Random Recap #4: Wow..

Well, it seems as though I missed quite the week in the world of OH.  Instead I was forced to watch Brazilian basketball, futbol, and even some curling..not sure why the curling was on, but whatever.  Oh and that Brazilian basketball game vs. Spain seriously included 3 travel calls in under 30 secs..no joke.  It was pathetic and on that note, no one recognized the Varejao jersey. 

So onto the goods..here is what went down in the past week:

*****As I am sure all of you know by now Jim ‘conservative’ Paxson is no longer with our beloved Cavs.  You gave us 7 good..strong..well you gave us 7 years.  You brought in the worst draft picks, lost Loozer, changed coaches 23 times, and guided us to the playoffs a total of zero times.   So Paxson thanks for trying but we need to move on thus the hunt begins.  Also, Malone will not be our coach next year…real big shocker..anyways there are now rumors that LeKing wants Nate McMillan.  Finally, check out this article on RealGM in which he gives a crazy prediction for our lineup next year (thx everyone for contributing your lineup predictions)... 

the 05/06 Starting Lineup:
PG - LeBron James
SG - Ray Allen
SF - Luke Jackson
PF - Drew Gooden
C  - Anderson Varejao

I'll follow the sign going forward..

*****In another not joking around move, the Tribe locked up CC for the next championship era of Indians era.  First Victor, then Haf-dog, and now CC.  Not a bad April Shapiro.  So CC is finally getting in shape, but personally the weight can stay just don’t lose the tilt.  So about this season..well it’s not going to well given we are 8-12, but since we are in the Central time is always on our side.  Our pitching is doing pretty well but our bats are quiet.  Check out these averages as of 4/28:  Victor Martinez (.208), Casey Blake (.207), Ben Broussard (.203), Aaron Boone (.138) and Grady Sizemore (.238).   Ouch..well there are stil 142 games..gotta love baseball.

*****Check out pretty cool article from a Purdue student regarding the OSU vs. Purdue game in ’02..yeah 4th and 1..you remember…what a season..  So anyways the kid just said it was his favorite sports moment while at Purdue.  As you will read, Mr. Denver Bronco limped off the field like a baby.  

*****Speaking of the newest member of the Denver Broncos, the NFL draft was this past weekend.  Only 2 and a 1/3 Buckeyes were drafted with NUGE going to the Jets in the 2nd round and Fox off to Minnesota in the 3rd round.  Big difference from a record setting 14 picks last year huh..  Oh and Clarett went in the 3rd round to the Denver...nice move Broncos and for once I rather enjoyed what Jim Rome had to say about that one.   So the Browns took a freakin scUM player as the 3rd pick.  Man another receiver from the enemy..K2 now Braylon.  We did get rid of Butch so at least the enemy won’t be handing down orders.  So we also picked up another hometown LeAkron stud in Charlie Frye.  Hell yes..  A sleeper pick in the 3rd round.  I think he will enjoy being home and once again LeAkron produces another talent..

*****Finally, the Q&A with Dan Gilbert was sent to me multiple times while I was away and now I know why.  In case you missed it, the Plain Dealer sat down (in email) with Dan Gilbert for a little Q & A session.  Now, Mr. Gilbert I believe in your plan, but after your words in this article you are seriously the man (while not Marc Cuban the man, you’re getting close).  Look at this:

The "LeBron is disgruntled/is leaving stories" did not come from LeBron or anyone else in his camp. It came from short-term thinkers and media entertainers posing as journalists. These people want to boost ratings, sell more newspapers or believe the west and east coast cities are in some way superior to places like "Cleveland" or "Detroit" and can't figure out why anyone (with a big name) would want to stay there. They are dead wrong and we will prove them wrong.  

Hell yes..I love how Gilbert basically admits all decisions are ‘What’s good for LeBron’.  He goes on to discuss the 50/50 chance of keeping Z and that Silas wanted out as well. 

So you thought the comments above were money, check this out...Dan you gaining points fast..

Q: Is it true that you passed notes to Silas during a game asking him to play certain players? Why have rumors persisted about you as a meddlesome owner?

