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2015 MAC Football Media Day: Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher's State of the MAC transcript

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Transcript from MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrech on the "State of the MAC." Watch video

DETROIT, Michigan -- Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher spoke on several subjects in his 'State of the MAC' address during MAC Football Media Day.

Following is a transcript of his remarks.

2015 Football Media Day Address

July 30, 2015

Good morning and welcome to Ford Field as we anticipate the start of the 2015 season, marking the 69th season of Mid-American Conference football. That first season concluded with a Miami win over Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Day of 1948. We will gather again in Detroit on December 4th for the 19th Marathon Mid-American Conference football championship game.

I want to acknowledge a few of our special guests in attendance today:

  • Michael Kelly - chief operating officer of the College Football Playoff

Representatives from our bowl partners:

  • Jerry Silverstein - Go Daddy Bowl
  • Doug Mosley - Boca Raton Bowl
  • Johnny Williams - Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
  • Danielle Brazil - Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
  • Ali Rogers - Fiesta Bowl
  • Toshi Dezaki - Capital One Orange Bowl
  • Bruce Binkowski - San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
  • Pete Derzis - senior vice president with ESPN representing the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl and the entire family of ESPN Bowls

From our TV partners -

  • Kurt Dargis - Director of Programming & Acquisitions, College Football for ESPN
  • Dan Weinberg, senior vice president with CBS and CBS Sports Network
  • Bess Barnes - Vice President , CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network

I want to welcome the new head coaches in our league:

  • Lance Leipold at the University at Buffalo; and
  • John Bonemego at Central Michigan University. I trust you all join me in wishing John well as he battles cancer.

Let me also recognize Nathan Mortimer, the interim director of athletics at the University of Akron.

Also - I would like to recognize Bill Carollo who serves as our coordinator of football officiating. A couple of officiating items for your information. First - the Mid-American Conference will be moving to eight officials this season.

This move is being made upon the recommendation of our coordinator and I commend our institutions for making this investment.   For several years now, I have discussed with Bill the possibility of having female officials work in the consortium.

This year we have added several female officials to our roster of officials and they will work games this season - not because they are female, but because they have worked their way up through the officiating ranks and have mastered the rules and mechanics and are prepared for this next step in their officiating careers.

The officials who come through our program have greater training and evaluation opportunities than most - I would encourage you to talk with Bill about the time and effort that goes into being a football official - during the season and off-season.   For those who wish to look a little deeper, we will work to facilitate your efforts.

Finally, let me give a big thank you to our coaches and students who staffed yesterday's 5th Annual Mid-American Conference Youth Football Clinic at Ford Field.     In collaboration with the Detroit Police Athletic League, we had more than 525 youth learning about football and life yesterday afternoon on the turf of Ford Field. A special thank you to the Detroit Lions for making the facility available for the clinic.

While today is about looking to the future, namely the upcoming season and all that it might hold, let me first highlight just a few things from the previous year.   17 Mid-American Conference teams earned multi-year APR's (that stands for Academic Progress Rate) putting them in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports.

In terms of single year APR rates, the Mid-American Conference was 11th out of 32 conferences, and 4th among FBS conferences.   I might also point out the Mid-American Conference has the highest APR in men's basketball of all conferences, and was 4th among all FBS conferences in football.

The academic achievements of the students who participate in intercollegiate athletics in this conference are impressive. For instance, last spring, every single team at Toledo had a gpa of 3.0 or better. 10 academic All Americans including Akron men's soccer student Andy Bevins who was that sport's Academic All-American of the Year.

Two students earned NCAA postgraduate scholarships: NIU men's soccer student Dustin Page and Eastern Michigan women's volleyball student

Rachel Iaquannielle. I should also add that Dustin Page, who has been a member of NIU's and the Conference's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is a member of the NCAA's national SAAC and will serve as the chair of the group this year.   He will also serve on the NCAA Council.

Two weeks ago the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced its Top 25 academic honor roll for last year. The Mid-American Conference led the way with three teams in the top 25 - Bowling Green, Toledo, and NIU. Only one other FBS conference had a team make the honor role.

Finally, last spring, and most importantly, more than 700 Mid-American Conference students who participated in intercollegiate athletics earned their degrees.

If you have watched a football game in the Mid-American Conference - you know that we produce some of the most exciting football in the country. In fact, I could say that about a number of our sports. While some may view us as a modest or humble Midwest conference, we produce a disproportionate amount of greatness. Our institutions bring an "anytime anywhere" mentality.

Our students who participate in athletics and our coaches go on to achieve remarkable achievements. We make our own way. In fact - as many of you know - during the month of November, in football we have our own Gameday. We have Academic All-Americans, athletic All-Americans, students who are leaders in community service and social awareness, first round draft picks and national champions. With our growing exposure platforms anchored by ESPN, a new relationship with CBS Sports Network and other sub licensees our institutions and sports teams will have exposure like never before.   As a result, it's time to tell our story. About a year ago we partnered with the branding agency 160over90 to assist in crafting our message. This firm has clients ranging from Nike, Ferrari, Under Armour, UCLA, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Mid-American Conference represents hard work, dedication, humility, and passion, highlighted by a passion for a challenge.   I just love a quote by fomer NFL coaching great Marv Levy because it captures our attitude. "When its too hard for them, its just right for us!"

Beginning today and throughout the year we will roll out a messaging effort designed to highlight who we are and what we value, with all of our efforts supported by a new microsite - "Get Some MACtion.com."   Our aim is to define and illuminate the elements of MACtion that include excitement on the playing field, achievement in the classroom, and engagement in the community.   Please roll the video ...

It is fascinating, frustrating, and intriguing - all at the same time - to witness the considerable churn in and around intercollegiate athletics. And, there is no indication this state of dubiosity will subside anytime soon. First it was a period of time in which there was significant change among conference memberships. Next it was a another change in the NCAA's governance system and the many questions surrounding what that would entail. And now it is judicial review and rulings that will play a significant role in how intercollegiate athletics operates in the future. It brings to mind the lyrics of those great philosophers of the 60's and 70's and 80's, the Grateful Dead, when they sang, "Lately it occurs to me what a long strange trip it's been." Perhaps no other question is more prevalent than the issue of whether or not students who participate in intercollegiate athletics are in fact students first and foremost, or are they employees where the opportunity to obtain an education is simply a fringe benefit.   I believe, and the member institutions of the Mid-American Conference believe it is the former and as a result of that - it is what we should be focused on. Last year the Big Ten issued a white paper that raised the issue of freshman ineligibility in football and men's basketball as a means to put more emphasis in a student-first student-athlete model. This generated a great deal of conversation and rightly so for that was the purpose of this very provocative paper. Coincidentally, this very topic happened to be the subject of my research in completing my doctoral degree. Let's be clear - there is no empirical evidence that participating in intercollegiate athletics has a negative effect on the academic achievement of student who participate in athletics.  My research, and the research of others, found there was no relationship between playing as a freshman and academic achievement as measured by freshman grade point average and graduation.

The issue is not playing - its preparation - academic preparation. Are we recruiting and admitting students prepared to do the class work at the institution they attend? Based on the academic accolades I referenced earlier, I would suggest Mid-American Conference teams are doing a pretty fair job at this.

Initial eligibility rules came about in 1984 as the member institutions of the NCAA passed Proposition 48, also known as Bylaw 5-1-j. This rule mandated that for an incoming student-athlete to be eligible to practice and compete and receive financial aid the incoming freshman needed to have an accumulative minimum high school GPA of 2.0 in 11 core courses as well as a 700 on the SAT or 15 on the ACT. This was the beginning of initial eligibility standards that have continued to evolve as we have increased the high school core course requirements, gpa requirements, and implemented a sliding scale for test scores. Additionally, continuing eligibility requirements have been layered on top. The concept of holding schools and teams accountable for the educational outputs of its students via the APR is a fairly heavy and effective hammer. We can and will continue to argue about any of these pieces. The net result has been greater academic attainment and achievement by the students with higher retention rates and greater degree completion.

The rules governing time restrictions on athletics activities are well-intentioned, yet contain a myriad of loopholes and exceptions.   Students participating in intercollegiate athletics are putting in a lot of time in on their sport.   Sometimes it is through mandatory activities, sometimes it is voluntary, and sometimes it is somewhere in-between. In any case it all adds up. We are at a point where we need to throw out the existing rules and start over.   Whether this means developing sport specific rules or something broader is probably the initial discussion point.   I do not believe the public will accept no oversight of this area.   We need to come up with reasonable and explainable regulations that provide a balance between the academic and athletic demands on a student. Additionally, we should look not only at in-season activity but at out-of-season activity.   .

