Growing up in the 1970s and 80s as a Cleveland Indians’ fan, I never came close to experiencing the roller coaster ride that is playoff baseball.

I was a sophomore Muskingum College in the fall of 1990 when Pittsburgh and Cincinnati met in the National League Championship Series.  Because of the school’s location (near the intersection of I-77 and I-70), the dormitories were inhabited by numerous Pirates’ and Reds’ fans.

The Reds, led by Rob Dibble and the ‘Nasty Boys’ bullpen, won that match-up, as well as the World Series that followed.  The Pirates, led by Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke, and Doug Drabek, returned the the NLCS the next two years, both times suffering crushing game 7 losses to the Atlanta Braves.

I wonder if any Pittsburgh fans remember the name of Francisco Cabrera.  If not, let me refresh your memory.

As I observed my fellow dorm mates watching those epic playoff series, night after night, for hours on end, a thought entered my head.

“If the Indians are ever lucky enough to reach the playoff holy land, I am gonna be in BIG TROUBLE.”  

Being a double-major student and also playing football at the time, my weeknights were budgeted with a good portion of study time.  Baseball games that last 3 to 4 hours can put a serious kink into those academic plans.

Fast forward to 1995.  The Indians amazingly became the darlings of Ohio, going 100-44 in a shortened season to smash their way into the playoffs.  That fall, I was newly married, in my third year teaching, and also coaching varsity football.  I came to realize at that time that the college version of myself didn’t have a clue as to what ‘busy life’ truly was.  College Mac never had to get up before 7 am.  Working Mac relished the rare morning when he got sleep in past 7 am.

Those 1995 Indians knocked off Seattle to get to the World Series.  Unfortunately, one of the games occurred the same night that I had parent-teacher conference duties, which didn’t end until 9 pm.  I can remember getting pretty jittery as I agonizingly worked through the final few conferences of the evening with my four-person teaching team.  No smart phones at that time, or any cell phones for that matter, to keep me up to date on the score.  

We finally made it to our final 15-minute conference. Each member of our teaching team shared their thoughts with the parent.  I probably talked for a grand total of 38 seconds as I eagerly anticipated the moment that I could bolt out the door.  Unfortunately, one of our teaching veterans decided to give that last conference her full teaching treatment.  9:00 passed.  Then 9:05.  It was at least 9:10 before the meeting mercifully came to an end, and I raced home.

During the Tribe’s glory years from 1995-2001, when they made the postseason in six of seven seasons, Working Mac was able to manage his time well enough to savor every tense-filled moment of those playoff runs, even though every one sadly ended with a loss.

Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner helped lead the Indians back to the post-season in 2007.  By that time, Working Mac evolved an even busier species:  Working/Parenting Mac.  Unfortunately, one hat that I wore stayed the same:  Disappointed Fan Mac.

Nowadays, I am Working/Parenting/Writing Mac.  Let’s hope that this time around, Terry Francona and his squad can help all of us busy Cleveland fans drop that ‘Disappointed Fan’ label.

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

In honor of the retirement of two broadcasting legends–Vin Scully and Dick Enberg–I wrote a an article in the October 2nd Times Reporter ranking MY top 10 sportscasters of all time.  You can click here to read the list.

I decided to follow up with a list of MY top 10 Cleveland sportscasters of all time.  Like the previous list, I am excluding announcers that are before my time (sorry Mudcat Grant and Jimmy Dudley).  Unlike that list, I am considering non-game broadcasters (such as sports news anchors and sports talk hosts).  Here we go…

#11 Matt Ritzert and Jim Johnson

I decided to add my favorite local broadcasters to this list.  In my early years as a Tuscarawas County resident, I always enjoyed hearing Matt Ritzert describing high school games on WJER.  Jim Johnson, with his deep baritone voice, is a legend to Stark County residents.   It was a big highlight for my brothers and me to hear Mr. Johnson say our name on a WHBC high school football game broadcast.

#10  Casey Coleman

This former Channel 8 sports anchor was a strong vocal supporters of Clevelanders and their teams.  He also wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, and stand up for what he felt was right.   He announced Browns games in 1995 and 1996.  He unfortunately died at age 55 of pancreatic cancer.   I will always remember how he signed off his broadcasts…

“I am rounding 3rd and heading home”.

#9   Michael Reghi

A solid sports talk host, but he was an excellent  TV play-by-play announcer for Cavaliers from 1993-2006.  He brought great passion and energy to the games. Go to the 40 second marke on this LeBron highlight montage to here a Reghi call a playoff game winner.Or Check out his call on this LeBron dunk.

Unfortunately, when Dan Gilbert bought the team, he decided to replace Reghi with Fred McCleod (who has really grown on me).

#8 Rick Manning

It is hard to believe, but this former centerfielder is now in his 27th year  as a color commentator for Cleveland Indians’ games.  He does a solid job, and is definitely not shy to give an opinion.  He always has some fun stories from his playing  days to share, and he knows the game well.

#7  Herb Score

This former flame-throwing pitcher (whose potential superstar career was derailed by a line drive to the face) broadcast Indians games from 1964-1997.  He was far from the smoothest of announcers, but he was OUR announcer.  Hearing his familiar New York accent over the airwaves was like listening to your grandpa tell stories on the front porch.

#6 Gib Shanley

The Gibber was the radio play-by-play man for the Browns for 24 years, starting in the 1961.  He called the 1964 NFL Championship win over the Colts, as well as the dismal Red Right 88 loss to the Raiders on a cold January Sunday in 1981.

