Getting our hopes up

Truckloads of salt please:

It says here, the Cavaliers, Lakers and Heat are the lone teams who should seriously consider obtaining Stoudemire's sub-standard services. Sunday's All-Star start is a gift from an adoring, oblivious public. He'd have no problem deferring to LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade because their areas of expertise don't conflict with his, and they're genuine franchise players . . . whereas he pretends to be.

Last I looked, Stoudemire hasn't exactly proved capable of carrying an affluent team to ultimate glory.

Judging by what the Cavs have to offer - as mentioned, expiring contracts and talented youngbloods - and Kerr's connection and affection for Danny Ferry - I'm guessing it'll be Kevin McHale-Danny Ainge revisited . . . unless L.A. makes Lamar Odom available.

Now, look, I'm not the biggest Amare guy (and this rumor is from Peter Vecsey) but this would be a delight. I was never a huge fan of his game (nice first step, though his jumper has improved) and his defense is atrocious (he let Varejao drive right past him on Wednesday night). But if you can pick him up for Wally+Hickson+picks, you do that and don't look back.

Now, I don't really think that the Cavs have a legit shot (and they shouldn't) but they have a couple of things working in their favor.

First, the Suns owner is nortoriously stingy. So if they don't want to take on a lot of salary, Wally's deal (and Snow's) would be mighty attractive. Plus, Hickson is a legit prospect (he was even mentioned in Simmons's trade value column).

Secondly, Stoudemire has been on the market for practically the entire season and the Suns have gotten no decent offers. There may not be a good deal out there for Amare's potential worth, so they may have to settle anyways.

Third, Ferry and Kerr were teammates in both Cleveland and San Antonio. There's a history and friendship there and it could help grease those gears.

And fourth, but probably one of the most important points, is this:

There is one indication that Suns trade talk involving forward Amaré Stoudemire has not advanced far: His agent has not heard from the Suns about any proposals.

Former National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Charlie Grantham, Stoudemire's new agent this season, equates this portion of trade exploration as fantasy basketball, with the majority of the teams exploring the possibilities. When it gets to reality, Grantham said, he will want Stoudemire to have a say, because he will not want to go just anywhere.

------ [snip]------

If the Suns get serious about a trade involving Stoudemire before Thursday's deadline, Grantham expects to be consulted.

"A place that may be a real good deal for them may not be the best place for us," said Grantham, who is in Phoenix. "In that case, we would not be interested in signing an extension. I would think most teams would not want to rent him for a year and a half. They would want him to sign for more years and know that he's interested in staying."

Grantham said he would not discourage a deal with a team based on market size but added that the potential for a team's success would be a factor.

"Every player wants to go where they have a chance to win a championship," he said. "When you're thrust into the position he is, you hope you have some input there."

Now, Amare wanting a say and Amare getting a say are two totally different things. But the fact that he wants to go to a winner (and market size isn't an issue) has got to work in the Cavs' favor.

I really don't think Stoudemire will end up in wine & gold. There are too many teams (Bulls, Heat, Blazers) that can offer a better package of players.

But right now everything is point towards the Suns getting a crappy deal for Amare. And the Cavs DO have the pieces to form a crappy deal that a cheapskate might find enticing (and they fit the criteria that Stoudemire would want).

Though it's fun to dream, right? A starting line up of Williams-West-LeBron-Amare-Z? I mean, Christ that's a rough five. Now, the Cavs would be banking on Stoudemire catching the defensive bug and I have no idea how that'll play out (Mike Brown would have to work some magic. And he'd need LeBron to set a firm line).

(I'd say say Shaq is the more likely option. But with this economy and the Robert Sarver being a cheap ass...)

Cleveland 109, Phoenix 92

Not a bad way to snap the longest losing streak of the season (also: a good last game before the break). The Cavs beat the Suns with Phoenix's quick tempo (and shots), hoisting 26 treys (making 11) with Mo Williams's shooting 7-9 from downtown, on his way to 44 points. Mo also led the Cavs with 7 assists, to go along with his 3 steals and 2 boards.

That LeBron fellow wasn't bad either. James had a pedestrian (for him) 26-6-6 night. LeBron moved well without the ball, getting easy buckets off of passes from his teammates. He also settled for more than a few jumpers, going 1-5 from beyond the arc. With Mo having such a hot night, James seemed more than happy to let him take scoring load against the Suns. He still had a couple of those "I'm LeBron James" plays; one where he muscled up a layup while being dragged down and he threw down a couple of quick, thunderous dunks inside.

Amare played well. Stoudemire finished with 27 points and 6 boards. Stoudemire had his jumper working, routinely hitting the faceup, and he seemed to be able to get inside whenever he pleased (though he had his shot blocked a couple times). Offensively, this guy is a stud. But defensively... well, he let Anderson Varejao drive right past him for a layup. Now, I like Andy, but he shouldn't be able to blow by a guy with Stoudemire's athletic ability. I know he's available on the trade market, but I'm not sure the Cavs have to the pieces to get him, if they'd even want him.

Shaq on other hand, I could see myself getting talked into. There's been some rumblings that the Big Cactus would welcome a trade to Cleveland and at first, I wanted none of it. But he looked pretty good Wednesday night, scoring 11 points in 5-7 shooting. He's still a load to deal with on the block (he got great position most of the evening). My biggest concern with adding Shaq (provided they aren't giving up Hickson) is if he would demand he start? I have a hard time telling Z to go to the bench and I'd really prefer not to mess with the starting unit's chemistry. If you could have Shaq coming off the bench for 24 minutes a night, you'd give the bench a solid low post threat and he could help body up some of the bigger players (plus, you think he wouldn't love to see the Lakers in the Finals?).

Wally is still playing hard. Wally has really played well these last couple of weeks which has been impressive since his name (and contract) has been the subject of every Cavalier rumor. He's been making a lot of hustle plays and it's seems like he's found his niche in the offense. Szczerbiak had 11 points and 4 boards in 29 minutes; his jumper wasn't falling (4-13 FG, 2-8 3PT) but he had a nice stretch in the first where he scored 7 straight points (with two coming on hustle plays).

There was an announcer switch in the second quarter. The Cavs traded color commentators with the Suns, sending over former Cavalier/Cavalier broadcaster Scott Williams. I was never a big fan of Williams but I thought he did pretty well. I can only image what Austin was like for Suns fans. I wish I could've been watching that feed.

We've got to stop this bitching. The FSN guys kept referencing the Pacer lost like the Cavs got totally jobbed. Look, I have a real hard time complaining when the exact same call was made .4 seconds earlier. As for the other stuff (Laker game, the triple-double, Mo's All-Star big) let it the hell alone. Go win ball games. No excuses, right? This team hasn't won anything and they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt. They look distracted by all this stuff, hopefully they'll calm down and regain some composure after the All-Star break.

Both Wallace and Varejao had good games. Andy was really active offensively; he filled the running lanes well and he was active around the rim. He shot a couple of jumpers, but nothing really outrageous. Wallace also had a solid game; grabbing 11 boards and 2 steals while challenging a lot of shots at the rim.

and finally...

A much needed break. Fred McCleod mentioned that Delonte West hoped to play against the Suns, but was pushed back. I'm really hoping the time off combined with West's return will help this team get out of their recent bad habits. Plus, his return will allow Wally to move back to the bench and give a defensive presence to the Cavalier front court. The Cavs won't play until next Tuesday in Toronto. We're also down to one week until the trading deadline, February 19th. Work some magic, Danny.

The Cavs are Definitely Gonna Make a Trade

Despite Windhorst's article stating this:

Due to both positive and negative factors, it appears as if this year the team will be passing on the event. Their strong first half plus a series of injuries have limited their options and desires.

Monday left the Cavs dealing with another injury as an MRI revealed starting shooting guard Sasha Pavlovic had suffered the worst of all ankle injuries, the high ankle sprain. It will keep him out 4-6 weeks.

With Delonte West and Tarence Kinsey out and a roster spot being occupied by Eric Snow, the team is essentially down four guards at the moment. Another, Trey Johnson, is on a 10-day contract.

Wally Szczerbiak, once their largest trade chip with his $13 million expiring contract, has now become a vital part of the team. He will start in Pavlovic's place in Indianapolis against the Pacers on Tuesday.

Because of all this, the vibe around the rest of the NBA is the Cavs are going to follow through with their plans to stand mostly pat.

"They are going to dance with the girl they brought," one general manager said on Monday. "They believe in that roster."

So no deal right? No trades, sorry, too many injuries. We can't afford to trade Wally for a big while they're down guards. In no way will they... hey, what's this?

They will continue to make calls and they are leaving options open. For example, they have postponed an appointment with a league-approved doctor to evaluate Snow's disability retirement claim just in case they want to use him in a trade.

Well well well. That's mighty interesting, isn't it? The Cavs have publicly stated that they're not looking to make deals, while at the same time noting that Eric Snow's $7.8 million expiring deal is available. We aren't going to attempt to deal while we're in a bad position, so we're gonna stand pat, but just for your information, yes, Eric Snow's expiring deal is available.

Interesting.

Los Angeles 101, Cleveland 91

First half: Good. Second half: Not Good. The Cavs held a ten point lead going into halftime and managed to go into the fourth quarter trailing by 5. Lamar Odom killed them for most of the game but his third quarter hurt the most. Odom had 15 of his game high 28 in the crucial third period. The Cavs never got any offensive flow going (16 point third quarter, 14 point (!) fourth quarter).

