Dansby was a key addition to the defense, but acknowledges he must improve in areas of alignment.

BEREA, Ohio - Experience and instinct have made Karlos Dansby one of the more productive inside linebackers in the game.

Now, if he could just figure out where to line up.

As crazy as it might sound, the 12-year NFL veteran admittedly had alignment issues during his first season with the Browns. It's a facet of his game he's worked to correct in the offseason as the club attempts to improve its league-worst run defense from 2014.

Dansby, 33, has huddled with coaches and watched film to ensure he's where he's expected to be pre-snap. The veteran, who overall made a strong contribution last year, believes a second season in the same scheme will make a big difference.

"The way we played our defense was totally different than anything I had played before," said Dansby, the league's ninth-ranked inside linebacker in 2014, according to ProFootballFocus.com. "The alignment issues, that's on me. That's something I can get better at . . . It will help everyone else if I am lined up correctly."

Stopping the run has been the primary focus for a defense that allowed 141.6 yards per game a season ago. The Browns used their first draft choice, No. 12 overall, on nose guard Danny Shelton, and added defensive linemen Xavier Cooper in the third round and veteran Randy Starks in free agency.

Beyond personnel moves, defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil identified three primary culprits for a run defense yielding eight yards or more on 17.4 percent of opponents' rush attempts last season. They are: missed tackles, an inability to shed blocks and improper alignment.

Dansby, acquired from the Cardinals via free agency in 2014, was hardly the only one guilty of misalignment and he made more plays than he missed. His coverage skills helped the Browns evolve into one of the league's top teams against the pass.

Still, Dansby is a unit leader and coach Mike Pettine said it's important for the inside linebacker to understand how a step or two in any direction can make a difference between stuffing a run or watching it go for a big gain. Especially in a division that featured three of the NFL's eight leading rushers from 2014 - LeVeon Bell (Steelers), Jeremy Hill (Bengals) and Justin Forsett (Ravens).  

"I think the big part for him this offseason was really to get back and to study the tape from last year," Pettine said when asked if Dansby had to be stouter against the run. "I think some of the issues we had were simpler things, more alignment. That's been a big point of emphasis with him this offseason is his alignments within the defenses, kind of knowing where his help was and if he could overplay one side or the other. I think that just comes with time.

Karlos Dansby finished his first season with the Browns ranked as the ninth-best inside linebacker, according to ProFootballFocus.comProFootballFocus.com 

"I think he's done a real good job understanding. I know that's been a big part overall defensively. We went back and looked at last year. We kind of gave up some things based on how we lined up. We want to make sure we get those things cleaned up."

O'Neil said one of Dansby's great attributes, his instincts, occasionally can work against him. The linebacker uses his years of experience to diagnose plays at the line and shut them down. His key sack of Drew Brees in the Browns' comeback win against the Saints - Dansby recognized the protection call - is a prime example.

If the linebacker guesses wrong, however, he can leave the defense exposed and vulnerable.

"With Karlos, he's so instinctual and he makes a lot of plays because he does such a great job gathering pre-snap information or listening and learning as the game is going on to what the quarterback is saying or what the offensive line is saying," O'Neil said. "I would say 80 percent of the time it ends up being a positive, and then because of that, it ends up hurting us at times.

"As long as he continues to make more plays than he's giving up, you're OK with it, and he did last year. There were times that it did hurt us, and showing them those clips and explaining it to him and then just him being in year two is really going to help him. He had a phenomenal year for us, and that wasn't the reason we struggled in the run game - because of Karlos Dansby's alignments - but it was just one of the things that we needed to get better at."

Dansby was lauded for his leadership and willingness to hold teammates accountable last season. Acknowledging his need for improvement is the latest example of it.

"I've got to be better with my alignment if our defense is going to get better," he said. "Without a doubt." 

Selecting players for the All-Star team is an imperfect process. The game has meaning: The winning side earns home-field advantage for the World Series. And yet, fans -- it is a game for the fans, after all -- choose the starters for each league. Every team must have at least one representative, too. There are always a few deserving players left out of the picture and always a few head-scratchers. Here are Zack Meisel's picks for the American League All-Star team.

LeBron James' future in film and TV is more likely behind the camera instead of in front of it, though he's received high marks for his performance in "Trainwreck." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Jim Brown was 30-years old when he walked away from the Cleveland Browns and dumped his football career for a new life in movies.

LeBron James is 30, too, and like Brown is the sports icon of his time in Cleveland. His first feature-length film, "Trainwreck," will premiere Tuesday in New York and opens nationwide on Friday.

If James were to follow in Brown's footsteps, then Cleveland, Hollywood, heck, the masses who walk this Earth, would be stunned, just like they were 49 years ago when Brown said good-bye to football.

That's not going to happen with James.

"I'm not a movie star. I know what my day job is," James said last week in Akron, at the red-carpet event he hosted for "Trainwreck."

The raunchy, romantic comedy stars Amy Schumer and Bill Hader and was directed by Judd Apatow. James plays himself in a small, supporting role in which he's the Cavs' star but also best friend and life coach for Hader's character.

Both the movie and James in particular have been greeted by warm reviews from critics. Apatow raves about James' performance and work ethic. Then again, what was the director of the movie supposed to say before they ask audiences across the U.S. to fork over millions at the box office?

Barring injury, James isn't leaving basketball any time soon like Brown did in 1966. There's way, way too much money in hoops for James - he just signed a contract worth $47 million with the Cavs and could sign a $200 million contract with Cleveland in 2017 - and his passion for the game remains. James undoubtedly has a future in media - be it in movies or TV - but it's a path he'll pave with his production company, Springhill.

It's through that company, run by friend and longtime business partner Maverick Carter, where James has launched and served as an executive producer for two TV shows - Survivor's Remorse on Starz and Becoming on Disney XD - with an unnamed game show currently for NBC in the pipeline.

Both James and his advisers are cautious when discussing his acting possibilities. "If it fits right and it's the right thing for myself, then I wouldn't mind it," James said last week. Whereas Brown appeared in more than 30 movies, James seeks to expand his footprint as a business mogul and entrepreneur.

Acting is only a small part, and one reason is the fame James has already built as an international basketball star. When people see LeBron James, at least for now, it would be difficult to ask them to pretend he's someone else.

"That would be a challenge," James said on Bleacher Report Radio on Sunday with Ethan Skolnick and Howard Beck. The show aired on SiriusXM. "It was something for me, as a kid I always watched TV shows and movies and I was like man, that could be great if I could be a part of something like that, whether it was an action, super-hero movie or a TV show growing up like 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' and I was like, man, that would be great if that could be me.

"But it would be, I don't know how I would be able to make the transition from people saying, OK, that's LeBron, but he's actually playing Tommy Smith in this movie, how you make the transition to that."

Apatow and Schumer, who wrote the film, didn't ask James to be someone he's not for "Trainwreck," although they did give him some lines and write him into some situations where he did, in fact, need to act.

For instance, in one scene where Hader and James discuss Hader's new relationship with Schumer's character over lunch, James gives some advice and reacts to Hader's recounting of a date in a manner that might be a little different than, say, if James had heard the same thing inside the Cavs locker room.

In another, (none of these tidbits spoil the movie, we promise), James demands that Hader get off work in time to watch 'Downton Abbey.' James simply being in those situations, and how he reacts, are part of the joke. And Apatow was pleased how James pulled it off. 

"I don't know how he prepared, but he came in really knowing what he was doing," Apatow told the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "I don't know if he was studying with somebody, but he was really comfortable and funny and loose and also not protective.

"He wasn't trying to worry about his image all the time. He was willing to do anything an actor or comedian would do."

(See footage of James' "trip" to Swensons with Apatow, Hader, and Schumer).

James didn't hire or work with an acting coach to prepare for the role. He did, however, do his homework.

