Happy Thanksgiving

Give thanks on Thursday

Benjamin Cox

I love Thanksgiving. It's definitely my favorite holiday, especially as I've grown older. Thanksgiving used to be down on the list, after Christmas and Halloween.

Don't get me wrong, those holidays still rule, but Christmas as a 21-year-old can't compete with Christmas as an 8-year-old.

Thanksgiving is a holiday to reflect, take a look at your life and see what you're thankful for. And even when things could be better, I'm still thankful for many things.

I'm thankful that I was born in a country where I can do and say what I want. I thank God I wasn't born somewhere like Iraq, North Korea or Sudan. I'm thankful that even if we were divided on Nov. 2, there's no violence or coups. We can disagree without bloodshed.

I'm thankful for my family and my roommates. I'm thankful for my friends here in Ohio and around the globe, from California, Colorado or Texas to Germany, France and Ireland.

I'm thankful we beat Michigan, and that when we celebrated, there wasn't any major riots.

I'm thankful I get to write my opinion every week, and I'm thankful for all the responses I get, like telling me my column was dead on or I have a point (rational people) or telling me I'm going to hell (the far right.)

I'm also thankful that Thanksgiving hasn't been overcommercialized (yet) like Christmas. Though Christmas shopping season starts the Friday after, that Thursday is still a nice, calm day. Since I've been at Ohio State, I've always looked forward to Thanksgiving. I mean, after a quarter of dorm food, fast food or (even worse) food I've made myself, just the thought of a homemade Thanksgiving meal makes my mouth water.

Not only do I get to see family members I've missed while at school, I also get to see friends of mine who didn't go to OSU (losers.) Thanksgiving is a time to catch up with old high school friends, to see how people have changed since you last saw them. Who gained weight? Who's going bald? Who broke up and who stayed together? Who (shudder) is getting married? Who has a kid? I can see which friends have changed, and the ways in which some never will.

Thanksgiving also gives us an entire day of football. It's not officially Thanksgiving to me until the Lions lose on national television. However, my day of football doesn't just include the NFL; since my junior year of high school, I've spent my fall looking forward to our annual game of football: The Turkey Bowl.

The Turkey Bowl is played mostly by kids I was in band with (from 3 years older to 3 years younger than myself) and we always have a good range of people show up. These are people we had spent hours with on busses and on the practice field; we saw each other everyday and now we get together just once a year. Every year we get together and tell the same jokes and share the same stories and, just for a little while, we're not worrying about our futures, bills, grades or girls; we're just a bunch of friends playing football.

I never cared for Thanksgiving as a child. I mean, no presents, candy or fireworks? What gives?

But since I've moved away from home and grown older (if not too much wiser), I've learned to cherish this day for what it is, a day of thanks.

Benjamin Cox is a junior in music history. He can be reached for comment at benny083002@yahoo.com.

FYI

I'm going to a concert (Sondre Lerche) at the House of Blues tonight ($15, see ya there!) so I probably won't be able to watch the exciting Wolves-Cavs battle.

Also, to whom it may concern: Turkey Bowl- Thursday, 11 AM (to about 1 PM) at Darrow Road Park (off of rt. 91 in Hudson). If we can't play there, we'll be somewhere around the schools.

Bring cleats.

My bad

School stuff + work tomorrow... means I didn't get a chance to catch the game. I'd like to say this won't happen often, but I can't promise anything (school work comes first and blah blah blah).

At some point, I like to tell myself that I'll get into a routine, but it hasn't happened yet. Oh, well... from what I've heard about the game, I'm not sure I want to watch them not play any defense...

Randy Moss, MVP?

I've had this discussion with my buddies throughout the season and it comes up with Peter King today:

From Joe C. of Diamond Bar, Calif.: "Longtime reader and love your columns, especially your coffeenerdness. Maybe I am the only one who strongly believes this, but Randy Moss is by far the MVP over Tom Brady or anybody else in the NFL. Yes, Brady is having a superhuman-like season but it is due in large part to having Moss on the team as well as having the best offensive line in the NFL. Not to say Brady is a little overrated, but put any competent NFL QB in his position, add Moss, and I'm almost certain they will have the same numbers as Mr. Brady. Your thoughts?

I disagree. The fact Brady is making it look easy does not mean it, in fact, is easy. The fact is, no quarterback has ever completed 74 percent of his passes for a season, which Brady is doing, and no quarterback ever has had 38 touchdown passes after 10 games. Brett Favre's career-high for TD passes in a season is 39. Brady has 38, in 205 fewer attempts than Favre when he threw 39. I agree Moss is a huge factor, and I also think he should get some MVP votes. But answer this: The loss of which player would damage the Patriots more in the playoffs -- Brady or Moss?"

I don't pretend to think that Moss will get the MVP. He won't. Brady will (and he'll deserve it). But Moss isn't just a huge factor, he's the factor.

I've always found it hard to believe that people don't give Moss more credit. Randy Moss has made average quarterbacks look like MVPs. Randall Cunningham came out of nowhere to throw for 34 TDs in 1998. Jeff George looked done and then tossed 23 TDs in 1999 (and then proceeded to look done). Dante Culpepper threw 33 TDs as a first year starter in 2000 and tossed 39 in 2004.

How have those guys looked without Moss? (And don't give me anything about Culpepper being hurt; he was awful before he got hurt- 6 TDs, 12 INTs) .

Look, don't get me wrong, Tom Brady is ridiculous. He's great

But this is kind of a Barry Bonds situation.

Bonds was going to make the Hall of Fame before he did steroids. He was going to be a 500-500 guy. He was going to be first ballot; no doubter. But with steroids, he goes from a great player to the greatest player. Starts slamming 73 home runs. Starts getting intentionally walked with the bases loaded. He went from a Hall of Famer to a demigod.

Moss is Brady's version of steroids. Brady was already great. Already a Hall of Famer. But with Moss he looks like the greatest quarterback ever (I mean, 38 TDs... after 10 games?!?!). He's going to obliterate all the passing records this season. I actually do think that they're going to go undefeated. He doesn't do this without Moss.

Randy Moss has made scrubs look like MVPs. Now he's playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback and that quarterback is destroying every passing record in sight? This isn't a coincidence.

Which is why Moss should be the MVP.

OK, I lied

I have nothing today. I can't seem to focus on any one thing and I just don't have the time for a long 'thoughts' post.

Thankfully, the fine gentlemen over at Mistake by the Lake Sporting Times have compiled a list of the some of the crazy endings we've witnessed with the New Browns (I had actually meant to do something similar, but it wouldn't have been anywhere near this complete).

Also, if reading Born and Raised on the Cleveland Browns isn't part of your Monday routine... make it.

I'll have something... um... tomorrow?

So, what I miss?

I'll have something up tomorrow... in the meantime, one down, nine to go.

Larry Hughes is out

ESPN 850 WKNR is reporting that Hughes will miss 2-4 weeks due to the bone bruise on his knee (can't find a link yet- sorry).

I, for one, am shocked, shocked, that Hughes is missing more time. Hopefully Brown can get settle on a decent sub pattern with Sasha Pavlovic and Devin Brown (needless to say, I like both of their games better than Larry's).

Also, I'm not sure whether or not I'll be able to write up the Utah game tonight (I'll be in Columbus for the OSU-Michigan festivities, you know, dumpster fires and car flipping) so you'll have to make due without me.

Orlando 117, Cleveland 116 OT

This one hurts. The Cavs were close for most of the game, got down in the fourth and made a late (and I mean late) push to get it into overtime. In OT they had a lead with 13 seconds to go, but Dwight Howard made two freebies and the Cavs couldn't convert at the other end (Hedo Turkoglu, of all people, tied LeBron up for a jump ball as time was about to expire).

LeBron was a beast. James played probably his most complete game of the year; he led the Cavaliers in just about every category you can think of by scoring 39 points, dishing out 14 assists, grabbing 13 boards and blocking two shots. He even hit his free throws (7-9), including three in the final 2.4 seconds of regulation. LeBron will probably take some crap from the media for having Turkoglu force the jump ball, but I can't fault anything about LeBron's performance Wednesday night. He hit a go-ahead shot with 13 seconds left in OT, he hit three free throws to tie the game to send it to OT and he guarded Rashard Lewis down the stretch- in short, he played like an MVP.

Can't say they aren't giving the fans what they want. Larry Hughes took the first Cavalier shot of the game. It was a jumper. He missed. Larry didn't have a particularly good game, going 2-12 for just 4 points. I'll direct your attention here.

The Cavs started out slow. They spotted the Magic a 7-0 lead and then got down 11-3. It's not really surprising, considering that Cleveland is coming off their West coast trip (they played in Denver on Monday night). However, they ended up having a 29-28 lead at the end of the first period. Things slowed a bit in the second quarter, getting down 52-45, before the Cavs closed out the half strong to take a 56-55 lead into halftime.

The offense looked good early. Four of the five Cavalier starters scored in double figures in the first 24 minutes (Hughes didn't score) and LeBron led the way with 14 points, 7 assists and 3 boards. The defense was the problem early on; the rotations weren't quick enough and it allowed Orlando to shoot 52% for the half.

Z and Gooden both had strong game offensively, but neither could contain Dwight Howard. Gooden had 23 points and 12 boards while Z pitched in 18 and 11. However, Howard had 35 and 16, including a couple big rebounds down the stretch (though the Cavs out rebounded Orlando 50-42 overall). This could've been a game that Varejao was missed, if just to get a cheap charge or two on Howard. The big fella got Z fouled out gave Gooden 5 as well.

