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Cleveland Browns Training Camp update: Day 11 - video

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Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot report on what happened during day 11 of training camp in Berea. They also look ahead to Saturdays game in Green Bay.

Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot report on what happened during day 11 of training camp in Berea. They also look ahead to Saturdays game.











Shaquille O'Neal, the "Big Shamrock," introduced at news conference as a new Boston Celtic

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Wearing a gray pinstriped suit with a black bow tie, O'Neal -- who played last season with the Cavaliers -- meets with reporters to talk about signing a two-year, minimum salary contract with Boston.

shaquille-oneal.jpgShaquille O'Neal at a news conference on Tuesday, when he was introduced as a new member of the Boston Celtics.

Shaquille O'Neal was sold on Boston by all the championships the Celtics have won -- and the chance to win another.

The 38-year-old big man was introduced at a news conference in Waltham, Mass. on Tuesday to an audience of about 50 reporters and a couple hundred kids participating in a basketball camp at the Celtics' practice facility.

"When I came into the league, I wanted to compete with Bill Russell for titles,'' O'Neal said, with Russell's 11 championship banners hanging above him at a news conference to mark O'Neal's signing with the Celtics. "That's not going to happen, but I'd like to almost get half of what he got.''

The future Hall of Famer signed a two-year deal for the veterans' minimum salary to have a chance to play with the defending Eastern Conference champions. O'Neal joins his sixth team and says he's searching for a fifth and sixth NBA championship before he retires.

Cavaliers season, and Diesel's career

O'Neal played last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired him last summer in a trade with the Phoenix Suns.

Missing the last month and a half because of a thumb injury suffered in a game against Boston, O'Neal played in 53 regular season games for the Cavaliers, averaging 12 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 blocked shots while shooting 57 percent and playing 23.4 minutes per game.

In 11 playoff games -- including the Cavaliers 4-2 Eastern Conference semifinal round series loss to the Celtics -- O'Neal averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game. He shot 52 percent, and averaged 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks.

O'Neal, an All-American at Louisiana State, was selected by the Orlando Magic with the first pick of the 1992 draft. He led the Magic to the Finals in 1995, then signed a year later with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, with O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won three straight titles, from 2000-02.

Traded to Miami after the 2003-04 season, O'Neal teamed with Dwyane Wade to lead the Heat to the 2006 championship.

Mr. Sharp Humor

O'Neal wore a gray suit with a black bow tie to Tuesday's press conference because he said he felt like he was joining an exclusive group and wanted to look sharp.

A crossover celebrity who has appeared in feature films and his own TV show, O'Neal joked about his new nickname -- the "Big Shamrock" -- his fear that his kids will develop a Boston accent and trying to beat new teammate Glen "Big Baby'' Davis in a chowder-eating contest.

But he was serious when he talked about his legacy.

"Do I have the same hunger? Yes. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here,'' O'Neal said. "I don't like wasting my time. I don't like wasting anybody's time. At the end of the day, when I close the book, it's all about winning.''

The news conference to introduce O'Neal wasn't the usual type for a backup, 38-year-old center who will be paid about $1.3 million a year. There were a dozen TV cameras, perhaps 50 reporters in all and a couple hundred beaming schoolchildren in the bleachers, taking a break from their basketball camp next door.

Also in the gym: Kevin Garnett, who promised O'Neal he would fly back from Hawaii to be there.

"To me this is a very exclusive event,'' said O'Neal, wearing a gray pinstriped suit with the black bow tie. "It's my last (introductory) press conference. I just wanted to be very, very sharp.''

The crowd was all there to see O'Neal the superstar, the former NBA MVP and four-time champion who is certain to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame down the road in Springfield whenever he decides he's had enough.

Different Shaq

But the O'Neal the Celtics have signed is a much different player than the one who accumulated those credentials. He now weighs around 345 pounds - he was 294 at LSU.

"I told him there won't be 30 minutes (for him) on this team; there will be 20-25,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I asked him if that would be OK, because that's the only way it's going to work.''

And it was OK with O'Neal, who hit the free agent market seeking a two-year deal worth a reported $8 million to $10 million a season. The Celtics expressed an interest - though not at that price - and general manager Danny Ainge moved on to pursue other options.

As the summer wore on, though, O'Neal came around. Ainge said O'Neal's agent called and said, "Shaq would like to play there, and he's willing to come on your terms.''

"I think Shaq's a guy who can still make a difference,'' Ainge told reporters in a conference call after the news conference. "When he was in his prime, he was considered one of the best who has ever played. Shaq coming to our team right now, our expectations won't be that. We expect him to contribute to our team and play a role off our bench.''

But that can be a major contribution for a team that is without center Kendrick Perkins for at least half the season while he recovers from the knee injury he sustained during Game 6 of the NBA finals. Backup Rasheed Wallace has said he will retire, though there is a chance the Celtics could do something with his contract.

Boston signed Jermaine O'Neal, another reclamation project, and then added his more illustrious namesake. There won't be a problem with playing time until Perkins returns.

"Shaq still can do things that no other big man can,'' Rivers said. "You need size to win. We think we filled that void pretty well today.''

The Celtics won their NBA-record 17th championship in 2008, then returned to the finals last year before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. While the Miami Heat have rebuilt around Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, the Celtics have largely brought back the core of last season's team, re-signing Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to keep them alongside Garnett and point guard Rajon Rondo.

"I realize I only have 730 days left in this game. I just wanted to be with a group of guys that like to win,'' O'Neal said. "This was a good team with or without me. I don't mind playing a role. I know where I am at this point in my career. It's about coming to a team that is one or two pieces from a championship.''

  

Lou 'The Toe' Groza's widow, Jackie, dies at age 81

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Jackie Groza, widow of Browns legend Lou "The Toe" Groza, has died at the age of 81.

jackie-groza-judd-groza-kathleen murphy-colan.JPGView full sizeJackie Groza, the widow of legendary Browns kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, died while in hospice care in Medina on Monday. Services are Friday. She is pictured with one of her sons, Judd, in a 2006 event.
Jackie Groza, the 81-year-old widow of Browns legend Lou "The Toe" Groza," died Monday in Medina, where she had been in hospice care.