Shanley also was a long time sports anchor for WEWS Channel 5.   He made national headlines for his burning of the Iranian flag during this live broadcast in the early days of the ugly Iranian Hostage crisis.

#5 Jim Donovan

There once was a time when local news channel personalities were more than just reporters;  they were regional icons.  Names like Dick Goddard, Dorothy Fuldheim, Wilma Smith, Don Webster, Ted Henry, and Gib Shanley.  Jim Donovan deserves to be right along side those legends.

Jim is a native of Boston, but he has become a Clevelander through and through.  He is has been the sports anchor at WKYC Channel 3 since 1986, and has been the play-by-play voice of the Browns since their return from exile in 1999.

Jim not only brings great enthusiasm to the games; he also incorporates great humor and wit, while also relating to (and empathizing with) his Cleveland audience.  He is not just a broadcaster.  He is a friend.  And he has been in the prayers of many of us during his courageous battle with leukemia.   I am proud to say I got to shake his hand, speak with him briefly, and introduce my sons to him at a Browns’ training camp practice.

Here is a great Donovan call of a William Green touchdown run.

How about a couple of Phil Dawson snow bowl field goals.

#4  Tony Rizzo

Tony worked for many years as a sportscaster for the Fox 8 News.   He earned this lofty ranking, however, primarily due to his stellar performance for the last decade as the host of The Really Big Show on 850 WKNR.  He is by far the best radio talk show host I have ever heard, local or national.  He avoids the two common sports talk traps that most other hosts fall into:

1.  Mr. ‘Know-It -All’

2.  Negative Ned

Tony flips this on end by magnificently pulling off the deadly 1-2 combo of being every fan’s best bud as well as the life of the party.  He sounds like he is having a lot of fun, which infects both his radio show sidekicks and the listening audience.  He does this while incorporating solid, professional sports knowledge.

Cleveland fans love him because he is one of them.  He wears his fandom, his frustrations, his fun, and his joy on his sleeve.

I would put the following Top 3 against any other media market trio…

#3  Tom Hamilton

“Swing and a DRIVE!………..DEEP LEFT FIELD!…………WAY BACK!………..GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Hammy has been spreading his infectious energy over the radio waves for 27 Indian seasons now.  He was the perfect fit those exciting powerhouse Tribe teams in the 1990s.  Though he can be a bit of a homer, he isn’t afraid to call out the Indians when they make mistakes.

I think Times Reporter Sports Editor Hank Keathley is a little disappointed that I didn’t have Hammy at #1 (check the end of his 2014 article).

#2  Joe Tait

“WHAM with the right hand!”

This guy is Mr. Cleveland Cavalier.  He did the Cavs radio play-by-play from their inception in 1970 all the way until his retirement in 2011 (other than two years in the early 1980s after inept owner Ted Stepien replaced him).

Joe was able to paint a masterpiece portrait of each game with his vibrant, succinct words, powerful energy, witty humor, and an occasional tactfully placed dagger.   And his passion for the game was always apparent.  Just listen to his call during the clinching game 7 of the Miracle in Richfield in 1976.

Joe also did separate stints radio and TV stints as the Indians’ play-by-play voice in the 1970s and 80s.  I will always remember being a 10-year-old boy watching  and listening on a cold spring Friday night in 1981 as he called the last out–a catch by Rick Manning– to seal Len Barker’s perfect game.

#1  Nev Chandler

“Pandemonium Palace!”

It’s hard to put anyone ahead of Joe Tait, but Nev Chandler gets the nod in my book.  He did Indians’ radio play-by-play (where he did Barker’s perfect game).  I can remember him doing Cavs’ TV games when World B. Free and company almost knocked off the defending champion Celtics.

But he was most known as the voice of the Browns during the heyday of the Bernie Kosar/Dawg defense era.  He simply did a great job in both describing and capturing the energy of the game, no matter the sport.  Here is his great call from the 1993 Steelers’ game when Eric Metcalf returned his second punt for a touchdown to seal the game.

Unfortunately, Nev’s life was tragically cut short due to colon cancer less than a year later.  But he will live forever not only on the internet, but as the voice of some of our favorite Browns’ memories.

These are my rankings.  Who do is your favorite Cleveland announcer?  CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

How will Terrelle Pryor turn out as a pro? Click here to vote.

The Cleveland Browns have started the season with three straight losses, two injured quarterbacks, and one game-ending  missed field goal.    And with their combination of youth, injuries, and lack of quality NFL talent, there are likely many more losses on the horizon.

In spite of this gloomy 2016 forecast, their have some bright spots during this 0-3 start, the biggest of which has to be wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.  The former Ohio State quarterback had a breakout  performance against Miami, grabbing 8 catches for 144 yards and a  touchdown.  He also lined up at QB in the wildcat formation, compiling another 21 yards rushing and 35 yards passing.  Beyond the lofty stat line, he wowed the viewing audience with his size, speed, and athleticism.  My Mac Snacks article about that game was in the September 26, 2016 Times Reporter newspaper.

What is amazing is that last year, the Browns cut Pryor just before the start of the 2015 NFL season.  For some reason, then-general manager Sashi Brown and his staff felt that Pryor wasn’t worth investing a roster spot on.  This was in spite of having a very underwhelming and undersized group of wide receivers.  This was one of many poor personnel decisions that eventually cost Brown his job.

