TRIPLE THREAT CLE: Dallas Cowboys

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Sunday, July 30, 2017

On TV This Week 7/30 - 8/5

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

SUNDAY 7/30

MLB
Giants @ Dodgers (ESPN, 8pm)

WNBA
Dallas Wings @ Los Angeles Sparks (NBA TV, 5pm)
Seattle Storm @ Minnesota Lynx (NBA TV, 7pm)

TENNIS
BB&T Atlanta Open, Final (ESPN 2, 5pm)

SOCCER
Tournament of Nations: United States vs. Brazil (ESPN 2, 8pm)

MMA & BOXING
Premier Boxing Champions: Victor Ortiz vs. Saul Corral (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
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Teen Wolf (MTV, 8pm)
Top Gear America, PREMIERE (BBC America, 8pm)

The Nineties, New World Order (CNN, 9pm)

The History Of Comedy: Spark of Madness (CNN, 10pm)
Remember Me, FINALE (PBS, 10pm)
Naked and Afraid, PREMIERE (Discovery, 10pm)
Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, PREMIERE (NatGeo, 10pm)
Snake City: Bites Back, PREMIERE (NatGeoWild, 10pm)

MONDAY 7/31

MLB
Indians @ Red Sox (STO/ESPN, 7pm)

BASKETBALL
BIG3 Basketball: Dallas (FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
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Superhuman, FINALE (FOX, 9pm)
Intervention, PREMIERE (A&E, 9pm)
The Attack, PREMIERE (Disney XD, 9:30pm)

Siesta Key, PREMIERE (MTV, 10pm)
CBSN: On Assignment, PREMIERE (CBS, 10pm)
Carspotting, PREMIERE (Discovery, 10pm)
Daytime Divas, FINALE (VH1, 10pm)

TUESDAY 8/1

MLB
Indians @ Red Sox (STO, 7pm)
Indians @ Red Sox OR Tigers @ Yankees (MLB, 7pm)
Twins @ Padres (FOX Sports 1, 10pm)

BASKETBALL
The Basketball Tournament: Team Challenge ALS vs. Scarlet & Gray (ESPN, 7pm)
The Basketball Tournament: Boeheim's Army vs. Overseas Elite (ESPN, 9pm)

WNBA
New York Liberty @ San Antonio Stars (NBA TV, 8pm)
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Rare -- Creatures of the Photo Ark, FINALE (PBS, 9pm)
Manhunt: Unabomber, PREMIERE (Discovery, 9pm)

WEDNESDAY 8/2

MLB
Indians @ Red Sox (STO/ESPN, 7pm)

SOCCER
MLS: All-Star Game, MLS All-Stars vs. Real Madrid (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)
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Ireland's Wild Coast, PREMIERE (PBS, 8pm)

The Sinner, PREMIERE (USA, 10pm)
Baroness Von Sketch Show, PREMIERE (IFC, 10pm)
The Lowe Files, PREMIERE (A&E, 10pm)
Darkness, PREMIERE (Discovery, 10pm)

THURSDAY 8/3

NFL
Cowboys vs. Cardinals (NBC, 8pm)

MLB
Yankees @ Indians (STO, 7pm)
Yankees @ Indians OR White Sox @ Red Sox (MLB, 7pm)

BASKETBALL
The Basketball Tournament; FINAL (ESPN, 7pm)

WNBA
Atlanta Dream @ Minnesota Lynx (ESPN 2, 8pm)

SOCCER
Tournament of Nations: United States vs. Japan (ESPN 2, 10pm
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Mysteries at the Museum, PREMIERE (Travel, 9pm)
The Tunnel: Sabotage, FINALE (PBS, 9pm)

The Guest Book, PREMIERE (TBS, 10pm)
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team, PREMIERE (CMT, 10pm)
What Would Diplo Do?, PREMIERE (VICE, 10pm)
Nuts & Bolts, PREMIERE (VICE, 10:30pm)

FRIDAY 8/4

MLB
Yankees @ Indians (STO, 7pm)
Yankees @ Indians OR White Sox @ Red Sox (MLB, 7pm)

WNBA
Washington Mystics @ San Antonio Stars (NBA TV, 8pm)
New York Liberty @ Los Angeles Sparks (NBA TV, 10:30pm)

FOOTBALL
CFL: Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Edmonton Eskimos (ESPN 2, 9:30pm)