Mrs. Groza and her husband were just months shy of their 50th anniversary at the time of his death at the age of 76 in 2000. The couple had four children: Jeff, Jill Schubert, Jon and Judd.

According to her obituary on cleveland.com, Mrs. Groza "was a proud resident of Berea" and a key supporter of her husband when he was with the Browns.

Services are open to the public and are set for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Church, 250 Kraft St., Berea, with burial to follow at Sunset Memorial Park. The family is receiving friends at A. Ripepi & Sons Funeral Home, 18149 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

 

Making adjustments to the 3-on-3 basketball game, Eric Flannery's Youth Olympic Games blog

RHP Mitch Talbot progressing toward start Saturday: Cleveland Indians briefing

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Right-hander Mitch Talbot is closing in on a return to Indians' rotation Saturday against Seattle.

mitch talbot.jpgView full sizeIndians starter Mitch Talbot has been on the disabled list since July 30, but is working his way back to the rotation.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Tribe hosts the Orioles tonight at Progressive Field.

Pitching matchup: RHP Justin Masterson (4-10, 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (3-3, 5.07).

Pregame notes: Indians right-hander Mitch Talbot, who has been on the disabled list since July 30 because of a mid-back strain, is on track to return to the rotation Saturday against Seattle.

Talbot threw 33 pitches in three innings Monday for the short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He then threw 17 pitches on the side.

The reports were good.

"If he goes through (Tuesday) feeling well, with no problems, he should be able to take his spot in the rotation Saturday,'' Tribe manager Manny Acta said.

Talbot is 8-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts of his rookie season. The back forced an early exit from a start against the Yankees on July 29.

At the moment, lefty David Huff (2-11, 6.21 ERA) is in line to pitch Saturday. Huff, who was roughed up by the Minnesota Twins last Sunday, led the Tribe with 11 victories last year. 

More injury updates: Lefty Aaron Laffey (shoulder fatigue)  threw a bullpen Tuesday. Acta said he anticipated Laffey will have another bullpen session in a couple of days.

The Indians are undecided whether Laffey, on the DL since July 23, will come back as a starter or reliever.

"The first thing is to get him healthy,'' Acta said.

Acta said designated hitter Travis Hafner (right shoulder inflammation) is feeling better and is a couple of days from swinging the bat. Hafner has been on the DL since Aug. 3.

"He'll need at least two good batting practices, then we'll decide if he needs to go out,'' Acta said. "One BP at a time.''

Staying hungry: The Indians have gone 13-11 since the All-Star break, all games coming against teams with winning records at the time. As the schedule gets easier on paper the next few weeks, Acta does not anticipate any let-up from the youngest 25-man roster in the majors.

"We have so many young guys trying to prove they belong,'' he said. "They know if somebody doesn't go hard, somebody else will be in there.''

They're in: The Indians have signed right-handers Cole Cook and Nate Striz, their fifth- and 22nd-round picks, respectively.

Cook is Cleveland's highest choice to sign. The signing deadline is midnight on Monday, Aug. 16.

Bird chirps: The Orioles own the worst record in the majors at 38-74 but have gone 6-1 under manager Buck Showalter. Three of Showalter's victories have resulted from walkoffs.

Tuesday's game will be Baltimore's first away from Camden Yards under Showalter. The Orioles are 14-40 on the road.

Baltimore is 18-46 at Progressive Field since the ballpark opened in 1994.

Lineups: Orioles (38-74) -- 1. Brian Roberts 2b; 2. Nick Markakis rf; 3. Ty Wigginton 3b; 4. Luke Scott 1b; 5. Adam Jones cf; 6. Felix Pie lf; 7. Matt Wieters c; 8. Corey Patterson dh; 9. Cesar Izturis ss; and Arrieta.

Indians (47-65) -- 1. Michael Brantley cf; 2. Asdrubal Cabrera ss; 3. Shin-Soo Choo rf; 4. Matt LaPorta 1b; 5. Jordan Brown dh; 6. Trevor Crowe lf; 7. Luis Valbuena 3b; 8. Jason Donald 2b; 9. Lou Marson c; and Masterson.

Umpires: P -- Tom Hallion; 1b -- Ron Kulpa; 2b -- Lance Barksdale; 3b -- Brian O'Nora.

 

Harness racing hits the track Wednesday at Cuyahoga County Fair

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Northfield Park and Thistledown won't have live racing Wednesday, but horse race fans can still watch the trotters and pacers go around and around -- and bet on them -- at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.

BEREA, Ohio -- Northfield Park and Thistledown won't have live racing Wednesday, but fans can still watch the trotters and pacers go around and around during the afternoon -- and bet on them -- at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.

The races on the half-mile track are dominated by the Buckeye Super Stakes for Ohio-bred two- and three-year-old fillies and colts. The eight stakes purses range from $3,680 to $5,880. Director Gail Royak of the Speed Department has also added a pair of Free-For-All Paces with $1,000 purses.

Post time for the first race is 4:30 p.m. The pari-mutuel machines have been upgraded this year, offering a pair of daily doubles and perfecta, quinella and trifecta wagering in addition to the traditional win, place and show betting.

Some fields are slim, with only a trio of two-year-old trotting fillies entered in the ninth race, and three in the eighth race, a two-year-old filly pace. Local harness fans will recognize the driving talent, with familiar faces in the sulky including Ryan Stahl, Dan Charlino, Wyatt Irvine, Kurt Sugg, Keith Kash and J. D. Wengerd.

There are some harness stars racing, especially among the three-year-olds. Jazz Spur has a 2:00.1 trotting victory at Northfield among his four wins this year, Justherighttouch has trotted to four wins in his last six starts. Shez Good Osborne in the sophomore filly pace has a 1:55.1 Northfield win.

In the three-year-old colt pace, Crusinfull Throttle has won five of 10 and a 1:54.4 Scioto Downs mile. At Daybreak won his last two and paced a 1:57.4 mile at Northfield.

National TV a largely Cavaliers-free zone as 2010-11 NBA schedule is released

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The television networks have spoken on their expectations for the Cavaliers. Without LeBron James, they don't seem to care very much.

