Q & A with Chris Rose of ABC's BattleBots

Photo provided by ABC

Chris Rose describes ABC's BattleBots as boxing meets mixed-martial arts meets March Madness. Only with explosive robot action.

Shaker Heights native Rose normally appears on MLB Network and the NFL Network co-hosting a variety of shows, but his latest gig as BattleBots' play-by-play man has him covering a sport that is nothing like anything he's tackled before.

"When I walked in on the first day, there was this one bot called Warhead that looked like something out of an alien movie," he says. "It had a tail and wings, and this spinning dome on top of its head. You're just sitting [there] saying, 'Holy crap, if that thing ever got loose, that's a horror film waiting to happen.'"

We went toe-to-toe with Rose to talk about what makes BattleBots exciting and his projection on this year's Cleveland sports scene.


On Bot Building:
These builders are pouring their heart and soul into these things. They take sometimes six to eight months to get their bot exactly where they want. They go to work just like any of us do and then they go to work on their passion. I don't know how you are, but I get queasy around an electric screwdriver. Just the fact that these people can figure out a way to make these and be better than their opponent is fascinating.

On the Dark Side:
There was a guy named Ray who built a bot called 'Tombstone'. He is the guy who we kind of call the 'Darth Vader' of BattleBots, and he embraces that role. He walked the pit area, which is where all the bots are built. He was looking at all of the other bots and said 'Yea, this might make a good little appetizer' and 'That's a cute toy for my bot'. That was great to see and there were people that were intimidated by him, no question about it.

On the Cleveland Indians:
This is as disappointing a campaign as I can remember. Corey Kluber hasn't been great. Carlos Carrasco has been so-so. Trevor Bauer has been pretty good and earned a spot in the rotation. The bullpen hasn't been as good as it was a year ago, and the offense stinks. It's really, really tough to watch. That being said, they can still make a run, but I wouldn't be shocked if they were seller [at the trade deadline].

On the Cleveland Browns:
The quarterback situation is a joke — it's awful. They went up and got [Johnny] Manziel and when they drafted him, we all cheered. I was watching the draft with one of my brothers and we were excited, but he's not doing anything. I don't see him as an NFL quarterback. Their starter for 2017 is still not on their roster in my opinion. Until they get that figured out, the best they can really be is an 8-8 or 7-9 team. And I think they are building the team the right way. What they've done with the offensive line is good. Defensively they are a pretty good group — they could apply a little more pressure to the passer, but until you get the most important position in sports filled, you're just going to be spinning the wheels.

Johnny on the Spot

Ask veteran Texas sportswriter Mike Shropshire to explain how Johnny Manziel plays football, and you will hear the words of someone who has witnessed a player from another dimension. “You really can’t see him go from here to there,” says the 72-year-old Shropshire. “It’s sort of supernatural.” Shropshire’s new book Johnny Football: Johnny Manziel’s Wild Ride from Obscurity to Legend at Texas A&M (MVP Books, $19.99) pulls back the curtain on the wizardry of the Cleveland Browns first-round pick. We talked with Shropshire about Manziel’s work ethic, his legend and his NFL prospects.

Q: Does Manziel have the discipline to adjust to professional football?
A: He has a reputation for controversy, whether he deserves it or not. Nobody forced Johnny to show up courtside at NBA games yukking it up with LeBron James and Drake. But nobody saw him sitting under a beach umbrella sipping margaritas during two-a-day practices at [Texas] A&M last summer.

Q: Manziel has become a modern media monster. How has this affected him?
A: The Manziel phenomenon is not going to go away anytime soon. After he won the Hesiman, was he really getting off on the spotlight? He went from being Johnny Football to college football’s answer to Lindsay Lohan. You can say a lot of things about Johnny but he’s no dummy – I’ll be very surprised if there are any off-the-field incidents during his pro career.

Q: Will Manziel’s college accomplishments translate to the NFL?

A: Sending him to Canton [and the Pro Football Hall of Fame] might be a little premature, but it doesn’t take Knute Rockne to figure out he’s a special player. He has an uncanny sense of anticipation, and that’s why he’s so remarkable. If the Browns can come up with a Robin to this Batman they’ve found, you’re going to see some serious excitement in Cleveland.

By Barry Goodrich

Required Reading: Truth, Justice, and Johnny F#@%ing Football

Johnny Manziel Texas Monthly cover story - Sept. 2013.

If the mood around town is any indication, Johnny Football just might be the messiah. But before his Heisman and his Alabama smackdown made him Johnny Football, he was Johnny Manziel – a highly recruited, nervously energetic ball of pigskin clobber from Kerrville, Texas.