A: Obviously, that is completely false. Can you imagine an owner doing that? It is so absurd, you have to laugh at it. Then again, the "ESPN Entertainer" who said it is the same guy who made up the story about "Jim Paxson being fired within 48 hours" when it was completely untrue and never even discussed here at all. He is also the same guy who made up stories about "LeBron's mother not liking the new ownership team." This guy, lets call him "John A. Doe" is an entertainer, not a journalist. Most people who know basketball realize what a phony this guy is and how he primarily blurts out fantasy on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the Internet has sprung up a bunch of these lazy characters that just read each other's nonsense and rewrite the same story with a few new adjectives. They don't do any real work. They never called me or anyone else for comment. They never asked me if any of this BS was true or not.

WOW..that brings a tear to my eye..it seems as though Gilbert and I are on the same wavelength regarding this media nonsense.  Definetely read this whole article..very very good. 

So there you go..I am back and ready for a very exciting Cavs offseason, a Tribe turnaround, and Buckeye talk to heat up.

Wishful Thinking

Big win yesterday, but we are only half the way there.  Boston needs to take care of Jersey tomorrow and hopefully Pierce and Walker will be allowed to provide some competition. 

On that note, I am leaving for the land of Varejao around 7pm which means I will have no idea if my Cavs win and Jersey loses thus a trip to the playoffs.  I can only assume we win and then destroy Miami…

the hair was even sweet back in the day..

Since I won't be updating the LeBlog for a little while, I would like to leave you all with something fun to ponder..

Who will be the Cavs starting 5 next year?

PG: ________

SG: ________

SF: ________

PF: ________

C:  ________

 

So I am off armed with only a Varejao jersey in hopes that maybe one person knows who the Cavs are..

A Sad State of Affairs

There we were…my friend Aaron and I walking the national mall in search of our friend Abe with our heads hanging low and our spirits basically crushed.   After a defeating loss, I didn’t know how to feel.  The game on Friday as well as the rest of the games we have recently blown have all meant so much to us fans, but seemed to mean so little to the players themselves.  Even if we make the playoffs, we might not go anywhere, but if we can't at least pull out the last two games, it would be the final punch to the team’s confidence and bring immense frustration to all in the offseason.  

This season I have only attended two games since the Cavs don't like to travel to DC, so I really haven't been able to analyze them up close and personal.  But Friday night was quite possibly the worst I have ever seen them play and to be honest probably just as bad as 3-4 years ago…the Ricky Davis era.   I mean our defense was awful, we couldn’t pass the ball, and it took almost 4 quarters for someone besides the King to score in double digits.  It was pathetic and I basically just sat in shock for most of the game.  I mean the thing is we were really only down 10 at worst, but we barely chipped away at their lead throughout the night.  We tied the game once towards the end, but then fell apart and the lead once again burst open.  The Bullets weren’t even playing that well and we had every chance to come back.  Their coach was even ejected in the third quarter..golden opportunity but no.  It was awful… 

Sitting next to us were two guys from Youngstown in their 30’s and at one point I asked how they survived this much heartache into their age and if this was just a rite of passage for a Cleveland fan.  After re-affirming this is in fact part of the game and to stick with it, these two men, who both recently became fathers, commented that no matter what they will be raising their offspring Cleveland fans (they live in the DC area)…at that point, I once again realized this is just the way it is...

So we finally reached Abe after a cool 4 mile walk from the MCI Center only to realize this really isn’t the worst experience in our lives.  Frustrating yes, but we have seen worse and to be really optimistic, we really do still have a shot at the postseason.  Yes, I am stretching here, but if the goal is really to get into the playoffs then we still have a chance. 

So why this immense weight on our shoulders to produce a playoff team.  We all know Gilbert isn't gonna run away if we don't make the playoffs...  Once again the problem falls on the media..shocker.  As stated before, the media craves nothing more than the collapse of an up and coming team.  Also, they haven't had a chance to sink their teeth into LeBron.  I mean it's hard to criticize someone soo good given he has basically done no wrong for 2 years now.  But they expect too much too fast and in their eyes, LeBron is failing.  Now all this talk of oh..LeBron is definitely leaving..LeBron can’t lead his team to the promise land, LeBron this, LeBron that..screw that.  Remember the Cavs were just a 17 win team 2 years ago…last year we had 35 and this year we should land around 40-42 wins.  Not a great improvement, but still an improvement.  Gilbert right now is taking a lot of blame, but he has only made one move in his 7 week tenure..the firing of Paul Silas.  Only thing I didn’t like about that was the timing.  Firing a coach mid season is really not a smart decision.  Let Silas finish out the year..we don’t make the playoffs..fault falls on Silas thus he is gone..simply math.  Now, Gilbert messed with system..we don’t play well…whose fault..not Malone, but Gilbert. 