UPDATED: 6:49 p.m.

scott.jpgView full sizeThe Byron Scott era will open Oct. 27 in a home game against the Boston Celtics. The NBA released its full 2010-11 schedule on Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With so many unanswered questions and undefined roles, what next season holds for the Cavaliers has mystery and intrigue. But the television networks have spoken on their expectations.

Without LeBron James, they don't seem to care very much.

As was expected, the Cavs were massively demoted from the national scene when the NBA's entire schedule was released on Tuesday. After averaging more than 30 national TV dates on ESPN and TNT over the last four years, the Cavs will have just two games on those networks this year. Their total national television guarantee is three games, with one game set for NBA TV.

For comparison sake, the lowly and annual bottom-dwelling Los Angeles Clippers were scheduled for 12 national television appearances based on excitement over the return of Blake Griffin from injury.

James' new team, the Miami Heat, are scheduled for 29 national TV games -- including James first game in Cleveland since leaving in free agency. As The Plain Dealer reported last week, it will be Dec. 2 at The Q.

With NBA TV's fan night voting, the Heat will likely hit the maximum number of national games at 34 as the Cavs did last season.

For the first time since 2005, the Cavs' season opener will not be on national TV as they host the Boston Celtics on Oct. 27.

The team's general schedule path follows the same routine it has for the last decade or so. The Cavs will have a heavy road schedule early in the season with 20 road games combined in December and January. Their longest trip will be five games in mid-January, when the arena is in use for Disney ice shows.

Then the schedule turns, as it did last year with a massive homestand in February. This year it will be eight games long, the longest since the 1994-95 season. Overall, the Cavs will play 19 of their last 30 games at The Q.

There are also 22 sets of back-to-backs on the schedule, up from 18 last year.

That is easy to explain, as the Cavs will only play two Thursday games all season after being largely tossed off TNT. The network has exclusive tights to Thursdays for most of the season. It will force the Cavs to play some extra Friday-Saturday back-to-backs, which actually may be appealing to some fans who would prefer to attend games on those nights.

Last season, the Cavs played on TNT on nine Thursdays and had just four Friday-Saturday back-to-backs. This year the schedule has several Friday-Saturday games, including four in the first five weeks.

In addition to Dec. 2, the Heat will visit Cleveland March 29. After opening night, the Celtics return Nov. 30. The rival Orlando Magic are in town Dec. 28 and March 21. The defending champion Lakers make their only visit on Feb. 16, the last game before the All-Star break.

Season ticket packages are on sale and multi-game ticket packages will be available starting next Tuesday. A date for single game tickets has not yet been announced, but it is usually closer to the start of the season.

McGrady works out: The Cavs recently worked out former All-Star Tracy McGrady but decided not to offer him a contract, multiple sources said. McGrady signed a one-year deal for the league minimum with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. McGrady was slowed last season, which he split between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, recovering from major knee surgery.

Varejao scratched: The Brazilian National team won its Super Four Tournament, a warmup tournament for the FIBA World Championship, over the weekend in Brasilia. But Cavs big man Anderson Varejao didn't play over concerns with his back.

Varejao suffered from back spasms on and off for the last six weeks of the Cavs' season and was limited in the playoff series with the Celtics because of the injury. According to a source, Brazil held Varejao out mostly as a precaution. Brazil is scheduled to start the World Championships in Turkey in two weeks.

Jose Constanza, called Class AAA's fastest base-runner, having fine season at Columbus: Minor league report

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Clippers outfielder Constanza, an International League all-star, got the distinction in a Baseball America survey of scouts and managers.

clippers-logo.jpg

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Tonight: Clippers (67-49) at Syracuse (59-56), doubleheader, 5:00. Clippers RHP Yohan Pino (8-6, 5.87) and LHP Jeremy Sowers (2-6, 6.20) vs. Chiefs RHP Andrew Kown (1-2, 2.52) and RHP Jordan Zimmerman (0-0, 0.00).

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's games, 3B Jared Goedert (.281) was in a 4-for-28 slump. Goedert had slugged 17 homers and 18 doubles in 221 at bats with the Clippers, after batting .325 with 14 doubles and seven homers in 163 at bats at Akron....Nine of the 13 position players on the Indians' active roster, and catcher Carlos Santana -- on the Tribe's disabled list -- have been regulars at some point this season for the Clippers. The 10 combined for 1,628 at bats with the Clippers, including 56 home runs....Catcher Richard Martinez was 4-for-11 with three doubles and five RBI in his last three games, after going 0-for-3 with an RBI in his first game with the Clippers after being promoted from Advanced A Kinston. Martinez hit .130 (21-for-161) at Kinston....2B Argenis Reyes was 6-for-11 with a double in his first three games as a Clipper....The Clippers were third in all of Minor League Baseball with an average home attendance of 8,736....In its annual "Best Tools" survey of managers and scouts, the minor league-focused publication, Baseball America, lists catcher Carlos Santana as the Class AAA-level "best batting prospect/power prospect." Santana began the season with the Clippers, was promoted to the Indians and is on the disabled list with a knee injury. Clippers OF Jose Constanza is considered the fastest base-runner. Catcher Lou Marson and OF Michael Brantley, both now with the Indians but having spent large portions of the season with Columbus, are also named: Marson, as the best defensive catcher; Brantley, having the best strike zone judgement. Clippers manager Mike Sarbaugh is considered a top big league manager prospect....Constanza, 26, bats and throws left-handed, and has never played in the major leagues. Signed by the Indians as an undrafted free agent in June, 2003, Constanza has limited power, but has 257 stolen bases in his minor league career. Going into Tuesday night's game, he was batting .303 and had swiped 28 bases (leading the International League) in 32 tries. He was named to the International League all-star team in July.

AA Akron Aeros

Tonight: Reading (55-58) at Aeros (58-55), 7:05. LH Yohan Flande (7-7, 4.49) vs. Aeros RHP Corey Kluber (0-1, 6.75).

