The Cleveland Beltways, why I like that as the new name for the Cleveland Indians.

There are several reasons that remind me why I like the name The Cleveland Beltways as the new name for the disappearing Cleveland Indians. Not every reason is something to brag about,  however the reasons cited below do give character, history, and some bragging rights for the name, The Cleveland Beltways.

• Cleveland and the surrounding communities have several connections to Beltways, some from the past that represent where Cleveland evolved from, some going forward, and some remarkable beltways that are a hallmark to Cleveland and the envy of those who have experienced them.
• In the previous century those who had to experience the drive into Cleveland from the suburbs encountered some very smelly smoke stacks, a smog beltway that thankfully no longer operates in that manner.
• Cleveland was once considered part of the Midwest Industrial Beltway.
• Presently, Cleveland is considered part of the rust beltway area of the country.
• Very close to Cleveland is the Magical Snow Beltway in which north of one particular road, snow will fall because of the Lake Erie effect while on the south side of the same road, no snow will fall. I was able to witness this phenomena as a teenager growing up in Cleveland. I recall reaching this particular intersection (whose name escapes me now) and looking across the intersection and seeing big snowflakes dropping out of the sky like fly balls in the outfield. Yet on my side of the intersection as I was waiting for the light to change, nothing, no snow, no rain, no wind, just a gentle silence. After quickly checking to see if there were any cars coming up from behind me, I think I actually waited several seconds after the light turned green before grudgingly driving across the intersection and into the Snow Beltway. It was truly hypnotic to witness a Snow Beltway, as if one had actually reached the beginning of a rainbow.
• What better way to tribute the Cleveland Beltways own Tom Hamilton for every home run call Hamilton has belted out over the airwaves and into the stands at Jacobs Field and then Progressive Field. On occasion Mr. Hamilton's home run beltway calls have even infiltrated the television feeds of the game.
• Cleveland and the surrounding necklace of freeways have a certain beltway feel to them as they provide vital links between the network of suburban rural roadways and Downtown, Cleveland.
• Not to be forgotten are the Cleveland Metroparks, an extensive series of nature preserve links that encircle Cleveland in a beltway that is the envy of those who have moved away from Cleveland and vividly remember the Metro Parks and all of their living vitality.
• If and when the Cleveland Beltways do win their first World Series with their new name, It will probably be a Belt and a Bunt (courtesy of Manning and Underwood) that makes it happen.

While the name Beltway may not have the initial lure of other Sports Team Names, it seems evident that Cleveland is the Beltway capital of the U.S., and most certainly Ohio.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer and Editor Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

The Strange case of Bradley Zimmer and how the Cleveland Indians might be missing his True Potential.

Having watched Bradley Zimmer in the outfield several things become clear.  

• Bradley Zimmer can throw over 100 miles an hour
• Bradley Zimmer sometimes throws the ball so hard and low that it has hit the ground a mere 60 feet from where he released his throw, yet the ball skip bounced so fast a runner trying to stretch a single into a double was still out at second.
• Bradley Zimmer runs really, really, fast.
• Bradley Zimmer is so fast and has such a long stride that running at full speed and taking his first step onto the warning track it now becomes too late for Zimmer to safely stop before crashing into the outfield fence at full speed.
• If Zimmer ever ran into another outfielder while running at full speed, both outfielders could be seriously hurt and even have their careers ended.
• Bradley Zimmer is too talented for the outfield.
• Bradley Zimmer should either play first base, or be a Closer.

Yes, Bradley Zimmer should either play first base or be a Closer.

In this day and age of Advanced Analytics there could actually be scenarios where the Indians would bring Zimmer in from first base to pitch in a two out situation. The pitcher could either come out of the game, or go to first base, the idea being Zimmer would throw 102 mph and strike out the batter, end the inning, go back to first to start the next inning, and the pitcher from the prior inning would either go back to pitch, or be replaced by another pitcher. 

Zimmer's height could make his 102 mile an hour fastball look like 105 because his release point would be closer to home plate.

Imagine Richie Sexson with blazing speed. But even then Zimmer most likely still has a better arm. Zimmer is not only wasted in the outfield, he is an accident waiting to happen....again.