And this leads me to the issue of transfers. This is another area where we need to step back, take a deep breath, and give this matter a fresh look. I am a firm believer that there should be a year of residency if one transfers, particularly in head-count sports such as football and basketball. I also believe that if a student-athlete wants to transfer he or she should not be required to seek permission or a waiver from their current institution so they would be eligible to transfer and get financial aid elsewhere.  

An issue that has bubbled up in the past several year's concerns so-called graduate transfers - students who have graduated yet have remaining eligibility and seek to transfer so they can ostensibly enter a graduate program not offered at their prio institution. This well-intentioned waiver is being exploited in ways never contemplated when this legislation was approved. However, I think it would be difficult to now impose a one-year residency requirement for graduate transfers. But I do believe there are things that should be done to give greater oversight to this area. First, graduate transfers should be accounted for within an institution's APR and the institution should be held accountable for the continuing retention and eligibility of a graduate transfer. Additionally, the institution taking a graduate transfer should be required to commit financial aid for two years, whether the student remains on the team that long or not.   If the transfer is in fact for academic reasons, the institution should be required to commit the resources for two years, which is the typical length of time to obtain a graduate degree.

All of these issues, initial and continuing eligibility, retention and graduation, transfers, time demands - these are all inter-related. The time has come for us - as a Conference and as an Association - to take a comprehensive look at the current collegiate experience and consider a new paradigm. For instance, in certain sports, especially in football and basketball, it takes more than four years to graduate and that includes attending summer school. Perhaps, we should consider a new model that reduces the minimum academic load during the regular academic year, especially in light of the concerns over balancing academic and athletic time demands.   Students could pick up additional hours in the summer - but perhaps only during one term. During the additional summer term the student should have the opportunity to do something else - be it an internship, a job, or simply have some free time for them self. As part of this I would take a long look at moving toward five years of eligibility with no waivers except for injury.

Is this a perfect solution? Probably not - there isn't one. But the time has come to develop a new paradigm, one that is not constrained by past models or regulations and one that is based on the 21st century student who participates in intercollegiate athletics. Former business and automotive great Lee Iacocca, when faced with challenges and an uncertain future said, "So what do we do? Anything! Something! So long as we just don't sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all uncertainties, it may be too late."

Coming out of our spring meetings I appointed a working group that includes administrators, faculty athletics representatives, and students participating intercollegiate athletics to ponder this matter I expect our working group to develop concepts for review by our various governance groups and ultimately, passing along concepts for consideration by the NCAA's governance groups.

An area of pride among our membership and this Conference is in the area of student-athlete wellbeing. Among the issues we have been focused on is mental health. There has been great attention paid to the health of students participating in athletics - most prominently of late on the subject of concussion prevention and management. However, there has been scant attention paid to the issue of mental health. Let me share just a few statistics: one in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are dealing with some form of mental illness. One third of students entering college are coming in with a prior diagnosed mental health condition. 85% of certified athletics trainers believe anxiety disorders are an issue with student who participate in athletics on their campus. Two years ago, at the urging of our Faculty Athletics Representatives and Student Athlete Advisory Committee I appointed a Mental Health Task Force that spent more than 18 months exploring this issue - researching and reviewing the mental health concerns of our students and examining the support resources available. This past spring this Task Force brought forth a series of recommendations that were endorsed by the Mid-American Conference Joint Council. Included in this were a series of best practices and minimum standards for addressing the mental health needs of our students participating in athletics that will be implemented by our institutions. There is a strong focus on education and awareness - for students, coaches and administrators to better understand mental health issues. We must and we will remove the stigma associated with this topic, as well as provide safe havens for students to seek and receive assistance and appropriate treatment. We need to emphasize to all, that it is ok to not be ok. Later this academic year, the Student Athlete Advisory Committees at each Mid-American Conference member institution will hold their second annual Mental Health Awareness Week. During the inaugural event last spring, Central Michigan University's SAAC was highlighted on Buzzfeed for its awareness initiative.   Additionally, upon the recommendation of our task force the Conference is creating a Student-Athlete Well Being Committee to focus on the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of the students who participate in athletics and our Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is creating a Mental Health Committee.   And, I am pleased to announce that on February 16, 2016 - we will collaborate with the NCAA to host the Mid-American Conference and NCAA Sport Sciences Institute Mental Health Summit, to be held in Cleveland.   This first of a kind event will focus on the very import topic of the mental health of our students. The Mid-American Conference is committed to the physical and mental wellbeing of its students who participate in intercollegiate athletics and will continue to work to better the student's experiences in every way.

Another area in which the Conference is focused is in the area of diversity in hiring. If one reviews the national statistics for the past decade, it is evident that the number of ethnic minorities hired for head coaching positions in football and basketball has remained proportionally low, and relatively flat. The number of women being hired into head coaching positions is decreasing. The time has come for not only our Conference, but for this association to do more than simply acknowledge these numbers.  The time has come to study and find out why this is occurring and take steps to alter these trends... Earlier this summer I appointed a task force to consider this issue. I do not know what the conclusions of the task force will be - but I do know that we will work hard to examine this issue and seek answers to improving the diversity of our coaches and administrators. This is an area where we believe we need to "Take MACtion" and lead a national effort. We can do more.

There is a lot on our plate, but in so many ways it is an incredibly exciting time to be involved in intercollegiate athletics and higher education. The English novelist Margaret Drabble said, "When nothing is sure, everything is possible." Our membership is seeking to use this dynamic time as an opportunity to make positive changes for the betterment of our institutions and more importantly for the betterment of the students. Former Miami University director of athletics Dick Shrider has a wonderful quote that truly captures what we are about - "Four years in college are very important, but the next forty are the ones we are more concerned with." Our coaches, our faculty, our administrators are about preparing young men and women for the rest of their lives - through the classroom, on the playing field, in the dorm, in the locker room. It's what we do and who we are.

And now, its time to go play some football ... The expectations of our membership and this Conference have not changed. We expect to win non-conference games, we expect to win bowl games and we expect to challenge for the College Football Host Bowl slot.

I'll be glad to entertain a few questions.


Brian Hartline on Terrelle Pryor becoming a WR overnight: 'It's a pretty tall task'

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Brian Hartline, Donte Whitner and Josh McCown all acknowledge that Terrelle Pryor has long road ahead to become a successful NFL wide receiver. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio --- Terrelle Pryor's new Browns teammates cautioned Wednesday on the eve of training camp that making the switch from quarterback to receiver in a matter of weeks will be a monumental feat.

Hartline, who played for a year with Pryor at Ohio State, called it a "tall task.'' Safety Donte Whitner, another former Buckeye, vowed "we're not going to make it easy on him.'' And quarterback Josh McCown, who spent three days throwing to Pryor last week in North Carolina, acknowledged "it'd be hard'' to make the switch at 26.

"Well I've been playing (receiver) since I was probably 16, just like the majority of the guys that are in the NFL, so he's got to make up years of learning and work in a couple weeks,'' said Hartline after veterans reported to training camp Wednesday. "So (it's a) pretty tall task.''

But Hartline, who signed with the Browns as a free agent from Miami this offseason, won't put it past him.

"I'm sure he's not where he wants to be,'' Hartline said. "I'm sure he wants to see more playing time. You'd probably be better off asking him, but I'd say he wants to contribute, he wants to be a part of the process and he'll probably be successful.''

Hartline predicted that Pryor (6-4, 233) will be able to take a pounding.

"For me, it's just what I've been doing for 10, 15, 20 years, so it's probably more of a natural thing,'' said Hartline. "I don't know if he has any doubts about it. I highly doubt it, but it's part of playing the position, no different than getting blindsided by a d-end. He doesn't take a drop worrying about that. If he did, it wouldn't help him in any way. It's the same approach when it comes to being a receiver.''

As of Wednesday afternoon, when veterans were still filing in, Hartline still hadn't had a chance to catch up with his former teammate.

"But I'm glad to have another (Buckeye) on board,'' he said.

Whitner, who left Ohio State before Pryor went 31-4 as the starting quarterback there from 2008-10, promised to prepare him well for the rigors of the NFL.