The Browns did re-sign Pryor later in the season, and he caught one pass in the last game.

I wrote a blog  on September 2, 2015, championing the cause to keep Terrelle on the roster, entitled Prior NFL Evidence Says Browns Should Keep Pryor.   It not only makes the case for keeping a spot for him on the 53-man roster, but also examines the enormous NFL potential that Pryor’s elite physical tools exhibit.  His display vs. Miami showed that his potential has a good chance at becoming a reality.

Maybe I should send this to owner Jimmy Haslam the next time a front office position opens up.

Here are the contents of that article:

PRIOR NFL EVIDENCE SAYS BROWNS  SHOULD KEEP PRYOR

September 2, 2015

Preseason is just about over, but probably the biggest story and question mark since training camp opened remains the same:  “What should the Browns do with Terrelle Pryor?”

In a recent Cleveland Sports Talk article, Zach Shafron made this very solid case for sending Terelle packing.  The cliff notes version (do high school students still use CliffsNotes??) is that with such a solid cast of supporting characters competing for six likely wide receiver spots, there just isn’t enough room on the roster to roll the dice on such an unproven–and due to a sore hamstring–unseen Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor’s recent conversion from lifelong quarterback to newbie receiver has created a lot of doubters in the sports world.  I have even remembered listening to a very credible radio voice compared the switching between those positions to a pro athlete switching from baseball to football.  In the words of Hall of Famer Chris Carter…

C’MON, MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

But let’s talk about the hypothetical idea of jumping from another sport to football at the professional level.  Could a basketball player do it?  Recent NFL history says yes:

Exhibit A,   Antonio Gates.  This 5-time All-Pro and 9-time pro bowler is a sure-fire future Hall of Famer.  He strictly played hoops at Kent State, helping them on their miracle run to the 2002 NCAA tourney Elite Eight.  San Diego then picked him up as an undrafted free agent.   His success gave hope to just about every forward in college basketball.

Exhibit B,  Jimmy Graham.  This NFL superstar played four years of hoops at the University of Miami.  After that, he played one year of football for ‘The U’ before the Saints made him a 3rd round pick.  He was ranked #31 in the most recent Top 100 players rankings by the NFL Network (down from #10 the year before).

Exhibit C, Julius Thomas.  Peyton Manning’s former TE was a 4-year basketballer at Portland State, playing football only in his final year in college before the Broncos grabbed him in the 4th round.  He just became the highest paid tight end in the NFL after the Jaguars signed him as a free agent this year.

One glaring distinction between Pryor and those three is that they all transitioned to tight end, while Pryor is moving to wide receiver.  That difference actually enhances the argument for T.P.  Transitioning to wide receiver would seem to be much easier than trying to become a tight end.   Which elite NFL player would you rather block?  5′ 11, 195-pound Joe Haden, or this guy…

(usatoday.com)

6′ 5″, 289 pound J.J. Watt?

I know that receiving tight ends don’t mix it up at the line of scrimmage as much as in the past, but they still periodically face off against defensive ends.  A wide receiver blocking a corner is  pretty much a tickle fight in comparison.

Some question whether Pryor could handle the fear of going  across the middle for a pass.  First of all, new rules protecting the ‘defenseless receiver’ greatly reduces the anxiety of getting clotheslined by any Jack Tatum wannabes (millenial Buckeye fans, google Jack Tatum).  And secondly, I would guess it takes a pretty triple scoop cone of courage (with nuts sprinkled on top) to stand in the pocket as an NFL quarterback with someone like this looking to blindside you…

(nfl.com)

And remember, Pryor also has a head start in understanding the X’s and O’s of receivers, since it is a requirement of NFL quarterbacks to know the routes and reads of wide outs.  Let’s hope Johnny is meeting that requirement this year.

But with Terelle being out most of August with a hamstring injury, is he worth the risk?  He appears to be barely hanging on to his NFL career after being drafted four years ago.  But T.P. is no run-of-the-mill NFL journeyman wannnabe.  Look at how his measurements compare to those tight ends mentioned above…

Pretty comparable to these top players until you look at his 40 yard dash time.  That’s elite speed!  The fastest NFL combine time ever (since they went to automatic timing in 2000) was 4.24 by Chris Johnson, and,  according to NFL.com, only eight players ever ran below a 4.3.  T.P.’s long strides hide the fact that he is a burner!

But those figures compare him to tight ends.  How does he stack up against the royalty of  NFL receivers?  And how does he compare to the freakest physical talents of suspended Brown Josh Gordon, on whom the Browns have rolled the dice on several occasions…

Wow!  The only guy that is truly comparable to him is Megatron!  T.P. is a world-class athlete with a world-class body.  Not only was he phenomenal college quarterback, but he was a 4th team Parade All-American in high school hoops.  So why hasn’t he had a successful NFL career?  Simple.  He doesn’t have an NFL arm.   I am guessing that Braxton Miller took Pryor’s NFL history into account when choosing to do his final year of college at wide receiver,

But is he worth taking a spot from the Browns’ bumper crop of receivers?  Let’s check the tale of the tape…

Two Side notes:  Travis Benjamin must have camped out at the buffett for a week before he weighed in.  Or his hair added on at least 15 pounds.   Also, we are just one player away from entering a local 6-foot and under basketball league!  To complete the starting  five, we would just need to track down old school Brownies Dino Hall or this mighty mite…

The Ice Cube, Gerald McNeil!!!

