Cavs Beat Heat

Enough said. Cleveland is on top tonight. Let's play some ping pong. Sheer focused energy on one goal can accomplish some crazy stuff. Go Cavs.

Warning! Doppelgangers on the Loose in Cleveland

I really am confused after the first half of this basketball game.  The team in white, who claim to be the Cavaliers, are playing as hard as they have all season.  They are throwing elbows, wrapping people up in the air, and overall bullying the Heat in every opportunity.  Ryan Hollins has been replaced by a robot who doesn't mind contact, but he's of the Liquid T-1000's who is looking to make life hell for everyone else.  

Ryan Hollins is for once not the one catching

It has become rather obvious that this is now Baron Davis' team.  He made his first start of the season for the Wine and Gold tonight and he came up ready to play.  Hitting a three that bounced four times on the rim for our first basket was the perfect tone setter for the way that the Cavs were going to go at it tonight.  By any means possible. One half does not win a game, but we can finally put a check next to the box "Does this team have a heartbeat?" Check. Now, does this team have what it takes to win.  We'll find out in the next 24 minutes.   

Is There a Window Open, Because I Feel a Draft

Just as I get done talking about consistency, this is probably as good time as any to address what Holmgren has continued to say about the draft’s quarterback class.  Holmgren is used to taking a quartback most every season.  Drafting quarterbacks allow you to develop guys that can fill in at anytime without losing a whole lot of continuity from the offense (Matt Flynn, Kevin Kolb), or trade them for much more than you drafted them for.  I think it would be the biggest surprise of the first round if the Browns decide to take a quarterback at 6, even though Cam Newton is coming in for a work out. 

Cameron Newton

Whether you believe Newton or not about his NCAA scandals or whatever, no one can tell me that he wasn’t the best single player in college football last season.  He ran over or past anyone he played (did you see him turn on the after burners and just toast Patrick Peterson? Do you want to? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOi2hj_sjyY) and also threw the ball deep as well as anyone in college football.  I am aware that he is a one-year, flash in the pan (ala Akili Smith), but he also won the Heisman and the national championship.  It’s possible that this was simply the culmination of a season a long time in the making. His accuracy issues worry me a little bit as well, but some guys just make football plays when the pads are on, and I think this may be the case with Newton.   I think he goes either 1 to Carolina, 4 to the Bengals, or 10 to the Redskins.

Blaine Gabbert

Gabbert has the prototypical size and arm strength that scouts love to talk about.  He can “make all the throws”, but people question the system he came out of in Missiouri which put him almost as far back as a punter in the shotgun, but I am beginning to poo poo all of these so called experts’ hesitations.  Any NFL system is going to be more complicated than the college one they ran, that’s just the nature of the sport, so as long as you can throw a ball through a wall and see over the line I think you have a chance.  Most of the noise I have heard about his interviews is that he has impressed many with his football smarts and demeanor on and off the field.  Probably goes 1 or 4, but doesn’t get past Arizona at 5. 

Christian Ponder

The former Florida State quarterback gave scouts a lot to… ponder (LOL I KNOW!) after his Senior Bowl performance and the combine.  His size isn’t elite but his accuracy and leadership qualities are.  I think he may be a little fragile as he was hurt at one point in every season he played.  Some scouts feel like he could be traded up for in the first round and is definitely a second round quarterback to most.  

Ryan Mallet

See Derek Anderson on drugs. Seriously.

He called my friend an "ass-clown" on Twitter, so that's cool

Jake Locker

Matt Leinart can sleep safe knowing that another quarterback passed up the opportunity to be the first pick in the draft the previous year only to drop way down in the draft the next year.  Locker may find that he lost close to (drum roll please) 40 MILLION dollars with that decision, but I think it may be best for his football career.   I think Locker is definitely going to need some work before being a starter in the NFL and when you get drafted #1 these days, people want to see you play.  Maybe slipping out of the first completely is the best thing for Locker who has to work immensely on his pocket presence, footwork, and overall mechanics that cause accuracy issues. No one can deny his athletics though, as he was drafted by the Angles in last years MLB draft.  It’s difficult to say exactly where Locker may go, but if it’s in the first I could see 15 to the Dolphins, 16 to the Jags, or Seattle at 25.  

