Observations on an average football Saturday

I attended the Ohio St. versus Troy game today with a friend of mine and enjoyed it thoroughly. Once again, I was able to take in the sights and events of gameday on OSU's campus. I still love the sound of the band, the electricity of the crowd, the annoying OH-IO cheer, the radio stations broadcasting live, the flags waving atop the stadium, the roar of the crowd, the ringing of the victory bell after we won, the traditional singing of "Carmen Ohio" at the end of the game and all the stadium food and snacks.

One thing I learned today was that Terrelle Pryor is the future of this football team and shows a ton of promise. Granted, that is probably the kiss of death coming from my lips but he looked pretty darn good. There were numerous freshman mistakes mixed in with some Houdini like escapes and nice throws, but nothing he can't learn from after some tutoring and film study. A couple calls to Craig Krenzel may help too so that he can learn how to throw the ball away at certain times.

What impressed me the most is how he was able to escape pressure and maintain his view down field to get to the open receiver. Obviously he can run well, we already knew that. His leadership and the uncoachable ability to get your players to rally behind you (A trait that separated Troy Smith from Justin Zwick from the get go), are things that I was curious to see. Also, I wanted to see how strong of an arm he had and how accurate he would be with it. Accuracy is still a question mark but arm strength isn't. These are things that can be shored up as he plays out this year and learns on the job. Playing through the Big Ten season will be invaluable as he works on reading defenses and making adjustments. Mistakes will come, but I can deal with these growing pains this year.

I mean would that be much different than Todd Boeckman making mistakes back there?



My brother and I were talking this evening about the LSU v. Auburn game taking place as I write this. The atmosphere of a SEC night game is phenomenal. We thought back how every Saturday night there is a great SEC game on tv. How awesome is that conference? I hate them for dominating my team but that doesn't mean I can't respect and appreciate what they have down there. Man, to be at a game like that. You just don't get that in the Big Ten that often. OSU v. Michigan is the closest the Big Ten has to this type of game I suppose, but even that is cold and in the early afternoon. I do recall the OSU v. Texas game which was early in the year and at night was similar too. But over the whole Big Ten? It doesn't really happen.


I am recovering nicely from the USC embarrassment I think. It is like having your balloon burst as a little kid. The initial shock sucks. We knew this was coming, but I was hoping it wouldn't come yet. Let's face it, this defense is overrated and the offense, especially with Boeckman, is not very good (Beanie or no Beanie). But now that the balloon has burst and reality has set in, I kind of feel relieved. I can relax now. I can just sit back and enjoy football without the nervous anxiety over my team. The reality has been for a good two or more seasons that watching Buckeye games has been hard work. The fun was gone. I mean it was a no win situation really. Think about it. We needed the Buckeyes to win EVERY game. If they lost it was disaster. Shoot, even if they won sometimes you felt like we lost when the win wasn't convincing enough. The optimal result, a convincing win, wasn't even that satisfying because it was what was supposed to happen. It was like shooting par. All it meant was we lived to see another day. That is hard to do for two plus seasons. Now we can just sit back at 13 and quietly go about our season while the national media hones their ultra critical, anti-Buckeye spotlight on other programs out there. (Well, maybe. They still enjoy poking fun at us any chance they get) We can still play for another Big Ten title and a BCS bowl which is cool. Like my brother said, maybe we could get a shot at another SEC team and an opportunity to shut up all those fans. Then next year, a seasoned Pryor and fresh defense (hopefully new defensive coordinator) can come out and put the rest if our demons to rest with some big wins.



Here is another annoying pet peeve I have: girls that say "Ohhhhhhh my God you guys." Or sometimes it may go, "Oh my Goooooooood, you guys."


Have you noticed a negative tone in my posts of late? I have not been feeling positive at all. That is probably a really bad thing. I am only making things worse but I swear I am just ticked off. Sigh.

Open Letter to the Haters

As I read the articles aiming "told you so's" at me and my Buckeyes and skim the comments from college football fans around the country, I see some things that need to be cleared up. So anyone who loves to hate the Buckeyes and their fans let me clue you in on a couple of things.

First, we KNOW our team is overrated. We watched that game too. As a matter of fact, we already knew before the game started. The amount of phone calls into local AM sports talk radio here in Columbus were overwhelmingly siding on the side of "We are going to lose. We are not as good as our ranking." OVERWHELMINGLY! Can I say it any louder. So when people like Mark Kriegel write that "...everyone but the fans who root for Ohio State" were giving Tressel and the Buckeyes alto of heat, he is wrong. (Mark Kriegel MSN.com linked right here) Tressel has been getting heat from Buckeye fans for at least this past week if not the whole off season after the second weak showing at the BCS Title game where our presence was questionably deserved in the first place. No Mr. Kriegel, Buckeye fans understand the over hyped misranking as well.

Secondly, we also know the Big Ten is not very good. We understand that our schedule has been weak. But guess what? Your team does it too. Yes LSU fan for instance. Your team's schedule is poor. At least we played USC and will again next year. Things go in cycles. Take a look at Florida St. See Nebraska. Think about Miami. Don't forget the beloved Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. In fact Miami has come and gone and come again and is now gone again just in my lifetime. They'll be back too. The Big Ten is weak right now. This conference will be back soon enough. In the meantime, OSU will have to hear about it, but don't think as a fan base we are ignorant to the obvious. We are not. Oh yeah, and let's not forget USC was not exactly killing people back in the 90s. They were down for awhile as well. Of course OSU was in the mix back then as they have been for the past several years overrated or not. So while you bask in the limelight of Mark May, ESPN and Hollywood in your backyard, don't forget that OSU consistently finds itself in the top 20 even during down years. Nebraska, Florida St., Miami can't say that. Shoot, I'm not sure Oklahoma and USC can. My facts may need to be checked, but outside of Michigan, not too many teams have more overall wins that OSU.

But I'm getting off my point. Right now, we are not that good. I, and many other Buckeye fans get that. The true fans don't wear blinders and scarlet and gray sunglasses. We see and understand the reality of college football.

Next, not everyone of us digs that overexposed OH-IO thing. We didn't realize it was going to go this far. It is fun for the kids and the fringe fans. But seriously. Those of you getting absolutely sickened by it, same here. We all have our unique college chants, catch phrases, fight songs, mascots and traditions but this one is getting blown out of proportion. I agree it needs to be put to rest for about a decade. Or kept within the confines of Ohio Stadium or whatever bowl game we play in....maybe a tailgate or two.

Finally, your little nicknames for us like "suckeyes" or "luckeyes" are not that clever. Just because you can switch one letter to make a different, derogatory name doesn't make you smart. Much like the OH-IO thing, it is getting old. Whatever positive coolness you got out of it has worn out. It is just sad now. But I guarantee it is going to be thrown about a whole lot over the next couple months so go ahead and get your use out of it but know when something has run its course please. Move on. You can come up with something better. I know you can. Go get 'em haters!

