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Browns Comment of the Day: No reason to kick to Cribbs

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"Kicking to Cribbs is just plain stupid. Clearly, the only way the Browns can win the game is if we score on special teams, so why take the risk? It isn't about 'not backing down,' it's about developing a game plan that maximizes your chance of winning. I think Cribbs has a better chance of returning a kick for a touchdown than Seneca driving 60 yards against Ngata and company." - Headland

Josh CribbsView full sizeJosh Cribbs may be the biggest threat the Browns pose to the Ravens on Sunday.

In response to the story Baltimore Ravens are not scared of Josh Cribbs, cleveland.com reader Headlands thinks the Ravens would be stupid to kick the ball to Cribbs. This reader writes,

"Kicking to Cribbs is just plain stupid. Clearly, the only way the Browns can win the game is if we score on special teams, so why take the risk? It isn't about 'not backing down,' it's about developing a game plan that maximizes your chance of winning. I think Cribbs has a better chance of returning a kick for a touchdown than Seneca driving 60 yards against Ngata and company."

To respond to Headlands' comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Cavs' Pressey needs fishing fix, finds Lake Erie perch fishing

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Lake Erie's yellow perch were just perfect for Paul Pressey this week, an avid angler who was in need of having a fishing rod in his hand and a fish of some kind on the end of the line.

 

Cavaliers Paul Pressey.jpgCavaliers assistant coach Paul Pressey is an avid angler, and found some fishing fun this week catching Lake Erie yellow perch.

 Lake Erie's yellow perch were just perfect for Paul Pressey this week, an avid angler who was in need of having a fishing rod in his hand and a fish of some kind on the end of the line.

Pressey is new in town, and was anxious to find some good places to go fishing.

"I like to catch big fish, but I'm just as happy with a bunch of bluegills," said Pressey, the new assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. "When I was in Orlando, I liked to go out and catch lots and lots of bluegills. They took a while to fillet, but everyone loved them as the main course for a big fish fry."

 With a wealth of freshwater and saltwater action available in Florida, Pressey said that he was well entertained by bluegills.

"Of course, they weren't just any bluegills," he said, with a laugh. "They were big enough to completely cover my hand, with the tail hanging over the side."

A former NBA player, Pressey has some pretty big mitts to cover up.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "They were monster bluegills. It's hard to beat bluegills. The flaky, white fillets taste great."

 Assured that yellow perch were also dandy on the dinner table, Pressey was ready to tackle the wide open waters of Lake Erie.

"I try to find some good places to fish, wherever I land," said Pressey, who played for 11 years in the NBA and coached for 16 more before coming to Cleveland. His favorite place was Texas, where he was a coach with the San Antonio Spurs from 1994-2000.

Our first challenge would be to find a location that had some schools of hungry perch. Bob Hanko, the owner of Cranberry Creek Marina in Huron, where we launched the boat, said some smaller perch were being caught just off the beach in 21 feet of water

 The bigger perch, though, were reported off the sand bar north of Vermilion, a run of about nine miles.

The prospect of jumbo perch won out, and Pressey and I headed northeast.

Fishing reports are almost always old news, but the sand bar is noted for its good perch fishing in fall, prime time for catching a 30-fish limit. The usual packs of perch fishing boats were noticeably absent when we arrived in the area, so we stopped to check the sonar equipment. 

 In 45-foot depths, schools of bait and, hopefully, yellow perch were showing up on the sonar screen in the bottom few feet of water.

A light spinning rod spooled with 8-pound test braided line and tipped with a two-hook crappie rig and a half-ounce sinker was ready to go. Pressey threaded on a couple of emerald shiner minnows as I rigged a second rod for perch fishing.

 I was going to explain the light bite of yellow perch, but it wasn't necessary. Seconds after lowering his rig to the bottom, Pressey's fishing rod was in full bend and he was wearing a grin. Minutes later, he had his first double header.

There was no doubt I'd brought along an experienced angler. 

 "I like this kind of fishing," said Pressey, tossing another perch in the live well. "Just when you think the fishing is slowing down, you get another bite."

 After a long NBA career, Pressey had been ready to hang out the permanent "Gone Fishing" sign after three seasons coaching for the New Orleans Hornets under Byron Scott.

"Coach Scott asked me to come to Cleveland with him, and I couldn't resist," said Pressey. "The Cavaliers have some good, young players. I'm looking forward to the new scenery, the challenge of building a team.

 "And, of course, the fun of fishing some new waters."

Indians Comment of the Day: Acta not the answer

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"Acta needs to go. The guy was a loser in Washington and he's a loser in Cleveland. I can understand that the Dolans can't sell the team because it's worthless now, so they need to start spending money or taking chances. These 'Groundhog Day' antics are getting stale." - gorillapants

Manny Acta, Hunter WendelstedtView full sizeManny Acta hasn't had much to work with his first season in Cleveland.

In response to the story Sputtering Cleveland Indians drop fifth straight as they stagger toward finish, cleveland.com reader gorillapants isn't a believer in Manny Acta. This reader writes,

"Acta needs to go. The guy was a loser in Washington and he's a loser in Cleveland. I can understand that the Dolans can't sell the team because it's worthless now, so they need to start spending money or taking chances. These Groundhog Day antics are getting stale."

To respond to gorillapants' comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Cavaliers Comment of the Day: Byron Scott's challenge

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"I want to see how much imagination Scott has in forging this unit into a team. I think they could be fun to watch if he finds the right combinations." - Sorry, but you're wrong

Cleveland Cavaliers in contract talks with Byron Scott as head coachView full sizeByron Scott will be roaming the sideline in Cleveland in 2010-2011.

In response to the story P.M. Cleveland Cavaliers links: Veteran Byron Scott one of seven coaches in first seasons with their teams, cleveland.com reader Sorry, but you're wrong is excited about Byron Scott. This reader writes,

"I want to see how much imagination Scott has in forging this unit into a team. I think they could be fun to watch if he finds the right combinations."

To respond to Sorry, but you're wrong's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme and receiver Brian Robiskie doubtful for Ravens

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Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme (ankle) receiver Brian Robiskie (hamstring) are doubtful . Running back Jerome Harrison (thigh) is questionable.

 

Brian RobiskieBrowns' Brian Robiskie is one of three players doubtful for the Ravens.

CLEVELAND -- Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme (ankle) and receiver Brian Robiskie (hamstring) are doubtful for the Ravens game. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who said he won't play because of tightness in his pec, is also listed as doubtful.

That means Seneca Wallace will most likely start against the Ravens and Josh Cribbs will get more playing time at receiver. He tweaked an ankle in practice on Friday but is listed as probable.

Five players are questionable for the game. They are linebacker Marcus Benard (ankle), running back Jerome Harrison (thigh), receiver Carlton Mitchell (head), nosetackle Shaun Rogers (ankle, hip), and fullback Lawrence Vickers (illness).

The Browns will be a little thin at receiver if both Robiskie and Mitchell can't play. Mitchell suffered a head injury in practice on Thursday. Vickers was also added to the report on Friday with his illness.

 

Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini: Transcript of Friday news conference

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Eric Mangini's Friday news conference

Transcript of Friday news conference with Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini

jaked.jpgCoach Eric Mangini, right, says he still is not sure if quarterback Jake Delhomme, left, will be inactive for Sunday's game at Baltimore.