"I almost treated this like a playoff game," James said on Bleacher Report Radio. "I got into all my notes, all the script. I wanted to know the script from head to toe, and then I get on set and ... they say OK, we're not going to do any of that script, we're just going to start winging a lot of it. I was like Oh my God, are you serious?"

Apatow said James could grow his acting career if he chose, if only because he is comfortable in front of a camera.

"Most people can't do it," Apatow said. "So when someone's really charismatic and comfortable and in the moment, you know, there's no limit to their potential if they want to put the time in. Because it is something like basketball, something that you have to work really hard to be good at."

The Cleveland Indians started the season with lofty expectations, but a slow start has led to plenty of work in the second half.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians started the season with lofty expectations, but a slow start has led to plenty of work in the second half.

At the All-Star break, they remain with a record (42-46) below .500, a mark they haven't hit since the fourth game of the season. The Indians fought back in July, finishing the first half with a flurry and putting themselves back in the AL Wild Card race, but still buried in the Central standings, they are staring up at division-leader Kansas City as well as surprising Minnesota and stalwart Detroit.

With the Tribe at the unofficial halfway point of the season, here is your chance to rate the team's performance, broken down by category. 

Offense

It was one of the key questions heading into the campaign.

Can the Indians score enough runs to make the postseason after falling short in 2014?

At the halfway point, they have two players, Jason Kipnis (.323) and David Murphy (.319), hitting better than .300 and as a team, rank 20^th in the category.

Even Michael Brantley (.292), who has been plagued by a lingering back injury, has fallen off after an MVP-caliber season a year ago.

With Michael Bourn's bounce-back effort going south, Yan Gomes missing time with a knee injury earlier this season, Nick Swisher stuck on the disabled list and Carlos Santana more focused on walks than anything else, scoring runs has become a maddening challenge for the Tribe. Ranked 21^st, the Indians are averaging less than four runs per game.

Beyond Kipnis, off-season addition Brandon Moss has provided some pop, blasting a team-high 14 homers to go with 46 RBI. As a team, the Indians have just 73 dingers -- only six teams have fewer. 

How would you rate the Indians offense? (1 the worst; 5 the best)

Defense

No team was worse defensively than the Indians last season. As a team, the Tribe committed a whopping 116 errors. This spring, manager Terry Francona made defense one of the club's top off-season priorities and the changes have been apparent.

Cleveland is borderline top 10 in fewest errors committed and fielding percentage, something that should improve in the second half. The two main culprits, Lonnie Chisenhall (five errors) and Jose Ramirez (eight errors) have been sent back to the minors, replaced by slick-fielding Francisco Lindor and steady Geovany Urshela.

The Indians' last multi-error game was June 7, a 7-3 loss against Baltimore.

Rate the Indians defense

Starting pitching

There were a few questions with the starting staff heading into the season. Could Carlos Carrasco build on his brilliant second half? Was Danny Salazar ready to claim his spot? Which player would emerge as the team's fifth starter?

Even though there were questions, pitching was expected to be Cleveland's backbone, with reigning AL Cy Young Corey Kluber anchoring the staff.

While holding opponents to a .244 batting average (10^th), the Indians boast a team ERA of 3.78, which ranks 13^th in MLB. Carrasco, Kluber, Salazar and Trevor Bauer all have at least 100 strikeouts, becoming the first team in history to have have four starters reaching over 100 strikeouts before the All-Star break.

Recently, skipper Terry Francona moved 24-year-old Cody Anderson to the fifth rotation spot, solidifying the rotation. The youngster is 2-1 with a skinny 0.89 ERA in four starts.

Rate the Indians starting pitching

Bullpen

Francona set records with his use of the bullpen last season. Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen, Marc Rzepczynski and Scott Atchison did most of the heavy lifting, with each making 70 or more appearances.

The Tribe acquired some new arms for the pen this year. Scott Downs, Anthony Swarzak and Bruce Chen got a shot, but the signings didn't work. Instead, Francona and the Indians slid other players into different roles. Old starter Zach McAllister has made 33 appearances and youngsters Ryan Webb as well as Nick Hagadone have become contributors.

After a tough start and early-season shuffling, the Indians' bullpen reaches the break with a collective 3.15 ERA (8^th) and .235 opposing batting average (10^th).

Closer Cody Allen is the linchpin. He blew his only save on April 20 against the White Sox, but has allowed five runs and 19 total hits in 33 appearances since.

Rate the Indians bullpen

Manager Terry Francona

Eating 17 popsicles in one night is not the only impressive thing the Indians' manager has done this season. Francona held a much-publicized team meeting after the Tribe had fallen to 33-41 by the end of June.

After the chat, the Indians swept the Tampa Bay Rays and finished the first half winning nine of 14, getting them closer in the Wild Card race. 

It's been a choppy season for Francona, who has been forced into a number of tough decisions. He's changed his lineup numerous times in an effort to spark an at-times lifeless offense and even altered the fifth starter before settling on Anderson.

Some of the moves have worked.

Jason Kipnis in the leadoff spot has led to his resurgence. Francona also moved struggling Santana down in the lineup, putting David Murphy in the cleanup spot, which has led to positive results as well. 

Rate Francona's performance

With his hard-nosed, fearless approach to his position, Chagrin Falls' Jackson Markley earned the honor of cleveland.com Boys Lacrosse Goalie of the Year 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Chagrin Falls' Jackson Markley is fearless when stepping into the goal, whether he's on a lacrosse field or a hockey rink. 

This trait helped the junior captain earn first team All-Ohio honors, OHSLA Goalie of the Year, OHSLA Defensive MVP of the state championship game and now, cleveland.com Goalie of the Year honors for 2015. 

See a complete rundown of the 2015 cleveland.com Boys Lacrosse All-Stars, including first team honorees, Coach of the Year and honorable mentions. Also, see our post on Chagrin Falls' TJ Subel, the Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year.

He finished with 168 saves and a 61 percent save percentage. He also limited Mariemont to its lowest scoring total of the season (four goals) in the Division II state title game.  

Markley has no shortage of praise for his teammates and the roles they played in helping to make the Tigers' defense the second best rated in the state, surrendering 5.4 goals per game on average. 

With a myriad of solid teammates coming back next year, he has high hopes for a possible Tigers' repeat at states. 

Read more about Markley's take on goaltending, the state championship game and playing through pain as told through his own words:

I always told people that you can't lose a game if you don't give up any scores. The defense helps me out a lot with that. 

Before I became a lacrosse goalie I played attackman. I kind of went from the first line of offense to the last line of defense. I didn't really know what to do when I first stepped in there in eighth grade. I was just kind of throw my body around, doing whatever I had to do to keep the ball out of the net. I've got decently quick hands so I was able to get my stick into places where some people would be a little slower like off the side of my hip. It wasn't too much of a transition. Being a goalie for hockey really helped me out with my reflexes. 

I've also loved hockey my whole life. I wouldn't give that up for the world. We missed a year last year (because of lack of participation) and then it was just great to have it back this season because I really missed it. But that also gave me an opportunity to really focus on my lacrosse game over the winter and that really helped me improve my game. 

The transition coming from hockey to lacrosse was a little bit harder because, with hockey, you're used to going down into a butterfly position and in lacrosse you're actually stepping into the way of the ball and using your body a little bit more so if you don't get it with your stick your body is still there to make the save. With hockey it's just all your body. 

Going into the state championship game I told my teammates, "Guys, I will throw my body in front of every single shot. I will not let a ball in." That's what I was saying going into it and I knew I had to do whatever I had to do. 

During practice in the middle of playoffs, I took a shot from Griffen Stephens right in the right thigh and then about a week later I took one in the exact same spot from Garrett Bontempo. It was actually a bruise on top of a bruise. That wasn't too fun. It started to affect my running during the playoff matches. I talked to my trainer about it and she said it was starting to affect my back so I was having problems with my lower back going into Kenston. I was pretty much 100 percent once we got to the state championship game. 

