Yes please

So Antonio Daniels got waived (h/t WFNY):

The Cavaliers have been in contact with veteran point guard Antonio Daniels, a league source said.

Daniels, 34, was waived on Friday by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He won't clear waivers until Tuesday.

The Columbus native agreed to a buyout of his $6.6 million contract with the Timberwolves.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder has averaged 7.6 points and 3.4 assists in his 12-year career.

Agent Tony Dutt didn't return a phone message.

A source said Daniels would like to sign for the veteran's minimum of $1,306,455, guaranteed for the year.

Daniels, who attended Bowling Green, can play both guard spots.

Ohio native? Check.
Experienced veteran? Check.
Can play both guard positions (re: backup PG)? Check.

I'm fairly concerned about the backup point guard role. Thus far we haven't seen Delonte West and despite his hot shooting, I simply don't trust Daniel Gibson to run the offense.

I would absolutely love this move. Daniels has experience with playoff teams (San Antonio and Washington), he's big (6-4) and he can play point. Pairing him with either West or Parker would be fantastic. Signing Daniels would give Coach Mike even more flexibility on both the offensive (allowing Parker to come off the bench, as Daniels will have the ball handling duties) and defensive ends (Daniels' length offers a different look defending small guards).

Plus, I always like it when Ohio boys come home.

College

LeBron is giving Terrelle Pryor some tips and pointers:

James said he has been speaking to Pryor on the phone in recent weeks to try to help him deal with celebrity at a young age. James knows something about that, since he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline "The Chosen One" while he was still in high school in Akron, Ohio.

"Being that No. 1 guy, how do you adjust to it and how do you get through it and still perform at a high level?" James said. "Sometimes it can be very difficult on [a young athlete]. I'm trying to be that guy who can really help him get through a lot of situations which he's never seen before but now he's seeing and understanding."

Pryor has been under fire from Ohio State fans after throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles in the then-No. 7 ranked Buckeyes' stunning 26-18 loss at Purdue last week. They tumbled to No. 18 this week, and meet Minnesota on Saturday.

Adding to the pressure surrounding Pryor, his high school coach in Jeannette, Pa., said this week that Ohio State's offense is not maximizing Pryor's abilities. In a story which first appeared on ESPN.com, Ray Reitz said his former charge looks like "a robot" in Ohio State's offense.

Now, a cynical jackass like myself might wonder if LeBron has any idea what Pryor is going through. Sure, on the topic of being a young sports celebrity, I'm sure Bron-Bron can help a bunch. But has LeBron ever had the on court/field problems that Pryor is dealing with?

James has been a stud his entire NBA career. Sure, there have been blips here and there (free throw shooting, passing to Donyell Marshall, walking off the court without shaking hands) but for the most part, LeBron hasn't had many terrible games. Even when they lose in the playoffs, no one dares say LeBron was the reason, it's always the crappy teammates not helping him out (never mind that LeBron played off the ball for the entire year UNTIL the Orlando series when he would bring the ball up court every possession. Mo and Delonte weren't spot up shooters all season, but they were vs Orlando. Ya know what, let's move on).

The ongoing saga with Pryor pretty much summarizes why I just can't follow college sports like I do the professional leagues. Has Pryor stunk the past few weeks? Sure he has, no one denies that. But with all of the hype coming out of high school, Ohio State fans seem to view Pryor like an overpaid free agent bust rather than a 20 year old kid (who's dealing with on field adversity for the first time in his life). He's not Larry Hughes.

I just can't get that upset that when an 18-20 year old kid screws up (though it's not like I don't get pissed while watching the games). You couple that with the college football BCS format (where one bad game can ruin your title hopes) and the insane amount of pressure that playing for a big time program like Ohio State entails and I'm not surprised that guys like LeBron are lending a hand to help him out. It can't be easy.

(BTW- the Cavs were charging 50 dollars to see last night's exhibition game versus the Celtics in Columbus. Classy).

This is Dumb

No no no no no no no:

The Browns are believed to be unwilling to trade Cribbs before Tuesday's deadline, a source said. They prefer to hang onto him and perhaps work out a deal in the future. Cribbs is the prototypical player for coach Eric Mangini, one who has tremendous passion for the game.

The source said two teams inquired on Thursday about trading for Cribbs. The Palm Beach, Fla., Post reported that two of the teams interested in Cribbs are Kansas City and Oakland. Indianapolis has also been mentioned.

NFL.com, citing a league source, reported the Jaguars and 49ers are also interested.

But unless they make the Browns an offer they can't refuse, nothing is likely to happen by Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.

The Dayton Daily News reported the Miami Dolphins expressed interest.

No. You don't trade Josh Cribbs. He and Joe Thomas are the only things worth a damn on this squad. Cribbs is the sole reason this team gets in the endzone; if he doesn't get it there himself, he give their shitty offense great field position. They lose Cribbs and they may not see the endzone until 2010.

Just pay the guy. Is this really that difficult? Pay the man.

Also, either figure out how to use Cribbs on offense or move him to safety. Hint: use the wildcat more than once a game (and not back to back) and let him throw it every now and then. Another hint: he's not a wideout, his hands aren't good enough and he's not a good route runner. But imagine him on defense... taking out receivers coming over the middle, coming around on a blindside blitz... the man is a beast.

Don't you dare trade him.

Did you forget you were rooting for a Cleveland team?

Seriously? Freaking swine flu?

James and two Cleveland teammates have tested positive for Influenza A, and are being treated as if they have the H1N1 virus by the Cavaliers, who are being proactive in dealing with a flu bug that already has sickened six players.

H1N1, also known as swine flu, is a strain of Influenza A, and though the Cavaliers have not gotten back H1N1 test results on James, Darnell Jackson or Coby Karl, the team is treating all its players and the traveling party to Texas with medication to fight the virus.

God dammit.

This says it all

From an article discussing the possibility of trading Brady Quinn:

Quinn, on the other hand, can't get on the field in place of a quarterback who now has one touchdown pass, five interceptions and a league-worst 39.0 rating. Quinn, who started against some of the best teams and defenses in the NFL -- the 5-0 Vikings, 5-0 Broncos and 3-2 Ravens -- has better numbers than Anderson with one touchdown, three interceptions, a 60.8 completion percentage to Anderson's 46.4, and a 62.9 rating

(Let's not forget that in the the Browns wasted a Quinn redzone possession by running the same Josh Cribbs direct snap on 2nd and 3rd down. Romeo-esque).

Ugh. I was actually angry that a lot of my friends had these "yay!!! Browns win!!" as their Facebook status. I dunno about you, but I wasn't happy after that game. I'm absolutely pissed that I not only watched that whole game, but that I DVR'd the game so I wouldn't miss anything. Woo!!

By the way, the Browns didnt' win, the Bills lost. The Browns had no business winning that game, but the Bills definitely deserved to lose. I especially enjoyed the timeout at the end of the 3rd quarter (forcing the Browns to kick into the wind), followed by the return man running backwards 15 yards and concluding with a '3 and out' with a 15 yard penalty tacked on at the end. Well done. As a Cleveland fan, I salute you. I almost missed the Crennelephant for a second.

As for Quinn vs DA, I'd still rather see Quinn take his lumps on a bad team than watch DA. Now, maybe Anderson is better suited for this talentless squad, but I can't help but think that Quinn has gotten a raw deal (however, if he wouldn't have held out, he would've won the job his rookie year, easily). Anderson has moved the ball, sure. But if we're judging him by the same standard we judged Brady, it's time for Brett Ratliff, no?

On one hand, a win is a win. But on the other hand, they scored 6 points and the QB was 2-17... I don't understand feeling good about last week, I just don't. They won because the Bills had 39 false starts and couldn't get out of their own way.

Bottom line: this team is a mess. The defense wasn't awful (in fact, quite good), though I fully expected Buffalo to score on what should've their final drive, but the Browns got bailed by Roscoe Parrish muffing the punt. Once again, the special teams is the best unit on the squad. The new Browns: extra special. Ugh.

On the other hand, the Cavs sure do look good, eh?

