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Jacob Peterson helps Sporting Kansas City beat Columbus Crew, 2-0

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Kansas City (11-5-3) took the lead in the sixth minute when Peterson Joseph split the defense with a pass to Peterson, who beat goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum for the 1-0 lead. Bunbury got the second goal in the 82nd minute off a counterattack.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jacob Peterson and Teal Bunbury scored, and Sporting Kansas City beat the Columbus Crew 2-0 on Saturday to grab sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Kansas City (11-5-3) took the lead in the sixth minute when Peterson Joseph split the defense with a pass to Peterson, who beat goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum for the 1-0 lead. Bunbury got the second goal in the 82nd minute off a counterattack.

"We were talking right before the game about making that run and how maybe we could have some success," Peterson said. "It was a great ball. All I had to do was slip it in. It was all predicated on (Joseph). I had the easy part."

Kansas City's defense handled the struggling Crew (6-7-4), who have dropped three of four.

"It was hard for them to break us down and they were a little frustrated," Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said. "We scored a great goal early on.

"Whenever you play away from home the big thing you have to realize is the pressure is on the other team to drive the game. You know they've got to entertain their home fans. We played solidly defensively. We didn't give much away."

Jimmy Nielsen made four saves for his eighth shutout of the season. He got help in the 48th minute when Justin Meram's header went off the crossbar.

"We had momentum. We had chances," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "You have to score."


The Olympic path of U.S. wrestler Tervel Dlagnev paved with faith and passion

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On July 27, Tervel Dlagnev will represent not just the United States, but also the notion that the American dream is what you make it. Watch video

dlagnev-wrestle-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeU.S. Olympic wrestler Tervel Dlagnev (atop Russia's Eduard Bazrov during a June match in New York City), who trains in Columbus, will arrive in London as one of the Games' more improbable stories. "[The Olympics] was not even dreamed about before," says Dlagnev's mother, Igrena. "Now it's a reality, and it's so amazing."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- He was pudgy, lazy, disrespectful and on the verge of flunking out of his Texas high school.

His parents let him make most of his own decisions, which was their way of letting him experience the freedoms they didn't have before fleeing then-communist Bulgaria. He swore like a drunken sailor. Teachers called home all the time to complain about his behavior.

On July 27, Tervel Dlagnev will march in the Opening Ceremonies of the XXX Olympiad in London, representing not just the United States, but also the notion that, as an immigrant, the American dream is what you make it, and the final product almost never is what you expect.

Some say wrestling saved him. Dlagnev says God did.

Regardless of the perspective, the shared view is of a transformation that continues to amaze his friends, family and the wrestling world. Dlagnev, who lives and trains in Columbus, is among the United States' best hopes for a wrestling gold medal. He is a three-time U.S. freestyle heavyweight champion and a 2009 world bronze medalist with an impressive international wrestling r sum .

He's also a caring man and doting husband who makes the cliche' "gentle giant" seem too harsh.

"Wrestling changed his life, basically," says his mother, Igrena. "It's like something unbelievable. [The Olympics] was not even dreamed about before. Now it's a reality, and it's so amazing. There are no athletes, ever, in our family. That's why it is so out of the blue."

"I am an American wrestler"

Igrena and Tervel's sister, Kassie, a high-school physics teacher, will join Tervel's wife, Kirsten, in London to watch him wrestle Aug. 11. His father will not. If Ivaylo Dlagnev sees Tervel compete, he will do so seated in front of a television, either at a veterans' shelter in Utah, where the family last knew of his whereabouts, or perhaps out of the country. Son has not spoken to father for four years, during which Tervel graduated from college, settled in Ohio, got married and got serious about becoming an Olympic champion.

The estrangement does not weigh heavily on Tervel Dlagnev. He says he wrestles not for his father, but for his heavenly Father, as well as his mother, his wife, and his country.

"I am an American wrestler," Dlagnev says proudly.

In a sport where career paths usually seem determined long before entering high school, Dlagnev never considered wrestling an option, let alone a future, until after he started shaving. Going out for the wrestling team as a high-school sophomore living in suburban Dallas was intended to be nothing more than a way to lose weight. It turned out to be so much more.

Now 6-0 and 265 pounds, Dlagnev is powerfully built with a V-shaped upper body and tree-trunk thighs, hairy arms and a thinning scalp. He looks the part of a heavyweight wrestler born in Eastern Europe. But he also has soft eyes and a gentle, quiet tone when talking about his family and friends. Dlagnev loves nothing better than to sink into his big, brown corner couch and watch "Slumdog Millionaire" because the love story gets him every time.

"The music is amazing, and it draws from a lot of different emotional pools," he says, reclining on the couch and surrounded by his -- not Kirsten's -- stuffed animal collection, the favorite of which is a pillowy pink pig he's had since college.

Smiling at this scene as he barges in through a sliding glass door is Tervel's teammate at the Ohio Regional Training Center, J.D. Bergman, who lives with Tervel and Kirsten in a three-bedroom condo in northern Columbus.

"I'm the Dupree in this relationship," Bergman says, referring to the movie "You, Me and Dupree" about a dependent third wheel. "Except Dupree was much more responsible. Tervel and Kirsten basically adopted a 26-year-old."

A frequent sparring partner at the ORTC, Bergman has a unique perspective on Dlagnev.

"He's one of the best husbands I've seen in action, and he's going to make an incredible dad," he says.

Adds Olympic teammate Jake Herbert, "If I could pick anybody for one of my sisters to marry, it would be him. Unfortunately, he's married to a great woman already. He's a kind-hearted gentleman who loves the sport of wrestling."

Improving in sport and faith

One of Dlagnev's core religious beliefs is that the husband is the leader of the household. Despite being an overwhelming physical presence, that does not translate into a dominant relationship at home, where his former college sweetheart recently quit her job as a nanny to devote more time to Tervel and Bergman. She cooks healthy meals and helps them focus on training [Bergman did not make the Olympic team].

"I feel like he pays a lot of attention and he really cares about knowing, 'Am I being a good husband? Am I giving you what you need? Am I leading you spiritually? Are there any areas I'm lacking as a husband?'" Kirsten says.

"He's never like, 'This is what I am. This is what you get.' He constantly wants to get better, not only in his wrestling, but being a husband and taking care of me. It can be hard with him gone all the time, but he makes sure I feel loved and taken care of. He's pretty amazing."