But at first base Zimmer could prove a blessing in disguise, especially if he can throw 102 mph darts and also be an instant reliever or Closer when necessary. If Zimmer can scoop low throws off of the ground, his extension on all throws to him at first could actually cut off .01 to .02 seconds off because of his extension, which is the equivalent of one or two video frames. Every game there is at least one or two plays that come down to literally one or two video frames in replay.

And then on high throws, the ability to extend and catch a high throw and avoid having to leap would be two more distinct advantages since any leap on a throw can add one half to one second until the first baseman actually re contacts the first base bag after leaping.

With all the names being bandied about for first base, Bradley Zimmer should be at the top of the list.  The last thing I want to see is Zimmer and a relatively inexperienced Nolan Jones diving for the same sinking liner and colliding at a horrifying rate of speed.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

The Stolen Touchdown. 2021 Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs Playoff game decided by OBVIOUS non Targeting Call.

The idea that a concussion can cause a fumble but be un reviewable is too silly to even ponder, let alone enforce as the NFL presently does.

The 2021 playoff game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs included a 10 point swing in the Chiefs favor just before intermission because of an uncalled and unreviewed Targeting call in a game the Browns would lose by five points, 22-17.

The ridiculousness of not penalizing a Targeting hit that causes a fumble, interception, prevents a score or a first down, or occurs in the red zone because the referee missed it but the Instant Replay crew sees, is hard to accept. 

When the Chiefs secondary made a spectacular last moment hit at the one yard line that resulted in a fumble into and out of the end zone by the Browns wide receiver, Instant replay revealed an obvious targeting hit that triggered the fumble. (see photo below).

Think about how unfinished Instant Replay is in the NFL. A Targeting hit is more likely to cause a fumble due to an instant concussion, yet the NFL will only review the fumble and not the concussion that caused the fumble? This basically is giving Targeting a free pass and, what is even worse, the defense's motivation to Target rather than make a more conventional and safer tackle is the increased likelihood of a fumble from a Targeting hit that causes a temporary concussion. In this video I literally said Targeting increases the chance of a fumble on November 22, 2020. 

The "Targeting causing a concussion fumble" irony includes the fumble actually causes the referee to not notice the Targeting hit as they watch the bouncing football to see who recovers it.   

This video I warn about the dangers of targeting and how targeting can be incentivized because of the fumbles they cause.

This is another video I made warning about targeting that causes a  fumble.  

Then to make matters worse, the Instant Replay people cannot indicate that Targeting occurred to the Referees.  I think it is asking a lot of a Referee to have to notice both a Targeting hit that causes a concussion fumble to occur.

If the NFL finally does the right thing and allows for Instant Replay to identify a Targeting hit that went unnoticed by the Referees but had a direct bearing on the play being reviewed, the NFL still needs to enhance the rules regarding how a team can challenge a play 

NFL coaches should have the option to accept a 10 yard penalty or 10 yard advancement by the opposition instead of giving up a time-out if they incorrectly challenge a play.

Fans were deprived of a much needed late game challenge in the 2021 playoff game between Washington and Tampa Bay when Washington was out of time-outs and could not challenge what might have been a catch and fumble out of bounds play that would have kept their drive alive with just over 2 minutes left in the game.

Come on NFL, do a better job improving your Instant Replay Rules before you lose fans who can't stand the oddity of watching games in which rules that don't make sense determine the outcome of the game. The idea that a concussion can cause a fumble but be un reviewable is too silly to even ponder, let alone enforce as the NFL presently does.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Alessandro Machi: Petition to give Philadelphia Eagles 2021 Draft Pick to the New York Giants...

The NFL should punish the Eagles and give a draft pick to the Giants from the Eagles.

Cowboys vs Steelers Nov. 8, 2020, one of the best lateral passes on a punt return you may see.

One of the best lateral passes on a punt return you may see. Cowboys versus Steelers, Nov. 8 2020

 

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

NFL improved helmets seem to be encouraging their players to launch when making tackles, causing concussions, spinal and neck injuries.

A not so funny thing happened on the way to making better NFL helmets, launching "tackles" that can cause concussions, spinal and neck injuries to the unlucky recipient.  

 

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

MLB baseball should adopt a better strategy for home runs that are launched well above the foul poles.

