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Ohio State Buckeyes' Jared Sullinger should have entered the 2011 NBA draft, writes Fox Sports blogger

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Reporter says his shortcoming now - concerns over athleticism - won't be cured by another year of college.

jared-sullinger.jpgJared Sullinger

Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com has this article about the players who should have remained in school and the players who should have come out for the 2011 NBA Draft.

Several top players remained in college, including Harrison Barnes of North Carolina and Terrence Jones of Kentucky.

But Amico also writes that Ohio State's Jared Sullinger should have entered the draft.

 

Sullinger’s dad implied all year that his son would stay at Ohio State following his freshman season. What does dad know, we all asked? Well, apparently a whole lot. But Sullinger already possesses NBA low-post skills and the required work ethic. He was a definite top-10 pick, and more likely, top four or five.

The knock against him is overall athleticism -- but is that really something another year of college ball is going to fix?

 

Amico also looked at a few players who made the right choice by coming out, like Kyrie Irving of Duke and UConn's Kemba Walker.

And Derrick Williams of Arizona.

Listed in the eight-to-10 range by most experts prior to the NCAA tournament. Now, he could go No. 1 overall -- and certainly no later than second. Safe to say Williams made a good call.


Packers charity tour has team president and players sharing a bus

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Gee, what do you suppose Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy will talk about on Wisconsin bus tour with players Josh Sitton, Desmond Bishop and Matt Flynn? Think the lockout may come up?

desmond-bishop-mike-mccarthy-matt-flynn-ap.JPGView full sizeGreen Bay linebacker Desmond Bishop and backup quarterback Matt Flynn flank coach Mike McCarthy at Lambeau Field. Bishop and Flynn are about to board a bus on a charity tour of Wisconsin ... a bus they'll share with team CEO and President Mark Murphy.

Green Bay, Wis. -- With the NFL lockout in full swing, three Green Bay Packers players and the team's president will spend the next five days sharing a bus that will cover more than 700 miles as it crisscrosses Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.



Did somebody say awkward?

Guard Josh Sitton, linebacker Desmond Bishop and backup quarterback Matt Flynn are traveling in close quarters with president and CEO Mark Murphy on the team's sixth annual Tailgate Tour, which left from Lambeau Field on Tuesday morning. All four insisted that the ride won't be a bumpy one because of the labor strife and court fight battle between team owners and the players.

While coaches and front-office staff are banned from having contact with players, there is an exception for charitable events such as the tour.

"I don't think it will be awkward at all," said Murphy, who was a union representative as a player with the Washington Redskins and is now a member of the owners' negotiating committee. "I miss the players, and to spend some time with them will be great. I'm sure we'll have some discussions about the current labor situation, but I think everybody realizes it's kind of above us all."

Murphy made no attempt to hide his intention to talk about the labor situation with the players. The lockout has been in place since March 11 except for several confusing days when it was lifted by a federal judge in a decision that has since been put on hold.

"I'm going to interact with the players. We'll have a good, open discussion," Murphy said. "Obviously with my background having been a player, having worked for the union and been a player rep, I can talk a lot about the issues. So I'm looking forward to it."

Added Bishop: "I'm sure it'll come up with Mark Murphy on the bus. We can't talk about too much, but I'm sure it'll come up. Everybody's talking about it -- the entire world is talking about it. So I'm sure it'll come up."

Coach Mike McCarthy, general manager Ted Thompson and several other members of the football staff saw the bus off. McCarthy and Thompson shook hands and chatted briefly with the players, with whom they've had virtually no contact since the lockout began.

"That was a little awkward. I haven't seen 'em since the Super Bowl," said Sitton, whose position coach, offensive line coach James Campen, also came out to see the bus off. "We haven't talked for 50-some days now, so I didn't know the protocol. It was a little weird, but it's all good."

The group planned its initial stop for Marquette, Mich., on Tuesday followed by visits to three Wisconsin cities -- Ashland on Wednesday, Eau Claire on Thursday and Wausau on Friday -- before returning to Green Bay on Saturday. Community events are planned at each stop, with ticket sales benefiting a previously selected charity.

"It's not going to be weird," Flynn said. "This week is for the right reasons and a good cause. That's why we came up here."


Antonetti scored big with Cabrera, Hannahan - Indians Comment of the Day

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"Orlando Cabrera has been such a great addition to this team. His glove has been great and his hitting has been clutch. He has been everything we could have wanted and more. Antonetti really scored big with the additions of Orlando and Jack Hannahan." - jasonjackson1975

Cleveland Indians fall to Chicago White Sox, 15-10View full sizeJack Hannahan has helped shore up the Indians' infield defense this season and has contributed with the bat as well.

In response to the story Orlando Cabrera is the Cleveland Indians' Voice of Experience (and winning), cleveland.com reader jasonjackson1975 thinks the Indians hit on both their infield free agent additions this year. This reader writes,

"Orlando Cabrera has been such a great addition to this team. His glove has been great and his hitting has been clutch. He has been everything we could have wanted and more. Antonetti really scored big with the additions of Orlando and Jack Hannahan."

To respond to jasonjackson1975's comment, go here.

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

Talking about running and marathons with American legend Bill Rodgers

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The American running legend discusses the state of marathon running and other topics.

rodgers-2002-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeAt 63, Bill Rodgers still participates in about 30 marathons every year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the 1970s, the name Bill Rodgers became synonymous with the Boston Marathon and marathons in general.

Rodgers, a guest speaker at noon on both days of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Health & Fitness Expo in Euclid, won 22 marathons in his career. In 28 of his 59 marathons, he finished in under 2:15.

He won the Boston and New York marathons four times each between 1975 and 1980, twice breaking the American record at Boston (2:09:55 in 1975 and 2:09:27 in 1979). Track & Field News ranked him the world's No. 1 marathoner three times.

In advance of his Cleveland appearance, Rodgers, who ran for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team in Montreal, discussed the state of marathon running and other topics in a phone Q&A Tuesday.

What was your favorite race?

(Laughs.) "I suppose it's the Boston Marathon because it was kind of my breakthrough to marathoning. I went from being kind of a solid New England runner to, I got invited to races around the world, that sort of thing."

(First-timers planning to tackle the Cleveland Marathon on Sunday may find this interesting: The Boston Marathon was his first. He didn't finish.)

What was your best time (and for what distance)?

"2:09.27 in the 1979 Boston Marathon, breaking the American record a second time."

Favorite Cleveland memory?

(In 1993, Rodgers ran the 10K in 30:50, setting an American Masters age group record for 45-49.)

"I remember Cleveland very well. It was a very competitive race. Jack Staph (executive race director) has kept the race strong despite sponsorship changes. It's got to be one of the oldest marathons going way back."

Do you still run competitively?

