready for upcoming dove season: Outdoors Notes

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Chris Skrant of Flyway Outdoors is on the road again, touring farm fields and looking for flocks of mourning doves and Canada geese.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Chris Skrant of Flyway Outdoors is on the road again, touring farm fields and looking for flocks of mourning doves and Canada geese.

"It looks like we're going to have a bountiful dove season again," said Skrant, of Seville, Ohio. "The dove count is high in both numbers of birds and the quality of the flocks."

Skrant didn't need to look very far for flocks of Canada geese. They seem to be everywhere in both urban and rural areas.

Ohio hunters should be shooting clay targets and scouting for doves to prepare for the opener. Skrant said the birds are in a predictable pattern this week. They travel mostly in the mornings to feed on grain and weed seeds. By later afternoon, doves are roosting in secluded areas close to water and vegetation.

Skrant's Flyway Outdoors (flywayoutdoors.net) is one of the few guide services taking out dove hunters. He said he's surprised and delighted the Ohio Division of Wildlife has added an extra 20 days to this year's seasons on Sept. 1-Nov. 9 and Dec. 13-Jan. 1.

"This should be an awesome season for first-timers to wet their feet and experience dove hunting," said Skrant. "Doves also have the agility to challenge veteran hunters, and they're a wonderful treat for dinner."

Who's a dove hunter?: The National Dove Hunter Survey from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has sorted out America's army of dove hunters. The average dove hunter is a white male, 45 years of age or older, well educated and with a higher-than-average income.

Dove hunters mostly harvest fewer than 30 birds each season and hunt on private land. They typically travel 50 miles or more to hunt doves. Most aren't sure about a movement to ban lead shot for dove hunting, but feel it could reduce the number of dove hunters if more expensive non-toxic shot is required.

Public dove fields: A lot of dove hunters focus on the first week of the dove hunting season, since doves migrate south at the first suggestion of cold weather. To give hunters the best chance of success the Ohio Division of Wildlife will post online maps at wildohio.com before Aug. 15 of its public hunting areas with managed dove fields, said Wildlife Management Supervisor Scott Peters.

"We had a lot of rain this spring, but did get most our plantings of wheat, corn and buckwheat in the ground," said Peters. "The public dove hunting areas we'll list are the dove fields that are looking good in August and should be productive."

Lake Erie slime grows: A cyanobacteria bloom intensified about 1 to 4 miles off Maumee Bay State Park, reports this week's NOAA Experimental Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin. The bloom was along the Ohio shoreline between Maumee Bay and the Davis Besse Power Plant. The University of Toledo confirmed the presence of microsystis, which can be toxic. A bloom was also spotted north of North Bass Island and along the Ontario shoreline in western Lake Erie.

Boot Camp in Marengo: There is a celebration of waterfowl hunting on Saturday and Sunday, as the Ohio Waterfowl Association holds its 10th annual Waterfowlers Boot Camp at the spacious Cardinal Center Campground in Marengo, Ohio, about 25 miles north of Columbus at I-71 and Rt. 61. The weekend features calling contests, hunting seminars, rows of hunting exhibits, a youth camp and raffles.

Making its debut on Saturday is the Walleye Fish Fry and Crawfish Boil at the Marengo campground. Tickets are $10. For show hours and seminar details visit theowawaterfowlersbootcamp.com.

Wild critters on display: The Cleveland Photographic Society has an Aug. 10 fundraiser in the Cleveland area for Mona Rutger and the Back to the Wild wildlife rehabilitation center in Castalia, Ohio. Tickets are $25, which includes food, drinks and a raffle from 4-7 p.m. at Tripps Bar and Grill, 1100 W. Royalton Rd., Broadview Heights. Rutger has faced a major budget shortfall this year after losing a laboratory source of free mice and rats, a staple for the many hawks, owls and eagles at the center. For tickets call 440-887-2662.

Mosquito Madness again: A crowd of tournament bass anglers knocked heads in the Northern Open Anglers Association's Mosquito Madness X tournament on Saturday, and David Moss of Ohio Pro Lure Inc. of Medina caught the biggest surprise. The veteran Medina angler caught the heaviest bass of the day, a rare 4.43-pound smallmouth bass. Johnny Barbetta and John Ernst won the tournament with a limit of five largemouth bass weighing 12.89 pounds, good for a $5,800 payday.

Mepps wants tails: Mepps makes fishing lures, and it's famous for its in-line spinners dressed with the hair of a squirrel tail. The company has been buying squirrel tails from hunters for more than a half-century, and Communications Director Kurt Mazurek said no other material can do the job.

Squirrel tails are all hair, said Mazurek. Practically all other animals have fur tails with a few guard hairs, and fur doesn't have the pulsating movement of squirrel hair in the water. Mepps pays up to 26 cents per tail. Squirrel hunters who are also anglers can get about double that amount by trading squirrel tails for Mepps lures. Visit mepps.com or call 1-800-713-3474 for details.

Ohio's squirrel hunting season opens Sept. 1.

Sports Insider: Previewing Browns training camp, talking Cavaliers and Indians

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Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talk sports with Paul Hoynes and Mary Kay Cabot.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On today's Sports Insider, cleveland.com's Dan Labbe and Chris Fedor talked Browns, Indians and Cavaliers. You can watch the archive of the show above.

