Swope Blog - A Little Somethin' about a Whole Lot of Nothin' on the Business of Sports and more

Cavs on a Roll with Suns on Tap

2008-01-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to say that I am very surprised by the Cavs recent play and surge in the Eastern Conference standings. I attribute the success to myself not criticizing their play in the last month. That and the play of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao and of course LeBron James. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I actually saw more than three different offensive plays out of the Cavs last night.

What has taken place during the Cavs 11-2 record over the last 13 games is pretty amazing considering where they were to start the season and at the quarter mark of the season. They are up to 4th in the Eastern Conference standings and completely crushed a Wizards team last night that is current 5th in the standings and who have given Cleveland fits over the last three years.

Varejao is making a difference. His play if much more under control compared to last year and he is quickly getting to a consistent double-double level night in and night out. Big Z may be having the best year of his career. Sure he has scored more in other seasons and even pulled down more boards, but from a flow perspective he is right in stride with what the offense has been trying to accomplish lately.

I'm back on the bandwagon and back in a big way. I'm seeing things that I have always hoped for during Lebron's time in Cleveland. Role players are finally starting to hit wide open shots. That's not to say that Hughes and Gooden don't get out of control still, but when wide open, the guys around Lebron are hitting their shots. Lebron will always draw three guys when the ball is in his hands, leaving at the least two perimeter shot opportunities. Over the last 13 games, the role players are delivering.

The team still has some holes, but like last year's holes, they can still make it to the Championship series the way they are. A point guard would be nice, as would another 3-point shooter, but this team can beat Boston and repeat as Eastern Conference champions. They beat Boston once this year and in the other head-to-head match-up in Boston, Lebron was on the mend.

Tomorrow's game at the Q against the visiting Suns will be a nice test to see where this team truly is at this point in the season. It's been a while since the Cavs topped the Suns and the Suns are a great regular season team coming off a horrible loss last night to the T-Wolves.

Here's an interesting stat on Lebron. He is shooting 48.2% from the field this year. That's better than all but two NBA teams this year. He has yet to shoot 30 times or more in a game this season. Considering Cleveland only shoots 43.5% as a team, would it be all bad if Lebron stepped it up to 35 shots a game?

Swope Blog Logo Design

2008-01-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people comment on and ask about the Swope Blog logo since it went up a month or so ago. I wish I could take the credit, but I'm pretty confident that my Illustrator work just isn't up to par with the rest of society's graphic designers.

The logo was actually created by Adam Garcia. Adam is a colleague of mine and professional graphic designer. The image below of the Phoenix Suns' Gorilla mascot is an original illustration of Adam's and recently won a contest promoted by the Suns. This piece will be the cover artwork on a Suns Game Day Program late next month around playoff time.

The 16-Team Playoff System

2008-01-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

The one time I think I have an original idea and it takes me only two minutes to realize I'm late to the scene yet again. The college bowl season has ended and BCS talk is still a hot topic, with everyone from coaches, school presidents and athletic directors to the media throwing out their thoughts on what a perfect system would look like.

No matter what objections someone has to a playoff system. Be it the Big Ten & Pac Ten monopoly on the Rose Bowl, the guaranteed money at stake for schools big and small, curriculum schedules for D-1 student-athletes or the million other reasons; everyone seems to agree in it's purest form that a playoff system is what would work the best.

If not, get used to seeing the Buckeyes in the BCS Title Game year in and year out. Even if USC knocks off OSU in week 2 next year, the Buck'os could run the table and benefit from no late season loss. You hate them because they are there every year, but they may turn out to be the one final reason a playoff system is put in place.

We have heard of the Plus-1 plan, the 8-team playoff plan and a few other systems that are being tossed around, but the one that I thought I had my finger on the pulse with is a 16-game playoff system. Turns out Darin Darst on cbssportsline beat me to the punch by about three days a while back. Click the link and have a look at it.

We take the same existing bowls, even leaving the lovely names the same and take what is practically the top 16 teams in the country. But understanding the nature of today's college bowl system and tradition, Darst plugs in some guaranteed bids with big conference winners and leaves plenty of at-large bids for those teams that get bit by a late season loss.

Put a 16-team playoff system in place and the eligible teams will see even more money pour into their schools. Sponsorship opportunities will be endless, loyal fans will follow their team around the country spending even more on tickets than usual and TV ratings will be through the roof. I understand politics usually win out in deals like this, but before I hit the grave, I would love to see just one season where the NCAA gets this thing figured out.

The Media is Out of Control

2007-12-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Quick reminder for the media: Carie Underwood broke it off with Tony Romo because football, yes football, was all he cared about. Underwood said he spent too much time worrying about football and simply didn't have time for her.

This may be a little late in posting, but after seeing the hundredth wise crack from a reporter about the pit bulled face Jessica Simpson distracting Tony Romo by being at the game Sunday, I just couldn't take it any more.

Let me set the record straight! From the time the ball was kicked off to start Sunday's game until the final whistle, there was not one time during the game that Tony Romo gave a thought to Jessica Simpson being in the stands. Sorry, luxury suite.

If this was the case, then how do any of the players make it through a game with their wives, girlfriends, family and friends in the stands? Again, take a look at the photo above. He was too addicted to football is what the girl in the upper right said. You know, the one with a career of her own. The biggest country music singer going right now. The one that every American Idol fan worships. The pit bull on the left and the one that was such a distraction from about a half mile away Sunday, is considered to be about the dumbest female alive in the court of public opinion. Sure, she might be a nice late night distraction for Tony, but that's where the distractions stop.

So how does it make sense that Jessica Simpson was a distraction to Tony Romo against the Eagles on Sunday? It doesn't! The guy is as focused on football as Payton Manning, Tom Brady and every other quarterback in the league. Amazing how Brady can fly across the country, during a week leading up to a game, to be there for the birth of his child to an ex-Hollywood actress girlfriend and it doesn't garnish much media attention at all.

And I hate the Cowboys. But, I hate the media more. It's boring. Report that Romo is actually the father of Jamie Lynn Spears' baby...then I'd call that news.

