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Former OSU tight end Jake Ballard retires after 4 seasons: Cleveland Browns and NFL links

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Former Ohio State tight end retires and more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Ohio State tight end Jake Ballard is calling it a career after four seasons in the NFL. Ballard appeared in eight games for the Cardinals last season following a year in New England and two seasons with the New York Giants. Ballard started 13 games for the Giants in 2011, catching 38 balls for 604 yards and four touchdowns.

From Pro Football Talk:

"'Yesterday I made the difficult decision to retire from the game of football,' Ballard said in a statement.  'I love this game and have put my heart and soul into it for as long as I can remember.  After sustaining a serious knee injury while playing for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, my body never felt the same.'"

More NFL links

Watch David Wilson say a tearful and heartfelt goodbye to the NFL (Yahoo! Sports)

WR Chad Johnson still hopeful for a return (ESPN)

The Biggest NFL Training Camp Disappointments So Far (Bleacher Report)

Browns links

Cleveland Browns: What to Watch for in the First Preseason Game (Bleacher Report)

Cleveland Browns: 7 Things to Watch for in Preseason Opener (Dawg Pound Daily)

WFNY's State of the Browns: Special Teams (WaitingForNextYear)

Girls tennis top storylines, players and teams to watch in 2014 (slideshow, poll)

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Check out a preview of the 2014 girls tennis season, including key storylines, teams to watch and players to watch across Northeast Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The lids on hundreds of cans of tennis balls are about to be peeled back, releasing that whooshing sound synonymous with the start of a fresh tennis season. The strings will be tight and the grips will be sweat-stain free when tennis season in Northeast Ohio kicks off Friday.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the top storylines, teams and players to check out this season.

Top storylines

New year, new faces

Lakewood’s Kelli Pariano, Lincoln West’s Mandi Asbury and Southeast’s Angela Savinda are among local coaches in their first year at the helm of their respective program.

A long time in the making 

Cuyahoga Falls’ Ray Montgomery is entering his 33rd year as a varsity tennis coach. He opens this season with a 456-164 record at Cuyahoga Falls and a 754-296 career record.

St. Joseph looks to entire new lineup

St. Joseph Academy lost its entire starting lineup due to graduation. The Jaguars will look to senior duo Allison Saracina and Molly McAfee to step up in the doubles position, junior Colleen FitzGerald to take the reigns in singles and Evansville Memorial (Ind.) transfer Hannah Schuette to make an impact. 

Westlake under new management

This will be the first season in 18 years that Ralph Dunbar will not be at the helm of Westlake’s girls tennis program. The 15-time Southwestern Conference coach of the year stepped down from his position so he can watch his daughter, Julia, play at Siena College.

Teams to watch

Hathaway BrownState singles champion Ariana Iranpour graduated, but Lauren Gillinov is known as a fierce competitor. A state qualifier last season, Gillinov will lead the Blazers.

Magnificat: The Blue Streaks will need to fill the void of a graduated Emily Witt, who helped her team rise to No. 8 in the state poll last season. Magnificat will do so with three solid singles players in senior Lauren O’Malley, junior Tess Moran and freshman Alexandra Vesikallio. O’Malley and Moran combined for a 45-11 record last season.

Orange: The Lions return both of their doubles teams, including the state champion duo of Alissa Nakamoto and Adrian Young. Nakamoto’s baseline strength and Young’s net presence will be one of the toughest combinations to overcome for teams in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state.

SolonThe Comets return just two starters, but they’re still capable of grabbing the W.

Walsh Jesuit: The Warriors return four starters, including sophomores Paige Carmichael and Caroline Dickinson. With fellow sophomore and 2013 state qualifier Molly Sandberg guiding the singles portion of the team, look to senior Emily Hissong, who has built a deserving reputation, to lead the doubles teams.

Players to watch

Danielle Buchinsky, Laurel: The Gators’ No. 1 singles player finished fourth at state, making her the top returning player. Her will to win (she went 21-2 in the 2013 regular season) and her sound strokes should propel her deep into this season too.

Emily Dunbar, Cloverleaf: The daughter of a tennis pro and three-time Division I Ohio tennis champion, Dunbar blew through last regular season undefeated, giving up only one game. Will anyone be able to top her quick footwork and fluid groundstrokes ?

Lauren Gillinov, Hathaway Brown: Even though she played behind a state champion last season, Gillinov made quite the name for herself. And this year, she’s only a sophomore. The road ahead looks wide open for the underclassman in the brown and gold.

Lauren O’Malley, Magnificat: Three years ago, O’Malley was the deciding point in a match against Westlake that determined if her team went to state or not. She won the point and hasn’t let the pressure faze her since. A state qualifier last year, O’Malley is one of the most mentally tough in Northeast Ohio.

Alissa Nakamoto, Orange: Solid and sound groundstrokes are the key to Nakamoto’s game.

Molly Sandberg, Walsh Jesuit: Consistency is the name of this sophomore’s all-court game.

Jamie Vizelman, Mayfield: The News-Herald’s 2013 player of the year is a three-time state qualifier who posted a 19-2 regular season record last year. She leads Mayfield from the No. 1 spot.

Adrian Young, Orange: Young possesses a fierce net presence and isn’t afraid to attack or poach.

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Stephanie Kuzydym by email (skuzydym@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@stephkuzy). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The order of the Cleveland Indians' lineup, curing the Reds' ailing bats and Yan Gomes' beet juice: Zack Meisel's musings

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Gomes continues to bat in the lower third of Francona's lineup, despite his hot stretch. Gomes has logged a .286 average and .327 on-base percentage this season.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Prior to the sixth inning of Wednesday's game, the ballpark cameras panned to Mike Aviles and Roberto Perez, who were leaning against the dugout railing.

It was the Kiss Cam. Aviles' eyes had been pointed toward the scoreboard, so he immediately smiled at the sight of his own face. Perez then shifted behind Aviles and wrapped his arms around his teammate as both players -- and the 33,863 in attendance at Great American Ball Park -- laughed.

There wasn't much else for the Indians to smile about on Wednesday. Here are five observations following Cleveland's 8-3 loss.

1. No juice: Yan Gomes has compiled a .403/.429/.761 slash line over his last 20 games, with five home runs and 17 RBIs.

"When he gets that ball where he can handle it," said manager Terry Francona, "lately he has not been missing it."

Last season, his secret was beet juice, a drink he first had prior to slugging a walk-off homer. There is no special concoction this season. Beet juice isn't the secret to his recent surge.

"Actually," Gomes said, "I haven't had that in a while."

