Ohio Sports Teams

A little more than half my adolescence was growing up in a small farming community in the village of Genoa in northwestern Ohio. As a boy growing up in a huge sports state like Ohio I was a fan of both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals NFL football teams. Football was my favorite sport, but I was also a MLB Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds fan too.

Half of my family moved to Colorado at age 13 as I missed out on pro baseball and football being one of the ones who went to Colorado. Despite moving so far away and becoming a local sports fan of Colorado teams, I will still root for my childhood favorites, Ohio teams.

Well, finally at age 44 I went on a working vacation to visit one of my four sisters and one brother who reside in Toledo, Ohio. My family and I watched a Cleveland Indians doubleheader at Progressive Field which were the last two games of the 2010 season.

After photographing the Toledo Rockets vs. Wyoming Cowboys NCAA football game I had a freelance opportunity to cover the Browns vs. Bengals game the next day in Cleveland. The photographer who normally covered Browns home games was adopting a child with his wife and couldn’t make it.

It was a bit of a fluke, but an awesome opportunity to go watch and photograph my favorite childhood teams battle it out in addition to seeing the Indians play earlier in the week.

The sunset creates an orange sky over Progressive Field during the second game of a doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Seneca Walace (6) avoids a tackle by Cincinnat Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Cleveland won 23-20.

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy looks at the scoreborad while playing the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Cleveland won 23-20.

Ohio State Marching Band drum major Jason Stuckertat leads the OSU band onto the field prior to the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Football game.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco gives a peck on the cheek to security officer Robert Ryan prior to playing the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium.