Keeping Score: A Sports Chronicle

2008-09-15T21:21:00.002-07:00

PICK UP THE PIECES AND REBUILD ... OR MOVE ON?

I'm trying to decide what I want to do with this blog: resurrect, retool or retire. I heard a single grumbling today that I should start blogging again because at lowest point possible in Ohio sports history (do I need to explain why?), my loyal readership needs me more than ever.

Am I a Rickey Henderson of the sports blogging world or a Jose Canseco? That's for you to decide, but either way, I'm probably going to end my career in the minors. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think.

Meanwhile, the blog about everything but sports is alive and well.

2008-05-15T21:04:00.002-07:00

INDIANS RISING THANKS TO SMALL BALL STREAK

With a couple of exceptions -- a 12-run outburst against Toronto, notably -- the Cleveland Indians left their bats down in Winter Haven. The only regular starter hitting over .300 is Victor Martinez, who, as a No. 4 hitter, has yet to hit one home run. Though some are starting to come around - Hafner has hit in his last few - the offensive state for the Wahoos is still certifiably anemic.

OK, the complaining and negativity end here, I promise. The Indians are 22-19 and back in first place in the AL Central. What's there to complain about, really?

The starting pitching staff has handcuffs on every single hitter in their American League, going an epic 55 1/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. As of Friday, it's been a week since the Indians' starters have given up an earned run. In that time span, they threw three complete-game shutouts, if you count Cliff Lee's nine-inning goose egg that amounted to a no-decision (and I count it.) Lee threw a eight innings of shutout ball in his previous start against the Yankees, and two starts before that, he threw a two-hit shutout in Kansas City, sandwiching in there a terrible start in which he gave up a three-run homer and still won. (In some circles, that's known as a "quality start.")

The defense has been stellar. Sure, Asdrubal Cabrera turned an unassisted triple play, but he also has made some mind-boggling catches in the field. Grady Sizemore is running down everything hit in the air to center field, and both Franklin Gutierrez and Ben Francisco have been showcasing their strong arms, throwing out numerous base runners.

To me, the real stunner is Aaron Laffey. Laffey was solid last year as the Tribe's No. 5 during the second half of the season. He logged a 4-2 record with a 4.56 ERA in 9 starts last year and assured that Cliff Lee would stay at AAA (turns out that was a very good thing for Lee). No one really gave Laffey much of a shot to win the No. 5 starter spot out of Spring Training, and they were right. He didn't pitch particularly well in Winter Haven. But he's hit his stride since the call-up, filling in more than adequately for Jake Westbrook, who was tremendous himself before he got hurt. Laffey must stay up with the varsity when Westbrook comes back, in my opinion. Maybe the Indians should try a six-man rotation? It will save some innings from the rest of the staff for later in the season. Can you imagine? A six-man rotation with three lefties and three righties? Three hard-throwers and three finesse guys? Preparing for that kind of versatility would give managers, hitting coaches and hitters absolute fits.

In short, the Tribe has the most depth in baseball as the most coveted position. If they can move Betancourt back to the eighth-inning role, where he is most effective and comfortable, they will be set in the bullpen. And I think Eric Wedge can make this move now, as Masa Kobayashi appears to have the moxy to close out games.

The Tribe loses the designated hitter this weekend as they travel down I-71 to play a set in Cincinnati, but I don't think it matters. They've been playing National League baseball -- scratch that, 1960s era National League baseball -- for the past two weeks. The pitchers hitting my actually help them. Jeremy Sowers starts tomorrow night, and if he twirls a gem, the Indians will have a logjam in their rotation so tight that the only thing busier than Mark Shapiro's cell phone -- with offers from other general managers for a starter -- will be Carl Willis', who will receive calls from reporters who want to feature the next Leo Mazzone.

Small ball: It worked in 1948. Why not now?

2008-05-10T19:42:00.004-07:00

THE SUPPORTING CAVS: TRADE PIECES GIVE CLEVELAND HOPE

Thursday night, after the Celtics' 89-73 win in Game 2 over the Cavaliers, it started to creep into my mind that maybe the Cavs took a step backward this year. Actually, that thought started in October when the Mavericks embarrassed the Cavs on opening night, when Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic held out for better contracts preceding their subpar seasons and when the Cavalier offense looked inept every night LeBron James didn't have a huge statline.

Then General Manager Danny Ferry made the ultimate shakeup in February. He dealt away half the team for a different half, and he did it with the future -- specifically the playoffs -- in mind.

Down 2-0 in the series to Boston with LeBron James struggling with his shooting touch and Celtic triple teams, enter Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Joe Smith, and Wally Szczerbiak. Thanks to those four "trade pieces," we've got a series again in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Most people label the Cavaliers a one-man team, and there is much truth to that statement. As LeBron goes, so goes Cleveland. But we started to see some things Saturday night as the Cavaliers rolled to a 108-84 victory over Boston: Wallace's energy and interior strength, Smith's smooth elbow jumper, Szczerbiak's smart drives and pops and West's "true point-guard skills," evident by his 21 points. In short, all four contributed at their highest levels at the same time. The steady Zydrunas Ilgauskas continued to hit big shots. It didn't even matter that LeBron scored a modest 21, though he did play a tremendous defensive game with numerous steals and blocks.

Wallace, despite his inner-ear infection, showed up with a fire in his belly from the opening tip. His early jams from LeBron dishes set the tone. West calmly tossed up southpaw jumpers that found, to quote Joe Tait, "nothing but the bottom of the net." Smith made the most of his minutes, not only hitting shots but also scraping the glass and the floor for loose balls.

If "these Cavs," the Cavs that played tonight, showed up four times in a series, Cleveland could win not just this series but the whole thing.

It's going to be tough for the Cavs to beat Boston, knowing they would have to win at least one on the road. (They're aided by the fact that the Celtics seem to leave all of their drive and energy in Beantown.) Even if the Wine and Gold could pull off a comeback, it would be equally tough to beat the Detroit/Orlando winner. But with the pieces in place and the personnel puzzle starting to fit together, the Cavaliers have hope. They do, indeed, have a shot.

2008-05-03T11:40:00.004-07:00

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES -- TOP 10 REFLECTIONS

Consider this "Part I" of my ballpark evaluation series. In 2008, I have the privilege of visiting three of baseball finest and most historic venues: Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium. For all three, my visit is my first. Two weeks ago, I managed to take in a game within "the friendly confines" of Wrigley Field, which -- I'll just come right out and say it -- vaulted itself to No. 2 on my list of favorite ballparks. (Note: Cleveland's Jacobs Field, also known as Corporate-Insurance-Evildoer-based-Mayfield-Heights-Ohio Field, will always be No. 1. It's the park where I grew up with baseball, watching my Indians heroes on the field.) But from a general, adult baseball-lover's point of view, here are my top 10 reflections:

1.) The Cubs pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-1. They turned around the next day and throttled them 13-7. This Cubs team is loaded with talent, something their payroll had a little something to do with, I'm sure. They should be a playoff team and World Series contender again this year. As a Cleveland fan, anytime I can see Pittsburgh take one on the chin, it's a real crowd-pleaser.

2.) The atmosphere at a Cubs game, particularly a weekend game like the one I attended, rivals that of a major college football game (i.e. Ohio State), and that's impressive considering about one-third of the people are present. Wrigley's advantage is that it is nestled in this neighborhood full of 20-somethings who love two things: baseball and partying. (OK, three things ... stock options, as well.) This, my friends, is the quintessential American neighborhood, even if it is kind of a graveyard for former frat boys. Walking to the ballpark for a 12:05 first pitch, people are playing cornhole in their yards and drinking bloody marys. For baseball! This is a foreign -- albeit totally pleasing -- sight for an Ohioan, where if the ball isn't brown and pointy on the ends, you just don't quite "get up" for it as much as you could.

3.) A good mix of kids and families still file into the stands. I like this aspect, and I like that it doesn't seem to bother the hardened Chicagoans that many young adults are getting belligerently wasted around them. After all, baseball is, first and foremost, for kids. It certainly makes me feel like a kid again. But the drunks and the families still seem to get along in the name of the Cubbies.

4.) Upon first seeing the first and the ivy walls, I'll admit, I got the chills a little bit. Maybe that was the 55-degree wind and mist whipping off Lake Michigan but more than likely it was that my baseball pilgrimage was finally complete. My buddy, an erudite wisecracker who is lukewarm on baseball, looked at my euphoric visage and asked me if I was suffering from priapism. I replied, "It's not suffering if you enjoy it."

5.) I wanted bleacher seats, but my buddy and I had to settle for upper deck, just down the first base line from home plate. My view was partially obstructed, but I embraced it. After all, they just don't make ballparks like this anymore. A bachelorette party of at least 10 started their festivities by sitting behind us for the first six innings, while the game was still interesting and while the beer was still flowing from the concession stands. I won't elaborate too much because I don't know who's reading this that isn't 18 or hasn't relinquished their youthful innocence yet. Kids, go look up the word "debauchery," and I'll leave it at that.

6.) I attempted to score the game, which was a bad idea. First of all, it was a 13-1 blowout, and for anyone who's tried to score a baseball blowout, it's kind of like trying to figure out whether or not Roger Clemens hooked up with Mindy McCready before she was 18; it's leads to a lot of disturbing guessing. Secondly, though Wrigley has the "no frills" scoreboard that eliminates the marketing that inundates fans at other ballparks -- and I appreciate that -- it can be tough to track pitching changes, pinch-hitters and double-switches. National League baseball is kooky. My scorecard, I'm sure, has some blemishes.

7.) Cubs fans are uncontrollably jubilant when they score, practically throwing money and babies in celebration. I've never seen so many people whoop and holler before making out, all in response to an RBI ground out to short.

8.) Troths in the bathrooms, no soap and no towels. Even though my chances of getting dysentary or cholera increased slightly, it was nostalgic to feel like I was relieving myself in the 1930s.

9.) The postgame Wrigleyville bar scene dwarfs any after-party at any ballpark anywhere. If anyone wants to dispute this, invite me to your city for a ballgame. The first round is on me.

10.) I snapped my obligatory photo in front of Harry Caray's statue so that I won't have to do that when I returned. I also piped up during "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and actually subbed in "root, root, root for the Cub-bies." I always say "root, root, root for the Indians," but I compromised -- this time and this time only.

Stay posted for my reactions to Yankee Stadium, which should come within a week or so, after I venture back from New York. I'll be watching the Tribe play, so I'll probably need two posts: one on Indians analysis and another on ballpark analysis. In either case, please stop reading this if I try to insert a "you's guys" into my next post. That's when we'll all know that I simply have nothing clever left to write.

2008-04-21T21:07:00.003-07:00

THE BALLPARK BUG

This past weekend, I had a chance to take in my first game at Wrigley Field (though I had been outside the stadium to take pictures before). I'll go into more detail about that in my next post, but for now, I wanted to reflect on this ballpark checklist phenomenon that is just one more thing that makes baseball the great American pastime.

Baseball has steadily sunk away from being America's favorite sport, probably beginning its yield to football somewhere in the 1970s when the Super Bowl's popularity exploded and football became more watchable on TV. But baseball is older, has an heir of tradition that is unparalleled, and contains 30 of the greatest sports venues ever constructed -- all of the Major League stadiums.

Obviously, some great ones are extinct and existed long before my time (i.e. Ebbetts Field, Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, etc.) But of the parks that have been active within a generation of my lifetime, I've done well to pay my respects to all of these...I'm struggling to think of a word other than "edifice" or "cathedral" ...the hell with it: edifices. It seems that recently, I have really caught the ballpark bug, visiting Wrigley this weekend and will visit both Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium later this summer. In the meantime, here are a rundown of the "cathedrals" of sport I have visited in my life, distinguishing between the ones I have just "seen" and the ones where I have actually seen the sport played.

BALLPARKS WHERE I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN INSIDE AND WATCHED BASEBALL
Jacobs Field (Some corporate hacks might say "Progressive Field") - Cleveland
Cleveland Municipal Stadium - Cleveland
Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati
Fenway Park - Boston
Wrigley Field - Chicago
Chase Field - Phoenix

SAW THE BALLPARK FROM OUTSIDE BUT NEVER SAW A GAME THERE:
U.S. Cellular Field (a.k.a. Comiskey Park) - Chicago
Cinergy Field (a.k.a. Riverfront Stadium) - Cincinnati
SkyDome; toured the ballpark with parents in 1993 - Toronto
Turner Field - Atlanta; passed up a chance to go to a game there this summer and still regret it
Old Busch Stadium - St. Louis
AT&T Park - San Francisco

Feel free to leave your lists in my comments. If any of my loyal readers would like to go on a ballpark visiting vacation, they should let me know.

2008-04-17T21:16:00.004-07:00

MANNY RAMIREZ IS LIKE AN EX-GIRLFRIEND THAT WON'T GO AWAY

If you're a Cleveland Indians fan, Manny Ramirez is like a hot significant other that dumped you years ago -- and, tragically, is still hot, if not hotter, than when you were together.

And it's awkward because you have to see each other once in a while.

I've noticed a few Tribe fans on the b/r who seem to still lust after Ramirez. They long for the days of yore when Ramirez manned right field in Cleveland, slugged doubles and homeruns, and never legged out a ground ball. I'm sure they were even more hot and bothered with Manny's two-run, ninth inning blast off Joe Borowski Monday night that gave the Boston Bleepin' Red Sox a come-from-behind win over the Wahoos. But hot and bothered in a "I-hate-you-but-I-still-list-you-as-one-of-my-favorite-childhood-players" sort of way.

Sure, Ramirez has two World Series rings, and Cleveland has none. And sure, Ramirez has a fat contract, an adoring fan base in Boston and, at the rate he's been playing in the past couple of days, will crack his 500th career home run, oh, I don't know, tomorrow.

That said, I still wouldn't want him back. And I still wouldn't cheer for him if he came to the plate, nor will I when on his first ballot he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It's hard to explain, but I guess it's a pride thing. I understand that in the winter of 2001, when Manny inked his 8-year, $160 million-deal with the Red Sox, he was only acting with business in mind. He essentially took his agent's word as gospel, and it's worked out for him. Despite his numerous mental and verbal gaffes, Boston embraces "Manny being Manny" like they embrace traffic on the Mass Pike. It annoys them a little sometimes, but mostly they laugh and realize they couldn't live without it. Really, the Cleveland diehards who remember watching him develop as a player should be happy for him.

But this is sports. There are winners and losers.

Remember Manny's stunt at home plate last year in Game 4? He admired a meaningless solo shot and showed up the opposition with a pregnant pause and self-exaltation at home plate. That's like when a ex-girlfriend grabs her new boyfriend and makes out with him right in front of you. Completely uncalled for. Casey Blake probably thought about tripping him as he rounded third but refrained from the poor sportsmanship as the Indians were seemingly bound for the fall classic, which they were until the fates intervened (Josh Beckett, Dustin Pedroia) and everything fell apart.

But last year is over. As are all of the years between now and when Manny left the Tribe. I mentioned earlier that when I attend games where Manny plays, I don't cheer. I also don't boo. I don't want to be disrespectful. When your "ex" gives you a cold "hello," you reply with the obligatory head-nod acknowledgement, don't you? That's kind of what it's like. By sitting on my hands and maintaining a stoic silence, I'm making my point. It's over. We've moved on. He's moved on. Let's all try to keep our dignity.

When Manny hits No. 500, knowing that he hit 236 of those with the Indians, I will send an obligatory head nod of acknowledgment in his direction. Nothing more, nothing less.

(That said, you'd better believe I have him on my fantasy team right now. He is raking in the points!)

2008-04-16T18:47:00.013-07:00

TRIBE IN TROUBLE: WHY CLEVELAND INDIANS FANS SHOULD WORRY

I'm not sure what's shakier right now: the Indians pitching or the economy. And Joe Borowski's disabled-list stint -- after blowing two April saves in fantastically painful ways -- is kind of like the coming economic stimulus. It will provide temporary relief, but won't keep the ball club from getting screwed later. (Most of you will have to pay back that stimulus, by the way.)

The biggest problem the Tribe has isn't even Joe Blow or the closer position. It's the reigning A.L. Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is 0-3 with a preposterous 13.50 ERA after his shelling last night at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. Though most of the damage came in a nightmarish 5th inning, in which Sabathia did not record a single out, Sabathia totally harmed himself by walking five, a troubling trend that fellow starter Fausto Carmona has also shown this April.

Analyst after analyst has said, "C.C.'s gonna snap out of it. He's too good." I sincerely hope all of them are correct. But I wouldn't be me -- the annoying, told-you-so me -- if I didn't point you to this post from the off-season. I proposed the idea that if the Indians couldn't make a trade for Jason Bay or another everyday corner outfielder (didn't happen) and if they couldn't re-sign Sabathia before spring training started on their terms (also didn't happen), then they should shop him -- trade him to get something for him before he bolts at contract's end.

As much as I hate to be wrong, sometimes I hate to be right. This is one of those times.

I got murdered for this idea from everyone who read it because most of them blinded by loyalty to No. 52 and because most of them never read Terry Pluto's book about the Indians, Dealing. I was berated fiercely because one of the names I mentioned was Juan Pierre, who I'll admit delivers an .OPS akin to the attendance at most Florida Marlins games. But, really, I imagined the Indians acquiring an outfielder, a closer (the Indians are without a legitimate one right now) and whatever prospects they could get to fill out the farm. I suggested, logically, they trade him to a place like L.A., which is close to home for Sabathia and has two organizations with the cash capabilities to pay him his astonishingly high market value when he becomes a free agent.

I won't rehash every ounce of logic I spewed there. Go back and read it yourself. But what I will say is that Mark Shapiro -- who is a genius for assembling the Indians core of Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Garko -- couldn't quite put together a safe but bold off-season deal that would have guaranteed the Indians to be a winning ballclub for years to come. He put a little too much faith in Borowski, and he didn't recognize that Sabathia, in all likelihood, was going to go the route of Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez, testing the free-agent waters only to say "Siyanara" to the city on the lake. With no changes or risks coming into 2008, the Indians organization was collectively sitting at a game of five-card draw, holding three 4s and refusing to draw a card. Too bad quite a few hands can beat a three-of-a-kind.

Sabathia may turn this around and go 17-3. The Indians might start finally start hitting, climb out of this 5-10 hole they've gotten themselves into, and play right back to the top of the A.L. Central. But Kansas City is better, Chicago is off to a startlingly good start with revived pitching, Minnesota isn't as barren as everyone says, and Detroit proved tonight how they can play their way back into the race and win the division: scorch everyone to death with the best one-through-nine in baseball.

What does the Tribe have? A lot of question marks. They need a savior, an unexpected pick-me-up from someone we've written off. Maybe it's Cliff Lee or Andy Marte or Josh Barfield. Maybe it's Ben Francisco, who most people are dubbing the next Carl Yastrzemski in comparison to Cleveland's woeful Jason Michaels/David Dellucci platoon. Maybe it's Trevor Crowe, Adam Miller, or Rafael Perez. Call me a pessimist if you want, but it's probably not C.C. Sabathia. In retrospect, though, if he bombs this year, the Indians might be able to overpay for him in the off-season and bring him back.

This rough start is enough to make you wish you could go back in a time to October and shanghai Joel Skinner and Josh Beckett in the night. I'll be watching the Indians at Yankee Stadium in May, and I really hope I don't have to bring a paper sack to wear over my head. Maniac Manny Ramirez's ninth-inning blast Monday was enough to remind us Wahoos of the world that we were so close yet were -- and are -- so far away.

2008-02-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

18-1 ... THE MOST MEMORABLE RECORD OF ALL

Your champions of the 2007 NFL football season and the 2008 Super Bowl are the New York Football Giants.

Who would've thought?

The New England Patriots came into the game 18-0, hoping to cap a historic unblemished season with a Super Bowl victory. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants head coach, fired up his team with the mantra "No one remembers who loses the Super Bowl. " Though his team, through a heroic performace from quarterback Eli Manning and a tight end who made a catch that will live in Giants lore can claim the victory, the rest of us are left wondering how the perfect '07 Patriots could screw up their legacy.

From this unbiased fan and journalist, congrats to Coughlin and his bunch on their first Super Bowl win. Who would've thought that the mighty Patriots would stumble in the most important game of their season? That 18-1 would suddenly seem so ... bad? For the record, what the Giants accomplished, winning on the road at Dallas, Green Bay and in the Super Bowl, is magnificent. In recent memory, only the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005 have accomplisted such a feat. But Bill Belichick's Patriots showed their mortality tonight. Tom Brady showed that he is not Superman and that he, on occasion, will make bad passes when pressured. Despite a great drive to take a 14-10 lead, the Patriots could not turn back a destined Eli Manning.

The Manning brothers have now won two Super Bowls, and Brady, Bill Belichick and Co. is stuck on three. Boo hoo. Forgive me for hoping that Eli's champion Giants face Peyton's Colts next year. The brother vs. brother story is about the only thing that can top what we witnessed tonight.

2008-02-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

FLUTIE'S FLAGS (NOTICE THE 'L' IN 'FLAGS')

This headline doesn't seem appropriate now, but by the end of the post, it should.

I went to Surprise (a part of Phoenix's northwestern sprawl) today to play in a tennis tournament and to watch the 2008 Celebrity Flag Football Game, which was played at the spring training stadium of the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. I was ready to see some dazzling plays, as well as the prerequisite hijinks associated with such an event. Doug Flutie, former NFL quarterback and college star, hosted the game, which featured Tae Bo inventor, Billy Blanks, and rapper DMC from Run-DMC. (Watch DMC perform "Walk This Way" with the Flutie Brothers Band in the video below.) Several NFL players played, the biggest stars being Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson and Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee. Both of these guys showed up 20 minutes after the game had started with Johnson sporting a leather suit and McGahee wearing shorts that were five sizes too big and a white, oversized hoodie. Both entered Surprise Stadium from a public gate near where I was standing, and two security guards accompanied them.

A group of teenage boys were ready for the Bengals star, as they launched a barrage of homophobic pejoratives at him as he entered. "Ocho Cinco" had the line of the day: "Yeah, well, I don't see any women wit ya'll." Johnson soon trekked down to the turf to lobby the crowd for a pair of shorts, as he allegedly forgot them. Flutie ended up scrounging up a pair for him, and then the millionaire wideout played two series of downs in his socks while everyone else was wearing spikes. To spare Cincinnati's general manager any disquietude, Flutie graciously gave Johnson his spikes, and the retired Flutie played barefoot the rest of the day. Quite a guy, that Doug Flutie, and quite a character, that Chad Johnson.

These just-for-fun exhibitions are as close to the Super Bowl as I will get this weekend. Though the stadium looms large in the horizon of my apartment complex, I--like the rest of you--will be watching on TV.

2008-02-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

CAVALIERS ROLLER COASTER

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, two things are certain this season.
1.) LeBron is, at the very least, the MVP of the Eastern Conference. And now he's got that Jordan-esque ability to dominate fourth quarters at will.
2.) Without him, they suck. Bad.

After those two assertions, nothing else is certain. Nothing.

I have to say that, overall, I'm pleased with the Cavaliers. They went a respectable 2-1 on their quick west-coast swing and have won 11 of 14. That run has catapulted them back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, which after Boston and Detroit is quite up-for-grabs. They lead the league in fourth quarter comebacks (18) and recently stole two games on the home courts of Kobe Bryant's Lakers and the upstart Portland Trailblazers (LeBron second-greatest individual performance in the NBA, in my opinion.) They spent the first chunk of the year without Anderson Varejao, who hurts his foot just as he returns to last year's form. Sasha Pavlovic's holdout and lack of conditioning has led to him being either ineffective or injured all season. In short, the Cavaliers have been ravaged by injuries, and James' banged up ankle can be added to the list. But all of those injuries, combined with tremendous inconsistency from impact players like Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes, leave most of us Cavalier fans laughing and saying, "Either they're going back to the Finals, or they're getting swept in the first round--if they get in at all."

To illustrate my point, look at the last five games:

The Cavs were throttling Phoenix at home a week ago. After scoring an astounding 69 points in the first half, they had an 18-point lead, which they blew. They regained a marginal lead and blew it, as well, before losing to the Suns on a well-executed play for Shawn Marion. Their offense looked as good as I'd ever seen it, but they were outscored by one of the best teams--if not the best team--in the West. (Trust me, I hear all about how good the Suns are out here in the desert.)

They hop a jet plane to La-la land and invade the Staples Center by using their patented smart, boring half-court offense--when it's executed properly--as well as stadout play from James and stingy defense to defeat the Lakers. They go up to Portland, where the young Blazers completely out-play them, except for LeBron, who carries the team to victory.

Then last night, in a game epitomized by Donyell Marshall forgetting to put his jersey on, the Cavs lose to the NBA's bottom-feeder, the Seattle Supersonics. Even with Kevin Durant, even on the second night of a road back-to-back, there is no way you can justify a loss to the Sonices.

Unless, of course, the team is without LeBron. See points 1 and 2 to begin the post.

The Cavaliers really are the worst team in the league without LeBron. With him, with committed defense and a with a few open shots made by Hughes, Gooden, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Boobie Gibson ... well, the Cavaliers are capable of beating anyone. In either conference. With this team on all cylinders, they really can and do beat anyone. But can that happen in April?

I'm not certain. Not even a little. Let's hope that Mike Brown and the fellows who don the wine and gold are a little more certain than we are.

