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A Dog Named Christmas – Pet for the Holidays
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Of pass interference and alleged "fake" injuries
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No. 1 Akron to play Stanford next
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Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Audio: Mangini disputes Poteat call, accuses Lions of faking injuries
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Flashes travel to Florida Atlantic
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
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Buckeye Football – Present and Future
Varsity Letters:
Gulley to visit Central Michigan in December
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The Onion, By Any Other Name…
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Glaring Contradictions
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Don't Try to Have Fun if you are Depressed
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What Automotive Thing Are You Thankful For?
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Faye Dunaway to be Evicted?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Monique asks how to get tickets for the Polar Express.
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Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why I am Glad I live in NEO
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 07:54 p.m. EDT, Oct 31, 2009
It will take a disaster of monstrous proportions for the Browns to replace coach Eric Mangini during the season.
Owner Randy Lerner is just not going to make that move.
Which is well and good.
Just because I have an opinion does not mean Lerner should act. It's his team, after all.
But in the offseason, things could get very interesting — and it might not all deal with the coach.
Lerner said this past week that bringing in an experienced, respected individual to run the football side of the business this offseason is ''a priority.''
''There is no question that the Browns need a credible, vocal leader that is accountable for all levels of performance,'' Lerner said in an e-mail this week to the Orange and Brown Report, an online site that covers the Browns. ''Regardless of the title, that person, whether they're in the building currently or not, is a priority.''
Which sounds like a pretty major shift in emphasis.
Who has a good chance to be that person?
An educated guess points to Bernie Kosar.
Do not be surprised in the least if he winds up with the team in a full-time capacity.
My theory — which is based on observation, consideration, deduction and (Irish) logic — goes this way:
Lerner has always liked Kosar and hiring Kosar could enable Kosar to help his beloved Browns (and perhaps pay off the debt he owes the team, which was revealed in his bankruptcy filings).
Lerner believes in Kosar's football savvy and acumen. It's why he turned to Kosar after the Cincinnati Bengals loss to be a ''consultant,'' and why a few weeks earlier, he backed up Mangini's request to bring Kosar in for some discussions.
Read between the lines and Lerner clearly thinks that his team needs shoring. He could wait for the offseason and try to cherry-pick someone (and there could be viable candidates), but that's a ''perhaps'' proposition that would come a few months down the line.
There was no one in the building Lerner could promote, so he turned to Kosar to try to tap into his football smarts. Kosar has no experience running a team, so the hope is that over time — a short time, perhaps — Kosar gains enough knowledge to assume a position of responsibility.
How that would affect the present regime — Mangini/George Kokinis — remains to be seen.
A week ago, Kosar talked as if they were present and accounted for, saying it has been 10 years of suffering but ''George and Eric haven't been here 10 years, so it's not their fault.''
But Kosar would seem to have the authority over the coach and general manager, and Kokinis has been very deep in the background since training camp began.
Kosar has been very careful in his public statements not to criticize the coach but to say the Browns need playmakers. That Mangini is building a foundation, and that foundation must be supplemented.
There are some ''ifs'' involved, but this could be another very interesting offseason for the Browns.
If Kosar grows into his role, he could at long last return to the team.
If he does, he must decide whether Mangini should coach the team.
If Mangini stays, he must accept Kosar (if he's truly the man in charge) and Kosar must develop a working relationship with him.
And if Mangini doesn't stay, Kosar gets to make — or be heavily involved in — a most intriguing hire.
New Manny being Manny
The Indians named Manny Acta their manager this past week, and in the news conference announcing his hire, Acta said, ''This is a perfect place for me.''
Does that mean that the Houston Astros, with whom Acta was negotiating first, was a more perfect place?
Ah, no need to rain on Acta's parade.
Because the guy was affable, eager, excited and ready to go as Indians manager.
And he didn't take the job minimizing any expectations. More than once, Acta said that the Indians could contend in 2010, and that he intended to work toward that goal.
''We can win this year, in 2010,'' he said. ''If we get our pitching in order.''
That might be a tall order, and Acta didn't diminish that, but he wasn't shooting low.
He said if the Indians can get the pitching in order and get the defense to where it should be, ''we're right back in there'' in the American League Central.
Time will tell.
Among his other statements:
-- Acta had to thrill his bosses when he said on-base percentage and OPS (on base-percentage plus slugging percentage) were among his two cornerstone stats. Compare that to Bobby Valentine, who said he didn't even know what OPS was.
