The Cleveland Browns held their first summer workout on Thursday, July 25th. Christmas in July for Browns fans. I chatted with long time Browns beat writer Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. We looked at various aspects of the team as it embarks on one of the most anticipated seasons in team history.  As usual, please subscribe, rate and review/ Thanks

Vince Cellini has been a network television sports host/anchor/broadcaster for 30 years. The Cleveland native got his start at Channel 8 (My station) as intern in 1981/82. (Yours truly tried to show him the ropes) He immediately vaulted from intern status to on air sports anchor/reporter.  It was a very rare move, to go from intern at a top 10 market, to on the air but Vince had the talent, the drive and the personality to do it.    But Cellini got frustrated on not having a more prominent role in 1989, and he gambled on himself and landed at CNN Sports in Atlanta.  From there he crafted a career of hosting various shows, reporting on all the big stories and events.  He left CNN to become the lead talent on air for The Golf Channel and after many years there, went to work with Turner Sports, NBA TV and much more.   The Collinwood native chatted with yours truly this week.  We talked of reporting philosophies, those people who influenced us and more.  I hope you enjoy it.

Fee is an up and coming star in the sport of Crossfit. This year, the twenty something woman from suburban Cleveland, Ohio has qualified for the Crossfit Games in Madison , Wisconsin. She was a volleyball and track athlete in high school, and has just earned a Masters in Business from John Carroll University. She talked about getting the mindset that she could stand out in the sport, after, as she said, there was a time she just went to a regular gym and aimlessly went through a non descriptive workout. Only when she discovered a crossfit gym, did she get the focus to become, potentially something great.   Included in the interview is her praise for Crossfit Games veteran Scott Panchik, who owns Crossfit Mentality in Mentor, Ohio and has been a great advisor, and advocate for Fee.

Cleveland just hosted the MLB All Star Weekend and hit a Grand Slam. The weekend was a huge success. In this episode, I got comments from All Star, Frankie Lindor and from longtime pitcher C.C. Sabathia about how the game is ready to move forward with the crop of young stars. We also hear from writer Terry Pluto on his suggestions to make baseball more appealing. A few fans weigh in; one who likely had a little too much to drink. 

Chuck Kyle has guided St. Ignatius high school in Cleveland to a record 11 football titles in the state of Ohio.  He is a multitalented leader of men.  He has taught English at Ignatius for years, and is very well versed in teaching the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, and of course William Shakespeare. How does the act of teaching English translate to the field?  What does Chuck say about the safety of the gamer? He has been involved with USA football for years, and helps design ways to play the game in a more safe way for kids. He  has thoughts on where the game is going.  Kyle might be the only football coach to have led a young man to become a star actor on Broadway, through the teachings during his English classes. That would be Tony nominated actor Rory O'Malley.   Also, Kyle spoke highly of his involvement with the Cleveland Browns , who he believes are ahead of the curve in working to make football safer for youths. 

Andre Knott is the dugout reporter and a key contributor on all Indians broadcasts on SportsTime Ohio. A former star athlete at Akron St. Vincent St. Mary high school, Dre has seized the opportunity at each junction of his career to get into a new and unique position.  He was a sideline reporter on the Cleveland Browns broadcasts.   He co hosts the popular A to Z podcast with Zac Jackson, the Athletic's Cleveland Browns reporter.  For Knott, its about much more than getting dunked in Gatorade after a dramatic win. Knott talked about how he got his breaks in his career and how he has to report about players while respecting their privacy and relationships. Young broadcasters will get some hints on how to be ready for any career good fortune that will come your way.

Michael Reghi has done play by play for 21 total seasons between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Baltimore Orioles during  his  4 decades in the business.  He started his Cleveland tv career at WEWS TV as the weekend sports guy in the early 80's but made a difficult choice to leave tv news to seek his fortune doing play by play.   The gamble paid off.    He was the television play by play voice of the Cavs when LeBron James entered the league in 2003, and for a period of 8 seasons,  juggled the duties between the Cavs and the Baltimore Orioles, so each season he would do a total of almost 250 games of NBA and MLB games.    He has also done sports talk radio in various capacities over the years, and in recent seasons has broadcast countless MAC sporting events.  I had the good fortune to be the pre game and post game co host those years when Reghi was starting out as the teams tv play by play guy.  I have known him for over 3 decades. I hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe and rate.

Cecil Shorts did what very few are able to accomplish. He came from the Senate League in Cleveland (Collinwood High) to Division 3 in college, Mount Union, to the pros.  He played several seasons for a few teams, most notably the Jacksonville Jaguars, but a devastating knee injury ended his career, which , just opened up the opportunity to make it as a media guy.  He is getting his media game on in Houston.  The father of 7 (triplets age 9 months will up the family total at bit) is doing his part to give back. For a few years now, he has held free camps in Cleveland, Alliance and in Houston , Texas. In our conversation, the influence of a great like Larry Fitzgerald and how Cecil, himself never forgot the free camp he was able to be a part of, courtesy of former Bedford, Ohio and NFL star Chris Chambers.  If you like, please subscribe and rate and share.  Thanks 

Rafael Hernandez Brito is the Spanish voice for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Browns.   Affectionately known as The Mayor "El Alcalde", Rafa came to the US at age 16 having dealt with the war in El Salvador.  He joined one of his aunts in New York, and eventually studied mechanical engineering at Boston University and got his degree, but he never used that degree to do any engineering.  He was a highly successful beverage salesman and manager, and had some sports related accounts, such as Yankee Stadium , but as fate would have it, an iconic radio call by legendary announcer Jack Buck (Dodger Kirk Gibsons 1988 World Series homer) steered him in the direction of broadcasting a few years later, and Rafa, the master of timing soon started an incredible run of working for Univision, doing all sports such as boxing, MMA, NFL football, basketball and more. He even hosted the Spanish version of a show, similar to NPR's Car Talk.  I could list more jobs, but you will learn that Rafa always was ready for a new challenge and I don't imagine that will ever change.  I hope you like the interview. Please subscribe and rate.  Thank you.

Mac Stephens played a few seasons in the NFL. His son, Linden is in the league with Denver. Mac is head football coach at Cleveland Heights High and trains young athletes at the Euclid Sports Plant. As an NFL player, his workout partner in Minnesota was the legend, Herschel Walker.  Stephens spoke of how his Akron and pro football  background prepared him to coach high school football, and how he guided his son through the ranks. He spoke of what its like having elite talents  like Tyreke Smith, and Jaylen Harris at the high school level and the process of guiding them to college. Stephens also trained Kareem Hunt when he was just beginning to work out as a young teen and how Hunts suspension from the NFL will affect him going forward.  Hope you enjoy the episode. Thanks for listening.