Daniel Gibson's last basket came with 11:40 to go... in the third quarter. I'm sure Orlando stepped up their defense a bit, but Gibson had 13 points at halftime and 16 for the game. The guy was on fire too; he was perfect from the floor (5-5 overall, 4-4 from downtown) and from the line (2-2). I have no idea how the Cavs can't get him a shot over the final two periods and OT.

Pavlovic was back and he was so-so. Sasha had some good moments in the first half (6 points) but he made some mistakes down the stretch and he missed a bunch of open jumpers late (though, in a few weeks, I'm pretty sure those drop).

The turnovers hurt. Cleveland only had one more TO than Orlando (15 to 14) but they led to 20 Magic points, compared to just 13 for the Cavaliers. The Cavs had a bunch of mental mistakes as well, sloppy passes, traveling and just some general misunderstandings. They got better as the game went on, but if a few of those miscues don't happen...

and finally...

More injuries. Damon Jones' back flared up late in the game and Larry Hughes was having his knee looked at on the sideline (Hughes didn't play down the stretch, whether it's because of injury or just general crappiness, I don't know). At this point, losing Jones would be a bigger blow, as it would make Gibson the teams' only point guard AND consistent outside threat. The Cavs face Utah on Friday (which I may or may not be able to watch and/or write up) and that's a tough team to face when you want to stop a two game slide from ballooning into a three game losing streak.

One more thing

I've been meaning to highlight this in a 'Random Thoughts from the Weekend' but I've been busy with school (also, I have a day off today, which I think is obvious by my blogging output) so I haven't gotten around to it.

Erik has a good post (though a bit old) about how LeBron and the Cavs are coming off a trip to the Finals (seriously, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA Finals people!) and how they're getting no respect, either nationally or locally.

And he's right, this is stupid. I'd love to be able to explain it, but I can't. See, I'm not your typical Cleveland fan, my loyalties go Cavs-Tribe-Browns in that order. I don't understand how the fans can pack a sports bar for the NFL Draft but then leave as the Cavs play (and win) a playoff game.

(But it makes sense; the Cavs were good when I was in grade school and middle school, when I first started to like sports. The Tribe kicked ass in the 90s when I was in high school. The Browns? They were OK when I was young and then left (and stunk upon their return) during middle school and high school. I think my loyalties make sense. Let's move on).

But there's more.

Erik also brings up Scott Raab's insane LeBron-Yankee cap rant ('worthless scrum') and then Raab comments leaves an incoherent comment about 'if Larry Bird had worn a Yankees cap' and how LeBron can't leave soon enough (I'm jealous, I wish Raab had left a comment on my Raab diatribe post).

It's pretty interesting and I recommend reading the whole thing.

Starbury

Chris Sheridan says yes. Brian Windhorst says no.

Chris Sheridan even makes up a trade:

Trade No. 1

Marbury, Renaldo Balkman and Fred Jones to Cleveland for Larry Hughes, Anderson Varejao and Damon Jones

The Knicks gain some perimeter defense and add a frontcourt player who can actually play a little defense. The Cavs get a true point guard along with an energy forward, Balkman, to replace Varejao, and they get rid of their $13.65 million obligation to Hughes for the 2009-10 season, allowing them to become major players in free agency the summer before James' contract expires.

Sheridan's Marbury trade has the Cavs giving up Hughes in return. Would you do a Marbury-Hughes swap? We know that if the Cavs are going get rid of Hughes, they'll probably have to pick up another team's problem child in return, right?

Of course, this trade is dumb. Why would the Cavs give up Varejao as well? What does that have to do with anything? I could see a Hughes-Marbury swap of guys who need a change of scenery but I can't see the Cavs tossing in Varejao for likes of Fred Jones and Renaldo Balkman (now, if David Lee is involved...). Also, Sheridan calls Marbury "a true point guard" which is so completely ludicrous that I can't even wrap my head around it.

But there's more to consider here. We all know that Marbury's teams improve after he leaves right? How much has this been tested? Does Marbury need to be here a certain number of years? Games? How much does he need to be involved before the Cavs can kick him to the curb and enjoy that post-Marbury bump? 5 games? A few months? A season or two?

I'm not exactly sure I really want to find out.

And so it begins....

Kill me now:

Josh Markovic (Mimmiville): Can we finally come the realization the KG is much better than Tim Duncan?

John Hollinger: That annoying 4-0 deficit in championship rings is putting a bit of a dent in your case.

Yup, 6 games in and the debate is settled. Why wait 'til the playoffs, let's just stop the season now and give the championship to the Celtics. I mean, they've beaten Washington, Toronto, Denver, New Jersey, Atlanta and Indiana, who can't these guys beat? Could this team challenge Chicago's 72 wins?

Stop it.

Kevin Garnett is not better than Tim Duncan. The '07-'08 Celtics shouldn't even be in the same conversation with the '95-'96 Bulls (let alone have their own comparison page on ESPN.com).

They're a good team who's gotten off to a hot start. They'll win somewhere between 46-56 games this year. They aren't going to win 60 and they aren't going to sniff 70.

On a similar note, the second part (Eastern Conference part 2) of Bill Simmon's four part NBA preview posts today and I'm interested to see A) how many back handed compliments he gives the Cavaliers and B) if he's gone off the deep end with the Celtics or if he's kept his wits about him. BTW, Part 1 was quite enjoyable and it reminded me of how much I really enjoy his NBA stuff when he's not making up shit about LeBron.

No Buyout for Snow

There was a rumor that Eric Snow might ask for a buyout:

Cleveland Cavaliers insiders are starting to believe Eric Snow's days in Cleveland are numbered. Before undergoing knee surgery, Snow sold his house in Cleveland and returned to his family's home base in Atlanta.

After joining up with the Cavs for two games of their West Coast trip last week, he went back home to Atlanta citing personal reasons. The suspicion is he will ask the Cavs to buy him out of the two remaining years of his contract, which he hopes would allow him to sign with the Atlanta Hawks.

That might be a problem, though, since he stands to make $6.7 million this year and $7.3 million next year.

At first thought, I thought this might be a good idea, considering the glut of guards that the Cavs already have (plus the stellar play of Devin Brown). But come next offseason, Snow's expiring deal will ($7.3 million) could help the Cavs out a lot. I'd hate to see the Cavs sit on Snow's contract for all these years and then let him go without taking advantage of the expiring deal or the capspace.

Well, don't worry (I guess) because it looks like Snow is sticking around:

A report in the Detroit News this week suggested that Eric Snow plans to ask the Cavs for a buyout of the last two years of his contract and sign with the Atlanta Hawks. It was based on the fact that Snow's family moved from Cleveland to Atlanta full time over the summer. It sent the message boards buzzing.

It is simply not true.

Snow's agent, Steve Kauffman, said Tuesday there have been no buyout talks and there are no plans for such talks. According to a source, the Cavs have no interest in buyout talks, either.

Snow, a Canton native, has maintained a home in Atlanta for years and always planned to move his family there full time. The Cavs have had trade talks involving Snow, including with the Hawks, a source said, but nothing is imminent. Next year, in the final year of Snow's contract, when he's to be paid $7.3 million, he probably will become a key trading asset for the Cavs.

The team also values his defense and his leadership. Snow has been a captain for the past three seasons.

So there we go. He'll be here for at least this season. Which, honestly, is fine. They could use him in big defensive spots and simply having him around Daniel Gibson can't hurt, can it?

Denver 122, Cleveland 100

Seriously guys, I could've been watching Heroes. Wow, was that game ugly. Sure, you can talk about how it's the second night of a back-to-back, that it's the last game of the trip or any other excuse you can think up(Denver shot well, they're a poor matchup on the best of nights and the Cavs were missing bodies) but the fact is the Cavs didn't show up. There was no movement on offense and the defense was a step slow all night. Tired legs? Maybe. But in Denver, LeBron was getting the ball 25 feet from the hoop, rather than the 15 feet we've been used to seeing.

Larry Hughes had the right idea. Hughes got himself thrown out about 4 minutes into the game for arguing a foul (a foul on a jumpshot. Really? This is what you're getting thrown out for?) and didn't have to participate in the ensuing bloodbath. The Cavs could've used Larry's length in guarding Allen Iverson throughout the night (just to give him some different looks). The Cavs were already without Eric Snow (knee), Donyell Marshall (wrist), Sasha Pavlovic (back) and Anderson Varejao (dumbass) and they couldn't afford to lose another player.

LeBron had the quietest (and ugliest) 27 points you'll ever see. LeBron was attacking the basket early on and got to the line enough (14 FTA) but couldn't convert (8 FTM). Maybe it was his tired legs, maybe it was his poor free throw shooting, but as the game wore, LeBron settled more and more for jumpers (and long ones at that). James only had one rebound and that came early in the first quarter.

Allen Iverson always kills the Cavs. A.I. just had his way with Daniel Gibson (who picked up some dumb fouls again) in route to scoring 37 points on an un-Iverson-like 14-20 shooting. To be fair, when he's shooting at a high percentage (he was 2-4 from 3), he's basically unguardable.
The first half was brutal. The Cavs shot 24% in the first quarter and 35% for the entire half (while Denver was pouring them in at a 58% clip) and only made 9 out of 17 freebies. Somehow they were only down 3 at the end of the first period (21-18) but the lead ballooned to 15 at halftime and the Nuggets never looked back.

Not that the second half was any better. For the game, the Nuggets shot 55% from the floor and 54.5% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Cavs shot 55.3% from the foul line. The entire fourth quarter was garbage time. The game was ugly.

The Cavalier big men were not good. Z was 1-6 and Gooden was 2-9. They still rebounded fairly well (I guess), Z had 6 boards in 20 minutes while Gooden pulled down 9 in 28. They both got burned on the defensive end quite a bit, especially Z (Marcus Camby took him off the dribble multiple times; the big guy just couldn't keep up).