Dlagnev's approach to almost everything is fueled by an insatiable desire to get better. That's why he comes home from practices so exhausted he can barely stand and says to Kirsten, "I'm excited to go back tomorrow." Like most great athletes, he has realized that it's one thing to be coached, it's another to seek coaching. He applies that on and off the mat.

"No one wants to hear what they're doing wrong, but that's an area of my life where I feel God has really humbled and softened to where I don't mind constructive criticism if it can make be better," he says. "I love learning and improving and [being a husband] is one of the most important areas of my life where I need to improve.

"It's one thing to be disciplined, it's another thing to delighting in and seeking discipline that you know will improve you. I feel like I delight in my discipline in my wrestling. I love the process. I'm not loving being in the middle of a treadmill sprint. I love the process. I seek that effort and that delight."

Bergman says he's never seen someone revel so much in the daily grind of grueling workouts.

"It's all fun to him. He has a lot more fun going to wrestling practice day in and day out than anyone. He loves it. He's just drenched in the sport," Bergman says.

In terms of work ethic, there's little doubt where Dlagnev got that. Igrena often worked two jobs to support the family, and she worked her way up from a janitor at a dialysis center to a technician to a supervisor who oversees the equipment. Tervel describes his father as being an alcoholic and manic-depressive man who jumped on get-rich-quick schemes and was obsessed with money.

"My dad especially had this vision of coming here to live the American dream, but he didn't want to put forth the effort. He thought the American dream was given to you," he says. "My mom was the exact opposite. She kept her head down and put the work in. She's at the opposite end of that spectrum."

Igrena declined to talk about Tervel's father, other than to say she thinks he may have left the country.

"It's not [tough without him]," Tervel says. "I've had some interesting things happen in my life. My wife is like, 'How are you not messed up?' I'm kind of indifferent about it. We didn't have that good a relationship growing up. By the time it boiled over, I disliked talking to him. I don't really have that urge to want to talk to him as much. I pray for him. I wish him the best. I like hearing updates. I wouldn't mind talking to him, but it's not anything I think about."

Evolution of an Olympian

tervel-kristin-dlagnev.jpgView full size"I love learning and improving and [being a husband] is one of the most important areas of my life where I need to improve," says Tervel Dlagnev, with his wife, Kristin.

Dlagnev says his father was an atheist and the family didn't attend a church. Some high school teammates called him out for his constant swearing, which earned his respect, and they became friends. He started going to a Christian church. He also became a better student because he realized, after placing at the Texas state tournament as an inexperienced junior, he had a chance to wrestle in college. He brought home nearly all A's as a senior.

At the University of Nebraska-Kearney, Dlagnev says he met more teammates who were devout Christians, and his faith grew. Dlagnev and his mother both said he was fortunate to wrestle on high school and college teams with strong coaches who fostered family atmospheres.

He met Kirsten at a church in Kearney, and he was baptized.

"That's why I feel through wrestling, God revealed himself to me," he says. "That path he put me on to join the wrestling team and the wrestling community was the community that introduced me to God."

Dlagnev quickly rose through the collegiate and national ranks. He won NCAA Division II national titles in 2007 and 2008. He trained for a year at Northern Iowa and moved to Columbus in 2009 to train at the Ohio Regional Training Center with coach Lou Rosselli and world team member Tommy Rowlands. The ORTC pays an annual stipend of about $22,000. Dlagnev was third in the world in 2009, and fifth last year.

But as he improved, an issue he had with obsessive-compulsive disorder became much worse.

Dlagnev says he was never diagnosed and never sought medical treatment, but his symptoms were becoming more severe. He had tics and routines he would repeat dozens of times "until they felt right." Whether it was thrusting a hand upward every time he touched his face, or practicing a down-block wrestling maneuver, or performing an exaggerated sprawl on the bed at night, he would do those things over and over to the point of exhaustion or even injury.

A chiropractor told him the sprawling was damaging his spine. His warmups would last forever.

"My senior year, I didn't want to warm up for my national tournament. I had so many tics that I would exhaust myself. I was rational enough to know this is not helping, but I had such a discomfort if I didn't do it," he says.

He realized OCD and wrestling are counterintuitive. There's no time to dwell on a move until it "feels right." Every mistake and every successful move must quickly be forgotten as the match flows between a subtle chess match and a sudden flurry of attacks and counters. So, at a highly regarded New York Athletic Club international tournament after college, Dlagnev wrestled 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco, and Dlagnev decided to abandon all his routines and tics for one match.

His mind went into freak-out mode, but Dlagnev had the match of his life to that point and won.

"It proved you could perform without it," he says. "It's been freeing."

Tough challenges in London

Dlagnev says he has rid himself of the tics through determination and prayer. Kirsten says he has virtually no symptoms now, though Bergman says he still notices them from time to time.

Dlagnev does have one new vice -- magic. On the road, he'll watch card-trick videos, then teach himself tricks. He carries a deck everywhere, and as with wrestling, practices relentlessly. He performs for teammates, turning a four into an ace, and back to a four, with an undetectable slight of hand.

Of course, tricks and no tics won't win him a gold medal in London. Great wrestling will. Dlagnev looked sharp at the U.S. team trials, winning every period. But word out of Russia recently is that 6-7, gold-medal favorite Bilyal Makhov also had a great trials.

Dlagnev is 0-1 in his career against Makhov, a result Dlagnev dismisses because it was at a dual meet in Russia. He is 2-2 against another strong contender, Belarus' Aleksey Shemarov, who beat Makhov last year. Dlagnev also has wins over Mongolian standout Chuluunbat Jargalsaikhan, two-time Olympic champion Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Marid Mutalimov of Kazakhstan and two-time world bronze medalist Ioannis Arzoumanidis of Greece.

The U.S. has won just one wrestling gold medal in each of the last two Olympics, and team leaders quietly are hoping Dlagnev will help increase that total (world champ Jordan Burroughs is favored at 163 pounds). The U.S. hasn't had a heavyweight champ since Bruce Baumgartner in 1992.

The charismatic Burroughs is the face of the U.S. wrestling team. Dlagnev is its soul, held in high regard by his coaches and teammates. Bergman thinks Dlagnev could be a break-out star at the Olympics.

"He's not looking to be that, by any means," Bergman says, "but I think his character and how he is, and what kind of man he is, makes him a perfect candidate."

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Andrew Bynum to Cavaliers trade rumor fizzles as Dwight Howard watch drags on

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The Andrew Bynum trade to the Cavaliers rumor that got you all excited (or scared) last night looks to be fizzling before it even went mainstream.

