Quantcast
Channel: Cleveland Sports News
Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live

Sure, New York can get the NFL's best, but the reasons aren't all that Super: Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

0
0

Bud Shaw addresses the 2014 Super Bowl in New York, Phil Jackson's coaching future and more in his Spin column.

super-bowl-ny-fans-ap.jpgSure, these are happy New Yorkers after Tuesday's announcement that the 2014 Super Bowl was awarded to the new East Rutherford, N.J. stadium shared by the Jets and Giants. But it's not like any casual fans -- even those in mighty Manhattan -- are going to be able to afford the tickets. Bud ShawCLEVELAND, Ohio -- In sports, the spin cycle just never seems to end.

Plus, this will lift the spirits of the tired, the poor, the huddled masses of Wall Street bankers.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a big proponent of the NFL choosing New York-New Jersey as the site of its first cold weather, outdoor Super Bowl in 2014."It's New York," Kraft told a gaggle of reporters at the owners' spring meetings. "It's unique. It's what I suggested a few years back when we discussed it -- a New York Super Bowl would be more symbolic of our resilience and recovery from 9/11."

Take that, Al Qaeda. Thirteen years later.

There's more where that came from.

If somebody in another cold weather city spends a billion-six or so on another football stadium any time soon -- and holding a Super Bowl there can match the financial bonanza of staging one in New York -- the NFL will step right up and send another tough message to those who would harm America.

By Kraft's definition, Major League Baseball made a similar statement not only at home but to the global community when the Yankees bought yet another World Series last season.

Try us, Taliban. Go ahead. Make our day.

And if the Knicks or Nets sign LeBron James, the NBA should follow Kraft's lead and soothe the pain felt here by framing it in patriotic terms.

I can hear David Stern now:

"Sorry, Cavs fans, but I think I speak for every American when I say we cannot let the terrorists win."

nyc-blizzard-ap.jpgWe'll be right back with the opening kickoff ... as soon as the teams can escape their Times Square hotel rooms.According to Kraft, though, a Super Bowl outdoors in New York isn't all about coming back from a catastrophe that happened in 2001. It's about coming back from a more recent economic crisis, too.

"Then you take what these owners [with the Giants and Jets] put into this, all they've endured with the economy while they got this stadium going, and it's just the right thing to do," he said.

True enough, nobody you or I know has felt the economic pain of the recession more than owners of sports teams.

That's something everyone can rally around.

What does L.A. have that we don't -- other than good weather, the Pacific, Jeanie Buss...

Phil Jackson said no to the idea of coaching in Chicago next year. But he laughingly said when asked about the Nets that he wouldn't mind having a vodka with new team owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

The English to English translation: L.A. owner Jerry Buss would like Jackson to take a pay cut from the $12 million he makes this season. Jackson knows Jerry Reinsdorf isn't going to pay that in Chicago. Prokhorov spends that much on a week's supply of Beluga caviar.

Jackson has no intention of going to New Jersey, either. He's just tweaking Buss.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who might happily pay Jackson $12 million if it meant keeping James, will probably make a run at the Lakers head coach. But he shouldn't get his hopes up.

Have you seen this poor guy walk? Washington's men at Valley Forge looked like "Dancing With The Stars" candidates by comparison.

Jackson is not coming to this climate. Not at his age.

Not with his resume. He doesn't need it.

There's zero chance.

I've been wrong once before, though I can't remember what it was about.

Here's my hedge. I'm saying that if he takes the job, it'll be a historic first.

The first time somebody coached an entire NBA season via "Skype."

SPINOFFS

packer-fans-ap.jpgC'mon, is the NFL really saying that Green Bay isn't ... equipped ... to handle the excitement of a Super Bowl? Really?It's nice of Jackson to spend some time coaching in the Western Conference finals in and around entertaining questions about his future...

To the argument that an outdoor Super Bowl could be "memorable," I'd say so was the Blizzard of 1978. But I wouldn't pay to watch it...

Doesn't the NFL know that baseball has cornered the market on putting its crown jewel, the World Series, on display in inclement weather?

Now that the cold-weather outdoor Super Bowl barrier has been broken, Packers fans are clamoring for the event to come to Lambeau Field. ... With Green Bay's shortage of hotel rooms, there's not enough No Doz in the world to keep that many people awake through a week's worth of festivities...

The Suns' Grant Hill voiced his opinion that Mike Krzyzewski won't leave Duke to coach the Cavaliers next season. I agree. Krzyzewski is one of those rock-solid low-ego people who knows who he is ... damn him.