Preseason Game 3

Some quick thoughts of the Cavs preseason victory (3-0! whoo!!) over Olympiacos.

- No Delonte (excused absence), no Mo (groin) and no Moon (wisdom teeth), but it didn't matter, Olympiacos was simply over matched. The game wasn't even as close as the 111-94 final.

- I have NOT missed Fred and Austin.

- With Williams missing the game due to a sore groin, Boobie Gibson got to play point guard for the bulk of the game.

- The Cavs need a backup point guard to Mo Williams.

- Gibson wasn't awful, but the guy cannot pass the ball with any degree of accuracy. He can't throw a lob pass, he can't hit the cutter and he can't (for the life of him) throw an entry pass. His shooting was fine (his shot looks smooth and pure) but his ball handling skills are still sub par.

- Anthony Parker brings a different look to the offensive end. He's far and away the best catch and shoot player the Cavs have had in about a decade and he also showed off a couple moves on the block. Parker gives the Cavs a an extra dimension on offensive, being able to come of screens as well as post up smaller guards. He's also very smart, he spaces the floor well, move well with out the ball and makes the right pass more often than not.

- LeBron is good. And got away with a goal tend.

- Shaq looks to be moving well and 'soared' through the air a few times to dunk the ball (LeBron feeds him well).

- Coby Karl is bustin his ass to make this squad. Which would be fun. The Cavs need a token white guard to run around and hit 3s. Karl had 10 points, 3 boards and 3 assists.

- Now Andre Barrett is a Point Guard. It's no accident that he recorded two more assists than Boobie in 10 less minutes on the court. He fed both J.J. Hickson and Zydrunas with beautiful entry passes and he actually puts the ball where the receiving player can do something with it.

Giving Thanks

I'd like to thank the Browns for doing their part in keeping LeBron away from NYC by trading Mr. Dropsies McMichigan:

In the clearest demonstration yet that it's Eric Mangini's way or the highway, the Cleveland Browns traded receiver Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets today.

Also, many thanks to Eric Mangini for making it OK to hate on Braylon Edwards with no remorse. Edwards always made it hard to get behind him 100% (with his drops, attitude and the 'they hate me because I'm from M*ch*g*n" routine). But now that he's in New York I can hate away.

And finally, I'd like to thank both the Browns and the Tribe for being so horrifically bad that they could end up guilting LeBron into staying, lest he leave Cleveland fans with no competetive franchise.

They're Back

Some quick thoughts on the Cavs preseason opener:

- LeBron knocked down some open jumpers (one off a curl) and set up in the mid-post a few times. Me gusta. Though, truth be told, it's great and all that LeBron has been working on the block, but if he's going 1-on-5 come playoff time, it's all for naught.

- Anderson Varejao is going to have to keep his eyes peeled whenever Shaq has the ball. He should get a lot of opportunities with LeBron and Shaq on the floor.

- Z is gonna kill backup centers.

- The 2nd unit of Boobie-Green-Moon-Hickson-Z looks like a pre-LeBron Cavaliers first unit.

- J.J. Hickson looked good. I have really high hopes for this kid. He knocked down a faceup from 15 feet and he crashed the boards really well.

- The Cavs are gonna block a ton of shots this year. Newcomers Shaq and Moon will block a ton and if Hickson gets playing time... look out. (Oh ya, LeBron and Z will swat a few as well).

- Repeat after me: Daniel Gibson is not a point guard. Daniel Gibson is not a point guard.

- Danny Green made some nice plays, but he was rushing a bit. Which, I guess, is to be expected from a rookie's first time out on an NBA court.

- When Shaq was on the bench, he was always seated between Varejao and assistant Chris Jent. I don't know if that means anything, but Shaq and Jent had their heads together all game.

- The Cavs will struggle at the line. LeBron and Shaq are going to get a lot of teams in foul trouble. LeBron and Shaq are going to shoot a lot of free throws. LeBron and Shaq are going to miss a lot of free throws. It could get ugly. Especially if Andy gets in on the act. I'd like to see them draw up some plays that will net Mo Williams some freebies.

Who

Buried in this Braylon Edwards/nightclub fight article:

The incident nearly turned into a brawl. Givens' friends came to his defense and several Browns players, who were with Edwards, threw punches to defend themselves, a witness said. Police quelled the ruckus after pointing Tasers at the combatants.

A Cavaliers player drove Edwards away from the club, the witness said.

Givens is a close friend of Cavaliers star LeBron James. Edwards bad-mouthed James and some of his friends before tossing the punch, Givens said.

James criticized Edwards Monday and called him childish for striking Givens.

Does Mr. Dropsies McMichigan want to get run out of town? He's already on thin ice with his attitude and his lack of performance on the field, but picking a fight with LeBron's crew? Really dude?

And which Cavalier took Braylon home? Who was he hanging out with?

10 Quarters

Alright Brady, you had your chance, now it's time for more interceptions!



This team is a joke. Apparently I have a different definition of 'nice job' than Coach:


Three interceptions in one half. He tripped over his own feet for a sack.

Nice job.

Really dude?

C'mon man!:

A day after he claimed he just wanted to focus on basketball following an arrest on gun possession, he couldn't even do that on the first day of training camp. West did not report to practice at the Cleveland Clinic Courts this morning and his absence was unexcused.

Dammit dammit dammit.

Cavs will get their first win before the Browns

This team looks worse than awful. Here's the Browns upcoming schedule, I see no reason why they won't be winless at the Bye Week.

Oct. 4th - Cincinnati
Oct. 11th - @ Buffalo
Oct. 18th - @ Pittsburgh
Oct. 25th - Green Bay
Oct. 27th - Cavs season begins (vs Celtics) <-------
Nov. 1st - @ Chicago
Nov. 8th - BYE WEEK

Ugh. I don't see which game they're gonna win. The best chance for a victory seems to be next week. That's it.

Sans injury, I'm not sure today's game could've been worse. I felt it was a little bit of a quick hook for Quinn (I mean, he gets what, 10 quarters?) but if Anderson had stepped up, it would've been fine. Instead, he threw 3 picks, sacked himself and threw a ball off of a running back's heel.

This is a mess.

Delonte Insurance

Brian Windhorst:

Even before Delonte West was facing a possible suspension after he was arrested and charged with illegal gun possession last week it was arguable the team could use another ball handler. Mo Williams and West are the only two players on the team that have proven they can play point guard. Daniel Gibson has done it but hasn't proven he can be effective. Last season the Cavs' third-string point guard was Tarence Kinsey, who was released in July.

It is believed the team had some interest in former Cav Flip Murray before Thursday when he agreed to a contract with the Charlotte Bobcats. There are several other veteran guards who are without jobs as the league prepares to open camps Monday.

The list includes players like Chucky Atkins, Juan Dixon, Bobby Jackson, Jerry Stackhouse and Jacque Vaughn. It is also possible the team will look to trade for a guard or simply stand pat.

I figure this has to be in response to West's arrest. Hell, I'm not against making Jackson or Stackhouse the 12th man anyways regardless of West. However, the Cavs haven't had the best of luck signing older vets for the end of the bench role (David Wesley, Scott Pollard). But if the Cavs think Delonte may miss some serious time, this could end up being a rotation player.

This is gonna be one weird season

At this point, Delonte West is a freaking cartoon character:

Cavaliers guard Delonte West is facing weapons charges after being pulled over on his motorcycle while carrying a small arsenal near his Maryland home late Thursday night.

Prince George's County police said West was carrying two concealed handguns and a shotgun when he was pulled over on Interstate 495 near his offseason home in Brandywine, Md. around 10 p.m. Corporal Clinton Copeland said West was speeding and cut off a police cruiser while riding on his three-wheeled 2009 Can-Am Spyder motorcycle.

After being stopped West informed police he was carrying a gun in his waistband, which was a 9mm Beretta. Police also found a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg and a shotgun inside a guitar case that was slung over his back. West was traveling alone.

A shotgun in a freaking guitar case. On a three wheeled motorcycle. What. The. Fuck. The legend of Delonte West grows and grows.

