The Tribe has stayed in the hunt all season, but they’ve fallen on their faces several times when they’ve had a critical series. The Detroit sweep comes to mind right away, but it’s happened many times.
Then of course they bounce back just when everyone is ready to write them off.
But now the Indians have Houston coming to town and they’re just a half game out of the Wild Card. They need to win at least three games in this four-game series. A sweep would be ideal of course. Then they have the White Sox and the Twins to finish off the season. It’s all set up for them, but they have to step up and grab it.
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It seems like the Indians have blown the season on numerous occasions – most spectacularly by getting swept at home by Detroit and then most recently by getting swept on the road in Atlanta. But this team keeps coming back and hanging around.
Justin Masterson is hurt, but now Corey Kluber will be back to possibly save the day as the starting pitching is keeping the Tribe alive.
Baseball is a funny sport, and despite all of their problems the Indians would have a shot if they manage to get into the playoffs. We’re all obsessed with the Browns right now, but I’m not giving up on the Tribe yet.
Fans and pundits can overreact to one half of preseason football, but Rob Chudzinski seems determined to keep things in perspective. Maybe the film wasn’t as bad as some feared. Chud initially said he would have Brandon Weeden and the first team offense get some reps against the Chicago Bears in the last preseason game, but now he has changed his mind. Weeden, Trent Richardson and the other Browns starters will sit for the game, with only guys like Josh Gordon and Oniel Cousins getting in the game. Cousins needs reps at guard to get ready for the season opener.
I would have liked to see Weeden and the offense play better against the Colts, but progress will not occur in a straight line for this young team. Last week was a setback, but it’s important to look at everything we saw in the preseason. Richardson looks ready and healthy, and it looks like Weeden can flourish in the new offense.
We won’t know anything, however, until we see several regular season games. The NFL is so unpredictable these days, and the Browns are a young team that will probably be inconsistent even if they improve dramatically. The national media types seem to be giving the new regime the benefit of the doubt, but Weeden will have to prove things on the field. This seems to be highlighted in the odds, with Cleveland’s odds to win the Super Bowl ranging from 80/1 to 150/1 at online bookmakers.
As you will guess from the name, this five reel slots game is themed around NFL football – and boasts impressive graphics depicting a typical football pitch backdrop and players, referees, football etc on the reels themselves. However where those graphics truly come into their own is in the bonus game where you are required to pass the football throughout the team to try and complete a touchdown. This is where the second half of the name comes from (the first is from the amazing size of the maximum jackpot), and it makes $5 Million Touchdown perhaps the best NFL casino game around – as well as one which you can play here at GamingClub.co.uk, or on the move thanks to mobile casino apps.
Mark Reynolds got off to such a great start for the Indians that many fans were clamoring for the Tribe to sign him to a long-term contract earlier this season. Then reality set in a Reynolds went a month without getting an RBI.
The Indians designated Reynolds for assignment today, effectively giving up on the slugger for 2013. Meanwhile, they locked up Ryan Raburn with a contract extension earlier in the week. The obviously feel Raburn can continue to provide power from the right side of the plate, and they couldn’t afford to wait for Reynolds to rediscover his stroke. That’s even more true as the Indians continue to scuffle against the Tigers.
Bill Parcells is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend along with Chris Carter. He had some cool things to say about Ohio State.
Minnesota ended up with Carter because they were ahead of New York in the waivers order. Parcells wanted him. "He was an Ohio State guy."
I spent some time listening to Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan on the NFL Network yesterday from Browns camp, and both guys were pretty impressed with what they saw. Kirwan has an article on CBSSports.com today with a detailed analysis of what he saw at camp and what he thinks of the Browns roster.
Now that I can access Sirius NFL Radio on my computer I can take more breaks from listening to local sports talk, which should be a big help for my sanity and my blood pressure.
Meanwhile, Peter King was in town as well, and he’s not quite as high on Brandon Weeden, basically saying he doesn’t think Weeden is the answer. I like King’s reporting as he has great access, but I’m starting to question his analytic skills. Kirwan saw what many of us are expecting – that Weeden is well suited for Norv Turner’s offense. King on the other hand seems concerned about Weeden’s accuracy, but doesn’t really provide much analysis beyond that.
Let’s face it. Mike Lombardi has no interest in answering any questions, so we shouldn’t expect anything but bland statements from Lombardi in a press conference. Through the year, it’s the coaches that will provide commentary on players.
Peter King’s new football site, MMQB, takes a looks at the latest reboot of the Cleveland Browns under Joe Banner. It’s a good read, even if the story is pretty familiar by now in Cleveland.
One topic involves the decision-making structure under Joe Banner. Many media types and fans were very concerned at first when it was reported that Banner would be involved in football decisions, but it seems like fans have begun to rally around the decisions made under Banner’s “consensus” approach to decision making. The fact that he listened to his coaches and decided to give Brandon Weeden another real shot at the QB position was a testament to Banner’s management style.
With all the pain we’ve suffered as Cleveland sports fans, the 1994 baseball strike doesn’t get mentioned as often. We all remember the incredible Indians team from 1995 that won 100 games in a shortened season. But that young team was coming into its own in 1994 and was poised to make the playoffs. That Indians team was robbed of a chance to make the World Series and possibly win a title for Cleveland. Check out this photo of the Indians All Stars posted by SI Vault and you’ll be reminded of the incredible team that was denied by fate.
I like the Sergey Karasev pick even more now that the Cavs have added talent in free agency. The kid is only 19 so he needs time to develop. With the current roster Mike Brown can bring him along slowly, and hopefully let him focus on spot-up threes to stretch the defense.
