Monday Mailbag: WBL, NWC, more

The Monday Mailbag is back and this week’s edition features questions about Western Buckeye League football title chase, the addition of Leipsic to the Northwest Conference, the Cleveland Browns and a comment about the NBA Finals.

Q: I’m just curious – who are you picking to win the WBL football title this year? It has to be Van Wert, right? Also, how big of impact do you think Leipsic will make in the NWC football race? Name withheld upon request

A: I’ve heard this question a lot in recent days.

In my mind, I have three or four teams that I believe will be true Western Buckeye League contenders this fall and yes, Van Wert is one of them.

However, I need more information about all of the teams before I make my official picks. I’ll be gathering the information from the coaches later this month and making selections based on that and other factors.

Check the VW independent Sports page for preseason predictions for the WBL and NWC in early August.

As far as Leipsic, with something like nine returning starters on offense and defense, I believe the Vikings will make an immediate impact in the NWC title chase.

Q: Like you, I’m a Cleveland Browns fan. Are you buying the hype that the Browns are true Super Bowl contenders this year? What about Baker Mayfield? Is he the real deal or not? Name withheld upon request

A: Assuming they stay healthy, I think the Browns are playoff contenders again but it remains to be seen if they’re Super Bowl contenders. There’s a big difference there.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the direction the franchise is headed but I do have a couple of concerns. In this day and age I’m not sure if a run-heavy offense such as Cleveland’s is enough to get to a Super Bowl but that philosophy can be tweaked. The Browns emphasized defense during the draft and free agency, which was smart. However, it seems like they’re counting on a lot of younger players to come through this year, almost too young. We’ll see how it turns out.

Here’s the other thing – Kansas City and Buffalo are loaded again this year and both will present big hurdles. I can’t help wonder if the Chargers may be in that mix as well. Then there’s the Ravens, but that’s a discussion for a different time.

As far as Baker Mayfield, I don’t consider him an elite NFL quarterback, but he certainly can be effective in the right offense and I think this is the correct type of offense for him. I’m anxious to see how he looks this fall, with a year of Kevin Stefanski’s offense under his belt.

At this point, I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping for another step in the right direction.

C: I don’t really follow the NBA that much anymore, but it’s nice to have two different teams in the finals. People get sick of seeing the same old teams battle it out every year. Name withheld upon request

A: I agree, it is refreshing to see a couple of different teams in there, especially teams that haven’t made it to the championship series since 1993 (Phoenix) and 1974 (Milwaukee).

I do think if Brooklyn was healthy the Nets would probably have been the team from the East, but that’s how things go. I’m not a fan of super teams being assembled (like the Nets), so it didn’t bother me one bit when they were bounced from the playoffs.

If you have a question or comment for the next Monday Mailbag, please email it to sports@thevwindependent.com.