MMA & BOXING
BOXING: Mauricio Herrera vs. Jesus Soto Karass (ESPN, 9pm)
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ELeague: Road to the International Dota 2 Championships (TBS, 10pm)
Lion Kingdom, PREMIERE (NatGeoWild, 10pm)

SATURDAY 8/5

NFL
2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (ESPN/NFL Network, 7pm)

MLB
Nationals @ Cubs (MLB, 2pm)
Dodgers @ Mets (FOX Sports 1, 4pm)
Yankees @ Indians (STO, 7pm)
Yankees @ Indians OR Mariners @ Royals (MLB, 7pm)
Diamondbacks @ Giants OR Phillies @ Rockies (MLB, 10pm)

RACING
XFINITY Series: Zippo 200 at The Glen (NBC Sports, 2pm)

GOLF
2017 Ricoh Women's British Open, Third Round (NBC, 11am)
WGC Bridgestone Invitational, Third Round (CBS, 2pm)

MMA & BOXING
UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Moreno - Prelims (FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
UFC Fight Night: Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno (FOX Sports 1, 10pm)
BOXING: Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Miguel Marriaga (ESPN, 10pm)

TENNIS
WTA: Bank of the West Classic, First Semifinal (ESPN 2, 5pm)

SOCCER
DFL Supercup: Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Bayern Munich (FOX, 2:30pm)

OTHER SPORTS
Beach Volleyball: FIVB World Championships, Women's Gold Medal Match (NBC, 2pm)
Track & Field: 2017 IAAF World Championships (NBC, 3pm)
Horse Racing: Whitney Invitational Handicap (NBC, 5pm)
Arena Football: Tampa Bay Storm @ Philadelphia Soul (CBS SportsNet, 7pm)
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MOVIE: Collateral Beauty (HBO, 8:15pm)
MOVIE: Hell of High Water (Showtime, 9pm)
George Lopez: The Wall, Live From Washington, D.C. (HBO, 10pm)

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Radio Show 4/5/17: On Tony Romo, Russell Westbrook, NBA Playoffs/HOF & More

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Radio Show 11.16.16: On Browns, Tony Romo & Cowboys, Klay Thompson, CFB Playoff & Fact or Fiction

Monday, November 7, 2016

Browns Recap 11.7.16: Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The Cleveland Browns fall to 0-9 after their 35-10 loss to the Cowboys. The Browns became the first team since 1964 to give up 25+ points in the first nine games of the season. Overall this game was terrible and it started on the first drive. Center Cam Erving got ejected from the game after a personal foul flag for throwing the helmet of Cowboy's defensive tackle David Irving. Irving was also ejected for a personal foul on Erving.

Browns Offense

The Browns offense was terrible on Sunday, only managing 222 yards. 177 yards were through the air. Cody Kessler was 19/27 passing with 203, a touchdown with a quarterback rating of 104.4. Kessler was sacked four times for 26 yards and ended up having x-rays done on his leg after the game. He's still expected to start Thursday against the Ravens.

The Browns leading receiver was running back Isaiah Crowell, who caught four passes for 63 yards. 44 of them were on a catch and run on the first drive of the game, which set up a field goal. Terrelle Pryor caught five passes for 47 yards, one of which was a 12 yard touchdown at the end of the first half. And Corey Coleman caught three passes for 41 yards in his first game back after breaking his hand before week 3.

The running game was horrible and wasn't used because deficit the Browns found themselves in. Duke Johnson had 30 yards on five carries and Crowell had four yards on six carries. Kessler also had 11 yards on the ground on two carries.

The Browns were 1/9 on third down and only had the ball for 20:21. They couldn't keep their own defense off the field. But the offense, at the very least, did protect the ball this week...not committing a turnover.

Browns Defense

Defensively, the Browns gave up 423 yards. 255 of those yards were through the air. Dak Prescott was 21/27 for 247 yards, three touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of 141.8. Prescott didn't turn the ball over. He was given a clean pocket all game, only hit once (which was by Jamie Collins Sr) and wasn't sacked. He also had 20 yards on the ground on four carries. Mark Sanchez threw one pass for eight yards.

Jason Witten had a huge game. Eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. This was Witten's first 100 yard game since week 17 in 2013...yes 2013...2.5 seasons ago. Cole Beasley also had a solid game, catching six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Dez Bryant was held in check though. He only had one catch for 19 yards...and was only targeted four times.

On the ground Dallas did whatever they wanted. Ezekiel Elliott had 92 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Alfred Morris had 56 yards on 17 carries. Dallas as a team averaged four yards per carry and had a 168 yards on the ground.

The combination off all that resulted in Dallas controlling the clock for over 39 mins. They were 8/12 on third down and were also 2/2 on fourth down. The Browns leading tacklers were Demario Davis with 10 tackles, Christian Kirksey had nine tackles and new Brown Jamie Collins Sr had eight tackles.

Most Valuable Brown

Cody Kessler is the MVB of this week. This game was terrible but Kessler had another solid game. Considering how badly the right side of the offensive line played (Alvin Bailey and Austin Pasztor) Kessler really did do the best he could. Kessler is the starter for the rest of the year, so its exciting to see if he can potentially become the quarterback of the future for the Browns.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Browns Preview 11.4.16: Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The (6-1) Dallas Cowboys travel to Cleveland to take on the (0-8) Browns. Last week the Cowboys beat the Eagles 29-23 in overtime. The Browns lost 31-28 last week to the Jets. The Browns will have Corey Coleman back for this week. And Jamie Collins is expected to make his Browns debut.

Browns Offense vs Cowboys Defense

The Browns are expected to start Cody Kessler this week. Last week, the starter was a returning Josh McCown, who threw for 341 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Cowboys are ranked 18th in pass defense and the Browns should have some success. In week two with McCown, Corey Coleman caught five passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, Pryor caught six passes for 101 yards. With a complete passing game along with guys like Barnidge, Johnson, and Hawkins the Browns will have to score a ton of points to keep it close.

With a struggling running game, the Browns might be forced to throw the ball a ton, The Browns are going to have run the ball some, but don't expect a lot of carries. Duke Johnson should get a ton of snaps because of his ability to catch the ball out of the back field, and hopefully keep the Dallas defense honest at times.

To win this game, whether its Cody Kessler or Josh McCown, will have to take care of the football. His four interceptions this year, is one of the main reasons the Browns lost his two starts. If McCown can just play smart and not force anything, he can keep them in this game.

Browns Defense vs Cowboys Offense

Defensively the Browns are going to struggle. They give up the second most yards on the ground per game and Ezekiel Elliott is the number one rusher in the league. All Dallas needs to do this week is hand the ball off to Elliott. It might be that easy for Dallas this week. As long as Elliott keeps hold of the ball, he should have a huge game on the ground...Jamie Collins should help a little, but he's only 1/11 guys on the field.

Dallas should have a good game in the passing game. The Browns struggle with covering the slot receiver and tight end, and Dak Prescott's main targets are Cole Beasley and Jason Witten. They have 67 catches between them and four touchdowns. Also running back Zeke Elliott is really good at catching the ball out of the backfield and is already one of the best pass protecting running backs in the league.

The Browns will need to force turnovers and can't give up dumb plays. If the Browns can force a couple of turnovers then maybe and stop the Dallas defense on third and long then maybe the Browns can pull off the win. It may seem like a trap game for Dallas but with rookies Dak Prescott and Elliott along with vets like Dez Bryant and Jason Witten that would seem unlikely.

Five Guys to Watch

Corey Coleman: First game back since week two, He had success with McCown at quarterback and with the threat of Pryor...it should open up an opportunity for him. Also this is a good time for him to knock the dust off and start the second half of the season refreshed.

Duke Johnson: Johnson should get most of the snaps this week. He is a threat in the passing game and will need some carries to open up the passing game. Also with McCown needing to play it safe, Johnson is the main target for check down passes.

Jamie Collins: Unsure how much he will play, but he's already the Browns best player on defense. Its that simple.

Christian Kirksey: Kirksey has grown into a really solid linebacker. He will need to have a big game in the run defense to help stop Zeke from running wild.

Ray Horton: The defensively play-calling will determine how this game goes. Will the Browns sell out on the run and force Prescott to beat them or be more balanced.

Injury Report
Weather:
Betting Line: Dallas -7

Predictions

Dallas 35 - Browns 17

Browns fall to 0-9 and are getting closer to their quest for imperfection. The Browns will have no answer for Dallas' running game this week. But if you have either Pryor or Coleman on your fantasy team it might be good to start them because they will get a lot of targets and should get you some points in garbage time. Let's just hope the Browns stay healthy this week since the Browns have a Thursday night game in Baltimore next week.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Radio Show 10.5.16: On Browns/NFL Week 5, College Football, Indians & MLB Postseason

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Leadoff with Lee 9.7.16

By Chris Lee, @TripleThreatLee

- Former Ohio State and current Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott won't face any felony domestic assault charges after the Columbus District Attorney office finds insufficient evidence in the case. When the case first was made public Zeke's dad came out and and said "He's not guilty". And once the investigation from the DA's office was complete, he pretty much said "I told you so". Via Twitter:

My son has been vindicated! Truth has prevailed! If he had voliated one of OUR core values I personally would have had him charged! #Justice
— Ambassador Elliott (@stacy_elliott) September 6, 2016

The statement from the City Attorney's office in full:

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

On Friday July 22, 2016, Tiffany Thompson, in conjunction with a perviously publicized Columbus Police report, filed an intake complaint with the City Attorney’s Office, Prosecutor Division. Her complaint included allegations of Domestic Violence by her boyfriend, Ezekiel Elliott, on 5 separate occasions. The time period of the allegations encompassed Sunday July 17, 2016 through Friday July 22, 2016.

Ms. Thompson completed the required paperwork and Intake staff conducted an interview where specific details about each allegation were gathered. Witness statements, police reports, and medical records were acquired. Photographs of text messages and visible injuries were taken. Upon completion of the initial investigative phase, the complaint was evaluated by a prosecutor. The evaluation called for follow up with several witnesses and a closer examination of all the evidence presented.

Subsequent to the filing of an intake complaint by Ms. Thompson, the City Attorney’s Office, Prosecutor Division was contacted by both a representative and legal counsel for Mr. Elliott. These individuals were cooperative with the investigation and provided additional information, including witness affidavits and photographs, for review and consideration.

A final evaluation of the complaint for potential charges involved an assessment of the credibility of all identified witnesses based on the accuracy and thoroughness of their statements both standing alone and in comparison to one other. Moreover, there was a careful examination of all injuries and an attempt to determine the source of their cause. Finally, the potential motive, if any, of all parties was examined.

After reviewing the totality of the evidence, the City Attorney’s Office, Prosecutor Division is declining to approve criminal charges in this matter for any of the 5 alleged incidents. This is primarily due to conflicting and inconsistent information across all incidents resulting in concern regarding the sufficiency of the evidence to support the filing of criminal charges.

But obviously Roger Goodell and his inconsistent office released a statement through NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said investigation will "remain under review."

Damn Zeke, you had it like that?

- You know it's time for the first Browns game of the season when you have 95% of Cleveland media (me included) analyzing the first unofficial Browns depth chart that was released yesterday. And I'm not going to discuss who I think should be starting over who, but the Browns will be starting 3 rookies. LB's Joe Schobert and Emmanuel Ogbah. And the teams 1st round pick WR Corey Coleman.

But what's most important to me is how many W's we can put on the board this season. We are going to win a few, we should lose and lose a few we should win. Just facts folks.

- Let me get this right, Jared Goff is going from the most expensive number one pick to being inactive? Case Keenum is the Rams starter, while Sean Mannion, who was drafted in the 3rd round, is the backup and Jared Goff, the top overall pick in the NFL draft, is QB No. 3? Either Goff isn't ready or Jeff Fisher is the worst coach in the league. Could be a combination of both. But for the Rams to give up a Ricky Williams sort of trade to draft him is beyond my belief! Makes Corey Coleman to the Browns look good. So far...

Side Note: Remember it's the Browns vs. Eagles on Sunday. Not the Browns vs. Carson Wentz. The most random quote I heard yesterday was, "This guy loves to play football. This guy is made to play football."

This is a quote from.... wait on it, wait on it , former Browns offensive coordinator and current Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. Laugh now or Laugh later. You're Welcome!

- The Cavs currently have Jordan McRae, DeAndre Liggins, Eric Moreland, Cory Jefferson, and newly acquired 6'9" SG/SF Markel Brown from the Brooklyn Nets. All are competing for a roster spot on the team. Brown hit 38% from the field last year and he'll likely be no more than the 13th player on the bench if he makes the team. All of the above players mentioned have non-guaranteed deals.

- Have you seen my new ring? Well not my new ring, and not the ring my new ex-wife gave me....YET! But the Cavs championship ring. Reggie Jefferson displayed it on Instagram before taking it down. But if you haven't seen it yet, it's goes hard in the paint!

Monday, August 29, 2016

Leadoff with Lee 8.29.16

By Chris Lee, @TripleThreatLee

- On Saturday the Dallas Cowboys announced that QB Tony Romo suffered a compression fracture of his L1 vertebrae,an injury that could sideline him 6-10 weeks. Head coach Jason Garrett said should return this season. Best case scenario is that Romo returns by week 4 against the Houston Texans. Worse case he returns Oct. 30 vs. Eagles. Once cleared he may need a epidural. Remember in 2014, Romo played with a broken bone in his back.

- The Oakland Raiders have not officially made the move to Las Vegas, but a few trademark filings may serve as a sign for what is to come. On August 20, 2016, the Raiders filed trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the mark “Las Vegas Raiders.” All of the filings, which span a variety of goods and service classifications, were filed with an intent to use the mark in commerce in the future. The Raiders also have made little to no progress securing a new stadium in the Oakland area and have committed to lining up $500 million toward building a new one in Las Vegas.

Any team relocation needs the blessing of three-quarters of NFL owners, so developers are rushing to prepare their pitch by January, when the owners next meet. Along with releasing renderings of a new stadium in Vegas, proponents also promised it would house UNLV's football team, which has long sought a stadium closer to campus, and hinted that an unnamed Major League Soccer franchise was also interested in using the space. The price tag of the new stadium is estimated to be about $1.9B

- "I'll continue to sit. ... I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change, and when there's significant change — and I feel like that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way it's supposed to — I'll stand."

Those were the words from San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick 2 days after the media noticed he didn't stand during the National Anthem. But the #MajorKey here is he hasn't stood during the anthem the entire pre-season. The only reason why anyone even noticed was because he was making his first start of the pre-season. Kaepernick continued by saying " There are a lot things that are going on that are unjust," he said. "People aren’t being held accountable for. And that’s something that needs to change. That’s something that this country stands for freedom, liberty and justice for all. And it’s not happening for all right now." At the end of the day, if something happens, that’s only proving my point. Love it or hate it, I personally think Kaepernick has a point.

- Over the next few days the "cut-man" will be lurking the Browns Locker room and team hotel. Does the team finally cut ties with cornerback Justin Gilbert? But K'Waun Williams maybe on the bubble, he was suspended for 2 weeks and fined 1 game check for conducted detrimental to the team. At the same time Williams is recovering from ankle surgery after having bone chips removed. Will the emergence of Jamar Taylor impact the status of K'Waun? Here go the NFL key dates:

Sept. 3: Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List.

Sept. 3: Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.

Sept. 4: Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at noon ET.

Sept. 4: Upon receipt of the Personnel Notice at approximately 1 p.m. ET, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of 10 players. No club, including the player's prior club, will be permitted to sign a player to a Practice Player Contract until all clubs have received simultaneous notification via the above Personnel Notice that such player's prior NFL player contract has been terminated via the waiver system.

Sept. 5-9: In accordance with the 2016 Personnel (Injury) Report Policy, each club is required to file a Practice Report with its conference communications contact by 4 p.m. ET, (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a regular season Saturday or Sunday game; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for a Thursday game; or Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a Monday game.

Sept. 5-9: Each club must also file a weekly regular season Game Status Report with its conference communications contact by 4 p.m. ET (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) on Wednesday for a Thursday game, Friday for a Saturday or Sunday game, and Saturday for a Monday game. An update must be reported if there is any change in a player's condition after the initial Game Status Report is filed.

- Ohio State names 7 captains for the 2016 season. Which will include all six of Ohio State's returning starters on offense and defense from a year ago. J.T. Barrett, Raekwon McMillan, Pat Elflein, Billy Price, Tyquan Lewis, Gareon Conley and Joe Buger.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Leadoff with Lee 9.21.15 #Manziel #Browns #Cowboys #Buckeyes #TigerWoods

By @cleeverizon

- This should be a interesting week in Cleveland sports talk. We have two quarterback controversies brewing in sports. The highly debated players for the Browns will be McCown vs Manziel and for Ohio State Jones vs. Barrett.

The funny thing is, the underdog, Johnny Manziel, performed better than the three other quarterbacks, (McCown DNP concussion protocol). Both quarterbacks from Ohio State seem inconsistent, inaccurate and unprepared on Saturday. Manziel posted a 133.9 quarterback rating while going 8-15, for 172 yards and two touchdowns. While his numbers may not be as good as Marcus Mariota on the other side 21-37 for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns(29.7 QBR) or as eye popping as Tom Brady's 3 touchdowns and 466 yards passing. Manziel came into yesterday's game looking prepared, accurate and was consistent through the entire game, unlike Jones and Barrett for the Buckeyes.