I don't really like staying in my cage that much. I like to go for some runs some times. My coach doesn't really like that but I get cooped up sometimes. I actually scored a goal in my sophomore year against Kenston. They really weren't too happy about that. Their coaches jaws just dropped and somebody said they heard our coach while I was running down the field just going "No. No. No. No...." and then the ball goes in and it was just all cheers. There was some stick-slamming. I also had an assist against Walsh Jesuit this year in the playoffs. I just like to go down there and see a different perspective of the field. 

It was an amazing game. Patrick Donley shut down their OHSLA Attackman of the Year. One midfielder had three goals on us but he was a very good player. It was a big game so we knew we had to make some big plays on defense and keep them to a very low score and we knew our offense would step up when they needed to. 

I just kind of hop in the net and do my thing each game. I tell myself I have to play the way I know how to play and do everything that I've been taught from everyone who's helped me out. I try to keep things basic for the most part. 

My freshman year is when I decided that I really wanted to focus on lacrosse. The group of players we had on that team and how young we were and the amount of success we were having were enough to convince me. At that point, we realized we really wanted to get everyone together and start working toward that state title. 

Looking ahead, my assistant coach has a lot of connections with colleges so he's been trying to help me get noticed by different programs so hopefully I can get an offer coming into this season. If I don't, it really won't break my heart. I would love to continue playing if not I guess I can just go off and do my own thing. 

With hockey, I could probably play club but going Division I out of Chagrin Falls would be tough. I don't know if that's going to happen. I love to play DI in ether one of them but who knows. It's something to think about. 

Check out the 2015 cleveland.com Boys Lacrosse All-Stars, including honorable mentions and the Coach of the Year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2015 cleveland.com Boys Lacrosse All-Stars showcase some of the top players in Northeast Ohio. The group includes several All-Ohio and all-district winners who made a major impact on their teams this past season. 

With Player of the Year TJ Subel and Goalie of the Year Jackson Markley, both of Chagrin Falls, in addition to several other top-notch athletes, there are few teams that could matchup with the lineup listed below. 

The squad is led by Hawken's Jim Scully, who earned Coach of the Year for his work in leading Hawken through one its most successful and most trying seasons in team history. 

For more on Subel, check out his player of the year post and video.

For more on Markley, check out his goalie of the year post and video.

Take a closer look at the all-stars:

Subel

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

TJ Subel

Chagrin Falls, senior

Position: Midfielder.

College: Vermont. 

Notable: The senior midfielder who began the season as a face-off specialist but showed so much promise as an offensive player that coach Crispin Napolitano increased his role greatly during the first weeks of the season. In the Division II state title game, he scored with eight seconds remaining in regulation to tie it up and then scored the game-winning goal in overtime. He won 72 percent of his face-offs this season while recording 23 goals and 15 assists. He earned first team All-Ohio and US Lacrosse All-American honors. Subel also earned OHSLA Offensive MVP honors of the state championship game and was named the OHSLA Face-off Specialist of the Year.  

Markley

GOALIE OF THE YEAR

Jackson Markley

Chagrin Falls, junior 

College: Undecided. 

Notable: The junior captain earned cleveland.com Goalie of the Year honors for 2015 and was also named first team All-Ohio, OHSLA Goalie of the Year and OHSLA Defensive MVP of the state championship game. He finished with 168 saves and a 61 percent save percentage. He held opponents to an average of 5.4 goals per game and limited Mariemont to its lowest scoring total of the season (four goals) in the state title game.  

ALL-STARS

Caito

Mario Caito

Solon, senior

Position: Attack. 

College: Canisius. 

Notable: Caito won first team All-Ohio and was named Nike/LM Player of the Week for the last week of April. He tallied 48 goals and 17 assists in 13 games.  

Cintron

Crew Cintron

St. Ignatius, junior

Position: Attack. 

College: Undecided.

Notable: Cintron tied a school record with for goals in a season, scoring 65 this year to go along with 33 assists, finishing the year with 98 points. He also scooped up 36 ground balls. His play earned him US All-American, first team Team All-Midwest and first team all-region. He also earned second team All-Ohio. 

Donley

Patrick Donley

Chagrin Falls, senior

Position: Defender. 

College: . 

Notable: Donley won first team All-Ohio and US Lacrosse All-American honors while also being named first team all-region for the second year in a row. the four-year letterman racked up 40 ground balls and 18 takeaways consistently matched up against each opponent's best player game after game, including against the 2015 Attackman of the Year, Mariemont's Connor Bortz, who he held scoreless in the state title game. 

Gregory

Sam Gregory

Hudson, senior

Position: Attack.

Notable: Gregory won first team All-Ohio and All-American honors this year. Through 11 games, he took 80 shots and netted 27 goals, including two game-winners. He also had 11 assists, scooped up 50 ground balls and caused seven turnovers. In April, he was honored as www.laxmagazine.com's Midwest Boys Player of the Week.

Mackin

Sean Mackin

Chagrin Falls, senior

Position: Attack. 

College: Harvard.

Notable: Mackin led the Tigers in scoring with 52 goals and 15 assists to earn first team All-Ohio honors in his first year on attack. He earned second team All-Region as a midfielder his sophomore and junior seasons. The four-year letterman committed to play lacrosse at Syracuse prior to his junior year but changed his mind and is now committed to play linebacker at Harvard.

Motter

Chris Motter

Hudson, junior

Position: Midfielder. 

College: Binghamton. 

Notable: Motter is a face-off specialist who won 176 of the 227 he took part in, meaning he won 77.5 percent. He earned Face-Off Specialist of the Year from OHSLA as well as first team All-Ohio and an All-American. He also picked up 128 ground balls, caused three turnovers, scored three goals and had four assists.   

Ethan Scully

Scully

Hawken, senior  

Position: Defender. 

College: Wooster. 

Notable: Scully is a two-time captain who earned first team All-Ohio honors this year and first team all-region. He was a critical component to the Hawks' defense as he caused 45 turnovers and picked up 91 ground balls.  

Weil

Josh Weil

Hawken, senior

Position: Midfielder. 

Notable: Weil was a senior captain who scored 25 goals, made 11 assists and picked up 57 ground balls this season, earning him first team All-Ohio and first team all-region honors. He also earned Academic All-American accolades. He was voted the team's Defensive MVP. He planned to attend Middlebury College in Vermont prior to the fatal car accident he was involved in in May. 

Scully

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Jim Scully

Hawken

Notable: In addition to helping Hawken go from 7-11 the year before to 15-5 this season, Scully had the unenviable job of having to counsel his players through the death of two of their teammates. Scully is quick to say he felt his players dealt with the loss of Alex Doody and Josh Weil better than he did but the ability to keep one's composure during tragic times is something that can be passed down by a great, steadfast leader, which is what Scully showed himself to be as the Hawks pushed forward and went all the way to Division II final four before falling to Chagrin Falls. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Zach Adair, Kent Roosevelt

Joey Artiste, Rocky River

Otto Bohan, Western Reserve Academy

Danny Bott, Archbishop Hoban

Bear Bowen, Kenston

Clay Brady, Shaker Heights

Alex Brown, Solon

Michael Charlton, Hudson

Rob Cooney, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin

Alex Hornung, St. Ignatius

Bryan Karn, Solon

Jake Krone, Hudson

Logan Lair, Hawken

Ian Mack, Avon Lake

Alex Maruna, St. Ignatius

Patrick Mulach, St. Ignatius

Mike Muniak, Medina

Luke Ostoyic, Kenston

Anthony Pavone, Kenston

Mitchell Rehak, University School

Matt Rightnour, Hudson

Christopher Rini, St. Ignatius

Hunter Solecki, Westlake

Griffen Stephens, Chagrin Falls

Ethan Whitney, St. Ignatius. 