-- Acta would not shrug off a lot of strikeouts from nonpower hitters. He said there was no reason for anybody to have more than 150 strikeouts without 40 or 50 home runs to go with them. Wonder whether Grady Sizemore was listening?
-- We could see Sizemore hitting in a different spot than leadoff, too. Acta said he could move Sizemore down, but he did not want to wind up with three lefties in a row — Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo and Travis Hafner.
-- He said the Indians have ''a very good lineup,'' with a lot of the pieces in place to succeed. He said it over and over.
-- He even acknowledged that managing in the American League is ''a lot easier'' than the National League, calling the AL a league of offense and power arms. The designated hitter, he said, removed the need to double-switch and to start thinking about what to do with the starting pitcher when he came to the plate in the fifth or sixth innings.
-- When the point was made that he was criticized after he was fired with the Washington Nationals because his team lacked discipline, he (symbolically) bit his lower lip. ''If that were really the case,'' he said, ''I wouldn't be sitting here.'' He bit that lip a long way, because the Nationals had some very difficult players to control on their roster.
-- Acta clearly has done his homework on the Indians. He had a great grasp of the pitching staff, the lineup and several top players in the minors.
-- Acta also sounded encouraging about trying to score runs in different ways. One thing about former manager Eric Wedge, to me at least, was that once the game started, he didn't do a lot. There weren't a lot of hit-and-runs, squeeze plays or other efforts to manufacture runs. Acta sounds like he's willing to take advantage of the speed of Michael Brantley and Sizemore and try to concoct some runs.
It'd be nice if he made a tape of Cliff Lee and showed it to his pitchers. There's something about working fast and throwing strikes.
Acta wasn't high on many outsiders' lists before the search started.
But two teams pursued him.
He's ready.
But he just might find straightening out the pitching staff will be a lot bigger job than he thinks.
Early Cavs lumps
The Cavaliers didn't lose two in a row last season until February, nor did they lose at home until February. They did both in their first two games this season.
Clearly, this isn't your 66-win season anymore, Toto.
It was only two games, but before and after the first two games, there was a lot of talk about what needs to be done and knowing how to get it done but not of lot of. . .well. . .actually getting it done.
The Cavs lost at home to a team with strong big men (Boston Celtics) and on the road to a team with more athletic big men (Toronto Raptors).
Suddenly, the Cavs look like they have two aging big men trying to fit in rather than two big men who can help LeBron James. A few wins can change this, but the Cavs seem a ways from the Celtics and Orlando Magic.
The Raptors looked pretty good — like a playoff team. If they're that improved and the Washington Wizards are that improved, lump the Cavs in with those two teams, Boston, Orlando, Miami, Chicago and Detroit, and suddenly the East doesn't seem to be the Cavs' to claim anymore.
It's a long way to go and the reigning MVP is on the roster, but a lot went right a year ago en route to the 66 wins. It was almost idyllic. This season looks like it might be a little more challenging.
Perhaps a lot more challenging. As in 50-wins-and-the-fourth-seed-in-the-playoffs challenging.
Jump on Zips' bandwagon
The team that is the area's most consistently excellent just keeps rolling along.
Caleb Porter's soccer team at the University of Akron rolled to its 16th win in 16 matches with a 3-0 win over Penn State this week.
The Zips remain the consensus No. 1 team in the nation.
UA has:
--Outscored Big Ten opponents 12-1.
--Allowed three goals in 1,440 minutes of play.
-- Has a team goals-against average of 0.19, which threatens the NCAA record of 0.24.
-- Recorded 13 shutouts this season.
-- Gone 28 matches since it gave up a goal in the first half, and 52 matches since it was behind at halftime.
The 16-0 start is obviously the best in school history, and the majority of the starters are freshmen or sophomores.
UA leads the NCAA in goals scored and goals against.
Porter is 61-11-7 since he arrived at UA.
Two more regular-season matches remain before the MAC Tournament and the real fun beings: the NCAA Tournament and the chase for the national championship.
Incidentally, the Zips will not see one of their tournament games transported to Chicago or Dubuque or anywhere again.
The NCAA passed ''the Akron rule,'' which ensures that top seeds for the tournament will not lose home field because of weather.
Matches now can be played in another spot in the city — like St. Vincent-St. Mary — as long as game officials and the NCAA representative on site approve the switch.
Random thoughts
--It was offered to me in the hallowed halls of the Beacon Journal that the Browns are already paying a lot of people not to coach or be general manager of the Browns.