Cavs in Tough Position - Sign Varejao

2007-12-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

With the Charlotte Bobcats and Anderson Varejao coming to terms on a 3-year deal that is reportedly in the $17MM range, I am going against my previous posts and saying it is now time for the Cavs to sign Varejao.

After watching the Cavs play the Nets tonight, it is very apparent that this team needs all the help they can get at this point. I understand that Lebron was on the bench hurt, but Vince Carter was on the bench for most of the game as well. What was the difference in the Nets embarrassing the Cavs on their home court tonight? They had Jason Kidd & Richard Jefferson to fall back on. The Cavs have no one to fall back to after Lebron, so it is going to take a collaborative effort of a group as a whole to back up Lebron this season.

Separate from the fact that they need all the help they can get, it's actually not the worst deal ever for the Cavs. As Chad Ford of ESPN puts it, if the Cavs were willing to offer Varejao 5-years at $32MM, why wouldn't they match an offer of 3-years at $17MM. That actually probably is the going rate for a 7 point - 7 rebound guy anyway. Let's hope though, that Varejao can be a 10 and 10 player for this much money.

The Cavs have one week now to match the offer and it looks like it might happen regardless of the ill will between the Cavs front office and Varejao. The Cavs are riddled with horrible contracts that don't expire for another 2-3 years anyway, making it virtually impossible to sign major free agents and impossible to trade away a lot of these average players with star-money contracts. Varejao would have an opt-out-option, which he would probably exercise, after 2 years. This means this deal would expire right about the same time they can unload some of the other dead weight they are carrying.

Coincidentally, that will be at the same time as when the Cavs will be offering Lebron James more money than Bill Gates takes home in a year. Over the next two years, this team needs to do anything possible to please one person - Lebron. Matching the Bobcats offer for Varejao may not mean 20 points or 10 rebounds a game, but strategically it shows Lebron that the team is making every effort in their current situation to improve and win a championship now, not later.

The Cavs have looked so bad lately, that it was even nice seeing Eric Snow on the court tonight. This is no different than last year's frustrations, so let's shoot for a middle seed in the playoffs and hand Lebron the ball on every play come playoff time. With Varejao flopping all over the place in the playoffs and Lebron averaging a triple-double, this team can still make a run at a title.

BCS Blows Chance to Shine

2007-12-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

For the first time since the creation of the BCS, the BCS Selection Show had it's time to shine and blew it in a quick, uneventful half-hour show full of commercials and zero commentary.

Unlike past years; fans, the media, football insiders and more, truly had no idea how the BCS game schedule was going to look heading into the BCS show Sunday. Sure we had an idea of what two teams would land in the big game based on rankings released earlier in the day, but the complete 5 game line-up was definitely up in the air.

Knowing they would have their biggest audience ever for the show, Fox completely dropped the ball. It was very frustrating to watch as a viewer, as they seemed to be confused about what to announce, how to announce it and when to announce it. Fox announced one team in one game, then went another 15 minutes with commercials before announcing another team in a different game. They seemed out of sync the entire 30 minutes.

What was enjoyable though, was the three hour BCS Bowl show from the College Game Day crew on ESPN Sunday evening. Another great reason to love sports on the West Coast. If I lived back on the East Coast, I would have definitely been in bed. Instead, I was entertained by Corso, Fowler, Holtz, Howard, Herbstreit and even the Buckeye hater May. This group never disappoints. They are insightful, speak their minds and are fun to watch. They have great chemistry, which is a far cry from what the Selection Show on Fox had to offer.

BCS - Not If You Lose, It's When You Lose

2007-11-20T20:05:00.001-07:00

With the many, many flaws of the BCS scoring system, the one that really sticks out to me is how much the human element is taken into account with the polling formula. And, as we see year after year, when it comes to human rankings, it does not matter if you lose a game, it matters when you lose a game.

If Ohio State had lost to Washington early in the year and then ran the table and finished with the same 11-1 ranking, they would easily be ranked #3 in the nation in all polls. LSU would probably still get the nod at the #1 spot because of the timing of their loss and there is no denying that an undefeated Kansas deserves a #2 spot.

Ohio State deserves to be the #3 team in the nation just as much as West Virginia and Missouri, but because Ohio State lost late in the season, they immediately dropped the standard 5-7 spots in the polls. Once you fall, you can climb your way back up with losses ahead of you, because, they like you, will fall 5-7 spots. Lose early in the season though and you’re all set for a championship run. Lose late and you’re doomed.

This is reason for a playoff system alone. Regardless if it’s Ohio State that gets burned or Arizona State for losing late in the season or the many teams that have felt Ohio State’s pain in years past.

Additionally, Ohio State takes a pounding about their schedule, but is it really about their schedule or the simple fact that they happened to lose a game last year. I’m amazed at how many people are still in shock that Ohio State lost to Florida last year and because of this one loss, they are determined to point all fingers at the Big Ten schedule as the reason for the high rankings and continued winning ways.

Why doesn't West Virginia get this same treatment? Who have they beaten of any significance this year? Check out their mighty schedule and tell me it’s stronger than Ohio State’s. You can’t! As of today, West Virginia has beaten no currently ranked teams.

Kansas is undefeated and I can’t argue with that, regardless of how weak their Big 12 schedule has been. It has been a cake walk for Kansas though. Not one team of significance on the schedule. A couple Iowa / Purdue types, but a non-conference schedule that makes Akron and Kent State look like national powers on Ohio State's schedule.

Being from the same conference, Missouri’s schedule was also no stronger than Ohio State’s. They did play Oklahoma though and got beat.

I’m excited about this weekend and next weekend’s games, as it will be interesting. But I’ll continue to be unsatisfied with this system, like everyone it seems, until there is a playoff in place. And of all conferences to blame, the Big Ten is definitely most to blame for no playoff system. That’s the conference with The Big Ten Network, correct? Bad decision after bad decision and the fans (where the money comes from) are the ones that suffer.

Cavs Win Friday On & Off Court

2007-11-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to root for a player to get injured or one to applaud an injury when it happens. But, with the news Friday that Larry Hughes will be out of the Cavs line-up for at least four weeks, I had to crack a smile.

