Cleaning out the inbox-Sports version

Cleaning out the inbox from the sports world this time and we have plenty to offer.

Starting with a suspected arson in Detroit where the famous Kronk Gym burned down.
Home of the Kronk Boxing team which was so dominant in the 80's and 90's, the original building which was built in the 1920's was where numerous world champions were developed by trainer Emanuel Steward, including the three in the poster to the left in Thomas Hearns, Milton McCrory and Jimmy Paul.

John Lepak writes a tremendous article on UCN about Kronk, the building, the fighters and what it was like to train there.
It is one of my favorite articles that I have read this year-Great work by Lepak.

The San Antonio Current writes an oral history of the USFL's San Antonio Gunslingers.
Lots of good USFL stories about shyster owner Clinton Manges, the team's money problems and how the team shoved the required amount of seats into old Alamo stadium that needed more to meet a league rule...

Battlin' Bob listed this Deadspin article on Facebook of the story of pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada and his attempts at real fighting in MMA.
Takada was a wrestler that wasn't talented at either shoot wrestling or martial arts or anything in between, but he managed to fool people into thinking he was the toughest man in the world (If you lived in Japan maybe).
That lasted until the first time he faced any competition and was easy pickings for Rickson Gracie, who was regarded as the best of the famous Gracie family of fighters.
The story is quite interesting, even if you are only a fan of either wrestling or MMA from the early days of the MMA phenomenon in the early to mid 1990's...

Eric Williams writes for ESPN about the "Los Angeles" Chargers needing to catch up to the Rams in the battle for Los Angeles and believes changing full time to the much-loved powder blue uniforms would be a great idea.
I agree as the uniforms are terrific to see and might make Los Angeles buy in as the Chargers change their look to the past (not an awful future like the Browns did) and at the same time the market feels like the Chargers being in town truly becomes their team...

California Scheming

I know all about the feeling that football fans in Southern California (Far Southern California that is) have today.
They feel betrayed and I've been there with the Browns,so I know how they feel,but this is an unusually special money grab.

The National Football League is well known for taking any dollar that they can grab and for almost any reason and this extends to their franchises.
Their lack of caring and concern extends from Cleveland having the Browns ripped away despite sellouts to be given to Baltimore,who wouldn't have needed a team at all,had the NFL not punched them in the face twice with the Colts moving to Indianapolis and Paul Tagliabue  picking Jacksonville (great call,by the way) over Baltimore in 1990's expansion,so that his beloved Washington D.C could remain the only team in a market that would never accept the Redskins in the Baltimore portion to allowing teams to return to towns for twenty year checks,only to allow those cities (St.Louis and Oakland) to be held up later for more opulent stadiums.
Cities that deal with the NFL do so at their own peril and more than likely,accommodating them is a 10 to 15 year time-share in keeping them happy.
Being fair,baseball is no different as 20ish year old parks in Arlington and Atlanta are being replaced as obsolete,so the NFL isn't alone,but they seem to have a unique place as they almost always (emphasis on both words) go for the money.

San Diego isn't blameless as despite some attempts to finance a new stadium,they have not been able to get a deal finished.
Qualcomm Stadium is 50 years old and I can see the points for a new facility,although sometimes a nice renovation can go a long way (Arrowhead in Kansas City for example) towards revitalization,I agree with the Chargers needing to catch up with the times.
Here are my problems with this.

The city of San Diego has made a decision that the Chargers/NFL is not of the same value to their community as the financial commitment would take to keep them there.
Many people in the sports world are applauding San Diego for not doing so (I saw Rachel Nichols doing so on Twitter to name one person) and if that's how they feel,good for them.
Usually,that doesn't last for long with pro sports (I know the feeling with the Hagerstown Suns),people discover what they have lost and the arduous task of returning pro sports to their town begins.
That's a long road that even if successful,the community winds up spending just as much,if not more to return sports to the area than they would have spent to begin with to keep the team.
Not to mention the moral dilemma that so many have to deal with-stealing because you were stolen from.
I'd have much more respect for San Diego,if they simply said that the NFL has simply gotten too expensive for their city and are moving in different directions.

As for the Chargers,they are a laughing stock after this move.
Not even the Los Angeles media seem interested in the Chargers,they'll be entering a market with two baseball teams (Dodgers and Angels),one other pro football team (Rams),two basketball teams (Lakers and Clippers),two hockey teams (Kings and Ducks) and two major college programs (UCLA and USC) that are powerhouses in football (USC) and basketball (UCLA) to contend with for attention.
They'll be playing in a 30,000 seat stadium for two years until the stadium built for the Rams (and now Chargers) will be ready and have released a logo that basically is a knockoff of the Dodgers that has brought guffaws from all over social media.
Add to that,the Southern California sports fan that notoriously often times is only interested in winning teams and terrific weather that allows year around activity and the Chargers are going to have a very difficult time with a 5-11 team and an aging quarterback (Phillip Rivers) cementing itself in that local sports scene.
The Chargers have long ago being shown to be a franchise that doesn't worry about its fans and customers.
From refusing to give the fans what they want (the powder blue uniforms) to firing the most successful coach in its history (Marty Schottenheimer) to keep around a general manager who sent the franchise to its current spiral,the Chargers have usually succeeded by accident and more often failed by a stubbornness by the Spanos family to listen to its fan base or to anyone that had successful in football.

I see no winner in this fiasco.
The Chargers are going to be shoved into a market that could care less,San Diego loses professional football with the money that brings in,the NFL continues to look like a company that would put a team in Minot, North Dakota,if they'd build them stadium,the Spanos family joins the list of owners that moved a team out of town despite fan support and the fans in San Diego,who can look to Baltimore as an example of having to steal a team for a return to the league,as the NFL will look at San Diego as being close enough to Los Angeles to not be a must have return...

Sad thing to see yet another city lose its team,but in the end.sports are only a game to their fans-to everyone else,it is always a business and in business-money is always the bottom line....

Browns finally win-Shock Chargers 20-17

Brownie the Elf is stunned with a victory

The special teams stepped up and made a big play when it counted with another play being helped by a rolling clock and the Cleveland Browns finally won a football game as they defeated the San Diego Chargers 20-17 in Cleveland.
Jamie Meder blocked a Josh Lambo field goal attempt with 3;49 to play that would have tied the game and the Chargers had to try another attempt with the clock winding down and without any timeouts,Lambo's kick was rushed and drifted wide right from 45 yards to ensure the Cleveland win.
Isaiah Crowell rushed for two touchdowns with Cody Parkey adding two field goals for the Browns points on the day.
The now 1-14 Browns finish the season in Pittsburgh next week against the Steelers...

Brownie Bits

1) The most encouraging thing that I feel about today?
Effort.
I kept seeing tweets across my timeline applauding the effort and comparing the Browns effort to the rollover that the Jets under Todd Bowles did at the same time against the Patriots in a positive manner.
There is still much to do,but it's stuff like that that makes me hope that things are on the right track...

2) Robert Griffin looked both good and bad before being driven from the game with a concussion in the fourth quarter.
Griffin looked very good when he had the ball in his hands,avoiding sacks (more on that later) and running with the football (42 yards on 6 carries),but his passing was inaccurate ( two touchdown to open receivers that he just plain overthrew) and I just don't see any hope of Griffin maturing as a passer.
I'm not saying Griffin won't get another chance next season,but his performance doesn't warrant entering next season as the starter or even a challenger for the job..

3) One reason that Griffin may have thrown so poorly (and ran by need) as another weaker day for the offensive line,
The Chargers dumped Griffin seven times and his replacement Cody Kessler two more times and harassed both all day long.
The line really struggled against the Charger rush,

4) Which brings us to a gentleman named Joey Bosa,who the Browns could have had and the Chargers were smart enough to grab.
The Browns traded down and wound up with Corey Coleman,Shon Coleman (who never plays),Ricardo Louis (who did make a nice special teams tackle,but has dropped several passes this year and Spencer Drango,who has played decently on the offensive line) for now and whatever players the Browns grab with the Eagles first rounder next year and second rounder in 2018,so this deal and its results are far from itched in stone,but I can say one thing-Joey Bosa is the type of pass rusher that the Browns have not had in years (2 sacks,3 tackles for loss and 3 hits) and his hit on Robert Griffin that was called roughing the passer (although I didn't agree) was punishing to be conservative and debilitating to be honest.
Joey Bosa just might be the next advancement in pass rushing excellence in this league.

5) The offensive line was better in running the football as the Browns finished with 124 yards rushing compared to just 34 for the Chargers.
Some of that total was on unplanned scrambles by Robert Griffin,but in run blocking ,I thought the line played pretty well..

6) Former Ashland Eagle Jamie Meder came through with the play of the game with his block of Josh Lambo's kick.
Meder reminded me of former Brown Shaun Rogers,who was a similar wide body that seemed to always be a kick blocking threat by swallowing two blockers up the middle and sticking up a massive paw.

7) Don't underestimate the inbounds tackle by Jamar Taylor on Antonio Gates on the final offensive play of the game.
Without Taylor wrapping up and keeping Gates inbounds,the Chargers would have been able to take their time for Josh Lambo (an excellent kicker by the way) and allow things to set up.
Instead,they were forced to rush on the field and make the 45 yard attempt on the fly.
I would offer no blame for any kicker missing under those circumstances...

8) Jamar Taylor made another great play late in the game before the Meder field goal.
Phillip Rivers fired the ball on target to Tyrell Williams in the end zone,who appeared to have his hands on the ball,ready to secure it and with it-a San Diego lead.
Taylor wasn't having that as he stuck his hands in there and knocked the ball out to force an incomplete pass and after a 3rd down incompletion forced the field goal try that Meder would reject..

9) One player that I have noticed over the last few weeks has been Ed Reynolds at safety.
Reynolds has went from released by the Eagles to the Browns practice squad to the regular team to playing a lot all during this season.
Reynolds might have his issues in coverage,but his high energy play makes me think of the type of player that might be pretty productive when he is surrounded by better athletes in the secondary...

10) I'm well noted for not caring as much about these meaningless late season games because I feel once you get to a certain point,the Browns are better off getting a higher pick.
I'm not saying the team tanks a game or should tank a game,I'm saying it would be better for the future to lose these games,not the present.
I didn't feel that way on this day.
I rooted,cheered and hollered during this one because I didn't want my team to be labeled with the 0-16 tag.
There has been plenty of teams that won just one game in a season and those teams are quickly forgotten-the teams that go winless are quickly recalled.
I didn't want to see the Browns on that list...

11) That said,my idea of a great Christmas eve was a Browns win and then a San Francisco win in Los Angeles,so the Browns not only win,they retain the top pick in the draft (San Francisco is likely to "win" a tiebreaker,which is opponent's strength of schedule.
After a great dinner with Cherie,Rachel and my "Sister" Denise Nicarry at Hong Kong restaurant,I came home to a Rams lead of 14-7 and I went to bed disappointed as I needed a nap before a 12 hour shift at work.
I "heard" the Rams increase the lead to 21-7 in fourth quarter play as I drifted off and awoke for work to see the Niners scored two touchdowns and a game winning two point conversion to win the game and keep the Browns at first overall.
Only an unlikely win in Pittsburgh could keep the Browns away from that top pick now.!
Pretty good day!!!

Cleaning out the inbox-Sports Version

Time for more cleaning out the inbox,this time from the sports world..

Goodbye to Buckeye legend John Hicks at the age of 65.
Hicks was a three time All-American for the Buckeyes and was the Outland and Lombardi trophy winner in 1973.
Hicks finished second in the 1973 Heisman voting and that is the highest Heisman finish for a lineman ever.
Hicks was the dominant Buckeye offensive lineman of his day and until the arrival of Orlando Pace was considered the gold standard of Buckeye blockers.
Hicks was the 3rd overall pick in the 1974 draft by the Giants and played four years for them,but injuries prevented him from a longer pro career.
Hicks passed from complications due to diabetes...

Another goodbye to former Washington Bullet Greg Ballard at the age of 61.
Ballard played eight seasons in Washington after being drafted in 1978 before finishing up with two season with the Warriors.
Ballard's first two years with the Washington were the highlights of franchise history with the team reaching back to back finals against the Seattle SuperSonics and winning their only NBA title in 1978.
Ballard was a solid player,but not a star averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds for his career.
Ballard spent his post-playing career as a scout and coach for various teams....
Ballard passed from prostate cancer...

Goodbye to early 1990's heavyweight contender Alex Stewart at the age of 52.
Stewart was never won a big fight,,but was best known for losing a controversial decision to George Foreman along with losses to heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield (twice),Mike Tyson and Michael Moorer.
Stewart passes of blood clots in his lungs.

Shannon Hogan is the host of the New York Islanders broadcast and I've wished we were able to have her (among many) on the Devils broadcasts.
Hogan recently penned this article on why she moved to sports broadcasting from the news division.
Her words on why sports can mean so much even when things are falling apart around us are very true and well written.
I guess her reasoning is part of why sports have meant so much to me over the years...

UniWatch looks at one of the best uniforms in the NFL-the long hoped for Powder Blue jerseys of the San Diego Chargers that the Chargers wear once or twice a year and then everyone comments on why the Chargers should wear all the time.
The Chargers had a few slightly different uniforms from those days as the article discusses.
As for me-I love em and even have a powder blue Lance Alworth jersey in my closet and I'm not even a Charger fan...

Kathy Duva is best known now as the promoter of Sergey Kovalev,but in the 1980's her Main Events promotion with the late Dan Duva promoted lightweight champion Livingstone Bramble.
Duva offers her memories with Ring Magazine of Bramble's successful upset of then WBA lightweight champion Ray Mancini from Buffalo in 1984.
I always was a fan of the eccentric Bramble and got a kick out of his various behaviors....

The Comeback looks at the conference looked at as the weakest of the conferences in Division I football in the Sun Belt and discusses a strong season for the conference.
With Troy and Appalachian State each having big years,I'd rate the Sun Belt above Conference USA this year and maybe even the MAC as well..

Browns hit Heartbreak Hotel vs San Diego 30-27

The Cleveland Browns twice in the waning minutes appeared to have pushed the San Diego Chargers to overtime-first with Josh McCown's TD pass to Gary Barnidge and then tying the game on a two-point conversion pass from McCown to Taylor Gabriel.
The issue was this -Had the Browns left too much time on the clock for Phillip Rivers?
The answer? Yes as Rivers adroitly moved the Chargers down the field for a 39-yard game-winning attempt by rookie Josh Lambo.
To the surprise of Browns fans, Lambo hooked the attempt to the right and overtime loomed.
Until you saw that dreaded piece of yellow laundry on the field.
The result was the Browns Tramon Williams being called for offsides and Lambo getting a second chance, this time from 34 yards, which naturally he drilled and San Diego escaped with a 30-27 win.
Josh McCown led the Browns offense with 356 yards passing with two scores with Travis Coons adding three field goals.
The now 1-3 Browns travel to Baltimore Sunday for a meeting with the Ravens...

Brownie Bits

1) You expect a rookie or a young player to jump offside on a play that could determine a game.
You don't expect a veteran like Tramon Williams to do so, simply inexcusable...

2) Josh McCown played well in not throwing an interception and only turning the ball over once on a fumble caused by a blindside hit.
I still think that Johnny Manziel needs to play and McCown isn't the future at all, but overall, McCown took care of what he could control...

3) The offensive line had real issues as the Chargers entered the game with just one sack.
They left it with five as Josh McCown was dumped four times and rushed throughout.
Alex Mack is struggling and Joel Bitonio has regressed from a strong rookie year.
The O-Line is a disappointment to me.

4) But not nearly as much as the defense, which has been disappointing and way overrated.
Many Browns fans/observers thought this defense could be a top-five defense.
I didn't see them as that good but thought they had a chance to be an upper half of the league defense.
They might be the worst in the league.

5) Joe Haden was listed as probable, yet didn't play.
Mike Pettine said the call was Haden's not his.
The listing of probable means you are highly likely to play and the league has said they are looking into the matter...

6) Gary Barnidge is developing into a receiving threat at tight end.
Barnidge caught all six passes thrown to him including what is the catch of the year thus far for the Browns.
Barnidge will never be confused with Jimmy Graham as a deep threat, but like a sure-handed shortstop, he catches what is thrown to him...

7) Isaiah Crowell finished with 63 yards rushing, but his reception of 53 yards set up a score.
Breaking tackles and running hard, if Crowell can become even a decent threat in the passing game, Crowell could suddenly be a three-down back...

8) Writing of running backs-Duke Johnson emerged as a huge part of the offense as he caught a long touchdown pass among nine catches.
Johnson reminded me of Darren Sproles in his New Orleans days and much of the offense was funneled through him.
It'll be interesting to see if that continues against Baltimore...

9) 12 penalties?
Suffice it to say that's too many, especially from a team supposedly fundamentally strong...

10) The Browns made stars out of a team with two healthy wide receivers, yet were destroyed by Danny Woodhead and Dontrell Inman.
How in the world can a "top defense" be hammered by players of that ilk?

11) Justin Gilbert finally got his chance to return kicks and he looked good doing it as he averaged 30 yards a return.
I'd like to see more value from a number one pick than just kick returning, but at least the Browns have gotten something from Gilbert.

12) Dwayne Bowe was "ready to showcase the talent".
Bowe had one pass thrown to him.
Incomplete.
Glad he was so ready...