It was suggested that maybe the Browns could bring back former General Manager Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel and save themselves, since they're being paid anyway.
--Regarding the Cavs. . .this might change as the season goes on, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas sure seems like he'll struggle coming off the bench. He looks a little bit lost.
And when he and Shaquille O'Neal play together, the Cavs open themselves up to other teams' big men either taking them outside or using their athleticism to go by them.
--It's a bit of a quandary.
--Interesting that coach Mike Brown spent a lengthy chunk of time discussing something with General Manager Danny Ferry after the loss in Toronto.
--Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said this after Game 1 of the World Series when discussing his starter Lee:
''Most of the time when he starts a game, and he's in control of the game, and everything around it he's controlling — he's throwing strikes and he's getting the ball, what I call he handles the flow of the game, if you know what I mean. Everything about it. The flow of the game, the way the game goes.
''Not only does he have command of the game, but he has the flow of the game. To me he sets the tone by his rhythm, getting the ball back, and he knows what he's going to throw. I like the way he pitches. I like everything about how he goes about it. But that's part of his success, too, is the fact that's how he handles the game.''
--Nice move by Major League Baseball to change the postseason schedule so the World Series starts the last week in October and carries through to November. The November Classic.
--Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia was 100 percent correct when he stated that off days during the playoffs negate the advantage held by some teams. Baseball is not meant to be played with off days other than travel days, and with November moons shining at midnight.
--Until next time. . .there you have it.
It will take a disaster of monstrous proportions for the Browns to replace coach Eric Mangini during the season.
Owner Randy Lerner is just not going to make that move.
Which is well and good.
Just because I have an opinion does not mean Lerner should act. It's his team, after all.
But in the offseason, things could get very interesting — and it might not all deal with the coach.
Lerner said this past week that bringing in an experienced, respected individual to run the football side of the business this offseason is ''a priority.''
''There is no question that the Browns need a credible, vocal leader that is accountable for all levels of performance,'' Lerner said in an e-mail this week to the Orange and Brown Report, an online site that covers the Browns. ''Regardless of the title, that person, whether they're in the building currently or not, is a priority.''
Which sounds like a pretty major shift in emphasis.
Who has a good chance to be that person?
An educated guess points to Bernie Kosar.
Do not be surprised in the least if he winds up with the team in a full-time capacity.
My theory — which is based on observation, consideration, deduction and (Irish) logic — goes this way:
Lerner has always liked Kosar and hiring Kosar could enable Kosar to help his beloved Browns (and perhaps pay off the debt he owes the team, which was revealed in his bankruptcy filings).
Lerner believes in Kosar's football savvy and acumen. It's why he turned to Kosar after the Cincinnati Bengals loss to be a ''consultant,'' and why a few weeks earlier, he backed up Mangini's request to bring Kosar in for some discussions.
Read between the lines and Lerner clearly thinks that his team needs shoring. He could wait for the offseason and try to cherry-pick someone (and there could be viable candidates), but that's a ''perhaps'' proposition that would come a few months down the line.
There was no one in the building Lerner could promote, so he turned to Kosar to try to tap into his football smarts. Kosar has no experience running a team, so the hope is that over time — a short time, perhaps — Kosar gains enough knowledge to assume a position of responsibility.
How that would affect the present regime — Mangini/George Kokinis — remains to be seen.
A week ago, Kosar talked as if they were present and accounted for, saying it has been 10 years of suffering but ''George and Eric haven't been here 10 years, so it's not their fault.''
But Kosar would seem to have the authority over the coach and general manager, and Kokinis has been very deep in the background since training camp began.
Kosar has been very careful in his public statements not to criticize the coach but to say the Browns need playmakers. That Mangini is building a foundation, and that foundation must be supplemented.
There are some ''ifs'' involved, but this could be another very interesting offseason for the Browns.
If Kosar grows into his role, he could at long last return to the team.
If he does, he must decide whether Mangini should coach the team.
If Mangini stays, he must accept Kosar (if he's truly the man in charge) and Kosar must develop a working relationship with him.
And if Mangini doesn't stay, Kosar gets to make — or be heavily involved in — a most intriguing hire.
New Manny being Manny
The Indians named Manny Acta their manager this past week, and in the news conference announcing his hire, Acta said, ''This is a perfect place for me.''
Does that mean that the Houston Astros, with whom Acta was negotiating first, was a more perfect place?
Ah, no need to rain on Acta's parade.
Because the guy was affable, eager, excited and ready to go as Indians manager.