Mary Kay Cabot called in to talk Browns. They discussed the quarterback battle, Josh Gordon's situation and more.

Paul Hoynes also called in to talk Tribe. He talked about the remainder of the team's road trip, whether they could make the playoffs and if they'll make a trade before the deadline.

Northeast Ohio Conference, St. Edward, highlight Northeast Ohio Media Group's football media days: Day 2 (slideshow, video)

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Check out photos and video from the second day of football media days.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Players and coaches from the Northeast Ohio Conference, West Shore Conference and independent schools St. Edward and Lutheran East took part Thursday in the second day of the Northeast Ohio Media Group football media days. 

Valley Forge running back Richard Worship was on hand to speak about the upcoming season and his recent commitment to Purdue.

Players shared some of their favorite off-the-field hobbies and some debuted new helmets and uniforms at NEOMG headquarters on Superior Avenue.

Media Days continue next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. See video highlights from day 1.
Monday will feature teams from the Chagrin Valley Conference, Akron City Series and Lake Erie League.

Look for highlight posts next Monday through Wednesday.

Reporters and producers expect many of the 134 football programs in the NEOMG's seven-county coverage area to make appearances through Wednesday.

Coaches, there is still time to register your team for football media days! Contact High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis at kdavis@cleveland.com to reserve an open time slot in the NEOMG studio and book your team videos.

Be sure to follow @NEOvarsity on Twitter for updates throughout NEOMG football media days.

Contact high school sports producer Cameron Moon by email (cmoon@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@MoonCameron20). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Terry Francona's trade deadline thoughts, Asdrubal Cabrera's progress and Roberto Perez's bat: Cleveland Indians quick hits

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"I don't ever want to be the general manager," Francona said. "I'm just never comfortable saying what we need. I know Chris is trying his best, like he always does, to see what's there. These are our guys and I like our guys. I don't mind seeing how good we can be."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Terry Francona doesn't want Chris Antonetti's job.

And since the job description he does have requires him to oversee the 25 players on the active roster, the Indians manager won't tip his hand about whether he thinks the club needs to pull the trigger on a trade deadline deal. He would prefer to expend his energy on navigating the current group through the final two months of the season.

"I don't ever want to be the general manager," Francona said. "I'm just never comfortable saying what we need. I know [general manager] Chris [Antonetti] is trying his best, like he always does, to see what's there. These are our guys and I like our guys. I don't mind seeing how good we can be.

"I know Chris is always trying, but it has to make sense. I get that part of it, too, so I don't spend a whole lot of time worrying about it. I spend more time trying to figure out how we can be better."

Certainly, Francona isn't going to spell out the team's plans one week shy of the July 31 deadline. The Tigers, the team atop the American League Central, dealt for right-hander Joakim Soria, who figures to shore up Detroit's bullpen deficiencies.

"That made them better," Francona said. "We don't play them for a while, but that made them better. Good for them. That's part of the game. I'd rather spend my energy on, 'How are we going to win?'"

Back at it: Asdrubal Cabrera could return to the lineup this weekend. Francona said he expects the shortstop, who is suffering from a troublesome lower back, to ramp up his regimen on Friday. Cabrera has hit in the cage and run outside. He said Thursday he feels "a little sore, but it's normal."

Can he play this weekend? "I hope so," he said. "I don't think Friday, but maybe Saturday or Sunday. Personally, I think I could play Saturday, but it all depends how I work out on Friday. I've still got some work to do."

Bourn to heal: The Indians don't have a definitive timetable on a return for center fielder Michael Bourn, but he accompanied the club to Kansas City as he continues to progress from a strained left hamstring.

"When he's ready to play, he's ready to play," Francona said.

Bourn played catch in the outfield on Thursday afternoon.

Capable backup: Last season, Roberto Perez batted .200 in 99 games at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. A year earlier, he hit .212. In 2011, he batted .225 and in 2010, he hit .217.

Perez batted .305 with a .922 OPS in 53 games with the Clippers before earning a promotion to the big league club. He has started 4-for-13 (.308 average) with a homer and three RBIs for the Tribe.

"It's nice when you have a guy backing up," Francona said, "and you don't feel like you have to pinch-hit for him because that makes it tough on [Yan] Gomes."

Josh Gordon spent two weeks in a rehab facility in California after DWI arrest, reports say

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Browns Josh Gordon is making an attempt to stay clean. He checked himself into a rehab facility for two weeks after his DWI arrest, reports say.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns receiver Josh Gordon checked himself into rehab after his DWI arrest in Raleigh, N.C., according to reports, but he'll still report to training camp on Friday and begin practicing Saturday.

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 first reported that the Browns Pro Bowl receiver entered a substance abuse rehab facility after his DWI arrest over July 4th weekend, and ESPN's Adam Schefter followed up with a report that Gordon spent two weeks at the facility in California.

Schefter also reported Thursday that Gordon's appeal hearing on his drug ban is set for Aug. 1 in New York City.

Browns coach Mike Pettine told cleveland.com on Monday that Gordon will report to camp on Friday and begin practicing on Saturday, and a source close to Gordon confirmed that he'll report on time.