(Opening statement)- "Good morning everybody, thanks for coming out today. I thought yesterday's practice was really a positive day for us. I thought the defensive communication was excellent. That group of guys that we have playing, they're all really smart, they're all really contentious. I've been pleased with the way they've been operating. As we get into game plans and things change week in and week out, I think there's starting to become a rhythm with the install, the ability to take the install and then go out and execute. All these guys spend time on their own and together to try to make sure the plan works. That's been fun from my perspective to watch the development of the group. They also do a good job just working together within different units. The d-line working with the linebackers, the linebackers workings with the secondary and that's always our goal as a staff and as a unit to improve that week in and week out. Offensively, I thought we were pretty effective too. I feel like we understand what we have to do to be effective and move closer to getting the plan down, so I was pleased with that as well. Overall, a good day at practice and I'm looking for the same thing here today. Some more install goes in on Friday like it always does so to have that finish to the week. In terms of the injured guys, it should be the same group that was out yesterday will be out today. I think we have a shot here with Evan Moore coming back for practice this afternoon, just have to confirm it with Joe (Sheehan) but that is my expectation."

(On if Jake Delhomme will be inactive on Sunday)- "I don't know. Each day gets a little bit better. He is very aggressive with his rehab, it's like everything else he does. He does it very aggressively and each day it gets a little bit better. I have total confidence in his ability to operate the plan if he is available. We'll just have to see how that goes."

(On if Jerome Harrison is going to practice today)- "Probably not. I think there's a chance that he'll play. I think he's improved throughout the course of the week, but I don't think he's going to practice today."

(On if any of the running backs has an advantage going against the Baltimore defense)- "They're pretty good against all the backs they face. As I've looked at a lot of teams that have played them, I haven't seen a pattern where this one type of back is more effective than another. They have speed on the edge. I think their defensive line does a really nice job of disengaging from blocks. Even though you may have a hat for a hat and it looks like you have that guy blocked, they do a really good job of shedding and coming off the last minute. What I've always liked about their defense is they're very consistent about finishing plays and finishing plays as a group. They get a lot of hats to the ball which helps too."

(On if he would hesitate to put Delhomme in against the Ravens because of their aggressive defense)- "I think next week's defense is pretty fast and pretty good in terms of pass rush. I think there's going to be a lot of teams that we play throughout the course of the year, New Orleans, the Jets, running right on down the line that have aggressive, fast players. What Jake does really well is he makes quick decisions. Often times you can see completely healthy quarterbacks that play the Ravens who aren't making quick enough decisions and that's where they get into trouble as opposed to it being a function of not physically being the other way. You got to be able to process and go and make a decision typically if they can get you thinking, they can hit you."

ravens.jpgNo matter who the Browns use at running back, it's difficult to run against the Ravens' defense as Jamal Lewis finds out in this photo from last season's game in Cleveland, a 16-0 Baltimore victory.

(On if quarterbacks have more of an injury risk when in the Wildcat)- "It might actually be less risky when they're playing wide receiver in Wildcat than when they are playing quarterback. Then they're involved and have an assignment and there are things they have to do, but you can mitigate that as you go. I think there's risk in both things and I don't think we increase the risk by putting him out there at all. There's been a lot of Wildcat plays run throughout the course of the last couple seasons, or three seasons or however long it's kind of taken hold, and I don't think that there have been any that have been injured on those plays."

(On how daunting the Ravens" defense is)- "The environment, the defense, all the things that the Ravens present you can look at it as daunting or you can look at it as exciting and as a challenge and as something that is an opportunity to do really positive things. That's the way that I look at it and I think that's the way you have to approach any team like that, any environment like that. You can't go in and be a wilting flower, you've got to go in appreciate the environment, appreciate the atmosphere, feed off that. Draw energy from your teammates, draw energy from your group and meet the challenge. We are going to face different challenges every week and you can view it one way as being this sort of insurmountable obstacle or you can look at it as being just a great opportunity to do really good things."

(On if Baltimore's defense is similar to when Rex Ryan was there)- "Anytime, you insert another human being calling the plays there's going to be differences. There's going to be differences in the approach and play calling and tendencies and all those things. You can have exactly the same set of plays but you have two people calling them. The pattern that they show up in, the frequency that they show up changes, it's a function of the coordinator. Philosophically, the way that they play defense has remained consistent and I think that's a good thing. Often times that's why you want to be able to promote from within to have a consistency in the offensive approach or the defensive approach because if you go get a coordinator that's from outside the system and bring him in they've probably been successful running whatever plays that they run or defenses that they run so then to make them totally adapt to your system it takes away some of what they've done well over time. From a head coaching perspective that's the thought process, always try to have a guy that you can bring up to remain consistent with your approach so that the reps, the experiences are built upon each year."

(On if Baltimore's defensive shifts after the snap are unpredictable)- "There are tendencies. It's like anything else, you may play tendencies, but it could be 60-40, 70-30 so you have got a 70 percent chance of it being that, but you have got a 30 percent chance of it not being that. You have to anticipate this is what could happen and if this happens, this is what I'll do. There's not like a 90 percent-type of tendency."

(On why Baltimore's defense usually ranks in the top five every year)- "They have got one guy, Ray Lewis, that's a pretty special guy. That's not taking anything away from the rest of the group. They have got a good group of players, whether it's Terrell Suggs, Kelly Gregg, Jarret Johnson, Dawan Landry, Ed Reed when he's playing, Trevor Pryce. They have got a good group of players. They have had a system that's been in place for a long time that that group knows well. Typically, when you have that type of situation, you're going to play good defense. I think Ray does a really outstanding job of getting that group up. There's a lot of pride in that group and there's an expectation of being successful against whoever they play. That's a mentality that's developed over time and developed with success and is very important in a defensive approach. When you have that, often times it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy."

(On if every coach would like a ringleader for his defense like Ray Lewis)- "Yes, you'd love to. You'd love to be able to go get a guy that's going to play 15 years and go to the Hall of Fame and be outstanding. Yes, you'd love that. Defensively, offensively, on special teams, if you can get that guy. Look at what Junior Seau did in San Diego, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi. There are certain guys, the term I like to use is they're force multipliers. They're really good players and they make the people around them play better."

(On if he has seen a sharper focus from James Davis in practice this week and how he will handle possibly more playing time Sunday)- "James has been working hard through the preseason. I didn't see him this week suddenly dramatically shift his tempo and if I did see that, we'd have to have a conversation about, "What were you doing the last 10 weeks?" With that being said, when you do have an increased opportunity to play, I think that sometimes puts a little giddy-up in your step. I think if he gets a shot to play, he'll do well. That's my expectation, that's really my expectation with all of the players, even the guys on the practice squad. You just don't know. You're one play away from having your chance and when you get that chance, what you don't want to do is have squandered all those days leading up to that chance then go in, not do very well and regret the fact, "Why didn't I work harder?" Don't let that happen."

(On with Davis" quiet personality, would he be able to deal with the pressure of Lewis and the Baltimore defense)- "He's played in big games in college. I don't get any sense that playing the Ravens or playing anybody else is going to affect him in a negative way."

(On if a running back could play without having practiced all week like he said Jake Delhomme could)- "I think every position is a little bit different. I'm not saying that Jake would be able to go in with no practice and be the same guy. Otherwise we would never have practice, which I'm sure a lot of people would advocate for (joking). That's not a goal is to say, "Okay, take the week off and we will throw you in on Sunday and see how you do." I'm just saying if need be, sometimes it's making the best of not the most ideal situation. Typically, older guys with more experience, who have been through a lot of games, who have been through situations like this and it's not the first time that they're dealing with it can cope with it better because they have the experience to do so."