So after looking at those figures, do you think the risk of giving one of the 53 roster spots to Terelle Pryor is worth the potential reward?  His age is still pretty young in comparision to the rest of the receiving corps. And it’s not like the Browns are poised for a championship run this year.

Remember how you felt in the 2nd half of the 2013 year when Josh Gordon blossomed into an elite NFL physical talent, something not seen in the orange and brown since maybe the days of Jim Brown.  Let’s face it. #6 receivers on NFL squads are a dime a dozen.  You can easily put one or two on the practice squad. But dropping a dime into the Terelle Pryor slot machine just might hit a JACKPOT!

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

Some leftovers are as good as their debut date.  I could even argue that some pizza can be better the next day around.  On the other hand, I cringe when I see certain ‘oldies’ staring at me when I open the refrigerator door.   Tupperware containers filled with eroding edibles linger in food purgatory for a week or two until someone gets the courage to stomach the stench, open the lid, and toss it.

Last night, I served up a leftover from three months ago.  Being from June, you might think it smelled like a rotting corpse when I popped it open.  But actually, it had more of a champagne taste to it.

It might have helped that it came from a better storage place than my fridge:  My DVR.

NBA TV had the Michael Jordan ‘The Shot’ game on that I recorded for my sons to watch.  Not so much as to torture them, but to let them appreciate Jordan’s greatness.  We forwarded it to the last four minutes of the game.  I didn’t want to scar their young, fragile minds with too many images of 1989 short shorts or bad hair.

Anyways, you might not remember it, but their were three game-winning shots in the closing moments.  Jordan actually hit a 15-footer over Larry Nance with six seconds left prior to his iconic buzzer beater.  Those shots were sandwiched around Craig Ehlo’s give-and-go lay-up with three seconds left.  Ehlo, the famous defensive victim of ‘The Shot’, actually scored 15 points in the 4th period.  But, of course, we lost.

That depressing game, by the way, was not a delicious leftover.  My wife, however, had a great idea, as she quite often does.  She suggested we watch Game 7 of the NBA Finals that was on our DVR from June.

My Beth is not only beautiful, but she is brilliant!

I forwarded it to the tension-filled last five minutes.  We relived the Block (how did LeBron do it?), the Bricks (the two teams combined to make 1 of their last 17 shots in the final 4:40), and the Bucket (Kyrie Irving for Three!).  This leftover may have tasted even better than the first time around.  I think that was because the DVR microwave eliminated that aftertaste of known as ‘the fear of inevitably losing’.

The celebration afterwards was beautiful.  LeBron was continually overcome with emotions of tears and joy. The rest of the Cavs followed suit.  Those moments showed why sports has such a special place in our hearts.

That June 19 of 2016 was a wonderful moment for millions of us from Northeast Ohio.  So whenever you feel a little down–maybe on a cold dreary day in February, or after another miserable Browns game–get that TV remote out and click on this ultimate pick-me-up.  It can pull you out of the lowest of lows.

I also recommend having a bowl of ice cream on your lap to enhance the flavor!

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

A recent multi-generational study conducted by Ivy-League-level university numbers experts showed that current teenagers of the millennial generation vastly trailed their parents of Generation X in toughness.

Let me clarify somewhat.   I conducted this study.  I also have a mathematics degree.  My wife has an accounting degree, so I threw her in to lend my study some credibility.  We both graduated from Muskingum College, which is known as the Harvard of the Midwest.  At least to my inflated ego.

Anyhow, the mountains of evidence that I will soon pile in front of you will ease any doubts as to the reliability and accuracy of this scientific study.

Exhibit A:

Friday, at approximately 5:45 pm, my wife brought home a 14-inch large Domino’s thin crust pepperoni and bacon pizza.  Half of it also had mushrooms.  At approximately 6:03 pm, this sole piece remained.  We then head north to watch the Dover-Lake football game.

Side note:  Tuscarawas County is a true mecca of pizza.   In addition to the national chains, there are a large number of great local shops.  I have an upcoming top-10 pizza place blog in the works.  Stay tuned.

Exhibit B:

At approximately 11:16 pm, we returned from the game.  This lonely piece continued to occupy our counter.

Exhibit C:

At approximately 8:56 the next morning, I snapped a picture of this abandoned slice of pie.

Exhibit D:

Three Aljancic children (a sophomore boy, an 8th grade boy, and a seventh grade girl) reside in the residence where the aforementioned evidence (Exhibits A, B, and C) was located.

CASE CLOSED!

Don’t quite understand this crazy science talk?  Let me translate.

One small piece of pizza lasted over 15 hours without two healthy teenage males gobbling it up (I will give my daughter a pass).

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?!?

Teenage boys are supposed to be human vacuum cleaners.  Back in my day, this pizza slice’s heart would have still been beating when me or one of my two little brothers would have put it out of its misery.

If we didn’t kill each other first staking a claim to it.

Or if my dad didn’t declare eminent domain on that last piece.

Back then, our family of six (I had also had an older sister) was clearly a 2-large pizza family by our teenage years.   No left overs to be seen on those pizza nights!

And that was when a large pizza was large.  16 inches in diameter.  None of this lightweight 14-inch weak stuff.

And remember, the evidence mentioned above was THIN CRUST!  That’s like eating a medium.

For posterity’s sake, I should point out that my younger son ate a couple of pieces of pizza, as well as some wings, at his cousin’s house after the game.  And my other son went to bed early to get up for a cross country meet the next day.  On second thought, it’s probably not a good idea to have a bunch of pizza meandering through your body when you have to run 3.1 miles.