Ricky Stanzi

This may be the quarterback that I like most in the entire draft.  He is tall and rangy with room to fill out.  His arm strength is as good as anyone’s in the draft and at the very least he can make all of the throws with above average zip and accuracy.  I hate to make such ridiculous comparisons, but he really reminds me of a young Tom Brady.  Really.  His height, tight mechanics, and propensity to lead his team on great drives at the end of games or whenever a score was needed all really impressed me while at Iowa.  Coincidently enough, the Patriots are bringing Stanzi in for a work out as well. I think he could be picked anywhere from round 2-3.  Some team will be very impressed with what they are getting in the young Hawkeye.

Andy Dalton

TCU’s ginger quarterback is tough as nails.  Good size and adequate arm strength makes him perfect for a West Coast offense as well as a run first pro-style.  He also ran quite a bit in college, but mostly to keep the defenses honest.  A four year college quarterback, Dalton has won big games and none bigger than the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.  Something about him really interests me, and it’s more than just the fact that he wears one hell of a number.  I really think someone is going to fall in love with the leadership, toughness, and accuracy of Dalton and take him in the 2^nd round.  

#14 is soo legit

Colin Kaepernick

I watched him beat Boise and I was impressed with the way that he willed them to win.  There wasn’t much pressure, but I have to say that he won the biggest game in Nevada football history (eh… that sounded better in my head, whatever) on a prime time stage.  He also impressed many scouts in Indy at the combine with his arm strength, athleticism and size.  He ran a lot at Nevada, but with such a strong arm many feel like he is just going to take a little while to mold into a capable quarterback and not just a thrower.  He is definitely a project but is quietly making a push towards the end of round 1 and definitely a 2^nd round pick.

The State of the Browns' Offense - Quarterback

Let’s get right to it.  Eleven losses two seasons in a row was simply unacceptable for Holmgren, and while there were obvious improvements from year one to year two of Mangini’s tenure the Big Show felt change was necessary.  The hiring of Pat Shurmur was exactly the type of hire I was hoping for.  Young coordinators are the new darlings of the NFL (Sean Payton, Steve Spagnuolo, Mike Munchak, Todd Haley), and if Holmgren is running the show I want to see what he can do when he has a staff full of “his guys”.

Everyone knew that at the beginning of the year that Colt McCoy would not play this season.  By the end of it, we all knew he was our best shot at winning.  His first games against some of the NFL’s best (Pittsburgh, New England, New Orleans, New York) were surprisingly efficient.  Beating the Patriots and the Saints were undoubtedly the best parts of the season (unless you enjoyed listening to Jake mumble about gumbo after games as much as I did). 

The organization has given the starting job to McColt, as my mother called him one time, but they haven’t exactly said that he is the end-all be-all “franchise quarterback” yet.  Holmgren and Shurmur both seem genuinely excited to see what McCoy can do in the West Coast offense, and giving McCoy something to still compete for (the “franchise guy”) is a smart move by the organization as well. 

His Name is Colt McCoy for God’s Sake

When you hear McCoy talk, see him talk on the sidelines, and command the huddle you realize that this man was born to play quarterback. Colt McCoy from Texas, the most winning quarterback in the history of the NCAA, husband to one of the hottest girls I have ever seen (yeah, that is important to playing quarterback – details in the future, “Why Getting Hot Women Makes You Better at Quarterback” I’ll probably win a Pulitzer for that), I mean this guy was just supposed to be an NFL quarterback. 

Rachel McCoy (just so you know, I probably would)

Questions about McCoy’s strength, both in his throwing arm and his overall structure (who wants 18 games?!?!?), are concerns worth taking into account.  No one is saying he has to be slinging the ball 70 yards down the field (not that we have a receiver capable of running that far), but he has to keep defensive coordinators aware of the fact that he can beat you over the top if given the opportunity.  Daboll actually did a decent job of allowing deep passes to be called so McCoy could attempt to beat safeties that moved up in press coverage.  Hopefully McCoy can still get stronger to throw passes through the stiff Lake Erie winds because Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu are rather adept at intercepting squirrely ducks.  

