Winslow Jr. Out of Cleveland!

Kellen Winslow has been traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for undisclosed picks.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3939777

By James Walker
ESPN.com
Archive

The new regime of the Cleveland Browns made its first major move this offseason by trading former Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow on Friday for undisclosed draft picks. Winslow, a first-round pick in 2004, played in 44 games and recorded 219 receptions for 2,459 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Browns are starting over with their roster under a new head coach in Eric Mangini and a new general manager in George Kokinis.

"The Cleveland Browns thank Kellen for his contributions to this organization over the past five years," Kokinis said in a statement. "We appreciate his passion for the game and wish him success in Tampa Bay.

"The draft picks we have obtained through this deal will give us greater flexibility as we look to infuse more talent and create competition and depth on this football team." Cleveland has two tight ends left under contract in backups Martin Rucker and Steve Heiden.

James Walker covers the AFC North for ESPN.com.

Ben Wallace Out

Breaks his right fibula.

Stay tuned.

One everyone should watch

Started watching movies whenever I wanted to probably around the age of 17.

I'd had my license for a year.  My first car - as if it wasn't already broken in - was rolling through Painesville and Mentor like a getaway car.  That was when I believe I opened up a Blockbuster account because the Salty Dog had the inside hookups over there on the corner of Mentor Ave. and Palmer.

Also, I was, and proud to say, still am, a dude.  So, just like every other dude, I was a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Seriously, who isn't a fan of this guy?

All his movies are sweet and everyone knows it.  Arnold rocks!

But there was one particular film of Arnold's that I had never seen, until today, February 25, 2009 ... some 12 years after I'd considered my film-viewing independence.

That flick is a documentary film entitled "Pumping Iron."

I'll keep this short and say that:

1) If you have not seen this, watch it - and watch it in its entirety.  It's ........... (thinking of a word here) .......... COMPLETELY FUCKING AWESOME!

2) You haven't seen Arnold until you've seen this film.

3) Here are my two favorite verbal exchanges Arnold has with: first a reporter, and second, a trainer:

2nd place:

A bodybuilding trainer talking to Arnold prior to leaving for the U.S. to prep Lou Ferrigno prior to the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition, where a 22-year-old, 6'5", 275 lb. Ferrigno would attempt to dethrone a 28-year-old, 6'2", 240 lb. Schwarzenegger.

TRAINER: "There is nowhere for the king atop the hill to go but down."

ARNOLD: "Or ... he can stay where he is.

TRAINER: "Or ... you can say the wolf atop the hill is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill."

ARNOLD: "That's true.  But when the wolf on top of the hill wants the food it's there."  Arnold then winks at the man.

1st place:

REPORTER: "Arnold, do you drink milk?"

ARNOLD: "Milk is for babies.  When you grow up you have to drink beer."

Classic stuff.  Just throw it onto your NetFlix queue and watch it over a 6-pack.  You won't be disappointed.  This is some of the best footage of Arnold there is.  This is what single-handedly launched his superstardom and break-through into Hollywood.

First it was "Conan the Barbarian" in 1982, then "Conan the Destroyer" and "The Terminator" in 1984.  And the rest is history.

There was:

 - Red Sonja (1985)

 - Commando (1985)

 - Predator (1987)

 - Twins (1988)

 - Total Recall (1990)

 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

 - Last Action Hero (1993)

 - True Lies (1994)

 - End of Days (1999)

 - The 6th Day (2000)

 - Collateral Damage (2002)

 - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

All classic Arnold films.  And most of all, "Pumping Iron" should be right around the top of the list in the Top 3.

If you are now thinking about it, just do it.  Watch the flick.  It's great.  And if anything, it is hilarious.  Filled with classic quotations: Arnold being Arnold.

Thoughts?

Browns Drama

Browns tackle Shaun Rogers reportedly wants off team, upset with new coach Eric Mangini
by Mary Kay Cabot / Plain Dealer Reporter

Browns Pro Bowl defensive tackle Shaun Rogers is so disgruntled with new coach Eric Mangini and the new regime that he's asked the team not to pay his guaranteed $6 million option bonus next month, nfl.com's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night.