The injury comes as no surprise. A hang nail would put Larry on the shelf for two months. It's way past time for Danny Ferry to trade him for anything, even a draft pick in the 2010 season would work for me. Larry Legend he is not. The team plays 100% better when he is not on the court. I'm not sure where the Larry Hughes has gone that once played for Washington, but he has yet to show up in Cleveland.

He has never shot over 40% for the Cavs and this season is shooting a miserable 29%. It's not like he contributes in other areas either. No assists, no rebounding, no defense and the most selfish player on the court. He could be shooting 1 for 11 in a game and will continue to keep on gunning.

The Cavs front office had better get their act together and very soon. It's a shame to see the numbers that Lebron puts up without the victories to go along with it.

Makes some trades to unload pure crap, to free up some money and please do not sign Anderson Varejao. Sure he makes the crowd cheer every so often, but he isn't worth a dime when it comes to wins & loses - the only thing that counts.

AZ Republic Wipes Out This Morning

2007-11-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Arizona Republic newspaper this morning. The two biggest sports events in the state, Arizona Wildcats hosting the #2 Oregon Ducks and Phoenix Suns hosting the Chicago Bulls, had zero coverage in the paper this morning because the games finished too late.

How does two games in your own market finish too late for news coverage? How does the Arizona Republic not save space for one of only 3 D-1 football programs in the state playing the #2 team in the country? I'm sure no one wanted to wake up and read about how the Cats put a whooping' on Oregon and crushed their National Title hopes. That's not big news, is it?

And newspapers wonder why they are losing readers!!!

These games didn't even go past midnight. We are not on the East Coast where it's understandable if a West Coast box score doesn't make the paper. This is the AZ Republic's market! There is no excuse for these games not having coverage.

Men and some women, in general, who actually still get print news wraps, wake up, hit the toilet and quick read as much as possible in the ultimate in multi-tasking. There isn't time to waste surfing the web for 15 minutes to catch the highlights of the previous night's games. We have to get to work. And once we are in the car and on our way to work, we have the radio to fill us in on the latest news from the current and previous night. Newspapers have, at most, about a 20 minute window to catch the attention of working readers. Once that opportunity is missed, their is no need for the fish wrap.

But hey, the AZ Republic had plenty of stories on Barry Bonds indictment to read. It's not like I hadn't heard all about that the entire day yesterday. Way to report on old news and miss the boat on the two biggest games taking place locally, with one being a huge, huge, huge win for a football program trying to become a power.

If I want this kind of coverage, I'll simply make the switch to the USA Today, which has better news all around. It does land on the doorstep at the same time as the Republic, since it is the AZ Republic that prints and delivers them.

Even D'Antoni Not Happy with Suns Fans

2007-11-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

I take a lot of flack for my constant abuse of Arizona sports fans and finally I have a qualified, recognizable name that is in agreement with me. Phoenix Suns Coach Mike D'Antoni came out strong against Suns fans for their lack of enthusiasm at home games following the Suns victory last night over the Knicks.

Now, although I am a fan of Cleveland sports through and through, I support all of the area's teams as my NL or Western Conference favorites. And I have fun doing so. Phoenix sports are at an all-time high with every team playing at a great level and with each having gorgeous facilities.

My constant abuse is not because of hatred for the teams, but to serve as a wake up call to the millions of locals in this market. Yes locals! The city has been around long enough for locals to have great-grandparents, so it's about time to stop using the transplant fan excuse. There are millions of locals who are from here and live here.

I'll stop writing now, as I could go on forever on this subject. Instead, I'll let Coach D'Antoni do the griping. Click the link below for the full story:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/1114sunsnb1115.html

"They boo us; we'll boo them." - Mike D'Antoni

Grapefruit League No More by 2020

2007-11-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

The city of Sarasota, Florida recently voted down a measure that would have brought much needed renovations to the home of the Cincinnati Reds Spring Training facility. With the outcome of this vote, look for the inevitable to happen, a Red move to always sunny Arizona and the Cactus League.

With 12 teams already located within 1.5 hours of each other in Arizona and the Dodgers and Indians on the way in the next couple years, baseball is seeing a major shift in spring baseball and Arizona is happy to accommodate.

Goodyear, Arizona could use a new team to partner with the Indians. A nice Ohio connection of the Tribe and Reds in the same park would be entertaining and convenient for fans. Surprise, Arizona has a facility that was built to accommodate three MLB teams. Casa Grand recently pushed hard for a team and with the growth of the outlining cities around Phoenix, it is not a stretch of the imagination to see every Major League team with an Arizona home by 2020. I could see Queen Creek, North Phoenix, Gilbert, West Mesa, North Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Avondale, Anthem, Chandler and many others easily being able to accommodate teams.

And how about Tucson? Just 1.5 hours from Phoenix and able to currently house 4 teams. The Tucson area could easily host another 6 teams with new growth.

And why not? Barring a freak of nature, it doesn't rain in Arizona and it's absolutely beautiful during March. This happens to be a great benefit to big league baseball teams in trying to get every single day of work-outs completed before the season begins. Florida is the rainy, hot and humid state, with numerous wash out games and days in the spring. Every day counts in spring training and one day of lost work certainly sets a team back.

Plus, you have the dreaded travel that the Grapefruit League teams have to contend with. A simple trip from Ft. Myers to Brevard County is a good 5 hours long. Big league players love 5 hour bus rides, don't they? In the Phoenix area, it's a hop, skip and a jump to the next park, with the longest trek being only 1.5 hours to Tucson.

The Grapefruit League does have some nice parks, so please don't get me wrong about the accommodations. Palm Beach and Clearwater have beautiful facilities. But these same parks could easily be built with new money in the desert.

If it's a matter of convenience and the convenience that not only players want, but that organizations want, the Cactus League just makes better sense. For the weather, expenses that would be saved and for the ease of finding every possible entertainment element in the world to do, Arizona almost seems like a no-brain er for teams.

There are some leases ending soon and talks are already in the works for more teams to head West, but it will take some time for my entire prediction to come true. A few staples in the Grapefruit League might fight the movement to the end. Clearwater and the Phillies are in a brand new park and I can already picture the Yankees as the last team sticking to it's Florida roots, vowing to never leave the Tampa area. Steinbrenner would probably fly his players to games out West before giving up on his Florida empire.

