Buckeye Blogger NetworkSometimes I think of something. Then other times I think I thought of something before but can’t remember the details of what I was thinking. Then other times I think I think something, but I’m not really sure. One thing I know? It’s Wednesday, let’s rumble!
One of my favorite sports writers is Sports Illustrated legend Peter King. Some of you may only know him for his role on Football Night in America on Sunday nights during the NFL season. I’m here to tell you, Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” is a must read for me every week and, if you haven’t, something I think you may like as well. 
Let’s put it this way: Wednesday Night Rumble isn’t a rip-off of Monday Morning Quarterback, but it is very much influenced by it.
One of my favorite parts of King’s weekly column is his segment called “10 things I Think I Think”. Ten ideas that have popped into his head that span a variety of subjects, not just NFL related though he does stick to his core subject matter primarily. There ideas that he feels may work out, or maybe outside the box quips that try and make the reader think outside the box with him.
So, without any further ado, here is sort of version of “Things I Think I Think”.
The Leaders and the Legends will sing their swan song in 2013. The NFL draft has come and gone: Where did the Buckeyes end up? How stupid or smart were the Cleveland Browns? It’s Wednesday, let’s rumble!
Don’t go away mad, just go away…
“It’s good for the fans, it’s good for the players. It strengthens our schedule from the perspective of the postseason and binds the conference together in a powerful way.”
And with those Jim Delaney comments, the Big Ten has realigned for the 2014 season. The first year to include Maryland and Rutgers will also include the newly realigned Big Ten East and Big Ten West.
Those eyebrows look like a bunch of spiders in a wrestling match!
Let me say it, Hallelujah!
Last week I mentioned in Quick Hitters that the BCS had tapped the strongest of their think tanks to come up with the name of the college football playoff and appropriately named it The College Football Playoff. Kudos to Delaney, Gene Smith and the guy who ruined Domino’s Pizza (can you really ruin something already terrible?) and is now AD at TTUN for bringing in some world class nerds to do major research and realize that the fans of the Big Ten were almost unanimously in favor of one thing: Michigan sucks. What I meant to say is they were in favor of the divisions being called anything other than Leader and Legends and preferred a more simple approach like North/South or East/West. Thanks to Jim Delaney and those crazy eyebrows for finally giving the people what they want.
Side note: I remember being in favor of Lakes and Plains over what they chose.
The Buckeyes are in the East division with Penn State, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers and TTUN.
Meanwhile the West will be home to Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and Minnesota. Read More
Much More Successful Than This
As we get closer to Kickoff Week, here’s some quick notes from Ohio State and beyond. Don’t forget to sign up for this year’s “Pick-em” contest!
Buckeye 411
Weekly updates and miscellany from around the world of college sports…
Urban Meyer's Secret Identity?
Buckeye 411
“To be able to lead, you have to serve first,” Posey said. “I feel like being on scout team, helping the younger guys and being in the meeting room and telling them the little tips that I have allowed me to understand the game more and it humbled me as well. That’s what I needed going into this process and going to the next level. Through this process, everything you hear is what you can’t do and everyone’s tearing you down. Going through the draft, you’re going to hear a lot of negative things and then, when you get into camp as well, you have to be humble as well. You have to serve the team and show them you can play. I felt like I learned all those lessons this past year.”
“Every day at practice was a challenge, so I definitely think that will pay dividends,” Brewster said of Ohio State. “It really comes in the preparation the last couple weeks and really, four years of college. Now, it’s just show time and it’s time to go out there and do it. Anytime you get a chance to go against the best, you want to measure yourself.”
The Buckeye Battle Cry will be counting down the Top 25 players of the past decade all spring/summer. Every Monday through May and June, Jim will be announcing a new player. Starting in July, we will be announcing new additions on Monday and Thursday. Our #1 player will be presented on Monday, August 30th. Three days later, the 2010 season officially begins. For a look at the rest of the Top 25, click here.
Bentley looked good in scarlet and gray.
LeCharles Bentley is another stand out center that was a two year starter for the Buckeyes. In 2001, Bentley was named a First-Team All-American as well as a First-Team All-Big Ten player.
For his efforts on the field in 2001, Bentley was also awarded the Rimington trophy, which has been presented to the “most outstanding” center in college football since 2000.
Bentley was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2002 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. He went on to have an outstanding rookie season at guard in which he was named the offensive rookie of the year by Sports Illustrated. He was also named to the all rookie team by Pro Football Weekly.
He followed up his outstanding rookie campaign by being named to the Pro Bowl in 2003, 2004 (alternate), and 2005. Bentley signed with his hometown Cleveland Browns in 2006, unfortunately for him and the city, injuries and complications prevented him from ever suiting up in a game for the Browns.
Despite his career being cut short, Bentley was clearly one of the best lineman in college football and in the NFL when he was healthy.
Slightly off topic, but between Mangold and Bentley, Ohio State has produced two of the finest centers college football has seen in the last ten years. Unfortunately, beyond the pair Ohio State’s offensive line has been below average, at least for Ohio State’s lofty standards. Hopefully that trend will be reversed this year from what looks like the best offensive line in the Tressel era.
Back on topic.
For his All-American and All-Big Ten season in 2001, as well as his short but Pro Bowl caliber NFL career, LeCharles Bentley is 21 on our countdown of the top 25 Buckeyes of the decade.
As most of you know, I was lured away from tBBC (in regards to Ohio State football discussion) recently. Fox Sports Ohio brought me on board as their go-to man for Buckeye gridiron action, and it looks likely that they’ll keep me for the 2010 fall season.
But with the downtime between the Spring Game and fall practice, FSOhio is keeping me active and throwing me an assignment here and there. They want to see what kind of response my non-Buckeye articles are getting, and they’ve even submitted my work to the mothership at Fox Sports.
Here’s where you can help me out;
Go check out my two articles currently posted. Recommend them (click on the Rec link at the top of the article), and if you’re so inclined, leave a comment (registration is free if you’re not already registered). Here’s the articles;
Browns Fans Will Have To Be Patient
Is It Too Early To Give Up On The Indians?
Thanks, everybody. I truly appreciate it.
There’s really no way to describe this feeling to anybody who hasn’t been a long-suffering fan of the Cleveland Browns, but I’ll try.
Yes, we’re still only 2-11.
Yes, we’re nowhere near a good team.
Yes, we have massive holes to fill on both sides of the ball.
But for one night, we did the one thing Browns fans have been desperately seeking since 2002. We defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And we knocked their sorry asses out of the playoffs in the process.
It can’t get much better than that.
This makes those 11 losses alllll better now
Subtitled – “Thank God for LeBron James”
The Major League Baseball season is wrapping up at the end of next week, and much to my chagrin, The BBC hasn’t discussed the Cleveland Indians much at all this season. Truth is, I WANT to have the Tribe be a regular discussion at The BBC…but I can’t see why I would spend time, effort, and bandwidth writing about a team that clearly doesn’t care about my enjoyment of their own baseball club. I’m not going to be covering them and promoting them until I feel pride for them again.
I honestly can say that since they traded Victor Martinez, I have not watched a single inning of Indians’ baseball, nor do I plan to.
But I’m watching the standings right now, and it is for one reason only.
Will the Cleveland Indians win more games this year than the Cleveland Cavaliers did last year?
I say no. The Cavaliers ended the 2008-2009 season with a 66-16 record. 66 wins is a LOT for an NBA team (since they play only 82 games a year), not so much for a MLB franchise (162 games a year).
The Indians have 13 games left in their season, and they stand at 61-88. Their remaining games are littered with teams that must win, and will therefore take the games more seriously than the Tribe.
Tonight they start a three-game set with Detroit, who are in first place of the Central Division, but only by 2.5 games over Minnesota.
Friday begins a 3-game set against Baltimore, who is equally as bad as we are.
Monday starts a 3-game series against Chicago, who are fighting for a playoff spot but will likely be eliminated by the time they come to town.
Thursday, we travel to Boston for four games against the Red Sox, who will make the postseason, but want to do so as a division champ instead of the wild-card team they are now.
Can the Indians go 6-7 over their final 13 games and salvage the embarrassment of having their hometown NBA franchise earn more wins than them in 80 fewer games?
I doubt it.
Hell, I think I’m cheering against them.
Once again pitting our franchises against each other, I have to ask myself….who will win a game first this year, the Cleveland Browns or the Cleveland Cavaliers?
The Browns have a decided head-start for this question. They’ll play seven full games before the Cavs get underway at home on October 27th against Boston. But will they win before LeBron and Shaq, or will the Cavs again reign supreme? Here’s the Browns’ schedule;
Other than Cincinnati, I’m not holding ANY hope that this current Cleveland Browns team will win a single game before the Cavs have a chance on the court. Come to think of it, after watching Cinci beat Denver (save for a miracle tip) and take out Green Bay IN Lambeau, I’m not so sure we will win that one either.
In 35 days, the pain will be over and we can begin another quest for a title.
The Cavs picked up some HUGE bonuses in Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Carter Parker, Leon Powe, and Jamario Moon. On October 27th, we will get to see how they fit into our game plan. And if you’re not excited for this era, then you’re not paying attention.
We will get further into discussion of the Cavaliers as their season approaches, and we will cover them wall-to-wall as they gun for an NBA Finals trophy. And to help you get geared up for the 2009-2010 season, here’s the trailer for “More Than A Game”, premiering in Cleveland on October 2nd.
I can’t wait for that film, and I can’t wait for the season.
Dear LeBron and Company – please save us from the current state of Cleveland sports. We can at least believe in you!
