Chase Archangelo's MMA Debut, Cavs Game 2 Recap, Memories of Springsteen: CLE Daily

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🤖 The AI Debate: Greater Cleveland Partnership says bans and moratoriums could leave Cleveland behind in the next economic transformation.

🍷 Date Night: Pick one of our 50 best restaurants for your date night this weekend.

🌴 Turn Up: Shooters kicks off its first patio season under new ownership this weekend with a new concert series. Meet the chef behind its shift to chef-driven fare.

🏀 Cavs Scores: Cleveland Cavaliers 109, New York Knicks 93

ICYMI: Cuyahoga County secured its full allocation of Brownfield funds for projects tied to Cleveland redevelopment and historic preservation.

Today's Trivia

A young Tom Hanks came to Cleveland in the late 1970s to work with what acting troupe?

After school, it's fight night for Mr. A.

Features | By Christina Rufo

Chase Archangelo is better known as “Mr. A,” the Cleveland gym teacher behind millions of viral TikTok views.

Inside the gym at Constellation Schools in Downtown Cleveland, he films the chaos, humor and nonstop interruptions of kindergarten gym class, capturing the candid moments that have earned him more than 270,000 followers online.

Day Job: Tug-of-war battles against an entire class, half-formed conversations and lighthearted sportsmanship lessons.

• TKO Time: But once the final class bell rings, Archangelo steps into a different world.

Learning From Stipe: The 27-year-old Delaware native heads to Strong Style MMA & Training Center, where he spends his nights drilling kicks, grappling and preparing for his professional MMA debut May 23 at Caged Thunder: Fight Night in the Land.

• There, he trains alongside former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, whose career has become both a blueprint and motivation for Archangelo’s own ambitions in the sport.

AKA: Fighting under the name “Archangel,” Archangelo has turned his last name into both a persona and growing brand inside the cage.

• Inspired by the biblical figure of St. Michael, the identity reflects the intensity and discipline he hopes to carry into his career as he works toward the UFC.

In the Eyes: To his students, he’s still Mr. A, the teacher with the whistle, the jokes and the camera. But outside the school gym, he’s chasing something much bigger.

Read more about the viral TikTok teacher before his fight tomorrow.

Cavs stumble again in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sports | By Dennis Manoloff, Photo by AP Photo

The Cavs are headed back to Cleveland in a massive hole after a 109-93 loss to the Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. After the heartbreak of blowing Game 1, Cleveland never fully recovered and now trails 2-0 in the series. Here are three takeaways:

• Emotional Hangover: The Cavs kept things competitive early, but the Knicks took control in the third quarter and never looked back. After collapsing late in Game 1, Cleveland looked flat and searching for answers in Game 2.
  

• New York’s Depth: Jalen Brunson didn’t even have to completely take over for the Knicks to dominate. Josh Hart brought relentless energy, Karl-Anthony Towns controlled key stretches and Mikal Bridges continued to make big plays as New York’s starting five overwhelmed Cleveland.
  

• Series Shift: The Cavs came back from a 2-0 deficit against Detroit in the previous round, so the season isn’t over yet. But Rocket Arena needs to be a true home-court advantage on Saturday in Game 3 and Monday in Game 4 if Cleveland is going to have any chance of climbing back into this series.

Where To Watch

It is a busy weekend for Cleveland sports, with the Guardians on the road, the Monsters competing in the North Division Finals can clinch the series today and the Cavs working toward the Eastern Conference Championship. Here’s where you can follow along:

• Cleveland Guardians @ Philadelphia Phillys (May 22): First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. with the game airing on MLB.TV.

• Cleveland Monsters @ Toronto Marlies (May 22): Beginning at 7 p.m. and streaming on FloHockey.

• Cleveland Guardians @ Philadelphia Phillys (May 23): Game begins at 4:05 p.m. and will be airing on MLB.TV.

• Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks (May 23): Tipoff at 8pm with the game available to watch on ESPN.

• Cleveland Guardians @ Philadelphia Phillys (May 24): An afternoon game starting at 1:35 p.m. airing on MLB.TV.

• Cleveland Monsters vs. Toronto Marlies (If Needed) (May 24): Game 5 starts at 3 p.m. and will be available to stream on FloHockey.

• Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks (May 25): Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals starts at 8pm with the game available to watch on ESPN.