Schefter, according to a source close to Rogers, said the tackle would rather be released after only one season even though he's owed $15 million in guaranteed money. However, he hasn't asked yet to be released, the Browns told nfl.com.

Rogers is reportedly miffed about two off-season incidents in which he feels Mangini snubbed him. The first time, Mangini walked into the Browns' training room and didn't say hello to Rogers, the source said. The second time, Mangini and Rogers were together in the media room at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Jan. 23 and neither acknowledged the other.

Mangini said at a news conference Feb. 4: "I didn't even realize Shaun was there at the time. I know that's probably hard to believe considering how big he is and how big I am. It's like two destroyers missing each other."

Rest of the drama bullshit.

Another rumor:

We're hearing that the new power structure in Cleveland -- the combination of coach Eric Mangini and G.M. George Kokinis -- isn't sold on Brady Quinn as the starting quarterback. One source with knowledge of the dynamics in Cleveland says that the new power structure there is "lukewarm" on Quinn.

Salty's Thoughts: There's more drama here than a re-run of Saved By the Bell. I will blog more on this soon.

Daring To Dream

Tiny Elliott County takes on the big boys in Kentucky's one-division basketball tourney
By Pat Forde - ESPN

SANDY HOOK, Ky. -- With another 100-point night in the books, the Elliott County Lions have adjourned to the Penny Mart ("Deli-Propane-Lotto" reads the sign). Here, playing rook amid the motor oil and fishing hooks and canned goods, they are rural royalty.

The chicken wings, cheeseburgers and slushies are free for the boys after every game, enthusiastically provided by proprietor Bobbie Howard.

"Nobody really done anything special for them," she said. "A lot of them I've known since they were babies. They make us proud. This is a town a lot of people thought nobody would ever come from."

The Lions have come roaring out of this rugged, remote Appalachian hamlet of roughly 700 people along the Little Sandy River to capture the imagination of a state that cherishes high school basketball. They have rekindled memories of the glory days of mountain ball, when tiny communities like Carr Creek or players like King Kelly Coleman and Richie Farmer wandered out of Eastern Kentucky to become folk heroes memorialized in books.

The two-time defending regional champion Lions are 25-2 and ranked No. 1 in the Lexington Herald-Leader computer ratings, No. 2 in The (Louisville) Courier-Journal computer ratings and No. 4 in the state AP poll.

They have made believers out of esteemed basketball minds like former national championship-winning Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, who declared on his radio show that the running, pressing Lions are his all-time favorite high school team.

Full Story.

Salty's Thoughts: Really neat story. Has a true 'Hoosiers' feel to it.

Browns + Free Agents

Browns coach Eric Mangini conceded that Giants free-agent running back Derrick Ward is a player on his radar screen. "Yeah, he's a guy that we'd look at it. I can tell you we're looking at all the free agents," Mangini said.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Beanie Baby

Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells is a player the Browns are considering with the No. 5 overall pick, and his solid workout at the NFL Scouting Combine Sunday probably did nothing to dissuade them. Wells, (6-1, 235) didn't run the 40 as fast he had hoped -- a 4.59 -- but several coaches and scouts said that's about what you'd expect for a player his size. What impressed was his 10'-8" in the broad jump -- second-best at any position at the Combine so far. Scouts said he also had a good vertical jump, although results were not immediately available.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Salty's Thoughts: I like the insurance in case Jamal Lewis is stuck in the mud for another season. I will be shocked if we don't draft defense with our pick.

Cavs want some Moore?

Times are desperate, but not so desperate that the Celtics and Cavaliers are going to get into a tug of war over Mikki Moore, the one-time cup-o-coffee, 10-day Celtic. The Celtics, with Kevin Garnett's knee injury shelving him for 2-3 weeks, and the Cavaliers, with their very public inability to pull off a deal for a big man by the trade deadline, are now locked in an arms escalation that shows just how much these two contenders have each other in mind. Both would like Joe Smith, if the veteran forward is bought out by Oklahoma City.

Boston Herald

Salty's Thoughts: I'll take Joe Smith. Leave Moore at Epcot.

Mikki Mouse...or Moore...

The Celtics are hoping to fill their need for a big man by winning the Mikki Moore sweepstakes. Moore's agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the team has offered the center a contract, and said several other teams have done the same thing, although he wouldn't divulge their names. Moore is expected to make his decision today after clearing waivers and becoming an unrestricted free agent. "A lot of teams are very excited about him, so it's a tough decision for Mikki," said Bartelstein.

Salty's Thoughts: I can't stand that guy. Putting him on the Celtics just increases my hatred towards them too. The more the merrier. At least Sam Cassel got beamed back up into the spaceship.

Grab your Gin & Juice...

and a guitar.

Snoop Dogg bumpin' onto Rock Band

Those worried that their Rock Band wasn't straight gangsta enough are in luck. Today, Snoop Dogg (real name: Calvin Broadus) announced a deal with MTV that will bring his lackadaisical vocal delivery to Rock Band. According to the agreement, the Harmonix-developed, Electronic Arts-distributed rhythm series will receive a selection of hits from the back catalog of the rapper-actor-TV-personality. No specific songs were mentioned.

Dogg's Rock Band debut won't be his first appearance in a video game. He lent his likeness and voice to EA's Def Jam Fight for NY (2004) and also made a cameo appearance as himself in Activision's True Crime: Streets of LA (2003). The multihyphenate was also supposed to star in Midway's John Singleton-produced game Fear & Respect (bottom), but the project was unceremoniously canceled in 2006.

In addition to Rock Band, Snoop's deal with MTV will see the network distribute his forthcoming album, Malice in Wonderland, which features appearances by Dr. Dre and Lalo Schifrin, who composed the iconic soundtracks to the classic films Dirty Harry and Bullit. Snoop will also host an all-new weekly variety show called Dogg After Dark on the youth-oriented, virtually music-video-free network.

Link.

Salty's Thoughts: 1, 2, 3 and to the 4...Snoop Doggy Dog and Rock Band at your door. Takes the party game to the next level. Everybody got their controller, but they ain't all chipped in.

Cavs secret FA signing...

stay tuned, will be revealed this weekend.

Switching Gears: DA to Tampa Bay?

COULD DEREK ANDERSON WIND UP IN
TAMPA BAY?

Posted by Aaron Wilson on February 19, 2009, 3:19 p.m.

Trade rumors continue to swirl around Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the latest team to be linked to him.

Although the Buccaneers have jettisoned Jeff Garcia and signed Luke McCown, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune surmises that the team will want to have someone compete with him.

And Anderson, a towering, streaky former Pro Bowl selection, is regarded as a possibility for the Buccaneers under center for a price tag as low as a third-round draft pick, according to Cummings.

While also mentioning free agent quarterbacks, including Patrick Ramsey, J.P. Losman and Byron Leftwich, the article notes that Anderson might fit what offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is looking for to orchestrate his offense.

Per NFL.com, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound former Baltimore Ravens sixth-round draft pick passed for 1,615 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions last season with a 66.5 quarterback rating in nine starts.

In 2007, he passed for 3,787 yards, 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions for an 82.5 rating.

Shaq Deal said to be dead...or is it?

posted by windhorst:

Alright, no specifics (must protect source), but the O'Neal offer is still alive but the teams are looking for a 3rd team for salary cap purposes (think Keith Van Horn last year in the Jason Kidd trade).

There is a second big deal being worked out as we speak. My source tells me that the teams are negotiating which picks to include, as the Cavs are reluctant to include two first round picks. Stay tuned, but this one might come down to the wire. Again.

Shaq to Cleveland? It may happen...

Cleveland Cavaliers are talking with Phoenix Suns about acquiring Shaquille O'Neal

by Brian Windhorst/Plain Dealer Reporter

Thursday February 19, 2009, 11:28 AM
TORONTO -- From the people around the league I am talking to today, the Cavs are one of the most aggressive teams at this point. They are convinced that they have an advantage as a buyer and do not want to let a chance slip past as teams everywhere are looking to sell.