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, RH reliever Omar Aguilar (2-4, five saves, 3.48) had struck out 62 and not given up a home run in 51 2/3 innings this season....2B Jason Kipnis (.330) was 13-for-34 (.382) with two doubles, two triples, one homer and seven RBI in his last seven games....OF Tim Fedroff (.275) was 10-for-29 (.345) with three doubles and a home run in his last eight games....RHP Alex White (6-6, 2.45), the Indians' first-round pick in the 2009 draft, might be tiring in this, his first professional season. He has lost his last two starts, giving up 11 runs on 15 hits in 10 innings. In his previous seven starts, White was 4-1 with a 1.03 ERA in 43 2/3 innings. White is a combined 8-9 with a 2.58 ERA at Akron and Kinston, striking out 104, walking 41 and holding batters to a .221 average in 132 1/3 innings.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Tonight: Indians (55-57) at Salem (64-48), 7:05. Indians RHP Joseph Gardner (9-5, 2.84) vs. Red Sox RHP Mark Holliman (2-0, 3.66).

Notes: LHP T.J. House (5-8, 3.62) is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA over 30 innings in his last four games, allowing just 14 hits, no home runs and five walks....Going into Tuesday night's game, RHP Cory Burns was 0-1 with 21 saves and a 1.88 ERA in 29 games, pitching 28 2/3 innings. Combined with his time at Lake County, Burns was 0-1 with 33 saves and a 2.03 ERA, striking out 64 and walking 13 in 44 1/3 innings, and allowing 35 hits -- just one home run....RH Matthew Langwell (4-2, three saves, 2.33) led the Carolina League with 12 holds. He had fanned 47 and walked 12 in 46 1/3 innings. Other than a July 5 outing when he allowed five earned runs in 1/3 inning, Langwell had a 1.37 ERA. In his last nine games, he had pitched 10 scoreless innings.

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Captains (64-48) at South Bend (47-63), 7:00. LHP Giovanni Soto (2-0, 1.64) vs. RHP Diogenes Rosario (4-6, 4.04).

Notes: RHP Brett Brach (4-6, 2.88) is 4-3 with a 2.05 ERA in his last 10 games, fanning 42 while allowing 11 walks and 52 hits in 61 1/3 innings....Going into Tuesday night's game, 1B Adam Abraham (.254) was 33-for-84 (.393) with seven doubles, six homers and 25 RBI in his last 21 games....Catcher Roberto Perez (.234) was 12-for-28 (.429) with four doubles, one triple, two homers, nine runs, eight RBI and six walks in his last eight games....2B Argenis Martinez (.215) was on a nine-game hitting streak, going 12-for-32 (.375) with one double, one triple, eight walks, six stolen bases, six runs and five RBI....CF Delvi Cid (.252) was 17-for-48 (.354) with two doubles, one homer, nine runs and eight RBI in his last 11 games.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Tonight: Scrappers (20-31) at Staten Island (23-24), 7:00. Scrappers RHP Jordan Cooper (2-3, 4.01) TBA.

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, 3B Giovanny Urshela (.301) was 18-for-40 (.450) with three home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI and nine runs in his last 10 games....1B Jesus Aguilar was 11-for-31 (.355) with four doubles, one homer and six RBI in his first nine games with the Scrappers....RHP Casey Gaynor (4-2, 4.25) was 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 10 relief appearances, pitching 23 innings and not allowing a home run....OF Carlos Moncrief (.241) is 14-for-27 (.519) with one double and one homer in his last seven games....RHP Alex Kaminsky (4-3, 2.15), RHP Owen Dew (1-2, 2.64) and 2B Dan DeGeorge (.257) were named to play in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game on Aug. 17 in Staten Island.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Tonight: Crushers (35-37) at Normal, Ill. (32-40), 8:00. Pitchers TBA.

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, RH relief pitcher Jeff Cinadr (4-1, three saves, 1.41) had allowed just 35 hits in 57 1/3 innings....RH starter Josh Roberts (7-3, 2.47) was second in the Frontier League in ERA, and RH starter Alberto Rolon (2-3, 2.76) was sixth....SS Jodam Rivera (.289) was on a six-game hitting streak, during which he was 9-for-22 (.409).


Scouting the Lake Erie League for the 2010 high school football season

Cleveland Browns training camp: Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy - video

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Colt McCoy, the Cleveland Browns quarterback drafted in the third-round of the 2010 draft, talks about making the transition to the NFL and what he is doing to learn a new offense.

Colt McCoy, the Cleveland Browns quarterback drafted in the third-round of the 2010 draft, talks about making the transition to the NFL and what he is doing to learn a new offense. He has two veteran quarterbacks to study under, Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace.










Canterbury honored for devotion to building junior golf: Northeast Ohio Golf Insider

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Two national magazines have singled out seven public courses and one private club in Northeast Ohio this month.

canterbury-ninth-cc.jpgView full sizePicturesque Canterbury has been a golf institution in Beachwood for generations, but it has drawn attention for its efforts to attract younger players to the game.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two national magazines have singled out seven public courses and one private club in Northeast Ohio this month.

Canterbury Golf Club is one of five national winners of Golf Digest's Junior Development Award, being cited for its growing junior program.

Golf Magazine listed seven area public courses among its top 15 in Ohio.

Canterbury, a former member of Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Courses list and the site of many high-profile championships, has restructured its thinking and the junior program has benefited.

Administrators say reduced initiation fees, easy payment methods and membership drives have attracted newer and younger members. And, they are bringing their children with them. Consequently, Canterbury, which traditionally has attracted some of the area's top amateurs, has one of the youngest membership rosters in the Greater Cleveland area.

Wednesday mornings are reserved for juniors and they play anywhere from one to 18 holes, depending on their age and skill level. There is a week-long golf camp and the club also offers teenagers the "Tweens" Camp. Qualified youngsters can earn a junior bag tag, which allows them to play unaccompanied at specific times. The best junior golfers make up the Junior Tour School and Junior Travel team. Parents of juniors are required to volunteer a certain number of days.

Professional Michael Kernicki estimates 50 to 60 juniors participate in the program at any given time.

Going public: While not in Northeast Ohio, Longaberger Golf Club, in Nashport, is listed as the 56th best public course in the nation to play by Golf Magazine. It also says Longaberger is the fifth-best bargain to play, even at twice the price of its $55-$99 greens fees.

As for the best public courses in Ohio, Concord's Little Mountain was ranked second behind Longaberger, followed by The Quarry in Canton (third), Stonewater in Highland Heights (fourth), Fowler's Mill in Chesterland (sixth), Windmill Lakes in Ravenna (10th), Boulder Creek in Streetsboro (13th) and Shale Creek in Medina (14th).

