Leadoff with Lee 9.8.16

By Chris Lee, @TripleThreatLee

- The New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees have agreed to a contract that will keep him with the Saints for the next two seasons. This deal is very unique to me. It is for five years and it automatically voids to two, and is worth $44.25 million guaranteed,(No trade clause included). The structure of the deal will let the Saints spread the salary cap hit over those five years. Brees led the NFL in passing yards in four of the last five seasons, and six times overall in his 10 seasons with the Saints. It looks like a good deal for both sides. And guarantees Brees will end his career with the Saints.

- Don't call it a comeback, but Tiger Woods announced via his website that he plans to play in the Safeway Open October 13-16,which will also open the 2016-2017 PGA golf season. Tiger who hasn't played since the 2015 Wyndham, also said he plans on playing in the European tour's Turkish Airlines Open in November and the Hero World Challenge. Which benefits his charity the Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods had two back surgeries in 2015 and has been rehabbing ever since. 

- After defeating Bowling Green last week 77-10, Ohio State moved up two spots in the A.P poll from 6th to 4th.

- Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly announced Wednesday that DeShone Kizer will be the starting quarterback against Nevada. Kizer started the game against the Texas Longhorns and played the entire fourth quarter and overtime went 15-24 for 215 yards and 5  touchdowns .He also rushed for 77 yards and a score. Senior Malik Zaire who alternated with Kizer completed just 2 of 5 passes for 23 yards and rushed for 11 yards. "As of now I’m expecting to be the only guy," Kizer said. "The conversation (with Brian Kelly) was just more to let me know I would be the guy. We’ll see how the game goes. From that statement it sounds like Kizer expects to the the starter for the remainder of the season. Like he said "We'll see how the game goes".

- USA swimmers Ryan Lochte ,Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, and Jimmy Feigen are expected to be suspended today over the Rio gas station incident that took place during the Olympics. Lochte's suspension will be 10 months and he will miss the 2017 World Championships. His suspension is also the longest of the other three swimmers' penalties according to reports. The official announcement will be coming from the  USOC & USA.

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.

Leadoff with Lee 1.29.15 #Browns #Cavs #JimboFisher #MarshawnLynch

By @cleeverizon

- Kyrie Irving scored 55 of the Cavs 99 points in their 99-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Stay connected and follow @triple3xthreat on Twitter and checkout TripleThreatCLE.com for our coming feature on the Cavaliers by our own Cliff Gulley Jr. (@CLG2282).

- Former third round pick of the Patriots in 2008 and quarterback Kevin O'Connell, interviewed yesterday for the Browns QB coach opening. O'Connell was a quarterback in 2009 with New York while Mike Pettine was with the Jets. He currently serves as a private quarterbacks coach who worked with Johnny Manziel prior to the draft last year. Brian Hoyer beat out Kevin O'Connell for the backup job to Tom Brady in 2009.  After having O’Connell in to interview for quarterbacks coach job, they have former Florida offensive coordinator Kurt Roper scheduled for today.

- Former University of Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips will join the Browns staff as wide receivers coach. Phillips compiled a 13-24 record at Kentucky and was 0-1 in his only bowl game. He most recently was the wide receivers and recruiting coordinator at the University of Florida, a position he held from December 2012 to June 2014.

- It has been estimated that Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch received about $2.7 million dollars of free advertising. How? During his media sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, he wore his personal brand "Beast Mode" hat to the interviews. The NFL makes it clear to players that they cannot wear brands that conflict with league partners on the field during games and during post game interviews. It's not that his hat conflicts with it's current advertising partners, it's because his hat is unauthorized by the NFL. The league want every little dollar they can find and are mulling the idea of fining Lynch. But if I'm Marshawn, I'm going to say Who cares? Fines for violations of league rules are tax deductible. Fines for violation of public law (speeding tickets) are NOT deductible. By the way, #BeastMode hats are sold out as of last night. Great marketing idea Marshawn!

- Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has signed a contract extension which run through 2022, worth $44 million dollars. And that's money he will receive before his bonuses and incentives are met.

Check out this list of bonuses:

Fisher will get paid $225,000 in base salary over the course of the season every two weeks until 2022, and will be paid $4,775,000 in "additional compensation" for the 2015 season. The additional compensation total will increase by $100,000 every season until the end of the contract.

Fisher will also make $1.2 million if he stays at Florida State until the contract ends.

If Fisher were to pursue another job, he has a $5 million buyout before Dec. 31, 2016, a $3 million buyout on that date in 2018, and only a $1 million buyout the day after on Jan. 1, 2019.

Fisher also has a plethora of bonuses tied into his contract, earning payments ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 if the FSU football team satisfies the conditions.

Fisher could earn a $100,000 bonus if FSU finishes first in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division and plays in the ACC title game; wins the ACC title game; is a participating team in the College Football Playoff; in any of the CFP bowls games during a year that game does not decide the CFP; and finishes the season in the Top 10 of the final CFP poll.

Fisher earns a $50,000 bonus for FSU's participation in any other bowl game.

Fisher could earn a $200,000 bonus if FSU plays in the national championship game; wins the national championship game; finishes the season with a Top 5 ranking in the final CFP poll; and has an undefeated season.

Fisher could also earn bonuses of $50,000 if he's named ACC Coach of the Year and $75,000 if he is named Associated Press National Coach of the Year.

Fisher also has a $250,000 bonus if he meets goals established by himself, the university president and athletic director for the team's overall GPA, academic eligibility, APR, community service, and observing several other FSU regulations. 

- The Phoenix Open which starts today, and will feature Tiger Woods, sold an additional 200k tickets once he committed to playing in it.

Leadoff with Lee 8.20.14

-Who is JT? Not the one who sings on Jay-Z's song "Holy Grail", in Justin Timberlake. But Ohio State might sip from the cup till it runneth over in JT Barrett. This redshirt freshman from Texas was the number one dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2013. This 4 start quarterback will be the head signal caller for the Bucks this season. Before his season ending injury in high school, he racked up 569 yards rushing, 784 yards passing and scored 13 touchdowns in 5 1/2 games for Rider high school. The consensus has been that Barrett is a cross between Kenny Guiton and Braxton Miller. Barrett's 40 time is in mid 4.6 second range. While he may not have a rocket arm like Miller, he can pick up the leadership role needed on this young team. Most fans are scared of his inexpirence at the college level, but remember, since he is a redshirt he already has one year of practice under his belt. It's going to be on the upperclassmen to help build his confidence up and rally behind someone who hasn't seen live game action literally since high school. Stay calm Buckeye fans, Urban Meyer knows what he is doing.

-Browns head coach Mike Pettine was not ready to announce who would be his starting quarterback at home versus the St. Louis Rams. Pettine simply stated, "I am not prepared to name a starter at this time". If I had to take a wild guess, Hoyer will start game 3 of the preseason this coming Saturday. But today and Thursdays practices will determine who the starter will be on this short week. Also I will predict if Hoyer gets the start Saturday, Manziel will start the last preseason game.

-Josh Gordon's appeal judgement should come down by Friday. Isn't this the end of the 1-3 week timeframe?

-Monday night's preseason game for the Browns against the Redskins was the second highest rated preseason game in ESPN history.

-ESPN and the Mid-American conference (MAC) agreed to a exclusive 13 year rights agreement that will end following the 2026-2027 season. The deal will include football, men's college basketball, Olympic sporting events and multiple mid-week college football games during the month of November.

-Over the weekend Tiger Woods pulled out of the Ryder cup and will shut it down until December to rehab his back. Tiger isn't expected to return to play until the first week of December when he'll play in his own tournament, the World Challenge at Isleworth, in Orlando Florida.

-After being down 5-0 at the end of the first, the Tribe rallied to a 7-5 win over the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis. Indians starter Trevor Bauer got off to a rough start, pitching 4.2 innings and giving up 4 hits, 5 runs and earning 4 strikeouts. The Indians then used 7 different pitchers to close the deal with Kyle Crockett getting the win for the good guys, and Cody Allen getting his 16th save of the season. The series continues today at 8:05 in Minnesota.

The Raven Report 8.15.14

-The Browns have named Brian Hoyer the starter for Monday's preseason game versus Washington. Coach Mike Pettine said that both Hoyer and Manziel will get a chance without he starters in the game. Monday's will go a long way in deciding who is the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the season, which opens in Pittsburgh.

-ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter said that the appeal verdict on Browns wideout Josh Gordon's suspension may not be known until the end of next week. And so we continue on...

-Rob Manfred was named by unanimous vote the 10th commissioner of Major League Baseball Thursday. The 55 year old labor lawyer has worked with MLB since 1998, and was named MLB Chief Operating Officer in September of 2013. Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. One of Manfred's goals is to modernize the game of baseball. Current MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who turned 80 in July, will hand over the reigns in January 2015.

-The Indians open up a weekend series, hosting the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Progressive Field. Corey Kluber will take the mound against Wei-Yin Chen. Game time set for 7:05 PM.