2008-01-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

NASH SCORES 'GOAL OF THE YEAR,' JACKETS IN THE HUNT

I had heard that hockey was "the greatest sport to watch live." I saw more than 30 games last year while writing for bluejackets.com, and I didn't believe it until Thursday night.

Sitting in the first row of the upper deck of Jobing.com Arena, I witnessed forward Rick Nash score perhaps the best goal in Columbus Blue Jackets history. With 24 seconds left, Nash received the puck across the blue line and deked two Phoenix Coyotes defenders four times--four!--before popping a backhanded wrister past a totally helpless goaltender. (Click above for the highlight if you haven't seen it.) After the game, the all-star Nash told reporters that he felt like "the puck was on a string," and if so, he yo-yoed it more deftly than anyone in the NHL has so far this year. Sportscenter put the play at No. 1 on its "Top Plays" and showed it constantly on Friday. Barry Melrose called it the 'goal of the year.' With the goal, Columbus took a 4-3 lead in the back-and-forth contest and won by that score when the final horn sounded 24 seconds later. Nash's highlight-reel score made me erupt to my feet, shouting and jumping around like an exuberant six year old.

Wait a second, was I really getting this excited about the Blue Jackets? About hockey?

I spent an entire season last year watching and covering an underachieving, often dismal Blue Jackets team. Because they were terrible and because I had never really warmed up to hockey, it was easy to stay unbiased. Never once did I feel like a Blue Jackets "fan," which was crucial to staying professional. Now it's official: I am a Blue Jackets fan.

When I moved to Arizona, my allegiance to all things Ohio grew stronger. I have now seen two home state teams play in the desert (1-1), and I plan to get tickets for teams' upcoming trips, as well. As far as the Blue Jackets are concerned, I realized organization gave me a huge opportunity to write for them and that I wouldn't be where I am now without that experience and their kind references. When the season started, I decided that I might as well root for them and follow them, if for no other reason than to show support for my former co-workers.

On my holiday trip home to Ohio, though, I saw two solid Jackets wins, including a very exciting near hat trick from Nikolai Zherdev. It was obvious that this Columbus team is the not butt of hockey jokes it has been for the past seven seasons. Then, the game in the desert proved that the CBJ are laden with playmakers and hard-working defensemen. The mix they have is working quite well, and hence, they are incredibly fun to watch, even for me. They certainly were Thursday.

Their "keys" to making the playoffs are the same as any team in any sport trying to get over the hump: stay healthy, continue to win most of your home games and try to break even on the road. Though they dropped a game at Dallas last night, they are 1-1 on the trip. They have been dominant at home as of late.

Following a hometown hockey team in a playoff race? Yeah, I think I'm up for it.

2008-01-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

ABOVE THE RIM BUT NOT ABOVE THE LAW

LeBron James can drive the lane faster than anyone in the league, and apparently, he can drive I-71 just as fast.

Too bad for him, in this case, the Ohio Highway Patrol were sitting in the paint ready to reject him.

The AP reports LeBron was pulled over for going 101 mph in a 65 mph zone, a notorious speed trap around Medina. The incident occurred very early in the morning right after LBJ's 23rd birthday (Dec. 30). Why we are just hearing about it now, I have no idea.

One has to wonder if 'King James' had been sipping on a few royal beverages beforehand. It was his birthday, after all. What person in their mid-20s doesn't have something with alcohol in it on a birthday? This writer certainly does. (Testimonials are not welcome.) Though he didn't get an OVI (Ohio infraction for "operating a vehicle while intoxicated") from the patrolman, it could be because that particular member of Ohio's finest was a big Cavs fan? James must appear in court in February and will likely get a reckless ops citation, unless he can argue he had a good reason to be pushing his Benz over the century mark. This, as far as we know, is James' first brush with the law.

I'm not trying to judge LeBron. Let's just say people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. But at the same time, he's a $100-million+ investment, and he stupidly risked his life and future to drive like a maniac. Has he learned nothing from Kellen Winslow?

2008-01-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

ROOTING FOR DALLAS?

In the office last week, a colleague decided to start a playoff pill pool for the NFL playoffs. It works like this: 12 teams in the playoffs, 12 people in the pool. Everyone contributes $10 and draws a team from the hat. If your team wins the Super Bowl, you get $100. If your team gets to the Super Bowl, you get $20.

This is not a pool, like the weekly pick 'em, that demands any kind of football accumen; rather, it's a game of chance. Essentially, it was a 1 in 12 chance of picking New England and winning $100. I figured why not? With the Browns left out of the playoffs, I had a quickly waning interest in the playoffs. When the Browns were terrible, fantasy football was the only reason I cared at all. So, I opted in.

And drew Dallas.

Next to New England, this is probably the best option in the bunch. After all, the Cowboys went 13-3 and earned the first seed in the NFC. They might have gone 14-2, but they sat most of their regulars in Week 17's loss to the Washington Redskins, who after this weekend, are no longer in the playoffs. They have Tony Romo and Terrell Owens, who should be healthy for their game next week with the N.Y. Giants. They might be one of two or three teams who could give New England a game, and they're in the NFC, which is pretty much wide open and leaves the $20 second prize as a consolation.

But it's Dallas. I have to root for Dallas.

To emphasize how conflicted I am ... I HAVE TO ROOT FOR DALLAS! I have hated the Cowboys since the days of Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin. I think that the worst policy decision the United States ever made was to fight Mexico to acquire Teaxs, and I fully support the Lonestar State's secession from the union. Dallas is the home of big oil and twang. George W. Bush owned the Texas Rangers in nearby Fort Worth.

But with $20 up for grabs, I...will...root for Dallas.

It could be worse. I could have drawn Pittsburgh.

2008-01-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

FAREWELL, 2007, YEAR OF ALMOSTS

It’s only fitting that in a year dubbed Ohio’s “year of almosts” that another near-miss would cap 2007, just as it started.

Yesterday, the Tennessee Titans prevailed over the backup-laden Indianapolis Colts 16-10, snubbing the Cleveland Browns, who finished 10-6, from the playoffs. The Browns methodically disposed of the San Francisco 49ers at home, 20-7, earlier in the day, in a game they hoped was a playoff tune-up. But luck, as it always does, stayed away from the most tortured sports city in the country.

This year, Ohio might be the most tortured state.

Let’s start with Jan. 3. Ohio State’s football team dominated its way to a 12-0 season before being outplayed and outcoached by Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators in my new digs, Glendale, Ariz., during the national title game. In the spring, the Buckeyes mens basketball team earned a shot at redemption, before losing to those same Gators in the national title game. The Cavaliers, behind the godlike play of LeBron James, reached their first ever NBA Finals before being swept by San Antonio. The Columbus Destroyers, though of little significance to many, played their way out mediocrity by advancing to the Arena Bowl, before losing there. The Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 series lead in the ALCS to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox. OSU made it all the way to the NCAA finals in mens soccer and then lost. Then yesterday…the Browns.

However, saying the Browns lost their playoff hopes yesterday ignores all of their other missed opportunities. Yes, I wanted to punch Tony Dungee in the goatee for playing his junior varsity, even when the game could have gone his way, and for not managing the clock at game’s end. Clearly, he wanted Tennessee in the playoffs over the Browns (and I don’t blame him.) But the Browns left the playoffs on the shelf when they laid an egg in Cincinnati a week ago, when they committed four turnovers in Arizona and when they played down to the Raiders—and lost the game on a timeout-induced botched field goal. Granted, the Browns pulled out a couple of close ones, but the end story is all too familiar: close, but no cigar.

Fellow sports writers and friends are reflecting on 2007 and calling it a “Season of Dreams.” Given my recap above, I fail to see what’s so dreamy about it. I’m often accused of being a pessimist, but 2007 for the Ohio sports fan has been about as pleasurable as getting hot and heavy with someone before the other person whispers they have an STI. It’s been the year of fool’s gold, where as soon as the thought creeps into your head that “this could be the year,” a twist of fate chokes those dreams around the neck.

You implore, “But John? What about all of the good memories? LeBron’s 48 points? Bugs attack Joba Chamberlain at the Jake? Browns egde Bills in the snow bowl? Hey, I never said the year wasn’t entertaining or lacked good times. As it stacks up with other years, I suppose 2007 has been a pretty good one. But never, never have I, a Cleveland/Ohio sports fan, been inside of so many different championship panties just to get shooed out of them.

As we turn the page to 2008, the Buckeye footballers can silence all of the doubters with a win over LSU. Will the coming year be the year of finishing? Or can we expect more of the same?

2007-12-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

MITCHELL REPORT DELIVERS ANOTHER BLOW TO BASEBALL

Though many will argue that ignorance does not mean bliss, for many baseball fans, they could do without a lot of the information they have heard, particularly that the greatest right-handed pitcher of the modern era probably used steroids.

The 409-page report issued by former senator George Mitchell implicated Roger Clemens as a steroid-user, detailing particularly interactions between Clemens and a trainer in Toronto and New York.

My personal reaction: This is the darkest day for baseball since I have been old enough to understand it. I was barely into T-ball when the Pete Rose gambling scandal hit the press. I do remember the 1994 strike, but my fondest baseball memories came post-strike anyway. Hands down, hearing that so many players "cheated" bummed me out more than any other scandal. But then I started to think. Did they really cheat?

The Clemens camp vehemently denied the accusations, but the detailed testimony of Clemens' former trainer would be tough to fabricate. Clemens himself has remained silent on the issue, speaking through his lawyer. That fact alone makes him guilty in the court of public opinion.

The report also confirmed what we already knew: Barry Bonds used steroids from the BALCO lab, though his story is still "he didn't know they were steroids." A federal jury will determine that.

Ex-Cleveland Indians David Justice and David Segui were mentioned in the report, marking the only Indians from the power-hitting "glory days" to have accusers, a bit of a surprise to me. (In a cynical, vindicative way, I was clamoring for my childhood hero Jim Thome to be named.) The only saving grace for the Tribe is that none of their traning staff has ever been subpoenaed, leaving most of the limelight to ballplayers who made careers in New York or the Bay Area, as Miguel Tejada, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi all used while playing for the Oakland A's.

I have some baseball-enthusiast friends who have minimalized the report's release, saying, "Everyone was using back then. We'd rather not know about it and just try to forget the whole thing ever happened."

Baseball, though, is a sport that survives based on the fact that we can't forget what happens. It's a sport that built its popularity on records and numbers, records and numbers that are inevitably skewed by an era of rampant performance-enhancing drug use.

Though not named in the Mitchell Report, Tribe pitcher Paul Byrd confessed to human growth hormone use in 2002. Though HGH is on the banned substance list now, it wasn't then, and Byrd maintains he took the substance at the advice of a doctor and because he was recovering from elbow surgery.

Did he cheat? That's dicey. It really depends on whom you ask.

If you ask me, and if you're reading this, you essentially are, "cheating" is a knowing and intentional breaking of rules to give one an advantage. The rules on steroid use in baseball have toughened, and the number of violations has decreased (though reported violations have gone up because of positive testing.) This "stuff" coming out of the woodwork from years ago comes from times when the banned substance list contained many loopholes and a unified message of "We don't do this thing in baseball" was absent. Of course, then, that some of the world greatest competitors who depend on on-field performance will push the limits of legality. They will take whatever means they can to gain an advantage.

Commissioner Bud Selig gets the "response" half-right. The plan to test for steroids is fine. The plan to retro-actively punish active players for use in the past (possible suspension of Andy Petitte et. al.) is wrong. The game has changed, and it is closer to the pure, innocent game Americans love, and some integrity has been restored. We have to accept that like there was a Dead Ball Era, there was also a Steroids Era. Little by little, that era is ending.

It's tough for me, though, because I fell in love with the game during that era, and I'm left knowing more about my childhood heroes than I wanted to know.

2007-12-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

BROWNS LOSE AZ GAME LONG BEFORE CONTROVERSIAL CALL

As my roommate Jimmy, a Chagrin Falls native, and I looked on, Browns quarterback Derek Anderson tossed a 37-yard pass to to tight end Kellen Winslow II with the game on the line. Trailing 27-21, the Browns had been able to push only as far as the Cardinals' 37 on their last drive. We moved from our upper deck seats to the endzone into which the Browns were driving, hoping to see some magic.

We almost did. Perhaps, we should have.

Winslow made a sensational catch as Anderson threaded the ball between three Cardinal defenders in the front corner of the endzone. The tight end, whom I often dub "Soulja Boy" for his infamous collegiate post-game rant, went airborn, caught the pass, put one foot barely in-bounds, but before he could drag the other foot, his half-airborn body was shoved out of bounds.

Incomplete, say the refs.

Even though a rule exists in the NFL giving receivers a catch if they are "pushed out," the referees would not give the Browns the call, even after a suspenseful "review." Though many argue the call was unfair, I contend it was the "fairest" thing that happened all game.

As much as I wanted to see hometown team prevail in my new home town, the Browns didn't deserve to win.

Cleveland committed four turnovers, three of them leading to touchdowns. Leigh Bodden makes a big stop and then Ronaldinhos the ball to the sidelines, earning him a 15-yard penalty to sustain a Cardinals drive. Two 15-yard late hit penalties helped Arizona drive to the Browns' 2 and led to another score, making the game 27-21 and requiring a touchdown to send the game to overtime. To add insult to injury, the Cardinals were playing without Larry Fitzgerald for the entire game and Anquan Bolden for most of it. Without question, the Browns should have put forth a winning effort.

They knew that, though, and they played flat-footed and stupidly. The fact that they almost won only proves how much firepower this young team has. They think they're "good," but right now, they're just on their way to being good.

As disappointed as I was with the Browns stupidity, I also became even more enamored with their offensive firepower, having seen it in person. Anderson has the arm and skills to become a great quarterback, but he's still learning to use his head. The offensive line is full of stalwarts, and Braylon Edwards/Kellen Winslow is the best receiver/tight end playmaking combo Cleveland has had since the 80s. If the offense and special teams doesn't turn the ball over so much, the defense would have given up very few yards, as the Browns outgained the Cardinals nearly 2 to 1.

What does all of this analysis add up to? The Browns at 7-5 are good enough to go to the playoffs. They don't stink anymore. In fact, they are pretty fun to watch. (I had a blast at the game, though I am convinced University of Phoenix Stadium is cursed after what happened to the Buckeyes there last year). To get over the hump, they will have to use their heads. It's not rocket science for you or me to conclude that, but it seems like it is for the young Browns, who've yet to figure it out.

2007-12-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

BUCKEYES BENEFIT FROM BOWL 'CHAOS' SERIES, WILL RETURN TO NC GAME

If you've ever gotten a bank error or tax error in your favor--to the tune of a couple million dollars, or, in Jim Tressel's case, $200,000 for his championship-game incentive--then you know how the Ohio State Buckeyes football program is feeling this morning.

After No. 9 Oklahoma's 38-17 throttling of No. 1 Missouri in the Big XII title game and Pitt's world-shattering 13-9 upset over No. 2 West Virginia, that "glimmer of hope" of an Ohio State return to the BCS National Championship has turned into a beaming light of certainly. This happens, of course, after most left their national championship chances for dead after a home loss to Illinois with one game to play.

The bank error analogy isn't to say Ohio State doesn't belong in the game because, if yesterday's pandemonium proved nothing else, it's that Ohio State is at least the second best one-loss team from a BCS conference, and unless you want to argue that Hawai'i is more deserving than the Buckeyes, the Scarlet and Gray have a foolproof argument. What I mean, more or less, is that this all comes somewhat unexpectedly when you consider the doom and despair that filled Ohio Stadium after the Illinois game.

You don't have to scroll far down the page to read my defense of the Rose Bowl and an all-but-concession that an '07 Buckeye national title probably wasn't going to happen. Of course, my last post came before a lot of dominoes fell into place. (Remember, Arizona had already beaten Oregon.) Here they are:

1.) Ohio State beat Michigan and did so dominantly. The "dominant" part doesn't really matter because Ohio State could have won 2-0 or in overtime, and they would still be where they are. They clinch the Big Ten outright and a BCS (Rose Bowl) bid.

2.) Oklahoma loses to Texas Tech.

3.) Arkansas defeats LSU in triple-overtime.

4.) Missouri beats Kansas. (Had Kansas won, they would going to the title game, even with a loss to Oklahoma, and today's sit-and-wait would be a lot less interesting.)

5.) Oklahoma destroys Missouri. (Ohio State is probably "in" at this point.)

6.) Pitt knocks off West Virginia. (Bedlam.)

I was rooting hard for Pitt to stun West Virginia, so hard that it was the primary game I watched last evening only switching over to the Big XII game occasionally. I was elated because that result came in first, but then I started to play out scenarios in my head about who Ohio State's opponent would be?

Would we have been better off with West Virginia and their spread option?

Of course not, many of you say! The Mountaineers had the offensive speed to tear the Buckeyes apart, and OSU dodges a major bullet by not only getting into the game but also by avoiding them. Perhaps you're right, but in my BCS bowl projections, you will see that the Buckeyes will be meeting an equally formidable opponent on its ad hoc home turf.

Projections: I'm going to do this like the NCAA Men's Basketball selection show because today has just about the same amount of intrigue by using terms like "In" and "On the bubble."

"In:" Ohio State (Big Ten), USC (Pac-10), LSU (SEC), Virginia Tech. (ACC), West Virginia (Big East), Oklahoma (Big XII), Hawai'i (at-large--trailed Washington 28-7 last night in the first half before rebounding to edge them 35-28 in the closing seconds), Georgia (at-large).

"On the Bubble:" Kansas, Missouri, Arizona State

The bowls pick in this order: NC game, Rose (because they lose Ohio State to the NC game), Orange, Fiesta, Sugar.

...well, unless LSU slides up to No. 2 in the BCS and, thus, into the NC game. Then, the Sugar Bowl gets to pick LSU's replacement after the Rose Bowl picks Ohio State's.

Confused yet? Try to stay with me.

National Championship Game--Sunday, Jan. 7: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 LSU
I have said all along that if Ohio State gets into the national championship game, they do not want to play LSU. Unfortunately, the two-loss Tigers (or lyrically, "11-2 LSU") is going to get to host the championship in their home state. Even though the computers may give the edge to Georgia, if Lou Holtz, Kirk Herbstreit and others are any indication, the voters are going to give the edge to LSU. They have lost twice in triple-overtime and they won the best top-to-bottom conference in the country. I can't really argue with that.

Rose Bowl--Monday, Jan. 1: USC vs. Missouri
As much as I would have liked Illinois to slip in here, and they might have if Colt Brennan hadn't led Hawai'i back last night, Hawai'i's selection makes Missouri the best candidate for the Tournament of the Roses here. Though Georgia will likely finish higher in the BCS standings, Rose Bowl execs will remember the resounding success of the 2006 game, which pitted USC and Texas against each other. My gut is they will take Missouri over Kansas because Missouri beat Kansas two weeks ago. At least, that would be fair. I, most definitely, could be wrong here, as it seems selection committees have short memories, and Missouri did get drubbed yesterday. Most likely, it will come down to who they think will bring in the most money. Maybe they will play it safe and go with Georgia, but I think they will leave Georgia on the board.

By the way, CBS has Illinois here, which would really surprise me but would make for an interesting matchup, I believe. I'll root for that but stick to my prediction.

Sugar Bowl--Monday, Jan. 1: Georgia vs. Hawai'i
Georgia is the LSU replacement pick and an SEC team who will draw very well. They will then get the last pick and take Hawai'i.

Fiesta Bowl--Tuesday, Jan. 2: Oklahoma vs. Arizona State
This one is in my backyard, and I'm picking a little bit against my football sense. CBS puts Kansas here, and with one tight loss to Missouri, they deserve it. But I think the Fiesta will take the hometown Sun Devils because of the easy ticket sales and Arizona's State's strength of schedule. Likewise, even though Kansas and Oklahoma didn't play each other this year, bowls tend to shy away from inter-conference bowl games. Plus, after what the Sooners did to Missouri last night, they would likely do the same or worse to Kansas. Unfortunately, I think the Jayhawks might be on the outside of this BCS party looking in, but they do have the coach of the year.

Orange Bowl--Wednesday, Jan. 3: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia.
Like the Sugar Bowl, this is an easy call. The Hokies get an automatic bid, and West Virginia gets an automatic bid here. It might as well be a border war. This game will probably be the best matchup outside of the national championship game.

That's all I've got. As I typed that, I decided I need to take a shower now, feeling dirty after slighting several teams. I'll try to forget about it by indulging myself with Browns/Cardinals today.

In the meantime....Go Buckeyes?

2007-11-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

'CARDIAC CRENNELS' HAVE 'BELIEVELAND' FOOTBALL FANS ROCKING AGAIN

I don't think I could write a cheesier headline, but I am too excited for the 2007 Cleveland Browns to care. (For the record, "Cardiac Crennels" is mine and "Believeland" belongs to Sports Illustrated. Pick up this week's issue or click above to read about how Phil Savage has finally put together the right combination for success).

At 7-4 and in the thick of the AFC wildcard chase, the Browns are a the cinderella darlings of the NFL this year. It has been difficult to follow them from Arizona, though I have done my best every Sunday with a combination Web radio snippets and gamecasts. They haven't been on local TV once this year, until this week. And it won't matter because I'll be at the game.

I don't care how you follow this team, whether it's on a Blackberry, satellite radio or Morse Code. The Browns are for real, and they are fun! Granted, they have a somewhat depleted defense that can loosen late in the game (though they're getting healthier and rookies like Kamerion Wimbley and Brandon McDonald are coming along). The Browns tend to make every game a bit of an adventure, even when it doesn't have to be, but the explosive combination of Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow II has bolstered the offense to the ranks of the league's best, not to mention Rob Chudzinsky, the offensive coordinator who does not run the Original Mattress Factory. They have the potential to score 30 or more every game with Derek Anderson delivering the ball to his talented receiver corps and handing off to the resurgent Jamal Lewis. If you can forgive Phil Dawson for his blocked field goal in Oakland (that never should have happened) and for coming up short in Pittsburgh--and you probably have, after the Baltimore heroics--then there is not another kicker in the NFL the Browns would rather have in a game's closing moments.

As the SI article details, the Browns don't even resemble that sorry team that the Steelers shellacked in Week 1. Since, the Browns are 7-3 (and should be 8-2 if not for the last-minute, field goal timeout fiasco in Oakland). They've dropped two games to the 8-3 Steelers, one to the Patriots (of course) and a controversial one in Oakland. Save the latter, the Browns have lost only to some of the league's best, and they've beaten the teams they're supposed to beat, which in itself is a sign of improvement because the '06 Browns weren't "supposed to beat" anyone. The rest of the schedule is favorable, and the Steelers still have to play New England and Jacksonville. With a little luck, the Browns could, could be division champs. They would have to run the table at 5-0 or go 4-1 with the Steelers losing two or three.

Even though it's fine to be excited, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I'm sure we would all "settle" for the wildcard. If that's the case, the Browns should be gunning for Jacksonville, who sits above them with the No. 5 seed at 8-3 and plays at Indianapolis this weekend. Winning the No. 5 spot would give the Browns a shot at the AFC West winner, who would, no doubt, be an easier opponent than the Steelers, who squeaked out a 3-0 win over winless Miami in the Mud Bowl.

I, for one, cannot be excited enough about the Browns matchup this weekend in the desert, mostly because I live close enough to hurl a rock at University of Phoenix Stadium (and considering Ohio State's history there, I've thought about it). It will also be my first Browns game in person since 1993 in old Municipal Stadium. (The weather will be a little nicer this time with a gametime high temperature of 65 degrees.) The Cardinals unlikely and stupid overtime loss last week to San Francisco has de-hyped this game a little bit, but from Arizona fans' perspectives, this is the second biggest non-conference game of the year, with the Steelers being the first. A sizeable cluster of Ohio natives and Browns fans now reside in the Valley of the Sun, including yours truly, and we will be out in full force Sunday afternoon.

I have followed the Cardinals a little this year, trying to decide whether I want to adopt them as my No. 2 team (like I have done with the Diamondbacks and the Suns). Before Leinart was injured, first-year coach Ken Whisenhunt had the Cardinals really clicking and poised to make a playoff charge in the weak NFC West. But the Cards have not done what the Browns have, win the close ones against teams they should beat. Kurt Warner has stepped in and battled his own injuries to keep the Cardinals in it, and their playoff lives are on the line Sunday. Since talent is in no short supply, especially for the Cardinals offense, if they are motivated by their close loss last week and the urgency of the situation, we should see a fantastic, high-scoring game. However, if this team proves to have little character and little energy, that will be a huge boost for the Browns.

I expect this to be your typical Browns game with them starting strong and building a two-touchdown lead or so with the Cardinals closing the gap and making it very close at the end. I hope to post pictures and video from my upper deck perch, but before I go, let me leave you with a prediction: in a high-scoring affair, the Browns win again off Phil Dawson's toe, 34-31.

2007-11-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

BUCKEYES SEEK BACK-TO-BACK OUTRIGHT BIG TEN TITLES, WOLVERINES SEEK REVENGE, DIGNITY

I realize that by living nearly 2,000 miles away from the border war it might seem as though this year's "big" Ohio State-Michigan game is, well, not-so-big. It also doesn't help that last year the game was on the radar by mid-season, when it appeared both teams had a strong chance to go undefeated into the final week of the year (which they did, and OSU prevailed 42-39 en route to the BCS National Championship Game). The escalation in Columbus just crescendoed and crescendoed until the final whistle. Other "Game" week storylines included Bo Schembechler's death and Troy Smith's likely Heisman. It really was the game of the century.

But this year, a lot of people, particularly Buckeye people, just aren't that excited about it.

Losing to Illinois at home in the previous week will do that to you. Likewise, losing to Appalachian State in Week 1, ruining your national title hopes, and building all year toward this game will do the opposite to you.

I think the Maize and Blue will be ready for OSU in Ann Arbor.

I don't just mean the players and coaches, who themselves are fresh off an embarrassing defeat to Wisconsin. I mean the student body, the alumni, the fans, the vendors, Chad Henne and Mike Hart and definitely Lloyd Carr. If he wants to be the coach at Michigan for another year, he'd better win tomorrow or U of M. will have an assistant leading them into the Alamo Bowl.

The question really becomes who has more to lose tomorrow because the team with more to lose in this series generally loses--Ohio State: ca. 1969, 1993, 1995, 1996; Michigan: ca. 2001, 2004 (Anomaly: 2002--OSU beats Michigan 14-9 in Columbus to get invited to the Fiesta Bowl and win a share of the Big Ten).

Last year, just as in 2003, 2000, and 1997, both teams came into the game with about the same amount to lose. They both were playing for outright Big Ten titles (Michigan, by the way, has won more than any other school) and a trip to the national title game. The who-is-under-more-pressure argument didn't matter because both schools were under equally tremendous pressure. The story is the same in those other recent years I mentioned (coincidentally, Michigan won all three). Looking to tomorrow, Ohio State comes in a bit deflated after all but blowing their national title aspirations last week (Oregon's loss does add a glimmer of hope, though.) They're 10-1, 6-1 in the conference, and hoping to repeat as Big Ten outright champions and earn a de facto Rose Bowl berth. For this year's Buckeye nation and for the team--though Tressel and Co. would never say it--that's kind of like hoping for a scoop of vanilla soft serve when you found out they ran out of tierra misu.

That's not the way it used to be, though. Before all of the BCS hype and Ohio State national title in 2002, a great season in Columbus was beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten and earning a trip to Pasadena (in that order). Many talent-laden teams from Ohio State failed to complete that. You could say much of the same for Ann Arbor. Any year when they beat the Buckeyes, win the conference and go to the Rose Bowl is considered a resounding success. But this year?

That gets back to my original question: Who has more to lose? Who is under more pressure?

If you say Ohio State, you point first to their embarrassment against Florida last year. You point to a recent loss to Illinois and how a loss to Michigan and a trip to the Capital One Bowl would be demoralizing to fans. You argue that every pundit and wizard in the land says Ohio State is over-rated; they're still saying that even though the Bucks have dropped to No. 7.

If you say Michigan, you look no farther than Lloyd Carr. He's 1-5 against Jim Tressel. He hasn't beaten Ohio State since 2003. His undefeated Wolverines went into Columbus last year and lost. His team was dusted by 1-AA Appalachian State and then wiped out by Oregon, both at home. He's coming into the game with three losses, and rumors about his job have swirled all week. His team, even the underclassmen, generally support their captain and would hate to see him go, but another loss to the Scarlet and Gray could spell the end for Carr.

Wow, this really isn't an easy pick, but I'm going to say that Michigan has more to lose. Ohio State has more key players returning next year. Though they have fallen from national graces a little faster (in one week; Michigan has had all year to come to grips with that reality), Michigan has put all of its eggs in the beating Ohio State basket. Though you could say it "makes or breaks" the season for both teams, it really does for Michigan. If they win, they have a lukewarm 9-3 season and head back to the Rose Bowl with another Big Ten title. Carr's job will be secure, unless he steps down, and all will say "he did a lot, considering the injuries." If he loses, well, I've already written what I think will happen. Ohio State loses, and the diehards will head to Florida while the countdown to 2008 begins. Tressel hits the recruiting trail and goes after the stud QB from Pennsylvania.

For the real "football analysis" of this post, consider this:

1.) Ohio State will not be seeing a spread offense or an athletic quarterback this week. That means, the defense will be a lot more comfortable and can return to the form that has it still holding steady as the No. 2 in the country.

2.) The Buckeyes, as a team, received a poignant wake-up call last week. Coming in off a loss, Tressel-coached Buckeye teams are 2-0 against the Wolverines with wins in 2001 and 2004. Even the Cooper-coached teams played better against Michigan when they came in having lost the week before. Todd Boeckman knows that, especially early, he does not have to win this game for Ohio State by throwing precarious deep bombs into double coverage. It cost him three picks against Illinois and, probably, cost Ohio State the game.

3.) Chris "Beanie" Wells is healthier than Hart, though I think both will play. Hart is a warrior, but he's not healthy enough to tote the ball more than 20 times or so. Wells can and will shoulder a lot of the carries for the Buckeyes because statistics show Michigan's defense just isn't that good against the run. I liked what I saw from Maurice Wells last week, and I have a feeling he's going to make one big play in this game. The run should open up the Buckeyes' passing game, but if they learned anything from Illinois, it's that ball control can really chew up the clock.

4.) Turnovers: Usually your quarterback has the most control over whether or not your offense turns the ball over, based on his passing and play-calling. If Henne starts, the Buckeyes need to pressure him. He barely played last week and might be a little gun shy in the game if he gets hit early. Mallet is bound to throw at least one pick because--and Michigan fans will tell you this--his decision-making skills still leave something to be desired. Boeckman is better than the three interceptions he threw last week, so this advantage goes to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have needed a whole lot of Troy Smith to defeat the Wolverines the last three years, and this year Ohio State will have to do it without him. But do the Wolverines have enough heart? (Or Hart?) Will they rise to the occasion and support their hot-seated coach? It seems they just have too much to lose....to win.

Expect a good one tomorrow with the Buckeyes making a big defensive play late in the game. Prediction: OSU 27, Michigan 17.

2007-11-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

'CY CY' SABATHIA PROVIDES DILEMMA TO TRIBE FRONT OFFICE

After C.C. Sabathia earned the first Cy Young Award for the Indians since Gaylord Perry in the 70s, it's time to get serious about talking about his "New Deal." I'm guessing FDR's actually will end up being less expensive.

It's possible that Mark Shapiro will be able to sign the left-handed ace. It's also possible that Britney Spears will become a good mother. But likely?

Therefore, I've developed a contingency plan.

We all know the Indians are interested in acquiring the Pirates' Jason Bay. The Tribe is probably going to see if C.C. will go for their first contract offer before seriously pursuing Bay, a left-fielder who would fill the Lofton void. (Give up, Lofton-lovers, Kenny's encore was a great one, but it will be short-lived.) So, Plan A for off-season moves is 1.) Get C.C. a new contract and 2.) Make a trade for Bay.

If neither of those things work, here's what I propose: trade C.C. to the L.A. Dodgers for a variety of possible players including Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Takashi Saito and prospects. Here's my logic:

1.) Though a lot of things could happen in 2008, I'm guessing C.C. Sabathia will have another good campaign. His 100 career wins and 3.83 ERA indicate nothing to the contrary. But 2007 was a career year, and even though C.C. is only 27, given the depth of pitching talent in the AL, it's not likely Sabathia is going to be winning many more Cy Youngs. In fact, it's likely he has peaked and will never be quite as dominant as he was in 2007.

2.) Sabathia will likely command a $150-200 million contract. That's his going rate now. Without paralyzing their payroll, the Indians cannot pay anyone that much. Remember what happened with Thome and Ramirez? Left at the altar. This would be Round III.

3.) It may not appear the Indians have a lot of off-season needs, but in reality, they do. They need to figure out whether Andy Marte or Casey Blake are the real solution at third or whether they're going to move Peralta there, move Cabrera to shortstop and play Barfield at second. Priority No. 1 is an outfield bat. A somewhat lower priority has been to ink a genuine leadoff hitter so that Grady Sizemore can move down to the No. 3 spot in the lineup, a good move after seeing Hafner's tough 2007 (Pierre batted .293 and stole 64 bases this year, by the way, and check out this cool MLB contract site to see the inherited financial burden). Even after signing Borowski, they could stand an upgrade at closer. Dealing Sabathia would give them that flexibility.

4.) The Indians could fill several vacancies and question marks by pulling a deal like this, and of course, you all are thinking, "Sure, but then we've got a big f***ing vacancy at our No. 1 starter slot." That answer is easier than you think. The Indians are loaded with young pitching talent. Carmona is ready to be the go-to guy. If he can learn to pitch in Boston, he'll be the best right-hander in the league without question. Westbrook and Byrd will stay solid, so the Indians have to hope that of Cliff Lee, Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey, at least one of them emerges. Personally, I think both Lee and Sowers will return to form. Remember, the Tribe still has Adam Miller, who is still on the mend from arm surgery. Both Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez have starter arm strength and experience. Looking down the road and past 2008, the Indians will be fine in the starting pitching department. Plus, they could demand a top prospect in the trade.

...but why the Dodgers, you ask?

5.) C.C. is from California (albeit Northern) and tempting to West Coast teams.

6.) L.A. just hired Joe Torre and is pursuing A-Rod, but "overpay-Rod" has decided to stay with the Yankees at 10 years, $275 million. The Blue and White still want to make a big off-season splash after finishing third in the N.L. West last year.

7.) They have three good starters and two big question marks in their rotation. They would love to add a fourth, or part with a No. 3 to add a No. 1.

8.) As part of that "big splash" mentality, the Dodgers--like the Yankees, Cubs and other big-market juggernauts--are short-sided. The fact that they know C.C. is a free agent at the end of the year doesn't scare them. They would have the resources to re-sign him anyway.

9.) They're in the National League (even though Cleveland does play them in June).

Though Sabathia stepped up as a clubhouse leader and spokesperson this year, the Indians should only let them prevent a deal if Wedge and Shapiro think it would lead to an imminent collapse of the team in 2008. Honestly, if a deal is done correctly, it can make the Indians better for 2008 and definitely better for the future.

If I could have any of the proposed players I mentioned, I would send Sabathia and try to pick up Pierre and Saito. If they wouldn't throw in Saito, I would demand some AA pitching prospect(s). The Tribe could even throw in Borowski if the Dodgers wanted him as an insurance policy at closer. If they won't part with Pierre, then the Indians get Kemp or Ethier plus Saito and prospects, or there's no deal.

Honestly, baseball is economics. Terry Pluto's book Dealing showed us how the Indians have to be cutthroat and savvy in that business to have success. C.C.'s stock has never been higher, and you know what they say: "buy low, sell high."

2007-11-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

PERFECT GAME, IMPERFECT SEASON: Why Illinois toppled the formerly No. 1 Buckeyes.

As Juice Williams, Illinois' highly under-rated option quarterback, stood in front of TV cameras Saturday evening after his Illini knocked off the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, the hushed tones of the Horseshoe allowed for his emotions to carry off louder than even he expected.

"I just want to thank God and Jesus Christ," Williams said. "All the glory goes to Him."

Well, obviously. God had to be pulling for Illinois, for them to play as perfectly as they did.

As the text messages and phone calls started to swarm in after the 28-21 loss took Ohio State out of the national championship hunt, I had really only one response: "Give credit to Illinois. They played a perfect game."

Though it's debatable whether a college football team could be perfect on every play, Illinois came close. They didn't have a single penalty until a fourth-quarter holding call (they weren't flagged again, by the way). They had zero turnovers to Ohio State's three. They executed a spread option that has been the Buckeyes' achilles heal since Florida exposed it last year. Ron Zook and the Illinois coaching staff came into Ohio State with a golden game plan and the right personnel. They executed it...well...to perfection.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as distraught about the Buckeyes' loss as all of you are. I had visions of national redemption for the Scarlet and Gray against an SEC foe (LSU) in the national championship game. I thought that, maybe, this Ohio State team of lower expectations and lower talent than last year's super, senior-laden squad would tiptoe into history. I say "tiptoe" because no one, no one, expected Ohio State to be a national title contender that late into the season. So, I should be still in mourning, but I'm going to say something here that will make me sound like a bad fan.

I'm a little, just a little, happy for Ohio native Ron Zook. I smiled on the inside a little bit for Illinois' Juice Williams. Illinois won the conference in 2001, and then the bottom fell out. Suddenly, they couldn't get recruits, they couldn't win close games and they became a laughingstock of the conference. It came with seemingly no explanation. I remember sitting in the 'Shoe in 2005 when Ohio State embarrassed the Illini 40-2. I thought that teams like Bowling Green and Toledo would be more competition in the Big Ten than Illinois was. Now, obviously, I have to recant that.

The Illini have two very understandable losses: one to Missouri in St. Louis near the beginning of the season and one to Wisconsin on the road. The loss that kills them is the road loss at Iowa, or else they would have been a top-20 team last week, and this week, they'd be in the BCS bowl-game conversation. Though perhaps they are deserving for even more national attention--if for no other reason than to prove the Big Ten isn't a total pushover--I have a bowl wish for Illinois: Capital One on New Year's Day.

Where would that leave the Buckeyes? Think about it. Full "Keeping Score" coverage of "The Game" is coming.

2007-11-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

CAVS LOSS TO UTAH IS A GOOD SIGN...REALLY, I MEAN IT.

You're probably perplexed by this headline, wondering how I can spin a 103-101 loss last night -- which resulted from a defensive breakdown so great it's usually seen by only Britney Spears' therapist -- into a positive. Who am I, the optimist?

To the contrary, I'm just a skeptical about the Cleveland Cavaliers having a "successful" (definition unknown...winning a championship, perhaps?) 2007-08 as all of you are. But I think the wine and gold have been "on blast" from the national media (what else is new?) since their beatdown suffered at Dallas' hands and even though they stand at 2-3, this team looks like maybe, just maybe, they can be a contender in April and May.

Let's start with last night. The Cavs are on the second end of a back-to-back, and they needed all their gusto to earn a 108-104 win over Golden State Wednesday. With probably some tired legs (you don't play back-to-backs in the preseason), they landed in Salt Lake to take on the Jazz at home, who some have penciled in to be right up their with the Spurs and Suns in the West this year.

The Jazz showed us why from the opening tip. Their offense was crisp, their passes were clean and most of their shots were falling. For most of the game, the Cavs and LeBron James were playing keep up, as Utah would build the lead up to but not exceeding nine points when Boobie Gibson would nail a three or James would grab a steal, leading to a fast break. Other than atrocious free throw shooting, the Cavaliers were playing better than one might expect on the road at Utah, and at halftime, I was bracing myself to watch the wheels come off in the second half as the Jazz would pull away.

It never happened. In fact, the Cavs got especially stingy on 'D' and took whatever the Jazz zone would give them. Similar to the first half, Utah made their runs (Brewer and Boozer absolutely killed the Cavs in the second half), but LeBron James, as he often does, put the team on his back and brought them back. His playmaking (assists to Ilgauskas and Gooden, tough rebounds in traffic, blocks) led to his 13th career triple-double, and the Cavs kept it close.

Facing a five-point deficit in the closing moments, the Cavs weathered a little clock mismanagement from Mike Brown, and managed to keep the heat on Utah. Down three, LeBron drove to the basket for an easy hoop. After Brewer's two makes, LeBron came down the floor and canned the biggest bucket of the night, a three from the top of the key that tied the game at 101 and made overtime seem likely.

Then, as the highlights will remind you today, Deron Williams (one of the quickest ballhandlers in the league, by the way) went coast-to-coast without so much as a bump from the Cavaliers to finger-roll in the winning shot. On behalf of the defense, five seconds is an eternity in basketball, perhaps even an awkward eternity. As a player, you don't want to foul with a tie game because one free throw ends it. Likewise, you have to put up enough resistance to keep from what happened last night from...well...happening.

Sure, it was a close one that got away. It was more proof that the Cavs rely so heavily on James that when he has off-nights, the Cavs will lose (gee, what a discovery! Don't 90 percent of NBA teams rely on a star? Look how well the Heat are doing in the early-going.) It was proof that even when he has all-around "on" nights like last night, the Cavs still can lose.

But it showed that the Cavaliers can play in the West against the good teams and almost win. They had Phoenix on the ropes before letting them back into the game. The road trip record so far is 2-2, and I don't think we can complain too much about that. Last night's game showed that the Cavs can and will battle back when they're all but counted out. Even though they gave up 103, at times that Mike Brown defensive tenacity reared its head, and the Cavs were forcing turnovers. If you really want to know what lost the game, it was the ugly free throw shooting, not the defensive collapse at the end.

If/when the Cavs get the Anderson Varejao situation solved (either sign him, trade him, or sign-and-trade him), they finally, FINALLY will be a cohesive unit. (Speaking of Varejao, check out how many ex-Cavs are on this list.) Once Pavlovic remembers how to play basketball and starts hitting big shots, the guard play will be a force. It's obvious to me that 'Z' is poised in the early going, and I think Drew Gooden is going to have a good season, too.

Honestly, Detroit is getting old and Chicago may not be as great as everyone says, so the Central Division is wide open for the taking. I know it's early and LeBron James is being asked to bear more of the team's weight than he has since his rookie year, I expect the Cavs to win their patented 50 games this year and maybe even win the division.

Don't worry too much, Cavs fans. The window of championship opportunity may be hard to open, but when LBJ suits up for you, it doesn't close easily, either.

2007-11-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

I STILL CAN'T DIE IN PEACE, BUT THE 2007 INDIANS CAN.

With apologies to Bill Simmons -- no, wait a minute! No apologies to Mr. Butt-Buddies-With-Boston -- I still can't die in peace. And neither can you, nor can this blog, because I have resurrected it. I chose tonight, this moment, from my new digs in Arizona, to end my blogging hiatus because after completing the five-step grieving period (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), I think I have finally finished mourning the death of the Cleveland Indians' 2007 season. I have decided the most dignified way to do that is to deliver the eulogy. So, on behalf of Tribe nation, here it goes:

Friends, we are all gathered here this evening to remember our good friend, the 2007 installment of our beloved Cleveland Indians. I'm honored to be in front of you tonight, though I know the last couple of weeks have been particulary difficult. I've heard from many of you that you've had trouble sleeping. You see Joel Skinner's stop sign, Kenny Lofton's subsequent freeze frame rounding third base, J.D. Drew's grand slam and other horrible images as you shut your weary eyes. Friends, it's time, hard as it may be, to forget these images and remember some others.

First, remember the scene at Yankee Stadium after Joe Borowski closed out Game 4 for a 3-1 series win. Remember Trot Nixon's bloop hit and Franklin Gutierrez's no-doubter in Game 2 of the ALCS at Fenway to put an exclamation point on the inning. Remember Tom Mastny's 1-2-3 10th inning in the same game. Remember our second mascot, the Canadian soldier, and his assault on Joba Chamberlain. Remember Pronk's game-winner (but only if you can manage to forget that he did bubkus in the playoffs after that.) Remember the 12-3 rout, the clutch double-plays, and Paul Byrd's double-feature of great performances. Don't you dare forget how good it felt to see Kenny Lofton take a curtain call after his home run in Game 3.

Go back to the regular season. Remember how happy you were when Rafael Betancourt fired a third strike to clinch the division, ending a six-year playoff and division-championship drought. Likewise, think back to Casey Blake's walkoff homers in September, particularly against Detroit. Recall the emergence of Asdrubal Cabrera and Jensen Lewis, who both were integral in making the season as long as it was. Think about how Fausto Carmona emerged from Day 1 as an up-and-coming Pedro Martinez, and we didn't even miss Jeremy Sowers.

Remember the unlikely comeback against Detroit at the Jake in early June, ended on a David Delucci single up the middle. Reflect on all of the come-from-behind wins, making us all nostalgic for 1995.

Think about how hard you laughed at "I'm dreaming of a white home opener," how pissed off you were at how MLB screwed the organization in the makeup of those games with Seattle and how much you ended up not caring because the good guys took three out of a four of that series anyway.

Smile at the "Major League" jokes made when the Tribe played its their first game in the home whites in Milwaukee.

Now, if you're feeling any better, let me offer a little bit of perspective. Most of you wanted to "Trade Shapiro" in 2002 (that's for you, Proto), and now you can't stop singing his praises. Only the most vicious malcontents of you still don't like Eric Wedge. Most of you are out campaigning for him to win Manager of the Year from the AP, even though he already won it from The Sporting News. In 2003, when the Indians might as well have hung up a sign in front of the ballpark saying, "We're rebuilding. Come see us in a couple of years," they dropped 94 games, struggled to score 600 runs, and the most potent hitters were Jody Gerut and Matt Lawton. This team that we remember today fared better than the 2005 installment, who choked against Tampa Bay and the White Sox (thanks for making it clear, Ozzie Guillen). The 2007ers blew away the 2006ers, except maybe for Hafner's stats. At least in '07, we could pull out the close ones. In '07, we returned to the playoffs, and it felt so good just to be watching October baseball again and truly caring about the outcome.

Remember the monniker "The Jake." After Jacobs Field is renamed, you'll eventually feel odd if you keep calling it that.

Finally, I offer you hope. Byrd, whose HGH use to combat an injury shouldn't bother you anymore than Rafael Betancourt's did, is back. JoeBo, who gives us what Wickman gave us without all the fat jokes, will be back, too. The young arms--Rafael Perez, Carmona, et al.--will all be back. C.C. still has another year left on the contract, and even though some of you might want to run him out of town because he couldn't match up with Josh Beckett, Sabathia still might win the Cy Young. Grady won a gold glove, Victor had an M.V.P.-type year, Peralta proved he can hit under pressure--and against good pithcing. All of your other favorites, with the probable exception of Lofton, will be back in 2008 with a massive-sized chip on their shoulders.

We're back. We're on top of the division. We're there to stay. Things aren't bad. They're not championship-good, yet, but I don't think any of us expected that. The 2007 Indians are gone, a memory. Like a relationship that ended badly but had so many great memories, let's put the snapshots of the seaosn on our mantels and...*sigh*..move on.

This year, it wasn't meant to be, but one year, the ring will come. Our friend 2007 was a good year. If you didn't have fun, you weren't paying attention.

2007-03-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

METHOD TO THE MADNESS

On the eve of the beginning of the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament, I was agonizing over my bracket. Last year,I laid a royal egg in failing to pick correctly any of the Final Four. I didn't even take Florida to the Sweet 16. It was then that a friend of mine, who admittedly can spout scores and statistics much faster than I can, gave me the advice that might win me my pool this year.

"Just pick favorites."

Favorites? All the time? He had to be joking. The NCAA tournament is famous year after year for being a breeding ground for unexpected drama. Nowheresville State knocks off North Carolina in the first round, a mid-major defeats Kansas in the second, etc. I know better than to think the favorites will always prevail in a college basketball tournament, or any tournament, for that matter. Plus, the thrill of correctly picking an upset supercedes any satisifaction in riding a packed bandwagon of one of the powerhouse schools.

But what argument could I make with him? I was so terrible last year that maybe "playing it safe" is the most intelligent risk (by my standards) that I could take. Never before have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four. Could this be the year?

Why not?, I thought to myself. Not to mention, the Ohio State Buckeyes had just rolled over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. I had already decided I was homering them to Atlanta. So, I went for it. And by going for it, I mean I didn't really go for it at all. For the most part, I picked favorites, including four one seeds to the Georgia Dome...

...with two notable and strategic exceptions: No. 7 UNLV and No. 6 Vanderbilt. I also stayed away from the Durant-driven Texas bandwagon and picked them to lose to the rejuvenated No. 5 USC Trojans.

Behind Lan Kruger, the Runnin' Rebels are back. He's cleaned up the program and gotten some good recruits the right way. Wisconsin limped into the tournament, tired and demoralized after a rough Big Ten tournament. The Rebels battered the Badgers, and one of my two upsets was complete.

Vanderbilt impressed me by beating Florida earlier this year. They got hot at the right time and have the leadership to win. The Commodores over the over-rated Wasington State? Sure1

Of course, the Buckeyes almost did the ultimate bracket-busting by nearly falling to Xavier (thank God for you, Ron Lewis.) Truthfully, we all know they should have lost to the Musketeers. But OSU "should have lost" so many games this year. The 2007 basketball squad kind of reminds me of the 2002 football team: the Luckeyes.

I'd rather be lucky than good any day, though, and so far, I have been.

As the Sweet 16 tips off tomorrow, all of my early-round fortune could prove to be fool's gold. I have Florida and North Carolina in the championship game, and Oregon and Georgetown concern me the most. The Buckeyes have Memphis or Texas A&M to deal with if they can edge Tennessee, a team who almost beat them in Columbus earlier this year and who scorched the nets for 121 points in their opening round game.

What's done is done, though. I "just picked favorites." If my friend, seemingly a sports world nostradamus, is right, I might just "win."

I'm not sharing a nickel with him, though. Not unless he reads this and calls me out.

2007-01-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

I wish I could end my long layoff as a sports blogger with a post about a crowning achievement. In fact, I, like most of you, was ready to annoint Jim Tressel as a quasi-deity if the Ohio State Buckeyes had emerged victorious Monday night in Glendale like we all thought they would. But it was that Monday night that we all got a blindsided smacking from reality reminding us why such a coronation is premature.

Now about 36 hours from the final whistle of Florida's 41-14 pasting of our Buckeyes in the national championship game, when people ask "why" did Ohio State receive such an improbable beatdown, the two words thrown around most are "outplayed" and "outcoached." In the same vein as the latter, I would throw in "outprepared," as well. Though I can't deny that the 20-something-year-old (or younger) athletes on the field bear some responsibility on the team's poor performance, I assert that Jim Tressel and the rest of the staff lost the national championship before the game even began in preparation.

