May 25, 2013

NFL Draft: Jacob and Kirk Tackle Browns’ 1st-Round Strategy

April 21, 2013 by 15 Comments

With the NFL Draft coming up on Thursday night, two of your Weekend Warriors, Jacob and Kirk, thought it would be a good idea to get the juices flowing and talk about what the Browns could potentially do at #6 (or wherever else they may land in the first round). Who will be wearing that lovely orange and brown cap pictured to the right come Thursday evening? We do hope you enjoy, and let the discussion begin in the comments section!Browns Hat

Jacob:  On Thursday night, being as realistic as possible, what do you think the Browns should do with the No. 6 pick?

Kirk:  If I’m in that war room, I’m drawing on the dry erase board in big letters…. TRADE DOWN! If someone wants one of the three offensive tackles and they’re still on the board at 6, take the deal. I like, but I don’t love, a lot of the guys that will ultimately be the pick at #6.

Jacob:  To a certain extent, yeah, that has to be the M.O. for the front office from the start of Thursday night. This draft, for all its eccentricities, doesn’t have a sure-fire guy that is a clear-cut no-brainer for this roster’s future. There’s a whole lot of ways they could go. Moving up is not one of them. Thus, there’s flexibility at No. 6 for many different possible solutions.
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#TankStrong is Dead, Long Live #DraftStrong

April 18, 2013 by 23 Comments

tankIf you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen me quite often use the #TankStrong hashtag. I’ve written about it before on here, and I’m not ashamed in believing this was part of the plan all along. But, with the Cavaliers loss to the Bobcats in Charlotte last night, that mindset, that strategy, that train of thought is dead. Now, it’s time for the Cavaliers to grab one more core piece high in the lottery and never look back. They must use their other 14 draft picks over the next four years to supplement their current talent. The losing on the court has taken place. Now, it’s up to Chris Grant to get this roster ready to turn the corner. I meant it when I said it last night. #TankStrong is Dead. Long Live #DraftStrong. [Read more...]

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Lakers make NBA Playoffs; Cavaliers will be able to swap draft picks

April 18, 2013 by 24 Comments

With the Utah Jazz falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis earlier this evening 86-70, the Los Angeles Lakers clinched a playoff berth. They went ahead and defeated the Houston Rockets following the Jazz loss anyway 99-95 in overtime, moving them up to the 7th seed to face the San Antonio Spurs rather than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

What this means for the Cavaliers is that they will be able to exercise their right to swap first-round draft picks with the Lakers in the 2013 draft, gained in the Ramon Sessions (and Christian Eyenga) trade last season that also gave the Cavaliers Luke Walton and a second first-round draft pick last season (24th overall) that helped them acquire Tyler Zeller (17th overall pick). With their extra first-round draft pick this season, acquired in the LeBron James trade, the wine and gold will be able to move up from a would-be 30th pick into a pick between 18th and 20th, depending on coin-flip tiebreakers that will be performed tomorrow.

Furthermore, with the Cavaliers’ loss, ending their season at 24-58, they have the third-best odds at winning the NBA Draft Lottery behind Orlando and Charlotte. Their odds at getting each of the top six picks is outlined below.

1st pick – 15.6%
2nd pick – 15.7%
3rd pick – 15.6%
4th pick – 22.6%
5th pick – 26.5%
6th pick – 4.0%

The Cavaliers also will have the 31st and 33rd picks in the second round of this year’s draft.

Related: A Big Summer For Kyrie, In More Ways Than One

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Browns Sign Kicker Shayne Graham

April 15, 2013 by 20 Comments

We now know who will be left with the difficult task of filling Pro Bowler and franchise staple Phil Dawson’s shoes. This evening, the Browns announced that they have signed kicker Shayne Graham to a contract.

Graham is 35 and has kicked for 12 seasons with 8 different teams. His best seasons came with Cincinnati, where he played from 2003-2010, making the Pro Bowl in 2005. For his career, he has made 245-of-287 kicks (85.4%, good for 5th best all-time) and 368-of-373 PATs. In the 2010 Wild Card round, Graham missed two critical kicks for the Bengals in a 24-14 loss to the New York Jets, including a 28-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. Graham has a career-long make of 53 yards, but he is just 13-of-27 from 50+ in his career, including 4-of-9 in 2012.