TJ Subel scored the game-winning goal for Chagrin Falls in the Division II state title game as is the 2015 Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year for cleveland.com.

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio -- TJ Subel began the season as mainly a role player for the Chagrin Falls boys lacrosse team. 

After some heated negotiating with coach Crispin Napolitano, however, the senior midfielder and Vermont-commit worked his way from being just a face-off specialist to being one of the Tigers' most potent offensive and defensive threats. 

See a complete rundown of the 2015 cleveland.com Boys Lacrosse All-Stars, including first team honorees, Coach of the Year and honorable mentions. Also, see our post on Chagrin Falls' Jackson Markley, the Boys Lacrosse Goalie of the Year.

He won 72 percent of his face-off attempts, scored 23 goals and picked up 15 assists, earning US Lacrosse All-American, first team All-Ohio, OHSLA Face-Off Specialist of the Year honors and played a pivotal role in the Division II state championship. He can now add cleveland.com Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year to that list. 

With eight seconds left in regulation and his team trailing by one to Mariemont, Subel found the back of the net to send the final game of not only his career but that of all the senior Tigers to overtime. In the second period of OT, Subel scored the game-winner to give Chagrin Falls its second state championship in team history. 

Subel said later that he never imagined himself being the one to take those crucial shots to make or break the season but simply felt the need to be a risk-taker in those critical moments. He subsequently earned OHSLA Offensive MVP for the state championship game. 

Read more about the source of the Subel's intensity as well as his relationship with his teammates and his father as told through his own words below:

I'm kind of a hot-head, I have to admit. The first scrimmage, I had kind of had a little scene with me and my coach but it all worked out. We're great friends and everything like that. He new that I was pretty frustrated and after two or three games, they realized they should probably put me on the field more than they had been. Once that happened, everything started rolling a little better than than they had at the start of the season and we got back to doing all of the things we had successwith last season. 

My teammates definitely wanted me out there to score some goals like I did the state championship game last year but at times I'd get frustrated and have an off game. Usually if I'm having trouble with my face-offs, that's when I really get frustrated. 

I talk about it with my dad all the time and he says it's one of my best qualities that I seem to always have a chip on my shoulder at all times, mad or happy. When I'm on the field, I think that fire feeds my confidence. I always want to be better. 

I think the best part about our team is we're such good friends with each other. We've been playing lacrosse with each other since fifth grade. We hang out with each other every single day, 365 days a year. We have fun with each other at practice. We like to get in each others' heads, especially me and (Jackson Markley). It's just horse play. Even when we're mad at each other, we're really not. 

Our motto for last year was "Family" and we really showed how we are a family last year and this year. It really takes a family to come as far as we have. 

Throughout the season, we've had many team meetings with the upperclassmen and the coaches. Later in the season, we even had meetings with just the upperclassmen players to try to work things out because things throughout the season weren't working and we knew we were a better team than what we were showing on the field and we just wanted to get everything running like a well-oiled machine. I think those talks did help but it did take a couple weeks for us to get our legs under us. 

As far as being a risk-taker throughout my career, I would say so. In hockey, I think it shows in some games as well. That comes along with the chip on my shoulder. The best part is just the intensity that it gives me going into every game. I don't like to think we're ever going to lose. 

I think the best advice is my dad telling me just to never give up on anything I'm doing from lacrosse to academics. I think that's a really good thing to go off of because even when you're losing by six, like we were in the state title game two years ago, we came in the huddle after to the third quarter, guys were saying "let's put a couple on the board and lose with some dignity" and I just said "man, screw that. Let''s go out here and win." We came within one goal but I think that really showed something about our team and going forward, during this year's state title game, with five minutes left and a man down, no one thought we were going to win but we pushed through that adversity and now here we are. 

As far as the future goes, the recruiting process is a hard thing because you're making a choice for yourself for the rest of your life and more specifically the next four years. My dad through out this school, University of Vermont, as one to check out. It's a Division I program and the coaches came out to see me play at a tournament last year. The campus is just beautiful. It's right on Lake Champlain. It has the green Adirondack mountains of Vermont. My dad told me "you're going to want to make sure you like the school as much as you like the lacrosse program because what if you tear your ACL or something while playing? You're going to want a place that you want to live and go to school for those four years." 

My dad has given our team a tremendous amount of support and does so much for the program. He's kind of behind the scenes and doesn't get much credit but I see it and I give him credit. 

I'm going to be studyingmarketing and communications. I took a year-long course in it and I may change my major later but for now I'm going to try that out and see how things go. 

North Ridgeville's Demario McCall played in a 7-on-7 tournament with two future Ohio State Buckeyes at Nike's The Opening.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- North Ridgeville senior running back and Ohio State recruit Demario McCall was Northeast Ohio's lone representative at Nike's The Opening football camp in Beaverton, Ore.

But McCall showed well at the camp, including helping his 7-on-7 team Lunarbeast win the team championship at the camp on Friday.

His 7-on-7 team featured two other Ohio State commits in wide receiver Austin Mack and tight end Jake Hausman. Defensive end Jonathon Cooper from Columbus was the fourth Ohio State recruit at The Opening.

McCall said he and his fellow Ohio State recruits were trying to do some recruiting while at The Opening. The Buckeyes got a commitment at The Opening from Wayne Davis, a defensive back from Virginia.

"Those two, Jake and Austin, actually roomed together, and I was right next door to them," McCall said. "We had a good time bonding together."

In the 7-on-7 tournament, Lunarbeast was winless in pool play on Thursday before winning the tournament on Friday. McCall said two of the players that stood out to him most at The Opening were two of his 7-on-7 teammates: quarterback Shea Patterson, an Ole Miss recruit, and uncommitted wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland from Houston.

"(Cleveland) is an animal," McCall said. "(Patterson) is the type of quarterback I'd love to have on my team. He's got great vision. He knows what he's doing with the ball. He makes great decisions. He's definitely one of the reasons why we won the championship."

Among other things, McCall said the biggest things he picked up while at the camp were lessons on technique and leadership.

"The biggest thing was the technique they taught me," McCall said.

McCall felt his experience met the expectations he had and that he learned some key lessons on leadership that he will take back to North Ridgeville for his senior season.

McCall, the No. 58 prospect in the country according to 247Sports.com, committed to Ohio State on March 28. As a junior, he rushed for 2,302 yards and 47 touchdowns.

Read more about McCall on his cleveland.com player page.

Watch LeBron James' hilarious trip to Swensons with the stars of "Trainwreck."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Before they walked to the red carpet, LeBron James and the stars of "Trainwreck" drove to Swensons.

One of the nuggets to come from James' movie premiere in Akron Friday was that he escorted "Trainwreck" stars Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, and director Judd Apatow to the famous Akron drive-in burger shop.

The trip was for "Funny or Die" and "Uninterrupted," a Bleacher Report venture in which James has an undisclosed financial agreement.

Both "Funny or Die" and "Uninterrupted" posted the video to their websites Monday. James pitches his idea for a "Trainwreck" sequel in which Hader's character dies, thus making James' character the lead, and James -- not Apatow -- directs the film.

James and Schumer love the idea; Hader and Apatow, not so much. And it all takes place with James behind the wheel, over some burgers and shakes.

James has received high praise for his acting in "Trainwreck." He's still funny in this Swensons skit.

Maybe he has a future in acting, after all. "Trainwreck" has a New York premiere set for Tuesday and opens nationwide on Friday.

Just a ride #trainwreck

A photo posted by @amyschumer on Jul 10, 2015 at 6:32pm PDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime to claim their first Summer League victory.

LAS VEGAS - The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to steal an 94-87 overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday afternoon to end the Summer League exhibition portion 1-2.

Joe Harris scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth and overtime periods. It was a good showing for him to end the game, considering he entered the contest 4-of-20 from field.