Defense was not good. The Cavs guards didn't redirect any of the Laker wings. The Cavs bigs let their post players set up way too close to the rim. They got beat down court. They didn't box out (looking at you J.J.). It was awful. I know the Lakers are a great offensive team, but this was ridiculous; they got everything they wanted (48% FG) and the Cavs looked a step slow. They weren't physical nearly enough and the Lakers had easy shots all game. Also, maybe someone should've guarded Lamar Odom somepoint. You can't ask Wally to defend a guy like Odom, that just isn't gonna end well.

You could view this game a couple of ways. On one hand, you can place this loss squarely on the defense (and the bigs). Odom and Gasol (18-12-6) both had huge games and the Lakers had easy shots for most of the afternoon. On the other hand, if you wanted, you could put this game at LeBron's feet. James had a offnight (to say the least) but the Cavalier role players actually stepped up (at the offensive end). Z finished with 22 and 9 (with a couple of blocks and assists), Mo threw in 19 points and Wally gave 'em 16 off the bench. Bitch about the D and the refs all you want, but the Cavs aren't going to win many games against the Lakers (or Celtics/Magic) when James goes 5-20 from the floor. They can survive a bad game against the Hawks or Hornets and what not, but they have to play perfect if they're gonna beat the elite teams with James having an off night.

You could also say they weren't gonna go 41-0 at home. Which is true. But the Cavs didn't seemed focused enough, especially for a game this big. There was never any sense of urgency, there was never any sustained defensive intensity. Of course, it stinks when your guards are Wally and Mo; they're trying defensively, but missing both West and Sasha Pavlovic (who could be out six weeks with an ankle sprain) really hurts the overall D.

Not gonna lie, I thoroughly enjoyed the goofy, white, Euro big man battle. Both Z and Pau Gasol are fundamentally sound big men with great offensive games, but who don't have any defensive reputation to speak of. Which was kinda how this played out. Z got what he wanted on his end and Pau got what he wanted on his. Both guys were knocking down open jumpers, using their old-man post moves and passing the ball around. I liked what I saw from Z in a big game and Gasol surprised me with his intensity.

Ignore the refs and get the fuck back on defense. Look, the refs sucked. Their calls didn't change the game (not putting a body on Lamar Odom, however, did) but the Cavs got too distracted by the officiating. Remember the Detroit series two years ago, James got fouled and no call? What did the Cavs do? They came out, said we lost and moved on. James got beat a couple times down the court while he was bitching to the officials (and he wasn't the only one). Maybe Phil Jackson worked the refs, maybe the NBA hates the Cavaliers- I really don't care. You guys haven't won anything yet, you don't deserve all the calls just suck it up and get back on defense. (But the refs were awful, I won't deny that).

Kobe was sick (like, actually sick). The Laker star was vomiting during pre-game, had an IV at halftime and sat most of the fourth quarter. But he still gave Los Angeles 19 points on 8-18 shooting. Bryant hit a high arcing turnaround over LeBron to put LA up 6 with under 3 minutes to go, which was basically the dagger. Once that thing went in, the Cavs had no answer.

Ben and Andy did not have good games. Look, this is the same thing with Gibson- stop trying to do everything and focus on what you're good at. You guys are in the NBA because you can play defense and rebound. If you aren't doing that, I don't particularly want to see you on the court. Wallace can't be afraid to shoot the ball; he can't keep passing the ball 2 feet from the rim. Let them foul you, I don't care about the free throws. I do care about him passing up 3 foot shots. And Andy? No more jumpers please.

and finally...

The sky isn't falling but at this point there should be concerns. After the first Laker game, we were making excuses because our front line wasn't at full strength. Well... um... what now? I honestly do believe that the Cavs can win with this group, but I'd be a little more comfortable if they'd grab another big (even if it's Joe Smith). They need more offense out of the unit and Hickson (who I really really like) isn't ready to give them more than a few spot minutes. Ferry is in a tough spot; Wally is obviously the biggest trading chip, but he's become valuable to the Cavs with the way he's played after all the injuries. Pavlovic was another chip and he's out, Terrance Kinsey is out and Delonte isn't back yet. If you trade Wally (especially for a big), you almost have to get some kind of wing player back. I know they didn't want to trade Eric Snow's contract, but they may have to after this.

A little longer

I'll have something about yesterday's debacle this afternoon, don't worry.

I love Dan Gilbert: Part 152

Heh:

"Ben Wallace was right when he called Mo originally being passed over for the All-Star Game a shamockery," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "But not naming him as the natural and obvious replacement for the unfortunately injured Jameer Nelson is stupidiculous, idillogical and preposterageous."

Yes. More of this.

Also, I would pay thousands of dollars to watch a 7-game series between this Cavalier team and the 88-89 squad. Price vs Mo? Harper, Ehlo and Nance trying to stop LeBron? Big Brad vs Big Z? Thousands of dollars.

Really? Another Celtic?

At least it wasn't Rondo:

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen will replace injured Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson next week in the NBA All-Star Game.

Allen was added to the Eastern Conference team on Thursday by commissioner David Stern after Nelson was forced to pull out because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

This is really getting stupid. The Celtics and Magic each have 3 All-Stars and the Cavs still only have one. Awesome.

If you actually watch Cleveland Cavaliers basketball and honestly think that they only deserve one All-Star or that this is a one man team, you're an idiot who has no clue about basketball (or life). Please, just piss this team off more. I'll take that extra motivation.

----

As far as trades go, take Elton Brand out of the running:

Elton Brand’s first season in Philadelphia is over.

Brand will have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder Monday, reducing the 76ers’ marquee free-agent to only 29 games. Brand was first injured Dec. 17 against Milwaukee and has played in six games since his return.

He signed a five-year deal worth nearly $80 million in July and averaged only 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in 29 games. Brand missed all but nine games of last season with a torn Achillies’.

I would've liked Brand, but his injury history scared me. Now that he's out (along with Michael Redd and probably Gerald Wallace) the Cavs can focus on a select few.

Chris Bosh isn't one of those few. Don't expect the Cavs to trade for him. They don't have the parts. Cleveland can offer Wally, JJ, Boobie and picks for Bosh and Kapono, but if Miami is offering Beasley and Marion (and picks), I don't see how the Cavs can compete. And if Portland decides to make a run, it's over. No one can compete with their young talent. (And if I'm the Raptors, I look to trade him this season, at least you could entice a team for two playoff runs. If you try next offseason, teams would just be getting a 1-year rental).

I'd like the Cavs to save their cash and go after Bosh in 2010, but I won't lie, I'm slightly intriuged by this:

Perhaps signaling a willingness to dismantle their roster, the Phoenix Suns have begun exchanging trade proposals with teams for All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire, league executives told Yahoo! Sports on Thursday.

With dysfunction and dissension reigning within the Suns, rival front-office executives believe general manager Steve Kerr is determined to move Stoudemire and others before the Feb. 19 trade deadline.

Ferry and Kerr were teammates... just throwing it out there. But do the Cavs want Amare? I dunno. I've never been a huge Stoudemire guy; I've always thought he was a bit overrated (he's got a great first step, that's about it) and I've never liked his attitude, but the guy is REALLY talented. However, his defense is horrendous. Now, the Cavs have Mike Brown, but I'm not sure how coachable Amare actually is. Plus, would he be content to play second fiddle next to Bron-Bron? I dunno.

At this point, I'm leaning towards not doing anything and hoping Joe Smith gets bought out. This team has held its ground in the face of injuries and flu-like symptoms, they look pretty damn good. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to add a piece, but for what price? If the Cavs can get someone like Mike Miller (who makes $9 mil this year and next) cheaply (aka for Wally), I'll be OK. But unless they're really high on Vince Carter, then I say stand pat.

We have two more weeks....

Cleveland 107, New York 102

Suck. On. This. LeBron came into Madison Square Garden and followed up Kobe's 61 by dropping a ridiculous 52 points, 11 assists, 10 boards and 2 blocks. He was 17-33 from the floor (he was feeling the jumper), 16-19 from the line and just 2-7 from behind the arc. He abused every Knick that tried to guard him and he was just as good on the defensive end; he challenged the passing lanes and defended the rim. LeBron isn't the pure scorer Kobe is, but he put on just as masterful of a performance, showing off his all-around game (perfect example, he ended the first half by zipping a cross-court pass to Ben Wallace for an easy layup as time expired. Most superstars take a 30 footer).

The Cavs actually needed LeBron's scoring, as both Z and Mo weren't hitting shots. Ilgauskas doesn't seem to have a good rythm at the moment, finishing just 5-13 from the floor and 4-6 from the stripe. Z ended up with 15 points and 8 boards (he also hit another corner trey). Mo's shot wasn't falling either, finished just 3-12 from the floor with 9 points, 4 boards and just 2 assists. Both guys had some nice moments, but couldn't get any extended runs going.

The role players played their roles. How Ben Wallace was only credited with a single board is beyond me. As Austin Carr noted, Ben sure gets his hands on a lot of balls. And it's true. Wallace tipped numerous rebounds to his teammates for extended possessions. Both Daniel Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak stepped up as well. Wally continued his recent strong play by netting 15 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3PT) and grabbing a man-size 13 rebounds (he's working really hard out there, I'm almost sorry to see him get traded. He's stepped it up and has been a pro. I bet he really wants to get bought out and spend the month of March with his family). And Boobie did what Boobie does: shoot the ball. Gibson had 11 points and was 3-6 from behind the arc (4-8 overall).

Give the Knicks credit, they fought back. The Cavs absolutely burried New York in the first period. They scored the first 10 points of the period and led 36-24 at the quarter break. They got a little bit lazy in the second period, settling for a lot of jumpers and letting the Knicks dictate the pace of the game. Al Harrington had 14 points in the quarter and had a nice night overall, finishing with 39 points and 13 boards (note: 0 assists). I've always liked Harrington's game and always thought he could be a nice 3rd option on a good team. This isn't a good team (and even though the Knicks went ahead at one point, they never seemed to have any control).