2. Order, order: Gomes continues to bat in the lower third of Francona's lineup, despite his hot stretch. Gomes has logged a .286 average and .327 on-base percentage this season. Francona said he doesn't want to add to Gomes' plethora of responsibilities. By pegging him lower in the order, Gomes doesn't have to feel pressure to reach base more frequently.

"The on-base percentage isn't as important when you're sitting down there a little lower," Francona said.

Gomes' .327 on-base percentage, however, ranks higher than every regular on the team, save for Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall.

3. Bottoms up: In the last two games, Cincinnati's Ramon Santiago, Kristopher Negron and Zack Cozart have dealt the Tribe significant blows via the home run ball. The trio has now combined for seven homers this season after the three blasts. Santiago's three-run shot in the second inning on Tuesday marked his first long ball in nearly one full calendar year. Cozart's three-run homer was his third this season. Negron followed with a two-run shot, the third of his career.

4. Red hot: The Reds, missing the services of Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, sputtered out of the All-Star break, losing their first seven and nine of their first 10. In their first 17 games since the Midsummer Classic, they averaged 2.4 runs per game and posted a 5-12 record. The last two nights against the Indians, they have totaled 17 runs in a pair of victories.

5. Cooling off: Lonnie Chisenhall's batting average dipped below the .300 mark for the first time this season when he popped out in the ninth inning on Wednesday. Chisenhall singled in his first trip to the plate this season and he kept his average above the .300 mark for four months. The third baseman is batting just .143 (9-for-63) with two walks over his last 16 games.

In Case you missed it: Browns would have been perfect on "Hard Knocks" and four more can't-miss stories from Wednesday

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Here are five stories you can't miss from Wednesday at Browns training camp. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns practice will be a lonely place on Thursday morning. For the first time since training camp opened, practice will be closed to the public. Of course, we'll be there all morning giving you complete coverage of all the happenings.

Still, that gives you a whole morning to kill, so why not spend some time checking out these five stories from camp on Wednesday that you don't want to miss.

Cleveland Browns' storylines would have written themselves for HBO's Hard Knocks

"On the day HBO debuted a new season of Hard Knocks, one featuring the Atlanta Falcons, Karlos Dansby stood outside the Browns locker room channeling his inner Clubber Lang."

- Tom Reed

Johnny Manziel won't start in Detroit, but might get the nod against Robert Griffin III on Monday Night Football the next week

"Johnny Manziel won't start Saturday's preseason opener in Detroit, but he might get something better: a start against Robert Griffin III and the Redskins in a nationally-televised Monday Night Football game on ESPN in the second preseason game Aug. 18th."

- Mary Kay Cabot

Browns QB Brian Hoyer's repaired knee withstands a 'heart-skipping-a-beat moment' in preparation for Lions

"Brian Hoyer threw a scare into the Browns when he took a hard shot to his surgically-repaired knee Tuesday, but the blow was as good for his head as it was risky for his knee."

- Mary Kay Cabot

Who won Wednesday at Browns training camp: The running back battle

"Tate showed more explosiveness than West and looked more comfortable running behind Kyle Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme. West showed some flashes and some raw power, but the fumble hurts. Tate wins Wednesday."

- Dan Labbe


Johnny Manziel making great strides with starters, but Brian Hoyer will start against Lions


"Johnny Manziel has made tremendous strides since the first week of camp and is sharing first-team reps, but Brian Hoyer will start Saturday's preseason opener in Detroit, coach Mike Pettine announced Wednesday."


- Mary Kay Cabot

An inside look at the Ohio State Buckeyes' third practice of fall camp 2014: Photo Gallery

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Inside is an assortment of pictures inside of Ohio State's third practice of fall camp Wednesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State isn't the only thing getting better as fall camp progresses. 

So are we. ... At taking pictures. 

Wednesday was Ohio State's third practice of fall camp and the first one that was completely open to the media. Doug and I walked and down the sidelines with our iPhones and came away with more usable pictures than we had Monday. 

Above is a complete gallery of the action at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. After it was over, we spoke with offensive line coach Ed Warinner and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell. 

Below are our two practice reports from Wednesday. 

• Quarterback Braxton Miller coming along 'like a pitcher in spring training': Ohio State Buckeyes offensive practice report

• Newly confident senior LB Curtis Grant the "passion" of the defense: Ohio State Buckeyes defensive practice report

And be sure to check back with us throughout the day Thursday with more coverage from Ohio State's practice and its check-in day at the Hyatt Place Grandview. 

Cincinnati Reds pound Danny Salazar, Cleveland Indians on way to 8-3 victory

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Except for Yan Gomes, Indians' offense goes quietly against the Reds for the second straight night.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Danny Salazar's three-game winning streak came to a quick and bruising end Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Zack Cozart and Kris Negron, hitting seventh and eighth, hit three and two-run homers as the Reds pounded the Indians for the second straight night on the way to a 8-3 victory.

Salazar (4-5, 4.88) went just four innings and was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the fifth. The victory went to Mat Latos (4-3, 3.12), who held the Indians to three runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings.

The Indians were held scoreless until the eighth when Yan Gomes homered and Ryan Raburn delivered a two-run pinch-hit double. Gomes tied Michael Brantley for second place on the the team with 16 homers each.

Carlos Santana leads with 20.

What it means

The Indians, trailing Cincinnati 2-1, need a win Thursday to split the series. It's unclear who would retain the Ohio Cup in the event of a tie.

The Tribe (57-57) has lost two straight, while falling to 23-35 on the road and 9-8 in interleague play.

The Indians entered Wednesday's game 6½ games behind Detroit in the AL Central and 2½ games behind Toronto for the second wild card spot. In the wild card chase, the Royals, New York and Seattle were in front of the Tribe.

The Reds (58-56) have won six of their last 11 games. They're 30-25 at home and 5-9 in interleague play.

Cincinnati trailed first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central by five games. In the wild card race, they trailed the Giants by four games for the second wild-card spot.

Just asking

In the second inning, Salazar had two on, two out and a 2-2 count on Cozart, the No. 8 hitter. With a base open and Latos waiting on deck, Salazar could have pitched around Cozart and faced Latos with the bases loaded.

Not the best strategy to be sure – loading the bases in never a good idea – but it might have been better than what happened. Cozart, who came into the game hitting .221 (82-for-371) with two homers, hit a drive off the left field foul pole for a 3-0 lead.

Bobble here, bobble there

Just before Cozart's homer, Negron reached on an infield single behind second base. Rookie shortstop Jose Ramirez gobbled the ball up in plenty of time, but as he was moving sideways, he had trouble getting the ball out of his glove and never made a throw.

Instead of the inning being over, Negron was credited with an infield single and Cozart got a chance to come up big.