First and foremost, it was mental and strategical preparation. Ohio State wanted to come at Florida with the same attack as they did against Michigan. The only problem was that Urban Meyer, more of a student of the game than Lloyd Carr, was going to be ready for that. After all, Florida, like Ohio State, made a living all year spreading the field. You'd think the OSU defense would be used to seeing those formations, and they were, but it wasn't the Florida offensive formations that threw off the Buckeyes' D, it was the way Florida carried them out.

Florida has tremendous speed--we know that now. I still won't say it's vastly superior speed to what the Buckeyes have (I'd say it's about equal), but suffice it to say Florida was the fastest team OSU had seen all year. From the way the Buckeyes pursued them early in the game, it seemed that this surprised them? Defensively, the Bucks were running the wrong way on pursuits. Offensively, the line was not picking up blitzing schemes giving the Gators nearly uncontested shots at Troy Smith. A slower quarterback would have been on his back just about every time he had the ball.

You have to tip your cap to Urban Meyer, but you have to raise your eyebrows at Jim Tressel, who for the first time in his tenure at Ohio State, just did not bring his "A" game, so to speak.

Tressel's "A" game is to play the percentages and not make any drastic decisions. I'm not sure why, but he abandoned that. The turning point in the game, in my view, was when Florida had opened up a 10-point lead at 24-14 late in the first half. Ohio State failed to convert on a 3rd-and-1 inside their own 30-yard line. Expecting A.J. Trepasso to come strolling out onto the field again, I heard a sentence that make my heart sink into my stomach.

"...and the Buckeyes are going for it."

Going for it? Tressel? Deep in his own territory? Down 10 points? I realize it might have been one of those emotional "I-believe-in-you-guys-to-pick-this-up" moves. It also might have reflected a little desperation in that star wideout Teddy Ginn was out for the whole game after injuring his foot on the touchdown celebration. Additionally, Ohio State's offense was struggling to move the ball, but even a tired defense has a better chance of keeping Florida from making the score worse if the Gators start, say, on their own 35 instead of the Buckeyes' 30.

But Tressel didn't the most un-Tressel-like thing he could do. He went for it, they didn't get it and instead of going into the half a manageable 10 points down, the Buckeyes left for the locker rooms down 20, shellshocked and seemingly done for.

It's easy to second-guess, and I realize I'm doing exactly that--playing "armchair quarterback." But if Tressel's gameplan was not to deviate from the norm in his playcalling, why would he deviate from the norm in his choice not to punt? He said in 2003 (granted, under the anemic Krenzel- and Lydell Ross-led offense) that the punt was the most important offensive play. Maybe a Heisman-winner at quarterback made him reneg on that claim, but history shows he should have stuck with it.

I've mentioned only a few of the factors Ohio State came out startling short against Florida, and I left out that Florida is just a better team. But they're not 27 points better, and a much closer game would have played out if the Scarlet and Gray coaching staff had prepared the players a little better for what they would see.

I'll put a cap on all of the negativity with this: Would any of us watch or play sports if we always knew what was going to happen? The greatest thing about sport is its unpredictability, it's drama. Unlike movies and books where the endings are scripted, sports are not. I hate that Ohio State lost, but I understand that because they did, the next national championship will be even more meaningful the next time the Bucks earn one. Great stories, upsets and unpredictable outcomes keep people coming back to sport. Even though Troy Smith and perhaps Teddy Ginn, Antonio Pittman and Anthony Gonzalez will be gone next year, I hope the potential for the unnpredictable brings you back, too.

Look for future postings as I will hit on streaking Cavaliers--best in the Eastern Conference--the Tribe's off-season, the Blue Jackets, Buckeye basketball and more.

2006-11-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

TRUST IN TROY, TRESSEL: Why OSU will triumph Saturday against UM.

Last year, I took some heat for picking a 24-17 Michigan win in "The Game." It was deserved, heat, too. I remember sizing up the two teams before the game--how Ted Ginn Jr. was suffering from fumbleitis at the time (and he did fumble two punts during the game), how Ohio State was seemingly -1,000 in turnover ratio and how the Buckeyes had only beaten the Wolverines once in Ann Arbor (2001) in my existence as a Buckeye fan. I looked at the trends and my gut, and I called it a victory for the Maize and Blue, giving OSU a trip to (insert secondary bowl name here) in Florida. I was hoping that I would be wrong, but I knew at least if they lost, I'd have the consolation of saying "told you so" to all of the blindly following Buckeye disciples who read this blog. Of course, I was wrong--at least about the final outcome--and I reveled in the abuse.

But no hedging the bet this year. I'm taking the Buckeyes to win, and here's why:

1.) Troy Smith: Let's look at the stats for a moment. Against Michigan in 2004, he racked up 386 total yards. Last year, he threw for 300 and orchestrated an against-all-odds march down the field in the fourth quarter. When asked what Smith's defining moment as a Buckeye is, I choose that daring toss down the field to Anthony Gonzalez last year, hands down. That's a choice with a lot of highlight-reel competition, too. But I'm not just focused on what Smith has done against the Wolverines. The Cleveland Glenville grad has become a big-game performer all around. Last year in the highly hyped Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, he threw for 342 and two touchdowns. He may not have posted huge numbers, but he led the charge this year in Austin as the Buckeyes won their first 1 vs. 2 matchup 24-7 over the Longhorns.

I've picked against Smith before, but I've seen him come through enough to know that a coach would choose no other college football quarterback to have in a big game than he.

2.) Jim Tressel: He's 4-1 against Michigan. He's unbeaten in bowl games. The only really big games he's lost were at Michigan in 2003, at home against Texas last year and perhaps at Penn State last year. Those were different teams, though, in different times. Unlike his predecessor, Jim Tressel does not try to downplay the rivalry with "that school up north." On the side, the Scarlet and Grey prepare for Michigan all year, though no one would admit that. With this year's standout group, Tressel gets it done. I can't and wouldn't pick against him,

3.) Ohio Stadium: Have the Buckeyes lost to Michigan at home before? Sure, I don't think I need to say the name Tai Streets to remind everyone of that. John Cooper's teams could have lost to Michigan even if they made the Wolverines play without pads and helmets. But those days are long gone, and the homefield advantage is back. The atmosphere will be, without a doubt, the best in that stadium since, well, probably 2002 when OSU was playing Michigan for a shot at the national title. It will make Texas games feel like more like Toledo.

4.) The big-play bag of tricks: I'm sure we'll see this from both teams, but I'm more inclined to believe it will work for Ohio State. If you're expecting Antonio Pittman to break out and run for 200+ yards against the Wolverines, it isn't going to happen. Michigan's run defense will shut down Ohio State, but I don't think the Buckeyes' "D" is going to surrender much to Mike Hart, either. Both teams are going to have to get creative with their playcalling, and I like the Tressel playbook over what Lloyd Carr has in his cupboard. That's no slight to Steve Breaston and Mario Mannigham, the phenomenal tandem that they are, but against Ginn, Gonzalez, Brian Robiskie and Smith, I give the edge to Ohio State. Don't be shocked to see the shot-Ginn reappear.

What could throw this prediction off: My biggest reservation is the kicking game. The outcome is going to be close, no one denies that, and I'm even going to go out on a limb and say no more than two combined turnovers for the whole game. Usually, the team with the stronger kicking game pulls it out. Though the tandem of Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorius have been steady for the Buckeyes, it's not quite the same as Mike Nugent or even Josh Huston or Dan Stultz. If the Buckeyes need a 55-yard kick from the left hash to win it, they'll be in trouble.

But I don't think they'll be in that position. They'll break off at least one big play for a score and probably a couple more that set up scores. Don't expect too many long, sustained drives from either team. Michigan will break off one big play itself, but other than that, I think the Ohio State defense, whose maturity is the reason they are still No. 1, will keep the Maize and Blue relatively in check. Like 2002, I think the Wolverines will have the ball at the end of the game with a chance to win it, but they won't.

Prediction: OSU 20, UM 14

Enjoy the game, and if you witness it and decide to celebrate a bit afterward, be kind to the cars and couches.

2006-08-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

THE CENTER OF IT ALL? REALLY?

In my short tackle football career, I remember offensive line coaches spouting that center is the most important position on the football field. In my 5-foot-8, 210-pound frame, I was lining up at tackle, but I still thought it was patronizing to the kid hiking the ball. Most important? Really? More important than anyone who is actually allowed to score? I didn't really buy it. But if my old coaches were on to something, the Cleveland Browns are having far worse luck this pre-season than they have had in any other.

First, LeCharles Bentley racks up his knee on the first day of training camp. Bentley, an OSU alum who has had a fine career in the NFL to this point, was one of the Browns best off-season acquisitions. He won't play a single down this year.

If that weren't enough, Bob Hallen, a Cleveland native and the best replacement the Browns could think of for Bentley, suddenly retired from chronic back injuries.

Looking at a third option for center, the Browns inked Alonzo Ephriam. All Alonzo has done is earn himself a four-game suspension from the league for violating the substance abuse policy.

What you've noticed from these links (providing you actually clicked on them) is that centers have no stats. None. Games played doesn't count. You don't hear anyone agonizing over who they're going to take as their fantasy center.

What a center does for a team cannot be quantified, so evaluating centers must be done somewhat subjectively. One must consider if he can snap the ball accurately 99 times out of 100, if he can run block, if he can pass block, and most importantly, if he is intelligent. The quarterback and the center are really the braintrust of the offense because everything begins with them. A center with no clue what is going on--even if he snaps the ball correctly--is likely to miss his blocking assignment and get plowed over by a 320-pound nose tackle.

Of course, when they mess up, centers draw attention. In a very similar yet slightly more-glorified roles, centers and long snappers are birds of the feather.

When young quarterback Charlie Frye steps under center in the first regular season game, it would be nice to know that he's getting the ball from an experienced, veteran center. These two players will need to develop a rapport. After all, they get to know each other "better" than any two others on the offense...if you know what I mean.

What this really means is Browns fans should expect a few fumbled snaps in the first few games of the season. At least they have the remaining pre-season games to try to work out the kinks.

Maybe the big plays from a healthy Braylon and a healthy K2 will make up for the miscues? Sure, if Frye can actually get the ball to drop back and make the pass.

2006-08-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

CLARETT, COUNTY JUDGE FUMBLE REGARDING HIS PRETRIAL RELEASE

Those of you who know me know that I have strongly considered a career in law, as an attorney or as judge, and as a result, I did an internship with the Federal District Court last summer in Columbus. I worked in Pretrial Services, a department that investigates whether recently arrested people should be released or incarcerated in the days, weeks, or months leading up to their trials (or many times, plea bargains).

I learned two important things about the criminal justice system: 1.) Much of the law and the fates of people who have broken it rests in the subjective hands of judges, and 2.) Some people just cannot stop breaking the law. For whatever reason, they cannot stay out of trouble, and seemingly no one can rehabilitate them; they simply need to sit in jail.

Maurice Clarett is one of those people.

I really thought we all had heard the last of Clarett when he robbed two people outside of the Opium Lounge on New Year's Eve. I thought, "Well, he's really screwed up this time. He'll be behind bars for a long time, and his career is over."

Had he come before a federal judge and had my department investigated him, we probably would have recommended that he be detained pending the outcome of his case. The Franklin County judge in his case, however, allowed Clarett to post bail, so she released him until the time of his trial. Like a tailback squirming through the zero hole of the line of scrimmage, Clarett has used this opportunity to break more laws.

Yesterday, Clarett was arrested on the east side of Columbus for having guns in his car and for making a u-turn. In what could be a sign of gang activity, Clarett was driving around wearing a bulletproof vest, which made police tasers ineffective against him. They had to mace him to subdue him.

Finally, FINALLY, Clarett is going to be off the streets.

At the time of the robbery, I considered Clarett's demise as the saddest personal debauchle among athletes I had ever seen. In a way, I sympathized with him because I sensed he had little control over his actions.

But now, I don't view Maurice Clarett the amazing athelete who is now a tragic, fallen hero (and I use the word "hero" in the literary, Aristotlean way.) I also don't view him as the moronic schmuck like most do. I view him as a criminal.

He's robbed someone. He drives like a maniac. He carries guns illegally. It appears he has no regard for the safety of others.

I hate to judge others because everyone makes mistakes. But most good, stable people learn from their mistakes. Clarett does not.

Maurice Clarett used to be a danger to defenses. Now, he is flat out a danger to the community. Lock him up.

2006-08-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

CARMONA YET TO CONQUER GREATEST ADVERSARY--HIMSELF

New Indians "closer" Fausto Carmona has, in my opinion, been the Indians best pitching prospect for the past couple of years.

Even with his third consecutive ninth-inning loss last night, I'm still not ready to recant on that statement. I do, however, think it only stengthens my assertion that Carmona is meant to be a starter, not a reliever.

Yes, Carmona thrived for much of the year as an eighth-inning set-up man, kind of in the same mold as Julian Tavarez (well, for 1995, at least.) He struggled as a starter in his few outings. But moving Carmona to the closer's role upon trading Bob Wickman was a move he just wasn't ready for. That much is poignantly evident.

Though the fickle fury among Cleveland fans is calling for young Fausto's head on a platter, or at least for his demotion to Buffalo, I must remind everyone that wins and losses this year mean less than the experience guys like Carmona are getting.

Last night, Carmona dominated Willy Mo Pena and Coco Crisp for the first two outs of the ninth. His "stuff," which features a devastating slider, was there. For two hitters, his command was there. For once, he appeared as though he wasn't trying to throw the ball through a brick wall. So if his mechanics were flawless for two hitters, and all he needed was to retire the light-hitting Doug Mirabelli, what on Earth could have caused his implosion?

Just like Yogi said, 90% of baseball is half-mental.

Carmona was staring his first big-league save in the eye, and he flat out crumbled under the pressure. When he took Mirabelli to a full count, the raccous Fenway crowd got into his head, nested, and festered there. He plunked him, then Gonzalez, and we all knew what was going to happen next.

I thought Wedge might pull him, but I'm glad he didn't. Mota probably would have let the inherited runners score anyway.

I'm not trying to make excuses for him or have pity on him. After all, Wedge and Shapiro don't care how many times he screws it up, they're going to keep sending him out there until he gets it right, which eventually he will.

But very few pitchers have the Bob Wickman- (yes, he had it) or the Mariano Rivera-like psyche; they can't get geared up just to work one inning when the game is on the line. Too much pressure.

The thought of a full start--6, 7, or 8 innings--probably terrifies Carmona much less than a ninth-inning gauntlet.

My proposition: move Carmona into the role as a long reliever/spot starter. This way, you're guaranteed to go light on innings for Sabathia, Lee, Westbrook, Byrd, and Sowers the rest of the way out. For the rest of the year, use Mota, Cabrera, or even Jason Davis as the closer. If Carmona continues to struggle with his mental control as a starter, then obviously they'll need to send him back to Buffalo.

I don't think that will happen, though. Most scouts said in Spring Training that Carmona was ready for the majors, and I agree. Looking at him on the mound reminds me of a young Pedro Martinez, in delivery and style if not yet in domination.

With the success of Sowers and the continued progress of Adam Miller, the Indians know they have two guys who can develop into stud pitchers. Regardless of what has happened in the past week, I think they have a third in Carmona.

2006-07-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO? TRIBE FAN, BLOGGER WEARS GM HAT IN MIDST OF DISAPPOINTING SEASON

"What's our record?"
"45-59."
"How'd we ever win 45?"
"It's a miracle."
"It's a miracle."

That Bull Durham reference seems apropriate considering what the 2006 season has been for the Indians: bull. I'll try to steer clear of the tirades and rants, though they are a manifestation of my frustration. This year, 2006, was supposed to be the year of fruition. The Tribe would return to the postseason and make a legitimate run at the World Series. However, the best laid plans often go awry, and GM Mark Shapiro, realizing that, has been dealing faster than a Colombian drug cartel.

It's no secret the Indians are not contenders this year and are a far cry from the motivated bunch who made a pennant push last year. The offense has rocked the Jake on certain nights, bringing hope. On other nights, it hasn't even gotten off the team-chartered buses or planes. The starting pitching has been mediocre, the bullpen below average, and the defense, baserunning, situational hitting, managing, and effort (am I forgetting anything?) can all be filed under "A" for "abysmal."

Before the trade deadline, I had started writing a piece where I lumped every Indian into categories based on tradeability. Of course, I never got to publish that draft before Wickman, Broussard, and Belliard were shipped out. Of course, the true "core" pieces (Hafner, Sizemore, Martinez, Peralta, Sabathia, etc.) were safe, but everyone else could have been dealt. Now, I get to play the always fun role of second guesser. Of the Indians four notable pre-deadline trades, I have given them four different distinctions: excellent, good, fair, and poor.

EXCELLENT - Eduardo Perez to Seattle for Asdrubal Cabrera
If the Tribe had been contending like Shapiro and Wedge had hoped, Perez would've been a good fit against left-handed pitching. But ultimately, he was a platoon player, past his prime, and in return for him we got a 20-year-old defensively solid prospect in Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera may not be offensively strong yet, but at 20, he's showing he can at least hit through a AA level, or he wouldn't be playing in AAA. I don't know what the future holds for Jhonny Peralta, who is the most disappointing Tribe position player by far this year, but at least now we have an insurance policy at short. Omar couldn't really hit in the minors, either, and Cleveland got him from Seattle.

GOOD - Ben Broussard to Seattle for Shin-Soo "Big League" Choo
I am probably in the minority here among most writers. Most think Shapiro got ripped off, but I think most highly over-estimate the ceiling on Broussard. I always liked Ben's friendly demeanor and thought, from a personality standpoint, he was a good fit for the Indians. This year, his high batting average indicated he was resembling the former minor-league batting champ the Tribe traded Russell Branyan for. However, Benny B started to slack with the glove, which made no sense because that was among his alleged strengths. His effort left something to be desired, even in 2005, and that landed him in Wedge's doghouse, to which he had been chained ever since. The trade is also an indication that Cleveland is going to stick with Wedge, despite the under-achieving this year.

Choo provides not only an outlet for witty puns (see mine above) but also gives the Tribe another high energy outfielder, Grady, of course, being the first. He's 24, has hit well above .300 in AAA, and likes to steal bases! An Indian with speed?! It can't be! If the John Hart high-octane offenses taught us nothing else, it's that if you want to score a lot of runs, you need good "table-setters." The Indians traded one away in January in Coco Crisp (and I won't be labeling that trade yet, but if Andy Marte turns out to be a bust, so does that trade.) Now, Cleveland may have another one. Jason Michaels has been better than I thought but nothing to write home, or in a blog, about. Choo will have the rest of the season and spring training next year to earn a spot in the 2007 Indians starting outfield. Of the up-and-comers, I see only Ben Francisco and Franklin Gutierrez providing a challenge, unless the Indians make a big free-agent signing. Wait, Larry Dolan is the owner. Nevermind.

FAIR - Bob Wickman to Atlanta for Max Ramirez
I would have liked to have seen the Indians all-time saves leader and all-around good guy finish his career in Cleveland. "Robert Rolaids" may not have been a bastion of efficiency or fitness, but he still entertained and saved a helluva lot of ballgames. This is why Atlanta was willing to give him a shot, though his career is all but over. I expect a retirement in the off-season.

I lumped this under "fair" because I have no idea what we got in return. Supposedly we got a young kid who could hit in Max Ramirez. That's a good start. Why no pitching prospects? The Braves system is famous for breeding pitching. Why couldn't we have at least snagged a young starter in AA or A out of it? Here's hoping Ramirez hits like Manny and thinks like Sandy someday.

POOR - Ronnie Belliard to St. Louis for Hector Luna -- straight up!
OK, this one I don't get, not just because I liked Belliard about as much as any other Indian. I don't understand how Hector Luna was all they could get for him.

I'll start with Luna. Yes, he's young, so anything could happen. But in St. Louis he got settled into a utility role, and ulitilty is futility for the Indians right now. The Tribe has Vazquez and Inglett, who, by the way, appears to be a contender for a starting job at second base next year. Is Luna a "decent" acquisition? Sure. But the odds he will ever develop into an impact player are slim.

I'd like the deal more if we had been able to swindle one other major-league ready player out of the deal. After all, with a .291 batting average and several "Web Gems," Belliard was the most coveted Indian on the trading block, no doubt. The Indians bullpen is insanely young after veterans like Sauerbeck tanked this year. An experienced set-up man, or even any pitching prospect with good stuff, would have sweetened this deal for me.

My argument for why Cleveland shouldn't have done this deal has to mean that the cons outweigh the pros, and they do. Ronnie Belliard, Shapiro's best free-agent signing by far in 2004, has done nothing but impress and play hard in an Indians uniform. I realize he was about to demand a multi-year deal, but he is one of the few of the former Indians I thought deserved a 3-4 year deal. They gave up on Phillips (ouch!) so that should have solidified Belliard as the long-term second base solution. He's not an injury-prone guy, so I would have been in favor of the investment. I suppose it's still possible, since Belliard will be a free agent at the end of the year, that Cleveland will make him an offer, but the deal signals that it's not likely.

What do the Indians get out of it? A career backup. To be honest, Casey Blake looks like the best option at second. They almost moved him there in the spring of '05 before re-signing Belliard, and I think he'll give you much better production than Inglett or Luna ever would.

Now, as the season limps toward the finish line, Indians fans are haunted with the mantra of "next year." We, as fans, hope for two things: 1.) The slumps of Cliff Lee and Jhonny Peralta are flukes and 2.) Mark Shapiro is doing what he thinks is best, not what Larry Dolan says he can afford. The rest will take care of itself.

2006-07-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND BASHING BRINGS BLOGGER OUT OF EXTENDED VACATION

Sorry for the long layoff. I'm sure you all have toiled with that unbearing void of not having "Keeping Score" to read.

I couldn't bring myself to write about the Indians much after seeing them underachieve so greatly in the first half of the year. Now 40-47 at the all-star break, the Indians are sellers in the trade market, not just because of how bad they've been, but because how good the rest of the division has been. In either case, my overwhelming pessimism and frustration was better kept in my head than on this Web site. For your dose of Tribe trashing (and it's deserved), check out fellow Crusader Scott Miles's blog at http://jack-city.blogspot.com.

Now, on to other matters. A couple of days ago, I was under the impression that LeBron James was going to be lifer on the Lake Erie lakeshore--at least, that's what local reports would have you believe. Everything coming from the major pundits said that LeBron would accept the Cavaliers' 5-year, $80 million contract extension.

Well, his acceptance of a deal is not in question, but appearantly, according to my "pals" at ESPN, the duration is. Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post and Pardon the Interruption suggested that James actually wanted a shorter deal worth less guaranteed money so that he would have another chance in three years to test the free agent market. So cleverly, Wilbon called it a "pre-nuptual agreement" to a marriage. Cute.

What really set me over the top, though, were the teasers on Sportscenter. "...and will LeBron be leaving Cleveland sooner than we all thought? Stay tuned to find out" as LBJ's highlight reels play to the Sportscenter theme. Wait a minute. Leave Cleveland? Sooner? He just agreed to a deal! Sure, even if it's not five years, it's still a deal. The exact terms will come out later in the week.

Stephen A. Smith (quite frankly, you talk too loudly) thinks LeBron has agreed to three more years at $60 million with an option for a fourth. That puts James in Cleveland until at least 2009.

The figures make sense. The NBA salary cap is a bit complicated, but I'll give it a shot. James wants to be a seven-year veteran when he tests the free-agent market because then, he can legally occupy up to 30 % of a team's cap room instead of the current 25 %. I get the business behind it, and I can't really blame him. Even with this as the case, the Cavs are a very profitable enterprise right now, so I'm not worried about any team really outbidding Dan Gilbert in three years.

But the so-called experts from the national media will tell you that this is LeBron's way of protecting himself in case the Cavs tank. If they aren't in the hunt for titles every year, LeBron will decline his option and bolt, they say. In fact, these experts (hmmm...hmmmm...Dan Le Batard--or as I call him, Dan Le Retard) use "when." They find it so hard to believe that the Cavaliers are, or will be, a legitmate title contender. These windbags, completely removed from the situation and covering teams hundreds of miles away, are suddenly LeBron and Cleveland experts.

It makes me wonder whether or not anyone really watched the Cavs/Pistons series. Sure, it was a seven-game loss, but it proved that the Cavs--not just LeBron--are for real. I honestly think they would've taken the champions, the Miami Heat, to seven games, as well, if they had gotten the chance. Everyone's talking about how all the pressure is on Danny Ferry and Mike Brown to "put the right pieces" around LeBron, and how if they don't, he's gone.

Well, for the most part they have, and what they haven't done, they will.

The Cavs already have Larry Hughes, who can only be better this year than he was last. Z will be around for a while, and though he lumbers around at times, when he's at his best, only Shaq, Yao, and maybe Amare Stoudamire are better offensive centers. Donyell Marshall and Anderson Varejao are sure to stay around for a while. Though decisions will need to be made about Gooden, Murray, and Jones, I believe they made out extremely well in the draft. They proved they can play lock down defense, and as long as they get improved outside shooting, I would put them in the upper echelon of the NBA.

But to the national sports media, it's still Cleveland. They'll find a way to screw it up.