Why, as a native of Philadelphia, did I know the story was about a fan at a Phillies, Eagles, Flyers or Sixers game as soon as I saw the headline on an Internet site: "Vomit Man Admits He Threw Up on Cop, Kid..."

Bingo. Phillies...

Diego Maradona, Argentina's coach, says he will run naked through the center of Buenos Aires if his country wins the World Cup. Argentina is a power. It's not as if he coaches Vatican City. It sounds as he's looking a little too forward to getting naked in public...

YOU SAID IT

"Bud:

"If LeBron James turns down New Jersey's offer, will Mikhail Prokhorov change their name to the Nyets?" -- Pat

Don't know. My best sources are closer to the Knicks. And last I heard, Spike Lee has scheduled a July 1 surgery to have himself grafted to LeBron's pant leg.

"Bud:

"Has the giant LeBron portrait downtown been replaced by a mural of Colt McCoy yet?" -- Tom H.

They are still working on it: "Not born here, not raised here, stays on the bench here" doesn't have much of a ring to it.

"Bud:

"If the Indians' afternoon game last Thursday had been played at night, would Luis Valbuena have been bothered on ground balls by moon glare?" -- Lloyd

Usually ball park lights are more of a problem at night, but Valbuena did recently report losing one grounder in the faint glow of the orbiting space station.

"Hey Bud:

"Here's two separated-at-birth for ya. Casey Blake/Woody Harrelson and Eric Wedge/Jane Curtin." -- Jacque

Any chance you live in a state that has legalized marijuana?

"Hi Bud:

"Will LeBron start wearing one of Jim Thome's 'This Time We Get The Ring' T-shirts?" -- Chuck

Since Thome never played for the Yankees, LeBron is said to be unfamiliar with the name.

"Bud:

"Any insight you can offer into the big decision over which the city is holding its breath? Where does a guy in this town have to go to get his Brett Favre updates?" -- Wayne

First-time You Said It winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection. Repeat winners get a copy of Favre's "Favorite Retirement Speeches."


Could LeBron James pick the Knicks' next GM? New York Post

0
0

Not only has their been talk that LeBron James may have control on who his next coach will be, but now the New York Post writes that LeBron could decide the next New York Knicks general manager. In The Post article, Knicks team president Donnie Walsh plans to start compiling a list of GM candidates after the free-agent frenzy is over,...

lebron-dengjk.jpgLeBron James draws a foul on this drive. Not only has their been talk that LeBron James may have control on who his next coach will be, but now the New York Post writes that LeBron could decide the next New York Knicks general manager.


In The Post article, Knicks team president Donnie Walsh plans to start compiling a list of GM candidates after the free-agent frenzy is over, according to sources. 



Perhaps Walsh's episode in Paris 2½ weeks ago was a sign from the heavens he could use a traditional general manager, so he can travel on the road less often. According to a source close to Walsh, the 69-year-old's hip went out during the Euroleague Final Four as he struggled negotiating the bleachers at ancient Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.


Who knows what type of relationship has with former NBA star Chris Mullen, but Post reporter Marc Berman writes Mullen could be a candidate for the team's vacant general manager job.



 



Allan Houston, assistant to the president who will be a key recruiter this July (he's longtime friends with James' advisor, William Wesley), could be nearing a promotion. When Walsh hired Houston, he admitted he was grooming him to be a general manager.


  


Mike Brown speaks


Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown released a statement through the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Back-to-back letdowns in the postseason and his failure to lead the Cavaliers to an NBA title did Brown in.


News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes:



There are unconfirmed reports that Brown might interview with the New Jersey Nets. Nets general manager Rod Thorn hinted that Brown might be on the team’s short list of coaching candidates.

The Nets fired Kiki Vandeweghe after last season.

It’s one of six job openings around the league. Besides the Cavs and Nets, other vacancies are in Chicago, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta.

Will the Orlando Magic make history? Poll

0
0

The Magic have rallied and forced a Game 6 in Boston on Friday night. Do the Magic have the Celtics on the ropes?

boston celtics.jpgThe Celtics are not jumping for joy against the Orlando Magic.

The Boston Celtics looked unstoppable after they rallied and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second-round of the NBA playoffs.

The Celtics kept things going with three straight wins in the Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic.

Now the Magic have rallied and forced a Game 6 in Boston on Friday night. Do the Magic have the Celtics on the ropes?