Bottom's up

The Reds' lineup is supposed to be hurting with injured middle-of-the-lineup hitters Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips out. The Indians don't buy that.

Cincinnati thumped them 9-2 Tuesday and rolled them again Wednesday. The Reds' keystone combination of Cozart and Negron combined to go 5-for-7 with two homers, six RBI and five RBI.

Salazar's night

Salazar had a quick outing, allowing five runs on five hits in four innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five.

As he has in his previous three starts, Salazar pounded the strike zone. He threw 70 percent (48-for-69) of his pitches for strikes, but his location was lacking on too many of them.

In his previous three starts, he allowed just three earned runs in 18 innings.

What's next?

This four-game home-and-away series against the Reds ends Thursday night here when Tribe lefty T.J. House (1-2, 4.09) faces right-hander Homer Bailey (8-5, 3.89).

House's 11th big league start comes on his fourth tour with the Tribe this year. He is 1-4 with a 3.79 ERA in 10 starts at Class AAA Columbus. This will be his first start against Cincinnati.

Bailey is 2-3 with a 6.55 ERA in seven starts against the Indians. He's 0-3 in his last three starts against the Tribe dating back to 2011.

On June 8, Bailey was 7-3 after a victory over the Phillies. He's gone 1-2 in nine starts since.

Carlos Carrasco to start for the Cleveland Indians on Sunday at Yankee Stadium

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Carrasco will make his first start since April 25.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Carlos Carrasco won't pitch from the windup on Sunday. He won't engage in a bout of long toss prior to the matinee at Yankee Stadium.

He will, however, be the Indians' starting pitcher.

Carrasco will make his first start since April 25, but the Indians have instructed him to maintain the same regimen he has been employing as a reliever. The right-hander logged an 0-3 record and 6.95 ERA in four April starts. The Tribe then banished him to the bullpen, where he fashioned a 2.30 ERA in 26 appearances.

"I'm not going to change anything," Carrasco said. "They gave me another opportunity to [start] and I'm just going to continue to do everything that I do out of the bullpen."

Carrasco threw 59 pitches in relief of Josh Tomlin on Tuesday. Manager Terry Francona wouldn't specify a particular pitch count for Carrasco on Sunday.

"A lot of it would depend on how he's pitching," Francona said. "He got tired the other day around 52 [pitches]. We left him out there a little longer because we were already losing and we wanted him to get lengthened out."

The team has an off-day on Monday and Corey Kluber -- who has averaged eight innings per start since the beginning of July -- pitching on Saturday. So, Francona may be able to depend on his bullpen a little more than usual on Sunday.

The Indians have only three other starting pitchers on the active roster. They optioned Danny Salazar to Triple-A with the intent of providing the right-hander with a brief reprieve. He will likely rejoin the club in 10 days and return to the rotation. The club reassigned Tomlin to the bullpen earlier in the week. Tomlin has posted a 7.09 ERA over his last five outings.

"We're just trying to balance a number of things," Francona said. "One is winning. We have a starting staff that is fairly inexperienced. Shouldering a load of a full season when you're that young or inexperienced -- if we can help that along the way, we try to balance that, because we still want to win."

Why lean times for guard John Greco might give him a leg up in Cleveland Browns' competition

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The seventh-year veteran is trying to repel the challenge of Garret Gilkey at right guard.

BEREA, Ohio – A switch in blocking schemes has produced a change in body types for John Greco.

A casual glance at the Browns guard without his athletic armor reveals a leaner look this season. The seventh-year veteran has shed 25 pounds since March in an effort to quicken his step for the team's wide zone blocking scheme favored by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Greco is seeking any advantage as he tries to repel Garrett Gilkey's challenge at right guard. The two linemen have been alternating with the first unit, although Greco is expected to start Saturday night in the preseason opener at Detroit.

"I've been really working hard in the off-season with the strength staff," the Boardman native said. "In this offense you have to be able to run. We always say if we start on the hash and we're running the other way you want to end outside the numbers. If you're doing that you've got to be able to run.

"In years past you might be a little heavier trying to get more vertical push."

The Shanahans have employed the wide zone since the 1990s when Kyle's father, Mike, produced a string of 1,000-yard rushers with the Denver Broncos. The idea is to stretch the defense laterally with offensive linemen working together like a moving fence. The running back reads the blocks and makes one cut upfield.

"The big knock on this (blocking scheme) is it's soft and not physical, but it is," Greco said. "It's just different angles, but there's still a physical part to it."

Greco started 14 games last season and 24 since the start of the 2012 campaign. But with the line's new emphasis on quickness and athleticism, coaches encouraged him to lighten his load. He didn't make radical changes to his diet, Greco said, but he increased his cardio workouts.

Coaches likely will use the first two exhibition games to determine a starter at right guard, the only spot on the line where there's a legitimate competition. The Browns drafted Joel Bitonio in the second round and plugged him in at left guard.

Offensive line coach Andy Moeller values Greco's experience, but said last week he sees improvement from Gilkey.

"Garrett Gilkey, from when we first got here in the off-season, when we studied the tape last year to where he is now, has made great strides," Moeller said the second-year lineman. "He's shown to us in our practices he is a caliber of guy that is ready to be right in the starting mix. So he's done well. He's still young. He's only been here a year. By no means has he arrived, but he's certainly taking great strides to get there."

It was an exhibition game against the Lions last year that plied Gilkey with the confidence he could make the jump from obscure Chadron State in Nebraska. Replacing an injured Jason Pinkston, he held his own against rugged Ndamukong Suh.

"A lot of affirmation in that," Gilkey said. "I didn't give up any sacks against Suh and I thought that I played well for the circumstances, especially me coming from a smaller school. Every one kind of put doubts on me. No can doubt me anymore. Now I'm competing for a starting job.

"You can't say that I went to too small of a school or I'm inexperienced or I didn't play high enough competition. So all the critics and all the people that questioned me and my capabilities have nothing to say. There was a lot of affirmation in that, and there will be a lot of affirmation on Saturday when I step out there on the field with the ones."

Gilkey and Greco have stressed the friendly and cooperative nature of their competition. But unlike the defensive line, where players frequently rotate, you either start or sit.  

"It's competition, we both know it," Greco said.

You can see it on his face, one that's noticeably leaner since March.


An increase of $1.65 million in scholarship costs: What Ohio State can do now that big college athletic departments have more power to act

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At a place like Ohio State, autonomy could mean more scholarship money, better health case, less of a time demand for athletes and a chance to get to know agents earlier in their careers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's athletic department can do whatever it wants. Actually, it's the Buckeyes and their friends, the schools like them in the largest athletic conferences, that have a new license to act.