Varejao needs to get used to coming off the bench again. Since Z's return against the Clippers, Varejao's numbers have taken a plunge. Andy's numbers the last four games look like this: 2-9 FG, 20 rebounds and 9 points. He didn't attempt a single shot against the Knicks. This team will be even better once Z and Varejao get used to things.

and finally...

The Cavs get some days off. Their next game is this coming Sunday, at home, against the Lakers. The shoe is on the other foot now, as the Lakers are missing their starting center while having to travel to the Q. As for the Knicks... well, after dealing with Kobe and LeBron, they get to face the Celtics on Friday night. Fantastic. After the Laker game, the Cavs won't play again til next Tuesday when they start a back-to-back in Indiana followed by the Suns in Cleveland.

Pre-review of "Prelude to a Super Airplane"

The following is a review for Brian Spaeth's book Prelude to a Super Airplane, which I have not read. The idea is that I'll review the book before I read it, proceed to read said book and then post a review afterwords, seeing how close I get. I've done my best to stay away from any and all spoilers, plot twists, plot and characters.

(Full disclosure: I'm friends with the author. I helped destroy his old blog in great blog suicide of 2007. I was also an extra in the long rumored Who Shot Mamba? movie and I was recently interviewed on Brian's new blog. Also, we both went to Hudson High School).

Like many of you, I started reading Brian's work over at his blog YaySports because of his ridiculous NBA photoshops and unique(ly hilarious) writing style. Thankfully, Brian didn't try to do any "branching out" and Prelude to a Super Airplane is filled with that same witty writing, awesome NBA photoshops (Ron Artest fighting an airplane? Totally awesome!), the talking snake Mamba and of course, the Orange Roundie.

The best part of the book (by far) was Spaeth's highly original use of airplanes. The title is both dead on and a bit of a misnomer, as the airplane is ridiculously super but the word prelude is simply tacked on for show.

And that airplane is awesome. I don't want spoil anything, but this thing is 47 stories tall and kicks total ass (again, it fights Ron Artest in a hilarious photoshop montage). The characters are all fully developed and the story is gutwrenchingly true to life.

Unfortunately, Brian falls victim to many of the short falls of most blogging authors. I assumed Brian was joking when he said he wrote the book in just seven days, but now I'm not so sure. The book is riddled with spelling errors and is filled with words that I'm pretty sure he made up himself (and not in a good way, like in fantasy books).

If I have one complaint with Prelude to a Super Airplane, it's that it's too long. With the elaborate plot, large cast of characters and long, drawn out explanations on how a 47 story airplane actually works, you can easily find yourself confused. I recommend keeping a pad and paper next to your beside while you read, to jot down notes so you can keep up.

All in all, I highly recommend Prelude to a Super Airplane. It's funny, it's intelligent and the characters are really easy to relate to. You can purchase copies of Prelude to a Super Airplane here and other places (I assume).

New Podcast

I like this one- we discuss the Super Bowl, the NBA trade deadline, the terrible Browns and Michael Phelps and his bong.

Good times.

Cleveland 101, Toronto 83

It was over after the first 5 minutes. The Cavs jumped out to an early 8 point lead and never looked back. The first quarter was insane: the Cavaliers were 6-10 from behind the arc, they held Toronto to just 15 points and LeBron scored 16 points in the first 8 minutes. Sure, Toronto made a few runs here or there (*cough* third quarter) but the game was never seriously in doubt after this early blitz.

LeBron James = ridiculous. In 38 minutes, the Chosen One had 33 points and he shot really well- 9-20 FG, 2-5 3Pt and 13-13 (!) from the stripe. LeBron also filled the stat sheet in other ways, grabbing 7 boards to go with 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocks (including denying future-Cavalier Chris Bosh at the rim early in the fourth). LeBron was aggressive in attacking the rim and it paid off in regards to both his play and the calls he received (he wasn't forcing things and looking for the calls).

Take your vitamins. The Cavs missed Sasha Pavlovic, Lorenzen Wright and Joe Tait due to the flu (I didn't know about Sasha, but I'm not surprised in the least about Tait). Wally Started in Sasha's (er... West's) place and filled in admirably. Zoolander had 15 points, 4 boards and 3 assists in a whopping 44 minutes (he started the game 2-4 from downtown but finished 3-7, he was 4-10 overall and he made all 4 freethrow attempts). We've been saying all year that this is a deep squad and they're showing it; Sasha steps in for West, Wally steps in for Sasha and Mike Snyder steps in for Tait (I thought Snyder did OK).

Mo Williams showed why he should be an All-Star. Williams finished with 16 points, 9 assists, a board and a steal in 38 minutes. During the game-ending first quarter, Mo had 5 points and 6(!) assists. He set up James on a lob, he found Ben Wallace for an easy 2 and he set up the 3 for Wally, James and Daniel Gibson. I swear to god if a guy who can't fucking shoot the ball (Rondo) makes the All-Star team ahead of Mo.... (though I'm all about the extra motivation factor as well).

Toronto's bigs kept the Cavs in foul trouble. While both Z and Varejao finished with 5 fouls, Z had the least frustrating night. Ilgauskas had 6 points (3-8 FG, 0-1 3pt), 8 boards and 2 blocks in 23 minutes. Meanwhile in just 14 minutes, Varejao's 5 fouls were more than his shot attempts (3) and rebounds (also 3). Bosh finished with 29 points, 3 boards (?), 2 assists and 2 steals. He ran the floor well and he knocked down open looks (I don't expect the Cavs to trade for him-they don't have the parts- but they're gonna go after him hard in 2 years). Jermaine O'Neal also had a nice game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 8 rebounds to go along with a single assist and steal.

But J.J. Hickson filled in quite nicely. J.J. had 8 boards and 3 boards in 18 minutes. You can tell the game is slowing down for him; he's making better decisions on offense, he's not rushing (pump fakes!) and he's learning where he's supposed to be on certain plays (he filled the lane really well a couple of times). The Cavs played J.J. at small forward for a bit when they went big (it was a weird five: Boobie, LeBron, Hickson, Darnell Jackson and Varejao).

Boobie Gibson continued his hot streak from Detroit. Gibson shot the ball extremely well, scoring 18 points while going 6-11 from the floor and 4-5 from downtown. But he wasn't just a scorer, he also pitched in 3 boards, 2 assists and a steal. I like how Gibson played and if he can make shots and stay within his game (just 1 turnover), I'll be much less annoyed with him (which is all that matters, in the end).

and finally...

Stay away from ESPN (unless you want to go on a murderous rampage). The Cavs are in New York tonight, so you know what that means... 2010.... Kobe's 61.... Michael's double-nickle... I'll go out on the limb and say that the media could overshadow the actual basketball game. I don't care how much LeBron scores (I don't think it's smart for him to go for 62) all I care about is another Cavalier win (hopefully a blowout).

Great

And thus ends the most painful football season in Cleveland Browns history: the expectations, the national games, the preseason problems, the dead start, the timeouts, the field goals, our hope returning after the Giants, injuries, K2 wanted to be traded, Braylon dropping balls, 6 weeks of no touchdowns, the Savage email, losing at home to the Bengals in 12 degrees, coaches fired, GM fired, Edwards crying about Michigan, Raven-Steelers AFC Championship and capped off by a Steelers come-from-behind Superbowl win (including two or three all-time SB plays). Wow.

Obviously, I was pulling for Arizona. Rooting for Pittsburgh... I've tried before (the Cowboys SB) and I just naturally gravitate to the opposing team (I do the same thing with Michigan, even when it'll help OSU if they win, I still root for them to lose, preferably with injuries). I wouldn't say I'm pissed they won, because I expected it. I'm just happy(?) that they at least had to earn it. This wasn't a blowout where one team completely outclassed the other- this was a very good, very competitive ballgame (although, it was a little to similar to the OSU-Texas game for my liking).

Even though I hate the Steelers, I hafta be proud for the Ohio guys. The biggest plays the Steelers made were all by guys who went to college in Ohio. The MVP of the game? From Ohio State, where I got my undergrad (Santonio was AWESOME. Even his catch on the saftey was ridiculous). That 100 INT returned for a touchdown? That's James Harrison, Kent State alum (where I got my Masters). And Big Ben? Miami (where I got hammered).

The Cardinals gave Pittsburgh an fight. They kept in it. The NFL has gotten really lucky, these last couple Super Bowls have been fantastic.

Other stuff:

The Transformers II commerical was a delight. Although this (fake) version is a bit awesomer (though I'm not sure it's better than the Thundercats). I was also suprised how bad-ass the new Star Trek looks.

I still don't get those Sobe commercials. Like, I was unware the first one was so loved that it warrented a sequel.

Speaking of fakes, this fake Bonnaroo lineup makes my dick hard (why yes, Rules of Attraction did come up in conversation last night, why do you ask?). You have no idea how happy I'd be if this was true. The official announcement comes tomorrow and I'm fairly certain Springsteen (along with Phish) will be there.

Nice game from Boobie yesterday. They're gonna need him playing with confidence (and fire) if they want to win a title (especially if Wally is traded and not bought out). I feel like, at times, Boobie is a little too pleased with himself (or maybe he's a little too comfortable). He'll loose the ball or do something stupid but he'll still have a big grin on his face. D up, knock down your shots and don't try to do too much. He's in the NBA because of his jumper, there isn't anything wrong with being a standout shooter.

I still haven't decided if I want the Cavs to trade for a big or a wing. On one hand, someone like Wallace or Stephen Jackson could take the defense to another level. But then again, if they could land Brand (I believe the reports that he's available), they'd be in an amazing spot. I'd love to land Marcus Camby, but I don't see how they get him.

