The News-Herald Blogs

Browns tailgating more fun than game

2010-09-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I was in the muni lot in the thick of tailgaiting.
I enjoyed every minute of it.
When my husband and I arrived at the parking lot at 7:30 a.m., it was already packed. It felt more like noon instead of the early morning.
People were having fun, catching up, drinking and eating.
As the day went on, more and more people showed up to tailgate. Some had tickets and others did not.
What was clear was everyone was there hoping to watch a win in the next few hours either in person or on TV.
When it finally came time to wrap up the tailgating, people were hesitant. They've experienced the situation in the past.
Arrive early, party until noon, then watch the Browns lose. Not fun.
That's exactly what happened on Sunday.
All I know is the tailgating was a victory. I got to see numerous friends and enjoy a party atmosphere all in the middle of a parking lot.
It was much better than watching the game itself.

-Theresa Neuhoff Audia

Nothing minor about this night

2010-09-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know. It's minor league baseball, where developing players is more important than winning games.

Funny thing happened Monday night at Classic Park. Everyone there, all 1,453, truly cared about whether the Captains won or lost. It's simple why. The Midwest League championship was on the line.

Lake County delivered a 3-1 win over the Clinton LumberKings.

Hey, it's not everyday fans in these parts can witness a championship. As baseball games are concerned, the winner-take-all deciding Game 5 was a beautiful thing to watch. On this night, it felt like a major deal to me.

Wanted great starting pitching? Check. Great defense? Check. Great timely hitting? Check. Clutch pitching with everything on the line? Check.

Like the atmosphere of playoff baseball? It was there at Classic Park. Preston Guilmet's final strikeout of the night (he had five in three brilliant innings of work to earn the save) set off a wild celebration at the mound.

Winning Monday's game to set off that celebration wasn't easy. There were plenty of solid plays throughout by the Captains in the close, tense game:

-Giovanni Soto, whom Manager Ted Kubiak said he wasn't sure what to expect, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one run with nine strikeouts. Soto also picked off a runner at first.

-Greg Folgia made a running catch in right field to save an extra-base hit.

-Shortstop Casey Frawley's line-drive RBI single in the bottom of the sixth gave the Captains a 2-1 lead.

There was also great weather, a boisterous crowd and, most of all, simply a great baseball game to decide a championship. The postgame celebration in the Captains locker room wasn't too shabby either.

It was a night of minor league baseball with a major-league feel. Glad I was there to witness it.

- Mark Podolski

What a rush at OSU postgame press conference

2010-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

The best rush of the day Saturday at The Horseshoe for the Ohio State-Ohio University game wasn't from any of the running backs or the defensive ends on either team.
The best rush of the afternoon came from the media in the postgame press conference. For those of you aren't credentialed members of the media - about 100,000 of you on Saturday - what happens is Coach Jim Tressel is brought into speak, then the six captains, and then hold onto your hats and try not to get hurt as the players are available individually, spread around the room and it is a free-for-all to get to them.
I have been to a lot of sports events - pro, college, high school - but I have never seen anything quite like it.
It would have been funny if I didn't fear for my life so much.
Imagine 50-100 reporters, cameramen, interns, etc., charging up from a seated position with enough force to blow two OSU offensive lines off the ball.
It was interesting, but a little bizarre the first time you are a part of it.
- Bill Tilton

Pity for Togo

2010-09-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

In soccer, there's the on-field meltdown of teams like France at the World Cup, and on the other end of the spectrum you have sad stories like Togo.

The African nation has been ravaged by tragedy twice in the last five years - a plane crash in 2006 killed 20 members of its delegation, including the country's sports minister, and last year there was the deplorable, senseless attack on the team bus at the African Cup of Nations by gunmen from a separatist militia that killed three. As a result of that attack star striker Emmanuel Adebayor, the country's best player, retired from international football.

Unfortunately, this poor country is in the news again for the wrong reason. Thankfully, this one isn't a matter of life and death, but it's nonetheless pathetic.

This past week, there was a friendly between Bahrain and Togo. Bahrain won, 3-0. One problem: As it turns out, it was NOT officially Togo. The governing body of soccer in Togo announced a fake team had played in the match, a fixture they weren't aware of in the first place.

An investigation is under way by FIFA, and early indications are Bahrain was led astray by a FIFA-approved booking agent. No one is sure who these players are, or if they're even from Togo.

It's easy to have fun in several respects with this story, of course, except for the fact it involves Togo. Haven't they been through enough already? Was it really necessary to embarrass this nation in particular?

