the nail in the coffin | A Cleveland sports podcast

By Tom Valentino and Travis UlleSports News Sports News

the nail in the coffin | A Cleveland sports podcast episodes

December 01, 2020 Episode 186 – Football flailing amid COVID chaos, Browns soldiering on, OSU sidelined
An NFL game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh that was supposed to be played on Thanksgiving night is now scheduled for a Wednesday afternoon in December so as not to conflict with the lighting of a Christmas tree in New York. The Ohio State Buckeyes have played four games and are currently in position to make the College Football Playoff, but are also on the verge of not qualifying for the Big Ten championship game. And yet it’s the NBA, which earned praise for the safety of its bubble over the summer, that is now getting ready for what might be the riskiest plan of all for its new season. Welcome to winter sports in the pandemic!
The guys discuss the COVID chaos engulfing the NFL and college football, the Browns somehow being in position to finally make the playoffs, the Cavs’ iffy Rock Hall-inspired City edition uniforms, Cleveland’s regional sports networks still not being available on many Northeast Ohio TVs and more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 7 min
November 15, 2020 Episode 185 – Catching up on the Cavs and the NBA Draft with Justin Rowan
After 8 months, finally—FINALLY!—things are happening with the Cavs. The NBA’s trade moratorium is about to be lifted, the draft is on Wednesday night, and free agency isn’t far behind. Justin Rowan, co-host of the Cavs-centric podcast The Chase Down, drops in on The Nail to give us a refresher on the state of Wine & Gold basketball, from the likelihood of a trade involving Andre Drummond, Kevin Love or maybe even Larry Nance to how potential draft picks could fit into the Cavs’ lineup.
Plus: Why is Dayton big man Obi Toppin being linked to the Cavs in so many stories? What would the selection of Onyeka Okongwu, Deni Avdija, Isaac Okoro or Devin Vassell mean for players currently on the Cavs’ roster? And with adjusted lottery odds making tanking a more tenuous strategy than ever, are J.B. Bickerstaff and his assistants the right coaching staff to develop players who aren’t taken at the top of the draft?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
40 min
November 10, 2020 Episode 184 – Browns ready to run, OSU early returns, farewell Alex Trebek
Coming off a much-needed bye, the Browns are back this weekend and they will look to returning running back Nick Chubb and guard Wyatt Teller to rejuvenate the running game that carried the team's offense through the early part of the season. With no moves made at last week's trade deadline, meanwhile, the Browns will look within to bolster a defense that has struggled to get off the field. The guys preview the second half of the year and size up the team’s playoff odds.
Plus: Memories of Modell’s move in 1995, the state of the Buckeyes and the Big Ten through three weeks, and a salute to one of TV's most beloved figures, “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek.
* * *
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher
Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com
Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast
Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast
Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek
Photos from Getty Images | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 9 min
October 16, 2020 Episode 183 – Ballin’ Browns, Bron’s big Finals, bon voyage to the NBA bubble
WFNY co-founder and editor Andrew Schnitkey was at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday to watch the Browns move to 4-1, their best start since 1994. He joins The Nail to talk about his experience among the 12,000 fans at the game, the magic that Kevin Stefanski has worked to completely turn around the franchise, Myles Garrett’s dominating start to the season, the ups and downs of Baker Mayfield, and the big test that looms on Sunday at Pittsburgh. Plus: LeBron James clinched his fourth title on Sunday night, leading the Lakers back to the top of the mountain and ending an NBA bubble experience that was short on fans, but filled with memorable performances. ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photo from Associated Press | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
57 min
September 29, 2020 Episode 182 – A crash course on Indians vs. Yankees in the AL Wild Card round
Fausto Carmona is long gone, but the midges are back. Sandy Alomar won’t be hitting a game-tying home run that sends Paul O’Neill into a tantrum on the warning track, but he will be managing the Tribe. It’s the Indians and the Yankees meeting in the first round of the MLB postseason again, and Waiting For Next Year’s Mitchell Krall joins The Nail to give us a crash course. Topics covered: Presumed Cy Young winner-to-be Shane Bieber and the Indians pitching staff, potential AL MVP Jose Ramirez and whether the Tribe can generate enough offense, what role having Alomar manage in place of Terry Francona will play, and what we need to know about the team from the Bronx and the new postseason format. ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photos from Getty Images | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min
September 23, 2020 Episode 181 – First impressions of Stefanski’s Browns, Indians clinch postseason spot
Two weeks into the NFL season, the Browns have bounced back from a rough (but, given the circumstances, maybe not too surprising) start in Baltimore. The Indians, meanwhile, are officially back in the postseason after a dramatic Jose Ramirez walk-off home run in extra innings against the White Sox on Tuesday night. Joe Gerberry, writer and editor for Waiting For Next Year, joins The Nail to discuss the state of Cleveland’s two active teams. The guys go through the early returns on the Kevin Stefanski regime, Baker Mayfield, an improved offensive line, and a work-in-progress defense. Plus: Shane Bieber and Ramirez putting together award-worthy seasons, and best/worst potential first-round postseason opponents for the Tribe. ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photos from Getty Images | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
51 min
August 25, 2020 Episode 180 – John Kampf of The News-Herald on a very different high school football season
High school football—one of Ohio’s great sports traditions—kicks off its 2020 season later this week, but for obvious reasons, this year will be far from normal. John Kampf, longtime prep sports writer for The News-Herald, joins the Nail to talk about how schools around the area are preparing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in protocols being made by the OHSAA to limit risks where possible. … Plus: A coaching change in Mentor, Kirtland eying another state title, and the players to know this fall. ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photo from The News-Herald | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 min
August 17, 2020 Episode 179 – Baseball, Blue Jackets, and (no) Big Ten football
Sports are back, and so is The Nail. The guys discuss the early ups and downs of the Indians, the Blue Jackets in the NHL playoffs, and adjusting to sports broadcasts with no fans but lots of ads. … Plus: With the Big Ten and Pac-12 opting out for the fall, what will become of the 2020 college football season? ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photos from Associated Press and NHL.com | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
58 min
July 21, 2020 Episode 178 – Author Alex Harnocz on ‘Perfect Season Project: An Uncommon Arrangement of Cleveland Indians History’
Author Alex Harnocz joins the show to discuss his new book, “Perfect Season Project: An Uncommon Arrangement of Cleveland Indians History,” in which he sifts through 120 years of Tribe baseball to find the most interesting and/or historic year for each game on the schedule, from 1 to 162. In his book, Harnocz chronicles the classics—Bob Feller’s opening day no-hitter in 1940, Len Barker’s perfecto (Game 24 in 1981), and the miraculous comeback vs. Seattle (Game 110 in 2001)—as well as some deep cuts that only the most diehard Indians fans will remember. Harnocz explains the inspiration for his project and how he put the Indians’ “perfect season” together. ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min
July 08, 2020 Episode 177 – Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com on the Indians, a name change, and the 2020 season
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com and the MLB Network joins the show to discuss the Indians potentially changing their name, how the 60-game schedule and new rules for 2020 affect the Tribe, and whether roster restrictions in place this year could decrease the odds of a midseason trade of Francisco Lindor. Read Castrovince’s column on a potential Indians name change: https://medium.com/@castrovince/the-cleveland-spiders-b2f4aa576eb3 Check out Castrovince’s new book: “A Fan’s Guide to Baseball Analytics” ... Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photo from Associated Press | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 min