I have extensive experience as a camera person and an editor, having done both for over 15 intense years, plus another 15 years of location camera work. 

I have come up with some innovative ideas for determining if a baseball or a football that flies far above the post that determines if it is fair or foul.

This is just another frustrating example of how Major League Baseball is not doing as good of a job as it can when it comes to high flying home runs. 

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Out of Respect to the NHL, NBA, and MLB,... NFL and NCAA football should alternate weekend schedules for the 2020 Fall Season.

The headline is my article.  

The NFL should play every other week with NCAA football for the 2020 fall season.

This would give MLB, NBA, and the NHL a chance to have a shortened 2020 season, but possibly finish their seasons. As it stands now, the NFL and the NCAA will not only have not taken any kind of a real hit from the 2020 Pandemic that shut down the world, but they will also be infringing on multiple other Sports empires from having any kind of a meaningful shortened season.

The right thing for the NFL and NCAA to do would be to cut their seasons in half so they don't completely dominate and squeeze what might be left of the NHL, NBA and MLB 2020 seasons.

But on top of that, in the event the flu and COVID-19 comes back this fall, assuming improved initial treatment ballistics, players may literally test positive after a game, go into quarantine for a week, and then begin getting ready for their next game because of the 14 day time span between games. Yes, sounds crazy now, but it might not sound so crazy for the Fall football season of 2020 if COVID-19 and the flu season comes around.

Even if NHL, NBA and MLB were to cancel their 2020 seasons, an alternating schedule for both the NFL and the NCAA may still make sense since it would give both sports a chance to play on even if there was a moderate resurgence of COVID and the season flu. This of course assumes that our Medical field is able to improve their initial virus triaging, which in my personal opinion believe is very possible.

Alessandro Machi, 2020 Wildcard Houston vs Buffalo_Overtime Phantom Penalty Call against Buffalo.

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Lies the Media keeps repeating about Myles Garrett.

Myles Garrett backed up 15 feet, was then accosted by Mason Rudolph who put both hands on Garretts upper body, before Garrett finally responded, it was self defense.

Myles Garrett backed up 15 feet, was then accosted by Mason Rudolph who put both hands on Garretts upper body, before Garrett finally responded, it was self defense.

I'm surprised that Cleveland consumer reporters are not filing  a suit against the NFL for not using video forensics to study what really happened because it resulted in the harming of the reputation of Cleveland, the Cleveland Browns, Myles Garrett, and reduced the quality of the product the Browns put on the football field.

Taking a Moment to Ponder David Ortiz and Kevin Durant.

David Ortiz shot in the back. Seriously? Why? Kevin Durant tries to come back to help his team and will pay a heavy price with his injured achilles tendon.

Being shot in the back, being shot at all, I doubt David Ortiz did anything to anyone to warrant such a cowardly act of violence. Mr. Ortiz just had a second surgery and one hopes he is now on the mend.

Kevin Durant reminds me of Kyrie Irving all over again. Kyrie was trying to "step up" during the 2015 NBA Playoffs and shake off nagging leg pain. The Cavaliers would sweep a Playoff series, Kyrie would get extra time to rehab and prepare for the next series. This led to a false sense of security for fans and probably the coach.

Coach Blatt was literally only using 8 players from his roster during the playoffs. Kyrie played 45 minutes in the first Championship game match against Golden State and blew out his knee. Kyrie was not supposed to play more than 25 to 30 minutes.

If Kevin Durant had not played, fans would not have forgiven him, he did play, and now fans understand. The tough part about being an athlete for sure is the hostile scrutiny they are put under when they are injured and trying to come back as quickly as possible.

Durant probably knew his limits but probably wanted to prove to everyone that cared. I recall his last season in Oklahoma when he came back from an injury, his leg/foot was acting up and he motioned to the bench that he wanted to come out and the coach basically ignored him for quite a while. It may have been a factor as to why Durant left Oklahoma. 

Yet once again, because he is so valuable Durant just has to be out there. May take a year or more to recover and allegedly he may not have the explosiveness he had when he was uninjured. What a price to pay just to show his teammates and the fans that he cared.

2019 Purdue / Virginia Elite Eight Game features late clock start after Missed Foul Shot was Tipped with 5.9 seconds left.