The Browns reached out to Gordon shortly after his DWI arrest July 5th and were instrumental in helping him get to rehab, a source told cleveland.com. Former NFL players such as Hall of Famers Michael Irvin, who's had a longstanding friendship with Gordon, also stepped in to help him.

"If any of our players are in need of help, we'll do our best to provide it for them and also that we're going to do what we feel is best for the organization,'' Pettine said. 

"By league guidelines, whatever help we can provide him, we're going to do it. A Cleveland Brown is a Cleveland Brown. If we feel we can help him, let's help him. Sometimes you're handcuffed by the situation, so until it plays out then there's really nothing tangible we can do at this point.''

Pettine stressed this week that the Browns will stand by Gordon and not cut him despite what the league decides Aug. 1. He's facing a minimum one-year ban from the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy for at least the third time. If the ban is upheld, he'll have to wait a year to apply for reinstatement.

"I think we need to find the middle ground of what's best for Josh and what's best for the organization,'' Pettine said Monday.  "I know Cris Carter came out and said (to cut him), but we think you can find that middle ground of what's best for our players and best for the organization. It worked for Cris, but cutting Josh might be the worst thing for him and the worst thing for us.''

A source said he doubted that Gordon going to rehab would help his appeal because penalties are set forth in the program contract.

Pettine acknowledged that the DWI in the midst of the looming suspension was disturbing.

 "Anytime there are multiple things going on and there's a  pattern, it's a concern, but at the same time, you need to allow that to play out,'' he said. "You don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction.  You've got to cool down a little bit and look at each thing individually. I think we've just settled into a very patient mode of waiting and our plans are laid out and we're just waiting to hear from the league.''

Pettine also said that he plans to provide Gordon with some quality reps during the first five practices of camp before his appeal hearing.

"You don't want to say 'hey let's not put him in there' and all of a sudden the league comes back and it's not what you expected it to be, so I don't think you can go that way,'' Pettine said. "Since we're going to be receiver-by-committee for at least part of the year, I think rolling those guys in all different groups is going to be good anyway, because it also helps you with the quarterback situation. It's yet to be determined, but he'll get reps.''

The news of Gordon's rehab came a day after troubled Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon was arrested for marijuana possession in Oklahoma. Blackmon, the No. 5 overall pick in 2012, is on indefinite suspension from the Jaguars for his third violation of the substance abuse policy.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan told the Florida Times-Union that he'll stick by Blackmon.

"We want to keep him as a player,'' Khan said. "He's not part of the team now obviously, but it's very important for him to get the help. It's the most important thing. We want him to get help and really beat this.''

Blackmon averaged 100 yards a game for the Jaguars in the four games after serving a four-game suspension at the beginning of the season for violating the substance abuse policy a second time. He was later banned indefinitely and hasn't been able to get back into the league.

A source close to Gordon said he fears Gordon will stumble like Blackmon has if he's banished from the league and left to his own devices.

Last season, Gordon was suspended two games and docked four game checks for a failed drug test, presumably for codeine in his prescribed cough syrup. He went on to lead the league with 1,646 yards in only 14 outings.


Live updates and chat with Zack Meisel: Cleveland Indians vs. Kansas City Royals, Game 102

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Join cleveland.com's Zack Meisel for a live in-game chat as the Indians take on the Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Royals at Progressive Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

Game 102: Indians (51-50) vs. Royals (50-50)

First pitch: 8:10 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium

TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7

Starting pitchers: Corey Kluber (10-6, 2.95 ERA) vs. Danny Duffy (5-10, 2.66 ERA) FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

Ohio State QB Braxton Miller picked to win third straight Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award by cleveland.com poll

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Miller has won the year-end Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award the last two seasons. He received 21 of 29 votes in this poll.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- More individual awards are predicted for Braxton Miller's senior season, as the Ohio State quarterback was named the Big Ten's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year on Friday in a poll organized by cleveland.com.

If the 29 writers who voted are right, Miller will win the Big Ten's year-end award for the third time.

He was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year after both his sophomore and junior seasons. He also won the Chicago Tribune's Silver Football as the league's best player both years, and has been named the best quarterback by the Big Ten each of the last two seasons. In his first year in Columbus in 2011, he was named the conference's Freshman of the Year.

Cleveland.com has conducted this preseason voting the last four years, since the Big Ten did away with any meaningful preseason picks for teams or players. Ohio State was chosen as the favorite to win the Big Ten, while Michigan State's Shilique Calhoun beat out Nebraska's Randy Gregory for the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year award.

Miller was picked by 21 of the 29 voters to win the offensive award, which wasn't quite as overwhelming as last year, when he was picked correctly by 24 of 26 writers.

Before the 2012 season, he was picked by just one of 24 voters before he went on to win the award.

Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon was selected by five voters, while Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah received two votes and Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg got one.

Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Award

1. Braxton Miller, Ohio State QB (21)

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin RB (5)

3. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska RB (2)

4. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State QB (1)

Dennis Manoloff on whether the Cavs can be a title contender without Kevin Love and the emergence of Corey Kluber

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Would the Cavs be good enough to compete for a title without a trade for Kevin Love? Is there any reason to believe the Indians are anything else but a .500 baseball team? Dennis Manoloff answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.