Kendrick Perkins, Andrew BynumIs there really a mutual long-term interest between Andrew Bynum and the Cavaliers?

Cleveland -- The Andrew Bynum trade to the Cavaliers rumor that got you all excited (or scared) last night looks to be fizzling before it even went mainstream.

"High-ranking officials from several teams involved in Dwight Howard chase say all recent talks now dead. 'Cavs walked away again,' says one," Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico Tweeted this morning.

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal also wrote, "Nothing to these trade rumors involving #Cavs, Lakers and Magic, league source confirms. No merit to them at all."

Probasketballdraft reported, "A source with knowledge tells me proposed Magic-Lakers-Cavs trade has no legs. Teams have too many obstacles to overcome to pull it off now."

If you're joining the party late, Alex Kennedy of Hoops World sent Cleveland sports fans' Twitter feeds ablaze Saturday afternoon by reporting,

"The Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers have discussed a three-team deal that would send disgruntled superstar Dwight Howard to Los Angeles, according to sources close to the situation. The three teams have discussed a number of scenarios. While no trade is imminent, the talks are ongoing.

One scenario would send Howard to Los Angeles, Andrew Bynum to Cleveland and a package of picks and prospects to Orlando, according to sources."

Tommy Dee of TheKnicksBlog.com 'confirmed' that by Tweeting, "Ok so here we go. Source tells me #Magic back in the 3 way game. #Cavs back in along with, yes, the #Lakers."

However, The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer responded, "No FACTS to support rumors. #Cavs don't want Bynum for 1 year, do want picks. No indication of [Bynum signing an extension with the Cavs.] He and agent reportedly fishing in Alaska."

Still, the initial report inevitably led to "Crazy rumors circulating that #Cavs are embroiled in trade talks with Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Cavs would receive center Andrew Bynum from the Lakers. Cavs would possibly send Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson and picks to the Magic," as Bob Finan of the News-Herald wrote.

While Varejao fans here can breath a sigh a relief on this one, there's still the matter of the Cavaliers' reported interest in Luis Scola. ESPN's Marc Stein writes, "Hearing Cavs quietly made it known during Draft they'd listen to Varejao trade pitches. Gotta wonder: Would Scola make it easier to deal AV?"

As always, stay tuned.

Note: Luis Scola was awarded to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Browns have done what they can to upgrade offense through draft - Comment of the Day

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"I agree. Gordon, risk included, adds another level of interest to this year's draft. He does look to have extraordinary physical tools. By adding Richardson, Weeden, Schwartz and now Gordon, the Browns have seriously upgraded personnel on offense. We'll have lots more reasons to cheer this season." - floribob

trich.JPGView full sizeOne cleveland.com reader says the Browns have greatly improved the offense through the draft this offseason.
In response to the story Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' confidence, Josh Gordon's problem, the Cavaliers' decisions and Nick Hagadone dispute with the Tribe, cleveland.com reader floribob says the Browns have done a good job of improving the offense this offseason. This reader writes,

"I agree. Gordon, risk included, adds another level of interest to this year's draft. He does look to have extraordinary physical tools. By adding Richardson, Weeden, Schwartz and now Gordon, the Browns have seriously upgraded personnel on offense. We'll have lots more reasons to cheer this season."

To respond to floribob's comment, go here.

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

Cleveland Indians daily briefing: Time on turf is hard on unaccustomed Tribe players

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The Indians play seven-straight games on artificial turf on this road swing through Toronto and Tampa Bay.

Gallery preview

TORONTO -- After Sunday's game at Toronto, the Indians will be nearly halfway through their seven-game swing on artificial turf, and it can't come soon enough.

Tribe manager Manny Acta said he's never asked a player if he prefers not to play on turf -- it's part of the game, after all, to play on different surfaces -- but he knows that field players, especially, feel it.

"I wish I could rest some of the guys. It's hard on them," Acta said. "It does bother them a couple days later because they're not used to it."

The surface is not as absorbant as natural grass, and balls bounce higher. Saturday's combined 20-hit 11-9 loss to the Blue Jays featured two ground-rule doubles as the hits bounced off the outfield turf and into the stands.

Today's lineups:

Indians (45-42): RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), DH Travis Hafner (L), C Carlos Santana (S), CF Michael Brantley (L), 1B Casey Kotchman (L), LF Johnny Damon (L), 3B Jack Hannahan (L). RHP Derek Lowe (8-6, 4.43).

Blue Jays (44-44): 3B Brett Lawrie (R), CF Colby Rasmus (L), RF Jose Bautista (R), 1B Edwin Encarnacion (R), DH Adam Lind (L), SS Yunel Escobar (R), 2B Kelly Johnson (L), LF Ben Francisco (R), C J.P. Arencibia (R), RHP Carlos Villanueva (3-0, 3.05).

Umpires: H Alfonso Marquez, 1B Tom Hallion, 2B Brian O'Nora, 3B Chad Fairchild.
 
Indians vs. Villanueva: Hafner is 3-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Brantley is 2-for-5 and Hannahan is 2-for-4. Cabrera is 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.

Blue Jays vs. Lowe: Johnson is hitting .222 (4-for-18). Encarnacion is batting .167 (2-for-12) with two strikeouts and one home run.

Next: RHP Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.40) faces RHP Alex Cobb (4-5, 4.89) at 7:10 p.m. in Tampa Bay as the Tribe opens a four-game series against the Rays.

 


 

Hopefully Ubaldo Jimenez's last start is just a blip - Tribe Comment of the Day

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"I hope this is just a blip for Jimenez, but considering his inconsistency (to be kind) since being with the Tribe, I don't know how much he can be counted on. But I do like the spunk of the Tribe hitters. Their never say die attitude is the only thing that makes a shot at the playoffs even comprehensible." - rijo

ubaldo.JPGView full sizeHopefully Ubaldo's last start is just a blip and not him returning to his previous bad ways.
In response to the story Ubaldo Jimenez's awful third inning leads to Cleveland Indians' 11-9 loss to Toronto, cleveland.com reader rijo hopes Ubaldo is returning to pitching like he did earlier this year. This reader writes,

"I hope this is just a blip for Jimenez, but considering his inconsistency (to be kind) since being with the Tribe, I don't know how much he can be counted on. But I do like the spunk of the Tribe hitters. Their never say die attitude is the only thing that makes a shot at the playoffs even comprehensible."

To respond to rijo's comment, go here.

