Ohio State & Navy: A game full of class

In what was a closer-than-expected game today, Ohio State pulled out a win in their season opener, in front of an opening day record crowd of 105,092 fans. As I watched the game from my seats in 'B' Deck, the game itself was a typical game - passes were thrown, kicks were returned and fans for both teams sat on the edge of their seat during pivotal moments in the game.

However, it was what took place off the field and surrounding the game that stood out most. The entire stadium went silent after the game for the Alma Mater - the Navy's Alma Mater that is. As I looked around as the Navy band played their Alma Mater for their team, fans that bleed the Scarlet and Gray didn't only stop, but many also removed their hats out of respect for the Naval Academy. The Ohio State University Marching Band even paid tribute to the Navy's presence by playing 'Anchor's Away'.

Prior to the game, when it was time to take the field, the two teams met outside the South end zone of Ohio Stadium, formed into two lines and went through and shook hands - a very classy show of respect by both schools - and then together, side-by-side - the players, coaches, staff and cheerleaders took the field.

Throughout the entire day, you could feel the level of integrity in the air that the teams brought into the game - sure there was a late hit here and there, but that's all part of the game. Personally, as an OSU Alum, I was extremely proud of the Ohio State organization and it's fans. I don't think I've ever seen, or ever will see, a college football game where that type of respect and class is demonstrated by both teams. Especially given that bad rap that Ohio State gets for often acting all "high and mighty" and the perception that they only schedule easy games early in the season as an 'extended training camp', I was proud of the way that the University was represented on national television.

Sure, when the season progresses, I'm sure there will be curses spat in the direction of the opponents and their fans and the home crowd of 100,000+ will be portrayed as being quite inhospitable at times, but what I am going to remember about the Ohio State football organization for a long, long time is the game that took place on Sept. 5, 2009 against Navy and how both teams demonstrated the level of respect and class that should be a lesson to the rest of NCAA. It is truly something that should be admired, commended and something that one day becomes commonplace in the sport.

The Cleveland Browns might have a chance – emphasis on MIGHT

After reading this column by columnist Jeff Schudel, I am coming away impressed by Eric Mangini. (If you haven’t read the column at this point, go ahead and read it and come back – I’ll refer to it from here on out).

Players are tackling in practice.

Should I be surprised? No, these are professionals, why wouldn’t they tackle.

Am I surprised? You better believe it – I mean, this is the Cleveland Browns, the same Cleveland Browns that didn’t tackle in practice with Romeo Crennel at the helm.

I never understood why Crennel didn’t have live tackling in his practices – Schudel’s column explains that Crennel had always cited wanting to prevent injuries, but guess what? As soon as the first game comes around, the other team starts hitting. And since they were hitting all throughout training camp, they’re hitting hard. And when your guys on offense haven’t been getting hit, it makes that hit feel that much harder.

Does adding tackling alone to the practice make the Browns a significantly better team and a threat in the AFC North? Of course not – there are bigger problems, such as the quarterback controversy, the mystery surrounding Braylon Edwards leg injury and how Mangini’s style will interact with a team that was proceeded by one of the most pathetic head coaches in the NFL.

But you know what? Having live tackling in practice sure couldn’t hurt (no pun intended). In my opinion, it allows everyone to get amped up, because the defense gets to chest-bump each other after a big sack and the offense gets to rub it in the face of the defenders when there’s a missed tackle. Sure, injuries will happen, but I’d rather have some sprained ankles and bruised ribs cause some guys to sit out of preseason rather than the regular season.

So what would I consider a ‘good’ season for the Browns in 2009? How about an 8-8 finish, and in the division, let’s go 4-2 (I’m banking on a 2-0 record against the Bengals and then hoping to split the season series with the Ravens and Steelers). As if that’s not ambitious enough, I’d like to see 1 quarterback start all 16 games, barring any injuries obviously. If they finish .500 under new management and a new head coach, I’ll be happy.

So what’s next for the Browns, or Cleveland sports, or just anything and everything in general? Stay tuned and I’ll let you know what’s on my mind.

