Sports Tonight: Brownies adding to two baker's dozens
Here is what's happening in sports on Monday, Aug. 21, including tonight's TV schedule.
Since the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, they've had 26 quarterbacks start at least one game for them.
Included in that group are three Heisman Trophy winners (Ty Detmer, Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III) and current Eagles coach Doug Pederson (eight starts in 2000). The only quarterback to play in a Pro Bowl for the resurrected Browns, who will play the New York Giants at 8 tonight on ESPN, was Derek Anderson in 2002.
Still, as chaotic as Cleveland's quarterbacks carousel has been, the only time the Browns finished last in passing yards since their comeback was 2009. The Browns, however, just can't get this quarterback thing right.
In the 2016 draft, Cleveland decided there was no quarterback worthy of being the No. 2 overall pick, so they traded with the Eagles, who drafted Carson Wentz. The Browns ended up taking USC quarterback Cody Kessler in the third round, but that was 42 spots before Dallas drafted Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott.
Brock Osweiler, who is guaranteed $16 million, is the favorite to become the 27th Browns starting quarterback, but don't be shocked if it's rookie DeShone Kizer.
At least Cleveland has the Cavaliers
Maybe this fall, it will finally be the Cleveland Indians' turn to end their misery.
With the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series last year, the longest championship drought in Major League Baseball history ended after 108 years. That leaves the Indians, who lost in seven games to the Cubs, with the longest current championship streak, at 68 seasons.
In fact, Cleveland, which last won the series in 1948, is second to only the Arizona Cardinals franchise, which last won the NFL championship as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947, in title droughts among the four major professional leagues in North America (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL).
But the 21st century has parched a lot of thirst for MLB franchises.
Since 2000, the Cubs, Chicago White Sox (88 seasons), Boston Red Sox (84), San Francisco Giants (56) and Los Angeles Angels (41 seasons) have ended their title droughts.
The Indians, who will play Boston at 7:10 on MLB Network, lead the American League Central.
What I’m reading
At its core, baseball is a game for kids. Dayn Perry at CBS.com recaps Major League Baseball's and Little League Baseball's coming together at the first MLB Little League Classic Game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.
Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had a sensational rookie season for the Flyers but then had a sophomore slump. Staff writer Sam Carchidi writes that "Ghost" is determined to return to elite form in 2017-18.
Phillies outfielder Gary Varsho got such a positive impression from teammate Darren Daulton that he named his son after the late Phillies catcher. Staff writer Matt Breen writes about Daulton Varsho, who is a prospect with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Apologies to staff writer Tommy Rowan, but sometimes the video speaks for itself.
It's been said that necessity is the mother of invention. In one aspect, a football practice looked like a construction site with 45-foot-high hydraulic scissors for filming. Staff writer Paul Domowitch writes about the new technology that makes the job safer and more effective
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is not going to go quietly into the night concerning his six-game suspension by the NFL. Kate Hairopoulus writes in the Dallas Morning News that things could get nasty as his appeal deadline approaches on Aug. 29.
If you've never been in an NFL locker room after a game, I'll tell you it's a hard way to make a living. Jim Trotter at ESPN.com writes that after 14 seasons, receiver Anquan Bolden is retiring to devote more time to an even tougher cause.
Thom Loverro of the Washington Times says that Redskins coach Jay Gruden can't get his offense going and that's a big concern even in the preseason.
The riff
I noted in April when he did it that newly appointed Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson was walking a dangerous line when he went on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and made some tongue-in-cheek comments about then-Pacers all-star Paul George.
Johnson said he couldn't comment on George, who can become a free agent after this season, because that would be tampering, but if he happened to run into the Southern California native, he'd be "wink-winking" (3:20 mark of video) about his future.
Unlike Kimmel, the Pacers, who have since traded George to the Oklahoma City Thunder, didn't find Johnson funny. The NBA has confirmed that Indiana filed a tampering charge against Johnson in May and that it is investigating.
It might be hard to prove that Johnson tampered, but considering the relatively low haul the Pacers got for George, the Lakers should've just traded for him and avoided any potential issues.
Tonight’s schedule
TV/Radio
Baseball
Red Sox at Indians, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)
NFL Preseason
Giants at Browns, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Little League Baseball
World Series, 6 p.m., 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Local Events
Minor League Baseball
Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs. Syracuse Chiefs, 7:05 p.m., Coca-Cola Park, Allentown
Trenton Thunder vs. Portland Sea Dogs, 7:05 p.m., Waterfront Park, Trenton
Lakewood BlueClaws vs. Delmarva Shorebirds, 7:05 p.m., FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood, N.J.