Several reliable sources have told me they have offered Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic (only $1 million guaranteed) for Shaquille O'Neal. The Suns may want to keep Amare Stoudemire but now have abandoned their plans to play slow down and Shaq is in the way. Also, it would save them millions next season because Wallace's contract actually decreases next season and Pavlovic is not fully guaranteed.

This would be a massive transition for the Cavs, not exactly the sort of deal that doesn't alter the chemistry. I have no idea what it would do to the lineup but I do know Shaq has four championship rings, is having an All-Star season, has an expiring contract next year, and has an excellent relationship with LeBron James.

Over the last few days I've had people throw water on a lot of potential Cavs moves. This one, though, seems to be getting traction right now.

Also, the Cavs are refreshing talks for Richard Jefferson to see if the Bucks will bite. The latest I heard was that Milwaukee is hoping for a better offer elsewhere.

Stay tuned.

Cool (local) Tshirt

Thought this was pretty cool and every Cavs fan should snag one.

$20

buy it here:

www.rubbercityclothing.com

Marshawn Lynch is awesome! Just look at him.

Hmmm ... who might THAT be, tossin' gang signs in this photo looking like armed robber?  It's like I can almost hear him right before this pic was taken.

"Inglewood, Ingle-, Ingle-wood.  Crenshaw Blvd. in the house, yo!  Shiiiiiiiiit.  I got these jenks in my shit so I be banging, yo.  Naw, it ain't even matta, yo!  It ain't even matta!"

Yep, that's today's thug-talk.

And that waste of life standing over there to the right just happens to be a multi-millionaire.  His name is Marshawn Lynch.

From day one I've always said this guy looks like a criminal and probably smells like one too.  I even passed him up in my fantasy draft this year because I wouldn't be able to live with myself having such a crapbag play on my team.  He's dirty.

And he's the latest big-name athlete to have a brush with the law.  During a traffic stop Lynch was riding as a passenger in an SUV and during a subsequent field investigation, the officers discovered that he was carrying a concealed weapon.

No surprise there.  I mean, just look at it.  It's barely a human being.

Lynch's attorney is going to run with the defense that his client was not even a part of the traffic stop, that the situation didn't need to involve him and a search of his person violated his rights.

Sorry dude, but when a cop pulls over a tinted-out SUV rolling on 75-inch rims, and the SUV is full of people and the officer smells marijuana, he has a right to pat everyone down if he so pleases ... for officer safety.  If something is found during the pat-down, then oh well, you're fu@#ed.  That's just how it goes.

Let me just say it how I think it is:

Marshawn Lynch and a handful of other athletes who have racked up criminal records after becoming professional athletes are just plain idiots.

If with my job I made anything close to a million dollars a year, I would definitely do everything I could not to jack that up.  I'd be cautious.  Not to say that I don't already, but I'd do EVERYTHING by the book.

But with this case and many others, I call 'em like I see 'em.

And Marshawn Lynch is nothing more than a crackhead thug steroid-injecting monster of society.  Perception is reality and that is my perception of him ... which therefore makes it my reality of him too.  How did he even get into college?  There's some shady business going on there.  His major?  Social Welfare.  Ha!  That's hilarious.  Ever hear him talk?  No way that dude is getting into Cal.  Strings had to have been pulled and I seriously doubt he applied himself in any way academically.  The coaching staff probably took care of that.  I mean, Marshawn had far more important things to do, like learn which holes to run through when the quarterback called certain plays.  He probably didn't even learn that.  The huddles on gameday probably sounded something like this:

QB1: "I-right, 98, dragon-pull on red two."

Lynch: "Where I go?"

QB1: "I'll hand it to you on the right side (gestures with finger), then you just run between #61 and #73.

Lynch: "Aiiight."

QB1: "And remember, don't move until after I say 'red' the second time.

Can't these guys (mostly NFL players) hire security teams to protect them.  Just think of it.  They could blend in with the crowd these athletes frequent by dressing like all the other gangbangers.  Sure, people would probably notice them, but they wouldn't know they were part of a hired security force.  They would just think they were a drug dealer and everything would be cool.

Oh, wait ...

That's right.  The type of professional athletes that NEED security because they hang with all these other dysfunctional members of society probably can't afford to hire good, sound people to protect them - even though they have multi-million dollar contracts.  That's because they are no different than all the poor thugs and spend their money on material things like a full-fledged fleet of $250,000 cars sitting on a set of $20,000 rims.  And with the excess money that these thug athletes make, they probably spend it on drugs, guns, escorts, (if they are lucky) a mansion, and thousands of dollars in child support.

So maybe if their priorities were straight they wouldn't be caught in the situations they are so frequently being caught in.  I mean, is it really necessary for a millionaire to hang out at a dingy strip club at 3 o'clock in the morning?  Why not throw a pole or two in your mansion and have the guys over, hire some dancers, then drink your liquor and have your lap dances "in-house?"  That'd be much smarter than bee-boppin' up and down the streets like the 'bangers wearing black hoodies with their pants sagging halfway down their asses slanging rocks and breaking into cars.

But who am I to judge.

'Oil Can' pitching comeback

Boston Globe

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd has long felt the game of baseball was taken away from him far too soon. He was 31 years old when he threw his last pitch for the Texas Rangers in 1991. But now, at age 49, Boyd believes his shoulder is stronger than ever. He says his velocity is up in the low 90s and the 12-6 curveball and changeup have returned. He wants a chance to show a major league team he can still pitch. "I have nothing to lose, and all a major league team has to lose is 15 minutes," said Boyd. "Give me 15 minutes and I'll show I can still pitch. That's all I want."

Salty's Thoughts: I hope he comes back and wins the Cy Young. It'll increase the value of the autographed ball I have of his. Yes, I'm serious.

Ortiz wants season-long ban

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- David Ortiz says players who test positive for steroids should be suspended from baseball for the whole season.

Check our daily spring training blog with updates on everything our team of writers and analysts are seeing and hearing at the ballpark, plus news tidbits from around the baseball world.

The Boston Red Sox designated hitter says the way to clean up the game is through testing and not by taking players to court. Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada pleaded guilty last Wednesday to misleading Congress about performance-enhancing drug use in baseball.

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen suggested the same one-year ban on Sunday.

"I feel we have to do something very drastic about this situation," Guillen told the Chicago Tribune.

Ortiz also says he feels fine after wrist problems last season limited him to 23 homers. He says he took a few months off from swinging and felt a little strange when he started doing it again. But now he says he feels fine.

Ortiz was at Boston's spring training camp Monday, the reporting day for position players. The first full-squad workout is Wednesday.

Salty's Thoughts: Never thought I'd agree w/ Ozzie Guillen, but I'm on board.

Another Athelete Arrested (Triple A)

Triple A again.

Bills RB Lynch arrested in California

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch is in trouble with the law again.

Lynch, who played in the Pro Bowl one week ago, was arrested Wednesday in Culver City, Calif., on felony charges for possession of a concealed firearm.

The Culver City Police Department on Sunday afternoon released a brief statement with details of the arrest. The statement noted officers spotted three men in a 2006 Mercedes Benz and recognized Lynch as the Bills' running back.

"A subsequent field investigation led to the discovery of a loaded firearm," the report said. "The officers determined the gun belonged to Lynch and he was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm."

Lynch's lawyer, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, said his client was not involved in a traffic incident. Schwartzbach said the player was in California to visit friends.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's inmate database says Lynch was booked at 7:12 p.m. and was released on a $35,000 bond at 8:45 p.m.

"We are aware of it and will monitor it," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail to ESPN.com.

Full Story Here.

Salty's Thoughts: Moron.

NBA Trade

The Toronto Raptors have agreed to send Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Salty's Thoughts: I have O'Neal and Marion in Fantasy. I think it can only be good for both of them. Cavs going after Amare? Stay tuned.

Some Good Stuff from Bill Simmons

J.J. Hickson: My favorite under-the-radar rookie and a legitimate 2009 Playoff X Factor. If he played for the Lakers, L.A. fans would be comparing him to a young Karl Malone right now.

1. LeBron James
Last February, I wrote that he didn't have a ceiling. This year? I figured out his ceiling. At least for right now. At age 24, he's a cross between ABA Dr. J (unstoppable in the open court, breathtaking in traffic, has the rare ability to galvanize teammates and crowds with one "Wow" play, even handles himself as well off the court) and 1992 Scottie Pippen (the freaky athletic ability on both ends, especially when he's cutting pass lines or flying in from the weak side for a block), with a little MJ (his overcompetitiveness and sense of The Moment), Magic (the unselfishness, which isn't where I thought it would be back in 2003, but at least it's in there a little) and Bo Jackson (how he can occasionally just overpower the other team in a way that doesn't seem human) mixed in ... only if all of that Molotov Superstar Cocktail was mixed together in Karl Malone's body. This is crazy. This is insane. This is unlike anything we've ever seen. And to think, LeBron doesn't even have a reliable 20-footer or a post-up game yet. See, this is only going to get better. And it's already historic.

As a Celtics fan, I shudder for the future. As an NBA fan, I am pinching myself.

Full Article Here.

Cool Tshirt

price is kinda steep. $32

Link.

Painesville's Biggest Rumor/Secret

Let's be honest, Painesville is full of all kinds of different things. Known for the Party in the Park, Painesville Little League, Brad Tippy, Hal Lebovitz on Sunday and Leonard & Lawrence....

Another thing Painesville is famous for? Obviously for calling Bill Hill out as being a NARC.

You've all driven past it. You've all wondered. We've all thought, "Who the hell is Bill Hill and is he really a NARC?"

Can someone, anyone, give us some damn info as to the who/what/where/why/when that is Bill (maybe even William?) Hill?

It's time we put this to bed.

Roberto Alomar and AIDS?

$15M Lawsuit claims ex-Met Roberto Alomar had sex knowing he had AIDS

BY John Marzulli and Tracy Connor
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Baseball great Roberto Alomar has full-blown AIDS but insisted on having unprotected sex, his ex-girlfriend charged Tuesday in a bombshell lawsuit.

The shocking claim was leveled by Ilya Dall, 31, who said she lived with the ex-Met for three years and watched in horror as his health worsened.

In papers filed in state and federal court, Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles.

"The test results of him being HIV-positive was given to him and the plaintiff on or about Feb.6, 2006," the $15 million negligence suit says.

Nine days later, the couple went to see a disease specialist who discovered a mass in the retired second baseman's chest, the court papers say.

Full story here...

Salty's Thoughts: Really hope this isn't true. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

My 'Dear' Letters...

Here's a few things I'd like to send to a few people. We'll see where this goes.

Dear Alex Rodriguez,

You're an asshole and a fraud. However, I do feel that you shouldn't be the only person named out of 104 total for testing positive to steroids in 2003. Where's the other 103 names? That being said, you are an asshole. You, and MANY others have taken something that is pure, the game of Baseball, and tainted it forever. Your records, in my eyes, should be expunged, and Baseball should admit those were a 'black eye era' and move on. It won't happen, I get it, but that's what I think should be done.

Dear Pete Rose,

Have you lobbied recently to be admitted to the Hall of Fame? Suddenly your betting doesn't seem like murder within the game of baseball. What you did didn't alter the outcome of games, it didn't put people who played by the rules out of work, it didn't put your name in the record books, so make a call. There may never be a better time.

Dear Obama Haters,

The man just got into office. Let's not pretend like shit should've gotten better over night. Be realistic. I'm not saying he's the best President ever, and I'm not saying he's not full of shit. I'm saying have some hope, because at times, it's all we can have. Control what you can control and hope for the best.

Dear Al Jefferson,

You blowing your knee out really ruined my day. I just thought you should know that.

