Buckeyes starch Arch, hook Texas 14-7

    All the talk entering the Texas Longhorns' visit to Columbus was about the latest Manning to step forward into the limelight and his coronation as the frontrunner to win the next Heisman.

When the Texas Longhorns left Columbus, the talk was how the Ohio State defense neutered the Horns in a 14-7 Buckeye victory. 

Julian Sayin threw a forty-yard touchdown pass and C.J. Donaldson rushed for a one-yard score. Still, the stars were the Ohio State defense, which stopped Texas on fourth down four times, including a goal-line stop that left the Texas version of the Philadelphia Eagles' vaunted "Tush Push" stone-cold stunned.

Ohio State improved to 1-0 and will face Grambling next week.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Ohio State's defense under new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was the standout.

They harassed Arch Manning incessantly, despite finishing with just one sack, and showed a constantly morphing front that understandably confused the inexperienced Manning.

2) Matt Patricia was looked at as damaged goods after an ineffective run as head coach of the Detroit Lions, and with the loss of Jim Knowles to semi-rival Penn State, it was fair to wonder if there would be an adjustment period for the defense.

The season has only begun, but Patricia's defense looked very good against an offense that is as talented or better than any they will face in the regular season.

It's early, but an excellent game to start the season.

3) I've always liked the Manning family.

I was a fan of Archie as a child, and rooted for Peyton and Eli, but it does feel good to slow the Arch Manning train a bit.

Arch Manning is more likely than not to be a fine quarterback, but it would be nice to see some quality play before handing him a Heisman because his uncle was robbed of one.

Oh, too soon for that?

4) One thing that did surprise me?

Arch Manning's throwing mechanics.

Manning throws very oddly, with a motion that reminded me of 1990s Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Juan Guzman. Manning throws with a lot of action from his arm and shoulder, with a violent whipping motion.

I wonder if that will hurt his durability as his career moves forward?

I also question his mechanics from a family that tutors passers.

5) Julian Sayin was the top prep quarterback in 2015 (Arch Manning was the top-rated QB in 2014), but had become the second banana in pre-game hype.

Sayin only threw for 126 yards (13 of 20) but was hurt by first-half drops (two from Jeremah Smith).

Ohio State kept it basic for Sayin and only his scoring throw to Carnell Tate was a downfield toss but by keeping it simple, Sayin's play wasn't going to cost Ohio State the game.

6) Sayin was also hurt by multiple drops early, two by Jeremiah Smith and one on an early game fourth down that was thrown perfectly to tight end Max Klare.

Drops happen and first game wrinkles are expected, so considering the quality of those two players, those struggles aren't likely to continue.

7) Smith finished with six catches for forty-two yards as Texas double-teamed him often but I do think Brian Hartline might have tried too hard to force his star into the offense.

As great as Smith is, he might have been used better on some plays to help others have one on one coverage in shots downfield as in the score to Carnell Tate.

8) The running game was more effective with West Virginia transfer C.J Donaldson ( 19 carries for 67 yards) than with James Peoples (10 for 20 yards).

Donaldson may not have the speed of Quinshon Judkins but his strength inside is a plus.
I like Peoples as a back but he may need this season to be a feature back next year.

9) Caleb Downs is the best defender in the nation but by the end of the year, the player that will be raved about is linebacker Arvel Reese.

Reese was all over the field and even when he didn't make the play, Reese was near the ball and allowed others to make the stop as Texas needed to account for Reese.

10) The fourth down goal line stop on the Arch Manning sneak will be talked about for years and if NFL teams are watching, the seed for stopping the "Tush Push" may have been planted in Columbus.

Watching the play (and I'm not positive on the players who did what) Edrick Houston,  Kayden McDonald, and Caden Curry each had a position with one going low to clog the blocker, another meeting Manning straight up and the third (Curry I think) diving over the top.

I'll be interested to see if teams use this tactice against the Eagles and others this season.

11) Ohio State's schedule eases a bit with games against Grambling and Ohio U before an off week and their first road test against Washington.

I'm not sure about Washington's roster but traveling to Seattle after last year's loss in Oregon does give me a little pause.

PPM

     Time for the beloved PPM, and I have to say I was struggling with a "host" for the Machine this season.

Then, ESPN made it easy with the news of their promotion of Laura Rutledge to their Monday Night Football crew.  

No changes to the college teams (one team per conference) this season, although 2026 will see some changes with the Mountain West and Pac-12 mixing schools up.

