Breck's blog

Weather problems complicated the opening weekend of the High School Football season. Not one single game from the area was final on Friday night. I know that Northwestern and Crestview did finish before they went to bed but technically it was Saturday morning when they were done. That's a new one. The delay obviously affected many games, with a complete reversal of fortunes being seen in several contests. Here's hoping calmer seas occur in the coming weeks.

If the first week is any indication, this year's WCAL race is completely wide open.

Congratulations to Rittman for snapping a winless streak that went back three years. Welcome back to the party.

How bad have things gotten for the Indians. After attending a recent game, it just doesn't seem like the same ballpark it use to be. There are obvious reasons for that. Winning being at the forefront. Forget about sellouts. Forget about 455. For those old enough to remember, it kinda feels like the Tribe of yesteryear. And that's not good. You can now get to the game 15 minutes before first pitch. You can have your own vendor throughout the game. You can leave when you want with no traffic worries. Boy have things changed. Because baseball goes six months and there are games almost every day, the urgency to win doesn't matter all that much to the average fan. Go to the game, sit around with friends and family and enjoy the night. Win or lose doesn't change their attitude. It's different for Buckeye fans and even Browns fans, where a loss can change the whole feeling of the day. The Indians should hope that something changes soon. The memory of the sports fan changes quickly. The glory days of the 90's are long gone and the Tribe fans are close behind. Sure, if the Indians pick it up next year, many fans will be back. After all, it's baseball. It's summer fun. Forget about this year. The mid-point of the season is tomorrow and the Indians are 31-49. That's right 31-49. On pace for 62 wins. That's 62...and that's pathetic. The thought of the Bucks and Browns has already started. The average baseball fan couldn't tell you four Tribe starters and their positions on any given night. Who are these guys? $4.50 for a bag of peanuts. $6.00 for a soda. $7.00 for a beer. All for a team that was 9-18 in June and has lost 13 of 15. Plenty of good seats still available.

The College of Wooster Baseball team just finished as the National Runners-Up at the Division 3 World Series. As you might have known, the Scots lost a heartbreaker in extra innings in the championship game to be denied a National Title. Think about that, a National Championship. Goals at Wooster are so high these days that only the top spot is considered. We have seen it personally here at Wooster Radio being able to cover Scots baseball, football and basketball thru the years. Very few people outside the programs know how hard it is to compete at the highest level in Division 3 Sports. It all starts with the coach. At Wooster, it's coaches. Tim Pettorini, Steve Moore and Mike Schmitz. Their dedication to excellence is what makes covering and enjoying these programs so much fun each and every year. The pressure to succeed at Wooster, I believe, comes from the coaches and staff themselves. Would any one of them be out of a job if their progams suddenly became ordinary and were .500 year after year. The answer is no. Athletic success at highly thought of D-3 programs is not a must at most institutions. School comes first and that makes since, especially at Division 3, but it doesn't mean you don't strive for excellence on the playing fields just like you do in the classroom. That success starts with the coaches and the student-athletes they recruit. At Wooster, as we have seen throughout the years, it is special. I don't know how long this collection of coaches will stay at the College but let's hope its a long time to come.

The N.F. L. draft is this weekend. It's amazing the interest that's now generated by the two day event. Above all, northeastern Ohio is still football country. With all the success of the Cavs and the Indians, football still gets the most headlines and the most discussion. The Browns however, have slipped to a level that is under the radar. Time to step up. The draft has always been pretty big. I remember back in the day talking to friends about who had gone where and who was "on the clock" but today it is at a whole new level. All you have to be is a little interested in the N.F.L. and the information to digest is off the charts. With this being football country, the Browns have another opportunity to swing attitutudes in their favor with a positive weekend. Ohio State has taken a bigger bite of the football pie the last decade but the Browns still have their legions that are just waiting, hoping, for something great to happen in the future. The time better be soon. The Browns are bordering on apathetic when it comes to people's expectations. Not good for a franchise that has to compete with a lot of other successful teams. That being said, all they have to do is give us hope, and then not crush our spirit. The fans are there and waiting. Time to step up. Hope your draft board works out