The Argument that NCAA clock management can't accurately dictate when the clock will start after a missed foul shot is tipped is flawed. In the Purdue vs Virginia 2019 Elite Eight game, EVERYBODY in the Arena knew the second foul shot had to be missed for Virginia to not end up losing by one point.

Ball being tipped with 5.9 seconds left from about 12 feet from the rim.

Even the Television Announcers said in advance that the second foul shot needed to be missed. On top of that, as soon as the ball bounced off the rim, Clock Management dictates being ready to start the clock as soon as the ball is touched. Clock Management took approximately 8 to 10 video frames before the clock started counting down from 5.9 to 5.8 seconds.

Tipped Ball Travels about 10 to 12 feet after tap without the clock moving. Ball is in the air on level with the rim, near the 3 point line. clock is still stuck at 5.9 seconds.

During the time the Clock did not move, the ball was tipped and then floated through the air for 10 to 15 feet before the Time Clock moved from 5.9 to 5.8 seconds. Sports Cam Detective calculates that between 0.25 to 0.33 seconds elapsed before the Clock started.

Virginia Game Tying Shot in Regulation against Purdue appears to be on one fingertip or just leaving fingertip with 0.4 seconds left. However, the clock won't change unti it is .30, so we don't know if there was .4 or .31 seconds left. If only .31 seconds was left when the shot left the fingertips, the late clock start at the beginning of the play probably caused the shot to be taken after time had expired. Aren't you curious to know the real truth?

It appears the Shot that tied the game was taken with around 0.4 seconds, but it might have been anywhere from 0.40 to 0.31. If the Clock had started at the moment the ball was first tapped, it is possible that the shot might have still been on the Shooter's fingertips as the clock turned 0.0.

Whether or not the Shot would have still been within time, it sure would have made for one of the most gut wrenching NCAA Elite Eight regulation endings as fans waited to learn if the ball either barely left the shooter's hands, or barely was still at his fingertips as the time expired.

In Sports Cam Detective's opinion, Clock Management may have altered the destiny for the 2019 NCAA tournament for Purdue and their Fans, yet it will never even be investigated. Without an investigation, no discussion of some type of method can be implemented so future games don't rely on the whim of when the shot clock starts so late in a game with so much on the line.

Lets not forget that in overtime, as the game was well in hand, the Referees suddenly were very big on clock management and kept referring to the scorers table to make sure the game clock was accurate. If that same level of attention had been used in regulation, Purdue might have been the winner.

One other aspect of the final play that will probably be overlooked to some degree is the absolutely perfect shoulder level pass. If the final pass had been anywhere else but where it was thrown, precious time would have been lost as the shooter would have had to rebalance before taking the final shot, and that could easily have taken an extra 1/3 to 1/2 second.

While it is possible that clock management may have affected the outcome of the 2019 Purdue / Virginia game, without the final perfect pass the final shot would have been late even with the late clock start.

Missed call in 2019 Rams / Saints Conference finals taints the 2019 Super Bowl.

Incredibly, not only did the Saints get robbed of a chance to go to the 2019 Super Bowl when a Rams defender committed one of the most blatant pass interference calls anyone can ever recall, but a week earlier the Rams got a huge break at the end of the 3rd quarter in their game against the Dallas Cowboys when the placement of the ball on a critical 3rd down play was mis marked by anywhere from 1 to 2 feet. It ended up being the critical play of the entire game as on fourth down the extra half yard that was needed caused Cowboys running back to stand up to try and get more yardage when a straight dive would have been enough if the ball had been properly placed.

There are solutions to these mistakes that would add an extra element of drama. However, I won't reveal the best solution simply because I am Brand Elevator and if the NFL would like to elevate their Brand by eliminating these silly mistakes, I have a solution.

It should be noted that I believe that defensive backs are taught to commit pass interference if the receiver is the in end zone and its obvious they will catch the ball. 

Example, there are 3 minutes left in the game, one team is down by 10 points but is driving, they have the ball at the 2 yard, first and goal. First down, perfect throw to the wide receiver in the end zone, the defensive back or safety purposely hammers the receiver, pass interference is called. ball is placed at the one yard line, first down. Next play, pass interference, first down at the one, again. Time is being taken off the clock and the offensive team has to risk calling a running play knowing that if they don't score a touchdown the clock will keep running or they will have to burn a time out, or down the ball and suddenly it will be third time. All of the scenarios favor repeated pass interference plays in the end zone. 

