Grady Sizemore is now a free agent. The Cleveland Indians declined to pick up Sizemore’s $9 million option for 2012. Meanwhile, they picked up the option for Fausto Carmona for $7 million.

It’s sad to see Sizemore go, as the kid had so much promise and was a 5-tool player before he got hurt. But he’s a shadow of his former self after all the injuries. He doesn’t steal bases and he still has issues with strikeouts and walks. He might be able to rekindle his career with another team, but the Indians just couldn’t afford to take the chance with that much salary.

The Indians need offense, and they can use this money to get some reliable bats and beef up the lineup. The pitching is very solid. They can use some depth with the rotation, but the pitching is the strength of this team. If they can add some consistency to the offense, they can contend in the central division.

Colt McCoy had another tough game yesterday. Sure, the offensive line is a problem, but McCoy is also making bad decisions and missing open receivers.

It doesn’t help that the Browns keep losing running backs. Peyton Hillis didn’t play again, and Montario Hardesty got hurt early. If the Browns can get these guys healthy and start running the ball better, maybe McCoy will get better opportunities.

The power of supplements should never be overstated, according to leading bodybuilder Dusty Hanshaw, who has hit out at companies offering “quick fix” solutions to athletes seeking optimum nutrition for training.

The popularity of protein supplements such as instant whey powder from companies like Myofusion has, according to Hanshaw, led to a misconception amongst the public that perfect physique is available to anyone – as long as they take the right supplement.

“Everybody wants the magic pill,” he said, speaking at a Predator Nutrition retail store in the UK. “If someone invented that pill there would be a line out of the door of the shop and the owners would be billionaires!
“That’s why they’re called supplements – they supplement your diet and they supplement your workout. That’s why supplements get a bad rap, because companies want to make their products sound bigger than they are, saying things like “take this pill and because 10,000% stronger”, so then someone takes the pill but they don’t do anything. They don’t work out, they don’t get stronger, then they say that supplements don’t work. You need to match their work.”

We’ve seen flashes of Braxton Miller’s talent, but last night we saw the freshman quarterback win a game with his ability and his moxie, as he beat the Wisconsin Badgers with his legs and his arm in spectacular fashion.

The kid has incredible cutting ability, so it’s fun to watch him run. He also has breakaway speed. And, last night he showed he can throw the ball. He may not be Andrew Luck, but he has the ability to be an excellent college quarterback.

Finally, the kid has ice in his veins. Here’s his response to a question from Doug Lesmerises:

Braxton Miller is remarkably unexcitable. When I asked him about his emotions as the players and fans stormed the field, he said his main focus was to make sure he didn’t get hurt in the scrum. When I asked if anything in his life makes him nervous, he said maybe giving a speech in class.

Word is he also winked to Coach Fickell before going onto the field for the last drive, signaling he had it covered.

Few people gave them a chance, but the smart money in Vegas saw the opening line of Ohio State +9.5 and started pushing it down as money flowed to the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes reasserted their rightful place as one of the powers of the Big Ten by reminding Wisconsin who was boss last night with a thrilling victory over the Badgers.

The Buckeyes dominated the line of scrimmage all night long, and all the hype around Wisconsin melted away as the game went on. The Badgers then came storming back and almost won the game, but Braxton Miller came of age with a stunning 40-yeard TD with 20 seconds left to seal the victory for the Buckeyes.

Some idiots on Twitter tried to criticize Ohio State fans for storming the field after beating a 15th-ranked team, but this has become a real rivalry, and the Bucks had a score to settle after last year’s loss in Wisconsin. It’s also been a rough year for the Buckeyes, so the elation was real after Ohio State fans had to listen to the Badger hype all year long.

Luke Fickell deserves credit for his own growth in the job. He’s slow to figure things out, but he eventually seems to get things right.

Great win!

After six games, the Browns are 3-3 and have the #4 ranked defense in the NFL based on yards allowed per game. The defense is ranked 9th if you look at points allowed per game.

