A ‘Return to Greatness’ should help Valley boxing

January 28, 2022

Legendary boxing promoter Don King said it best Wednesday while standing at the podium of The Grand Resort. Saturday’s boxing feature at the W.D. Packard Music Hall in downtown Warren is a “Return to Greatness” for boxing in the area. For the first time in a long time, the city of Warren will be center stage for the boxing world. Like it should be. Now, seeing that I grew up in Western New York, along with being new to the area, I never got to witness the great events that were held at the Struthers Fieldhouse or the previous showcases held at Packard. But, since moving ...

Anglers should exercise caution when ice fishing

January 16, 2022

A day out on the ice jigging for walleyes, crappies, perch or bluegills is tranquil, exhilarating, fun and, most importantly, dangerous. Ice fishers are itching to get out on Mosquito, Pymatuning, Berlin, Shenango and ponds to take advantage of the early frozen-water season. First ice is often productive, but it also is dangerously unpredictable. Too many anglers learn that the hard way every winter. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources aims to minimize the number of people killed or injured this winter on dangerous ice with the flat-out declaration that no ice is safe. The ...

A little science goes a long way for anglers

January 9, 2022

A little applied science can go a long way for anglers looking to improve their chances of locating and catching their favorite fish. Cleveland Metroparks fish biologist Michael Durkalec knows a thing or two about fish behavior. As a scientist, Durkalec has studied fish in classrooms, textbooks, laboratories and in the field. As an angler, he has amassed considerable practical experience reading sonar, locating bait and game fish, and tempting them to bite his hook. His great knowledge bubbled to the surface recently as he and I discussed his success in limiting out on Lake Erie’s ...

Remembering Ross Browner

January 6, 2022

It’s a rite of passage if you wore your West Side Pride like a war medal in those years. Those years -- the Golden Era of Warren High School football -- ran from the split of the public high school that formed Western Reserve as an immediate rival to Warren G. Harding in 1966 through 1975. During that time the city produced two state champions (Reserve in 1972 and Harding in ‘74) and a state runner-up (Reserve in ‘73). Warren was arguably the center of the Ohio scholastic football universe, and in 1972 it came to a grand culmination with a 37-6 win by the Raiders over ...

Looking forward to another year on the lake

January 2, 2022

The new year is as fresh as it can be, full of promise and opportunity for those who look ahead to whatever awaits up around the bend. New year’s optimism is kind of the way I also see fishing. The slate is clean. Disappointments are in the rearview mirror. Like the angler who sees the next cast as the one that will hit pay dirt, we look to the new year as the one that will deliver new highs. Let me say up front that I’m not going to complain about 2021. Some days were better than others (in general and on the water), and all of them were worth every breath I invested in ...

Bowl game opt-outs are not a bad thing

January 3, 2022

We’ve seen it happen already in professional sports leagues like the NBA and NFL. Now, the balance of power is shifting in college football. No longer are players beholden to their “corporate masters” — their respective universities and athletic departments. More and more, players like Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Ohio State receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson will opt out of playing in relatively meaningless bowl games in order to preserve their bodies and draft stock as they begin preparation for the NFL Draft. Like it or not, player opt outs will continue to ...