Podcast: Dennis Manoloff talks Cleveland sports (07/25/14)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Would the Cavs be good enough to compete for a title without a trade for Kevin Love? Is there any reason to believe the Indians are anything else but a .500 baseball team?

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.

Among other topics discussed:

  • Has enough been shown from Corey Kluber to believe he can be one of the best pitchers in the American League?
  • Will Johnny Manziel or Brian Hoyer start the first week of the season?
  • Which player needs to step up most if Josh Gordon is suspended?

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to follow DMan on Twitter.

New swim starting point off North Coast Transient Marina Harbor might be solution for Cleveland Triathlon (course maps)

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For the first time in its history, the Cleveland Triathlon will not have to bring in outside help for the start of the swim course. Instead, the race will use docks from the new North Coast Harbor Transient Marina.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – With no natural entry point into Lake Erie from the North Coast Harbor, organizers of the Cleveland Triathlon have had to get creative on ways to start the race over the years. 

In recent years, they've brought in barges, and swimmers have climbed ladders down into the lake for the deep-water start. 

Years ago, the Cleveland Triathlon borrowed Higgins Boats – the boats with the long ramps from which athletes could run up and down to the water -- from the Naval Reserve. 

"It looked like the Normandy invasion," said Jack Caress, the longtime event organizer. 

At last, 2014 has brought a solution: the North Coast Harbor Transient Marina.  The 53-slip marina opened just a few months ago, and the docks are now a natural starting point for the triathlon, Caress said. 

The triathlon is attaching temporary ladders to the docks so that swimmers can lower and raise themselves from the water, but otherwise, it's a perfect fit. 

As a result of the new start, the swim course has been altered somewhat from past years. The Olympic distance swim portion extends into Lake Erie for a bit farther than it has in recent years.

Holding steady: Caress said he expects between 700-800 participants in this year's triathlon – roughly the same number of athletes who participated last year. Caress said numbers have held relatively steady in recent years.

By the numbers: Race officials say 19 states and Canada are represented in the early entries. ... Male to female ratio from early entries is 58 percent/42 percent. ... The youngest competitor pre-registered is 7. The oldest is 70. ... The fastest course time at the official Olympic distance is 1:54:34, set last year by Brent McCurney of Navarre, Ohio. ... McCurney has won the last two years, as has female winner Robin Zender Muskopf of Powell, Ohio. Both are entered again this year.

Road closings: Several streets along the course will be closed or have limited availability on Sunday morning, including the Memorial Shoreway (east and west bound lanes) between Deadman's Curve and West Boulevard. Parts of E. 9th St., W. 3rd St., Lakeside Ave. and Erieside Ave. will also be closed. Most road closures begin at 6:30 a.m.

Cleveland Triathlon course maps:

olympic.jpegView full size  
swimSprint.jpegView full size 
superSprint.jpegView full size 
bike.jpegView full size 
runningCourse.jpegView full size 

Portage Lakes: Ron Slater's home waters a bonanza for bass anglers (slideshow)

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The Portage Lakes chain of lakes and reservoirs on the south side of Akron are popular waters for catching largemouth bass, sunfish and channel catfish.

AKRON, Ohio – The Portage Lakes chain of lakes and reservoirs on the south side of Akron are popular waters for catching largemouth bass, sunfish and channel catfish, but fishermen know there are limitations in summertime.

The connected waterways are also party central in summer, especially on weekends. The lakes can be crowded with boaters well into the evening, many cruising to and from the popular bars and restaurants dotting the shoreline. Some are just enjoying a slow pontoon boat ride, or pulling a water skier in the designated ski zones.

Ron Slater, 58, of Portage Lakes Bait & Tackle on East Reservoir wanted to share the bass fishing experience there, so we picked Wednesday morning as prime time. On a weekday under overcast skies and with a forecast of showers, few boaters were out and about.

The largemouth bass seemed to relish a break from the bright summer sun and were more than willing to bite. Slater began the day casting a yellow topwater frog, a productive lure for attacking the plentiful weed beds and lily pads. I was chunking and winding a shallow-running Rapala Scatter Rap lure, and it attracted the first bass of the morning, a small but aggressive 8-incher.

That would make Ken "Crankenstein" Frick smile. He works at Slater's tackle shop on the shore of East Reservoir and catches the majority of his bass on crankbaits, or diving plugs. Yellow perch and bluegill color patterns are his favorites.

Before the morning was over, though, Slater's favorite lure would shine. We both were casting 4-inch Wave Worms in a Sweet Potato Pie color pattern, and the largemouth bass couldn't resist them.

There is no shortage of fish-attracting cover around East and West reservoirs, connected by the scenic Iron Channel. The shoreline is crowded with attractive homes. Boat docks and weedy cover dominated the shallow waters.

"We have a good bass population because of the weeds," said Slater, "including some really big fish. I'm sure there are 10-pounders out there. We just haven't caught one of them yet. I did catch a 4.6-pound smallmouth bass on East Reservoir on a black plastic lizard years ago, which I believe is a Portage Lakes record."

District Fisheries Supervisor Phil Hillman of the Ohio Division of Wildlife isn't so sure a double-digit largemouth bass lives in these waters, but his electro-shocking surveys did turn up a 7 1/2-pounder from Long Lake a few years ago.