But come on. That scrawny little square could have been eliminated with one bite.

Case closed.

As you can see, the evidence is overwhelming.  Time to put into scientific law, right after Sir Isaac Newton’s stuff about falling apples.  Better click the ALL CAPS and BOLD icon.

GENERATION X IS TOUGHER THAN MILLENNIALS.

Some of you conspiracist naysayers that still think that the moon is made of cheese might point to one piece of evidence to debunk this ALJANCIC FIRST LAW OF TOUGHNESS:

If I say Generation X is so big and bad, why didn’t I finish of this puny piece of pie myself?

Simple:  It took all the toughness I had to talk myself out of eating that scrumptious slice.  Just look at it.  That square was truly a greasy, cheesy slice of heaven.  And did I mention that it had bacon on it?

But I was also staring at the caloric equivalent of a half-mile of jogging.

TUMMY TEMPTATION VANQUISHED!

Get the chisel out.  Time to put it in stone:

GENERATION X IS TOUGHER THAN MILLENNIALS.

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

I recently saw a trailer for the new movie, Pete’s Dragon, which quickly caused me to flash back to childhood memories of the original Disney version from 1977…

I don’t remember much about this movie, other than it was pretty lame to my then 6-year-old eyes.

Re-visiting this cinematic scar unearthed a much larger, tragic realization of an enormous void in my childhood upbringing:

1970s kids movies STUNK!!!

Nowadays, Hollywood caters to the child audience by putting out flicks in quantity and quality.  Just look at what is in the top 10 domestic grossing movies so far in 2016…

#1  Finding Dory

#4  The Jungle Book

#5  Zootopia

#7  The Secret Life of Pets

#10  Kung Fu Panda 3

I haven’t seen any of this group, but from raising three kids over the last 15 years, I have watched my share of kid flicks.   And most of the time, they are pretty darn entertaining for the kids as well as the adults.  I can even admit to shedding tears on more than one occasion.

Here is what has come out since 2000:

Pixar alone has churned out more gold than Michael Phelps:  Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Up, Brave, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles,…

Disney (which now owns Pixar) has released Frozen, Wreck It Ralph, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, High School Musical, The Princess and the Frog, Bolt, Big Hero 6,…

Then you have the works of other movie studios:  Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon,  Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Ice Age, Harry Potter,…

When it comes to watching movies, these young millennials don’t know the meaning of the word, suffer!  Well maybe if their favorite DVD gets scratched.  Wait, that is so 10 years ago.  Well, I guess they sometimes have to wait a few torturing minutes for a movie to load on their iPhones.  And those downloads do take up a lot of data.  Poor kids!

Children of the 1990s had it pretty easy too:   The Lion King, Toy Story 1 & 2, Aladdin, The Mighty Ducks, Mulan, Little Giants, Angels in the Outfield,  The Indian in the Cupboard, and Babe.

The 1980s kids got The Little Mermaid, The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, An American Tail, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and The Goonies.  Not quite the up to the previous Dream Team rosters, but still pretty good.  On top of that, these children were the first to sit at the buffet table combination of cable TV and VCRs.

A look back at the 1960s reveals these gems:  101 Dalmatians, The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Love Bug.

And the 1950s had these iconic titles:  Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Old Yeller, and Sleeping Beauty.  

Now the 1970s is a whole different story.  The OPEC countries must have targeted Hollywood as part of their strategy of controlling the world oil market, because the gas shortages of that decade paled in comparison to the quality kid movie drought.  Let’s take a look.

Side note:  I know that Star Wars was beyond awesome, but It is not considered a children’s movie.   And I can’t count The Bad News Bears.  I am speculating that any movie that has a youth baseball coach that pounding beers in the dugout means an automatic disqualification from from the kids’ movie genre.

Our childhood memories can attempt to sugarcoat even the harshest of realities.  And when it comes to any movie, one person’s cinematic trash is another’s treasure.  Back in the days of polyester and platform shoes, Hollywood put out a lot of trash.  So I judge these flicks primarily by three standards:

1.  How did I like it as a kid?

2.  Could I now watch (and enjoy) it now as an adult?

3.  How would my kids enjoy it?

So here are my results, ‘Seventies Style”…

SHAG CARPET CLASSICS

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971):   I will stop and watch some of this when I see it on TV.  It definitely stands the test of time.  But the five-year-old in me does have something important to say:  This film is seriously CREEPY!  Willie Wonka is sneaky, moody, and downright mean at times.  A boy gets sucked up a tube to who knows where.  One girl gets labeled a bad egg and is dropped into a furnace (Willie says he can’t remember if the furnace runs that day or the next.  Very reassuring). Charlie and Grandpa float uncontrollably and narrowly avoid getting chopped up by a fan. And I make sure to keep my head on a swivel for those Oompa Loompas any time I am walking down a candy aisle.

That is the beginning and the end of the timeless classic list for this decade.  Next level:

DISCO DELIGHTS

The Muppet Movie (1979):  Jim Henson and his Muppets rocked back in the day.  Not only was The Muppet Show was hilarious, but it always had famous celebrities in it.  The movie carried that tradition on:  Steve Martin, Bob Hope, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Milton Berle, Madeline Kahn, and Orson Welles headlined a large list of cameo appearances.  And The Rainbow Connection is one of the great movie songs of all time.