But in all seriousness, as much as I wanna make Antonio Banderas jokes, you gotta wonder whats going on and hope everything is alright (West has a history with depression). Obviously, I hope everything is on the up and up (I mean, it's not like like these guys aren't targets), but carrying three weapons (and getting arrested for it) will (deservedly) raise a few questions.

Cavalier players have been in the news a lot lately, but not for basketball reasons. LeBron has a book tour and two movies, Cavalier Center Shaquille O'Neal (it still hasn't really sunk in that Shaq is here yet) has his reality show, Mo Williams made a commercial and Delonte released his (in)famous KFC rap video.

Meanwhile, experts are picking the Cavaliers to win the East. I'll wish good luck to reigning NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown. Brown gets the luxury of coaching not only the most talented Cleveland team of my lifetime, but also the one with the most expectations and pressure to win (especially with LeBron's looming free agency).

Training camp starts in less than 10 days.

This small market thing is really holding LeBron back

LeBron James is set to star in a crappy movie:

LeBron James will play himself in another movie called "Fantasy Basketball Camp," a Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment comedy, according to Variety.

Brian Grazer is producing. Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel are writing the script. Shooting for the film is scheduled for next summer.

Fantasy Basketball Camp is a comedy about five guys from different backgrounds who come to Vegas to live out their fantasy by attending the LeBron James Adult Basketball Camp.

Good for LeBron, I guess.

Now, obviously, I'd rather James spend his time working on some post moves than making mediocre movies, but that's me. Now, LeBron could follow in Michael Jordan's footsteps and use the down time on set (which, from my limited experience on WSM?, there's a ton) and get himself in ridiculous shape:

Jordan spent hours away from the set inside a temporary indoor gymnasium Warner Bros. built near the studio especially for Jordan. NBA stars such as Reggie Miller and Magic Johnson stopped by for pickup games, and Jordan worked out with trainer Tim Grover. It was in that mini-gym where Jordan, committed to reshaping his body for basketball after a foray into baseball, would lay the groundwork for the Bulls' 1995-96 championship season.

Pytka called the gym the "Jordan Dome," and the director took great pains to stay on a strict production schedule that called for Jordan to start filming at 9 a.m., work till 1 p.m., break two hours for lunch and a workout, and end the day no later than 6 p.m.

One last thing, the filming is supposed to take place next summer. We're all aware of next summer, right? Summer 2010. Summer of LeBron. So, in addition to teasing every NBA market, he's also going to be filming a crappy movie. Awesome.

It's gonna be a freaking circus.

LeBron on the Daily Show

I thought the interview was pretty good and that James handled himself well with Stewart's 'come to NYC' shtick.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
LeBron James
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

Random Thoughts from the Weekend

1. In case you were wondering. The Cavs face the Celtics in 43 days.

2. Cause I know I was. Cavs face the Celtics in 43 days.

3. Wow. That weekend was filled with shitty offensive football. The offenses for both the Buckeyes and the Browns should shoulder most of the blame for the losses.

4. There's enough blame to go around. Terrelle Pryor says he and the offense should take the heat for their loss to USC. I don't disagree. You can't have four drive start in your opponents territory and only get 2 FGs. Especially against a team like USC.

5. Still not there yet. There are times where Pryor looks great. Then there are times he makes really really bad decisions (like his pick and his one ugly ugly ugly option pitch).

6. Speaking of blame. Jim Tressel. Outcoached? Yes. Wasting Pryor's talent? Meh, I dunno. But after seeing Barkley play so well, you have to wonder.

7. Inevitable. Ya, Denny is right. Was anyone surprised about USC's final drive? This game was too similar to the Texas game for my liking.

8. As for being proud... yes and no. Obviously, the loss sucks. Was I pleased to see Ohio State hang with USC (not getting blown out, showing they can hang with big powers)? Yes. But it's not a good sign when Ohio State fans start talking about a 'good loss'. At some point you gotta beat the other guy.

9. I'm sure the defense just feels sick. They played really well against both Texas and USC. Pryor didn't give them a chance on USC's first TD (though the Trojans consistently won the battle on 4th down).

10. No one in Columbus is scared of Michigan. And I'm sure they aren't better than Ohio State. Did anyone actually, you know, watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game? It was terrible; poor tackling, bad throws, blown coverages- just ugly. Yes, it was close and that made it an exciting game. But close doesn't equal good football.

11. Besides Michigan State, I think the Big Ten held their own. OSU wasn't embarrassed and Wisconsin and Michigan escaped with wins. Hell, Michigan is even back in the Top 25.

12. Here we go again. Brady Quinn did not have a good game, he was 21-35 for 205yrds with a TD and a pick. He and Edwards did not look in sync. Like Pryor, he's shouldering the blame.

13. If you coulda beat out DA early on... One of the stories lost over the whole training camp is the fact that since Quinn and Derek Anderson split time, neither had a lot of reps with the first team. Quinn did not look comfortable with the offense (now the Vikings' D may have had something to do with that as well). They had way too many false start penalties.

14. Maybe it's just that simple. The Browns don't have a lot of talent. They aren't that good. The end.

15. The defense wasn't too bad. Hell, they held a 13-10 lead at halftime (second half, ugh). They at least got some pressure on Brett Favre (oh, BTW- Brian Billick did his best John Madden impression. It was sickening. I'm pretty sure they almost passed out when Favre threw that TD). They ran out of gas (and ran into Adrian Peterson) in the second half, but the offense's mistakes didn't do the defense any favors.


16. I kept waiting for Favre to make a mistake. But he never did.

17. Josh Cribbs was once again the best part of the game. Cribbs took a punt to the house but was barely a factor on offense. For some reason the Browns lined him up under center for both second-and-goal AND third-and-goal. Not only did it not work, but it shows how little confidence Mangini has in his starting QB.

18. Great, not good. Adrian Peterson is pretty damn good. I know they stopped him in the first half, but is anyone REALLY surprised that he ended up wit 180 yards and 3 TDs?

19. Jay Cutler did not help my fantasy team. 4 INTs? Seriously?!

20. And the 15th man is... Rob Kurz! Maybe! Or Jawad Williams.

21. She might have some inside info. Gloria James says LeBron's a "hometown boy". Good, that's what this season needed, more tea leaf readings.

22. Remember, he needs that big market. LeBron's in London, doing some more movie promotions.

23. Speaking of 2010... Brian Windhorst:

Refer to the very important decision he made in 2003, when he potentially left millions on the table from Reebok because he ultimately wanted to be a Nike man. Also refer to the decision he made in 2002 to stay at St. Vincent-St. Mary instead of transferring Oak Hill Academy as was offered.

24. I did see that, right? Anyone at ESPN wanna mention Jordan's petty induction speech? I know I wasn't the only one who noticed.

25. More Galifianakis please. What? He's in a show with Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson? On HBO? Called Bored to Death? Sign me up.

26. Um, not good. Philly is closing their public libraries.

27. Animals with light sabers. Tell me this isn't at least kinda awesome.

28. Leadership. My side if feckless, the other side is crazy.

29. Twitter is gonna get people in trouble. Twitter: the First Draft of History. I like it. For those wondering, you can follow my tweets or whatever at BenCox83.

30. One of my favs. Sondre Lerche is playing the Beachland Ballroom this Friday. His new album, Heartbeat Radio is getting good reviews (I quite enjoy it). Tickets are $13.

Here's the title track from his new album:

I'm just glad he didn't rip on Craig Ehlo

Maybe it's sour grapes, but I thought Michael Jordan came off as a dick. (disclosure: I actively rooted against MJ throughout my childhood. I HATED those Bulls teams and thought NBC favored them over every team in the league).



I wasn't the only one who thought Jordan came off poorly, here's (gulp)Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski:

This wasn’t a Hall of Fame induction speech, but a bully tripping nerds with lunch trays in the school cafeteria. He had a responsibility to his standing in history, to players past and present, and he let everyone down. This was a night to leave behind the petty grievances and past slights – real and imagined. This was a night to be gracious, to be generous with praise and credit.