"It's going to be very challenging for him, because this isn't Little League football, this isn't high school and this isn't even college,'' said Whitner. "This is the top of our profession. You have defensive backs out there, especially the guys that we're going to put out here on the football field, we're not going to make it easy for him. So if you're going to go out here and you're going to make plays, you're going to have to do it on some of the best guys that we feel are in the National Football League.''

Still, Whitner and the other defensive backs have vowed to help him in any way they can.

"There's still a little weak spot for him because he played at Ohio State,'' Whitner said. "So anything I can do to help him, I'm pretty sure Joe (Haden) will do the same thing. We'll help him because it's still a fraternity here. We understand that he was a quarterback but he does have all the skillset to go out and make the plays that we need him to make.

"Probably in the red zone also. Coming out of high school he was a dual-threat, played all types of positions, so it's just going to be exciting to see what he can do. We're not going to make it easy on him, not one bit, so if you see him make a play out here, he earned it. So just looking forward to seeing what he can do and we'll go from there.''

McCown, who threw more than 80 passes to Pryor over the span of three days at the Randy Moss Academy last week in Charlotte. N.C., where McCown lives, was encouraged by what he saw.

"Obviously the skillset is there,'' said McCown, who will likely start the opener. "He's a big ol' tall athlete and guy that can run and all of those things, so he's gotten to make the transition. But because of his athleticism, he catches the ball well, and so it was just a little snapshot that we were able to (do) fortunately just because of where Randy Moss lives and where I live. It worked out and so we were able to get together for a few days.

"Obviously he has a lot to learn, but I think more than anything, what I noticed is the fact that he was there is just his want-to and his work ethic and he was working extremely hard, he had his nose in the playbook, and the familiarity with Flip will obviously help too, so anytime we can add people to hopefully help us get to our goal, it's a good thing. We're glad to have him.''

Like the others, McCown admitted it would be extremely difficult to switch from quarterback to receiver at the age of 26 -- and after five seasons as an NFL quarterback.

"It'd be hard,'' said McCown. "In '06 I believe when I was in Detroit, I played receiver for like a game or so, so I've been there kind of midseason and done it, but I had every expectation of going back to quarterback. It was more in an emergency. So for him to make this kind of change, I think that would be tough if you played one position your whole life. If at the end of the day he sits down and goes 'okay, the opportunities aren't there at quarterback, what else can I do?' and he's willing to make that change and he has, that tells me he loves the game and he wants to play.''

McCown acknowledged that Pryor's a work in progress, but that he has tremendous upside potential. In addition to working with McCown, he's being mentored by Moss and Steelers' star receiver Antonio Brown.

"I thought he caught the ball well,'' McCown said. "The routes are something that's going to be fine-tuning for him throughout this whole process because he's just not been doing it. But the things he has that you can't coach are just the height, weight, speed. He's 6-5-plus (the Browns have him listed at 6-4, 233) and he runs in the low 4.4s, or 4.3s. I don't know what he runs, but I know he's really, really fast -- a long-strider that was chewing up ground when we were throwing. So he has that going for him and you hope that with those things that you can't coach, maybe we can coach him up on the other things. I know he'll jump right in with the group and compete and work hard and see what happens.

How much would McCown like to have such a big target in the red zone?

"For me, leaving the spring we felt great about the group we have and we still do, and whoever gets added or emerges in camp, as long as they help us win football games that's all we care about, so that's my focus too,'' he said.

Video: Mike Pettine on Cleveland Browns Training Camp

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Watch as Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine talks about their 2015 training camp. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- On the day before the Cleveland Browns 2015 Training Camp begins, head coach Mike Pettine met with the media to share his thoughts about how they will approach camp and what he thinks will be key position battles to watch.

"Words into action" will be the theme of camp, Pettine said.

The Browns got over 90 percent of new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo's offense installed in the spring.  Installing short yardage, goal line and some situational plays require full pads, which will be worn for the first time Saturday.

Key position battles according to Pettine will be:

  • First round draft pick Cameron Erving and the five established starters on the offensive line.
  • Running backs Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell and rookie Duke Johnson.
  • Who emerges from the wide receiver's room.
  • Will Travis Coons or Carey Spear win the kicking job.

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Donte Whitner believes Browns are playoff contenders: 'We expect to win a lot of football games'

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Donte Whitner believes the Browns are legitimate playoff contenders this season -- despite the fact no one else seems to think so. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- On the even of Browns training camp, safety Donte Whitner stressed the Browns believe they're legitimate playoff contenders this season despite widespread predictions that they'll finish fourth in the division.

"Yes. Yes we do,'' Whitner said Wednesday as the veterans reported to camp. "We showed it last year. We didn't show the maturity, we didn't show the ability to close football games, and that's what really hurt us. We didn't show the ability to think when things get tough, and it's one guy being out of his spot, making a simple mistake that turns into a huge mistake. We're another year mature, and having a lot of veterans back on this football team, it's up to us to get it done.''

Although coach Mike Pettine plans to use the national snubs as motivation, Whitner doesn't believe it's necessary.

"I don't think we have to use it,'' he said. "If you really look at it, I don't think we've earned anybody's respect yet, so we don't expect them to give us anything. It's going to be earned. We have a bunch of guys that are willing to put that work in, so that's what we're going to do. We're just going to work, work, work tirelessly, and we're going to let the chips fall where they may.''

Whitner contends that the Browns' 7-4 record last season -- before their five-game skid to end the season -- was evidence they can beat anyone.

"Just seeing how much improvement we made from last year in OTAs and minicamp to going into this year, understanding a bunch of different concepts that we didn't understand last year, the guys that we have returning, the guys that we've added to this football team to help get us over the hump,'' Whitner said. "I know they're talking about 'Offense this. Offense that,' but we feel like we have an offense right now that complements our defense and understands that this football team is going to win with defense.

"Sometimes, you need an offense that's going to help you out. Sometimes, you need an offense that's going to give you a break, give you a breather and not throw a pass on third down and get the defense right back out there on the football field. We understand that, and it's going to be built with defense. We're going to stop the run, and we're going to play really well in the secondary, so with that being said, we expect to go out here and win a lot of football games.''

Whitner pointed to the Browns splitting games with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and a narrow loss to the Ravens in the first meeting as a sign that they're a force to be reckoned with in the AFC North.  Overall, the Browns finished 2-4 in the division, losing both games to Baltimore.

"We were leading Baltimore going into both fourth quarters, up there and here, so we don't think it's that big of a distance between first and fourth place in this division,'' he said. "The teams are built similarly. Everybody has a pretty good defense, so it's going to be the team that really wants the division that's going to go out there and take it.''

Whitner cited numerous reasons the Browns can get over the hump this season and snap the 12-year playoff drought.

"We have a bunch of grown men now, and there's no excuses to why we can't go out there and get it done,'' said Whinter. "The talent is here. The knowledge is here. The scheme is here. The staff is here, and there's no real big reason why we can't go out there and get it done. If we don't get it done, that means we didn't put the work in, and that's not going to happen.''

Coach Mike Pettine agreed with the Pro Bowl safety, who returned home to Cleveland to help return the team to glory.

"Like any other team, we're confident that if things fall right we can be right there in the discussion at the end,'' said Pettine. "When we were sitting at 7-4 and had battled to get to that point - unfortunately things didn't finish the way that we wanted - but there's no reason to think that we can't be in that conversation at the end of the year this year."

He re-iterated that the he'll used the fourth-place predictions as bulletin-board material.

"Nobody wants to be disrespected,'' he said. "It's a prideful group and I just see it as a motivating thing. We had two wins over division opponents last year by 21 points, and we just feel that our best path to get to where we want to be is through the division. We played well enough at times to be in that conversation and other times we didn't. I think so much of the NFL is every team is capable but who can do it consistently and who can do it the longest. I think that's where we have to take that next step this year."

Pettine said last year's division performance has him confident the Browns can keep pace. When they beat Cincinnati Nov. 6, they were all alone in first place in the AFC North at 6-3. Two weeks later, they were still only half a game out and tied for second at 7-4.

"It's not like we feel like we're staring up a mountain at the division,'' he said. "To me, it's the exact opposite. We're very much looking forward to when those games are played. Like I said, if you want to get your ultimate goal, that's the most direct route to it. We spend a lot of our focus as a coaching staff on the division opponents this offseason, and our players will certainly know the level of importance that each of those games holds."

Problem is, the Browns will have to wait until late in the season to find out how they really stack up: five of their last eight games are against division opponents.

Four-star Texas OT Jean Delance announces final five, Ohio State makes the cut: Ohio State football recruiting

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Rated the No. 12 offensive tackle prospect in the 2016 recruiting class in 247Sports' composite rankings, Delance released his top five on Wednesday evening and it included the Buckeyes, Texas A&M, Texas, Alabama and Michigan.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Everything is bigger in Texas. 

There's no better way to prove it than looking at four-star offensive line prospect Jean Delance of North Mesquite, Texas. Sure, his 6-foot-5, 281-pound frame is a good example, but his recruitment is an even better one. 

Delance has racked up more than 25 scholarship offers on his way to becoming one of the most heavily-recruited prospects in the country. And Ohio State is going to be alive until the end.

Rated the No. 12 offensive tackle prospect in the 2016 recruiting class in 247Sports' composite rankings, Delance released his top five on Wednesday evening and it included the Buckeyes, Texas A&M, Texas, Alabama and Michigan.

"To all the fans and coaches who are interested in my recruiting process, I've finally came to a decision of a top five," Delance wrote on his public Twitter account. "I want to say thank you to every school that has extended me a scholarship.

"If your school is not named, there's no negativity, this is what's best for me and my family. Can't express how blessed I am." 

Ohio State hasn't been shy about plucking top prospects out of Texas, but that's always more complicated when the Buckeyes are going up against in-state powers like the Longhorns and Texas A&M. 

According to 247Sports' "Crystal Ball" -- a tool that polls recruiting analysts to predict a prospect's college destination -- Texas A&M is the favorite, earning 67 percent of the 15 votes. 

 

Browns' CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu expected to sit out 2015 with serious knee injury

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The Browns hope that former Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu can come back from his serious knee injury and be a starter for them someday. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Mike Pettine revealed Wednesday that rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu will likely sit out the 2015 season while he continues to recover from a serious knee injury while in college.

Ekpre-Olomu (5-9, 192) suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and dislocated knee during a practice in December for Oregon's clash with Florida State in the national championship semifinal and underwent surgery soon thereafter. Before the injury, the first-team All-American was a potential first round pick.

"I definitely feel like I was,'' he said in May, shortly after the Browns drafted him in the seventh-round. "I feel like I'm one of the best defensive backs in this class.  Especially playing this position, you have to believe that you're the best out there.''

Pettine said the Browns knew that this would likely be a redshirt year for the talented cornerback.

"Players that have had this injury before, it's rare that you would return that season,'' he said. "Given our depth, we're very comfortable with him sitting out. That's just one that we felt it was a low-risk, high-reward move when we took him in the seventh round. There's no reason to rush it back given the depth in that room now anyway."

The Browns have several young cornerbacks vying for playing time, including Justin Gilbert, K'Waun Williams and Pierre Desir.

Randall Telfer too: Pettine said sixth-round tight end Randall Telfer will also sit out training camp and be re-evaluated at midseason. Telfer, out of Southern California, underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc fracture -- or midfoot injury. He suffered it during USC's 45-42 victory over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl Dec. 27.

Because such injuries are often hard to diagnose, Telfer didn't undergo surgery until late February. Typically, a player can return to the field in about four to six months, but some doctors advise eight.

"He was one of our top-rated tight ends,'' Pettine said after the draft. "We were fortunate to be able to get him when we did. We all know that the injury's well-documented, but there is a chance that he'll be able to help us late in the year.''

Actions speak louder than words: Pettine said his theme for this season is "words into action."

"A lot of stuff gets put out there and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves when we talk about it, but the theme this year is to have that continue on to the field,'' he said. "We have a lot of work to do and we have a plan for how we're going to implement it and for how can hit our peak when we go down in September to play the Jets.''

Closed conditioning test: Pettine closed the conditioning test to the media this year. Last season, if a player huffed and puffed through the sprints, it was public knowledge within moments. "We discussed it organizationally, the benefits and the negatives to it, and it was just something we decided this year not to do,'' he said. The test, a series of sprints of 40, 50 or 60 yards depending on position, was run in the sweltering 90 degree heat Wednesday.

Players on a pitch count: Several players coming off injuries will ease into practice or be on a pitch count. They include Armonty Bryant (ACL), Phil Taylor (knee) and Alex Mack (broken fibula).

"The opener is a long way away,'' said Pettine. "That's why we're not in any rush to jump out here and start giving those guys full workloads. Also, as we've always done, just looking at some of the veteran players and being smart with them, that comes in two forms whether we give them a complete day off, as we've done with Joe Thomas, or if it's monitoring them and saying, 'Hey, listen go get ramped up and give full speed reps early in practice, and then we'll shut you down.' There will be guys that will fall in both categories."

On the first female NFL assistant: Pettine said he'd be open to hiring a female assistant, the way Cardinals coach Bruce Arians did this week when he made Jen Welter a coaching intern for the summer. "It's about qualifications, and I know Jen is perfectly qualified,'' said Pettine. "I'm friends with Bruce. I think it's great that he did it. He's certainly one that's never shied away from out-of-the-box thinking. I'm curious to see how that plays out."

On Patriots QB Tom Brady's four-game suspension: Pettine didn't care to delve too deeply into Brady's ban being upheld. "I think we all have our opinions on it. I'm not in the know on all of the details,'' he said. "I have a lot of respect for that organization, especially (Patriots Head) Coach (Bill) Belichick, having gone against him so many times and certainly, a ton of respect for Tom. I don't have all of the facts.''

Bowie Baysox complete 3-game sweep of Akron RubberDucks

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The RubberDucks again had trouble getting hits, finishing with seven for the game.

David Freitas gave the Baysox the go-ahead run with an RBI double in the top of the ninth as Bowie completed a three-game sweep of the RubberDucks with a 2-1 victory Wednesday at Canal Park in Akron.

The RubberDucks again had trouble getting hits, finishing with seven for the game. Shortstop Ronny Rodriguez had two of the hits, giving the RubberDucks their only run with a solo homer in the seventh inning to tie the game, 1-1.

Second baseman Todd Hankins was 2-for-3 for Akron.

Akron left-hander Ryan Merritt had a solid start in a no-decision, giving up just one run on just five hits in seven innings. He struck out eight. Reliever Casey Weathers (0-2, 3.00 ERA) took the loss, giving up one run in two innings.

Bowie starter Terry Doyle gave up one run on six hits in seven innings. Reliever Jason Garcia (1-2, 2.84) pitched a hitless, scoreless inning.

Cleveland Indians, Oakland A's series preview, pitching matchups

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The Indians start a seven-game West Coast trip after ending a six-game losing streak with a 12-1 victory over the Royals on Wednesday.

Where: O.co Coliseum.

Who: Indians vs. Athletics, Thursday through Sunday.

TV/Radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the series.

Pitching matchups: RHP Carlos Carrasco (10-6, 4.26) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (0-3, 2. 94) Thursday at 10:05 p.m.; RHP Danny Salazar (8-6, 3.72) vs. RHP Kendall Graveman (6-7, 4.13) Friday at 9:35 p.m., RHP Cody Anderson (2-2, 3.26) vs. RHP Aaron Brooks (0-0, 6.23) Saturday at 9:05 p.m. and RHP Trevor Bauer (8-8, 4.13) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (11-4, 2.16) Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

Season Series: The A' lead the Indians, 2-1. The A's lead overall, 266-230.

Thursday: Carrasco is coming off a four-inning loss to Chicago in his last start. He has a seven-inning no decision against the A's this year. Oakland's Billy Butler is hitting .364 (8-for-22) with two homers and four RBI against him.

Bassitt has a no-decision against the Tribe this year. Roberto Perez is hitting .667 (2-for-3) against him.

Friday: Salazar is 1-0 against the A's this year with a 0.69 ERA. Butler is hitting .500 (7-for-14) against him with four RBI.

Graveman is 0-1 against the Tribe this year. Francisco Lindor is hitting .667 (2-for-3) against him.

Saturday: Anderson, who has never faced Oakland, is 0-2 since the All-Star break. He's allowed 11 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings

Brooks, just acquired from Kansas City, has never faced the Indians.

Sunday: Bauer is coming of a 2-1 complete-game loss to the Royals on Tuesday. He's 1-0 lifetime against the A's. Butler is hitting .375 (3-for-8) with three RBI against him.

Gray is 1-0 against the Tribe, throwing a two-hit shutout on July 12. Michael Brantley is hitting .333 (3-for-9) against him.

Overall: The Indians are coming off a 1-6 homestand against the Chicago and Kansas City. They lost two out of three against Oakland just before the All-Star break in which they hit .191 as a team.

Injuries: Indians -- LHP Nick Hagadone (left elbow, back), DH Nick Swisher (knees), RHP Gavin Floyd (right elbow) and RHP Josh Tomlin (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Athletics: CF Coco Crisp (neck), LHP Sean Doolittle (left shoulder), RHP Jesse Hahn (right forearm), 2B Tyler Ladendorf (left ankle), RHP Jarrod Parker (right elbow), RHP Taylor Thompson (right shoulder) and switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (right shoulder) are on the disabled list.

Next: The Indians open a three game series Monday night against the Angels at Angel Stadium.


Big Ten football media days: Unbalanced Big Ten could use some Legends and Leaders

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Remember when Michigan and Michigan State were in the opposite division from Ohio State?

CHICAGO -- So vague and confusing and highfalutin ... ooooh, just the mention of those names gets you shaking your head again.

Legends and Leaders. Only two years after the Big Ten ditched those division names in April 2013 and realigned, can you remember which side Ohio State called home? Leaders, right? (Wow, got that one.)

That name change was the right move. So was going to nine conference games, which was announced at the same time and will take effect in 2016. But after writing then that the league "scrapped the clunky names and supposed competitive balance of the Leaders and Legends divisions for simple, logical geography," it might be time to pine for that supposed competitive balance.

Because in hindsight, it was real. Going the practical route with East-West has created an imbalance in the league that might only get worse in years to come. The league moved to the East Coast with Maryland and Rutgers to draw in some fans and expand its recruiting base, aware that the Midwest was losing some of its power.

In that world, as the Big Ten gathers in Chicago for league media days on Thursday and Friday, will the Big Ten West be able to keep up with the Big Ten East?

Nebraska and Wisconsin just changed coaches and Iowa, Illinois and Purdue have real coaching questions. Maybe the West program with the most recent juice, Minnesota, ranks 41st in the recruiting ratings for the Class of 2016. Four East teams, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State, ranks in the top 11 for 2016 recruiting according to the 247sports.com.

Among our cleveland.com top 50 Big Ten players for 2015, an admittedly imperfect list, the highest-ranked player for the West was Nebraska defensive Maliek Collins at No. 17. Every player above that hails from the East. Overall, the final count was 34 East and 16 West in the top 50 players.

* Top 50 Big Ten players, Nos. 10 through 1

Ohio State's dominance in current talent and recruiting rankings (No. 1 in the nation for the 2016 and 2017 classes) would throw off the balance regardless, the Buckeyes giving any division a huge edge. But in the old world, putting Michigan State (clearly the league's second-best team) and Michigan (the program most likely prepped to make a leap) in the opposite division would have evened things out.

Look at the projected standings from our cleveland.com preseason Big Ten poll, with points totals.

EAST

1. Ohio State 280 

2. Michigan State 240

3. Penn State 186.5

4. Michigan 163.5

5. Maryland 95.5

6. Rutgers 78

7. Indiana 76.5

WEST

1. Wisconsin 272 (32)

2. Nebraska 231.5 (5)

3. Minnesota 197 (3)

4. Iowa 158.5

5. Northwestern 125

6. Illinois 77

7. Purdue 59

Now imagine projected standings if the teams still were divided the old way, with Maryland and Rutgers just split up and dropped in.

OLD LEGENDS

1. Michigan State

2. Nebraska

3. Minnesota

4. Michigan

5. Iowa 

6. Northwestern

7. Maryland

OLD LEADERS

1. Ohio State

2. Wisconsin

3. Penn State

4. Rutgers

5. Indiana

6. Illinois

7. Purdue

Interesting.

The East-West move solved the problem of playing Ohio State-Michigan the last week of the season and then maybe again in a title game. And no one knew Michigan State would grow into the consistent 10-win team it has become. But Penn State and Michigan getting back on their feet isn't a shock. That's a foursome that the West may never match.

Last year, the 14 cross-division games were split 7-7. But you might remember that 59-0 Ohio State win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. It's up to the Badgers to carry the West for now, while Penn State and Michigan position gather talent and position themselves to challenge the Buckeyes and Spartans, a combined 31-1 in Big Ten the last two years as clearly the two top conference teams.

For interest, the imbalance is a blessing for Ohio State's fans and schedule strength. Playing Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan every year is a good thing.

Can Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota get that kind of round-robin tension rolling in the West?

In analyst Phil Steele's preseason power rankings of all 128 major college teams, the East has No. 1 (Ohio State), No. 11 (Michigan State), No. 26 (Penn State) and No. 35 (Michigan.)

The West offers No. 17 (Wisconsin), No. 34 (Nebraska), No. 39 (Minnesota) and No. 54 (Northwestern).

There was some thought last year that beyond the top two of Ohio State and Michigan State, the West was actually the better, deeper division. That idea should begin to fade this season.

Ohio State's final two regular-season games against Michigan State and Michigan will test the Buckeyes and focus November attention on the Big Ten - the Big Ten East. They'll be leaders. Given the current alignment and balance of the league, the championship game could be something less than legendary, now and maybe for years to come.

Ohio State football is here -- Everything you need to know about Big Ten Media Days from Chicago

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CHICAGO -- Ohio State football is back. Though the Buckeyes' season doesn't technically start until their opener at Virginia Tech on Sept. 7, the start of Big Ten Media Days in Chicago on Thursday marks the beginning of it all.  By now, you probably know all the Ohio State story lines: Who will be the starting quarterback? What's next for...

CHICAGO -- Ohio State football is back.

Though the Buckeyes' season doesn't technically start until their opener at Virginia Tech on Sept. 7, the start of Big Ten Media Days in Chicago on Thursday marks the beginning of it all. 

By now, you probably know all the Ohio State story lines: Who will be the starting quarterback? What's next for Braxton Miller after his move to H-Back? How tough will it be to defend a national title? The list goes on. ... And with me, I have a boatload of recruiting questions to ask. 

But Big Ten Media Days is huge, so here's a primer of what to expect from the two-day event, which has a new schedule and format in 2015. 

Thursday

The event starts at 1 p.m. (Eastern), and it begins with the open media session with the coaches, but it's only half the conference on the first day this year.

Michigan State starts off at the podium for his 15-minute session, followed, in order, by Illinois' Tim Beckman, Wisconsin's Paul Chryst, Maryland's Randy Edsall, Indiana's Kevin Wilson, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz and finished off by Urban Meyer. 

At the conclusion of the coach's podium sessions, the next portion of the day starts with more podium time with the player representatives from each program and one-on-one time with the players and the coaches. 

Here are the player representatives from the first day teams. 

INDIANA: Adarius Rayner, Sr., DL; Jason Spriggs, Sr., OL; Nate Sudfeld, Sr., QB

MARYLAND: Brad Craddock, Sr., PK; William Likely, Jr., DB; Andrew Zeller, Sr., OL

MICHIGAN ST.: Jack Allen, Sr., C; Shilique Calhoun, Sr., DE; Connor Cook, Sr., QB

OHIO ST.: Taylor Decker, Sr., OT; Josh Perry, Sr., LB; Adolphus Washington, Sr., DT

WISCONSIN: Michael Caputo, Sr., S; Corey Clement, Jr., RB; Joel Stave, Sr., QB

IOWA: Austin Blythe, Sr., C; Jordan Lomax, Sr., DB; Drew Ott, Sr., DE

ILLINOIS: Josh Ferguson, Sr., RB; Ted Karras, Sr., OG; Mason Monheim, Sr., LB

Though you'd expect Ohio State would have brought at least one of its two quarterbacks or Braxton Miller, Meyer will take the stage and answer all the questions before the Buckeyes kick off fall camp. 

Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller will talk to the media eventually in fall camp, but it's Meyer's day on Thursday. After his 15-minute podium session from 2:30-2:45 (Eastern), there's more to come. 