Excuses

Not gonna lie, I'm at work right now.

I get off work at 5 (+ 1 hour driving).

Cavs-Pistons start at 2:30.

Super Bowl starts at 6:30.

Then tomorrow, I work a split shift (9-1 and 5-9).

So if you think I'm gonna have anyting about the Cavs-Pistons game, you're kidding yourself.

Go Cardinals!

Cleveland 112, Los Angeles 95

Z's back! (me too!). With Z's return giving the Cavs an early jolt, they jumped out to a 4-20 lee... er... 20-4 lead. Cleveland scored the game's first eleven points and it looked like we were well on the way to a laugher. But once LeBron picked up his second foul late in the quarter, the Clippers made a game of it, going on a 17-4 run to make it 26-26 heading into the second.

The Clippers didn't go away, at least for a half. It was kind of a bizzare second period, as both Baron Davis and LeBron were on the court to begin the quarter. Davis didn't play at all in the first period and James was coming in after sitting with two fouls. The Clippers stuck around by taking advantage of mismatches (the Cavs always switched on the picks and Varejao ended up guarding Diddy way to often) and the Cavs' sloppy turnovers. The Cavs kept themselves in the game by knocking down the longball; of the Cavs 10 field goals in the quarter, 5 were from downtown (they made a season high 14 on the night). The teams headed into halftime tied at 54.

The Cavs pulled away in the second half. Cleveland stepped up their defense after halftime; they were more active overall and they even decided to stop letting token white guy Steve Novak shoot from the same spot every time down the court. They also cleaned things up at the offensive end; they started the quarter on a 17-9 run and never looked back. I though Pavlovic had a really nice third period; he had 8 points and an assist in the period, before heading to the bench due to foul trouble.

LeBron: steady greatness. This guy is really good; he has a mostly nondescript game, but he finishes with 25 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals and a block. He attacked the basket early on, netting him a couple of "and ones" though he only ended with just six free throw attempts (he made five). However, that's partly due to the fact that he was taking (and making) a lot of his jumpers. James was pretty comfortable shooting the ball, as the Clipper guarding James was often gave up a good 5 inches to the King (seriously, B-Diddy on LBJ? Really?).

Mo rebounded nicely from the Orlando loss. After going just 4-15 in the sunshine state, Williams poured in 23 points on 8 -16 shooting against the Clippers. His long ball was dropping yet again as Williams shot a nifty 5-6 from behind the arc (over the last six games he's a ridiculous 25/47 from downtown). Williams also chipped in 6 assists, a bound and steal.

I forgot about all the little things that Z brings to the table. In his first game back, Z had 20 points and 11 boards in 29 minutes. He'll get ya a couple put backs a game and he's the ultimate saftey valve. The Clippers left him alone to shoot his 15 footers and Z made 'em pay. He finished 10-16 from the floor and while you could tell there was a little rust (a couple sloppy passes and he airballed a corner trey), his presence made life much easier for both James and Williams.

This is a weird Clipper team. They're filled with a bunch of players who have talent, but they're all one-on-one. Baron Davis looked like he had no feel for his teammates, Ricky Davis chucked up everything in sight and the two young guys (Al Thorton and Eric Gordon) showed off some nice offensive moves. Thorton is really quick on the block (I love me some post players) and Gordon had a fantastic all-around game, going for 27 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. They have a lot of guys who, if they were in better situations, would be really valuable. But it's the Clippers.

Wally Szczerbiak is starting to make me not want to trade Wally Szczerbiak. Sure, the guy is slow, old and gives 25 hi-5s a game, but if he can continue to shoot anywhere close to this (especially with Gibson sucking- if he's not making shots he's a liability), he might be more valuable to the Cavs than we realize. Wally had a nice game with 15 points, 2 assists and a board and his shooting was fantastic (6-10 overall, 2-5 from downtown). Szczerbiak has had his moments over the season, but since the new year he's played really good ball. After shooting 32% from the floor and 25% from downtown in December, Wally's January has been stupid: 36-74 FG, 21-36 3PT for 49% and 58%(!!!) respectively. Let's hope Wally is allowed to spend the month of March with his wife and kids.

and finally...

Thanks for your patience. I know I've been on and off with these things and I apologize, I'm not happy about it either, believe me. Anyways, in case you forgot, this is a really good basketball team. Yea, it's pretty lame that the team with the best record only has one All-Star (but they got the coach!), but I think it's pretty obvious that Z would've been there had he not gotten hurt (plus, A.I. being voted in screws up everything). The Cavs still haven't lost consecutive games all year and they're the only undefeated team at home. Sure, some will point to the fact that they've lost to some good teams on the road (like it's a terrible thing) but you have to realize that that's the only time they ever lose. These guys are pretty good; the bench has stepped up after the injuries, the young guys have plugged in and while they've been a little chirpy as of late (and not without some reason), for the most part, they don't make any excuses.

Trade Stuff

Well, the injury bug has struck and its taking away some of Danny Ferry's deadline options.

First, the Cavs won't be able to reunite the backcourt from a shitty Bucks team:

Just when that silky smooth jumper of his was starting to fall just the way Michael Redd likes it, the Olympian's injury-plagued season came to an abrupt and frustrating end.

The Milwaukee Bucks' leading scorer will miss the rest of the year with torn ligaments in his left knee.

Honestly, this has worked out to the Cavs (or at least mine). I'm not a proponent of re-teaming Williams with Redd and Redd's injury makes the point moot. In addition, now no one else will be able to trade for him.

Then there's Charlotte's Gerald Wallace... ouch:

Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace suffered a partially collapsed left lung and a fractured rib late in the team's double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, team officials said Wednesday.

The statement said Wallace had 30 to 40 percent of his left lung collapse as well as a non-displaced fracture of the fifth rib. The team said Wallace underwent a CT-scan at Centinela Hospital in Los Angeles, and had a chest tube inserted into the lung to help restore full function.

Wallace was to remain in the hospital over the next 48 hours for observation and did not accompany the team to Portland for Wednesday night's game against the Trail Blazers.

Team spokesman B.J. Evans said there was no immediate indication on when Wallace would rejoin the team, or even when he would return to Charlotte. Evans also said there had been no decision Wednesday afternoon as to who would replace Wallace in the starting lineup against Portland.

I'm really torn on G-Force. On the one hand, I see better, younger, more athletic Larry Hughes clone. Wallace simply cannot shoot (26% 3pt this year). So if he's added, you'll see some bricks. But defensively... dear lord. Defensively he'd be perfect. He can guard bigger guys, you can stick him on Rondo for stretches... I mean, with Wallace and Bron-Bron... wow. Also, he's fairly adept at posting up, so it's not like he'd be a complete loss offensively.

Here's where things gets interesting:

Elton Brand, Sixers
The Sixers are experiencing quite a bit of buyer's remorse after giving Brand an $80 million contract this past summer. Brand has been awful in the early going. To make matters worse, he struggles to play the style the rest of the team wants to play. More and more, it's looking like a bad fit for both parties. I've heard rumblings over the past few weeks that the Sixers would let Brand go for expiring contracts and a future pick -- a pretty small price for the most coveted free agent of last summer.

But will anyone want to take on his contract at this point? The Heat's Pat Riley has always been a fan. The Pistons are looking for a dominant big, too. A Chicago homecoming isn't out of the question either. And the Cavs might be willing to roll the dice, although that's a lot of money to gamble with. Will any GM or owner in the league have the guts to pull the trigger?

Chance of trade: 20 percent

Elton Brand?! Are you kidding me? The Cavs would be stupid not to add Elton Brand. Sure, he's old. Sure, he's had some injuries. But if you think the guy sucks just because of Philly, you're kidding yourself. The Sixers are good when they run and gun, which is the exact opposite of Brand's game.

He's a career 20-10 guy, he can post up, he can board and he can hit the open J. You plug him in at PF and just let the 'em go. Yes, he's costly, but he's not all that old (he'll be 34 when his contract is up).

Worst case scenario, he's an expensive Joe Smith who will be an $18 million expiring contract in 2013. Best case scenario? Championships. Plural. Multiple. And if you can get him for the combination of Wally & junk? Yes, please.

I never wanted Redd (after the Williams trade) and while Wallace is intriguing, I think he'd take the longest to mesh (does he have a position? Where will his points come from? etc) let alone the short and long term injury concerns. Brand is my pie-in-the-sky scenario (I don't think either team has the guts to make that trade, would Philly really hit reset that fast?) and I think he'd put the Cavs way over the top.

Even with the injuries and the crappy loss to Orlando, I still think the Cavs are in a pretty good spot. They don't HAVE to make a trade. Wally has done well and if they can't pawn him off for a legitimately useful piece, I say keep his expiring ass.

Jazz, Kings and Podcasts

I was working and then with the snow and other various issues, I could not watch Mo Williams pour in 43 points last night. Apologies all around. I haven't seen a second of it.

As for the Jazz game, I was oot and aboot and for that I don't apologize (I had a really shitty week last week, with that car wreck and all).

On a brighter note, I feel really good about our latest podcast (in which we discuss the Cavs' West coast trip, basketball broadcasters, the Browns and other various foolery). Podcast no. 5 had some technical difficulties, but it can be found in all it's glory right here. Enjoy.

Wow (this is gonna be short)

What a fun game. What a freaking great game. I only saw the second half, but just... wow. This is a game that great teams win. The whole team stepped up; Ben Wallace hit a huge jumper late, both Gibson and Williams nailed clutch 3s, Sasha Pavlovic made a key defensive stop and Tarence Kinsey had (by FAR) his best game as a Cavalier (scoring 11 points).

The game went back and forth for most of the second half and the; everytime the it looked like Cavs had the Golden State down, the Warriors had an answer. Stephen Jackson hit some clutch, clutch jumpers (I like this guy, a lot. He's a little old, but he's a gamer), Corey Maggette bulldozed his way to 23 points and Monta Ellis dropped 20 points in his season debute.

And then there's LeBron. He hit the game winner as time expired, but he did so much more. The MVP was just 10-16 from the line, but he hit his final two, giving the Cavaliers a one-point lead. His stat sheet is simply ridiculous: 32 points, 9 boards, 8 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. He's insane.

I'm having a hard time remembing a game this fun. The high score, the highlight plays, the whole team stepping up, back and forth during crunch time and a Cavalier game winner.

(and I almost forgot, Fred McCleod was hack-tastic tonight. Wow, man, this is getting a bit much. The thing is, Fred is a pretty good play-by-play guy; he can call the game, he knows his stuff and he's quick. He's talented. But man, get your head out of Dan Gilbert's ass. Everytime a Warrior player made a move, McCleod always mentioned how he "got away with an off arm" or that it "looked like he traveled, but the refs didn't call it". No dude, sometimes they just make a move, they aren't always getting away with taking an extra step. And on the other end... just damn. The Cavs can miss shots without there being some uncalled injustice. They aren't actually getting screwed by the refs every time down. Just call the game and let Austin yell crazy shit. That's all we need).

(On the flip side, Joe Tait was awesome. I'm kinda pissed I watched the second half on tivo, especially given the ending. I listened to Joe during the first half and he's a god-damn delight. I need an MP3 of Joe's fourth quarter. There's no way that isn't fantastic).

(Now excuse me, I have to go to bed. I have work in the morning.)

Cleveland 104, Portland 98

This was a great bounce back win. After getting beaten (somewhat handily) by the Lakers on Monday night, the Cavs were in control for most of Wednesdays game against the Blazers. Guys were focused, multiple players stepped up and LeBron had an efficient, all-around (and great) night. They still haven't had a losing streak all season, moving to 8-0 following a loss.

You aren't going to lose many games where LeBron is hitting his midrange J. Portland tried to keep James out of the paint (he had a couple of his shots blocked) and James took what the defense gave him. Twice in the game LeBron made three consecutive mid-range jumpers and there's not a whole lot you can do if that's going to happen. LeBron led everyone with 34 points to go along with a game high 14 assists, 7 boards and a steal. LeBron's passing was fantastic; he found guys in the open court (Pavlovic ran the floor especially well), he found guys for open jumpers and he worked the ball to Mo Williams, who responded by shooting 6-9 from downtown.

Mo was great. Williams had a season high 33 points in 41 minutes. He shot the ball extremely well (12-19 FG, 6-9 3pt) and he was really aggressive. Sometimes this led to turnovers, but I think you have to make that trade off, in order to get Williams more involved with the offense. With both Z and Delonte West out, the Cavs are going to need Williams to score more and take the pressure off of LeBron.

The Cavs capitalized on every fortunate play. Wally grabs a LeBron air ball? Leads to a Varjao dunk. James picks up a ball fumbled by Varejao? Leads a LeBron trey in the corner. Every time the Cavs got any break from the refs or weird play, they always scored the next possession.

I love Portland's crowd (you can tell why they're 15-5 at home). They were into it from the get-go and they stayed into the game throughout (until the very end, where you could've heard a pin drop). The crowd was extremely supportive of their squad (booing nearly every call) but they save the biggest cheers for Rudy Fernandez and Greg Oden. Any time either of those two do anything remotely positive, the crowd erupts like proud parents at a 6-year old's soccer game (and if Greg Oden gets called for a foul, look out). It's great that the Cavs won in a building like this (some would argue this is their first 'tough' road win of the season).

I also really like this Portland team. Seriously, is there a young guy on this roster that you don't like? I love the games of both Aldridge and Roy (both are a little old school), both Fernandez and Rodriguez are fun to watch, Travis Outlaw is really, really long and Jerryd Bayless shows a lot of promise. Oh ya, they also got that Gred Oden fellow. It's not going get any easier to play in the Rosen Garden over the next couple years. It's good for the NBA when Porland is competetive.

Sasha Pavlovic continued his strong play. I really like the way Pavlovic is playing; he's not forcing his shot (either inside or out), he's playing under control, his defense is still solid and he's actually knocking down jumpers. Best of all, he's not playing many empty minutes; Sasha finished 3-6 from the floor for 6 points to go along with 4 boards, 4 assists and a steal. I will say that Sasha still doesn't get much love from the refs, as he picked up a couple of questionable calls.

The Cavalier defense is quite good, just in case you weren't aware. Brandon Roy finished just 8-23 and LaMarcus Aldridge was only 8-20 (and just 4-12 after the first period). As a team, the Blazers shot just 40%. For the life of me, I don't know why the Blazers didn't feed Oden a little more. He finished just 3-4 from the field and as far as I can remember, only one shot came off of an actual play (the rest we rebound put backs). Oden made a nifty jump hook over Varejao and I'm kinda surprised they didn't try that a little more (especially considering the Laker game).

I'm still a bit worried about the Cavalier offense. While I really like the fact that Williams was more aggressive and the Cavs had a (somewhat) balanced attack (a couple of guys made big shots), they still were played mostly outside-in. Granted, Portland is a big squad, but the Cavs are going to need some inside scoring at somepoint. Hickson played well in his 13 minutes of court time (5 points and 2 boards) but he needs to keep his fouls in check (he had 4).

and finally...

Finish out the trip right. I think you have to be OK if the Cavs finish this trip 2-2, but 3-1 is looking a little more likely after this win in Portland. The Cavs end their mini West coast swing with a back-to-back against Golden State and Utah. While I don't expect either of these games to be easy, they can't afford a loss in Golden State. A 3-1 trip is pretty good regardless of circumstances, but while missing two key starters.... that'd be quite nice.

Cavs-Lakers

Due to some unforseen circumstances (like my parked car getting nailed) the Cavs-Lakers recap will be a bit late. They really miss Z. A lot.

Also, Obama.

Marcus Camby?

So about Marcus Camby....:

Nick (Cleveland): Any substance to the idea that Marcus Camby could go to the Cavs for Wally Szczerbiak and a first-rounder? He would be the perfect fit in Cleveland.

Marc Stein: There's substance only from the perspective that this would be the only kind of deal that the Clips would accept for Camby. Taking back a contract shorter than Camby's incentives-laden deal, in other words.

He's got the most cap-friendly contract of any of the big names in Clipperland, and Donald Sterling is not in the mood to add any more money to the payroll after his (relatively) open checkbook of the past few years failed to prevent the Clips from winding up in a race to avoid this season's worst record.

If a deal like this ever did go down, though, it would be a total steal for the Cavs. A dream. Which is probably why we shouldn't even be addressing it.

How valuable is a future first from the Cavs going to be? That pick and Wally's expiring contract isn't nearly enough for Camby.

Andy (Las Vegas): Tell Nick that Camby fits even MORE perfectly in Detroit ... and can be traded for Rip Hamilton, who would fit in nicely with Baron in L.A.

Stein: We repeat: Donald Sterling is not going to take back a deal longer than Camby's. Rip just signed an extension.

Jason (Cleveland): Steiny Mo: Have any of your sources brought up this Camby deal? You MUST elaborate before you send the entire city into an uproar.

Stein: Sorry. I was purely responding to a chat-room hypothetical. (Later learned that this scenario was tossed out in one of the Cleveland papers recently).

So I don't want to suggest that this Camby-to-Cleveland idea is in any way live. One source who would know described it to me as a "fan fantasy."

I should also say that while such a scenario is indicative of the KIND of move that the Cavs have the capability of making with Wally's expiring contract -- IF they decide to mess with their good chemistry -- most observers still expect them to make a trade before the deadline only if they can get a big-timer from the Vince Carter/Michael Redd class. They wanted another big man even before losing Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but there's also a feeling in Cavsland that they're deep enough to survive injuries to Big Z and Delonte West as long as they stay in the one-month to six-week range.

I'd love (LOVE) Marcus Camby, but I'm not seeing how the Cavs can pry him from LA.

I do think this type of team is the best fit for Carter at this point.

As for Redd, do the Cavs really want to reunite the backcourt of a terrible Bucks team?

It's that time of year again

Trade season! Hooray!

Today, I’ll give you four players I believe will be on the move. They will make a difference for a playoff contender — Denver or elsewhere.

Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards. Averaging 19 points and eight rebounds over 10 NBA seasons — 20 points and nine rebounds this season. Do you hear much about him? No, because the Wizards stink this season. Jamison is 32 years old and carries a $10 million tag. Pulling him would be akin to the Lakers getting Pau Gasol last season.

Stephen Jackson, Golden State. Sure, he’ll beat you down if you mess with him. So don’t mess with him. Jackson is 30. He’s got the goods to play guard or forward, averaging 19points and six assists for the woeful Warriors. And his price tag is relatively affordable at $7 million.

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers. Living in L.A. might be nice, but not if your 6-foot-11 frame is crammed into the basement of the Pacific Division. At 34, Camby is averaging a double-double — 12 points and 14 rebounds per game. He costs around $10 million, but could you imagine him blocking shots and pulling down boards for the LeBron James-led Cavaliers? Or the Chauncey Billups-Carmelo Anthony-led Nuggets?

Raja Bell, Charlotte Bobcats. One minute, you’re in Phoenix with Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash. The next, you’re traded to Charlotte — with Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown. Somebody should free Bell from the abyss. He’s a solid, physical defender — T.R. Dunn with a three-point shot.

Think any one of these four players could make an impact for the Nuggets? If not those four, Denver ought to be looking somewhere for help.

There’s always room for improvement.

I like all of these guys, but I'm extremely intrigued by both Camby and Jackson.

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.

Then there's Marcus Camby. I mean, are you kidding me? This guy would be huge off the bench. He's currently leading the league with almost 14 boards per night (13.9 to be exact) and he's second in blocked shots with 2.7 per. He's owed $10 million this year and $9 million next season. He may not have the range of one Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but he has a good faceup jumper and pairing him with Wallace and LeBron for late game possession would be insane.

As for Raja Bell, I think he could be a nice saftey net for the Cavs. He'd be a nice defender, 3-point shooter to have come off the bench. He wouldn't set the world on fire, but he could help this team.

This trade season should be quite interesting...

Cleveland 92, New Orleans 78

Not the prettiest game, but it counts as a W. The Cavs held a listless New Orleans team to just 13 first quarter points and though the lead would fluctuate throughout the game, the outcome was never seriously in doubt. Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic combined to go 7-8 from downtown in the first half and James took over late as the Cavs methodically put the Hornets away.

James had a near triple double. The King finished with 29 points (12-24 FG, 0-2 3pt, 5-6 FT), 14 boards, 7 assists, 3 steals and a block. After scoring 15 points through the first three quarters, LBJ poured in 14 over the final twelve minutes. He really seemed focused on the boards, grabbing some tough bounds in traffic, and he didn't seem afraid to go inside (he was actually posting up on a semi-regular basis). However late in the game, he took (some could say settled for) more than a few jumpers, but he was hot (and at that point, no one could make jack), so it worked out.

Sasha Pavlovic?! Alright then. I've been pleasantly surprised this season by Sasha's ability to hit the long ball cold off the bench (it seems he's always hitting the first jumper he takes) and he was on fire on Friday. Sasha finished 7-10 from the floor (4-4 3pt, 1-1 FT) and it was remarkable how under control he was. He wasn't rushing his jumpers, he wasn't forcing the issue and he seemed to take what the defense gave him. When they pressed, he drove (again, under control) and when they sagged off, he nailed jumpers. Sasha probably prepared for this season as if he'd be the starter and now he's getting the chance to prove himself (I mean, he got 43(!) minutes). I'm gonna be real interested to see how he responds in Delonte's absence.

The Hornets are a mess. They put forth minimal effort, especially considering the Cavs had a draining overtime loss against the Bulls the night before. Chris Paul looked perpetually pissed off, Tyson Chandler finished 1-3 from the floor and David West... well, he just looked bored (and somewhat insulted that the Cavs had Wally D-ing him up). They came out hot, building a quick 7-2 lead and making their first four shots, but the Cavs tightened up the defense and the Hornets never really overcame it. I was really (really really really) worried about this game and the Cavs more or less slept walked through it. I really thought Paul would kill them but instead, he got himself thrown out late (James Posey also got tossed late- it really wasn't their best hour).

Besides Wally and Sasha (and that LeBron guy), the Cavs didn't shoot well. James was 12-24, Sasha was 7-10 (19 points) and Wally was 4-6 (14 points) Varejao missed his first five shots (finishin 2-7), Mo was 4-13 overall and 0-6 from downtown, Hickson was 0-4 (in just 10 minutes) and Boobie... well, Boobie was 2-5 from 3... and 2-10 overall (ugh). The Cavs seemed to match New Orleans' energy at times throughout the second half, but whenever the Hornets made a mini run, LeBron would just make a couple of huge buckets and the game would be out of reach yet again.

and finally...

Didn't see this coming, but I'll take it. In no way did I expect the Cavs to push their home record to 20-0. I figured the combination of traveling, injuries (mental fatigue from said injuries) adn the opponent would lead to a lackluster effort. Obviously, I was gladly mistaken. Now the Cavs get to travel to Los Angeles to face Kobe and the Lakers to start their four game West Coast trek. This is a nice victory, especially given the circumstances, but they'll have to have a better offensive plan than "drive and kick" against the likes of the Lakers and Blazers.

Chicago 102, Cleveland 93 OT

Well, today is a fun day. The Cavs lost to the Bulls, Delonte West's head bounced off the floor, LeBron displayed some of the worst body language I've seen since Eric Snow was getting 30 minutes a night and it's -12 degrees right now. Freaking awesome. Oh, and the Cavs get to face Chris Paul and Hornets tonight. Sweet. In case you guys forgot which team you were rooting for, it's based in Cleveland. If you're surprised by these injuries, you haven't been paying attention for the past 30 years (*waves at Jim Chones, Mark Price and optimism*). To be fair (and stay sane), Brian Windhorst has a good post walking Cavalier fans back from the edge.

LeBron didn't have a good night. Apparently (so says the AP article) LeBron had no lift in his legs and he could have some of the flu bug that has been going around the Cavs locker room. Just in case you forgot how good he is, this was LeBron's line on a bad night: 28 points, 14 boards, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. But once West went down, LeBron seemd to try to do everything himself. He was taking bad shots, forcing the issue and generally looked like he didn't trust anyone else on the court. LeBron ended the night shooting 8-28 from the floor (at one point missing 13 straight shots) and had 8 turnovers. James was also just 11-16 from the line (including a few killer misses) and kinda reminded everyone that even though he's improved his free throw percentage this year, he's not out of the woods til he makes his freebies in tough situations.

Though, I can't blame LeBron for not trusting some of his guys. Mike Brown had some weird lineups out there (Pavlovic, Wally, Gibson and Wright? Ugh) and it's no wonder that James tried to go it alone. Once West went down, these guys had no continuity and the offense was choppy at best. The Cavs had a semi-strong third period, when Williams, Pavlovic (who actually wasn't terrible) and Gibson all hit some treys, but the offense was all "LeBron drives, draws the D and kicks to a shooter". They got some points, but they couldn't sustain anything.

LeBron's final shot in regulation left something to be desired. I like the fact that the Cavs didn't use a timeout after the Bulls tied the game at 87 with 17 seconds to go. I didn't like the fact that they didn't do anything in those 17 seconds. Instead of using the lack of timeout to sow confusion in the Chicago defense, LeBron just held the ball and hoisted a 21 footer as time expired. Part of me doesn't blame him (especially if he's sick) but part of me would like him to challenge the defense in that situation. Standing around and shooting a long J is exactly what the Bulls want him to do.

Derek Rose is really good. On one hand, I do not like the fact that he's in the same divison as the Cavs. He's gonna be a pain in the ass to go against 4 times a year. But on the other hand, 10 years of LeBron vs Rose battles ain't a terrible thing to have to 'suffer' through either. Rose gave the Bulls a 2 point lead with an 'and one' layup with about 4 minutes to go (Varejao committed another dumb foul near the basket, making enough contact to warrant a whistle, but not fouling hard enough to alter the shot). Rose finished with 16 points and 6 assists and he was strong late. He hit the game tying free throws with 17 left in regulation and he started off OT with another 'and one' layup (which set the entire tone for OT. The fact that the Bulls hit three consecutive treys right after that didn't help either).

The shame is, West was playing really well when he got hurt. Brother Red had a nifty 11 points in his 11 minutes of court time. West hurt his right wrist (he's a lefty, whew!) after getting undercut by Derek Rose, whose shot West was attempting to block. Delonte's wrist landed first. His head landed second. He left with a gash above his eye (which eventually turned into a giant welt) and apparently his wrist isn't that badly screwed up.

Honestly, this wasn't their (or my) night. Mo Williams lost the ball off his knee on a break away layup. James won a jumpball late, only to fall down while going for a pass. The Bulls received four extra points in regulation, as Ty Thomas got away with both an offensive and defensive goaltending. Derek Rose drew a block on James when LeBron was definitively planted well in advance (but Rose bricked both attempts). And to top things off, the bar I was at (I won't say the name, but it rhymes with Blorchers) switched from the Cavs audio to karaoke with roughly seven minutes left in regulation. Now, I'm no fan of Austin Carr and Fred McLeod (they're hacktacular!), but they are at vastly preferable to Shaggy covers (and not even the shitty Shaggy songs I know! Obscure Shaggy songs!? Really?).

and finally...

Hi Rod? It's me Danny, so about Vince... No, I don't think the Cavs are going to make any rash trades, but I think now they might have a tad more urgency when it comes to the trade market (especially depending on how this mini-West coast swing goes). The Cavs are still in a pretty good spot (Boston isn't exactly setting the world on fire), but that top seed is gonna mean a lot. If you're the 2 or 3 seed, that means you'll have to go through both Boston and Orlando, where if you're the top dog, you'll get to watch the Celts and Magic battle it out in round 2. The Cavs face the Hornets in Cleveland on Friday night (gulp) and they're in LA facing the Lakers late night on Monday (double gulp- though the Lakers are missing guys as well).

Cavs-Bulls

So I'm going out to a bar to watch the game. I plan on doing a write up later, but as tends to happens with Ben and bars, there's a small chance I won't be able to (either I'll be out too late or I'll be not-sober, etc). Anyways, if there's nothing, well... I'll try.

Various Items

For those of you who check the blog regularly (I know there's at least one), if you noticed any weird posts today about me being awesome or sweet muffins, that's because I was demonstrating blogging technology for some people at work today. Those posts have been removed.

Also, there's a quasi decent chance I'll be purchasing a domain name in the coming days (most likely benjamincox.com, though cox.org could be awesome as well) and I could be moving the blog at some point in the near future. It'll probably be on wordpress and it'll look all snazy and not half-ass (though rest assured, my writing will still be 100% half-ass).

and finally, if you remember Yaysports! (a site which I proudly helped kill), Brian has a new site and he's interviewed yours truely here.

Cleveland 102, Memphis 87

Let down game? Not quite. The Cavs came out and put Memphis on their heels, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. But, as was the case for most of the game, they let the Grizzlies back in (they tied it at 7) and from then on, it was a game of runs. The Cavs would build a 7-9 point lead and the Grizzlies would get it back down to 2 or 3. They weren't put away until the fourth quarter.

LeBron James is very good at playing the game of basketball. The Chosen One finished with a triple double, including a game high 30 points to go along with 11 boards, 10 assists, 3 steals and another ridonkulous block. He also seems to be getting the hang of this defense thing, as he shut down Rudy Gay (season average: 19 ppg), holding the third year phenom to 10 points on 5 of 18 shooting. But it's not like the Memphis fans didn't get their moneys worth; for the first half of the third quarter, James completely dominated the ball game. He scored 11 of the first 15 Cavalier points in the quarter (he assisted on the other two baskets) and the Cavs finally built a 8-10 point lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

About that triple double... Now, god forbid I accuse the Cavs and LeBron of padding his stats, but LeBron sure played a lot of the fourth quarter. I was surprised that he started the quarter with the Cavs being up by 10. Then he grabbed his 10 board with a little under 9 minutes to go (Cavs lead was 14) and the countdown was on. A couple of guys missed some assist opportunities (Williams and Hickson) and then Boobie nailed a trey to give James 9 assists and the Cavs a 20 point lead with 5:52 to go. James didn't net that 10th assist until there was just 2:04 left in a 20 point game. With the Cavs being short handed (Lorenzen Wright got the start in place of a flu-plagued Benny Wallace) and about to start a little West Coast swing (not to mention facing New Orleans on the second night of a back-to-back this Friday) I don't think it's really necessary or prudent for LeBron to log 40 minutes against this Memphis team. (of course, if Wally could hit a layup, LeBron prolly sits down with 5 minutes to go).

I love Delonte West. Brother Red was perfect in the first half, making all 5 of is field goal attempts (including three treys) and both free throws. West finished the game 7-9 from the floor for 19 points to which he added 6 boards, 4 assists and a steal. West continued to play his stellar defense, holding wunderkid OJ Mayo to just 6 points on 3-9 shooting.

Mo Williams isn't an all-star because? Mo scored an efficient 16 points on 6-11 shooting (3-5 3pt) but he acutally missed a freebie (1-2 FT). Unlike West and James, Williams didn't have the best night on defense as Kyle Lowry finished with 25 points and 7 assists. Now, this wasn't all Mo's fault- somehow Lowry finished with 16(!!!) free throw attempts, but it just kinda underscores the fact that the Cavs could use some defensive help for the PG position (paging Gerald Wallace, Gerald Wallace to the courtesy phone please).

J.J. Hickson is starting to look like an actual NBA player. Hickson made the most of his 28 minutes of court time, finishing with 9 points, 7 boards, a steal and a block. He played mostly solid defense and he even knocked down a face up jumper (if he can hit that shot with any regularity...). The Cavs have been able to bring him along at about the perfect pace; he was able to get non-pressure minutes during the early season blowouts and now he gets to play because of injuries, and while these aren't meaningless games, this isn't the stretch run either. He keeps getting a little more responsibility as the season wears on and Brown doesn't have to play him in situations he's not ready for. I'm not sure you could plan it better.

Hey look, Darius Miles! Former Cavalier Darius Miles got some playing time and he sure doesn't look like he's ready to retire any time soon. Miles had 13 points in 14 minutes on a variety of jumpers, post moves and free throws. He doesn't have the lift he once had (he missed a break away dunk) but he hit a very nice turnaround in LeBron's face (they actually had to switch LeBron to Miles because he was causing so much havoc). Never fear though, even though he's bigger (huge shoulders) and can't jump, he still did that stupid fist head bump thing after he made a basket.

and finally...

Bulls on Thursday and then... *gulp*. After the Cavs travel to Chicago to face Derek Rose and the Bulls, they get to start a fun little stretch. They'll face the Hornets in Cleveland on Friday and then travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers on Martin Luther King Day. After that, they have a game in Portland and a back-to-back with Golden State and Utah. They get to finish out the month with a home game against the Kings and finally a back-to-back in Orlando and home against the Clippers. This is not an easy stretch of games (remember how Boston did on their West Coast swing) and we'll know a lot more about this team by the team we'll reach February.

Season of Dreams

So not only have Browns fans suffered through one of the most disappointing, gut-wrenching, pathetic seasons in recent memory (which in itself is saying something, considering the last decade) but now we get to watch the Ravens and Steelers battle it out for the right to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. Awesome.

But hey, at least the future looks bright (and you bet your ass I'm gonna by one of those jerseys)

Cleveland 98, Boston 83

Felt good, didn't it? The Cavaliers and LeBron James completely dominated the defending champs. The Cavs got the first lead (on a Ben Wallace floater of all things) and never trailed for the rest of the game. They came out hot, hitting their first six shots in route to a 33-23 first quarter tally. The sick thing was, LeBron didn't score his first points until nearly halfway through the first period (he hit two freebies with 6:43 to make it 16-10) and he didn't make his first basket until there was less than five minutes left in the period (he made an 'and one' layup with 4:44 left to make it 21-14).

LeBron is a fucking animal. He's a beast. He's a man-child. He's a man-beast-child. Anyway you put it, the dude is the best basketball player on the planet. James led everyone with 38 points (13-25 FG, 3-7 3pt and 9-9 FT) and stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 7 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 thunderous blocks. But he didn't just dominate the offensive end, he shut down the overrated Paul Pierce (11 pts, 4-15 FG, 1-5 3pt) and he was diving, scrapping and fighting from baseline to baseline. He fed his big men, he found his shooters and he took over when the Cavs needed him to take over (the Cavs scored 23 points in the third period, James scored or assisted on 18 of those 23 points).

But it wasn't like the other starters didn't do anything. Anderson Varejao finished with 14 points and 9 boards (and drew a tech on Kevin Garnett). Mo Williams threw in 13 points (off of a couple of sweet floaters), Delonte West had 8 and Benny Wallace had 9 points, 3 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks. While James was the obvious focal point, the rest of the guys did their job to just about perfection.

Though there were some rough patches. The Cavs went the first four minutes of the second period without a field goal (and while they only scored 16 in the quarter, they held Boston to just 17). Boston crept close after halftime (cutting the Cavalier lead to four and five- 49-45 and 56-51, respectively), but the Cavs ended up finishing the period with a bigger lead (12, 72-60) than what they started with (49-40).

For how thoroughly the Cavaliers dominated, I was surprised by some of Boston's stats. For instance, the Celtics outrebounded the Cavaliers 42-30, had 15 offensive boards (though many came in garbage time) to the Cavs 4 and ended up with ten more assists (25-15). Individually, KG's stats stuck out the most. If you saw the box score, you'd say KG had a solid night: 18 points (8-15 FG), 15 boards and 3 assists. But I thought Garnett was way too passive (too many interior passes when he should've been going up strong) and that he settled for too many jumpers (he finished with two free throw attempts).

Speaking of surprises, I still hate Kendrick Perkins. Perkins (who owns the biggest disparity between the amount of talent he possess and the amount of trash he talks) may have finished with 13 points on 6-7 shooting, but that was because the Cavs left him alone all night and KG found him for some dunks. So besides the dunks that were all KG's doing, Perkins other stats consisted of 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal. Well played sir. It's a special kind of center that can play 11 more minutes than Wally Szczerbiak and still get outrebounded by two. Also, he looks like a giant turtle.

The Cavalier second unit was mediocre (but better than Boston's). Daniel Gibson was the best of the bench bunch, scoring 10 points on 3-4 shooting (2-3 3pt) to go along with 3 assists, 2 boards a steal and a block. I still say the Cavs win that series last year if he stays healthy. Meanwhile, both JJ Hickson and Szczerbiak did OK. Wally hit his first shot (3-ball from the corner), which he assumed meant he should keep shooting whenever he felt like it. Nope; he finished the game 1-4 from the floor (1-2 from downtown) but tallied an assist and the aforementioned 3 boards.

The Celtics actually resorted to hack-a-Wallace. That's the sign of a great team right there, huh? They can't actually stop their opponent, they'll just hack the shitty free throw shooter. Well, Big Ben made them pay, making 5-10 from the stripe (which is better than his season average of 45%). It was pretty pathetic; the Cavs led by 18 points with under 4 minutes to play and Boston was still hacking Wallace.

and finally...

Don't get me wrong, this is a great win and all.... The Cavs dominated the Celtics, no question about it. LeBron cemented himself as the frontrunner for the MVP award. And while it was nice to take it too a Boston team, this game doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot. Yes, it was a statement game (message received methinks) but it's only one game in the middle of January. The Cavs have to continue to play with the kind of focus they displayed on Friday night. They may have the best record in the East but they also have six of the next seven games on the road (including a four game trip out West with games against the Lakers, Blazers, Warriors and Jazz- oh, and they're only home game? Against Chris Paul and the Hornets). This statement game may not mean a whole lot if they follow the Celtics lead and stink it up out West.

No matter how hard we try

So far, whenever we've recorded a podcast, it doesn't get posted until 3 weeks later and everything we talked about was out of date.

Then yesterday we record a podcast (where we discuss the possibility of the Browns hiring Mangini) and had it all ready to go (I didn't want to post it before the Cavs recap, because I figured it'd get lost) and the Browns make it out of date by actually hiring Mangenious. Thanks guys.

Anyways, here's Podcast numero quatro. Enjoy.