(On if Jerome Harrison has the experience to be able to play without practicing)- "I think we'd find out. I don't think he has been in that situation very often, so a little bit of it is finding out if that was the case."

(On if he is considering activating a practice squad running back)- "I don't think we are at that point yet."

(On if having more players over 30 than any other team in the league is by design)- "We have more 30 year old than anybody? I didn't know that. To me, I look for the right type of guys. Whether they're 23, I've coached a lot of 23 year olds who I would have taken a 30 year old any day over coaching that guy. I think there's some benefit to having the wisdom and the maturity and the track record. You want to mix that with younger guys that are developing because they are going to keep getting better and they're going to get into the peak of their careers. I've been with some older crews at different spots. For a long time, there was always a group older than me. This might be the first time that there's not."

(On if veteran leadership can manifest into a better locker room environment after a tough start)- "I think it's the ability to have perspective on things. The wisdom to understand that each week is a unique opportunity, each week is a unique challenge. I think that's one of the greatest challenges from my perspective and from any head coach's perspective is to not get into looking at it as we have X many weeks to go or we have to do this over the course of time to get to wherever. When you start thinking that way, you lose track of what's right in front of you and it's really the only thing that matters. It's really the only thing you have any chance to control, but it's easier said than done. We all get into looking back, looking forward and really it's like texting in your car, you better be looking straight ahead or you'll crash."

(On how much more able this year's team is to go into Baltimore and compete than last year)- "I believe we are better equipped to. My expectation is that we will. I think it's not just going into Baltimore to play Baltimore, it's understanding how we have to play and what Browns football is. That, to me, is the most important thing whether we are playing in Baltimore, playing in Cleveland or playing wherever. It's how do we have to play? What is our philosophical approach? What do we believe in? When you understand those things, it doesn't matter where you play, it doesn't matter who you play, you have the best chance to be successful."

(On Braylon Edwards)- "I wish Braylon the best and I don't really have anything to add on that. As we talked when he left, I really hope he takes advantage of the opportunities that he has with his new team."

 

Transcript courtesy of the Cleveland Browns

 

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan: Transcript of Friday news conference

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Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's Friday news conference.

Transcript of Friday news conference with Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan

ryan.jpgDefensive coordinator Roby Ryan says that overall, the Browns' defense is getting better but defenders need to make some big plays to give the team a boost.

(On if he expects to see more Ray Rice than the Ravens used last week)- "They have two great half backs. Cam Cameron does a fantastic job, I've always said that, utilizing his personnel amongst other things. He's got a vast offensive play book. He throws everything at you and you have to be on your toes at all times. He's outstanding. He does trick plays. He's always in the top of the league in offense. In every situation he does a great job. I'm sure he's got roles for those guys and both of them are excellent football players."

(On how he accounts on defense for Ray Rice's receiving ability along with the receivers on the team)- "It's very difficult and I think (Joe) Flacco really gets in a comfort level when he's able to set his feet, look down field, he's got all those weapons to throw to now and then he can always dump it off at the last second to Ray Rice and he can get 20 yards. It's real difficult, we've got our work cut out for us. We've worked really hard, we've had a good week in practice. They got a lot of weapons and I think we do too and looking forward to that challenge. We know it's going to be a great game and I can't wait to get there."

(On Joe Haden)- "I think he's done an excellent job of tackling and hitting. On special teams he blew up a guy, ran right down the sideline right by us and we watched it and it's one of the harder hits I've seen in a long time. He's always been a good hitter and tackler. I think he's covering really well. He competes. This week is going to be a big challenge. He's got perhaps one of the best pattern runners in the game in (Derrick) Mason, and obviously with (Anquan) Boldin and (T.J.) Houshmandzadeh there's two of the better wide outs in football. He'll have his hands full but again he is growing fast and I think he's doing a nice job."

(On if he misses having D'Qwell Jackson)- "D'Qwell is a real good player, but it seems like forever since we've had D'Qwell. I'm kind of used to going into battle without him but that doesn't mean he's not an excellent football player, he is. Right now, everybody's getting banged up. It's a little early in the season but when you look around the league everybody's got injuries. We do too but we're just going to keep rolling."

(On how the defense this year is better personnel wise than last year)- "I like our personnel on defense here a lot. I think also we have another year of experience together and we don't make as many mistakes which is huge. That can make any good personnel look bad if you're making mental mistakes. I really do like our personnel here I like the way they work together, they're smart and they're tough. We're going to have to be both against this team. They've got one of the better groups in the league. They go to the playoffs every year. (John) Harbaugh does a great job out there. We know it's a hostile environment but shoot we can't wait to go."

(On how Joe Flacco not playing well recently)- "I think when you look at that game you see four interceptions, he's trying to force it and make a play on a couple of those at the very end of the game and a couple tipped balls. The numbers can say what they want to say. I think the guy's still a (darn) good quarterback. He's got the great arm, he makes all the throws and you can't take anything away from him. They've played two of the better defenses in football the last two weeks and this guy still a super player. He's on the verge of Pro Bowls. I think he's another excellent player. They've got an excellent line so again it's going to be a heck of a challenge."

(On Ray Lewis)- "He's tremendous. He's a measuring stick. I don't know if there's ever been a player that great that's played middle linebacker. He's tremendous, he's fun to watch. Unfortunately, I've seen him up close too many times when he's just been just a violent wrecking ball. But what a warrior. He loves the game, he loves to compete, he makes everybody around him better. I know my brother has had the chance to be around him a lot and he just loves him and respects him so much. It's always fun to see those guys play knowing that my brother was there for eight years or whatever it was and guys like him and Ed Reed. They've got a couple guys I coached in Oakland Fabian (Washington) and Chris Carr so I know they got one (heck) of a defense over there."

(On if there were situations where they just missed making big plays happen last week)- "Yes, we did. Again, those inches hopefully we can get there. Get a little bit quicker, a quicker read on something, we can make a play on a ball maybe we're not getting to, a little bit better with our blitzes. To be a good blitzing team you have to be precise. We missed a couple again where we're not exactly where we need to be and that hurts you. If you're going to send a lot of people you got to make sure it's right and make sure we hit it correctly. Why guys make mistakes on that is protections change and the protection you may think you're getting, you may not get and so now that gap gets a little bit tighter to get in than what it may have looked like in practice. It could lead to some mistakes but I think we got a real sharp group. I just see us getting better each week."

(On if he coaches his players by telling them to make plays)- "I always want them to make a play believe me. The game is played with so much emotion you always have to do your job right and that's just the defensive player. We have to adjust on defense. On offense you can call a play and you just go out there and play, but on defense you have to be smart, you have to adjust and you have to be where you're supposed to be and on top of that you got to make a play. You have to go out there and do it. I think we've got play makers. I see us getting better each week and I think those turnovers will start coming to us."

(On if he thinks the defense can set the tone for the team for the rest of the season)- "Things are bad at 0-2, but I think we've got a team here. We've got an offense, a defense and a special teams and I think we've all got to get better together. Just judging on how we did last year at the very end of the year when everybody was counting us out and things, those guys rallied and played really well together and that's how it is. We've moved the ball on offense, we're doing pretty good it's just a turnover will cost you sometimes and that's what happens. I have all the confidence in the world in our offense and with Brad Seely as our special teams coach and (Joshua) Cribbs as our returner (heck) we're going to be number one on special teams like they are every year. I just hope to hold up our end on defense and have a great defense because I know those other sides will get taken care of too."