Meyer, Washington, Decker and Perry have their breakout sessions from 3:15-5:15 p.m. (Eastern), and there should be a good bit of news coming from that time. All three of us will be in attendance, so be sure to check back with cleveland.com throughout the day for all the latest info. 

Friday

The second day follows the same format as the first, the teams just change. At 1:00 p.m. (Eastern), Minnesota's Jerry Kill begins the day with his 15-minute podium session. Then he's followed by, in order, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, Rutgers' Kyle Flood, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, Nebraska's Mike Riley, Purdue's Darrell Hazell and Penn State's James Franklin. 

Then like Wednesday, that's when breakout sessions with the players and more time with the coaches follow. 

Here are the player representatives from the second day teams. 

MINNESOTA: Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Sr., DB; Theiren Cockran, Sr., DE; Mitch Leidner, Jr., QB

MICHIGAN: Joe Bolden, Sr., LB; Jehu Chesson, Sr., WR; James Ross III, Sr., LB

PENN STATE: Jordan Lucas, Sr., S; Angelo Mangiro, Sr., C/G; Anthony Zettel, Sr., DT

RUTGERS: Leonte Carroo, Sr., WR; Darius Hamilton, Sr., DT; Keith Lumpkin, Sr., OL

NEBRASKA: Tommy Armstrong Jr., Jr., QB; Nate Gerry, Jr., S; Jordan Westerkamp, Jr., WR

NORTHWESTERN: Traveon Henry, Sr., S; Christian Jones, Sr., WR; Dan Vitale, Sr., SB

PURDUE; Danny Anthrop, Sr., WR; Robert Kugler, Sr., C; Frankie Williams, Sr., CB

Ohio State went the day before, but there's plenty that'll come from Thursday's session, too. First of all, Harbaugh will take center stage for the first time as Michigan's head coach, and you won't want to miss that. We'll also be on the scene for comments from Riley and Franklin. 

We'll have live updates, posts and tidbits on cleveland.com throughout the two days, bringing you all the pertinent information. Stay tuned with Doug Lesmerises, Bill and I throughout the whole adventure. 

Welcome to football season. 

Cleveland Indians reportedly close to sending Brandon Moss to St. Louis for pitching prospect

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The Indians are reportedly interest in left-hander Rob Kaminsky, the Cardinals No.1 pick in 2013.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Last year the Indians and Cardinals made a deadline trade with Justin Masterson going to St. Louis and center fielder James Ramsey coming to Cleveland.

Could the two teams be trying to make a deal for the second straight year?

Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reported late Wednesday night that the Indians and Cardinals are talking about another trade. The Cardinals are looking for offense in the wake of outfielder Matt Holliday reinjuring his right quadriceps muscle Wednesday. Earlier in the year they lost first baseman Matt Adams for the season to another quad injury.

Cotillo reported that right fielder/first baseman Brandon Moss, first baseman Carlos Santana and right-hander Carlos Carrasco have been the subject of trade rumors. He said a source said the Indians are interested in left-hander Rob Kaminsky, the Cardinals No.1 pick in 2013.

The Indians could not be reached for comment.

Kaminsky, drafted out of St. Joseph Regional High School in New Jersey, is 6-5 with a 2.09 ERA in 17 starts at Palm Beach, the Cardinals' high Class A team. He has 79 strikeouts and 27 walks in 94 2/3 innings.

Ramsey, by the way, was the Cardinals' No.1 pick in 2012. He's currently playing at Class AAA Columbus, but could be in for a promotion of Moss is indeed traded to the Cardinals.

On Tuesday night, the Indians traded outfielder David Murphy to the Angels for a Class AA shortstop Eric Stamets.

Moss and Santana have had terrible offensive seasons. Carrasco leads the Indians with 10 wins.

Videos: Recap of Day 1 of Cleveland Browns Training Camp

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Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed report on Day 1 of training camp. Plus videos with Terrelle Pryor and the sights and sounds of camp. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed fill you in on what happened during Day 1 of training camp. 

Topics include:

  • The debut of former Ohio State and Oakland quarterback Terrelle Pryor at the wide receiver position. 
  •  Quarterbacks Josh McCown and John Manziel working with the first and second teams respectively.
  • Injured players Tashaun Gipson, Alex Mack and Armonty Bryant return to full practice.
  • First round picks Danny Shelton and Cameron Erving worked with the second team and will have to earn their way onto the first team.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

On Facebook: CLEvideos

See images, videos and reaction from cleveland.com's high school football media days finale

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Check out a collection of images, videos and reaction from Thursday at cleveland.com's high school football media days.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The final day of cleveland.com's High School Football Media Days featured players and coaches from over 20 schools including Nordonia, Beachwood and Kirtland. Representatives from the teams participated in photo sessions, interviews and interactive games hosted by cleveland.com's high school sports staff.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on TwitterContact Nathaniel Cline on Twitter (@nathanielcline), by email (ncline@cleveland.comor log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

What does Johnny Manziel's horrible series on the first day of camp mean? Mary Kay Cabot

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Johnny Manziel had one nightmare series where he was touch-sacked twice, almost intercepted once and had a ball batted down at the line of scrimmage. But he is working with the backups this year. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel had a series he'd like to forget on the first day of Browns training camp Thursday, but no one else should remember it either.

The series, in an 11-on-11 period, went like this: 1. Manziel would've been sacked in a real game, but dumped the ball off to running back Luke Lundy. 2. Manziel would've been sacked again, and threw the ball away. 3. His pass was almost intercepted by first-year defensive back Kendall James. 4. His pass was batted at the line of scrimmage, and Pierre Desir almost came down with it.

He had another pass swatted down during the two-hour practice, and several times offensive coordinator John DeFilippo barked at him to execute the play faster.

But none of that should set the alarm bells off in Berea.

The Browns have made it clear that Manziel is still learning the pro game. That's why he's not competing for the starting job with Josh McCown this summer. The coaches are teaching him how to be an NFL quarterback and he's a work in progress. The lights might not even come on this year.

Remember, Manziel started only two years in college, while most young quarterbacks who are successful early on started three or four. What's more, he never had much of a playbook to speak of at Texas A&M.  He's still learning how to decipher complex plays and multi-front defenses.

In addition, he's learning a new offense for the second straight season, and last year was mostly a wash because he didn't put the time in. It's like he's a rookie all over again.

What's more, Manziel is working exclusively with the second-team offense this camp, and he can't be compared drill-for-drill with McCown. Last summer, when he was splitting first-team reps with Brian Hoyer, it was virtually apples to apples. This year, he's throwing primarily to rookies, first-year players and backups. He made one nice throw down the right sideline Thursday to fourth-round pick Vince Mayle -- who's coming off thumb surgery -- and the rookie dropped it.

Manziel threw the same route a play later, and third-year wideout Kevin Cone out of Georgia Tech caught it. Ultra-competitive, Manziel often looks frustrated after a botched play, but that's consistent with his entire career. He's used to winning, he's used to it being easy and he's not accustomed to balls on the ground.

The Browns already know Manziel can take off running, and they're working at getting him comfortable in the pocket. To that end, he must be able to think quickly and get the ball out fast. It will take a lot of studying, and a ton of reps.

But even if the game slows down for him, it doesn't mean he can play at this level. He might not be fast enough to elude NFL defenders. He might not be big enough to take a pounding. He might not be dedicated enough to be great. And he just might not be good enough to pull it off.

But the Browns aren't ready to give up on him yet, and one horrible series on the first day of camp doesn't mean he's a bust.

Gallery preview 

Live updates and chat: Cleveland Indians vs. Oakland A's at 10:05 p.m., Game No. 101

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Chat and get updates from Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes as the Indians open a seven-game West Coast trip Thursday night against the A's.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Get live updates and chat in the comments section below with beat writer Paul Hoynes as the Indians and Athletics open a four-game series at O.co Coliseum.

Game 101: Indians (46-54) vs. Athletics (45-57)

First pitch: 10:05 p.m. at O.co Coliseum.

TV/radio: STO; WMMS FM/100.7.


Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics lineups for Thursday night's game

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The Indians ended a six-game losing streak Wednesday with a 12-1 win over Kansas City at Progressive Field. Can they build on that now that they're back on the road where they'e 26-22.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Here are the lineups for Thursday night's game between the Indians and A's at O.co Coliseum.

INDIANS

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

LF Michael Brantley

1B Carlos Santana.

C Yan Gomes.

DH Lonnie Chisenhall.