The Portage Lake reservoirs include East, West and North, as well as Long, Miller and Hower lakes. Long Lake's launch ramp is currently out of commission, but it is expected to be back in operation in about a month. Completing the package of productive bass waters are Turkeyfoot, Mud and Rex lakes south of Turkeyfoot Lake Rd. (Rt. 619) that are accessible from Portage Lakes State Park.

While Nimisila Lake just to the south isn't considered part of the Portage Lakes, it does contribute water to them and provides excellent fishing.

"In summer, the most productive bass lures are a skirted jig with a plastic crayfish trailer, a Texas-rigged plastic worm and a drop shot rig," said Slater. "Shallow-running crankbaits and topwater frogs also catch their share of bass, and spinnerbaits are a good bet in spring."

Slater is the only fishing guide on the Portage Lakes. He charges $35 an hour, $45 for two fishermen, and provides bass tackle. He fishes in many of the Portage Lakes bass tournaments on weekday evenings and early on summer weekends.

"I also like to fish the Bad Bass Champs circuit and the X-Series tournaments hosted by Vic's Sports Center in Kent," said Slater. He tows his Triton Tr-19 bass boat to Florida in winter for bass-fishing vacations.

Slater will talk bass fishing at the drop of a hat, but he's not completely single-minded about Portage Lakes game fish. He keeps his tackle shop open all year for anglers who target plentiful channel catfish and panfish. Last winter's thick ice was a bonus for bluegill and yellow perch anglers.

Slater rates East, Turkeyfoot, Rex and West lakes as the best of the bunch for bass, redear sunfish, bluegill, yellow perch and channel catfish. The redear sunfish, known for their chunky size, grow biggest in East Reservoir. They're called shellcrackers down south because the sunfish feed voraciously on mussels and East Reservoir has a wealth of invasive zebra mussels.

Bank anglers do have opportunities, though much of the Portage Lakes are bordered by private property. Portage Lakes State Park and the North Reservoir shore fishing area at the Ohio Division of Wildlife District Office on Portage Lakes Dr. are popular with shoreline anglers. The Youth Fishing Area's supervised and well-stocked ponds at the district office are open to young anglers 15 and younger on weekends from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. through Labor Day.

Ryan Raburn's spike throw ranks amongst MLB's greatest bloopers

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Ryan Raburn made one of the biggest blunders in the last decade, placing himself alongside Manny Ramirez, Milton Bradley, Jose Canseco and Matt Holliday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was the eighth inning of a scoreless game between the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals. Mike Moustakas lifted a fly ball toward the left-field line. Ryan Raburn was on the move, trying to take away Kansas City's second hit of the night. Raburn slid to make the catch, but came up empty.

It only got worse from there as Raburn made one of baseball's biggest blunders in the last decade, placing him alongside Manny Ramirez, Milton Bradley, Jose Canseco and Matt Holliday. 

Normally that's good company to keep, but in this case, it's not. That group of players has also been known for their Little League follies, leading to plenty of laughs over the years.

Jose Canseco gives new meaning to the phrase "using your head."

Who could forget Canseco, known more for his bat than glove, deflecting a ball over the wall for a home run? 

Classic GIF of the ball bouncing off of @JoseCanseco's h... on Twitpic

Manny being Manny

Ramirez, one of the best right-handed hitters of his era, was always a mystery in the field, and had his share of blunders during his time in the bigs. There was even a phrase, "Manny being Manny" to try to explain his numerous head-scratching plays. But none more baffling than when he decided to play the role of shortstop and cut off a throw from his teammate Johnny Damon while the two played for the Boston Red Sox. 

Hope he was wearing a cup

Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday is a terrific offensive player. A career .309 hitter with nearly 300 home runs, but his glove let him down in October during St. Louis' playoff game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Holliday missed the ball, took one to the wrong spot and his team lost the game. The announcers summed up the play pretty well.

Houston, we have a problem

The Houston Astros have been one of the worst teams in the majors for a pretty long time now, and with plays like this in 2012 it's easy to understand why. 

Houston, we have another problem

Right when it looked like it couldn't have gotten much worse in Houston, catcher Matt Pagnozzi showed otherwise. Trying to throw behind Robinson Cano, who was on second base, Pagnozzi made one of the worst throws in baseball history, spiking the ball, and allowing Eduardo Nunez to score on the throwing error.

Hey Matt, second base is the other way. 

T-Plush temper tantrum

Nyjer Morgan has made a few different stops during his MLB career. One of his most memorable moments came when he was with the Washington Nationals. Morgan threw a fit in the outfield, which led to more than a few chuckles.

With the score tied at 2 and Matt Wieters on first base, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones took a pitch to deep center field. Morgan jumped as the ball hit the wall, looking as if he was going to rob Jones of a hit, but he missed. Morgan must've thought the ball went over the fence because he tossed his glove out of frustration and allowed Jones to race around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. 

What's baseball's biggest blooper that you can remember? Share your most memorable follies in the comments section below.

Starting lineups for Friday's Cleveland Indians -- Kansas City Royals game

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Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's battle between the Indians and Royals.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here are the starting lineups and the pitching matchup for Friday's battle between the Indians and Royals.