Talk of the Town

Fridrich Bicycle Shop, located in a 143-year-old building on Lorain Avenue, was partially torn down by the city for being a public nuisance due to its deteriorating condition, including falling bricks. NEOTrans reports that the owner or his attorney was never notified by city officials that the building was subject to being razed.

TSA and the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport have added PreCheck Touchless ID to the airport's newest expanded central security checkpoint. Those registered for the program who are flying out of Cleveland with Delta, American, Alaska, Southwest and United will be able to get through security lines faster.

Ohio's Amish communities are using artificial intelligence, and some see it as a "labor-saving tool," reports New York Magazine. This comes as a rising number of towns in Northeast Ohio are adopting temporary data center moratoriums, including Lordstown, Painesville, Wellington, Twinsburg, and Ravenna City. Cleveland is even considering a data center moratorium. 

The Cleveland Institute of Music's dorm, which is not six years old, suffered $1.7 million in water damage due to alleged poor construction, according to NEOTrans.  Case Western Reserve University also leases part of the building to students during the fall and spring semesters and is taking steps to ensure students aren't affected by the repair project. 

Two teens were injured after gun shots were fired outside Superior Pho restaurant on Superior Avenue in AsiaTown. Cleveland police are investigating the shooting, which took place at 1:30 p.m. WKYC first reported the news after one of its employees witnessed the shooting while eating lunch.

Things To Do This Weekend

Into the Blue: Grateful Dead Revival Night at Beachland Tavern (May 22): The spirit of the Grateful Dead is a joyous and storied tale. Here in Northeast Ohio, a community of tributes — whole bands and one-off shows — keep the Dead’s sonic ethos alive and buzzing. It performs at 8 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom. 15711 Waterloo Road, 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Land of Hopes & Dreams American Tour at Rocket Arena (May 22): Enraged at the current administration's interpretation of the United States as an imperialist country, Bruce Springsteen has enlisted his E Street backing band to hit the road with him on a tour with a purpose. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at Rocket Arena. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

Between the Buried and Me at Globe Iron (May 23): The veteran metalcore band headlines a multi-band bill that includes Thank You Scientist and the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. at Globe Iron. 2325 Elm St., globeironcle.com

Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentleman at the Agora (May 24): The alt-country singer-songwriter brings his band the Texas Gentleman to the Agora. His new album, They Call Us the Lucky Ones, features songs such as “Twist the Knife,” a track with a Bob Dylan feel to it. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com

Yesterday's Trivia Answer

What socialist, labor leader and perennial presidential candidate went on trial in 1918 in Cleveland for violating the Espionage Act by giving an anti-war speech in Canton? Eugene V. Debs

Check back Tuesday for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

Bruce Springsteen day is a big one in my family. My parents have seen him more than two dozen times, and my sister and I have at least five or six each under our belts, too. My first show was the 2004 Vote for Change show with R.E.M. and John Fogerty at Gund Arena. Hers was Columbus 2014, when Springsteen climbed into the crowd, handed her his mic and let her sing "Darlington County." Today, we'll meet up with friends at a Downtown bar, friends who for years have listened to "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "No Surrender" with us during cookouts in the backyards or car rides, and then we'll stream into the show, just my sister and my parents. Bruce was my soundtrack of growing up in Northeast Ohio, and seeing the show with the original family unit at this age, as we're married and have kids, is a hit of nostalgia and a special kind of memory. 

Northeast Ohio has been good to Bruce, too. 

The relationship started way back in the '70s, when Cleveland was one of the first major cities to give Bruce airplay. That formed a relationship between Bruce and the guys at WMMS, which led to the iconic 1978 concert at The Agora. That show, his first in Cleveland, became a popular bootleg for years to come, until camp Springsteen officially released it several years ago. It's cool to hear him shout out people like Kid Leo and "the boys from Brook Park." Fast forward four decades later: His famed Fender Telecaster has hung on the walls of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, where he is enshrined. His recent movie was inspired by a book from a writer who spent years shaping the modern Rock Hall, and he continues to be able to sell out Cleveland whenever he wants.  

“If you asked him in a quiet moment what cities meant the most to him during his career, Cleveland would be near the top of that list," author Peter Chakerian, author of Bruce Springsteen: Live in the Heartland, told me a few years ago, "if not at the top. - Dillon Stewart, Editor