"I try. Sometimes I can do OK and some of the races I might even win my age group if there's not too many competitors. (He's 63.) And sometimes I get beat pretty good. I run in about 30 races a year all over the country and I've done that since '73."

Rodgers said he considers himself a retired marathoner. He trains about 45 miles per week. When he ran marathons, he trained twice a day, running 17 to 18 hours per day and about 130 miles per week.

Common running mistakes you've noticed?

"I see a lot of runners not thinking that they're on the road with cars or bikes. They're running with earphones, listening to music, with their back to traffic. I've known runners who have died that way. The other thing I notice, a lot of beginners have no interest in learning about training. That's astounding. They take it up for a fundraiser or to lose weight. They don't approach it as a sport."

How has distance running changed since you started?

"Oh, tremendously. There were no girls on my high school or college track team. That took a while to change. The prize money has also helped, and the growth in sponsorship. Those are two huge parts that changed it for the better."

Who's the best American runner right now?

"I think marathon runner would have to be [Ryan] Hall. And on the women's side right now, on paper and performance, Desiree Davila is."

Favorite marathon memory?

"It's either winning Boston in '75 or making the Olympic team in '76. It's hard to choose between them. Both mean a lot to me."

Reliever's best friend? A short memory: Indians Chatter

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Young reliever Vinnie Pestano can't let failure get him down.

pestano-spring11-vert-cc.jpgView full size"As a relief pitcher you need a short memory; tomorrow is a new day," says Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Clubhouse confidential: Relievers and defensive backs can't dwell on the past.

On May 5, Vinnie Pestano walked two and gave up an RBI double against Oakland in two-thirds of an inning. On Friday and Saturday, Pestano pitched a scoreless inning against the Angels.

"As a relief pitcher you need a short memory; tomorrow is a new day," said Pestano. "Everything I threw against the Angels was strike one. That really helped me set up the hitters a lot better. In Oakland, I was all over the place. I just have to try and keep those games to a minimum."

Number please: Manny Acta has spent the last two years trying to get his pitchers to throw first-pitch strikes. What does he consider a good percentage?

"Sixty percent," said Acta, "but that's hard to reach."

Stat of the day: DH Travis Hafner entered Tuesday ranked second in the AL with a .524 (11-for-21) batting average with runners in scoring position.

Ohio's high school administrators ponder latest OHSAA proposal to establish competitive balance on the playing field

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In Ohio high school sports, no issue is more contentious, more controversial or more confusing.

11SGbalance.jpgView full sizeHigh school administrators around the state are making their minds up about the most recent effort to even the sports playing field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In Ohio high school sports, no issue is more contentious, more controversial or more confusing.

"Competitive balance" is the current euphemism for what, at its core, is a public vs. private school sports debate: Do private schools have an unfair advantage, and if so, what can be done about it?

Surrounding that core issue, this time, is a banquet of topics that broaden the discourse -- historical success, school boundaries and free lunches.

There's much to digest.

The question is, who will bite?

We'll know soon.

Currently, more than 830 Ohio high school principals are voting on a groundbreaking referendum issue that would change the way teams are assigned to divisions in football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball. If the referendum passes by simple majority, it goes into effect beginning in either the 2012-13 or 2013-14 school years.

The mail-in vote began May 1 and ends Sunday. Results are expected to be announced next week.

The verdict is difficult to forecast because the referendum is not proposing a simple separation of public and private schools in the playoffs. That has been tried twice and referendums failed by wide margins in 1978 and 1993. It was a straightforward issue then.

This referendum's many nuances have produced a variety of reactions. As a result, principals are falling into one of four camps:

• "It's about time."

• "In the big picture, it won't change much, but it's a step in the right direction."

• "It's a bad idea, but it's not as bad as separation of public and private schools."

• "We like things as they are."

The principals' quandary comes because the referendum has aspects that can please, frustrate and confound all at the same time. One such voter is Manchester football coach and principal Jim France, a longtime proponent of separate playoffs. He said he is voting no on the referendum.

"It took [the OHSAA] over 30 years to admit there was a problem," he said. "If this passes, it'll be another 30-plus years before they do anything else about it.

"I don't like the idea that schools would be punished for past accomplishments. And what's that free-lunch formula all about?"

The referendum boils down to a math equation: enrollment, plus boundary and tradition factors, minus socioeconomic (free lunch) factor equals Athletic Count. The Athletic Count is the school's new enrollment figure used to assign it to its competition division with similar schools.

11SGHSCHARTC.jpgView full size

The boundary factor adds to a school's enrollment an amount between zero and 10 percent, determined by from where it can draw students. There are five subcategories. This would affect private schools as well as public schools in multi-school districts or schools with open enrollment.

This addresses the No. 1 complaint heard about private schools -- that they draw students from across the region.

An interesting twist to this approach is its inclusion of open-enrollment public schools and schools in large districts. In Cleveland, this presents a dilemma: Glenville's successful football team benefits from being able to draw student-athletes who live all over the city, but it won't be affected by this factor because it already is in the highest division (Division I). However, fellow city schools such as Division IV John Hay or Division II John F. Kennedy could be bumped up to higher divisions even though they might actually lose players to Glenville.

The tradition factor adds between six and 10 percent to a school's enrollment if a team has been to the regional final, state tournament or state final in the last four years. The reasoning is "success breeds success," so student-athletes are attracted to a program that has a tradition of success. This is considered an advantage by the proposal's authors, a committee of school administrators, coaches and OHSAA officials.

This is perhaps the most controversial element of the referendum. Opponents call it punishment for being successful.

"The wording of the referendum is problematic. It appears, the way it's written, schools could be penalized based on enrollment figures and success," said Lake Catholic principal Richard Koenig, who said he is voting no.

Lunch factor is the X-factor

The socioeconomic factor has become known as the school-lunch issue. It multiplies the number of free lunch participants by 10 percent, and that number is deducted from the enrollment figure.

This is the X-factor for many voters because the statewide effect isn't as obvious. The proposal aims to address the belief that student-athletes in economically depressed districts might have fewer resources available to participate and be successful. While much of the focus is on football, skeptics point out some strong urban basketball programs are not hindered by the number of free lunches being served.

The bottom line is the proposed format could move programs such as Walsh Jesuit's successful Division II volleyball team up to Division I. But its effect on a football team such as Division II defending state champion Maple Heights is murky because it has open enrollment and a successful team, but also has about 85 percent of its students receiving free lunches, football coach Todd Filtz said.

The referendum is byproduct of a 2010 statewide survey conducted by a group of Wayne County school administrators. They said 78 percent of responding schools supported an enrollment multiplier, 73 percent supported separate state tournaments, and 60 percent preferred separate tournaments over a multiplier. About 40 percent of schools responded to the survey, which caught the eye of the OHSAA. It formed the competitive balance committee, and it wrote the current referendum, which was placed on the ballot by the OHSAA's Board of Control.

Several studies have shown that while private schools account for about 14 percent of the OHSAA, they win more than twice that percentage of state championships. The referendum received additional attention after December's state football finals. Five of the six state champs were Catholic schools; in the Division VI championship game, Delphos St. John's defeated Shadyside, 77-6.

Some worry the referendum merely will reshuffle the deck, moving schools such as St. John's up to Division V, while Division V champ Youngstown Ursuline moves to Division IV and Division III winner Columbus Bishop Watterson jumps to Division II, and so on.

Some principals said the referendum fails to address the large gap between enrollments of the smallest and largest schools in Division I. In the current division breakdown, Division I football consists of schools with more than 517 boys in three grades and the largest school, Fairfield, has 1,227. Of the 119 Division I schools, 42 have more than 700 boys.

"There's definitely a large discrepancy in Division I football due to recruiting at the [larger] Division I schools compared to the smaller Division I schools," said Willoughby South principal Paul Lombardo, who last week was undecided on his vote.

The referendum also won't make a dent on the public-private debate for the largest schools. It will bring more contenders into their division.

"The referendum won't help us, but at least this is a start," said Hudson principal Brian Wilch, who is voting yes.

"Now, if you're a Division IV, V or VI school, that multiplier makes sense."

Some principals did not get lost in the details and looked at the big picture.

"It's a step in the right direction to make competitive high school sports more fair," said Cuyahoga Falls principal Anne Alfano, who said she is voting yes.

Plain Dealer Reporter Bob Fortuna contributed to this story.

Youngstown's Bruce Zoldan still celebrating Kentucky Derby triumph with Animal Kingdom

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The CEO of Phantom Fireworks and the Youngstown Phantoms of the U.S. Hockey League, described the Derby win as a one-in-a-lifetime event, an off-the-charts victory.

zoldan-horse-photo.jpgView full sizeYoungstown businessman Bruce Zoldan, 62, (center in black shirt and light tie) celebrates with friends and co-owners after Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby last Saturday. Zoldan is a major partner of the Team Valor International syndicate that owns Animal Kingdom.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Youngstown businessman Bruce Zoldan, 62, may not have partied like a rock star on Saturday night after Animal Kingdom ran away with the Kentucky Derby, but he did party with some rock stars and other celebrities.

Zoldan is a major partner of the Barry Irwin's Team Valor International syndicate that owns Animal Kingdom -- they won't say which partners own how much. The CEO of Phantom Fireworks and the Youngstown Phantoms of the U.S. Hockey League, Zoldan described the Derby win as a one-in-a-lifetime event, an off-the-charts victory.

"We had a closed party at a Louisville club to celebrate, and our chef was my friend, Guy Fieri," Zoldan said of the host of TV's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. "He put on a show, cooking up cole slaw and pulled pork, pasta and onion rings," Zoldan said.

Many other celebs attended, including Joey Fatone from the boy band 'N Sync, comedian Wayne Brady and members of the hip-hop group Salt-n-Pepa. The celebrities weren't necessarily horse fans, but rather fireworks fans he has supplied with home fireworks shows.

He has been a successful part of Team Valor for more than two decades and trusts Irwin's ability to select talented horses and sell them for a top price. Animal Kingdom is a son of the Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux, out of the stakes-winning mare Dalicia, owned by Team Valor.

Zoldan said having his sons, Ron and Alex, at trackside with him made the Derby win even better. Ron is student at Ohio State. Alex, 25, runs the Phantoms.

Many were surprised by the horse's performance. Lightly raced, Animal Kingdom was making only its fifth career start with one graded stakes win, and its first time racing on dirt. Zoldan had a good feeling while watching the horse get prepared Saturday in the paddock.

animal-kingdom-derby-finishline-mct.jpgView full size"Animal Kingdom was worth $1.2 million going in," says co-owner Bruce Zoldan, "but that's $7 million to $10 million now."

"I saw the difference between his build and that of many of the other horses," said Zoldan. "Animal Kingdom has become a well-developed super horse, much bigger than most of the others. The vision I had of how the race would run happened just as I'd imagined it, and how Irwin and [trainer] Graham Motion had planned."

With Animal Kingdom normally at the back of the pack early in a race, they told substitute jockey John Valazquez to keep him in the middle of the large 19-horse field, then weave through horses to make a big stretch run.

"It was surreal," said Zoldan. "The stars were aligned, and everything happened just like that."

Animal Kingdom blasted down the stretch to open a 23/4-length victory. The mediocre early pace set by Shackleford resulted in a 2:02.04 clocking for the 11/4-mile race.

Zoldan isn't much of a bettor.

"I go to the races two or three times a year -- the Breeders' Cup and the Kentucky Derby -- and I only bet on my own horses. And when they win, I usually wish I would have put a lot more on them. I'm looking to the future, though. Animal Kingdom was worth $1.2 million going in, but that's $7 million to $10 million now."

A big bump in the Derby road was taking regular jockey Robby Albarado off Animal Kingdom after being injured earlier in the week. Zoldan said Irwin and Motion made the decision to go with Valazquez on Friday, even though Albarado said he'd be ready. Zoldan said something will be done by the ownership group to reward Albarado.

Zoldan said he wished he were 20 years younger, after huffing and puffing during the dash to the winner's circle, but he isn't worried about Animal Kingdom in the Preakness or Belmont in the coming weeks. Animal Kingdom will bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

"Animal Kingdom came out of the race in great shape," said Zoldan. "Irwin said it's the freshest horse to ever come out of the Kentucky Derby. Animal Kingdom is bred for the distance races, so I've always thought it'd do best in the longest race in the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes."

PGA easing cell phone restrictions at Memorial, WGC-Bridgestone tourneys: NE Ohio Golf Insider

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Use of the devices will be restricted to certain areas at both courses.

phil-mickelson-firestone-10-cc.jpgView full sizePhil Mickelson will be returning to Muirfield Village for Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament, and so will cell phones (just as long as you keep them on quiet mode).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It is a sign of the times.

Following a change in PGA Tour regulations, spectators will be permitted to carry cell phones and other mobile devices into the Memorial Tournament (May 30-June 5) at Muirfield Village and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (Aug. 4-7) at Firestone.

"It's a matter of being more fan-friendly," said Don Padgett III, executive director of the WGC-Bridgestone. "Cell phones and other mobile devices have become ingrained in our way of life. We want people to come to the tournament. It became increasingly hard for us to ask fans not to bring their phones and such to the golf course. They want to stay connected, whether it's to their businesses or homes.

"Maybe more people will be willing to come to the tournament, especially on Thursday and Friday, when they know they can bring their phones."

Use of the devices will be restricted to certain areas at both courses. The use of devices will not be permitted on tees, fairways, greens, practice areas or the players' scoring area. Patrons must keep cell phones in the "silent" mode at all times.

"The fans will be able to sit in our grandstands and send and receive texts and e-mails," said Padgett. "We will have designated areas close to the concession stands and our marshals will constantly be reminding fans to keep their phones on the silent mode."

Lefty's in: Phil Mickelson, who has won at least one PGA Tour event for eight years in a row, announced Tuesday that he will play in the Memorial. While he has three top-10 finishes and has won more than $700,000, Mickelson has never won at Muirfield. His best finish came in 2006 when he tied for fourth with Brandt Jobe and Adam Scott.

Tying things up: Members of the Classic Auto-North Coast Junior Golf Tour won the 13th annual Joe Haase Cup last week at Firestone Country Club's North and West courses with a team score of 33 points.

The event for players between the ages of 12-19 follows a Ryder Cup match-play style with competitors representing the area's four junior tours. The Spitale Tour was second with 25 points, followed by Southwest Junior (22) and Lake Erie Junior (16). Winners of individual matches earned two points and all-square matches were worth one point. The victory was the fourth for the North Coast team, tying it with the Spitale Tour for the most wins.

Winning in Akron: The junior team of Jason Chadima and Mark Thomas and the senior two-some of Jim Cea and Ron Bell were the winners of the Akron District Golf Association's first event of the season, the Parke Thornton Better Ball tournament at Turkeyfoot Lakes. Both teams shot 5-under 66.


John Hay girls, Glenville boys triumph at City Championship

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're looking for Carmen Banks-Priester Wednesday, you might find her playing in the dirt around John Hay High School with blueprints and a shovel. For four years, the Hornets girls track coach drove past the sign outside Collinwood's athletic complex proclaiming how many Jesse Owens City Championships the Railroaders had won in a row and...

Collinwood’s Tayshauna Williams, right, hands off to Brittini Bowen in the girls 4x100 relay race in the Jesse Owens City Championship on Tuesday at Collinwood. - (Lynn Ischay / The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're looking for Carmen Banks-Priester Wednesday, you might find her playing in the dirt around John Hay High School with blueprints and a shovel.

For four years, the Hornets girls track coach drove past the sign outside Collinwood's athletic complex proclaiming how many Jesse Owens City Championships the Railroaders had won in a row and cringed.

"I look at that billboard all the time," Banks-Priester said. "I was like, 'I'd like to have one of those. I'd like to start my own streak here.'"

She can start plans now, as her Hornets stopped a 17-year run by Collinwood at the Senate schools event with a team win Tuesday.

John Hay excelled with distance sensation Brittany Bucey winning the 1,600, 3,200 and 4x800. The Hornets did it despite practices occurring in the hallways and around the city block due to the fact the school doesn't have a track.

Most importantly, John Hay did it with Chanitta Westbrooks shelved for most of the day. While Westbrooks won the 100-meter dash, the senior took the rest of the meet off to preserve her knees, which have patellar tendinitis.

"We came a long way, especially with our star athlete out," Banks-Priester said. "They get an A-plus. I knew they could do it. Now, they've proved to themselves they can."

The school also won 4x100 and 4x400 relays run by freshmen and sophomores -- events that were scored when they usually are not counted.

John Hay scored 161 points to outdistance John F. Kennedy by 48 with just six victories.

The rest of the points came from athletes such as Ogechi Onyeukwu, who finished second in the 4x400 and 400 and third in the 200 and long jump.

"We came in here and were like, 'What are we going to do without Chanitta?' She's a big part of our team, but this team is all heart," Bucey said. "We knew we could win."

While Collinwood saw a streak snapped that dates back to 1994, the defending state champions are still very much a player in this year's team race, according to coach Greg Morrow. The school picked up wins by Jasmine Lett in the 100 hurdles and Brittini Brown in the 200, while adding firsts in the 4x100 and 4x400. It added up to a fourth-place finish behind John Hay, JFK and Martin Luther King.

On the boys side, Glenville is a school with great expectations. A third-place finisher at state last year, the Tarblooders rolled through the Jesse Owens.

Shane Wynn (4x100, 4x200, 4x400), V'Angelo Bentley (4x100, 4x200, 4x400), Quincy Downing (400, 4x200, 4x440), DeAnthony Riggs (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and Jacquez Riggs (4x200, 4x400) all won multiple events as Glenville topped second-place finisher Rhodes, 202-66. The Tarblooders won nine events to notch at least their 13th Jesse Owens meet title in a row.

"We've been getting stronger and stronger," Wynn said. "There are a couple things to clean up, but we've got a shot at a state championship."

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

Cleveland Indians defeat Tampa Bay, 5-4, on Michael Brantley's walk-off walk

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Home winning streak reaches 14 straight as Tribe cools red-hot Rays.

Gallery preview

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The team with baseball's best home record entertained the team with the best road record Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

For eight innings the Indians were generous hosts. They failed to hit in the clutch, pad leads or make big pitches when needed. All that changed in the ninth inning as the Indians won their 14th straight home game with a 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay.

Michael Brantley won it with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to score Carlos Santana. It was the Tribe's fourth straight victory in its last-at bat at home. The Rays, who have lost 19 of their last 21 games in Cleveland, used a five-man infield to try and stop the Tribe, but it did not work.

Shin-Soo Choo started the ninth with a walk against Joel Peralta (1-2). Santana moved him to third with a single to right and Travis Hafner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Closer Kyle Farnsworth relieved and induced Orlando Cabrera to force Choo at home on a bouncer to short. Farnsworth jumped ahead of Brantley with two quick strikes, but his next four pitches were balls to end it.

"Michael Brantley did an outstanding job with that walk-off walk," said manager Manny Acta.

Said Brantley, "I was definitely my first walk-off walk. It's not as exciting as a hit, but we'll take it. He got ahead of me, 0-2, and I just wanted to put the ball in play. I knew I couldn't strike out."

The Indians had 10 hits and 11 walks, but were hardly an offensive machine because they went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. They entered the game hitting .318 with RISP.

The Indians are a franchise-best 14-2 at home. The Rays, who had won eight straight road games, are 11-5 away from Tropicana Field.

Chris Perez (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

"We knew going in that something would have to give," said Acta of the respective streaks. "Fortunately we get to keep our streak going for one more day."

Tribe set-up man Vinnie Pestano started the eighth with a 4-3 lead, but gave up a leadoff homer to Evan Longoria well up the bleachers in deep center. Pestano retired the next three batters, but the lead was gone.

"When I got behind 3-1, I wasn't going to walk him," said Pestano. As for the winning streak at home, Pestano said "We're not trying to figure it out or put our finger on it. We're just rolling with it."

The Indians scored twice in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead. LaPorta scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's bases-loaded infield single to break a 2-2 tie. Sizemore, running from first to second, beat the force attempt to keep the inning going.

Hannahan scored on a John Jaso passed ball.

Tampa Bay got a run back in the seventh when Kelly Shoppach, the former Indians catcher, executed a pretty run-and-hit single to left to score fleet Sean Rodriguez from second. Rodriguez started the inning with a double off the left-field wall to knock Josh Tomlin out of the game. Tony Sipp relieved.

The Rays tied the score, 2-2, on Matt Joyce's double in the sixth. Ben Zobrist, who drew a leadoff walk against Tomlin, scored from first.

The Indians took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Brantley's one-out homer off Tampa starter Andy Sonnanstine. Brantley hit a 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats for his second homer and first since April 30. When Sonnanstine followed by walking LaPorta and Hannahan, Cesar Ramos relieved.

He ended the inning by getting Sizemore to hit into a 4-6-3 double play. It was the first time he's grounded into a double play in 76 at-bats.

Sizemore gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the first, driving a 1-1 pitch just inside the right-field foul pole. It was his sixth homer in 18 games since his return on April 17. It was his 22nd leadoff homer, an ongoing franchise record, and his first since Aug. 27, 2009 at Baltimore.

Joyce tied it with a one-out homer in the fourth that followed the flight path of Sizemore's homer, but went farther. It was the eighth homer Tomlin has allowed this season. Seven have come with the bases empty.

The Indians missed a couple of early scoring chances. Following Sizemore's homer, Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo singled with no one out. Carlos Santana took the sting out of the inning by hitting into a 3-6-1 double play. He came into the game hitting .286 with runners in scoring position.

Tomlin allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one on 93 pitches, including 59 strikes.

Sonnanstine, making his first start of the season for injured Jeff Niemann, allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings. Sonnanstine, who was born in Barberton and pitched at Kent State, struck out two and walked five.

The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour and 35 minutes by an anticipated rain delay that really never arrived.

"What they didn't want to do was start the game, then have a downpour and both teams lose their starting pitcher," said Acta. "I had to keep going in the locker room and telling them we're playing at 7:30, 8, 8:15. They were getting antsy."

Gilmour's Andrew Bieber, 16, among local U.S. Open sectional qualifiers Tuesday

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Kent State junior Mackenzie Hughes is medalist at local qualifying at Beechmont.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seven months ago, Andrew Bieber helped Gilmour Academy win the Division III state golf championship.

Next month, he will try to play his way into the U.S. Open.

Bieber, 16, was one of nine players to earn a spot in next month's sectional qualifier -- one step away from a place in the Open field -- on Tuesday when he shot a 1-under 70 in the local qualifying tournament at Beechmont Country Club.

Bieber, who was fourth in the state tournament in October, finished one shot behind medalist Mackenzie Hughes, a junior at Kent State who recently won the Mid-American Conference championship. Four others, including Sand Ridge Golf Club pro Matt Creech and former University of Akron player Vaughn Snyder, recorded 71s and will advance.

Creech's round was highlighted by a hole-in-one on the third hole.

Lakewood Country Club assistant pro Jeff Ritchey, former Kent State player Danny Sahl and Youngstown's David Games shot 1-over 72 to clinch the final spots.

All nine players are eligible to pick one of 13 sectional spots in the U.S., England or Japan in which to play in order to qualify for the U.S. Open, which will be played at Congressional Country Club, June 16-19. All sectional qualifiers will be played June 6.

Nine players in the field of 126 at Beechmont tied for the two alternate spots, which went to The Country Club pro Rob Moss and Kent State senior Brett Cairns in a playoff.

Manny Acta credits pitchers' fast start to coaches Tim Belcher, Scott Radinsky: Indians Insider

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Pitching has driven the Indians to the best record in the AL and manager Manny Acta tipped his cap to coaches Tim Belcher and Scott Radinsky.

belcher-pen-masterson-cc.jpgView full sizeIndians pitching coach Tim Belcher (working with Justin Masterson before a recent start at Progressive Field) and bullpen coach Scott Radinsky were credited by manager Manny Acta for the pitching staff's fast start.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have faced some of the AL's best pitchers in the last three series. It started with Oakland and Los Angeles on the West Coast and continued Tuesday night with the Rays at Progressive Field.

There is another side to this. The Indians are one of the top pitching teams in the league as well.

The starting rotation entered Tuesday's game with the third-best ERA in the league at 3.29. Oakland was first at 2.59, Los Angeles second at 3.23 and the Rays fourth at 3.45. The Tribe's bullpen had the fourth-best ERA at 3.16. The Rays were first at 2.69 followed by Oakland at 2.70 and Toronto at 3.02.

"I can't say enough about [pitching coach] and [bullpen coach] Tim BelcherScott Radinsky," said manager Manny Acta. "They have done a tremendous job starting last year when we went through our struggles in the first half of the season. They have never backed down. They've kept pushing what we're preaching here: attacking the strike zone, being accountable, being prepared."

The results started to come to the forefront in the second half of last season. The Tribe's team ERA after the All-Star break in 2010 was 3.89, the pen was 2.95.

"You saw the progress in the second half of last season," said Acta. "We saw in spring training that things have continued. Both guys are straight-forward to these kids. They're patient with them, but when they have to let them know how things are done, they don't back down. That's very important at this level."

Belcher pitched 14 years in the big leagues, going 146-140. He made 373 starts out of 394 appearances. Radinsky pitched 11 seasons in the bigs, making 557 relief appearances.

"Belcher is one of the most prepared guys I've ever been around," said Acta. "Not from 'I used to this or I used to do that.' He gets a ton of information from our analytical department and shows these guys, from every angle, how important it is to do it.

"Scott is the same way. You might have thought that when those two guys pitched they just threw hard and went after guys. But they prepared themselves very well and passed it on to these guys."

Acta said there's one coaching technique Belcher doesn't get to use in the AL that he felt helped him in the NL.

"The only thing Belcher misses is that these guys don't get to hit like he did in the National League so they can see how hard it is to hit a ball right down the middle," said Acta. "So they can see that not every ball thrown right over the middle is going to be smacked around. He felt that when he pitched that helped when he was hitting.

"In the AL guys lose that notion that it's not that easy to hit a ball moving at 90 mph even if it is right down the middle."

Just in time: Alex White used Monday's off day to drive to Columbus and pick up some fresh clothes. He's been living out of a suitcase since getting promoted on April 30.

White didn't find out until Tuesday that Jeanmar Gomez had been optioned to Columbus, leaving him with a spot in the rotation.

"It shows they have faith in me," said White, who will start Saturday against Seattle.

Go time: Carlos Carrasco will be activated in time to make Wednesday night's start against David Price. Carrasco injured his right elbow on April 24 against the Twins.

"I'm pain free," said Carrasco. "I'm looking forward to pitching. I don't like being on the DL."

Frank Herrmann was promoted for Tuesday night's game so the Tribe's bullpen wouldn't be caught short after a difficult West Coast swing. He'll probably be sent down Wednesday to make room for Carrasco.

"You take your days in the big leagues when you can get them," said Herrmann. "When I was up here before, it re-energized me for when I went back down to Columbus. You can feel the vibe here."

Herrmann made the Tribe out of spring training, but was optioned when Joe Smith was activated on April 15. When Jason Donald was optioned to Columbus, Herrmann was recalled on April 29, but was sent back down when White arrived a day later.

"It's a different energy on this club," he said. "Everybody is expecting to win. I hope I get a chance to help them this year."

Finally: Mitch Talbot threw 63 pitches in four innings Monday in a rehab start at the Indians' spring training site in Goodyear, Ariz. Talbot, recovering from a strained right elbow, will make at least two more starts before being activated.

Cleveland Indians know that the proof is in the winning: Terry Pluto

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The Indians know they have to prove themselves to the fans.

acta-tomlin-horiz-cc.jpgView full sizeManny Acta is enjoying his team's fast start to the 2011 season, but he's not worrying about when attendance will reflect the Indians' record.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For a guy who wasn't even here until 2010, Manny Acta has a solid understanding of what Tribe baseball fans have endured lately.

As the Tribe took a 22-11 record into Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay at Progressive Field, the Indians' manager insisted that he's not surprised by his team's fast start. "We expected to win," he said. "This is not a shock because we can pitch and catch the ball."

Then Acta said he "understands why people doubt us."

He means everyone from the media to the fans.

It's deeper than the 65-97 and 69-93 records the previous two seasons. He turned the calendar back to 2008, when the Indians were coming off a 96-66 season. They were baseball's feel-good story, coming within a game of going to the World Series with a 24th ranked payroll (out of 30 teams).

"They were picked to win in 2008, and they didn't win," said Acta.

The final 81-81 record in 2008 was very deceiving, in terms of keeping the fans interested. Look at these records by month: 13-15, 12-15, 12-16, 10-14, 18-10 and 16-11. They never were more than three games over .500.

Fans know the rest of the story. Cy Young winner CC Sabathia was traded in 2008. Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee was traded in 2009, as was All-Star catcher Victor Martinez. There are only five players on the current roster left from 2007: Fausto Carmona, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Raffy Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera.

In 2009, the Indians never were over .500. Last season, they actually started 2-1, but were 9-13 at the end of April. So there wasn't even a bit of a tease -- the Indians saved their worst baseball for their fans' first exposure.

Trading stars, cutting payroll, slow starts and losing more than 90 games left the fans with the impression that baseball here was hopeless. The Indians made the situation worse by spending too much time talking about how a lack of a salary cap hurts middle-market teams. Instead, they needed to stress that they had to do a better job of drafting and developing players, much like Minnesota and Tampa Bay.

Tampa was not able to afford veterans such as Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena from last season's 96-66 Eastern Division winning team. Acta said the key has been the Rays' farm system producing pitchers.

All six of their starters was drafted, signed and developed by Tampa: Jeremy Hellickson (fourth round, 2005), Wadsworth/Kent State product Andy Sonnenstine (13th, 2004), James Shields (16th, 2000), Wade Davis (third, 2004), David Price (first, 2007) and Jeff Neimann (first, 2004). Eleven of Tampa's 25 active players were drafted by the Rays.

What gives the Tribe reason for hope is starters Josh Tomlin and Alex White were drafted by the Indians. Fausto Carmona, Tony Sipp, Raffy Perez and Vinnie Pestano are all also products of the farm system, so things are tilting in the right direction. But the fact is every Tribe position player began his career with a different major-league organization.

White is the first player from the drafts of scout director Brad Grant, who took over in 2008. More should be coming with Lonnie Chisenhall (.295, 2 HR, 18 RBI), Jason Kipnis (.282, 2 HR, 18 RBI) and Cord Phelps (.306, 3 HR, 16 RBI) showing real promise at Class AAA Columbus. Some could be in the lineup later this season.

Then there's Drew Pomeranz (No. 1 pick, 2010), who is 1-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings at Class A Kinston. He could be in Class AAA by the end of the season.

Tampa has found a way to average 90 victories over the last three years in the rugged American League East, dueling big spenders Boston and the Yankees. After a 1-8 start this season, the Rays won 19 of 25 heading into Tuesday night.

The Indians are now taking the wise approach of not talking about baseball economics, or chastising the fans for not immediately embracing this team.

Rather, they seem determined to show fans that they are doing the right things on the field.

Tiger Woods, PGA players ready for TPC: Video

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Watch a video preview of the "Fifth Major" and ready about how Tiger Woods is preparing for the tournament, which tees off Thursday in Florida.

Cinesport video: Previewing the The Players Championship

 

Tiger WoodsTiger Woods blasts from a sand trap on the seventh hole during a practice round for The Players Championship Tuesday, May 10, 2011 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods heard a series of shutters from a spectator's camera and stopped his swing at the last minute, knees flexed, club shaft parallel to the ground, holding his pose until he could regain his balance.

"Oh, no," said the caddie for Mark O'Meara. "You're starting to swing like Charles Barkley."

Woods doubled over in laughter Tuesday on the eighth tee on the TPC Sawgrass, a light moment during his first time playing golf since disclosing minor knee and Achilles' injuries from the Masters.

Woods said the left knee — which has gone through four surgeries — and his left Achilles' are better.

"Good enough to play," he said.

How much better remains to be seen, and Woods still has to make it to the first tee Thursday morning for the start of The Players Championship, where he hasn't finished better than eighth since winning 10 years ago.

Woods said he tweaked his left knee from an awkward swing in the pine straw on the 17th hole of the Masters in the third round, and he played through the discomfort in the final round when he closed with a 67 after making a brief charge.

"It didn't feel good on Sunday. That was tough," Woods said. "I played through it, but ... I was in the midst of playing and competing and had to power through it, so I did it. I was able to shut it down for a little bit and was able to care of it."

Woods said he practiced Monday for the first time since the Masters. He played golf Tuesday — the front nine at Sawgrass — for the first time since that last day at Augusta. He is treating the injuries with anti-inflammatories, ice, elevating his legs and some soft tissue work. Still to be determined, since he hasn't spent any time playing, is whether it swells.

"We'll see how this week progresses," he said. "If it flares up like it did at Augusta, then it flares ups. But hopefully, it won't."

Woods' swing coach, Sean Foley, said he had been walking in a protective boot as a precaution. Woods chose not to play the Wells Fargo Championship last week, giving himself a week to see if the knee and Achilles' improved. He said he would have played last week had it been a major, smiling as if to remind that he won a U.S. Open on a shattered left leg three years ago.

That was his 14th major, and the last time he won the tournaments that mean the most. And he made it clear, even at a tournament debated as the "fifth major," that it remains his priority.

"The whole idea is that I peak four times a year, and I'm trying to get ready for Congressional, and I need some playing time," Woods said. "I missed playing last week at a golf course I truly love playing, but I really want to get out there and compete. This is a big event, and I want to be here and play."

The TPC Sawgrass is not among his favorites, and the record reflects that.

He was runner-up to Hal Sutton in 2000, then won The Players Championship the following year, when he went on to win the Masters to hold all four major titles. Since then, he has only one top 10 — eighth place, after starting the last round in the final group, five shots out of the lead.

Beyond not winning majors, Woods hasn't won anything in 18 months, dating to the Australian Masters in November 2009. He is rebuilding his swing, and taking his share of criticism along the way, similar to previous swing changes.

Now, even the players are piling on.

Bubba Watson, who used to show up early at majors with hopes of playing practice rounds with Woods, said last week that Woods was "going the wrong way."

"He's so mental right now with his swing," Watson said, a two-time winner this year.

Watson said he hasn't spoken to Woods, only his agent and another person in Woods' camp to explain that he "didn't say anything wrong" and that the media blew it out of proportion.

"I just told him, 'Look, you know me. I'm friends with you. I've been a supporter of you the whole time I've been a pro and have known you. So I'm here for you, but I didn't do anything wrong,'" Watson said. "The camp says I'm OK, but I haven't talked to the boss yet."

Woods said he found the comments to be "interesting." Asked if he had an issue, Woods smiled and said, "We'll talk."

U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell rallied from four shots behind to beat Woods in a playoff at the Chevron World Challenge, and was paired with him in early rounds twice this year, at Doral and the Masters.

"I see determination," McDowell said. "I see a hunger, which are two key components to any player. ... He's displaying a lot of patience, as well. We all have our frustrating outbursts from time to time, but I think he's been very patient considering what I'm sure he expects of himself. I think he's a very determined man right now, though."

As for that tee shot on the eighth?

Once the laughter subsided, Woods hit a 5-wood to 5 feet.


Bulls take 3-2 series lead over Hawks: Video

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Derrick Rose scored 33 points, Gibson scored all of his 11 in the fourth quarter, and the Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-83 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead.

Cinesport video: Bulls beat Hawks, 95-83

 

CHICAGO  — The Chicago Bulls were looking for someone, anyone, to provide a spark, and it figured that Derrick Rose would.

It was no shocker, either that Taj Gibson provided one, too.

Rose scored 33 points, Gibson scored all of his 11 in the fourth quarter, and the Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-83 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead.

Related: NBA Playoffs box scores and schedule

Luol Deng added 23 points and Chicago let out a big sigh of relief.

"It's definitely fun playing against a good team," Rose said. "Coach always said we're going to have to walk through the fire together. Every series has tested us in every way, but I think that we're sticking together."

Game 6 is Thursday in Atlanta, and a win would put Chicago in the conference finals for the first time since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen wrapped up their second championship three-peat in 1998. They are in this position after dominating Atlanta in the fourth quarter 26-15, with Rose matching Gibson's 11 points.

Rose showed why he is the league's youngest MVP, hitting 11 of 24 shots and finishing with nine assists. It was a big improvement over Game 4 when he needed 32 shots to score 34 points, and he was particularly effective down the stretch, attacking the rim.

"It forces the defense to collapse, leads to easy opportunities for others, it leads to some second shots," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We want to be inside-out so I thought it was huge."

Atlanta's Jeff Teague came up big again filling in for the injured Kirk Hinrich, scoring 21 for the third time in this series, but the Hawks came up short in the end.

Josh Smith contributed 16 points. Joe Johnson 15, Zaza Pachulia 13 and Al Horford added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

"We were playing for everything," Horford said. "We have to regroup again and get ready for Thursday."

It hasn't been an easy postseason for the Bulls after they stormed to a league-leading 62 wins, with Indiana pushing them in the first round and the Hawks doing the same. Even so, they are poised to advance.

The Bulls led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter but were trailing 70-69 early in the fourth when they went on a 9-0 run.

Rose started it when he drove to his left for a layup, fed Gibson a no-look pass in transition for a three-point play and added a layup that made it 78-70.

Then, midway through the fourth, he drove for a three-point play that made it 85-76. Fans were screeching "MVP! MVP!" as he buried the free throw, and after Atlanta pulled within six, Chicago reeled eight straight to make it 93-79, with six points coming from Gibson.

"Taj is a good player," Rose said. "I think he really doesn't know how good he is."

The fourth quarter aside, it wasn't an easy night for the Bulls.

Considering Chicago got 15 points each from Rose and Deng in the first half and led by as many as 15, the Hawks were probably glad to be trailing 48-42 at halftime. They kept coming at the Bulls in the third quarter.

Things got particularly tense after a two-handed dunk by Smith cut Chicago's lead to 61-60 with just over 4 minutes left in the period. He hung on the rim and Carlos Boozer gave him a forearm to the face, leading to a retaliatory shove from Smith and technical fouls for both players.

"I dunked the basketball and I go to turn and he just cleared me with an elbow to the jaw," Smith said. "Nobody is going to do that to me. I don't care who you are. I'm a man first."

Smith gave the Hawks their first lead of the game when he nailed a jumper that made it 64-63 with 1:45 remaining. Deng answered with a jumper and hit two free throws after Horford scored to make it 67-66.

Pachulia then hit an 11-footer with 9.8 seconds left before Gibson drove upcourt and fed Ronnie Brewer to give Chicago a 69-68 lead going into the fourth. Then, after a layup by Teague, Rose went off. So did Gibson, and the Bulls prevailed.

"The series is not over with," Smith said. "We have to go and play with a ton of energy on Thursday. We have to do a better job of keeping Derrick Rose out of our paint. If we do that we should be coming back here to play a Game 7."

Notes: The Hawks went big again, with coach Larry Drew sticking with the lineup that helped them win Game 4. Jason Collins starting at center, Horford at power forward and Smith at small forward, with Marvin Williams in a reserve role. ... Keith Bogans, who sprained his right ankle in Game 4, scored 11 for Chicago after being limited to free throws at the morning shootaround. ... Boozer finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls.



NBA Draft: Who is the number two player in the draft? Poll

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If the Cavaliers have the second pick in the draft, who should they select?

Jimmer Fredette.JPGBrigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (32).

The NBA will conduct the NBA Lottery on May 17, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have the second best chance of coming away with the top pick.

So lets play it safe and say the Cavaliers get the second pick in the draft. And assuming that Duke guard Kyrie Irving is the first overall pick, which player should the Cavaliers' select as their first choice?

 








John Hay girls, Glenville boys triumph at City Championship

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're looking for Carmen Banks-Priester Wednesday, you might find her playing in the dirt around John Hay High School with blueprints and a shovel. For four years, the Hornets girls track coach drove past the sign outside Collinwood's athletic complex proclaiming how many Jesse Owens City Championships the Railroaders had won in a row and...

Collinwood’s Tayshauna Williams, right, hands off to Brittini Bowen in the girls 4x100 relay race in the Jesse Owens City Championship on Tuesday at Collinwood. - (Lynn Ischay / The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're looking for Carmen Banks-Priester Wednesday, you might find her playing in the dirt around John Hay High School with blueprints and a shovel.

For four years, the Hornets girls track coach drove past the sign outside Collinwood's athletic complex proclaiming how many Jesse Owens City Championships the Railroaders had won in a row and cringed.

"I look at that billboard all the time," Banks-Priester said. "I was like, 'I'd like to have one of those. I'd like to start my own streak here.'"

She can start plans now, as her Hornets stopped a 17-year run by Collinwood at the Senate schools event with a team win Tuesday.

John Hay excelled with distance sensation Brittany Bucey winning the 1,600, 3,200 and 4x800. The Hornets did it despite practices occurring in the hallways and around the city block due to the fact the school doesn't have a track.

Most importantly, John Hay did it with Chanitta Westbrooks shelved for most of the day. While Westbrooks won the 100-meter dash, the senior took the rest of the meet off to preserve her knees, which have patellar tendinitis.

"We came a long way, especially with our star athlete out," Banks-Priester said. "They get an A-plus. I knew they could do it. Now, they've proved to themselves they can."

The school also won 4x100 and 4x400 relays run by freshmen and sophomores -- events that were scored when they usually are not counted.

John Hay scored 161 points to outdistance John F. Kennedy by 48 with just six victories.

The rest of the points came from athletes such as Ogechi Onyeukwu, who finished second in the 4x400 and 400 and third in the 200 and long jump.

"We came in here and were like, 'What are we going to do without Chanitta?' She's a big part of our team, but this team is all heart," Bucey said. "We knew we could win."

While Collinwood saw a streak snapped that dates back to 1994, the defending state champions are still very much a player in this year's team race, according to coach Greg Morrow. The school picked up wins by Jasmine Lett in the 100 hurdles and Brittini Brown in the 200, while adding firsts in the 4x100 and 4x400. It added up to a fourth-place finish behind John Hay, JFK and Martin Luther King.

On the boys side, Glenville is a school with great expectations. A third-place finisher at state last year, the Tarblooders rolled through the Jesse Owens.

Shane Wynn (4x100, 4x200, 4x400), V'Angelo Bentley (4x100, 4x200, 4x400), Quincy Downing (400, 4x200, 4x440), DeAnthony Riggs (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and Jacquez Riggs (4x200, 4x400) all won multiple events as Glenville topped second-place finisher Rhodes, 202-66. The Tarblooders won nine events to notch at least their 13th Jesse Owens meet title in a row.

"We've been getting stronger and stronger," Wynn said. "There are a couple things to clean up, but we've got a shot at a state championship."

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

Cleveland Indians A.M. Links: No scoreboard watching; down on the farm; game stories

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No scoreboard watching for the Tribe.

Cleveland Indians beat White Sox, 7-4Cleveland Indians Shin-Soo Choo gets congrats from manager Manny Acta.

The Cleveland Indians have had the best record in the American League for over a month but that doesn't mean it's time to coast or even watch which teams are behind you.

MLB.com reporter Jordan Bastian writes despite all of the Tribe's success, it becomes more tempting for a first-place team to monitor the scoreboard.

Yes, scoreboard watching. It's totally nature to look at the scoreboard for scores, but manager Manny Acta says it's not intentional.

"You can't help it, to scoreboard watch," Acta said. "You know why? Because it's in every wall now in the stadiums. Times have changed. Before, they were in just a corner or you had to look in the paper. 

And Acta knows it's way too early to start checking out which team's are chasing you, because the chase hasn't even started yet.

"It's kind of early to do that kind of stuff," Acta said. "I'm sorry. I don't even know who's leading the league in hitting right now. To me, it's too early for me to start looking at all that kind of stuff. I concentrate on my team, the team that I'm playing and the matchups."


Down on the farm

Here's what Ohio.com has to say about what's going on with the Tribe in the minors:

Zach McAllister (6-0, 3.00 ERA) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, striking out eight, as Columbus defeated Charlotte 5-2 in Class AAA. Jason Donald homered, singled and drove in one run, and Travis Buck singled and had two RBI. . . . Mike Rayl (4-0, 2.29 ERA) gave up two runs, six hits and struck out eight in five innings, as Lake County beat Lansing 9-5 in Class A. Carlos Moncrier had three singles and a double, and Anthony Gallas had three singles, raising his average to .355. Alex Monsalve homered.

Game stories

Ohio.com: Indians struggle but win.

Cleveland.com: Indians defeat Tampa.

MLB.com: Indians walk away with the victory.

The News-Herald: Walking tall.

TBO.com: Indians top Rays.

 

Talk Indians with Paul Hoynes today at noon

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Just how much credit does Manny Acta deserve in the way this team has played so far this season? What will happen in the rotation once Mitch Talbot is ready to return? Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball.

hoynes-headshot.jpgPaul Hoynes answers your Indians questions on Wednesdays at noon.

Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball.

Just how much credit does Manny Acta deserve in the way this team has played so far this season? What will happen in the rotation once Mitch Talbot is ready to return?

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



Jimmie Johnson is No. 1 most influential athlete

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Jimmie Johnson is the most influential athlete.

johnson-nascar-ap-mug.jpgJimmie Johnson

No matter how popular the NFL is, or even how popular many believe the NBA has been over the years, neither one compares to the rise in popularity of Nascar.

The sport is so popular that Nascar's Jimmie Johnson is rated the No. 1 most influential athlete of the year by Forbes.com.

He's also appealing to many fans because he seems to be just like them--the guy next door who just happens to double as the best driver on the Nascar circuit. 

The list also includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., who certainly is charismatic, and Jeff Gordon, join Johnson in the top 10 in third and eighth place, respectively.

The list includes:

1. Jimmie Johnson (Nascar)

2. Tom Brady (NFL)

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Nascar) 

4. Shaquille O'Neal (NBA)

5. Michael Phelps (swimming)

6. Troy Polamalu (NFL)

7. Peyton Manning (NFL)

8. Jeff Gordon (Nascar)

9. LeBron James (NBA)

10. Tim Tebow (NFL)

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