(On only giving up one touchdown drive this season)- "I think our guys are coming together. I think we are going to have one (heck) of a unit, I do. Every team's different, every game's different. We played well early and could have played a little bit better in that Tampa game on that one drive I called that all out pressure on third and 10 and that deflated us pretty good there. Then last week I thought we were playing pretty well and then we miss some assignments, we are better than, we're sharper than and we need to be. I think for us to be a great defense, and we want to be a great defense you have to do stuff right all the time. I always tell our guys all the time, I don't think it's unfair to ask at this point, we have such sharp guys in the room, that they play 100 percent perfect mentally. I think you can ask that. I don't think you can ask a guy to physically beat someone 100 percent of the time because there's going to be match-ups on the field that don't work in our favor every time. I think mentally our guys are to the point and hopefully we can keep going and get better each week and we can put together a (heck) of a defense, and I really think we can."

(On if it is hard game planning without knowing how much he can use Shaun Rogers each week)- "I'm just going to work with the players that are playing right now. Obviously Shaun is a great player, a super talent, but again, you can only coach the guys that are out there putting the uniform on. When they are ready to go, that's great, and you can always use good football players. Until they are out there, we have good players already on defense and we are going to keep playing them."

(On his impressions of Seneca Wallace from practicing against him all week)- "I know Seneca Wallace from beating us twice at Oakland. He's an excellent player, he's a great competitor and I think he can make plays with his arm and his feet. He's one of those dual threat guys that are really difficult to prepare for. I think he's a fine player, he really is. I've seen him in practice and he can get hot. To me, he throws some great passes in that red zone, where you have to be perfect and sharp and have a big arm. Seneca has got all of that, so he has got all the tools, he's got experience. It's great that he gets a chance to get out there and see what he can do."

(On if the referees are doing too much to protect the quarterbacks)- "The rules are specific. There's only certain ways you can hit them, there are certain spots that you have to hit the quarterback. All of it is to make our game better, to protect the quarterback because some teams have got a great quarterback and then they have got somebody that's not real good behind them. The integrity of the game is you want to see those great players play, especially I'm sure those owners want to see the best guys play. The rules are there to protect the guy that sometimes is defenseless. The one thing is, on defense, yes, you want to kill everybody, but the fact is that it's a great game. We don't have to like all of the rules, we have to play by them and that's what we do."

(On if there are guys on this team that have enough passion and confidence about the way they play and how important that attitude is)- "I think everybody has confidence in their ability, especially at this level or it would be hard to compete if you didn't. I'm not into comparing our guys versus their guys or anybody else's. I know we have good football players here. We have a real fine nucleus. We have guys that love football, that work hard on football every day and they're going to get better every day. Together, as a group, I can see us advancing and really coming out and being special."

(On if Baltimore's receivers can do a lot more than they could last year with their new additions)- "Obviously, they've got the credentials. They've put up the numbers in this league for a long time. They definitely can. They can make plays in tight coverage that a lot of guys can't make. Not only can they get open and work their body through traffic, they can also go get the ball, which I think all of them do really well. I think you've got some real fine competitors in (Anquan) Boldin and (T.J.) Houshmandzadeh that they added to already go with the outstanding veteran they already had with (Derrick) Mason."

(On if it will be a good matchup with Baltimore's receivers because Sheldon Brown and Joe Haden are physical cornerbacks)- "I think they are. They're physical guys. Our corners are physical, they can run and they can hit and tackle. These guys are going to be out there trying to block them and we are going to be out there trying to get rid of them and throw them down. It's going to be a great war and we're going to have to be at our very best to get out there and get after these guys. We have been working our (butts) off, so it will pay off."

(On if the crowd noise will make a difference in Baltimore)- "That's a great question. I really don't hear it very well. We have got these headsets on and all I hear is that. Our guys last week were commenting on how loud it was out on the field. I was like, "Really? Is it that loud out there?" I have got a headset on, you really can't hear much anyway except for the guy that I'm talking to and the other coaches. It's probably because I don't hear that well anyway (joking). I'm not sure if that ever gets into a player's head or not. That is an interesting question, but I'm not really sure of the answer."

(On Scott Fujita and Matt Roth having trouble hearing the calls in last week's game)- "We do a lot of talking on defense, we use a lot of hand signals for those situations that are too noisy. I think Eric (Mangini), obviously, does a great job with the music. We are used to having loud sounds out there that make communication difficult. Calls can be made and missed, absolutely they could. I think on offense, with so many calls being in the huddle and I know there's some check with me things, check opposites and things like that that the quarterback runs, but he's right there in the middle over the ball and I'm sure he's just getting it to those guys that are next to him without a whole lot of pressure because he's the one who's got to snap the ball. The center's going to snap it to him. On defense you got to react and you got to be able to communicate. You don't know what the snap counts are so you really got to get it done, you got use hand signals you got to do everything to get communicated and to be on the same page."

(On if the pass rush is meshing with the coverage)- "Last week we had more of a plan to cover last week than to rush. We had more rushes, more blitzes and schemed rushes up against Tampa than we did last week. If you noticed the style of offense they play is a little different than most, but we thought we'd slow them down better with our coverage. For the most part we did. We had a couple moments there where we weren't perfect by any stretch, but pass rush can be what you want to make it. My dad always had the philosophy of one. What's that? That's one more than you can block, but in today's game there are different ways to rush. There are zone pressures, there are man pressures and so there are different ways you can rush the quarterback so we do some of each."

(On Buddy Ryan)- "He's doing well. He's had some off the field things, some surgeries he's had to get over but he'll be here. He'll be staying a week here with me and my family over Thanksgiving so we're looking forward to that."

(On if they talk on a regular basis)- "Oh yeah, he claims I don't call him as much but that's not true. I call him all the time. I just don't bother him as much probably."

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Dan Murphy

Coordinator -- Public Relations

76 Lou Groza Boulevard * Berea, Ohio 44017

Direct: 440-824-3659

DMurphy@clevelandbrowns.com

Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll: Transcript of Friday news conference

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Transcript of news conference with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll

Transcript of Friday news conference with Cleveland Browns Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll

daboll.jpgBrowns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll says it is important to avoid third and long situations when playing against Baltimore's defense.

(On if there is a chance Jake Delhomme will play Sunday)- "Did Eric (Mangini) rule him out? Then there's a chance."

(On Seneca Wallace's first game as the starter)- "I think he did a lot of nice things. The one thing is I would have liked to hit a few more. We threw up a bunch of shots, seven go routes, actually we threw, and we just couldn't connect. Two of them were in our hands, one Mo (Mohamed Massaquoi) was out of bounds and then the last one at the end of the game there, he caught it and couldn't come down with it. Some of the intermediate things were good. We would like to keep on working on hitting those shots down the field."

(On the reason was for missing some of those go routes)- "I think there was a combination of them. Some of them were a result of pressure. They were bringing some extra guys on the open side to where Mohamed was, so we had to go ahead and convert a play. The pressure was coming, he had to get rid of it and a couple of them we could have ran a little bit of a better route. A couple of them he could have made a nicer throw. It was a combination, but they were giving us some press man, single high, so we were going to take some shots on it."

(On if he expects better passes from Wallace on deep routes Sunday)- "Yes, because he is a pretty good deep pall thrower. We were hitting them all week in practice. Again, it was a combination of things. (Eric) Berry was blitzing a few times off that edge and you don't have a guy accounting for him in certain protections, so he was getting there. He is a pretty good deep ball thrower."