Longaberger, an Arthur Hills design, has various greens fees packages, ranging from $59 to $99. Pacific Dunes, located in Bandon, Ore., is ranked first on the national list. Its fees range from $75 to $275. It can cost you anywhere from $495 to $530 to play a round at second-ranked Pebble Beach.

Calling all seniors: Spots are available for the 36-hole Summit County Senior Amateur, which will be played at Barberton Brookside and J. Edward Good Park on Friday and Saturday. Competition will be held in three divisions: 50-59, 60-69 and over 70. Call 330-864-0200.

Better than birdie: Westlake's Dan Grincewiecz scored a rare double-eagle on Monday when he used driver and a 5-iron to make a two on the 451-yard 15th hole on the North Course at Thunderbird Hills in Huron. Because of the hole's layout, in which a large valley cuts the fairway, Grincewiecz and his playing partners were unable to see the ball go in the hole.

Numbers up: While official attendance figures are not released, Bridgestone Invitational Executive Director Don Padgett III said attendance at this year's event exceeded last year. That will be good news to the local charities that receive contributions from the event.

More than $800,000 was donated following last year's event. Padgett said the attendance on Saturday and Sunday exceeded last year's totals, while Thursday and Friday were about the same.

"Obviously, we are pleased," said Padgett. "We had a favorable weather forecast for the weekend and we had two great days, which I think brought everyone out."

 

Rookie QB Colt McCoy accepts the NFL waiting game with the Cleveland Browns

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In his first NFL training camp, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy is learning many things, including patience. That's not an easy thing for the all-time winningest QB in NCAA history.


mccoy-horiz-asmith-ldj.jpgColt McCoy is spending much of his first NFL training camp watching and learning from the sidelines, but on occasion he is getting repetitions and working on developing his leadership skills. "I've got a long ways to go," McCoy said, "but I'm learning more every day and feeling more comfortable every day."

BEREA, Ohio -- Frisky as a colt by nature, patience is not one of Colt McCoy's many virtues.


The rookie quarterback is learning many things in his first NFL training camp. Patience, however, may be the most excruciating lesson so far.


"It is hard, especially over the last four years when you've taken every rep and every snap in a game," McCoy said. "That's a hard thing to do. I just have to get used to it."


The Browns' master plan for the Texas sharpshooter is proceeding, well, as planned. He gets limited reps at practice. He'll play at mop-up time in the preseason games, starting Saturday in Green Bay.


A first-time visitor to Browns training camp would barely notice McCoy if not for his college reputation as the NCAA's all-time winningest quarterback. His name does not come up on a daily basis.


He doesn't hold press conferences. If reporters want to ask him anything, he'll stop to chat walking off the practice field.


President Mike Holmgren laid the foundation for McCoy's first camp on draft day by lowering expectations to ground zero. "We did not draft Colt McCoy to play in 2010," Holmgren said.


The plan was to ease him through his first season, like a redshirt year in college, which he experienced in 2005 at Texas before succeeding Vince Young.



mccoy-vert-practice-towel-jk.jpg"One thing I do when I'm out here is I really watch Jake [Delhomme] and Seneca [Wallace]," Colt McCoy said about training camp. "I watch how they communicate with the offense. I watch how they get in and out of the huddle. I watch their mechanics. Those are ways I'm going to have to learn."

"Some rookies step right in and play. Hats off to them," McCoy said. "I'm really trying to be the best that I can be in the situation that I'm in. And when it's time, it's time."


All of this doesn't mean McCoy isn't working, mind you.


"I can't have the mentality coming out to practice that I'm going to sit out all year," he said. "If I do that, I wouldn't get any better. So every day I come out here and try to compete and be ready if something happens."


Most of the time he learns by observing.


"There's a lot of mental reps you have to take," he said. "One thing I do when I'm out here is I really watch Jake [Delhomme] and Seneca [Wallace]. I watch how they communicate with the offense. I watch how they get in and out of the huddle. I watch their mechanics. Those are ways I'm going to have to learn.


"Then at night I get my rookies and we go in here and have our own walkthroughs, go through our own two-minute drills. I think that's going to help us in the preseason games."


Coach Eric Mangini said McCoy is "a really good student ... he has been like a sponge, which is what he should be at this point."


The Saturday team scrimmage, in which McCoy tossed two interceptions, was a particular learning experience.


One interception was returned 40 yards for a touchdown by Brandon McDonald. Mangini said McDonald made a nice play by staying low and then dropping off late to snag the ball.


"That's going to happen, and you have to be able to go through that progression and make those reads quickly and understand that just because he is here now, he has the speed to be there very quickly," Mangini said. "You have got to get used to that."


The second one at the end of the first half, on a ball just thrown up into the end zone, was another lesson. Mangini told him the play would have been returned 99 yards for a touchdown by Baltimore safety Ed Reed. He should have just thrown the ball out of bounds.


"Those are things you can take away from that, coach from it, write it down and know 'I'm not going to do that again,'" said McCoy, who termed his first training camp "a grind."


"It's all day long," McCoy said. "The best way I can explain it is, when you're in college you're used to it, you understand exactly offensively what you're doing, you know what the defense is doing and you practice it every day and you have a sense of comfort.


"In this transition ... you don't get reps, and when you do you want to make them count. You have to get to that sense of comfort where I can go out there and make my calls and checks and just play.


"When you go out and you're not sure, that's when you make mistakes and turnovers. Offensively, you can't take charge of your own huddle and execute. I'm trying to get to that point where I'm going to play and execute."


The days are long and the nights are short. McCoy said he spends his free time studying his playbook.


"I've got a long ways to go, but I'm learning more every day and feeling more comfortable every day," he said.




Cleveland Browns training camp: Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy


USOC official offers tribute to late Sen. Ted Stevens for his dedication to Olympics

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Every American Olympic athlete who has mounted the podium to receive a medal should remember the contributions of Sen. Ted Stevens, who died in a plane crash on Monday, says a former USOC official.

mccain-stevens-ap.jpgIn 2003, Sen. Ted Stevens (right) shared a Senate panel with Arizona's John McCain in an investigation into misconduct within the U.S. Olympic movement. Stevens was known as an advocate for amateur athletes and the U.S. in the Olympics, says former USOC spokesman Mike Moran.