Now do you stick with Manziel for the remainder of the season? Or if McCown is out of the NFL's concussion protocol do you go back to the savvy vet? McCown is your bridge quarterback right? He can still be a great teacher for Manziel working as his backup. That's what you wanted him to do right? Show him how to be a leader on the field and in the locker room. Help him learn how to read defenses and and call out line protections. I will say Johnny Football isn't a finished product yet and will be a work in progress. So let the kid progress and give him that on the job training he needs. With a good running game, special teams and stopping the run on defense, you only need Manziel to manage the game and not throw interceptions, (hold on to the ball too). Lets see what Johnny has and leave him in there. You might be surprised.

- According to multiple reports Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant will miss up to 12 weeks with a broken bone in his foot. Bryant underwent surgery last week but needed a bone graft which requires a longer recovery time. Bryant broke his fifth metatarsal in his week one game versus the New York Giants. A screw was inserted to speed up the healing,but also needed a bone graft and transplant of tissue. His new recovery time is 10-12 weeks.

- Ohio State sophomore cornerback Damon Webb has been suspended indefinitely from the team for a violation of athletic code policy. The team announced his suspension prior to Saturday's 20-13 victory over Northern Illinois. The exact violation of the athletic code has not been verified as of yet but we do plan to have more information about the subject sometime midweek.

- Indians Triple-A affiliate the Columbus Clippers have won the International League championship. The victory for the Clippers clinched their 10th International League championship, and their 3rd since becoming the Tribe's Triple-A affiliate in 2009. (They won it in 2010 and 2011.)

- The Milwaukee Brewers will hire 30 year old David Stearns as their new General Manager today according to multiple sources. Sterns worked the past three seasons as assistant general manager for the Houston Astros and two years as the director of baseball operations for the Cleveland Indians before heading to Houston. The young executive also worked for the commissioners office after graduating from Harvard in 2007 from 2008-2011. His duties in Houston included contract negotiations, player evaluations and he also helped oversee the Astros' player development,scouting and analytics departments.

- After battling multiple injuries over the past 3 years, Tiger Woods is done until the 2016 golf season. Woods underwent a second microdiscectomy on his back on September 16th,and his second back surgery in two years. Tiger Woods had a small disc fragment removed that was pinching a nerve in his back. The surgery was labeled a complete success and Woods will return ready for the 2016 season.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Leadoff with Lee 4.23.15 #GregHardy #ScottBrooks #Hawks #Rondo

By @cleeverizon

- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Cowboys DE Greg Hardy without pay for violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. The Investigation concluded that Hardy violated the code by using physical force against his then girlfriend Nicole Holder in at least 4 instances.

According to the NFL reports, he used force which caused her to land in a bathtub, threw her on a futon covered with rifles and put his hands on her throat, leaving a visible mark and threw her against a wall. Hardy has three days to appeal. He has reached a civil settlement and NFL says Holder did not participate in the investigation. Hardy has $2M coming from base salary and workout bonus. He gets $578K for each game he is active, and sack bonuses that start at 8 sacks. Greg Hardy and the NFLPA will appeal the suspension. His suspension begins September 5th and he can participate in the Cowboys offseason program, OTAs, mini and training camp, as well as preseason games.

Here is the statement released by Roger Goodell and the NFL.

- Judge Anita Brody has approved the settlement against the NFL and players who have suffered damages from concussions during their playing years. The $765M will be used for players who need financial assistance to help deal with the head injuries and medical costs from concussions that came during their playing years. But as always when a lawsuit happens like this the NFL is set to appeal.

- Wide receiver Greg Jennings will be trading places with Mike Wallace as Jennings signs a 2 year $8M contract with the Miami Dolphins. He is a great fit for a team who was in search of a veteran wide receiver after Brian Hartline signed with Cleveland, and Mike Wallace was traded to the Vikings.

- The Oklahoma City Thunder fired coach Scott Brooks Wednesday after 7 seasons with the team. During that time, Brooks had a 338-207 (.620) regular season and 39-34 (.534) playoff record as coach. He reached the NBA Finals in 2012 and was the 2009-2010 Coach Of the Year. Upon his firing, he instantly became the top candidate in Orlando and in Chicago if/when Tom Thibodeau gets fired. University of Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie and University of Florida's Billy Donovan are the front runners to replace Brooks.

- Looks like the Atlanta Hawks are on the verge of being sold for nearly $900 to a ownership group that includes Jesse Itzler, co-founder of Marquis Jet whose wife, Sara Blakely, is the founder of Spanx. Former NBA star Grant Hill will also be an investor in the group. Current team owner Bruce Levenson is being forced to sell the team after a racially sensitive memo surfaced last year. The NBA Board of Governors will need to approve the new ownership group before the sale can be final.

- The Mavericks have ruled Rajon Rondo out indefinitely Wednesday due to a back injury. Ever since being traded to Dallas, Rondo and coach Rick Carlisle haven't been the best of friends. Reports early yesterday indicated the Mavs had to choose between bringing back Rondo or Carlisle next year. And if this is true, it looks like the team will choose the coach over the disgruntled player.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Leadoff with Lee 2.22.15 #ChrisBosh #Perkins #Cowboys #MarshawnLynch

By @cleeverizon

- Miami Heat All-Star forward Chris Bosh will miss the rest of the season with blood clots on his lungs. Bosh was admitted into a Miami hospital after meeting with a doctor Thursday night. His initial test proved to be inconclusive. Further testing took place and showed clots on his lungs. He will be treated with blood thinners for pulmonary embolism. Here is a great article by Alex Kennedy about his experience and the Cavaliers own Anderson Varejao.

- Kendrick Perkins will officially become a Cavalier tomorrow! Perkins accepted the buyout from the Utah Jazz after being traded there on Thursday and with the encouragement from LeBron James, agreed to sign with the Cavs. I can see Perkins help spell Timofey Mozgov and will provide extra depth to the Cavs frontline.

- NASCAR Sprint driver Kurt Busch has been suspended indefinitely for smashing his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll's head against the wall of his home on September 26, 2014 at Dover International Speedway. Busch appealed his suspension but the ruling was upheld. He will continue to peruse his return to racing by exhausting every avenue possible. I don't know much about racing but is he really suspended forever or just for a season?

- The Seattle Seahawks have offered running back Marshawn Lynch a contract extension that will pay him $11-$12 million the first year, and $9 million in years two and three. Lynch's agent, Doug Hendrickson, has said the framework of the contract are close but no deal has been reached. The reports of Marshawn Lynch, approaching 29 in April, possibly retiring may have some truth to it, but I can't see Lynch turning down that money. Even though the circumstances are different, Jim Brown retired at 29.

- Vikings running back Adrian Peterson reportedly requested or demanded to be traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Peterson may be feeling uneasy with the organization following his child abuse case. Dallas would be an ideal location, considering the uncertainty of the future of DeMarco Murray. But before any trade can be made, Peterson needs to be reinstated by the NFL. Peterson was in Minneapolis on Feb. 6 for a hearing in federal court, as the NFL Players Association sued the league in hopes of gaining Peterson's immediate reinstatement. But unless Judge David Doty rules in the NFLPA's favor, Peterson cannot be reinstated until April 15.

- In a fight that will either be billed as 5 years in the making or 5 years to late. Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Paciao is official.

Mayweather announced the fight with Pacquiao via selfie app Shots. With the SD (standard definition) pay-per-view going for $89.95 and HD format going for $99.95, this fight is expected to generated $400 million dollars. While both boxers are expected to make over $100 million apiece, the purse will be split 60-40 with Mayweather claiming the majority. This will be the highest grossing boxing match in history. Floyd Mayweather's record is 47-0, 26 K.O and Pacquiao is 57-5-2, 38 K.O

- Major League Baseball announced Friday their ideas for the pace of play rule changes to help speed up the game. The average baseball game lasts 3 hours and 8 minutes,with most games starting between 7:05pm-7:10. MLB experimented with the speed up rules in the Arizona Fall League and it was found successful in shortening games.

1. Managers must challenge replays from dugout.
2. Batters must keep one foot in box unless an established exception occurs
3. Play to resumes promptly once broadcast returns from commercial break.

Full details on rule changes can be found HERE.

I'm totally for anything to speed up the game of baseball. The Cleveland Indians are also experimenting starting games at 6:05pm in April and May. Hopefully this increases attendance for the early season games, while allowing parents to take their kids to weekday games during the school year.