Personally, I just want it to be next season.  I want to see if Gilbert is really that good and can make the moves to bring this team into contention.  Let go of some folks, trade for a few, draft (oh wait we don’t have any draft picks), and let’s point fingers in a few months. 

So please let’s just win out the season and hopefully make the playoffs.  I really don’t want to hear analysis on LeBron’s failure to lead for the next 2-3 months.  Our team is plain horrible right now, but all we can do is hope for the playoffs and more importantly look towards the future instead of reading about our failures..

Yep..one of the Most Influential People in the World..

As mentioned late last week, LeKing was named as one of The Time 100.   If you are laughing that oh anyone could make this list then think again.   James and five other sports figures appear on Time’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

Joining Mr. James from the world of sports are Chelsea soccer team owner Roman Abramovich, sailor Ellen MacArthur, Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and World Anti-Doping Agency chief Richard Pound.

Not the list you expected huh?   Only one athlete from the major 3 sports – NBA, NFL, and MLB…sup now.

yea...you're awesome

As I walked into my house, I saw the Time magazine sitting in the mailbox with sort of halo-ish glow surrounding it…ok fine it was wrapped around Maxim, but whatever.   So I opened the pages and found Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (from southern Ohio or Kentucky to some) as the ‘chosen one’ to write his blurb.  He actually touched one some interesting points such as, “While his talent has already established James, at age 20, as a bona fide star, he will need to be noncontroversial and politically correct, something even Michael Jordan took a while to learn.”   I really liked this comment and I think so far he has steered clear of negative press.  So often do athletes obtain such a superhuman power that they feel their opinion on world hunger is now muy importante.   LeBron..please in a few years I really don’t want to hear you endorsing PETA or please for the love of all that is right, don’t support the dark *bushy* side.  Oscar then goes on to speak of LeBron’s most LeAmazing dedication and desire to improve only after one season.  Bravo..

Then Mr. Robertson dives into the topic on everyone’s mind right now…will he or will he not stay in Cleveland.   For all you kids out there, Oscar played for the Cincinnati Bearcats then graduated to the Cincinnati Royals back in the 60’s (yes at one point Cincinnati was a legitimate city).  Oscar was not able to lead the Skyline laced city to glory, so he fled to Milwaukee to obtain a ring (and no he did not get one of the 5498 Red Sox championship rings).  So in so few words Oscar is saying that leaving is an ok option, which as we all know will not happen.

In the last paragraph, Oscar points out that, “James’ next step, if he so chooses, is to become a leader and inspire his teammates to play better as a unit.”  Are you freaking kidding me..who the hell else is the leader on this team.  I think that was made clear last year this is LeBron’s team.  I mean did you notice the celebs Cleveland now attracts to games and to even to buy the team?  Also, who was the real leader in the Olympics..check yo self big O.   Oscar then goes on to finish the article as such, “As James matures, will he develop the confidence to lead the effort to improve his team?  Or will he play out his contract and move to a franchise that knows how to put together consistent winners?  Either way, many consider him the new face of the NBA.” 

Ouch..well I know our team isn’t the best right now, but I think all this LeBron leaving talk will come to a screeching halt at All-Star break next year.  Gilbert and even Usher knew exactly what they were getting into here.  I mean what does LeBron really accomplish by going to a team filled with stars?  Maybe it’s just me, but I rather be responsible for building a team from nothing as opposed to be handed everything on a nice silver platter.  To tell you the truth..Z and well Gooden I guess are solid players and a great beginning to this team.  With the off-season acquisitions, we should have a championship contender.  I mean Jordan had Pippen and Grant was def above average, but they didn’t even have a big man..I am sorry Cartwright doesn’t count.  It took time for that Bulls squad to fill in the pieces and I think Cleveland is moving at a normal pace here.  The only difference now is the media.  Times have changed and these round-the-clock media companies need content and since LeBron is the NBA, he rightly deserves the most attention.  I also think people hate Ohio sports in general.  I mean Chicago has some major heartache too, but everyone loves them.  Rarely do I see people representin Ohio Sports.  Ok I am going off on a tangent here…

So anyways, HUGE win last night vs Orlando and our magic number is at 4.  We have 5 games left, including the only game of the season in DC on Friday night, which I will be attending in true LeAkron fashion.  We need victories and we need Jersey to lose.   This team is so close and the playoffs must happen…for LeBron’s sake. 