(Editor's note: Mike Moran served as the chief spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee for 22 years. He offers this tribute to the late Sen. Ted Stevens, who died in a plane crash Monday night in Alaska.)

Mike Moran

Special to The Plain Dealer

Every American Olympic athlete who has mounted the podium to receive a medal from Lake Placid to Vancouver should pause today to take a moment to remember former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, who died in a tragic plane crash Monday night in a remote area of the state he loved and served for six terms in Washington.

Stevens authored, sponsored and delivered the most important piece of legislation in the history of the American Olympic movement in 1978, the Amateur Sports Act, now named after him. The historic legislation is the blueprint by which the United States Olympic Committee gained its pivotal, central role in carrying out its mission and assuring that every American athlete, no matter their lot in life, can dream and have the right to compete for the chance to realize their goal.

Simply put, Ted Stevens had the back of hundreds of thousands of men and women from every state, city, town or hamlet who wanted to achieve something special. Most failed, but many others have made up our Olympic and Paralympic teams, Pan American Games teams, and scores of others who earned the right to represent our nation at World Championships or Trials leading to the ultimate recognition.

Acting on the findings of the President's Commission on Olympic Sports from 1975-77, Stevens took on the decades-long dysfunction of American amateur sports and delivered a document ending years of turf battles between the NCAA and the once-powerful AAU over control of our athletes and their right to compete. It ushered in a new era for amateur and Olympic sport, and it created a system of rights for the athletes and gave birth to the new USOC, placing the organization squarely in the driver's seat for the task of managing the Olympic movement.

Stevens was aided by Olympic greats like swimmer Donna de Varona, who worked tirelessly from 1976-78 as a consultant to Stevens and the Senate on behalf of American athletes and their rights, and what they brought home was monumental. It not only guaranteed the rights of athletes in critical areas, but it created a USOC with power and influence, giving it the protection of the coveted Olympic marks and terminology vitalto its fund raising.

It brought the system of individual national governing bodies for each Olympic or Pan Am games sport with those same guarantees built into their charters, and it installed a brand-new system of appeal and arbitration for our athletes they would never have dreamed ofunder the former good old boys network now demolished.

As a product from this massive reform came the reborn USOC, which had been little more than an Olympic travel agency for decades, selling lapel pins and belt buckles to help finance the trips to the Games, its board dominated by the AAU and its cronies, doing business in some smoke-filled back rooms in New York City.

Now there were to be Olympic Training Centers where athletes could develop their skills at no cost. A new national headquarters was opened in Colorado Springs in August, 1978, where the USOC grew from a dozen staffers like me, to the mature, diverse and efficient, prominent force that it is today. Training centers came alive in Colorado Springs, Squaw Valley and Lake Placid, and later Chula Vista, Calif.

The stage was set for what has now become reality. The United States is a power in both the Winter and Summer Games and we have, because of the strength of the national governing bodies, a deep and resilient talent pool.

The Amateur Sports Act is not perfect, and it has been challenged, criticized and amended over the years to meet the needs and changes in American sport, from the rapid growth of the Paralympic movement to issues like women's representation in the USOC, but is continues to sustain the complex nature of Olympic sport.

Stevens never let down in his vigilance on behalf of American athletes. He was the watchdog of the USOC, and any number of meetings I endured in his Senate offices over 25 years are unforgettable. He could be charming or he could be a bully when he wanted to make a point, but we listened and we obeyed.

The last time I saw him in person was in February, 2003, when he was in a gym at the Olympic Training Center in front of more than 500 USOC employees, waving a binder of documents in the air that he had gathered during a long investigation into charges of mismanagement and systemic problems since 1999. It ended with the departure of the USOC's chief executive, humbling, rancorous hearings in Washington, and a massivereform in 2004 that reduced the board of directors and changed the way the USOC conducted itself internally.

To the end, he was the Man in Washington for American athletes, and the guardian of the flame for the USOC.

His Senate career ended in 2008 and he endured problems and issues since that have made some overlook his triumphs for his state and for Olympians and those who dream of being one. He opposed the clumsy, destructive boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games forced on the USOC by the Congress and the inept Carter inner circle, and he would open his office to any aspiring Olympic athlete who felt unheard or ignored, and he was at the front of the line when we brought our Olympic Teams to the White House after every Games to welcome these special athletes.

He sat at the head table, front-row, at every one of the grand Olympic dinners we staged in Washington through the years with his arms crossed and a frown on his brow until it came time for me to introduce the athletes and bring them to the stage for their recognition.

Eerily, he had survived another plane crash in Alaska in 1978 that took the life of his first wife, Ann. His untimely death comes only weeks after the passing of another of the USOC's most influential figures, George Steinbrenner, who also brought needed change and direction to the movement at a critical time in 1989 and who was also a friend to Olympic athletes and their plight.

Not much of the reporting about Stevens' life and death will mention his massive contributions to America's athletes or the USOC, but it will never be forgotten by those of us who were part of the rebirth of the organization in 1978, it's move to our cherished Colorado Springs and the Rockies, and by thousands of athletes who had a dream of greatness, and those who are just now beginning to create their own.

Mike Moran was the chief spokesman for the USOC through thirteen Games, 1980-2002. He is now a media consultant. Reach him at: mike@thesportscorp.org.

Cleveland Browns' linebacker D'Qwell Jackson suffers another pectoral injury, source said

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Jackson is awaiting results of an MRI to determine severity of injury.

UPDATED: 10:50 p.m.

dqwellcc.jpgD'Qwell Jackson may have suffered another serious injury to his pectoral muscle during Tuesday's practice session.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who's been making a valiant comeback this season from a torn pectoral muscle, suffered an injury to the other pectoral Tuesday night in practice, a source told The Plain Dealer.

The extent of the injury is unknown, but Jackson looked upset and was being consoled by teammates during and after practice.

Jackson underwent an MRI Tuesday night. It could be anything from a sprain to a season-ending tear that could require more surgery.

Jackson, who had been starting all camp at inside linebacker, walked off the field midway through practice very slowly and with his head down and accompanied by a member of the training staff. He returned later in the session with a towel around his neck and looking upset.

