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Heisman Trophy watch, poll

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The college football season has just started, and we know Heisman Trophy talk is as premature as who will win the National Championship, but we'll talk about it anyway. So who would win the Heisman if the voting was done today? In other words, who is the leading candidate? Alabama's Mark Ingram is not in the equation (right now)...


notq.jpgIs QB Terrelle Pryor the leading Heisman Trophy candidate?

The college football season has just started, and we know Heisman Trophy talk is as premature as who will win the National Championship, but we'll talk about it anyway.


So who would win the Heisman if the voting was done today? In other words, who is the leading candidate?


Alabama's Mark Ingram is not in the equation (right now) because he has not played due to injury.


So does that mean Denard Robinson of Michigan is the top guy, although Michigan has two victories over two unranked teams? Or is it Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State? He wasn't overly impressive against Miami, but he did lead the Buckeyes to an impressive victory over a ranked team.


 




Root for an NFL team? That's pure fantasy

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The Book of Norman looks at how fantasy football has changed watching the NFL on Sundays

chris-johnson.jpgWhy not many people outside of Tennessee may care about the Titans, millions care about what No. 1 consensus fantasy player Chris Johnson does on Sundays.

The National Football League — America’s last refuge of undeniable world dominance — began its 91st season Sunday.

(Traditionally, Major League Baseball unofficially opens its season by having the president throw out the first pitch; in the NFL, the new season is unofficially christened when Jay Cutler throws his first interception.)

For the uninitiated, here is a brief chronology of the three crucial stages that established the NFL with its fan base:

- In 1920, the NFL began play. Fans generally rooted for a team when they watched a game.

- In the 1950s, the point spread became prevalent. Some fans now rooted for a team to “cover” the point spread, with money being involved; this is commonly known as “gambling.”

- In the 1990s, fantasy football took hold. Some fans now didn’t root for teams. Rather, they rooted for individual players to score touchdowns or defenses to record sacks, with money being involved; this is not known as “gambling,” but it is.

Over the past generation, two changes have greatly altered how many fans watch NFL games — instant replay as an officiating tool and fantasy football. What once was a relatively pure and simple viewing experience — relax a little and root for your team — has been largely perverted. Fans now concentrate on officiating mistakes or individual achievements; in the latter case, whichever team wins is inconsequential.

(This would be like going to the opera to see “La Boheme” and not caring if Mimi and Rodolfo can reconcile their lost love before her death because you’re so hung up on sound and lighting issues and whether Rodolfo hit a higher note in the third act than Marcello.)

America may need to rebuild, but it will have to wait until a nation of fantasy freaks is done shouting, “They’ve GOT TO challenge that!!!”

Now, frankly, I shouldn’t begrudge fantasy fanatics their pleasure. The games are there for our recreation and entertainment; if someone finds more enjoyment by having a financial stake in how various players perform, so be it. And I had made my peace with these people — they stay out of my living room, I stay out of their sports bars — but then I heard about fantasy sports insurance.com and fantasydispute.com and, well, the uneasy truce was over.

If Tom Brady has a season-ending injury in Week 1, you now are protected. You can buy fantasy insurance online with just a few clicks and a credit card.

(I’m fairly confident many people these days do not carry life insurance but carry fantasy insurance.)

If you think there was an unfair trade in your fantasy league, you now have an avenue to justice. You can settle disputes with your fantasy friends online with just a few clicks and a credit card.

(Remember: Fantasy owners have rights, too!!!)

Incidentally, I’m glad to see lawyers have found another revenue stream; to be honest, I’ve always thought our nation was under-litigated.

Of course, the fact that you can now insure your fantasy picks or resolve fantasy disputes raises the age-old question: Does America have too much wealth? I think that’s self-evident. More importantly, does America use its wealth wisely? Well, folks, if we’ve got enough money to spend $14.95 a pop to have a Yale-trained lawyer arbitrate a fantasy feud, I believe that one’s self-evident, too.

(Full disclosure: In regard to misspent wealth and skewed priorities, I must admit that I earn income from commenting on what 22-year-olds wear while playing poker.)

Alas, I wish we could dial the clock back to a time when watching the Jets and Giants lose provided all the weekend pleasure we needed.

By the way, Cutler threw his first interception with 5:33 to go in the first quarter of the Lions-Bears game. Enjoy the rest of the season!

Ask The Slouch!

Q: My husband says you love to gripe, so if I ask you to gripe about something, he says we’ll win the $1.25. — Ann Snowden, Spokane, Wash.

A: I used to turn on a baseball game on ESPN, and it would tell me the balls, strikes and outs with a little graphic that read simply, “Balls 2 Strikes 2 Outs 1,” but now — because somebody with a college degree and a pocket compass decided that was too confusing — they put up a bunch of little circles, some colored in and some not, and I’m supposed to count the circles that are colored in to figure out how many balls, strikes and outs there are. By the time I have done this correctly, the pitcher has already thrown the next pitch, and I have to start all over again. (Kudos to your spouse — you got the 10 bits, and I got something off my chest.)

Q: How many women now refer to you as their Husband of Destiny? — Dan Farlow, Towson, Md.

A: The line forms to the right. Q: If Dan Snyder really loved the Redskins, wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to have bought the Cowboys and run that franchise into the ground? — Jeff Brown, Arlington, Va.

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just e-mail asktheslouch@aol.com and, if your question is used, you win $1.25 in cash!

Norman Chad is a freelance writer in Los Angeles.

