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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.