3B Giovanny Urshela.

CF Michael Bourn.

RF Tyler Holt.

RHP Carlos Carrasco, 10-8, 4.26.

ATHLETICS

CF Billy Burns.

LF Sam Fuld.

RF Josh Reddick.

1B Ike Davis.

3B Brett Lawrie.

C Stephen Vogt.

DH Billy Butler.

2B Eric Sogard.

SS Marcus Semien.

RHP Chris Bassitt, 0-3, 2.94.

UMPIRES

H Gerry Davis, crew chief.

1B Will Little.

2B Stu Scheurwater.

3B Phil Cuzzi.

Competitive balance is OHSAA Commissioner Dan Ross' No. 1 legacy: Tim's Take

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NORTHFIELD, Ohio -- Breakfast was a thick vegetarian omelet and home fries as we sat in the corner of a greasy spoon diner on Northfield Road. Dan Ross was having a difficult time doing any damage to the meal. That was our fault. Former Plain Dealer colleague Tim Rogers and I were peppering Ross with questions about his 11...

NORTHFIELD, Ohio -- Breakfast was a thick vegetarian omelet and home fries as we sat in the corner of a greasy spoon diner on Northfield Road. Dan Ross was having a difficult time doing any damage to the meal.

That was our fault. Former Plain Dealer colleague Tim Rogers and I were peppering Ross with questions about his 11 transformative years as commissioner of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Ross, as he always has been, was happy to go on and on about high school sports. At age 65, this clearly is a man still in love with his job. He said he has no immediate plans to retire and has a contract that runs to 2021.

The get-together was Ross' idea. In 2004, Rogers and I had lunch with him a few weeks before he joined the OHSAA. A longtime high school administrator --  including seven years as Avon Lake's superintendent -- he was much-needed outlier coming into a stodgy bureaucracy.

Ross said he recently came across a Plain Dealer story from that meeting and read our many suggestions for changes that needed to be made, ranging from more accountability and greater visibility from OHSAA to fixing an unfair playoff system. Shortly after taking office, he formed a blue-ribbon committee that suggested about 21 changes that needed to be made, and he's tackled nearly all of them.

Ross helped push through more than 100 new bylaws and remade the OHSAA itself. Not everything worked. Not every step was in the right direction.

But it's clear Ross has, whenever he retires, three major legacies:

1. Competitive balance.

It will be years before we know if this is a positive or negative legacy. What we know for certain is that it was Ross' biggest fight. He pursued it from the day he took office and kept at it through three referendum defeats, which says as much about Ross as anything he has accomplished.

Ross believed deeply that the OHSAA had to make private schools understand they have an unfair advantage. And he had to rein in a radical group of public-school administrators whose proposal to separate public and private schools would have gone too far and ruined smaller sports. Most daunting, he had to develop a formula that attempted to balance the uneven playing field, then get the majority of the state to approve it.

The competitive balance formula is scheduled to go into place next school year, but might be delayed a year for technical reasons.

"It will never get to the end of it, but at least we've started to put a plan together to help deal with that,'' Ross said.

2. Remaking the OHSAA

When Ross came into office, the OHSAA hierarchy was almost all white men too often caught flat-footed by controversies to which the organization should have either prevented or reacted in a better fashion.

OHSAA spending also was out of control with little oversight. In 2001, OHSAA sent more than 50 members of its staff and district boards to a national convention in Hawaii, five times the number of many other state associations. The cost was about $140,000.

LeBron James' high school career at St. Vincent-St. Mary was a long series of challenges that ended with both sides in court after OHSAA tried to suspend James for reportedly receiving free gear. James had moved on to the Cavaliers by the time Ross became commissioner. One of the first things Ross did was meet with the families and coaches of future NBA players O.J. Mayo and Henry (Bill) Walker to open a line of communication and ensure there would not be a repeat of the James controversies.

Most of the OHSAA bylaws Ross inherited were unchanged since the 1980s and appeared written with the 1950s in mind. Every time a school's or individual's state championship was taken away because of an administrator's error or a petty uniform violation, the OHSAA's inept reaction usually was, "Well, those are the rules.''

Under Ross, the bylaws largely have been rewritten to include common sense. In some cases, such as the transfer bylaw, the handbook was laden with too many exceptions. Ross and OHSAA finally changed directions and began allowing students to transfer more easily with fewer penalties, especially for those who play a different sport after they change schools. OHSAA was pushed in this direction by several judges who took the organization to task.

More minorities and women now are involved in the OHSAA. Two commissioners are black and two are women, and each district board has at least one ethnic minority. It's progress, but the diversity statewide needs to increase.

3. Concussion protocols.

Ross and the OHSAA have been ahead of the national curve on establishing concussion protocols. The commissioner continues to push for more research and action in areas such as girls soccer, where the number of athletes suffering concussions is second only to football and twice that of boys soccer.

"I'd love to figure that one out,'' he said.

Other vital changes that have taken place under Ross:

* Paralympic sports. I'll never forget the sight of Ross with tears in his eyes as he bent over to drape a medal around the neck of then-Ravenna Southeast sophomore Jenna Fesemyer at the 2013 state track meet. Fesemyer had just become the state's first wheelchair track state champion, and Ross gave her a long embrace.

While others worked long and hard to make Ohio the 17th state to include wheelchair athletics, Ross held the door open and fully supported inclusion for a group of student-athletes who had long been ignored.

* Accessibility. Ross is visible and visits schools more than his predecessors. He often heard he was the first commissioner to set foot in a member school in the organization's 107-year history.

"You don't erase that with one trip,'' he said. "You have to go back.''

Ross established a media advisory committee that meets regularly and talks about issues coming up across the state, helping to keep fans and schools informed about issues.

* State tournament success. The OHSAA state championships are among the best-run tournaments in the nation, as they were when Ross took over.

* Financial challenges. Ticket revenue, which is declining, still accounts for about 80 percent of the OHSAA budget. OHSAA is a little better positioned to handle that. Ross said corporate partnership has increased from $60,000 to about $1 million annually, and television revenue has quadrupled to $240,000 annually.

There are more challenges ahead.

* Community and charter schools: OHSAA has to get a better handle on the issue of community school students counting toward the enrollment figures for large-city school districts such as Columbus, where some schools could move up two divisions under new counting methods.

* Transgender athletes: "That's the No. 1 Title IX issue,'' Ross said. "This issue isn't really a young lady playing on boys teams because we have that already. The biggest issue with that is a young man in the process of hormone (treatment) moving to being a female, and they make it to the state tournament.

"We have a policy now that there is a process that you go through. We're dealing with it. But it becomes magnified when you have it at a gymnastics competition or a swimming competition. It's probably a matter of time. Caitlyn Jenner coming out has magnified it.''

* Emerging sports: Lacrosse will become an OHSAA sport within two years. Next could be eight-man football and archery.

"We have some schools that have (eight-man football) in Northwest Ohio,'' Ross said. "We have an awful lot of schools that are dressing 17, 21 kids that feel an eight-man team would be competitive. A question is, can a great big school like St. Ignatius field an 11-man and an eight-man? Or, do we cut it off (and say you can't do both)?''

* State football finals: Ross said the OHSAA still plans to return to Canton for two years, though that will be delayed a year to 2017-18 because of construction plans at Fawcett Stadium. Ross said he doubted games will be played in Massillon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. He wants to continue the rotation back to Ohio State University to keep the finals feeling fresh.

* Retirement: When will that happen?

"The first day I get up and say, 'I have to go to work,'" Ross said. "The kids in Ohio deserve better than that, and I'll turn in my resignation. I love what I do. I feel blessed to do what I do and work with the people I work with. I think we have a really, really good team of people that work hard for kids in Ohio.''

Browns teammates Johnny Manziel and Terrelle Pryor seek redemption in an unforgiving league: Tom Reed

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Former college star quarterbacks have been humbled by struggles in the NFL. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Two of college football's biggest names in the past decade practiced together for the first time as the Browns opened training camp Thursday.

Johnny Manziel and Terrelle Pryor each made the No. 2 jersey famous at their respective universities. Both were dual-threat quarterbacks long on potential and short on restraint -- at least in the eyes of NCAA compliance officers. They created excitement and controversy; oozed athleticism and entitlement.

Then, they arrived in the NFL and discovered how quickly the game played at this level can expose weakness and shortcomings.  