This is just nuts and we finally saw it come to a full froth in the Saints / Rams Conference championship game. If the Saints make the reception, the game is over. If the Rams commit Pass Interference, there is a chance the refs might not see it, so it's gotten to the point where do what needs to be done to prevent a game ending or game tightening catch is still a win for the Defense. The Defense is being rewarded too much on pass interference plays. There is a clever solution and the NFL may figure it out, if not, just contact me. Give me a LinkedIn Skills and Testimonial Endorsement and the Idea is yours, NFL.

Being in Los Angeles a couple local ESPN radio announcers were ridiculing New Orlean's fans for not getting over it. I felt this was a form of Gaslighting. The Rams don't deserve to be in the Super Bowl, it's just that simple.

Is this Super Bowl 53 tainted for Tom Brady, no. And that is the irony. The two questionable plays happened in the NFC whereas Brady is in the AFC. So, we have a tainted Super Bowl 53 but it really won't reflect on Tom Brady one way or the other, Tom Brady has a chance to win his sixth Super Bowl, a rather remarkable achievement that may never be equaled.

Justin Turner misses chance to end Red Sox ninth inning of 2018 Game 4 World Series between Dodgers and Boston, Sox score four more runs.

It is not Justin Turner's fault, and not much discussion was given to what third baseman Justin Turner did in the ninth inning versus what he should have done. With runners on first and second base and two outs, a slow grounder was hit to Justin Turner at third base. Turner had to charge in and make a valiant throw to first base, but the speedy left handed hitting Andrew Benintendi beat the throw to first base.

However, if infield coaches throughout the baseball world would preach that with runners at first and second base that third base should be viewed as the new first base things might have gone much much better. The top of the ninth inning would have ended with an out at third base, the Red Sox up by only one, and who knows, maybe the Dodgers still get their two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win it?

If Justin Turner does not charge the ball and instead stays within the actual base path on this soft grounder, the out would have been at third base and the top of the ninth inning would have been over with the score only 5-4. Instead, Turner charged the ball and threw to first base and the runner was safe at first base, and four more runs scored later in the inning. The Dodgers would score two runs in the bottom of ninth inning to make the final score 9-6. But if Turner had gotten the final out at third base and the Dodgers had still scored their two runs, the final would have been Dodgers winning 6-5 in game four of the 2018 World Series.

So why isn't it Justin Turner's fault that he raced in to get to the ball quicker to have a better chance at first base when the wiser play would have been to plant himself on the base path and wait for the ball to come to him? It's up to the infield coaches to drill in the concept that when there are runners on first and second, that third base becomes the new first base in certain instances.

It is also imperative that the third baseman learns to OWN the invisible base path between second base and third base if he can legitimately field the ball while in the base path. This poses many problems for the baserunner. If the baserunner collides with the third baseman, the runner is automatically out. If the baserunner runs in front of the infielder and blocks the third baseman's field of view, the baserunner is out. If the baserunner is hit by the ball, the baserunner is out. If the baserunner runs around the third baseman by going behind him, the baserunner may add another half second to one second time to his dash to third base, which basically mitigates the advantage of having a bigger lead off of second base then one can usually get off of first base, and then some.

Would the Dodgers have gotten two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning if the Red Sox had only been leading by one run? Of course we will never know, but being down by one run going into the bottom of the ninth inning is certainly a better scenario than being down by five runs. Four more runs scored after the potential third out was not recorded on this particular play.  

There was a brief discussion by the announcers as to whether or not Turner, after charging the ball, could have gotten back to third base before the baserunner reached third base. However, the issue of Turner staying back on the ball was not discussed. I have seen the staying back strategy worked to perfection by the New York Yankees in a game against the Cleveland Indians. Francisco Lindor was the runner at second base and he ended up being called for running into the infielder. In that instance the shortstop, it might have been Jeter in his final year, deliberately stayed in the basepath when the more logical move would have been to charge the ball. But as long as Jeter had a path to the ball, he is allowed to occupy the base path and it basically meant Lindor would have been out no matter what he did.