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

Cavaliers should keep Anderson Varejao the starting center next season - Comment of the Day

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"Let's Keep Andy V and see how we do in 2012-13. We need his hustle and veteran presence with the kids. Infuse that kind of work ethic in these guys that will last their entire career!" - pastorrick

andeerson.JPGView full sizeOne cleveland.com reader says Anderson Varejao should be the starting center next season.
In response to the story Andrew Bynum to Cavaliers trade rumor fizzles as Dwight Howard watch drags on, cleveland.com reader pastorrick says Anderson Varejao needs to be the Cavs' starting center. This reader writes,

"Let's Keep Andy V and see how we do in 2012-13. We need his hustle and veteran presence with the kids. Infuse that kind of work ethic in these guys that will last their entire career!"

To respond to pastorrick's comment, go here.

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

Joe Paterno statue staying on Penn State campus for now

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The statue of Joe Paterno will not be immediately removed, the Penn State Board of Trustees has decided. What do you think? Take our poll.

joe-paterno-statue.jpgThe statue of Joe Paterno will not be immediately removed, the Penn State Board of Trustees has decided. (AP Photo)

The Penn State Board of Trustees will not order the removal of Joe Paterno’s statue, at least not in the immediate future and maybe not ever, sources close to the trustees’ private discussions have told ESPN.com.

The trustees do not want to succumb to emotional outcries and media pressure to have the bronze statue taken down. They also are sensitive to the many alumni and students who hold on to adoration for the man who was a part of the program for 61 years.

Paterno’s role in the cover-up for convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky, as alleged in the Freeh Report this week, makes the statue for so many a painful and infuriating reminder of Paterno’s abject failure to protect the innocence of Sandusky’s victims.

“You can’t let people stampede you into making a rash decision,” a trustee told ESPN.com. “The statue represents the good that Joe did. It doesn’t represent the bad that he did.”

According to ESPN.com, some trustees believed the statue eventually would have to be torn down. However, most reached the consensus that it should remain standing for now. Some, sources said, insisted that it should never be removed.

“It has to stay up,” a trustee told the website. “We have to let a number of months pass, and we’ll address it again. But there is no way, no way. It’s just not coming down.”

Paterno’s contemporary, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, is among the most influential voices insisting the statue has no place on campus.

“You go to a Penn State football game and there’s 100,000 people down there and they see that statue and you know doggone well they’ll start talking about Sandusky,” Bowden told The Associated Press. “If it was me, I wouldn’t want to have it brought up every time I walked out on the field.”

Paterno, along with president Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz, knew of the 1998 investigation of Sandusky, the Freeh report claims. Paterno also dissuaded administrators from exposing Sandusky after he was seen raping a young boy in the shower in 2001, the internal investigation concluded.

At the same time, Paterno and his family donated more than $4 million to the university and coached hundreds of football players to victories achieved on and off the field. His 409 career wins is more than any coach in major college football—eclipsing the record held by the late Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson just before Sandusky was arrested.

On Saturday, the New York Times reported that in the same month Paterno testified before a grand jury, he began negotiating to amend his contract. He would be paid $5.5 million and his tenure would end at the conclusion of the 2011 season. His original contract had him coaching through the 2012 season. Paterno died Jan. 22 of this year.

The Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium is being closely guarded by security these days, with rumors abound that the campus police will tear down the statue in the dark of night.

Trustees chairwoman Karen Peetz acknowledged that the statue is a “very sensitive topic.” She said the decision would not fall solely on the board, either. The board fired Paterno over the phone in November, a move that resulted in outrage among the Penn State community.

This time, if and when the statue comes down, it will be after careful consideration. Nike didn’t wait, removing Paterno’s name from its child development center. On Saturday, the halo atop Paterno’s head on the Heister Street mural was painted over by an artist, ESPN.com reports. The Lasch Building locker rooms, where Sandusky committed many of his crimes, will eventually be renovated.

As for the statute, a permanent decision will be made in due time.

Said trustee Ken Frazier: “I think we have to take some time, some reflection and distance before making a decision on how we will think about Joe Paterno’s entire life and body of work.”

 


Cavs coach Scott laments loss of Irving with broken hand

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The Cavaliers are disappointed Kyrie Irving broke a bone in his right hand in practice on Saturday in Las Vegas, but expect him back in plenty of time for training camp

irving-color-dribble-cavs-gc.jpgCleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, shown driving against the New York Knicks, broke a bone in his right hand on Saturday in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott summarized his reaction to Kyrie Irving's broken hand in one word.

"Damn,'' Scott said, laughing. "Is that official enough for you?''

Irving, the Cavs leading scorer last season and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, broke a bone on the outside of his right hand after slapping some wall padding in the wake of a turnover during the team's summer-league practice on Saturday morning at Spring Valley High School. He has returned to Cleveland and told reporters he needed surgery and would be out six to eight weeks but back in time for training camp.

Now rookies Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller will make their summer league debuts against Charlotte Sunday evening without their floor leader.

"It just really alters all the plans we had this summer as far as summer league was concerned with him and Dion getting a chance to jell with Tyler and those guys,'' Scott said. "That was Plan A. We didn't have a Plan B going into this because you just never imagine that happening. Obviously very unfortunate, not only for us but for Kyrie. All the work that he's put in. He was pretty hurt by it. But he'll be ready for training camp and hopefully a couple of weeks before training camp where we can get him out there and get him playing with some of the guys anyway before we get started.

"Obviously it's a blow to us because it was something we really looked forward to, getting these young guys together for an extended period of time so they can kind of jell. All the stuff that we didn't have a chance to do last year with summer league and before training camp and in September when guys start coming back to town, those were the things we were looking forward to.''

Scott admitted that if there ever was a good time for an injury, it might be now, since Irving has plenty of time to heal. But even after Irving dealt with a toe injury in college, a concussion and a right shoulder sprain as a rookie last year, Scott said he was not worried about the young guard being injury prone.

"No,'' the coach said. "That was just something stupid on his part. I didn't see him initially hit the thing, but I saw when he came down the court he was kind of holding his hand. I said, 'What did you do?' The first thing he said was, 'Something stupid.' So he knew right away it was something he shouldn't have done _ just a little anger at not making a pass or the pass wasn't completed. He was upset with himself and he took it out on the wall. The wall won, obviously. Injury prone? That's nothing I'm thinking about right now.''

Not much news: The Cavs have been quiet about guard/forward Kelenna Azubuike, obtained from Dallas in the trade that brought Zeller to the Cavs as the No. 17 pick in the 2012 draft.