(On if he saw deep routes would be an advantage versus Kansa City going into the game)- "They played quite a bit of press man against San Diego, so we thought we'd have a couple of chances to throw it up there down the field against them and we were going to try it. If they were going to give us those looks, we were going to go ahead and go after it."

(On if the defense from Kansas City is what he thought Romeo Crennel would give them)- "He stayed pretty consistent with what he did against San Diego. They got up and they played some man to man, they played a little bit of zone and they pressured. Pretty much what you were ready for during the week of practice."

(On not using the Wildcat as much as they wanted to last game)- "You get into kind of a little bit of a rhythm going in the first half. We had 240 (yards) or something in the first half, so it was going pretty good. The second half, we came out and when you get into those little ruts, sometimes you'd like to use it and I just didn't get to it. We didn't score any points, we had a three and out the last series on that last play to Mo. When things are kind of getting stale, it's usually a good thing to go to 16 (Joshua Cribbs) and give him the ball a few times, hopefully get you into a little bit of a rhythm."

(On if it was a conscious decision to not run Wildcat as much or he just didn't get around to it)- "In between series, you sit there and you talk. You talk to the other coaches, you talk to the guys up in the box. You get a little game plan of what you want to try to do with that following series, give the players a heads-up and I just never got to it. That's basically it."

(On if the sideline pass to Cribbs was a pass interference that didn't get called and the touchdown play to Cribbs)- "You're running those deep balls and there's always some pushing and holding. They just call it the way they see it. The touchdown, it was a big person play, 22 (personnel). I think we gained seven on first down if I'm not mistaken, seven or eight. Then I told Eric (Mangini) on second down when I called a run, "If we only get a yard or two here and it's third and short, I'm going to call the b line." He said, "Go for it." The series before, we were playing the same personnel group and we were looking at the pictures and we were talking about it on the sideline, Josh and I, and we were saying, "Dang, those safeties are pretty tight. They are getting nosy." I said, "Okay, if we get to that situation, we will dial it up." He's like, "I can get by them." That's kind of how it went."

(On if a big play receiving touchdown to Cribbs changes how he views his development as a receiver)- "I think it reaffirms it. He's come a ways. He did a nice job with the route. He had to read it and go to the right spot and Seneca had to make a nice throw. We have been practicing on it for a few weeks, we just needed the right time to call it. He did a nice job with it."

(On if the possibility of Brian Robiskie not playing Sunday opens up more reps for Cribbs)- "Sure. I think Josh, he just rolls in there. It's not to the point, Mary Kay (Cabot), where we have a bunch of plays now where we say, "Hey, make sure that these guys are in here or not." I think the four guys that are out there, George McDonald does a nice job of rolling them in. If there's a certain play that we might want them in, then great. If not, he just plays all of the normal reps. He will get plenty of them."

(On Jerome Harrison averaging 1.9 yards per carry excluding his 39-yard run in the first game)- "It's like I always say, it's a combination of things. It's maybe breaking a tackle that he could have broke, a run being blocked the right way, the receivers getting the right guys. It's just a combination of things. A couple of them, he had a chance to squirt out of there and they just got him, just barely. Last year when he had the San Diego play, it was the same type of deal. He just squeaked through there and got his leg up and broke it. It's a matter of inches."

(On if Harrison getting more yards is correctable)- "Yes, it's correctable. You keep running the plays in practice, hitting it and he's got to do a good job of breaking some of the tackles that are there. He did it at the end of the year, he broke some good tackles for some of those long gains. The line did a good job of blocking, Vick (Lawrence Vickers) did a good job of blocking, but a couple of them, he squirted through there. They had him on the legs and he broke through it. A couple of them last game, he got tackled on."

(On what he has seen from James Davis in practice this week and how effective he can be if he gets the chance to play Sunday)- "I hope he can be effective, he's going against one (heck) of a defense for his first game. We had a talk this week about performing well in practice and just going out there and doing the things that Gary Brown is going to ask him to do. He's a quiet kid. I think his is eager for the opportunity, but now he has got to go against this Baltimore Ravens defense and show he can do it."

(On what he has seen from Carlton Mitchell)- "He was a late-round pick. He's kind of a size/speed prospect. He's just learning the system, pretty raw. He was a junior coming out so he is pretty raw coming out. He took steps every day in order to make the roster in terms of knowing where he was supposed to be, learning multiple positions, being a guy you can plug in. He's a guy that's just a tireless worker. He's been out there doing a good job on the show teams, so if we need him, he will be ready to go."

(On if Mitchell is one of the faster guys on the offense)- "I don't know. I'm sure, he's a skill guy. I don't know how fast relative to the other guys. If they go ahead and race in a 40, I'm not sure exactly."

(On if speed was one reason why they drafted Mitchell)- "He's a size/speed guy and again, playing out there, running the routes, the full speed of the game, that's a little bit different than just running straight down the line on a 40-yard dash. He's been working at it."

(On if Baltimore's defense is vulnerable anywhere)- "They're pretty good all the way around and they've been that way for a long time, every time that I've played them. I haven't been in the division, but when I was in New England or the Jets, they're a dominant group. I think the one consistent thing there is Ray Lewis. They have pretty good players all the way around. There's really not a weak point, in terms of the players on the team. They run a good system, but he's the ringleader. He's a Hall of Fame player that it doesn't seem like he slows down with age, it seems like he gets better. They're physical, aggressive, hard-hitting. They haven't allowed a touchdown. I could give you a million stats. Teams have converted four third downs out of 29 against them so far."

(On if there is extra pressure put on him as a play caller because of how good Baltimore's defense is)- "I think the important thing when you play these guys is to stay on track. You take a look at some of the first games they had, I thought the Jets did a pretty good job of it. I know they didn't get a lot of yards, but in third and six and third and three and third and four, they were kind of keeping it going the right way. Then they got in situations where they fell back. You get into a third and long situation against this team and it's really, really hard to pick up. You have got to stay on track and get some positive plays. You have got to understand that you're going in there and you're going to get some negative plays, but you've got to try to stay on track with this team and keep pounding it, keep hitting the completions and keep moving. When you get a chance to hit your shot, you hit it. They're tough."

(On if it feels like playing against a Rex Ryan defense when you play Baltimore still)- "No, it doesn't feel like Rex. It feels like their defense in Baltimore and they have got a lot of the same players. Their mindset on defense, I think, has always been that they're going to go out there any try to whoop up on people. That's the mindset you put on the tape and you see them play. That's always consistent with Baltimore."

(On someone saying that the way to beat Baltimore's defense is to run straight at them)- "I'm sure a lot of people have tried that. They're good. You've got to try to run straight at them, run sideways, you have got to do a lot of different things just to stay on track with them. Obviously, last year we didn't do crap against them. They kind of beat us up. What you have got to do, you have got to stay on track with them. You have to. You have got to understand that they're going to make some plays, but you have just got to keep on pushing, keep on getting positive plays and then when you get a chance to hit a big one, and they do a good job with that too, you have got to hit it. This year, the longest pass play that they have given up is 29 yards. That was on an eight yard completion."

(On if Jamal Lewis missed the game in Baltimore last year)- "Yes. J.C. (Harrison) was playing and actually James Davis got a couple reps in that game if I'm not mistaken."

(On if the little experience that Davis had versus Baltimore last year would be helpful)- "He got his feet wet, that's what I'll say. He's going to have an opportunity this week to play against them and help us try to win."