That's why it's completely unfathomable that the NBA's biggest icon would want to stay in a dinky little town of 500,000 people where it snows 300 days a year and nobody has ever won anything (This is what they think, anyway.)

So to the LeBron conspiracy theorists, I deliver this message: I really hope the sensationalism draws you more readers/viewers. Go ahead and tease people into thinking LeBron will dash to "bigger markets" where he can make a few million more from Sprite and Nike (like he can't make commercials and still play for the Cavs?) It will only make more people see the egg on your faces in three years when you're wrong.

2006-03-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

SPRING MEANS WELCOMING BASEBALL, SAYING FAREWELL TO WOEFUL BRACKETS

Before I begin this long-overdue post, could we please have a moment of silence for the absolute worst bracket I've ever filled out?
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Thank you.

Seriously, zero teams in the Final Four? Ohio State getting manhandled by Georgetown? Bradley knocking off Pitt? And, most poignantly, George Mason knocking off one of my elite 8 teams in the first round, and my national runner-up in the fourth round? What can I say but the madness has been truly mad. Like almost everyone outside of Gainesville, Fla., I, too, will be rooting for the "Kryptonite Kids" from Fairfax, Va., this weekend. My wounded ego might prohibit me from making as many predictions from now on, so instead, I'll just try to stick to analysis and insights.

Major League Baseball, which slowly but surely is trying to put aside the steroid scandal and overcome the letdown of the World Baseball Classic, gets underway officially with the Tribe playing at the White Sox Sunday night. It's the second time in recent memory the Indians have played the first game (they opened the 2002 season, too.) I know this upsets Reds fans who feel that "baseball started in Cincinnati, and that's where it should start every year!" I'm a sucker for tradition, too, but I can't help but be excited to see the Tribe on national TV taking on the world champs and division rivals.

Quite frankly, if the Indians want to make their 90+ wins count this year--meaning get them into the playoffs--they'll need to get a few more victories against the south siders. With the number of times these two teams will play each other, Indians hitters will have to figure out Buerhle and Contreras and win some ballgames.

No doubt part of the reason the Indians offense was inconsistent last year was that both Chicago and Minnesota have great pitching, and the Tribe saw them seemingly every week. Notice how the Indians beat up on the weak pitching from the NL West? Winning baseball games is contingent on strong pitching. The bad news is the Indians will see plenty of that again this year. The good news is they will have good pitching of their own, though it might be in a different form.

Millwood's gone. Elarton's gone. Byrd and Johnson are new. I consider these transactions a push, and I'm not concerned with the loss of Millwood. Though I don't know what the Indians will get from Johnson, I expect good things out of Sabathia, Lee, Westbrook and Byrd (a nice veteran pickup.) If Johnson falters, Carmona--who I think should have gotten the fifth starting job anyway--is waiting in the wings, and trust me, that guy can get people out.

The bullpen has a new look, and we should expect this every year from Shapiro. Though Wickman is back, Mota and Graves are in to replace Howry and Rhodes. It's hard to say whether the staff got worse or better. Wickman saved 45 games last year, so I won't join the "Wickman must go" club yet. He's earned the right to have another chance. Plus, Cabrera, Mota, and Graves are all insurance policies if he struggles. As long as the Indians are consistently ahead after the 7th inning, I feel confident they're going to win a lot of games. Their problem last year, at least to the White Sox, was being down by one run and never being able to make it up.

The big question mark: For me, it's still offensive production. I'm not worried about Sizemore, Hafner, Martinez, Peralta or Belliard. I'd like to think that Casey Blake is better than what he showed last year. But what about Boone, Broussard, Perez and the new left-fielder Jason Michaels? If you're a faithful reader of mine, you know I wasn't happy about the Indians' replacing of Crisp with Michaels. Though Michaels has had a decent spring, and Wedge has called him "a great #2 hitter," I am not sure how well he'll do at the top of the order. My suspicion is that he'll hit when Sizemore hits, but he'll struggle when Sizemore doesn't. Last year the Indians really had two leadoff hitters hitting back-to-back. That isn't the case this year. I'll avoid passing too much judgment on him, but I won't be surprised if he gets dropped in the order and either Belliard or Boone winds up hitting second.

We all know that this is Ben Broussard's last chance. Honestly, I do like him, but he just did not hit last year when it really mattered. Garko and Marte will both push him. We'll see how he responds.

The reality is expectations are high, not just from Cleveland, either. The Indians are a dark-horse pick to win it all. I'm not even going to venture a prediction on the number of wins, whether or not they make the playoffs and certainly not if they will advance in the playoffs. But I will say this: Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta playing under long-term contracts (as well as the rest of the "core') means fun Indians baseball to watch for the next several seasons. I can't wait.

2006-03-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

LET 'THE MADNESS' BEGIN

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Sixteen first-round NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament games tip off today, perhaps after many of you have picked up this paper. For the next three weeks, the eyes of college basketball fans and compulsive gamblers will be glued to TV sets across America (except for the lucky few who get witness the games in person.) No doubt, some school no one’s ever heard of—or, at least, never heard of a basketball team from there—will ruin the gamblers’ brackets.

Before I get to my own futile guesses, let me encourage all of my readers to hand a tissue to fellow “Chimes” writer Mike Ott as his beloved Michigan Wolverines didn’t make the tournament. Poor Mike (fake sympathy.)

As last year’s Lohman Complex bracket champion, here’s how I see the field of 65 unfolding:

Notable first-round picks

I am looking for two big names to fall early: Indiana and Syracuse. The Hoosiers may be playing well lately, but they’re still playing for a lame-duck coach, Mike Davis, who I don’t think can motivate them to play San Diego State. Look for the pumpkin never to turn into a coach for the fashionable “Cinderella” pick Syracuse. The streaking Texas A&M Aggies will knock them off, and Montana will bump Nevada out, putting two 12-seeds into the second round.

The Sweet 16

In Atlanta, I like Duke, Iowa, Texas and, a Cinderella, Texas A&M. The Aggies’ key strength is their depth as nine players average over 13 minutes per game, and they have won eight of their last nine games.

Oakland’s sweet 16 representatives will be UCLA, Pittsburgh, San Diego State and Bucknell. Notice I left both Memphis and Gonzaga out of the mix. Though the Bulldogs have star Adam Morrison, their tendency to let weaker opponents hang around will catch up with them. Likewise, Memphis has a tremendous amount of talent, but on the premise that upsets will happen, I have a hunch the Tigers are the first top seed to fall. Bucknell has an experienced team that upset Kansas last year. Look for everyone in the country to know the name Brandon Heath, San Diego State’s leading scorer.

The Washington D.C. quartet will be Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan State, and Seton Hall. The Spartans’ experience will reign supreme in a second-round match-up over the inexperienced defending champions, North Carolina. The enigmatic Tennessee Volunteers may have drubbed Texas in Austin earlier this year, but lately, the team’s inconsistency has shown. Seton Hall is a tested, Big East team who could easily pull the upset. In Minneapolis, I’m going with the top four seeds: Villanova, Boston College, Florida and Ohio State.

The Elite Eight

Duke and Texas will vie in Atlanta for a bid to the Final Four. Though I’m lukewarm on Texas, a team who lost to Tennessee and Duke by a combined 48 points, the post play of P.J. Tucker and LaMarcus Aldridge make them a fairly safe bet to get this far. I would like to take Iowa, who as impressed me all year in the Big Ten, but a second-round match up with West Virginia is a complete toss-up. Better to have Texas playing Duke because no matter who square off with Duke, it will be the Blue Devils going to the Final Four.

I like the Pitt Panthers and center Aaron Gray in a mild upset over the UCLA Bruins in the Oakland final. Sure, the Bruins have the location advantage, but from a basketball standpoint, Pitt has played well away from home all year, and the Panthers never get blown out. In Washington D.C., the Connecticut Huskies will edge Michigan State, ending another impressive run by the Tom Izzo-led Spartans.

In a blatant homer pick, I will take the Buckeyes to beat Boston College in the Minneapolis final. Though the Buckeyes were not impressive in their loss to Iowa in the Big Ten championship, they are still 25-5. Their terrific guard play and senior leadership give them, in my opinion, as good as shot as anyone else in that bracket, that is if Terence Dials can stay out of foul trouble. Supposedly, Villanova guard Allan Ray will recover from his eye injury and play in the tournament, but his effectiveness is too uncertain for me to take the Wildcats to the Final Four. Plus, Boston College has taken Duke to the final possession in two close losses.

The Final Four and National Champion

Of Duke, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Ohio State, I see the two top seeds being too much for the Panthers and the Buckeyes. Connecticut wins three straight games over Big Ten opponents. I guess I am going with most of America by picking a Duke/UConn final, but to me, these two really are a cut above the rest. In the final, a determined J.J. Redick leads the Blue Devils to their first national championship since 2001.

2006-03-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

TROUBLED PAST FOR 'PUCK' PAST DOESN'T SPOIL MEMORIES

In Kirby Puckett’s playing days in Major League Baseball, he was 5-foot-8, 220 pounds (in good shape) and looked like an oblong, punctured tire rolling across a parking lot when he strutted around the bases. But he was one of the best and most loved players of the 80s and 90s, and now, he’s gone.

The longtime Minnesota Twins outfielder died at the age of 45 Monday after suffering a stroke Sunday in his Arizona home. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year on the ballot, and while playing, won championships with the Twins in 1987 and 1991.

Though I was only six years old, I remember watching Puckett’s game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series and his leaping catch at the outfield fence earlier in the game. It forced a Game 7 in which the Twins ultimately beat the Atlanta Braves. Glaucoma forced him into a severely premature retirement before the 1996 season.

His on-field accolades, which include a lifetime .318 batting average and ten all-star game appearances, almost came secondary to his reputation as one of baseball’s “good guys.” He won both the Branch Rickey and Roberto Clemente awards for community service among major- league ballplayers, and most fans found him friendly and approachable.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many athlete-heroes, Puckett’s image faced near irreparable damage. In 2003 a Sports Illustrated article aired several rumors about Puckett being a violent womanizer. His longtime “mistress” Laura Nygren accused him of threatening to kill her, and his then-wife Tonya divorced him and made similar accusations.

That same year, Puckett was charged with sexual assault after a Minnesota woman claimed he had groped her in a restaurant bathroom. In the meantime, Puckett had abandoned his front-office job with the Twins and moved to Arizona, hoping to flee the limelight of the scandals. Eventually, the charges against him for this case were dropped.

Those of us who didn’t know Puckett can choose to view him in one of two ways: as a lowlife scoundrel with no respect for women who ruined his life, or as a great baseball player with a humanitarian side and a troubled past. Since speaking ill of the dead does little good, I choose the latter, and I’ll tell you what the ballplayer, if not the man, meant to me.

As a Little Leaguer, I liked donuts a lot more than sit-ups, and my pre-pubescent figure showed it. Sure, I loved baseball, and it may shock some of you that know me, but I could hit a little bit, too. The muscle-bound Frank Thomas and the slender Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds (he was slender at the time) were slugging balls out of major-league ballparks in the early 90s, but Puckett wasn’t. Instead, his philosophy was simply try to meet the ball with the bat and then run like hell to first. I can remember a coaches saying, “Try to swing level, just like Kirby Puckett.”

Puckett was no steroid-breath like some of the other cretins in the games at the time. To a kid, he looked like a guy you could eat ice cream with after the game, and to the adult, he looked like a guy who would accompany you to a bar. In today’s game, the race to build the biggest bicep and hit the longest home run makes Puckett-like players a near extinct breed. Puckett very well may have been a jerk beneath his façade, but I don’t know that. What I do know is he played hard, with a smile, and gave chubby kids hope.

2006-02-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

I GIVE THE FINGER TO 'ONE FOR THE THUMB'

Anyone who knows me well knows there are four things in life I hate: mayonnaise, Michigan, the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That said, I am going to search deep inside myself to find these words: Congratulations, Steelers fans.

You might be thinking, 'Wow, John, you did that with such grace? How?' After all, I wear my allegiance to all things Cleveland on my sleeve, including the Browns. I am traumatized by the fact I have only seen the Browns make the playoffs twice in my lifetime, and both times, they lost out to the Black and Yellow.

Here's what takes the edge off: I picked the Steelers to go to the Super Bowl in September. Sure, I missed wide left on my pick of the Vikings, but I was dead center on the Pittsburgh prediction. That never-know-when-we'll-blitz defense, a consistent running game, a quarterback who now has my complete respect and a tough coach who was due all had me thinking the Steelers were the team to beat. It pained me, but it was what my gut said.

I wavered when the Steelers were 7-5 but not enough to stray away from the prediction. Forget the prediction, though--I was hoping, praying for a Browns upset when the teams met on Christmas Eve; it would have, no doubt, kept the Steelers out of the playoffs. Of course, it looked like the whole team had been carousing in the Warehouse District the night before. Pittsburgh pulvarized them 43-0.

OK, so Pittsburgh was headed to the playoffs at 11-5, but there was no way they were going to beat the Colts, I thought. I wasn't even sure if they could beat the Bengals again. I stuck with the prediction, but oddly, I started to root against it. The inner Cleveland fan inside of me could not be silenced. Any day Pittsburgh would fade, I thought, but they didn't.

The steel city fairy tale is now complete, it appears. Bettis has his championship, an almost certain hall-of-fame induction and the dignity of retiring on top (like John Elway.) Cowher has his championship, cascading him among the elite coaches of the past two decades. Ben Roethlisberger is all set to de-throne Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana--at least, that's what ESPN will have you believe. But to all the post-Super Bowl hoopla, let me just be a good sport and tell the Pittsburgh fans to enjoy their moment. For this entire off season, you can claim to be the champions.

But when September rolls around, the Steelers are champions no more. You heard it here first: no repeat.

2006-01-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

TRIBE TRADES CRISP TO BOSTON

It's been a long time since my last post, but nothing brings me out of the woodwork faster than a trade I don't agree with.

Mumblings about a Coco Crisp trade have been ongoing since last Sunday, and finally the deal is done. When I attended the Cleveland Indians Press Tour Monday, no representative of the team (Eric Wedge, Tom Hamilton, Fernando Cabrera, Ryan Garko or Jhonny Peralta) would comment on the deal. It was an omen of bad things to come. Photos from this event are coming, once I cool off.

Despite Guillermo Mota's unimpressive physical in Cleveland earlier this week, the Indians acquired him from Boston along with catching prospect Kelly Shoppach, cash and most notably, highly-regarded third-base prospect Andy Marte. Marte adds a lot of depth to the Indians' third-base position behind Aaron Boone, and most scouts say he has star potential. Of course, they said the same thing about Alex Escobar. For all of this, the Indians lose Crisp, David Riske and Josh Bard, who was the odd man out in the race for the 2nd and 3rd-string catcher positions.

The Indians other swap in this extravaganza was sending Arthur Rhodes to the Phillies for Jason Michaels, an outfielder who may be the first option in Spring Training as the starting left fielder. Michaels doesn't look awful on paper, but he's never played a full season as a starter--platooning last year with Kenny Lofton--and he has a "colorful" off-the-field personality.

I will give you that I have doubted Shapiro before and it has turned out well. When he signed Ronnie Belliard we all thought, "Geez, who the heck is this guy?" Shapiro is the GM who has brought them back to contention, after all.

Now that I have thrown Shapiro his bone and shown "the other side," here's what I really think:

If the Indians were going to do this deal at all (and they would've been fine if they handn't) they should've left Philadelphia and Jason Michaels out of it. I would have much preferred getting Cincinnati in this deal and taking Austin Kearns. That's not just because he's a more familiar name than Micheals but because Kearns really started to play well after he was sent down to AAA last year to straighten out his swing. I have to wonder if this trade was more about "making the club better" or avoiding arbitration with Crisp. Some have said Crisp was not worth 3+ million, but I have to say I'd disagree. For an outfielder who is consistent, healthy, and "adds a spark," I don't think Coco was asking for a figure way above his market value. That, and he's 26.

Crisp hit 42 doubles last year. How many did Michaels have? 16. ESPN's scouting report describes him as "a free swinger who strikes out too much." He only played in 104 ballgames last year while Crisp played in 145. If you think Crisp's numbers are going to be replaced by Michaels, you're wrong.

Coco's presence in the clubhouse will not be replaced by this guy, either. Instead of a community leader and fan favorite, now the Tribe has a guy who gets drunk and beats up police officers. As far as baseball talent goes, Cleveland may have to wait for Franklin Gutierrez or Brad Snyder to blossom to find an adequate replacement for Coco. That won't happen this year.

But will Mota be any better than Riske? Haven't the Indians just added more question marks in their bullpen? Now, it looks like the group is Mota, Wickman, Cabrera, Miller, Rafael "Roids" Betancourt. Steve Karsay and Danny Graves may not even make the team in Spring Training. The left-handed presence is lacking. Though Cabrera impressed me earlier this week when I interviewed him and I believe he will be solid in the bullpen, it's going to take more than him to make this bullpen even a shell of the one which dominated last year.

I see Mota for Riske as probably a push and I see Rhodes for Michaels as merely a stopgap, a temporary solution for left field. The only way the Indians come out of this looking like geniuses is if:
A.) Crisp bombs in Boston
B.) Marte develops into Mike Schmidt.

The Tribe will miss Coco--in more ways than one.

2006-01-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

IF NOT 31-7, BUCKEYES STILL MAKE STATEMENT

Tempe, Arizona, might sit in the shadows of Phoenix, but after Ohio State's impressive 34-20 win over Notre Dame yesterday in the Fiesta Bowl--OSU's third Fiesta Bowl win in four years--the sunny skies above Sun Devil Stadium closely resemble the wintry haze over Columbus' Horseshoe; in both places, the Bucks feel right at home.

I predicted a blowout, and I didn't quite get it, but I can't say I wasn't thrilled at nearly every second of the game. I didn't expect the Ohio State big-play offense (I can say that now for the first time since Cooper was coach) to erupt like it did. Before the game, my dad, who at 63-years-young is astute as ever, said, "I think Ted Ginn is going to have a big game. He already admitted he made a mistake in focusing too much on football and too little on track. He'll be looking to avenge for his sophomore slump." OK, whatever, Dad. I hope you're right, but I'll settle for a performance where the guy doesn't fumble any punts.

Then Ted Ginn Jr. went off.

His 56-yard touchdown catch from Troy Smith, who was also brilliant and more on that later, completely flipped the momentum after the Irish stampeded to a touchdown on their opening drive. His 68-yard touchdown run on the reverse--along with some of the most devastating fakes I've ever seen--reminded America "Hey, I was a Heisman candidate at the beginning of the year, and I will be next year, too."

Troy Smith may have slightly tainted his early brilliance with that second-quarter fumble deep in OSU territory, but the defense bailed him out. AJ Hawk, Mike Kudla, and the rest of the defense might not have terrorized the Notre Dame offense like I said they would, but they came up with the big plays (and five sacks) when they needed them. Of course, the four-down stand set up Smith's bomb to Santonio Holmes and a lead that the Buckeyes would never relinquish.

I have to give Notre Dame and Charlie Weis credit; in fact, I will probably give them more credit than most commentators and writers have been giving them today. The play calling was good. The Irish made adjustments, they ran effective slants and draws and they didn't turn the ball over. They, however, just couldn't match the firepower Ohio State displayed. Of course, Antonio Pittman capped that explosiveness by putting the game out of reach with his 60-yard touchdown bolt down the sidelines.

It was a great moment to see the seniors get this win. They go out with a national title, three Fiesta Bowls, a win over Notre Dame and a 3-1 record against Michigan. You have to believe, though, that if this offense, this Smith-led, spectacular offense had been around at Week 2 instead of Week 6, the Scarlet and Grey would be playing USC for the national title--and probably be beating them, too. In a playoff system, I would have loved to have seen OSU take on the likes of Penn State, Texas, West Virginia (who is a lot better than people thought) and, of course, the Trojans. But let's not get greedy. You can't win the national title every year, and with all the talent returning, next year holds a lot of promise.

Craig Krenzel was a terrific, smart college quarterback. He also has a national title. For that reason, if I had to have one guy to start a big Buckeye game, he would be my choice. However, last, it became appearent to me who the most talented Ohio State quarterback in my lifetime is. If it weren't enough that Troy Smith owns Michigan, he also throws for 342 yards in his first bowl game. He also displayed his outstanding mobility in another fantastic 3rd down conversion where he eluded a pass rush, spun, and fired a completion (ca. Ann Arbor). I realize Smith made a big mistake last year, but the growth he has made as a leader is incredible. Next year, he will get that shot to do what Krenzel did, though he'll take a much different approach.

I hate to close with this, but it's a matter that needs addressing. Maurice Clarett "allegedly" robbed two people outside The Opium Lounge in downtown Columbus very early in the morning Jan. 1. What a way to begin the new year, a new year in which Mo C was certain to get a contract to play in NFL Europe. Sure, it wouldn't have been glamourous, but it would have been something. Instead, after a police manhunt, Clarett awaits trial after turning himself in. He could see ten years behind bars. Just like Art Schlichter, here is a guy who has seemingly thrown it all away. I would laugh, but it is almost too tragic. Instead, I will pray that somehow, via football or another method, Clarett will resurrect his life.

2006-01-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

OSU WILL CRUISE TO A THIRD FIESTA BOWL WIN

I haven't played up the hype of the Ohio State - Notre Dame matchup in the Fiesta Bowl because I haven't had to. If you've turned on any televised sports broadcast in Ohio over the past month, you've witnessed the buildup. Let me cut right to the chase and tell you how I see things turning out tomorrow at 5.

Notre Dame is good again. Charlie Weis has worked wonders with this team, and I'm with the experts when I talk about how good the Irish offense is. Quarterback Brady Quinn, a Dublin Coffman product, is the second-best passing quarterback in the nation (second to USC's Matt Leinart) and he's got a myriad of weapons at receiver and tight end.

However, Ohio State has got, in my opinion, just as good of an offense when it's clicking on all cylinders. Ohio State's defense is head and shoulders above Notre Dame's. I realize they allowed 21 Michigan points against Chad Henne who isn't as good as Quinn, but with a rested, rejuvenated unit, I see them getting more of a pass rush and, thus, forcing turnovers.

Here are the keys to the game for both teams:
NOTRE DAME
1. Win the turnover and special teams war.
2. Establish the run. (This won't be easy against the Buckeyes.)
3. Keep one guy on defense always spying on Troy Smith.

OHIO STATE
1. Make Brady beat you. (Quinn can't win it by himself. Get good coverage on his receivers.)
2. Allow Troy Smith to play his game. (Smith made a believer out of me after the Michigan game. Give him some carries and roll him out of the pocket to take some shots downfield.)
3. Put together some long drives. (The Irish can't score if they don't have the ball.)

Prediction: Everyone sees this as a tight matchup. I disagree. Ohio State will take an early lead, and the Buckeye defense will make an early statement with a big play. I don't normally predict blowouts, but I will take Ohio State 31-7.

Make sure to read my post-game thoughts sometime on Tuesday.

2005-12-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

MAKIN' A LIST, CHECKIN' IT TWICE

In the spirit of Christmas--and in the honor of the late Hal Lebovitz, Cleveland-area sports writer--I have corresponded with some of his old sources at the North Pole to find out just what St. Nick has in store for people, teams and events in the world of sports. Here's a few that may interest you:

The 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy - An event filled with compelling stories, international sportsmanship and most importantly, safety;

The Cincinnati Bengals - A trip to the Super Bowl; Though it's no secret my allegiance lies with Cleveland teams, I agree with Santa that if any Ohio professional team has a chance for a championship, it's "Who Dey."

The Pittsburgh Steelers - A playoff snub; I may have picked the Steelers to go to the Super Bowl in September, but the continued arrogance of their fans has them on Kris Kringle's naughty list.

LeBron James - Two things: A reasonable contract offer from the Cavaliers and a desire to stay at home--in other words, the desire to sign that contract;

Andy Roddick - Another major championship; He's an incredibly talented player in the era of, perhaps, the greatest ever (Federer). But with his lone major, he's in the immortal company of Michael Chang, and he deserves better.

Maria Sharapova - Another major championship...and a new-found lust for sports writers.

The Cleveland Indians - More fan support; I realize Cleveland will always love the Browns, and with LeBron, how can you not love the Cavaliers, but Santa and I see the Indians as more than the step-child of Cleveland sports in 2006. They will have another winning season (they don't need help with that) but they do need more people to come out to the ballpark on a nightly basis. They also need a more positive attitude from the community.

Bob Wickman - The same fate he had this year;

The New York Yankees - The same fate they had this year;

Brett Favre - A peaceful retirement; In his final game of the season and career, Brett leads the team to a win and throws for 300 yards. As he leaves the field, the fans praise him with a standing ovation.

Barry Bonds - A peaceful retirement without any new records or controversy;

Bob Taft - A not-so-peaceful retirement, but a retirement nonetheless;

Sammy Sosa - That he hear fewer boos;

Frank Solich - That he drink less booze;

A.J. Hawk - To get better acquainted with Notre Dame quarterback and Dublin Coffman product Brady Quinn;

Brady Quinn - A big bottle of Tylenol for after that meeting;

Maurice Clarett - That his old lawyers offer him a cut rate to negotiate his Arena League contract;

Reggie Bush - That he have no problem reading and understanding his first NFL playbook;

President George W. Bush - That he have no problem reading and understanding any book.

Merry Christmas, readers, and thank you.