Pitching matchup: Josh Tomlin (5-7, 4.43 ERA) vs. Yordano Ventura (7-8, 3.59 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. 2B Jason Kipnis

2. LF Chris Dickerson

3. CF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

6. DH Nick Swisher

7. C Yan Gomes

8. RF David Murphy

9. SS Jose Ramirez

Royals

1. RF Lorenzo Cain

2. 2B Omar Infante

3. LF Alex Gordon

4. C Salvador Perez

5. 3B Mike Moustakas

6. 1B Raul Ibanez

7. DH Nori Aoki

8. SS Alcides Escobar

9. CF Jarrod Dyson


Hazing not isolated to bands or to Ohio State University

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Before OSU's latest news, there were hazing incidents locally at both Kent State and Akron.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As shocking as the latest news about hazing at the Ohio State University is, it is also not isolated to the university or to bands.

Ohio State University marching band director Jon Waters was fired for allowing a sexual culture to permeate the band but he also yelled and cursed at students, according to a report released Thursday by the university.

Before OSU's latest news, there were hazing incidents locally at both Kent State and Akron. In February, six members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at the University of Akron were accused of paddling a pledge over the course of several weeks to the point where his buttocks became infected.

In May, Kent State suspended a fraternity for hazing and other violations. It was the second time the school handed down a hazing suspension since the beginning of the past school year.

Florida A&M suspended its marching band when a band member died after he was beaten aboard a charter bus as part of hazing by other band members.

The Wisconsin marching band did not perform in October, 2008 against Ohio State after longtime band director Mike Leckrone suspended the group for allegations of hazing during last week's trip to Michigan.

Texas Southern University and Jackson State University in Mississippi both have punished members of their marching bands for hazing, too.

In 2009, an ambitious survey of hazing in colleges and universities turned their attention to high schools and discovered that many freshmen arrive on college campuses with experience -- with 47 percent reporting getting hazed in high school.

Have you ever been a victim of hazing? Share your story in the comments.

Tony Dungy's remarks about Michael Sam may ultimately help future gay football players gain acceptance: Peter Krouse

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The more people express their views about gay players in the NFL, the quicker the league will come to accept them.

Tony Dungy has drawn plenty of ire for his remarks about Michael Sam and how he would not have drafted the openly gay football player because of the distraction it would have caused.

The negative fallout was quick and decisive, as evidenced by this Dan Graziano commentary on ESPN.com entitled "Dungy's comments better left unsaid."

"The harm in what Dungy has said about Michael Sam lies not in his motivation for saying it, but in the impact it could have on the league, the player and the players who would follow in Sam's footsteps. Dungy's words -- and the fact that it was someone as respected as he is who said them -- serve to legitimize one of the excuses teams might have had, and might still have, for not employing an openly gay player. And that's not going to help the progress that Sam is bravely working to help achieve."

I disagree. In the end, I think Dungy's remarks will further the cause of gay players in the NFL.

It's better for Dungy to have publicly expressed his views (as muddled as they were) because the fallout has forced the conversation in a direction it may not have gone. The focus suddenly went from the courageous journey of Michael Sam to the reservations many in the NFL still have toward embracing a gay player.

Dungy later qualified his remarks (read the full statement here) to say he didn't think Sam's sexual orientation would be a distraction to his teammates or the organization, but that the media coverage would be.

"I was asked whether I would have drafted Michael Sam and I answered that I would not have drafted him.  I gave my honest answer, which is that I felt drafting him would bring much distraction to the team. At the time of my interview, the Oprah Winfrey reality show that was going to chronicle Michael's first season had been announced." 

But as others have already pointed out, there is hypocrisy in Dungy's statement given that he personally mentored mega-distraction Michael Vick back into football. So it's hard to know exactly what Dungy was trying to say, but it's pretty clear it wasn't in support of the NFL's first openly gay draft pick.

Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl, knows as well as any about the unspoken barriers to entry in the NFL. In 2003, the league initiated the Rooney rule to require teams to consider black candidates for coaching and other front office jobs. But he obviously doesn't see a parallel in his journey with that of a Michael Sam.

Dungy, an evangelical Christian and otherwise generous and caring man, should not be vilified for what he said, not because he is right, but because he is likely expressing a common view among many coaches and players in the NFL.

Years ago, a Los Angeles Dodgers executive named Al Campanis appeared on an episode of Nightline and said that blacks may not possess the "necessities" to manage or serve in the front office of professional baseball.

The Dodgers fired Campanis and his reputation was forever tarnished, even though he didn't consider himself a racist and believes he was misunderstood. In the long run, though, his willingness to speak his mind actually helped pave the way for more blacks in baseball management as his remarks revealed commonly held stereotypes.

"Al Campanis paradoxically deserves credit, I think, both for his courage as a young man, his fundamental decency as a young man, and his malapropisms as an old man, which curiously may have led to more advances in racial equality in professional sports than anything he could have said that would have been unnoticed," said Ted Koppel, Campanis' inquisitor that evening, in an ESPN.com article by William Weinbaum.

Regarding Sam, if he were not gay, it's possible other football teams would have drafted him before the Rams, which chose him in the latter half of the seventh and final round. If indeed that's the case, Dungy's comments, in the same paradoxical way that Campanis' comments contributed to better understanding of racial stereotypes, could help those teams to confront whatever anti-gay bias they might have.