Though I often see various Muppet sequels listed when I skim the ‘program guide’ button on my TV, I would never see the original come up.  This past spring, though, it finally surfaced, and I DVR’ed it to watch with my daughter.  Upon this further review, I would say it’s solid, but not quite up to ‘classic’ level.

The Black Stallion (1979):  this was a pretty cool movie back in the day.  I re-watched the climactic race scene recently.  It’s pretty darn good.  Any time a kid can beat the adults, that’s it’s movie magic.  Plus, Mickey Rooney rocks in his Academy Award-nominated jockey mentor role!

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977):  This once topped my list of all-time favorite movies.

NUMERO UNO!

As I became more worldly, learning things like times tables and cursive writing, this sports action thriller slowly slid down my list.  It’s probably still in my top 1000.  Maybe.  Anyhow, Herbie was a star back then, and this was his peak performance.  It starred two icons of 70s kid movies:  Dean Jones and Don Knotts. Between his legendary TV roles of Barney Fife and Mr. Furley, Knotts was a regular on the kid movie circuit, including these mediocre (or worse) 1970s films:  The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975), Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978), and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979).  

But he also made this sports classic…

Gus (1976):  Well, maybe not quite a classic, or even a delight, but it’s hard to go wrong when your plot revolves around a mule (or donkey?) from Yugoslavia that can kick 90-yard field goals.  Hue Jackson might want to send some scouts out to area farms.

I found this on some obscure cable channel a few years back.  The  plot was thinner than Kojak’s hairline, but it scored bonus points on my Movie Meter for having both Dick Butkus and Dick Enberg in it, and also for having the L.A. Atoms play against real NFL teams, including the CLEVELAND BROWNS!

MOOD RING MEDIOCRITY

Fonzie from Happy Days was probably the coolest cat in the 1970s.  But he might get an argument from this daring dog…

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977): From what I remember, Snoopy guided the Peanuts gang in a white water rafting race.

Benji (1974):  I guess dogs were box-office gold back then.  This mutt had his name in the title of a couple of 70s flicks.

Disney’s animation bottomed out in this era :  The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), The Rescuers (1977).  Try finding any hints of those movies on your next Disney World visit.

Freaky Friday (1976):  Jodi Foster’s version falls short of the Lindsay Lohan 2003 re-make.

Where the Red Fern Grows (1974):  I had to watch this at 6th grade camp after reading the book.  I think I liked square dance night better.

BELL BOTTOM BAD

Plenty to chose from on this list.  Here are a few that you might remember:

Bedknobs and Broom Sticks (1971)

Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)

Pete’s Dragon (1977)

The Cat From Outer Space (1978)

The Water Babies (1978)

Return from Witch Mountain (1978)

Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979)

After watching those, trying a Pepsi and pop rocks cocktail was probably pretty appealing alternative to a lot of kids (Google it, millennials).  Thank goodness the VCR wasn’t around yet, or those flicks would have become permanent scars on millions of young, impressionable minds.   We could have lost a whole generation to brain damage that would have caused ripple effects to this day.  Maybe there would be no smart phones.  No Google.  No Snuggies.

So how did all of those children of the 1970s survive this cinematic void?  The remedy was a recipe of old TV re-runs, numerous board games, and being kicked outside for hours on end by their parents  (and thus being forced to use their creativity and imagination to play games like ‘Kick the Can’ and ‘Witch in the Well’).

And don’t forget the Pop Rocks!

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

Friday evening, I took my three children to see this movie…

For any boy young enough NOT to drive, this flick contains the key ingredients to a perfect movie:  lots and lots of superheroes.  It kinda reminded me of Saturday mornings as a kid watching my favorite cartoon…

Superhero movies are all the rage right now.  Fans of all ages can’t get enough of the stars of the Marvel and DC comic worlds.   But no matter how super and/or heroic these characters are, their greatness is minimized by one cold, hard fact:

THEY ARE FICTION.

But this weekend, I also came across another collection of superheroes whose exploits were not concocted by a writer’s imagination or any state of the art computerized special effects.  These larger than life men created their legendary status with years and years of their own genuine blood, sweat, and tears…

The Canton Repository runs this picture each year, and every time, I am scan it in awe.  You can have your Avengers or Justice League.  Those crews don’t stand a chance against this Gang of Gridiron Gods.

So Friday night, I gazed on the big screen and saw the familiar costumes of Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman, and company.

But Saturday night, I turned on the small screen to the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony and saw those iconic faces from the autumn Sundays of yesteryear:

Jim Brown.  Mean Joe Greene.  Joe Montana.  Gayle Sayers.  Jerry Rice.  Tony Dorsett.  Marcus Allen.  Joe Namath.  Ronnie Lott.  Dan Marino.    The list goes on and on.

Their hair is a bit thinner and grayer.  There once imposing bodies are a bit softer and hunched over.  But there is no mistaking those enormous heroes of so many childhoods.  Just watching highlights tracing Brett Favre’s career was like reading a comic book or hearing a Paul Bunyan tale.

Superhero movies take place in the far off land of fiction.   But for those of us NFL fans living in and around Stark County, our annual summer blockbuster lands right in our backyard.   So an enormous debt of gratitude goes out to all of the local men and women through the decades that have helped transform the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival an enormous success.

And thank you, Hall of Famers, for being true superheroes to generations of fans.

The author is a contributor for The Times Reporter, as well as clesportstalk.com.  You can follow him on twitter:  @macaljancic

Summertime is an annual collections of lifelong memories marked by popsicles, roller coasters, fireworks, and haggling with someone over whether a nine-year old sweater is worth $1 or 50 cents.

