Critical Thinking

Did you happen to see the recent rant of Oklahoma State Football Coach Mike Gundy?

If not, take a look at this

While Gundy's meltdown may be of great entertainment value, it offers up an interesting topic for me and everyone else who works in the sports media to consider: Just where do we draw the line as to when we in the media can criticize student athletes? When they graduate from high school? When they turn 21? When they go pro?

To be fair, it's important to read the column that started this whole debate. Gundy was targeting a columnist from The Oklahoman named Jenni Carlson. Read for yourself and make your own assessment.

Personally, I think Carlson's work is rather amateurish. I have a hard time taking seriously any journalist who uses the term 'word is'. That being said, as the columnist for The Oklahoman, it's Carlson's job to give her opinion and frankly she feels that Bobby Reid is getting literally and figuratively spoon-fed. You can agree, disagree, or whatever.

Gundy's gripe is that Reid, as well as the rest of his players, are off limits to that kind of criticism. I'm not so sure I agree, but it's gotten me thinking about the way I broadcast games and how I treat the athletes that I watch play week in and week out.

I first joined WOBL in the summer of 2000 as a Co-Sports Director with a total stranger. Some bald-headed guy named Don Vincent. My first assignment was to be Don's color commentator for our high school football coverage, and the one thing he stressed to me above anything else is that 'we don't criticize the kids under any circumstances here.'

We don't talk about who missed the block, who got burned for the touchdown, nor do we harp on the fact that he or she is missing free throws or getting beat off the dribble. Just doesn't happen. That was the rule then and we still adhere to it as part of our moniker of the stations that 'speak to the athletes that play the game.'

But college athletes are different. They're young adults and I've always felt that they should be treated as such. Of course, I take every opportunity to praise the Oberlin College players when they perform well on the field. But, as I found out when listening to my call of a recent game, I also don't hesitate to point out the mistakes. Am I wrong?

I decided to go to a very reliable source, former John Carroll tight end Don Vincent.

Yup, same guy.

Don's philosophy as an ex-player turned critical broadcaster is simple: If it's something that he would have rode his teammate about after the game, then it's fair game on the air.

Simple as that.

Oh and you better believe that Don and his ex-Blue Streak teammates would have absolutely hammered Bobby Reid for getting spoon fed his chicken!

Maybe the answer is, we all as adults need to grow up a little bit. Mike Gundy needs to get a grip on the fact that he's the coach at a high profile Division I school that gets daily media coverage. Bobby Reid's Mom needs to let her son feed himself. And Jenni Carlson needs to get harder information the next time she chooses to write some tell-all column.

In the meantime, I hope you continue to listen to our coverage of high school and college sports on WOBL and WDLW. We may not always say what you want to hear, but I can guarantee you that we'll always cover the athletes and their endeavors with respect.

Playoff Run!

As one that has been critical of the Indians for most of the season, it appears I will have to eat my words and give the Tribe the credit they deserve. If they can get through the final two weeks off the season without a collapse, they will indeed make the playoffs.
I have ripped this club all season, mainly due to the lack of production at the corner outfield positions as well as the pitching. Plus, when they tried to address it at the trade deadline, they acquired 40 year old Kenny Lofton. I was not happy with that either.
Since that time they have turned things around and for the last 2 months have been playing good baseball.
Since the all-star break, the Tribe has gone 33-24. They are 8-3 heading into toady's game with Chicago, and finished August at 17-11.

A couple of reasons for the turn around.

1. Pitching: Who would have thought Fausto Carmona would have had a year like this. 16-8 with an era at 3.20. I feel he is the team MVP. How dare we leave C.C. out of the picture. 17 wins, his best season since 2001, the last year the Tribe made the playoffs.

2. Bullpen: Though they have had some ups and downs, you still have to be happy. Joe Borowski has saved 40 games in 46 chances. Consider Keith Foulke retired the day before spring training. Betancourt has been great in the 8th. Rafael Perez has been great in the 6th and 7th. Since being called up, Jensen Lewis has been good in the middle innings.

3. Asdrubal Cabrera: Since taking over at 2B for Josh Barfield, Cabrera is hitting .314 with 3 HR and 16 RBI.

The only thing that worries me are the one run games. Since the all-star break the Tribe is 9-10 in one run games. Not as bad as two years ago when they were just terrible, but when in the playoffs, you have to win one run games.

