By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
THERE ARE Steelers’ and Browns’ fans and then there are ... other! I found that out last Sunday at the Browns game in Jacksonville.
My wife LaVon and I had flown to Tampa to visit our son Joel and his wife Kim. On Sunday we made the 3-hour trek to Jacksonville where we hooked up with my brother Ralph and his wife Mandy, who live north of West Palm Beach.
We were all dressed in our Browns attire and we tailgated in a stadium lot. The Jaguars fans were actually nice to us. Not one person gave us a thumbs-down or a one-finger-up salute. No need for expletives deleted. (What fun is that?)
Then after the game, as we left, Jags fans were actually congratulating us on the win by the Browns. Yikes! Could you image Steelers’ or Browns’ fans doing that to opponents’ fans?
During the game, Jags fans are somewhat docile. In our section, it was probably half Browns backers. At one time in the third quarter on a crucial third-down play for his team, a Jags fan stood up and yelled up to the fans: “Come on get up!”
The Jags fans didn’t even move, but we Browns fans immediately jumped up and started barking and woofing. The guy was shocked. Welcome to the world of real fans, buddy! The Dawg Pound travels well.
OK, maybe Florida people have a lot more to do than worry about their sports teams. But while we enjoyed the sunshine, I’ll take the passion of Steelers and Browns fans any day even if it means living through snow and cold.
I predicted that the Browns would lose if Brady Quinn didn’t play, but I was wrong. The Browns won despite quarterback Derek Anderson. In the second half, he was miserable. On one play he threw a pass into the ground and Jags fan behind us said, “This looks like my son’s high school games.”
But obviously, because of the loyalty of the Browns administration to D.A., it looks like we are stuck with him. He will be good enough today to beat the former Browns (Ravens). Look for a 20-9 Cleveland victory.
The Steelers are hoping to avoid a tailspin on Monday night when they visit Washington. But unless they shore up the offensive line, they are in trouble. Ben Roethlisberger has been folded, bent and spindled this season and he’s not going to last. The beating he’s taken is going to shorten his career — shoulders, legs and hips can only take so much.
Look for the Redskins to continue the pounding on Big Ben and Washington to win, 27-23.
Last week my picks went 9-5 for a season mark of 59-56. Following are the rest of this week’s predictions (betting line in parentheses just for fun):
NY Giants (-81/2) over Dallas
New England (plus 6) at Indy
Buffalo (-51/2) over NY Jets
Denver (-3) over Miami
Philly (-61/2) over Seattle
Green Bay (plus 41/2) over Tennessee
Minnesota (-41/2) over Houston
St. Louis (plus 3) over Arizona
Oakland (plus 3) ovr Atlanta
Tampa (-81/2) over Kansas City
Chicago (-131/2) over Detroit
Jacksonville (-71/2) over Cincy
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Steelers', Browns' fans gladly swap nice weather for team passion
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WM baseball, Sharpsville and Wilmington softball playing for D-10 titles
Sharpsville and Wilmington softball teams and the West Middlesex baseball squad return to the diamond today to compete for District 10 championships.
SOFTBALL
Class A Championship
Coach Bob Zikovich's Sharpsville Blue Darlings (15-2) battle a tough Saegertown (18-2) squad at 2 p.m. today at Penn State-Behrend in Erie. -
PIAA Track Notebook: KC's Wareham made round trips to "The Ship"
The most impressive race during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships did not take place at Shippensburg University, nor will you read its results in any newspaper on or any web site.
To be sure, it was a race against time, but not in the sense of being defined by a coach’s hand-held device, nor Seth Grove Stadium’s scoreboard clock. -
Hickory girls grab PIAA Class AA Track team title
SHIPPENSBURG — This news bulletin just in: Mercer County athletes dominated during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Nothing new there, you say? Well, perhaps you’re correct, considering how well the area aggregation annually accounts itself on Memorial Day Weekend at Shippensburg University. Therefore it was not surprising how much hardware was hauled home — once again. -
PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! - More Sports Headlines
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