Another problem I started noticing was McCoy’s tendency to force some passes when the offense was becoming stagnant.  Colt isn’t used to three and outs, let alone losing double digit games, so he needs to realize that sometimes it’s better to punt (Hodges is a boss by the way) and play the field position game rather than trying to fit something in down the field.  If McCoy can get a few burners on the outside you will see his 6-yard slants turn into 40-yard gains, which will open up running lanes for Hillis and friends.  McCoy has the right pedigree, look, leadership qualities, wife, and name (his name is Colt McCoy. Seriously) to become one of the NFL’s poster boys for a city and team that is craving some sort of consistency at the position.

In all seriousness, why would you ever agree to this? (it was my Facebook profile picture a long time, so)

Well, What Else We Got?

Seneca Wallace did exactly what he was traded for to do.   Wallace filled in when needed, and I must admit that if he didn’t get hurt against Atlanta, we may not have seen McCoy much this season.  Wallace didn’t seem very interested in returning to Cleveland at the end of the season as he was not happy Delhomleleela (does it really matter?) got the starting nod after McCoy got the dreaded high ankle sprain that seemed to spread faster than herpes in a sorority house.  But once the offseason settled, and the blazing demand for a 30-something-would-be-first-time starter sizzled, Wallace came to his senses and resigned for three more years.  Good, solid move by The Big Show.  Jake, pack yo bags homie, go enjoy the Bayou with Dave Mathews (FYI, I hope they both get lost in a swamp somewhere) since you love it so much.

In Review…

The quarterback position is McCoy’s for the taking.  He can really establish himself as the Brown’s franchise quarterback this season and we could finally have someone under center that exudes confidence to our fans.  I really do think McCoy is the guy fit for the job, even with Holmgren’s admission that a quarterback will most likely be drafted in April (in depth look coming real soon).  

The State of the Indians - Part 1

Ah, the beginning of spring is here.  You can almost smell the pine tar, feel the rosin bag (Rowengartner and his damn hidden ball trick), and hear the crack of the bat during batting practice.  This truly is one of the best times of the year.  Now I don’t understand why young people these days don’t appreciate baseball, maybe their parents were too intent on pushing their kids to the slopes or lacrosse (don’t get me started on “lax”), but baseball will always hold a special place in my life.  The boys of summer are soon approaching, and that means Tribe Time is right around the corner. 

Spring training is about to be wrapped up, and except for a few spots here and there, the major league roster has basically taken shape.  If you know me, then you shouldn't be surprised that my optimism is about as high as it possibly could be after losing 90+ games the last two seasons.  The way the pitching staff more than handled their business after the All-Star break last season, combined with the fact that our line up resembled Columbus’ opening day roster, I saw some very encouraging things. This will be the first segment of a three part series before the season begins.  Starting off with the strength of our team, how about we talk about the pen? Hey you groaning in the back of the group, take a hike. Seriously, get lost. 

Purple Gatorade On Me!

The bullpen struggled during the beginning of last year and through most of the summer.  The addition of Kerry Wood as the closer was supposed to solidify a spot that remained one the most perplexing since Bob Wickman was led onto greener pastures. If someone mentions Joe Borowski please hit the backspace on your keyboard and go surf the web elsewhere.  Whether it was Betancourt, Fernando Cabreara (I swear to you I thought he was the guy), Jenny Lewis, Raffy Perez, or Sipp, when you have a bullpen by committee there is little hope. 

Chris Perez’s debut for the Cleveland Indians couldn’t have been any worse, even if Ke$ha tried to write a song about it.  The first two batters the hard-throwing reliever faced were plunked.  Not even close. I remember a few sailing behind the White Sox batters before even getting hit.  The stat line of .2 innings, 4 runs, 2 hits given up, 2 HBP, and a BB makes even John Rocker snicker a little.  Perez did however show his great velocity, reaching the upper to mid-90’s on a regular occasion.  His slider was so wicked for awhile even he had no idea where it was ending up. 

Over the past season as he was acclimated to the closer’s role Perez worked diligently on keeping his slider tight, his fastball in on lefties, and more importantly keeping his emotions in check.  A closer needs to have the ever talked about “closer’s mentality” and while Perez had been a closer at the University of Miami (the Florida one, not the pansy preppy kids in Oxford. Yeah I said it) he still had some maturing to do on the mound.