The NCAA's board of directors on Thursday voted to allow what have been referred as the "Big 5" conferences to make their own rules in many areas, without having to worry if smaller athletic departments in Division I athletics can keep up.

• The NCAA explanation on the vote

The schools from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12, along with Notre Dame, can now create their own legislation. An 80-person committee, which will include 15 athletes, will shape those policies. 

This day was a long time coming, as power conferences have been stopped in recent years from spending more money on some items they wanted to adopt, most notably a cost-of-attendance structure that would increase full scholarships by something like $3,000 to $5,000 to cover other aspects of college life.

When asked this summer by cleveland.com about what the real changes would be if and when this day came, as expected, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith mentioned several specific areas:

• Cost of attendance: This was first on the list. Smith said at Ohio State going to cost of attendance would be about an extra $3,600 for full-ride scholarships. Across the country the numbers differ, and Smith said he hopes the group of 65 is strong enough to allow each school to use its own cost of attendance number and be able to say "so what?" if some schools are higher than others. Smith said he "doesn't care" if another school has a higher cost of attendance and schools should be able to do what is needed.

Smith said Ohio State has already budgeted another $1.65 million a year to cover cost of attendance. Currently, the cost of all athletic scholarships is about $17 million per year. Smith said he thinks it may take a year, until the 2016-17, to implement cost of attendance, but Ohio State would be ready to go if it starts in 2015-16.

• Health care: Smith specifically talked about long-term care of former athletes, which would include those problems related to concussions. But he also gave an example of an athlete breaking his or her leg in college and needing another surgery several years after college. The big schools could now cover things like that.

• Agent interaction: Smith talked about schools allowing juniors and their families to start interviewing agents. He envisioned maybe a week of agent days set up by Ohio State. 

• Decreased time demands: Smith said Ohio State has already formed a committee of coaches, trainers and athletes to discuss whether the demands of their sports could be lessened. For instance, he talked about the football team maybe getting a full four weeks off after a bowl game, without getting in the weight room -- time completely to the players.

• Paying for more things for athletes' families: Urban Meyer talked at the Big Ten Media Days about hoping schools could pay for the travel costs of families for bowl games. Smith talked about allowing more on official visits for recruits, including providing more tickets. 

There's lot of work to be done on all these issues. Nothing has happened yet. The vote Thursday just created the chance for things to happen. But there are two realities.

One is that the push for athletes rights has gained momentum, just with the talk of unionization and other issues. The big schools knew they had to do something. And this isn't everything that those involved with the rights of athletes want -- and there still are court cases to be decided -- but this is something.

The other is that the Big 5 conference schools can handle most of this. Not every smaller school has the money to act on these things. But schools like Ohio State do.

Asked if Ohio State needed to find new revenue streams to fund these ideas, Smith said it wasn't a concern.

"We're always looking at that, but we're set up well for the future. We work on our long-range financial plan all the time," Smith said. "With our partners, like IMG and our TV partners and Nike, we're in pretty good shape."

So there is plenty to come and plenty to be decided. The discussions may not always be easy. Depending on the vote of the 80-person committee, either three or or four of the five conferences need to be on board for legislation to take effect.

But while no playing field will ever be level, these 65 schools are at least in the same, giant stadium. And it was time for something to happen.

"I think you're going to see a lot of little things," Smith said this summer. "Because we've got to change."

Is Jason Kipnis headed in right direction? Cleveland Indians quick hits

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Jason Kipnis, following his three-hit night Wednesday, says it's time for the Indians to start winning games and series.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Here are some quick hits from manager Terry Francona and the Indians before Thursday night's game against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Three-hit night: Jason Kipnis, who has been searching for his swing all season, went 3-for-4 Wednesday with all three hits going to left or left center field.

Manager Terry Francona believes it's always a good sign when a hitter goes the opposite way, especially Kipnis.

"When you have a three-hit night you're going to feel better about yourself, but they came in a loss so you can't enjoy them too much," said Kipnis, following the Tribe's 8-3 defeat. "Hopefully, I can use it to start getting on base, scoring some runs and helping this team a little more."

Kipnis, who missed a month with a strained right oblique muscle, went into Thursday's game hitting .246 (83-for-341) with 17 doubles, one triple, six homers and 36 RBI in 87 games.

Asked what it meant when he hit the ball to left, Kipnis joked and said, "I'm late. Really, there are times when I'm trying to do it and it gets me in trouble. There are times when I should be doing it and I don't.

"That was just one of those games where everything lined up. I hope I can take the good feeling from that and carry it into the next game."

When asked about the Indians' lack of consistency, Kipnis said, "We're right in the thick of things in the division and the wild card and I don't think we've had a hot streak all year. We have the memory of last year that we can get hot at the end, but we don't want to wait until the last 10 games of the season. We have to win some games and series before that to make it easier on ourselves."

Bullpen Mafia revisited: When a bullpen is going good, it looks like it could go on forever in one-inning bites. In reality, there is usually a lot of turnover.

With the trade of Vinnie Pestano on Thursday to the Angels, the Tribe's Bullpen Mafia has been nearly rubbed out. Closer Chris Perez was released at the end of last season and signed with the Dodgers. Joe Smith signed a three-year $15.75 million deal with the Angels as a free agent and now Pestano is gone.

Perhaps he'll be joining Smith soon, but as for right now he's reporting to Class AAS Salt Lake City.

Former Indians in the news: The Phillies traded Roberto Hernandez, aka Fausto Carmona, to Los Angeles on Thursday. Meanwhile, catcher Chris Gimenez and third baseman Andy Marte were designated for assignment by Texas and Arizona, respectively.

Esmil Rodgers, who brought the Indians Yan Gomes and Mike Aviles from Toronto, will start against them Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Finally: Indians made it official on Thursday by recalling CC Lee from Class AAA Columbus and optioning Danny Salazar.

GM Chris Antonetti and Francona said when they looked at this part of the schedule featuring three off days in the next 12 games, they felt it was a good time to rest Salazar by sending him to Columbus and giving them a chance to add another reliever/position player.

Salazar, demoted after Wednesday's start, didn't seem too keen on the idea.

Medina center Jon Teske commits to play basketball at Michigan

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Teske, a rising junior, also held an offer from Ohio State.

MEDINA, Ohio -- Medina center Jon Teske waited no time to pledge his college commitment. Just weeks before his junior year, Teske announced on Twitter that he has decided to play college basketball at the University of Michigan.

"I just wanted to get it over with and get the pressure off of me, and now I can just focus on getting ready for Michigan and the next two high school seasons," Teske said.