I know you all love to put down other programs. I know how much the common college football fan loves to talk smack and kick a team when they're down. I know it is getting boring to kick Nebraska, Notre Dame, Florida St. and Miami around so you have switched your focus on us, we are fresh and much more "new" and trendy, but understand this: We aren't blind or foolish enough over here not to realize the same things you do. So don't act like we are stupid.

******************
For the local readers, Bruce Hooley of WBNS 1460 The Fan is a good journalist and see,s like a perfectly nice, intelligent guy. But I rarely see eye to eye with this guy and this morning was no different. After reading an article that stated Mark Sanchez felt as though the Buckeye defense was predictable because they played the same looks they saw in practice and it made things easier on them to score against us, I get in my car and listen to Hooley complain that Tressel didn't stick with the game plan he has used the past 8 seasons or so. What the?!

Granted he was speaking more of the offense but.... For real, what did he think was going to happen if we just ran over tackle all day! Didn't he himself say that last week's vanilla, predictable offense was the reason we struggled with OU? He was really ticked off about constantly switching QBs and blamed that for Boeckman's unending turnovers.

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my take:

1)Heacock needs to be fired yesterday. The defense's game plan sucks! Ask Sanchez.

2)When Tressel was switching QBs, the offense moved. In fact it managed to score. With that scheme, the offense marched down for a field goal. Scored a TD taken back by a penalty. And marched down for a missed FG by no fault of the offense.

3)Where I have a problem with Tressel's decision was when HE WENT CONSERVATIVE like Hooley wanted. The second he left Boeckman out there and did that off tackle crap we went nowhere. What was that Hooley?!

4) I have to bring up that 2nd and 22 play call when he ran Boeckman on an option for the third time in the game. I get the decoy, change it up thing but not the thrid time. Not in that situation. What did he really think we were going to get out of that? Either do it with Pryor or don't do it at all. Go with a mid range pass that was usually open at that point in the game. Give yourself a manageable 3rd down play.

5) I don't blame the QB switching for Boeckman's problems at all. He did the same things before when he wasn't switched out. This is just par for the course.

6) I do put some of the blame on the offensive line. T.B. had no time in the pocket. He deserves alot of blame but the additional reasons were not the switching is and out as much as the lack of protection from an overrated line in front of him.

7) I really like Pryor and can't wait to see him as he learns the offense more and begins to mix in more passes. He showed some arm strength that lit up my eyes.

Thank you sir can I have another!

@#$%^&*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here I am again. Wait, I should say here WE are again. Buckeye nation and I stand before our peers with our heads down and ready to take another lashing for being overrated and over hyped and we have nothing left to say. It was hard enough before this game but at least we had this game to look to for redemption. Now the sword is even deeper in our hearts and we have no reason for hope of redemption anywhere on the horizon.

Yes, the loss today to the USC Trojans will set us and our beloved football program back even further. What it will take to earn national respect again may be insurmountable. It will takes years and probably numerous championships to get any credibility back. I just pray Jim Tressel can continue to go into the living rooms of the best high school football players out there and look them and their parents in the eye and tell them Ohio State is still as good as any other program for their kid.

My fear is that the same Jim Tressel won't be able to coach his way back to national prominence. I have been a big, big fan of his. He won me over in '02. Actually he won me over before he got the job. The resume he brought with him from Youngstown State and his passion for Ohio State and his class pushed him to the top of my wish list after John Cooper was fired. But now I have watched him get out coached by guys I thought he never would, Les Miles. I have seen questionable play calling. I have seen horrible defensive schemes and lack of adjustments. What has happened?

Today's game was horrible. After last week and careful reflection, I knew it was going to happen this way. Check my earlier posts. Even when I tried to be positive in my preseason prediction I referenced this possibility. The offensive line was over matched. They tried to play physical but when you are getting called for holding penalties like they were, you know you are not able to do what you want. Those are signs of lack of discipline or inability to maintain a block. Todd Boeckman was horrible. He continues to be a turnover machine in big games. The defense couldn't do anything. They were also over matched and outplayed. The fire was there. They were aggressive and gang tackling but there wasn't enough pressure and they couldn't tackle McKnight before he was 5 yards or more down the field.

I am thoroughly embarrassed, demoralized and deflated. I have had to hear everyone around the nation hate on my team and my team's conference. I wanted to be able to counter their attacks with something but I got nothing. Their side has been fortified tonight.

Maybe this is a good thing though. We knew this was coming. Maybe we have now finally reached our bottom so to speak. The days of being overrated can now end. Everyone obviously sees our deficiencies. we will now be ranked lower. Nobody is going to think we have a chance. Not so many people are going to pay close attention to us. There won't be so much hype surrounding the program for awhile. We can kind of fly under the radar for awhile. We can lick our wounds. Other fans can forget about us. Turn their disgust and spiteful feelings somewhere else for awhile like.........Florida! How about Georgia! Maybe Oklahoma!

This senior class can finish out this season with their eyes now on winning the Big Ten and getting in the Rose Bowl. That is still pretty cool and respectable. They can then go on to the NFL and underachieve there. Then we can focus on this new crop of Buckeyes talent. We can start fresh next year without all the eyes and expectations on us. We can start the season ranked in the teens and slowly creep up. We do get USC again next year and you know they will still be Mark May and ESPN's darling. We can sneak a win against them at home. Maybe the Big Ten will be a bit more respectable. Penn State and Wisconsin can do their part and Hot Rod Rodriquez may have Michigan up and running better. Throw a couple big wins against those squads in '09 and quickly we could move up to that coveted #1 or #2 hole and get another shot at it. This time we may have a better chance with Pryor, Small, Posey, Sansabacher, a revamped offensive line and defense. I think we'd have a new kicker too.

This is probably what we need. No more questions. No more excuses. There was no 30day layoff this time. There was no way Wells would have made enough of a difference to win this game. There were no bad calls that cost us the game. No fluke plays. We got beat and beat bad. Everyone saw it. There are no two ways about it.

Take a deep breath. Take it like a man. Lose with dignity and pride and move on. I must write before I end this that Tressel and the players did lose with class tonight. I was proud of that. Each interview was handled with respect. You could see the anger and disappointment in their eyes and demeanor but they answered the questions with frankness and class. Tressel sat at the press table and answered each question the same way he always does. Nobody blamed anybody or made excuses. They admitted USC was the better team. They admitted they made mistakes. They admitted they wanted to win bad. They admitted they were hurt. They said they still had plenty to play for. They said they were not finished with the season. They handled themselves like men.

And I thank Jim Tressel for that. I may begin to question a whole lot else but I won't questions the man's dignity and the class of his players. We can be proud that our Buckeyes can at least do that.

Browns Alphabet: ABCE..........

Obviously there is no place for D in the Cleveland Browns thinking. What the hell did I just watch? Well, the same old crap. New names, same garbage!