Cleveland 111, Charlotte 81

Hey, a recap? Due to holidays, family and friends, I've missed a few games these past couple weeks. I do apologize, but seeing family and friends takes precedent over a late December Cavalier game (no offense or nuthin). If it makes you feel any better, one of my new years resolutions is to get these things done quicker and more consistently. Wish me luck.

This is the best UCLA Bruins team I've seen in awhile. Wait, that's the Cavs? Oh good, they're wearing "throwbacks" from alternate history. Makes sense. Maybe Harry Turtledove will appreciate it, but I sure don't (anyone get that?). I've been waiting in vain for some orange and blue throwbacks, but noooo. Heaven forbid I can buy some jerseys from the last great/good/above average Cavs era. While it's great that I can grab a blue and yellow Wally Szczerbiak jersey, but I can't find a blue Mark Price jersey (or Ehlo, Daugherty, Nance, Brandon or even Bobby Phills) anywhere in The Q. Maybe I'm biased (that was the team that I grew up with and made me fall in love with basketball), but while the wine and gold is sweet, some love for the early 90s would be greatly appreciated (seriously, I'd probably end up giving them hundreds of dollars).

The game was over before they threw the jump ball. It really didn't matter who Charlotte played on Wednesday night, they weren't winning. After going toe to toe with the Celtics in an draining overtime win, coming into Cleveland was the last thing the Bobcats needed- they were dead on arrival. The Cavs dominated Charlotte early (leading 29-12 after the first period) and never looked back. The bench provided a nice spark, scoring 25 points in the first half with Gibson (3-4) and Wally (2-2) nailing some treys. The Cavs led by 18 at halftime (60-42, though two of those points came on some weird technical fouls on Juwan Howard) and 84-56 after three. That's right, the Cavs could've not scored a basket in the final period and they still would've won. Ouch.

LeBron was pretty good. 21 points (9-16), 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 31 minutes ain't shabby. He drove to the rim with authority and his aggressiveness opened things up for Cleveland's outside shooters. My favorite part of the night was when LBJ jumped off the bench stomping and yelling after a Gibson-to-Hickson alley-oop. Every time Hickson (who finished with 13 points and 6 boards) does something remotely positive, LeBron is always right there in his ear.

You know, maybe Wally shouldn't be the one inbounding the ball. I mean, this guy was a nortorious ball hog while in Minny, maybe they should have someone used to actually passing the ball throwing it in. Wally's two turnovers off inbound plays weren't a big deal in this game, but something like that could murder you in a close one. Besides that, I thought Szczerbiak played well; scoring 15 points to go along with 5 boards and 2 assists.

Varejao continued his strong play. It's gonna take a little time to get used to life without Z, but Varejao's great play has really eased the transition. Of course, Varejao gives the Cavs a little different look (way better at pick and rolls, way worse on pick and pops) but his 14 points and 6 boards are always helpful. Andy showed off a couple of nice little post moves, which I think will be the key to how well the offense runs in Z's absence. You're not going to replace Z's shooting from the 5 hole, you just aren't, but if you can throw the ball down to Andy on the block four or five times a game, it'll give the defense enough different looks to keep them on their toes. Offensive life is much harder without any type of post presence (hint hint LeBron).

Williams and West were solid as always. Mo pushed the Cavs in the first half and they responded; they ran out on breaks and kept a tired Charlotte team on their heels. Williams finished with 15 points (5-11 FG, 1-4 3pt), 6 assits and boards. Meanwhile, Delonte West didn't score in the first half. But no worries, Brother Red ended up stuffing the stat sheet regardless. Delonte had a nice all-around night with 7 points, 7 assists, 5 boards, 3 steals and a block (and his opposite, the vastly over-paid Matt Carroll, finished the evening 1-8).

Possible future-Cavalier Gerald Wallace had a so-so performance. On one hand, Wallace finished the night 6-10 from the floor for 14 points. But he missed a couple of jumpers (badly) and he had zero (zip, nada) rebounds in 31 minutes on the court. Not a one. However, he did take the ball to the hole quite nicely and he also had 3 assists. All in all, I still think I'd rather have him than Mike Miller.

and finally...

You hear there's a game on Friday? The Bobcats gave the Cavs a nice little tuneup/confidence boost before Friday's show down with the Celtics. Boston has been on a slide lately, going just 4-6 in their last 10 games and have fallen behind the Cavs by a half game in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs haven't been in 1st place this late in the season since the 88-89 season (you know, the Mark Price years! Gimme those jerseys!). So while the Cavs haven't been tearing it up lately (Bobcat game excluded), Boston has been playing worse. Either way, I'm just glad Varejao is starting, he'll get more minutes to annoy the hell out of Kevin Garnett.

Well, that sucked

I'm not really sure what else I can say about that game.

I honestly thought that Ohio State was going to get their asses kicked so, on one hand, I feel like I can't be too pissed off that they only lost by a field goal. But at the same time... you had it. It was right there.

Even though the defense blew that final touchdown catch (or the coaches blew it for them- Really? Texas needs a TD and you have nobody back deep?), I think if there's any 'blame' for this loss, I put it directly on the Ohio State offense.

They needed to have better possessions in the third quarter. Period. The defense was tired, Texas was throwing all over them (though they still had their moments) and the Buckeye offense couldn't get them off the field. Too many 3-and-outs and not enough sustained drives (the third quarter killed them).

As for Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns... meh. Don't get me wrong, they are a great college football team and they had a great game last night. However, as dumb as this sounds, I'm not all that impressed with McCoy. Texas had a great game plan of throwing underneath and they executed it well. But it was mostly dink-and-dunk, no?

Terrell Pryor. Ya, he made some mistakes; he held onto the ball too long, he didn't prepare enough for some throws and he got lucky with a couple of Longhorn drops. But overall, I think he's done all you can ask of his as a freshman. He's obviously improving with every game and if you don't think he has a really bright future, you're nuts.

More than anything, I really feel bad for the Buckeye seniors. They've now lost to huge games to Florida, LSU, USC and Texas. 1-3 in Bowl Games (all BCS I believe). They kept this game closer than I expected (Todd Boeckman? Wha?) and it sucks that they couldn't pull this out. (But hey, they haven't lost to Michigan, huh?)

And then there's Jim Tressel. Some Ohio State fans have been getting greedy (or stupid) and are fed up with these bowl game losses (and USC). But as far as I'm concerned, The Vest should coach the Buckeyes as long as he wants to. Ohio State isn't guaranteed spots in BCS games. Tressel has his flaws, like any coach, but I think he does an excellent job and I don't think these losses should be held against him too much. He's won a title and he's giving them good chances to compete for one every year. Not much more you can ask.

Finally, there's Beanie Wells. As a fitting end to his career at The Ohio State University, Wells played a great game but couldn't finish it due to injury. I know he's undecided on whether or not he declares for the NFL draft and I'll be honest: if he returns to Ohio State, he's a dumbass.

Don't get me wrong, as a Buckeye fan, I'd love seeing Pryor: Year II paired up with Wells: Year IV. But a running back doesn't have a long lifespan in the NFL and Beanie has proven just about all you can at the college level. He shouldn't go another season getting hit unless he gets paid for the pleasure. Running backs can contribute in the rookie season, there's no reason to waste another year of hits at the college level. Go pro Beanie (and if Rey Maualuga is off the board when the Browns pick, I wouldn't mind watching you run down by the lake on Sundays).

All and all, I can't really be pissed at the game. It sucks, don't get me wrong. It sucks real bad. But they played a great game. Sure, they made mistakes, but after the first half, I was just pleased that the game was close (let alone Ohio State having a lead). In the end, even though they wound up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (where were the safeties?!?!?), I think we can applaud the effort (and be glad they weren't run off the field) and enthusiastically look ahead towards 2009.

So lemme get this straight

The Browns fired their head coach (Romeo Crennel, who used to be Bill Belichick's defensive coordinator) and GM (Phil Savage, who worked under Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome) because things weren't working out and they need to move into a new direction.

And what a new direction it is! Randy Lerner and the Browns are about to hire a brand new head coach (Eric Mangini, who used to be Bill Belichik's defensive coordinator) and they'll soon be interviewing their guy for the GM position (George Kokinis, who worked under Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome). Awesome.

In all seriousness, I have no idea if this will work. Mangini and Kokinis could very well turn the Browns around. They are their own men, Romeo and Phil have no direct bearing on readiness for the job(s). But if they fail, this go down as one of the dumbest decisions in a franchise who's history is riddled with stupid decisions.

(also, LeBron traveled. It's OK. He really did. If he would've made that move during the second or third quarter, they may not have had to come back from 14 points. Instead, they were content to just hoist jumpers and not challenge the Wizards inside. It's not a good loss by any means, but it's a long, long season. However, their recent level of play has not inspired confidence, especially with the showdown with Boston looming).

The world must've sucked ass in the 80s.

Lol wut? (via Truehoop):

Reporter: What was it like to start your coaching career 2-19?
George Karl: I had legendary columnists in Cleveland, Ohio saying they were idiots not to fire me. It was tough. Bill Livingston, one of the best writers in the world, had me fired one night. I'm very good friends with Bill now...at Richfield Coliseum we were 2-19 and we played in front of 3,000 people in a 21,000 seat building. It was cold and quiet.

Wha happen'd?

I've always figured that Livingston, like Abe Vigoda (who is still alive), has always been old and cranky. I was completely unaware that he was (is?) considered one of the best writers in the world by anyone other than Mrs. Livingston.

Guess what?

Please don't hate me, but I may not be able to catch the game tonight. It could really go either way. Just in case, I'm letting you know in advance.

I'll be back to normal after this weekend. Don't you worry.

Here, enjoy: