While We’re Waiting… Good reads on a Friday morning

While We’re Waiting is the daily morning link roundup that WFNY has been serving up for breakfast for the last several years. We hope you enjoy the following recent collection of yummy and nutritious Cleveland sports-related articles. Anything else to add? Email us at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

“The most common method of research was visiting with college defensive coaches who have spent much of the last decade locked in life-or-death struggles with the read-option. To stop the read-option, ostensibly a “college” scheme, NFL coaches have gone back to school. Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy sent his entire staff to visit with Kevin Sumlin’s staff at Texas A&M, and Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers separately spent time with Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who faced Colin Kaepernick and his Pistol Offense for years at Hawaii and then Utah State. I’ve been told of visits from NFL coaches — some official, some very off-the-record — to schools as diverse as Stanford, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Alabama, Vanderbilt, BYU, and Florida State, where the primary topic of discussion was how to stop, or at least slow, the read-option.” [Brown/Grantland]

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Most likely to make a jump in ’13-’14. “Israel Gutierrez, ESPN.com: Cleveland Cavaliers, by a smidge over the Wizards. Both Washington and Cleveland have rosters that appear prepared to take any of the seemingly wide-open final three playoff positions in the East. What gives Cleveland the edge is Mike Brown’s ability to coach defense. It’ll put less pressure on players like Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters and Andrew Bynum (if he sees the floor) to produce immediately.” [ESPN]

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“The 24-year-old Chisenhall is one of eight third basemen in the American League with at least eight errors, entering Wednesday. Among that group, he had the fewest total chances (114) and the lowest fielding percentage (.930). In 81 defensive chances at Triple-A earlier this season, Chisenhall was also charged with eight errors.

Francona said none of this has shaken the Indians’ belief that Chisenhall has the potential to be a standout third baseman. The manager noted that Chisenhall is still young, and Cleveland is trying to balance his development as a hitter and defender while also trying to win.” [Bastian/MLB.com]

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“We attach ourselves to coaching narratives in college football because they are the foundations of the sport. Players can’t stick around for more than four years; successful coaches can theoretically stick around for decades. What is odd about the Ohio State situation is that, because of the 6-7 season after Tressel’s firing, and because of the Big Ten’s plunge into punch-line territory over the last decade since the Buckeyes won a national title, Meyer has been seen as a sort of savior of Buckeye football, ignoring the fact that Ohio State spent the previous decade totally dominating its conference, only coming up short — yes, often in embarrassing fashion — in bowl games.

Of course, it was Meyer who made the first major statement on behalf of the SEC when Florida dismantled Ohio State in the 2006 title game, and certainly, Meyer was as well-equipped as anyone to be the immediate savior of Ohio State, while also being more broadly seen as the savior of the Big Ten’s national reputation. At his disposal, he has Miller, a new variation on the Urban Meyer Quarterback. With one undefeated season already in the books, we still have to ask: Can Miller fulfill impossibly high expectations?” [Brown/Sports on Earth]

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Envious. “The shareholders’ meeting always reaffirmed my belief that the Packers are much more than a football team. They’re a community, a way of life. Many consider their Packers stock, which isn’t transferable and has no dividend potential, to be one of their most valuable possessions. When managing the Packers’ payroll and contracts, I often thought about what was in the best interest of shareholders. I viewed myself as a steward of a public trust. The closest approximation the Packers have to an owner is the Executive Committee, which deals with only off-field matters. The football operations staff is given complete autonomy in managing the team and player finances.” [Brandt/MMQB]