Of course, I am talking about garage sales.  Where one person’s former treasure become someone else’s future trash.  I wrote two summers ago about our garage sale, so in honor of this year’s batch of mediocre summer movie sequels, let me present…

GARAGE SALE II: DEALS AND DUDS

My wife and I have slightly different mindsets.  She sees it as a way to get some monetary value for slightly used items that no longer serve a purpose in our homestead.  Maybe it would help if I gave you visual representation of her mindset from this short-lived Cleveland folk hero…

Time to start raining the dollars!

I, on the other hand, take a different philosophy that Browns tend to incorporate every couple of years:  CLEAN HOUSE!

2016 signaled a new era for the Aljancic Corporation’s annual tango with the free market system.  My wife had to work on Friday, so for the first time, I was in charge.  

Prices were slashed.   I had more sales than one of those cheesy car commercials.  I may have even honored these golden tickets…

I was consumed with an exhilarating joy as carloads of clutter drove off into the sunset. Unfortunately, that feeling dissipated at the end of the day when I had to report my sale prices to our CEO.

Time to take a look at a few pieces of our vintage collection…

EXHIBIT A:

This five-flick collection is the ultimate rainy day line-up.  Here is how I rank them…

#5:  Dirty Dancing:  C+. I never quite bought into this ‘no one puts baby in a corner’ lovefest.  But the great soundtrack makes it watchable for this dude.

#4:  The Cutting Edge:  B+.  One of my wife’s favorites from back in our dating days.   I enjoyed this chick flick with her a few times around.  The Olympic vibe spices it up.  I recently recorded it onto our DVR to show our daughter.  I don’t know if our boys would hang in there.

#3.  Sleepless in Seattle.  A.  One of my favorite romantic comedies.  Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are at their peak as a pair here.

#2.  Field of Dreams.  A.   I loved this quirky sports movie back in the day.   As the years have passed, it’s kinda lost it’s mojo, though.

#1:  The Shawshank Redemption.  A+.  Now this is the epitome of a re-watchable movie.   Probably my all-time favorite flick.

VERDICT:  no sales.  I guess that whole VCR fad might be on the downturn.

EXHIBIT B: 

Five years ago, the NCAA hammer came down on Jim Tressel and his Ohio State Buckeyes.  Star quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the center of the tattoo scandal.   His five-year ban from OSU just ended this past week.

VERDICT:  while his Buckeye ban is over, he is remains stuck in our sales bin

EXHIBIT C:  

This cassette tape of my wife’s was also the very first CD that I ever bought.  Milli Vanilli may have been exposed as frauds, but the music is still awesome, no matter who is singing.

VERDICT:  No sale.  I guess I’ll have to blame it on the rain.

EXHIBIT D: 

I LOVED batting helmets growing up.  Love, love, loved ’em…

My two sons, on the other hand, could care less.  They,instead, love $14 socks.  As in $14 for a ONE pair of Nike socks.  Give me $14 at Wal-Mart and I could get about 25 pair.

Stupid Millennials!  Go chase your Pokemon thingies!

Anyhow, just last week, my family stopped at a Columbus ice cream shop. Guess what they had on the menu?!?  Batting helmet ice cream sundaes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Back in the 1970s, that combo ranked right up their with Donny and Marie, Starsky and Hutch, or Pop Rocks and pop.

But not so exciting to my high-end sock wearers.

VERDICT:  no sale.  I might have to wear them around town some time to revive the fad and drum up some business.

EXHIBIT E:

I not only made mix tapes back in the day;  I classed them up!  Look at these professional graphics!

VERDICT:  sold my ‘Best of the Oldies’ tape!

EXHIBIT F:

As a teacher, I am always looking to mix a good polo shirt into my school rotation, especially when they are on clearance at the end of the summer.  Bonus points if I use that Kohl’s coupon!  This shirt may have been my best pick-up ever.  I got this from a store for $3.60!   My wife was never a big fan, but my students always gave it the thumbs up.

VERDICT:  Got $1 back on my $3.60 investment.

EXHIBIT G:

Ever heard of ESPN?  Back in the early 1990s, their daytime programming wasn’t wall-to-wall Sportscenters and sports debate shows.   They actually had a group of fitness shows run for a few hours around lunch time.  I only know this Gilad guy (important clarification:  this is my wife’s tape) from the last minute or so of his show.  That is because my college buddies and I usually tuned in for what followed…

I remember walking down my college dorm hall one day past five rooms.  I think four of them were tuned into Bodyshaping.  I guess guys were really into physical fitness back then.

Now in defense of my buddies and me, I will say that the Bodyshaping cast wasn’t the only group of girls that we tuned into around lunch time.  We also made room for these hotties…

VERDICT:  Gilad is still available for next year’s blog.

The author is a contributor for The Times Reporter, as well as clesportstalk.com.  You can follow him on twitter:  @macaljancic

The Major League trade deadline is less than a week away.  The MLB playoffs start two months later. How the Cleveland front office handles the trade opportunities over the next few days will have a big impact on the Wahoos’ title opportunities come October.

The big dilemma for Indians’ team president Chris Antonetti is how much of his club’s future should he risk to improve the chances for a run at the title.

A great deadline deal can bring that key piece to push a club to greatness.  A bad trade can gut the farm system and eventually leave the major league club as a barren wasteland void of cornerstone players.