Hey, Shannon Brown got some court time. And it only took a Hughes ejection, injuries to Snow and Pavlovic and a blow out. To his credit, Brown responded to his 16 minutes of PT by scoring 12 points on 4-9 shooting (hell, he also made 4-5 free throws, which was the best on the team).

and finally...

Home! It's too bad the Cavs ended the trip on this note, because they had a real solid first 5 games. 3-3 is not a bad trip at all (but man, 4-2 would've been nice). If there's a silver lining to Monday's game, it's the fact that Coach Mike got the starters some rest due to the blow out (and Hughes' temper). I hope it helps, because the Cavs aren't going to get much rest before facing Orlando in Cleveland on Wednesday in a quick turnaround game. It wouldn't shock me if the look a step slow in the game as well.

Cleveland 103, Los Angeles 95

At least one team showed up this weekend. This two game win streak certainly eases the pain caused by scrambling quarterbacks....

LeBron was very active. He didn't dominate the ball, but he did a ton of things right. In 36 minutes, he scored 22 points, dished out 8 assists and grabbed 6 boards to go along with 6 steals and yet another block (giving him 11 for the road trip). James put pressure on the Clippers defense by going inside (driving and setting up in the post) as well as running the floor before the defense is set.

Zydrunas won the battle of the bald(ing), white centers. Both Z and Chris Kaman played extremely well. Z 11-18 from the floor and he led the Cavaliers in scoring with 25. Kaman showed off a variety of post moves on his way to 21 points. Neither player could really stop the other one (which isn't exactly surprising, these guys aren't known for their defense) but the difference was the that the Cavs actually looked Ilgauskas's way down the stretch. Z had 12 of his 25 in the final quarter.

Devin Brown is currently making Eric Snow a really expensive assistant coach. Brown gave the Cavaliers another solid effort off the bench, scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 boards. Brown defends, he rebounds, he runs the floor and he can shoot. He does the dirty work that Snow does (like guarding Corey Maggette in the post) while also having the ability to put the ball in the basket.

Larry Hughes returned. Larry played pretty well in his first game back; he scored 12 points on 5-8 shooting and even hit a 3. He was pretty active in his time on the floor, but he only got just 28 minutes (though I think this had more to do with the play of the bench, rather than Hughes). He took good shots for the most part (though there was one or two...) and he looked pretty solid at the defensive end (his knee didn't seem to hold him back any).

But now Sasha is hurt. Pavlovic only played 6 minutes (he looked tentative) and he left the game with back spasms. Obviously, this isn't good. However, if there's one position where the Cavs actually have depth, shooting guard is it.

Third time may be the charm for Coach Mike's offense. The offense was pretty solid in Los Angeles; the Cavs shot 50% (42-83) and they scored in the triple digits. Now, some of this was simply good shooting (both Z and Hughes had their jumpers falling) but the Cavs should get credit for taking good shots. The biggest difference this season (besides the 'passing and cutting') is the fact the Cavaliers are feeding the post on a regular basis (to the entire starting front court); I think that regular post play is helping them stay out of those prolonged scoring droughts that plagued them for much of last season.

Speaking of solid post play, Drew Gooden had a great night. By any measure, with his 18 points and 17 boards, Gooden had a great game. But his line is even more riduculous when you see that he put up those numbers in just 30 minutes (and he sat the entire fourth period). Gooden was extremely active on both ends and the Cavs rode his hot hand for much of the first half. I was kind of surprised the Brown kept Gooden on the bench, considering that he had really good chance for a 20-20 night, but the bench guys played so well, Drew stayed in his warm ups.

Teams are going at Daniel Gibson. He's getting too many dumb fouls (slaps and reaches) and teams are making him play defense (whether it's in the post or catching him off guard at certain points in the game). I'm sure this is something he'll work on and fix, but Sam Cassell (28 points) had his way with him. The Cavs need his shooting and he'll only be able to shoot if he can stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court.

Coach Mike stayed with his bench for the final period. LeBron and Z played the bulk of the fourth with Damon Jones, Ira Newble and Devin Brown (and it worked). Jones was taking care of the ball and hitting jumpers while Newble and Brown did the dirty work. I was a bit surprised that Gibson, Hughes and Gooden were all planted to the bench down the stretch, but with the strong play of the reserves (plus that game in Denver the next night), it worked out.

and finally...

We can't really expect a 4-2 West coast trip... can we? A win in Denver gives the Cavs a winning record for the trip, which I certainly didn't think was possible (especially after the Dallas game- ugh). Even if they lose to go 3-3, they gave a good effort and played pretty well in the losses to Phoenix and Utah. As long as they don't completely lay an egg against the Nuggets, they should return to Cleveland feeling pretty good about themselves.

That sucked

Couple things:

1) 4th and inches, Illinois has the punt team out and OSU calls timeout. Illinois comes back and runs for the 1st down. Excellent time out.

2) Hey ABC, wanna mention the fumble on Illinois first drive? The one on the goal line? No? OK

3) Maybe this time they'll pass... Nope... how about this time? No? OK this time they gotta pass... OSU's defense might want to look for the run at some point.

4) If anyone is surprised that OSU had trouble with Juice Williams, they obviously didn't watch OSU's game against Washington and James Locker. Locker would have these long drives that would end with an INT or some kind of mistake. Williams didn't make those mistakes.

5) There was going to be a game where Todd Boeckman stunk it up and the defense needed to step it up. This was it. Too bad the defense stunk it up too. Also, Boeckman threw some terrible picks. The one in the endzone was brutal (he got spooked in the pocket, even though there was no pressure).

6) Everyone pile on OSU. Please. Come on, they didn't deserve to be number 1, they didn't play anyone good, blah blah. Enjoy it. Only 2 of the 24 starters are seniors, they're gonna dominate next season.

7) In the same vein, OSU fans shouldn't be that mad or upset. Seriously, this was the rebuilding year. There's still a chance for a BCS game.

8) Speaking of the BCS, this is great. Obviously, I'd rather have OSU go undefeated... BUT if they were to lose, I'd want it to screw up the BCS as much as possible. And having OSU as one of the 1-loss teams hurts the BCS. The more big name teams with 1-loss the better.

9) Maybe they'll pass this time...

10) I was worried about Michigan losing and playing against Ohio State free and easy with nothing to lose (solely to mess up OSU national championship hopes). Well, both teams lost... so... ya...

Cleveland 93, Sacramento 91

They would've lost this game last year. Poor shooting (38%)? Check. On the road? Check. Against a less talented team? Check. Good excuses (injuries, West coast trip)? Check. This game had all the trappings of those frustrating losses that plagued the team all last season (against the Hawks, Knicks, Celtics, etc). The Cavs were flat, the offense sputtered and key players struggled (Sasha Pavlovic was 1-10 and both Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were in foul trouble). But somehow they prevailed.

That 'somehow' was LeBron James. James didn't have a particularly strong evening (he didn't grab his first rebound until the fourth quarter) but he scored 8 points over the game's last three minutes to put the Kings away (which is great, because he only scored 7 points in the first 24 minutes). The stat sheet wasn't as stuffed as much as it's been recently (only 4 boards and 4 assists- he's averaging 8 and 7.5 for the season, respectively) but James played great down the stretch on both ends of the court. LeBron had yet another block (he's averaging 2 per game- and I thought he had an additional one) and he was in Kevin Martin's face for the Kings' last possession.

Devin Brown played great. Brown gave the Cavs 20 points, 11 boards and 3 assists in 36 minutes (by far his most court time this season). The Cavs needed Brown to play well since Daniel Gibson was in foul trouble all night and Sasha Pavlovic shot a Larry Hughes-esque 1-10 from the floor. Brown also helped the Cavs spread the floor as he hit two out of his six 3s (plus, when he goes inside, he has the strength to finish).

The Kings' zone defense gave the Cavs fits. So far this season, the Cavs have done a pretty good job of sticking with their offense and getting the ball inside. That didn't happen in Sacramento. Thanks to the Kings' defense, the Cavs shot 25 3s (making 7) and just 22 free throws (making 16). The Cavs shot just 38% from the floor, 28% from beyond the arc and just 72% from the line (though that 72% marks the high point over the last three games). The Cavs didn't go inside, LeBron was getting the ball 25 feet from the hoop (rather than 15 like he's done all year) and for some reason, both Gooden and Z were receiving and passing the ball from beyond the 3 point arc during the last 2 minutes.

Dear ESPN, yes the Cavs have a lot of injuries, but nobody cares (well, Cavalier fans certainly don't care). Seriously, the injured Cavaliers are Eric Snow, Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall- all the older, unproductive players (that absolutely kill the offense). The only player out that the Cavs actually miss is Anderson Varejao. I, for one, am more than willing to have Coach Mike teach the young, offensive minded players how to play defense rather than having to watch decent defensive players run the 'offense'. I can't even imagine how bad the Cavs' offense would've looked if Snow and Hughes were out there against that zone.

Kevin Martin is pretty good... He scored 32 points on just 17 shots and he made 17 out of 18 free throws. That's efficient. The Kings used him similarly to Reggie Miller; Martin was running Cavs players through picks all night long in order to get open jumpers. I actually thought that the Cavs did a pretty decent job on him (only 7-17 shooting), but the points sure do rack up when you make over 90% of your free throws (hint hint LeBron).

Drew Gooden bounced back. After shooting just 2-11 and going for just 8 points (to go with 9 boards) against Utah, Gooden shot 6-13 and had 14 points (with again, 9 boards) in Sacramento. With Varejao out, Gooden, if he can stay focus, has a chance to establish himself as the Cavs mainstay at the power forward position.