Buckeyes Deserved the Booing Today

2007-11-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ron Zook and Illinois. Out coached, outplayed and Ohio State goes and proves everyone outside of Ohio correct. Ohio State's defense got pushed around more than Bonnie Bernstein during the post game raucous.

Illinois was giving Ohio State the ball, giving it to them by punting on 4th and 1 with seven minutes left and what does Ohio State do? They call time-out because they don't have the right personnel on the field. Who in the world cares what personnel you have on the field during a punt? You need all the time-outs you can get and they are kicking the ball to you. The ball will be in your hands. You get the ball! Play with 5 guys on the field for Pete's sake. Just let the ball die and it's up to your offense to drive to victory. Horrible coaching.

The Buckeyes defense had all the chances in the world to make a stand in the second half. But not one 3rd down or 4th down stop at all. The number one defense in the country was just getting pushed around. Whatever happened to learning from the past? How many times does a team have to run a QB draw on 3rd down for a defense to figure out their is no chance the ball is going in the air? Evidently the Buckeyes defense and coaching staff is still trying to figure it out.

This is one of the most frustrating loses I have ever had to go through with Ohio State. Not because of the #1 ranking, being undefeated or because the other team was that great. It was just stupid decision after stupid decision all night long. Very poor management of time-outs on defense - one here, one there, another one here and now your all out.

Why throw the ball deep on the last interception? No need at all. Run, run, run, run, run, run! The running game was clicking full steam just as it has done all year in the second half of games. Get down and pound a defense to victory. But not today.

The season is far from over though. Ohio State should beat a weaker Michigan team on the road. They should roll them and with that, the Buckeyes will be in the Rose Bowl in a big time BCS game against a big-time opponent, possibly USC if Oregon goes on to the National Championship game. Would make for an interesting game and set-up for the home and home the Buckeyes have with the Trojans in 2008 & 2009.

I hate, hate, hate when my teams lose. No different than anyone else I guess. I'm going to bed. Yes, it's 4:40 in the afternoon.

10 Random Hump Day Sports Thoughts

2007-11-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

1. ESPN2 will lead all cable channels in sports ratings tonight. Why? Akron U football is center stage.

2. America's number one sports channel could use a better college football analyst than The Bachelor.

3. I'm eating my words #1 - The Cavs are hurting and need some help. I love the win at Golden State last night, but tonight's game at Utah can tell a lot. Back-to-back road west coast games. Tough way to start season.

4. I'm eating my words #2 - Shannon Brown is disappointing and probably gone next year. Devin Brown is underachieving to date as well. Key to Cavs going all the way is with a Brown though - Coach Mike Brown. Get rid of him and this team has a chance.

5. I'm eating my words #3 - The Celtics are good, real good. The Nuggets are no pushover, but you wouldn't know that tonight. Not sure how Doc Rivers is doing it, but things are looking bright in Bean Town.

6. America hates Ohio State and Red Sox fans. Not so much because the teams have been pretty darn good lately, but because fans of both are the most arrogant there is about their winning ways. Go Bucks!

7. Thad Matta has created an NBA factory with Ohio State hoops and I support it 100%. Better it be O-H-I-O that figured it out, than that team up North.

8. The Sporting News reported a couple weeks ago on who may be the #1 pick in the NBA Draft next season. Yep, another Buckeye - Kosta Koufos. Best 7 foot offensive center in hoops and only a freshman.

9. The rich get richer. No, not the fact that the Patriots have the 49ers first round pick next year. How that happens, I don't know, but because Ohio State hoops have top five rated recruiting classes for 2008, 2009 & 2010. If Koufos goes #1, the Buckeyes could break unprecedented ground with five straight #1 freshman picks in the NBA Draft: 2007 - Greg Oden, 2008 - Kosta Koufos, 2009 - B.J. Mullens, 2010 - work in progress, 2011 - either DeShaun Thomas, Jared Sullinger or Trae Golden (all top 10 recruits). Could this actually happen, no. Am I an idiot, yes. Go Bucks!

10. How does a fantasy football team lose a game by the score of 126.56 to 126.52? Yes, how does a fantasy football team lose by .04 points in head to head play? Shoot me a line and I'll let you know.

Suns Fans Fail to Set the Curve

2007-11-05T14:56:00.001-07:00

With my Cavs coming into the desert only one time a year, my wife and I decided to pony up the money for some nice mid-court seats at US Airways Arena last night. From what we had heard, this is where the true sports fans of Arizona exist. Well, once again, Arizona sports fans failed to deliver.

I know I often find myself attacking Arizona fans or any fans other my teams' fans, but having been to numerous arenas around the country and having lived in six different media markets, it is just unbelievable to me the way Arizona supports it's home teams.

Being a 6:00 pm Sunday start time in Phoenix, we didn't see the normal late arriving Arizona crowd, so everything got off on a good note. But from there things simply went quiet, extremely quiet. There was no life at all in the fans or the arena.

It took until mid-way through the 3rd quarter for Phoenix fans to get off their feet and cheer. That happened to be the first time they took the lead. The fans had nothing up until that point. No cheering, chanting or even standing up the entire first half. You can still cheer if your team is losing by five points.

As a visiting fan, I even commented to my wife about how nice it is to not have to stand up after every single score or good run. That was something I wasn't used to. And other than us cheering for every nice play Cleveland would make, our section was dead silent.

What was even more disturbing was the mass exodus with four minutes left to go in the game, with the Suns only up by five. It was literally a run to the parking lot. Yes, the Suns were starting to take control, but with Lebron James on the floor at the end of a close game, why head for the gates. It would be one thing if it was for total confidence in the Suns, but this was purely for getting out of traffic, of which, there is none after downtown Phoenix games. Getting home is a breeze compared to other cities. It was only 8:30 pm.

Yes, I am bitter that the Cavs lost, but they kept it close. Much closer than the 40 points they could have lost by. Being from out of town you just can't help but be angered by fans around here. They will fight you until the death about how loyal and true they are and then turn around and not show up, leave early or completely forget to cheer their team on.

"Best fans in basketball" is what I heard the entire night. These folks must not get around to many road games.

