LeAkron: Sup Now

Oh My Goodness..  So ESPN (and shockingly SI) both just released articles on What If LeBron played college ball.  While SI has the King going to OSU (pic below), ESPN has the Chosen One staying at home at Akron U - either way would have been fine by me.   So check the link above and you will see a certain city named LeAkron winning it all.  Yeah, that's right.   How you like me now..

words can't describe such a feeling...

Love this:   Akron lineup: LeBron James (So.) and four other guys

(but yet a nice Romeo Travis reference at the end)...

A True Hero

I know this might seem off topic of Ohio Sports, but I feel this is an important topic that everyone needs to be aware of.  

Tomorrow is a very big day as Grokster battles MGM in front of the Supreme Court to determine whether file-sharing software companies could be held legally responsible for copyright infringement on their networks.   So basically, the case is about whether peer-to-peer software (ex: Napster, Soulseek, etc) that enables peer-to-peer networks should be illegal or not.  The major music and movie companies are pushing the argument that because some of their content gets stolen through the use of this software, all uses of the software should be illegal.  All in all, they are saying if it hurts their business, it's better to make it illegal than adapt to the new technology. 

In Cuban's recently blog entry from Saturday, he has so graciously decided to fund the software company's defense after he was approached by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and others.   I am awe-stricken by his generosity.  Please read the blog entry if you get a sec, but if not check out these blurbs: 

Unless Grokster loses to MGM in front of the Supreme Court. If Grokster loses, technological innovation might not die, but it will have such a significant price tag associated with it, it will be the domain of the big corporations only.

It wont be a good day when high school entrepreneurs have to get a fairness opinion from a technology oriented law firm to confirm that big music or movie studios wont sue you because they can come up with an angle that makes a judge believe the technology might impact the music business. It will be a sad day when American corporations start to hold their US digital innovations and inventions overseas to protect them from the RIAA, moving important jobs overseas with them.

This trial is attracting some big players in the legal and technology industry so this should be interesting as many jobs and companies might be shutting down in the near future if their is a hint of illegal usage of their software or content.   Check out this clip from NPR which labels this battle as tech vs hollywood.  Also, it touches on the Betamax case in which Hollywood wanted to outlaw the VCR because it allowed users to record illegal copies of TV or movies.  Imagine if that passed...

While I wish I could attend tomorrow given its only a few miles from my house, I just can't wait in line for 9 hours in hope that I might get one of the 50 public tickets (even though I tried to justify it for work).  So instead, check out an archive of the hearings at c-span which will probably be up later tomorrow or Wed. 

Once again, thankyou Mr. Cuban for your efforts.   

Zen My Friend

Wow…where to begin.  Well, on Sunday the King threw up 56 points.  On Monday, our coach was gone.   And once Tuesday rolled around we looked like the best team in the league.  

While each of these occasions deserved a post of their own, I felt like I needed to gather my thoughts on all this.  There is a lot of change and it’s happening fast. 

When it comes down to it….the transformation to the Cavs 2.0 has begun.

Dan Gilbert hasn’t even been in command for a month.  To be honest, anyone minus the King should be sweatin their role in the future of the Cavs.   I think we all know Silas (and his son) aren’t gonna be the only ones departing the Home of Rock n Roll. 

In looking back to Sunday night’s game vs. Toronto, I think that was probably the worst these Cavs have played since well..Ricky Davis’ fake triple double.  After receiving a text that LeKing scored 56 points, I jumped out of my seat only to check a losing box score.  Not only did we lose that game, but our PG (for that game) had 0 points…yes 0 points in 40 mins.  And our bench..1 freakin point.  Awful..simply awful.  I don’t care if LeBron had 56 pts, that was the worst game all season.   The only bright spot was the post game interview with the Chosen One where he showed no happiness in breaking the scoring record for a youngin.  That guy is so well spoken it’s just too much.  So anyways..

best popup ever (thx b squared)

That brings us to Brendan Malone…well Brandon bravo last night on the V.  I mean whatever you did worked.  Maybe it was the players trying to prove something, but I have no idea.  Even Gooden stated, "I'm impressed with what (Malone) did, with the new plays he put in and the defensive rotations."   Not bad vs. one of the best & hottest teams in the East.  But Brendan..are you really here to stay?

Well…I mean you did fine and during the game Danny G. did say you were hired through the end of the season.   But I wouldn’t be surprised if your job and even the whole front office is wiped clean.  Yeah Paxson..you might be next buddy.  Gilbert is ready to revamp this organization from top to bottom..which I think every Cleveland fan out there can agree is definitely a good thing.  Come on..when’s the last time a rich young owner came in and wanted to turn around a franchise let alone a city.  Wait..didn’t Rachel Phelps try to turn this team around..oh no she wanted to run it into the ground even more.  Damn you Paramount. 

Even though Brendan might be our coach for another month (or hopefully 2), I think we all know Brendan is not the successor to the Big Man.  That leaves a few candidates.   The front runner now is Flip.  Not only does Mr. Flip have a cool name, but he is from Cleveland.   Flip has stated he is on hold till the off-season, but I have a hunch we might name a new coach soon.  Dan knows the clock is ticking and I expect massive changes to this team, both on and off the court, in the next few months. 

Let me throw out one more rumor everything is thinking.  The Zen Master…yes.  He just seems like the coolest dude and his philosophy on the game is proven.  Boy would our team be insane.  I think everyone knows by now that LeBron is certainly no joke as he continues to break every record in the books.  Think about it Phil.  Michael > Koke > LeBron.  That wouldn’t be so bad.  C’mon Phil…Cleveland is a chill place..I promise you would dig it.   Ok so I won’t get too excited, but I am happy his name still remains in the rumor mill. 

We shall see what happens, but there is no doubt this organization is gonna be different at the start of next season. 

Coming Soon:  The Cavs 2.0
Get on board all you bandwagon fans. 

Hmm..are times really changing?

My sources are telling me Silas might be gone as the Cavs head coach by the end of the day.  I know Gilbert planned to clean house and apparently he isn't wasting any time. 

This info is not available on ESPN, SI, CBS Sportsline, or AOL so remember you heard it here first on the Ohio LeBlog.

 

UPDATE:  the major media sources for sports have picked this up

ESPN picked this up around 11:35.  CBS around 11:30.  SI around 11:37.  AOL around 11:25 (thx to yours truly). 

Pretty cool to see how these massive media sites scramble once this info is out there.   30 mins early is ok, but I will try harder next time.

Random Recap 3: Yep..

After viewing a cool 10 hours of college basketball today, I figure now would serve as a nice break to get caught up in the world of Ohio Sports over the past week.

*****First, the Double C..  ooh Usher..bringing your pop hipness to Cleveland, OH.  While I am all for a change in the attitudes of Ohio Sports fans, I can't imagine seeing overweight women and drunk men in the bleachers throw up the Double C's is what you had in mind.  Yes, I know our team is changing, but calm down there buddy.  A cheer is one thing or a clap, but whatever..I guess we will see how long this little fad draws out.   The day my mom throws up the Double C's is basically the point of no return.   In my amateur opinion, I think the first order of business sans fake gang symbols is the restructuring of this team. 

wow..all I can say is wow.

*****So check out this random post from a baseball blogger about our beloved Tribe and their ever so common 'flameouts' as Many Go, Few Understand put it.  Seeing some of those names brings back some early childhood memories...you bet I am thinking Cory Synder.  Oh man was that team classic. They weren't the best but it feels like only yesterday that Brook Jacoby and Joe Carter were the big men in Cleveland.  So anyways, good post overall and you definitely did your homework here.  Willie Martinez..nice..

*****Ohio University, who I had as a sleeper pick in most of my pools, came oh so close today.  Coming from 20pts down, the Bobcats tied it up at 60 with a little over a minute left.  After FL hit a 3, OU turned over the ball and the dream had faded.  I def had OU's back as the lone Ohio team in the tourney and I really wasn't disappointed.  They played with heart and gave it their all.  That loss was nothing to be ashamed of.  See you next year this time when OSU returns with a vengeance.     
--Oh by the way..thankyou CSTV for not setting up your site correctly and allowing me to view all the day games for free on Thurs/Friday...

*****And now it's time for a little..Browns draft talk.  Check out this doozy of an article by Len Pasquarelli.  If you aren't in the mood to inflict yourself with a whole article about Browns bashing, check out this little excerpt: 

       Still the lifeblood of any team, despite the breathlessly hyperbolic rhetoric that seems to accompany every free-agent addition, the draft remains one of the NFL's most critical underpinnings. Good teams, those that sustain success over a period of years, are usually good because they draft well. Bad teams seem to draft forever poorly.   And that brings us to the Cleveland Browns, who are embarking on another makeover, the team's third since the club was reincarnated as an expansion franchise in 1999. 

So on a bright note, we at least have a QB now in Trent Dilfer.  It seems this 11yr vet might be our QB for the next few years given well...we have no one else.  I also hear talks of maybe pickin up Alex Smith in the draft..that would be sweet and even a smart decision.  How bout it Romeo..you ready to learn from the Hurricane influenced mistakes? 

*****OH and one last thing...  Paul Silas..hello new found respect.  The big man was recently fined 10G's for a 'derogatory' remark thrown at Loozer's way.  Amen..sounds like you really let him have it given the fact the league intervened.  Dan Gilbert...I know you winked at Paul while yelling at him..it's cool...you're just doing your job. 

That's it..enjoy the rest of the tourney. 

To Pathetic to Show Up

Since I am stuck in the land of Bush, I was unable to attend the most hyped game in the city of Cleveland between the Double C's and the Loozer-full Jazz.  But in a fashion similar to ditching your team and forgoing the chance to play with NBA's franchise player, Boozer opted out on the road trip to Cleveland.  Boozer - I hate you and you suck.

Well, apparently Dan Gilbert and Usher did not let us down last night as they provided some comical entertainment.  Check out this first hand account of the game from my good buddy Aaron.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What a shame.  Last night was the one game every true Cavaliers fan had circled on their calendars since Carlos Boozer took the money and ran to Mormon country.  As a season ticket holder, I couldn’t wait for Boozer to return to Gund Arena and witness the legion of boos and batteries (does anyone remember the Albert Belle rule at Jacobs Field?) that would greet the former PF every time he touched the ball.  I was at the Celtics game last year when Ricky “I shot at the wrong basket in hopes of a triple-double” Davis returned to Cleveland, and the boos were no doubt hearty for him, but the venom for Davis compared to Boozer doesn’t even compare.  So you can only imagine the reaction in Cleveland when it was announced that Boozer wouldn’t be playing in the game due to injury, and then wouldn’t even make the trip to Cleveland to cheer on his team (although he had been traveling until this road trip).  What a loser, and now he was cheating Cleveland out of enacting their revenge.

But all was not lost.  From the start of the game the production crew did an adequate job of riling up the fans distaste for Boozer.  They regularly put his smug face on the video screens and elicited a chorus of boos before the game ever began.  Then towards the end of the national anthem, in true Cleveland distaste and fashion, one schmuck in the upper deck screamed “Boozer Sucks,” which in turn started a domino effect until the poor lady who was singing finished.   Ah, yes, Cleveland Rocks!!

During the game, the production team continued to post Boozer’s mug on the video screen every time a Jazz player went to the line.  The boos and screams weren’t quite deafening, but they did contribute to a 65% FT percentage for the Jazz.  Also throughout the night, the emcee in charge of on court entertainment did his own Boozer ribbing.  At three different times throughout the game, he pulled a fan from the stands and asked him a simple Cavaliers trivia question (for example, what high school did LeBron James attend?).  The questions were gimmes, but the spin was the fan could choose between cash or a prize that dealt with Cleveland.  The first prize was a choice between $500 or a night for two in downtown Cleveland.  The second prize was a choice between $2000 or sitting courtside with new Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.  And the third prize was a choice between $10,000 or having the chance to play in a pickup game with LeBron and Z.  Sound familiar?  Would you take the money and run or stay in Cleveland and play with two all stars?  Hmmmm . . . . Well in each case the fan took the prize and it’s more than we can say about Mr. Boozer.  

Perhaps though, we in Cleveland have truly had the last laugh.  Boozer took the money and ran, that is over and done with (as LeBron said during his post game interview), but nearly 8 months after the fact, the Cavaliers have positioned themselves for a valiant playoff run.  LeBron is the brightest young star in the NBA, Z is playing well and the players that replaced Boozer (Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejoa) have more than adequately filled the void.  And Boozer, well he had to spend his night at home in Mormon country watching his 20-43 team get spanked 92-73 by the team he burnt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well put my friend.  I agree with Aaron that we did have the last laugh.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, he sucked this whole time.  At least he screwed the Jazz and not us..

C-A...

Usher: A Little Scary

Ok..soo..umm..yeah...Usher..Cavs..so yeah even though this guy is one of our new owners this does not excuse him from being a lame 'musician' or whatever these pop artists are called now a days.   

check out this little ditty from Usher called 'Dot Com'  

audio

lyrics:

oooo I love the way you dirty type
I can take you home on escape
oooo I need your backspace in my life
thank god you don't have a flatscreen

please...baby I got to see you
and I really want to please you
so get on my laptop so I can download

online...I love the way you log on
we can do it all night
I'll make you dot com
baby if you sign on
I'm gon make ya light up
oo baby if you log on
I'll make you dot com

I wanted to link up with you baby at first sight
with you I get to use my f keys...yeah..
I can't wait to give you megabites
I got all the memory you need
let ma finges do the talking babe

please... baby I got to see you
I really want to please you
so get on my laptop so I can download

online...I love the way you log on
we can do it all night
I'll make you dot com
sign on
I'm gon make ya light up
baby if you log on
I'll make you dot com

oooo.. baby you want this I know
I can't wait to give you my harddrive
my moonlight...if it's alright
baby...ooh I'm always at your window
ready to shift and control you
if you want me to....say yes baby
say yes baby
say yes baby
say yes baby
got to say
ooo say yes baby
say yes baby
got to say yes
yes, say it

please..baby I got to see you
cause I really want to please you
so get up on me baby get up on me
(I really want you)

online....I love the way you log on (oh baby)
we can do it all night (we can do it all night)
I'll make you dot com
(I'm gon make)
sign on
(show you ...?)
I'm gon make ya light up (gonna make ya light up)
baby if you log on
I'll make you dot com (I'm gonna make you dot com)

online....I love the way you log on
we can do it all night
I'll make you dot com
sign on
I'm gon make ya light up
baby if you log on
I'll make you dot com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok..well I don't really know what or how to feel right now..embarrassed, disgusted, dirty..geez I don't know but this better not play over the loud speaker at the Gund..