-Due to public and media backlash from the Ray Rice suspension, the NFL is now strongly considering stricter penalties for players who commit domestic violence. While not much is known yet, it's said that a first offense could warrant 4-6 games without pay, while a second offense could potentially be a season-long banning.

-Tiger Woods has withdrawn from consideration of joining the Ryder Cup team. The 14-time major champion released a statement via his website saying his doctors and trainer informed him that his back muscles need to heal and be rehabilitated. With taking this time off from golf, hopefully the 38 year old Woods can fully recovery from his nagging health problems.

-Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart will not compete Sunday at the Pure Michigan 400. It will be Stewart's 2nd missed race after last week's tragedy on a dirt track in upstate New York, where his car killed Kevin Ward Jr.

-In USA Basketball's first practice since Paul George broke his leg, Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins went down with a knee injury. Cousins will have an MRI on Friday and its believed to only be a mild sprain. He will miss Saturday's game vs. Brazil.

-According to NBC Sports' Kurt Helin, former Pistons PG Chauncey Billups has a "real possibility" to make the Cleveland Cavaliers roster. He has been close to assistant coach Tyronn Lue for years. Billups also has options in media as well.

-The Cavaliers hired former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Larry Drew to join David Blatt's staff as an assistant coach. Drew visited with Blatt 2 years ago in Israel, with speculation that Blatt would join Drew when he was the coach of the Atlanta Hawks. Drew was fired by the Bucks a few months ago and was replaced with Jason Kidd.

-The SEC Network launched yesterday. It can be found on DirecTV (611), DIsh (408), AT&T U-Verse (1607), Time Warner (384) and Cox, Comcast, and others.

-In theaters this week, there is buddy cop comedy "Let's Be Cops", which opened on Wednesday, and the Sylvester Stallone led, mega action movie "The Expendables 3". These movies should both open pretty well for mid August, but I don't expect them to overtake "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" or "Guardians Of The Galaxy".

Leadoff with Lee 8.7.14

-The newest members of the Cavs were introduced Wednesday. Mike Miller and James Jones made it official at Cleveland Clinic Courts yesterday. Miller has reportedly signed a 2-year deal with a player option for the 2nd worth $5.5 million dollars. James Jones agreed to a league minimum for 1 for $1.45 million dollars. Ray Allen is still contemplating retirement or one more season. LBJ, Jones and Miller are involved with the recruiting of Allen. But they know Ray Allen will do what's best for himself and his family first. That leaves the door open to sign "The Matrix" Shawn Marion. Marion is expected to pass on a contract offer by the Indiana Pacers to sign with the Cavs.

-The Golden State Warriors have signed Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft to a non-guaranteed contract. Good Luck Aaron!

-According to all sources, Johnny Manziel had his best practice of the year and out played Brian Hoyer. Hoyer will get the start in the Great Lakes Classic this Saturday against Detroit. Mike Pettine did hint that the starters may play until the second quarter. With Johnny Manziel playing part of the second, along with Josh Gordon in the 3rd.

-Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the Browns are bracing for an 8-game suspension for Josh Gordon. Which reinforces why word on his appeal is taking so long. If this is true, I would think the NFL would let him get all the reps and preseason games he can in now, before announcing a lengthy suspension prior to the regular season. Why would the NFL do this? If they suspended him now for 8 games, he is lost with no practice or team participation. If done later, at least Gordon and the quarterbacks can develop chemistry and his return wouldn't be so rough, having to work him in.

-After shooting a 9 hole practice round, Tiger Woods stated he will play in the PGA Championship. Woods also said the injury he suffered at Firestone Country Club last weekend was not related to the surgery he had on March 31st. Woods said and I quate "It was a different pain than what I have been experiencing, so I knew it wasn't the same area of the surgery". Hopefully a pain free Tiger Woods can win his first major since 2008.

-The Cleveland Indians took a second straight loss to the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 in the 'Nati. The bright spot in the lineup was from Jason Kipnis as he went 3-4 on the night, but had no RBI. Danny Salazar went 4 innings giving up 5 hits and 5 earned runs. With 2 straight loses, the Tribe's record is now 57-57 and 2 1/2 games behind for the second wild card. The series ends today with TJ House (1-2,4.09era) going for the Indians and Homer Bailey (8-5 3.89era) pitching for the Reds. After the game, Danny Salazar was optioned down back to Triple-A Columbus after his start. C.C Lee was recalled to replace his roster spot.