So much for any optimism for this team after the acquisitions of players who were really good on their prior teams but now join the long list of quality players who come to Cleveland to SUCK! See: Black Jack McDowell. Larry "Laura" Hughes. Jamir Miller. Chris Spielman. Keith "Hair Club for Men" Hernandez. Steve Carlton. Chuck "The Yankee Killer" Finley. Jeff Garcia. LeCharles Bentley. Andre Rison. Jerry Ball. Ted Washington. Willie McGinest. Joe Borowski. Keith Foulke. Paul Byrd. Darius Miles. Damon "Used To Be The Greatest Shooter On Earth Until I Came Here" Jones. The list goes on!


These guys are no different than any other scrub player we had last year or the last decade for that matter! (It is taking every ounce of class for me not to curse my way through this whole post. My mother reads this.)

I'm tired of the excuses. I'm tired of the "reasons." WIN THE DAMN GAME!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah and can Braylon Edwards catch a freaking ball that hits him in the hands or between the numbers??? Suit my butt up, I'll catch those! Come on! (Well, I probably would never have been able to get open like he did in the first place but you get my point....or be able to put my pads on correctly in the locker room before the game for that matter)

The worst thing that could have happened last year was for the Browns to go 10-6 against a weak schedule and still miss the playoffs as well as fooling us all (except me...ask my bro and dad about our talk at Northwestern) into thinking Romeo is actually a competent coach. HE STINKS!!!!!!!

I am so sick and tired of supporting this second, no third rate farce of an organization. I put my heart and soul into this team no matter what every stinking year and get this same crap back. I keep taking it and taking it. Steeler fans make a mockery of me and my team and I have nothing to say. Nothing. I am tired of it. I see why my Father-in-law quit going to games even though he has season tickets. I see why my old next door neighbor in high school quit watching out of concern for his health.

This is painful. So painful. My week is shot now. Shoot, my next 4 months are shot. With no Buckeyes success to fill the incompleteness, I don't know what to do. I don't even care about my fantasy losses this week. Thanks again Edwards. Your four drops could have been much needed points.

Screw this!

A College Football Saturday

Here are a couple of things swirling in my head this Saturday as I watch as much football as I can:

**Go Michigan!**

Yes, I said it and meant it. Those of you who love the crazy Buckeye fan reputation I have earned may think "What the?!" But think about this. As a fellow Big Ten school a true Buckeye fan WANTS Michigan to win these nonconference games. It was really fun watching them lose to App St. last year. I wouldn't trade that for the world. The look on the young UM fan's faces was pricelss. Those smug, arrogant kids had nothing to say. But that is not something we want to happen every year. Losing to Utah today hurts us. It is another blow to the Big Ten's reputation. A Big Ten conference in which our Buckeyes are a member. We need Michigan and every other Big Ten team to sweep all of their nonconference games.

In addition, they are our rival. It is so much better for the rivalry and in my opinion when both squads are dominating. Maybe I am from the old school. I like Michigan to win every game up to The Game. Then I want them to win their bowl game unless it's the National Championship. I draw the line there. I just can't handle that. But otherwise, Michigan needs to win. It means more. It adds more. It is just, plain better. This new generation of fans that take the bitterness for Michigan to the extreme is thinking backwards. I used to be that way too I guess, but with the App St game in our back pocket forever, I don't need to be. I dislike those Michigan fans. I hate those colors. I cringe at the memories of Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard and Tim Biakabutuka. I still hold alot of pain and hatred in my heart for the 90s. But revenge is best served when we beat them and it means something. It hurts them much more when their bid for an undefeated season goes down to us. It hurts even more when we are also undefeated. That is the true taste of sweet revenge. Even more than watching them lose to App St. or Utah.


**Beanie Wells**

So what's the deal? He was carted off the field. Then he walks back out onto the field. The X-rays were negative. He has done this before. Is he pulling a Loyacano? Does he have some toughness issues? Or is this serious? I'm just saying. There is a trend here. Regardless, he is a stud on the field and we need him there. But not against OU. I love Brandon Saine and I would love to see him play. So let's rest Wells against OU no matter what and hope he is ready to go against USC.


**GameDay**

I love going to games. I love the gameday atmosphere. Today was nothing like it is when the students are back and it is a conference game or a late season game, but the tradition, the memories in that place. I absolutely love it.


**Week One**

The Bucks looked good today. The defense was pretty much on lock down. At onoe point in the second half YSU only had 55 total yards of offense. The offense looked smooth and flowed well sans in the red zone. The kickers kicked well. A number of players got to play. The offense played a clean game with no turnovers and the defense forced a few. They scored 43 points and gave up zero. They controlled the clock and the game. Next up: OU Bobcats.


**Terrelle Pryor**

I was very pleased with Pryor's debut. He could have come out and looked overwhelmed. He could have come out and played mediocre. But he was very impressive. He showed he could drop back. He showed he could play from the shot gun. He showed a little option. He rushed. He passed. The passes looked accurate. He didn't seem flustered in the pocket. He demonstrated athleticism and poise. He was able to complete his first pass. He was able to score a touchdown. It was critical that he had some success in his first outing. He gained confidence and has plenty to look at in film to study and critique and get better. He will have to. Today's game has won me over.

Life After LeBron

I love LeBron James. I think and know he is the one chance our Cavs have at getting a NBA championship in Cleveland. I really want him in Cleveland for his whole career. I do NOT want him to leave for Europe, New Jersey or Manhattan. I will be devastated when he does.

With that said I now want to talk myself and the rest of Cavs nation off the ledge. We are being held hostage by one man. Our team, our owner, our GM, our fan base, our city are being held hostage by this King. We will continue to be hostages to him and his wishes for two more seasons. This one guy who is holding us hostage hasn't won an NBA championship. (I know, I know bear with me) Several teams have won NBA championships since he has been in the NBA without him. It can be done.

Yes, Cleveland....NBA championships CAN be won without LeBron James.

Now, don't take me for an idiot. It took a Dwayne Wade. Shaquille O'Neal. Tim Duncan. Kobe Bryant. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. So you need a or two superstars to do it and Cleveland has none beyond Mr. James. I get that.

But I am getting sick of allowing this man (a man who I truly enjoy watching and do not have any other problem with) hold me hostage like this! Gilbert has a big pocket. Contrary top popular belief Ferry knows what he is doing (see drafting Gibson. Trading nothing for Flip Murray. Getting Gooden and Andy for garbage when Boozer screwed us over. And he can't be blamed that a top tier FA Larry Hughes didn't live up to his billing). They may need to go out and get Wade or Bosh or both when James leaves. They are FAs that year too. In order to win the finals, it would take both with the roster we are looking at now, but why not?

James will leave. But we will still have basketball. Most importantly and my point of this post: Once the Browns are relevant again, who gives a damn about LeBron freaking James?! Shoot, the fumes of a playoff Cleveland Browns season alone can carry me to the draft in April and then training camp in the summer.