 

Talk Indians with Paul Hoynes Thursday at noon

0
0

Get your questions ready and talk Indians baseball with The Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes in a live chat.

hoynes-headshot.jpgPaul Hoynes answers your questions in his weekly Tribe chats.Get your questions ready and talk Indians baseball with The Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes in a live chat today at noon. We'll touch on all the latest Indians news in this audio chat and take your questions from our chat room.


Jump in the chat room below and ask your Indians questions or just listen. Can't make the chat? An archive will be made available in mp3 format shortly after the chat's completion.

Cleveland.com chats require Java.

































































































Java is not enabled on your browser.


Ozzie Guillen taunts Cleveland with 'Bye-bye LeBron' message

0
0

White Sox manager sticks it to Cleveland in autographed baseball for fan at Progressive Field

ozzie-lebron-duo2.jpgChicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen will never bite his tongue ---- and in this case he won't hold back his pen ---- when he gave a fan his opinion on LeBron James and Cleveland's unlucky sports history.

On ChicagoBreakingSports.com, it was learned that before he was ejected during the second inning of the Indians' 5-4 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday, Guillen had some fun with an Indians fan.

Guillen signed a baseball with these messages:

"Bye Bye Lebron!! LOL"

"When are you going to win anything in sports? Please"
 

Looking back at playoff fears; Danny Ferry's future; and wondering if Browns need a veteran wide receiver

0
0

Cleveland sports bloggers are discussing the Cavaliers coaching search and the Browns' wide receivers.

Cavaliers lose to Celtics, 94-85View full sizeThe Cavaliers' second-round loss was a surprise, but there were signs that the postseason would be a rocky ride for the team before it even began.

Cavs: the blog put together a list of fears heading into the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Time to look back at which fears came true.

WaitingForNextYear wonders what effect LeBron James' decision to return will have on Danny Ferry.

LeBrowns Town asks the question: If Phil Jackson is No. 1 on the Wish-List, Who's No. 2?

Cleveland Frowns ranks the candidates to replace Mike Brown as Cavaliers' head coach.

Dawg Scooper doesn't think the Browns need to add a veteran wide receiver.

Cleveland Browns RFA running back Jerome Harrison joins OTAs despite not signing tender

0
0

Browns restricted free agent running back Jerome Harrison is participating in OTAs this week despite not signing his one-year tender yet.

Jerome HarrisonCleveland Browns running back Jerome Harrison is practicing despite not being under contract.CLEVELAND -- Browns running back Jerome Harrison, who rushed for 561 yards in the final three games of last season, has been participating in organized team activities this week despite not signing his one-year tender yet.

Harrison was absent today, the one day of the week open to the media, but was here the first two days of the session. Coach Eric Mangini said Harrison's absence today was unrelated to his contract situation.

Mangini said Harrison is the only unrestricted free agent participating. The absentees are Matt Roth, D'Qwell Jackson, Lawrence Vickers and Abe Elam.

"I think it's good for everyone to be here because it's the second round of install and it helps the player and it helps us for when we go to camp,'' said Mangini. "I'm glad Jerome is here and I expect him to be here next week.''

The Browns have added two other running backs to compete with Harrison this season. Peyton Hillis was acquired in the trade with Denver for Brady Quinn, and the Browns traded up to draft Tennessee's Montario Hardesty in the second-round.

The Browns have said Harrison and Hardesty can provide a good one-two punch in the backfield, with Hardesty being more of the power back.

Harrison skipped the first session of OTAs last week presumably because of his contract situation.    

Indians Comment of the Day: Fond memories of Omar Vizquel

0
0

"As you can see by my screen name, I am a big Omar fan. Nothing but class. I hope he goes into the Hall of Fame as an Indian when that time comes. I also hope he will return in some coaching capacity when his career is over." - omar13

omar-vizquel.jpgView full sizeOmar Vizquel is one of the most beloved players in Indians history.

In response to the story The passion play will never end for Omar Vizquel and his fans: Bill Livingston, cleveland.com reader omar13 won't forget Omar Vizquel's time in Cleveland any time soon. This reader writes,

As you can see by my screen name, I am a big Omar fan. Nothing but class. I hope he goes into the Hall of Fame as an Indian when that time comes. I also hope he will return in some coaching capacity when his career is over.

To respond to omar13's comment, go here.