Browns opening day loss: What was the biggest disappointment? Poll

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Uh-oh, here we go again. The Browns lose, 17-14, to an inferior team in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What disappointed you most about that?

cleveland-fan-joe-thomas-jersey-in-tampa.JPGView full sizeA Cleveland fan sporting a Joe Thomas jersey reacts to a Browns play in Cleveland's 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs in Raymond James Stadium.
For the 11th time in 12  years, the Cleveland Browns lost their season opener. There were positives, sure -- the Browns outgained Tampa Bay 340 yards to 288 -- and rookies Joe Haden and T.J. Ward pretty much lived up to their billing, despite Haden being burned for a touchdown on a perfectly thrown ball.

But the only thing that really counts is the scoreboard, which read 17-14 in favor of a Bucs team that arguably is less talented than the Browns. Cleveland fans are pretty resilient -- rooting for this team will force you to be that way -- and nobody is going to give up on the Browns after just one game.

Still, there are things to work on, things that have to improve if Cleveland is to avoid another season of mediocrity.





Your Space: Your High School Sports Photos from Week 3

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What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo gallery is featured on cleveland.com. Want your photo featured online or in the newspaper? Click here to get started!

What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo gallery is featured on cleveland.com.

Gallery preview

Want your photo featured online or in the newspaper? Click here to get started!



Ohio State Buckeyes A.M. Links: Takeaway tradition; Two days later.

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The Ohio State Buckeyes collected four interceptions against Miami last Saturday, and ESPN's Adam Rittenberg writes how winning the turnover battle is becoming a growing tradition for the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes improved to plus-7 in turnover margin for the season. "The coaches do a good job of telling us that when the ball is in the air," linebacker Brian...

jimtressel.jpgOhio State's Jim Tressel

The Ohio State Buckeyes collected four interceptions against Miami last Saturday, and ESPN's Adam Rittenberg writes how winning the turnover battle is becoming a growing tradition for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes improved to plus-7 in turnover margin for the season.

"The coaches do a good job of telling us that when the ball is in the air," linebacker Brian Rolle said, "it's just as much ours as it is theirs."

This isn't exactly a new formula for Ohio State. The Buckeyes tied for third nationally in takeways with 35 last year, as fumble recoveries and interceptions became the hallmarks for a unit that boasted only one first-team All-Big Ten performer (safety Kurt Coleman). Twelve different players recorded interceptions in 2009, and five had two or more picks.

 Ohio State is annually one of the nation's stingiest defenses, writes Rittenberg, but the takeaway trend is a fairly recent phenomenon. The Buckeyes had only 12 takeaways in 2005 (114th nationally) and 19 in 2007 (93rd nationally).

OSU had 29 takeaways in 2008 (20th nationally), but last year's unit took things to another level, and the trend is continuing.

"That's always an emphasis," defensive tackle John Simon said. "It's just huge to [force] a turnover. It's a big momentum shifter, and then our offense can keep the momentum."

 

 

Two days later

The Miami Hurricanes are still licking their wounds following their defeat to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Miami Herald reporter Bill Van Smith writes how all week the team looked forward to the challenge of playing No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday.

There is a huge difference between being 2-0, jumping into the Top 10 and coming off a victory over the No. 2 team in the nation, and being 1-1 and facing two more tough road games.

UM coach Randy Shannon knows his message to the team has to be simple: Don't look back; look forward.

On the loss to the Buckeyes, Shannon said, ``There's lots of things we see on film that we can get better at. Like I said before, we will be a better football team after this game. If you look at it from the stat sheet, it's probably equal in first downs, total yards and time of possession and things like that, but two things that were glaring in this game were turnovers and penalties.''

 

 

 

Former Buckeyes in the NFL

Here's a look at what some of the former Buckeyes did in their NFL games on Sunday. In The Columbus Dispatch:

Ted Ginn Jr., WR, San Francisco : Caught one pass for 19 yards, returned two punts for 27 yards and three kickoffs for 54 yards in a loss to Seattle.

Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Indianapolis: Caught one pass for 12 yards in a 34-24 loss to Houston.

James Laurinaitis, LB, St. Louis : Made five solo tackles in the loss to Arizona.

Donte Whitner, S, Buffalo : Recorded four solo tackles and five assists in a loss to Miami.

 

 

Cleveland Browns A.M. Links: Turnovers and mistakes; Bad debut; Spirits remain high; Winslow loves Florida

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Seasons change but a few things remain the same. The Cleveland Browns are 1-11 in Week 1 since returning to the NFL in 1999. The worst thing is that the Browns lost a winnable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Browns can blame plenty of things on the loss, but it was the turnovers that did them in. Those...

peyton-hills-rams-jk.jpgPeyton Hillis

Seasons change but a few things remain the same. The Cleveland Browns are 1-11 in Week 1 since returning to the NFL in 1999. The worst thing is that the Browns lost a winnable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Browns can blame plenty of things on the loss, but it was the turnovers that did them in. Those turnovers are something ESPN's James Walker didn't like.

Cleveland doesn't have the talent to make up for a lot of mistakes and needs to play smarter and more efficient to win. Instead, the Browns were sloppy and turned the ball over three times. Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme threw two interceptions against Tampa Bay, and it comes at a time when he was starting to quiet some doubters after a solid preseason. Obviously, many doubts remain.

But Walker did find some positives. The Browns' running game averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and Walker was surprised the Browns didn't go to it more often.

Starting tailback Jerome Harrison rushed for 52 yards on nine carries (5.8 yards per attempt) and Peyton Hillis added 41 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland led 14-3 in the second quarter, yet the team's pass-to-run ratio was 38-23.

 

 

Bad debut

News-Herald Reporter Jeff Schudel writes how quarterback Jake Delhomme had a not so good debut with the Cleveland Browns, but the team still supports him.