Evidently the Cavs are Finished

2007-10-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have yet to read one NBA forecast that has the Cavs returning to the NBA finals this season. In fact, some outlets have them as the 5th best team in the East. Everyone seems to be jumping on the Leprechaun train. And I mean everyone. Is the media not the most predictable industry in the world?

What gets me is that the media receives their information from themselves, the media. They don't research and get into each team's camp, the prospects, the true hearts of each NBA franchise. Yes, the Suns will be good. Yes, the Celtics will be better. Yes, the Cavs didn't go out and sign every free agent in the world this off-season. Yes, Yes, Yes! We all can see these things. But what doesn't the media see?

What they don't seem to put into their predictions is that the Cavs ran the table last year. They beat and ran over the Eastern Conference. Lebron is still young, very young and getting better. Scary better. What Jordon did to will his team to wins will soon be nothing compared to what Lebron can do as a one man show for his team. His outside shot has improved tremendously this off-season and he will only get better at driving to the basket. Something he didn't do with real determination and passion until the playoffs last season.

And believe it or not, the supporting cast actually got better. Gibson will now be a starter. He didn't develop until the very end of last season and saw little playing time early on. Hughes will be better. With the injuries and personal issues behind him, fans will see a better Larry Hughes. Gooden is still young and his continual yearly improvement will still be there. Look for Gooden to have his first double-double average year.

The Center position has been an issue with me for a couple years now, but if they made it to the finals with Big Z in there last year, then they can do it again this year. I'd like to see Pavlovic signed and with the team this year, but as for Varejao, good-bye and good luck. I'll miss the charges he takes, but that's really all he brings to the team. The hype about the emotion he brings to the team is just that, hype. He didn't do much on the boards and was of zero help on offense. What's killing the Cavs now is the salary cap and Varejao would just be a huge strike against it, now and during the years that some other contracts free up.

Now, on to the two reasons why I feel the media and predictors have really missed the boat this year - Mr. Brown & Mr. Brown. And I'm not talking about the coach Mr. Brown either.

Shannon Brown is going to be good. Real good. I was excited when they drafted him last year and from the very, very few times he was on the floor for more than five minutes last year, my excitement level was satisfied. He's fast, explosive, can shoot, can penetrate, is quick on defense and can put up 15 points a game this season. The injuries hurt his playing time last year, but he was still able to develop more.

The other Mr. Brown is the Cavs only real off-season acquisition, Devin Brown. The major and glaring flaw in the Cavs game is that they haven't had scorers other than Lebron. The guys that can hit a wide open 14 foot jump shot. Devin is one of these guys. Shannon is that guy. Larry can be that guy. Daniel is that guy. Sasha is that guy.

Lebron should be a 10 assists a game player. The best indication of how this team is performing will not be by the number of points that Lebron is averaging a game, but by the number of assists. There were and will be three guys open every time Lebron has the ball. All this supporting cast has to do is knock down the wide open shot. This group above can do that.

The world revolves around Lebron as we know, and it's that world around him that will help lead the Cavs back to the Championship series this season. But once in the playoffs, look for Lebron's killer instinct to develop more. He is extremely close to having the ability to will any team to victory.

Hats Off to Boston, but Not Happy

2007-10-21T20:58:00.001-07:00

Great comeback by Boston. You have to tip your hats to the Red Sox. They played hard and their line-up showed up from top to bottom the last three games. They showed what Cleveland seemed to lose all of the sudden after game 3: Heart! May you please roll over Colorado in the series and bring the World Series back to the AL.

As far as having the same attitude that Philly, Chicago or Arizona fans had when they lost, there is no chance. I am not satisfied that the Indians made it this far. I will not say that they gave it their all. I will not say they weren't supposed to make it this far anyway. I'm ticked off, sickened to my stomach and not one bit happy with a season that ends this way.

There is no excuse for being up 3-1 in a series and losing. There is no excuse for being up 3-1 in a series and getting crushed three games in a row. There is no excuse for having the look of quitters, while getting laughed at by an entire city that just knew they had it won heading in game 6, still down 3-2 in a series.

There was no fight in this team. They completely rolled over and let the Red Sox Nation plow over them. And it all starts with the Tribe's two Cy Young hopefuls. I don't know if Sabathia & Carmona were simply afraid to pitch to Boston's line-up or if they just think they are that good and that guys will swing at their pitches off the plate. It may have worked during the regular season, but come playoff time, you have to throw strikes and these two completely dropped the ball for their team.

I'm not going to rah-rah this team and say it was a good year, because it wasn't. There were good moments during the season and during the playoffs, but the way this team folded does not leave me looking forward to next year. This team has a lot of holes that need filled, especially the huge, gaping one that seems to be right about the sweet spot of their number three hitter's bat; Pronk. They need a closer. A real closer and if moving a middle man to closer is the solution, then they need more help in middle relief. They need a shortstop that can move more than 2 or 3 feet to his left or right to make a play. They need more power from the 3B position. After a collapse like this, you can go on all day with the problems that this team has.

Am I being too hard on the Indians. I don't think so, as the Red Sox will be even better next year with the young talent they have. The Blue Jays will be better, the White Sox will insist on turning it around and most importantly, the Tigers will be back with the best rotation in baseball again and have every Indians game circled on their schedule.

Cleveland should be headed to the Jacob's Field to be playing games 1 & 2 before a weekend in Denver right now. Instead, the Indians and Indians' fans are left with a full off-season of questions and continual frustration. And I don't blame the Curse of Rocky Colavito!

I Couldn't Disagree More Mr. Rome

2007-10-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

As a Steelers fan, I should have been at Barnes & Noble the day My Life in and out of a Helmet was released. Especially being a big Bettis fan, but as usual, I let time go by until one day a couple weeks ago when I was watching Rome is Burning.

Rome went on a mini-rampage about how Jerome Bettis is completely in the wrong for faking an injury in camp a few years back to avoid being cut by the team. Once on the IR, Jerome became untouchable, so to speak, and was still able to draw a pretty nice paycheck.

Rome beat Bettis up for being unethical, a poor role model and for misleading his former employer. Unlike what Rome probably did, in simply hearing this second hand from a producer on the show or separate media outlet, I went ahead and took the time to read the book. It was a quick read, maybe four hours tops. Great read and always nice to see a run through the Super Bowl from a player's perspective. Now I can form my own opinion.

Rome misses the boat again and in a big way. The fact is, when in a job, especially one that pays what a starting RB in the NFL pays, you do what ever it takes to keep that job. Jerome went on to break records, proving he still had a ton left in the tank and was a key part of the Steelers Super Bowl XL run. If anything, he did his employer a huge favor by faking the injury. If an employer can cut you without regard, then an employee can do what it takes to make it without regard as well.

I guess Rome has never done what it takes to be successful. I guess in his younger days he never pushed the envelope or crossed the line to get to the next level. Rome hasn't ever faked an injury, but he has always and will continue to do whatever it takes to be successful and to reach his goals, be them unethical or not.

Definitely a case of calling the kettle black in this case Mr. Rome. When I have kids, I only ask they they have as much passion about their industry that you Rome and Jerome Bettis has had with theirs.

Manny Being...an Idiot, but that's Boston

2007-10-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

I always say I am going to let things go, but with the constant replays on ESPN and many other postings on the web, I have to get my two cents in on Mr. Manny Ramirez.

Having been a Tribe fan my entire life and during Manny's time spent in Cleveland, I can't say I remember a time, walk off or insignificant home run, where Manny, while with Clevleland, pulled a show boat move like last night. This seems to be his thing now with the Red Sox.

Is it really Manny being Manny or simply Manning fitting in just right in the most arrogant city in America - Boston. It's a simple fact, everyone from the Boston metro area is extremely arrogant about their sports teams. They are the best and there is no discussion. Well, that's until they start losing, then they go radio silent on you. Or better yet, they start to turn on their own, which is why I stay so close to my many Bostonian friends. It's when the tide turns that I get my enjoyment.

Boston fan will scream to the high heavens about great acquisitions like J.D. Drew or Dice K and say they have the best defensive CF in the game. You can't even argue with them, they are right. With players like this, we will dominate anyone and everyone, they say. They love these players, they welcome these players to their city, they buy their jerseys, wearing their name on their own back. Oh, how the tide has turned. Oh, how it has turned.

The tide will soon turn on the Patriots as well and then onto the Celtics. All the sudden everyone is a Celtic fan again. Go figure. Where were these fans last year or the year before or the year before that. I'm all for fair weather fans and supporting a winner, but what I hate is the mouths. Boston has the mouths and I'm praying Cleveland can shut them up for good, tomorrow night.

Well, it will never be for good. As a close friend said last night after the Tribe game, "You may have us now, but it's just on to Patriots season for us here. That's the great thing about being from Boston." They support their winners, I'll give them that, but just show a little class in doing so and maybe it won't spill onto the field in the form of Manny Ramirez after an insignificant home run.

A Sox fan emailed Bill Simmons last night during the game and Simmons put it in his post today. Pretty much sums up Manny Ramirez:

Mark from Philly offers an inspiring defense for Manny's home run preening: "When Manny went deep, my first thought was, 'Quit posing, Manny, we're still down 7-3.' Then it dawned on me that Manny probably had no idea what the score was. In fact, he probably isn't aware that baseball games are determined by which team scores more runs. Manny's only point of differentiation comes when, after hitting a home run, he sees his teammates waiting for him at home plate -- it's at that point he knows it's time to go to the strip club."

How Good are these Akron Zips?

2007-10-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Akron Zips football team is off to a good start this season with a 3-3 record. Like me, at first glance, most people would consider a 3-3 record as a big disappointment. Digging deeper into the Zips three losses tells a different story.

Their first loss came at the hands of the Nation's #3 team, Ohio State, in Columbus. Of note though, the Zips were in the game at half time and held Ohio State to a season low of 20 points. Akron turned right around and headed to the #29 team in the country, Indiana. Again, they played competitively, but were handed their second loss. Keep in mind that Indiana only has one loss this season and that loss came against Illinois, who are ranked 18th in the country and who have only one loss at the hands of Missouri, who are ranked 10th in the country and undefeated. The Zips 3rd loss came against Connecticut. Yes, Connecticut, the 34th best team in the country and one of only 10 undefeated teams left in D-1 football. And they are in the Big East.

The losses are justified, but where the question of just how good are these Zips is with the wins. They beat a bad Army team to start the year, won a hard fought game against local rival and pretty talented Kent State and won with a thrilling finish at Western Michigan. For those that haven't seen the finish, please play the video below. ESPN is saying the Zips may have an ESPY winner this year. Not big time wins by any means, but wins none the less.

It's always easy to keep up with the likes of Ohio State, but being on the West Coast, keeping up to speed on the Zips is a difficult one. I'm always sure to check up on two blogs that are all over the world of the Akron Zips - Rasor on the Zips and Morgan's MAC Attack. David Lee Morgan had a great quick hitter Monday on the Zips talented wide receiver Jabaru Arthur.

Through 6 games, Arthur has 49 catches for 642 yards and 7 touchdowns. His 107 yards per game is good for 8th best in the country. He is a Senior, so keep an eye on Arthur come the NFL draft next year.

As with everything, only time will tell how good this Zips team really is. They should roll over Temple to get to 4 wins, leaving them with 5 more games. If they can go 3-2 in those five games, finishing the season off with a 7-5 record, the bowls will have to look Akron's way.

**Get your votes in as well. Zippy has made it through 4 weeks and is in the final 12 of the Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge. Zippy is up against Seymour from Southern Mississippi and with my vote is trailing by only 133 votes at 13882 to 13749. Get your vote in by clicking here!

Bye-Bye TBS - Hello Fox Sports

2007-10-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

I'm curious, does anyone know when Frank TV starts?

This show better be to the level of Entourage the way TBS is promoting it. For sports fan not familiar with Frank or the fan who only watches sports come playoff time, I wouldn't be surprised if you are saying to yourself that you will boycott this show because you are so sick of the Frank TV commercials.

I for one, will not be watching for a different reason. Cox Communications, out here in the Phoenix market, has yet to pick up TBSHD. Watching these playoff games is like watching sports back in the 90's. How did we ever manage? The only time I veer away from my HD stations is when I'm forced to. And, unfortunately these TBS playoff games have forced me to.