Dear Barack Obama,

You better not be full of shit. The people who have finally gotten off their ass to believe in something, deserve more than a smooth talking politician to ruin it for them. The fact that you rallied young people truly says something. It says; don't fuck this up, because if you do, you'll ruin their American spirit for the next 50 years. Think about it. This is bigger than you. I hope you realize that.

Dear IBC Root Beer,

After 29 years of sipping your liquid Heaven from your glass bottles, your Root Beer is still the best. You are almost afraid to finish one, because it's a sad moment.

Dear Reporter from CNN,

(I'm watching the Presidential News Conference)

He just asked if the United States would change the policy of the media being banned from broadcasting the return of Flag covered caskets coming back to America after a soldier has been killed. Not sure how I feel about this. Part of me says we should see the full spectrum of the war, part of me says we should respect a fallen one's privacy.

What do you think?

Dear Barry Bonds,

You're a bigger asshole than Alex Rodriguez. Give back the title of Home Run King. You don't deserve it and you didn't earn it.

(All Bonds fanboys, feel free to comment.)

Dear LeBron James,

Better not let Kobe's team work you like you did on Sunday.

Dear Jose Cuervo,

You ruined my Sunday morning. And most of my early afternoon. You owe me 6 hours. Give them back, or else.

Dear Joe,

Stop drinking Tequila at 5am. Shouldn't you of learned by now? You're an asshole.

Dear YMCA Lakers,

(this is the kids team that I coach)

I thank you for your love of playing. I thank you for your high fives you give other kids you don't know. I thank you for your love of doing something. I thank you for your thirst of knowledge, even from someone who isn't very good at basketball. I thank you for knowing you should respect anyone called 'coach', and you always should. I thank you for giving 100% even though they don't keep score. I guess I thank you for being kids, and for allowing me to feel like a kid for one hour every Saturday. I leave that gymnasium and feel like I finally did something. Sadly, adults don't feel that way often enough. Maybe it's different when you have kids of your own, but for now, and for my own sanity, I'll settle for the 8 kids I've adopted for one hour each Saturday.

Dear Blog Reader,

Thank you.

Interesting Question

ESPN.com asks the question:

Would you rather have $5,000 or see your favorite team win a championship?

I would take a Browns Championship over $5,000 any day of the week. Hell, it'd probably cost me $5,000 if they went to the Super Bowl. Factor in hotel, flight, booze, game day ticket, limo ride to and from, Browns Super Bowl jersey, booze, food, missed work, overdraft charges etc and we are looking at a serious chunk of change.

I think I'd pass on the $5,000 to see the Tribe win one also.

As for the Cavs, I may take the $5,000. Maybe that's because they are actually good, very good, and I think they could win it the following year. The Tribe and Browns, not so much.

I may pass on the $5,000 for the Cavs too, just to cement LeBron staying in Cleveland vs. leaving for every NBA city in America not named C-Town.

What do you think? Take the cash or make it last?

- Salty

Something That's Missed

Conley's post time warped me back to childhood, and I had a meeting in Painesville City last Friday. Few things I've been thinking about since, and a few things I miss. Travel with me, will you?

I miss Painesville City. Not the city itself, but the City it once was. Driving to Painesville City, especially the Square and Rec Park, as a kid, felt like driving to a different state. Small shops, little restaurants, people on foot, it was a 'town'.

Coach and I have shared what I'm going to talk about next. I think it was about 11-12 years ago we started having these conversations. Back then, it didn't feel like a "forever ago" memory - now it does.

Opening Day...not at Cleveland Stadium. At Rec Park. Hundreds of kids sprinting around, cars actually driving 5mph through the slim roads. Different colored jersies, finding your team, everyone meeting and congregating on the grass for pictures. Getting there, seeing your team and your coach, and making a dead sprint to get there. Your parents still at the car. They knew you were ok. Sure, there were different teams down there, people you never met, but hell, people looked out for one another. The faint smell of cheap hot dogs coming from the Calhoun Stand, Lemonheads and Boston Baked Beans for $.05 and a pack of Bowman cards for $.25 (they should've been free, they never had any value, and I swear to this day that every pack contained a Joe Orsulak card).