Every major league front office values it’s prized minor league prospects.  The successful front offices know the true value of those prospects for now and the future.

Cleveland has had a long history of valuing prospects  over opportunity.  We have traded away plenty of stars (Bartolo Colon, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez) to get prospects good (Lee, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley) and bad (Matt LaPorta, Andy Marte, Jason Knapp).  Cleveland has also tended to pass on opportunities to trade sexy prospects for star MLB’ers (not giving up Jared Wright for Pedro Martinez).

Here is a look back at 35 years of Cleveland 1st round picks:

2015  Brady Aiken LHP– 2016 Arizona Rookie League 0-3, 6.38 ERA

2014  Bradley Zimmer OF–2016 Double A Akron:  .253 BA, 14 HR, 33 SB

2013  Clint Frazier OF– 2016 Double A Akron:  .276 BA, 13 HR

2012  Tyler Naquin OF– 2016 Indians: .321 BA, 12 HR

2011  Francisco Lindor SS– 2016 Indians: .303 BA, 12 HR

2010  Drew Pomeranz  LHP– with Red Sox;  MLB career (6 years):  22-32, 3.73 ERA

2009  Alex White RHP– out of baseball after 2012; MLB career (2 years):  5-13, 6.03 ERA

2008  Lonnie Chisenhall  3B–2016 Indians:  .303 BA, 6 HR; MLB career (6 years) .263 BA, 49 HR

2007  Beau Mills  3B–out of baseball after 2012, no MLB

2005  Trevor Crowe  CF– out of baseball after 2013; MLB career (4 years): 818 AB, .240 BA, 4 HR

2004 Jeremy Sowers  LHP– out of baseball after 2009; MLB career (4 years):  18-30, 5.18 ERA

2003  Michael Aubrey  1B– out of baseball after 2011; MLB career (2 years):  135 AB, .259 BA, 6  HR

2003 Bradley Snyder  OF– MLB career (3 years):  66 AB, .167 BA, 2 HR

2002 Jeremy Guthrie RHP– MLB career (12 seasons); 91-108, 4.37 ERA

2001  Alan Horne RHP– no MLB

2000 Corey Smith SS– no MLB

Here is how the first rounders from 1980-1999 panned out:

3 All-Stars:  C.C. Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, Charles Nagy

3 solid major leaguers: Greg Swindell, Paul Shuey, Kelly Gruber

2 super-hyped MLB rookies whose potential eventually faded away:  Jared Wright, Corey Snyder

2 MLB contributors: Dave Clark, Mark Lewis, Kelly Gruber

2 short MLB careers:  Tim Drew, Calvin Murray

7  had little or no MLB time.

That list shows that the odds of a 1st rounder paying off is a coin toss.  Is the risk possibly losing a future star worth bumping up your title chances a few percentages?

Consider these numbers:

1:  the number of Tribe play-off games since 2007

68:  the number of years since our last World Series Championship

1,300,000:  the number of fans at the recent Cavs championship parade

Memo to Chris Antonetti:

LET IT RIDE!

The author is a contributor for timesreporter.com as well as clesports.com

Follow on twitter:  @macaljancic

The four-day circus known as the Republican National Convention winds down tonight at Quicken Loans Arena, site of the NBA finals just a month ago.  That connection between politics and sports made me think of who might be considered the Donald Trump of the jock world.

Considering that ‘The Donald’ is so HUUUUUUUUGE, it definitely takes more than one person to fill his custom-tailored suit.  So allow me to play Dr. Frankenstein and assemble this powerful monster of a presidential candidate in three categories:

First: THE ‘FISH OUT OF WATER’ SUCCESS

This successful businessman and reality TV star ran roughshod through the GOP primaries in spite of having absolutely no political experience.  Thus, I considered those who tried to transition their success from one sport to to a completely new athletic field  (two-sport stars like Bo Jackson don’t count, since they had previous experience in both sports).

The greatest basketball player of all time batted .202 in his one year as a minor league baseball player.

Heisman trophy winner and NFL star Herschel Walker actually placed 7th in the 1992 Olympics in the two-man bobsled.

Then there is Paul DePodesta, who recently became the Browns’ new Chief Strategy Officer after two decades of working his ‘Moneyball’ magic in Major League Baseball.

But the biggest fish out of water has to go to a coach that could easily put ‘The Donald’ in his place…

The same year that he retired from the sidelines, legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler actually spent three years as team president of the Detroit Tigers.

II.  THE SWAGGER

Trump’s mouth is unparalleled in politics.  Even in the macho, competitive bravado of sports, he is hard to match.  Most sports figures have some sort of muffler installed between their brain and their mouth to minimize the verbal damage that they might do to the image of themselves and their team.  But one NFL coach comes to mind whose unfiltered words are heavy on arrogance and grand declarations…

Rex Ryan has never been afraid to supply bulletin board material for his opponents.  If only he had his twin brother Rob’s hair…

Speaking of which:

III.  THE HAIR

That hair provides better coverage than the Darelle Revis!  It defies the laws of physics.  Kinda reminds me of this Cavalier…

They could probably do an entire Mythbusters episode testing the supernatural qualities of these two hairdos.

I do theorize that if Trump hadn’t maintained his wealthy status, his dome might look a bit more like these dueling sports icons…

The options might not be very appealing to many voters, but Donald vs. Hillary is gonna be one wild ride!

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

photos:  espn.go.com, nykdailynews.com, foxsports.com, nba.com