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

LeBron James, Joe Johnson and Dwyane Wade will all talk before they sign

0
0

It doesn't look like Dwyane Wade will sign with the Chicago Bulls this summer. Wade, a native of Chicago, is not pleased how the organization treated Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. But wherever Wade signs, he says to The Chicago Tribune, he will first have a conversation with two other free agents.  Wade will talk with LeBron James and with Atlanta's Joe Johnson...

lebronwademjt.jpgLeBron James and Dwyane Wade will talk about their futures this summer. It doesn't look like Dwyane Wade will sign with the Chicago Bulls this summer. Wade, a native of Chicago, is not pleased how the organization treated Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

But wherever Wade signs, he says to The Chicago Tribune, he will first have a conversation with two other free agents. 

Wade will talk with LeBron James and with Atlanta's Joe Johnson about their plans for the future.

"(Free agency) has been three years coming," Wade said. "We've discussed it prematurely, at different times. (But) you don't know what guys are thinking and where they're going. I think we'll all sit down, and before one of us makes a decision, all of us will have spoken to each other and (listened to the) thinking.

"A lot of decisions (will be based on) what other players are willing to do and what other guys want to do. So it's not just a 'me' situation here. We all have to look and see what each other is thinking."

In the article, Wade said he wouldn't have a problem playing alongside another great player.

"I understand that you have to have a great team, a great supporting cast around you. That's all I want," he said. "My ego is not that big. … I just want to win."

Browns Comment of the Day: Mike Holmgren shouldn't have plans to coach

0
0

"I think Mike Holmgren is smart and experienced enough to know nobody in today's NFL can do it all. It's impossible to keep the big picture in mind while you're in the trenches coaching." - vbbrowns

holmtighthorizjg.jpgView full sizeSome fans think Mike Holmgren will end up coaching the Browns if Eric Mangini doesn't survive past this season.

In response to the story Mike Holmgren is the boss of the Cleveland Browns, and intends to keep it that way, cleveland.com reader vbbrowns doesn't think Mike Holmgren will coach this team any time soon. This reader writes,

I think Mike Holmgren is smart and experienced enough to know nobody in today's NFL can do it all. It's impossible to keep the big picture in mind while you're in the trenches coaching.

To respond to vbbrowns' comment, go here.

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

NBA referees gone wild; Bill Livingston votes for Omar Vizquel and Crystal Bowersox (Starting Blocks TV)

0
0

Livy says he thinks Omar Vizquel is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer; and that Bowersox should have won American Idol.

crystal-bowersox.jpgCrystal Bowersox: Robbed last night?Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. The show will post on weekday mornings. Today's video runs about six minutes (there are about 50 seconds of dead gray screen on the end; we're working on it!)


Today, hosts Branson Wright and Bill Lubinger:


• Talk about whether the Orlando Magic will come all the way back from a 3-0 deficit and win the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals. What do you think? Take the poll now posted on the Starting Blocks blog.


• Talk with Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston, who says the refs during last night's Celtics-Magic game did an awful job, and that there was no reason for Kendrick Perkins to receive a second technical foul in the game. He also comes out strongly in favor of Crystal Bowersox, who deserved to win American Idol.


SBTV will return Friday with Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff as the guest. Have a question you'd like to ask Dman about the Indians or the Cavs? Post it in the comments below and we'll pick the best ones to ask him during Friday's show.




Starting Blocks TV for Thursday, May 27, 2010

Beachwood boys tennis state qualifiers Mark Goldberg and Ricky Bortz featured in weekly Sidelines video

0
0

See a feature video with Beachwood tennis state qualifiers Mark Goldberg and Ricky Bortz, as well as their coach, Gregg Goldberg. Goldberg and Bortz won a Division II district doubles championship last weekend and will compete in the state meet starting Friday in Columbus. Sidelines with Mike Peticca 



See a feature video with Beachwood tennis state qualifiers Mark Goldberg and Ricky Bortz, as well as their coach, Gregg Goldberg. Goldberg and Bortz won a Division II district doubles championship last weekend and will compete in the state meet starting Friday in Columbus.

Sidelines with Mike Peticca
 

 


 

 

Cavaliers Comment of the Day: Good luck to Mike Brown

0
0

"Good luck to Coach Brown. I can understand that it is necessary to change direction, and the Cavs might need to try a new approach. But there is no doubt that Mike Brown is a top-tier coach and human being. I am sure he will have a very successful career." - wanderer13

Cavaliers soar over Rockets, 108-83View full sizeMike Brown was never able to lead the Cavaliers to a championship, but he still found much success during his tenure as Cavaliers head coach.