Last season with the Houston Texans, Graham made 31-of-38 field goal attempts and scored a career-high 138 points, making all 45 PATs as well.

Dawson was allowed to hit the open market and signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers after 14 seasons with the Browns. He is the franchise’s second leading scorer all-time with 1,271 points, trailing only Lou Groza. He was 29-of-31 last season in his Pro Bowl campaign, including a perfect 7-for-7 in 50+ yard attempts. Dawson is 24-of-34 from 50+ in his career.

Related: NFL Draft Rumors: Browns a “Wild Card” For QB Geno Smith

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Michael Bourn Day-to-Day After Receiving 5 Stitches

April 14, 2013 by 1 Comment

It was announced following the game and first reported by WTAM’s Mark Schwab that Indians centerfielder Michael Bourn received five stitches in his right index finger after pitcher Matt Thornton stepped on his hand on a bang-bang play at first base in the 8th innning where Bourn slid head first and beat the throw.

Bourn accounted for the team’s only run of the game, taking the first pitch of the ballgame from Chicago starter Jake Peavy and depositing it in the right field seats for his second homer of the year. Bourn was 3-for-4 on the day and now hitting .333 on the young season. Mike Aviles pinch-ran for Bourn and entered the game at second base, moving Ryan Raburn to right field and Drew Stubbs to center field.

The Indians are off tomorrow before opening a three-game series at home against the Boston Red Sox. According to Schwab, Bourn doesn’t think he’ll play Tuesday, but also doesn’t think he’ll be out for long. Cleveland is already playing without second baseman Jason Kipnis due to a sore elbow, but Carlos Santana, who has missed nearly all week with a hand injury, did pinch hit in this afternoon’s game in the ninth inning.

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The Best Laid Plans and Fan Loyalty for the Indians and Cavaliers

April 14, 2013 by 11 Comments

Nick SwisherIt was Tuesday night. Carlos Carrasco and the Indians were getting pounded by the Bronx Bombers for the second straight evening, and the Cavaliers had blown a 20-point fourth quarter lead against the Pacers. It was a “woe is us” type of night on Twitter, and this writer’s body defensively put itself into sleep mode shortly before both games, missing the (live) pain of it all. 1 In that collective frustration where the Cavaliers got roped in with the Tribe in terms of amount of frustration associated with the loss, I was a little surprised.  To me, it was comical to compare the losses in terms of equal footing. The book on the Cavaliers’ season has already been sent to the publisher’s. The Indians still have a lot of pages to write on the 2013 campaign. It got me thinking about the constant see-saw of fans for these two organizations buying in and buying out of emotional investment.

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  1. For those of you who don’t know me personally, this is a once in a blue moon thing. Missing games because I fell asleep is a very, very rare thing. Work, family plans, and hanging out with friends are all worked around game times in nearly all cases. [back]

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Colt McCoy on 49ers: “We want to win, and we want to win now.”

April 14, 2013 by 17 Comments

Former Browns quarterback and current San Francisco 49ers backup QB Colt McCoy said that he would “always be grateful” to the Browns organization, but his tune is a little different lately.

In a NFL.com article by Marc Sessler, it’s communiated that McCoy says things are quite different in San Francisco, who made it to the Super Bowl last year, than Cleveland.

“When I walked in the building in San Francisco, it was the same feel (as at the University of Texas),” McCoy told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Saturday. “It’s a great organization, and their only focus is: We want to win, and we want to win now. That’s obviously different than some of the things that I’ve been part of the last few years. I was really happy about that.”

McCoy played in 24 games (21 starts) for the Browns over three seasons, throwing for 4,388 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions with a career passer rating of 74.8. He was a third round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, but he was replaced by rookie Brandon Weeden last season as the team’s starter. McCoy was traded earlier this month to the Niners along with a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft for fifth and seventh round selections.

Related: Former Brown Ricky Feacher Arrested In Florida

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Zac Mac Follows It Up, Right-Handed Bats Blast Sale

April 14, 2013 by 4 Comments

reynoldsslamChris Sale has had his way with the Indians in the past. The left-handed may be all arms and legs, but the young bullpen arm turned starter made easy work of the previously left-handed heavy Tribe. In the offseason, the Tribe not only added more speed and power, but they added several right handed hitters for a better balanced lineup. Yesterday, with Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana late scratches, the Indians threw seven right-handed bats at Sale, and their power came through in a big way. Newcomers Mark Reynolds and Nick Swisher combined for two homers and 7 of the team’s 9 RBI, and the Indians got their second set of back-to-back quality starts on the young season as Zach McAllister allowed just one earned run and the Tribe clinched the series win with a 9-4 victory. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… NBA Draft Board, Season Ending Grades, and More NFL Draft Talk

April 14, 2013 by 2 Comments

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.

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Leading off, SI’s Chris Mannix has an update to his draft board for the 2013 NBA Draft, slotting Nerlens Noel at the top, “I’m not sure whether it speaks to the weakness at the top of the draft or the potential of Noel, but multiple general managers of teams with lottery picks say that if they land at No. 1, Noel is the pick. “He is not Anthony Davis,” said an Eastern Conference executive. “Davis is better. But he [Noel] is a high-energy center who will rebound and block shots. He’s the guy.” [SI/Mannix]

Are All Baseball Sins Equal? Stephanie Liscio discusses the suspensions of Carlos Quentin and Carlos Carrasco, “For me though, I guess I can’t understand how Quentin got off with just eight games for starting a rather vicious fight and breaking a pitcher’s collar bone.  If Carrasco’s throw was intentional, yes it means that he’s immature and can’t control his temper.  He shouldn’t have thrown so close to Youkilis’s head if he meant to hit him.  On the other hand, Carrasco’s actions come across as a petulant tantrum to me.  Quentin’s outburst showed a level of rage and violence that you didn’t see from Carrasco.” [It's Pronounced Lajaway] [Read more...]

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Sale: “Had No Intentions” Of Hitting Brantley Following Grand Slam

April 13, 2013 by 6 Comments

One of the key plays in this afternoon’s 9-4 Tribe victory over the White Sox was Mark Reynolds’s grand slam with nobody out that extended the Indians’ lead to 7-2 in the fifth inning. On the very next pitch, Sox starter Chris Sale drilled Michael Brantley, and both benches were warned as a result. Sale was chased from the game that inning, but he explained to our Scott Sargent, in a special to ESPNChicago.com today, that was not his intent.

“With Swisher, it was just a slider I yanked in,” said Sale. “Brantley was just me being an idiot, honestly; just me trying to throw it by him. You had some things happen in that previous inning, I was just trying to go out there and be more, be better than I am. Unfortunately, it got away and it hit him.” 

“I understand it’s a difficult spot to be in,” he said. “If you’re going to hit a guy, you don’t do it there. I think I know enough about the game, if I was going to do it intentionally, it’s not going to be in that situation or at that time. Not only does it look bad on my part, but it looks bad on the team. That’s not what I’m about or what we’re about. 

“On top of that, you now have targets on some of these guys in here and it’s not their fault I gave up eight runs today. It’s not their fault that grand slam left the yard. It’s on me. All that said, I had no intentions of doing that and I don’t think I ever will.”

The Tribe and White Sox conclude their three game series tomorrow afternoon at Progressive Field, with the Indians going for the sweep.

Related: The Diff: On Quality Starts And The Indians’ Bad Pitching

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Browns: “Draft Day” Movie To Have Casting Call in Cleveland

April 13, 2013 by 3 Comments

There’s been plenty of buzz recently about the upcoming film “Draft Day”, based around the Cleveland Browns. First, word came that Kevin Costner would be cast as the general manager. Then, came word that Denis Leary will be the Browns’ head coach in the movie. Additionally, Jennifer Garner will star in the movie. Now, you have a chance to be in the movie as well.

Real Style talent agency is holding an open casting call for “all ages and ethnicities” as extras in the movie on Sunday from 12-6 pm in Solon.

Shooting for the film begins in early May in Cleveland, but the film crew is slated to film at the NFL Draft later this month as well. The film centers around a general manager’s effort to restore a once-great franchise to glory. The Buffalo Bills were reportedly considered as the basis for the team in the movie as well, but Cleveland eventually won out.

Related: Is Joe Thomas’s Value Diminishing?

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Cavalier Film Room: Crazy Cross Matchups

April 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

WFNY Cavaliers Film RoomLast night, the Cavaliers fell to the New York Knicks 101-91, largely due to the stellar performances of New York’s 1-2 punch of Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith (31 points each). Rather than a traditional recap, I thought I’d take a stab at looking at some of the crazy cross-matchups that occurred in this game’s, primarily centered around Anthony playing the power forward position for the Knicks. [Read more...]

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Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis Late Scratches In Today’s Lineup

April 13, 2013 by 2 Comments

According to AP’s Tom Withers (and many others), the Indians have scratched Jason Kipnis from today’s starting lineup with a sore elbow. He is currently day-to-day. Kipnis was originally penciled in as the third hitter at his usual second base position in the early draft of the lineup. Ryan Raburn will now instead play second base and bat third in this afternoon’s ballgame against the White Sox in Progressive Field. Kipnis is off to a slow start, hitting just .125 (4-for-32) with 2 RBI and a OPS of just .390. Raburn is 2-for-11 thus far.

Additionally, today’s lineup originally had catcher Carlos Santana batting sixth and playing behind the plate. He, too, has been scratched, after pain in his left thumb at batting practice. Yan Gomes will replace him and bat eighth. Santana was injured on Monday at the home opener when a ball thrown by Chris Perez in the ninth inning hit off his left hand near his thumb. Lou Marson relieved him in that game before going on the 15-day DL himself the next day due to a neck injury sustained over the weekend. Yan Gomes and Omir Santos were both recalled from Columbus to give the Indians some options at catcher the past few days. Santana is 13-for-26 on the young season with two homers and 5 RBI. Gomes is 0-for-7 in two games playing catcher this week.

Related: Masterson Wins Pitchers’ Duel With A Little Help From Sir Swish

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Masterson Wins Pitchers’ Duel With A Little Help From Sir Swish

April 13, 2013 by 8 Comments

swishmastyAfter two days off due to rain and two more days before that where the starting pitching failed to show up, we were all hopeful that the Tribe would regroup. Behind their ace, they did just that. Justin Masterson turned his third stellar start to begin the 2013 campaign, going the distance and blanking the White Sox. The Indians squeezed across a run in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off single by Nick Swisher that scored Michael Bourn to give the Tribe a 1-0 victory. With that, the Indians are a perfect 3-0 with Masterson on the hill, and we’re seeing the big right-hander as dominant as he’s been in a Cleveland uniform. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… OSU Spring Game, Geno Smith, and Pronk

April 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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.

WFNYBanner www

Leading off, the Ohio State football spring game is today, and Vico at Eleven Warriors has a nice preview lined up with everything you need to know for all of the action this afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati (how about one in FirstEnergy Stadium, eh?), “The spring game will not perfectly mirror the spirit of an actual football game. There will four 10-minute quarters instead of four 15-minute quarters. There will not be much of a role for special teams. There will be no kickoffs and all punts must be fair caught. As such, Kerry Coombs’ piranha tank will not be on display in Cincinnati. Braxton Miller and Kenny Guiton will be wearing black no-contact jerseys. Thus, they are above tackling during this game, unless Noah Spence didn’t get that memo. Referees will whistle a sack or down by contact if it looks imminent from their vantage point.” [Eleven Warriors]

Have you had enough NFL Draft talk yet? Of course not, you’re a Clevelander! Let’s go to Justin Higdon at DraftBrowns and see what he has to say about West Virginia QB Geno Smith, a potential first-round target, “Smith shows consistent accuracy with his passes, often hitting his receivers in stride and leaving them plenty of room to gain yards after the catch.  On more difficult throws, he shows a knack for placing the ball where only his man can make a play.  Like any quarterback, Smith misses from time to time; but when he does, he rarely makes a costly decision.  He is at his best throwing over the middle, but his sideline and deep ball accuracy are the best in the class.  Smith has a strong arm and is able to fit the ball in tight spaces.  He’ll have no problem making any pass asked of him at the NFL level.” [DraftBrowns]

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Cavalier Film Room: More Defensive Ineptitude

April 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

WFNY Cavaliers Film RoomWhen we last gathered in the film room, I chronicled the 27-point blown lead against the Miami Heat, extending their long winning streak. This week, I’m going to continue to look at the team’s defensive effort and execution. Scott covered the embarrassing loss to Brooklyn on Wednesday night, but just how bad was that second quarter? Well, for starters, the Nets shot a stunning 15-of-18 for the quarter and had 63 points at the half. The Cavaliers played a zone defense for stretches of that game, and it broke down in painful fashion. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the horror. [Read more...]

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Buckeye Basketball 12-Pack: Closing Thoughts

April 3, 2013 by 14 Comments

Thad MattaIt was an up and down season for Thad Matta’s Ohio State Buckeyes. The team ended their season last Saturday night with a 29-8 record and a loss to Wichita State in the Elite Eight 70-66 after trailing by as many as 20 points in the game. Prior to that, the Buckeyes were on a 11-game winning streak that included wins over Michigan State (twice), Wisconsin, Indiana, and lethal offenses in Iowa State and Arizona in the NCAA tournament. In many respects this team overachieved, yet their hot streak, easy tournament draw, and wide open West bracket left falling short of the Final Four a clear disappointment. Here, I’ll cover some of my lasting thoughts from another season of Buckeye basketball. [Read more...]

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Power Outage Sends Bucks Home Instead Of On To Atlanta

March 31, 2013 by 7 Comments

amirblankstareEleven minutes. With 11 minutes to go in their season, the Ohio State Buckeyes woke up out of a coma and started playing. Down 20, they made a valiant comeback effort, closing it to as little as 3 points with 2:48 remaining. However, their disgraceful first half play which included 24% shooting plus a couple of missed defensive rebounds late were too much to overcome as the ninth-seeded Wichita State Shockers stunned the Bucks 70-66 to advance to the Final Four in Atlanta. The loss ends OSU’s season, and it leaves the team and its fans asking what went wrong on the Staples Center floor for a majority of the game. [Read more...]

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LaQuintessential! Ross Sends Bucks To Elite 8 on Second Straight GW Shot

March 29, 2013 by 11 Comments

rossgwzonaTwo straight games. Two shot clocks turned off with a tie game and the ball in the Buckeyes’ hands. Sean Miller’s Arizona Wildcats weren’t going to give Aaron Craft another clean look at a game-winning jumpshot, and Deshaun Thomas had a defender glued on him in the corner. Without calling a timeout, Thad Matta called a Craft-LaQuinton Ross pick and roll from the sideline. When both defenders collapsed on Craft, the Buckeye point made the right read once again, kicking it to Ross, who buried a NBA-range three ball to give the Buckeyes the lead with two seconds remaining and eventually the win.

It capped off a 14-point second half for Ross, and the sophomore who got a late start  as a freshman and next to nothing in terms of playing time last year saved his team for the second straight game. The Buckeyes won 76-73, and they’re going to their second straight Elite 8 after the win in Los Angeles last night. For the second straight game, however, they faced plenty of adversity.

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Craft’s Game-Winner, Late Heroics Save Bucks From Cyclone Upset

March 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

craftgwiowastateTwo turnovers. Two missed free throws at the front end of 1-and-1s. Four missed free throws total in the second half. A layup that had too much spin on it and spun out.

These are all things that happened to Aaron Craft late in this ballgame. The Twitter crowd was out with its pitchforks and lit torches, ready to strike the Buckeyes’ junior point guard. What was a 13-point lead with six minutes remaining became a 2-point deficit with two minutes to go following a 17-2 flash twister from Iowa State. But, Craft made play after play down the stretch, and the goat horns drawn in pencil were erased by a controversial charge taken, a gritty and-one bucket inside, and the game-winner with 0.5 seconds remaining as Craft waved off Deshaun Thomas and sunk the shot himself to lead his Buckeyes to a 4th straight Sweet 16 in a 78-75 thriller in Dayton. [Read more...]

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