(On what Davis" speed adds to the offense)- "I think he's got some good speed. He's got some good vision. He's run well in the games that he has played in the preseason. Now for him, it's a regular season game against a really good opponent. He's done okay this week, he's done pretty good."

(On not scoring in the second half in either game)- "I've studied it, obviously, and we haven't scored, which is terribly disappointing. We come out in the first half against Tampa, we have a nice drive and we fumble it that play. We get backed up and we couldn't get anything going on first down. The thing that I noticed is in the first half, we are over 55 percent on third downs. In the second half, we are 20 percent, right around 20 percent. The third downs that we have in the first half are pretty manageable third downs. That all correlates back to first down. Our first down success in the second half has went down. The other thing that I've noticed is we have more penalties in the second half than we do the first half. We get a seven-yard run, we give a power play to Peyton (Hillis). We come back on a second and short-type play and try a shot and we get a holding penalty, make it second and 13. We are third and 12, we get a false start, it's third and 18. The play we threw the underneath route to Stuck (Chansi Stuckey), Stuck got it to the 44 yard line in the fourth quarter. We tried to get something going, we come back, we get a 10-yard holding penalty. Those are pretty tough to overcome. I'd say our first down production needs to improve, which will help us in the third down, and our penalties are too high."

(On if they are running the ball more in the second half or if the defense is doing something different)- "It's been pretty consistent. I think in the first half, 16 and 16 run and pass on first down. Then in the second half, 10 run and nine pass."

(On if Cribbs needs to have more touches for the offense to be successful)- "I think more touches for Josh would be a good thing. Yes, I think more touches for him would be good."

(On how the protection has been by the offensive line and extra blockers)- "It's going okay. I think we have given up one sack. If I'm not mistaken, that was at the end there on the last drive, backed up, the one we threw to Mo. I think the play before that, we got a little push and it was one sack. Do we get some pressure sometimes? Sure. I think that happens to any group. Overall, they have done a pretty decent job of protecting the passer."

(On Joe Thomas being called for holding)- "It was a rush. He was coming around the end and Seneca stood up. He felt a little bit over here, so he escaped out of the pocket over there to the left. Joe was kind of blocking him and sometimes when that happens and you have a mobile quarterback that moves a little bit, the guy just pulled and Joe kind of just moved him a little bit and they got us on one. He escaped out to the left and then we had a little bit of pressure to the right. That's how they got it."

Transcript courtesy of the Cleveland Browns


Cleveland Cavaliers' Mo Williams will be slowed by muscle strain

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Mo Williams suffers strained groin muscle.

mo.jpgA tough week for Cavaliers' guard Mo Williams got worse Friday with the announcement he will be slowed by a groin injury for the next couple weeks.

Mo Williams isn't having the greatest week, and now it's gotten painful.

The Cavaliers announced Friday that their point guard suffered a strained groin muscle in workouts leading up to the start of next week's training camp. An MRI at the Cleveland Clinic revealed no tear but the team expects him to not be able to fully return to practice until mid-October. He will take part in some low-impact team activities until then.

This is the second consecutive year a preseason groin injury has slowed Williams down. He missed some practice time and a preseason game last October with a groin strain.

Williams' name has been in the news all week. He was quoted by Yahoo! Sports in an interview released Monday that he considered walking away from the final three years of his contract after LeBron James left in free agency.

"I contemplated it," Williams told Yahoo. "I really sat down and envisioned life after basketball. . . . I really saw myself not playing."

Within hours Williams posted a gloomy message on his Twitter feed that read: "This has been the worst time of my life. Dealing with family issues and everything with the team has been very hard."

Then Thursday Williams seemed to back off his comments and claimed via Twitter that he was misunderstood saying: "Just need to put this out there to all my fans about the Yahoo story about me retiring, since it's getting a little out of hand. I was misquoted or misunderstood however you want to put it. I will clear everything up Monday on media day. I was never considering walking away right now. And especially because [James] left."

Cavs announce hirings: General Manager Chris Grant has been in the process of replacing several members of the front-office staff over the last six weeks. He announced all of his hirings Friday. As was reported last week, Grant has hired former Phoenix Suns executive David Griffin to be his chief assistant as vice president of basketball operations. Griffin replaces Lance Blanks, who left to become the general manager of the Suns.

The team also released the hiring of Michael Blackstone of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute in Baltimore, where he's been a consultant with numerous pro sports teams including the Indians. Blackstone replaces Michael Winger, who left to join the Oklahoma City Thunder, and becomes the team's de facto salary-cap specialist and lead negotiator.

Grant also promoted Wes Wilcox to Director of Player Personnel. Wilcox, like Griffin and Grant, is a former video coordinator who has worked his way up. Grant also announced the hiring of Derek Millender as assistant strength and conditioning coach, Stephen Spiro as assistant athletic trainer and Kwame Graves-Fulgham as video coordinator.

Several other current staff members were promoted within the team's scouting department including David Henderson, Trent Redden and Dan Vincent.

Ticket dates set: Single-game Cavs tickets will go on sale to the general public starting Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. at cavs.com, The Q box office, by calling 800-820-CAVS or at area Discount Drug Mart stores. Fans who sign up to become an "insider" at cavs.com can purchase tickets starting Sept. 29.

Ohio State Buckeyes must play well to earn a winning grade

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Ohio State's "winning performances," using a formula Jim Tressel learned from his father, help the Buckeyes evaluate and motivate themselves even when they're huge favorites like today against Eastern Michigan.

jt.jpgThe tough grading system implemented by coach Jim Tressel is one way the Buckeyes try to prevent a letdown against teams such as Eastern Michigan, Saturday's opponent in Columbus.

Columbus -- It's a 50-year-old formula that Jim Tressel adopted from his father, Lee, a coach and mathematician who created it during his career at Baldwin-Wallace. It's the formula that says an MVP outing in the Rose Bowl for Terrelle Pryor or a record-breaking 16 straight completions against Ohio isn't quite enough, not at least by this measure. It's the formula, that on a day like today when the Buckeyes are six-touchdown favorites against Eastern Michigan, will let the players know on Sunday, despite what the scoreboard says, whether they were good enough.

"Yeah, it's a pretty huge deal," OSU left tackle Mike Adams said this week. "The way they grade film around here is crazy. They're real picky. Everything has to be right."

The formula varies from position to position, obviously, but in the end it creates the same standard, whether a Buckeye was deemed to have a "winning performance." That's a phrase Tressel often drops into his Tuesday news conference, when somewhere between five and 20 OSU players are usually revealed to have risen above that bar. With most of the Buckeye Leaves helmet stickers awarded for team or group accomplishments, earning a "winning performance" is Ohio State's best gauge of individual achievement. Over three months, especially in games like today when the Buckeyes are huge favorites, dangling those carrots isn't a bad idea.

"I think we all have a couple innate things we need," Tressel said. "One is, what do you expect of me? And two is, how am I doing? So there needs to be, I think, a little bit of a barometer, as to here's what we're asking you do to do, now here's how well you're doing it. And by the way, if you do it at this rate, we have a chance to be successful, if you all do it at this rate."

The rates change by position as well, with 80 percent the standard for the offensive and defensive lines, 85 percent at quarterback, receiver and linebacker and 90 percent at running back and in the secondary. Players are judged on every play and everything they do. Linemen, for instance, are judged not only on whether they made a block, but whether they applied the right technique and took the right steps while making it. And a missed assignment, completely missing out on your job on a play, is a grade killer. Everything is plugged into the Lee Tressel formula and given a final number.