Teske, who lived in Grand Rapids, Mich., before moving to Ohio, made the announcement less than two months after he received his initial offer from Michigan. He also held an Ohio State offer.

When it came down to making a decision, there were a lot of factors that came into play.

"I still have a lot of family and friends that live in Michigan," Teske said. "I also felt a great relationship with the coaching staff. Also, I'm looking to get into accounting, and the business school is one of the top ranked schools in the country."

What the Wolverines are getting is a 6-foot-11 center, who, as a rising junior, is still developing his game. As a sophomore, Teske averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks for Medina.

With two years before he joins the Wolverines, Teske also has plenty of time to work on his game. 

"I can play really well inside and out," Teske said. "Right now, I'm working on my post moves down low and the three-point shot."

Teske added he likes how Michigan uses its big men and how they share the ball on offense.

The last Medina boys basketball to play for a Big Ten school was Kenny Kaminski, who is now leaving the Michigan State program.

With this weight of his shoulders, Teske is done worried about recruiting. Now the focus is all on Medina.

"Now I can focus on just getting bigger, faster and stronger and helping my high school team win a lot of games," Teske said.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood in the hunt early after PGA Championship 2014 first round

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Lee Westwood shoots 6-under 65 for share of the lead with Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell at PGA Championship.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rory McIlroy showed no sign of letting up. Lee Westwood might just be getting started. Momentum was a big theme Thursday in the opening round of the PGA Championship, and it even applied to Tiger Woods.

Except that Woods kept going the wrong direction.

Westwood followed up a season-best 63 four days ago at Akron's Firestone Country Club by matching his best score in a major championship. He made nine birdies at Valhalla for a 6-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell.

One shot behind was McIlroy, the No. 1 player and overwhelming favorite in the final major of the year. McIlroy, coming off back-to-back wins at the British Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, overcame a wild double bogey on the par-5 10th hole by running off four straight birdies. His eagle attempt on the 18th hole narrowly missed. He settled for a 66, a solid start in his bid to become only the seventh player to win the last two majors of the year.

Woods achieved that feat twice, including at Valhalla in 2000. That now seems even longer than 14 years ago.

On a day when nearly half the field shot par or better, Woods opened with a 3-over 74. He hit two tee shots that missed the fairway by some 30 yards, hooked a 3-wood into a creek and hit a spectator with his tee shot on a par 3. His two best putts were for par and bogey.

"It wasn't very good," Woods said.

He didn't look very sharp. In his last competitive round, Woods withdrew after eight holes at Firestone because of another back injury. He said his trainer was able to pop a joint back into place above the sacrum, eliminating the pain. But it apparently did little for the rust.

Woods wasn't the only player who hit a few wild ones.

Right when McIlroy was building momentum, he hooked his second shot on the par-5 10th hole over a fence and out-of-bounds, leading to a double bogey. He was more upset about a three-putt bogey on the next hole, but then Boy Wonder bounced back with four straight birdies to get right back into the mix.

"Whenever you are confident and you have some momentum on your side, it's easier to do what I did today rather if everything is sort of going against you, and you're struggling for form and you have a patch like that," he said.

Everything is very much going his way right now. It was his 11th straight round under par, and his third straight round of 66.

Westwood also had a double bogey on his 10th hole that kept his score from being even better. He played the back nine first, and hit his tee shot right down the middle at No. 1, and right at the edge of a divot that wasn't entirely filled with sand.

"It was like caught or plugged," Westwood said. "So it would have been a perfect 9-iron from the fairway, and just unlucky. Caught it a bit heavy."

He flubbed a chip trying to be too perfect and missed a 4-foot bogey putt. Much like McIlroy, he responded in splendid fashion by closing out his round with four straight birdies, finishing with a 30-footer on the ninth hole.

Westwood also had a 65 in the third round at Congressional in the 2011 U.S. Open.

"I've played better rounds of golf, but I was really pleased today," he said. "I hit a lot of quality iron shots, and it felt like 65 was a fair enough score for the way I played. I got a couple of bad breaks out there, but I rolled a couple of putts in that you probably wouldn't expect to hole. But that's just the way it is. A bit of momentum is a wonderful thing."

The timing was great for Westwood, who is trying to avoid missing the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1995. European captain Paul McGinley told Westwood he wanted to see some form, and Westwood has delivered a 63 at Firestone and a 65 in the opening round of the final major.

Defending champion Jason Dufner, a Cleveland native, withdrew midway through his round due to an ongoing neck injury.

Chappell played bogey-free in his 65, while a late bogey was about the only thing that spoiled Palmer's day. He was the only one to reach 7-under par, with a birdie on the seventh hole, and he allowed himself to think about two more birdies for a 62 and the lowest score ever in a major. He missed a short par putt on No. 8 and that was that.

"I wanted to get to 8 (under) so bad and it kept driving me," Palmer said. "So we'll take 6 going into tomorrow."

The course was generally soft and gentle, and it showed in the scores.

While it's daunting to see McIlroy anywhere near the lead the way he's playing, Valhalla offered good scores to plenty of players.

Henrik Stenson and Jim Furyk were among five players at 66. Kentucky native J.B. Holmes had a 68 despite taking a double bogey on the 13th hole when his drive landed in a divot and his next shot to the island green didn't find the island.

Phil Mickelson played alongside Woods and rallied for a 69.

For Woods, it was the second straight round in a major when he didn't beat the Ryder Cup captain, 64-year-old Tom Watson, who had a 1-over 72.

Watson was more interested in how his team was shaping up than his own game. Qualifying ends after the PGA Championship, and Watson gets three picks on Sept. 2.

"I'm going to with horses that are running well," he said.

After one day, Tiger was stumbling badly. Woods' first order of business Friday was simply to make the cut.

Box scores and highlights for golf for Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014

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Check out box scores and highlights for golf for Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are golf box scores and highlights for golf for Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014.

BOYS GOLF

VASJ 342, Benedictine 432

At Brirdale Greens

How they finished: 1. Grudzinski (VASJ) 82; 2. Keyse (VASJ) 85; 3. Turk (VASJ) 87.

Green Wave Invitational

How they finished:  1. Berea-Midpark 324; 2.  Buckeye 344; 3.  Brooklyn 346; 4.  North Royalton 354; 5.  Holy Name 359 6. Fairview 368; 7.Keystone 376; 8. Bay  377; 9. Parma 377; 10. Valley Forge 395; 11.  Normandy  396; 12.  Lutheran West WD.

Top Individuals:  1. Adams (VF) 77; T2. Stetz (BM) 79; T2. Newbould (VF) 79; 4. Vollman (HN) 84.

Notable: With the victory, the Berea-Midpark Titans repeated as the champions of the tournament.

2014 North Olmsted Invitational Boys Golf Tournament

How they finished: 1. Westlake 301; 2. Brecksville 302; 3.Avon Lake 317; 4.North Olmsted 320; 5. Avon 321; 6. Amherst 323; 7. Rocky River  330; 8. Olmsted Falls 339; 9. Avon Lake (II) 341; 10. Midview 343; 11. Bay Village 346; 12. Lakewood.

Top Individuals: 1. Torres (OF) 69; 2. Sikora (A) 70; 3. Steffen (W) 71.

Notable: Alex Torres (OF) got off to a fast start this season with a victory.

Late

Eastlake North 174, Euclid 204

At Briardale Greens

Top Individials: 1. Hemmert (EN) 40; 2. Johnson 42 (E); 3. Frank (N) 43.

GIRLS GOLF

Brecksville 173,  Berea-Midpark  244

At Seneca

Top Individuals: 1. Morell (B) 40 ; 2. Coughlin (B)  43 ; 3. Desantis and Mitchell (B)  45.

Brunswick 185, Lexington 192

At Cossett Creek

Top Individuals: 1. Sazdanoff (L) 46; 2. Angie (B) 49; 3. Thompson (L) 52.

Massillon Perry 202, Padua 217

At Legends of Massillon

1. Adamzcyk (MP) 46; 2. Johnson (P) 47; 3. Thomas (P) 48.

Medina 154  Canton GlenOak 162

At The Sanctuary

Top Individuals: T1. Pollock (M) 36; T1. Drehs (M) 36;T1. Shalenberger (G) 36; 4.  Sherman (M) 38.

Notable: The 154 for Medina is a course record.

North Royalton 187 Copley 187 (Copley wins by fifth tie-breaker)

At Loyal Oak Golf Course

Grospitch (NR) 43, Blachaniec (CO) 44; 3. Kline (CO) 45.

Solon 178, Hawken 213, Mentor 224

At Grantwood

Top Individuals: Joseph (H) 41; 2. Markle (S) 42; 3.   Finnerty (S) 43.

Mud run GC

How They Finished: 1.  St. Vincent-St. Mary 203; 2.  Southeast 206; 3. Springfield 233; 4. Woodridge 248.

Top Individuals:  1. Noethen, (STVM), 38; 2. Hysell (So), 39; 3. Cole (Sp) 48; 4. Fesemyer, (So) 50; Knox, (STVM) 51; 5. Muldowning (So) 54; 6. Kearns (Wo) 55.

ESPN suspends Dan Le Batard two days for LeBron James billboard stunt

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ESPN suspends radio-TV personality for LeBron billboard stunt.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN TV/radio personality Dan Le Batard had made it clear for more than a week that he wanted a chance to tweak LeBron James for his decision to leave Miami and return home to Northeast Ohio.

Wednesday, Le Batard accomplished his goal, buying a billboard sign in Akron stating "You're welcome, LeBron. Love, Miami." He had been rejected by Northeast Ohio Media Group in his bid a week earlier to take out an ad in The Plain Dealer.

But what he called "fun anarchy" in a Wednesday story in the Miami Herald wasn't quite so funny to his employer. ESPN announced Thursday that it had suspended Le Batard for two days from his Miami-based radio program. His TV show, "Highly Questionable," was already on summer hiatus.

 “Dan Le Batard will be off the air for two days, returning Monday," stated the ESPN press release. "His recent stunt does not reflect ESPN’s standards and brand. Additionally, we were not made aware of his plans in advance.”

ESPN may have acted not because of one billboard, but of a suggestion that more was coming from Le Batard, according to Herald writer Greg Cote.

"There are rumors of an additional tier of the ad-assault that remains top secret, perhaps to be revealed on Friday," Cote wrote Wednesday. "I pledged to not share more than I have at this time so that LeBron's "people" would not have enough advance notice or information to crush the plan."

Le Batard texted Cote after the suspension was made public. "I guess ESPN didn't find it all quite as funny as I did."

Akron RubberDucks win 4th straight with 3-1 victory over New Britain Rock Cats

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Akron gets only four hits in the victory.

The RubberDucks managed only four hits but New Britain only had six as Akron won its fourth straight with a 3-1 victory Tuesday over the visiting Rock Cats in a Class AA Eastern League game.

The Rock Cats got all six hits off RubberDucks starter Will Roberts but could only manage one run on a groundout to shortstop Erik Gonzalez in the seventh inning, bringing in a runner from third.

Meanwhile, Rock Cats starter Tyler Duffey was perfect through four innings before designated hitter Bryan LaHair led off the fifth with a single. Outfielder Anthony Gallas followed with another single, and catcher Alex Lavisky loaded the bases with a bunt single.

LaHair scored on a sacrifice fly from first baseman Jake Lowery, and LaHair scored moments later on a soft groundout by infielder Ronny Rodriguez.

After the Rock Cats cut the RubberDucks' lead to 2-1 in the seventh, Akron added an insurance run in the eighth after Rodriguez doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by infielder Jaime Pedroza, then scored on another sacrifice bunt by outfielder Ollie Linton.

Roberts (11-11, 3.99 ERA) pitched seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out four. Shawn Armstrong earned his 14th save with a hitless ninth inning. 

The RubberDucks (64-55) now trail the Richmond Flying Squirrels by only 2 1/2 games in the Western Division. The Squirrels have lost eight straight.


Cleveland Indians outclassed by Cincinnati Reds for third straight game: DMan's Report, Game 115, Thursday

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The Indians were outscored, 21-5, in losing three straight games to the Reds from Tuesday through Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a two-game series Thursday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 115.

Opponent: Reds.

Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 35 minutes.

Attendance: 31,862.

Result: Reds 4, Indians 0.

Records: Reds 59-56, Indians 57-58.

GPS required: The Tribe fell to an odoriferous 23-36 on the road.

Queen City nightmare: The Tribe has lost eight in a row at GABP.

Broom service: The Reds swept the series. They won the season series, 3-1, and secured the coveted Ohio Cup.

The Reds dominated the final three meetings. They won, 9-2, Tuesday in Cleveland and 8-3 on Wednesday at GABP. They held a 33-17 advantage in hits over the three games.

Reds starting pitchers, all right-handers, toyed with Tribe batters in each victory. On Tuesday, Johnny Cueto crafted a 117-pitch complete game. On Wednesday, Mat Latos had a shutout through seven innings and finished with three runs allowed in 7 2/3.

On Thursday, Homer Bailey gave up four hits in seven before becoming a spectator. Bailey (9-5, 3.71 ERA) commanded the fastball to four corners and used a nasty splitter. 

Cueto is one of MLB's best, but Latos and Bailey, while good, don't intimidate. And the Indians are supposed to be better equipped to deal with righties than lefties, anyway.

Outclassed: It would be one thing if the Indians simply were shut down by superb starting pitching for three nights. The sad reality for the Indians (and, by extension, their fans) is, the Reds dictated terms all over the field. The Reds pitched better, hit better, defended better, ran the bases better and hustled more.

Bottom line: One team played hungry; the other, #zombiebaseball.

Oh, by the way: The Reds were sans injured first baseman Joey Votto and second baseman Brandon Phillips. Among the Reds who caused problems for the Indians over three days were non-stars Ramon Santiago, Brayan Pena, Zack Cozart and Kristopher Negron. 

Settling the matter quickly: The outcome Thursday effectively was determined in the first inning.

The Tribe had a single, double and walk but failed to score.

Jason Kipnis led off with single on an 0-2 pitch. David Murphy grounded sharply to first baseman Todd Frazier, who triggered a double play. Michael Brantley, hitting with 99-percent hands because something is not right with one of his legs, doubled to right. Carlos Santana walked.

Yan Gomes, who entered as Cleveland's hottest hitter, struck out in three pitches. He took a strike, fouled and swung through a fastball up and in.

In the Cincinnati half, speedster Billy Hamilton led off by punching an 0-1 pitch from lefty T.J. House to left for a single. Hamilton largely had been a non-factor in the previous three games; that was about to change.

Lefty Jay Bruce, in a 1-2 count, beat the shift with an infield single to the left side. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall moved to his right to field the ball in the space usually occupied by the shortstop. As Chisenhall threw to first baseman Santana, Hamilton raced for third. Santana's throw across eluded a diving Chisenhall and skipped out of play. Hamilton scored and Bruce advanced to third.

House needed to be the clear target for Santana but did not appear to be prepared for the throw.

House retired the next two without Bruce going anywhere, but Ryan Ludwick singled through the hole at short to make it 2-0.

Outsmarting themselves: Over four days, Bruce burned the Indians' shifts not once, not twice...but five times. Five of his six hits traveled through areas vacated because of unconventional defenses.  

Inexcusable: The Reds capitalized on more bad Tribe defense to take a 3-0 lead in the second.

With two outs and none on, Bailey singled. Bailey finished 1-for-2 and is hitting .146. Even if Bailey were Rick Rhoden, House can't be giving up a hit in that situation.

Hamilton lined to left-center for what should have been a single -- except that the hop caught Nick Swisher flat-footed and shot past him, enabling Bailey to lumber around the bases. Hamilton checked in at third with a triple; realistically, it was a single and two-base error.

Tacking on: Cincinnati scored its final run in the sixth. Negron's two-out single drove in Frazier. Reds batters continued to punish the Tribe with two outs.

More miscues: The Indians committed three errors. Santana dropped a pop-up for his second and Chisenhall uncorked a wild throw.

Santana went 1-for-13 in the four games against Cincinnati; Chisenhall, 1-for-15.

Decent performance: House allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Good performance: Tribe righty reliever C-C Lee pitched two hitless innings and whiffed three.  

Tracking Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer: Charting Browns QB passes

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Check out how each quarterback has done in 11-on-11 drills at training camp.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns are off on Friday and take the field for their first preseason game on Saturday night. What better time to update our quarterback chart?

As part of our training camp coverage, we're charting how each quarterback is performing in camp so far. It's not meant to be an end-all evaluation. It's just a piece of the puzzle and you can fit it into your own evaluation however you see fit.

Some disclaimers:

  • We are only tracking passes thrown in 11-on-11. It's the closest simulation to real football in training camp practices.
  • We're not noting dropped passes. We don't know if a wrong route was run. We're simply tracking complete/incomplete and estimating yardages.
  • Quarterbacks aren't live right now. They haven't been hit.
  • Unlike a regular season game -- or even a preseason game -- we don't have access to tape or live stats. We can't always tell if a receiver stayed in bounds or if there was a penalty and who it was against. We're eyeballing things.
  • Since, for the most part, practices don't feature live tackling, yardages are mostly how far the ball traveled in the air and don't account for YAC.

So, again, take this chart for what it is. It's divided into six categories for each quarterback: left-center-right across the top, 20+ yards, 10-20 yards and 0-10 yards down the side.

Hoyer in 11-on-11

LengthLeftCenterRight
20 yds. plus 3-5 3-4 5-11
10-20 yds. 2-5 13-22 6-12
Under 10 yds. 22-33 11-19 10-19
Totals27-4327-4521-42
Overall75-130

Manziel in 11-on-11

LengthLeftCenterRight
20 yds. plus 3-5 0-0 3-4
10-20 yds. 1-8 11-20 7-13
Under 10 yds. 5-17 7-10 20-27
Totals9-3018-3030-44
Overall57-104

Second round updates, golf leaderboard from PGA Championship 2014

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See a live scoreboard, as well as updates, pictures and videos from the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Follow the second round of the PGA Championship all day Friday with live updates, pictures and videos from Valhalla Golf Club. And track Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson all your favorite golfers in a live leaderboard.

The box below features live Twitter updates, including pictures and videos from the PGA Tour's official Twitter account and other notable Twitter feeds. Below the box is the live leaderboard. See tee times for Friday. Action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. The final groups tee off at 2:45 p.m.

Thursday's opening round produced a three-way tie at 6-under 65 between Westwood, Kevin Chappell and Ryan Palmer in the final major of the season.

McIlroy headlines five players who are one shot back. McIlroy, coming off consecutive wins at the British Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, is seeking his fourth career major.

Woods and Mickelson will continue their rare pairing together. They tee off at 1:45 p.m., along with Padraig Harrington.

Maybe the crowd can give them a boost. Mickelson finished strong for a 69 Thursday, while Woods carded a 3-over 74. Woods was a surprise entrant a few days after withdrawing from the final round at Firestone Country Club because of a back injury.

Speaking of injuries, Cleveland native Jason Dufner won't be able to defend his first major won last year at Oak Hill, withdrawing because of an ongoing neck injury.

McIlroy tees off at 8:35 a.m. alongside Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer. Westwood, who is still seeking his first major championship, starts at 1:25 p.m. with Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott.

An open letter to Cleveland Browns fans: You lucky dawgs! Michele Brinkmann

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Embrace him. Enjoy Johnny Manziel while you have him. And while you're at it, can you put in a good word with our Houston cable TV company to carry Browns games this fall? writes Texas fan Michele Brinkmann.