"Jake is our captain," fullback Lawrence Vickers said. "Whatever Jake did, I'm behind him. If he threw 100 interceptions, I'm right behind him. It doesn't matter to me. That's my quarterback. I think he did a good job today."

Delhomme completed 20 of 37 passes for 227 yards.

He deftly threw a pass to Mohamed Massaquoi over two defenders resulting in a 41-yard touchdown. The interceptions dragged his passer rating down to 59.2.

Coach Eric Mangini didn't blame Delhomme for the loss. Mangini says Delhomme could have had more help from his teammates.

"I thought he was effective throughout the game," Mangini said. "I think we could have helped him more in terms of creating plays offensively. In some plays, we should have been open or been able to get open, but I have full confidence in him and thought he ran the offense well throughout the game."

 

Spirits remain high

Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes how despite the loss to Tampa Bay, the Cleveland Browns' season isn't over.

Seriously.

With a schedule rated the 10th toughest in the NFL, this was supposed to be one for the win column. Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman played with a broken thumb. Dangerous tight end Kellen Winslow, the ex-Brown, was held to four catches for 32 yards. When the Browns took a 14-3 lead with 5:25 left in the second quarter, it looked like the rout was on.

Instead the Browns self-destructed the old-fashioned way. No helmet-tossing or other bizarre behavior needed, they lost three turnovers.

 Wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi feels the optimism.

''We don't panic,'' Massaquoi said. ''That's the good thing about the veterans we have on this team. We're always at ease. We always feel we have a chance to win. Even down to that last drive, we thought we were still in it. That's the difference between this year and last year, we're not panicking. Hopefully next week it will be a different result.''

 

  

Winslow loves Florida

Former Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow ran onto the field with a Bucs flag and headed straight toward the Browns sideline. It was there Winslow waved the flag in front of his former team.

Winslow says it was about having fun and trying to intimidate the Browns.  Winslow, who had four receptions for 32 yards, was traded from Cleveland to Tampa Bay in 2009.

Winslow tells TBO.com that the trade is something he can't forget.

"When I got traded, it felt personal," Winslow said. "I'm in a better situation now with a coach like Raheem Morris.

"When you get traded, cut or released, it is personal because that wasn't the situation I should be in. They came in and wanted his guys. That's just how it is, but I moved on."

 

Credit

Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris gave the Cleveland Browns credit following the Buccaneers victory. He says the Browns presented things they didn't expect to see.

CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk Browns fans have seen this a million times.

Even the newest Browns understood that nothing Morris or anyone else said could squeeze any satisfaction from a come-from-ahead defeat to the lowly Buccaneers.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” fourth-year Brown Eric Wright said. “I felt like we definitely had a better team.”

 

 

Bucs win

The inexperienced Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Browns and the team is ready to party in the streets.

On TBO.com:

"It's a sign we're headed in the right direction," center Jeff Faine said.

"It's a sign we could be something special," running back Cadillac Williams said.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Bucs coach Raheem Morris said.

"We're 1-0 and we have a game against Carolina next week," Morris said. "It was a great job, but it means absolutely nothing. We have very lofty goals here. We want to win in the long term and that's what we started today."

 

 

 

P.M. Cleveland Indians links: Relaxed Twins thump Tribe

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The last-place Indians and the first-place Twins have exactly the same record; the W and L columns are just reversed.

jim-thome-chris-gimenz-ap.JPGView full sizeMinnesota's Jim Thome beats the throw to the plate and Indians catcher Chris Gimenez in the Tribe's 6-2 loss to the Twins Sunday at Progressive Field.
Cleveland, Ohio -- The Minnesota Twins have to feel like they've just had back-to-back Christmases at Progressive Field. And what did Santa leave for 'em under the tree? How about a six-game lead over fading Chicago in the AL Central?

Dear Tribe: This is the kind of thing boys get when they've been good all year.

The Twins are about as relaxed as a team can be, coming into the final weeks of the regular season. They are headed into Chicago for a three-game series that starts tonight, but after Sunday's 6-2 shellacking of the Indians in Progressive Field, clubhouse TVs were tuned to NFL games, not potential opponents like the Pale Hose.

Here's an account of the postgame relaxation going on, courtesy of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

The White Sox were in the process of erasing a six-run deficit against the Royals on Sunday but the Twins, following a 6-2 victory over the Indians for their latest series victory, didn't seem to care.

There was a football game on every TV in the player's section of the clubhouse. Did Twins manager and majordomo Ron Gardenhire extend his ban of White Sox highlights at Target Field into the dressing area? Nope. Fantasy football.

Chris Johnson's two touchdowns against Oakland drew more attention than Paul Konerko's two home runs against Kansas City. And Gardenhire was more worried about why fellow former University of Texas athlete Colt McCoy wasn't on the field for the Browns.

Um, think that might be because Jake Delhomme and the rest of the Browns were doing just fine losing the game all by themselves without the help of a rookie who's just not ready for the bigs? How many pitchers do you know who get signed out of college and go straight to the Show?

Finding a way
Sunday's 6-2 win is almost an anomaly for the Twins. The St. Paul Pioneer-Press noted that games like Saturday's 1-0 have been more common.

The Twins have played 51 one-run games this season, second only to Kansas City's 55 in all of baseball. Of Minnesota's past 14 games, 10 have been decided by one run, and of those 10, the Twins have won eight. Minnesota's 30-21 record in one-run games is the best winning percentage (.588) in such games in the major leagues, and Gardenhire said it's those wins, especially the recent ones, that show something essential to a successful season.

"We're figuring out finding ways to win," he said. "It's not like we're getting 15 hits a night or throwing no-hitters every night, but we're finding ways, and that's what good teams have to do."

The Twins' one-run results become even more relevant when looking ahead to their next opponent. After today's off day, Minnesota opens a three-game series at Chicago. Of the 51 one-run games the Twins have played this season, nine have been against the White Sox, and in those games the Twins are 7-2.


Oh, so THAT'S how you get to 85-58, as opposed to the Indians' 58-85.
From The Plain Dealer
A five-run first-inning lead, which is what the Tribe staked the Twins to on Sunday, is good enough relax any pitcher. But it shouldn't have happened. Manager Manny Acta gave writer Dennis Manoloff his take on the situation.

Starter Mitch Talbott left the game three batters into it with inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Justin Masterson relieved, but it was Luis Valbuena's boot of a double play that really hurt.

The first batter Masterson faced, Jason Kubel, flied out. Michael Cuddyer singled to load the bases. (Former Indian Jim) Thome grounded to second for what should have been a routine double play. Instead, for reasons known only to Valbuena, he hurried his turn toward second and fumbled the ball in the process. Credit Thome with an RBI on the fielder's choice/error.

"We continue to struggle offensively, but I think the story was the first inning, not being able to stop the bleeding with that double-play ball," Acta said. "We pretty much shot ourselves in the foot by giving them those two extra outs. When you're playing a good team, you can't be giving it extra outs."

Valbuena was nowhere to be found in the postgame clubhouse.

In his Indians Insider column, Manoloff noted that the cheers may at last be starting to outnumber the boos for the popular Thome, who left in 2002 to sign with the Phillies. Manoloff also said that second baseman Jason Donald will miss three to five days with fingers bruised in a failed bunt attempt on Saturday night.

Michigan's Denard Robinson is the only Heisman Trophy choice right now, says Doug Lesmerises (SBTV)

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PD Ohio State writer questions whether he can keep putting up these kinds of numbers as season wears on.

denard-robinson-2.jpgMichigan's Denard Robinson: Early Heisman favorite

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.

Let's go to the highlights:

• The college football season is only two games old, but already Michigan's Denard Robinson has staked his claim as the early favorite for the Heisman Trophy. Who would earn your vote if you had to cast it today? Take today's Starting Blocks poll.

• Today's guest, Plain Dealer Ohio State writer Doug Lesmerises, says Robinson is the only pick right now after his two remarkable games, wins over Connecticut and Notre Dame. He also says it will be tough for Robinson to keep posting these kinds of numbers against tougher competition without wearing down.

Doug also talks about what's ahead for the Buckeyes and how they can fix their problems on special teams.



SBTV will return Tuesday morning with Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes as the guest..




Talk Browns with Tony Grossi at 2 p.m.

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Break down the Browns' season opening loss with Tony Grossi in his weekly chat at a special time 2 p.m. today.

Tony Grossi new headshot use this oneChat live with Tony Grossi today at a special time 2 p.m.

Join us for the a live Browns chat today at a special time 2 p.m. with The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi.

We'll talk about the what went right and what went wrong in the Browns' 17-14 loss to Tampa Bay in the season opener.  What was up with Jake Delhomme's decision-making? Should he have been pulled when he started limping? Why didn't they run the ball more? What about the defense in the second half? We'll get into all of that with Tony at 2 p.m.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Tony's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

Remember, today's chat is at a special time 2 p.m.





Persevering and ignoring distractions are key: football blog with Shaker Heights High's Tony Underwood

Deion Sanders and Art Modell on preliminary list for Pro Football Hall of Fame

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Deion Sanders and Jerome Bettis are among the first-year candidates who could wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

Updated:at 2:35 p.m.

deion-sanders.JPGView full sizeDeion Sanders is among the nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Canton, Ohio -- Deion Sanders, Curtis Martin, Marshall Faulk and Jerome Bettis are among the first-year candidates eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Also on the preliminary list are former Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell as well as Baltimore Ravens/Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams and former Comssioner Paul Tagliabue.


Sanders, 43, played cornerback for five teams over his 14- year career. Also a kick and punt returner, Sanders was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and 1994 National Football League Defensive Player of the Year with the San Francisco 49ers. Sanders had 53 interceptions and scored 22 touchdowns in his career.

Martin, 37, played most of his 13-year career with the New York Jets. He led the league in rushing in 2004 and retired as the Jets' all-time leading rusher. His 14,101 rushing yards are fourth-most in league history.

Faulk, 37, was drafted No. 2 by the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 and was traded to the St. Louis Rams in 1999. Over his 13- year career, Faulk was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He is the only player in league history to amass 12,000 yards rushing and 6,000 yards receiving.

Bettis, 38, spent nine of his 13 years in the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 5-foot-10, 250-pound running back rushed for 13,653 yards and is fifth on the all-time rushing list. Bettis retired after the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2006.

Wide receiver Jimmy Smith, 11-time Pro Bowl tackle Willie Roaf and Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil are also first- year candidates.

To be considered for nomination, a player or coach must be retired from the game for at least five years. There are 113 players, coaches and contributors on this year's preliminary list of nominees, which will be trimmed to 25 in November and 15 finalists in January.



Mexican reporter says she 'never felt attacked' as NFL investigates harassment case involving Jets coach Rex Ryan and players

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TV reporter Ines Sainz says she "never felt attacked" during visit to New York Jets' training facility now under investigation.

ines-sainz-reporter.JPGThis January 2009, file photo shows TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz, left, after measuring the bicep of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Steve Breaston, right, during the team's media day for Super Bowl XLIII, in Tampa, Fla.
Mexican television reporter Ines Sainz has told the New York Post that she "never felt attacked" by Jets coach Rex Ryan and one of his assistants, Dennis Thurman, when she visited the team's New York training facility for a story on quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Knockout TV correspondent Ines Sainz claimed Jets head coach Rex Ryan, one of his assistants and some of the team's players allegedly pestered her with goofy, on-field antics and locker-room catcalls.

But in an interview with Mexican TV station DeporTV today, Sainz said she never felt offended and that the whole situation was taken out of context.

"In my opinion, I never felt attacked, nor that they reacted grossly toward me," she said. "I arrived in the locker room and there were comments and games. One of the other reporters came up to me and apologized for what was happening, but I thought [the players] were joking around."

The Jets, who host Baltimore at 7 tonight in the season opener for both teams, are investigating the incident, as is the NFL.

Tony Grossi breaks down the Browns loss to Tampa Bay - Podcast

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What went wrong in Tampa Bay? How can the Browns fix things heading into the Kansas City game? Tony Grossi tackled those questions and more in his weekly chat today.

Tony Grossi new headshot use this oneChat live with Tony Grossi every Monday at noon.

Join Tony Grossi, Terry Pluto and Mary Kay Cabot for a Plain Dealer Browns breakfast on September 17. Get more details and purchase your ticket here.

What went wrong in Tampa Bay? How can the Browns fix things heading into the Kansas City game?

Tony Grossi tackled those questions and more in his weekly chat today on cleveland.com.

Among the other topics discussed:

- Where does this opener rank among the eggs the Browns have laid on opening day since returning?

- Why didn't Jerome Harrison get more touches?

- What did you think of the rookies in the secondary making their first NFL appearances?

- Just how long is Jake Delhomme's leash?

- And much more!

Click on the play button below to listen or download the MP3 podcast here to listen on the go.

Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman was in a car accident on Friday

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Coach reveals that Tampa quarterback Josh Freeman was rear-ended in a car accident on Friday, and played through that soreness, on top of the pain of a broken thumb hurt on Aug. 21.

josh-freeman-browns-ap.JPGView full sizeJosh Freeman's injured thumb was common knowledge. Not known by most at game time was that he was playing despite being rear-ended in a car accident Friday.
Tampa, Fla. -- The story of Buccaneers Josh Freeman's broken thumb was pretty well documented; the Tampa Bay quarterback missed time in the preason for the injury suffered against Kansas City on Aug. 21.

What we didn't know until Monday is that the second-year signal caller had also been in a car accident just days before the season-opening home victory over Cleveland, as reported by writer Wolf Heard on the pewterreport.com.

There was some doubt early last week as to whether or not quarterback Josh Freeman would start against the Cleveland Browns. Well, Freeman got the start and played pretty well despite his thumb still not being fully healed. However, it was not just thumb that was bothering him. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson revealed to the media on Monday that Freeman was involved in a car accident just days before the season opener.

"I'll just say that it was a real gutsy performance in my opinion by Josh Freeman," said Olson. "Everybody's body reacts differently – it was a clean break, but it was a break – but he wasn't healthy. He came out and played with pain. On top of it, everyone made big deal about Tom Brady being involved in a car accident, I got a phone call from Todd (Toriscelli – the Bucs' Director of Sports Medicine and Performance) saying that (Freeman) was rear ended on Friday. So, he too was involved in something on Friday afternoon. So the guy played – on top of a broken thumb – after being involved in an accident."

Freeman finished the game 17-of-28 (61 percent) for 182 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while compiling a QB rating of 88.7.

It wasn't good, but it was better than the 59.2 rating earned by Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme, who was 20 of 37 for 277 yards with one TD and two picks.

Columbus Clippers begin International League championship series vs. Durham Bulls on Tuesday night: Minor league report

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Clippers hope to win the league's Governor's Cup for the first time since 1997. The Indians' Class AAA team will start left-handed pitcher David Huff in the series opener in Columbus.

david-huff.jpgDavid Huff, who has a 13-19 record with the Indians the last two seasons, will start the International League championship series for Columbus on Tuesday night.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Tonight: The Clippers are idle. They will begin their best-of-five, Governor's Cup International League championship series Tuesday night, 6:35, in Columbus against the Durham (N.C.) Bulls.

Notes: Game 2 will be Wednesday night at Columbus. The third game and, if necessary, the fourth and fifth games, will be played at Durham on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights....The Clippers' scheduled starting pitchers in the first three games, in order, are LH David Huff; RH Zach McAllister; RH Yohan Pino....Catcher Luke Carlin was 5-of-10 with three doubles, one home run and three RBI in three playoff games against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Carlin slugged a two-run, walkoff homer in the 10th inning to give the Clippers a 6-4 Game 1 win. The Clippers won the playoff series, three games to one....CF Ezequiel Carrera was 7-of-15 (.467) with one home run, one double, six runs, three RBI, four walks and two stolen bases against the Yankees....OF Jerad Head was 5-of-13 (.385) with a double, four runs and two RBI....1B-OF Drew Sutton was 6-of-18 (.333) with a double, three RBI and two runs....1B-DH Wes Hodges was 4-of-16 (.250) with one homer, one doubles, five RBI and three runs....RH reliever Zach Putnam faced six batters in the series and got them all out, four on strikeouts....RH reliever Josh Judy retired all seven batters he faced, striking out two.... Counting their playoff appearances, Putnam has allowed one run (unearned) while going 1-0 in his last 12 games, fanning 19, walking three and giving up five hits in 16 1/3 innings; Judy has allowed one run (unearned) in his last 10 games, fanning 14 while yielding five hits and two walks in 11 1/3 innings....The Clippers will play for in the Governor's Cup Final for the first time since 1997. They last won the title in 1996....3B Dan Johnson and RHP Jeremy Hellickson were promoted from Durham to the Tampa Bay Rays several weeks ago. Still, Johnson won International League MVP honors and Baseball American named Hellickson minor league baseball's Player of the Year. Johnson led the IL in home runs (30), and was second in RBI (95) and eighth in batting average (.303). Hellickson (12-3) led the IL with a 2.45 ERA.

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Captains at Great Lakes, 7:05, Game 2 of the Midwest League Eastern Division finals, a best-of-three series. Captains RHP Brett Brach (5-8, 3.46, regular season; 0-0, 3.60, playoffs) vs. Loons RHP Allen Webster (12-9, 2.88, regular season; 0-1, 1.80, playoffs).

Notes: A Captains' win in Game 2 would force a decisive Game 3 at Great Lakes, in Midland, Mich., on Tuesday night. LH Vidal Nuno would be the Captains' starting pitcher....Going into Monday night's game, Great Lakes had won 14 of 20 games against the Captains this season, including their Game 1, 10-8 win over the Captains on Sunday in Eastlake....OF Delvi Cid was 4-of-4 in stolen base attempts during the playoffs, after leading all of Minor League Baseball during the regular season with 71 stolen bases (in 87 attempts; 82 percent success rate)....OF Jonathan Burnette was 4-of-11 (.364) with two home runs, one double and four RBI during the playoffs....The Captains' starter on Monday night, RH Brett Brach, was 5-8 with a 3.46 ERA in 22 games, all starts, during the regular season. He struck out 90, walked 28 and allowed a .266 batting average, including nine home runs, in 119 2/3 innings. Brach started the Captains' 4-2, Game 1 win over West Michigan in the first-round playoff series. He did not get a decision, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk in five innings, with three strikeouts....RHP Preston Guilmet had saves in both of his first-round appearances against West Michigan. He pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing two hits and no walks. Including the regular season and playoffs, Guilmet went into Monday night's game with a 4-1 record, 13 saves and a 2.10 ERA. He had struck out 83, walked 10 and allowed 37 hits -- just three homers -- in 55 2/3 innings....RH reliever Jeremy Johnson was 0-0 with a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings over his last eight games, including the playoffs. He had struck out 11, walked four and given up 10 hits during the stretch....RHP Jason Knapp has struck out 35 in 21 innings for the Captains in five games, including his five scoreless innings for the victory in a decisive Game 3 win over West Michigan in the first playoff round. Prior to joining the Captains, Knapp had fanned 18 in 12 1/3 innings over five outings in the Arizona League -- where, beginning in July, he pitched in games for the first time since having off-season shoulder surgery. In the 33 1/3 combined innings, Knapp, 20, is 2-2 with a 2.43 ERA and has given up just 19 hits -- including no homers. He has walked 13. Knapp, a 2008 second-round draft pick of the Phillies and considered an elite prospect, came to the Indians in the trade of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia last July....The Captains' starting and losing pitcher on Sunday, LH, Giovanni Soto was 3-2 record with a 3.77 ERA in six regular season starts with the Captains. The Indians acquired him from West Michigan, a Detroit Tigers farm team, in exchange for Jhonny Peralta on July 28. In a combined 22 regular season games -- all starts -- for the Captains and Whitecaps, Soto was 9-8 with a 2.93 ERA and two shutouts. He struck out 107, walked 36 and held batters to a .237 average and seven homers in 113 2/3 innings.


Former Suns executive David Griffin hired as Cleveland Cavaliers' VP/basketball operations

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The Cavaliers hire former Suns executive as vice president of basketball operations.

cavs-griffin-nba.jpgNew Cavaliers VP for basketball operations David Griffin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers have hired David Griffin as vice president of basketball operations, an NBA source confirmed on Monday. The hiring was first reported on ESPN.

Griffin, who resigned as the Phoenix Suns' senior vice president of basketball operations in the wake of Suns General Manager Steve Kerr's departure earlier this summer, essentially takes the spot opened by Chris Grant's promotion to GM after the departure of Danny Ferry.

The Cavs may add an additional front office executive to replace vice president of basketball operations Lance Blanks, who resigned to become the Suns' GM earlier this summer.

Griffin, a Phoenix native, worked his way up from an intern in 1993 to the No. 2 man in basketball operations under Bryan Colangelo, Mike D'Antonio and Kerr. He helped the Suns with their salary cap management and also scouted college and European players.

He interviewed for the general manager's job with the Denver Nuggets this summer and the Milwaukee Bucks two years ago.

'Here we go again' for Browns? Not yet, but it's not far away: Bill Livingston

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Evidence that it's not the same old Browns depends on a U-turn in the play of quarterback Jake Delhomme. Early returns are not promising.

delhomme-sacked-jk.jpgInmobile and inaccurate, Jake Delhomme left the field in Tampa on Sunday with the public support of his coach, Eric Mangini, but with deserved cracks in the confidence of Browns fans entering next Sunday's home opener against Kansas City, says Bill Livingston

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is there credible evidence that this loss to a bad Tampa Bay team is not a case of "here we go again?"

Browns coach Eric Mangini channeled Phil Savage, the former general manager who deplored the "woe is us" mentality around town. Mangini said this team is not made up of those kind of guys. Nobody feels that way. Those frowns can turn upside down, my friends.

"We have a lot of new guys. They don't know what 'here we go again' means," said Mangini.

It is always nice to channel some optimism after the Browns do something like pull off a come-from-ahead loss to Tampa Bay, which figured maybe to beat the minor-league Omaha Nighthawks, employers of Ohio State ex-convict Maurice Clarett, but not many teams in the NFL.

But the sunny outlook particularly jolts the system because it followed proof on Sunday that the leopard hasn't changed its spots after all.

Everybody in the Browns' organization feels bad that quarterback Jake Delhomme didn't eat the ball or throw it away on a play that began from the Buccaneers' 39 in the last minute of the first half with the Browns ahead, 14-3. Former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano advocated throwing it "to the blonde in the first row" in such circumstances, but that particular progression in Delhomme's reads might have been beyond his capability. You see, he was being tackled at the time, necessitating a sidearm delivery that went to Tampa's Ronde Barber, who was open.

Before the interception, the Browns figured to lead by at least 17-3 at halftime. If it had been 21-3, they could have started the bus for the airport and the victory flight home. Instead, many fans want to throw Delhomme under the bus now.

After Tampa scored from the 3 following Barber's 64-yard return, they led, 14-10, and Delhomme was leaving the field limping.

Mangini said the line didn't "hold up," even though the Bucs did not blitz or run stunts on the play. He also cited "poor spacing" by the receivers on the play. "Poor spacing" is invoked by coaches so often, it's as if NASA is calling the plays.

But the final decision was Delhomme's, and he simply can't throw that ball. Not if he wants to convince people in the league that, at age 35, coming off two straight bad seasons, he has undergone a full confidence transplant.

Delhomme threw one touchdown pass and two interceptions in the opener, including the second-quarter brain cramp that blew up the game. Which followed a 2009 at Carolina in which he threw eight TD passes and 18 picks. Which followed a 2008 in which he threw 15 TD passes and 12 picks. He was outdueled by Josh Freeman, one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL last year, who was playing with a broken thumb.

Mangini said more games are lost than won in the NFL. Still, Freeman actually made the play that won the game. A Browns' blitz didn't get to him in time to disrupt a deep ball to Micheal Spurlock in the fourth quarter. The pass was spot-perfect, beating cornerback and top draftee Joe Haden by a hair for the winning touchdown. Haden was on an island in coverage all day, and it took a beautiful throw to beat him. Sometimes, you just get beat.

And sometimes, you go down without using all your weapons.

Delhomme gimped around in the second half, throwing another interception in the fourth quarter when he never saw Josh Cribbs, who was open from the stem of Tampa Bay's pirate ship to its stern. The Browns' last four possessions began at their own 7, 6, 3, and 11. With the need for a quarterback with running ability to get breathing room or to simply change the haplessness vibe, Mangini stuck with Delhomme.

No Seneca Wallace. No wildcat formation with Wallace and Cribbs.

The coach said he felt Delhomme gave them the better chance to stop being backed up. Wasn't improved quarterback play supposed to be the biggest difference between this season and last season's Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn dead heat on a merry-go-round? Not if you neglect one of them.

If the Browns can't beat Kansas City at home Sunday, things will get grim fast. The schedule toughens up quickly after that, and it really could look like the Browns have gone full circle on the same carousel to oblivion as before.

 

Kent State defense holds its own in Flashes' loss to Boston College: Mid-American Conference Insider

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Kent State's defense has the look of being an anchor to a title-contending team.

ksu-rainey-fumble-ap.jpgQuinton Rainey (48, recovering a fumble against Boston College on Sept. 4) and the rest of the Kent State defense are showing signs of leadership for a team that has designs on contending in the MAC this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After two games, Kent State's defense has the look of being an anchor to a title-contending team, if the offense can catch up. The Golden Flashes (1-1) are particularly strong against the run, holding Murray State to minus-65 yards rushing in the opener and then Boston College to 85 yards last Saturday.

Overall, the defense has averaged 249 yards of total offense allowed in the first two games.

Kent's defensive line is a rotation of eight players so it's hard to accumulate gaudy stats. But one player who raises an eyebrow is true freshman defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix (6-0, 255 pounds). He only has seven tackles in the two games, but four have been for losses, two resulted in sacks and he has forced three fumbles.

In two games, Kent has six sacks. The one area where Kent may be lagging behind is interceptions. The Flashes only have one pick so far, after 15 in 2009.

Offensively, head coach Doug Martin says lack of ground production rests with his veteran tailbacks. Against Murray State, Martin said his tailbacks (senior Eugene Jarvis, junior Jacquise Terry, sophomore Dri Archer) failed to make defensive players miss in the secondary. Against BC (4 yards rushing) Martin said the line blocked well, but the tailbacks failed to hit open holes. KSU had 137 yards on the ground against Murray State, just four against BC.

On the plus side, Martin said the pass blocking at BC "was the best" since he has been at Kent State.

Hit the ground running: For the 0-2 Akron Zips, hope for improvement would appear to be the ground game. Despite losses to Syracuse and Gardner-Webb, the Zips have rushed for 279 yards in their two games behind the tandem of Alex Allen (110 yards, 3 TD vs. Gardner-Webb) and Nate Burney (119 vs. G-W).

After rushing for just 55 yards a week earlier against Syracuse, success vs. Gardner-Webb was a welcome sight. Akron ran out of multiple formations, including a power attack (two tight ends and a fullback) that very effective. Coach Rob Ianello put the marked improvement in the run game on QB Patrick Nicely.

"We executed much better," he said. "We didn't have breakdowns at the point of attack, physically. And we didn't have some mental errors occur on some of our plays. And I thought Patrick in particular, on a lot of the 'check with me's' did a better job in week two than week one of getting us into the right play, or getting us out of a bad play. He was much more comfortable under center."

Kentucky topped Western Kentucky, 63-28, last week, allowing 187 rushing yards. WKU (8 of 15 passing, 97 yards ) was one-dimensional, so the Wildcats almost certainly had eight or nine in the box and still gave up a lot of yards on the ground.

Best of the week: Toledo sophomore linebacker Dan Molls (Padua) had a pair of interceptions against Ohio, plus one sack and 11 tackles. ... NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish rolled up 178 rushing yards and a TD plus 146 passing yards (14-of-25, 1 TD, 1 INT). ... OU QB Boo Jackson threw for 234 yards (24-of-39, 1 TD). ... With two field goals (45, 41 yards) at BC, Kent State's Freddy Cortez is 14-of-15 over his last seven games. ... WMU QB Alex Carder was 24 of 33 for 298 yards and five TDs vs. Nicholls State.

Tribe's youngsters awestruck by Jim Thome's march toward 600 homers: Indians Insider

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Three young Indians say 600 homers should continue to be recognized as a five-star achievement, regardless of circumstance.

thome-twins-ap.jpgJim Thome is now eighth on the all-time home run list in baseball, and will likely reach 600 homers early in the 2011 season. That's an accomplishment deserving of respect, say three admiring Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Thome has hit 587 career homers, eighth-most in big-league history. No. 587, which broke a tie with Frank Robinson, beat the Indians, 1-0, in the 12th inning Saturday night at Progressive Field. Barring injury or the unforeseen, Thome will be the next player to reach 600.

More than a few followers of baseball think home-run milestones, in general, have lost their luster because of the steroid era, which is widely accepted as encompassing the majority of the past two decades. Major League Baseball would submit the era is no longer, but who really knows for certain?

Fan and media anticipation for the most recent player to reach 600, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, was lukewarm at best. Rodriguez, who admitted using performance-enhancing drugs while with Texas, reached the milestone earlier this year.

At least three Indians -- Trevor Crowe, Chris Gimenez and Jason Donald -- said 600 homers should continue to be recognized as a five-star achievement, regardless of circumstance.

"To see that type of number is pretty amazing," Crowe said. "Two years in, I'm sitting here with three. So steroid era or not, 600 is special."

Gimenez said hitting one homer in the majors is difficult. He has four.

"I have a ton of appreciation for 600, no matter when a guy did it," he said. "To hit that many, it means you've had to stay healthy and productive for a long, long time against the best pitchers in the world. And so much has to go right for a ball to go out. Whether you're using something or not, you still have to get the barrel on the ball and hit it a certain way."

Gimenez, Crowe and Donald praised Thome for being a high-character player and role model. They talked about him doing it the right way; Thome has never been linked to PEDs. At the same time, they stayed consistent with their original position by saying they do not feel it necessary to create classes of "clean" and "dirty" players.

"People might view Thome's 600 in a better light because he's never been implicated, but to me, 600 homers in the majors are 600 homers in the majors," Crowe said. "The number is 600, no matter how you splice it."

Gimenez's stance was influenced by the fact that his favorite player growing up in the Bay Area of California was Mark McGwire, then a slugger with Oakland. McGwire, currently the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach, admitted earlier this year that he used PEDs as a player.

"If I ever get the chance to see him on the field, I would make sure to go over right away and thank him for being my idol," Gimenez said.

Gimenez is convinced the steroid era is over based on the number of random drug tests players must take.

"You've got to be pretty bold, or pretty stupid, if you think you're going to get away with it nowadays," he said.

Testing, testing: Donald (right fingers) was scheduled for X-rays and an exam by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham at some point before Tuesday's game. Results from a scheduled Monday MRI for Mitch Talbot (shoulder) are not yet available.

 

Allen Iverson, unable to find an NBA team, is considering playing in China

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Personal manager of four-time NBA scoring champion says Iverson has not been contacted by any NBA teams. Says there is "legitimate interest" between Iverson and a Chinese team.

allen-iverson-zydrunas-ilgauskas.jpgAllen Iverson (left), then with the Detroit Pistons, tries to get to the basket against former Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas during a March, 2009 game in Cleveland.

Philadelphia, Pa. -- Unwanted by the NBA, Allen Iverson is considering playing in China.

Gary Moore, Iverson's personal manager, said Iverson has not been contacted by any NBA team with training camps set to open in less than two weeks. Moore said there is "legitimate interest" between Iverson and a team in China to work out a deal. Moore did not know the team's name and was vague on details.

"We're very astonished, to say the least, that not one team has contacted us with any interest," Moore said. "I just don't understand it."

Iverson played three games for Memphis last season before he returned for a second stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 13.9 points for the Sixers before he took a leave of absence in March because of family issues.

In his prime, Iverson boasted top-selling jerseys and sneakers and was a global superstar. His popularity never waned even as his production dipped -- Iverson was voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter last season. Iverson would be a drawing card overseas, and might see a familiar face in former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury. Also discarded by the NBA, Marbury played last season for Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Moore says a Chinese team first approached the 35-year-old Iverson last month.

Iverson is 17th on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over a 14-year career with Philadelphia, Denver, Detroit and Memphis. He won the MVP in 2001 when he led the Sixers to the finals.

Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, did not immediately return messages for comment on Monday.

Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He was a four-time scoring champion, averaged 26.7 points and never won a championship.

"What has Allen Iverson done to not warrant interest in him?" Moore said.

He was hobbled by an arthritic left knee and constantly needed it drained last season. Iverson also famously clashed with his coaches, notably Larry Brown, but returned to Philadelphia humbled, reserved and more accepting of team play. He took a leave of absence in March because of family issues.

Moore said Iverson is healthy and works out in Atlanta prepping for a comeback.

"I don't think he's done," Moore said.

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