Month: March 2006 (Page 8 of 11)

Tribe signs Peralta to long term deal

March 11, 2006 / G

Jhonny Peralta gets a 5-year, $13 million deal as Mark Shapiro and the Dolans continue to lock up their core players.

“They have to have a combination of talent and personality,” Shapiro said. “You want someone who is dependable. You want someone whose primary motivation is not money and fame, but for using their skills to get better.

Shapiro will now turn his attention to Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore. Fans might not like the failures by the Dolans to land big free agents, but with the leadership of Mark Shapiro they are building this team for the long haul.

Cleveland Indians

Browns/Savage face critical decisions

March 11, 2006 / Bob

NFL free agency starts today and everyone in the league is predicting the Cleveland Browns to be very active. The decisions the Browns and Phil Savage make this year will affect the direction of the franchise for at least the next 5 years. The amount of money Cleveland has to spend and the core signings (Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards and Reuben Droughns) have the Browns organization heading in the right direction for the first time since they returned as the �new� Browns. The last time Browns fans had this much firepower, we were watching Bernie Kosar, Earnest Byner and Webstar Slaughter run around Cleveland Stadium.

The Browns have decided not to sign L. J. Sheldon this year and this will prove to be a good move. The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a successful run without allowing a couple players to tie up all of their cap money. Savage is evaluating everyone from veterans like David Givens to �risk� players like Lavar Arrington. I still believe a veteran quarterback is necessary for this team to be successful. Charlie Frye hasn�t convinced me that he can lead this team now, or in the future. I don�t want to sign a number of high impact players and then have to wait for Frye to mature. Phil Savage and the Browns are running a tight rope with fan loyalty and I believe they need to win right away. The next couple days are critical for the entire Browns organization and its fans.

Cleveland Browns

OSU escapes with victory

March 10, 2006 / Bob

The Ohio State Buckeyes started the Big Ten tournament with some cold shooting, missing 11 of their first 13 shots. They needed a hot shooting second half to eliminate Penn State 63-56. The Bucks were led by Ron Lewis with 17 points, while Big Ten player of the year Terrance Dials pitched in with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Ohio State never led until a 3-point shot with less than 6 minutes left by Jamar Butler put them up 60-59. The Nittany Lions eliminated a top seeded Ohio State team six years ago in the Big Ten tournament and the Buckeyes were determined to not let this happen again.

Ohio State continues to struggle with zone defenses and teams that like to slow the ball down on offense. This is something they should expect to see in the NCAA tournament. The positive is that this team and coach are very determined to succeed and refused to accept the preseason projection of finishing 5th in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes will face the Indiana Hoosiers tomorrow, a 61-56 winner over Wisconsin. A win in the semifinal game will almost already assure them of at least a number 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

OSU Basketball

Dick Vitale says Buckeyes should be #1 seed

March 10, 2006 / G

According to Dick Vitale, the Buckeyes have a shot at a #1 seed:

“I really believe Thad Matta and his kids, if they make it to at least the semifinals, will end up as a No. 1 seed,” he said Tuesday in Dayton. “You can look at Memphis, but I give the edge to Ohio State (because) winning the regular-season title in the Big Ten shows you have durability.”

Duke, UConn and Villanova are virtual locks, so it might come down to Ohio State and Memphis for the final slot.

OSU Basketball

Damon beats buzzer, Raptors

March 9, 2006 / John Blake

He has struggled all season and has been criticized by the media and fans for his poor production. For one night though, Damon Jones was able to play the role of hero. Jones, who replaced Flip Murray for the final play, knocked down a three-pointer from the corner as time expired to propel the Cavaliers to a 98-97 victory over the Toronto Raptors Wednesday. In an almost identical play to the one the Cavs ran last week to beat the Bulls, LeBron James drove the lane and kicked it out to one of his teammates. This time it was Damon Jones ready to take the shot.

“He’s been criticized at times, but I’ve never lost confidence him. That’s why we picked him up. He’s a shooter,” James said.

The Cavaliers were able to overcome a pair of 30-point performances by Toronto�s Mike James and Morris Peterson to win their fourth straight contest.

As much as we have ripped Damon Jones the entire season, he deserves the credit for the terrific shot he made tonight. His confidence has been wavering all year and maybe this is just what he needs to get him going for the rest of the season. And how about the coaching by Mike Brown, sitting Flip Murray for the last play in favor of Jones. Maybe he saw something in the defense or just had confidence in Damon but whatever the reason, it turned out to be a genius move on his part. The Cavaliers seem to be making a habit out of last second finishes recently, but it sure does make for some exciting basketball.

Cleveland Cavaliers