Ilgauskas probably had his worst game of the year. And he still finished with 11 points and 15 boards in 34 minutes. The big fella was frustrated most of the evening with his lack of touches (he was just 3-11), the bulk of which came off his 8 offensive rebounds. Z's averaging 16 points and 14 boards for the season in about 34 minutes a game (which is right around where I'd like to see him. He doesn't need to be in the upper 30s in terms of minutes, but 32-35 should work).

However, with Z in foul trouble and Varejao sitting on his ass in Brazil, we got our first look at Cedric Simmons. Simmons intrigues me, simply because of his athleticism (seriously, I want LeBron paired with a big man who can leap) but he really didn't do a whole lot in his first 9 minutes of the season (1 rebound, 1 block, 0-2 FT, 0-1 FG). With Varejao's contract situation still up in the air (and it could be that way for awhile) and Donyell Marshall out, Simmons is battling Dwayne Jones for the back up big man minutes. So far, neither has done much to distinguish himself.

Did everyone see Mike Bibby in street clothes? This is one of the many reasons why I'm glad the Cavs didn't trade for him (along with his contract, his 3 point shooting and the leverage they'd lose with Varejao). Sure, I'm not thrilled with all of Danny Ferry's moves (and let's not forget that he was on the job for about a week for the Hughes, Marshall and Jones signings), but I'm impressed with the moves he hasn't done, to keep the Cavs out of even worse cap trouble (both the Gooden and Pavlovic deals, Varejao slowly screwing himself over and, lord, right now we could be watching both Hughes and Bibby wear suits every night).

Like I said, not all the moves... Shannon Browns got another DNP-CD against the Kings. It's really not a good sign when last season's first round pick can't get minutes with two veteran guards out (Snow and Hughes) while the other guard (Pavlovic) plays himself into shape and shoots 25% (10-40 FG, 1-13 3pt).

and finally...

Finish the trip strong. So far, the Cavs are 2-2 on their West coast trip. With the remaining games against the Clippers (4-1) and the Nuggets (3-3), you hope they can at least grab a split and finish the six game swing goes 3-3. It'd be a great start to the season if the Cavs can return to Cleveland with .500 or winning record. Neither game is particularly easy, but the way the Cavs have played on this trip, it wouldn't be a stretch for them to finish it out with a three game win streak.

This is Stupid

Why would the Browns do this? I mean, wow, I'd love to see this offense with Adrian Peterson; could imagine a back like that complimenting this passing attack? But do you know what the key word in that sentence was?

This.

I'd love to see Peterson with this offense. I'd love to see Peterson getting downfield blocks from Braylon Edwards. I'd love to see Peterson catch swing passes from Derek Anderson. I'd love to see Peterson run behind this offensive line.

I'm sure we all remember that last season Charlie Frye got tackled multiple times while handing the ball off. Don't get me wrong, Derek Anderson's been great this year. Great. Last week he was 29-48 for 364 yards. But, out of the 48 times he dropped back to pass, do you know how many times he was sacked? 0. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Nil. Zip. Derek Anderson isn't being Derek Anderson if the Browns don't draft Joe Thomas (and sign Eric Steinbach). If Anderson has to run for his life every play, we're not watching Braylon Edwards make sweet catches.

So, while Adrian Peterson has been spectacular (oh, and by the way, the Vikings are 3-5), I don't think the (5-3!) Browns would do anything different with that third overall pick.

Utah 103, Cleveland 101

This one hurts. The Cavs were down for the bulk of the game, but they fought and clawed all night long to tie the score with 6 seconds left (hell, they were down 5 with 27 seconds left). But, instead of calling a timeout, Utah and Deron Williams ran down the court and scooped in a layup with 1 second left.

LeBron played great. LBJ notched his first triple double of the season (and he had it before the 4th quarter began). James finished the game with 32 points (on 12-27 shooting), 15 boards, 13 assists nevermind his 3 steals and 2 blocks. He hit the 3 to tie the game with 6 seconds left (and that was a back breaker- hand in his face, standing still... ridiculous). James looks really good right now; he's doing everything that a coach (or fan) could want. He's taking good shots, he's passing extremely well (he easily could've had more assists if guys finished strong) and he's playing superb defense (he has 9 blocks over the last three games).

This was the first game that I thought the Cavs actually missed Anderson Varejao. They needed someone to match the energy of Utah's Paul Milsap, who just murdered the Cavs with junk points and rebounds. Milsap had a career high 24 points to go along with 5 boards. They also needed Varejao to spell Drew Gooden, who needed a break mentally. It just wasn't Drew's night; he was just 2-11 from the floor and he missed numerous close shots. He also got the ball stripped a few times while dribbling in the key (he'd get a pass or a rebound and do a power dribble to set himself. But whenever he brought the ball that low, someone would get a hand on the ball). This doesn't mean I want the Cavs to go give Andy that one year deal, but with Marshall out, you can tell that Mike Brown doesn't trust his bench bigs (Dwayne Jones got just 9 minutes and I'm not sure if we've seen Cedric Simmons play all year- though he might be hurt).

The Cavs must get their free throw shooting under control. They lost by 2, in Utah, on a second night of a back to back and they shot just 65% from the line (while the Jazz were 34-40 for 85%). Though, honestly, this wasn't so much a team problem as it was a LeBron James problem. James was just 7-15 from the stripe. To his credit, they weren't falling early (just 3-8) but he kept forcing the issue to get back to the line. In close road loss like this, the Cavs need LeBron to make at least 70% of his freebies (though, 80% is the number to aim for).

Zyrdrunas Ilgauskas played really well. Again. Big Z had 18 points, 14 boards and 4 blocks in 31 minutes. You wonder if this game would've turned out differently if it wasn't the second night of a back-to-back because Z definitely could've (and should've) had more court time. I think the new 'drive and kick' offense has allowed Z to get more set jumpers as well as some lanes for offensive rebounds (he had 7 against the Jazz).

Daniel Gibson takes some tough calls. So far this year, opposing point guards go right at Boobie and try to draw contact. I don't think he really is out of position or slaps too much but he doesn't have the strength to body some of these guys inside (of course, he just went against Baron Davis and Deron Williams, not many guards can put a body on those two). However, Gibson continued to shoot well, knocking down three treys and scoring 12 points.

Sasha Pavlovic played well... for a half. For the first half, Pavlovic had 17 points. For the game... he had 17 points. Maybe he's still playing his way into game shape, I dunno. But he airballed a wide open 3 in the fourth and was generally non-existent for the final period. As the season (and road trip) marches on, I think we'll see Sasha put together complete games.

The little things hurt. The Cavs had way too many turnovers. They had 18 for the game, but 13 of those came in the first half. There were a lot of bad passes, traveling violations and just general disarray at the offensive end. A lot of these weren't even forced turnovers, just simple miscues by the Cavaliers. Utah did get some lucky bounces of their own; there were multiple times that a Cavalier player would slap away a pass or shot on the defensive end, only to see it land next to a Utah player three feet from the rim. Also, the Jazz had at least six 'and one' plays (and Paul Milsap had three of 'em). Like I said, I wonder how this game turns out if it isn't the second night of a back-to-back.

But the effort was there. One of my big problems with the Cavaliers last season is that, when they lost, they lost ugly. They'd take bad shots, they'd lose focus and they simply just played bad. So far, at least on this road trip, I like how the Cavs have played, losses included. The effort has been there every night (the Cavs outrebounded Utah 47-43), the defense has been there (Z and LeBron combined for 6 blocks) and they stayed within their game plan (movement! using the post! all game long!).

and finally...

Does anyone not like this starting five? The Cavs (and LeBron) are so much tougher to guard when defenses have to account for both guards behind the arc. Gibson and Sasha help spread the floor and it gives the offense more space to maneuver. If Pavlovic hadn't missed training camp, I would guess that Larry Hughes would be coming off the bench upon his return (but, if Hughes comes back anytime soon -before Sasha gets his legs back- I'd expect him to resume his starting role). I think it's safe to say the Cavs should give coach Brown offensive players who he can teach defense, rather than defensive specialists who have to learn to shoot.

Cleveland 108, Golden State 104

First road win out of the way. The Cavs are just 2-2, but I think you have to be pleased with their play since the season opener. The Cavs fought hard against Golden State; they withstood a few Warrior runs, they played solid defense and, while they pushed the ball, they didn't get caught up trying to run with Golden State.

LeBron led the Cavs in just about everything. He paced the team in points (24), rebounds (14) , assists (9), blocks (3) and chastisings of Drew Gooden (1) all while playing with blurred vision (after getting a poked in the eye late in the first period). Throughout the night, LeBron set up about 15 feet from the rim and got some easy baskets (well, at least some baskets where he's not going 1 on 5). His 3(!) blocks were pretty ridiculous and his effort at the defensive end was strong all evening (he wanted, and got, to guard Baron Davis down the stretch). He was both dominant and playing within the flow of the game. Needless to say, I enjoyed it.

But it's not like he didn't have help. Both Daniel Gibson and Zydrunas Ilgausksas dropped in 22 points and Drew Gooden pitched in 16. Gibson knocked down 5-9 from beyond the arc (including a trey with 19 seconds left to put the Cavs up 4) and Z was 9-15 from the floor while grabbing 13 boards. I know a lot of Z's stat averages are up simply due to his increased work load, but you can't say the big man isn't playing great ball right now. He's rebounding well and taking good shots (it also helps that the Cavs are actually looking into the post with some regularity). Plus, Z moved more Tuesday night than he has in the past 4 years (he had a multiple drive to the rim and, surprise, they were effective).

Sasha Pavlovic hasn't gotten his legs under him yet. While Sasha was a brutal 2-11, I didn't find myself too upset with is play (certainly not as upset as I'd be with a 2-11 night from Larry Hughes. Of course, at this point I may have an irrational dislike for Hughes and his game). Sasha missed his share of open jumpers as well as a few layups. I expect that once he gets a few games under is belt that those shots will start dropping. Plus, I love a starting 5 of Gibson, Pavs, LeBron, Gooden and Z. That group will score points.