As of Sunday, Scott really wasn't sure about Azubuike's health and/or conditioning, although he said he thought the player was healthy. Asked whether he might help the Cavs, Scott said, "That's undetermined. I've got to see him on the court. If he's healthy, from what I saw in the past, he can play. He could help us. But right now, it's two or three years later with a couple of surgeries, so I've got to see him on the basketball court.''

Azubuike, 28, was undrafted out of Kentucky, although he did take part in the Cavs training camp in 2005-06. He has played a total of 208 NBA games with Golden State and Dallas, averaging 10.5 points, 4 rebounds and 1.1 assists, but has played just 12 NBA games the past two seasons after tearing the patella in his left knee on Nov. 14, 2009.

One bad inning for Derek Lowe means 3-0 loss to Toronto for Cleveland Indians

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Tribe strike out eight times to Blue Jays starter Carlos Villanueva while getting shut out.

Derek Lowe; Carlos Santana;Cleveland Indians pitcher Derek Lowe talks with catcher Carlos Santana during third inning of a baseball game in Toronto Sunday, July 15, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim)

TORONTO -- Whether it's a trend or a blip has yet to be determined. Either way, Derek Lowe's third inning and the Indians' 3-0 loss to Toronto on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre were bad omens for Cleveland.

Lowe had just one bad inning, but it was enough to undo the Tribe and start his second half of the season in the same way he began last year's disastrous last half -- with a loss.

Lowe walked three and allowed three singles in the third inning as J.P. Arencibia and Colby Rasmus each earned RBI before Lowe stopped the bleeding with a strikeout.

Last season, Lowe ended the second half of the year with Atlanta going 4-10, including five straight losses in September. His first game after the break then was a loss, too.

Meanwhile, Blue Jays right-hander Carlos Villanueva confounded Tribe batters over six innings in the former reliever's third start of the season. Villenaueva struck out eight and allowed just three hits.

The loss marked the Indians' third in the past four games -- signaling either the start of another trend or just a couple bad games yet to be determined.

Hoping the Indians still make a move for a right-handed bat - Comment of the Day

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"Still hoping the Tribe can make a trade for an established right-handed bat. Seems like we could still use some help with the left field position. We have a shot at the division, I think, but we have to get lucky with the Tigers and White Sox not getting too hot." - cleveinnyc

alfonso.JPGView full sizeIs Alfonso Soriano the answer for the Tribe's quest for the AL Central title?
In response to the story Are the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs likely trade partners? Hey, Hoynsie!, cleveland.com reader cleveinnyc hopes the Tribe finds a right-handed bat. This reader writes,

"Still hoping the Tribe can make a trade for an established right-handed bat. Seems like we could still use some help with the left field position. We have a shot at the division, I think, but we have to get lucky with the Tigers and White Sox not getting too hot."

To respond to cleveinnyc's comment, go here.

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

Cleveland Browns show urgency in drafting of Josh Gordon: Bud Shaw

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Some Browns fans are impatient with the team's build-through-the-draft philosophy but at least the selection of Josh Gordon qualifies as pushing the accelerator, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

gordon-running-baylor-ap.jpgThe Browns spent a second-round draft pick from the 2013 draft to acquire former Baylor receiver Josh Gordon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New Browns' wide receiver Josh Gordon is the highest selection in the NFL supplemental draft since Tony Hollings in 2003.

If that name doesn't sound familiar -- not Gordon, Hollings -- how about "Superman" Hollings? That's what they called him at Georgia Tech, in part because he wore the tattoo on his left biceps.

Still no?

Maybe it's because he's flown way under the radar for quite some time now, having suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2009 after a hardly-talked-about trade from the Dresden Monarchs to the Berlin Adler. His NFL totals: 49 carries, 149 yards.

That fun and totally beside-the-point fact is brought to you by those who believe the second-round selection of a receiver who didn't play last year after marijuana issues in college is more evidence the Browns are in panic mode after failing to land receivers in free agency or high up in the April draft.

You can say a lot of things about this rebuilding project under Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert. That it's plodding. That two rather important lynchpins -- QB and head coach -- aren't yet established. But calling the architects "panicked" isn't one of them.

If anything, what the Browns have done is bet boldly on their own talent evaluation. They've done this in a number of ways and pretty much continually since April.

They've done it at the expense of free agency. By moving to secure Trent Richardson in the draft and then by taking Brandon Weeden early after losing out on Baylor wideout Kendall Wright. The Gordon pick, despite all the legitimate questions it raises, falls right in line.

So what we have is consistency of approach. And some sense of urgency. Not free agent urgency. The Browns don't believe in it. But relative urgency, which is welcome in any form.

Gordon will cost the Browns a second-round pick in 2013. Which means they're laying money in support of Holmgren's prediction of a much-improved team (and he doesn't mean something paltry like 6-10, remember?) this season.

It's hard to see how they'll be significantly better record-wise, given their schedule and the number of rookies expected to play major roles. Gordon adds to the list of newbies counted on to match up with the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals in the AFC North.

So the Browns obviously must think Gordon is a high second-round or first-round talent because they'll lose a Top 40 pick -- maybe 35 -- if they have the kind of season many expect of them. Is he Justin Blackmon? Is he A.J. Green? Julio Jones?

Hey, for the sake of the people of this town who are so heavily invested financially and emotionally in what has been an unfulfilling one-way relationship, let's start small and hope he doesn't plateau at Brian Robiskie.

The move raised eyebrows nationally, in part because of Gordon's off-field issues. Here, it's been widely embraced.

Why? For some good reasons and some not-so-valid ones.

Because it answers a crying need, with Browns fans doing most of the crying.

Because Gordon is a big, physical receiver who could become part of an imposing tandem with Greg Little.

Because it pushes the accelerator and surrounds a soon-to-be-29-year-old quarterback with another weapon. Gordon isn't likely to become for Weeden what A.J. Green became for Andy Dalton this year. But the Browns believe he has that potential, so why wait until next April to add to the posse?

Because they finally did something.

Because, ultimately, Heckert has provided enough reason to trust his judgment.

That's not to say he's hit on everything he's done. Just that he's the chief evaluator of a brain trust that has boldly bet on Weeden's arm and -- by grabbing Gordon -- followed that up by accelerating the build-a-contender-through-the-draft philosophy.

As intriguing as the Richardson pick is, the NFL is still a passing league. Weeden's arm strength and accuracy will be needed to make Richardson go. Without it, every defense in the AFC North can commit enough run defenders to make life a slog for Richardson.

With Weeden's arm and a receiver capable of scaring the secondary, Richardson can be all he can be.