Peter Krouse is an editorial writer with the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Could Corey Kluber have pitched 10 innings? When will Asdrubal Cabrera and Justin Masterson return? Cleveland Indians quick hits

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Terry Francona wasn't completely opposed to the idea of sending Corey Kluber out for a 10th inning on Thursday night, but the manager didn't want his ace to grow tired against the middle of Kansas City's lineup.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Terry Francona isn't opposed to the idea of sending a pitcher out for a 10th inning, but the manager didn't want his ace, Corey Kluber, to grow tired against the middle of Kansas City's lineup on Thursday.

No Indians hurler has pitched 10 innings since Dennis Martinez in 1994. Kluber exited the game -- which Cleveland lost, 2-1, in 14 innings -- after nine frames, having limited the Royals to one unearned run on two hits. He didn't walk a batter and he struck out 10 during his 107-pitch performance. The Royals had Omar Infante, Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez scheduled to bat in the 10th.

"If you pitch that well and [I] send them out there, I would have to think they'd have the chance to get through the inning," Francona said. "When you have the middle of the order [coming up] and you're looking at a guy being at 120 [pitches] and facing their best hitters -- I don't think that's fair."

Kluber was victimized by a wacky play in left field in the eighth inning that handed the Royals their only run off the right-hander. After Ryan Raburn couldn't complete a sliding catch, he spiked the baseball into the ground on his attempt at a relay toward the infield. As the ball squirted to center field, Kansas City's Mike Moustakas hustled home.

Francona said he had no concerns about Kluber's ability to shake off the play.

"I don't think he was happy about that last night," Francona said, "but what are you going to do? The run scored. You just try to keep it at one so we have a chance and he did and then we did score. Sometimes things are out of your control. I think Kluber has a very good grasp of controlling what he can control, especially for a younger guy."

Testing, testing: Should Asdrubal Cabrera avoid any setbacks, the Indians expect the shortstop to be available for Saturday. Cabrera, mending a balky lower back, likely will not start, but could be primed to return to the lineup on Sunday. The club has an off-day on Monday.

"He's doing much better," Francona said.

No surprises: There is no longer much shock and awe when Kluber delivers an effort such as the one he turned in on Thursday. The 28-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.77. He now has 162 strikeouts and only 33 walks in 149 1/3 innings.

"He has that capability," Francona said. "You're not going to see that every time out. That's impossible. That was pretty special stuff."

Rotating: Justin Masterson was slated to start for Triple-A Columbus on Friday. After that, he could be set to rejoin the rotation next week. Special assistant Tim Belcher has been monitoring the right-hander's progress.

"I think we're hoping this is the last one," Francona said. "He could, technically, [make another]. I think we'd like for him to be ready to go."

Three-star Kansas tight end Josh Moore commits to Ohio State at Friday Night Lights: Buckeyes recruiting

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Three-star tight end Josh Moore of Olathe (Kansas) North committed to Ohio State while in attendance at the Buckeyes' Friday Night Lights camp on Friday evening.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The sun hadn't yet set on one of the biggest nights of the year for Ohio State recruiting before Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes picked up a verbal commitment. 

That commitment came from three-star tight end Josh Moore of Olathe (Kansas) North, who told cleveland.com of his decision while in attendance at Ohio State's Friday Night Lights camp.

Rated by Rivals.com the No. 5 player in the state of Kansas, Moore committed to the Buckeyes over the other members in his top five - Florida State, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. 

It's a big pickup for the Buckeyes because they were looking for a tight end commitment after missing on their top player at the position - four-star tight end Chris Clark of Avon (Conn.) Old Farms, who committed to Michigan last month. 

Josh Moore Ohio State commitView full sizeThree-star tight end Josh Moore of Olathe (Kansas) North committed to Ohio State while in attendance at the Buckeyes' Friday Night Lights camp on Friday evening.  

Ohio State is also hosting four-star tight end C.J. Conrad of La Grange (Ohio) Keystone, who is committed to Kentucky. Conrad, however, was considered a prospect to keep an eye on considering the Buckeyes' need for a tight end in their 2015 recruiting class. 

Check back with cleveland.com later for more. 

Browns' Johnny Manziel: 'I've made some rookie mistakes, I'm not in college anymore'

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Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel realizes he has to approach things differently and be more professional if he wants to win the starting job.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel humbled himself on the eve of training camp Friday night and admitted he hasn't approached his offseason in the most professional manner.

"At the end of the day, I've made some rookie mistakes,'' he said after passing his conditioning test. "There's some things that I wish I could've gone back and done a little differently, but I'm continuing to move forward and trying to represent this organization in a positive manner and a positive light, so just very excited to be back in camp and it's football 24/7 and that's what I love doing. That's what I live for and it's what my job, so for me, I'm very excited to be back and can't wait to get this underway.''

He said he doesn't think his partying ways in the offseason have set him back in his bid to unseat Brian Hoyer for the starting quarterback job. Sources told cleveland.com the club was alarmed by some of Manziel's offseason behavior, including a photo that showed him tightly rolling a $20 bill in the bathroom of a bar.