The bench was ok... Damon Jones scored 10 points (4-8 overall and 2-6 from downtown) and ran the point fairly well. Dwayne Jones only got 3 minutes but blocked a shot and challenged a few others. Devin Brown was probably the biggest help off the bench; Brown played his fair share of point guard and he notched 8 points, 8 assists and 6 boards in 27 minutes.

Both teams shot poorly from the foul line. The Cavs and the Warriors were both under 70%. LeBron was 5-7, Z was 4-6 and Gooden was 2-4 (for the game, the Cavs shot 68%). This could've come back to bite them at the end, but Golden State shooting 69% let them off the hook. For the season, the Cavs are shooting just 67% from the line; this has too improve.

Since it was a close game throughout (nevermind an entertaining one) we didn't get to see many young guys. Part of me is surprised that Shannon Brown hasn't played since then opener but another part of me remembers his play during said opener. I was also interested in seeing Golden State's Italian rookie, Marco Belinelli, but he didn't get any court time (the Cavs were his first DNP-CD). I spent last June's draft hoping the Cavs would find a way to trade into the first round to snag Belinelli but instead they stood pat (as I'm sure we're all aware).

The Cavs defense was decent. Yes, Golden State scored over 100 but they only shot 42% from the floor. Baron Davis attacked the smaller Gibson on the block a few times, but the Cavs did a pretty good job of forcing Davis into tough shots. Davis scored 29 points, but needed 28 shots to do it (for comparison, LeBron had 24 points on 16 shots).

This was the best the Cavs' offense has looked all season. They made quick decisions with the ball, it looked like the knew what they wanted to do and they went to the post for the entire game (unlike in Phoenix when they stopped for the 3rd period). The Cavs also pushed the ball quite a bit; they'd grab a rebound and throw a pass quickly, rather than holding onto the ball and waiting for a guard. Having Devin Brown and LeBron crash the defensive boards is a ready made break. All in all, the offensive movement was the best it's been all season (and sure, they were playing against Golden State's defense but I was just glad to see the Cavs stick to their gameplan).

and finally...

First back-to-back of the season. Playing Golden State and then Utah won't be easy, especially with the Cavs missing a good chunk of their roster (Varejao, Hughes, Marshall and Snow). Plus, the starters logged a lot of minutes against the Warriors; James had 42, Z had 38, Gooden had 37 and Gibson notched 35. It'll be interesting to see how the Cavs' effort will be following the game in Oakland.

Speaking of Larry Hughes....

First of all, he's hurt again (if you had 3 games in the pool, collect your money). Secondly, Gilbert Arenas commented on Larry in his blog (via Truehoop):

You paid Larry money because Larry did something well: he scored. You can't have a guy who averaged 22 points one year and then go somewhere new and not get the same average and then you bash him. No, if you want him to be what he was, you need to change the tempo of your game. Besides Ilgauskas, you have runners. You have a team that wants to run. A team like Cleveland can run up and down and still bog down on defense. Their leader is one of the top athletes in the world. When we used to play them they always had us down 20 in the first period because they just ran and you couldn't stop them on the break.

That's why I mentioned when LeBron first got there when he had Ricky Davis and Darius Miles, they were just flying up and down. I know Mike Brown came in and tweaked the defense and stuff like that, but if you want to utilize what Larry Hughes is, you need to open the floor and let them run more. With that team, your defense isn't going to go anywhere. But you want to bring the tempo up. You keep hearing his name in trade rumors and fans going, 'We want him out of here, he doesn't fit the system.' Well, sometimes you have to change the system for your players. I know a lot of coaches say the players need to fit their systems, but sometimes you have to tweak the system a little too. It's a 50-50 thing.

I'm not going to say that Gilbert doesn't have a point because, well... he does. The Cavs do play slower than the Wizards, so Hughes isn't going to get the same number of touches as he did in D.C. (Also, as I've argued numerous times here and on message boards, the Cavs gave Larry Hughes money because they couldn't give Ray Allen or Michael Redd money and they couldn't start the season with Ira Newble at shooting guard. Larry was the next best option and he was coming off a career year).

Would I like to see them run some more? Sure, in certain situations. You know what would help the running game? A point guard. (Also, I'm not convinced that Z slows the Cavs down that much. You want to run? Have Z throw outlet passes and let LeBron and co. push the ball. The Lakers ran with Kareen and he wasn't exactly nimble. But that's neither here nor there).

My problem with Hughes is his shot selection. If he's open for a jumper, I'm ok with it; but if he forces a jumper (especially early in the shot clock)... not so much. In the same vein, I wish he'd attack the hoop more, but then we start taking chances with his health (he's hit the 70 game mark just twice in his 10 year career).

I'm wondering how much longer Hughes stays in Cleveland. I can't imagine him playing out this contract in a Cavs uniform. The Cavs best offensive unit is Daniel Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic, LeBron, Drew Gooden and Z. Each of those five guys can score. You have to defend the entire court. Teams can sag off of Hughes (or Snow or Varejao) to double LeBron because they don't think he can hit the jumper consistently and he can't finish in traffic at this stage of his career. Having Gibson and Pavs spread the floor can open things of for LeBron and Z in the post.

I'm all for the Cavs tweaking the offense (and lord knows it needs more than 'tweaking') but I'm not sure how much of it they should cater towards Hughes. The guy's a career 40% shooter (who's having trouble with his shot) who misses big chunks of the season. I don't exactly want this guy shooting the ball more.

Phoenix 103, Cleveland 92

It actually was a closer game than the final score makes it appear. Sure, most Cavs fans won't find solace in that, but the game was pretty close throughout.

Actually, the Cavs had a lead at halftime, 45-38. That's right, they held the Suns under 40 points in the first half. The Cavs slowed down the tempo, played tough defense (only 6 Phoenix fastbreak points) and took advantage of Amare Stoudemire's absence by routinely going inside to the bigs (plus they outrebounded Phoenix 35-17). Of course, it also helped that the Suns were ice cold from the floor in the first half (though the Cavs did hold them mostly to jumpers).

Then the 3rd quarter happened. So the Cavs led 45-38 at halftime... and with 7:00 to go in the 3rd period they led 47-46. 5 minutes. 2 points. Yuck. Plus it was really really fun to watch; it wasn't like those 5 minutes were filled with 20 foot jumpers (1-6) and poor turnovers (including a traveling call, a 3 seconds call and multiple terrible passes) or anything...

Also, they stopped going to the big men down low. I don't get it, they simply stopped exploiting their height advantage and settled for jumpers. They went inside later in the game, but by that time (late 4th quarter) they were playing catch up. The Suns made a run to get back into the game and the Cavs blinked; they settled for jumpers and got off their game plan.

Larry Hughes and Damon Jones don't know how to pass. I'm not saying they're selfish or anything, but they don't see passing angles that well (they'll miss open guy or will simply force the issue). Also, the entire team needs to get better at post entry passes, it's pretty pathetic. It's OK to utilize bounce passes every now and then.

Some of that could be the new offense. The Cavs didn't look as unsure as they did against Dallas, but they still don't quickly recognize when to pass the ball and to hold on to it. LeBron is going down low quite a bit and they need to exploit that more often. If he gets a smaller man on him, they need to make that pass inside (bounce, lob... however).

For the season, Larry Hughes is 9-33. That's a blistering 27%. I don't care for his jumpers, but I did like his drive on Steve Nash. I wish he'd do that more often...

LeBron played pretty well (especially defensively). 27 points, 8 assists, 5 boards, 4 blocks(!) and 2 steals. Plus, he was 3-5 from beyond the arc and he got easy points by hanging out by the hoop and taking advantage of the Suns' lack of height (though he still gets pushed away from the block too easily).

However... LeBron's first field goal came after 6 minutes went by in the first period. His last field goal came with 6:07 to go in the 4th. Over the last 6 minutes of the game, LeBron had just 2 points (on two free throws). Oh, and those two freebies? Those were his first foul shots of the game. I hate to ask this guy to do more but... if the Cavs are going (to have a chance) to win in Phoenix, LeBron can't go basket-less for (multiple) 6 minute chunks and he needs to shoot his first free throws before there's just 1:35 left in the game. (Did I, a Cleveland fan, just criticize a 27-8-5-4 performance? I'm spoiled).

Z and Gooden continue to play well. They've both started the year off well (Z is averaging 15 points and 14 boards while Gooden's at 16 and 10) and their solid play continued in Phoenix. Both big men had 22 points and Gooden paced the Cavs with 14 boards and Z followed with 13. The Cavs needed them to rebound well because, with Donyell Marshall hurt and Anderson Varejao getting fat in Brazil, the Cavs don't have a lot of options down low (also, Dwayne Jones got a DNP-CD, so make of that what you will).

Sasha Pavlovic was back. Pavlovic had just 2 points on 1-5 shooting, but I think he'll be fine once he shakes the rust off of his jumper.

I wish the Cavs would exploit their matchups more. Whenever Damon Jones get brought in, teams attack him. Whenever Daniel Gibson gets switched on a bigger player, the opposition puts him right on the block. The Suns closed out the game by getting Drew Gooden to guard Steve Nash for back to back possessions. Why the Cavs don't do this more often is beyond me. They can't run a 1-3 pick and roll? Get Nash stuck guarding LeBron? No good?

and finally...

All things considered, not a bad game. Yeah, you could say they blew it, but I thought the Cavs did a decent job overall (it was certainly better than the Suns games last season. Ugh). A repeat of the Dallas game (or last year's game in Phoenix) would've really gotten this road trip off on the wrong foot. As it is, they're in decent shape going into Golden State on Tuesday.

Suns recap

was traveling yesterday, I've only seen parts of the game. I'll have something later today (afternoon/evening) after I watch the tivo'd game.

(also: the Browns? WTF?)

Cleveland 110, New York 106

Well, that's more like it. Obviously, it's nice to get the win (especially before the road trip) but I was happy to see that the Cavs looked like they actually gave a crap. There was a noticeable difference in effort on Friday compared to the home opener. Going against the Knick's defense makes a helps a bit, but the Cavs looked a lot more focussed.

The LeBron that showed up against Dallas wasn't anywhere near the Q. LeBron had 45 points, 7 boards and 7 assists (a bit better than his 10 point, 5 board and 4 assist opener). He looked like a completely different player; you could tell he was more into the game just by his body language. This is the kind of effort the Cavs will need from their MVP candidate every night. He didn't force too many shots, he got to the line (though he shot just 16-22) and he got a few easy buckets early on (it's nice when he can get points without having to go 1 on 4). The Cavs looked to James in the post in the first half, but went away from it in the second (the third quarter in particular was frustrating).

Daniel Gibson can shoot. Boobie scored 24 points while shooting 6-9 from beyond the arc (8-12 overall). Gibson got the Cavs off to a quick start (a four point play to open the game and 11 first quarter points) and he helped them put the Knicks away at the end. Gibson outscored the Knicks 9-3 in one minute span about halfway through the fourth to push Cavs lead from two (89-87) to eight (98-90).

Though his defense is alright. Gibson is a good defender but he's just too short. So far this season, teams aren't shy about exploiting Gibson at the defensive end. Dallas looked to get Boobie matched up with Jerry Stackhouse while New York tried to get him covering Jamal Crawford. He does OK, but the Cavs are going to have to help him out when he's caught down on the block.

The Cavs do miss Varejao. While I don't think his defense would've done much against Eddie Curry (18 points) or Zach Randolph (24 points), the Cavs did miss his rebounding (they were actually out rebounded 43-39). Z had a good night on the glass (12 rebounds) and Gooden was decent (6 rebounds) but the bench big men need to step up (the bench combined for just 8 boards). Dwayne Jones had just 3 rebounds and Donyell Marshall contributed just a single board; Jones hustles well enough, but gets beat while Marshall was basically a non-factor all night.

Shannon Brown didn't play. That's can't be a good sign. Brown didn't score and had 5 turnovers in the opener and the Cavs didn't pick up his option for next season. I'm sure his confidence is sky high right now.

Jamal Crawford always seems kills the Cavs (and he did on Friday). Crawford had 25 points on a variety of shots and also tossed out 6 assists. Whenever he got the ball he just attacked, mostly against Gibson and Hughes. I'm not sure what it is, but the Cavs seem to have trouble with him.

The Cavs defense got better as the game went on. Sure, the Knicks scored over 100 points, but they shot just 46% for the game (which isn't too bad, considering they were near 60% for the first quarter) and they made some big stops at the end. Curry and Randolph hurt them down low (a combined 39 points) but that's to be somewhat expected (those guys can flat out score). The Cavs also kept New York off the foul line (where the Knicks didn't help themselves by shooting 14-23).

and finally...

Was this game a must win? I don't know if it was, but it was about as close to a must win as the second game of the year can be. They definitely need to wash the taste of the Dallas loss out of their (and the fans') mouth and they really didn't need to start their six game West Coast trip with a record of 0-2.

About that Penn State Video

Ya, I've seen it.

It could be really easy to go off on a giant diatribe about how Penn State fans are assholes and blah blah blah. But that is dumb.

If you actually think that these douchebags represent Penn State, you're an idiot. Sure they're assholes, but they are no more representative of PSU than car tippers in Columbus (next time there's a riot in Columbus, check out how many students are arrested).

I've walked around Happy Valley in full Ohio State gear and I can honestly say that nothing like this was even close to happening. There was taunting and trash talking going back and forth, but it was all in good fun. (My favorite exchange: "You're from Ohio? Ohio sucks!" "You live in Pennsylvania, we share Lake Erie, we're basically the same state" "Ya, I know..."). I never felt remotely scared of Penn State fans, even after I mooned a crowded Taco Bell.

You wanna rip on those assholes, go right ahead. They're scum (takes a big man to throw a beer at a guy with 100 buddies backing him up).

But don't act like this is some kind of indictment on Penn State or their fans.

Dallas 92, Cleveland 74

Calm down. Let's take a deep breath before we fire Danny Ferry and Mike Brown. Obviously, this wasn't the Cavaliers' best performance. The team is putting together (yet another) new offense and it was pretty obvious they aren't comfortable with it just yet. Guys were tentative when the ball would come their way and it looked like they were over thinking things. Things will improve as the year goes on and they get more comfortable with the offense. The defense wasn't completely awful (though it wasn't anywhere near 'good'); Dallas shot very well (it seemed like every jumper with the clock winding down went in) and they still didn't crack 100 (not that they really needed to- the game was a laugher from the second quarter on).

First shot of the season? A missed Larry Hughes jumper. Larry finished the night with two field goals in thirteen attempts. Fantastic. This is a good sign... I can barely wait for the following 81 games.

LeBron's first shot attempt? Three minutes left in the first quarter. His first points? About two minutes into the third period. Not good. James finished with just 10 points (though, he was in foul trouble most of the night. But still, LeBron needs to look to score early on in the game). this was also the first game in his career in which he didn't score in the first half. Also, he didn't take care of the ball early in the game (to be fair, none of the Cavs did) which led to some easy Dallas buckets.

The refs weren't bad. Ya, LeBron had 3 fouls in the first half. They were good calls, even the offensive elbow one. They seemed too focused on the refs and not enough on the Mavericks.

The game was lost in the first half. You can't expect to beat any teams, let alone the Mavericks, if James and Hughes combine for just 3 points in the first half. Plus, the Cavs finished the first half extremely poorly. They were only down 14 points with 3:35 to go in the second period (46-32). They were in a good position to cut the lead to 10 or 12 before halftime. Instead, Dallas outscored the Cavs 8-2 in the final minutes of the half to go up 20. If they finish the half strong, this could've been a different game.

That 15 point first quarter didn't help matters either (neither did the 19 point second quarter and the 15 point fourth). I know it's early and it's a new offense and blah blah... but damn. But hey, they scored 25 in the third, so maybe they've put their third quarter struggles (that plagued them late last season) behind them...

Big Z played well. 18 points and 17 boards ain't bad. The new offense could get him some more points; not many plays are called for him, but with all the driving and kicking going on, he could benefit from the open standup J's (and the all the player movement should help him find some lanes to crash the offensive glass).

Boo birds, already? I'm not one of those guys who bemoans fans that boo their own players, but to hearing the boos this early is a bit surprising. Don't get me wrong, paying fifty bucks to see Larry Hughes shoot 2-13 might piss me off a bit too. But this is just one game of eighty two. Have some perspective. Hell, one guy on WTAM's post game call-in show was saying he wants to return his season tickets (and he's had them for four whole years!). This team is going to struggle early on; they play the Knicks on Friday (who always give them trouble) and then they head out West. This could get ugly. But the team will be better as the year goes on, just have some patience (also, speaking of the call-in show... Hannah? Marry me).

I thought Boobie Gibson played well. He hit some jumpers, he got a bucket inside and he even notched 4 assists. I'll be shocked if he doesn't have a big season. The Cavs do have to watch out for him in regards to mismatches. Whenever Gibson got caught on Jerry Stackhouse, he was taken right to the low block (where he stood no chance against the veteran Stackhouse).

Shannon Brown struggled. It looked like Brown was pressing a bit (though you could say that about the bulk of the squad) and he seemed to be forcing the issue. He had a golden opportunity to take Sasha Pavlovic's minutes and he hasn't capitalized. With Pavlovic coming back as early as Friday (he said he's been practicing with team back home), Brown needed to get off to a decent start. 0-5 with 2 turnovers ain't it.

Free throws... haven't improved. 15-25 as a team. James was 6-10 and Drew Gooden was 2-5. They can't expect to beat good teams while shooting 60% from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Dallas shot 85%...

and finally...

I am definitely not comfortable about Friday's game. The Knicks always give the Cavs trouble (especially Jamal Crawford) and I'm not too eager to see Eddie Curry and Zach Randolph down low this early in the season.

Anderson Varejao is not worth 11 wins

Just for the record, Bill Simmons predicted that the Cavs to win less than 40 games and LeBron will request a trade.

Needless to say, I disagree.

Look, I can understand why people are down on the Cavs. I get it. They're a flawed team whose roster hasn't changed in basically two seasons. Anderson Varejao is holding out (Pavlovic just inked a reasonable deal). The East has improved (but, honestly, by that much?). I get the negativity. I have some of it as well.

But the Cavs are the 9th best team in the conference? Really? I mean, I can't honestly think that Simmons actually believes this (I honestly think he's just tweaking Cleveland fans). Worse than Indiana? Worse than Atlanta? Why would they slip behind New Jersey? Or Detroit?

Do people really think that Anderson Varejao means that much? Hustle points and flops are an 11 win difference?

Personally, I think the Cavs will match their win total of the last two seasons. 50 games. Two years ago they overachieved to reach 50, while last year they kind of underachieved. This year, I think they'll 'achieve' and get 50.

Sure, they're gonna have a brutal start (a West coast trip right out of the gate) and they'll miss Varejao. But for the first half of last season, LeBron played with a back court of Snow and Hughes. This year he's upgrading his PG from 'terrible' to 'lights out'. You think that won't help with some double teams?