For all the risks inherent in Gordon's selection, anyone subjected to watching the Browns' offense in recent years can't help but applaud even the possibility of high reward.

The Browns didn't have to land Superman for it to work out. In fact, better they didn't this one time.

How to make football safer for kids: Drs. Oz and Roizen

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Turns out, most football head injuries happen in practice from smaller, more repetitive hits. And it's why the medical advisers at Pop Warner -- the largest youth football organization in the U.S. with more than 425,000 kids -- introduced a rule to limit contact drills to a third of practice time.

DRSOZROIZENLOGO.JPGDr. Michael Roizen, right, and Dr. Mehmet Oz

My 12-year-old son wants to play football very badly, and for a long time I was dead set against it because of possible head injury. Now all his friends at school are getting into football, and I hear that they are making rules changes to avoid head injuries. Is it safe yet?

There's no doctor in North America who'd say football is risk-free, but you have to weigh the risks and rewards.

In March, we talked about how to make soccer safer by instituting a "no header" rule for kids' leagues. That reduces, but does not eliminate, the cumulative effect of many small head traumas on developing brains. Turns out, most football head injuries happen in practice from smaller, more repetitive hits. And it's why the medical advisers at Pop Warner -- the largest youth football organization in the U.S. with more than 425,000 kids -- introduced a rule to limit contact drills to a third of practice time. They're also banning full-speed contact drills between players more than 3 yards apart.

These new rules are a step in the right direction and will help change football's head-banging culture from the bottom up. But you need to actively work with the coaches to make sure they limit contact drills and use the best and latest protective equipment. (There's a mouth guard called the Jaw-Joint Protector that provides extra protection against concussions.) And be sure that after age 5, you give kids 200 milligrams a day of DHA omega-3. DHA is the key fat that builds and repairs brain tissue.

Health tip of the week: Be smart about diagnostic scans

Every day, 19,500 CT (computed tomography) scans are performed in the United States. From 2005 to 2007, more than 70 percent of American adults were zapped. CT scans typically give you the radiation of 75 chest X-rays. We now believe that around 29,000 future cases of cancer will result from the 72 million scans done in 2007 alone.

In addition to CTs, there are other scans to avoid if not necessary: PET scans, dental X-rays, virtual colonoscopies and more.

So what can you do? A new Institute of Medicine report says eliminating unnecessary CT scans lowers a woman's risk of breast cancer. The American College of Radiology and the American Academy of Family Physicians advise people to be equally cautious about scans for headaches or lower back pain.

We say be a smart consumer of scans. While CT and other X-rays can be life-saving and make earlier diagnosis possible, always ask:

• Is this scan necessary? (Ask three times!) Could a different test with less radiation provide the needed information for my diagnosis? And could a different test be as useful in determining how my condition is treated?

• Is the scan set to use the lowest dose necessary for results?

• Can I wait to see a specialist first?

Dr. Michael Roizen is chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and co-founder and chairman of the RealAge Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Mehmet Oz is a professor and vice chairman of surgery at Columbia University, as well as medical director of the Integrated Medicine Center and director of the Heart Institute at New York Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center. To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to RealAge.com.

cleveland.com MLB Power Rankings: Tribe falls to No. 15 as the Reds crack Top 5

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The Cleveland Indians fall three spots to No. 15 as the Cincinnati Reds crack the Top 5 in the cleveland.com MLB Power Rankings.

cleveland.com's Glenn Moore will reveal his Major League Baseball power rankings every Monday.

cleveland.com MLB Power Rankings:


AX116_6F87_9.JPGView full sizeJoey Votto and the Reds crack the Top 5 of the cleveland.com MLB Power Rankings with a sweep over the weekend.
1. New York Yankees (54-34), same: The Yankees failed to sweep the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend in New York, winning two-of-three.

2. Texas Rangers (54-35), same: Matt Harrison tossed a five-hitter for his 12th victory yesterday against the Seattle Mariners.

3. Washington Nationals (51-35), same: The Nationals took two-of-three against the Miami Marlins over the weekend and started the second half strong.

4. Cincinnati Reds (50-38), up two: The Reds stay hot as they have won six in a row after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals.

5. San Francisco Giants (49-40), up two: Matt Cain wasn't as dominant as he was when he pitched the first perfect game in Giants history against the Astros on July 13, but did pitch well enough to complete the three-game sweep.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates (49-39), down two: A.J. Burnett's nine-game winning streak ended yesterday in a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

7. Los Angeles Angels (49-40), down two: Ernesto Frieri had the first runs scored against him since joining the Angels yesterday in a loss to the Yankees, a span of 26 1/3 innings.

8. Chicago White Sox (49-39), up one: Chris Sale won his eighth straight decision and is now unbeaten since May 12. He stands at 11-2 for the season.

9. Atlanta Braves (49-39), up one: The Braves got a quality start from Ben Sheets, who hadn't pitched in over two years, in a win over the Mets yesterday.

10. Los Angeles Dodgers (48-42), down two: The Dodgers have lost four of their last ten and sit 1.5 games back of the Giants for first place in the NL West.
AX235_2D79_9.JPGView full sizePrince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers had a great week, moving up in the rankings and Fielder won the HR Derby.

11. Detroit Tigers (46-43), up five: The Tigers seem to finally have it together, winning seven of their last ten games, after taking their weekend series against the Orioles.


12. Tampa Bay Rays (46-43), up one: The Rays lost their series against the Red Sox over the weekend.

13. Baltimore Orioles (46-42), up two: The Orioles sit eight games back of the Yankees, but still are a contender for a wild-card spot.

14. Boston Red Sox (45-44), up three: Josh Beckett is 5-0 over his last eight games against the Rays and stopped a personal six-start winless streak with a win yesterday.

15. Cleveland Indians (45-43), down three: The Tribe fell to third place in the AL Central after losing two-of-three to the Blue Jays in Toronto over the weekend.

16. New York Mets (46-43), down five: The Mets got swept by the Atlanta Braves over the weekend and have fallen to third place.

17. Oakland A's (46-43), up two: The A's had a great weekend in Minnesota, taking all three games from the Twins. Yoenis Cespedes had his first four-hit game of his career.

18. Toronto Blue Jays (45-44), same: The Blue Jays sit one game over .500 but still stand in the basemen to the AL East.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (46-43), down five: The Cardinals ran into a very hot Reds team over the weekend, losing all three games.