2005-12-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

DAMON ALIGNS WITH 'EVIL EMPIRE,' CAVALIERS STREAK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Johnny Damon has been the face of 'Red Sox Nation' for the past two seasons. Say what you want about Ramirez, Schilling and Varitek, Damon had been the heart and soul of the Boston juggernaut since 2003. His home runs and clutch hits in the 2004 postseason are now staples of baseball lore. Beloved in Boston, Damon had been loated in the Big Apple.

In classic Yankee fashion, they now welcome him with open arms and $52 million.

Damon will be introduced as a New York Yankee today after he agreed to a 4-year deal yesterday. He fills a gaping void in centerfield for the Yankees and, likely, vaults himself into the leadoff position. In short, he does the unthinkable: improves a lineup that already has Jeter, Sheffield, Rodgriguez, Giambi, Matsui etc. What it really means is when the Yankees make their first trip to Fenway Park, a Bronx cheer (ironic title, don't you think?) will reverberate all the way down the eastern seaboard.

Why did this happen? No one really thought Damon would leave Boston, right? Well, from a business standpoint, Damon negotiated first with the Red Sox. He wanted to stay but also wanted at least four years. Boston wasn't willing to commit to that. The Red Sox and Damon were like an engaged couple who had been dating for five years when one of the parties wanted to push back the wedding date even more. Damon had enough. Like the baseball homewreckers that they are, New York swooped in, and now the adultery is on.

My post about this is inspired by two things:

A.) A rumor is circling around ESPN and RotoWorld that the Indians might be looking to deal Coco Crisp to the Sox (filling their centerfield void) along with other prospects for Manny Ramirez, a deal I would vehemently oppose. Manny is extremely overpaid, and for as much as Crisp produces, he is an extreme bargain.

B.) Perhaps most importantly, this scenario of beloved players coming back to face their former teams has become one of the sources of great drama in baseball. In fact, it's so prevalent that whenever a star returns to the old city, it becomes the headline in sports news for the day. When Jim Thome, with the White Sox, makes his first appearance in Cleveland May 1, you can bet the outcome of the game will be secondary to the greeting Cleveland fans give him. In an era where players are about as loyal to team as Enron executives were to shareholders, this betrayal notion has turned Major League Baseball into a perpetual Act II of Julius Caesar. As a fan, I hate it. As an unbiased writer, I must say I am intrigued by it. In a morbid, twisted way, it adds something to the game, and it gives me something to write about.

In other news, the Cavaliers disposed of the Utah Jazz without much problem last night, 110-85. Carlos Boozer missed his second opportunity to become re-united with the Cavalier faithful (another Caesar-esque storyline) but that didn't keep the fans from coming out to watch the carnage. Most people were extremely down on the Cavs a little over a week ago when they sat at 11-9 and had lost five out of six games. I tried to stay level-headed, though, and the Cavs has turned things around with a three-game winning streak. They will also be spending most of the holidays in the friendly confines of the Gund...errr..."Q," so I expect the winning will be a trend. Zydrunas Ilgauskas chipped in with 18 points last night, and I have always said Z, not LeBron, is the key to the Cavalier offense. When they are getting Z involved, James and the outside shooters don't have to do too much; they can let the game come to them. I think an increased Z presence will hurt LeBron's numbers but it will significantly improve the Cavaliers' number of wins.

At 14-9, the Cavs are fourth in their division. Don't worry, though. The Eastern Conference's Central Division is, by far, the toughest division in basketball. The Pistons, of course, are dominating everyone, and if the playoffs started today, every team in the division would be in it.

2005-12-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

NOMAR SAYS 'NO WAY' TO TRIBE

I'll be honest: I really, really wanted to see Nomar Garciaparra playing for the Indians in 2006.

I thought a one-year deal in a place where Juan Gonzalez and Kevin Millwood resurrected their careers might appeal to Nomar. I thought he would fit in nicely at first base, and, eventually at shortstop if the Tribe moved Peralta to third in 2007 (Boone's contract would have been up by then.) That was my two-year plan for the Tribe, but now it's all moot.

Shapiro and Dolan (GM and owner of the Indians) made a reasonable offer to Nomar. They offered one year somewhere in the vicinity of $6 million. For someone who has spent more than half of the past two seasons on the disabled list, that's a competative offer. Nomar, however, has ties to L.A. Even though Wedge and recently signed Lou Merloni were lures for Cleveland, the Dodgers have Derek Lowe, Grady Little and most importantly, Mia Hamm (who has a house somewhere in the L.A. megalopolis) pulled Nomar to Hollywood.

I could be bitter about this, but instead, I choose to go back to my initial offseason philosophy for Cleveland: don't splurge on risky free agents. Save up that money to pay off the "core" (i.e. Sizemore, Crisp, Lee, Peralta) in a year or two when they have established themselves as stars.

Shapiro went out and signed Paul Byrd in late November as a contingency plan for signing Kevin Millwood. Millwood has now all but left Cleveland, and I expected as much. He wanted too much guaranteed money for his injury-prone arm. Elarton bolted for Kansas City, but this is no unpatchable hole. I liked "Big Scott," but I like Fausto Carmona and Jeremy Sowers more. Both of these guys have star potential.

Shapiro has also brought back Bob Wickman after the failed courtships of B.J. Ryan and Trevor Hoffman. Most are lukewarm about this, but I'm OK with it. As long as Wedge and pitching coach Carl Wills think Wickman can still close games, I think it, too. He proved last year he's a mental warrior. You can't argue with 45 saves. Additionally, Steve Karsay and Danny Graves will report to camp with minor-league contracts. I don't expect both to become major contributors, but even if one of them makes the club and works into the bullpen rotation, it will turn out as a brilliant pickup.

Your typical, cynical Indians fans are already hammering Shapiro (who won almost every executive-of-the-year award you can win this offseason) for not keeping up with the champion White Sox in the Hot Stove race. I know all about the Thome signing, the Konerko re-signing and the Javier Vasquez deal. I also know that championships are not won in December. Sure, the Indians may not be making themselves look significantly better on paper, but the team's improvements will have to be made by Wedge, the coaching staff and the players' off-season training. Another 93-win season would probably put the Indians in the playoffs in 2006. To be honest, I would be perfectly content with that. We know from watching the playoffs that anyone can win it; it's only a matter of getting there. The Indians may not be as active as other teams in the free agent market, but right now they are good enough to win the wildcard or, who knows, even the division--if the Sox have a post-championship slump.

Look for potential trades involving Ben Broussard, Josh Bard, Jason Davis and maybe even Casey Blake. Though I wouldn't mind if the Indians walked away from the Hot Stove poker table, I have a notion that Shapiro isn't through dealing.

2005-12-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

MOUNT UNION WINS D3 NATIONAL TITLE, SUNDAY'S RESULTS SPARK REFLECTION

Watching ESPN2 Saturday afternoon, I couldn't help but think that it could have been Capital out there playing for a national championship on national TV.

The Purple Raiders grabbed a 28-7 lead in the third quarter and held on to win 35-28 over the University of Wisconsin--Whitewater. In the quarterfinals only two weeks ago, MUC narrowly defeated the Crusaders in Alliance 34-31 in one of the best football games--not d3 games, not college games--any football games I had ever seen.

We know that this is Mount Union's eigth national title but first since 2002. We know all about wide receiver Pierre Garcon (everybody's favorite Proposition 48 player in Division III.) But let's focus on Capital and the OAC for a second.

When the Crusaders met Mount Union, few gave Capital a fighting chance to win; therefore, for most, predictions were way off. In a losing effort, senior wide receiver Lewis Howes put on a show (245 yards, three touchdowns) against the nation's No. 2 defense. In short, the so-called dominant 'D' from Mount couldn't stop him. Rocky Pentello exorcised his Purple Raider demons, at least in the sense that he played well against them. The win, obviously, is still elusive. Seniors like Joel Sickmeier, who put a devastating hit AJ Hawk-style on the Mount Union freshman phenom tailback, proved they could battle with Mount Union in the trenches. The Crusaders walked off the field with a tremendous amount of respect from the opposition and from all around Division III. It might have been the most prideful loss a team could have. The "Mount-Union-is-down-this-year" argument doesn't hold water after what happened this weekend. It's possible that Capital was the second best team in the country, but regardless, they made a historic run unforgettable to the Bexley campus. It will be interesting to see if this year was a zenith for Jim Collins and the program or merely a stepping stone. Either way, it was a lot of fun.

Staying with football, let me move from guys who pay money to play the game to guys who get paid millions to do it. I'll start with the Bengals to please the "Who-Dey" fanatics. With their 41-17 win over lowly Detroit, Cincinnati claimed the AFC North championship. They will be in the postseason, which I told you they would. I, however, told you they would win 10 games. They are at 11 and still rolling. Let me tell you, though: the ones that will matter most are in January. Cincinnati has proved they have one of the top two or three offenses in the NFL; it's good enough to win you a championship. They key will be defense, especially against the other great offenses. Great defenses come up with big plays to win games. No one shuts out the Colts, but you can force turnovers and come up with goal-line stands. If the Bengals can come up with these plays in the playoffs, they have as good of a shot to win the Super Bowl as anyone.

If you'll remember, in September I singled out the Steelers and the Vikings as my Super Bowl picks. In Minnesota, Daunte Culpepper went down for the season, the notorious "party boat" incident occurred (which is still being investigated, by the way,) and at 2-5, I felt like an idiot. Then came Brad Johnson, who in messianic fashion led the Vikings to six straight wins and playoff contention. Today the Steelers and Vikings met in Minnesota, both 8-5, in a pivotal game for both teams. Pittsburgh won 18-3, and a serious hole was punctured into the Viking vessel headed for the playoffs. I won't rule them out of it completely. With the NFC as weak as it is, they could still slip in. Pittsburgh got a loss from Kansas City yesterday, also, which means if the playoffs started today, the Steelers would begin on the road at either Denver or Cincinnati. Honestly, I would love to see a Cincinnati/Pittsburgh third meeting, so that as an unbiased observer, I can watch the trash-talking unfold. I'll stand by those Super Bowl picks, but we all know it's not going to happen.

Finally, Charlie Frye (from Wi....Wil....Willard, Ohio) notched his first win as a starting quarterback today as the Browns got themselves a 9-7 win in Oakland. You can tell by the score Frye didn't win this one, but he didn't lose it either. For a rookie who wasn't expected to play much, he is stepping in nicely. I think we can safely say the Browns won't be drafting a quarterback. At 5-9, the Browns are proving there are several teams (Oakland included) who are actually worse than they are and deserve a higher draft pick. Even though every win means a lower draft pick, every win also is a good sign for next year. In my opinion, next year has already started.

Another big star snubs the Tribe? My thoughts coming soon (tomorrow if you're lucky.)

2005-12-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

A TEASER

The Tribe inked a solid starter, OSU sowed up a BCS berth, the Bengals took a leap toward a division title and the Crusaders left it all on the field. Thoughts on the whirlwind weekend coming later, I promise.

2005-11-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

CAPITAL UPENDS WABASH, FACES A REMATCH WITH MOUNT UNION

It's rare that in a college football season a losing team will get a chance to avenge that loss later in the season. The Capital Crusaders, however, are an exception.

Thanks to a historic playoff run, most recently highlighted by a 14-11 victory over Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the Crusaders will get to tackle Mount Union again, this time in the elite 8 of the NCAA Division III playoffs. In an earlier meeting this year, Capital lost 42-24 in Alliance but held a 17-14 lead at the end of the third quarter. This game, too, will be played on the Purple Raiders' home turf.

Capital's two playoff victories have both come to the surprise of this writer. They have won two games on the road limiting two high-powered offenses, North Central and Wabash, to 19 and 11 points respectively. Though the offense has struggled, the emergence of Jeremy Mulkey and Lewis Howes has given the offense enough big plays to score. Though most saw the offense as this team's greatest threat coming into the season, it is the defense that is making this surreal postseason run a reality.

Reality will hit the Crusaders hard Saturday as once again they will have to play in the most hostile environment in Division III. When you play Mount Union, you don't just play the team on the field; you play the banners on the sidelines, seven of which display "National Champions."
The Crusaders will desperately need to find a way to slow down Pierre Garcon, the wideout who torched Capital for two touchdown receptions of longer than 60 yards. His big plays in the first meeting not only gave Mount Union the lead but put the game out of reach.

The casual observer would bet the farm on Mount Union this week, and who could blame him? After all, Capital hasn't beaten Mount Union since the 70s. If there was ever a Capital team in history that could pull off the upset, though, this is the group. This is a team that thrives on the improbable and the heartstopping. They have turned small-college football into a drama-style television show that picks up again every Saturday. This week, the drama features David and Goliath again. Only this time, David might be a little smarter, a little more prepared, and perhaps a little more in tune with his own destiny.

Best of luck to the Crusaders this week.

2005-11-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

TROY SMITH: THE X-FACTOR

If you read my post from yesterday, you would know that I was almost right about my prediction regarding the OSU/Michigan game. Thank God I wasn't. You see, the one variable I forgot to factor into the equation was Troy Smith. It had been a whole year since he dropped 250+ passing yards and 150+ rushing yards on the Wolverines, and I had forgotten how spectacular he can be.

Today, I got my reminder.

Smith blazed the Maize and Blue for 300 passing yards--a career high--and accounted for two touchdowns, throwing for one and running for the other in OSU's 25-21 win. Most notably, he put together a highlight reel of two particularly dazzling completions on scrambles and a poised, athletic run for a crucial first down. I will always remember three plays Smith made today:

1. The scramble: With no one open and the Bucks down 21-12 with about 6:30 to play facing third down, Smith went to his feet. He gained seven yards in a burst of speed and eluded a Wolverine defender on the sideline like the mouse on your basement floor you just can't catch, even when it's backed into a corner. First down, OSU. The drive continued, and Smith would later find Holmes over the middle to get the Buckeyes back into it.

2. The 360 and toss: Early in the Bucks' final drive, Smith found a Wolverine lineman baring down on him after the fullback couldn't handle him. Smith stayed in the pocket, spun completely around to avoid the sack and fired a strike to Ted Ginn for a first down, again keeping the drive alive.

3. Deep to 'Gonzo': Again nearly wrapped in a pass rush, Smith sidestepped a host of defenders and lofted a perfectly thrown ball to the under-appreciated Anthony Gonzalez for a huge 26-yard gain with less than two minutes to play. Sure, Gonzo made a great grab, but Smith put it in a perfect spot. This play setup the go-ahead touchdown.

Beyond these plays, Smith's poise, leadership and well-thrown balls were Elway-esque. I would compare them to Joe Germaine in the '96 Rose Bowl, but they were better than that. His performance was simply unbelievable.

I predicted a 24-17 win for Michigan because I thought that the Buckeye offense would turn the ball over too much as they did in games with Texas and Penn State. I wasn't convinced this group had the composure to win in Ann Arbor. You have to give me credit for being weary about this. Two Buckeye fumbles--one from Maurice Wells and one from Smith (not his fault) on a blindside hit--and a severely shanked punt into the wind set up three of Michigan's four scores. With about seven minutes left to play, I was planning to berate the Buckeye's special teams for their less-than-Tressel performance. Not to mention, Ginn botched two punts and should be praying tonight that Michigan recovered neither of them. He has struggled with this all year, and the Michigan State game comes to mind. He is too much of a weapon to exclude from punt returns, but the coaches need to sit down with him and remind him to get back to the fundamentals. Catch the ball, brace for the hit and then take off behind your blockers.

What I didn't expect was Troy Smith to put the team on his shoulders. I didn't expect Santonio Holmes and Anthony Gonzalez to make terrific catches in the fourth. The Buckeyes answered the bell and played like champions today--a title they have earned. Sure, it may be a co-championship, but this season has been too successful for it to be forgotten in the annals of OSU lore. Quite the contrary, this co-championship will stand out to me as one of the most memorable teams in my span as a Buckeye fan.

It's time to enjoy this win and hope for a BCS bowl game. It's time to look ahead to next year and at the talent (Smith, Pittman, Ginn, Gonzalez) returning. It's time for the eternal pessimist in me to self-reflect on one thing: Since 2001, it's Ohio State 4, Michigan 1.

It's time for you to send me "told you so" comments. I deserve them, and I will be ecstatic to get them.

2005-11-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

'THE GAME' LOOMS

This has been my favorite week of the fall since I was six years old. It's Michigan week.

I don't care what anyone says. With the exception of a National Championship game (applicable only in 2002), this is the biggest game on the Bucks' schedule every year. Say what you want about Texas, but given the choice to beat "the Blue" or "the Horns," I'd take the bragging rights over that state to the north. Perhaps my season-long craving for the OSU/UM matchup stems from the fact that in my lifetime as a Buckeye fan, I have seen four Buckeye victories, eight losses and a tie. Of course, many of the games I witnessed were doing the Cooper era. If Cooper only could have beaten Michigan, he would probably have two national championships, still be the head coach, and Jim Tressel would be somewhere far away from Columbus. 4-8-1 isn't exactly anything to relish, so it makes you wonder if I am a glutton for punishment. Coming into this week there should be a presumption on behalf of a Wolverine victory right? After all, they do hold the all-time lead in the rivalry. Before everyone lynches me for heresy, let's remember that no two matchups are the same. Here I will closely examine the 2005 edition:

Home-field advantage: The Buckeyes under Tressel are 1-1 in Ann Arbor, but before the 2001 win, you have to clear back to 1987 to find the Buckeyes last win in "The Big House." The fact remains: OSU has struggled up north, no matter how well they have meshed during the season (ca. 1995.)
Who has more to lose?: Traditionally, the team with the worse record or who is out of the Big Ten race has had success. Why? These teams played carefree football and used "The Game" as a chance to make their season. Such was the case with OSU last year. Michigan was still an outsider in the National Title hunt. OSU has choked against Michigan in 1993, 1995 and 1996. In the games where each team had the potential to win the conference or acquire a BCS (or major bowl) bid, the edge again goes to Michigan. See 1997, 2000, and 2003 as examples. Perhaps Ohio State's only clutch win over the Blue was that 13-9 outlasting in 2002 when both teams were fighting for a Big Ten title. This year, I put the game in the "mutually important" category. An OSU loss and a Penn State loss would give Michigan a share of the Big Ten, also, and a bid to, more than likely, the Fiesta Bowl. OSU, of course, will get at least a share of the crown with a win and probably a trip to the Orange Bowl.
Who is the more talented team?: The fans of both schools would claim it's them. I give a slight edge to Ohio State this year because of how well they are gelling right now. However, Michigan's younger players have developed over the course of the season, also like the Buckeyes of last year. Remember, the most talented team often walks away a loser in this game.

I know it sounds like I am being overly pessimistic, and you're right. I am. But in this matchup I have learned not to expect Ohio State victory. I've seen the contrary too many times. My biggest concern is turnovers. OSU will move the ball, at least in the second half after they have softened up the Michigan defense. I don't see the A.J. Hawk-led defense to get hurt by the big play. But can Ohio State win the battle of special teams? Can they win the turnover war? In other words, can they achieve the epitome Tressel ball? If they don't, the Wolverines will snatch the win.

Prediction: Michigan 24, Ohio State 17. Just call me the eternal pessimist. At home, I would like the Bucks' chances better, but that just isn't the case. Expect Columbus to be a ghost town Saturday evening and all day Sunday; it always happens after a loss. Believe me, I hope I'm wrong. In fact, I would like to be so wrong that the Scarlet and Grey are up by four touchdowns after the first quarter. I will be watching the game earnestly and hoping, praying, that you all will get the chance to make "told you so" comments.

As a parting shot, best of luck to Capital tomorrow in our biggest game in twenty years. Because I know so little about the opponent, I will not venture a prediction. I, unfortunately cannot make the trip, so I will be streaming the game over the Interent while watching the Buckeyes. If you would like to do the same, you can do so by clicking here around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

2005-11-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

CRUSADERS MAKE PLAYOFFS, BUCKEYES WISH FOR THEM

Two football games in Columbus Saturday resulted in two blowouts for the home team. I'm sure you all know about OSU's 48-7 drubbing of Northwestern, but the Capital Crusaders cruised to a 48-10 victory over Wilmington College. The win lifted Capital to 8-2 (7-2 OAC) and tied a school-record eight wins set in 2003. They were hoping for a chance to set a new record (9), but they knew the only way to do that would be to get an at-large playoff bid.

At 1 p.m. today, we found out they will get that chance. The Crusaders will play in the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time since 1987 at noon Saturday at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. North Central, like Capital, got an at-large bid, also, and finished 9-1 (If Capital hadn't blown their fourth-quarter lead against Otterbein, the Crusaders would probably be hosting this game, but that's another story.) I had orignally said that Cap would have to go 9-1--with its one loss being to Mount Union--to have a shot for an at-large bid. However, this year the NCAA expanded the playoffs to 32 teams. Under the old system, the Crusaders might be on the outside looking in. Nonetheless, this is a great opportunity for the team and the school.

North Central finished the season ranked No. 15 and Capital finished No. 21. Since Capital was able to beat ranked teams in Ohio Northern and John Carroll and hang with Mount Union, I would say this is a very winnable game. The atmosphere will probably be great at the game, so depending on the decisions of the illustrious Chimes staff, I may be covering it.

This Ohio State Buckeyes elated me in their domination of Northwestern Saturday. Though I will concede Northwestern has a weak defense, I haven't seen the OSU offense click that well since last year's Alamo Bowl. 350+ rushing yards as a team is something we all could get used to. Of course, I could shamelessly rub in the victory to a loyal reader who happens to pull for the Wildcats, but I won't because I recognize that NW legitimately beat a struggling OSU last year, and I remember how rotten it felt. I expected a much closer game, but the Buckeyes' performance exceeded all of my expectations. To be honest, the losses to Penn State and Texas hurt even more now. This team, in a system where there are still no playoffs, is out of the National Championship loop, yet they are playing so well I believe they could beat anyone in the nation. They could definitely beat USC. I hope the Buckeyes win out if for no reason than the athletic department with all of its clout would hop on the pro-playoffs bandwagon.

Oh, and in my "winning out" scenario, the Bucks would get a win this week that's just a little important. If you ask a lot of Buckeye fans, "The Game" is the National Championship.

2005-11-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

EARLY SEASON PROVIDES EXCITEMENT, CONCERN FOR CAVS FANS

An analysis of the Cleveland Cavaliers' potential in 2005-06 is long overdue on this site. I suppose this is an excuse, but media coverage of Cavs Training Camp was extremely quiet this year (of course, I'm jaded because I got to witness it up close and personal on campus last year.) Most news regarding the Cavaliers came in the form of editorial debates on the following questions: Are the Cavs finally a playoff team? Will the team's offseason acquisitions translate into more victories? Will LeBron leave Cleveland for more money when his contract is up? To these I say yes, yes and...I plead the fifth.

The '04-05 season brought with it a mountain of potential as last year I predicted the Cavaliers would not only make the playoffs but would host their first-round opponent. The early season made me look like a genius, and I was a real fan of Silas and the depth he used. Of course, sometime after Christmas everything went south faster than an escaped convict. Gund sold the team to Gilbert, who fired Silas (I maintain it was a bad move at the time) and uselessly traded for Jiri Welsh. The result? The Cavs finished one game out of the last playoff spot, and save LeBron and Z, Gilbert decided it was time to clean house again.

So the '05-06 Cavs a new look, like every team every year seems to have in Cleveland. This team hopes--perhaps in vain--that they can finally bring some continuity to an enigmatic franchise. Everybody's favorite bald three-point marksman, Danny Ferry, assumed the role as new GM, and the Cleveland media has already annointed him as part of the "blessed triumverate" of Cleveland GM's: Shapiro, Savage and Ferry. Before I hop on this bandwagon though, I want to examine the offseason acquisitions of Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall.

Hughes is averaging 14.5 ppg in the Cavs' first four games, and I think when he completely settles into the system, you can expect more. It is interesting that Hughes was the Cavs third choice for a free-agent shooting guard (Ray Allen and Michael Redd both re-signed with their respective teams.) Though fans could peruse through Allen's and Redd's stats and ask what might have been, they won't have to because Hughes will add exactly what the Cavs need: a second scoring threat to LBJ--notice I said "threat," meaning he can score, but trust me, he won't be taking too many shots away from LeBron.

Jones and Marshall are both extremely solid additions, also. Both can shoot from the outside, which was the Cavs' biggest problem last year. Marshall is in his second go-around with Cleveland; most don't remember the first because he spent most of it on the bench. He's a completely different ballplayer now, though, who can add veteran leadership, a jumper and maybe even some defense. On paper, it looks like Danny Ferry put together a fresh, competitive team to complement the game's biggest rising star.

But what about the coach? I am not sold on Mike Brown yet. Brown was a logical choice because he was a "defensive-minded" guy, who would be much-needed on a team full of run-and-shooters. In the first four games, we haven't really seen that team defense take shape yet. This will be the biggest challenge for the Cavaliers this year. Their offense might be explosive, but the league's outstanding defenses like Detroit and San Antonio (see last Friday's beatdown in Texas for evidence) will create problems. Those who isolate LeBron and make him a scorer take his teammates out of the game. LeBron is terrific, but if he scores 30 every night, the Cavs will win about 30 all year and that's it.

At 2-2 right now with a game scheduled for Wednesday night at "The Q" with Sonics, here is my long-term projection for the Cavs: 51-31. That should be good for fourth in the conference by mid-April. They will beat up shamelessly on the bad teams, especially at home, and they will struggle with the proven, veteran teams. Nonetheless, LeBron should get to taste the postseason for the first time barring that diabolical intangible: injuries.

2005-11-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

COMFORT TO TRIBE FANS

I thought I would post this as a reminder that pitchers and catchers report in a little over three months. An up coming post will feature my offseason "do's and don'ts" for Mark Shapiro. As a tribute to Hal Lebovitz, look for an Indians' Christmas wishlist in the future, also.

2005-11-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

CAP FOOTBALL THROTTLES JOHN CARROLL, OSU HOLDS SERVE AT HOME, CAP VOLLEYBALL TO SERVE MANY MORE

The past two days have been more than eventful in the realm of sports--at least the realm of sports that interests most of my readers. Let's start with a brief rundown, and then I will insert some of that insightful commentary you all crave.

FRIDAY'S OAC VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS

CAPITAL d. Ohio Northern (ranked No. 11 in the country and the No. 1 seed)
30-23, 30-13, 30-28. They advanced to the finals to play Baldwin-Wallace.

SATURDAY'S OAC VOLLEYBALL FINALS
CAPITAL d. Baldwin-Wallace
32-30, 18-30, 30-25, 30-21. They earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, the first Capital team to ever do that.

SATURDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OHIO STATE 40
ILLINOIS 2
CAPITAL 19
JOHN CARROLL 7

I covered the Crusaders' volleyball win over Ohio Northern in Ada Friday night. Ashamedly, it was the first time I had seen the team play all year, and I realized what I had been missing. I really wanted to stay for Saturday afternoon's championship game, but football back in Columbus. To put it simply, the ladies are terrific. Their size up front--Jordan Centers, Jenn Lilly, Jesse Hampson--is unstoppable. Anytime they get a kill opportunity, it's over for the other team. I would be shocked if anybody can matchup with this team's brute power. As I implied above, the team won the tournament, so they are A.) Capital's first OAC champions in volleyball and B.) Capital's first team to ever earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. Though the polls have underrated them all year, I have no doubt that if the volleyball can keep their momentum, they will earn more than their share of national attention.

I was fortunate enough to sit in C deck for the Buckeyes' slaughter of Illinois. I expected a massacre, but I didn't really get one until Ginn and Holmes starting breaking off the big play. It was one of the few times that I felt sympathy for the opposition. When Illinois's quarterback was pinned against his own goal line in the closed end of the Horseshoe, the crowd was in hysteria, and A.J. Hawk was licking his chops like a starved neanderthal, I thought to myself, "These guys have no chance." The media keeps talking about how strong of a game Smith had, and looking at the statistics it's hard to disagree, but I have to say he did not look sharp early. He hooked up for big plays with Holmes and Ginn, but it was against Illinois. On his eight incompletions, he missed badly. Some of you are reading this now thinking, "How big of a pessimist is this guy?" I am just saying the statistics--13-21, 299 yards, and 2 TDs--are somewhat misleading. He will need to be even sharper next week against Northwestern, whose spread offense WILL reach the end zone at least twice against the Buckeye defense.

The Capital Crusaders used their nationally fifth-ranked defense to slow down the John Carroll passing attack and win 19-7. John Carroll came into the game tied for first in the conference, and the Crusaders were looking to bump them into second. Kyle Hausler's three interceptions led the charge, while Collin O'Reilly added another 100-yards+ performance. Now 7-2, (6-2 OAC), the Crusaders are in a good position to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Assuming they hold serve at home against meager Wilmington, the Crusaders should not be ignored by the coaches.

Coming soon: an early-season analysis of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They're not just LeBron's team now. How much better are they?

2005-11-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

SOMEWHERE MY GRANDFATHER IS SMILING

As a diehard Cleveland Indians fan who watched hopelessly as the team's postseaon hope dwindled away, perhaps I should have been bitter and pulled for a Chicago White Sox debauchle. A nice three game sweep in the first round would have been fitting karma to the team that knocked out the Tribe, right? Well, I didn't think so, and my reasons were more personal than anything. Make no mistake that anytime the Wahoos and White Sox meet up, I'm rooting hard for Cleveland because they are my childhood team.

My dad and uncle have a different perspective, though. Growing up in the 50s, my dad and uncle rooted hard for the ChiSox because my grandfather, Paul Carlisle, had followed them since he was a boy. Paul, who grew up in the 20s and early days of radio, listened to some of the first baseball games ever broadcasted on the radio. Though he grew up in North Central Ohio, Cleveland did not have an AM radio station yet. Chicago, however, had two powerful ones with signals that spanned most of the midwest; one broadcast the Sox, the other, the Cubs. As a result, my grandfather, who played baseball in high school in the small town of Utica and then went on to be principal of Montgomery Elementary School in Ashland, was an avid listener of White Sox games on the radio into his adulthood. My dad often recalled to me how he had a "lucky penny," which he would keep in his pocket on game days. Dad, of course, picked up following the Sox, too. He idolized second baseman Nelson Fox, who won MVP in 1959--coincidentally the year of the White Sox only AL pennant. My grandfather, who was not old enough to understand baseball during the Chicago White Sox World Series win in 1916, never really witnessed a Chicago championship. The '59 team was the closest.

In 1971, my grandfather died from complications with diabetes. I wasn't born for another 14 years, so obviously, I never met him. Nonetheless, those who knew him constantly remind me of what a great man and leader he was. Upon graduating high school, my uncle presented me with a letter that contained some of the proverbs my grandfather lived by. Paul constantly reiterated to his sons the importance of intergrity, honesty, and loving everyone, even those don't particularly like. He recognized that the most intelligent people are not afraid to ask questions.

It is for these reasons that when Juan Uribe fired a bullet to Paul Konerko on a trickling ground ball, which gave the Sox a 4-0 series win over the Astros, I couldn't help but crack a smile. My grandfather may have not witnessed a championship for his beloved team on Earth, but I have no doubt he was looking down on it from above and leading a heavenly celebration.

2005-10-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

THANKS, HAL

Contrary to the opinion of several readers, I didn't die or drop off the face of the earth, but midterms, my internship and newspaper obligations have kept me from posting daily. You'll notice that in the blog description I have removed the word "daily." I'm a realist, and posting on here daily just isn't going to happen. Though there is something to talk about in the world of sports everyday, there isn't always time to talk about it.

Unfortunately, my long-overdue post will be a somber one. Everyone who follows Cleveland sports and pays attention to the Northeast Ohio media probably keeps one name synonymous with all the happenings in the worlds of the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers: Hal Lebovitz. Lebovitz, who had once served as the sports editor for The Plain Dealer and numerous other papers and wrote the famed "Ask Hal" column, died this week at the age of 89. I read his writings in the Mansfield News Journal, which syndicated his columns. Numerous Ohio journalists have written tributes to Hal, and I hope there's room on the bandwagon for this humble blogger.

When I was eight years old in 1993, I loved Bernie Kosar and the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, Kosar's career was showing its downslope in the middle of the season and the team's second quarterback, Vinny Testaverde, began to shine. I typed Hal a letter on an old Tandy 1000, printed it, and after a little parental editing, sent it off to him. I wanted to know if he thought it was a good idea for the Browns to make a quarterback switch and bench the local legend. Two weeks later, Kosar was released. I had forgotten all about the letter in my anguish of seeing Bernie go, but sometime in December, I got a hand-written letter in the mail from Hal. He was very courteous, saying that he anticipated the Browns' management's move, and mentioned that even though my question was moot now (this was when I learned what "moot" meant), he wanted to make sure he replied.

Another story--at age 11, I really felt that my Little League team had gotten railroaded by the umpire on a double play call while we were batting. I'll spare you the details of the play, but in my angst, hoping to prove that I was right, I wrote Hal. It was a longshot that my question would even appear in the column, but it was definitely worth the time to punch out a letter to send to my favorite writer. Sure enough, a question about baseball rules from John Carlisle, Shelby, Ohio, appeared in the paper. The irony was that Hal told me the umps got the call right. I was a little miffed, but I respected his decision because I knew he had years of playing and umpiring experience.

These anecdotes are two of thousands people will use to remember Hal. To be honest, he is probably the reason I have this blog right now. When The Chimes asked me to write a column, his were the ones I modeled mine after. He believed in a straight-forward "Here's what I know, and here's what I think about it" column. The result? A loyal readership and the admiration of players, coaches and owners of the Cleveland area. In the 70s, Indians owners kept considering moving the team out of the city but Hal convinced them otherwise--three times. When Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore, Hal tried to persuade him also, but it fell on deaf ears. According to sources, Lebovitz and Modell haven't spoken since.

Lebovitz's style of journalism and sports writing epitomize integrity and loyalty. I will miss his writings greatly, and I send condolences to his family. Thanks, Hal.

2005-10-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

BUCKEYES, PRO TEAMS REVERSE ROLES

Still numb from the Indians' collapse last week, I have made myself scarce on this blog. A week removed, though, the wounds were starting to scab over, and I thought I was ready to post again.

And then the Buckeyes played last night...and lost.

Coming into the season, a lot of experts labeled the away night game at Penn State as the "trap game" on OSU's schedule (a trap game is one in which an upset is very possible because of an expected emotional letdown, challenging playing conditions, etc.) Coming into this week, though, the game could not have been labeled as a trap game but instead a just a tough game. Penn State was undefeated, playing at night, at home, in front of some starving maniacally fans (they certainly give Buckeye fans a run for the rowdiness money) and against an interconference rival. The stage was set for upset, and anyone expecting the Buckeyes to walk in there and dominate was kidding him/herself. It was going to take a near-perfect performance to win on the road at Happy Valley, and it just didn't happen.

Did OSU make some mistakes? Certainly. What can't be overlooked, though, is that Penn State is back. You can't keep a good program down for long, and the geriatric Joe Pa appears to have one more loaded cupboard of talent. The PSU defense was phenomenal, which was just a little better than the Buckeye defense, which was terrific. OSU's defense kept them in the game, but the offense stagnated. It's not that Troy Smith played terribly. His interception in the second quarter was a poor decision, but other than that, he did all he could do against a ferocious Nittany Lion pass rush and constantly was looking for receivers who just couldn't get open. If anyone won that game for Penn State, it was the guy who covered Teddy Ginn. Ginn hasn't been able to get any running room for most of the season, which is a credit to the teams we have faced. Those blaming Troy Smith for coughing up the ball in the fourth obviously weren't watching; he was completely cracked from his blind side by the Penn State defender. Whoever let him in was responsible, or perhaps....just maybe....that Penn State defender just stepped up and made a big play, and the Buckeyes couldn't do much about it.

Say what you want about the loss to Texas, but OSU was legitimately beaten last night. They were the better team and deserved to win. Both of Ohio State's two losses have come against top-notch competition, and the win for Penn State is the biggest for their program in years. They just tossed their name into the national title hat. I will continue to root for the Buckeyes, though, and though it would take some help from other teams, they are still in the hunt for a Big Ten title, even if it is a co-championship. If you are so incredibly disgusted with the Buckeyes, though, and you're looking to get rid of some tickets, give me a call; there are still three home games left.

Watching the Browns game on Sunday with Cleveland trailing 10-6 in the fourth quarter, I was already composing this post in my head, thinking the headline would read something like "Ohio football disappoints save the Bengals." But the Chicago Bears fumbled twice in the fourth quarter, gift-wrapping a victory for the Browns. After Dilfer and Bryant capitalized twice on good field position to score touchdowns, the Browns won 20-10, and first-year head coach Romeo Crennel is 2-2. Though deep down I have been expecting dismal performance Dilfer and an eventual start for Charlie Frye, I have to say that Dilfer is no Ty Detmer. He's definitely an improvement on Jeff Garcia, too. Though the Browns' defense is a far cry from what they fielded in the 80s and mid-90s, it's not as terrible as I thought. In the past two games, they have allowed 23 total points. All of sudden, the Browns are weekend saviors. Usually, the mantra among most Ohio sports fans is, "Well, we at least have the Buckeyes." With an undefeated Bengals team and an improving Browns squad, maybe things are changing?

Smile, Cleveland. Your baseball club may not be playing right now, but your football team just won, and LeBron takes the court for games that count in less than a month. Smile, Cincinnati. The Bengals are the talk of the town again, and regardless of what happens in tonight's game with Jacksonville, four wins in the first five weeks is a great start. Columbus, well, you should probably go to a mall or a movie or something. The Blue Jackets and Buckeyes haven't given you much to smile about this weekend.

2005-10-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

93-69, FATE, AND THE CURSE OF GRADY SIZEMORE'S DROPPED BALL

We're cursed. We've got to be.

If I had known in late March the Cleveland Indians would win 93 games, I would have said they were a lock for the playoffs. I probably would have said they were a lock to win the division. If you would have told me that the Juan Gonzalez signing would've been a bust, but it wouldn't matter because Grady Sizemore would have a breakout year, I would asked to confiscate your flask. And if you would have prognosticated Bob Wickman's 40+ saves, I would have checked your pulse.

All of those things came true. The Indians also played .700 baseball in August and September. Victor Martinez went from hitting his IQ to finishing seventh in the league in batting.

Unfortunately, if you would have told me that the Indians would contend for the wildcard, only to come up short on the last day of the season, I would have disagreed with my heart and believed you in my head.

There are a few undeniable truths in baseball. If you make the first or third out of an inning at third base, you're probably not going to score. If you're an outfielder and you don't hit the cutoff man, more often than not, that will result in extra run for your opposition. Finally, if your team is in a playoff race in the last week of September and you lose six of your last seven games, you're not going to make the playoffs.

But how could a team that had been red-hot and won 17 of their last 20 games and appeared posied for the postseason drop six of seven? How could they lose five of six at home--two of which to the Devil Rays? And most strangely, how can five of those six losses be one-run losses, and the other is a two-run loss?

I cannot place blame. Shapiro put this team together, so he deserves more praise than I have the energy to give him right now. Wedge deserves manager of the year. After all, this team overachieved, and he handled the pitching staff and substitutions about as well as anyone could as this week. You can't blame guys like Hafner and Martinez. They're the reason the Indians got as far as they did. You certainly can't blame the pitching; it was terrific all week. You might put the blame on Ben Broussard for striking out so much and going 0-for-the-week with men in scoring position. You might even try to blame Ronnie Belliard for hitting into a double play Tuesday night.

If I had to find a culprit for derailing the Tribe's momentum, I point to the Kansas City sun and cosmic powers greater than pragmatism.

Last Sunday the Indians had 92 wins and were rolling toward a four-game sweep of Kansas City. They had a one-game lead in the wildcard over two teams and they were 1.5-games behind Chicago. They had a 3-0 lead behind Jake Westbrook, blew it and in the bottom of the ninth, Sizemore just couldn't pick up the ball in the sun. It happens to every outfielder at least once, maybe more times, in his career. The sun was, indeed, wicked. The Indians should have still had their lead, and it shouldn't have cost them the game--but it did--and it cost them their postseason, too.

You could try to justify the loss, saying "Well, there was that game in Kansas City earlier in the summer where the Tribe won on a dropped ball, so the law of averages is just evening things out." That was my overt philosophy, but inwardly, I had a bad feeling in my gut. It was one loss. It could have meant nothing. A bounceback win against Tampa Bay, and all would be forgotten.
Two losses later, the Tribe finally won, but that hardly qualifies as a bounceback win. The pressure was mounting, and the hope and confidence that had filled the clubhouse was replaced with doubt.

That's the stuff that chokejobs are made of.

It's really no one person's fault, but I guarantee someone will take the fall for it. Ben Broussard may not be back in a Cleveland uniform, and Casey Blake may not either. They are two good guys who fell victim to a cruel game. They were on the front line of a battle the Wahoos lost with fate.

We, as fans, can take solace in next year and the Tribe's exciting young core of players. There is some pride in being a Cleveland baseball fan again.

A city that hasn't had a championship team since 1964 and a ballclub that hasn't won a World Series since 1948, a ballclub that watched two World Series' slip away and just watched their team go from hottest in baseball to crumbling under the pressure has to wonder if there is something at work here that no one can explain.

Offseason priority #1: Break out the garlic and holy water at Jacobs Field.

2005-09-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

TIMEOUT CAUSES LOST POST, LACK OR ROOM CAUSES LOST COLUMN

I put together an excellent post Sunday, mentioning the improving Buckeyes, the impressive Bengals, the growing Browns and the finger-crossing Indians, but it all was deleted because I let the post screen sit up for too long! The worst part is I can't recover anything I wrote! Not that it matters now. It's Thursday, and all those insights are obsolete. Additionally, I was slated to have my first print edition of "Keeping Score" run in The Chimes today, but a lack of room on the page kept it sitting on the sidelines. However, the great thing about this blog is that I can post it here. Enjoy!

ARMSTRONG SCANDAL LACKS SOLID PROOF

Over the summer, a friend and I would periodically navigate the Columbus bicycle trails for about 20 miles, and I can remember thinking to myself when we finished, “Wow, my legs hurt. I’m glad we’re done.”

I cannot imagine riding four times that far at a much faster pace over significantly more rugged terrain every day for three weeks. But what really boggles my mind is that someone has not only done all that but has done it better than anyone else in the world for seven straight years.

Lance Armstrong added his seventh consecutive Tour de France title this summer and completed arguably the greatest individual athletic achievement in the history of sports. Not only did Armstrong do what no cyclist had ever done before, he did it after pushing cancer into remission. But as soon as Armstrong finished the tour and announced his official retirement, a writer from the French daily sports newspaper L’Equipe had to go and accuse him of cheating.

In an article titled “The Armstrong Lie,” the writer, alleged that Armstrong took the performance-enhancing drug Erythropoietin (EPO) in 1999 while he was training for his second Tour de France.

This is not the first time Armstrong has been the center of drug controversy. Also in 1999 he tested positive for a topical steroid that with a doctor’s prescription is legal in cycling, upon producing the prescription, Armstrong was cleared of wrongdoing and allowed to race.

The L’Equipe writer had a French laboratory, Châtenay-Malabry, supporting his claim, saying that cycling’s testing process before 1999 was flawed because many cyclists’ test samples, including some of Armstrong’s, sat long enough in the laboratory that the EPO proteins deteriorate, and that created a negative test. The lab claimed it was possible that the negative results regarding Armstrong are inaccurate.

It is also possible that O.J. Simpson killed his ex-wife, but the criminal court found him not guilty because not enough proof existed against him. Similarly, what is missing in all of these Armstrong allegations is proof.

Another possibility is that the French media is jealous that an American has so thoroughly dominated “their sport” for seven years. I cannot prove that, but it is possible.

“Possible” is not enough for me to judge, and it is not enough for cycling, either. The sport has not discredited any of Armstrong’s accomplishments. Their official organization, UCI, released a statement September 9 saying neither Châtenay-Malabry nor the World Anti-Doping Agency has provided any conclusive data. Armstrong has vehemently denied the allegations throughout his career.

The best thing to come out of these allegations may be a possible comeback. Armstrong told The American Statesman in August that he might ride the tour in 2006 “just to piss the French off.” Armstrong, however, reported through his Web site September 15 that he does not intend to race another Tour de France.

Which Armstrong comment is the truth? Will he come back and try for an eighth title? I do not know how likely it is, but it is possible.

2005-09-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

OH NO! NO RED SOX IN PLAYOFFS! CRY ME A RIVER!

Since I last posted, claiming the Chicago White Sox faced the true pressure in the last game of their series with the Indians, the Tribe not only won that game 8-0 but have won the first two games in their series with Kansas City. Travis Hafner has homered in six straight games, and Scott Elarton, in that third game of the Chicago series, had probably the best big-game performance of his career. As it stands, the Indians trail the ChiSox by 1.5 games in the division with another three-game series--this time in Cleveland--on the slate to close the regular season next week. You cannot help but be excited as an Indians fan. Playoff tickets go on sale as I am typing this.

The national media has finally warmed up to the Tribe, but deep down you know that ESPN and FOX are quietly pulling for both the Yankees and Red Sox to make the playoffs. Why? The highest-rated baseball games on television are consistently Yankees/Red Sox grduge matches. I, however, am sick of it. Putting aside my pro-Cleveland bias, I am utterly exasperated with having the baseball experts ram the New York/Boston matchup down my throat. Were the series in the last two years exciting? Sure, no one will argue that. But if the biggest complaint against baseball is that the game has been lacking parity, wouldn't it be great to see a small-market, low-payroll, "cinderella" team like the Tribe get into the playoffs and make some noise? Also, there are closet Indians fans all over the country just like there are closet Browns fans. They are all native Clevelanders who moved away when their job got raped from NE Ohio (wait, this is a sports blog, I'll stop right there.) Regardless of what I say, though, the major networks who cover the postseason, especially FOX who has the primetime rights, are pulling hard for the Red Sox. Unfortunately, they could be grossly unhappy.

To my Reds-fan readers, I promise the year is almost over. Last night, the Reds imploded, blowing a 10-6 lead in the ninth to the contending Phillies, and the Phillies won 11-10. The Reds' don't seem to be relishing their spoiler role, and I don't blame them. With Griffey out for the rest of the season, there isn't really a good reason to watch them. My advice is hop on the Benglas bandwagon and buckle your seatbelt. The Reds desperately need to rebuild, as last night's game was a microchosm of the whole season.

Ohio State will be playing in its second-biggest game of the season today against No. 21 Iowa. (No, the biggest was not against Texas.) Last year the Hawkeyes completely handed it to the Buckeyes, so revenge is necessary. In order to win, the Buckeyes will have to play their best game of the season. That means hanging onto the football, picking up those big first downs on third and short and getting Ginn as many touches as humanly possible. I'll take the Buckeyes 17-14.

I won't get a chance to see the game, though, because I'm covering Capital at home against Heidelberg. Though the rain might slow the scoring down a bit, I would give you Heidelberg and 30 points in a bet. They're terrible, and if Collins is any kind of coach at all, Capital should be angry from the way they gave the Otterbein game away.

Enjoy the weekend, and of the Buckeyes, Browns and Bengals, at least one team has to win, right?

2005-09-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

RUBBER MATCH BEARS MORE WEIGHT FOR CHICAGO THAN THE TRIBE

If you watched the Indians game last night, you know they lost 7-6. We won't get into the nitty gritty of why or how it happened (Jose Hernandez! Leaving Riske in too long!); instead, we'll move on to tonight--Scott Elarton "Big Start Scott" and Jon Garland.

In tonight's game, the pressure is still on Chicago, not Cleveland. Some of you are thinking, "What kind of backwards logic is that? The White Sox have their 3.5-game lead back. They have the momentum of a walk-off home run! The Indians now only have a .5 game lead in the wildcard again! And the pressure is still on the Sox?" Yep.

The Sox are supposed to win tonight. They are supposed to win this division after cushion they built. The Indians aren't even supposed to be in the playoffs, let along chasing after Chicago's heels. Who do the Indians get to play next? Kansas City and Tampa Bay, the teams with the two worst records in the American League. (Say what you want about Tampa and a resurgence; I'd still take playing them over a lot of teams.) I truly think the Indians can take a wildcard lead into their final series at home with Chicago next weekend, regardless of what happens in tonight's game. However, if the Sox lose, they have to face the fact that Cleveland came into their stadium for three games and left one game closer to them than when they came in. In other words, a Cleveland win means Chicago just keeps blowing it, slowly but surely.

The Tribe just needs to do what it has been doing all year--staying relaxed and having fun. Close losses happen, but so do bounce-back wins.

My apologies to everyone wanting to hear more commentary than that JUST of the Cleveland Indians. During mid-week, though, this series is the focus of not just Ohio and Cleveland attention, but national attention. My thoughts on New Orleans sports, fantasy football booms and busts, and other notable issure are coming. Just bear with me.

2005-09-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

AARON BLEEPIN' BOONE

To the casual baseball fan, a single up the middle might not be as sexy as a grand slam or a 500-foot tape measure home run. It is tough, though, to find a bigger hit in the Indians' season than the one Aaron Boone got last night--not his early-game home run to left but instead his two-out, two-strike single to center to bring in the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning. The result? The Indians win 7-5 over the White Sox. The divisional gap now sits at 2.5 games.

This guy might have not have hit his weight in April or May, and even lately he has been slumping, but he is exactly what the Indians will need for the stretch run and/or playoffs. A clutch, ice water-in-the-veins, hitter. The Indians may be hitting a lot of home runs lately, but it will be singles to center that win the ones that count the most.

2005-09-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

TRIBE ROLLS INTO CHICAGO 3.5 GAMES OUT, BROWNS, BENGALS PICK UP HUGE WINS

Sunday was a good day to be an Ohio sports fan. The Indians pounded the Royals 11-0, the Bengals make a statement with a 37-8 victory over the Vikings and the Browns picked up their first win under Romeo Crennel, 26-24 over Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.

The Indians have won 12 of 13. Last year, the Indians were a streaky team. They would win five and then immediately lose six. They're streaky again this year, also, only in 2005 they put together a lot more winning streaks than losing ones. In fact, this recent streak cannot be chaulked up to "They're just hot right now." Maybe they're just good? Really, really good. They will face their biggest test of the season tonight in a huge series with the White Sox, who won yesterday, in Chicago. Kevin Millwood will face Freddy Garcia, who like all of the other Sox starters has dominated the Tribe this year. First pitch is 8:05, and you can bet that only an emergency will keep me from watching.