Given all the moaning and groaning we’re hearing from the fans, this stat might be a surprise. We’ll how the entire season plays out, particularly as the schedule gets tougher, but the Browns are seeing the payoff from drafting for defense. Tom Heckert has found excellent players in the draft, with Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard leading the way. The Browns are better this year on defense, and much younger as well.

Colt McCoy and the offense gets all the attention, but the defense is important as well. So far, it looks like the Browns are building a defense that can be a force for years to come.

National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman learned about major league sports leadership when he was National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern’s right hand man and legal counselor before skating over to the puck side of sports. With that in mind it is interesting to note that fans wanting to bet the NBA lines may have to wait a long time as the pupil may have schooled the professor on sports management labor relations.

In 2004-05 Bettman and the NHL owners went the ultimate hard line route with the hockey players union and in essence busted it with a total shutdown of the season, which was never done in the history of North American big league sports. Even after losing major chunks of the season in 1981 for baseball and in 1982 for football the NFL and MLB did go on to have abbreviated seasons. The NBA did so as well with a labor disruption in the late 1990’s. But the NHL created the gold standard of ownership power and rest assured Stern has learned from that example and will not hesitate to employ it even if it means there will be no NBA lines due to no games being played in 2011-12.

The problems for the NBA go back generations and are hardly new. The league has always been big market oriented and that has made it next to impossible for smaller market teams to compete consistently. The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics are what the NBA has revolved around for decades. The lone exception would be the San Antonio Spurs, who play in a southwestern outpost in Texas and thrive. But beyond that the NBA has always had a coastal and eastern bias that has served to make it a regional sport in appeal far more than they would like to admit.

Stern realizes that to truly grow his game he must have parity and franchises in such cities as Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Denver, Memphis, and Indianapolis be able to compete on a somewhat level playing field for his league to be taken seriously as the NFL or even the NHL as both of those circuits have parity and a structure that allows for any team to win the prize.

NBA lines are dark right now and could be for a long time as the have not owners are demanding from Stern that he get things right this time, even if it costs them a season.

This one could get ugly. The Ohio State offense is so anemic right now that everyone around the country seems to think this game is over before it gets started.

One key will involve the Buckeye defense. This unit has been pretty strong all season. They will have to keep it up this week and probably force some turnovers. Nebraska has it’s own problems with interceptions, so we might see the defense carry the load this week.

On offense, the Buckeyes just need to be competent, and that hasn’t been the case against good teams. Luke Fickell and Jim Bollman need to understand that they don’t have Troy Smith or Terrelle Pryor running this offense. They either need to go with other quarterbacks, or they need to craft a game plan that makes sense for Braxton Miller. They need to wake up.

It’s already starting. The tailgates and house parties are one of the best parts of football season, and the food can be incredible, but it’s also very fattening and the holidays are right around the corner.

This is when most of us lose it. We get in shape for summer, then we go back to bad habits, and then we’re hitting the gym in January trying to work off all the extra weight.

This year, try to break the cycle. If you work out and watch your diet, you can enjoy these events and not worry about your fitness and health.

Think about starting some new exercises. If you haven’t been doing weight training, then maybe this is a good time to start.

Also, if you’re going to try something like more weight training, then take a look at creatine supplements, bodybuilding supplements and fat burners. These are important supplements if you’re serious about building muscle, but keep in mind that overall nutrition and eating habits are equally important. These items should supplement your diet. Do your research and consult your doctor or a nutritionist, but things like whey protein are very popular with people looking to get in shape and look fit.

It’s also a great time to focus on cardio. Many people lose sight of this as the weather gets bad. They stay inside and get less exercise. Now is the time to be consistent and get your cardio in the gym.

So, go ahead and enjoy your tailgate, but don’t make every day a tailgate party. Work out, eat right and use good supplements during the week, and then you can enjoy your football weekends without worry.