My first and most passionate love is the Browns. The Cavs and Indians are just filler until football starts. I mean really. I am not alone in this. So I am done letting LeBron hold me hostage. I will root to the bottom of my deepest basin for him and my Cavs, but I am not going to allow myself to care about his future here anymore. Whatever happens, happens now. I will still root for the Cavs 2011 and on with or without Mr. James.

I just need those men in orange helmets playing a bit north on E. 9th Ave to remain competitive and I'm good. A Tribe run in the steamy summer is icing on the cake!

(If Braylon could just figure out how to consistently catch the balls that hit him in the numbers...but I guess he is a Wolverine. We can only expect so much)

NBA Finals vs. U.S. Open

Sports fans: What have you been watching?

Did you find yourself captivated by the NBA's championship series between the most storied franchises in the sport? Were you awed by the opportunity to watch a reconnection with the old glory days of the NBA's yesteryear? Did you soak up the glamorous highlights of Magic v. Bird? Abdul-Jabbar v. Parrish? Worthy v. Mchale? Or even the earlier matchups between these rivals?

Or did you find it hard to pull away from Tiger prowling (as if that term hasn't overused for Eldrick Woods) the fairways and greens of Torrey Pines at the U.S. Open? Were you interested in seeing if he could return from knee surgery and win his first event back, a major event at that? Did you smile in amazement as he hit remarkable putt after remarkable putt to close in and ultimately take lead after the 3rd round setting up an epic battle Sunday and Monday?

While I consider myself a basketball fan I question the validity of that statement as my casual interest in golf took, not only a front seat to the NBA Finals, but destroyed any interest in it at all!

Granted, the Cavs loss to the Celtics in the second round knowing full well they could have won and would have won against the Pistons in the following series killed my NBA buzz. Throw in Donaghy's claims that my worst fears may be true and the NBA officials are "yes" men to the NBA administration tayloring the outcomes to best fit the NBA's greater interests (See Lakers v. Celtics this year through trades of Gasol and Garnett that were questionable in fairness at best) and I have even more reasons to switch my attention to Tiger and Rocco.

I will be the first to admit my fandom to pro basketball weighs heavily on the success of my hometown Cavaliers (childhood hometown). As a whole I prefer NCAA basketball over the NBA even when my alma mater Buckeyes aren't successful thanks in large part to the tournament. But never has it taken a back seat to golf; an old man's sport in my mind.

Thanks to Tiger Woods that kind of thinking is old fashioned and neanderthal. Over the past few years my interest in golf has increased from Sunday afternoons of majors to common tournaments to all four rounds of majors. I love to root for Tiger which contradicts my usual preference of the underdog. Why is that? Could it be, as my friend has stated, that it is cool to see him beat up on old, rich white guys who have literally owned this sport for so many decades "at their own game"? Another topic for another post, but Tiger has singlehandledly pulled me and many other fellow sports fans of my generation into golf. I may have still gained interest in the sport as I entered the age where a round of golf is commonplace as recreation. And I may have discovered it in an effort to fill boring summer weekends with something other than reality tv or trashy crap. But Tiger makes it fun.

Sunday I rooted for Tiger to tie Rocco despite my usual practice of rooting hard for the underdog...I am from Cleveland after all. Well, the "Cleveland" area anyway. I loved each and every pressure packed shot he made. I was thrilled by the emotion he showed and amazing shots he made. But Monday I quickly returned to my normal state and pulled for Rocco, a guy who is hard not to like as you watch him play and interview. I really wanted him to beat the mighty Goliath dressed in red. He almost did just that making 19, or hell, all 91 holes of golf as entertaining as any of the games between Boston and L.A. For the record, I have not watched more than 5 minutes total of the NBA Finals and don't plan to watch any more.

And I can't play basketball with my Dad like I can play a round of golf.

Get past LeBron...PLEASE!!!

I have a number of things in my head regarding my Cleveland Cavaliers and their second round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. As of this post they are down 2-0 and James is STRUGGLING. I can't cap it enough! Boston has found a way to not only stop him but shut him down. Their defense is much like San Antonio's last year in the Finals. They double him and slide a zone in his direction taking away the easy lanes for layups or dunks and forcing him to make jumpers. He hasn't. You have to hand it to the Celtics and their coaching staff. If only "The Squint" Mike Brown could coach like that.........

Here are my thoughts:
**If LeBron isn't hitting his outside shot and the Celt's are taking away the ability to drive aggressively, why not post him up? We all know you need to drive to the hoop if your shot doesn't go. Brown and James know that too. You can see LeBron trying to drive. You can hear Brown reference it in his interviews. Unfortunately in the same breath that Brown says driving to the rim is the right thing to do, he also states LeBron should still shoot and if he misses five in a row not to hesitate the sixth time to shoot the open jumper. (The Plain Dealer) I understand not messing with the confidence of your most important player, especially in this situation where he is so way off with his shot that it is most likely in his head and you need to avoid making that worse. But after 5 misses in a row keep shooting anyway? That scares me. Hopefully LeBron knows better.

So why can't LeBron set up in the block and post up Pierce or whoever is guarding him? Try it with a smaller lineup. Maybe Boobie, Wally, West and Z with James. For the record: feel free to switch Wally out of that for another guard type player. But keep it small to give room down low. Z will gladly fade out of James' way. This way things won't be clogged for James when he posts up. Of course you don't want Z roaming too far out because if LeBron can so much as get it on the rim Ilgauskas can tip a miss back in. Z lives off that and I'm fine with it. Can James post up even if he passes out of the post once they double team him? Is that the problem? Is passing our of the block too difficult for LeBron? Could be. He is big, but not 7 feet. I'd like to see it though. At least mix it up and hopefully open some things up with some variety. I am tired of this awful, middle school offense.

***Do we really have to buy into this "LeBron and the rest of the team" mentality? Do we really have to believe LeBron doesn't have a "pippen" or anything? I think the team is now believing it. I think they are buying into the media's insistent message that this team is nothing beyond James. They very well might be. I am not going to argue that point one bit. This isn't my point. My point is: Does the team have to believe it right or wrong, true or not?

Regardless of whether this is the Cleveland LeBronaliers or not, the team can't think that way. They must believe they are legit players. And they can justify it. Gibson showed last year he can shoot, drive and make free throws as well as get hustle plays and timely steals. Z has more than proven over ten plus years than he can score. He can be a legit threat as long as he is out of foul trouble. Devin Brown gets hard work buckets. Delonte West does well when he stays aggressive. Sasha and Wally are hit and miss but one of them can get hot. Joe Smith is gritty and has a nice baseline, mid range jumper. Andy should never touch the ball unless passing to someone or rebounding misses. AND WHERE THE HECK IS DAMON JONES?!!!!

The Cavs must think in their heads they are more than LeBron. They cannot sit there and expect him to make it happen and wait for him to pass them the ball. They can't rely on him to find his shot again or wait for him to find it. Let's just assume he is never going to shoot well again and figure out how to win despite that.