General Manager David Griffin isn't too worried about Harris' shooting woes as he's here to work on his all-around game. He has shown that his ball-handling skills and decision-making has improved, so it hasn't been a complete disaster.

For the most part it has been a typical Summer League style of play with players trying to do too much to leave a good impression in front of league executives and coaches. The team's 17 turnovers validate that assessment.

Sir'Dominic Pointer, the team's No. 53rd pick, had his best outing by way of 13 points on 4-of-5 from the floor. Rakeem Christmas, their 36^th pick, provided eight points and 11 boards. All of his points came from the charity stripe.

D.J. Seeley supplied a team-high 14 points and former NBA player D.J. White put in 13 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.

Rashad Vaughn, Milwaukee's first-round selection, registered a game-high 18 points.

Teams will now be seeded according to their record for the single elimination tournament segment. Cleveland's next game will be on Wednesday with their opponent to be determined later.

Ohio State is up for three ESPY Awards.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Braxton Miller reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State just in time to earn a trip to California with his head coach and a couple teammates.

Miller will join Urban Meyer, Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and Joshua Perry as the Buckeyes' representatives at ESPN's ESPY Awards on Wednesday in Los Angeles. The ESPYs will air live at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ABC. Ohio State is up for three awards.

The Buckeyes are nominated for Team of the Year along with the UConn women's basketball team, the New England Patriots, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Blackhawks and the U.S. women's soccer team.

In addition, Meyer is up for Best Coach/Manager, and Jones is up for Breakthrough Athlete. Ohio State wrestler Logan Stieber, who won his fourth straight national championship this year, is up for Best Male College Athlete.

You can see a full list of nominees here.

It might be surprising to see Miller attending considering he didn't play during Ohio State's National Championship season, but maybe he's tagging along for his previous red carpet experience. (See the photo above).

Defensive end Joey Bosa, who stole the show a bit when the Buckeyes visited the White House in April, won't be making the trip.

Ohio State has won two ESPYs previously. Eddie George won Best College Football Player in 1996, and the Buckeyes won Best Game in 2003 for their National Championship win over Miami.

Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno and Highland's Mike Gibbons both say they feel OHSAA's decision to adopt recommendations from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Concussion Summit Task Force.

COLUMBUS, Ohio –In an effort to reduce the risk of concussions in football, the Ohio High School Athletic Association is joining dozens of states in adopting recommendations from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Concussion Summit Task Force. 

OHSAA’s Joint Advisory Committee on Sports Medicine approved the recommendations in June and presented them to OHSAA Commissioner Dan Ross and the OHSAA staff. The OHSAA Board of Directors unanimously approved the changes on Monday.

"We actually got word of this back in may in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association," said Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno. "It was something we were just waiting for them to officially adopt." 

Trivisonno supports the idea of making the sport as safe as possible and sees the new regulations as a sign of high school following suit with contact limitations already in place with the NCAA and NFL. 

"It is just a matter of high school getting on board with what is already being done at the upper levels," he said. "We're not going to have to change how we do things a whole lot (at Mentor). It's rare that we have guys tackling to the ground during practices."

Highland coach Mike Gibbons feels the amount of contact programs employ has declined significantly from the time he played until now. 

"We really never tackle to the ground during practice and haven't for the majority of my coaching career," he said. "When I played high school football, we tackled to the ground every day but that's not how most coaches do things anymore, as far as I know." 

The NFHS Concussion Summit Task Force has advised the OHSAA to review its current policy on total quarters permitted, which currently stands at 50 quarters total for the season for high school student-athletes and 32 quarters for 7th-8th grade student-athletes (or 28 quarters if only seven games are played). The Task Force also asks the OHSAA and all member schools to:

1.Continue to work with the football coaches association and all member schools to ensure that coaches have completed the NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching course, which is a requirement in Ohio.

2.Continue to place emphasis on proper fitting and care of helmets.

3.Continue to place emphasis on proper tackling and hitting techniques at all times, especially before full contact begins.

4.Know and follow the state law on concussion management protocol: http://www.ohsaa.org/medicine/Concussions/ConcussionRegulations.pdf

5.Develop and put into practice an Emergency Action Plan (will be distributed by the OHSAA in the fall 2015 as part of the “Anyone Can Save a Life” program).

6.Whenever possible, have a certified athletic trainer present at all football practices and contests.

7.Continue to place emphasis on hydration.

8.Continue to place emphasis on inclement weather regulations.

Some of the recommendations include guidelines already in effect in Ohio, including those requiring yearly physical fitness checks, no practices with contact or pads during the off-season and a mandatory five-day acclimatization period prior to any contact drills. Only helmets are permitted on the first and second days of practice. Shoulder pads may be added on days three and four, players can wear full pads on the fifth day and full contact is permitted on the sixth day.

Read the full report of recommendations and guidelines from the NFHS Concussion Summit Task Force: http://www.ohsaa.org/medicine/2014NFHSMinimizingHeadImpact.pdf

Reds third baseman Todd Frazier needed bonus time to beat Dodger rookie Joc Pederson in the final round of Monday night's Gillette Home Run Derby at Great American Ball Park.

CINCINNATI - Reds third baseman Todd Frazier won the Gillette Home Run Derby on Monday night, 15-14, over Dodger rookie Joc Pederson.

Frazier, working under new rules, hit the game-winner in bonus time much to the delight of the hometown crowd of 43,587 at Great American Ball Park.

Power is a big part of Frazier's game. He hit 25 homers and drove in 57 runs in the first half for the Reds.

"It was great," said Frazier. "I knew I had bonus time."

Frazier tied Pederson with 15 seconds left, but couldn't win it in regulation time.

"I ended up getting two to tie it," he said. "I knew it was basically over after that. I get 30 seconds (bonus time). I get five or six swings. I'm going to get at least one."

It was a family victory for the Fraziers because Todd's brother, Charles, was his pitcher.   

Frazier reached the finals by out-homering two-time derby winner and Texas first baseman Prince Fielder, 14-13, in the first round. Then he beat Toronto's Josh Donaldson, 10-9 in the semis.

Pederson advanced with a 13-12 victory over Baltimore's Manny Machado and a 12-11 victory over Albert Pujols of the Angels.

Frazier is the first Reds player win a Home Run Derby and just the second player to win it in front of his hometown crowd. Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg won it in 1990 at Wrigley Field.

Last year Frazier, 29, reached the finals, but lost to Yoenis Cespedes. 

The rules of the Derby were changed this year into a single-elimination tournament in which each player received five minutes to hit as many homers as possible. Bonus time was built into each round based on the length of homers.

Those rules were further adjusted Monday because of the threat of rain. The rounds were reduced to four minutes.

Once one contestant passed another, the round ended. In past derbies the batters would keep hitting until them made 10 outs. In those derbies an out was considered anything that wasn't a home run.

MLB's Advanced Media's Statcast tracked distances of the home runs.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs were eliminated in the first round. Pujols beat Bryant and Rizzo fell to Donaldson.

Former Tribe catcher Einar Diaz was Machado's pitcher. Diaz is on the Orioles coaching staff.

The seeding for the Derby was based on each a player's homer run totals in the first half.

 

No.1 pick Bradley Zimmer takes another step on the way to the big leagues

CINCINNATI - After the Futures Game on Sunday, Indians outfield prospect Bradley Zimmer said there was talk about him getting promoted. Well, talk turned into action Monday night when Zimmer was promoted s to Class AA Akron.

The Indians drafted Zimmer, 22, with their No.1 pick in 2014 out of the University of San Francisco. The left-handed hitting center fielder has played well at Class A Lynchburg this season and will now test the competition in the Eastern League.

Zimmer hit .305 (87-for-285) with 16 doubles, three triples and 10 homers in 77 games at Lynchburg. He scored 59 runs, stole 32 bases in 37 attempts and posted a .889 OPS.

