Page 119 of 357

Buckeye coaches overcome adversity

August 14, 2006 / Bob

The Ohio State Buckeye football team has to look no further than two assistant coaches when searching for inspiration to win a football game. Joe Daniels, the quarterback coach, and Jim Bollman, the offensive coordinator both battled heart problems during the off season.

Coach Daniels is being treated with biotherapy, which has him taking pills for 28 days then going off for 14 before repeating the cycle. He received an NCAA waiver to have a coach replace him if he couldn�t lead the team for any period of time. So far, he’s been up for the task.

Coach Bollman underwent bypass surgery on three clogged arteries during this past summer. He has participated in every practice to date, only saying he has to move a little slower than in the past. Both are entering the 6th season of coaching and enjoy being a part of Tressel and Buckeye nation.

OSU Football

Dealing Day in Cleveland: Browns trade Suggs

August 14, 2006 / JEC

Not too many Browns fans are broken up over this one:

The New York Jets got the running back help they needed Monday, acquiring Lee Suggs from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for defensive back Derrick Strait.

With Curtis Martin on the physically-unable-to-perform list because of a lingering knee injury, the Jets were desperate to get another back on the roster. Derrick Blaylock and Cedric Houston were taking most of the plays at running back, but neither is the type of player who can shoulder the entire rushing load.

Suggs hasn’t been able to stay on the field for the Browns, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. At various times in his pro career, Suggs has been sidelined by injuries to a shoulder, neck, toe, ankle and thumb.

The speedy 6-foot, 213-pounder appeared in only seven games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury he sustained at Virginia Tech. In his final game that season, he ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the player the Browns got in return, Derrick Strait:

Strait was a third-round pick in 2004 but has been a backup in his two NFL seasons. During camp, he moved over to safety in the absence of Erik Coleman, out after an appendectomy. Strait had 31 tackles last season, but has yet to notch his first career interception.

“It’s a great opportunity for Derrick,” said his agent, Michael Lartigue. “They know what kind of player Derrick is. Lee Suggs is a great running back. It’s a fresh start, change of scenery for both Derrick and Lee.”

This move tells us a couple of things. First, the team is concerned about depth in the defensive backfield with Daylon McCutcheon (knee) and Gary Baxter (pectoral muscle) sidelined. Second, William Green likely has a spot on this team behind Reuben Droughns. And third, the Browns weren’t able to turn some of their backfield depth into help at center. Rumors had the Browns dealing Green to Philly for backup center Hank Fraley, but I highly doubt Green’s going anywhere now that Suggs has been sent packing.

Cleveland Browns

Roda Ramblings

August 14, 2006 / Kenny Roda

Kenny Roda from WKNR SportsTalk 850 will be writing a weekly blog on Cleveland Scores covering the sports world both locally and nationally. Check back often for his updates!

Center of disaster

The Browns better get some help at the center position or this could be a very long and painful season for both inexperienced QB Charlie Frye and Browns fans everywhere. The season-ending injury to LeCharles Bentley was devastating enough, but to have his backup Bob Hallen retire on top of that just before the team’s first pre-season game was brutal. It really doesn’t matter if Hallen was hurt or if he was having a Butch Davis-like panic attack. His calling it quits puts Frye and the offense way behind. Sources tell the Roadman don’t be surprised if GM Phil Savage waits until the final week of cutdowns to get his starting center from another team or if the Browns swing a deal involving one of their running backs for a more experienced center than any they have on the roster. If not, then the Browns must choose from what’s behind door # 1…Alonzo Ephraim, door # 2…Mike Mabry or door #3…Ross Tucker. And let’s be honest, none of those choices is a prize that Charlie Frye will be happy with.

Rook rises to the occasion

I loved what I saw out of #1 pick Kamerion Wimbley against Philly. For a guy learning a new position he played very well, registering 5 tackles, one for a 3-yard loss on the goal line, and forced a holding call early in the game. Wimbley’s got a great first step, is athletic and seems to have a high football IQ. That’s a great combination to have for a young linebacker/defensive end in this league.

Channel 212 rules

Thank God for the NFL Network, or channel 212 on DirecTV. Saturday night I got to watch the debuts of Reggie Bush, Vince Young and A.J. Hawk. All three did well in their first NFLgame.

Bush, who is wearing #25 for the Saints, carried the ball 6 times for 59 yards and caught 2 passes for 10 yards. His longest run of the game was typical R-E-G-G-I-E! A play that was designed to go left was all clogged up so Bush cut back to his right and turned in a highlight run of 44 yards in the first half of New Orleans’ game with Tennessee. Deuce McAllister better get healthy in a hurry or he may quickly lose his starting job.

Vince Young wasn’t as effective as Bush but he showed signs of what he can do, both good and bad. He finished 4-for-11 for 56 yards passing and rushed 4 times for 28 yards. The good…his scrambling ability bought him time to throw the ball and he picked up yards on the ground. The bad…his scrambling ability led to him spraining his left ankle and exiting the contest in the 4th quarter. But with Billy Volek there as the starter, Young will have time to heal and learn, much like Carson Palmer and Steve McNair did.

Former Buckeye A.J. Hawk is wearing #50 for the Packers and was all over the field Saturday night in Green Bay’s game against San Diego. He was always around the ball, either making tackles or breaking up pass plays. A solid start for Hawk in his debut. Also, in that same game, another former Ohio State linebacker made his presence felt. The last time we saw Matt Wilhelm causing havoc was in the National Championship game against Miami in 2003. That’s when he was knocking out current Browns backup QB Ken Dorsey and leading the Buckeyes to the title. Well, four years later, Wilhelm is ready to make an impact for the San Diego Chargers, much like he did at OSU. Wearing number #57 for Marty Schottenheimer, Wilhelm had 1 sack of Brett Favre and, like Hawk, was running sideline to sideline making plays.

One other player who looked very good in that Chargers-Packers game was Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers. The former #1 pick, taking over for Drew Brees, completed 15-of-21 passes for 169 yards and 1 touchdown in the first half. Granted, it’s just an exhibition game, but Rivers looked very comfortable out there and is someone to watch this season.

The only bad thing about channel 212 is former Browns head coach Paul “Butch” Davis. Why he is their analyst is beyond me. Who is the talent evaluator of the network? Didn’t they look at his drafts when he was with the Browns? Aren’t they concerned he might have a panic attack just moments before he goes on the air with co-host Rich Eisen? FrankenButch was still going to bat for, can you believe this…KELLY HOLCOMB! He picked Kelly to win the quarterback job in Buffalo over J.P. Losman. So, what did Holcomb do after getting that resounding vote of confidence from his former head coach? KELLLLLLLY went out with the Bills’ first-team offense in the 1st quarter of their first exhibition game and went
2-for-4 for 16 yards and 1 interception, which was returned for a touchdown, and was sacked once in limited time. Butch and Kelly, it’s nice to see some things never change! Here’s hoping the NFL Network will wise up and can Butch now before he embarasses them, like he did the Browns.

Cleveland Browns, Kenny Roda

Gooden signs on for three more years

August 14, 2006 / JEC

There seemed to be mixed opinions on whether or not the Cavaliers should bring restricted free agent Drew Gooden back next year, but considering the uneventful offseason the team has had thus far, this news is suprisingly encouraging:

Gooden’s representative, Calvin Andrews, told ESPN.com on Monday that his client has agreed to terms with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract worth about $23 million.

Re-signing Gooden was the Cavs’ other main priority this offseason, after securing LeBron James’ signature on a contract extension last month. The lack of further free-agent activity in Cleveland isn’t surprising after its spending spree last summer to re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas and bring in Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones.

“It was a long negotiation, but ultimately Danny Ferry was very fair and professional throughout the process,” Andrews said of the Cavaliers’ general manager. “At the end of the day, Drew is very excited to re-sign with what he feels is a team on the cusp of a championship. He feels he has found a home with the Cavaliers.”

Once Gooden and his agent came down from their outrageous initial demands (six years, $60 million), getting him signed became a much more sensible move. At almost $8 million a year, the team isn’t necessarily getting off cheap here, but in this market and considering their need for productive big bodies, it’s a very reasonable contract.

It’d also be nice to see them now get Reggie Evans, nut-grabbing incident aside. Rumor has it Evans could be had for just a couple million, and he’d instantly become a tough-minded rebounder off the bench, someone who could provide some much needed depth behind Gooden and, more notably, Z.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Indians cap off weekend in grand fashion

August 13, 2006 / John Blake

Sunday’s game was one for the ages, one that you had to see to believe. Thirteen runs, 11 of which came in the first inning. Kansas City took a royal beating from the Tribe, losing 13-0. The Indians completed a four-game sweep of the Royals and extended their winning streak to six games, matching a season-high. The last time they went on a run such as this? The first week of the season, when they started 6-1. A Pronk-sized record was matched Sunday as Travis Hafner went yard with the bases loaded again. Hafner’s grand slam total for the season now equals six, which ties a Major League record for most slams in a single season. Don Mattingly set the record back in 1987.

“It’s cool to tie a Major League record,” said Hafner, a crush of reporters around his locker stall. “But, during the season, I really don’t get caught up in a whole lot of stuff like that. I just try to take a good approach in every game.”

The Indians hadn’t put up 11 in the first inning of any game since 1954. Franklin Guitierrez notched his first career homer in the game and Ryan Garko went deep for the second time. Jeremy Sowers went six innings and got the win as the Tribe continue to lay the wood to their opponents.

Cleveland Indians