****AND WHERE THE BLEEP IS DAMON JONES?! I know he has issues. I know his defense is lacking and the Cavs have actually played decent defense this first two games. That has been lost in this mess with James. They have held the Big Three to under 90 points both games. But with no offense you can't win these games. So.....get some offense! Amon Jones has found his J this year. In past years I would have been thrilled to see Amon trapped at the end of the bench, but now that he can shoot again and we need something, anything......get him out there!!!!

*****I still love my Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fear my Family....

Some know this story well. Others have heard it but laugh. More have heard and forgotten. If you do not fall in any of these categories read on and mark this as your warning.

I have capabilities not even I understand yet. It is a power I must use for good and not evil. If I can learn to control it, you better not step in my way.....or my offspring.

Let me begin. Through my entire life I have had dreams. These vivid dreams seem very real. While nothing about this is unusual, many of them come true. I also get "vibes" about things. Again, nothing different than most people but these "vibes" come true more often than not. Of course I believe in my heart that every single human being has this power but does not appreciate it or harness it properly. I have joked in the past about how I am phsycic but as time goes on I really am starting to believe it. Don't forget the phenomenom that is The Huey Karma passed on down from the Matthews side as well.

Now here is the scary part. This you should fear. Over a decade and a half ago the Cleveland Cavaliers (you knew sports would be tied in wouldn't you?) played the New Jersey Nets, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Each team had a star player that destroyed the Cavs. In the first round, Drazen Petrovic of the Nets lit up the Cavs' defense from behind the arc. It was brutal to watch and I almost lost my mind. I swore up and down that I wanted that man dead or hurt. Fortunately, (or unfortunately to the rest of the world) the Cavs won that series and moved on to Boston. The Celtics had a young rising star in Reggie Lewis. Once again, the Cavs had no answer for the star. Again, I swore up and down that I wanted that man dead or hurt. But the Cavs managed to escape and move on again. Next up were the Chicago Bulls who, as everyone knows, had one of the greatest basketball players of all time in Micheal Jordan. Continuing the pattern, he lit up the Cavs and I swore to the rooftops that this man must be brought down. The Bulls won.

Later that offseason I read the paper and noticed Drazen Petrovic was in a fatal car accident in Germany. "Oh man, that sucks," I thought. "He was in his prime." Then I read that Reggie Lewis had a heart condition. He then passed away as a result. "Oh my. This is tragic," I reflected. Finally, Jordan retired for the first time.

Suddenly I connected the dots. "Oh no! All three of those deaths were players I wanted dead....figuratively!" I felt a shadow of guilt fall over me. Was I the reason they died? Did I cause their death? Did I bring it upon them?

Jordan's deal with the Devil was so strong that not even my secret power could keep him down. He returned to the NBA...twice...and won more NBA rings. But while he escaped death, he couldn't remain in the NBA until he left for his baseball experiment.

Ever since I have tried to keep my mouth censored in my rage against opponents singlehandedly dominating my teams. While I want them to stop, I don't truly want them dead. That is where I draw the line.

This power is not limited to me. My grandfather attended a Cleveland Indians game at the Old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Grand Old Lady on the Lake, soon after the Indians won their last World Series. The experience was so bad and the service was so horrible that he left with my grandmother swearing to NEVER return to an Indians game again in that stadium and that they would never win a championship again in THAT stadium. As a result of his boycott he never saw just how even worse the stadium got decades later with troughs for bathrooms and leaking pipes and long poles in the middle of your view. Not to mention the metal seats. But I have my own, nostalgic opinion about that.

Well...the Tribe has yet to win a World Series since. They never won another in that stadium. In fact, they struggled to be competitive until the move to Jacob's Field (now Progressive) in 1994.

Coincidence?

I don't know if I believe in coinciences anymore. Everything just may happen for a reason after all. And the suffering of my fellow fans and those individual players may be the work of my family.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

(And I am working on getting Pa to lift the Curse of the Tribe. He already said the move was good enough. But I haven't seen a trophy yet.)

Quick Quiz...I am getting old

I texted some good friends this question:

How many current NBA coaches were players during our years of watching the NBA regularly and who are they? Circa 85-86 season and on.

Without hesitation my buddy Ernie living out on the west coast (and 3 hours earlier than the early morning time of the text) chimed in first and nailed it.

Can you?

How To Book: Playing Physical in the NBA by the Cleveland Cavaliers (presented by Cub Cadet)

Tonight was a clinic on how you play physical during the NBA playoffs. While the Washington Wizards have publicly made it a point to play "physical" with the Cleveland Cavaliers in an effort to stop or at least slow down LeBron James, the Cavs have in turn shown them how to do it.

Instead of playing tough nosed defense and fouling hard while making attempts at the ball, Washington has found themselves in a hornets nest as they push and shove and grab and throw themselves onto players in an effort to be a bully. As a result, they have ticked off James. And the Cavs as a team have responded by showing the last two years in the playoffs have paid dividends for the remaining Cavaliers from that roster. They have not backed down from the bully. They have stepped up. They have matched the intensity. In fact they have returned the physical challenge with the proper prowess good teams show in the playoffs. The Wizards are not getting easy buckets without paying for it (after the first quarter), mostly in a clean hard way. Granted Andy Varejao threw an unneeded closeline at one point but overall, they Cavs fouled and fouled hard.

Much has been made of the trash talking Stevenson and his mates on the Wizards roster have done. And it is obvious they want this series bad after losing twice to the Cavs the past two years. But all they have done is motivate a flatlined Cavs team. Suddenly, the team looks energized. It seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

The Cavs are standing up against the bully from Washington. The Wizards woke a sleeping giant. Problem is: It is only two games. It takes four to win the series. I recall the Cavs getting blown away by the Pistons in the first two games two years ago just to comeback and lose in seven after Flip Murray missed a critical rebound at the end of Game Six possibly leading to a game winning bucket. This series could end similarly with the Cavs losing again being the team that blows a 2-0lead.

What needs to happen is LeBron and the Cavs keep saying all the right things and show the rest of the NBA (hello Boston...) that they answer on the court. They need to enter Game three with a chip on their shoulder like they have Game One and Two. Wally and Boobie need to continue the rhythm they FINALLY gained tonight. Z needs to play with some fierceness. Wallace needs to own the paint. West needs to lead this team. Damon Jones needs to get some significant minutes and Devin Brown needs to do his thing.

And bring the defense. The defense Washington wanted to bring but didn't have the heart to.

I Can't Stand Boston Fans

Coming from Cleveland I have a lot of built-in bitterness towards other cities. The weather sucks most of the year in Cleveland, the economy has been bad more than good, there isn't as much to do without having to work to find it and the voters in this state are idiots more often than not. But at the same time, like many other Cleveland natives, I take it personal when people insult or joke about my hometown (or area since I never technically lived in Cleveland itself...that's a whole other blog post in itself). I notice many people from Cleveland are quick to defend it or prove its legitimacy. It is like we have a chip on our shoulder regarding our place of residence. I haven't picked up on that with people in Columbus yet.