"He does a lot of things well," said Ross Atkins, Indians vice president of player personnel.

The 6-4, 185-pound Zimmer feels like he can be a productive hitter.

"I feel like I'm a run producer," he said. "When guys are on base I want to push them across. My power is developing."

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers three-time Cy Young winner, says Indians right-hander Corey Kluber should be in the All-Star game.

CINCINNATI - The National and American League All-Stars met the media Monday afternoon in the same room, but at different times at the Westin Hotel. Corey Kluber wasn't invited to either session, but a lot of his friends were.

At least one of them, who knows something about pitching, said Kluber should be in Cincinnati with the rest of MLB's All-Stars for Tuesday night's game at Great America Ball Park.

"The way he's pitched, he probably deserves to be here. He's in the top 10 pitchers (in the game) for sure."

Clayton Kershaw, last year's NL Cy Young winner and MVP, was the man behind those words.   Kershaw, who has won thee Cy Youngs, didn't have the best first half either. He went 6-6 with a 2.85 ERA and originally didn't make the All-Star team.

When Max Scherzer started Sunday for Washington, thus making himself unavailable for Tuesday's game, Kershaw was added to the club.

Kluber won the Cy Young for the Indians in 2014. He ended the first half Sunday with a 2-0 loss to Oakland that dropped his record to 4-10.

"It makes me almost mad that people think he's not having a good year," said Kershaw. "Win-loss records, no matter how much you don't want them to mean something, they do and they get in the back of a pitcher's head.

"You want to have a good won-loss record even though it doesn't mean a whole lot. It feels good to have wins next to your name. I know it has to be frustrating for him."

Kluber is second in the AL with 133 1/3 innings pitched and 154 strikeouts. His 19 starts are tied for first. He's averaging 10.4 strikeouts and 1.9 walks per nine innings.

Last year at the break, Kluber was 9-6 with a 3.01 ERA in 20 starts. He threw 131 2/3 innings with 142 strikeouts and 32 walks.

"It's not him that's the problem," said Jason Kipnis, the Indians lone All-Star. "He's doing his job. He's competing every fifth day. He needs more run support."

The Indians are averaging fewer than 2.3 runs per game for Kluber when he's the pitcher of record. It's the lowest run support average in the big leagues. Sunday's loss marked the third time the Indians have been shut out this year in one of his starts.

"I don't think anything about it," said White Sox lefty Chris Sale when asked about Kluber being 4-10. "It's hard to put too much emphasis on a starting pitcher's won-loss record.

"I don't think anyone around here is batting an eye at him. When you're facing Kluber, you still have your hands full, for sure."

Kluber is 0-5 in the AL Central this year. Three of those losses have come against the first-place Kansas City Royals. They're hitting .317 (26-for-82) against Kluber despite his 21 strikeouts against them.

"The guy is nasty," said Lorenzo Cain, the Royals center fielder. "He's the real deal. Sometimes you just have a little bad luck every now and then. You might not hit your spot. It's the way the game work.

"Listen, he's one of my top three pitchers for sure. I've faced him a few times and his stuff is just filthy.

Royals' third baseman Mike Moustakas feels the same as his teammate about Kluber.

"One year you're the Cy Young winner and the next year you're 4-10," said Moustakas. "It's hard to explain.

"I know he's got the exact same stuff he had last year. He's still absolutely disgusting. He's still filthy and he's still the Cy Young winner. That's just how baseball works.

Kipnis said Kluber does everything he's supposed to do.

"He throws strikes, he doesn't walk people," said Kipnis. "He's poised on the mound and he has confidence in all his pitches."

What Kluber needs in the second half more than anything is a little help from his friends. Just a little would go a long way.

To get an outside perspective on the Cavaliers, NEOMG spoke to executives, coaches and players to get their take.

LAS VEGAS - During Summer League action you never know who you might run into as the majority of NBA personnel are in town for various reasons.

To get an outside perspective on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Northeast Ohio Media Group chatted with league executives, coaches and players to get their take on where the Cavaliers stand in the landscape of the NBA, their roster moves and pending free agents.

--

Steve Kerr, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors

Question: San Antonio and Cleveland have added to their depth. Does that change the dynamic of the league?

Answer: "Those teams were already title contenders so they've both gotten better. I don't know if anything has changed because the same things that were already there are still there, but probably better."

Q: What did you learn from defeating the Cavs to win the NBA Finals?

A: "You just do what you think is right. The best lesson that I've learned over the years from my coaches is don't worry what anybody says. Don't worry about what the fans or the media saying. You have to just trust your gut and go with what you and your staff think is right and trust your teammates and your players and see what happens. That's how we approached it."

Q: What do you think of the job David Blatt did this past season?

A: "I thought he was great. You think about what that team did with all the injures, with all the changes during the season with the personnel, to do what they did an get to the Finals and come close to wining it all under all those circumstances, he did a brilliant job."

Tom Penn, former Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Portland Trail Blazers and current ESPN NBA Analyst

Q: Is Tristan Thompson a max player?

A: "If these other 12 guys are max guys that have gotten it, then Tristan probably is a max guy. I think if he chooses to do the Greg Monroe route and accept the qualifying offer, he'll' get maxed next year assuming he's healthy. You know where we are Chris. We're in like this new golden era where there's a paradigm shift in terms of what everyone is worth. There's so much money and not enough talent to go around to fill it so the numbers are just going to get completely ratcheted up for everybody. It's crazy."

Q: Would you rank the Cavaliers above the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors going into next season?

A: "I think Cleveland clearly has an easier past through the East than whoever comes out of the West. It will continue to be a heavyweight fight over there. Every season is so different. Every season is totally different and LeBron has proven he can play with anybody, anytime, anywhere, any level of talent. So there's part of me that gets concerned with how the guys will all mix. But he's so gifted at making everybody happy. He's so special. So I'll still put those teams in the West ahead of Cleveland to win it if I was going to place a bet today"

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks' All-Star Power Forward

Q: With the Cavs still the cream of the crop in the East, how confident you are that the Hawks can take that next step?

A: "Yeah, we definitely feel like we can that next step. We feel like that time is now. We can continue to build off of last year. We lost DeMarre [Carroll], but we got a few key additions to our team. With the experience that we got, I think we can take that next step."

Q: Do you feel the Eastern Conference Finals outcome would have been different had Carroll and Kyle Korver not gotten injured?

A: "It would have, but at the end of the day, it' didn't happen for whatever reason. They swept us. So with them or not, who knows what would had happened. One thing I can say is that experience we got from that year, we learned a lot. We learned from ourselves, we learned a lot from watching other teams who were in that situation like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. Watching them and where they made it to, we're trying to get to where they're at."

Q: Bitter taste in your mouth from the sweep?

A: "Yeah, it did. The year before that, we were in the first round and lost a seven-game series against the Pacers. We felt like we learned from that and got better the next year and we're going to look to do that this year."

Jason Kidd, Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks

Q: What do you think of the Cavs' offseason?

A: "Well, they're still the team to beat in the East. Whenever you have LeBron James, you're going to have a chance. They continue to add to their roster and with good health, it's hard to imagine them not being there when it's all said and done. The organization has done a great job of adding pieces that compliments their core players. They're going to be really good and a tough match for us."

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers' All-Star Point Guard

Q: Are the Cavaliers still the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference?

A: "In the East? Yeah, I don't see who would be a better team. They competed against the Warriors last year without Kevin Love or Kyrie. I think they're definitely the team to beat."

Q: You're good friends with Kyrie. When you saw him go down in Game 1 of the Finals, what did you think of the Cavaliers' chances from there?

A: "I thought it would have been a better series with him out there, obviously. But as soon as he went down, I knew it was going to be a completely different series. [Matthew] Delly came in and he guarded Steph [Curry] real well for two games, but I knew that wasn't going to last. Him not having to guard Kyrie on the other end was going to play in his favor. Not to say he wouldn't have still turned it around, but I think it definitely would have changed the series."

Danny Ainge, President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics

Q: Are the Cavs still the team to beat in the East?

A: "As long as 23 is there, they will always be a contender. He's a great player. This league has always been about obtaining great players. It's the blueprint as long as I remember. However you can get them, and he's one of the best ever."

Nate Tibbetts, former Cavaliers Assistant Coach from 2011-2013 and current Portland Trail Blazers assistant

Q: How excited were you for what Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson accomplished this past season?

A: "I was so happy for Tristan and Ky because it's tough only winning 23 and 21 games. I know both of those guys want to be great players in this league and part of being a great player is playing at the highest level. They both want to do the right thing. Seeing the success that they had, I'm happy that they're getting some of the credit for successful a tremendous season."

Q: You used to work with both of them countless hours. Do you feel like you had an impact on the success they're having now?

A: "I don't know if I would take a lot of part, but I feel like I had a part in their growth. Both of those guys are a lot better players then when I had them, but I feel like watching film with them and out on the court they're always going to be my guys. I'm just happy for them because I spent some tough times with them. In your first, second year, third year in the league, that's really when you put in your work to establish how you're going to be the rest of your career and I feel like I had a part in that. I don't know if it was a big part, but hopefully I played a part."

Q: Did you ever think LeBron James would come back?

A: "Well, when I was there, I knew there was a lot of hope that he would come back. I didn't know LeBron. I got there a year after he left. I had bad timing when I got there and left. But man I'm happy for the city. It's a special fan base when they get it going. I know a lot of people were hoping he was coming back."

Miller didn't play a snap last season but is one of the four Buckeyes going to the ESPYs, where Ohio State is nominated for the best team award. Read how that decision was made, while understanding this is about 2015 as well. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Braxton Miller pulled up last in the parking lot at Ohio State on Tuesday, the Buckeyes waiting on the final member of their traveling party as that familiar quarterback pulled his bags from his car.

Four OSU players are headed to the ESPYs in Los Angeles, where the Buckeyes are nominated for the best team award.

Cardale Jones, up for his own individual award as breakthrough athlete, is going as the quarterback of the championship run.

Ezekiel Elliott, the running back who dominated those playoffs, is heading there as a team cog who happens to have an ESPN E60 feature airing on his life on Aug. 18.

Upcoming ESPN E60 feature "The Rise of Ezekiel Elijah Elliott" will give true meaning to this moment! Aired Aug 18th pic.twitter.com/lHGMeuAhrP

-- Ambassador Elliott (@stacy_elliott) July 8, 2015

Joshua Perry, the leading tackler from a year ago, is heading there as a smooth and mature senior, clearly the team spokesman for the coming year.

And Miller is going. He didn't play a snap for the 2014 Buckeyes. Though the players are attending because of a potential award for the 2014 team, the trip and those on it are about 2015 as well. And that means Miller.

* Braxton Miller: "My son is going to come here one day"

Maybe take his presence as just one of those things that happens when you can't fit all 85 scholarship guys in the audience.

"Who's to say there are certain guys that can represent the team?" Jones said after wishing the entire roster could be bound for L.A. "No one or two or three or four or five players can represent the team. Speak for the team maybe, but represent the Ohio State University football, I don't think it's possible."

Or take it as a small piece to consider for the looming quarterback competition with Miller, Jones and J.T. Barrett. Miller still carries himself as an alpha dog, and the Buckeyes are treating him as one. Certainly because he has earned it with the career he's had in Columbus. And maybe because you don't want to see how Miller would react if he wasn't invited.

"It's an honor," Miller said Friday as the Buckeyes packed up to head to the airport. "I respect the guys for bringing me out there with them, and we're going to have fun."

None of the players said they knew how they became the chosen four for the L.A. trip, but a team spokesman explained the process. He said Jones and Elliott were individually invited by ESPN and able to bring a guest. After discussing that with Urban Meyer, Perry and Miller were chosen as those two guests. This has been in the works. Athletic director Gene Smith indicated last Tuesday that Miller was expected to be part of the ESPYs group.

You probably couldn't have taken three quarterbacks among the four players on the trip, but you'll note that J.T. Barrett, the quarterback for most of the 2014 season, won't be there.

* UPDATE: Barrett not upset about not attending ESPYs

That's how it goes. And it's unfair and unproductive to try to read slights into the quarterback competition, when it's impossible to treat all three quarterbacks the same way at every moment. But some people may wonder, including the mother of OSU cornerback Eli Apple, who is part of the same recruiting class as Barrett.

Someone please tell me why JT isn't going. The kid balled out all year, breaking records, led this team. #NotCool https://t.co/ilW2nWeRA5

-- Annie Apple (@SurvivinAmerica) July 14, 2015

She tweeted about Barrett's absence eight times Monday and Tuesday.

JT Barrett is not only one of the best QBs to play at Ohio State (check the record books) but a great leader by example. He should be going

-- Annie Apple (@SurvivinAmerica) July 14, 2015

Praised for his leadership since he was a recruit, Barrett isn't the kind of player who would make any issue out of this. And he did just have his own trip, taking part in the Elite 11 Nike camp in Oregon last week as one of the counselors.

So this isn't about Barrett's absence as much as Miller's inclusion, when the Buckeyes have an entire team of stars. All-American defensive end Joey Bosa isn't going either.

"Joey doesn't care," said Perry, who said he was asked by Meyer if he wanted to make the trip."

Maybe none of them care all that much. Go, cool. If not, fine.

Or maybe take this as a final farewell to 2014 and a preview of what's ahead, with Miller back on board.

"He's a big part of our team and a big part of everything that we did last year," Perry said. "He was quiet but he was definitely a leader and he was always pushing for us and always wanting guys to get better. He was always there. So it's big that he's on this trip. Because I don't know if we would have, especially toward the end with the quarterback situation and everything, I don't know if we would have been successful without some of the expertise he had and what he lent to some other guys."

That's what everyone on the trip said. Miller should be there.

"Without Braxton Miller this team would not be where we are right now," Jones said. "The way that he plays, the way that he leads, the way that he commands an offense and a team. He's not the two-time Big Ten MVP for no reason.

"Even though we didn't get a chance to play with him last year, his leadership, his coaching ability was unbelievable last year on the sideline and on and of the football field."

"This team wouldn't be where we are without him and his leadership," Elliott said. "I think it's important that he's there."

This team. That might mean 2014. Or, more likely, it means the team getting ready for 2015.

Brecksville softball player Alexis Mack was named the player of the year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Brecksville softball player Alexis Mack experienced quite a career during her time at the school.

She finished her senior campaign by setting OHSAA records in season stolen bases (79), as well as career stolen bases (234), while being named the 2015 softball player of the year.

Check out a complete rundown of the 2015 cleveland.com Softball All-Stars, including pitcher of the year, first team honorees, coach of the year and honorable mentions. Also, see our post on Keystone’s Lauren Shaw, the pitcher of the Year.

Mack made her college decision early in her career, as she committed to South Carolina during her sophomore campaign.

Here Mack reflects on her season and career as told to the Northeast Ohio Media Group:

Being able to play for my dad for so many years is something that I will always remember. He is the biggest reason why I became involved with softball, and we have been able to create a lot of special memories throughout the years.

I feel like him being my coach, we have a unique relationship that a lot of daughters don’t have with their father, so I am grateful for all the help he has given me throughout the year.

Once I started playing softball, I instantly fell in love with the sport. It was so addicting and I always wanted to be doing things that would make me a better player.

As I started my high school career, I began to realize that I wanted to play in college, namely, the Southeastern Conference.

My sophomore year, I took a visit to South Carolina, and formed a great relationship with the coaches. I knew this is where I wanted to play college softball, so I made my commitment.

