Misery of Cleveland Sports

I've done a good bit of thinking (and sleeping) the past 64 hours or so since the Cavaliers were officially eliminated from the race for the 2010 NBA Championship by the Boston Celtics who I personally loathe with a passion in case anyone reading this hasn't seen my Facebook statuses over the past several months.

Several things have crisscrossed my mind during this time of mourning. A mourning that seems to have become an annual event about this time of year for me.

First, Bruce Hooley of Columbus' 97.1 FM The Fan, a sports talk radio station, made an interesting analogy regarding LeBron James' post game press conference after game 6.

Normally I disagree with his opinions or takes on everything sports. But this time around he seemed to nail it.

He said the interview felt like a conversation you have with your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend just before you break up or maybe that required first conversation after you have split.

It was real uncomfortable and it seemed like he just wanted to get it over with. He seemed to "say" all the right things but the mannerisms and the tone just reeked of "GET ME OUT Of HERE!"

This reminded me of a girl I was dating back in college. We never progressed to the point of a committed, exclusive relationship that one might compare to the love affair us Cavs' fans have had with LeBron James, but it was a very cool, enjoyable period of time in which we hung out a great bit and shared a ton of good times.

But suddenly things got real weird with her. Out of no where there was this disconnect without any real event to point to as a cause.

This is much how I felt throughout the Boston series with LeBron. He suddenly started acting weird with no real event that I was aware of as to why. He seemed to lose interest. He wasn't joking around with his teammates. He didn't seem to be trying or even caring. He wasn't even mad.

It felt very wrong.

Now that the series is over, our Cavs lost and they lost this way with these odd, bad feelings surrounding it, we enter the LeBron free agency summer in an extremely fragile state.

Why would he want to stay? $30 million?

He says he wants to play for a winner. He even went so far as to say he believes the Cavaliers are committed to winning which one would say is a positive sign.

But with two choke jobs in a row and little wiggle room with the cap (although don't quote me here, I haven't looked into the details so I am not so sure what they can or cannot do), the Cavs may be in trouble. The players they have are obviously not enough. They may not be able to acquire the kinds of players that can.

In addition, there is this sour feeling surrounding the team and city. I can easily see why James would want to leave for a fresh start. Even though the pressure to win in markets like New York are immense, they are also intensified in a championship starved city like Cleveland. So little or no benefit there.

This leads to my next series of thoughts.

How much better would the Cavs have done had they a better coach than Mike Brown. I hate to trash a man that has already been dragged through the mud. He seems like a good man. But I look at this lineup and there seems to be a ton of talent. And the super talent of a two time MVP.

Why couldn't they do better?

The rotations seemed so bad. There didn't seem to be the right players on the court at the right time.

The offense was BAD. There was little or no ball movement or reliable plays.

I never saw the kinds of adjustments I see from other teams and their coaches. In fact, it seemed like the opponents were always able to adjust in critical times in the past several postseasons while the Cavs could not.

Finally, opposing coaches that looked out coached in the past, somehow were able to coach well in their series against the Cavs. Did the light bulb suddenly go off for them?

No.

They were just coaching against a minor league coach.

Therefore, I ask myself why did the Cavs lose? Every year seemed to have a new excuse. This time there is no where else to look or blame than the coach or players themselves.

They had the MVP. They had home court advantage two years in a row. They had playoff experience. They had several all stars. They had size down low with Shaq and length and athleticism in Parker and Moon. They had outside shooting. Lastly, they had a strong defensive scheme...or so I thought up until the All Star break.

Every off season they made moves to shore up weaknesses, but here we are in the same place for the Finals. Home.

So would a new coach be able to get this same group to a championship? Would this be enough to convince James to stay?

I try to rate where this disappointment and fear of LeBron leaving ranks in the bad events of my life.

While it doesn't come close to sitting in the doctor's office hearing that my baby will die before its born or watching my daughter seize uncontrollably in the hospital with no answers as to why, it does match up with walking through Ohio Stadium where I cheered on so many people so many times in a moment where I would finally get cheered for and fulfill a dream I worked hard to accomplish just to see it wash away before my very eyes in the only Spring commencement at The Ohio State University to get cancelled due to weather.

Yep. Only one and it was mine.

To add insult to injury, the second I returned to the apartment for a family celebration, the sun shone through for a beautiful afternoon.

Yeah, this feeling regarding the Cavs relates well to that moment.

Its bad. Real bad.

The worst of it is that this realization of the impending departure of LeBron James has happened so many times before. We know what is coming:

Joe Carter heroically winning the World Series for the Blue Jays with a dramatic home run.

Art Modell taking our football team from us and winning a Super Bowl. Something our Browns STILL haven't done.

Bill Belichick going to New England to lead a dynasty.

Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia signing with bigger markets out east to win World Series rings.

James will leave for greener pastures where he will win championship after championship while we sit here with nothing.

NO THING.

2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers: No More Excuses

Before we go forward, we must look back.

Since the emergence of LeBron James to NBA royalty, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been trying to find the perfect recipe to mix with him for a title.

In 2007 LeBron put the team on his back and carried them to the NBA Finals. But they were easily disposed of by the experience and overwhelming talent of the San Antonio Spurs.

Ferry knew he needed to bring in more talent. He wanted to surround James with a better supporting cast. At the same time, he tried to maintain the integrity of the team and keep contract flexibility for the 2010 free agent class only a few years away at that time.

In a trading deadline blockbuster during the 2007-2008 season, he brought in Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith.

Unfortunately, a fourth seed in the postseason led the Cavs to playoff series without home court advantage. Many blamed this for the early exit in the second round to the eventual champions, Boston Celtics. It was said in some circles that the closely contested game seven of that series would have gone in the Cavs' favor if it was in Cleveland instead of Boston.

So last off season Ferry went out and acquired Mo Williams to guide the team and possibly be LeBron's number two man. In addition, the team committed themselves to "one goal," which meant they were gunning for home court advantage throughout the entire postseason and a title.

The team ripped off a franchise record 66 wins. They dominated the first two playoff series, sweeping Detroit and Atlanta.

They had the coveted home court advantage and several players were stepping up to give James the support every Cavs' fan had been begging for throughout his career.

But once again, they fell short as Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic created match up problems that Mike Brown and the Cavs could not overcome.

That brings us to the 2009 off season. There were more off season moves by Ferry to shore up the lineup and address those problems Orlando presented for the Cavs.

First, the "Shaquisition." Ferry worked a low risk trade with the Phoenix Suns to acquire Shaquille O'Neal for center/forward Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic as well as a draft pick.

Last season O'Neal averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game and appeared in his 15th All-Star Game.

In addition, Ferry signed Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.

Parker is a guard/forward who can start. Last season with the Toronto Raptors, he averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and career highs of 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.0 minutes per game. He will fit in well with the defensive minded Cavs and add some much needed offense as well.

Moon is a forward who plays the same position as James but will find a way into the lineup. He is a solid outside shooter who can rebound and play defense. He averaged 7.2 points per game last season and 4.6 rebounds.

Overlooked in the midst of these three signings was the resigning of Andy Varejao who brings plenty of hustle and energy to the team. He gets in the head of opponents and takes charges like few in the NBA do. He has also developed a good relationship with LeBron on the court as the two feed off each other.

O'Neal should be able to guard anyone down low without the need for a double team which will alleviate some of the stress on the perimeter. Parker and Moon add athleticism and length on the perimeter so the undersized Delonte West won't be worn down guarding the Rashard Lewis' or Hedo Turkoglu's of the world.

That brings us to the current season.

There are no more excuses for the Cavaliers.

LeBron now has a legitimate number two in O'Neal and there are quality role players surrounding them. They have height, shooters and ball handlers. They have athleticism and a mix of youth and experience. There is depth at every position.

The team chemistry was well documented last year as they enjoyed their pregame rituals like the photograph poses.

The core of the team has been together for several seasons. Mo Williams has been through a post season as an integral part of the team. The coach has plenty of experience.

This year MUST be the year.

Get home court.

Beat the teams in front of you.