No one causes controversy quite like Johnny Manziel. They say you love him or hate him. Well, I happen to love him and you will, too. I promise.

Here's why.

He makes football fun. He balls out every single play. He truly believes he can score a touchdown on every play. He fires up his teammates and the crowd like no other. He lives every day to the fullest. He loves the game of football. He makes the magic happen.

Now, with that said, I do have to warn you. It won't always be pretty. There will be interceptions. There will be sacks. There will be off-the-field antics that will not affect his play. There will be haters. There will be times he loses his temper. GET OVER IT. It will happen.

But along with the ugly, comes the magical. In a game peppered with interceptions, bad throws and sacks, there will be just as many magical moments of perfect throws, extended plays, and many, many touchdowns. Plays that stun you and make you wonder, "How did he do that? Is that even possible? What just happened? Did you just see Johnny make that play?" He makes things happen and he has fun every step of the way. He's amazing. He's one of a kind. And in Texas, he's legendary.

Embrace him. Enjoy him while you have him. We Aggies only had the privilege to have him for two, short, exciting, history-altering years. Fans across Texas are devastated they no longer watch him on Saturdays. He embodied the 12th man spirit of giving your all, ready to make it happen every play.

Jake Matthews, right tackle for the Atlanta Falcons, who blocked for Manziel the past two years for the Aggies, captured the essence of Manziel in these words from several interviews:

"You really don't know what to expect, he's all over the place. But at the same time, you gotta take what comes with it because the guy makes plays. He's proved it game after game... When he's on the field, he's got the mindset that no one's better than him. ... When he talks, everyone listens. ... He was not going to take no for an answer. That's what I loved about him the most. He's one of the truest competitors I've ever seen.''

Give Johnny your support. Accept him for the competitor and lover of life that he is. No one can predict how long he will last in the NFL or if he will even be one of the true greats at the next level. But, he might just be the most exciting player you will watch in your lifetime. Consider it a privilege to watch him play.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in Texas that will be missing watching the boy ball out every Saturday in his maroon and white. Frankly, I am more than envious that Cleveland has him on Sundays.

Browns games are not "top priority" in Texas. But I am trying to change that. I promise you, the Cleveland Browns have never had as many new fans out of the great state of Texas as they do this season. (I am still trying to accept this orange/brown color scheme.)

Now, excuse me, while I go call my cable company and ask yet again, whether we will be able to watch Cleveland Browns games locally in Houston come this fall.

Embrace it Cleveland. You are lucky DAWGS! (I can't believe I just said that.)

GO Johnny Go. Prove to everyone why you are still the man....

Michele Brinkmann is a Manziel fan from Texas.

The Browns' Johnny Manziel and the question of how much gets lost in translation -- Bill Livingston (slideshow)

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To the question of how Johnny Manziel's skills translate to the NFL, we offer several reasons for why he can play and play well.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The critics of Johnny Manziel must find speaking foreign languages as easy as floating on a swan raft.

"Does it translate?" they wonder. "It" is the Browns rookie quarterback's athleticism and field vision, and the willingness he shows to run.

"It" is also what Johnny Football is in the vicious game of tag NFL defenders play with quarterbacks out of the pocket. Remember Colt McCoy and James Harrison?

It will translate better eventually than it does now, and it's not "ad-bay" now, to quote classical pig Latin.

Manziel might have come off as Johnny Big Shot off the field, although that is certainly preferable to taking the same on it. Too much of the debate about him has concerned his off-days during OTAs and mini-camp. He appeared chastened at the start of training camp. He is a player who has basked in the glow of the candle burning at both ends for a long time. Still, a tequila sunrise is an adult beverage, not a lifestyle choice.

A surprise surfaced this week in a story by Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, in which the strongest quotes were anonymous, from Browns players who said they were not "overly impressed" by Manziel on the field.

Frankly, I'm not sure what they were talking about. Without Josh Gordon or Jordan Cameron, his top receiving threats, I thought Manziel had some very good moments in Saturday's controlled scrimmage before 20,673 fans at the University of Akron.

A bad call denied him a touchdown pass. A couple of scrambles enabled him to display the play extension that is such a big part of his game. He looked like he belonged out there, every bit as much as starter Brian Hoyer, and just projecting similar confidence and competence is a win for the challenger.

There is a sociological aspect to Manziel that shows how driven a player he is. He is the exception to the rule, coming as he does from Texas oil money.

In the early 1960s, Texas coach Darrell Royal put it best about the rarity of a highly motivated player from comfortable circumstances, throwing his body around in a violent game. Speaking of All-American linebacker Corbin "Corby" Robertson, the grandson of an oil baron and today a big contributor to conservative political causes, Royal said, "Corby is the most reckless rich kid I've ever see."

A player who is not dependent on a sport for a way out of poverty and despair, but who still plays with heedless energy and force is one who enjoys the luxury of commitment, not the necessity. But such a player's effort is in its own way more inspiring for being a conscious choice.

Given Manziel's seriousness in video study and his obvious love of the game, it becomes a question of how best to use him. His mobility means he has to have some latitude, so the Browns should game plan from prudence, not fear.

How quickly will he progress?

The exhibition game schedule works against Manziel. Coach Mike Pettine plans to name a starter by the third practice game, and the first two are on the road. Hoyer gets the first exhibition start Saturday night in Detroit.

The next game is at Washington on Monday, Aug. 18. If Pettine alternates the starts, Manziel won't be boosted by the home fans, but he will no doubt be motivated by playing on Monday night. Some guys shine brightest under the brightest lights.

Although Manziel is behind Hoyer, a veteran with a strong grasp of the offense, that was only to be expected at this time. Manziel should not have a problem with the mental aspect of the playbook. He had the highest Wonderlic IQ Test score of any quarterback at the NFL Combine, a 32.

The average for the position is 24. Manziel's score was higher than that reported for Colt McCoy (25), to whom Johnny Football will be compared because they share a Texas background, albeit at archrival schools, Texas (McCoy) and Texas A&M (Manziel). It was also higher than Peyton Manning and Drew Brees (both 28). Brees is the patron saint (and Saint) of undersized quarterbacks.

Several great quarterbacks have scored below average on the Wonderlic, but it is still a useful tool. Manziel also did not play in a conference known for porous defenses, as did McCoy in the Big 12.

Although offense is ahead of defense everywhere in college football these days, no one thinks the SEC, home of Texas A&M, is short of stoppers. But if the Aggies had had a defense, they would have been in a BCS game with Manziel at the controls.

There are many positives. Moreover, the Browns have to find out what he can do in a real game sooner or later. Does his game translate to the pros?

I say the answer is yes. Also "si," "oui," "ja," "da," and "aye."

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