While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Before we get to the links this morning, a couple things to remind you of. First, make sure you get in on this contest for the Taste of Cleveland event. THIS IS A FANTASTIC PRIZE! Second, think about joining us Saturday afternoon at Two Bucks in Middleburg Heights for the Buckeye Nation watch party. Two Bucks is giving away a flat screen television, and we will have some new WFNY prizes to give away. Ok, That’s all.
“We need look no further for evidence than to the meteoric rise of sports talk radio. Anyone who has listened to this format will tell you that nothing lights up the phone lines like a crushing defeat. And what you hear in the callers’ voices, beneath the bluster and complaint, is actually quite moving: an effort to grapple with defeat.
So all of us idiots who stick it out with the Chicago Cubs or the Cleveland Browns or the Knicks aren’t just waiting around for a championship banner. We’re also seeking to remain loyal to the parts of ourselves that feel overmatched and doomed to failure in the hope that someday our loyalty — to our teams and to ourselves — will be rewarded.” [Almond/New York Times]
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Not Cleveland related, but a good piece on Pete Carroll’s competition at the college and NFL levels for jobs- “Pete Carroll dubbed them “Competition Tuesdays” and it went to the heart of everything he accomplished in nine seasons as coach at the University of Southern California.
Every Tuesday of the Trojans season was an opportunity, a one-day training camp for backups to prove they should be starters, for starters to reaffirm their dominance and for everyone to know that in Carroll’s program there were no favorite sons. It allowed the stars to remain sharp. It reminded coaches to judge what they saw, not what a recruiting ranking or projected depth chart projection said. And it served as a powerful clarion call for the next round of standout recruits.” [Wetzel/Yahoo]
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“Cleveland Indians minor leaguer Justin Toole just became one of those rarest of commodities in baseball by demonstrating he’s a nine-tool player. Well, nine positions, anyway, after the appropriately named Toole played every spot on defense for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats on Saturday. He’s a regular Bert Campaneris!
It was a stunt, it was a gimmick, but it was also fun — and it didn’t cost the Mudcats, who improved to 61-71 after beating Salem 4-2. A 25-year-old utility man (no kidding!) in his fourth season, Toole went 1 for 4 at the plate and pitched the ninth inning, striking out two but also allowing back-to-back home runs.” [Brown/Big League Stew]
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“The last time Miles was a free agent was the summer of 2008. The Oklahoma City Thunder signed him to a four-year offer sheet, but because he was restricted the Jazz held the right to match, which they did. At the time the Thunder were coming off of a 20-win season, but the foundation that helped build them into the Western Conference powerhouse that they are today was forming then and Miles sees something similar brewing in Cleveland.
“It’s a lot like that, I feel,” Miles said. “Honestly I’m a couple years older, but other than that it’s a similar situation. They have similar types of pieces with Kyrie (Irving) there, drafting Dion (Waiters) this year, and drafting Tyler Zeller, Tristan Thompson, there are a lot of young guys on the team. I’m one of the older guys and I’m 25 so that just lets you know where we stand with that. I think the oldest guy is Anderson (Varejao) and he’s 29. “
While at 25 years of age Miles’ fits in perfectly with the youth movement that the Cavaliers have embraced, he also brings seven years of experience that includes five trips to the postseason. He learned a lot during the first chapter of his career that will help him and the Cavaliers as a whole in their quest to return to the levels of success they experienced from 2006-2010.” [Koutroupis/Hoopsworld]
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“As the Buckeyes prepare for Saturday’s season opener vs. Miami-Ohio, Meyer put Travis Howard among a handful of players he said used training camp to take the biggest jump. The change in Howard, Meyer said, is “monumental.”
The entire Ohio State defense could benefit.
“Guys like Travis Howard are going to make a tremendous impact,” Meyer said. “I’m not sure how much impact he’s had in the past.” “He’s a much better player than he was.” [Jackson/FSO]