One by one, players came up to express their concern. Voted a team captain last season, Jackson is one of the most well-liked players on the team. Close friends such as safety Mike Adams spent time talking to him, and he walked off the field with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Until the injury, it had been an encouraging camp for Jackson, who worked tirelessly in the off-season to recover from October surgery. He's been in the starting lineup since day one camp, playing mostly alongside Chris Gocong, but with Eric Barton being worked in more as he recovers from neck surgery.

Barton and Kaluka Maiava worked a lot with the first team after Jackson left the field Tuesday night. Jackson's camp came after a tumultuous off-season in which he didn't receive the long-term deal he said the previous regime promised. But a trip to Africa to work with the impoverished had him feeling grateful just to be out on the field again.

Coach Eric Mangini said last week that he was pleased with Jackson's progress. Jackson led the NFL with 188 tackles in 2008.

 

Before the airport, a chance to see the NBA stars: Eric Flannery's Youth Olympic Games blog


Baltimore Orioles play long ball, roll over Cleveland Indians, 14-8

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Justin Masterson has another difficult outing and the surging Orioles win their first road game for new manager Buck Showalter.

brantley-pie-homer-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeIndians centerfielder Michael Brantley runs out of room as Felix Pie's 3-run homer sails over the center-field wall at Progressive Field on Tuesday night. Pie's blast over Justin Masterson erased a 6-4 Indians lead and gave Baltimore the lead to stay.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Buck Showalter's Baltimore Orioles took their act on the road Tuesday night -- and kept on winning.

The Orioles cracked four homers and scored all their runs after the third inning in a 14-8 victory over the Indians at Progressive Field.

Paid attendance: 13,541.

The Orioles (39-74) improved to 7-1 under Showalter, who moved from the ESPN Baseball Tonight studios early last week. They played the first seven games under him at Camden Yards.

Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta (4-3, 5.29 ERA) earned the victory despite giving up five earned runs on six hits in six innings.

The Indians (47-66) have lost three in a row.

Each Baltimore homer came against a different pitcher: Felix Pie (Justin Masterson), Corey Patterson (Tony Sipp), Matt Wieters (Frank Herrmann) and Luke Scott (Hector Ambriz).

The Wieters blast was part of a four-batter stretch to open the eighth in which the Orioles hit for the cycle off Herrmann. Pie led off with a double. After Wieters went deep, Patterson tripled and Cesar Izturis singled.

Scott, a former Indians farmhand, leads Baltimore with 21 homers.

Trailing, 1-0, through three, Baltimore scored four in the fourth. The uprising was set up when Tribe third baseman Luis Valbuena booted what could have been a double play. Instead, the Orioles put runners on first and second with none out. Scott ripped an RBI double to left-center. Adam Jones followed with an RBI grounder. Later in the inning, Wieters and Izturis had RBI singles.

Asdrubal Cabrera made a terrific defensive play in the fourth. With Scott on third and one out, Pie hit a grounder that bounced off Masterson's foot and toward the hole at short. Cabrera, forced to put on the brakes, slipped to the ground. From a seated position, Cabrera grabbed the ball with his right hand, checked third and threw out Pie.

The Indians answered with five in their half of the fourth. Trevor Crowe had an RBI double, Valbuena an RBI grounder, Michael Brantley an RBI single and Shin-Soo Choo a two-run double. On Choo's hit into the right-field corner, Baltimore relay man Brian Roberts cut down Cabrera at home.

Pie's two-out, three-run homer in the fifth gave the Orioles a 7-6 lead.

Masterson was relieved by Sipp to begin the sixth. Masterson (4-11, 5.47 ERA) gave up seven runs -- four earned -- on six hits. Once again, left-handed batters hurt him.

Patterson turned on a Sipp fastball and homered to right in the sixth.

Baltimore crafted a six-run eighth against Herrmann and Ambriz.

Brantley hit a two-run homer in the ninth. He finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Finally:

*Valbuena hit several balls hard. He was robbed in the early innings by right fielder Nick Markakis.

*The Orioles improved to 15-40 on the road.

*Baltimore's 6-9 batters combined to go 8-for-18 with three homers, nine RBI and seven runs.

*The runs allowed by Cleveland were a season-high.

*The Indians notched five extra-base hits (four doubles, one homer). They have at least one extra-base hit in 62 straight games, the longest such streak in the majors this season.

 

Eric Wright injury will likely give Joe Haden extended playing time vs. Packers: Browns Insider

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Browns cornerback Eric Wright came up limping in practice and Joe Haden might get the nod vs. Green Bay.


wright-injured-practice-jk.jpgCornerback Eric Wright left the practice field Tuesday with his right thigh heavily wrapped, which figures to give rookie Joe Haden more playing time in Saturday's exhibition game against Green Bay.

TRAINING CAMP LOG: AUG. 10
What happened: Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson walked off the practice field midway through the night session with a pectoral injury, but not to the surgically-repaired muscle that caused him to miss the final 10 games of last season. The extent of the injury is unknown, but he was believed to have undergone an MRI Tuesday night. Cornerback Eric Wright came up limping in the morning and sat out p.m. practice. Rookie Joe Haden could get the nod in Green Bay Saturday.

Stuckey sticks it: Receiver Chansi Stuckey had his best practice of camp, making a superb one-handed grab of a Jake Delhomme pass just inside the end zone despite good coverage by Ray Ventrone in goal-line drills. He caught several other passes from Delhomme during the evening session and stepped up his game. The Browns will need more from him this season.

Coach Bowens? Linebacker David Bowens has been making great use of his time while resting his left knee. A 12th-year pro, he’s been helping coach the linebackers, carrying a playsheet. Bowen would like to coach someday. “It was a good way to go out there and feel it out and see how it is,” he said. “Of course, I haven’t [retired] yet, but it’s good to go out there and coach the guys and keep my mind fresh.”
As he walked away, someone said, “thanks coach!” He replied, “Hey, don’t say that!”

Injuries: Idle were Wright, CB Brandon McDonald, RT Tony Pashos, LB Titus Brown and RB Montario Hardesty. LB Marcus Benard and DL Brian Schaefering left during the morning practice, but returned for the night session.

