Sean Fitzgerald

The Cleveland Browns will try to re-group on their home field Thursday, as they host the Bengals less than a week after an embarrassing season-opening loss in Baltimore. And they'll have 6,000 fans in the stands cheering for a win. WKSU’s sports commentator Terry Pluto said the team has some work to do. 

The Cleveland Browns begin the NFL season Sunday. The team has had little time to get adjusted under new coach Kevin Stefanski because of the pandemic. WKSU’s sports commentator Terry Pluto said the Browns face a tough opening game against the defending AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens on the road.

Major League Baseball decided that no fans would be allowed to spectate at games this season, and only the teams' staff and the media would be let in. I ended up being one of the lucky few to be inside the Cleveland Indians press box so far during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cleveland Indians are in the hunt for the playoffs during this pandemic-shortened season.

The team made waves earlier this week when it shipped ace pitcher Mike Clevinger to the San Diego Padres in return for a handful of younger players and promising prospects. 

WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto said the trade may not be splashy, but it makes sense for the Indians. 

The Cleveland Indians are halfway through the most unusual season in history. After 30 games, WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto said the Tribe is in contention, but what’s been happening off the field has gotten the most attention during this pandemic-shortened 60-game season. 

The third day of the Democratic National Convention for Ohio Democrats has been partially fueled by a tweet from President Trump calling for a boycott of Goodyear Tires over the Ohio-based company's ban on employees wearing political attire, which includes MAGA hats. 

Ohio Democrats fired back calling the president's actions "despicable." 

Several state leaders from the Democratic party slammed Trump's tweet urging people to boycott the Akron-based company.

A long-time professor at the University of Akron is leading an effort to assess the campus for its diversity and inclusivity.  English professor Sheldon Wrice is co-chairing a 22-member working group. Wrice has been at Akron for 28 years and says he has seen progress, but there is room for growth when it comes to equality and inclusivity.  Wrice says the group will look at curriculum, faculty and staff development and recruiting and retaining both faculty and students of color. 

It was 100 years ago this week that a tragic moment in baseball history centered on Cleveland. Tribe shortstop Ray Chapman was struck and killed by a pitch. He’s the only player in major league history to die while playing the sport.

WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto says Chapman's legacy carries on in Cleveland to this day. 

The University of Akron’s Board of Trustees passed a budget Wednesday that includes 178 layoffs; 96 of the layoffs are union faculty.

Kent State, Akron and the rest of the Mid-American Conference won’t be playing sports this fall. The MAC became the first major conference to postpone the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Big Ten conference officially scrapped its season on Tuesday. 

WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto says the decision is an opportunity for the MAC to take a step back and address schools' huge football program deficits. 

An Ohio Senator says the chamber’s failure to pass a new stimulus bill to help Americans adversely impacted by the coronavirus is disappointing. Senator Rob Portman says Democrats and Republicans want similar things in the bill. “Everybody seems to be for the $1,200 rebate checks, the PPE expansion people are for that is for small businesses.” Portman says tax credits to help people and businesses are also receiving widespread support as are more resources for healthcare workers and increased testing.

The NFL season starts September 10 when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans.

But because of the pandemic, there are new safety protocols, limited practices and no pre-season games this year.

WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto says this season could be a rough one for teams led by new coaching staffs like the Cleveland Browns.

Former Vice President Joe Biden kicked off a statewide virtual tour of Ohio Tuesday with a roundtable discussion in Kent. The goal is to promote Biden’s “Made in America” plan and presidential campaign promise: a commitment to fight for American workers and to create more than five million new jobs in areas such as manufacturing.  Kent City Councilwoman Gwen Rosenberg, who’s a local businesswoman, participated in the discussion.

This season, the Browns have joined an elite group of five NFL teams. These teams are among a few in the league that now have women in key positions on the coaching staff. 

For the Browns, it's Callie Brownson, hired by new head coach Kevin Stefanski to be the chief of staff. 

The 30-year old Brownson grew up in Virginia and blazed a trail to her current position.

A new stimulus bill in the Senate may benefit a group that missed out on stimulus checks in March.  College students did not necessarily benefit from the CARES Act. A high number of students are still claimed as dependents and were therefore unable to qualify for the checks. Others qualified but were still claimed anyway and did not receive payment. Sen.

Major League Baseball’s pandemic-shortened season is just getting started, but if television ratings are any indication, sports-starved fans are hungry for major league sports.

According to WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto, without fans in the stands at Progressive Field, TV viewership is key this year for the Cleveland Indians.

The University of Akron is facing an August 3 deadline for contract negotiations with the professor’s union.  If the vote fails, the deal goes to arbitration for a final ruling.  The two sides are at odds after more than 170 staff were laid off, including nearly 100 union workers.  We spoke with the head of both sides: university president Gary Miller and union president Pam Schulze. 

After a four-month delay because of the pandemic, the Cleveland Indians begin their shortened season Friday. They’ll play 60 games between now and the end of September. WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto said this shortened season comes with a lot of challenges.

The Akron Art Museum reopens to members Thursday, July 16 and the general public a week later.

Interim Director Jon Fiume says they plan to provide visitors with a contactless experience. Visitors will have to register for timed entry to limit crowds, and everyone must wear a mask. 

“We are of course increasing our cleaning and sanitizing procedures and processes. We also have signage throughout the museum that will guide visitors along a path that helps to ensure social distancing.”

Now that the NFL’s Washington Redskins have dropped their nickname, the spotlight has moved to other pro sports teams to make changes amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice.

But don't expect the Cleveland Indians to act as fast. Just last year, the team finally abandoned the Chief Wahoo logo. Last week, WKSU's sports commentator Terry Pluto suggested a new name might come next season. Now he says it likely won't be until 2022. 

Craft beer has been a growing part of Ohio’s economy, but the pandemic struck bars and restaurants hard.

Some of Akron’s largest craft brewers have weathered the situation well, and how they’ve done it may be a model for others. 

Akronym Brewery in Akron found a way to expand its services during the pandemic. General Manager Joey Greising said Akronym started offering food on its menu and added three more employees because of increased business.

The Cleveland Indians will likely have a new nickname in 2021. The team late last week issued a statement that it will discuss the best path forward in response to recent social unrest. They've been the Indians since 1915. 

WKSU’s sports commentator Terry Pluto says that while he personally doesn't have a problem with the Indians name, current social unrest prompts a change. 

Major League Baseball players begin reporting for spring training Wednesday, with a shortened 60-game season beginning later this month. It caps months of contentious negotiations between players and owners to start the season amid the pandemic. The MLB used its right to implement a season where the players receive 100 percent of their salary for each game played. 

On Monday, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona addressed the media, and WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto said he had some tough words about the state of the league.