[snip]

Jordan didn’t hurt his image with the NBA community, as much as he reminded them of it. “That’s who Michael is,” one high-ranking team executive said. “It wasn’t like he was out of character. There’s no one else who could’ve gotten away with what he did tonight. But it was Michael, and everyone just goes along.”

Jordan wandered through an unfocused and uninspired speech at Symphony Hall, disparaging people who had little to do with his career, like Jeff Van Gundy and Bryon Russell. He ignored people who had so much to do with it, like his personal trainer, Tim Grover. This had been a moving and inspirational night for the NBA – one of its best ceremonies ever – and five minutes into Jordan’s speech it began to spiral into something else. Something unworthy of Jordan’s stature, something beneath him.

Jordan spent more time pointlessly admonishing Van Gundy and Russell for crossing him with taunts a dozen years ago than he did singling out his three children. When he finally acknowledged his family, Jordan blurted, in part, to them, “I wouldn’t want to be you guys.”

[snip]

From the speeches of David Robinson to John Stockton, Jerry Sloan to Vivian Stringer, there was an unmistakable thread of peace of mind and purpose. At times, they were self-deprecating and deflective of praise. Jordan hasn’t mastered that art, and it reveals him to be oddly insecure. When Jordan should’ve thanked the Bulls ex-GM, Jerry Krause, for surrounding him with championship coaches and talent, he ridiculed him. It was me, Jordan was saying. Not him. “The organization didn’t play with the flu in Utah,” Jordan grumbled.

Ya, I guess I had hoped that Jordan's speech would've been more like David Robinson's or John Stockton's. They seemed generally humbled by the entire experience. (Stockton's in particular was really good, this was the first I've ever heard him speak for an extended length). But Jordan was just crackin on the likes of Jon Starks and Byron Russell. Awesome.

Anyone? Bueller?

Does anyone out there have a good feeling about the Ohio State-USC game on Saturday?

I'm not in panic mode just yet. USC's big first win doesn't really scare me. And I don't think Ohio States "close call" against Navy is all that much to worry about either (mostly because Navy has that weird offense and a couple fluky/big plays happened real close together).

But I'm not anywhere near what you would call 'confidant'. I mean, can any "real" (re: non-moronic) Ohio State fan be anywhere North of "cautiously optimistic"? I have friends who are absolutely terrified of Saturday's game.

This is a big game for Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel. They've blown some games (and gotten blown out) against top ranked out of conference schools (Florida, LSU, USC) and another loss could really hurt the school (and the Big Ten).

I guess you could mark me down for cautiously optimistic. USC is starting a true freshman against Ohio States defense. That has to count for something, right? (nevermind that USC may not even need to throw the ball- their running game DOES scare me). Pryor looks like he's the real deal (despite his Mike Vick love).

The big thing for the Buckeyes will be to get off to a good start. Don't get down 7-0 (or 10/14-0) and take the crowd out of it. If the crowd can keep the pressure on the Trojans and Pryor can make a play or two, Ohio State has a shot.

Has a shot.

That's not good sign, eh? If x, y and z happen, OSU has a got a chance. Awesome.

Anyone out there wanna tell me why Ohio State will beat USC? Anybody?

Things that are awesome

1. Al Franken draws a map of the United States:

2. You can read the first chapter of The Gathering Storm (book 12 in the Wheel of Time series) here. I've read it 3 times already.

3. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia live on stage.

Wait, huh?

In an interesting article from SI about LeBron's movie, book and future, I find this:

The LeBron-Shaq marriage has just begun and already some are predicting a break-up.

James and O'Neal have known each other for eight years, but other than an All-Star game, they've never been teammates. That changed when the Cavaliers traded for Shaq in June, uniting two of the game's dominant players -- and larger-than-life personalities.

What's not to love?

"I'm so excited about Shaq," James said. "Something I haven't had in my career is a dominant force in the paint, a guy I can go to and he's going to get us something good. He's the most dominant force to ever play the game, and to have him on my team, I'm humbled."

Their pairing seems ideal, but it will be a test.

While O'Neal has shared the spotlight with Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, James' kingdom has never been shared like it's about to be.

Um, when was Shaq on T-Mac's team? Did I miss something? They meant Penny Hardaway, no?

Now THIS I can agree with

Yahoo called last season's Cavs squad the Best Team to Not Win the Title. I disagreed.

Now, they call the 02-03 Cavalier squad (1 yr before LeBron) one of the 10 Worst NBA Squads of the Past Decade:

4. 2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers

John Lucas was brought in to do one thing, and one thing well. Lose. Blow the whole season. Deal with awful uniforms, Dajuan Wagner as your lottery pick, Ricky Davis, Darius Miles, Smush Parker and all the ping-pong balls you can handle by May. This was one messed-up team.

Heh. I'm perversely proud to say that I saw one of that squad's 17 wins in person (vs Golden State). I still remember the ride home, for some reason Ron Harper was in town and was on WTAM's post game show chatting it up with Mike Snyder. Snyder asked Ron to show him one of his championship rings (Ron obliged) and then they lamented that Harper never had the chance to win one while in Cleveland (as the strong urge to vomit nearly makes me crash the car).

Good times, good times.

(that was also the game I got weird looks for yelling at Ricky Davis for getting either a half court or inbounds violation. I was quite loud and angry and I swear half the arena looked at me like I was crazy. You can't imagine how quite the Gund used to be).

Kinda Neat

Jim Thome has been reunited with Manny:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have seen the Rockies and Giants getting bigger in their rearview mirror, so they added some power to try to pull away.

The Dodgers acquired slugger Jim Thome from the White Sox and right-hander Jon Garland from the Diamondbacks on Monday after both players cleared waivers.

Add Thome to Casey Blake and Ronnie Belliard and the Dodgers look more and more like the Indians NL.

Hell, Manny said they wanted to play together again.

Missing Piece?

Stephen Jackson is looking to change zip codes:

Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Jackson says he has requested a trade and prefers to be dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers or any of the NBA's three teams in Texas.

Jackson's wishes are rooted in a desire to play for a team that consistently makes the postseason, he says, something the Warriors have done only once in the past 15 seasons.

"At this point, I'm 31 years old. I have four or five years left," Jackson told Dime Magazine on Friday. "I want to be in a situation where I can continually be in the playoffs and get another ring. So that's where my mind is at now."

I would be completely on board with this. In fact, I targeted Jackson at least season's trade deadline:

From a basketball standpoint, I'm not sure you can get a better fit for the Cavs than Stephen Jackson. The man can hit threes (career 34%), he's playoff tested (in both San Antonio and Golden State), he's 6-8 (meaning he can guard bigger 2-guards) and while his shooting stats are down this year (39% FG, 29% 3pt) his assists are way up (6.0 per game).

The only questions (to me anyways) are his temperment and his contract. As far as the craziness goes, since he's been in California, he seems to have calmed down a bit. And as for the contract, yes, he's signed through 2013, but he's under $10 mil for every year but the last.

If you have the chance to plug Jackson in next to LeBron and Mo, you could have yourself a scary good team. Imagine having Jax and Bron-Bron ballhawking on the wing? Those are two very long and very tall perimeter defenders.

The guy has played for Mike Brown, he's thrived next to superstars (Tim Duncan and B-Diddy) and basketball-wise... well, it seems like a no brainer.

If you plug Jackson in a lineup next to Mo, LeBron, Varejao and Shaq (with Delonte becoming a super sub) you'd have yourself a very formidable playoff team.

Yes, his age and contract are an issue (but if the plan is "2010 or Bust", then who cares?). But his teammates love him, he plays well in big games and he's won while playing next to superstars.

As for what you'd give up, I'd like to make sure they keep Delonte. But besides that, I'm OK with them parting with J.J. Hickson and even Z if it comes to it (I know it's not a given he'd be bought out, but you really think Nellie's Warriors would have use for a veteran, slow, white center with bad feet?).