And he didn't take the job minimizing any expectations. More than once, Acta said that the Indians could contend in 2010, and that he intended to work toward that goal.
''We can win this year, in 2010,'' he said. ''If we get our pitching in order.''
That might be a tall order, and Acta didn't diminish that, but he wasn't shooting low.
He said if the Indians can get the pitching in order and get the defense to where it should be, ''we're right back in there'' in the American League Central.
Time will tell.
Among his other statements:
-- Acta had to thrill his bosses when he said on-base percentage and OPS (on base-percentage plus slugging percentage) were among his two cornerstone stats. Compare that to Bobby Valentine, who said he didn't even know what OPS was.
-- Acta would not shrug off a lot of strikeouts from nonpower hitters. He said there was no reason for anybody to have more than 150 strikeouts without 40 or 50 home runs to go with them. Wonder whether Grady Sizemore was listening?
-- We could see Sizemore hitting in a different spot than leadoff, too. Acta said he could move Sizemore down, but he did not want to wind up with three lefties in a row — Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo and Travis Hafner.
-- He said the Indians have ''a very good lineup,'' with a lot of the pieces in place to succeed. He said it over and over.
-- He even acknowledged that managing in the American League is ''a lot easier'' than the National League, calling the AL a league of offense and power arms. The designated hitter, he said, removed the need to double-switch and to start thinking about what to do with the starting pitcher when he came to the plate in the fifth or sixth innings.
-- When the point was made that he was criticized after he was fired with the Washington Nationals because his team lacked discipline, he (symbolically) bit his lower lip. ''If that were really the case,'' he said, ''I wouldn't be sitting here.'' He bit that lip a long way, because the Nationals had some very difficult players to control on their roster.
-- Acta clearly has done his homework on the Indians. He had a great grasp of the pitching staff, the lineup and several top players in the minors.
-- Acta also sounded encouraging about trying to score runs in different ways. One thing about former manager Eric Wedge, to me at least, was that once the game started, he didn't do a lot. There weren't a lot of hit-and-runs, squeeze plays or other efforts to manufacture runs. Acta sounds like he's willing to take advantage of the speed of Michael Brantley and Sizemore and try to concoct some runs.
It'd be nice if he made a tape of Cliff Lee and showed it to his pitchers. There's something about working fast and throwing strikes.
Acta wasn't high on many outsiders' lists before the search started.
But two teams pursued him.
He's ready.
But he just might find straightening out the pitching staff will be a lot bigger job than he thinks.
Early Cavs lumps
The Cavaliers didn't lose two in a row last season until February, nor did they lose at home until February. They did both in their first two games this season.
Clearly, this isn't your 66-win season anymore, Toto.
It was only two games, but before and after the first two games, there was a lot of talk about what needs to be done and knowing how to get it done but not of lot of. . .well. . .actually getting it done.
The Cavs lost at home to a team with strong big men (Boston Celtics) and on the road to a team with more athletic big men (Toronto Raptors).
Suddenly, the Cavs look like they have two aging big men trying to fit in rather than two big men who can help LeBron James. A few wins can change this, but the Cavs seem a ways from the Celtics and Orlando Magic.
The Raptors looked pretty good — like a playoff team. If they're that improved and the Washington Wizards are that improved, lump the Cavs in with those two teams, Boston, Orlando, Miami, Chicago and Detroit, and suddenly the East doesn't seem to be the Cavs' to claim anymore.
It's a long way to go and the reigning MVP is on the roster, but a lot went right a year ago en route to the 66 wins. It was almost idyllic. This season looks like it might be a little more challenging.
Perhaps a lot more challenging. As in 50-wins-and-the-fourth-seed-in-the-playoffs challenging.
Jump on Zips' bandwagon
The team that is the area's most consistently excellent just keeps rolling along.
Caleb Porter's soccer team at the University of Akron rolled to its 16th win in 16 matches with a 3-0 win over Penn State this week.
The Zips remain the consensus No. 1 team in the nation.
UA has:
--Outscored Big Ten opponents 12-1.
--Allowed three goals in 1,440 minutes of play.
-- Has a team goals-against average of 0.19, which threatens the NCAA record of 0.24.
-- Recorded 13 shutouts this season.
-- Gone 28 matches since it gave up a goal in the first half, and 52 matches since it was behind at halftime.
The 16-0 start is obviously the best in school history, and the majority of the starters are freshmen or sophomores.
UA leads the NCAA in goals scored and goals against.
Porter is 61-11-7 since he arrived at UA.
Two more regular-season matches remain before the MAC Tournament and the real fun beings: the NCAA Tournament and the chase for the national championship.
Incidentally, the Zips will not see one of their tournament games transported to Chicago or Dubuque or anywhere again.
The NCAA passed ''the Akron rule,'' which ensures that top seeds for the tournament will not lose home field because of weather.
Matches now can be played in another spot in the city — like St. Vincent-St. Mary — as long as game officials and the NCAA representative on site approve the switch.
Random thoughts
--It was offered to me in the hallowed halls of the Beacon Journal that the Browns are already paying a lot of people not to coach or be general manager of the Browns.
It was suggested that maybe the Browns could bring back former General Manager Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel and save themselves, since they're being paid anyway.
--Regarding the Cavs. . .this might change as the season goes on, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas sure seems like he'll struggle coming off the bench. He looks a little bit lost.
And when he and Shaquille O'Neal play together, the Cavs open themselves up to other teams' big men either taking them outside or using their athleticism to go by them.
--It's a bit of a quandary.
--Interesting that coach Mike Brown spent a lengthy chunk of time discussing something with General Manager Danny Ferry after the loss in Toronto.
--Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said this after Game 1 of the World Series when discussing his starter Lee:
''Most of the time when he starts a game, and he's in control of the game, and everything around it he's controlling — he's throwing strikes and he's getting the ball, what I call he handles the flow of the game, if you know what I mean. Everything about it. The flow of the game, the way the game goes.
''Not only does he have command of the game, but he has the flow of the game. To me he sets the tone by his rhythm, getting the ball back, and he knows what he's going to throw. I like the way he pitches. I like everything about how he goes about it. But that's part of his success, too, is the fact that's how he handles the game.''
--Nice move by Major League Baseball to change the postseason schedule so the World Series starts the last week in October and carries through to November. The November Classic.
--Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia was 100 percent correct when he stated that off days during the playoffs negate the advantage held by some teams. Baseball is not meant to be played with off days other than travel days, and with November moons shining at midnight.
--Until next time. . .there you have it.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Indianapolis, IN
Posted 08:56 PM, 10/31/2009
Pat: I felt the pretty much the same way as you about Kosar's presence with the Browns. However, I would point out that Bernie is not a complete neophyte in the business of running a football franchise - he did have success in quickly assembling a successful Arena Football League franchise (until the league folded).
Most Browns fans know that Bernie Kosar was not released by the Browns organization because of his "diminishing skills" - but rather that he had the audacity to out-think his head coach and devise a play "in the dirt" that won a football game (did his head coach want to lose?)...
Hmmm... Bernie out-thinking a head coach who now has won multiple super bowl championships? Perhaps he has the football smarts to do a lot of things proficiently. I guess the key is to find the right role for him. He seems to be projected toward a GM-style role, although I can just as easily envision him as a successful head coach.
Perhaps the return of Bernie will result in the Browns' apparent curse being replaced with blessings even better than when he was QB here.
Welcome back, Bernie! I hope you are given much more than a [Jim Brown - style] figurehead role - and very soon... Cleveland Sports Fans deserve better!
clinton, oh
Posted 09:04 PM, 10/31/2009
Kosar would be the perfect choice for a replacement Offensive coordinator if Mangini would be compelled to make a move.
My personal opinion is that Kosar is not Head Coach or GM material if that is what is being suggested here.
Lima, OH
Posted 10:16 PM, 10/31/2009
I've got mixed feeling on Bernie being in any role for the Browns. Yes he was one of my favorite players growing up & I had several Kosar T-shirts and stuff. But you have to wonder how he'd be in a managment role with having to file bankrupsy because he was a poor manager of his money & business ventures. Plus it doesn't take a dummy to see something isn't clicking between the players on this roster and what Mangini wants to do with them. I haven't been impressed by any of the players that he's brought over from the Jets. Kinda wish we still had Sean Jones at SS, Winslow at TE, and J. Jurveious at WR. Even K. Schaeffer at RT is better than what we got in return.
churchview, va
Posted 11:17 PM, 10/31/2009
Dont hire Bernie, he is a beloved Brown but he has no experience. if they wait until the offseason they can hire a more experiened person than Kosar.
McKinney, TX
Posted 10:12 AM, 11/01/2009
Hire someone that has "been there ... done that" with a track record of success. No more emotional experiments, please.
clinton, oh
Posted 04:21 PM, 11/01/2009
Does Bernie appear and sound drunk, at times ?