On to the ALCS for the Indians, where Fox will be picking up the games. That's HD Channel 710 and no more Frank TV spots for me. For all you NL fans, enjoy TBS, no HD with Cox in Phoenix and Frank TV a little longer.

Blame it on the Bugs

2007-10-05T19:03:00.001-07:00

The Indians called upon their 10th man tonight and boy did the 10th man show up. And he brought some friends. Thousands of them.

Night fell on Jacob's Field and the bugs I grew up swatting away as a child on a hot Ohio summer night came a calling.

The volume was off the TV from the 7th inning on, so I can only imagine what the TBS commentators had to say, but it was a crazy site to witness.

Like the Indians of the 90's, this Tribe team has no quit in them at all. Fausto Carmona will be a household name for a long time to come. And this young Indians team is only going to get better.

I was forced to turn the volume off the TV in the 6th inning after finally realizing that the Yankees were not concerned at all over getting smacked to the ground last night. They had Andy Pettite on the mound. The savior, the only picture they would want in this situation, the one that would turn things around for the team and the city of New York.

Man do I dislike sports commentators. There is a need for play-by-play, but please do away with ridiculous commentators. I think they go into games already having decided what they would talk about, inning after inning after inning. There are a couple good ones out there, but as a whole, I would be fine with just play-by-play.

Here's to a one and done game in New York on Sunday.

Playoffs Equals Big Attendance

2007-10-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Year in, year out, I am always happy to see teams packing their ballparks to over capacity limits in the playoffs. Teams that only averaged around 25,000 fans a game during the regular season are now jamming their parks full with 45,000 fans.

This is always attributed to fair weather fans. But is that truly the case? I actually wish it was the case, as it would excite more fans into attending regular season games the next year. But unfortunately, they are filling the parks with the same fans that attended 5 to 10 games during the regular season. The problem is, that with the potential of only 2 or 3 home games in a playoff series, these same fans are forced to have to attend the same 2 or 3 games versus spreading it out over a full season.

Where the fair weather fans come into play is with TV audiences. Ratings jump through the roof with fans who haven't watched one game the entire year now glued to their TV. All the sudden your dentist, doctor and neighbor is talking about the big game the night before.

What we hope to see is the fair weather watchers of the post-season translate into fair weather attendees come the 2008 regular season. Put on a good show for the TV audience with huge crowds behind you and these fair weather TV fans are sure to bite.

I for one hope this is the case. Teams like the D-backs, Indians and Rockies should be playing in front of 45,000 fans all season long and not just the playoffs. What fans are seeing now in the playoffs is absolutely wonderful, but is actually only a replay of what half the fans have been seeing all season - Great Baseball.

A Perfect MLB World Series Path

2007-10-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here is how the post-season will shake out starting today with the Rockies-Phillies game. The only logic involved in this is that the Indians will win their first World Series title since 1948. Best record in baseball and best 1-2 punch on the mound.

Look for the Rockies to be playing the D-backs in the NL finals. Why will the Rockies top the Phillies? Because when the Tribe reaches the World Series, it would be much more convenient to see them play in Denver than in Philly. But, here's hoping that scenario doesn't shake out, as I have to root for my current hometown and NL team, the D-backs. Making only a 30-minute drive to watch the Tribe play and possibly wrap things up in the Series on the road would be a very sweet thing.

We already know the Indians are taking it all, but how are they getting there? Through LA of course. A nice little $98 one-hour flight is definitely in the cards for next weekend. The Yankees will go down and the Red Sox do pose an area of concern, but it's only right that on the road to a title, that the road runs conveniently close or through the Phoenix area.

So there you have it...Indians over Yankees. Angels over Sox. Tribe over Yankees. Colorado over Philly. D-backs top the Cubs and then roll over the Rockies. All to get to the 2007 World Champion Cleveland Indians.

How sweet it will be. Go Tribe!

Steelers Lose at Home... Sorry on Road

2007-09-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

My Steelers lost a tough one today, but the atmosphere made it all worth while. Well, other than those few Cardinals fans that decided to show up to prove again how much Arizona cares little about their teams. And, "yes it does," to the Cardinal fan (season ticket holder) that sat behind me. The clock does stop after a penalty and you can now stop yelling at the refs for it (every time). The photo above is from the closed end zone in the first quarter. Steeler Nation was strong today!

I've been to The University of Phoenix Stadium in the past and just like today it was a great place to catch a game. Not your typical football atmosphere, but 70 degrees inside was better than the 98 outside. It definitely has a 'wine & cheese' feel versus your typical Mid-West or East Coast Stadium. But when the Steelers are in town, for one game, it feels like a game back home again. Something about fans that have true passion for their team that just feels good. Sure, you could hear the Cardinals fans cheering if you were at the game or watching from home. But were they really cheering the game or just cheering against the guy sitting next to them in the Steelers cap. I think the latter, as the Cardinals fans in my section (111) really didn't know when to cheer or not to cheer. A Cardinals fumble is when not to cheer by the way. It shouldn't have taken Steelers fans cheering for Cardinal fan to realize that one.

Again, great facility, but here's one for any others being built anytime soon. Just because ADA says you have enough bathrooms, go ahead and add a couple more just to say you used common sense. Remember that 30K fans all go to the bathroom at the same time. End of quarters and half-time. For once, I would love to see an entire 3rd quarter. Fifteen minutes just doesn't cut it with meeting current ADA regulations.

I'm definitely a little bitter after a tough loss like today, but very happy I got to see my team play without having to fly to see it happen. Hopefully they will keep up the pace, learn from their mistakes and make it back to the desert in early February. Here We Go Steelers, Here we Go!

This Just In - US Athletes Heading to Canada

2007-09-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought this day would ever come. The day that Canadians look down at America and say to themselves, "Let's take a weekend to Chicago or New York, the currency conversion is great for us." That day has come and to think just 10 years ago I was taking weekend trip after weekend trip to Windsor, Niagara Falls and Toronto and getting $1.36 for every $1US. Today I'd get $0.99.

It's not just the housing market folks. The credit market is a mess and the dollar is weak, so weak that come holiday time in a couple months, travelers will be coming to the US from all over the world to shop in our cities, because this is where things are most affordable and the savings can pay for their flight.