I disagree

Yahoo! Sports ranks the best teams to NOT win the NBA title and last season's Cavaliers are:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers, 2008-09

I sort of like this also-ran, because it speaks to how we've grown as a sport-regarding culture over the years. These Cleveland Cavaliers ran up 66 wins, an almost Bulls-like 8.9-point differential (way better than any team listed above), and had the greatest player in the game (LeBron James) at their disposal. And yet, when the team lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals last spring, people seemed ready to smartly admit that the Cavs, for all their horses, just didn't have the horses to run with the Magic.

Nobody was labeled a choker, nobody was fired, and though the team traded for one big (hopeful) problem-solver in the offseason in Shaquille O'Neal, nobody seemed to overreact and make deals for the sake of making deals. Knowing that the team will have the best player in the game, at only age 24, around for at least the next season helps too; but you have to love the lack of hand-wringing. Still, the meek ending doesn't hide the fact that this was an otherwise dominant team that won 74 of its first 90 games before falling to the Magic in six.

Now, should this Cavs team be on the list? Probably. But over the 01-02 Kings (#2 on the list)? No sir. Does anyone think that the 03-04 Lakers squad (with Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, #6) wouldn't have whooped last years Cavaliers?

On one hand, after winning 66 games, the Cavs underachieved by not making Finals (let alone winning it) but on the other hand, I think, considering their pieces, they maxed out their potential. The Cavs were 66-16 but went 1-4 against the Lakers and Magic- this is a team that beat all the everyone they should've beat and they didn't take nights off.

Anyways, I don't think the Cavs are number one. That Kings squad got jobbed; they were great. I loved watching that team and I'll always remember sitting in my friend's dorm room watching them get hosed by the refs.

Man, I hated those Lakers teams, I still can't wrap my mind around that fact that I'll now be rooting for Shaq.

Gonna be a long year

LeBron James:

"My loyalty is to Akron. I'm looking forward to this upcoming season, but I'm looking forward to the summer of 2010, too, to see what may happen. No matter what happens that summer, you know, I'm still here. I've got a nice big house here that I'm always coming back to. You know, I love this city and I'll always give back to this city no matter what my profession; if it takes me somewhere else."

Preparing to leave? I dunno, maybe?

Brian Windhorst adds this:

Hey, Brian: With all of the talk about the Knicks, Nets and Clippers, why isn't there more talk about Miami as a possible destination for LeBron? With their available cap room, it appears they would have enough room to sign Dwyane Wade, Lebron and Bosh or another very good player in 2010. I hope it doesn't happen, but if LeBron is indeed worried about winning first and foremost, doesn't this seem like the best option for him? -- Erik Bell, Columbia, S.C.

Hey, Erik: Glad you mentioned that, I actually think the Heat are sort of a sleeping giant for next summer. Pat Riley has sort of bit the bullet this summer, other than making an offer to Lamar Odom which was not accepted. By not spending money now and perhaps spinning wheels the Heat may be in perfect position to add someone alongside Wade next summer because they have a nice core and a great location.

Ask any NBA executive outside New York and he'll probably tell you the Heat, Nets and Clippers all will have more attractive situations than the Knicks when it comes to the roster next summer. All that said, my feeling is the only place LeBron would consider leaving for at this juncture in his career would be New York. Key word there being "consider."

Not gonna lie, the Miami scenario scares me. However, if LeBron goes to the Heat, he'll be joining Dwyane Wade; he's going to Wade's territory. Would that work? Would he play second fiddle to Wade? Seems doubtful. So LeBron just takes over Wade's team? Could be weird.

Then again, he'd get to play basketball in Miami freaking Florida. Sounds like that could be fun. Or maybe too much.

Tell me this isn't awesome

I HIGHLY recommend this show. It's smart, it's beautifully animated and it's absolutely fucking hilarious.

2 = 0

Welcome back to football, Browns fans!


While neither QB looked great, Quinn at least should've had a touchdown, but Braylon Edwards looked in mid-season form as he dropped a ball that hit him square in the hands. As for Anderson... ugh. He did not look good.

Meanwhile, the defense got abused (though Green Bay is really good) and the new coach is saying stuff like this:

"I told the players before the game what I wanted to see was smart football, wanted to see toughness, and wanted to see us be able to out-hustle our opponent," Mangini said. "I don't really think we achieved any of those objectives.

"We weren't very good in any of the three phases. I don't think we did a good job coaching. The only way it's going to be corrected is with hard work."

So they weren't tough or well coached, they didn't out-hustle their opponents and they didn't play smart football.

Great.

Gonna be another fun year.

Dammit

First, they're listed as co-starters, which is neat:

The Browns released an unofficial depth chart Tuesday in advance of Saturday's preseason opener in Green Bay, and Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn are listed as co-starters as quarterback.

I guess this means that they've been even? Awesome. Neither one has stepped up. I was kinda hoping we'd know who was starting in the first preseason game... but no:

Neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Anderson has pulled ahead in the Browns' quarterback battle, but the competition kicks into high gear Saturday night with the preseason opener in Green Bay.

"I think it reinforces the whole concept of why you have to let the body of work play out," said Browns coach Eric Mangini. "They're very competitive. They're both making strides in different areas. As we talked about a long time ago, you have to really see who does separate themselves from the other one. When that time comes, it will be clear, and that's why you wait to make a decision."

Ugh. This feel like Romeo's coin flip to anyone else? That neither QB has taken a lead and that they don't feel comfortable naming a starter?

I mean, I know we'll see who's ahead when the offense takes the field against the Packers. But I would've really liked one of the two guys to pull ahead. Especially Quinn, he's worked really hard for this competetion.

Heh

New Links

Cavs Kingdom and Stepien Rules (formerly Shaver Sports) have been added to the blogroll. Good stuff on both sites.

I like this

Cavs are about to make a mid-season pick-up:

According to a source, the Cavs have the framework of a contract completed with free agent forward Leon Powe. It could become official as early as Tuesday, when Powe is expected to come to Cleveland to meet with team doctors.

Powe is in the middle of recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee and may not be able to return until the All-Star Break. But the Cavs feel like he's worth the wait.

The sides have been talking for weeks and were able to agree on a two-year contract, which will protect both sides. Powe will get a chance to rehab with a deal and the Cavs will be protected if he recovers as they apparently believe he will.

The 6-8 three-year veteran averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Celtics last season. He proved valuable when Kevin Garnett went down with injury and played an important role until he suffered the injury during the playoffs.

The Celtics could have kept Powe's rights, but they declined to make him a qualifying offer in June because he's had several injuries to the left ACL. They had hoped to be able to re-sign him when he was healthy, but the Cavs were able to put together a more attractive offer.

If I'm not mistaken, I'm fairly cartain that Powe and LeBron played together on some kind of AAU or McDonald's squad.

I really like this move. Powe gives the Cavs an extra, experienced big man to come off the bench and he's been through the playoff battles. Yes, he's coming off an injury but come playoff time (which is what really matters) he gives the Cavs another big man to throw at KG and Dwight Howard.

I know it's post-trade PR, but I don't disagree

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan:

"After we traded Cliff, we had made a commitment toward a new direction for the franchise," he said. "At that point, you don't go halfway. We needed to make moves that put us in the best position to compete as soon as possible. The sense was in our organization that Vic [Martinez] was at his highest value and what we got back in return put us in a better position than we would have been had we kept them."

As much as I hated the Martinez trade, I have to agree here. The Tribe already tried the contend+rebuild combo (Matt Lawton!!) and it sucked. I'm all for tearing down and starting over. If you're gonna do it, go all the way.

Now, there's the flip-side to consider. When it's time for the Tribe to contend, you gotta go balls to the wall there as well. If the 2012 Tribe is looking good and needs and extra bat, you trade whatever prospect you can to go get that bat (and it can't be Kenny Lofton again).

I'm all for going 100% into rebuilding mode. Just make sure you go 100% into "Win the Fucking World Series" mode when it's time.

Reason why Delonte West is awesome: Part 473

Hilarity:

New Podcast

in which we discuss the Moon signing, the Tribe's trades, lots of Shaq, some Browns and various other goodness.