These past four years of playing softball for Brecksville have been some of the best times of my life. Being able to go out and play with my friends for my school, is something I will never forget. It is more than just than the success we had that I will cherish. The days of practices, riding the bus home with my teammates and the dugout cheers, those types of things have made my high school experience an absolute blast.

When people talk about the teams I were on during my team at Brecksville, I want them to remember the passion we played with every game. While we were not able to ultimately make the state tournament, I believe we helped set Brecksville softball for the future, and I believe they will be very competitive.

I am excited for what the future will bring for me. It is time for me to get started with a new team; the South Carolina Gamecocks. It was a goal and dream that I have had for a long time, but I am now an athlete in the SEC.

For everyone who helped me get to where I am, I want to say thank you. From my family, to my teammates, coaches and friends, you guys have played a huge role in me being where I am today. Your support has meant everything to me, and I look forward to showing you what I can do at the next point of my career.

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Keystone softball pitcher Lauren Shaw was named the cleveland.com pitcher of the year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Keystone softball pitcher Lauren Shaw is early in her career for the Wildcats, but she has shown in two seasons that she has a chance to be one of the best pitchers in the state in the future.

She finished her sophomore campaign by finishing with a record of 20-6, while posting a 1.12 ERA while striking out 146 batters. Her big season played a huge role in the Wildcats making it to the Division II state semifinals, where they fell to Hebron Lakewood.

Check out a complete rundown of the 2015 cleveland.com Softball All-Stars, including pitcher of the year, first team honorees, Coach of the Year and honorable mentions. Also, see our post on Brecksville's Alexis Mack, the Player of the Year.

Shaw made her college decision early in her career, as she committed to Iowa early in the summer.

Here Shaw reflects on her season and what else is in store as told to the Northeast Ohio Media Group:

From my freshman to sophomore seasons, I think the biggest improvement that I made was the mental aspect of softball. If something did not go how I wanted it to, I did a much better job of putting it behind me and moving on in the game. As a pitcher, the ability to move on and go after the next batter is huge, and it is something I will continue to improve on in my career.

Heading into this season, the potential was there for us to have a very good season. Early in the season, we played against some very good teams from Kentucky, and that is something that really stood out to me. I felt that I had pitched very well against some great teams, and it gave me a lot of confidence going forward throughout the rest of the season.

This summer I took a college visit to Iowa, and I instantly knew it was the place for me. I liked everything about the entire atmosphere. It is very similar to the family atmosphere here at Keystone. I really like the way Iowa coach Marla Looper and the other coaches ran the practices and how they interacted with the players.

Many people played a role in me getting a Division I school, and I am really thankful for them. From coach Jim Piazza and my pitching coaches Dave and Aimee Leffew, they helped prepare me every day to get better as a coach. My family has always supported me, and allowed me to be the best player I can be.

We had a great season, but there is still a lot that we as a program want to accomplish. Getting to the state tournament was an unbelievable experience, but we want to get back for more. We have so many talented players coming back, that we will be motivated heading into the season.

The first two years have been great learning experiences for me, but I am looking forward to building off what we have accomplished the past two years. The Keystone softball team has a great history, and we have a chance to continue it next year.

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A look at the cleveland.com softball all-stars, as well as the first team and coach of the year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2015 cleveland.com softball All-Stars is a group of players who all had stellar 2014-2015 seasons. The players have a wide variety from young players who showed their potential, to seniors who concluded their careers with great seasons.

The team includes player of the year Brecksville's Alexis Mack, as well as pitcher of the year, Lauren Shaw of Keystone.

For more on Shaw, check out her athlete of the year post.

For more on Mack, check out her athlete of the year post.

Here’s a closer look at the all-stars:

Player of the Year

Alexis Mack

Brecksville, Senior.

College: South Carolina.

Notable: Mack concluded her senior campaign by helping the Bees to a record of 26-4, while making it to the regional semifinals. She set the OHSAA single season record with 79 stolen bases, while also breaking the career record with 234. Mack reached base in 94-of-120 plate appearances.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Shaw

Keystone, Sophomore.

College: Iowa.

Notable: One of the younger players on this team, Shaw showed that Keystone is going to be a force for the next couple of seasons. In her sophomore campaign, Shaw went 20-6 with 146 strikeouts and a 1.12 era.

ALL-STARS

Elizabeth Ellis

Elyria, Junior

College: Undecided.

Notable: Ellis went 22-3 this year for the Pioneers, winning at least 20 games for a second consecutive season. However, she also made her presence felt from the plate, where she hit .418. A third consecutive big season could be in store for Ellis next year.

Macy Kiask

Barberton, Senior

College: Cleveland State

Notable: Kiask helped the Magics make a long run in Division I, making it all the way to the regional final before falling to Canton Glen Oak, 3-0. She showed some power as she hit five home runs, but it was her ability to dominate opponents, as she struck out 159 batters to go with a 14-7 record.

Ariel Linberger

St. Vincent-St. Mary, Junior.

College: Undecided.

Notable: While she isn't the biggest player in stature, Linberger has some big power as she finished the year with 11 home runs. She will return for her senior campaign on a St. Vincent-St. Mary team that has the makings of a contender in Division II.

Katie Lew

Westlake, Junior.

College: Undecided.

Notable: Westlake enjoyed the best season in school history, and Lew was a huge reason why. She was terrific in the pitcher's circle all year, winning 12 games as the Demons were within one game of making it to the state tournament. The Demons had many seniors on their team this past season, but with Lew returning, Westlake will have the type of pitcher that is capable of making another deep postseason run.

Madi McCrady

Walsh Jesuit, Sophomore.

College: Undecided.

Notable: McCrady has a chance to be the next star at Walsh Jesuit, as she has shown she can contribute both at the plate and in the pitcher's circle. With senior Taylor Rahach missing much of last season due to an injury, McCrady stepped in as the No. 1 pitcher and finished with a record of 18-2.

Lilli Piper

Walsh Jesuit, Senior.

College: Akron (basketball)

Notable: Piper capped off her senior campaign with another terrific season, helping the Warriors finish the year with only three losses. She did not see a lot of pitches as opposing pitchers were hesitant to pitch to her, but when she did, she was capable of hitting ball out of the park at any time.

Sammie Stefan

Keystone, Junior.

College: Undecided.

Notable: Another terrific sophomore for the Wildcats, Stefan was second on the team with a .517 batting with 11 doubles and eight home runs. Keystone has some great speed at the top of the lineup, and Stefan does a great job of driving them in as she also led the team with 45 runs batted in.

Coach of the year

Christy Zawadzki,

Cuyahoga Heights

Notable: Zawadzki and the Redskins capped off an impressive two-year run with a second consecutive appearance in the Division IV state softball tournament. The team won their first state title in school history in 2014, and still have some young talent coming back next year.

Honorable Mention

Kylie Bishop, Brookside

Summer Constable, Keystone

Kloee Cuckler, Barberton

Ashlee Dahman, Amherst

Dayna Denner, Cuyahoga Heights

Alexis Dill, Avon

Danielle Dill, Westlake

Anna Edwards, Avon

Morgan Fadel, Brecksville

Kelly Geringer, Brecksville

Lauren Goetz, Cuyahoga Heights

Lexie Handley, St. Vincent-St. Mary

Megan Hamker, Midview

April Howser, Elyria

Emily Iott, Beaumont

Lauren Landers, Midview

Addison Mease, North Ridgeville

Lainey McCue, Westlake

Kaylee Morton, Avon

Mackenzie Phares, Elyria

Andrea Scali, Parma

Tori Smart, Black River

Jenna Stegmaier, Cuyahoga Heights

Hannah Stroe, Nordonia

Kailey Minarchick, Columbia

Destiny Weber, Keystone

Alex Willis, Firelands

Brooke Zoltai, Valey Forge

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