Wednesday’s schedule: Closed to the public. Next open practice is Thursday from 5:45-7:45 p.m. For updates, call 877-6BROWNS.
Mary Kay Cabot

BEREA, Ohio -- Starting cornerback Eric Wright came up limping during Tuesday morning's practice, and sat out the evening session. His status for the Browns' first exhibition in Green Bay is uncertain and if he can't go, rookie Joe Haden will get the nod.


Wright walked into the fieldhouse with his upper right leg wrapped, which could mean a pulled hamstring. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Haden, the No. 7 overall pick in the draft.


"Being out there against the ones with Jake [Delhomme] at quarterback, [Mohamed] Massaquoi and [Brian] Robiskie, definitely makes your game a whole better," said Haden. "I'm lining up at corner with the ones and with the twos nickel."


Haden said he'd be excited to start vs. the Packers.


"It definitely means a whole lot more playing time," he said. "The only way that you make plays is out on the field. I'm looking forward to that."


Coach Eric Mangini said Haden, who's expected to start the season as the third defensive back, has made good progress, but still has a ways to go.


"He's worked at both sides and he's also done some work inside," said Mangini. "There's a lot of work to be done. Sometimes when he's supposed to be off, he's in press. Sometimes when he's supposed to be in press, he's off. He needs to get better at disguising those things and I expect him to."


Mangini said fellow rookie T.J. Ward, who's starting at safety, is a little further along.


"T.J. is continuing to improve. He made a couple of nice plays again [Tuesday] morning. He's really working at the information. He has been here a little bit longer than Joe has and I think that's helped."


Haden apologizes for Tweet: Mangini had yet another Tweet talk with a player, this time Haden for revealing that someone was fined $1,760 for their cell phone going off in a team meeting.


As it turns out, Ward was the player fined, according to nationalfootballpost.com. In a Tweet of his own, Ward said, "got my first fine. That won't ever happen again."


Haden apologized for airing team laundry. "I need to make sure I don't reveal what's going on inside the locker room," said Haden. "He said we were going to move on."


Haden said he didn't know if he'd be fined.



Gallery preview"I think our social media policy is a work in progress," Mangini said with a chuckle. "I know we're ironing it out. Sometime with ironing you have to apply a little steam."


He said he'd talk to Brown President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert about formulating some rules.


McDonald report: Mangini said Brandon McDonald didn't injure his right ankle on his flip into the end zone during the family day scrimmage.


"He went back in and played, but I did show a bunch of examples of other guys getting hurt during celebrations," Mangini said. "There are plenty of examples to learn from."


McDonald was still sidelined Tuesday but might be back Wednesday.


Cleveland rocks: Mike Adams disagreed with former Brown Braylon Edwards' assessment that Cleveland's a dud.


"The city's been great to me," he said. "It's a blue-collar city and that's the type of guy I am. I came into this city and fit right in."


He said of his teammates, "I think everybody loves it. It's definitely a great atmosphere."


Added Haden: "I've been having a blast, honestly. I love the fans. Everybody treats me right. It's not a big city, where everybody's going crazy. It's a nice town. It reminds me of Gainesville, because everybody knows each other, everybody loves the team, and you just have a good time."


Roth, too: Matt Roth said off-season reports that he wanted to be traded were just business.


"That was just my agent [Drew Rosenhaus] doing negotiations," he said. "I've said from the beginning I was happy to be here, to be a Cleveland Brown. The first thing I want to do is pay homage to the Dawg Pound and it hasn't changed. I love Cleveland. I love being here."



Cleveland Browns Training Camp update: Day 11


LeBron James plans to get even with critics

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Not only do Cleveland Cavaliers fans despise LeBron James, but he isn't exactly well-liked in other parts of the country because of the way he departed the Cavs for the Miami Heat on national television. So it looks like LeBron has heard enough. Now you all will pay for criticizing the king. Here's a warning from LeBron on his...

lebronjames.JPGLeBron James

Not only do Cleveland Cavaliers fans despise LeBron James, but he isn't exactly well-liked in other parts of the country because of the way he departed the Cavs for the Miami Heat on national television.

So it looks like LeBron has heard enough. Now you all will pay for criticizing the king.

Here's a warning from LeBron on his Twitter account:

Don't think for one min that I haven't been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone!

Danny Ferry may return to the San Antonio Spurs, reports ESPN

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Former Cleveland Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry, who was a candidate for the same position with the Portland Trail Blazers, may return to the San Antonio Spurs. ESPN's Marc Stein reports the Spurs are lobbying Danny Ferry to come back to the organization where he began his front-office career and hope to convince him to commit to rejoining the organization in...

danny ferry.jpgFormer Cavs GM Danny Ferry

Former Cleveland Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry, who was a candidate for the same position with the Portland Trail Blazers, may return to the San Antonio Spurs.

ESPN's Marc Stein reports the Spurs are lobbying Danny Ferry to come back to the organization where he began his front-office career and hope to convince him to commit to rejoining the organization in the coming days or weeks.

Stein writes how he expected Ferry to opt for a break from the game after he left the Cavs in early June following years of what proved to be justifiably stressful fretting about Cleveland’s ability to re-sign LeBron James.

Ferry instead wound up contending for the recent front-office openings in Portland and New Jersey, despite the fact that more than one of his peers A) struggled to see him working for Paul Allen’s meddlesome Blazers lieutenants after Dan Gilbert’s determination to reclaim more of a hands-on role contributed to his Cleveland departure and B) struggled even more to imagine him co-existing with Nets coach Avery Johnson after their frosty days together as teammates in San Antonio.

Ferry, writes Stein, is still close with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and team president R.C. Buford.

 

Miami Heat will break Chicago Bulls record, says Jeff Van Gundy

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Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy said in an interview the Miami Heat, with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, will finish with the best regular season (82-game schedule) record in NBA history. That means the Heat will break the Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins they set during the 1995-96 season. The Heat will be so good, Van...

lebron1.JPGLeBron James

Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy said in an interview the Miami Heat, with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, will finish with the best regular season (82-game schedule) record in NBA history.

That means the Heat will break the Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins they set during the 1995-96 season. The Heat will be so good, Van Gundy said, that the Heat will have a legitimate shot at the Los Angeles Lakers'  33-game win streak, which they set in the 1971-72 season.

 

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