In response to the story There's appreciation, not anger, in Mike Brown's farewell comments to Cavs, Cleveland, cleveland.com reader wanderer13 appreciates what Mike Brown did for the Cavaliers and wishes him well. This reader writes,

Good luck to Coach Brown. I can understand that it is necessary to change direction, and the Cavs might need to try a new approach. But there is no doubt that Mike Brown is a top-tier coach and human being. I am sure he will have a very successful career.

To respond to wanderer13's comment, go here.

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

Poll: What school boasts the best "game-day tradition" in college football?

0
0

Poll: Some schools are synonymous with a mascot or its cheerleaders. "Dot the I" helps make Saturdays at The Horseshoe special. SportingNews.com ranks traditions from Nos. 1 to 10. What's your No. 1?


jack-nicklaus-dots-i.jpgGolf legend and Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus - standing between the 37- and 38-yard lines - "dotted the I" at an Ohio State home game in 2006.Bands, tailgating, student body cheers. Some things are common across college football.


Some schools, though, are identified with a signature tradition that make their Saturdays - or other days and nights based on the whims of ESPN - unique.


Dave Curtis and Matt Hayes each pick their top 10 "game-day traditions in college football" for SportingNews.com.


Both include the school that plays its home games in The Horseshoe off I-71. Neither mentions that school "up north."

Curtis writes, in part:



4. Yell Leaders, Texas A&M: I don't understand what they're saying or doing. I don't know where they get their energy. And they're certainly not stereotypical cheerleaders. But if I need energy in a stadium, I'm calling my guys in College Station.


5. Dotting the "I", Ohio State: Anything that prompts a sousaphone player to want to attend a specific school gets automatic entry into the top five. Bonus: For postseason games, fourth- and fifth-year OSU band members compete in a "dot-off" to see who draws the assignment.


And, writes Hayes:



3. Colorado's stampede: It's all about Ralphie. It takes all of 45 seconds or so for the big girl to thunder through Folsom Field and back into her cage. But it's an unforgettable, see-it-before-you-die moment . If you're lucky, it's dusk and your backdrop is the sun still barely creeping over the gorgeous Flatirons.


4. Ohio State's band: I challenge any true college football fan to go to Ohio Stadium, watch the spectacle that is TBDBITL, see Script Ohio and not get utterly jacked. End of story.





The LeBron-O-Meter: Obama thinks James would be a good fit for the Chicago Bulls

0
0

If the LeBron-O-Meter looks a little better today, it's owing to Barack Obama, Ozzie Guillen and Dwyane Wade

We're feeling a little better about things today, mostly because of what's coming out of Chicago.

First, the Windy City's most famous son, President Barack Obama, has weighed in on the subject in a way that can only hurt the Bulls' chances of landing the NBA's most sought-after free agent.

"I don't want to meddle," Obama told TNT, and then promptly did. He suggested that with a core team that includes Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, "you could see LeBron fitting in pretty well there."

The president's comments were hedged about with all sorts of qualifications, but we think he just jinxed the Bulls the way he did when he lobbied for the Olympics to come to Chicago.

An assist goes to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who showed his usual class in taunting Cleveland by marking up a baseball with the words, "Bye Bye Lebron, LOL!"

Dwyane Wade didn't do Chicago any favors either when he dissed the Bulls organization to the Chicago Tribune and then said he would get in LeBron's ear before either of them signed anywhere.

Finally, the Chicago Sun-Times raises the possibility that the Bulls might hire Mike Brown as coach. If that were to happen, we can hardly imagine LeBron following him.

Yes, in our way of thinking, when Chicago's mojo is reduced, Cleveland's increases in proportion.

Today, therefore, the threat level is reduced.

TODAY'S METER READING:
guessing2.gif

Yesterday's Meter Reading: Uh-oh.


LeBron James: Atlanta Hawks owner fined

0
0

The Associated Press   New York ---- Atlanta Hawks owner Michael Gearon has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for comments made about LeBron James' possible free agency this summer. Gearon's comments, which appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on May 19, were a violation of the NBA's anti-tampering rules, as James is still under contract with the Cleveland...

The Associated Press

 

lebron-on-bench.JPGAtlanta Hawks owner Michael Gearon has been fined $25,000 for comments made about LeBron James' possible free agency.New York ---- Atlanta Hawks owner Michael Gearon has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for comments made about LeBron James' possible free agency this summer.