Bring home the title to a starving city bleeding wine and gold!

An Ode To Mo

This is NOT a projection for the rest of the season. For the Karma record, I repeat, I AM NOT SAYING the Cavs will have a good season. By the time the season comes to a close I expect the Cavs to finish in the lower half of the playoff race and lose home court advantage. What I would like to do is discuss what has happened so far. I am just stating the observations I have made in regards to this team up to this point.

As of December 11, 2008 the Cavs are 19-3 and riding a 10 game win streak. They also have had an 8 game win streak this year. It is early. We have played many weak teams. The strong teams we have played have beaten us. So, why am I so excited?

I recall my post regarding my aspirations for the Cavs' postseason moves. I mentioned that part of me was curious just how the new players acquired in the massive mid season deal that brought Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith (who was later dealt in the off season) to the squad, would play if they were with the team for a full season. I was content with trading them as Ferry did with Smith and probably will do with Wally, but I couldn't help but think.

I also wrote that I wanted to re-sign both West and Gibson. I wanted a point guard. We all wanted a point guard. Every die hard, dedicated Cavs fan I associate with wanted a legit point guard. Ferry come through. He did re-sign the two guards I wanted AND he pulled in a big time PG.

One word ladies and gentlemen: Mowill! Ok, two: Mo Williams.

I was pumped to hear we acquired him but as usual, I would believe the hype when I saw it. Larry Hughes came in with similar expectations and never came close to living up to them. At this point in the season, Williams' addition to the team has created a positive domino effect that you see as far as the end of the bench.

First, the offense is completely different. Suddenly, this team moves and cuts and gets open and makes shots. Williams presents an ability to truly distribute the ball. He is able to keep possessions alive by maintaining a dribble that is under control. His shot has been pure. He gets big baskets when needed taking a ton of pressure of LeBron. You can tell he is a leader, the quarterback of the team, the coach on the floor which is just what a point guard should be. He allows West to move over to the two guard position where he has flourished. He has been shooting very well and penetrating and playing surprisingly good defense against guys bigger than him.

LeBron trusts Mo. James is also able to work off the ball and move about the baseline which frees him up and adds a tremendous amount of pressure on the opposition's defense and help James get much easier shots. We have been begging for this team to get away from the spread the floor and watch LeBron style of offense that killed every game. As a result, James is flourishing as usual and other guys are getting open looks and coming through.

All because of Williams.

Secondly, the defense has been the type of defense people keep saying Mike Brown is able to create. They are genuinely shutting people down. They all hustle, rebound, double team and help, rotate, get in passing lanes to create steals and the blocked shots in the paint are constant. It is fun to watch them squash and strangle other teams.

Also, the third quarters are a total reverse of the last couple years. They used to come out flat and lose games against weak teams because of their lackluster third quarters. Now they come out and completely dominate on both ends. They have ran away with games to a point where the end of the bench empties for the entire fourth quarter and the starters take over for the cheerleaders rooting their teammates on. We have now been able to get rookies like Darnell Jackson and J.J. Hickson some legit minutes to help prepare them for the future and allow other bench players minutes to stay fresh and ready in case of injuries which will inevitably come, especially because of this positive talk coming from me. Some negative will come about like a bad injury.

Finally, this team has developed chemistry. Like I wrote after last season, some time together could create positive synergy. It looks as though they have. They police themselves and Mike Brown even says it himself, he just plays the film and they know what to do and do it. They get on each other to keep the right mindset. They don't allow for each other to get off course. You can see they all have one goal in mind and that is to win it all and they all are gunning for that goal.

This season has been good up to now.

But seriously, I love Mo Williams...he is the reason for the success.

Birthday Post Hal Lebovitz Style

Hal Lebovitz was a sports writer for the News Herald, the local newspaper in the county where I grew up. By the time I began reading him religiously he had been around for decades and wrote for other papers (Cleveland News and Cleveland Plain Dealer) prior to my hometown Herald. But each weekend he had a column where he touched on a number of different topics regarding the Cleveland teams or other worthwhile, interesting tidbits about the sports world at that time. This was a part of my Sundays that I cherished. We would get home from church and I made a mad dash to the Sunday News Herald to see what Hal had to say. My earlier intentions to be a sportswriter for a career stemmed from this experience.

So today I am using his Sunday format to cover a number of topics I have wanted to touch in this blog but haven't had the time to address. I have some serious catching up to do. My birthday present to myself is this post with the Georgia v. Georgia Tech game on to my right and my ipod blasting a variety of favorite tunes to my left.

Here we go....I hope you enjoy and comment on one or more:

My Dark Period
I have been pretty open about my recent downturn in mood and feeling. Mostly it has been despair, sadness and worry. But underneath these emotions there is a lot of anger brewing. I can feel it come out over little things. I explode over things I should brush off. I get easily frustrated and aggravated. I have been examining the reasons why. I am trying to connect the dots and get to the core issue I must be dealing with so I can fix it.

I keep coming back to one point. This point is that I do not stick up for myself. My wife even recognizes it and has mentioned it. She says that by not defending myself I am accepting things as true. I'll be the first to admit I have a problem with confrontation. I hate it. As a result I have taken a lot of emotional punishment without doing anything about it and then internalized it way too much. Then I feel worse about being too much of a coward to stand up and confront my confrontation fear. I think much of my anger may be coming from this.

In the past I have tried to stick up for myself when I felt like I was being pushed around but then I look like a fool because people say I can't take a joke. They say I'm taking things too seriously or I am too emotional or I am overreacting. So the cycle continues and I try to take things as a joke. But then I hear plenty of negative comments and feel horrible about myself.

I want to start calling people out when they say stupid things about me to me. But I don't want to turn into an angry person either. I have tried to practice this idea of "breaking the chain" and not letting someone else's anger towards me create a negative response from me. I wanted to stop passing forward the bad in the world. I wanted to absorb the bad and "be the better person" in an attempt to make the world better. Yes, I realize this is very righteous or pious or whatever but I tried anyway.

Now I see the damage it is doing to me as an individual and I think it is time to unleash the beast. I could go on listing the issues I have with people's wrongful treatment but I have too much more to write. Just get ready. I am working my way to a point where I am going to seem very mean.

Ohio state Football
Believe it or not there are people in Columbus who are blaming Jim Tressel for a disappointing 10-2 season. They blame the coaching for losing to USC and Penn State. I admit the Big Ten is down which means the Buckeyes really didn't have any signature wins this year but c'mon! 10-2 is 10-2. More importantly it is 10-2 after back to back appearances in the BCS Title game. Has anybody seen the mighty LSU's record this year? Granted they are in tougher conference but they didn't beat anybody of any significance. You can't blame it all on LSU's QB drama earlier in the year because their defense stunk it up all year. It is not easy to maintain the kind of success Ohio State has had over the Tressel era. In his 8 years he has won a national title, played for two others, made BCS bowl games 5(maybe 6 if Oregon st loses a game) times, been in a bowl game every year, beaten our rival 7 times, and won or shared the Big Ten title at least 4 times (off the top of my head). Weak conference or not teams are bound for a let down in that time. OSU really has never had a major let down and when there has been one, it lasts one season. During this same period I can only think of USC and Texas (maybe Florida) as teams that have had the same consistent success. Get off Tressel people. We are lucky to have him.

Raising My Kid
I watched the OSU v. Michigan game at the house of a friend of mine. She used to work with me so another colleague from work was there as well. The game was a blowout allowing our conversation to meander away from sports and it found its way to the Bible. My colleague mentioned Proverbs as a good "book" to use with my daughter. This came about because I mentioned how there are a number of values from the Bible that I plan to instill in my child despite my personal issue with it. To clarify this statement I should say that it really isn't the Bible itself that I have a problem with but the people who constantly use it to support their erroneous, hateful and immoral views. The interpretation is the problem more than the book. I would also cite the narrow point of view many people have who use the Bible as the end all, be all reference to morality and goodness.

With all of this said, I am not a Bible hater. I feel there is so much that can be taken from that book like loving thy neighbor as thyself, the ten commandments, turning the other cheek, the idea that power and greed are the root of evil, giving to the poor and needy in spirit as well as more worldly needs, the importance to fight temptation and reality of it, making sacrifices and prayer. These and many more principles are concepts I find very valuable. While my daughter gets fed many things from the Bible on her mother's side, I am not going to fight it. Instead I want to make sure I direct it. She will NOT grow up thinking slavery is justified or homosexuality is immoral even though the Bible "says so." She WILL be allowed to speak up in church or to her husband. She doesn't need to grow up thinking she has to be submissive to her partner because the Bible "said so." I could go on.

My goal is to teach her these positive values of the Bible and to help as best I can to get her to understand the Bible was written in a variety of contexts and these contexts affected what was written. It is much like politics in that the different books were written to particular audiences with particular goals in mind. These things need to be considered when reading the Bible. I also want her to feel free to explore other religions and their teachings. Many times these other ways of thinking can provide a clearer point of view for someone. There are also numerous parallels. I continue to explore Buddhism and find similarities. Meditation and prayer are both important components of Christianity and Buddhism as well as sacrifice. I want my kid to feel free to discover this for herself. If I have any say in the matter, she will not be pigeon holed in one discipline.

Being a Moderate
My wife and I had a fantastic conversation on the ride up to our families for the holiday celebrating thanks (and genocide through small pox and violence). She is a die hard liberal and is very proud of it. She wants her values and beliefs to fall on the left side of the ledger every time. She believes that is the correct way of thinking.

Most of the time I fall on her side of things. But not always. This is where the conversation got interesting. As we discussed different issues, she proved her dedication and loyalty to liberalism. I, on the other hand, demonstrated that I have no urge whatsoever to be placed in one particular category. I don't like being labeled liberal or conservative (contrary to a friend's belief that I support liberal issues only because it is "cool" and I want to be liberal because my college professors influenced me and my peers to be). I don't want to be put in a box like that. When I determine my stance on different topics, issues or whatever I like to examine them on their own merit and particular circumstances. I then try to base my stance on my own value system. Whether it is conservative or liberal doesn't matter to me. While I do admit I fall on the liberal side more often than not, I wouldn't call myself that at all. That is fine.

What is most interesting about this is that I try to take things on a case by case basis so I can make sure I am consistent in terms of my personal values as opposed to my political stance, but sometimes it creates contradictions. So in an effort to avoid contradictions I am actually creating contradictions within my views or opinions.

John Brown

I continue to read "Lies My Teacher Told Me: What American History Textbooks Got Wrong" by James Loewen. I recently finished a section about John Brown and his treatment or lack thereof in our textbooks. I find this man and his story fascinating. In high school textbooks he is described as this crazed, militant abolitionist. Loewen even shows two pictures of him (pg 177) with one normal portrait next to a wild, long haired, long bearded man with a crazed look in his eye. According to Loewen, he was a well spoken, well read, intelligent man who proved so in his words during his trial for treason as well as his letters to his family and in his diary. He was well aware of the contradiction our country was demonstrating through slavery. He also knew of the inner struggle we were dealing with in regards to it. He wrote just before his execution that the only way these "crimes" of slavery would be "purged" from our country would be "with blood." (pg 175) As we know, it took the bloody Civil War to finally put an end to slavery.

In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act tried to deal with slavery by leaving the decision to those who settled there. Farmers from the North rushed in to establish it a "free soil" state while most Southern slave owners didn't make the move. But a number of slave owners from Missouri would cross the border to intimidate and terrorize the settlers in an effort to sway things towards slavery. (Loewen p. 173-174) Brown, an abolitionist with family in Kansas, countered by attacking and killing a number of these "terrorists." Later, Brown led a slave revolt in Harper's Ferry, Virginia where he would be caught by Robert E. Lee, eventually tried and hanged for treason.

What is interesting here is that history textbooks up to as late as the 1970s and some even later, painted Brown as the bad guy. They would even go as far as stating the slaves didn't want to revolt despite the evidence that Loewen presents to the contrary. This is a southern justification for slavery that I have noticed in other parts of the book. There seemed to be a consistent attempt to convince us that slaves actually did not mind being enslaved. While I don't specifically remember being taught this, the textbooks being used across the country during my years in school were openly presenting this idea of acceptance of slavery by the slaves themselves.

What the textbooks miss out on is bringing American History alive by presenting John Brown in a way that can demonstrate the very real inner struggle our country has been dealing with for centuries regarding slavery and racism. There were so many economic issues and states rights issues that played roles in the Civil War too but they were tied into the prevailing racism that took place and still takes place today. High school students could have some unbelievably interesting and enlightening discussions about race and slavery if we would look at people like John Brown and his ideas, beliefs and questionable actions to promote and support those thoughts. Abraham Lincoln was a great president who really did want to eradicate slavery from our country and knew it was a BIG cause of and factor in the Civil War, but he too struggled with his personal racism. On one hand he referred to African Americans as "niggers" but on the other he felt guilty and sick about seeing slaves shackled on a train he rode. Nobody wants to see the racial slurs Lincoln used or hear about Washington and Jefferson owning slaves, cheating on their wives or in Jefferson's case being an atheist. But I think we can present these "heroes" to our high school students in a way that demonstrates their flaws and shows how they accomplished a good bit despite their shortcomings and how these contradictions created interesting situations and discussion points. It doesn't need to be this pure, constant line of progress because it wasn't. Our history has had its ups and downs, progress and set backs, successes and failures and they all have affected how things are today.

LeBron James in 2010
Charles Barkley was on a radio show and called out James in regards to his open dialogue about possibly playing in New York in 2010. He said LeBron should not be so open about it. He plays for the Cavs and will for two more seasons and needs to quit talking about the Knicks or Nets. James responded by calling Barkley "stupid."

I am finding myself more and more anti-LeBron. It is hard to do. He is so, very good, plays for my team and seems like a good guy. But I will not be held hostage by him and I am getting tired of this game. No player should be bigger than the team. Even LeBron. I have been worried about this happeneing. This is one of the things I hated about Jordan. He became bigger than the Bulls. In fact the NBA as a whole fell out of graces with me as a result. Then the new generation of stars came about. Among them, James who seemed like a team first guy on the court. Combine that with being on my team and I was fine with James and his Jordanesque persona.

Now I am getting tired of it. At first, I wanted to write about how the national media needs to shut up about NYC and LeBron and buy a clue that Cleveland is also putting themselves in position to sign LeBron in 2010. They will be in the BEST position to re-sign him to be honest. But we don't hear that on ESPN. Also, we will have enough to get ANOTHER stud that is available that year. ESPN, FOX and other national media outlets won't tell you that.

Instead, I almost want James gone. I don't want to contribute to the "player bigger than the team" concept. Correct or incorrect, true or false....that is what's stupid Mr. James.

(This Georgia v. Ga Tech rivalry game has been pretty fun to watch....especially the second half.)

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)

How Could I forget...AGAIN!?

Once again, I messed my poll question up. Like the other poll when I forgot Carlos LOOOOOOOOOOOOZER, I forgot to include Brooklyn as a choice of most tortured. I mean they had all the things happen that Cleveland has suffered through. Heartbreakers multiple times. Teams leaving. Same team knocking them out. Memorable plays to get knocked out. Blown leads. Ouch.

Of course, I won't be singing this same tune in two years when the Nets move there and take LeBron and win multiple championships with him earning him a hall of fame induction in which he will enter with a Nets jersey instead of his hometown Cavs'.

So I guess I'm not that sorry. Or at least I won't be in the future. They will get theirs and us Clevelanders will remain the butt of jokes and stuck in the quicksand of sports lore.

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.

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.

LeBron Freaking James!

I really have nothing else to say beyond this:

LeBron on Vogue Cover

LeBron has found himself in the center of some controversey recently for his picture on the cover of the April 2008 edition of Vogue magazine with Gisele Bundchen, the girlfriend of golden boy Tom Brady. Fortunately this controversey is not of the legal variety or anything that seriously questions LeBron's integrity in my mind. This questions Vogue's integrity before James'.



The problem some people are having with this cover shot is that it has racist overtones. There have been various references to "King Kong." One could see the questionable tone of this picture. You do not have to look hard to get the feel that it is an angry, scary black man victimizing a beautiful, pure white woman. He is screaming and holding her in his arm. He is big and strong. She is beautiful and somewhat fragile in fancy clothes. But I'll be honest, that is not what I thought when I saw the picture.

What I saw was LeBron dribbling a basketball in one hand because that is what he is known for doing. The look is a common one he gives after dunks or big plays. Gisele seems to be along for the ride and enjoying it. She didn't seemed scared or worried. I figured it was what models do. I assumed she was running which made sense if she was with an athlete in a photo shoot.

With that said, I do understand the point of view of those people seeing it in a different light. I wonder if this is a case of hypersensitivity or over-the-top political correctness or really something to worry about. I highly doubt the photographers were going for a King Kongesque cover but one would think somebody in the hallways of Vogue would have picked up on the possibility of the "racist pic" point of view.

I mean I am not any sort of expert. I watch all these reality contest shows with my wife regarding fashion and models and have no clue what is "good" and "bad" and why. They say certain outfits or runway walks or poses are too "this" or too "that" and show a certain feeling or attitude that I don't get at all. When I think something looks well done, I hear how bad it is. I am the same way with art period. So my opinion can't be close to right in this case either since I am "art challenged."

I read an article on MSN.com regarding this cover shot that had a quote saying through the years we always see black men depicted as mean, angry criminals. They picked out several examples. I see where they are going with this and I do notice this throughout the media but we could back and find examples of angry, white rockers on the cover of various magazines looking scary as well. And I bet there are plenty of positive cover shots of black men as well. In fact, LeBron himself has been depicted in pleasant shots numerous times.

Let's be careful of how we show the world different images, but let's not go overboard. I'm eager for opinions on this.

This one is for Nathan IV

I don't know you very well Nathan, but I know you have a passion for much that I do. One of those things would be sports.

MVP? Kobe? LeBron? Garnett? Paul? Who am I missing?

Let's discuss why James is a runaway MVP.

First, he is an all round stat stuffer. A triple double machine. This year in particular his triple double games have significantly increased.

Second, he is scoring close to 30 points a game. (I am too tired to validate my claims with actual stats tonight so I am going to stick to general statements) Many of these points in critical, clutch situations either at the end of games or to stop runs or start runs by the Cavs.

Third, he is the best during money time...that being the fourth quarter. He flat out owns the last 12 minutes. The Cavs as a team lead the league or darn near close to it in 4th quarter comebacks and it is due to LeBron's domination during that time.

Also, he is the obvious leader of the team and carries them on his shoulders on a nightly basis.

In addition, he plays much better defense than he gets credit for. Granted, he isn't all world, I get that, but he plays the passing lanes as good as anyone and is improving each year.

It's LeBron's turn this year. He is MVP.

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.

And FINALLY........

I can't go much longer without sharing my opinion of the Cavs' big, 11 player deal just before the trading deadline last week. The trade sent Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Ira Newble, Cedric Simmons, Donyell Marshall and Shannon Brown to various teams and received back Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West (and a 2nd round draft pick).

First, the only significant losses for the Cavs were Gooden and Hughes. The others played only when rashed of injuries inflicted the team if at all. Both Hughes and Gooden were painfully inconsistent. On fire one night and cold as ice the next. But, as you have read in previous posts, I felt as though these players were enough to carry us beyond the expectations of every national talking head. Therefore, I will remain consistent in my statements and acknowledge their loss.

With that said, I feel that consistency is better than inconsistency even the the averages state otherwise (thank you Doug). For instance, if you have a guy who consistently scores 10-12 points a night you can game plan around these points feeling secure you are going to get them. But if you have a guy that will score 26 points one night and 2 the next night and have no idea how much is coming any particular game, you can't plan for it. Even though he may average more than 10-12, you can't count on it. You will lose 50% of the time...theoretically. Again, this comes from my intelligent bro.

So, Joe Smith alone offsets the loss of Gooden. And he brings better defense and a gritty attitude to the floor. Ben Wallace only adds to the defensive gain inside. Although he did not pan out in Chicago (a bold prediction you would have heard here first if I blogged back then), his style will fit much better in Cleveland where his only offensive responsibility is to rebound and dunk. He will be much closer to the Detroit Ben than the Chitown Ben. Wally and West bring two guards that can score. They may not drop 40 like Hughes finally did the other week, but they won't be out of their element shooting the ball and stretching out the defense to the perimeter. Wally is big and West is a point guard. A better point guard than what we have had in recent memory anyway...offensively anyway. Say what you want about Snow and trust me I will, but that dude and D up. No jump shot at all. But gritty defense.

I am eager to see how things develop. I am glad they pulled out a win against Washington with 8 guys. I am glad they played Memphis at home as a warm up with the new lineup. And it is looking like a blessing in disguise that we have the injuries to Sasha, Boobie and Andy because these new guys can come in and get into the flow and learn the playbook so to speak without breaking thinkgs up too much.

All in all, this team is 11 deep now. James, Z, Wallace, Smith, Andy, Wally, West, Sasha, Boobie, Brown, Jones. ELEVEN!!!!! Think of the rest LeBron and Z can get now. Think of the defensive stops this team can get. Think of the multiple options on offense when LeBron drives and dishes?

I like the trade.

Ignorance of National NBA Fans!

LeBron James had an amazing dunk at the end of the All Star game and nearly dropped a triple double. He was MVP. Here is a review of his performance on Yahoo! Sports.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebronallstar021808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Unfortunately, like most people around the world who follow the NBA this writer and fans who respond to articles like these, decided to pound home the point that the Cavs are overmatched in the JV East and LeBron has no supporting cast around him. Last year's appearance in the NBA Finals were a result of "smoke and mirrors" as Adrian Wojnarowski puts it.

Did he watch the Detroit series? Cleveland played better than the Pistons even in the games they lost. There were no "smoke and mirrors." That was a legitimate series victory.

Is anyone ever going to give Daniel "Boobie" Gibson some love? He drilled 11 three pointers in the rookie game. He finished second in the 3-point shootout. He stepped up in the playoffs last year in a major way. He has had a solid season this year.

How soon has everybody forgotten the run the Cavs were on this very season once this supposed weak supporting cast was playing together? The Cavs went from 4 games under .500 to 8 games above .500 once the team was back together. They have beaten the mighty Celtics two out of three times this season. Don't give me this without Garnett garbage either. The Cavs didn't have LeBron for the one game they lost. They have beaten mighty Kobe and the Lakers in Los Angeles. They beat The Spurs in San Antonio and the Mavs in Dallas.

Look, I'll be the first to admit the Cavs need more. They need a point guard in particular. Larry Hughes has not lived up to the hype. There is no "Scottie Pippen" on this team. I get that. But Danny Ferry has busted his rear end to improve this team. Paxson left him with a mess. But he has drafted Gibson. He traded Mike Wilkes for Flip Murray in a masterful move. He got Larry Hughes who was close behind Redd in that offseason Free Agent crop. It is not his fault Hughes has had personal trauma and has let the team down in performance.

What this team did last year against Detroit and what I see this year shows me much more than the played out, old excuse that James is all by himself here. He knows we need more. He also knows Gibson and Z are important contributors and Hughes just needs to get kick started.

You heard it hear first (and again if you read my old blogs), the Cavs are better than they are getting credit for. The supporting cast is not as bad as everybody wants them to be. Look a little deeper. These guys bring their own strengths to the table.

And one more thing. If Dwayne Wade is so much better than LeBron, why isn't he having the same success in Miami with his supporting cast as James? Don't tell me his supporting cast isn't good enough. Because apparently either is James but the Cavs have been in the playoffs several seasons in a row now and they are 28-23 now. And don't tell me the conference is affecting it. Both teams are in the East. Don't tell me injuries have hurt the Heat, the Cavs have had four of their top seven players out at the same tim. And three of them for an extended stretch.