20. Miami Marlins (42-46), up one: The Marlins were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position yesterday in a loss to the Nationals.
AX019_381A_9.JPGView full sizeThe Diamondbacks can't seem to get ahead of the .500 mark after getting swept over the weekend.

21. Arizona Diamondbacks (42-46), down one: Arizona has lost seven of ten after getting swept by the Cubs over the weekend.

22. Milwaukee Brewers (40-45), same: Yovani Gallardo stuck out a career-high 14 in seven innings yesterday against the Pirates and the Brewers sit eight games back of the Reds.


23. Kansas City Royals (38-49), up one: Kansas City can't seem to climb in the standings and have lost three of ten games.

24. Philadelphia Phillies (39-51), up two: Winners of two straight, the Phillies still sit in last place in the NL East though.

25. Seattle Mariners (37-53), down two: The Mariners didn't score a run in their loss yesterday to the Rangers and are 17-27 at home this season.

26. Minnesota Twins (36-52), down one: The Twins have lost five straight and are 13 games back of the White Sox in the AL Central.

27. Chicago Cubs (36-52), up one: The Cubs have turned their season around, having won seven of ten and have won four in a row.

28. San Diego Padres (36-54), up one: The Padres took two of three against the Dodgers over the weekend while Chase Headley homered for the second straight game.

29. Colorado Rockies (34-54), down two: Former Indian Drew Pomeranz went five innings and allowed five runs in a loss to the Phillies yesterday. He is now 1-4 on the year.

30. Houston Astros (33-56), same: The Giants took care of the Astros over the weekend and Houston has now lost nine of ten.

Overrated and underrated Browns players, Michael Brantley hot and Dion Waiters' first game: Blog Roundup

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Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians. Featured today are the Stepien Rules, Wahoo's On First and Bleacher Report.

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians.


AX122_4C9B_9.JPGSeneca Wallace: overrated?
Cleveland Browns


Andrea Hangst over at Bleacher Report takes a look at one underrated and overrated player on the Browns.
"Overrated: QB Seneca Wallace


That's not all that impressive, and it doesn't make anyone feel all that confident that if Weeden should be sidelined for any reason that Wallace would likely be the No. 2 behind him this year.


At this point in Wallace's career, him simply having a job somewhere, even as a backup quarterback, makes him overrated. All he has in his favor is the support of Holmgren and little else.


The Browns know that they can trade McCoy to another team for value, but there's no chance of them doing so with Wallace, which has much to do with McCoy not likely lasting in Cleveland past training camp.


That's a shame, because it's far scarier to consider the prospect of Wallace starting a game this year than to think of McCoy potentially doing so. Maybe Wallace has a bigger arm (his longest pass last season went for 76 yards, while McCoy's longest was 56), and neither had impressive yards per attempt last year (5.3 for Wallace to McCoy's 5.9), but McCoy still averaged more yards per game than Wallace by over 100."

AX052_26E5_9.JPGMichael Brantley has been hot at the plate lately.
Cleveland Indians


Merritt Rohlfing of Wahoo's On First previews the Tribe's series with the Rays and talks about Michael Brantley's hot streak.
"Speaking of the Indians offense, about the only remarkable thing to look at following that Jays series is Michael Brantley. He’s hitting .302/.350/.437 right now, and over his last ten games boasts a .417 batting average with three homers and more walks than strikeouts. Granted, he’s always been good at making contact, but right now he’s driving the ball with authority to all fields.


Brantley has always had the look of a major league player and has done enough at the plate to warrant a consistent starting job, but there are those among us who believed him to be a superstar in the making. Maybe some of us made comparisons in our head to Roberto Clemente, so what. However long this holds up, he’s nice to be able to count on down there in the batting order (that 22 game hitting streak was pure Brantley, though a .322 BABIP this year isn’t much above his career .309). With him hitting the way he has, this Indians offense can keep coming at you. Now, only if Santana would do something sooner or later."

AX127_53D2_9.JPGHow did you think Dion Waiters performed last night?
Cleveland Cavaliers


Brendan Bowers at Stepien Rules writes about Dion Waiters' first summer league game in Las Vegas.
"Just prior to tip-off against Charlotte, I set the over/under on total points for Dion Waiters at 12.5 on Twitter. It's Summer League, guys don't really score like they do in real games. There's four ten minute quarters, teams substitute freely, guys don't go for thirty all that often. People tweeted at me with 14 over picks. Way over, most people said, but Waiters finished just under with 10 points on the game. If Cavs fans are disappointed by that performance though, they're making a mistake. He was right around where he should be getting into double figures. He missed some shots he'd like to get back, but the important thing is how uber-aggressive he was from the jump. He came out firing, and that's what I hoped to see more than anything else from Waiters. The timeout he called at the end wasn't good, but the shot he hit just before it was clutch. All those other shots he missed last night will eventually fall."

Have a post that you think should be featured in our daily Blog Roundup? Email the link here. You can also follow Glenn on Twitter.


Cleveland Browns sign supplemental pick Josh Gordon to four-year deal

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The Browns signed receiver Josh Gordon to a four-year deal worth $5.3 million, including $3.8 million guaranteed.

gordon-baylor-vert-ap.jpgThe Browns signed Josh Gordon to a four-year deal worth $5.3 million, including $3.8 million guaranteed.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns receiver Josh Gordon, eager to catch up with his fellow rookies, signed a four-year contract just four days after the Browns picked him in the second round of Thursday's supplemental draft.

The deal is worth $5.3 million, $3.8 million guaranteed.

The signing leaves No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson and No. 22 overall pick Brandon Weeden as the Browns' only unsigned draft picks, but General Manager Tom Heckert said last week that he expects both to be in training camp on time.

Rookies report July 24 and take the field the next day. Veterans report July 26 and also practice the next morning, but the first session open to the public in Berea is July 28 from 8:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Gordon played one full season at Baylor in 2010, catching 42 passes for 714 yards and tying Kendall Wright with a team-high seven touchdown. He was suspended indefinitely in July 2011 after failing his second marijuana test at the school, and transferred to Utah, where he had to sit out last season because of NCAA transfer rules.

Heckert said last week that Gordon (6-3, 224 pounds) has the makings of a No. 1 receiver and that he qualifies as an elite wideout. Art Briles, his coach at Baylor, told The Plain Dealer that Gordon definitely would have been a first-round pick this year had he played in 2011.

Gordon, who will challenge for a starting job opposite Greg Little, said he feels he will be ready to start this season if the Browns want him to.