Finally there's this:

At age 22 and entering his fifth NBA season, James has never been in better shape or worked harder on his game at this stage of the season. In theory, this is good news for the Cavs: A motivated superstar is perhaps the grandest weapon in the modern NBA.

and this:

LeBron didn’t shoot much but he passed well and, most interestingly, Mike Brown ran a bunch of post up plays for him and he worked down there well. He may very well have the best season of his career if he keeps this up.

Plus there were those reports that LeBron's been working on his jumper.

So you're telling me that the Eastern Conference Champion is returning everyone but their backup power forward, they're replacing Eric Snow's jumper with Daniel Gibson's and LeBron James is not only in the best shape of his career, but he's sporting an improved jumper AND he's working well in the post... they're going to get worse?

Don't get me wrong, I expect this team to struggle at times. I have no faith in Mike Brown's offense. I hate Larry Hughes with a passion. I wish they'd use the post more often (meaning, sometimes).

However, despite what you saw in the San Antonio series, the Cavs aren't terrible. They have issues, but they aren't awful. They may struggle at first (and I expect them to) but they'll be fine.

Game recaps start tomorrow.

Help could be on the way!

Angry about the Cavs' lack of moves? Fear not, help could be just on the horizon! From the Plain Dealer:

Juwan Howard accepted a buyout from the Minnesota Timberwolves last weekend, which could lead to Howard joining the Cavaliers prior to Wednesday's season opener against the Dallas Mavericks.

The opening day roster of 15 players must be set by 6 p.m. today.

Howard, according to league sources, spoke with the Cavs over the weekend about joining the club. Howard is also considering Dallas and Boston.

Hooray for 34 year old power forwards!

(all snark aside, it wouldn't be a terrible move but it isn't great either. This team has needed to be shaken up for two years now...)

Magic?

In a column about how we shouldn't dwell on the Tribe's ALCS loss, Pat McManamon says this:

Any team that wins 96 games and comes within a win of the World Series has had an outstanding season. And when that team has its core of players back the following year, it must be considered a favorite, especially if you figure General Manager Mark Shapiro continues his magic and improves the team in the offseason.

And, for the most part, I agree.

But what kinda Mark Shapiro "magic" has he been seeing? I don't want to come across as trashing Shapiro, because obviously, he's done a fantastic job. He's rebuilt the Indians. There's young talent littered across the diamond.

But the task he has to complete now (adding veteran players and key free agents), hasn't exactly been a task he's excelled at. Shapiro has built the Indians through the farm system. His best moves have been the ones where he trades an aging veteran for a prospect (and he gets a Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner or Coco Crisp). He's drafted well and has had a good eye for prospects. In that regard, he's been phenomenal.

However, the moves he's made that haven't worked out tend to be his free agent signings. Despite his Game 2 heroics, I can't believe anyone thinks that the Trot Nixon signing went well. How about Matt Lawton? Ricky Gutierrez? Roberto Hernandez? David Dellucci?

I'm not saying that there hasn't been some good ones (Paul Byrd), but Shapiro's track record with free agents isn't exactly stellar. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a lot of this also has to do with his budget constraints; he's had to go for bargain basement guys and mediocre talent. That's fine, I understand that.

But right now, the Tribe is in a position to compete for years to come. They should be past the stage of bargain shopping.

Shapiro needs to add solid veteran talent this offseason. A run producing corner outfielder would be a nice start. Or maybe a veteran starting pitcher with big game experience. Whatever he adds, via free agency or trade, it needs to be a non-platoon player; he needs to be legit.

And for all the success that Shapiro has had (and he's had a lot) his strength hasn't been finding veteran talent to compliment his young ball club.

Which is exactly what needs to be done this offseason.

All is Not Lost

I sure sound rather hopeless, don't I? That series collapse was brutal. There's no way to enjoy blowing a 3-1 lead (especially to Boston). And yes, Ohio has been playing the role of the bridesmaid for all of 2007. So I should be pissed off and gloomy right?

Nope.

Look, obviously, I'd rather the Tribe had beaten Boston. I'd rather the Buckeyes beat Florida (twice) and I wish the Cavs could've found a way to beat San Antonio four times (and I wish that the Columbus Destroyers could've beaten whoever they played in the Arena Bowl). But despite all those (bad) postseason losses, there's no way you can tell me that Ohio sports fans haven't had a pretty damn good year.

Sure, the losses hurt. To get that close to a title only fall apart... I'm not gonna lie, it sucks. There's no denying that. But even with those losses, can any Ohio sports fan honestly say that this past year hasn't been a blast?

I can't believe anyone would say that 2007 sucked. Really? Did you experience the same year I did? I got to see LeBron drop 48 on the Pistons. I got to see the Tribe make Joe Torre expendable. I got to see Troy Smith win the Heisman. I got Number 1 Ohio State beat Number 2 Michigan in a battle of undefeateds. We got to watch Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. wear scarlet and gray. Hell, the Browns managed to draft a franchise tackle AND quarterback in the same draft!

Sure, our teams lost late, but you know what? At least they were still playing late. Which Tribe season do you remember more fondly, 1997 or 2003? Yeah, we had to watch Jose Mesa blow a save in Game 7 (I'm still waiting for him to throw an offspeed pitch) but you can't say that you didn't enjoy the Baltimore series. Like those six games weren't fun as all hell. I'd much rather follow my baseball team into October only to see them lose than to lose interest in mid-July. It's not even close.

I refuse to believe that Cleveland has had a bad year. At least our teams were in it. Would you rather be a Pirates fan? A Royals fan? Atlanta Hawks? Golden Gophers? How about Tampa Bay, you wanna root for those teams? Didn't think so.

Yes, Ohio teams have lost big games this past year. It's been gut wrenching. But you can't tell me we aren't in a good spot. These teams weren't one shot deals; they're young and they should compete for the foreseeable future.

I mean, look, in the coming years we get to watch LeBron James, Boobie Gibson, Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn, Joe Thomas, Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, Grady Sizemore and Eric Snow. Plus, the Ohio State football and basketball programs are run by Jim Tressel and Thad Motta respectively (I trust those two, anyone disagree?).

Mistakes were made, there's no denying that. Joel Skinner probably should've sent Lofton (and Casey Blake probably should've taken a pitch or two). Maybe someone should've D'd up Tony Parker. Or blocked a defensive end or four.

But I dunno, maybe I'm weird, but I just can't see myself complaining about a year in which my basketball team made the NBA Finals, my baseball team made the ALCS and my alma mater played in two national championship games.

Sorry, I'm just not gonna do it.

Fuck

First of all, Joel Skinner. Lay off FOX. Seriously, the ball bounced hard and directly to Manny. He holds Lofton up at third because he doesn't want to force the issue. If Casey Blake puts together a decent at bat, maybe its different. Instead he swung at the first pitch to hit into a double play and then proceeded to boot a grounder and watch it roll away the next inning (and then he ran into Peralta in the 8th).

Thats the ball game right there. Not converting in the top of the 7th and subsequently blowing it in the bottom half of the same inning. I honestly have no issue with Skinner holding Lofton. I have a issue with guys swinging at first pitches in big situations.

I also have a bone to pick with Lofton getting thrown out at second base despite beating the tag (and if that happened a Boston player, FOX is shitting themselves. Instead, it's simply an unlucky break, but even I'm getting sick of this rant).

As for Jake Westbrook, what can you say? The guy has guts. He kept the Tribe in the ballgame despite having mediocre stuff. He pitched his ass off and gave them a chance to win (and I fully expected him to get shelled tonight).

The bullpen imploded. Raffy's run ended. The defense screwed up. Everything went wrong.

It happened. They managed to do it. The Tribe scored 5 runs in 29 innings. They were outscored 30-5 over the last three games. They blew a 3-1 lead to Boston. The cocky fans. The cocky players (can more Boston hitters watch their home runs please? That'd be great). The hype. For a while there I almost forgot that I was rooting for a team from Cleveland. I'm extremely angry and yet completely numb.

Not only did they blow a 3-1 lead, they did it against a team and fanbase I absolutely despise. Both aces failed to show up (twice). And the entire time I sat watching the sad, predicable debacle unfold, I had to listen to Tim fucking McCarver. Just... wow.

3-3

I feel like I'm going to be sick. This is happening again. 1999. 2001.

These playoffs were supposed to be different. The 90s were full of teams with ungodly hitting and no pitching. This time around, Cleveland had the pitching. Not one, but two aces! If they would've had one of these guys last decade, they'd have a World Series title under their belt. Sabathia and Carmona were the different makers.

And they both have failed.

I thought Fausto was going to make it out of the first inning unscathed. He had only given up two infield signals and a walk but nothing was really hard hit; he just unlucky. But he was getting behind hitters. How he got behind J.D. Drew is beyond me. You can't blame the game on the ump, because Cleveland basically self imploded, but if Schilling's 2nd pitch to Hafner was a strike, then Carmona's first pitch to Drew should've been one as well. But he got behind. He got behind hitters all night. The ump was terrible (and I think they've been terrible behind the plate all series long- to no ones advantage) but it didn't even matter.

Why Wedge chose to bring in Rafael Perez to relieve Carmona is beyond me. Once Perez walked to the dugout, the game was over. I can't even begin to describe how frustrated I felt watching this game. It turned into a comedy of errors.

I want to try to stay positive. I want to say "hey, if you would've told me 5 months ago that Cleveland would be playing Game 7 of the ALCS in Boston, I'd be thrilled". But I don't really believe that. That's almost fooling myself. The Tribe had two chances to close out Boston with their two best pitchers on the mound and not only did they fail, they failed spectacularly.

