Quite a lot has happened since I started writing this column in mid-January. The Cavaliers waded their way through an often unnecessarily drama-filled regular season, the Indians started their quest to return to the World Series, Ohio State basketball had a midlife crisis, the Blue Jackets pulled a historic season out of nowhere, and the Browns (yet again) attempted to draft themselves out of their self-inflicted pit of festering futility. For the past four months or so, the collective successes and failures of these local teams have led fans on a roller coaster ride spanning just about the entire spectrum of human emotions. Hopefully this column has accurately covered these events, while offering the occasional laugh.
Unfortunately, all good things (and bad things as well) must come to an end, and this column is no exception. As the end of the school year approaches, it is time for me to discontinue the publication of “Cleveland to Columbus: Ohio Sports.” This discontinuation may prove permanent, or may only be a temporary hiatus until sometime in the winter of next year. It all depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the amount of free time and level of interest that I will have during the second semester of my senior year. As of now, it is my hope that these weekly entries will again grace the Internet with their presence about six months from now, but only time will tell for sure what the future holds. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I bid you, the reader, a fond farewell. Writing this column has had a profound impact on my life, perhaps a more profound one than any single event has had before or that any incident will have since. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I have had to share my ideas with millions of people all over the world. I truly believe that effective sports journalism is an essential cornerstone of civilized society, and I am thankful that I have been able to do my part to make a difference in the world. I will carry these memories with me for the rest of my life. Goodbye. If you haven’t realized by now, that previous paragraph was a load of sentimental gunk. This column only has a handful of regular readers (shout outs to Mrs. Hemmelgarn, Grandma and Grandpa), it can hardly be considered Pulitzer Prize-level writing, and its subject matter serves no higher purpose other than to provide a few minutes of entertainment to anyone with enough time on their hands to bother reading 400-700 words per week. In fact, the only reason I started writing this column was because my scheduled Intro to Computer Programming class was cancelled. However, even though this column didn’t possess any extraordinary literary value, it was still fun to write. I enjoyed venting my excitement and frustration, and hopefully you enjoyed reading about them. After all, who are we if we don’t get any enjoyment out of following our sports teams? I guess we’re Browns fans. Have a good summer. O-H.
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As covered a few weeks ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to begin their title defense. This past week, Cleveland continued the trend as they swept the Toronto Raptors to advance to their third Eastern Conference Finals in as many years. While the series against the Pacers exposed some of the Cavs’ flaws (bad defense, occasionally stagnant offense), their utter domination of the Raptors was an encouraging sign. The only game in which the Cavs faced a shred of adversity was Game 4, and even when Toronto took the lead midway through the 4th quarter, a Cleveland victory never felt in doubt. Now the Cavs have over a week of rest between Game 4 against the Raptors and the beginning of the Conference Finals.
In the wake of Cleveland’s merciless Raptor-smacking (which, by the way, is quickly becoming an annual tradition), the Cavs have swept their first two playoff opponents for the second time in two years, and are now 11-0 in the playoffs, dating back to last year’s Finals. Cleveland primarily owes its recent run of postseason dominance to the near inhuman efforts of one man, LeBron James. James has been dominant over the Eastern Conference, having reached the NBA Finals for the past six years, and this year, he is even outperforming his own lofty standards. James is averaging more than 30 points and a near triple double per game, and has been carrying the Cavs on his back for the last eight games. With James’ unbelievable performance, and his scorching hot supporting cast of 3-point shooters, the Cavs are a formidable opponent for whoever they face in the Conference Finals. Unfortunately for the Cavs, their arch enemies the villainous Golden State Warriors have been equally, if not more, dominant through their first eight playoff games. They have been nearly unstoppable on both offense and defense, with a myriad of weapons on both ends of the floor. The Warriors are essentially the same super team that won a league record 73 wins a season ago. Oh, and by the way, they also have Kevin Durant, who is capable of creating his own shot at almost anytime, ensuring that teams cannot guard the Warriors by simply forcing sharpshooters Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to give up the ball. Golden State is an absolute juggernaut that cannot be defeated by anything less than a team’s best effort. While half of the Playoffs still remain, one thing is clear: the Cavs and Warriors are a cut above their respective competition. Through the first two rounds, not a single team has offered the two league front runners even a shred of significant adversity. The scrappiness of the Portland Trailblazers (complete with former OSU standout Evan “The Villain” Turner) and the up-and-coming Utah Jazz were no match for the Warriors, nor could the near superhumanity of Paul George and the cold fury of the entire nation of Canada put a dent in the Cavaliers. While both teams must beat one more opponent if they are to meet each other in the championship round, any Finals matchup involving a team not named “Warriors” or “Cavaliers” would require one of the most shocking upsets in recent sports history. These two teams have been projected to meet each other in the Finals since the beginning of the season and the first two rounds of the Playoffs have done little to convince anyone that “Warriors vs. Cavs Part III” is anything less than imminent. The regular season and, to this point, the Playoffs have felt like an unbelievably long run of semi-entertaining commercials before a long-awaited movie premiere, and, barring some unprecedented turn of events, fans of the Cavaliers, Warriors, and basketball in general will be eagerly awaiting said premiere this June. For the Cleveland Browns, the NFL Draft is usually a high point of the season. Fan expectations soar as the most likely recently hired General Manager drafts some young college talent from some university. The Cleveland faithful can hardly contain their excitement about their newly drafted franchise savior, and sure enough, hope of relevance once again returns to the city. Until the season starts. Then the cold, harsh reality that the Browns are, in fact, a miserable team with a long history of disappointment smacks the fans across the face like a semi-truck, and Cleveland is yet again plunged into the dark depths of pessimism. But for at least three days in late April, Browns fans feel like they are on top of the world.
Entering the 2017 NFL Draft last week, the Browns were in dire need of some optimism. Their 2016 season (which could most aptly be compared to a flaming vat of infected filth) left fans with a terrible taste in their mouths. The season’s only good memory came via Cleveland’s December 24 victory over the Chargers, their only win of the season (for those who say that there are no such things as Christmas miracles, I believe the aforementioned game is significant evidence to the contrary). The seventeen weeks of misery that comprised the 2016 campaign were not entirely in vain, however, as the Browns’ pitiful 1-15 record was enough to garner them the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft. In the months prior to the draft, speculation abounded, as expert and casual fan alike tried to predict who the Browns would take with their top pick. Would it be standout defensive end Myles Garrett? Would they reach for a young quarterback? Or would they trade down, adding more draft picks, but passing on a potentially game-changing talent, as they did the year before when they traded the number 2 overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, who used it to draft quarterback Carson Wentz? Fortunately for Browns fans, Cleveland kept it simple with the first pick, and drafted Garrett, who was widely considered to be the best player in the draft, and appears to be able to help the Browns out on defense immediately. This pick has to bring some relief to Browns fans who spent the majority of the last season restraining the urge to gouge their own eyeballs out at the sight of the Browns undisciplined, and often outmatched defense that would have struggled to stop a four-year-old on a big wheel. While the addition of Garrett, in theory, substantially improves Cleveland’s defense, the Browns were not done bolstering that side of the ball. They used the 12th pick gained from last year’s Wentz trade and traded it to the Texans in exchange for the 25th pick and an extra first round pick next year. With this newly acquired 25th pick, the Browns selected former University of Michigan Villain Jabrill Peppers. Moral reservations about rooting for a former Michigan player aside, the versatile Peppers appears to be a good fit for the Browns. His addition should improve the defense, potentially provide a spark on offense, and (finally) equip the Browns with someone capable of fielding and returning punts and kickoffs. The Browns continued to add players at many different positions, from tight end David Njoku, to quarterback Deshone Kizer, to kicker Zane Gonzalez, the Browns drafted 10 players in all, following the current front office’s strategy of stockpiling young talent in hopes of developing the prospects into stars. While the Browns’ draft strategy makes logical sense, the success of a draft comes down to whether or not the players perform well on the field, a fact that Browns’ fans are painfully aware of. While the initial returns of the draft look promising, it’s hard to get too optimistic, given Cleveland’s historic run of futility. The Browns appeared to make draft day decisions that will better their team. Only time will tell if these decisions were the right ones. The NBA Playoffs tipped off last week, putting an end to the Cavaliers’ 82-game warm up (the regular season), and officially beginning Cleveland’s quest to defend its NBA crown. The Cavaliers opened the postseason against the Indiana Pacers, a relatively middling team that went 42-40 in the regular season. While the Cavs had a clear talent advantage, many fans worried that Cleveland, who stumbled into the postseason on the back of blown leads and sloppy defense, would struggle. Fortunately, while the aforementioned concerns are far from remedied, the Cavaliers brought out the brooms to sweep the Pacers.
While the series ended without a Cavaliers’ loss, it was far from a cakewalk. Games 1, 2, and 4 followed a similar script. The two teams would play each other close in the first half, with both squads putting up good offensive numbers, while playing lackluster defense. In the 3rd quarter of these three games, however, the Cavaliers flipped the proverbial switch and exploded on the Pacers. With a clicking offense and engaged defense, the Cavaliers outscored the Pacers 89-70 in the 3rd quarter of these three games. However, just when it looked like the Cavs were about to run away with it, the 4th quarter would hit, the defense would relax, the offense would devolve into a hideous display of LeBron and Kyrie dribbling the ball into the ground for 23.5 seconds before chucking up an ill-advised shot, and the Pacers would find themselves back in the game. Fortunately, the Cavaliers were able to get clutch buckets late and escape with wins. Game 3 of the series strayed from the formula of the other games, and showcased both the best and worst sides of the Cavaliers. The Cavs got absolutely walloped in the first half, giving up an ungodly 74 points and finding themselves down by 25 at the break. However, the Cavs followed their first half dumpster fire with their best half of the season, outscoring the Pacers 70-40, en route to a 119-114 win. What’s more, the Cavs accomplished this feat with a lineup of four bench players and LeBron, (LeBron solves lots of problems). Following the series, fans were left with plenty of mixed emotions. The Cavs showed many of the same bad habits that plagued them throughout the course of the season (bad defense, stagnant offense, etc). On the other hand, they showed that (when they’re willing to play a semblance of defense), they are capable of playing at nearly unbeatable levels for at least isolated periods of time. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers are not out of the woods yet. Their second round opponent (either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Toronto Raptors), will most likely provide a far more difficult challenge than the Pacers did. Should they advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, they will most likely face an even more difficult opponent than the Bucks/Raptors. And if the Cavs can battle their way through the Eastern Conference, they will most likely (barring some bizarre March Madness-esque ridiculousness) find themselves matched up (yet again) with the heinous, fiendish Golden State Warriors. As demonstrated throughout the regular season, the Cavs are capable of beating the Warriors (the glorious Christmas Day comeback), as well as getting trounced by them (the mid-January shellacking). The final result will most likely depend on whether or not the Cavaliers can put together a full 48 minutes of locked in basketball, something they did not do against the Pacers. The Warriors are too good a team to relax against, and if the Cavs fall into ]the same prolonged periods of stagnation that they did in the first round, it will be a very painful series for Cleveland fans. However, if the Cavs can find a way to play at their best for an extended amount of time, then they have more than a fighting chance of reclaiming their crown. At the time this sentence is being written (6:29 pm on Wednesday, April 19, to be exact), the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) find themselves in a very interesting predicament. They began their playoff series against their most villainous of rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins; last Wednesday, and, despite moments of strong play, the Jackets found themselves in a 3-0 deficit in the best-of-7 series. In the first two games of the series, the Jackets dominated possession during the first period but were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. The second periods of both games saw the wheels fall off the proverbial CBJ cannon, with Pittsburgh building a lead that would prove insurmountable for Columbus. The only entertainment for Jackets fans came when Matt Calvert absolutely eviscerated Pittsburgh’s Tom Kuhnhackl with a heinously dirty, but still incredibly fun to watch, cross-check at the end of Game 2. While the hit was entertaining, it did not change the outcome of the game. It merely gained Calvert a one game suspension. The third game of the series broke the script of the previous two, albeit with a still painful outcome for Jackets’ fans. Columbus took the lead a mere 11 seconds into the game, and had a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period, only to watch the Penguins (who most likely benefited from some twisted Faustian Bargain that increased their skill, purchased the favor of the refs, and robbed Jacket’s goalie Sergei Bobrovsky of his typical Ivan Drago-like superhuman abilities) storm back and win 5-4 in Overtime. Despite a valiant effort, Columbus found themselves with a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 series deficit.
However bleak their fortunes appeared, the CBJ refused to go down without a fight. They played like a hockey team possessed in Game 4, hustling across the ice, inflicting crushing hits, and scoring timely goals en route to a 5-4 victory. Contributing to the victory were center Lukas Sedlak and defenders Markus Nutivaara and Kyle Quincey, all of whom had seen no action in the previous three games. While the win helped the Jackets avoid elimination, it also provided another reason for optimism among Jackets’ fans. From the second Game 4, to the time this sentence was written (10:16 pm on April 19), to the conclusion of Game 5 on April 20, the Penguins are in possession of the new official most dangerous lead in all of sports, the 3-1 series lead. Ohio sports fans have seen two blown 3-1 leads in the past calendar year, one triumphant and cathartic (go Cavs), and the other tragic and heartbreaking (boo Cubs). To paraphrase my middle school teachers (who were most likely paraphrasing Ian Fleming), one example is trivia, two examples are coincidence, and three examples are basis for establishing proof. With that in mind, it’s safe to say that thousands of hockey fans across the state of Ohio will be glued to their television sets on Thursday, hoping to see the beginnings of proof that the 3-1 lead is, in fact, cursed. While it would be sensible to conclude this column with an analysis of Game 5 (which, at the time of this column’s writing, has not yet happened), after watching the game, it is likely that I will be either too ecstatic or emotionally drained to finish writing an article that is due the next morning. Regardless of my lack of knowledge of the future, I am certain that one of two outcomes will occur. The Jackets will either a) lose Game 5, bringing a tragic end to their historic season, while simultaneously increasing their fans’ already burning hatred towards the Penguins, of b) win Game 5, bringing the series back to Columbus, while fueling their fans hopes of a miraculous comeback. With this in mind, I have prepared two separate endings to this column, one for each possible outcome. As you read this, feel free to read the ending that corresponds with the actual result of the game (or both, if you want to entertain your imaginative side). Lose That was unfortunate. The Jackets gave it all they had, but just couldn’t overcome a late season slump, bad luck, and an incredibly difficult first-round matchup (Dear NHL, please fix the playoff system, immediately.) Despite such a painful playoff exit, there was still plenty to love about this season. The Jackets put together a historic winning streak, won 50 games, and made the playoffs for only the third time in team history. With plenty of young talent on the roster, the future is very bright for Columbus (knock on wood). Regardless of what the future holds, the 2016-17 campaign will live on in fans’ memories for years to come. Thanks for the ride Jackets. CBJ. Win Yeah baby! What an unbelievable game. The Jackets, when everyone counted them out, have somehow found a way to win two games on the brink of elimination. Now, the series comes back home, and Columbus has all the momentum. Could this be a turning point for the Blue Jackets, propelling them to an incredible title run? Can Ohio sports teams really be the beneficiaries/victims of the 3-1 curse three times in one year? While trying to predict the future would be foolish (though that has never stopped me from trying), one thing is for certain. Game 6 is sure to provide plenty of excitement for fans. Go get ‘em Jackets. CBJ! Aside from American Flags, Bald Eagles, and pictures of Ronald Reagan, nothing invokes a sense of red-blooded patriotism quite like baseball. There’s something beautifully poetic about that moment when the home team hits its first home run of the season, with fireworks blaring, and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” playing triumphantly in the background (this never actually happens in real life. Just in my dreams). With that in mind, Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is probably the third-most American day of the year, behind July 4 (America’s birthday) and February 6 (Reagan’s birthday). Not only does it provide entertainment for fans across the country, it also ensures that, at least until October, there will probably be some sporting event on TV nearly every day. It also provides those bogged down by winter’s dreariness reassurance that better weather is just around the corner (except, as was the case for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox last season, when it snows, forcing the game to be postponed). Regardless of their reasons, most sports fans can agree that life is better with baseball than without it. So dust of the Star-Spangled Banner and break out the apple pie, because baseball is back.
For Cleveland Indians fans, there is added reason to be excited for this coming baseball season: Their team is good again. After making a run to the World Series last year, the Tribe is back in full force, looking to improve on last year’s success. The core of their roster is almost entirely intact from last year, their starting pitchers and bullpen are stacked, young shortstop Francisco Lindor is emerging as a star, and, by the way, outfielder Michael Brantley (an MVP candidate a few seasons ago, before being sidelined by injury) is back healthy. With so much offensive and defensive talent at manager Terry Francona’s disposal, it’s natural for fans to be optimistic for what’s to come. As high as the expectations of the Cleveland faithful may be, the Tribe may have actually exceeded them through the first three games of the season. The Indians started out the first week of their 2017 campaign in full force, sweeping the Texas Rangers, a team that finished 2016 with the best record in the American League, in entertaining fashion. On Opening Day, the Tribe fell behind 5-1 in the third inning, and it looked like the Tribe were on pace for a third straight Opening Day loss. But then, the pitching locked in, the offense started to chip away at the lead, and, with the help of a 3-run ninth, went ahead for good, winning the game 8-5. The next day, it was the Indians that jumped out to an early 4-2 lead. Texas made it interesting by cutting the lead to 4-3 with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to former-Indian Mike Napoli’s RBI double. Instead of collapsing, however, Indians closer Cody Allen simply decided to become a superhuman, striking out three in a row to end the game. In game three of the series, Cleveland fell behind once again in the ninth inning, and the Tribe’s first loss of the season seemed imminent. But, with the bases loaded and one out, Lindor decided that he would have none of that losing nonsense, and, with one crack of the bat, sent Rangers’ closer Sam Dyson’s pitch soaring out of the park for a Grand Slam, and a 9-6 victory. While three games is an admittedly small sample size in a season that contains 162 of them, the Tribe’s early returns are promising. In all three games, the Indians faced adversity, either falling behind, or having a late lead threatened. In all three games, the Indians showed more guts than a salmon fillet that exploded in the microwave and pulled out victories. Due to the long nature of the MLB’s regular season, it seems unlikely that the Indians will be able to keep this pace for a full 162 games. They will most likely fall into some hitting slumps, the pitching will occasionally struggle, and they will (hopefully not, but probably) lose some games. But with the abundance of hitting, pitching, and fielding available. The Tribe should be more than capable of overcoming any rough spots they may encounter. Probably the greatest aspect of this Indians team is not that they play solid, effective baseball, but that they do so with passion and a sense of hoot-hollering adventure that makes the players so easy to love. Every player on the team screams, cheers, and celebrates like no other (except for ace pitcher Corey Kluber. His face never moves. Ever). Though the regular season can be a long journey, these Indians will no doubt make it a fun one. Baseball is back, and no one has more reason to be excited than Cleveland fans. Go Tribe. Last week I wrote that the remainder of the Cavs’ regular season would be rife with rest and relaxation. I lied. While it is important that Cleveland maintain their health (several members of the squad are still out with injury), the past few weeks have revealed a far more pressing concern. The team’s defense, or lack of it, has been at the forefront of their performance in recent games. Take for example, last Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, in which the Cavs served up a performance that was about as enjoyable as Grandma’s down-home cooking (that is, if Grandma’s down-home cooking were a flame-broiled cow manure and moldy peach sandwich. In other words, not at all enjoyable). The Cavaliers turned out an absolute snoozer of a performance, losing 103-74, while shooting 37.3% from the field, going 4-26 from three, and turning the ball over 19 times, leading to 23 San Antonio points. To make matters worse, Cleveland allowed the Spurs to shoot over 64% from the first half, leaving the Cavs with a nearly insurmountable 64-40 deficit at the break. This horrendous loss also pushed the Cavs out of the East’s #1 seed, a spot which they had occupied for nearly the whole season. By some miracle (San Antonio pulling their starters at the beginning of the 4th quarter), the Cavs still gave up less than their season average in points. According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, the Cavs have been the 22nd best defensive team in the NBA this season, giving up 110.4 points per game. Since the All-Star Break, those numbers have been even worse, with the Cavs allowing 116.8 points per game, good for 29th in a league of 30 teams. In other words, Cleveland’s recent defensive performance has not just been bad, it has been almost vomit-inducing.
Until recently, the Cavs had been able to offset their defensive woes by fielding one of the league’s best offenses. While this formula may have worked in the short term, it will no doubt have a detrimental impact on the team’s long term success. Every team goes through slumps, but offensive slumps are far easier to overcome than defensive ones. This is because, in basketball, a strong defense can improve a team's offense, while a team’s offensive performance has little impact on its defense. A team that is struggling to put the ball in the hole can find its offensive rhythm by forcing turnovers and missed shots from their opponent, leading to easy scoring opportunities on fast breaks. On the other hand, if a team is shooting the lights out, but cannot stop the other team from shooting the lights out at a more successful rate, they are out of luck. The Cavs had a rough offensive night against the Spurs, and missed many shots that they usually make. But, had they been able to provide any level of resistance against the Spurs, the outcome of the game may have been different. That is the Cavs’ Achilles Heel. If their offense is not firing on all cylinders, they have no way of competing with other teams. In the wake of the Cavs’ recent slump, the focus of their final regular season games changes. Instead of being able to focus solely on achieving and maintaining health, they now have to worry about fixing their defensive problems, and hopefully, regaining the East’s top seed. While holding the top spot in the rankings is not necessary (the Cavs made the Finals in 2014-15 despite ending the regular season in second place), having home court advantage throughout the first three rounds of the Playoffs would be a welcome blessing. The defense, however, raises more worries. As the Cavaliers clearly demonstrated earlier this week, their current pitiful defense is not enough to compete with top tier clubs like the Spurs or the villainous Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers will not be able to win a championship with this kind of defensive effort. The Cavaliers will not even make the NBA Finals with this kind of defensive effort. As they demonstrated earlier in the year, the Cavs have more than enough talent to repeat as NBA Champions. But in order for them to successfully “Defend the Land”, they need to start defending. The beginning of spring is often a strange time for sports fans. There is no football, the glorious chaos of March Madness’ opening rounds has yielded to the still entertaining, but slightly less fun, match-ups of the Sweet Sixteen through the National Championship, Major League Baseball is still training, and both the NHL and NBA find themselves in the final, exasperating stretch of the 82-game slogs that are their regular seasons. There’s a sort of lull over the sports world this time of year, (second only to the day after the MLB All-Star Game, when literally nothing sports related happens, except maybe golf), between when winter sports end and spring sports begin. Fortunately, once the spring season hits its stride, there will be plenty of exciting moments around the corner for Ohio sports teams. Here is a team by team look at what lies ahead over the next few months.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Lots of resting, then the fun begins The Cavs drew the ire of ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy, a commentator who last weekend for resting both Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love during a primetime game against the LA Clippers last weekend. According to Cleveland.com, Van Gundy rebuked the Cavs decision to rest 23 separate times over the course of a 48 minute game, for an average of one gripe every 2.08 minutes. In Van Gundy’s defense, paying several hundred dollars to go see a team play, only to find out that said team is keeping its star players off the court would, to put it mildly, suck. The stark reality, however, is that the primary goal of most NBA coaches and players is not to make some random fan’s day in a meaningless regular season game, but to win a championship. If a coach and his players feel that sacrificing a game in favor of health makes this goal more achievable, they are going to do it. If the NBA wants players to play every game, then they should consider shortening their marathon of a regular season. It wouldn’t have to be a drastic change, a decrease from 82 games to 72 would be sufficient, but it would provide players with more opportunity to rest without sacrificing the fans’ entertainment. Unfortunately, for various undefinable reasons (money), it is unlikely that the NBA will adopt any of the aforementioned changes, meaning that fans can expect similar behavior (and many more LeBron-less games) from the Cavs as they try to maintain their often shaky team health until the end of the regular season. But make no mistake, come playoff time, there will be no more resting, no more lackadaisical effort, no more time on the bench for LeBron (honestly, he might average 47.5 minutes per game). As March turns to April, April to May, and May to June (hopefully), the intensity will only rise as the Cavs get closer and closer in their quest to repeat as World Champions. Columbus Blue Jackets: A Playoff Berth, One Hundred Points, and a Battle for the #1 Seed The Blue Jackets made franchise history last week by beating the New Jersey Devils to clinch their first 100 point season in the seventeen year existence of the club. They also secured their third ever trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Jackets are far from being able to kick back and cruise to the postseason. They play in the NHL’s Metro Division, which, this year, is absolutely loaded. The Jackets are in a virtual dead heat with two other 100+ point teams, the Capitals and Evil Penguins, for the Metro’s top seed. To make matters worse, thanks to the bummy NHL playoff system, which pits teams together based on divisional standings rather than overall seeding, if the Jackets finish the season in the Metro’s 3-hole, it is very likely that they will face either the Capitals of Evil Penguins in the first round (but wait, there’s more). Should the Jackets be so fortunate to best their first round foe, they will likely be matched up with the other 100+ point squad in the second round. That is why clinching the first-overall seed should be of the utmost importance to the Blue Jackets, if only for the fact that they would most likely have to face only one elite level team instead of two. With that in mind, Jackets fans should prepare for a wild home stretch as three of the league's top teams throw hands in an absolute dogfight for the number one seed, with the losers being sentenced to an even more intense dogfight, while the winner substitutes the bloodbath between the second and third place teams for a slightly less bloody bath with the five seed. This is gonna be fun. Cleveland Indians: Trying to Get Back to the World Series (and Actually Win This Time) With the Cleveland Indians incredible run of success last season, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the Tribe as Spring Training rolls on, and with good reason. The Indians return their loaded starting pitching lineup of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar, and Josh Tomlin, as well as lights-out relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. Most of last year's key players (Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana etc) are back, and those that aren’t (Rajai Davis, Mike Napoli), have been replaced with players who are as good or better. The Indians signed Edwin Encarnacion in free agency to take Napoli’s place as a power-hitting first baseman, while Michael Brantley’s much anticipated return from shoulder surgery (knock on wood), fills the hole that Davis’ departure left in the outfield. Manager Terry Francona is back, in all of his tobacco/sunflower seed/bubble gum chewing glory. The only negative news to come out of Spring Training is that second baseman Jason Kipnis is expected to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury. Hopefully this injury will not prove to be too serious and Kipnis will be back in action before the end of the season’s first month. While the Indians fell short in the World Series last season (which, until proven otherwise, was rigged in the Cubs favor as part of some vast political conspiracy), they are in great position to get back to the World Series (hopefully ending with a Series victory), providing plenty of fun moments for Tribe fans in the process. Despite a generally lackluster season, there was still some room for optimism around Ohio State Basketball heading into their regular season finale against the Indiana Hoosiers two Sundays ago. At that point, the Buckeyes were riding a two game winning streak, including a dominant win over the then 16th best team in the country, the Wisconsin Badgers. Defeating Indiana would have landed the Buckeyes as a 10 seed in the Big Ten tournament (for those who don’t already know, the Big Ten has fourteen teams. Math.), granting them a first round bye. While, barring an incredible string of tournament performances, the Buckeyes were likely eliminated from the NCAA tournament, it appeared that, barring an epic collapse, they had successfully punched their ticket to the not-all-that-prestigious-anymore-but-hey-at-least-we-have-more-games-to-watch consolation tournament, the NIT. But as has been the case for nearly this entire season, assuming that things are going to go the Buckeyes way is like betting on a one-legged horse to win the Kentucky Derby. The Buckeyes lost the Indiana game 96-92, a game that, had the Buckeyes played any semblance of defense, would probably have turned out the other way. This meant that the Buckeyes did not get the first round bye, and were instead forced to play Rutgers (a team that if you wish to avoid ridicule, you should beat every time you play them) in the first round of the Big Ten tourney. Then it happened. The utter collapse all Buckeye fans had feared arrived in the form of a loss to Rutgers. Rutgers, yes, Rutgers. In what was perhaps the lowest point of Coach Thad Matta’s Ohio State career, the once proud Buckeyes were felled by the flaming heap of refuse that is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This loss was apparently as painful for the NIT selection committee as it was for Buckeyes fans, because on Selection Sunday earlier this week, Ohio State found out that not only did they did not make the NCAA Tournament, they were not invited to the NIT either.
In the wake of this shocking development, the future of OSU basketball is as uncertain as ever. Thad Matta’s often tomato-red face is about to get even redder as the the ever-raging fire of public opinion heats up the very seat that he sits on. Matta is unquestionably the best coach in the history of Buckeye hoops, and has caused fans far more joy than he has pain. Unfortunately, the world of sports is a fickle one, and if Matta cannot find some way to turn the Buckeyes around next season, many may begin to wonder whether or not Thad is the right man for the job. I personally think Matta is a great coach and an even greater comedian (anyone who has read Mark Titus’ phenomenal memoir Don’t Put Me In Coach will know what I’m talking about), and hope he stays the Ohio State coach for years to come. However, if winning does not become more frequent, public opinion will grow more and more negative, until Ohio State eventually gives Matta the axe. I wish I could provide a be-all end-all solution to Ohio State’s problems, thus strengthening Thad’s job security and making Buckeye basketball games far less painful to watch. Unfortunately, I can’t. I’m not a basketball coach. All we Buckeye fans can do is hope that the Ohio State coaches, players, and staff figure it out before it’s too late As the Ohio State faithful lick their collective wounds in hopes of a more successful campaign next season, there are two possible courses of action for Buckeye fans. The first course entails sitting around, moping, and behaving in a generally downtrodden and disagreeable manner until Buckeye basketball improves (or at least until Buckeye football comes back in season to cure all ills). The second option is to kick back, relax, and watch as many March Madness games as possible. While I would hardly presume to speak for all OSU fans, the second option sounds much more fun. There is no better cure for disillusionment than the mindless consumption of three weeks worth of chaotic, bracket-busting, entertaining basketball. Enjoy the Madness. Go Bucks. Browns’ offensive lineman Joe Thomas stirred up a little controversy last week when he referred to the NFL Combine as a “cattle auction”, encouraging players to make sure they “lie to teams and say how much ‘fun’ it is.” While calling his comments a controversy is a bit of a stretch, (frankly Joe Thomas can say whatever he wants at this point, because he’s Joe Thomas), he raises some interesting questions about the effectiveness of using the Combine to evaluate players. Do 40 times accurately represent a player’s in game speed? Do broad and vertical jump heights determine a player’s agility? Do business style interviews with coaches and staff members truly reveal whether or not a player will be a good influence in the locker room? While the answers to these questions may be debatable, one cannot dispute that teams place a tremendous amount of stock in Combine results when deciding whether or not to draft a player.
For proof of the weight the Combine holds, look no further than Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore, whose departure to the NFL following the end of the college football season was a surprise to many (or maybe just to me), was projected as a mid-to-late first round pick before the Combine. Following his performance, Lattimore saw his stock rise, fall, and rise again in less than 24 hours. After running the 40 yard dash in 4.36 seconds (in other words, really fast), it appeared that Lattimore was destined to rake in the cash on draft day. Lattimore was able to celebrate his imminent payday for a whopping five minutes before rumors that he had injured his hamstring, a muscle that he has had injury trouble with in the past, began to circulate amongst experts. Fortunately, Lattimore was able to limit the damage of these rumors by stating that it “wasn’t a hamstring injury,” but “[his] hip flexor” that had been injured. He also confirmed that it was not a serious injury, and that he would be “good.” While the overall effects of the incident appear to be minimal, an unholy amount of drama, and a great deal of thought, was devoted to an activity that lasted less than five seconds. Lattimore’s saga provides further evidence for Thomas’ “cattle auction” analogy. At the Combine, every little aspect of a player is scrutinized to the extreme, and oftentimes blown out of proportion. While on the subject of the Combine, let’s expand Thomas’ metaphor to communicate the state of two of Ohio’s football teams. If, as Thomas claims, the Combine is a cattle auction, then OSU is one of America’s greatest ranches, constantly churning out great players, such as Lattimore, Raekwon McMillan, Malik Hooker, Gareon Conley, and Curtis Samuel, to name a few in this year’s draft. On the other end of the spectrum, the Cleveland Browns are a grimy, unsanitary, sweatshop-like slaughterhouse, taking beef of both high and low quality, grinding it up, and turning it into a vomit inducing mystery meat that barely passes FDA inspection. (For those who may be inclined to take offense with a metaphor comparing football players to cows, please don’t. Any such comparisons are meant in a light-hearted and friendly manner, and are not intended to upset anyone. Except maybe the Browns). The Browns were horrible, even by their standards, last season, and ended up clinching the first overall draft pick, as well as the twelfth overall pick. This has led to endless debate over who the Browns should select. The first position of need that comes to mind is, in typical Browns fashion, quarterback. North Carolina signal-caller Mitch Trubisky emerged from the combine as the top prospect. Trubisky is a decent quarterback, but, with only thirteen college starts to his name, is too much of a wild card to risk taking at number one overall. This obviously means that there is a good chance the Browns will take him at number one overall. While Trubisky may end up thriving as an NFL quarterback, taking him first overall, particularly with the Browns’ history of reaching for quarterbacks (Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel, Brady Quinn etc etc), appears to be a recipe for disaster. The biggest potential pitfall of drafting Trubisky so highly is that it will likely cost the Browns an opportunity to add the best all-around player in the draft. In this particular year, the best all-around player happens to be Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett had a very good day at the Combine, running a 4.64 second 40, a 41 inch vertical, and 128 inch broad jump. Again, however, the question must be asked, “So what?” Do these numbers mean anything when it comes to determining football skill? While Combine results are often helpful in determining a player’s athleticism, oftentimes the best way to evaluate whether or not a player is good at football is to actually watch them play football (surprising, I know). After watching some of Garrett’s college film, it is safe to say he’s pretty good. He’s far from perfect, but is an elite athlete that should be able to help out a team immediately. The Browns have been given a golden opportunity to add a young, talented player to their roster. Hopefully, they will break character and make the most of it. |
Justin MyersRavine writer Archives |