This Texas Monthly profile from September 2013 traces the rise of Texas A&M’s favorite son from his boxer-heavy family of Texan oil magnates to his victory over Alabama. The final line of the piece, penned by S.C. Gwynne, begs the question we in Cleveland are now asking: “As the season begins, the question hovering over Johnny F—ing Football is the same question that’s always hovering over Johnny F—ing Football: What the hell is the kid going to do next?”

Highlights below. Read the full article here.

 Manziel the super-child: “When he was in seventh grade, he could stand on the 50-yard line, take a crow hop, and throw a football through the goalposts. He was descended from a long line of ferocious competitors – boxers and football players and drag-boat racers and cockfighters and scratch golfers and people who hated to lose even a friendly card game with their own children.”

Manziel the viral superman: “Everything he touches, bad or good, goes uncontrollably viral. On the football field, he cannot be stopped, and off the field, the stories and pictures and rumors about him that spread throughout our hyped-up, 24/7, crazy-making news cycle cannot be stopped either. One year ago, he was unknown; today he is a kind of mythical creature. It makes you wonder, What planet did this kid come from?”

Julius “Juju” Scott, former offensive coordinator at Tivy High School, on Manziel the enigma: “‘Johnny Manziel is a red-blooded American young man,’ says Scott, with whom Manziel still has a close relationship. ‘He is not superhuman, he is not a saint, he does not have a halo. He is subject to the temptations everyone else is. But he is a great person. He has a genuine love for his teammates and coaches. I have never spoken to him on the phone when he didn’t end the conversation saying ‘I love you, Coach.’ He has never not said it.’” 

And now: Manziel the Brown.

Art Modell Dies At 87

Art Modell, known in Cleveland as the pariah who moved the Browns to Baltimore, died from natural causes early Thursday at the age of 87. The news sparked an online debate over his legacy between his supporters and unforgiving Clevelanders and Browns backers everywhere.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell: "Art Modell’s leadership was an important part of the NFL’s success during the league’s explosive growth during the 1960s and beyond. Art was a visionary...[and] built championship teams in Cleveland and Baltimore."

Alec Sulkin: "Art Modell has died. In accordance with his wishes, his body will be moved to the cemetery in a Mayflower truck at 2 a.m."

Fake Pat Shurmur: "Art Modell crushed an entire city and hurt countless people in this region. He did an UNFORGIVABLE thing. But I still pray for his family."

Chad Zumock (one of Cleveland Magazine’s Most Eligible Singles in 2011): “Call me insensitive but I'm going ahead & declaring Art Modell's passing as the Browns first win this season. 1-0 baby! Here we go Brownies!”

Tony Grossi, from ESPNCleveland.com: "Art Modell wrote his epitaph as Northeast Ohio's biggest villain of all time."

Cleveland Browns statement on Modell's death, in its entirety: "The Cleveland Browns would like to extend their deepest condolences to the entire Modell family."

Mary Kay Cabot, the Plain Dealer: "Browns have no plans right now to have a moment of silence Sunday in honor of former Browns owner Art Modell, club spokesman said."

Christopher Gordon: Attempting a moment of silence for Art Modell @ Cleveland Browns stadium on Sunday would be a HUGE mistake.

Adam Schefter, ESPN NFL Insider: "Reviled in Cleveland, beloved in Baltimore, Art Modell was one of the NFL's founding fathers. The game is not what it is without him."

Branden Lymer: "Art Modell died. Maybe now Browns fans can fight the real enemies, the management of the last 13 years."

 Coverage of Modell from Cleveland Magazine's archive:

- Jim Vickers on Modell and the Browns helmet, Nov. 2009.

- Our readers name Modell the Most Notorious Clevelander Of All Time, Nov. 2006.

- Dan Coughlin stands up for Modell, Nov. 2010.

-Mike Roberts recalls Modell and other Cleveland sports owners gathering in the Pewter Mug, at The Table, Nov. 2011.

Cleveland Browns Score a (Culinary) Touchdown

As Brandon Weeden and Co. were warming up in Green Bay last night for their second preseason game, I was stretching out my taste buds at Cleveland Browns Stadium. My goal? To taste all of the new gourmet food options on the club level from three of Cleveland's most popular chefs — Michael Symon, Jonathon Sawyer and Rocco Whalen.

While season ticket holders, who were also invited to the event, lined up as B Spot chef Matt Harlan served up Lola fries (sprinkled with rosemary and sea salt) and the Fat Doug (a burger with coleslaw, pastrami, Swiss and mustard) — I headed to the newest concept, Sawyer's Street Frites.

Chef Sawyer, who was on the line, paused to chat with guests while sporting an awesome Browns hat, posed for pictures and even kicked back with a cold one. "This is a dream come true for both me and Rocco," he said. "We've been dreaming about doing this since we could sit upright."

I grabbed one of Danko's Donuts — a sweet and yeasty beast of a dessert topped with a sticky but delicious sauce — and the gravy frites. An avid cheese connoisseur, the cheese curds are what did it for me. The spicy gravy mixed with the creaminess of the cheese somehow kept the fries crisp instead of soggy, which I wasn't expecting. This was the one dish I completely finished and even contemplated getting more of. (Trust me, it tastes better than it looks.)

Rosie and Rocco's had the most options of the evening with a variety of salads, pizzas and meatballs. Rocco also worked the line, dishing out a variety of meatballs that guests could either sample solo or eat in a sandwich. Knowing that these meatballs were inspired by his mother's recipes, I had to try them.

While Momma Rosie's Meatball with veal, pork, beef, parmesan and marinara was tender and juicy, the one that caught my eye was Rocco's Mozzarella Meatball with fresh basil and parmesan. Lucky for me, I was eating alone, so I was easily able to sneak off into a corner and drink some of the tangy sauce. It was that good. 

Regardless of how the Browns do this year or how much it rains and/or snows, I know I will continue to sport my brown and orange and cheer on the home team — especially with dishes like this to comfort me along the way.

Ex-Brown dares to question the Man-Genius

Nate Jackson. Sound familiar?

Probably not, because the Browns cut him during the 2009 preseason. Apparently his one week with the team told him enough about coach Eric Mangini that he now feels compelled, in Slate.com's "Sports Nut" roundtable, to rip Mangini's coaching methods to shreds.

Jackson argues the man at the Browns' helm demeans players by forcing them to 1) actually learn something about their opponents and 2) the team they play for, and 3) memorize quotes intended to encourage discipline and hard work. What a monster!

Far be it for me to suggest that maybe a team that has perpetually dwelled in the AFC North's cellar could use a little discipline. But it couldn't hurt.

After the first 11 games of the 2009 season, when the team's mood seemed dark and defeated, it might have been tempting to say Jackson had a point. But whatever Mangini has done with these players since August 2009 now has them beating some of the best teams in the NFL. Jackson figures Mangini must have adjusted his methods and gone easier on the team. Or, maybe not. Something is going right for the Browns that wasn't before Mangini came to town.

(Photo, of Mangini at 2010 training camp with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, from clevelandbrowns.com.)

Readers predict Mangini will last two seasons as Browns coach

The results are in from our blog's readers' poll. Asked to predict beleaguered Browns coach Eric Mangini's future, 47% of you chose the most cynical answer in our multiple-choice survey: "He'll manage to last two seasons, though he'll deserve to be fired after one."

A few of you agreed with the Sports Illustrated writer who asked whether Mangini was the worst NFL coaching hire ever: 29% agreed with the statement, "He'll get fired before the season's over."

Voting trends shifted a little after the Browns traded Braylon Edwards to Mangini's former team, the Jets. Dumping the combative wide receiver within 48 hours of his downtown fisticuffery helped boost the vote to cut the coach a break -- 23% of those voting chose: "His discipline will pay off, and the Browns will improve and earn him several years in the job. Coaches, like quarterbacks, need time to get better."

No one chose the fourth prediction: "He'll be gone right after the season's ignominious end."

Browns Are No. 1!

No, not in the standings (please!).

But the team could be the best rumor mill in the NFL as draft day approaches on Saturday. With the No. 5 overall pick (perfect for teams lusting after a USC quarterback) and several players available via trade (Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, anyone?), the Browns might just be the most interesting team in the league.

CBS Sportsline has a fun little graphic (at right) promoting its "Double Vision: Bold Draft Day Predictions." Despite all the noise out of Berea that the team was put off by Michael Crabtree, NFLDraftScout.com senior analysts Rob Rang and Chad Reuter predict that if the Browns select the Texas Tech wideout, Braylon Edwards is headed to the New York Giants. However, the New York Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano says the Giants-Browns deal is all but dead. (Oh, the contradictions!)