Togo made its lone World Cup appearance in 2006 and pulled out of the last African Nations Cup as a result of the aforementioned tragedy.

Here's to hoping better days are ahead for them, because they deserve it.

- Chris Lillstrung

Where did you go, Mid-American Conference?

2010-09-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Remember when the Mid-American Conference was rolling in 2003?

Northern Illinois, led by quarterback Josh Haldi of Madison and Michael Turner, beat No. 21 Alabama, 19-16, on the road. That followed an overtime victory over No. 15 Maryland.

The conference championship game that year featured two ranked teams, No. 13 Miami and No. 20 Bowling Green. The RedHawks beat Northwestern, Colorado State and Cincinnati in successive weeks, then beat Louisville in a bowl game. The Falcons also beat Purdue that year.

The MAC started developing a reputation as being a cradle of quarterbacks, with Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich and Ben Roethlisberger starting in the NFL and Akron's Charlie Frye getting drafted to be hometown hero for the Browns (well, that was the plan at the time).

Nowadays those big upsets are tough to come by. Temple is the only MAC team to win its first two games this year. One of the conference's two games against ranked teams this year was Miami putting up a fight before losing at Florida. But the other was Toledo losing to Arizona, 41-2, at home.

What happened to the buzz? Did Marshall take the sizzle with it when it left after 2004-05?

The MAC was poised for prominence in men's basketball, as well. Wally Szcerbiak had a 43-point game against Washington while leading Miami to the Sweet 16 in 1999. Kent State appeared to be on its way to what Gonzaga is now. The Golden Flashes advanced to the second round in 2001 and followed that with their memorable run to the Elite Eight the following year.

That's what it's been for the MAC - a memory. When Ohio upset Georgetown this past year, it was the MAC's first win in March Madness since Central Michigan beat Creighton in 2003. The days from the previous decade, when Sports Illustrated did a big feature on the MAC, seem much longer ago than the are.

The other mid-major conferences have been in a factor in that. Several leagues have developed flagship teams that are good for an at-large bid if they lose in the conference tournament. The Horizon League has Butler. The Missouri Valley has Northern Iowa. The WCC has Gonzaga and St. Mary's. Kent State and Akron have been good at piling up 20-win seasons, but they don't get those national TV spots the other mid-major darlings get.

The MAC needs some juice. A big upset in football. A George Mason- or Butler-like run in the NCAA tournament. Something to build momentum. Something to pay for Akron's football stadium.

There's a big game at Ohio Stadium this week. A team with Ohio in its name will win for sure. If the one without "State" in its name pulls the upset, it would be great for the state of the conference.

- Howard Primer

Pryor vs. Robinson for the Heisman ... circle Nov. 27 on your calendar

2010-09-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

Working in the media for many years, there aren't many times I attend an Ohio State football game as a fan.

This season will be different. My uncle, who's been a season ticket-holder for years but doesn't get to as many games as he would like, put several of his single-game tickets on sale to friends and family. One was the Michigan game on Nov. 27.

Thinking it might not be the most competitive game of the season, it was still Michigan, I thought. I bought the pair for a reasonable price.

Two game into this season, I might have found the bargain of the college football season. At the rate OSU and Michigan are heading this season, and the play of QBs Terrelle Pryor and Denard Robinson, The Game could be another classic.

Yes, it's early and the Wolverines could prove to be another year away from contending in the Big Ten. Still, if Big Blue wins at least eight games, Robinson will be in the hunt for the Heisman, as will Pryor, as long as the Buckeyes keep winning.

If they keep winning, a spot in the BCS National Championship game will likely be on the line for OSU, as will the Big Ten title.

An added bonus of perhaps a winner-takes-home-the-Heisman type game between Pryor and Robinson would make The Game even juicer.

Pryor vs. Robinson. They might hand someone the Heisman on Nov. 27.

- Mark Podolski

Portis' apology too late

2010-09-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

It's too bad Clinton Portis doesn't run as fast forward as fast as he back-pedals.

The Washington Redskins' running back might be the NFL's leading rusher for years to come if he did.

Portis apologized on Tuesday for his remarks regarding the treatment of a female reporter in the New York Jets' locker room on Sunday.

Addressing the NFL's investigation of the New York Jets' treatment of reporter Ines Sainz, Portis said that both sides have wandering eyes when the sexes are mixed in such a setting.

"I think you put women reporters in the locker room in position to see guys walking around naked, and you sit in the locker room with 53 guys, and all of the sudden you see a nice woman in the locker room. I think men are going to tend to turn and look and want to say something to that woman," Portis said in his weekly appearance on 106.7 The Fan.

He went on to say, "You know, somebody got to spark her interest, or she's going to want somebody. I don't know what kind of woman won't, if you get to go and look at 53 men's (bodies). I know you're doing a job, but at the same time, the same way I'm going to cut my eye if I see somebody worth talking to, I'm sure they do the same thing."

What made Portis think it was a good idea to say all that?

He apologized on Tuesday, saying that he respects the work of journalists, blah, blah, blah. But it's too late.

It doesn't matter what Portis says from now on regarding this matter any any matter similar. He is going to be labeled a sexist - and rightfully so.

Females in locker rooms is a long debated issue. But the journalists are professionals every bit as much as the athletes are professionals. They should be treated with the same respect.

Portis missed out on that clue, and his hard-hitting comments cannot be masked by his politically correct apology that few will deem sincere.

- John Kampf

Talk about a strong signal

2010-09-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, if the conditions were right, it was not uncommon to hear stories of baseball fans all over the country listening to Jack Buck and Ernie Harwell regardless of their location because the Cardinals' and Tigers' flagship radio stations had extremely strong signals.

I can attest to that theory after a strange experience Friday night.

On my way back to the office from covering the Mentor-Solon football game, I was stopped at a red light on Route 306. The signal for WKNR was interrupted and replaced by the call of a baseball game. After a few seconds, I realized it was a Rockies game, and the announcer was our old friend, Mr. Touch 'Em All Time himself, Jack Corrigan.

Sure enough, some research showed the flagship radio station for the Rockies is KOA in Denver, which also is 850 AM on your radio dial.

Apparently you don't need the internet to pick up the feed. You can pick it up randomly with a car stereo. Who knew?

- Chris Lillstrung

2-0 start vital for Browns

2010-09-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

How big is a 2-0 start for the Browns, starting Sunday in Tampa Bay and then at home vs. the Chiefs the following week?

Check out the the next seven games after the Chiefs game:

Sept. 26 at the Ravens; Oct. 3 vs. the Bengals; Oct. 10 vs. the Falcons; Oct. 17 at the Steelers; Oct. 24 at the Saints; a bye week; then Nov. 7 vs. the Patriots and Nov. 14 vs. the Jets.

An 0-2 start would be simply disastrous for the Browns. A 1-1 start is OK, but without a 2-0 start, it's not unthinkable Cleveland being 1-8 or 0-9 at the midway point of the season. Stay tuned.

- Mark Podolski

Broncos are big Hokies fans now

2010-09-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

So, after watching Boise State defeat Virginia Tech on Monday, are you a Hokies fan?

One group of people is - everyone associated with the Boise State program.

Now that the No. 3 Broncos have defeated the then-No. 10 Hokies, Boise State has become the biggest fans of Virginia Tech perhaps the Hokies have ever had. That's because Boise State needs Virginia Tech to run the table - or at least have a 10-2 season - so as to bolster its lower-than-low schedule strength.

There's no doubt Boise State has talent. The Broncos return all but one starter from a year ago, including their playmaking quarterback Kellen Moore. They've got heart, desire and a wildly innovative coaching staff.

But they also have a schedule that resembles the nearest garbage dump. And strength of schedule figures prominantly into the picture of the equation that decides who plays in the the BCS national championship game.

Simply annihilating the rest of the Western Athletic Conference won't do for Boise State. The Broncos not only need to beat the only two worthwile opponents on their schedule - Virginia Tech and Oregon State (whom they play on Sept 25)- they also need those teams to have banner seasons.

That means both Virginia Tech and Oregon State need to win at least nine games, if not 10. The more the Hokies and Beavers - again, providing the Broncos beat Oregon State - lose, the worse it's going to hurt an already laughable strength of schedule factor.

Actually, TCU already hurt Boise State a little. The Horned Frogs, who are also trying to be a BCS Buster, beat Oregon State in Week 1, leaving little margin for error as far as Boise State is concerned. If Oregon State loses to Boise State as well as USC, Oregon and Washington - none of which are out of the question - a five-loss Oregon State team doesn't really help Boise State's schedule strength.

And if Virginia Tech stumbles in the ACC and struggles down the stretch with road games at North Carolina and Miami, that would hurt the Broncos as well.

True, there's a lot of football to be played and anything can happen.

But you can rest assured that even though Virginia Tech is in Boise State's rearview mirror, the Broncos are going to pay very careful attention to what the Hokies do from here on out.

Their BCS livelihood depends on it.

- John Kampf