In other Browns' contract news, Monday's 4 p.m. deadline passed without the Browns signing franchised kicker Phil Dawson to a multiyear deal. It means Dawson, heading into his 14th season with the Browns, will play out the year under the franchise tender for the second straight season, this time at $3.81 million. The two sides can revisit a long-term deal after the season.

Heckert said in March that he wanted to wrap up Dawson for the long haul, and Dawson said at minicamp last month that he wanted to finish his career here.

"I'd like to, I really would," Dawson said then. "I'm not thinking about my career being over at this point, but it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to go play somewhere else.

"We'll see what happens. Like I've told you guys before, I'm not very good at predicting the future, but I'm just gonna go to work like I always do and hope that things get worked out."

Dawson still has his sights on Lou Groza's 45-year-old team record of 1,349 points. He currently has 1,155.

Don't be too quick to judge Dion Waiters - Cavs Comment of the Day

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"I wonder how many people posting about Waiter after his first game in the summer, were the same ones putting Irving down after his first NBA game. I remember people saying we should have take D. Williams and saying he did not show anything. I would not read anything into this game at all. These guys are not even in any kind of shape yet." - rome

AX185_4E6D_9.JPGView full sizeOne cleveland.com reader states that fans shouldn't judge Dion Waiters after only one summer league game.
In response to the story Cavaliers lose summer league opener, 68-64, to Bobcats, cleveland.com reader rome says fans shouldn't judge to conclusions about Dion Waiters after one game. This reader writes,

"I wonder how many people posting about Waiter after his first game in the summer, were the same ones putting Irving down after his first NBA game. I remember people saying we should have take D. Williams and saying he did not show anything. I would not read anything into this game at all. These guys are not even in any kind of shape yet."

To respond to rome's comment, go here.

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

Bud Shaw tells 92.3 The Fan that he is not worried about Kyrie Irving's injury

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Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw joined Bull and Fox on WKRK FM/92.3 The Fan this afternoon to Indians, Browns and Cavaliers.

bud-shaw.jpgBud Shaw
Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw joined Bull and Fox on WKRK FM/92.3 The Fan this afternoon to Indians, Browns and Cavaliers.

Bud talked about Kyrie Irving’s injury in NBA summer league action, if Kyrie can be considered injury-prone, his thoughts on the Andrew Bynum rumors from the past weekend, the Browns’ selection of wide receiver Josh Gordon, the need to get Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson signed, the Indians’ struggles, Penn State reaction and more.

Each weekday, Plain Dealer reporters and writers will share their insights on sports topics on The Fan. You can also catch their views on SB TV on the Starting Blocks blog.

Tribe should gun for a wild card spot, not division title - Comment of the Day

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"I don't think the Indians can win the Central, but the wild card race could get interesting with two wild card teams this year. If the season ended, today the Angels and Orioles would be the wild card teams. The Indians are 1 game out. After the first wild card team, it's a toss up for the last spot." - TexasTribe

AX245_054C_9.JPGView full sizeOne cleveland.com reader says the Tribe should forget about the division title and concentrate on getting one of the wild card spots.
In response to the story Indians offense misses opportunities in 3-0 loss to Toronto Blue Jays: Indians Insider, cleveland.com reader TexasTribe says the Indians should go for a wild card spot, not division title. This reader writes,

"I don't think the Indians can win the Central, but the wild card race could get interesting with two wild card teams this year. If the season ended, today the Angels and Orioles would be the wild card teams. The Indians are 1 game out. After the first wild card team, it's a toss up for the last spot."

To respond to TexasTribe's comment, go here.

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

Indians at Rays: Twitter updates and game preview

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The Tribe look to get on the winning track as they start a four-game series in Tampa Bay tonight against the Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Terry Pluto, @terrypluto.

The Tribe look to get on the winning track as they start a four-game series in Tampa Bay tonight against the Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Terry Pluto @terrypluto or click here for a live game box score. You can also download our Cleveland Indians app for Android to get Tribe updates on your mobile device. Read on for a game preview.

Note: Hit reload for latest Tweets


AX117_018C_9.JPGView full sizeThe Indians and Rays start a four-game series tonight in Tampa Bay.
(AP) -- The Cleveland Indians' Zach McAllister was in line for a third straight win earlier this month before running into trouble in his final inning against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The rookie right-hander will try for a better outing in his second consecutive start against the Rays on Monday night, while Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb seeks to build off a win in Cleveland just before the All-Star break.

McAllister (3-1, 3.40 ERA) yielded one hit over his first five innings while helping Cleveland build a 5-0 lead over Tampa Bay on July 8. However, he was unable to make it through the sixth.

McAllister gave up four unearned runs and three hits while recording two outs in the sixth, and did not get a decision in an eventual 7-6 loss. Desmond Jennings and Luke Scott each hit two-run doubles off him.

"It's part of the game," McAllister told the team's website. "As a pitcher, you want to pick up your guys, get outs, and not let the runs score. I was not able to do that."

He'll try again for that third straight win in the opener of a four-game series at Tropicana Field and will pitch opposite Cobb (4-5, 4.89), who had a solid outing against Cleveland following a difficult stretch.

The Rays right-hander gave up three runs and six hits over six innings during a 10-3 victory July 6 after going 1-5 with a 5.77 ERA in his six previous starts.

"It's nice to know my stuff will work against them," Cobb told the team's website. "They're going to make adjustments, and you've got to adjust back to that. Every outing, it depends on you. It depends on if your stuff is working, if you can execute your pitches. If you can do that most of the game, you should be fine."

Cobb will try to help Tampa Bay recover after losing two of three at home to Boston in its return from the All-Star break. The Rays (46-43) have alternated wins and losses over their last six games and split four in Cleveland to end the first half.

The Indians (45-43), meanwhile, are 2-4 in their last six after dropping their final two games in Toronto over the weekend. They were limited to five hits in a 3-0 loss in Sunday's series finale, their 11th defeat in 16 road games.

Cleveland's chances of ending those woes don't appear promising as it's dropped 10 of 12 at Tropicana Field and lost two of three in the lone visit last season.

Michael Brantley will try to help his team produce a better result while adding to a 12-game hit streak. The outfielder, batting .460 with 10 RBIs during that run, was 7 for 14 in the four-game set against the Rays.

A 3 for 4 performance in the series finale was the first of his four consecutive multihit games. Brantley is 11 for 15 (.733) over that stretch but went 0 for 2 against Cobb on July 6.

The series will mark the return of Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman to Tampa Bay. The two players contributed to the Rays' third playoff berth in four years in 2011.

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