Thursday in Berea reminded us how humbling the league can be for stars of Saturday afternoons in the fall. A year after vowing to "wreck this league," Manziel is without his electric nickname, money sign or a legitimate shot at winning the starter's job in training camp. Pryor is a 26-year-old appearing on his fifth NFL roster trying to reinvent himself as a receiver.

Each faces significant odds of achieving stardom once forecast for them. Both are showing a willingness to ask for help in reviving their careers.  

"I'm a realist and I understand how life works and I'm not going to keep on pursuing something when I turn 30 years old and I have no chance," Pryor said in explaining the decision to switch positions after the Bengals released him in June.

"So, why not use the God-given ability that I have? ... There's a lot of (Pro Bowlers) in here from Joe Haden to Donte Whitner. We've got guys like Dwayne Bowe, (Brian) Hartline in here and (they are) guys I can learn from and can teach me. I believe I can do it, it's just going to take a lot of hard work."

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The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Pryor is the biggest curiosity in camp. He spent the summer taking a crash course in pass catching, training with the likes of Randy Moss and suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon. He's already asked Haden to go out early to practice and work on shedding press coverage. The club is deep in quality defensive backs who can provide Pryor a good gauge of where he stands on the learning curve.

Wearing a team-issued No. 87 jersey, Pryor made several nice catches Thursday, drawing cheers from the crowd and compliments from coach Mike Pettine. He possesses size, speed and a tantalizing stride powered by legs so long they would look at home on a Paris catwalk.

But the pads aren't donned until Saturday and nobody will hit Pryor until the preseason opener against the Redskins on Aug. 13. Standing tall in a collapsing pocket and exposing your ribs for a high pass over the middle are two different kinds of gridiron crazy.

"That comes with heart," Haden said. "That's just knowing where your heart is at, if you're going to lay it out there on the line or if you're going to make your arms small so you can't catch it."

Pryor's athleticism aside, it takes most receivers years to master the nuances of the position: coming out of breaks, creating separation, running precise routes. It seems far-fetched to think the former Ohio State quarterback can make up such ground in two months. If he earns a roster spot running gadget plays it perhaps buys him time to develop into a legit receiver.

Given his suspect throwing mechanics, Pryor should have considered the transition years ago, yet he deserves credit for taking the chance instead of simply calling it a career.

While Manziel is four years his junior, it feels like the Heisman Trophy winner also needs to show progress in a hurry. His first day of practice stood in stark contrast to a year ago when the masses ringing the practice grounds chanted his name and the national media descended on Cleveland.

There were some No. 2 jerseys spotted in the crowd Thursday and a few shouts of fan encouragement punctuated his practice-drill completions. But a disastrous rookie season and a 10-week stint in rehab have curbed the franchise-savior talk. Manziel is squarely behind journeyman Josh McCown on the depth chart, and his first day of practice was rocky at best.

The Texas A&M standout admitted in June to getting caught up in the Johnny Football persona before retiring the nickname and the money sign. Like Pryor, Manziel has sought help from others. He contacted former NFL coach Jon Gruden and asked the ESPN analyst to tutor him recently in Tampa. Manziel has time to resurrect his game and author a remarkably redemptive tale. His struggles and those of Pryor, however, reinforce the notion the NFL is a different beast, especially for quarterbacks.

Pryor made the football world wait six weeks after national signing day in 2008 to announce his commitment to Ohio State, where he left amid scandal three years later. He's got about that much time to prove he still belongs in the game.

The NFL waits for nobody. United in their cause and humbled by their station, Manziel and Pryor are keenly aware of it.  

No sizzle in Berea (except for the weather) and that's not all bad: Cleveland Browns training camp observations

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Thursday's practice was mostly a quiet one, a sharp contrast to 2014.

BEREA, Ohio -- A quiet July leading into a quiet first day of training camp. It doesn't grab headlines, but Mike Pettine couldn't have scripted it much better. Everyone was there. No one got hurt. Practice was short.

In fact, the only real buzz-worthy moment was when seasoned writers -- and unseasoned ones like me -- who aren't usually taken aback by the size of a football player were in awe of just how big Terrelle Pryor looked.

Even Pettine agreed.

"He looks great in a uniform," Pettine said, "I can tell you that."

Even that, though, was tempered by the reality that, when the team shifted to doing team things -- 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 -- Pryor was relegated to third and fourth team, catching footballs from Connor Shaw and Thad Lewis. The journey is a long one, though the opportunities will be there.

The offense? It wasn't much to speak of. Neither quarterback did much positive of note. Johnny Manziel had some passes batted at the line, which is concerning, and Josh McCown was uninspiring. Aside from fans chanting players' names pre-practice and when they'd walk by, it felt more like a golf tournament than a football practice.

All of this seems negative, sure, but the hard questions -- How will the Browns score 20 points? Is the run defense going to be better? Who's going to kick? -- those will all get answered over time. They weren't and shouldn't have been answered on Day One. More importantly, the cameras and live shots from ESPN and NFL Network were nonexistent, something that couldn't be said last season when Manziel-mania was at its height.

Outside of the weather, there's not much sizzle in Berea this summer. For writers, that's not always a good thing. For a team seeking its footing, however, it could be exactly what they need.

Hail to the secondary

Pierre Desir has a real shot to be one of this camp's big winners. The team's final pick of the 2014 NFL Draft has momentum from a strong showing at OTAs and minicamp and at some point, if he's not already, will be breathing down the neck of the team's first pick in the 2014 draft, Justin Gilbert.

Pettine's going to play the best guys. While he may tend to defer to veterans more often than not, just ask K'Waun Williams whether a young kid can make it on the field. Williams, by the way, continues to build on a strong rookie year.

It would seem the starting four of Donte Whitner, Tashaun Gipson, Joe Haden and Tramon Williams are set, but behind those guys -- and on the inside at the nickel -- is opportunity. The rest of the defense has to prove it's worth the hype. The secondary, though, will remain strong.

Speaking of the defense ...

Going back to last season and into this spring, the defense during camp took great pride in winning practices every day. It's not always hard to do against this offense, but there is a feistiness to this group. Rookie Danny Shelton could feel it.

"I could feel it yesterday," Shelton said. "Everybody was getting excited in last night's meeting. We had Craig (Robertson), (Karlos) Dansby, everybody was excited. You could feel the passion in the room. It showed today, actually. Everybody's doing their assignments. Everybody's running to the ball and making sure our defense plays fast."

A little swagger on defense is a good thing, but in the end, it has to translate from camp. It didn't often enough in 2014. How does swagger translate to performance this season?

"We all have to be accountable. It's something we talk about all the time," Shelton said. "We have to be accountable. Bring your own energy, bring your own passion and make sure you're doing your job."

Browns' receiver Vince Mayle learning to trust right hand again after dealing with broken fingers

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The Browns rookie receiver has broken two fingers on his right hand since last summer.

BEREA, Ohio - Vince Mayle can do a lot of things with his life, but becoming a hand model won't be one of them.

The pinkie finger on his right hand is not as straight as the other four digits thanks to playing all of last season at Washington State, he said, with a broken bone in it.

"It happened in fall camp, but I didn't want to sit out so I kept playing," he said. "It's kind of deformed now."

The Browns rookie receiver is dealing with another hand issue as training camp opens - learning to trust the surgically-repaired right thumb he fractured in January at the Senior Bowl.

Mayle just started catching passes last week after not catching any as precaution during spring practice. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder exhibited some rust Thursday, dropping a pass in an 11-on-11 drill and having a contested ball sail through his fingers in 7-on-7 action.

The wideout admitted he's still getting used to not "protecting his hand," and that's he catching extra balls after practice "so I can get over it."

Coach Mike Pettine sounded understanding about Mayle's situation.

"I know just talking with the trainer and talking to (head athletic trainer) Joe (Sheehan) that he is going to experience some soreness with it at times," Pettine said. "I am not that concerned about Vince. Going back to his college days, drops weren't a big issue. That is not really a concern."

Mayle ranked among the nation's top-five in catches (106) and receiving yards (1,483) last season. He also led the country in dropped passes (19), according to profootballfocus.com, but was targeted a whopping 12.5 times per game.

"You just have to go out and prove it," he said regarding the drops. "There's nothing you can do about it. I'm not too worried about what others had to say. I'm the one out there attempting to catch the passes. I'm just worried about myself."

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