Once pictures were taken everyone met on one field (can't remember what # it is, but I think it's Joe Calhoun Field now) and I believe they announced every players name. I know they played the National Anthem through a very shitty sound system. Didn't matter. You felt like you were in the big leagues. New jersey, new cleats, old glove (you know you didn't want or need a new one, old glove = best glove), white pants (pre-grass stain, and the stain usually came from horsing around, not sliding on the grass!), slightly bent hat with your name written in it (God forbid you lost your HAT), batting glove (optional for some, but I played 1b, you had to have one), and last but not least, the firetrucks were always there to support the Painesville Firefighter Team (they were red by the way).

PLAY BALL! Play...there's a word we don't use anymore. We've left it somewhere. Somewhere on those dusty diamonds is the word play, and it pains me to think we used to hear PLAY BALL! Our eyes would light up, the game was you and you were the game. Play. Think about that word for a while. When's the last time you used it? When's the last time you did it? I have to move on, I just depressed myself.

Games, for me at least, seemed to last for days. Every play a mini movie. I could recount an entire game play by play. Hell, I can still remember a few. The game would end, and the real party would start. You'd wait for the coach to get done talking and then you'd sprint to the Stand for your after game treat. AWESOME. I wasn't the fastest kid, so I had to plan ahead. Know the fastest route. Be at the opening of the dugout BEFORE the coach started talking, and when he stopped talking, fire out of an invisible cannon. Man, best race ever.

You met friends that you still have today. I met the Rago's, who became family friends, and are to this day. I knew the Catalano's, but only as a rival. I thought Paul threw 143mph, I'll tell you that. Hell, I think Adam Tills did throw 143 back then, haha! In Senior League I became great friends with Shawn VanHuss, and had the privilage of being the Best Man in his wedding. I guess most importantly we learned how to grow as individuals. Sure, we learned baseball, but we learned life lessons. How to win, how to lose, how to make friends, how to discect a blueprint of baseball diamonds so you could be first in line to get 30 Red Hot Dollars for $.30!!

Why didn't anyone sit us down and warn us that it wouldn't last forever? Is it because they didn't want to crush our spirit or was it because they didn't have the heart to tell us? You have to think they were down there to hear PLAY BALL! just as much as we were, right?

Remember the end of the year Team Picnic? Looking back, it's probably a way for the parents to have an excuse to bring a cooler of cold ones down and spark the grill. I know I thought it was the greatest day ever. Playing softball vs. the coaches and parents, grill grub, all the pop we wanted, running around like wild animals, damn, we played...all day.

I guess it's just a little scary to think those days are now over, gone forever. Our PLAY BALL! has been covered by the dust of time. One day I'll drive down to those fields and tell my kids that it's where I played ball. They'll hate me for it. They'll be bored. But maybe by taking them down there I'll hear someone yell, just one more time, PLAY BALL!

I want my PLAY BALL! back.

- Salty

4th Highest Paid Man in Baseball?

ESPN.com

NEW YORK -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig made more than all but three of his sport's players in 2007.

Selig received a raise of about $3 million to nearly $17.5 million that year, according to Major League Baseball's latest tax return.

His compensation was listed at $17,470,491 for the 12 months that ended Oct. 31, 2007, according to the return, which is available at guidestar.org. That was up from $14,515,071 in the prior 12 months.

MLB's contribution to Selig in its benefit plan was $461,540, an increase from $400,999 in the previous return. He got $422,590 in expense account and other allowances, up from $140,603 in the previous fiscal year.

His total compensatoin adding benefits and expenses was $18.35 million.

Full Story Here...

Hope Can Do Many Things

The Faith of a High School Football Coach

When Cheering for the Other Side Feels Better Than Winning

They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.

It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.

Did you hear that? The other team's fans?

They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.

It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.

Full Article Here...

Salty's Thoughts: Take the time to read it, it's only 2 pages. Amazing. Still good people in the world, remember that.