College

Ohio State over Texas 20-17

Texas Tech over Arkansas Pine Bluff 55-10

Boise State over South Florida 31-17

Arkansas over Central Alabama 38-13

N.C State over East Carolina 30-23

Bowling Green over Lafayette 42-14

Texas A&M over UTSA 27-17

Georgia Southern over Fresno State 27-20

Middle Tennessee over Austin Peay 41-17

Oregon State over California 31-28

Games of the Week

Clemson over LSU 41-39

Notre Dame over Miami 27-24

I Tell Ya' Herbie

     It's time for our weekly look at the college football world- I Tell Ya' Herbie as we enter week one.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            College Football needs to take more advantage of "week zero" and add more (and better) matchups.

College Football has a two-week head start on the NFL, and fans are desperate to watch some football, so a few more games with impact would not only be welcomed but would also draw good ratings.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Ohio State fans have built up animosity toward Fox due to the network's decision to place the Buckeyes' biggest games at noon, but there could be more on its way if you are a YouTubeTV subscriber.

The streaming service and Fox's carriage agreement have run out, just in time for Ohio State's season opener against Texas in a battle between two of the country's most popular programs.

While these things usually are figured out before a deadline, imagine the vitriol towards both parties if the game is unable to be seen by the rabid fans of both schools.

Editor's Note: A "short-term" extension has been agreed to by both parties to allow the game to be covered.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            After a tepid week zero (other than Iowa State-Kansas State in Ireland), week one has three top ten matchups with top-ranked Texas against third-ranked Ohio State, sixth-ranked Notre Dame facing number ten Miami, and ninth-ranked LSU visiting fourth-ranked Clemson.

The one I find most interesting (other than personal interest) is LSU and Clemson.

Clemson has slipped a bit under Dabo Swinney since the start of the NIL era, and Brian Kelly hasn't won an opener in his LSU tenure.

Add that both teams' quarterbacks (Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier) are regarded as first-round talents in the next NFL Draft, and you have a very interesting game.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Trap game? It might be one in Ames, Iowa, as South Dakota travels to face Iowa State,

The Coyotes made the I-AA semi-finals last season, and while the Cyclones won a big one over Kansas State, they have to travel home from Dublin and play the next week against a team that might surprise them one week before they play in-state rival Iowa.

                            

                            

                             

                  

Browns claim Rocket Sanders

     The Cleveland Browns were expected to use their second overall waiver position to claim multiple players after yesterday's roster cutdowns. Still, they didn't claim as many as expected, using their status to claim two players.

Cleveland claimed running back Raheem "Rocket" Sanders from the Los Angeles Chargers and defensive back Jarrick Bernard-Converse from the New York Jets as their claims.

Sanders played three years at Arkansas before transferring last season to South Carolina, where he rushed for 881 yards and eleven touchdowns for the Gamecocks.

Sanders signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent and rushed for over one hundred yards and two touchdowns.

Some Chargers observers expected Sanders to make the team over 2024 draftee Kimani Vidal, but he was surprisingly among the final cuts.

At six feet, two hundred thirty pounds, Sanders runs between the tackles but has enough speed to run outside as well.

The Browns could have a sleeper in Sanders.

Jarrick Bernard-Converse is a defensive back from LSU who was the Jets' sixth-round draft pick in 2023.

Bernard-Converse played in fifteen games over two seasons with the Jets, with almost all of his game time coming on special teams, which is his likely role with the Browns, who cut Tony Brown and Nik Needham, both of whom were expected as part of the special team unit, so there is a fit for Bernard-Converse. 

 

Browns cut Dustin Hopkins

    The Cleveland Browns trimmed their roster to the required fifty-three men by the Tuesday deadline, with a few interesting names ending their time in Cleveland.

Keep in mind that the Browns are in the second position on the waiver wire, so further roster refinements are likely, but these are the moves for the time being.

The biggest name to leave was kicker Dustin Hopkins, who kicked for the team for two divergent seasons.

Hopkins was excellent for the Browns in 2023, hitting 33 of 36 attempts and going 8 of 8 from 50 yards or more, but was atrocious in 2024, missing 9 of his 27 field goal tries and missing 3 extra points.

Hopkins was given a three-year contract following the 2023 season, so he'll cost a little to go away, but when he missed two preseason extra points, the writing was on the wall for the veteran.