I told you the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings would be the game to watch this weekend, and in a way I was right. Though the score was lopsided, it exclaimed something to the media around here: The Bengals are for real. The Vikings were my Super Bowl pick, but their supposedly improved defense was no match for Carson, Johnson, Johnson and T.J. Not only that, but the Minnesota quarterback is playing more like Dante Bichette than Daunte Culpepper. If the Bengals can eliminate turnovers and reduce mental errors, they could be the Pittsburgh, or at least Indianapolis of this year. They have as much talent as anybody, and my prediction for 10 wins may not be enough.

Romeo Crennel and his staff probably enjoyed a nice toast after the ballgame yesterday, and they deserved it. The Browns 26-24 win in Lambeau is a huge step for the franchise. I realize the Packers are down this year and Favre still managed to carve up the Browns secondary, the Browns have to be excited for their big play potential. Braylon Edwards' long touchdown yesterday along with Heiden add a dimension to the offense I didn't think they had: The ability to go deep on every play. If Trent Dilfer can perform even close to the way he did yesterday and do it against better defenses, the Browns will score points. Don't get ahead of yourselves, yet, Browns fans. They are still inexperienced, over-penalized and nowhere near a playoff contender. Revel in the fact, though, that you've got a .500 team, if only for a week.

I called out the Marlins and they responded, beating Philadelphia last night. Florida still has a shot, in my opinion, but I called last night a must-win for them. The NL wildcard is wide open, and the AL one is still up for grabs (as are all the divisions.) The picture changes every night, and that is what is so much fun about September baseball. The real winners are people like you and me, who get to watch it all unfold.

2005-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER SPORTS-FILLED SATURDAY

God told us to honor to the sabbath and keep it holy (for some this means watching the NFL.) As a result, Saturdays, especially in September when college football is heating up and the wildcard race is coming down to the wire, have to be the most eventful day of the sports week. One week after the OSU/Texas hoopla, the 17th proved to be another day full of bliss and disappointment; here's my take on it.

First of all, I was able to take in my second Indians game in a week, and once again, it was a huge win. After taking an early 5-0 lead, the woeful KC Royals added four runs off Cliff Lee, who was again solid, making it 5-4. Though the Indians offense couldn't push across another run, the bullpen held on for the Tribe's 5-4 victory; Wickman recorded his 43rd save. 30,000+ made it out to the game, and for my second game in a row, the crowd was loud and into the game. The atmosphere is back, the talent is back and I have a feeling that October magic will be back, as well. The White Sox loss earlier in the day makes the Tribe, who were once 15 games behind Chicago, now only 3.5 back. After the Indians finish off Kansas City today, they head to Chi-town for an enormous series with the Sox. If you would've asked me in July if the two series with Chicago in September would have division implications, I would've said, "No way."

People saying "no way" is what has fueled this team's drive for the playoffs.

The way this team has responded so far to the pressure of a playoff push has been astounding. Thanks to my generous roommate, I was able to take in the ballgame from directly beyond home plate, five rows from the protective screen--by far the best seats I have ever had at the Jake. I have some terrific photos that I will post as soon as I get them developed.

At the request of a loyal reader, I will also share my thoughts about the NL wildcard race. My pick all along--the fashionable pick among the experts--has been the Florida Marlins because of their three-headed starting pitching monster of Willis, Beckett and Burnett. However, it's the Astros tribunal of Clemens, Oswalt and Pettite that now has a .5 game lead over the Phillies, and the Marlins have slid back to 2.5 games back. Yesterday, with the Marlins leading 2-0 in the 9th at home, closer Todd Jones blew the save and the rest of the bullpen allowed the Phillies to score ten runs in ninth. The result was a 10-2 loss for the Marlins and a ruined brilliant start by Willis. Today is a must-win for Florida. After blowing the game in a demoralizing fashion like Florida did, they need to bounce back today, or, I feel, the NL will become a two-horse race of Houston and Philly.

...Now for the really bad news for my Capital readers. What do five fumbles and some bad luck get you in a rivalry game on the road? It gets you beat. The Crusaders, who led 14-2 (strange score, I know) at the end of the three quarters in what was a sloppy and bizarre game to that point, blew that 12-point lead to Otterbein and ended up losing 17-14. Paul Stetzler, Ricardo Lenhart and the Otterbein offense took a page out of the Capital playbook. They threw efficient short passes and lulled the Capital defense, who was playing "not to lose," to sleep. With about three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Otterbein made the score 14-9. Capital STILL should've had the game in control at this point, but receiver Kive Kraft fumbled on the Cap 43-yard line on the Capital possession, which put incredible pressure on the Cap defense to hold up again. They couldn't. After Otterbein scored the go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion, Capital didn't have enough time to set up a field goal. Instead, they settled for an unsuccessful hail mary. Then the Otterbein fans commenced their upset ruccous and "over-rated" cheers.

I hope the Crusaders regroup and refocus before their home opener this week, but I have to reiterate what I have been saying from August. Capital is probably not going to beat Mount Union on the road, so for them to make the playoffs as an at-large team, they would need to go 9-1, winning every other game. Unfortunately, that is not possible now. It will be interesting to see how they react.

One team that bounced back was the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning 27-6 yesterday over San Diego State. What was missing from this win was an exclamation point. OSU played sloppy, espcially early. They turned the ball over, were penalized a lot and looked like a team who is still trying to find itself. They have another week to find themselves before another huge game at home: Iowa. Troy Smith's mentally weak performance yesterday results has made me realize one thing: No one can be critical of Tressel's choices regarding his quarterbacks because neither has stood out. They both have been mediocre at best in the past two games. Who will start this Saturday? Who knows. A win against the Hawkeyes might require a blocked punt, a kick return for a touchdown and a defense holding Iowa under ten points. If OSU does all of that, they might have a chance to win.

In the meantime, enjoy the nice weather while we still have it. Cleveland fans, head up to the Jake if you get the chance. Trust me, these guys are special. You won't be disappointed.

2005-09-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

FOUR DAYS BRINGS BUSTLING ACTIVITY IN SPORTS

Though I haven't been living up to the "daily sports chronicle" billing of this Web site, partly because I'm ashamed I actually picked the Browns over the Bengals and partly because homework got in the way, I am back, insightful and profound as ever for your reading pleasure.

I'll start with the Browns' debauchle to get it out of the way. Bengals fans, rejoice. Browns fans, get used to it. The Bengals offense, lead by coming-into-his-own Carson Palmer, is poised to propel to the Bengals to 10-11 wins. Barring injuries, I think the Bengals will be a fun team to watch, especially when they have the ball. Can they beat Minnesota this weekend? Well, they are at home and Minnesota looked absolutely terrible last week. I'm not predicting anything, but I will make the Bengals/Vikings game my "NFL must-see game of the week." Cleveland might want to consider throwing all of their support behind the Indians, at least until mid-October. The Browns are going to have growing pains in the early going. Reuben Droughns was a great acquisition, Braylon Edwards, I'm confident, was a much better pick than Kellen Winslow, and Trent Dilfer proved with 270 yards passing that he won't be terrible. Some experts think the Browns actually have a chance to beat the Packers this weekend. What does that say about the Packers?

Tennis, anyone? Andre Agassi lost to Roger Federer in the final in four sets. Federer, the machine that he is, was playing even with Agassi through three sets. It was teasing enough for the viewers to think that Agassi actually had a chance. Then Federer blows Agassi away in the third-set tiebreak and never looked back. Good tennis players win a lot of points. Great tennis players win a lot of points that matter (break points, set points, match points, etc.) The greatest of all time, however, wins the points that matter against other great players. Roger Federer's consistency doing this makes him, right now, the best male tennis player I have ever seen. Sampras should enjoy having the most titles in men's tennis now because Federer will eclipse that accolade.

To hell with the inverted pyramid, I'm saving the best for last! THE TRIBE beat Oakland twice out of three games, losing the first but rebounding to take the next two. I was fortunate enough to be there for the middle game of the series, a game which some are calling the Indians' biggest win of the year. Trailing 2-0 with Kevin "I get no run support" Millwood, Eric Wedge was ejected for arguing balls and strikes, the Indians had made three errors, two by Ben Broussard, and the lights went out. Sitting by the visitors' bullpen, I was fortunate enough to hear Oakland closer Huston Street's taunts of "Why don't you pay the electric bill?" Funny, Huston. Broussard supplied all the power Cleveland would need the rest of the game, smacking two home runs, including a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth, en route to the victory. I don't care that there were only 21,000 fans there. At least the feeble 21,000 were loud, cheering and having fun. To top it all off, I took a souvenir home courtesy right fielder Casey Blake, who tossed a ball right into my mitt.

Last night, Jake Westbrook outdueled Barry Zito and the Tribe won 6-3. With the win, the Indians are a season-best 22 games over .500. They have a one game lead in the wildcard over the Yankees (now 3.5 over Oakland) and they have trimmed a once 15-game deficit to Chicago to five games. Even if the Indians don't make the playoffs, the stretch run has been so fun to watch and will continue to be that way.

It's an exciting time for sports. If only it were my real job to write about it.

2005-09-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

THE SUN CAME UP TODAY

I'm sure for many OSU fans, when the Buckeyes' 25-22 loss to Texas became official, it seemed like tomorrow would never come. Well, here it is. Life goes on, the Buckeyes are 1-1, and if they take this loss and use it to their advantage, they could go 10-1 and 8-0 in the Big Ten.. Even though I'll admit the game last night had huge implications, it isn't even the biggest game on our schedule; Michigan is, and Iowa is a close second.

I have no doubt that the Buckeyes are the most talented team in the Big Ten. The goal should be revised at this point: Instead of a national title, let's just focus on winning an outright conference championship. After all, Ohio State hasn't won one since 1984.

The Indians won 7-5 over the Twins, giving them their sixth win in a row. With a Yankee loss to Boston, the Tribe now has a 1.5 game lead in the wildcard with their ace--in my opinion anyway--Cliff Lee starting tonight's game. The Tribe's sucess has numbed my Ohio State pain.

Finally, the Browns and Bengals are set to start as I type this. I think the Bengals will win ten games this year, but one of them will not be today. The Browns are very tough on opening days at home. I think a fired up crowd and an improved running game will lead to a close victory for the Browns.

2005-09-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

AGASSI OUTLASTS BLAKE, INDIANS LEAD WILDCARD...FINALLY!

It's OK. You can call me Nostradamus if you would like. I know you are all dazzled by my prediction regarding Andre Agassi's thrilling victory in five sets over James Blake in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Wednesday night.

I hope you're not repulsed by this pseudo-arrogance because though I take satisfaction in knowing I was right, that's nothing compared to what I felt watching the Agassi/Blake match, which didn't finish until about 1:15 a.m. I said that Blake had the best chance to win if he was able to take it in straight sets, which he almost did. For two sets, James Blake looked dominant, Agassi was flat, and even I started to count out Andre. Lesson learned: Don't ever count out Andre.

Blake wasn't getting quite as much pace on his serve in the third set, and Agassi started playing more agressively, going for winners off of Blake's second serve. Agassi knew he was going to have to legitimately beat Blake because Blake is for real. He came to play, and it was going to take near perfection for three consecutive sets to beat him. That's exactly what Andre did.

This was a match where I didn't want to see either player lose. I wish it could have been the final, ended in a tie and we could have two deserving U.S. Open champions. Unfortunately, that's not sport. I am convinced though that Blake, who in the past year has lost his father, broken his neck and suffered from facial paralysis, will someday win a major. It could be at Flushing Meadows, too. The hometown kid could not fend off the fateful charge of Andre Agassi, though. In the post-match interviews, both players showed tremendous class. If anyone has said that American men's tennis is dead, I believe the game busted open its coffin door Wednesday night. The next challenge is for someone, anyone to beat Roger Federer in the final. It could be Agassi or Robby Ginepri for that matter, but please, somebody beat that guy!

If you haven't noticed, the new AL wildcard leaders are the Cleveland Indians. The trash talking of general manager Mark Shapiro and the organization needs to stop! They are completely legitimate contenders now. At 79-61, the Indians have won four in a row over the Tigers. Yesterday, after being no-hit for five innings, the Tribe slugged three home runs courtesy Aaron Boone, Casey Blake and Coco Crisp. This is a perfect time for that "one-through-nine" philosophy to truly come to frution. As a sidethought, the past three World Series have been won by a wildcard team. Just a thought. The Indians are at home against tonight but unfortunately have to face Johan Santana and the Twins again. Jake Westbrook will start for the Indians.

I almost forgot! Ohio State and Texas are playing this weekend! If you really thought I forgot, you highly underestimate me. It's time for Nostradamus to look into the crystal ball one more time. I'm seeing a final of OSU 28, Texas 20. I'm seeing a kick return for a touchdown by Ginn, Zwick and Smith sharing a lot of time and the OSU defense will make one huge play which will overshadow a strong but not stellar performance from Vincent Young. Hey, I was right about the tennis, wasn't I?

2005-09-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND CLOSES TO WITHIN A HALF GAME, BLAKE AND AGASSI SQUARE OFF

If you like brevity, you'll love this post. The Cleveland Indians won 6-1 last night over Detroit, improving their record to 77-61 and leaving them only half a game behind the Yankees, who are 77-60. Peralta is still scuffling, but Sizemore smacked a three-run home run and Crisp hit a two-run home run. Tonight, C.C. Sabathia takes the mound for the Tribe. Look for the team's "ace" to have another strong outing tonight and lead them back to where they belong: at the top of the wildcard.

Agassi plays Blake tonight in a matchup of "lots of power" versus "some power, experience and tremendous athleticism." Blake's only shot is to win in three sets. He's got a lot of game, but no one can compete physically with the 35-year-old anomaly Agassi. My prediction? Andre in five sets. I think it's his year.

2005-09-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF

NFL fans, rejoice. Not only am I finally bringing the subject to the forefront of discussion, but you only have to wait another couple of days for the regular season to start. The defending champion Patriots and Raiders will kickoff at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Though I have always preferred college football to the pros, I'm particularly excited about this season. New England is trying to become the first team ever to three-peat (I, personally, don't think they'll do it,) the Steelers are looking to leapfrog the Pats and head to the Super Bowl, the Eagles will try to win one (No more T.O. drama, please!) the Bengals look to make the playoffs for the first time since 1990, and the Browns under Romeo Crennel, have nowhere to go but up.

Week 1 presents the first of the all-Ohio matchups with Cincinnati visiting Cleveland. Though a 58-48 shootout would be fun again, don't expect it, as both teams defenses aren't THAT terrible anymore, and neither team's offense is clicking well enough yet to light up the scoreboard like that. It will be interesting to see if the Browns can actually mount a running attack this year with their three-headed monster of Green, Suggs (who's injured, not surprisingly) and Reuben Droughns. Expect Droughns, who rushed for 1,200+ yards last year with Denver, to emerge as the feature back, and expect William Green to have another drug conviction. Dilfer will start, but expect Charlie Frye, the Akron product and graduate of my high school's rival Willard, to get his shot as a starter sometime late in the year.

I am going to boldly predict that the often-coined "Bungles" will leave that dubious nickname in the dust this year. They WILL make the playoffs. At this point, I'll say 10 wins and a wildcard, finishing behind Pittsburgh. Get used to hearing "Palmer complete to Johnson" or "Palmer complete to Houshmandzadeh." Barring injuries, this offense is going to put up a lot of points. They won't neccessarily do it on Week 1, though. More on this coming later this week.

Make sure you tune into the U.S. Open Wednesday evening. James Blake, who beat Robredo to keep his momentum going, will face Andre Agassi. Two Americans will battle it out on an American stage. Does it make me a hyper-patriot to be really excited for this?

To the AL Wildcard--the Tribe beats the Tigers 2-0 on Labor Day behind a terrific outing from "Big Start Scott" Elarton. The A's lost, so the Indians are tied with Oakland for second in the race, 1.5 games behind the evil empire in New York. The Tribe will send up Cliff Lee tonight in Detroit, and the offense always seems to hit for him. Cleveland is 6-1 in Detroit so far this year.

Thanks for reading, and if you get the chance, drop me a comment with your preseason choices to make the Super Bowl. Mine? The Steelers out of the AFC, and the Vikings out of the NFC.

2005-09-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

TRIBE CHASES NEW YORK, NEW YORK CHASES OUT RODDICK

As an optimistic Cleveland Indians fan, I predicted in March the Tribe would win their first division title since 2001 this year and advance to the postseason. Well, it's September 5, and the Chicago White Sox stand 9.5 games in front of the Indians, thanks in part to the Sox's continued phenomenal pitching and clutch hitting. Though my prediction is a pipe dream at best now, all hope is not lost. Major League Baseball's greatest invention ever--the wildcard--has the Indians' playoff hopes alive and well.

Yesterday the Tribe dropped a 7-5 decision to the Twins, who are probably the Tribe's biggest division rival and who are five games out of the wildcard themselves. The day before that, after surviving a terrific performance from Twins ace Johan Santana and taking a 2-2 tie into the bottom of the ninth, two throwing errors allowed the Twins to cruise to a 3-2 victory. The losses, combined with a Yankee win over the Oakland A's, have Cleveland sitting in third in the wildcard, two games behing leading NY and one game behind Oakland. The Indians will have a chance to gain ground on Oakland September 13-15 in a series in Cleveland but will not meet the Yankees and their $200 million+ payroll again.

What does all this mean? It means that the Indians, who were absolutely terrific in August going 19-8, cannot afford to go into a slide. It almost seems unfair that such an amazing month of baseball didn't catapult the Indians into first, giving them some margin for error. Unfortunately, that's how competative the wildcard is. The competing teams just keep winning and putting the pressure on one another. Standing at two games back, the Tribe is in striking distance but if they lose any more ground, it may be too much to catch up with not one, but two teams. I thought going into the series in Minnesota "as long as they don't get swept, they'll be OK." C.C Sabathia made sure of that, throwing a gem Friday night. On Saturday and Sunday though, the Indians showed signs of mental fatigue, making several costly throwing and baserunning errors: two things that if they become recurring issues, will keep the Indians out of it. In addition, Jhonny Peralta, who was a poor man's Miguel Tejada in August and has produced significantly more than anyone expected this year, has started to come back down to Earth. The Indians get a chance to snap the twp-game skid at 1 p.m. today as they travel to Detroit. Scott Elarton, who was been solid all year but slumping lately, will start for the Indians, and Mike Maroth, who beat Cleveland last week at Jacobs Field, will start for the Tigers. New York is off today, and Oakland plays Seattle.

A nice article by Scott Miller on the Indians and closer Bob Wickman is headlining CBS Sportsline's home page today. To read, go here: http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/8807153

...or you could just hit up the link to CBS Sportsline under my links.

I saw yesterday where the Reds continued their quest for respectability by beating the Braves 8-3 in extra innings on a pinch-hit grand slam by Jason LaRue. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 35th home run, quietly putting together a fantastic year. The home run tied Griffey with Mickey Mantle on the all-time list. To me, this is an incredible story. So many of the baseball media have written Griffey off as a has-been or have called him a "borderline hall-of-famer," but he has silenced many of them this year. Through trade rumors, Griffey has put together his best year ever in Cincinnati. A slim and smooth player, no one has ever accused Griffey of using steroids because we all know he's never messed with any of them. I'm not even sure if he even lifts weights. Griffey has such a smooth stroke that he is destined to hit home runs, no juice necessary. I think it's a great story for Reds fans to follow, as a terrible first half of the season have left the team far out of playoff contention. Of course, in true Griffey fashion, the slugger sprained his foot in the 12th inning. He's listed as day-to-day.

Shifting gears, the U.S. Open has already offered some drama. On the men's side, Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion and the golden boy of American tennis, has been seen more on those stupid "Andy's Mojo" American Express commercials than on the courts. He bowed out in the first round 6-7, 6-7, 6-7, to Gilles Muller, an up-and-comer from Luxembourg. It really pains me to see this because I was rooting for Roddick to get another shot at Roger "The Machine" Federer, and also, a major tournament just isn't the same without Roddick's colorful post-match commentary.

Though it's tempting for Americans-only tennis fans to ignore the rest of the men's play since Roddick is out, James Blake, Robby Ginepri and Andre Agassi are still around. Blake is playing the best tennis of his life, as he just bested the second-seeded Rafael Nadal in four sets. If he can get by Spaniard Tommy Robredo, it could set up an amazing semi-final match between Agassi and him. Agassi, who could be playing in his last open, is the sentimental favorite to win. Of course Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt, two players I love to hate, are still around in the top half. In short, there is still a reason to pay attention.

The Williams sisters have already met, but shockingly, it wasn't in the final; it was in the round of 16. Also different from recent years, Venus won! Serena, who two years ago was the Tiger Woods of the sport, has slid back and left the door open for her sister to regain supremacy. Venus will have to beat Kim Clijsters, though, if she wants to continue toward a second straight major. Sharapova, Davenport, Mauresmo, Henin-Hardenne and Mary Pierce (or as I know her, Roberto Alomar's wife) are all still around, meaning the best tennis on the women's side is probably yet to come.

Check back tomorrow for baseball and tennis updates, and maybe, just maybe, some NFL.

2005-09-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

THE INAUGURAL POST

In a nation and world where people are dealing with war and natural disaster, I use a combination of my two favorite pastimes as a therapeutic diversion: writing and sports. Here, as well as in my weekly sports column in Capital University’s student paper, The Chimes, you will see them fuse together. I plan on posting every day, if only a few sentences, but every column or story I publish will also appear here. Though many see only a mere entertainment value in sport, I believe the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and dedication all help participants achieve in lives outside of sports. For spectators, sports provide unparalled catharsis, something everyone needs whether they realize it or not. Events like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, approaching its fourth anniversary, make us realize that the aspects of life that bring us the most joy are the ones we most cherish.

Now, moving beyond the introduction, let’s delve into hot topics of the Labor Day sports weekend, beginning first with what’s most dear to us here in Ohio: OSU football. For those of you who actually realized Earth was still spinning between noon and about 4 p.m. yesterday and didn’t watch or attend the game, the Buckeyes defeated the Miami University Red Hawks 34-14. OSU led at one point 34-0 before Miami added two late touchdowns. Quite honestly, I believed it would be a much closer game as three years of “Tressel ball” have jaded me into thinking Ohio State’s offense just isn’t that good. I highly underestimated them as they took the kickoff and scored a touchdown, Zwick to Holmes, to cap a long opening drive. The spread offense with between three and five wide receivers kept the defense off balance. Zwick threw short slants and out patterns, the defensive middle was soft for Antonio Pittman—who ended up with 100 yards rushing for the game—and, basically, the offense ran like a well-oiled machine. It reminded me of the Purdue offense led by Drew Brees a few years ago that carved up the Buckeyes among many other Big Ten teams.

As good as the offense was—Ginn was…well, Ginn, Holmes had a great game and Zwick limited his mistakes to one interception on a busted play—the defense was even better. The Buckeyes limited Miami to 48 yards rushing, most of which was gained on the second team defense. Carpenter, Hawk and Schlegel all look Texas-ready, as does Donte Whitmer, who returned an interception for a touchdown.

It was a tremendous performance all around, and I am now very confident in the Buckeyes ability to best Texas next weekend, especially because it’s at home in primetime. The question which will have call-in shows and newspaper columnists in Columbus buzzing all week is: Zwick or Smith? It’s a question that has lingered since the beginning of the 2004 season and is now more important than ever. Troy Smith, having served his one-game suspension for accepting funds from an athletic booster, is eligible to play, and more than likely will. I, however, differ from most of the Buckeye fans I’ve asked about this. Everyone overwhelmingly chooses Smith. I like Zwick. The offense was in command this week under him. It was tremendous in the Alamo Bowl, also. I think he has earned the right to start, especially with his commitment to the program and his stay-out-of-trouble, businesslike approach. I think Smith should get some snaps, perhaps in the second quarter, but Zwick has proved he belongs under center just as much, if not more than, Smith does. Post a comment on this if you’d like, leaving me with your vote for starter. Then we’ll see what Tressel does.

In Division III, the Capital Crusaders went on the road and throttled Wittenberg, a team ranked higher than them in the national rankings, 54-0. This is completely staggering. You just don’t go into Witt, a school with a lot of tradition and a few national championships in Division III, and embarrass them in their home opener. The Cap passing attack was unstoppable, the Cap defense forced turnovers and the rout was on. After the first quarter, the Crusaders had their opponents completely demoralized. They had a mental edge, and they never gave it up. It’s almost sad they have a bye week coming this Saturday because after you cream a great team like Wittenberg, you probably have a fair amount of momentum. The next game is at 1 p.m., Saturday, September 17, at Otterbein. They will be christening their new stadium that day, also. I hope that have the light bulbs working in their scoreboard; they’ll need them under the word “visitor."

In other college football news, Notre Dame, under new coach Charlie Weis, destroyed Pitt on the road. The Irish will deservedly be ranked next week, and they get to go to Michigan. Seventh-ranked Oklahoma was beaten at home by TCU.

The major league baseball wildcard chase has become so exciting that it’s almost overshadowed Rafael Palmeiro and the steroid scandal. As I write this, the AL has a three-way tie for the wildcard with my beloved Cleveland Indians only one game behind. They go for a series win today in Minnesota. The Philadelphia Phillies lead the NL race by a half game over the Marlins and Astros. Still in striking distance are the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. September baseball will make it particularly hard for me to get homework done in the evening.

I could keep going, but I want to give you a reason to read tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the remainder of the weekend.