Former Ohio State Tailback Maurice Clarett has returned to the Ohio State University as a student.  Here’s the story … http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5412090

The Viewpoint:  Clarett owes us, "the public," nothing. For sure, Ohio State Football fans were all very disappointed with his actions, back then.  He tried to strong-arm the NFL and when that didn’t work, he put down Ohio State, and when that didn't work, he pulled a gun and robbed some people. Not choices most of us would have made, but we don’t matter here.  Clarett screwed up big time and now he’s paid his debt.  We should, in my opinion, give him a smile and our good wishes, for after all, he did help Ohio State win a national championship, which means a lot to many of us.  But that was then, this is now and it's actually not about owing anyone anything.  The guy made some bad choices; he's paid for them, his practical football dreams died a long time ago.  Now, he's learning to be a man. Guys can't play football forever, they all, at some point, have to learn to be men. Some do it sooner than others, some don’t do it at all.

The Future is what you make of it, and for Maurice Clarett, being in school is the start. I hope that Columbus can leave this "man-in training" alone now as he works for his future, whatever that is.   

And so, there you have it.

Teri Silver 

The meaning of life is to love and be loved while we're on this earth, and later, when we're under it, to be missed by others who love.

It's just that simple.

t

First off, let me tell you that I am a born and bred Clevelander who supports Cleveland sports teams through thick and thin.  While baseball is my first love, I also root for the Cavs, Browns, etc.

So, King James decided to move on. I'm sorry about that.  But to tell you the truth, when he "dropped the ball" against Boston in the 2010 playoffs, it showed me this ... he's no super hero.  It was supposed to be all about him, but he didn't get the job done.   Sure, LeBron has a lot of talent and he'll be missed in Cleveland, but for every veteran who leaves, there is a rookie who is just dying to show us what he can do (I've had to repeat that mantra every time the Indians lose their prime players.)  It's sports, it's part of the game.  The bottom line is ... it's business.  Money makes people predictable.

Of course, I hope that every time they meet, the Cavs will burn the Heat.  

But regardless of LJ's ego, his fantasies and his media circus drama, I have to say that Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert has no class.  http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/07/gilberts_letter_to_fans_james.html 

I understand Gilbert's anger and disappointment and agree with some of what he said but to take this so personally and make those feelings so public is not showing himself in a good light. Whatever motivated LJ, the bottom line is that it's a business, ... and you'd think that the owner of an NBA team would understand that.  Dan Gilbert made an ass of himself. 

Really, I don't blame Gilbert for being mad and he's probably voiced sentiments for a lot of people, but I can't say his public reaction was good Public Relations for the team. I agree that James could have and should have handled this much differently, this drama shouldn't have been played out this way.  But all of the feedback I've read so far (from Cavs' fans) about Gilbert's letter and his later comments about LJ's playoff performance (way after the fact) has been negative, and it makes me think Gilbert's rants could be a problem for recruiting .... (who'd want to work for this guy?) and for weaving excitement for a new product.  Public image is everything. The Cavs' Public Relations team has a lot of work ahead of it.

So, time to move on.  It is baseball season, after all, and in a couple of months, they'll be throwing the pigskin.  Cleveland loves its sports teams, no matter if they win or lose.  Buhbye LeBron, don't take any wooden nickels. One question, though ... can't you take Dan Gilbert with you?

Teri Silver

Urging all of my friends to, as often as possible, use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, verbiage, etc. instead of jargon & abbreviations when posting messages on the Internet.  It's important that our younger viewers learn the reality and not the fantasy.  With so many children online these days we must teach the lessons outside of the schoolyard.  Literacy starts here!

On Facebook, for instance, it is distressing to me to read so many messages that I cannot understand, because of the way those messages are written.  Yes, of course ...  slang, Internet jargon, shortcuts ... they're all part of the package.  That's fine if it were just adults using it but it's not good practice for children who are learning to read and write.  For that matter, it's not good practice for adults to use too many "cheats" when writing our English language because we tend to forget how to do it correctly! (And yes, I say "we" here ... :)))

So, what am I saying here?  Let's not lose our ability to speak and write properly.  Forget the spellchecker, instead, keep a dictionary handy.  Don't encourage poor writing habits when posting messages on the Internet, especially to children who will pick up these bad habits and confuse them with "Internet-speak." 

We can all use Internet jargon/shortcuts and still get our collective point across, but if u w8 2 long 2 b ur child's teacher ... any child ...  then, in the long run, we'll all be in trouble (especially when "your" is substituted for "you're" and punctuation just gets eliminated, period.  Personal pet peeve here ... )

Literacy starts here and now!

Teri Silver

I don't follow soccer but this is the story I read in today's headlines ...

"Mexico's young star Giovani dos Santos has called down a firestorm by revealing that he's thinking of quitting his national team just ten days before the start of the World Cup. According to his father, Zizinho, he's "very hurt" by the fact that his brother Jonathan was cut from the team today. Jonathan dos Santos is only 20, and was always a shaky bet to go to South Africa, especially after he sustained a muscle tear last month while training with Barcelona. But Giovani and his family are reacting with double-barreled fury. Their father has declared that Jonathan is quitting the team permanently, and Giovani — who's all of 21 — may follow suit. The Mexican team is trying to console him, but the dos Santos family is alternating between issuing dark warnings and keeping silent about their plans.

And here is my open letter to Giovani dos Santos:

Giovani, Honey, if you want to quit, then do so.  Listen, Son, don't do what doesn't make you happy. You're a grown up now.  If throwing a temper tantrum about playing soccer for these mean people will make you a happier man, then all the better for you.  If playing in the biggest match of the year amongst your adoring fans makes you miserable, just DON'T do it ... don't play soccer, it's just a game.  So what if playing this game could give you a great life.   So what! There are other things to do in life and you'll have to figure that out eventually, so why not right now?  Yeah, OK, you're talented, but apparently there are others who are willing to take your place, so why put yourself through it?  You don't need to be here, the world won't come crashing down if you decide you've had enough. Why play this silly game if it makes you just so darn miserable?  Really, you don't have to ... there are plenty of others out there who are waiting for their chance, they're talented too, maybe not as much as you but that doesn't really matter.  Rest assured, we've got you covered.  We understand, you're upset that baby brother got the axe ... how dare they do this!!! We understand that your family is insulted.  We understand that blood is thicker than water.  But don't hold your breath until you turn blue, just do what makes you happy.  Don't let all these bad people tell you how to live your life.  And remember, your daddy and your mommy and your brother, well, they've got your back.  We all only want what's best for you. Just say no!

 I am hoping this young man calms down and looks at the Big Picure.  For now, though, there you have it.

Teri Silver, June 1, 2010

And that just about says it all.

Teri Silver

Always look at the Big Picture. Every day of life, good or bad, is a blessing. Don't take it for granted, it could all be gone in an instant.

Teri Silver

Nope, no surprises in the outcome.  As for the medal winners, the ladies' free skate for this year's winter Olympics went off, about as predictable as it could be.  Kim Yu-Na was first, Mao Asada, second and Joannie Rochette, third.  I enjoyed their performances and don't (completely) disagree with the placing, but ... they didn't inspire me.

Kim Yu-na (or Yu-na  Kim, I can't really tell, as she's referred to both ways, per Asian custom,) was excellent.  I can't deny that she is a great figure skater.  Her jumps, spins, everything ... flawless.  She looked beautiful and she was definitely in command.  Her record score was ... a surprise. I'm not saying she didn't deserve high marks and to be Olympic Champion, she did ... but her total (along with the short program) of 228.56 points was a surprise, and there, I said it again.  Her long program score was 150.06, and as much as I liked her performance (and don't misunderstand me here, I really did like it,) if I were a judge awarding points, I would not have put her so high up on that podium (over a 23 point margin, total) before the show was over.  It left no room for other skaters, period. ZZZZzzzzz. But I did enjoy watching Kim Yu-na skate and look forward to whatever is next.  At 19 years old, Kim has another Olympics in her future, if the cards all fall into place.  And luckily for her, nothing out of fashion happened, and she won the gold medal. She's had so much pressure from her country of South Korea to live up to her "Queen Yu-na" title (she's like a rock star in that country, it's downright scary. Bodyguards and everything.) Good thing she is the real thing, I shudder to think what would happen if she didn't walk the walk, or in this case, skate the skate.   

Mao Asada did not look happy on that podium, having won the silver medal.  The Japanese, apparently, place just as much pressure on their skaters.  Losing can cause a national incident.  But Asada has nothing to be unhappy about ... she made history.  The first woman to land three triple axels in the Oympics (the first one in the short program, the second two in the long program with one in combination with what I think was a double toe loop.) Why is that a big deal?  Triple axels are tough, they require a lot of strength for three and a half rotations and the landings are kind of backward. A lot of men cannot land them cleanly and there are only a few instances where women have, but not in competition (or such a grand one, at least.)  I thought Mao Asada did very well, even though she had a couple of minor mistakes.  But she skated after Yu-na, and with the marks that Kim got, well, Mao wasn't going to come close.  No competition, all predictable.   Still, I was with her on her skate ... two triple axels!