Top 428 MVP Candidates

Bill Simmons..you are the man..

check out this stellar article from the former bitter Boston fan on top 425 NBA MVP candidates:

Favorite Blurbs:

 "Like I told the guys earlier, once he turns 21 and is able to drink, it's over."
– Jalen after LeBron scored 56 on the Raptors

215. Carlos Boozer
That's what you get for screwing over a generous blind guy.

417. Darko Milicic
A quick recap of the 2003 Draft ...

No. 1. – LeBron James
No. 2. – Darko Milicic
No. 3. – Carmelo Anthony
No. 4. – Chris Bosh
No. 5. – Dwyane Wade

(That's like reaching into a brown paper bag filled with two checks for $100 million, two checks for $10 million, and a check for $10 ... and pulling out the check for 10 dollars. Ouch.)

 

My only complaint here is that LeBron is #4 and has to share this ranking with Dwyane Wade.  C'mon..Wade has Shaq..we have no one else..  Simmons also goes on to verbally destroy our team, but at least he knows of our woes at the GM position. 

LeBron for MVP and #1 on Simmons' list...

In Honor of Paxson..

Well...while we wait for Paxson to be fired, I figure some nice firing humor is in order.  Personally, I could use some laugher after the Cavs just lost by 30 points for the second time in 11 days..oh oh and the Indians just blew a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth..thx nubby. 

So from the people who brought you the striped shirt article comes the top 50 ways to get fired..absolute quality.  

till Paxon is fired...

Master Yoda would be Proud

So as I think about the Cavs game today...at one point I was ecstatic by our team's cohesiveness..the next minute I was ready to punch my TV..and by the end it felt like I had truly witnessed greatness.  The guys basically had a season in this one game. 

Up by 20 early in the second, this game was in the bag.  But then we blew it..Mavs went up by 3 at the close of the 3rd quarter.  Then when things couldn’t have gotten any worse, Tractor and Gooden were ejected.  Let’s just say the boo’s in Cleveland carried quite well over the TV.  So we are two big men down and interim coach Malone makes a bold move.   Move the King to the point and let him do what he does naturally…survey the court and pass. 

Over the past month or so, the Cavs shifted to this mode were LeBron felt like he had to be our primary scorer.  This is not his role.  The first half of the season played out like this for LeBron:  first two quarters get about 5-6 assists, pull down 4-5 rebounds, and drop 8-10 points.  This gets our big men in the game early, which we all know Gooden needs to have a successful game. On to the second half – Lebron takes more of a role in scoring and basically does what’s needed to win.  Whether that involves being the leader or not, he knows his role.  See the thing is..for the first part of the season, he would only become a Wilt Chamberlin type player when needed and if this occured it was for a half at most.  In the past few months, LeBron either was told or felt like he needed to do it all from the opening tip.  By the end of each game, LeBron was either dead tired or plain pissed.  I mean look at his minutes played over the past month..he is basically averaging 41-42 mins a game…way too much. 

While I am definetely not advocating LeBron becoming our next PG, this King needs to move back to his natural role..a play maker.  Let him get his 25 points quietly, but personally I don’t want to hear about him putting up 56 points in a losing effort.  I know the Cavs have not been playing well recently, but I think today proved to be a wakeup call.   Maybe having two of your big men tossed while on a 2 game slide and fighting for a playoff spot is what we needed.  Or better yet..maybe what we really needed was a nice kick in the arse concerning LeBron’s true role. 

So about the Tribe..

Well to put it nicely, the Cavs aren’t exactly playing too well right now.  LeBron and crew need to re-group before they play their way out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture…which pathetically only requires a .500 record to get in.  

So on that note, let’s look ahead to another sport which begins today..good old fashioned baseball.  It seems as though Mark Shapiro’s plan over the past 3-4 years is evolving nicely.  While it still might take another year or two, our attempt at building version 2 of the greatest offense in baseball history is coming along. 

