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SPORTVIEW: Browns fans get glimpse of future
By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
QUARTERBACK Brady Quinn looked solid in his debut for the Cleveland Browns Thursday night. Now if he could only play defense as well.
As I sat in the Cleveland Dawg Pound Thursday with son Alex, grandson Garrett and brother Paul, there was disgust all around as the defense twice let leads slip away in a loss to Denver. But even though everyone realizes that the season is over for the Browns, the fans — at least those who weren’t comatose from hours of tailgating then drinking at the game — still were somewhat upbeat because they knew they had seen the future.
Quinn actually looks like a quarterback. He feels the rush pressure, he moves around, he can scramble and he doesn’t always lock in on one receiver like his predecessor Derek Anderson. Actually make it several predecessors since the Browns returned to Cleveland.
The only knock was that the coaches didn’t call any deep patterns to let him throw down the field. Of course that may have something to do with the fact that many of the receivers — at least Braylon Edwards — have a tendency to drop passes.
But while Quinn is the future of the Browns, Romeo Crennel isn’t. Cleveland’s coach and his staff seem to be clueless on both offense and defense. And some of the game-time decisions leave fans scratching their heads.
Bill Cowher, are you busy the rest of the season and the next 5 years?
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking like one of the teams to beat in the AFC. Despite a slew of injuries to key players, the Steelers take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. (Hey, that might make a good slogan for a watch company.)
However, and this is a big HOWEVER, the offensive line has been so porous that Ben Roethlisberger may have few body parts left after the season. The good news is that Pittsburgh has a solid backup in Byron Leftwich.
The Steelers today are going up against another team hampered by injuries, the Indianapolis Colts. Former Sharon High star Marlon Jackson, the talented young cornerback of the Colts, is out for the rest of the season and other Colts are sidelined.
Pittsburgh owns the Colts. The Colts are unable to run the ball, so all the pressure is on Peyton Manning. And that pressure will be great. He could take a Big Ben-like pounding today.
Watch for the Steelers to roll, 27-13.
My predictions this season are as bad as the Browns defense. Maybe that 10-second study on each game isn’t quite enough. Last week the picks went 5-9 for an overall mark of 64-65. Here are the rest of this week’s pick (betting line in parentheses just for fun):
Philly (-3) over NY Giants
Chicago (plus 3) over Tennessee
Buffalo (plus 41/2) over New England
New Orleans (plus 1) over Atlanta
Minnesota (-21/2) over Green Bay
Baltimore (plus 2) over Houston
NY Jets (-8) over St. Louis
Miami (-9) over Seattle
San Diego (-14) over Kansas City
Detroit (plus 61/2) over Jacksonville
Carolina (-81/2) over Oakland
Arizona (-91/2) over San Fran
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WM sweeps team titles at Hornet Harrier Invite
Coach Bob Morris’ West Middlesex High girls’ and boys’ cross country contingents swept team titles during the 12th annual Hickory Hornet Harrier Invitational.
On Saturday at the 3.1-mile Delahunty Middle School course, Hickory’s Morgan Richards (19:29) and Wilmington’s Luke Gilliland (17:14) copped individual crowns. It was a personal-best time for Richards on the course. -
SPORTVIEW: New Hickory High field brings pride to whole community
AS I LOOKED out over the new turf field at Hickory High Stadium Friday night at the football season opener against West Middlesex, I couldn’t help but think: “What a difference.”
In past years, the heavy rains Friday afternoon would have made that field a mess. But it was in beautiful shape with new artificial turf and great drainage. It brought back some not-so-great memories of the old field and the old stadium. -
Outdoors: Fireside Philosophers meet again
The Ninth Annual Fireside Philosophers event began last weekend with five Pennsylvania outdoors writers congregating at Camp F-Troop for a four-hour evening campfire featuring corn-on-the-cob, venison teriyaki, a taste of Kentucky bourbon and lots of semi-brilliant conversation over the pinewood flames. Late at night, Post-Gazette columnist Ben Moyer demonstrated the laws of Isaac Newton physics by falling near the campfire ring and rolling downhill all the way to the camp back door.
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Bowling: Article on high scoring very interesting
After what seemed an eternity of “status quo,” it appears as though the Mercer County Men’s Bowling Association may be heading in a new and different direction. The elections that were held at the annual meeting in May brought new faces to the board. However, perhaps the most important change occurred Aug. 1 when Jim Faylo became the association manager.
Let’s hope these changes transform our association into a positive and progressive one whose main goals are listening to the concerns of the local bowlers and enhancing the sport. -
Brodie, Farrell top Sharon in Steel Bowl
How do you explain it?
Without the benefit of a first down, Farrell High football team led Sharon 12-0 at halftime Friday night.
Excluding a 2nd half-opening 90-yard scoring drive, the Steelers amassed more yards in penalties than they did from scrimmage.
No back rushed for as many as 50 yards and Farrell finished with just 1 completed pass. Farrell failed on 4 conversion attempts, too. -
New coach, new turf, 1st win for Hickory
Hickory High’s new head football coach Bill Brest stood almost in awe as he accepted congratuations on his first victory Friday night, a victory that christened the new turf field in Hermitage.
“Personally it feels great,” said an elated Brest, shortly after a resounding 40-12 triumph over West Middlesex that began his head coaching career at Hickory. “But it’s not about me, it’s about the kids. I’m happy for the kids. They worked so hard in summer and in camp and we even started school early.” -
Roundup: Lakeview, Wilmington, Brookfield notch wins
Lakeview, Wilmington and Brookfield earned wins in opening up the 2010 season on Friday night.
Wilmington routed Slippery Rock, 40-12; Lakeview posted a 20-6 victory over Union City; Brookfield snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 19-14 win over Western Reserve Academy; North East beat Greenville, 17-7, and Kennedy Catholic dropped a tough 28-20 loss to Maplewood.
ä Lakeview 20, Union City 6 — At Union City, seniors Alex Patterson rushed for 143 yards and Jake Novak rumbled for 122 as the Sailors opened the season with a victory over the Bears. -
It's kickoff time! Steel Bowl highlights week 1
Losing its 2009 lidlifter to Shenango Valley foil Farrell was difficult enough. But the ultimate reality probably was tougher on the teeth than a $2 steak for Tigers’ taskmaster Bob Fromm.
With the Steelers’ Jarrett Samuels doing his best Michael Buffer barotone in beginning post-game remarks at midfield, the Sharon skipper swallowed that season-opening setback. But as the campaign’s weeks unfolded, he grudgingly would have to admit it may have benefitted his Bengals. -
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP: KC golfers stay unbeaten; GC netters top Hickory
Kennedy Catholic golf team edged Mercer, 157-159, in a battle of unbeatens Tuesday at Spring Valley Golf Course. KC's Dante Vetica nailed an eagle 2 on the 6th hole en route to medalist honors (35).
In tennis action, Grove City defeated Hickory, 4-1, while other local winners were Sharon, Wilmington and Kennedy.
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Volleyball tourney set to help youngster
A volleyball/cornhole tournament will be held Saturday at Splitz Bar and Grille Hermitage to help 6-year-old burn victim Alexander Zuschlag.
Alexander was burned in a campfire accident and requires skin grafts and other treatments in Pittsburgh hosptials.
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