"I don't think (it's hurt me),'' he said. "I think there are definitely things I can do moving forward to better act as a professional and at the same time I'm still learning how to do that, still getting used to this role, still getting used to this league, still getting used to being a pro football player. I'm not in college anymore and there's just things I need to do better and that's just part of being a professional. Hopefully with time and going through this season and as time goes on, I'll get better at doing that.''

Manziel, who will start training camp with the second-team offense, acknowledged that he had a heart-to-heart talk with coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer about his approach to his craft and what they expect. For the first time since he was drafted, he was contrite about his frat-boy romp from coast to coast. In fact, he addressed it in an opening statement before taking questions at the podium.  

"Just to save you guys a lot of time, me and coach Pettine and Ray Farmer have really talked about a lot of things that have transpired over the course of the offseason. For me, my main thing is, people within this building, my teammates, the coaching staff, the higher-ups in this organization we've all been on the same page, we've all been good and very eager to be moving forward.''

Asked about that controversial bill-rolling photo that surfaced on July 7th from a bar in Austin, Tex., he declined to explain what he was doing. In fact, no one in Manziel's camp has addressed the photo, one that prompted a call to Manziel from coach Mike Pettine.   

"I think I just spoke on that a little bit, that we're going to keep these things (private),'' said Manziel. "I've talked about that with coach Pettine, I've talked about it with Ray Farmer and the people I need to talk about that with, and moving forward they're good with everything, and I've told them everything that I need to and everything's been good.''

Pettine also declined to address the photo, saying, "It's time for football.''

Still, Manziel isn't ready to hang up his party hat just yet.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with me going out and having a nightlife, having a social life,'' he said. "I mean I am 21 years old and I do like going out and it was the offseason. It's free time for us and if I want to go out and hang out with my friends or go to nightclubs or do things like that then I think that's within my rights to be doing that and I think there's other guys throughout the league that are doing that and I'm not trying to compare myself to anybody else but I think that's within my rights to be doing that.''

Even though he'll start out camp with the second-team offense, Manziel is determined to beat out Brian Hoyer for the starting job.

 "I think coach Pettine and the staff here has called this an open competition and I believe that it is,'' Manziel said. "I'm just trying to get in here everyday and trying to be better as a player, as a teammate, really hone in on my craft and try and make this football team as good as I possibly can. Whatever my role is on this team, I think that will be decided with the play within these next few weeks.

"At the end of the day what I want is what's best for this team and what's best for this organization moving forward because this is about the Cleveland Browns. This isn't about me, this is about Brian, this isn't about just the quarterback position. It's 22 positions on this team to make this thing work and come together, so it's not just about us.''

Coach Pettine re-iterated that it will be 'very difficult' for Manziel to win the job, but that he's ahead of where they expected in the playbook. He said the staff has been very pleased with Manziel's attention to detail and knowledge and conditioning.

"He's very focused,'' said Pettine. "That's already shown up by the way he attacked his conditioning test and how he's been on the field and in the meeting rooms these past couple of days.''

He added that Manziel's biggest battle will be between him and the playbook and not between him and Hoyer.

"I interpret it exactly the way he said it,'' Manziel said. "It's not two short little plays anymore. You have a lot to a play call, you have a lot to read, you have a lot of different things that weren't asked of me at (Texas) A&M. You have to deal with protections, deal with certain things and moving forward, yeah I have to adapt to that. I have to get better and continue to learn the game of football more and more. I'm not sitting up here today saying I know everything or I'm even close to perfecting this thing. I'm still a young guy, a young player and there's a lot to learn and a lot for me to do moving forward.''

Manziel stressed that his mindset is to bring it on and that he doesn't feel like the underdog at all.

"I'm absolutely a very competitive person and I'm going to come out here everyday and compete,'' he said. "I'm not going to back down from any kind of competition or anybody that really tests me but at the same time I'm worried about myself and getting better as a football player and getting better at drops, throwing with accuracy, throwing on the run and everything, really commanding a huddle, letting these guys see me on the field more and more. There's a lot that comes with being a rookie. I haven't been here very long so there's a lot.''

He said he's anticipating a warm welcome from Browns fans tomorrow, some of the same folks that have catapulted him to No. 1 in the NFL in jersey sales.

"The fans have been incredible,'' he said. "From the day that I got drafted in New York they've been incredible. The buzz about sports in this city in general, not just football but you look at basketball now, you look at the Indians, but especially with the Browns, this state, this town has been great for us and it's been great to me personally.''

Manziel might be No. 1 in jersey sales, but he knows he's the No. 2 most popular athlete in town with his good buddy LeBron James back.

"Obviously, I think it's great for this city. I think it's great for the Cavs. I think it's great for me,'' he said. "It's obviously a very good friend of mine and now moving forward pretty much a business partner of mine. I've exchanged texts back and forth and him being in the area, right down the road definitely excites me.

"It's going to be awesome to go to Cavs games and watch him play, the best basketball player in the world play so I'm very excited and excited he can come watch us play and be involved with this program again like he was before. More than anything, I'm happy for him and his family and being able to come back home and he loves it here."

Johnny Mania will get going full swing Saturday morning when training camp opens to the public at 9:30 a.m.

"I'm very excited to be back in Cleveland, back with the teammates, the coaches, just being in the environment, I think everybody's ready to get back to football, get back to what we all love doing,'' he said.

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