Fast-forward a year and now Chris Perez is anchoring a bullpen that boasted the third best ERA for the American League last season, and they even added an arm.  Not to be overlooked is the acquisition of Chad Durbin.  Durbin’s homecoming back to Cleveland surprised me quite a bit, I didn’t understand why no one wanted to give a major league contract to a guy who had pitched on World Series teams the past few seasons, but I tend to not question the seldom times we as Clevelanders catch a break (I’m looking at you Peyton. Thanks again Brady).  Durbin, who tops out at 89-91 mph won’t be blowing anyone away, but his experience and knack for pitching his way out of jams will be asset for this team (or the Yankees or Red Sox come fall).  The rest of the bullpen will fall into place behind these two with any sort of combination of Sipp, Raffy Perez, Hermann, Jess Todd, Vinne Pestano, and the injured Joe Smith (where have you heard that one before?).

This certainly looks airbrushed or something

Sipp and Raffy Perez are the only two left-handers we have in the bullpen now that Laffey has been sent to Seattle to reunite with good old Wedgie (yeah, they actually called Wedge, “Wedgie”).  Sipp, a converted outfielder, is more of a setup guy who can hit the low 90s on his fastball.  He struggles from time to time with his control and his breaking ball, which is a newer pitch for him.  When Sipp is pitching well his fastball hits the spot and his change up keeps the righties off balance. Perez is more of a match up lefty whose sweeping lefty slider just disappears into the right-hander’s batter’s box.  Control and consistency has also been the bugaboo for Perez, but just like Sipp, he seems to have figured out the control aspect of his game and these two could really help against the heavy hitting left-handers that riddle the AL Central (Morneau, Thome, and the newly acquired Dunn for the Sox).

Turn Up the Heat, Or At Least Turn It On

Nothing made me feel like more of a piece of crap for not being a major leaguer than watching the likes of Jeremy Sowers, and Aaron Laffey toe the rubber every now and again.  Not only do the two look like Eric Foreman, I’m pretty sure I can out bench them as well. That’s rather pathetic.  I know Shapiro was into the whole “seasoned college pitcher who throws strikes” sort of thing, but what happens when he throws in the low 80’s with a change up in the high 70’s? Balls fly far.  These were the two pitchers who actually made it to the big leagues, and I am not even considering the multitude of pitchers we drafted in this mold that failed before even reaching Cleveland. 

Pretty Cool Guy (PCG), but no baseball player

If you hadn’t noticed, when David Huff won 11 games two seasons ago (with like a 7.89 ERA to be fair. Sarcasm intended people) it was the first time an Indians home grown pitcher had won double digit games since Carston Charles himself was wearing Chief Wahoo.  Ever wonder where all of our draft picks were going? Nowhere, that’s where.

Once the dismantling of the 2007 Indians began, stock piling hard throwing pitchers has been at a premium (YAY!).  Whether it’s been the back of the bullpen, or at the top of our draft boards, power arms have been acquired and some have even made it to the 216.  Chris Perez, Jess Todd, Masterson, and even Frank Hermann have showed what a little bit of life on your fastball can do.  Personal favorites of mine that still haven’t gotten to the big leagues yet, but may in the next 24 months would be, Hector Rondon, Nick Hagadone, Josh Judy, Bryce Stowell, and Rob Bryson.  All of these pitchers probably translate to late inning bullpen help, and if you have ever heard a manager or front office guy talk about pitching you know they always want more arms. 

In Review…

It’s easy to see that once a soft spot in the Indians organization, the bullpen has now become one of their strengths.  Of course they could go out and start blowing a bunch of leads (lets worry about getting leads first shall we?) and make us pull our hair out, but I have more confidence in the pen than I can ever remember.  The Indians organization finally realized a way that they as a small market team can compete with the big guys in one aspect.  With strict pitch counts and ever looming injuries, middle relievers and back of the bullpen personnel are incredibly vital to a team’s success.  The fact that our bullpen at the major league level looks promising, and that we have a vast amount of backup should someone get hurt or falter, makes me excited for the 7^th to 9^th innings for the first time since it was Wicky Time with Bob. Go Tribe.

The State of the Cavaliers

No, this isn't not an obituary. The Cavs suck, there's no point in trying to dispute that. I'll allow a pause so all of you from Cincinnati can get your ribbing in. Are you done? Can we move on? Thanks.