The Cleveland Indians: Becoming more of a Minor-League team everyday

How many teams tend to trade reigning Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back years? Granted, Mark Shapiro had a halfway decent reason for trading CC Sabathia last year because he was in the final year of his contract, but Cliff Lee still has another year on his contract.

With a bunch of utility players and almost a new lineup every day, the Indians resemble a T-Ball team more than a Major League Baseball team. Remember those days as a child when you changed positions almost every inning, so that everyone got to play every position? That’s basically what the Indians are this year – I mean, this week alone, Chris Giminez, who started the year in AAA Columbus as a Catcher, has started in Left Field. Andy Marte, a SS/3B, appears to be the replacement for 1B Ryan Garko, who was also traded recently. Throw in Jeremy Sowers, who has been back and forth between AAA Columbus and the Cleveland starting rotation, and you’ve got a mess.

Trading players can be good – it can be a great way to build up a team. When done effectively, you get results that yield both short-term and long-term success. Mark Shapiro, however, doesn’t know what ‘smart’ or ‘effective’ or any other similar words, mean. Mark Shapiro’s favorite thing to do seems to be to trade off big name players for a handful of prospects, which he ensures us will pay off in the long run.

Apparently, I must be crazy – of COURSE these players are going to pan out and be utilized as superstars – just like Matt LaPorta, right? I mean, LaPorta was the focus of the Sabathia trade and was supposed to be the future of the team. If you’re thinking “What has he done this year? I must have not been watching the games he played in” – don’t worry. He’s only had 42 at-bats in 13 or so games this year. Eric Wedge’s idea earlier in the season of bringing LaPorta up from Columbus, where he was playing every day, to Cleveland, where he got to ride the bench, was just one of Wedge’s poor coaching decisions.

Once I heard that Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco and Ryan Garko had been traded, I thought for sure that since the Indians were throwing in the towel, LaPorta HAD to be one of the call-ups to fill out the roster. I mean, after all, the towel has already been thrown in on the season, so may as well give the kid a shot, right? Of course not – Trevor Crowe, a powerful .169 hitter, was called up to fill in a roster spot and inevitably rotate into Cleveland’s jumble of a lineup.

Dolan and Shapiro need to wake up and realize that to make money (through ticket sales, merchandise sales, etc.), you need to spend some money. And not on wash-ups like Kerry Wood (10 mil/year contract), but on strong star players, such as Martinez and Lee, and most importantly, in the front office. A new manager is needed and I’m pretty sure I speak for most of Cleveland when I say that Shapiro also needs to be fired and run out of town.

Stop back soon and see what I’m ranting about – the good news is that the trade deadline is nearing and after that, the Indians will have to wait until season’s end to unload more talent.

Astana Team and Riders lose Position going into Stage 15

Team Astana, a favorite in the 2009 Tour de France, as both a team and as individual riders, were expected to be leading the way for the Tour, and while Team Columbia/HTC is a strong team, the two teams were expected to be battling head-to-head for the overall lead.

However, things took a turn for the worse in the last few kilometers of Stage 12 - Levi Leipheimer, one of Astana's top 3 riders (along with Armstrong and Contador), crashed and ended up looking like this in the morning, with a broken wrist causing him to have to drop from the race.

In my opinion, between Leipheimer and Contador, Levi was the stronger teammate for Armstrong, especially after Contador's escape from the team in an early stage of the tour, stranding Armstrong, Leipheimer, and the rest of the team.

Now, as the Tour heads into Stage 15, Astana rides as a team in 5th, with it's two top riders falling to 3rd and 4th overall. The bad news is that Leipheimer is now out, and the Team Time Trial already took place earlier on in the Tour, where Astana and it's riders had an excellent showing. The good news is that in the last 7 stages, several of them are mountains, where Armstrong tends to be able to excel and there is still an Individual Time Trial - which could feel good for Armstrong, knowing he doesn't have to worry about racing alongside other riders. In addition, this gives Armstrong a chance to try and pull off a strong individual stage to move up in the standings - and hopefully, in my opinion, past Contador. The Individual Time Trial will be Stage 18 of the 21 stage tour, so all the riders need to make sure to take advantage of it, as it could be one of the last chances to make up time in the Tour.

Will AG2R hold off the competition and take the team championship? Or will Columbia/HTC and Astana live up to the pre-tour hype and make a move up from 3rd and 5th, respectively, as they charge toward the finish. The one thing that is guaranteed is that the Tour will prove to be exciting as the finish draws closer. If you're looking to get updates as the tour continues to press on and wind up, you should follow @lancearmstrong on Twitter. Throughout the Tour it's been interesting to follow Lance's thoughts on the Tour, reflections on the Tour and it's been interesting to hear about the Tour from Lance via Twitter.

Good news for the Tour as a whole is that the overall ratings we up 77% through the first 10 stages. This is largely in part due to Armstrong's return to the Tour, but also due to general increase in interest in the Tour, as well as the fact that many people can get Versus (the cable channel covering the Tour) in HD now. Many places I've gone to for lunch recently have had the Tour on a prominent television. In addition, the coverage has been excellent, which has been strong in retaining viewers from day-to-day, stage-to-stage. If you haven't watched a stage of the Tour de France, I would suggest you watch at least part of one - it's more exciting than you may think!

Keep checking back and I'll keep you posted on what's on my mind.

What’s that? I can’t play baseball during my ENTIRE Suspension?

The L.A. Dodgers recently had sellout crowds - for their Single-A and Triple-A affiliates. Why, you might ask? Because Manny Ramirez was in town for those games on his 'rehab assignment'.

Rehab? Was Ramirez returning from an injury? No, instead he was preparing to return from his 50-game suspension for testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs.

I'm fine with letting players go on rehab assignments - in fact, having a minor-league team in the Cleveland Indians organization not too far down the road from me, it is often fun to see big name players come into town as they recover from a variety of injuries before they head back up to the big leagues.

But a rehab assignment for a player that was on Performance Enhancing Drugs? That sounds like a rehab assignment that should be taking place at a hospital, not a minor-league stadium.

Still, if the Dodgers felt like Ramirez needed to 'work his way back up', that's fine. What irks me, as well as MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, is the fact that Ramirez, as well as other players, are starting these 'rehab' assignments while they're still under a MLB suspension. Unfortunately, loopholes have been found and taken advantage of - and this will continue until at least December 2011, when the current rules for MLB will be reevaluated and agreed upon again.

A suspension should be just that - a player that is suspended should not be permitted to play for any MLB Minor League Affiliate, as the suspension should go across the board. Also, if Ramirez was going to do this 'rehab' assignment to get back in shape anyways, why didn't he spend his entire 50 game suspension in the Dodgers farm system? I mean, if you're going to bend the rules, why not go all out and just do a tour of the various minor-league affiliates of the L.A. Dodgers?

In my eyes, a suspension is a suspension. If you have a MLB contract and Major League Baseball has suspended you - whether it be for Performance Enhancing Drugs, or slugging a player in a bench-clearing brawl - a suspension should carry across the entire realm of Major/Minor League Baseball.

Keep stopping by and see what I'm ranting about next!

What happens AFTER the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

If you weren't up this morning to see the 'Outside the Lines' (OTL) segment on the upcoming 2010 World Cup and the effects, short-term and long-term, on South Africa, I recommend you watch it here.

One of Africa's fastest growing countries, the 2010 World Cup will provide, at least short-term, an economic stimulus to the country and the cities in which many of the games will be played in. In the OTL report, it is talked about how main roads are being redone to accommodate bigger and better transit systems to connect fans from the hotels to the stadiums. Also, the other obvious economic benefit of the 2010 World Cup bid is the thousands of jobs that have and continue to be created to complete all of the projects that go along with building up a country to host a World Cup.

If you haven't been following the news relating to the 2010 World Cup, then you may not know that the construction workers who are working on these projects went on strike - mainly for higher wages. It appears that this has been resolved, at least in principal, and should be finalized this week. This will bring 70,000 South African workers back to work, receiving substantially higher wages. While the final numbers have not been disclosed, the AP reports that employers had offered an 11.5% wage increase, while the unions had been demanding a 13% wage increase, so I would imagine it would be in that range. Also, if you watch the OTL report, workers were also promised other perks, including World Cup tickets, that they seem to want to have in a written agreement, as opposed to a verbal 'promise'.

I think the wage increases is something that will greatly benefit the country on this project. Yes, it will be fabulous for the country to go through the experience of having the World Cup in South Africa. Stadiums will be built, railways will be improved and the spot light will be on South Africa, but what about after the World Cup is over. The investment for the World Cup should expand beyond the facilities and projects that are dedicated to the World Cup and into the communities of South Africa, an investment that would last long beyond the few weeks the World Cup lasts for.

It is almost certain that South Africa will gain so much and show the world that South Africa isn't necessarily the gun-slinging country that many people around the world view it as (on OTL, one of the South Africans even mentions how he is looking forward to the world finally getting to see South Africa in the spotlight). This could be a historic and monumental event that changes global perceptions of South Africa, providing even more reason to invest heavily in the entire country, not just the essential projects for the 2010 World Cup.

The spotlight will be on South Africa from now until the championship match of the 2010 World Cup - now it's on the country to determine how they're going to handle the World Cup spotlight and the glow it casts on the surrounding communities. Will an investment be made in developing and improving the communities surrounding the excitement, or will the focus solely lie on the World Cup? Only time will tell.

Stop back here soon and I'll let you know what's on my mind.

Swine Flu? Not again!

I was doing my daily search of the news today, when I stumbled across something that I had almost completely consciously forgotten about - the SWINE FLU! Apparently, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary came out and announced today that the U.S. Government has already set aside 1 BILLION dollars to purchase supplies for a Swine Flu vaccine, which is the H1N1 strand of influenza.

Obviously, what this can be translated to read as is that the U.S. Government is taking 1 billion dollars in taxpayer money that could be spent on education or a number of other government-funded services and is instead spending it on the H1N1 flu vaccine.

A bit excessive? I think so.

I understand the need to have a vaccine. What I don't understand is why 1 billion dollars needs to be appropriated to the H1N1 vaccine. I'm not sure what the numbers are on the out-of-pocket cost to get a flu shot for the 'average American' is, but I do know that if I went to a clinic or a doctor to get a flu shot, that I'd be paying somewhere in the range of $10-$25 for the shot. And this would be for the 'normal' flu - the same flu that kills approximately 36,000 Americans each year. This feared 'Swine Flu' has, according to the HHS Secretary, killed more than 400 people already - 170 of those occurring in the United States.

So why the push for a 1 billion dollar medical campaign to create a vaccine for the Swine Flu? It's quite simple really - ever since it was first discovered, the Swine Flu (H1N1 strand of influenza, remember!) has been blown out of proportion by the media. Yes, the Swine Flu has claimed hundreds of victims, but in comparison to the 'general' form of influenza, the impact it has had on the world is minuscule.

A billion dollar vaccine push is something that needed to be reevaluated and reanalyzed before implementing it. While I agree that the 'Swine Flu' vaccine should be made available to the public, it should not be a billion dollar campaign, and those who wish to participate should have to pay for the shot, just like the 'normal' flu shot - the government shouldn't be taking tax payer money and throwing it into a vaccine for a strand of the flu that has only caused 170 U.S. deaths to date. With bigger problems going on with the economy and other government-related funding, this should take the back seat to all of that, receiving less attention and funding. However, due to the media circus and 24-hour news cycle that has often done more harm than good recently, the 'crisis' of the Swine Flu has been blown out of proportion by the media, creating a demand by the public on the government for a solution.

If you're thinking what I think you're thinking "But you're blogging about it, so aren't you part of this vicious 'media circus'?" - to that I say, call it what you want, but I'm just telling you what I think about today's announcement of the billion dollar vaccination program.

Keep coming back here - who knows what I'll be talking about next!