It was somehow poetic that, after watching Cliff Lee throw a complete game and Victor knock in a RBI, the Tigers scored their winning run thanks to a balk. Cleveland!

I was at Browns training camp for a bit yesterday (with some of these guys) and here's what I came away with: Braylon Edwards rides a bike real good, Dave Zastudil is good at kicking footballs, DA got a pass or two tipped at the line and Sean Rogers is an absolute monster. (I think Rogers and Shaq could team up and fight crime. Not even violent crime, but have 'em take some visits to the local Democratic Party headquarters. Go put the fear of God into some corrupt pols.)

This is somehow fitting

Gotta love the promotions to bring the fans out to the ballpark:

Detroit Tigers Weekend Series (July 31-Aug. 1 & 2):

FRIDAY- Fireworks Themed to Tom Hamilton Game Calls to celebrate his 20th Anniversary

SATURDAY- 2009 Indians Hall of Fame Induction of Sandy Alomar, Jr. and Wes Ferrell; Inaugural Class of Distinguished Hall of Fame includes Richard Jacobs and Bill Veeck. And Victor Martinez Catcher Bobblehead to ALL FANS, courtesy of Time Warner Cable

SUNDAY- Slider's Birthday Celebration featuring Slider Bobster to ALL KIDS 14 and Under, courtesy of Nesquik

One slight problem:

The Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians were discussing a three-way trade Thursday night that would send Victor Martinez to Boston, Clay Buchholz to Cleveland and prospects flying in all directions, according to clubs that spoke to both team

This team is a joke.

I'd be on board

The Cavs are apparently in the running for the services of Hakim Warrick:

Word is Hakim Warrick, transformed from a restricted free agent to an unrestricted free agent last week when the Grizzlies withdrew their qualifying offer, is deciding between Cleveland, Philadelphia and Milwaukee and could choose his new team as early as Friday.

Windhorst has more:

Warrick is a very athletic 6-foot-9 and he averaged 11.6 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Grizzlies last season. The best the Cavs could offer would be their bi-annual exception of $2 million with a player option for a second season. Milwaukee has been linked to Warrick but they may be in a holding pattern as they see what happens with restricted free agent Ramon Sessions. Warrick can make more money and get more playing time elsewhere but playing with a contender like the Cavs on a short deal has its positives.

I'd love this move. It would give the Cavs another athletic young player. His length and athleticism would be a fantastic fit for Cleveland.

Imagine a lineup of West-Moon-James-Warrick-Varejao/Hickson. That would be nuts. They could run with anyone. Just the idea of having James, Warrick and Moon on the court together gives me goosebumps.

Lord knows if Warrick will end up choosing the Cavaliers, but damn, it'd be nice.

I can get behind this

Rick at Waiting for Next Year:

Mark Shapiro, as you field calls for Martinez let me give you a mantra to utter- “you have to take Hafner too.” That’s right. Make then take Travis Hafner’s damaged shoulder and albatross contract. Take a page from the NBA. Let’s ditch a bad contract.

I concur. Package Hafner (or Wood) with Victor Martinez. If you want the stud, take back the albatross.

But knowing our luck, once Hafner makes it to Boston, he'll regain his stroke and start mashing.

Trivia Question

Quick, name the guy who traded the reigning Cy Young award winner in consecutive seasons:

The Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians agreed to a trade that would bring Cliff Lee to the NL East leaders along with outfielder Ben Francisco for four minor leaguers, according to major league sources.

At least with C.C. Sabathia, the Tribe traded him during his walk year (rather than lose him for nothing). But not this time. Cliff Lee got jettisoned even though he has another full season under contract.

Well done Mark Shapiro.

The Indians picked up RHP Jason Knapp, RHP Carlos Carrasco, SS Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson. Knapp is the key guy, he had 111Ks in 85 IP this year in A ball (that's right A ball, remember when they wanted Major League Ready Arms for next year? Oopsie.). In fairness, they did end up getting four the Phillies' Top 10 prospects... but still, this is a salary dump.

And this makes me absolutely sick:

The Phillies weren't required to give up pitcher J.A. Happ or the three prospects they balked at trading for Roy Halladay -- outfielders Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor, and pitcher Kyle Drabek.

That's some fine negotiatin', Lou.

Fans should spend money on the 2010 Indians because...?

They Didn't Have Draft Picks

I agree but disagree:

9. Russell. Jeff. Ed. Larry. I really love your band. I think the song "Fever Dog" is a big step forward for you guys. And you guys producing it yourselves instead of Glyn Johns, that was the right thing to do. And Russell, Russell, the guitar sound ... is in-sin-diary. Incendiary. Way to go.

To Sam Presti, GM, Zombies. Love the restraint. He's letting this baby breathe (see above) by building around good chemistry guys, preserving his cap space, avoiding potentially dangerous contracts and building a young foundation around Durant. (In other words, he's doing everything Cleveland didn't do for LeBron these past six seasons.) The Zombies will be $9 million under the cap this season and have $10 million worth of expiring contracts. For teams getting hammered by the economy that need to shed high-salaried contracts, Presti is their first, second and third calls and he's probably in F-You mode every time he answers. If only he were on Twitter.

Sounds reasonable, right? The Sonics have surrounded Durant with a ton of young guys and the Cavs totally should've done that with LeBron. Why the hell would they keep adding vets as opposed to building through the draft?? (note: Simmons has also criticized GM Danny Ferry and the Cavaliers for going this route in his podcasts-fairly certain one with Rich Bucher).

Let's look at the Cavs recent draft history, eh?:

2003 - 1 - LeBron James
2003 - 31 - Jason Kapono
2004 - 10 - Luke Jackson
2005 - X - NO PICK
2006 - 25 - Shannon Brown
2006 - 42 - Daniel Gibson
2006 - 55 - Ejike Ugboaja.
2007 - X - NO PICK
2008 - 19 - J.J. Hickson
2009 - 30 - Christian Eyenga
2009 - 46 - Danny Green

Now let's see what the Zombie Sonic's recent drafts have looked like:

2007 - 2 - Kevin Durant
2007 - 31 - Carl Landry
2007 - 35 - Glen Davis
2008 - 4 - Russell Westbrook
2008 - 24 - Serge Ibaka
2008 - 32 - Walter Sharpe
2008 - 46 -Trent Plaisted
2008 - 50 - DeVon Hardin
2008 - 56 -Sasha Kaun
2009 - 3 - James Harden
2009 - 25 - Rodrigue Beaubois

Let that soak in for a second. Cavs drafted LeBron James in 2003 and since that pick then they've drafted eight other players. The Sonics drafted Kevin Durant in 2007 and they've drafted ten other players since. The Cavs had eight picks in seven years while the Zombie Sonics had ten picks in three years(!!).

Now, is some (most) of this the Cavaliers fault? Sure. They let Carlos Boozer walk, they left Kapono unprotected in the expansion draft and they passed on guys like Al Jefferson (!!!), Josh Smith, J.R. Smith and Jameer Nelson to select Luke "I played 46 games my two seasons in Cleveland" Jackson.

But I can't blame Ferry for not stockpiling young talent through the draft; twice they had no picks ('05 and '07) and twice more they only had one ('04 and '08). Plus, his first year they had that cap-space that they used on the Hughes-Marshall-Jones trio (which did help them get to the Finals).

Plus, the Cavs NEVER had seasons where they were "Top 5 Pick Bad" like the Zombie Sonics (picking 2nd, 4th and 3rd in consecutive years), though that would've been sweet (the top five in 2004 were Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Shaun Livingston and Devin Harris, in 2005 they were Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams, Deron Williams, Chris Paul(!!) and Raymond Felton). Also, the Cavs never had anyone near the stature of Ray Allen that they could dump for an additional Top 5 pick.

And with theZombies move, their franchise had a couple years (their last in Seattle and first in OKC) where it didn't matter if they stunk or not. By the time Ferry was brought on board, the Cavs had barely missed the playoffs two straight years, they got a new owner and coach and the clock was loudly ticking on LeBron's first extension (meaning, there's no way Ferry could've come in, stripped the team of vets and stockpiled picks- he didn't have the time nor the picks to start fresh).

Don't get me wrong, I love what Sam Presti has done with his squad. I would've loved the Cavs to be able to do something similar.

But the situations aren't analogous. Saying that the Cavs (and Ferry in particular) should've done what Presti has done is comparing apples and oranges.

Oh, and this team is coming off a 66 win season. Just sayin'.

You've gone and fucked it up

This is stupid:

The audience for the NFL draft has been growing, and the league has responded by expanding the event from two to three days.

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified teams Thursday that the draft will be spread over three days in 2010, running Thursday, April 22, through Saturday, April 24.

In addition, the first round will start in prime time at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Seriously, this is way dumb. The all-day, start-at-noon NFL draft used to be one of my favorite days. You could lounge around and watch football highlights, go grill some food and only really have to pay attention when your team drafted. It was a perfect lazy Saturday.

Hell, I was pissed this year when it started at 4pm or whatever. I mean, we had just gone through two solid months of pre-draft bullshit, now we had to wait an extra four hours just to start the damn thing.

Way to ruin my second favorite day in April.

Focus

Keeping his nose to the grindstone:

"Shaq Vs.," which is set to premiere Aug. 18 at 9 p.m. ET, begins filming Wednesday in Pittsburgh, where Shaq will take on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in football.

Future episodes of the hour-long show will feature Shaq against Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps, boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, tennis star Serena Williams and beach volleyball Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.

Shaq told USA Today that he came up with the idea as a way to train for the NBA season. Shaq figured Americans "would really want to see an athlete play another sport," according to the newspaper. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaq's new team, have cleared the 37-year-old O'Neal to take part in the show.

He is scheduled to report for the Cavs' opening of training camp on Sept. 15.

According to USA Today, the episodes will feature preliminary challenges, news conferences, quality time with needy kids and negotiations of a handicap between Shaq and his competitors. Each episode will climax with a main event.

There's no cash prize for the winner. "Bragging rights are always better than any monetary prize," O'Neal told USA Today.

Shaq will train with a coach for one week leading up to each challenge.

"These athletes may be on top of their game, but I am up for the challenge," O'Neal said. "I plan to train hard and win, so look out."

Tunnel vision:

Monday he will be the guest host on World Wrestling Entertainment's "Monday Night Raw" in Washington, D.C. The show airs at 9 p.m. on USA.

The show is currently running a story-line that involves a different celebrity guest host in charge each week. O'Neal will join the ranks Hall of Fame rockers ZZ Top, who hosted Monday night, and actor/comedian Seth Green, who hosted July 13.

On one hand, this is kinda fun. I'm still not quite used to the phrase "Cavalier center Shaquille O'Neal" and having someone of this stature on the Cavs is kinda neat. This guy is a super-duper star.

But like I said with all the fake pictures and promotional videos... if the Cavs win, it's all good. If they lose, they've opened themselves to a lot of (justifiable) criticism. If Shaq shows up to camp out of shape when he spent his summer filming a TV show... not gonna look good.

Getting more athletic

Jamario Moon, anyone?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have continued their offseason remodeling by signing restricted free agent Jamario Moon to an offer sheet, according to NBA front-office sources.

Full details of the offer sheet are unlikely to be known until Monday, when the contract is submitted to the league office. League rules dictate that offer sheets must span three years in length, but sources told ESPN.com that the deal is likely guaranteed for only the first two years.

The Miami Heat will have seven days to match the offer once it's formally processed, but Cleveland would appear to have a good chance of landing Moon given Miami's well-chronicled desire to avoid new contracts longer than one year to protect its 2010 salary-cap space.

------

Moon, 29, is a 6-foot-8 late bloomer with career averages of 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds since breaking into the NBA with the Toronto Raptors in 2007-08. Miami acquired him in February in the Shawn Marion-Jermaine O'Neal trade.

According to the Plain Dealer, Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry typically avoids players who are restricted free agents, as evidenced by the fact that this is the first such offer sheet he has extended in his four years running Cleveland's front office.

The Cavs, however, are clearly hoping that Miami's focus on Odom and the potential trade pursuit of Carlos Boozer will enhance their chances of landing Moon, while an offer sheet also prevents Miami from including Moon in sign-and-trade proposals for the next week.

I like the move. Moon is a crazy athlete and if Mike Brown can get him to play defense, he could be a real nice pick-up.

Speaking of crazy athletes, check out this fantastic article about the Cavs' first round pick:

The team's decision to select him in the first round last month was a complete surprise that created a number of questions that turned out to have complex answers. Then over the last week at the Vegas Summer League, Eyenga showed off some tantalizing skills that raised eyebrows everywhere from the Cavs' staff to European teams who may have their own designs for his immediate future.

He's listed at 6-5 and is every bit of it. He's just turned 20 years old and looks much like it. He has pogo sticks for legs -- during the summer league he attempted a LeBron James-esque dunk by taking off from at least 12 feet from the basket and he may have pulled it off had he not been fouled. Another time he easily won a jump ball against a player who is 6-9.

He has all the tools to be a good defender. A long wingspan, good lateral quickness, good instincts, and what appears to be a genuine desire to stop his man, even though he hasn't been educated yet on the art of NBA defense.

Much of the time, Eyenga was the quickest player on the floor. With his long strides, he often beat every player down the court even when recovering from a defensive position. Had any of his teammates realized it, he probably could have had a dozen leak-out buckets in the five games, but it seemed like it took the whole week for them to notice it.

-----

Q: So if Eyenga looked so good in summer league, are the Cavs not going to let him go back to Europe and instead just sign him and bring him to Cleveland?

A: It is possible but not certain. It seems the coaching staff left Vegas impressed and may lean toward signing Eyenga to his slotted two-year, $2 million contract with team options for seasons three and four. With the team's D-League connection in nearby Erie, Pa., there are plenty of advantages to having Eyenga close to help him develop.

The fact that they want to sign him has to be considered good news, no?

I like the fact that the Cavs got both of these guys. They need more athletes (re: Eastern Conference Finals) and both Moon and Eyenga fit the bill. Wouldn't a line up of West/Mo-Moon-LeBron-Hickson-Varejao be fun for 10 minutes a night? Let Shaq and Z get some rest and just run the other guys ragged.

I like both of these developments.

Summer League Stuff

Brian Windhorst:

First-round pick Christian Eyenga finished with 12 points Friday, and he averaged 8.8 points and 2.2 rebounds on 47 percent shooting in the five games. He started slowly but improved, moving into the starting lineup Thursday night. Spending time at small forward and shooting guard, he showed remarkable athleticism during the week.

"It has been a great experience because there are so many good players," Eyenga said through an interpreter. "It will make me better."

Second-round pick Danny Green shot the ball well early in summer league, but tailed off a bit and averaged 8.2 points and 2.6 rebounds on 39 percent shooting. Green is unsigned, but the Cavs are looking to offer him a contract in the coming weeks.

"It was a good learning experience," Green said. Right now, I'm trying to work my way in and get comfortable with the NBA scheme. There's camps and the rookie transition that they want me to go to, but we'll see what happens."

The Cavs do not usually perform well in summer league -- they are 1-9 the past two summers -- because they use it as a primer for training camp and start to install parts of their offensive and defensive systems. This week, they only ran a couple of different plays.

"We tried to teach them parts of our system, and it is very difficult for anyone to learn right away, especially for someone out of college or with a language barrier," said Cavs assistant coach Chris Jent, who ran the summer-league team. "Given their situation, I think both rookies did a pretty good job."

and TrueHoop:

After a silent first quarter against the Pistons, Cavs rookie Christian Eyenga got involved, did some nice work off the dribble against Daye, and worked hard defensively against the Pistons guards. Eyenga was the quickest guy on the floor when he was out there. The Cavs haven't been looking for him at all this week -- and he never calls for the ball -- so it's been hard to get a feel for the full range of his skills.

This isn't as exciting as JJ Hickson dominating going for 20-10s, but it's still decent news.

We knew going in that Eyenga was crazy athletic and it's nice to see that confirmed. I'm not worried about him never calling for the ball; he's young, he doesn't speak English and he's out of his element. I'd bet that he becomes more aggressive once he's more comfortable.

Even with his somewhat weak showing, I'm still OK with the Eyenga pick. I've read a bunch of of pissed off commentors about wasting this pick (especially with regards LeBron's contract situation). I'm sorry, but this team just won 66 games and then added Shaquille O'Neal, do people really think they were gonna grab a rotation player at the 30 slot (nevermind that Mike Brown doesn't really play rookies)? He's stupid athletic and he has time to grow.

Plus, Danny Green could fill a niche, so it's not like if Eyenga totally bombs that they got nothing.

I'm a bad blogger

I haven't really written anything in awhile and while I've been busy, it's mostly because I don't have anything to say... the NBA summer leagues have been uneventful and the Tribe... bleh.

As for the Cavs free agency.... I really don't know. They're gonna have to explore their trade options, I really don't see what kind of moves are left in FA. As for trades, well, I think Z is their biggest asset ($11 million for your backup C) but I have no idea who's even available. Odds are Z will just be bought out anyways, but we might have to wait to see which teams are really hurting financially once the season starts.

Anthony PARKER... sure, he's 34, but he's cheap and only signed for two years. The guy can play, but I'm not sure if he can beat out Delonte for the starting job. It's not a terrible signing by any means, but it's also a bit hard to get pumped for picking up a 34 year old journeyman.

And I'm still OK with the Varejao contract. Big men get overpaid. Is Andy overpaid? Yes. Is he vastly overpaid? No.

I can honestly say I haven't followed the Tribe. Fair weather fan? Maybe. But because of the NBA playoffs, I don't usually begin to pay attention to baseball (in earnest) until late June. And when late June comes around and your team sucks ass... well, it doesn't really make you want to invest time, energy and emotions into them.

That said, I'm going to the game on Friday (15 rows behind home!).

I saw Reel Big Fish for the upteenth time Wednesday at the House of Blues in Cleveland. Always love those guys. I know they aren't for everyone, but they put on a great show; it's really a lot of fun.

Finally, I just finished Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente. The basic premise (and I'm not doing this any justice) is that if you have sex with someone with a special tattoo (a map), you'll be able to enter this forbidden city (via dreams). Once you do, you get your own tattoo, which is a map of part of the city. But you're only allowed in certain parts of the city (your map and the maps of people you've slept with). It's quite weird but really good. Valente's writing is superb and there are some absolute gorgeous passages. Like I said, it's kinda weird, but really good.

$7 million per ain't terrible

Who says players won't sign long term deals in Cleveland...

The Cleveland Cavaliers have come to an agreement with free agent Anderson Varejao on a six-year deal, his agent Dan Fegan told ESPN.com.

Varejao's contract is worth $42.5 million over the six years, and the final year is only partially guaranteed. Incentives could push the total amount to $50 million.

I think $6 million per would've been perfect, but I can live with $7 mil.

While signing Varejao is nice (sorta), there's other news as well:

The Cavs have also agreed to terms with Toronto free agent Anthony Parker. The final figures of the deal are not set, but he will receive a portion of the $5.8 midlevel exception for either two or three years.

The Cavs hope to sign Channing Frye with the remainder of their midlevel exception.

This is somewhat interesting. I'm not opposed to Anthony Parker, it just mattered at what price. And if the Cavs are hoping to split their midlevel between two players, then that means they aren't overpaying for someone like Parker (not a stylish pick up, but a servicable player nonetheless).

As for Channing Frye, I really don't know. He has the on court skill set (decent jumper) to compliment Shaq and Bron-Bron, but I don't know if he's got the mental toughness. We'll see I guess, I remember he had a nice rookie year and then he kinda dropped off my radar.

I still think their best at adding major talent is through trading Big Z('s contract).

I don't care for this

ESPN:

The Pistons are expected to complete the hiring of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester later Tuesday, NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com.

Kuester became the Pistons' top candidate after ESPN analyst Avery Johnson broke off contract talks after more than two days of negotiations.

So you're saying Mike Brown gets to incorporate Shaq into the offense on his own? Hooray!!!

Interesting

From ESPN:

The Cleveland Cavaliers got some bad news followed by some potentially terrific news on Sunday. In a last-ditch effort to recruit Trevor Ariza away from the Houston Rockets, LeBron James told Ariza he would remain with the Cavaliers past 2010, according to a person close to Ariza.

Even that wasn't enough to get Ariza, who verbally committed to join the Rockets last Thursday, to change his mind and go to Cleveland.

But the Cavaliers will gladly settle for the consolation prize; if indeed James' statement to Ariza was more than an empty sales pitch.

"Trevor asked LeBron if he would be in Cleveland after next season," the source said. "And LeBron said, 'I'll be there. Of course, I'll be there.'"

James could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Couple things.

First, I completely agree that LeBron's lack of commitment hurts Cleveland's chances in Free Agency. I don't see how it couldn't. If he's telling potential FA's that he's sticking around, it will only help Danny Ferry do his job.

Second, while I don't buy all the hype about Houston's Dork Elvis GM, I do think it's interesting that he's targeted Ariza. For all the potential and so-so stats, Ariza did just start on the team that won the NBA title. I'm not a fan of throwing a ton of money at a guy who's still considered unproven, but he's young, he's won (been through the playoff wars) and he's crazy athletic. Do we really think his jumper won't improve?

Third, I'm all for the Cavs still trying. Look, they HAVE to get younger. And if that takes trying to sign potential FAs out of their verbal agreements, then go for it. A title is a title is title.

At the end of the day, whatever happens with Ariza, I think this has to considered a good thing. LeBron is telling other NBA players that he plans on sticking around. That doesn't suck.

UPDATE: He said/she said:

LeBron James did not tell Trevor Ariza he would stay in Cleveland past 2010, according to sources close to the Cavaliers' superstar -- contradicting what a person close to Ariza said Monday night.

That source said that James told Ariza he planned to remain with the Cavaliers past next summer, when he can become a free agent. James could not be reached for comment Monday night, but on Tuesday, sources who spoke to James said the story told by the person close to Ariza was wrong.

All I know, is that it's gonna be a long long year...

Umm.... (Part Deux)

Brian Windhorst's twitter:

The linked article:

According to several league sources, the Cavs have been been in contact with Houston Rockets free agent forward Ron Artest. It even included a face-to-face pitch from LeBron James on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, as both were in Southern California for various events.

Honestly.... I think I'm OK with this.

First off, this is obviously a high-risk, high-reward situation. However, with Carlos Boozer screwing over the Cavs again (the Pistons would've thrown their money at Boozer, rather than Charlie Villanueva), I'm not sure what other move comes within sniffing distance of Artest's potential high-reward.

Plus, if they sign Ron-Ron, they'll probably just pick up Varejao. So that would be the Cavalier front line: LeBron James, Ron Artest, Shaquille O'Neal as the starters with Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgausksas coming off the bench (or maybe you start Andy and bring Artest off the bench as the other scorer in the 2nd unit with Mo). Who knows. I just think a crunch time defensive lineup of James, Artest and Shaq would be very very difficult to score on.

Of course, he could also have a meltdown and derail the entire season. He's known for being a black hole on offense and he often takes questionable shots. Plus, he's not the same player defensively as he once was (can't stay with the quicker guards, though he's still a beast on the block) and he's a certifiable crazy person. I love Mike Brown and all, but do you think he'll be able to incorporate both Shaq and Ron freaking Artest into this locker room (let alone the offensive end of the court)?

But hell, I say go for it. I'm pretty sure Ron-Ron can guard the Rashard Lewises of the world.

Shaq-cast

Lastest podcast can be found here. We discuss all things Shaq, Charlie Villanueva, a little Tribe and Browns and some Futurama news. This podcast was recorded yesterday night, so unlike our other casts, this one should be mostly up to date.

In case you don't listen (heh), I think I got a good Shaq nickname: The Shaqahoga. Then when he's scoring a lot we can say that "The Shaqahoga is on fire!"