If you're a Cleveland fan, can you really 'stay positive' right now? Your two best pitchers just got shelled. Manny Ramirez is batting somewhere around .450. Boston's lineup actually showed up for Game 6. Cleveland's lineup has been non-existent for the past two games. Your number 3 hitter can't even make a productive out at this point. The Tribe's pitchers are scared of Boston's hitters while Cleveland's hitters are pressing.

Confidence? More like dread.

We're all thinking "not again". All of Cleveland's playoff follies are coming back. The Drive. The Fumble. The Shot. Mesa blowing game 7. The Tribe blowing a 2-1 series lead in the 1998 ALCS to New York. The Tribe blowing a 2-0 lead to Boston in the 1999 ALDS. The Tribe blowing a 2-1 ALDS lead to Seattle in 2001. It's gone from 3-1 to 3-3 and in those two losses, they've been outscored 19-3. Game 7 is in Boston. Paul Byrd is being linked to HGH. Everything is falling apart (except for Victor Martinez. That guy is a fucking rock). Lord help

It feels like 1999. At this point, all I want for Game 7 is a close ballgame, just not another blowout. Please. Lord help me if Josh Beckett trots out of the bullpen to shut the Tribe down like Pedro.

I just have a sick feeling we're going to see some final score of 13-6. I dunno, the team looks shellshocked. Wedge is leaving pitchers in too long. He hasn't moved Hafner down in the lineup (seriously, move Peralta up. It's time). He keeps throwing out Raffy Perez.

They look bewildered.

They look like Cleveland.

I'm gonna be sick.

Happy Thoughts

1995 ALCS, Cleveland leading 3-2 (after losing Game 1), Game 6 in Seattle (against Randy Johnson): Cleveland 4, Seattle 0

1997 ALCS, Cleveland leading 3-2 (after losing Game 1), Game 6 in Baltimore (against Mike Mussina): Cleveland 1, Baltimore 0

2007 ALCS, Cleveland leading 3-2 (after losing Game 1), Game 6 in Boston (against Curt Schilling): ?

Dammit

Well, that sucked ass. God damn I hate the Red Sox. Just... God damn I hate them.

What can you say about Josh Beckett? He was dominant. His curve ball is freaking ridonkulous. He kept his cool all game, came back from long layoffs and basically just pitched his ass off. He's been the best pitcher in the playoffs. Simply ridiculous. Simply dominant. I hate him.

Sabathia... struggled, labored but pitched relatively well until the 7th. I was kinda surprised he came out for the 7th, since he had had trouble with top of Boston's order all evening (and C.C. was over 100 pitches). But I was really surprised when Wedge kept him in after the lead off double.

Manny Ramirez is a spectacular baseball player. Ya, he does dumb shit (not run hard, pose for home runs, get picked off first base, etc). Ya, he says stupid things. But wow, can he hit (and hit and hit and hit). Can you name me a better right handed hitter over the past decade? He hits for average, power and he shows up in the playoffs.

Travis Hafner is struggling, badly. He's looked uncomfortable for most of the series and didn't fare any better tonight.

I really needed this weekend off for school work...

I'm more mad than worried about the Tribe heading to Boston. Now we're gonna hear all this '2004' shit blah blah blah. I'm more annoyed by it, if that makes sense... I'd rather not have to deal with it (the Boston fans, the media, the extra game(s)). But hey, they're still up 3-2 and pitching Fausto Carmona (hello?! He's really really good!). Neither Schilling nor Dice-K really worry me either. If Boston had won the middle game of the homestand, we'd be thrilled to head back with a 3-2 lead and Carmona taking the ball.

God damn I hate Boston.

Well Done Boys

Pulling out all the stops, are we?

Country music artist Danielle Peck will sing the national anthem and "God Bless America" at tonight's Indians game.

She will not sing, "Stand by Your Man."

Peck, it turns out, dated Red Sox pitching ace Josh Beckett, who is starting tonight's do-or-die game against the Tribe and who handed them their only loss in the American League Championship Series.

They met last summer. They're not an item anymore.

Some Quick Thoughts

Anyone see Around the Horn and PTI today? That's kinda what I'm talking about. Did Kornheiser or Wilbon even mention the fact that Boston has to face Sabathia tomorrow night? Woody Paige made it sound like the pressure was on the Indians. I know Boston came back in 2004, that's great. But that is rare. The Indians closed out the Yankees on the road and now they're throwing a Cy Young contender in a close out game at home. The Red Sox are in a tough spot. Cleveland has better pitching top to bottom, can we agree on this? And what wins in the playoffs?

All this Kobe talk: if I'm the Phoenix Suns, I'm calling Dr. Buss every day with offers of Leandro Barbosa, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw or any similar combination. Steve Nash only has a few years left at a MVP level and Kobe's contract is only another 2 years. Make the push now while Nash's back is still healthy. Plus, Marion wants to be traded anyway. I would imagine that any offer than Phoenix can put out (with just two of those three) would be better than anything Chicago can give LA. (Note: I have no idea if the salaries work. I'm too lazy to look this up).

One of my favorite musicians, Sondre Lerche, composed the soundtrack for the new Steve Carrell film Dan in Real Life and it is quite fantastic (I'm really digging 'To Be Surprised'). The soundtrack has 12 new compositions as well as some choice cuts from his earlier albums (including one of my all time favorite songs 'Modern Nature' off of Faces Down). It's mostly an acoustic affair, with some sparse arrangements complimenting Lerche's guitar (and some of his older stuff stands out, almost jarringly, due simply to the differences in production). I can't recommend it enough. Lerche will be in Cleveland on November 21st.

3-1

How can you not love this team? New guys contribute every night. Tonight it was Casey Blake hitting a home run and a RBI single in the 5th inning. Last night it was Lofton hitting a 2 run homerun. Or it's Peralta. Or Sizemore. Or Westbrook. Or Byrd. This is a very good baseball team.

Paul Byrd... what can you say? He threw a shut out through 5 and it looked like the long bottom of the 5th (7 runs!) tired him out (back to back home runs to start the 6th). Bonus Byrd quote: "I hit 90 tonight, out of nowhere. I don't know what happened"

It's weird, but ever since 7 run 11th on Saturday, I have complete confidence that the Tribe will pull these games out. I thought they were going to win the whole way in both games at the Jake. I was absolutely terrified for the bulk of Game 2 (I was sure that Boston was going to win that game).

On the similar note, I've come to trust Eric Wedge completely. I'm not questioning any move he makes; I have complete faith in the guy. Starting Paul Byrd in Yankee stadium? Yup. Tom Mastny pitching to the heart of Boston's order? OK. Playing Trot Nixon, at all? Well, why the hell not? At this point, I want Wedge choosing stocks and lotto numbers for me.

I know I should be used to this by now, but it still always bugs me. In both series that the Tribe has played in thus far, the other team has gotten all the attention. And I know that part of this is because they've been going against the Yanks and the Sox, but still. It's not often that my team makes it this far and I'd like them to get a bit of recognition. Boston knocks out Sabathia but the Tribe didn't knock out Schilling or Dice-K, they 'didn't pitch well'. It's always about what Boston's players do, not whether or not the Tribe is actually beating them (I think this is semi-coherent). It shouldn't bother me, but I can't help but get annoyed (though the Yankee series was worse).

How many pressure games has Boston faced this year? They jumped out to a big lead early this season, cruised the rest of the way and then pounded he Angels in the ALDS. They haven't exactly responded since the marathon that was Game 2.

Except for Ortiz and Manny (and to a certain extent, Youkilis), Boston's lineup doesn't worry me that much. Granted, those three scare me to death, but still, I'm more than comfortable with any of the other six hitters batting.

Can you praise the Indian bullpen enough? The job that these guys have done is mind boggling. If the starters can get to the 6th, the Tribe has a very very very good chance of winning the ball game. Betancourt is simply dealing and Jensen Lewis has given them more than solid middle relief.

Byrd and Westbrook have put the Tribe in a very nice position. They can pitch Sabathia in a possible clinching game, against Josh Beckett, in Cleveland. And if that doesn't work, they get to throw Fausto Carmona the next game. You gotta feel good about this, right? Anyone really think that if Sabathia and Carmona combine to pitch four games in this series, they'll pitch poorly in all of 'em?

Hell Yes!

God damn this is fun.

Someone tell Joe Buck that both sides got shitty calls tonight. Was the 3-0 pitch to Ramirez inside? Yes, yes, it was. Did Ramirez luck out a few innings earlier when the ump missed the outside corner on a 0-2 pitch? Yes, yes he did. Hafner got also got some shitty calls (one strike was like a foot outside) and so did Garko. I thought the home plate ump for Game 1 of the ALDS was terrible, but this guy was just as bad.

Speaking of Fox... dear lord guys, does anyone really care about Beckett pitching on three days rest in Game 4? I mean, that is a nice little tidbit to talk about at some point, but they just went on and on and on and on and on... we get it, there's a chance that he might go for Game 4 but everyone says he won't. Please waste 20 more minutes.

Westbrook faltering in the 7th worked out perfectly. The Tribe got to have Raffy face the heart of Boston's order in the 8th rather than have Borowski face 'em in the 9th. That is huge (for my heart).

Kenny freaking Lofton... what can you even say?

Dice-K didn't pitch too poorly, but he threw a ton of pitches.

Westbrook pitched a great game; his sinker was working, he got out of jams and the defense backed him up nicely. Plus he pitched into the 7th (6.2 innings) and he saved the bullpen.

If Game 4 gets rained out and the Tribe can pitch C.C. on Wednesday on full rest and Carmona in Game 5, do you do it? Do you go for the kill? Sabathia and Carmona at home? If Game 4 does get rained out, I'd think long and hard about it. Giving both of them a start in front of the home crowd.... I don't think Wedge would, but I'd like him to at least mull it over a bit.