"It's kind of a tough deal because the better you are, the harder they grade you," senior defensive tackle Dexter Larimore said. "Now you've got to not only do your job every play, but do it very well. So it's something we strive for. But it's not something in a game we keep in the back of our minds."

Against the Eagles, Larimore won't decide to take on a double-team just because he wants a winning performance. But there's something to the idea that every play will be watched, evaluated and graded. There's no time for plays off even in a blowout. And the players admit they care about earning the performances, with some groups told on Sunday and others on Tuesday.

"I think it really tells the tale of how you actually played," senior receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. "As a receiver, you can really hide behind big plays and think you had a successful game. But you're graded on every play, how you blocked, how you executed every single play."

"It's like a test in school," senior linebacker Ross Homan said. "You don't want to have a bad score."

Adams, a junior, earned his first winning performance last week against Ohio after saying he missed it by one play against Miami the week before. Junior center Mike Brewster and junior receiver DeVier Posey, who started all of last season, were judged to have winning performances for the first time in the opener against Marshall.

"I don't know if I'll ever get another one again," Posey said then. "Those winning performances aren't as easy as you think."

There's at least one Buckeye who has yet to earn that winning performance. The players acknowledge that quarterback is the position where a winning performance is toughest to earn. Tressel is typically asked each week whether Pryor made the grade, and by now, he nearly scoffs at the question.

pryor.jpgThe Buckeyes' most dynamic player, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, has yet to earn a winning performance on the coaches' grading system in his OSU career.

"I think he does it to me to make me realize I have to play even more perfect than I ever played," Pryor said. "It definitely does motivate me."

In fact, Pryor said he hopes he doesn't earn a winning performance until the last game of his senior year.

"I always want to push myself to get better and better," Pryor said. "I always want to practice hard and dream about getting that winning performance."

That might be a bit much. Pryor should have things to dream about other than an equation that's a half-century old.

But there's no perfect formula to motivating and evaluating 105 players through 12 games over three months. Tressel's idea of a "winning performance" is one technique -- against Eastern Michigan or the real Michigan -- to help the Buckeyes take care of the only winning that matters.

What LeBron James' Facebook page should look like, Bill Livingston writes

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The Facebook page LeBron James really should share with us.

NBA training camps open Monday, but the superstars stay in touch with their fans through social media year round. Although former Cavalier LeBron James already has a public Facebook account, this is the profile he should use.

lebron.jpgDemonstrating more of his hometown loyalty, Akron native LeBron James is shown on the sidelines before a game in Washington D.C. involving his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.

LEBRON JAMES

People who aren't sycophants around LeBron can only see some of his profile information. If you know LeBron personally, you can send him a message. He will read it if you fawn on him enough.

Basic Info

Birthday: Dec. 30, 1984.

Siblings: LeBron is called The Chosen One for a reason.

Marriage: LOL.

Parents: G-l-o-r-i-a!

Relationship: In a committed one with myself.

Current City: LeBron is taking his talents to South Beach.

Hometown: Akron, Ohio.

Interested in: Becoming a global icon.

Looking for: A ring on my finger.

Political Views: Who cares more about LeBron?

Religious Views: Messianic.

Favorite Quotations

"My father was a quitter, my grandfather was a quitter, I was raised to give up. It's one of the few things I do well." -- George Costanza

Education and Work

College: Yeah, right. In 346 Division I coaches' dreams.

High School: Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Likes and Interests

Interests: Dancing. Taunting. Biting LeBron's nails. Throwing powder. LeBron loves to "travel."

Music: "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. "Take This Job and Shove It" by Johnny Paycheck.

Books: "Shooting Stars" by myself and Buzz Bissinger.

Movies: "Willard," "Ben," "King Rat."

Television: "King of the Hill." LeBron can never get enough of Stuart Scott saying "Boo-yah!"

Show other pages

Tats; Yankee hats; the Dallas Cowboys; A Waiter Flying Down on a Wire From the Roof of a Las Vegas Casino's Nightclub, Dressed as a King, Delivering a Bottle of Champagne to Myself; Oops, What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas; Me Being a Leader; Nike; Phil Knight; Me Being a Football Player; Jim Brown Is Right; Why Didn't People Rip Cleveland For Leaving "Family Guy"?; Sarah Palin Quit, Richard Nixon Quit Twice, One Crummy Game 5 and Everybody Busts on Me?; Pat Riley's Hair Had Nothing to Do With the Gulf Oil Spill; the Boshes Have Always Been Hard Workers; "Dwyane" Seems Like a Perfectly Reasonable Spelling to Me.

Recent Activity

LeBron unliked "Three Kings."

LeBron likes "King of Kings."

LeBron and Roberto Duran are now friends.

LeBron commented on Terrelle Pryor's status: "Myself and all your friends at LRMR commend you for always being the last player into the Ohio State interview room. The star never comes out with the warm-up acts."

LeBron suggested you like LRMR Sports Agency.

LeBron wrote on Dwyane Wade's Wall: "You and myself against the world!"

Chris Bosh also wrote on Dwyane Wade's Wall: "I thought we were the Three Megos."

Dwyane Wade also wrote on his Wall: "That's a lot of Bosh! :)"

LeBron commented on Terrelle Pryor's status. "TP would not be a nickname myself would pick. Think about it."

LeBron invited you to the Event "Summer of LeBron, a Retrospective."

LeBron suggested you like "Welcome to Miami-Bienvenido a Miami" by Will Smith.

LeBron unfriended Dan Gilbert.

LeBron unfriended Drew Carey.

LeBron and Art Modell are now friends.

Indians lead Royals, 3-0, through three; closer Chris Perez unavailable: Cleveland Indians briefing

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Indians lead Royals, 3-0, through three innings. Closer Chris Perez is unavailable because he is with his expectant wife, Melanie, in Tampa, Fla.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Tribe plays host to the Royals tonight in the second of a four-game series at Progressive Field.

Pitching matchup: RHP Josh Tomlin (4-4, 4.73) vs. RHP Luke Hochevar (6-5, 4.79).

In-game updates: The Indians led the Royals, 3-0, through three innings.

Tomlin did not allow a hit. He walked one and struck out three.

Shin-Soo Choo had an RBI single to center in the first. He drove in Trevor Crowe from second. It made the Indians 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position after they went 0-for-6 Thursday night in a 4-2 loss to open the four-game series.

Jayson Nix homered in the second.

Travis Hafner's RBI single in the third made it 3-0. He drove in Asdrubal Cabrera, who slid through an attempted leg block by catcher Brayan Pena. Pena failed to secure the ball.

Pregame notes: Indians closer Chris Perez will not be available tonight because he flew home to Tampa, Fla., to be with his expectant wife.

Perez left the team early Friday when his wife, Melanie, went into labor with the couple's first child. 

Perez owns a 0.57 ERA since June 28, having allowed two earned runs in 31 2/3 innings. 

Perez has 21 saves this season. The remaining pitchers on the active roster have combined for two -- one each for Frank Herrmann and Tony Sipp.

After Perez, the Tribe pitcher with the most success as a major-league closer is Jensen Lewis, who has 14 career saves.

Cab fare: Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera returned to the lineup tonight against the Royals after missing three games because of a jammed left wrist. Center fielder Michael Brantley will not play for the second straight game because of a sore left hamstring.

 Cabrera jammed the wrist Monday against the Twins at Target Field.

 Brantley's hamstring acted up Thursday afternoon. He was a late scratch for a game that the Tribe lost to Kansas City, 4-2.

 "Michael just has a tight hamstring, and we're going to be careful with him,'' Indians manager Manny Acta said.

 Brantley stretched and threw before batting practice this afternoon. Acta said Brantley will swing the bat Saturday and run under the supervision of head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff.

"He could be available (Saturday),'' Acta said.

 For the second straight night, Trevor Crowe replaced Brantley in center and in the leadoff spot.

 Brantley entered the night having hit safely in 29 of his previous 31 games.

 On the mend: Second baseman Jason Donald gripped a bat and ball Friday for the first time since bruising the tendon of his right index finger while attempting to bunt Sept. 11 against the Twins.

Lineups:

Royals (63-89) -- 1. Gregor Blanco cf; 2. Mike Aviles 3b; 3. Billy Butler dh; 4. Wilson Betemit 2b; 5. Kila Ka'aihue 1b; 6. Brayan Pena c; 7. Alex Gordon lf; 8. Yuniesky Betancourt ss; 9. Mitch Maier rf; and Hochevar.

Indians (62-91) -- 1. Trevor Crowe cf; 2. Asdrubal Cabrera ss; 3. Shin-Soo Choo rf; 4. Travis Hafner dh; 5. Shelley Duncan lf; 6. Jordan Brown 1b; 7. Jayson Nix 3b; 8. Drew Sutton 2b; 9. Lou Marson c; and Tomlin.

Umpires: P -- Mark Carlson; 1b -- Jeff Kellogg; 2b -- Larry Vanover; 3b -- Jeff Nelson.

    

 

 


 

 

 

Josh Tomlin's dominance gives Cleveland Indians win over Kansas City Royals

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Tomlin pitches superbly as the Indians defeat the Royals and ensure they won't finish the season with 100 losses.

josh tomlin.jpgView full sizeThe Indians' Josh Tomlin pitched the first complete game of his career on Friday at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Indians needed a victory in the worst way, rookie right-hander Josh Tomlin grabbed the ball and refused to let go. The same Josh Tomlin who began the season in Class AAA and was not even on Cleveland's 40-man roster until the middle of the summer.

Tomlin pitched superbly in notching his first major-league complete game as the Indians defeated the Royals, 7-3, Friday night at Progressive Field.

How big was this victory on the North Coast? Not only did it snap a five-game skid, it guaranteed the Indians will avoid 100 losses. The Tribe improved to 63-91.

The Indians have not dropped triple-digits since going 57-105 in 1991.

The last-place Tribe pulled within a half-game of the fourth-place Royals (63-90) in the AL Central.

Based on the way these teams have played since the beginning of 2009, bank on the outcome being decided on the final weekend, perhaps the final day. The Indians and Royals each went 65-97 last season and looked up at the other three opponents in the division. The Tribe won the season series, 10-8.

Friday's victory by Cleveland evened this season's series at 8-8. The remaining head-to-head matchups are tonight and Sunday afternoon.

Tomlin (5-4, 4.50 ERA) carried a 7-1 lead into the ninth. He had allowed three hits.

After two groundouts, the milestone complete game appeared to be a lock. But Billy Butler walked and Wilson Betemit homered to right on a 1-1 cutter.

Tribe manager Manny Acta jogged to the mound as Kila Ka'aihue came to the plate.

"I told Josh, 'We want to make this special for you, but this is going to be your last hitter,' " Acta said. "He laughed because I said, 'You just better cowboy up right here and get this guy out -- or I'm coming to get you.' "

"When Manny told me to 'cowboy up,' I knew I had to do it," said Tomlin, who is a Texan.

Ka'aihue lined to right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. Fittingly, Choo put the stamp on the gem: He went 3-for-3 with two RBI, two walks and one steal.

Jayson Nix was 2-for-4 with two solo homers. He had been in a 6-for-56 slide covering 17 games.

Tomlin pitched as well as he had since being promoted from Class AAA Columbus on July 27. That night, he gave up one run on three hits in seven-plus innings of a 3-1 victory over the Yankees at Progressive Field.

Gallery previewThe Royals are considerably less dangerous than the Yankees, but they stung Tomlin in his previous start (five innings, six hits, six runs). Kansas City won, 6-4, Sept. 19 at Kauffman Stadium.

Tomlin walked two and struck out a career-high six on Friday. Two of the punchouts came when third-base umpire Jeff Nelson decided a Royals left-handed batter had failed to check in time.

"Josh had very good command of all his pitches, especially his cutter," Acta said. "He kept throwing the cutter deeper and deeper to the lefties."

Tomlin also expertly commanded the four-seam fastball. He threw 75 of 112 pitches for strikes in a largely stress-free evening. He did not allow a hit until Mike Aviles doubled to lead off the fourth.

"Usually, this late in the season, we don't like these kids to throw that many pitches," Acta said, "but we felt it was special for this guy to throw his first complete game in the big leagues."

Choo had an RBI single to center in the first. He drove in Trevor Crowe from second. It made the Indians 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position; they went 0-for-6 Thursday night in a 4-2 loss to open the four-game series.

Nix homered in the second.

Travis Hafner's RBI single in the third made it 3-0. He drove in Asdrubal Cabrera, who slid through an attempted leg block by catcher Brayan Pena. Pena failed to secure the ball.

Aviles scored on Betemit's sacrifice fly in the fourth to pull the Royals within 3-1.

Choo doubled to drive in Cabrera in the fifth. Choo is hitting .350 (21-for-60) against the Royals this year.

Gil Meche relieved Luke Hochevar to begin the sixth. Meche gave up a bloop single to Shelley Duncan that drove in Choo in the seventh.

Nix homered in the eighth. Later in the inning, Lou Marson scored on Cabrera's single.

As it turned out, the two-run eighth provided Tomlin the cushion he needed to get the complete game. Acta said Tomlin would have been on a short leash in the ninth if the lead had remained 5-1, meaning Tomlin probably would have been hooked after the Butler walk.

Tomlin became the second Indians pitcher since 1920 to work at least five innings in each of his first 11 career starts. Steve Dunning strung 12 in 1970.

"I feel very blessed to be getting this opportunity," Tomlin said. "I'm trying my best to make the most of it."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel: Inside the Vest

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What Jim Tressel might be thinking going into Saturday's game against Eastern Michigan.

Jim TresselView full sizeOhio State head coach Jim Tressel.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jim Tressel should have revenge on his mind today, of course. Though Ohio State and Eastern Michigan have never played, Tressel has a long, unsuccessful history against the Eagles. He was 1-4 against Eastern Michigan while head coach at Youngstown State and was actually 0-4 before winning, 24-14, in 1990.

"In 1986, we were up, 14-3, with four minutes to go and they threw the same route like seven times and we kept covering the tight end, and they kept hitting the dig; and they beat us, 17-14, at the buzzer," Tressel said. "Then, they ran a fake punt in '89 and beat us."

That should make for a heck of a pregame motivational speech.

If Tressel needs to give the Buckeyes another edge, he can always pretend it's a Michigan game.

Second-year EMU coach Ron English is off to an 0-15 start, but he knows Ohio State. English was Michigan's secondary coach for three seasons, then the Wolverines' defensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007, when they ranked in the top 25 in the nation both years in fewest points and fewest yards allowed. Michigan hasn't ranked in the top 65 in either category since then.

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