Jake Westbrook is finally pitching like Jake Westbrook, which now gives the Tribe three solid starters heading into post season play. Travis Hafner's average has picked up over the last couple months and they are not losing series after series. It looks as if this team is playing the quality baseball they can, and are doing it when it matters the most...in the final month of the season as they march towards their first playoff berth since 2001.

High School Football Thoughts

Some random musings:

1) Absolutely impressed with the Avon Lake Shoremen. Not sure who might match up with them well. Whoever it is better have one heck on a "D" line. (Kevin - best thoughts. Hope you're doing well)

2) Avon and Wellington - Thank you for bringing an air attack to Lorain County. It's been one of my complaints over the last several years: Lorain County teams seem content to run the ball. Balanced attacks seem to do better in the post season. That and it's just more entertaining.

3) Oberlin - Nice job. Keep it going, there's a lot more work to do. Southview and Firelands - You're due next. Let's get one.

4) Brookside - What is up with the injuries? This is probably one of the stronger (as in big muscles) teams in the county. The last two years have seen the Cards brutalized by bumps, bruises, breaks and blown ligaments. It sucks.

5) Dino, Gibbs and I (and I think a few other Sports Krew members are on this page)were talking on the way to Tiffin this AM to cover the Yeomen, and this point was brought up. There are 6 (Midview, EC, Avon Lake, Keystone, Oberlin, North Ridgeville) undefeated local teams. That's amazing. And quite a few of those wins are against out of county teams (7-2 this past week). Very nice!

6) Praise to the Guys in Stripes this year. I haven't heard one complaint about one call or no-call this year. We're all too eager to give them crap when they make a mistake. They deserve a pat on the back when they do well.

The Simple Answer....I don't know what happened!

I got a reprieve this week. My bout with the flu prevented me from being grilled by friends, co-workers, etc. about what happened last Saturday at Savage Stadium. About how or why Oberlin could have possibly been sliced and diced by Case Western Reserve to the tune of 37-15 in one of those 'the score doesn't really tell you how bad it was' type of games.

The truth is, had I been asked, I really wouldn't have had an answer. I'm still trying to figure out what I saw Saturday. Was Oberlin just guilty of having a bad day? Or is there something deeper going on?

The numbers themselves are just plain ugly. The Yeomen were outgained to the tune of 403-181 with four turnovers. They were just 2 of 13 in third down conversions and were dominated in the field position battle. R.V. Carroll was held to just 38 yards on 17 carries while Greg Mangan probably had his poorest outing as a collegiate quarterback.

Defensively, the Yeomen seemed to know what was coming from the Spartans...but couldn't stop them anyway. Mike Evans provided the only excitement of the day with a 60 yard interception return for a score. That was pretty much it. The rest of the day was spent trying to find a way to slow down Cory Checkan or to get to Dan Whalen.

I give the defense a break because they had two new starters at linebacker in Austin Richards and Max Helzberg and lost three year starter Clayton Thurmer early in the game to a torn knee ligament. The senior safety from Cleveland Heights will unfortunately be out for the rest of the season.

But even without Thurmer, what happened on Saturday...frankly can't happen.

This is a better team than that. What we saw on Saturday resembled the rebuilding 1-9 team from three years ago. Or the Yeomen teams prior to the end of the 44 game losing streak.

Speaking of losing streaks, Oberlin's opponent this Saturday is in the middle of a BIG one.

The Heidelberg Student Princes of the Ohio Athletic Conference have not won a game going back to October 4th of 2003. If you're scoring at home, that means they have gone 36 in a row without a "W."

Somewhere in Tiffin, new head coach Mike Hallet has circled this game down as THE ONE. This is the one that in their minds could finally end the drought. Because the 'Berg sure isn't going to beat Mount Union, or Capital, or John Carroll, Baldwin Wallace, or Ohio Northern for that matter. But they can play with the Yeomen as evidenced by last year's 48-34 shootout at Savage Stadium that Oberlin didn't really wrap up until the fourth quarter.

So now the focus shifts back to Oberlin. Can they get the offense untracked? Can some of the youngsters on defense grow up in a hurry? And can Jeff Ramsey get this season back on course?

Lots of questions. Let's hope we have some answers come Saturday!