Joannie Rochette. What can you say.  She really came out fighting, after losing her mother so unexpectedly last weekend.  She had everyone in tears and that didn't hurt, when it came to awarding points.  She was good in the long program but she had some bobbles and ordinarily, it would have opened the door for the fourth place contestant (Marai Nagasu) who finished more than 12 points (total) out of the bronze but only a few points behind Joannie in the free skate.  I enjoyed Joannie's performance and I'm glad she took a medal, but I think things would have been different if things were different.

Now, a word or two about our U.S. Figure skaters, Rachel Flatt and Marai Nagasu.  Rachel is a great skater and I was very pleased for her, in fact ... she had me on her journey all the way, bringing me to the emotional heights I hope to have while watching a solid skating routine. I was flying with her, it was that good for me and her ... no matter that she didn't receive full credit for some of her jumps, thus landing in 7th place (and I don't get that... who was sixth?  It was a six person field and whoever took sixth place, was not in the last class of skaters.)  But watching Rachel was wonderful, and I look forward to seeing her in the future, in that she is only 17 years old.

Speaking of the future, Marai Nagasu. She was awesome, and coming in fourth is no small feat.  Hers was the final skate of the night and she took control.  Personally, I think she deserved the bronze medal but the moment wasn't to be.  16 years old and hopefully, she (and Rachel, too) will peak in Sochi, Russia, home of the 2014 Olympics.

Now, I said that our U.S. skaters took me to that emotional high. It didn't happen with Kim Yu-na, for all the wonderful skating our new Olympic Champion did, and for me ... that was disappointing.  Michelle Kwan never got the ultimate title, but watching her skate brought me to that level.  I hope to get it with Yu-na, some day.  Of course, first, it has to come from her.     

OK, so now it's over.  There are a couple more Olympic events I'm interested in, but for the most part, it's over. So, we look forward to 2014.  Actually, I look forward to every day.

And so, there you have it.  On to the next chapter!

Teri Silver

We're talking Men's figure Skating at the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver, Canada.  Just in case you didn't know. :))    First let me say, at the risk of sounding "un-American," that, when it comes to figure skating, I don't necessarily automatically root for an American skater,  I root for the skater who skates best.

Last night, on Olympic ice in Vancouver, 24-year-old Evan Lysacek skated best.  And he just happens to be on the U.S. Figure Skating Team. I've read some comments that, because Lysacek didn't have a quad jump in his program, he should not be qualified to be Olympic Champion. 

As Colonel Potter of the M*A*S*H 4077 would say, "Horse Hockey!"

Along with his stellar short program, Evan Lysacek's performance in the Olympic free skate was the best I've ever seen him skate.  His jumps and spins were flawless and his presence on the ice was amazing. Lysacek took his quad jump out of his program because, after breaking a foot a year ago, he's not found that comfort zone.  Jumping the quad puts a lot of stress on that foot. Personally speaking, I think quad jumps are bad for skaters all around and I would like to see them removed from competition.  But that's another angle ...

Evan Lysacek deserves to be Olympic Champion.  His skating last night was the best, period.

Now, on to Evgeni Plushenko.  Plushenko is an amazing skater, there's no doubt about that.  I've seen him through the last decade, as a shadow to fellow Russian skater Alexei Yagudin in 2002 (winning the silver medal to Yagudin's gold at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City,) and then becoming Olympic Champion in 2006, in Turino, Italy.  I've seen Plushenko on television of course, but also in person ... front-row seats on a couple of occasions to Champions on Ice.  Now, it's true, professional exhibitions don't come close to amateur competition, but still, Plushenko's presence on the ice is solid  ...  usually. Last night, it wasn't.  Sorry, but it wasn't.  I've seen him skate better and apparently, so have the judges.

Plushenko's quad jump in combination with a triple can't be denied ... it was wonderful ... but it was at the beginning of the program.  The free skate lasts 4 minutes, 40 seconds.  If he'd have done that combo 3-4 minutes into the program, I would have been more impressed.  But jumping on fresh legs just after the music starts, well, any well-trained skater can or should be able to do that, no matter how many rotations are in the jump. Plushenko's other jumps were OK, not spectacular. A couple of them were off-center, he was crooked in the air, and it was clear that he had to fight to maintain the landing on one or two.  But he's a champion and he made it through.  He was good.  Not great. Let me tell you the real reason I wasn't so impressed with him last night ...   

The program lacked energy and it packed all of the jumps into the first part of it so that for the final 60 or 90 seconds or so ... nothing.  Throughout the whole program, a skater needs to be able to take the audience with him on his journey and for me, that just didn't happen.  Plushenko's jumps, spins and footwork just didn't inspire me, as he's been able to do in the past.  But the past doesn't matter, it's all about what you can do in the moment that counts. The sad thing about Plushenko right now is that his sour grapes are showing.  He said ... and I'm quoting a couple of other sources here* ... these things:  "If the Olympic champion doesn’t know how to jump a quad, I don’t know.  Now it’s not men’s figure skating, now it’s dancing.  I was positive that I won.  But I suppose Evan needs a medal more than I do.  Maybe it’s because I already have one.”  He also said, "you can't be considered a true men's champion without a quad.  For someone to stand on top of the podium with the gold medal around his neck with just doing triple jumps, to me it's not progress, it's a regress because we've done triples 10 or even 20 years ago.  Just doing nice transitions and being artistic is not enough because figure skating is a sport, not a show," he said.

OK, Evgeni, really? I know you're disappointed, but really?

I like what Lysacek had to say about the jumps: "If it was a jumping competition, they’d give you 10 seconds to go do your best jump.  But it’s about 4 minutes and 40 seconds of skating and performing from start to finish.” 

And on February 18th in Vancouver, Canada, Evan Lysacek did just that.

One other note, this one about Johnny Weir. He skated well. Maybe not well enough to be on the podium but I thought he deserved better than a 6th place finish.   

Olympic skating continues this afternoon (4:45 p.m. Pacfic Time, 7:45 p.m. Eastern) with the compulsory dance in the ice dancing competition. The Original Dance (short program) is on Sunday (4:15 p.m. Pacfic Time, 7:15 p.m. Eastern) and the Free Dance is on Monday(4:45 p.m. Pacfic Time, 7:45 p.m. Eastern.)  Two couples to watch:  Reigning Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto of the United States and defending world champions Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin of Russia.

The Ladies short program is on Tuesday, February 23rd and the free skate is Thursday, February 25th.  World champion Kim Yu-Na of South Korea is the  favorite to win the gold medal, but don't count out Japan, Italy, Canada and the good ole U. S. of A.

And so, there you have it! 

Teri Silver, February 19, 2010. 

*Yahoo & NBC

I love the winter Olympics and are glad to have something to watch, now that football season is over, it's not time for March Madness and the crack of the baseball bat won't be heard for a few months, yet.  I don't get this excited over the summer Olympics... in fact, I barely watch any of that... but winter is good.  Why?

I can be the skater. I can be the skier, I can be the ... um curler. Yeah, that's it.  Well, first, we have to get past the Olympic opening ceremonies.  No matter how fancy they are and for all the pomp and circumstance, for me they are a snooze.  ZZZZzzzz.  Let's just get down to business, shall we? 

I love figure skating and until a few years ago, I had lived vicariously through Michelle Kwan. Those days are done but there's a new host of U S. team skaters on the horizon and we can only hope they'll bring home some metal.... in the form of medals.  Anyone who doesn't think skaters are athletes, well, it ain't easy to manage the jumps, spins, spirals, lifts and then some, do it all to music and keep fresh for more than four minutes of hard skating.  Although I still don't like the "new" judging system,  it's still great to watch the women, men, couples and ice dancers compete from countries all over the world on Olympic ice.

Skiing ... the last time I was on skis, well, I won't say how many years ago it was but I was in college then, having joined the ski club. I was then as I am now ...  no skier but I learned to do simple stuff and we had a blast.  If I thought I could do it now without seriously injuring anything, I would jump back on the snow covered slopes. But I damage so easily ...  In any case, watching the pros on snow skis is, if you pardon the pun, very cool.  

Curling, now that cracks me up.  I don't understand it, don't know the rules, but it looks like something I can do myself. Olympic sport?  Huh?  It's like shuffleboard on ice.  OK, I shouldn't make fun of it, but you know ... since my hair is naturally curly, I can't imagine curling anything ... period. 

And then there's Luge, bobsled, snowboarding and a few other fun things to watch during the Olympics, mostly different from anything we see day-to-day.  That's one of the reasons why I love the Olympics... every four years. It's enough.  

Now, it's time to get some corn popping and settle in to watch .... something "Olympical."

 And so, there you have it!

Teri Silver, February 12, 2010.