Gearon's comments, which appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on May 19, were a violation of the NBA's anti-tampering rules, as James is still under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"If somebody came to us tomorrow and said you can have LeBron for max money and it puts you in the luxury tax, I'd do it in a heartbeat," Gearon said. "But am I going to do that for (Cavs center Zydrunas) Ilgauskas? Am I going to do it for Jermaine O'Neal? I don't think so."

The Hawks recently completed a season in which they were swept out of the conference semifinals by the Orlando Magic. One of Atlanta's best players, Joe Johnson, is scheduled to hit the free agent market on July 1.

Paul Hoynes talks Indians - Podcast

0
0

Hear Paul Hoynes' thoughts on the Tribe's recent play, next week's MLB draft and more.

hoynes-headshot.jpgPaul Hoynes fields your questions live every Thursday at noon. Hear Paul Hoynes' thoughts on the Tribe's recent play and more.

Among the topics discussed:

• Are Matt LaPorta's struggles still related to his offseason surgery?

• How do you expect the Indians to approach next week's draft?

• When will we see Michael Brantley with the Indians again?

• How much longer will this team stick with Justin Masterson in the rotation? If he goes back to the bullpen and becomes a right handed specialist, how does that reflect on the Victor Martinez deal?

• What are this team's options if they decide to make a move with Luis Valbuena?

Plus a whole lot more!

Click on play to listen or download an MP3 podcast version to listen on the go.

Desmond Howard, Cleveland St. Joseph High grad, and the late Pat Tillman elected to College Football Hall of Fame

0
0

Howard, after graduating in 1988 from St. Joseph (now Villa Angela-St. Joseph), was a wide receiver and kick returner at Michigan. He went on to win Super Bowl XXXI MVP honors with the champion Green Bay Packers. Arizona State's Tillman was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004.

desmond-howard.jpgMichigan's Desmond Howard (21) heads toward the end zone with lineman Matt Elliott (69) during the Wolverines' 24-21 victory at Notre Dame in 1991.New York – The late Pat Tillman and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard are among the 14 newly elected members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced its latest class Thursday at a news conference at the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in Manhattan.

Tillman played linebacker for Arizona State from 1994-97 and gave up an NFL career to enlist in the Army in 2002. He killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004.

Howard was a wide receiver for Michigan and won the Heisman 1991.

The newly elected Hall of Fame coaches are Barry Alvarez and Gene Stallings.

The other players in the new Hall class include Dennis Byrd of North Carolina State; Ronnie Caveness of Arkansas; Ray Childress of Texas A&M; Randy Cross of UCLA; Sam Cunningham of USC; Mark Herrmann of Purdue; Clarkston Hines of Duke; Chet Moeller of Navy; Jerry Stovall of LSU; and Alfred Williams of Colorado.

P.M. Cleveland Indians links: The bullies from Cleveland; Ozzie's Technicolor rant

0
0

Cleveland bullies dodge a gift win, and White Sox Guillen balks at nothing to harangue the ump who ran him and Mark Buehrle.

ozzie-guillen-joe-west.jpgOzzie Guillen can expect a visit from the Fine Fairy after unloading a postgame rant on umpire Joe West, who ejected him in the White Sox's 5-4 win over Cleveland Wednesday. West later ran Chicago starter Mark Buehrle out of the game after Buehrle's reaction to his second balk call.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Maybe the Indians should put some old comic books in the visitors clubhouse whenever the White Sox come calling. You know the kind, the ones with the "Charles-Atlas-can-make-you-a-he-man" ads on the inside back flap.

At least that might help allay some of the concerns expressed by Chicago Tribune writer Mark Gonzales in the wake of this recent series, even though the Pale Hose took two of three from the Tribe.

The White Sox can hold their own against bullies this season.

It's the weaklings that have kicked sand in their faces and made their performance more maddening.

"Chalk it up to the 2010 White Sox, I guess," said A.J. Pierzynski, one of several Sox players who weren't aware that the Sox were 14-14 against teams with records of .500 or better but 6-12 against teams with losing records.

Reliever Scott Linebrink said he and teammate John Danks discussed the dangers of playing young sub-.500 teams.

"Teams like these sometimes are the most dangerous," Linebrink said. "They've got nothing to lose. They're not playing for anything, and you can tell they're playing relaxed, swinging the bats -- I think the Indians, Orioles. Some teams already are packing it in. They've got some good young players and making the most of their opportunities, and that's a dangerous combination."