Now that the season is basically over (Just in time for the Indians! Another day for that though), I think it would be appropriate for us to take a more in depth look as to why the Cavaliers reside in the NBA cellar. 

I won't be missing these shenanigans 

Missing Much More Than LeBron


The Cavaliers didn't have the luxury of just being the worst team in the NBA. Teams like the Nets, Golden State, Sacramento, etc., can all just be terrible in anonymity because, well, no one gives a shit.  "The Decision" made it all so interesting for ESPN to constantly check up on just how bad the Cavaliers were doing.  I don't even have to go into the losing streak. Unless you lived under a rock (Where are these people who live under rocks anyways? How do you watch Degrassi while tightly nestled under some igneous rock? Whatever, not important), you know all about it (#thelasttimethecavswon).  People love to talk about how "we suck without LeBron", but it goes much deeper than that. 


The roster as it stands right now has five players on it that played in the playoffs for the Cavs last season. You can barely count Jamison part of that team because he was here for a cup of coffee before being forced into the playoffs. And not to be forgotten is the fact that we have had the services of Varejao for only 31 games this season too.  This isn't just last year's team with out James on it. The turnover on this team as far as contributers were James, Shaq, Z, Delonte, (the recently traded) Mo, and I suppose Jawad, for Baron Davis, Sessions, Joey Graham, Ryan Hollins and five rookies, three of which were undrafted.  Does that seem a bit lopsided? It should.  


The lack of size on this team is even bigger reason as to why this team struggles, even more so than the loss of James.  The fact that we constantly have a front court of J.J. Hickson and Samardo Samuels or Ryan Hollins should be enough to completely explain my point.  Watching Dwight laugh his ass off while these undersized power forwards and the wimpiest seven footer in the league try to guard him makes me cringe. Even wet my pants a little.  No team in the NBA can even pretend to compete while starting a 6'9'' center. Impossible.  I do see some sort of light at the end of this tunnel though. I promise, I'm not kidding.



Chris Grant Grants My Wish


I could write a seven page paper on how Christ Grant saved the Cavaliers from having the worst 12-month period of any NBA franchise until he did some wheeling and dealing on the trade deadline.  I'd get an A on it too, but that's besides the point. The Clippers, an organization that makes the Cavs look like the NBA's Brady Bunch, was up to their old tricks again.  The acquisition of Baron Davis and 1st rounder (UNPROTECTED??) for an obviously disinterested Mo Williams and Jamario "If he shoots one more time I'm going to throw a brick through my roommates television" Moon is just short of stealing.  I would pay my sister the rest of Davis' contract just to get another 1st rounder, so acquiring an actual basketball player along with it makes me confident in our front office, especially Grant.  The rookie GM didn't just stop there though.

My sister or Baron Davis, I don't care

The less talked about trade that Grant somehow weaseled out of the Celtics made me refresh my twitter like, seven times probably (my teacher was not too happy with my furious key strokes, but he got over it).  A second rounder for Semih Erden and Luke Harangody is exactly the type of deal that this team needed. Erden, a 7-footer from Turkey will eventually start to remind people of a taller, stronger Anderson Varejoa when he first got into the league.  He might be even more offensively challenged than Andy (did anyone think that was possible circa 2007?) at the same age, but what he lacks in offensive moves he can more than make up for in size and his tendency to try and dunk everything. I like dunks. 


Harangody was a personal favorite of mine coming out of Notre Dame, and while there will always be people who will want to laugh at the unorthodox way in which Luke goes about his business on the basketball court, he will always be able to hold up the plaques (trophy? a medal? a voice mail on his Mom's answering machine?) that he earned as the Big East Player of the Year and 1st team All-American.  Those are rather prestigious, you can't be a scrub and get those kind of accolades in what many consider the NCAA's best conference.  He won't be a dynamic scorer in this league, but we have already seen flashes of what he can do when given playing time.  He will work his ass off.  He will get rebounds over many back up forwards in the NBA with his effort, and he will hit the j (sorry Luke, but my sister has better form) even as far back as the 3-point line.  If Matt Bonner can play on the Spurs, who have had the best record for most of the season, then so can Harangody. 


So in review, Grant has turned Mo Williams, Jamario Moon, and a 2nd round pick from Miami, into Baron Davis, a 1st rounder (DID I MENTION IT'S UNPROTECTED??) and two bigs who can be in the rotation for the next few years at least.  I don't think I could have written down my dreams any more vividly then what happened on the deadline day.  My hat goes off to you Grant, well not my hat, I look like a major douche in a hat (if I ever start to think about wearing one again, please, someone remind me of this admission), but you get a round of applause and two thumbs up.  Maybe even a hug.

Hope Amidst the Garbage

The Cavs' roster looks something like a summer league roster at the moment (an in depth look coming soon), with some pretty bad "veterans" sprinkled admits the young guns.  

Let's make this easy.

Keepers: Anderson, Hickson, Eyenga, Harris, Gee, Samuels, Erden, and Harangody. None of these players are going to be your best player.  Only J.J. and maybe Andy really translate into starters in this league, but finally there is some sort of core of young players that could become significant contributers on a good basketball team.  We all know what we are going to get from Andy who was averaging almost a double-double before he was hurt.  J.J. continues to go through lapses on the defensive side as well as consistently rebounding.  He also sprinkles in a few turnovers a game that make you change the channel completely.  He would be a senior in college this season, so there is time still.  His talent is undeniable, but if he wants to really be considered a good NBA player he needs to start taking his job more seriously.  Eyenga, Harris, and Gee have infused the roster with some actual athleticism on the wing that even LeBron didn't get to play with.  They are young, and a bit spacey at times, but there is actual talent there, now its up to them to take the next step.  Samuels has really impressed me with his effort, and it's a bit easier to see why he was such a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school.  He can finish with the dunk, and has a nice drop step from either side of the rim.  He can be a rotational big if he continues to focus on playing defense, rebounding, and hitting that 10-15 jumper.  I already talked about the other two bigs, so you know, scroll up if you weren't paying attention.

Do I really need an excuse to put this bad boy up?

No Choice: Boobie, Jamison, Baron Davis (sorta).  Boobie has been a good soldier through everything, always repping the Cavs on his twitter, but something in me is just too cynical to allow him to keep missing five games every month.  He is either not very tough, not very intersted, or both.  The organization loves him though, and in public seems to be in it for the long haul.  Jamison was almost traded away ( I really would have wet my pants. Seriously) to Golden State, and may be once the season ends, but his near 20 points a game have been missed ever since the injury. We could do worse than having Jamison start again next year. As I said before, the way Davis plays out the rest of this contract will be up to him. Who knows, he could even get another contract if he gives it his all. Maybe even 90%. Please, Baron?

Good Riddance: Hollins, Parker,  Graham.  I am not going to even waste the space on the never ending avenue that is the internet to discuss these three. They shouldn't be here next year, and hopefully I will be able to forget Hollins was even a Cavalier to begin with.  I just wish the nightmares of him falling down and averaging TWO rebounds a game will go away. Please Lord, make them stop.... 

I Have No Idea: Sessions. Quite the enigma.  You seem him split the double team some times and then crush a two handed dunk. He makes me talk to myself. "Ramon, if you just gave a flying fart every once in a while then you could be good." He makes the most bone-headed turnovers sometimes, and doesn't give much, if any interest towards guarding his man.  He's got good size, athleticism, and an improving jumper, but as my Dad always says, he's a "mental midget."  I am not sold on the fact that Ramon will be on this team next year, it all depends on who these two first round picks will be. If I was Ramon, I know I wouldn't want to be on my fourth NBA team in my first three seasons.

In Review...

This season has been painful. It's obviously no fun going from competing for NBA Championships to being the butt of every joke in the league, but I think we are on the right path.  Five or six guys to start putting high impact pieces around, especially with the two lottery picks we have coming this summer.  People say this class is weak, or at the very least, not top heavy, but there are players in every draft.  Grant will have his work cut out for him as the worst we could do today is the 4th and 11th picks.  There are players coming out that could really put this team only a few players away from competing for the playoffs again.  I think this is exactly where the organization hoped to be at this point once LeBron left, and while we are extremely far from finished, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Not to mention Dan Gilbert is bat-shit crazy and will do everything he can to make sure LeBron is crying to 60 Minuets in 2020 about how he made such a big mistake. Let's hope. No, let's believe. It's all we have, and its what makes Cleveland the best sports city in the country. Go Cavs.