As the kicker for now (and this can always change) is Andre Szmyt, who kicked for the UFL's St.Louis Battlehawks last season, and while I wouldn't be surprised to see the Browns look at a veteran kicker, UFL booters have had success (Detroit's Jake Bates) last season, and the Browns could decide to go with Szmyt.

Cleveland also made a trade, sending a seventh-round draft pick in 2028 to the Los Angeles Rams for tackle KT Leveston.
Leveston was the Rams' seventh-rounder in 2024 from Kansas State, but missed the entire season with an injury to his ankle.

I was surprised to see the Browns release running back Pierre Strong, which leaves the team with only two backs on the roster (Jerome Ford and rookie Dylan Sampson). I expect the Browns to add a running back from the released players tomorrow.

Comebacking wide receiver Diontae Johnson may have reached the end of the line with his release, as undrafted rookie Gage Larvadain beat Johnson out for the final spot at wide receiver.

Larvadain impressed the Browns in camp, and when the Browns signed Isaiah Bond late in the preseason, the battle became Larvadain against Johnson for one spot rather than two..

The Browns also released two veterans from the defensive line, with Sam Kamara and offseason addition Julian Okwara.

Kamara was beaten out by undrafted free agent Adin Huntington, while Okwara suffered a preseason rib injury, damaging his chances of making the roster.

There will likely be more changes tomorrow after the waiver claims are processed.

Browns trade Kenny Pickett to Raiders

     The Cleveland Browns had hinted that they were willing to carry four quarterbacks, but the question was, should they?

The Browns answered that question one day before the cutdown to the 53-man roster as the Browns traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders for the Raiders' fifth-round pick in 2026.

The Browns had obtained Pickett before the draft from the Philadelphia Eagles for Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who the Eagles released today) and the Detroit Lions' fifth-rounder in 2025 that the Browns had obtained in a previous swap, so essentially, the Browns moved a five last year for a fifth next year.

Pickett was touted by some media members as the possible victor in the quarterback competition. Still, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury, which slowed him in camp, and he was unable to play in the preseason.

Las Vegas planned on Aiden O'Connell as their top backup, but O'Connell fractured his wrist in the Raiders' preseason finale, so the Raiders needed a backup for Geno Smith.

The Browns will now (unless a surprise arrives) appear to be ready to enter the season with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as the second and third string quarterbacks.

While I don't think either rookie is ready to play in the league currently, I don't have a problem with the team keeping both, considering the option of releasing one and keeping Pickett, who's proven to be mediocre at best.

The Btowns pick up a fifth-rounder for a player who may not have made the final roster, which is always a good trade, and I see no downside to this transaction.

Cleaning out the inbox-Passings

   The latest in our tributes series to those who have recently left us.

Goodbye to Luis Sharpe at the age of 65.

Sharpe spent thirteen seasons with the Cardinals in St.Louis and Arizona after the Cardinals drafted him sixteenth overall in the 1982 draft from UCLA.

An offensive tackle, Sharpe made three Pro Bowls from 1987 to 89, but as good as his career was, it could have been even better without one career decision.

Sharpe played out his contract with the then-St. Louis Cardinals following the 1984 season, signing with the USFL's Memphis Showboats for the 1985 season.

Since the USFL played in the spring, Sharpe moved from the Cardinals to the Showboats without a break and played eighteen games with Memphis.

The USFL ceased operations after the 1985 season, and Sharpe was free to return to the Cardinals for the 1985 fall season.

Sharpe essentially played over three seasons of football without a rest, and even though he was still an excellent tackle, I believe that he would have been a Hall of Fame-level player without the grueling schedule.

Goodbye to Rahaman Ali at the age of 82. 

The younger brother of Muhammad Ali, Rahaman, never reached heavyweight contention as a professional, finishing with a record of 14-3-1 in eighteen bouts.

Ali turned professional on the same evening ( as Rudolph Clay) that his older brother defeated Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title and lost for the first time on the undercard of Ali-Frazier I in 1971 by decision to Danny McAlinden.

Ali lost his final fight in 1972 by knockout to Jack O'Halloran, who would eventually become an actor, best known as one of the three Kryptonian villains in the 1980 film Superman II.

Goodbye to Lionel Taylor at the age of 89.

Taylor was one of the top receivers in the American Football League's history, playing mostly for the Denver Broncos.

Taylor was the first receiver to catch one hundred passes in a season (fourteen-game seasons then), accomplishing the feat in 1961, and finished with over one thousand receiving yards four times.

Taylor was named to the All-AFL first team four times and spent many years in coaching as an NFL assistant with Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Rams, and was a head coach in college with Texas Southern and in the WLAF with the London Monarchs.

Goodbye to Clyde Austin at the age of 67.

The original "Clyde The Glide" Austin was a highly touted recruit with N.C. State in 1976 and played four seasons for the Wolfpack, averaging twelve points per game for his career.

Austin was drafted in the second round of the 1980 draft by Philadelphia, but failed to make the team.

Austin spent eight years playing with the Harlem Globetrotters to conclude his professional career.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

       It's the return for the 2025 season of our weekly look at the world of college football, also known as I Tell Ya' Herbie.

Leading into the oddity known as Week Zero, there are always things to glance at and think about, so here we go!

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Week zero games often aren't games that will impact the season ahead, but there is one this year- Kansas State meets Iowa State in "Farmageddon" in Dublin, Ireland.

The Cyclones and Wildcats are both predicted to be in contention for the Big 12 title and are ranked entering the season, so this is the rare early-season matchup that could prove to be a major deal in the standings at the end of the year.

The game in the last two seasons was played in six inches of snow in 2023 and with wind chills around zero in 2024, and now travels to Ireland.

It's weird for me because I really dislike the NFL's international games, but when college football does it, I enjoy it more.

Perhaps because they aren't so overt about it being a total cash grab?

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I know I'm biased, but it takes a lot of gall to pull what Michigan did in the Connor Stallions debacle, receive a punishment that didn't include a vacated national title or postseason bans in the future, and THEN appeal the penalty.

For the record- Michigan's record without Connor Stallions 69-24, a good record but not elite.

With Stallions 21-1.

That does nothing to excuse Ohio State's defeat to Michigan last season without Stallions, but the stain from their actions can't be scrubbed away.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Former Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown transferred to California after the 2024 season as he looked for a place where he could start, and the Golden Bears, who finished 6-7 after a bowl loss to UNLV, looked like a promising place.

It didn't end that way as Brown was beaten out by true freshman Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele.

Brown never caused a problem at Ohio State, and I liked his attitude for staying with the team throughout the playoffs rather than looking through the transfer portal, but it could be that Brown just wasn't good enough to start at the Power Four level.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The coach who might be in the warmest seat that isn't being talked about?

Wisconsin's Luke Fickell hasn't jumped out to a stellar start in Badgerland with offensive style changes and a brutal schedule against six ranked preseason teams.

Fickell's position is one to watch as the season begins.

                             

Browns trade Jowon Briggs

    The Cleveland Browns made a minor trade before their final preseason game this weekend, as the Browns traded defensive lineman Jowon Briggs and a seventh-round draft pick in 2026 to the New York Jets for the Jets' sixth-round pick in the same draft.

The seventh-round pick going to Gotham is one that the Browns obtained from Buffalo, so it is likely to be one of the final picks of the draft.

Briggs was the Browns' seventh-round selection from Cincinnati in the 2024 draft and played in six games for Cleveland last season.

Briggs finished the year with three solo tackles and one tackle for loss in his limited action.

Cleveland was likely to make a trade involving a defensive lineman due to depth at the position (which seems hard to believe, but is true).

Briggs was a possible choice considering the Browns used a top-five draft pick at defensive tackle (Mason Graham), signed a high-priced veteran (Maliek Collins), retained veteran Shelby Harris, and still have 2024 second-round pick Mike Hall on the roster, which allowed them to move Briggs.

These deals often are minor, but accumulating picks in the lower rounds can help make a trade happen on the final day of the draft to move up to nab a particular player, as the Browns did in round five of the 2025 draft to select Shedeur Sanders, so give Andrew Berry credit for gaining an asset in return for a player who may have been caught in the roster squeeze but is good enough that it's possible Briggs would not have cleared waivers to return to the practice squad.

Boxing Challenge: Itauma Wallops Whyte

   Dillian Whyte looked in good shape, and he's always given a good effort even in his losses, so Whyte appeared to be ready to test Moses Itauma for the first time.

That didn't happen as the youthful bomber walked through Whyte from the bell, wobbled him badly, and dropped him to the floor.

Whyte got up, but the fight was concluded.

For Itauma, it was the latest in a list of spectacular victories. While the talk has started of a challenge to the undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, Itauma said that he would accept such a fight. Itauma admitted that contenders Joseph Parker and Agit Kabayel were currently more deserving of the chance and stated that he would be willing to fight either man next to qualify for a Usyk fight.

As for Dillian Whyte, he appears to be finished at the top level and is headed for journeyman status, where his name is used to pad the records of young prospects like Itauma.

It's the cycle of life in boxing, and Dillian Whyte is completing the life cycle.

Junior lightweight Raymond Ford defeated veteran Abraham Nova by unanimous decision in a competitive fight.

Ford won by two scores of 97-93 and one of 96-94; I agreed with the latter.

Ford may be headed for a challenge of IBF champion Eduardo "Sugar" Nunez, which is quite intriguing.

Nova fought well in taking the fight on short notice and still maintains his status in the division.

I haven't seen the other two fights in the boxing challenge as of the time of this writing.

Nick Ball retained his WBA featherweight title by a unanimous decision over Sam Goodman 

Editor's Note- I scored the fight for Ball 115-113.

Filip Hrgovic won a unanimous decision over David Adeleye.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 126 Pts (7)

Ramon Malpica: 120 Pts (7)

Vince Samano; 46 Pts (0)

Gabriel takes his turn

   It was Dillon Gabriel's time to take his swing at several preseason possessions as the third-round pick from Oregon led the Cleveland Browns to a 22-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on the road.

Gabriel had missed time in training camp with a hamstring injury and wasn't a sure bet to make this start until shortly before the game.

Gabriel completed thirteen of eighteen passes for 143 yards and one interception, which was returned for a score by Philadelphia's Andrew Mukuba.

Gabriel led the Browns to three scores during his time, a touchdown run by Ahmani Marshall and two Dustin Hopkins field goals from over forty-five yards.

Gabriel threw the ball accurately, and he showed better arm strength than I had seen during his tour of the college football world, so I was mildly surprised.

However, Gabriel had problems finding his way around the pass rush, and I think he's going to have major problems seeing over the line, especially when you consider that he was playing against reserves, who aren't as big or as fast as NFL regulars

I thought Gabriel played well, although if I had to choose between Gabriel's game against the Eagles or Shedeur Sanders' outing against the Carolina Panthers,  I'd select Sanders as the more impressive of the two.

The Browns have preferred Gabriel for the beginning for some reason, and the big question is, do the Browns have the way or the will to keep Gabriel and Sanders?

Plus, Andrew Berry seems to have this irrational love for Kenny Pickett, and unless Pickett can play against the Rams in the preseason finale, the Browns will be forced to make a decision on someone who hasn't played a snap as a Brown.

It's going to be interesting to see how the process plays out and how the Browns justify their decision.

Boxing Challenge

    The boxing challenge is in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with four good matches that, sadly, are on pay-per-view and shouldn't be.

Although the fights are intriguing, they lack the star power that would entice people to purchase them.

In the heavyweight main event, unbeaten bomber Moses Itauma faces his biggest name to date in former heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte.

The twenty-year-old Itauma may be that level in the future as his hammering of opponents to date has been spectacular, while Whyte has won three straight since his 2022 KO loss to Tyson Fury.

Whyte appears to be in great shape, but I'm not sure how much he has left.

If Whyte can bring what he once had to the ring Saturday, he'll be a stern test.

In the co-feature, perpetual punching machine Nick Ball defends his WBA featherweight title against Australia's Sam Goodman.

Ball will be making the third defense of the title he won from Raymond Ford last year.

Goodman was once mandatory for the undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, but his challenge was cancelled when Goodman suffered a cut in training..

The key in this one is this-  Can Goodman hit hard enough to keep Ball's aggression from dominating?

Another heavyweight encounter sees Filip Hrgovic continue his comeback from his loss to Daniel DuBois against once-beaten David Adeleye.

Adeleye's only loss was by KO to contender Fabio Wardley, so it's certainly not a bad defeat, but Hrgovic is on a higher level, so I'd be surprised to see Hrgovic win this fight.

Former WBA featherweight champion Raymond Ford faces Abraham Nova in a ten-round junior lightweight event.

Ford's only loss came to Nick Ball via split decision, while Nova may be on a downward slide.

I'm a fan of both men, but Ford has the talent edge in this one.

Boxing Challenge

Heavyweights, 10 Rds

Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte

Ramon Malpica; Itauma KO 8

TRS: Itauma KO 3
Vince Samano:

WBA Featherweight Title 12 Rds

Nick Ball vs Sam Goodman

R.L and TRS: Ball Unanimous Decision

V.S:

Heavyweights 10 Rds

Filip Hrgovic vs David Adeleye

R.L: Hrgovic KO 6

TRS: Hrgovic KO 8
V.S:

Junior Lightweights 10 Rds

Raymond Ford vs Abraham Nova

R.L and TRS: Ford Unanimous Decision
V.S:

Cleaning out the Inbox-Musical Passings

    It's not often that we have enough tributes at one time to devote to the musical world, but sadly, there has been a run of passings from that world.

Goodbye to Tom Lehrer at the age of 97.

A musical parodist in the fifties and sixties, Lehrer influenced many in the world of music and comedy with his songs, which often poked fun at news items and popular culture.

Lehrer entered semi-retirement from music in the early seventies, preferring a career in education, teaching mathematics and musical theatre, but wrote and performed a few songs for the children's show "The Electric Company" that so many of my era recall fondly.

Lehrer worked for the NSA (National Security Agency) in the fifties and claimed to have invented the "Jello Shot" there to circumvent his base's alcohol restriction.

Goodbye to Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76.

The frontman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, Osbourne had a successful solo career after leaving Black Sabbath and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath.

Between the two, Osbourne sold over one hundred million albums and later became a reality television star with his wife, Sharon.

Osborne also appeared at WrestleMania 2 as the cornerman for the British Bulldogs in their tag team title victory over Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake.

Goodbye to Connie Francis at the age of 87.

Francis sold over one hundred million records during her career, was the first woman to hit number one on the Top 100 chart, and was the first woman to hit number one three times among her 53 hits.

Hits such as "Who's Sorry Now," "Stupid Cupid," and "Lipstick on Your Collar" were all part of the Francis sound, and until the British invasion, Francis was the most popular female singer in the country.

Goodbye to Chuck Mangione at the age of 85.

Mangione's 1978 hit "Feels So Good" reached number four on the charts as a rare instrumental hit, and he continued to create instrumentals, including several themes used during the Olympics.

Mangione is also known for his cameos on "King of the Hill" as the celebrity endorser for the department store "Mega Lo Mart".

Cleaning out the Inbox

 The cleaning of the inbox starts with the long-overdue induction of Dick Allen into the baseball Hall of Fame.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic writes about Allen's induction and why Allen was such an important player to fans who grew up in his era.

I've always thought of Allen as a member of the White Sox more than a Phillie, despite Allen spending more seasons with Philadelphia, because Allen's best Phillies years came before I could remember, but no denying that, outside of Chicago, Allen is remembered as a Phillie.

Finally, it appears that McDonald's has come to its senses as Cherie sent me this note that McDonald's is returning its missing McDonaldland characters as part of a new meal aimed at adults.

The meals will return the classic characters that the company shelved over twenty years ago, and there will be more promotions with those characters in the future, per the company.

Hoping to see more Mayor McCheese, Officer Big Mac, and Captain Crook!

Youngstown, Ohio, will be decorating the entire side of a building with a penguin.

Youngstown State uses the Penguin as their mascot and has given permission for the Gallagher building to paint a mural of Pete the Penguin on the side of the building.

No word on what Pete's wife thinks of the exposure.

The Athletic writes about a treasured staple of my childhood and even adulthood-the preseason football preview magazines.

I collected these for years (and still do), ranging from childhood Street and Smith's to Lindy's and Athlon's regional (Big Ten) magazines, and in recent years, the massive Phil Steele versions.

Steele's college football preview is the number one selling magazine for Barnes and Noble every year, and that stat doesn't come from Steele's self-promotion; it comes from Barnes and Noble itself which has no reason to lie.

I used to buy these from all sports, but now I'm down to only college football in the internet age.

Although I do have a weakness for the seventies Street and Smith's editions, and I still collect them if the price is right.

Still, I look forward to these every year, and I devour Phil Steele's every year as a throwback to a simpler time.

Shedeur stars in Browns preseason curtain raiser

    Shedeur Sanders was handed an opportunity through circumstance that few young quarterbacks receive — a chance to play an almost complete preseason game to showcase his talents to a live studio audience.

Sanders threw two touchdown passes to Kaden Davis and played into the fourth quarter in the Browns 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Sanders completed fourteen of twenty-three passes for 138 yards and didn't throw an interception.

I'm not going to get too in-depth on the game because I was watching at work, and I'll review it later this week, but I did want to write about Sanders, who is dueling for a roster spot against fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

The Browns may need to find a way to keep both, because after a successful game under these constraints, Cleveland will lose Sanders if they try to slide him through to a practice squad slot.

There's no way he wouldn't be grabbed by another team, so Andrew Berry and the Browns already need to be working on how to keep both rookie quarterbacks, because I don't believe either makes it through waivers.

Sanders threw the ball very well, and both of his scoring throws were on the dime, especially the second, which was an absolute dart to Kaden Davis.

Sanders wasn't perfect, though, as he did have a few struggles against the pass rush.

On two occasions, Sanders managed to avoid the rush but hurried his throws, resulting in incomplete tosses.

Sanders's best throw was his thirty-yard gain to free agent WR Luke Floriea, who stretched out to make the catch, but Sanders put the ball exactly where he needed to -where his receiver could catch and where the defensive back couldn't.

It's hard to place preseason success in its proper perspective.

Shedeur Sanders' debut had to be judged a success, and he showed the field vision and skills to give some optimism.

However, he played two drives against the Panthers' starting defense, completed four of eight passes, and didn't score against them, so his success came against reserves and players who won't be playing in the league in a few weeks.

That's preseason football for most players, so that's not a judgment or a criticism; it's just a fact.

Sanders isn't likely to play nearly this much in the final two exhibition contests.

Joe Flacco will likely need a drive or two for sharpness' sake, and Kenny Pickett, along with Dillon Gabriel, will want their look, assuming their injuries will allow it, which I bet each player will badly want their spotlight time, especially after Sanders' play in this game.

There were good things and reasons to hope after seeing Shedeur Sanders, but Browns fans and media need to keep things in line.

No matter how hard it is to do so.

Forgotten Superstars: Dwight Muhammad Qawi

 I originally planned this as part of a tribute post, but it ran long, so I decided to change it to a Forgotten Superstars addition.

Goodbye to Dwight Muhammad Qawi at the age of 72.   

"The Camden Buzzsaw" held the WBC light heavyweight and WBA cruiserweight titles with an aggressive, stalking style that ripped through opponents, leaving them tattered and torn.

Known as Dwight Braxton before his name change, Braxton suffered a defeat and a draw in his first three professional bouts following his release from Rahway State Prison in New Jersey, before ripping off an impressive string of wins that included a KO win over former WBA champion Mike Rossman and a decision win over top contender James Scott in Braxton's return to Rahway.

Braxton's win streak earned him a WBC title shot against Matthew Saad Muhammad, an anchor of network television known for his exciting brawls and miracle finishes to keep his title.

There would be no miracle as Braxton punished Saad Muhammad on his way to a tenth-round knockout to take his title.

Braxton added three quality wins, all stoppages, in his three title defenses against Jerry "The Bull" Martin, Saad Muhammad in a rematch, and Eddie Davis before a highly anticipated unification match in Atlantic City against WBA champion Michael Spinks.

The fight appeared to be a can't-miss action pairing with Spinks's one-punch power and Braxton's charging style. Braxton didn't fight as aggressively as expected, and Spinks chose to box rather than bang, as Spinks won a deserved but disappointing unanimous decision.

Braxton changed his name to Dwight Muhammad Qawi after the fight, winning a few fights before a Spinks rematch was cancelled when Qawi injured himself in training.

Qawi was short (5'7), and there were questions about his size when he moved to the cruiserweight division for a 1985 title challenge in South Africa against WBA champion Piet Crous.

Qawi cut Crous down in eleven rounds to win the title and followed up with a brutal sixth-round stoppage over former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks in his first defense.

This set up a nationally televised fight on ABC in July 1986 from Atlanta's Omni against unbeaten Olympian Evander Holyfield that is still the best cruiserweight fight ever (apologies to Vasily Jirov vs James Toney) with Holyfield winning a split decision over fifteen rounds of hell (fifteen rounders were soon to become extinct) in a fight that could just as easily gone to Qawi.

The Holyfield loss took away (understandably) the best of Qawi, who lost a very questionable decision to former WBA champion Ossie Ocasio and knocked out former IBF boss Lee Roy Murphy in six before the Holyfield rematch, where Holyfield took Qawi out in four rounds.

Qawi was the biggest name in the early portion of George Foreman's comeback, creating quite a dichotomy in the ring with the 6'4 Foreman against the 5'7 Qawi.

Qawi's seventh-round stoppage loss looked like the end of his career, but the Buzzsaw wasn't finished yet, winning four fights in a row to qualify for the WBA cruiserweight title vacated by Holyfield when he moved to heavyweight.

Qawi would lose a split decision to Daniels and would lose his next fight to Mike "The Bounty" Hunter before winning seven of his final nine fights, including a win over former IBF champion Rickey Parkey and a decision loss to former WBA champion Nate Miller.

Qawi retired after the 1992 loss to Miller but returned in 1997-98 with three lower-level fights, winning two of them.

Qawi trained fighters after his retirement and worked with patients at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center before his battle with dementia in recent years.

Qawi was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004, but I wonder how his career could have been even better.

What would have happened had he been more aggressive against Michael Spinks?

Would that have been enough to win the biggest fight of his career?

What if the first Holyfield fight had been held anywhere but Atlanta? 

Would that have nudged Qawi on the judges' cards?

Either way, Dwight Muhammad Qawi was a deserving inductee into the Hall of Fame and led an interesting life that might make a great film.

We welcome Dwight Muhammad Qawi to the Forgotten Superstars Universe.

Boxing Challenge: Hot Night in Chi-Town

     The Golden Boy/DAZN card from Chicago seemed to have an excellent main event, but the co-main event looked almost sad with two former champions meeting in a fight that would only settle which one had lost less from their prime.

The main event lived up to expectations as Oscar Duarte outslugged Kenneth Sims to win a majority decision and an eventual chance against WBA junior welterweight champion Gary Antuanne Russell.

Duarte was more aggressive, while Sims countered well but allowed Duarte to drive him often to the ropes and corners, which the judges preferred.

Duarte won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 (my score), and 114-114, and I think Duarte's eventual challenge of Russell will be another entertaining battle.

The co-feature stole the night as aging former champions Regis Prograis and Joseph Diaz hammered each other for ten brutal rounds in a fight that must be considered at year's end for fight of the year honors.

The fight was action-filled as neither fighter had the legs to move away from the other, and surprisingly, the naturally smaller Diaz packed more power than Prograis, who was a power puncher for most of his career.

Diaz bled badly from a cut over his left eye from a headbutt for most of the battle, which caused several visits from the ringside doctor throughout the match.

No knockdowns were scored, although Diaz wobbled Prograis on a few occasions. However, I'm not sure if that was due to Diaz's punches or the increasingly precarious quality of Prograis's legs.

Prograis was scored the winner by scores of 96-94 (the same as mine) twice and 98-92, which was a bit unfair to Diaz.

This was a great fight, but both fighters had questions before this fight, and a war this fierce may have taken even more out of them.

I'd rather see a rematch than fighters against younger fighters who may overwhelm either fighter.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 119 Pts  (2)

Ramon Malpica: 113 Pts(0)
Vince Samano: 46 Pts (0)

Boxing Challenge

     August is usually a slow month for boxing, and looking at the upcoming schedule, 2025 will be no different.

The only card for this weekend will be from Chicago, from Golden Boy/DAZN, with two junior welterweight fights of interest.

The main event could be a good one with a title eliminator between Oscar Durante and Kenneth Sims.

Duarte has won three straight since his ninth-round knockout loss to Ryan Garcia in December 2023, and his straight-ahead style almost always makes for fun fights.

Sims doesn't have the power of Duarte, but he possesses better boxing skills and yet isn't a strict mover, as Sims is willing to swap punches.

I like this fight very much between the two contenders, and I'd be surprised if this wasn't an entertaining scrap.

The co-feature looks good on paper with two former champions meeting, but both combatants have seen better days, with the loser of this one should consider walking away from the game.

Regis Prograis has held world titles on two occasions but has looked terrible in losing routs to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall in his two recent fights.

What's worse for Prograis is that he was knocked down by both Haney and Catterall, neither of whom is a strong puncher.

Joseph Diaz once held the IBF junior lightweight title but is only 2-6 in his last eight fights, and while some of those losses are to excellent fighters (Devin Haney, William Zepeda, Oscar Duarte) others are of lesser quality and his recent win in an eight rounder went the distance against an opponent with a 6-4-1 record.

Some times you can get a good fight out of two guys past their prime because they can't move out of each others way but just as often, you can have two guys huffing and puffing while they do nothing. 

Boxing Challenge

Junior Welterweights, 12 Rds

Oscar Duarte vs Kenneth Sims

Both: Sims Unanimous Decision 

Junior Welterweights.10 Rds

Regis Prograis vs Joseph Diaz

R.L : Diaz Unanimous Decision

TRS : Prograis Unanimous Decision