We also love our sports in Cleveland. And we have collectively put up with a lot of pain and suffering with our teams. No team has won a championship here since before my generation was even born. We had our beloved football team taken from us. We have had heartbreak just short of getting to a championship several times over in dramatic fashion.

These are things I have blogged before. This time I am venting about another so called "torchered" city. This being Boston.

What prompted this post is an HBO special I watched with my brother about the Brooklyn Dodgers. After watching and seeing how the fans in Brooklyn dealt with even more gut wrenching disappointment than me and my fellow Cleveland fans losing to the hated Yankees in the World Series seven times before they finally won I believe. And I think it went to 7 games more than half of the time. They also suffered through "The Shot Heard 'Round The World" homerun by Bobby Thompson of the New York Giants. I think that was the year they blew a 13.5 game lead as well. And THEY lost there team as well just like my Browns.

Ouch.

Anyway, HBO did a great job of mixing the first hand accounts and emotional music in the background to create a dramatic feeling of support for the Dodgers and their epic struggle. Then came another documentary on the...Boston Red Sox and their "supposed" struggle to win a World Series. The "Curse of the Babe." Their numerous heartbreaks to their bitter rival Yanks. Oh, those poor fans. They had such a difficult stretch of time rooting for their Sox, and Pats and Celtics and Bruins.

When the Patriots began their Super Bowl run earlier this decade I had to hear all about how AWESOME they felt. After dealing with so much they finally were able to get the monkey off their back. They had waited so long to have that feeling. They didn't know what to do with themselves. The demons were exorcised. Life was grand. The sun lit the sky again. Life was worth living. All was right with the world.

And then again when the Red Sox won the Series we had to bear all of this AGAIN with even MORE pomp and circumstance since it was the battered Sox and the Curse was broken.

Apparently the Celtics and Bruins didn't count? The fact that the Celtics were viewed as one of the greatest basketball franchises ever meant nothing. The Patriots had at least made it to the Super Bowl once. The Bruins won the Stanely Cup in recent memory.

Put that aside. What bothers me most is the downright arrogance of the Boston fan. Please. I can't stand your overdramatic, exaggerated "pain." Your rings mean nothing.

Not only do we have to deal with the lack of championships in Cleveland, the ridicule that comes with it, the weather, the bad economy, being the butt of jokes around the country, losing our team we care most about, the conservative voting hillbillies and closeminded types but we don't even get credit for all of this pain. Of course we do if it means jokes and insults will follow. Somehow dealing with lack of success in Boston is romanticized while in Cleveland it is rubbed in our face.

Don't cry for me Boston fan...I'm already dead.

As I watch the Cavs...

This post is being written during the Cavs vs. Bulls game 3/6/08. Currently the game is in the 4th quarter and the Cavs are down 7. I thought it would be interesting to record my thoughts and feelings as they happen to see how my opinion changes based on the flow of the game. I cannot count how many times I will think the Cavs are awesome and unstoppable and then later on in the same game I feel they suck and are doomed. I realize this is completely irrational and illogical but I feel 100% percent sincere in both cases. For the record, this does not count the times I force myself to be pessimistic to fight the karma.

Well, in the time I inserted that link back there, the Bulls went on yet another big run to eliminate the Cavs push back into the game and Chicago is now up 18. There is only 6 minutes or so left. Right now I am feeling very negative. It has been extremely frustrating this half watching the Bulls go on these runs, sometimes double digits (17-0 at one point). It seems like we fight and scratch and kick to get the lead back under 10 and they immediately answer with a 3 or offensive rebound and more second chance points after we held them for 20 seconds of the 24 second clock.

I was getting very excited when Damon Jones hit the 3 with a foul and actually converted the free throw. Make the deficit 20 now. Worst of the game. LeBron has had a great game...again after dropping half a c-note on NY last night. Bulls just hit another three at the shot clock buzzer. This is absolutely ridiculous. Back to the point, LeBron is having another game possibly droppping 40+ before it's over tonight. But I am not thinking about the post I was going to write tonight about how lucky we are to have this phenomenon we call The King on our team in Cleveland and how nathan iv is 1000000% correct when he routinely states the LeBron is the beginning and the end of this team, the alph and the omega. And can Wally hit a stinking shot for once!!!!! Come on!!!! I mean seriously...the wine and gold is kryptonite for shooters not named James or Price. Geez!
Again, back to the point despite my intentional meandering tonight. You all are witnessing part of what goes on in my mind each night I watch my beloved Cavaliers. I am concerned James' success is causing the team to go into "watch LeBron " mode once again and quickly end up in a rut. It seemed like he was forcing long shots early in the shot clock. I hate that. Soon after he was making an obvious effort to drive to the hoop and was successful. That was encouraging (like Thad Matta's thinking in my other post), but I worry it will hurt more than help in the long term.

And why can't Wally make it through a bleepin' game without getting picked on by the refs? It seems he is getting shortchanged on and ones or getting called for bogus off the ball fouls. What is going on there? I don't blame him for that. Must be the luck of the wine and gold again. The game is 107-88 with 1:44 left. Done. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

This is a second of a road back to back. I can't fault the Cavs too much. I really was hoping for nice long win streak. We had a little string going there. I really want to reach the 50 win mark too. After tonight that means we can only lose 5 more games. That will not be easy. Look...the NBDL guys are getting minutes and hitting threes. Too little too late. Shannon Brown still playing like the Shannon Brown I remember in Cleveland. He turned it over and committed a foul in garbage minutes. Hey! Wally has 14 points. How in the world? Oh yeah and Brown has a hair cut. I wonder if he is still dunking Chicken McNuggets in Chicago now?

Ballgame. Not sure of the final because I quit looking at the tv. 107-96 I 'm guessing but does it matter? I just noticed Smith and Wallace joking with their former teammates in Chicago. I'm glad they are cool like that. Same with James talking to Hughes. I should be ticked they are not bothered by losing tonight, but in the greater scheme of things friendships are more important than a game right? I am in a more pleasant mood than normal. Maybe I need to blog during every game to help ease my hypertension from this mess. Basketball maybe, but football would only result in me throwing this laptop through the window behind me.

Well, there you have it. My mind during a blowout I was hoping would be a comeback. Hope you enjoyed it and made it through the whole post.

An Apology From a Rowdy Fan

Recently I have heard several references to tasteless fan behavior at sporting events. Coincidentally I blogged about this very topic as well. When I read "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield, he wrote about how coincidences have meaning. I am a firm believer in this. They are related to a higher power depending on your chosen faith or belief system. So I feel like these coincidences are a sign that I owe many people an apology for my foul behavior in the past. Most people want to talk about other people's behavior, but I am going to avoid that and hold myself accountable.

I have made an effort to clean things up over the past few years. I have also grown up since many of the events of which I am ashamed. Honestly, alcohol is the main fuel to most people's inappropriate behavior including my own. It would make sense then that my improvement in this area coincides with my significant decrease in drinking, both with frequency and amount.

Unfortunately, my rage is also pure. Long before I thought about tasting a beer let alone consuming one, I was overreacting to games. I remember getting livid because the AFC lost the Pro Bowl. I would be in a bad mood over preseason Browns' games. So I can't blame this all on tailgating and drinking too much.

I will not apologize for yelling, standing or any of that. I will apologize for throwing that empty popcorn box at the Michigan fan in Ohio Stadium. And starting mosh pits after touchdowns with my friends in the stands...although that was alot of fun! Anytime I dropped the F bomb... I am sorry. My friends who have felt uncomfortable by my immaturity...I apologize.

I'd like to think the people who know me best know where I am coming from. I hope and trust they know my passionate personality. I also would like to think that more often than not I am under control. I also would like to think I have treated fans of the other team decently even if I did jab with them from time to time. For crying out loud my buddy and I defended a Bengals fan leaving the stadium after we lost one time. That is noble isn't it? I hope I have kept it clean enough and always related to the team and the play on the field and not anybody personally. But in case I have not......I am sorry.

Since I know I will probably do something regretable in the future....I apologze ahead of time. Just understand I won't compromise my right to yell, talk innocent trash, stand, clap, cheer, boo the other team or bad calls and slam my hat in the ground. I mean the hat throw is my signature move!! I will try to refrain from insults, or profanity laced tirades though.

Go Cleveland!!!!!!

Go Bucks!

The Huey Karma

Karma can summed up as "what goes around, comes around." But The Huey Karma twists it to the point of Murphy's Law. Want to see how I get from here to there? Read on.

Throughout my decades of sports watching and borderline fanaticism, I have made numerous observations. Not least of which is that everything in sports revolves around me and what I do. But it goes deeper than this.

I have also noticed through my supersticious behavior that anytime I begin to think positive about any of my teams, things inevitably go bad. It can be within the context of a single game. My team gets a big lead......just to blow it down the stretch. I assume the game is won because there is no way the opponent can come back with such little time left......my team somehow finds a way to lose. Or it could be within the context of a season....my team as a sure shot at making the postseason....they don't make the playoffs at all.

Here are some examples:
Exhibit A) 2001 Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs.
The clock says 0:00. The Browns have more points than the Chiefs. We Won! Nope. Dwayne Rudd get flagged for taking his helmet off. Never seen this penalty before in my life. Penalty results in field goal attempt for Chiefs. KC wins.

Exhibit B) Same season vs. Chicago Bears.
Fourth quarter with a 14 point lead for the Browns. Everybody thinks the game is over. The Bears proceed to score a touchdown, get an onside kick and Hail Mary another touchdown. Go to OT, Browns win the coin toss only to throw a pick 6 and lose the game.

Exhibit C) Same Season vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
My memory is vague for details but it was the infamous beer bottles on the field game when the instant reply wasn't supposed to be used but was anyway despite the Browns snapping the ball. Led to Browns loss.

Exhibit D) The Drive....'nuff said.

Exhibit E) The Fumble...c'mon.

Exhibit F) The Shot....poor Craig Ehlo.

Exhibit G) 2007 season Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills
After the huge victory my friend and I walked out of the Stadium chanting "Playoffs!" knowing we just needed to beat Cincinnati to all but clinch a berth. The following week the Browns promptly lost to the Buungles.

Exhibit H) 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets start off well this season and I text for free tickets. As a result I get updates after each period of Jacket scores. They have lost all but two games since I began.

Exhibit I) 1997 World Series Cleveland Indians vs. Florida Marlins
Tribe takes a lead into the 7th inning of game 7 only to have Jose Mesa come in later to blow a save and game and ultimately the series.

Exhibit J) 2007 season Cleveland Indians
The Tribe has a 3-2 lead on the sox with our best two pitchers due up in the next two games. We lose both and end up home watching the World Series.

Exhibit K) 1998 Ohio St Buckeyes vs. Michigan St SpartansShamefully, probably the best OSU football team during my years at OSU (technically I graduated before football season though) and they couldn't represent it with a National Championship.

Exhibit L) 1990s Pre-Tressel Football Buckeyes
Loss after loss after loss to the team up north unless the season was already shot.

I could go on. It has happened on my softball teams, soccer teams, intra-mural basketball teams and more. Almost every time I feel positive, something negative happens to bring me back to earth and reality.

It has gotten to the point that I just refer to it as the Huey Karma. In order to make it fit the Karma label though I have to twist things. So here it goes:

When I begin to assume anything for my team that is positive, it is looked at as disrespectful to the opponent and therefore the disrespect is negative energy coming from me. So in return I get negative energy back which is a loss or lack of postseason.

This goes back to the 80s when I would go to Browns games with my dad and brother and the fans would chant "we will rock you." I refused to join in because of the ramifications of the "karma police." This is not a lie. 100% truth. I had no idea what karma was, but I felt something wrong about chanting that. It would come back to haunt me for sure...I was convinced of it. And it did.

You don't believe me? Ask two good friends of mine Chad and Ernie. They doubted me at first as well. Laughed at me even.

Now? Before you could finish your question they would tell you to fear the karma. The Huey Karma is real. It is powerful.

Don't mess with the karma or the karma will mess with you!!

Fan Behavior

Where do you draw the line with people's behavior at sporting events? What variables do you take into account? For instance, does the venue matter? Does it matter which sport you are watching? Does time of day make a difference? What about whether the players are professionals or student athletes? How about the quality of the team overall? And what kind of behavior is considered "too far" for you.

I have two types of behavior I want to focus on: booing and standing during the game. I am a proponent of booing. I do not think simple booing is wrong. I think booing the opposing team, the refs bad calls and even your own team are all part of the game experience.

If booing is too much for your fragile ego, you don't belong on a professional or D-I college sports team. There is a bright spotlight on you and you need to be able to handle it just like you need to be able to handle the ball better than jokers like me that try to play. With all the popularity, money and other positive things you get by playing these sports, you also have to deal with negative stuff like displeasure from adoring fans. I realize D-I student athletes are not paid. It is tough to support the side of booing them.

When entering an opposition's arena of play you should anticipate getting booed. That is why we say home teams have homecourt or homefield advantage. We all have to face opposition in life, this is yours.

And when the players are performing bad, guess what? People who pay your salary and buy your jerseys or shoes and put up your posters and watch your commercials are going to be displeased. Toughen up. ESPECIALLY, if there is a lack of effort there should be booing. Just like we should get reprimanded by our boss when we slack off at work, so should these athletes. I get it from 25 kids on a daily basis. Cry me a river. Wait a minute, my effort is there everyday, I never get booed. Scratch that last sentence.

But there is a line. Booing is one thing. Insulting a player for there physical characeristics, religion, private situations that unfortunately become public, race or other personal things is wrong. Booing or commenting on play of the individual is one thing, but personl attacks are another. I do not accept that. I think most people don't.

Alcohol plays a MAJOR role in that kind of thing. It makes people do or say things they otherwise wouldn't do or say. I, for one, will admit to falling in that category. Youth also plays a role. As you grow up and mature, you realize things you didn't at a younger age and begin to control yourself a bit more. Again, I for one, admit to falling in this category. Lastly, passion for the team or game fuels some regretable behavior. You care so much and want your team to win so bad that you get so mad and say things you wish you didn't. One more time, I am part of this scenerio as well.

What an a#$hole I must have been about ten years ago at games after tailgating!!! Boy oh boy. I am sorry to anyone I bothered.

But one thing I am NOT at ALL, EVER sorry for is standing at a game. I go to a game to be part of the action. I want to yell as loud as I can to support my team and get in the head of the opposing team. I want to jump up and down in excitement. I want to see the game. I am not there to sit on my hands and look up every so often. I paid for my ticket too. When people stand in front of me, I stand. I don't complain. But when I go to a game and the Tribe is rallying with two runner's in scoring position and 2 outs, I am standing up! If the Browns are driving inthe fourth quarter, hell the first quarter...I'm standing. If the defense is out there defending a third down, I am standing!!!! Don't give me this, "there's a game going on" line with a tone of disdain. Of course there is, so stand up damnit!!!!!!!

I am all for calming down my behavior out of consideration of people around me. I like to think I have over the past couple years. Ask my wife how I handled the flat out arse kicking we took from the Steelers this past year and all the obnoxious Steeler fans sitting around us. She'll tell you I was very well behaved. That wa worst case scenerio. Black and gold high fives over my hanigng head. Dudes wanting to fight and claiming two stints in jail was a sign of his manhood. Not a word out of me.

To wrap this up, I want to share a story that defines my outlook on fan's behavior at games, football games in particular. My Dad took my brother and me to a Browns game back in '85 if I recall correctly. We sat in the Dawg Pound. The fellow fans were drunk, reaking of canibus, throwing up, mooning opponents' fans, swearing up a storm and any other bad behavior my Dad never displayed to us and never accepted from us. At one point, the fans started chanting "bulls#$@" as fans do when there is a bad call. My brother and I looked at each other not knowing how Dad would react since we weren't allowed to talk like that and it was a bad thing and all that. We then looked at Dad and there he was fist in the air, chanting with the drunk guys with missing teeth. Later he explained that when you go to things like this people are going to do things they shouldn't do. While it doesn't mean we should do them, it isn't his place to tell them not too.

I look at that in this way. If you want to go somewhere when certains behaviors are common, expect it and deal with it. Don't walk out appalled by their behavior. You shouldn't have gone inthe first place. You don't go to a punk rock show and expect people in suits speaking proper English drinking tea and crumpets.

What's worse than a poser?

First off, let's define a poser. A poser is someone who who "poses" as something they are not. It can be used in many different contexts. Most of these contexts are unimportant. And those of us who have a major problem with posers are really immature. It is something teenagers are more concerned with than grown, emotionally secure adults. But I am neither grown nor secure in much of anything.

My issues with the poser mentality came about in the mid-90s when my beloved Cleveland Indians suddenly were dominating Major League Baseball. They had been so bad for so long and nobody was going to their games. The good citizens of Cleveland trashed the team year after year. It was a running joke how bad they were. The common folk that didn't care too much about sports never had anything good to say about them....and really, who could blame them at that time. The team was really bad. There was a core group though that still watched the games, went to the games and claimed the Indians as "our" team and remained eager to cheer for anything.

So as the mid 90s came about and those of us who hung in there with the bad teams (and can still give you the starting lineup of the atrocious '87 team that lost over 100 games after beginning the year on the cover of Sports Illustrated) were completely estactic over the new found success despite the ugly strike that took the 94 World Series away, we found ourselves unable to go to games. We were suddenly surrounded by people all dressed up in their brand new, fancy, expensive, "trendy" Tribe attire. When we did get lucky enough to go to the games, the people around us told us to "sit down," "relax," "it's not that big of a deal." What? Who are YOU to tell ME to sit down! If you don't care that we are only down 2 runs in the 8th inning and Jim freaking Pool is being called from the bullpen (or my favorite Eric KER-Plunk) then, get the F*&$ outta here!

Then people started acting like they were life long fans. And I began to notice some of these people were people who bashed the Tribe in the past. Not the bashing that avid fans do with their own team when they are so upset. I for one will admit I trash my most beloved teams (Ohio St and the Browns) in my most beloved sport (football) and talk about how much they suck and how pathetic they are maybe 100 times a week during their games. That is different. Yes, it is. It is different because these "posers" bashed them and rarely turned an eye towards them. They just did because everyone else was bashing them. Also, they were very general in their bashing. There wasn't anything specific. If there was, it was wrong and ridiculous.

So I was getting very angry because these so called fans were getting enjoyment out of my team without paying the emotional pricetag I did. I and my fellow die hard fans somehow deserved the feel good-ness of a winning team more than they did. And I was jealous that they seemed to get as much out of it as I did. And they were the ones at the games sitting on their hands talking about stupid crap during the game giving me an attitude then calling into the radio shows talking about obnoxious fans. I don't mean the times I drank too much and really was obnoxious, I mean the times I was standing or yelling or cheering or booing. I deserved getting yelled at when I went too far. (Booing could be a good debate blog)

So as time passed I noticed this with other teams I love. I notice it in other arenas, mainly because I am one. I'll be the first to admit I miss out on a lot of bands until they "make it big." And I have grown out of much of the anti-poser sentiment I once had. I and my teams need these fringe fans. They help pay the bills. They keep the critical mass afloat for the team's popularity and pressure the owners to be successful. And in the end they deserve to root for their geographical affliated team as much as any of us.

Since I moved to Columbus and have noticed the power and sheer number of people in Buckeye nation, I have also noticed the spitefulness of people in this town. If I wasn't a Buckeye fan myself, I would probably understand it. We, as Buckeye fans, are pretty obnoxious and annoying. I will admit that. BUT......the people in this town who root for the Wolverines purposely make me sick!!!!!!

These fans couldn't name the starting QB for the team this year WHILE THEY WERE WATCHING THE GAME! The only reason they could name the coach is because of the jokes Buckeye fan makes about him constantly. (6-1 by the way) Oh but they love Michigan and they sport all their shirts and coats and hats and the stinkin time. They love to talk trash about "their" Wolverines, but act like they don't really care after a loss.

I actually don't have a problem with Michigan fans. Even ones living in Columbus who went to UM, have family there, or grew up in Michigan. Obviously, it is a rivalry and there are rivalry type of feelings towards UM fans, but I can respect it. They are a necessary evil.

BUT...these stupid, spiteful fans that only root for a team out of spite are in the same line of logic as posers but worse. I have no respect for it. It is stupid. Dumb. And ignorant. Not the kind of ignorant people use incorrectly as in rude, but ignorant as it really means...not knowing.