So without further a do, let’s look at the starting lineup for our beloved Tribe this year:

C:  Victor Martinez – Quickly becoming our team leader and now the league’s best offensive backstop.  Last year’s numbers were no joke and this year should (or hopefully) yield .300/30/125.
1B:  Ben Broussard – Had a very strong second half of last year in both average and power.  Overall, last year he added 26 points to his average and 58 to his OBP.  A .285/25/90 season seems feasible.
2B:  Ron Belliard – Being one of the few guys over 25, this passed around second baseman recorded career-highs in nearly every category last year.  We’ll take the .275/15/75 plus defense and be happy.
SS:  Jhonny Peralta - Not only is his name spelled funny, but we are starting a Triple A MVP this year at SS.  Will he make a smooth transition to stud in the bigs is another story.  I know it’s hard not seeing Omar at SS, but believe this guy could be a top 10 AL shortstop in '05.
3B:  Aaron Boone - From ALCS hero to basketball dud to another dropped player by Jorge Steinbrenner, he has had quite a ride to end up as our 3B.  Prior to the injury, Boone was a pretty average producer, but could prosper hitting 2nd in our lineup given health isn’t an issue.  Oh also, his grandpa played in Cleveland 52 years ago. 
LF:  Coco Crisp – Yes, he does have a sweet name and last year moved into an expanded role and played well.  Had a monster second half and proved Mark he was ready for a starting role this year.  He will mostly likely leadoff and should get 20 SB and 15 HR’s. 
CF:  Grady Sizemore – Due to Juan Gone’s early injury, Grady is getting the call on opening day and has a lot to prove.  He came up from Triple A last year, but was demoted after a pretty big slump.  Will most likely take a seat on the bench once either Juan Gone or Jody Gerut is back to health.
RF:  Casey Blake - Once known as a career minor leaguer, this player made major improvements in virtually every category last season.  Given his 26 errors at third last year, a move to the outfield was in order.  Don’t laugh but we could see a 40 HR season as well as a solid RBI’s total.
DH:  Travis Hafner -  Easily the lineup's biggest run-producer. Last year, he led the Tribe in virtually every offensive category while topping 100-RBI’s for the first time. He is the primary DH and will hit 3rd this season.  Expect a monster year. 

took this most wonderful pic at the Bob Feller museum..what da ya say guys..is 56 years enough?

Now it’s time for a little pitching:

C.C. Sabathia – Even though he is starting the season on the DL, I think we should expect big things this year for the sole Tribe thug.  Last year was not pretty, but we can’t say 3 family deaths as well as his weight problem didn’t affect things.  He is only 24 as and supposedly been working with a trainer.  Either way, I am thinking new heights for CC in ’05.
Jake Westbrook – Our opening day starter began last year in the bullpen but after tossing a perfect 7 innings of relief on April 19 he was inserted into the rotation.  Arguable our best starter, he led the Indians in wins while nabbing the league's lowest home ERA of 2.36.  Expect a great year. 
Kevin Millwood – After proving to be nothing but a bust post ATL, we are hoping he can turn things around in Cleveland.  Last year was his worst season particularly due to tendonitis that sidelined him for 5 weeks.  Given he is a proven veteran, he should be a nice influence inside the clubhouse for our young pitchers.  Let’s hope for 15 wins and a mid 3.xx era. 
Cliff Lee – Lee became a stud last year winning 9 of 10 decisions before the All Star break, but afterwards..yeah that’s a different story.  We need a full ’04 first half for the whole ’05 season.  Let’s hope another year under his belt can help him get 17-18 wins and continue to lead the team in strikeouts.  He has the potential and will hopefully be around for many years to come. 
Scott Elarton – Well, Scott isn’t exactly in the high point of his career and hasn’t had a good season in the bigs since '00.  He has been hit with repeated injuries over the last few years.  The Tribe is taking a chance on this one, but after 3 impressive outings at Triple A, they put him in the rotation. As I am sure we all know, he is not here for the longrun, but can hopefully fill his role for ’05. 

CL:  Bob Wickman – Once a solid closer, Bobby was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in '02.  Last year he picked up 13 saves (as our primary RP) after barely pitching in '03.   This is obviously our weak spot as last year the Tribe only converted 53% of 60 save opportunities, which sadly wasn’t the worst in the league.  So starting the season, he will be the closer and if he can stay healthy and the Tribe doesn’t pick up another RP, Wickman can hopefully nab 30 saves. 

So that’s it…our starting lineup and Pitching Staff for ’05.  I think we are on our way to becoming a solid team and given we’re in the AL Central, our chances at a division title are always within reach.