Starting Blocks has a confession: We're just a day away from a long weekend, so we've got nothing to lose. Just like the Tribe, we're relaxed, with nothing to play for.

Uh, except our job. Hel-LO!

Word
You knew it was going to be fun reading what manager Ozzie Guillen would be telling the Chicago papers after he and starting pitcher Mark Buehrle were ejected by umpire over a pair of admittedly questionable balks.

He didn't disappoint. The down side is that "balk" is about the only four-letter word in his diatribe Starting Blocks can use on a site that can be accessed by children. Accordingly, we'll substitute where necessary in the excerpt from Chicago Sun-Times writer Joe Cowley's account of Guillen's post-game rant.

After Buehrle's first balk, Guillen went out there to protect his pitcher and was tossed. An inning later, Buehrle – who has one of the more lethal pick-off moves in the game – was called for another balk by (umpire Joe) West, and after the lefty dropped his glove in disbelief of the call, he was tossed. Not before giving West a piece of his mind, and having to be restrained by coach Joey Cora and catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

The explanations from all parties afterwards?

Guillen on why West tossed him: "Because he's a (bleeping bleep), that's what he is. I just went out to ask him . . . I wasn't asking about the balk because you're not allowed, anytime you go out there to ask about balk or whatever. The thing I went out to ask him about was why he was embarrassing Buehrle. I'm not going out to argue about the balk because the rule, but I went out to ask him why he's embarrassing Buehrle and he give me one of this [dismissing him with his hands]. When you're a professional and you have to respect the managers, the way we're supposed to respect the umpires, they are supposed to respect back. . . . Sometimes he thinks (bleeping) people pay to watch him (bleeping) umpire. He's the type of guy that wants to control the game, it's good for the game, and to me one of the best umpires in the game, no doubt. But in the meanwhile, those years are on his shoulders and kind of heavy and showing people who he is. I deserve respect and the players here deserve respect here, too. When you tell the manager to get the (bleep) off the field, I don't think that's a good way to handle situations. No matter what you say, what you do, how long you talk here, Major League Baseball doesn't do (bleep) for anything. I'll be waiting for my fine, get 'em the next day."

Buehrle's side: "I did the same move the toss right before that and [West] didn't call a balk on it. I think he's too worried about promoting his CD ("Blue Cowboy"). and I think he likes seeing his name in the papers a little bit too much instead of worrying about the rules. I'd like to find out what he called a balk on me. Your knee can cross over the rubber. I know your foot can't and I didn't do that. I watched the replays trying to see what it was called a balk and I have still yet to see what I did."

And West on Guillen claiming the umpire was embarrassing Buehrle: "He didn't say that to me. I don't know what he's talking about. Ozzie came out because Buehrle was making gestures on the mound that could have got him kicked out so he was protecting Buehrle, that's all he was doing. I don't have a problem with that. . . . [Buehrle] threw his glove. There wasn't that much to it, was there?"

Guess (bleeping) not.

See ya
Given the Indians' history in the last few years, here's what Lewie Pollis does for bleacherreport.com: He writes a weekly account of which Tribe player is most likely to be dangled as trade bait.

This week's installment: pitcher Mitch Talbot, he of the 6-3 record and 3.73 ERA. Talbot is young – 26 right now – and as a rookie, working under an attractive (i.e. cheap) contract to any interested team, Pollis opined. And someone will be interested, just for those numbers. But it's not all sweetness and light. To Pollis, Talbot is as expendable as a PT boat.

(Consider that a Memorial Day weekend reference to the great John Wayne/Robert Montgomery war movie about PT boats, "They Were Expendable," which was aired by Turner Classic Movies last night and probably will show up three or four more times on various networks before the holiday is over.)

He isn't nearly as good as he looks.

His walk rate is ugly--3.6 BB/9--but his strikeout rate--also 3.6 K/9--is even worse.

You read that right. Talbot is just as likely to walk an opposing hitter as he is to strike him out. . . . So how does someone with a 5.23 FIP post an ERA a run-and-a-half lower? The answer lies in his Batting Average on Balls in Play.

If you've never heard of BABIP (also known as "hit rate,") it's exactly what it sounds like: the measure of how often opposing batters reach base when the ball is hit somewhere within the confines of the baseball diamond. It's calculated the same way as a pitcher's batting average-against, but doesn't include at-bats ending in strikeouts, walks, or home runs.

The league average hit rate is right around .300. . . . Talbot's current BABIP is .235. In other words, opposing hitters have been roughly 21 percent less likely to have their batted balls land for hits against Talbot than against other pitchers.

Now, I think there's merit to the argument that some pitchers have low hit rates because they are good at inducing weak contact. But no one is this good.

This kind of luck isn't unprecedented, but it's been eight years since any pitcher was able to sustain this kind of luck over a full season. In 2002, Braves southpaw Damian Moss overcame his poor peripherals (5.6 K/9, 4.5 BB/9) and found success (12-6, 3.42 ERA) thanks to a .234 BABIP.

Moss isn't someone you'd be proud to be compared to. In 2003, when his hit rate increased to a still-lucky .292 (so much for having the skill to induce weak contact), his ERA ballooned to a nauseating 5.16.

By May 2004 -- just 19 months after his superficial statistics made him look like an ace -- he was out of the majors for good.

Geez, until then, Starting Blocks thought Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke was the most pessimistic man on earth.

A little perspective

Scott Raab is a Cleveland-born writer. Grew up here and graduated from Cleveland State University. He writes for Esquire magazine, and has published his first book, "Real Hollywood Stories: Inside the Minds of 22 Celebrities, with one A-List Writer."

He's also a die-hard Tribe fan with a memory he'd just as soon purge. It involves a once-promising Indians first-baseman named Tony Horton, who hit 27 home runs for the Tribe in 1969 and wanted, but didn't get, a raise in 1970.

Raab, who will be 58 this year, spent most of his teenaged fan wrath on Horton. But Horton missed the pinnacle of Raab's heckling career. He was in a hospital bed, trying to recover from slitting his wrists after being pulled from the nightcap of a twi-night doubleheader in August 1970.

His essay, published on deadspin.com, is part of a collection called "Top of the Order: 25 Writers Pick Their Favorite Baseball Player of All Time."

One of the worst parts of being a devoted fan of any crappy team, in any sport, is the sense that you're truly only rooting for the laundry, that the players in the uniform bearing the name of your town don't care half as much as you do. Nor should they. They may be men playing a boy's game, but they're also men at work at a job defined by its naked difficulty. Their every act is literally numbered, and those numbers -- and, in a fan's eyes, the players themselves -- are public property. Ultimately, though, they owe us nothing beyond their best effort.

And us? I don't know that fans owe players much of anything. Then again, I'm from Cleveland: I've been suffering all my life. I always figured that since I bought my tickets with my mother's hard-earned money, I was entitled to do pretty much whatever I wanted at the games. And though I realize now how wrong I was, that's merely an intellectual construct that still gets swept away by the flood of feeling that defines my fandom. If you put me, Jose Mesa, and John Elway in a room with a loaded gun, I'm the only one who's walking out alive.

But I do know what I owe Tony Horton, who always gave the Indians his best and paid way too high a price:

I'm sorry, pal.

From The Plain Dealer
Dennis Manoloff covered Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the White Sox, and talked to manager Manny Acta afterwards. If baseball were to give out Homer Simpson D'oh! Awards, Acta would qualify for this one:

"It's disappointing because the game plan for every team, every day, is to get the other starter out and get to the guys in the middle," Acta said. "They're in the middle for a reason. You need to attack those guys. Buehrle was out of the game early and we couldn't take advantage. It came back to bite us."

D-man covered Jason Donald's continued emergence as shortstop for the Tribe in the Indians Insider column.

And finally, Bill Livingston talked to beloved former Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel to put his career in Cleveland in baseball into perspective.

Ohio State Comment of the Day: Not loving the night games

0
0

"Saturday night games are the worst! Don't get me wrong, I love watching football and I like watching it at night, but the last thing I want to do is spend my Saturday night in front of a TV. Why on earth are we playing a night game against Minnesota on Halloween?" - notkelsey26

Ohio State beats Penn State, 24-7.View full sizeOhio State has played some memorable night games, but some fans would rather they stick to the more traditional afternoon time slots.

In response to the story Ohio State football confirms kickoff times for six games, including three night games, cleveland.com reader notkelsey26 is not a fan of college football at night. This reader writes,

Saturday night games are the worst! Don't get me wrong, I love watching football and I like watching it at night, but the last thing I want to do is spend my Saturday night in front of a TV. Why on earth are we playing a night game against Minnesota on Halloween?

To respond to notkelsey26's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.
Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images