On the quaterback front, the Browns haven't even had a personal workout with USC's Mark Sanchez. But maybe that's just sunscreen in eveyone else's eyes. Pick Sanchez, the theory, goes and Quinn could be headed to the New York Jets. But doesn't Denver need a quarterback? What happens to Anderson? And is Sanchez hunky enough to replace Quinn as the good-looking-but-unproven savior category?

See, isn't this fun? Only about 48 hours left.

Enjoy it, because it might be the last time the Browns are relevant this season.

Records and bird poop

Awesome Phil Dawson on breaking the franchise record for most field goals in a season (Thanks Philadelphia Inquirer):

"There's an old saying back in Texas that says, 'You know that white speck on top of chicken poop? It's still chicken poop.'"

Sign of the times

Taken at the Browns game last night.

Brady Quinn was 23 of 35 passing, with 239 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn't the reason the Browns lost to Denver, 34-30 -- the defense was.

For more on the Browns' starting quarterback, see Kim Schneider's January profile of him and tackle Joe Thomas here.

Update: Someone just reminded me of the sign's irony: Quinn is a McCain supporter.

It's About Time

We've been waiting for 24 games and the time has finally come: Brady Quinn will get his first NFL start. This season. This week. Against the Denver Broncos. On national TV — no less. After Derek Anderson's less than stellar performance in yesterday's crushing loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Romeo Crennel finally made a decision most Browns fans can agree with. It wasn't that long ago when we sat down with Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas to get their point of views on everything from rookie camp to sitting the bench to each other. Get yourself familiar with our new quarterback here.

(Photo courtesy Cleveland Browns)

Obama and Springsteen downtown on Sunday

Barack and Michelle Obama are appearing on the downtown Mall on Sunday. The rally starts at 3:45 p.m., with gates opening at 2 p.m. Bruce Springsteen is opening for Obama with a solo acoustic set.

This could be a huge rally, even bigger than John Kerry's election eve rally at the same place in 2004, especially because, as The Professor points out, Obama's campaign is probably timing this with the Browns game in mind. The game starts at 1, so a stadium full of people will be emptying out around 4:15. Let's hope the tailgaters who stop by the rally aren't too rowdy.

Update: If you're going to the rally, take the Rapid. The Browns crowd and Obama crowd will completely fill downtown. "There won't be parking," the Cleveland police spokesman warns in the Plain Dealer today.

(Photo by Alex Hempton-Smith, from Flickr)

Metcalf Up the Middle?

It's two days later, and I'm still struggling to figure something out about the Cleveland Browns game Monday night.

No, not how they won. (A healthy line, better offensive play calling, DA and Braylon clicking, defensive pressure, a rowdy home crowd -- and really cool helmets -- all helped.)

What has me puzzled is how Eric Metcalf, who played with the team from 1989 to 1994, rates as one of the team's "legends." A good player, yes, but a legend? Did we forget about Dino Hall or Gerald "Ice Cube" McNeil?

Maybe I'm still stung by Bill Belichick's insistence on running the 5-foot-10, 188-pound back between the tackles. "Metcalf up the middle" became a refrain for Belichick's stubborness.

What the Browns Legends profile says: "Eric Metcalf was an electrifying player who was versatile enough to play different positions and fast enough to score any time he touched the football."

What the stats say: In his six seasons here, Metcalf had 15 career receiving TDs, 11 rushing TDs. 5 punt returns for TD and 2 kickoff returns for TD. He had TD receptions of 49, 68, 69 yards and a 43-yard touchdown run. He also had punt returns of 75, 91 and 92 yards for TDs and a 101-yard kickoff return. But ... The Browns high-powered offense in 2007 almost matched Metcalf's career figures: Braylon Edwards scored 16 receiving TDs. (New England's Randy Moss had 23.) Jamal Lewis scored 9 rushing TDs. Josh Cribbs had a punt return and 2 kick returns for touchdowns.

What the stats say (Take 2): He ranks 10th in Browns history for rushing yards, 8th in attempts and 8th in receptions. He's second in team history in kickoff returns and kickoff return yards (behind Dino Hall). But ... Metcalf never had a 100-yard rushing game. Guys who did? Legends such as James Jackson (1), Tommy Vardell (1),
Jamel White (3) and William Green (6). Plus, he only had two 100-yard receiving games — the same number as Michael "Thriller" Jackson. And consider this: Tim Couch ranks fourth in team history for passing attempts, third in completions, fifth in passing yards and seventh in touchdowns and would anyone consider him a legend?

What the highlights say:



But .... If you really want to see him in action, click here.

I'm still not convinced, but watching those two TDs against Pittsburgh sure is fun!