How will the sports world be impacted? Only time will tell, but I know of many an athlete that wouldn't consider heading to the Blue Jays, Raptors or the Expos of old. $10MM just wasn't $10MM up north. Will athletes soon be looking down on the US saying the same?

I don't expect it to happen, but in this day and age of player and ownership greed, I wouldn't be surprised.

Congratulations to MLB

2007-09-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

It's been requested that I lighten things up a bit. Not an easy task for someone as mad at everything as I am, but I'll give it a shot.

Major League Baseball has yet again broke its all-time attendance record for the 2007 season. This is a great feat, especially considering how poor some team's numbers were this year.

Overall 2007 has been a great year of baseball. Pennant races are coming down to the wire, records were broken and most importantly, my beloved Indians have returned to the playoffs.

Here's to getting a first round series against the most arrogant city in the nation - Boston. They really are not that good of a team and are in a division that really was not very good this season. It would be an honor to get to knock the Red Sox and the city of cry baby cheaters out of the playoffs.

I tried, but couldn't do it. Baseball was great this year, but won't be complete without Cleveland's first championship since 1948.

Why Risk an Injury?

2007-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

Why do teams insist on getting running backs 100 yards when a game is a blowout? Fantasy football fanatics love it in the pros, but in college football there are no fantasy fans to please and an injury to your best back could kill your season.

The Buckeyes have worked their way up to 8th in the rankings, are now considered the front runner in the Big Ten and today were dominating an overwhelmed Northwestern team going into the second half. But because Chris Wells only had 96 or so yards, the Buckeyes coaching staff decide they have to get him his 100 yard game. As fate would have it, Beanie gets his 100 yards, but he also limps off the field in extreme pain.

Things look like they will be alright, but what do the Buckeyes do if Wells wakes up in the morning with an ankle the size of his thighs? Brandon Saine is already on the shelf for a couple weeks after his surgery this week.

It's great that coaches try to pad a player's stats every now and again, but would Beanie rather have 96 yards and be in full health heading into next week or have his 101 yards and be hurting? Which would Ohio State and the fans rather have?

Stats are great, but the only one that counts in the end is wins and losses. If a game is in the bag, there really is no decision that should be made. You have to keep your starters on the bench. It only takes one play and hopefully that one play doesn't cost Beanie Wells and Ohio State heading into next week and the rest of the season.

Business of Football 2007

2007-09-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

Forbes recently released their 2007 version of the NFL's franchise values and as usual common sense would prove to be wrong. I don't question Dallas, Washington and New England at the top, but after that things get a little crazy. Dallas at $1.5 billion! Imagine what that will jump to when the new joint opens up. Very nice job Jerral!

Where things get confusing is with Houston at #4, Denver at #6 and Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Carolina at #11, 12, 13 and 14 respectively. I understand where the figures come from and how everything is calculated and see that the numbers don't lie, but it's still impossible to not question this.

How can the Cleveland Browns be at #9 with a value of $969MM and the 5-Time Super Bowl Champion Steelers be at #16 with a value of $929MM? Sure, we are only talking about a $49MM difference, but my heart and common sense tell me this can't be.

The Browns are a team that over the past few years is known for no-shows. They sell just about all the seats, but not all the fans attend. The Steelers pack the house for even pre-season games and have a waiting list that parallels Green Bay's. The Steelers are #1 in the NFL in team merchandise sales, including #1 in jersey sales. The Browns are no where close to this. They both have new facilities, spend about the same on their players and take in the same $40MM in gate revenue. You can't tell me that the Steelers operating costs are any more than the Browns' is.

Every baseball, football, basketball and even soccer and hockey season, I am always amazed at how these rankings turn out. This would make a great fantasy pool heading towards the release of the list. No way anyone gets all 32 NFL teams in the correct order.

Why do I Blog?

2007-09-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

For the past week and a half I have everyone asking me why I created a blog, why do I waste my time, why should they care? Let me first tell you what's not the case.

It's not because I have to much time on my hands. It takes 15 minutes to create a quick blog, post it with a photo and link it up to a few other sites. It's not because I have nothing better to do and it's not because I think my opinion is more important than others.

The reason is simple to why I blog and why millions of others do the same - my wife finds sports, fantasy sports and my rants and tirades boring.

Let's face it, when I wake up excited on Sunday morning, turn to my wife and ask if I should start Jamal Lewis or DeShaun Foster today; do I really want her to start breaking down all the reasons as to why there is no way in the world that I should start Lewis? This blog is where I can let my words be heard and sometimes even get some feedback from others that agree or disagree with my opinion.

Taking this a step further, I ultimately really don't want my wife responding to my sports tirades. There are some guys out there that are looking for a woman that can talk sports with the best of them. Not me! Not at all! In fact, the last person in the world I want to discuss how Big Ten football is better than Pac Ten football, is with my wife. It's just not attractive to me. Women going crazy in sports bars over a particular play because they think it's traveling is actually one of the most unattractive things a woman can do in my book. Don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with a girl in a sports jersey, someone showing their hometown pride, talking sports in generalities, or celebrating a big win, but when it comes to the details and long discussions, I greatly appreciate the silence.

Does this make me sexist? When it comes to talking sports, sure. But it is what it is. I blog so that I can vent frustrations or share my thoughts on different topics (mostly sports) and not have to worry about a dead silence from my wife after a 5-minute tirade on why the Steelers will roll into the playoffs this year. And most of you actually agree with me. If you didn't, you would be religiously attending WNBA games, Women's College Volleyball and Women's Pro Softball events.

Give me a girl with a book or magazine at a ballpark any day and I'll just keep on bloggin'. I started Lewis against Cincy by the way.

The Media Needs to Calm Down

2007-09-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

I guess Portland was picked to win the NBA Championship this year and I missed it. Greg Oden missing his rookie season does not mean the franchise should shut down, does not make Oden the worst #1 pick ever and does not mean his career is over. Oden was not drafted to make an immediate impact, but to bring great success to the franchise in the long-term.

How many rookies have ever, especially at Oden's age and with only one year of college, made that big of an impact in year one anyway. Lebron and Malone may be the only ones. Kobe certainly didn't and Amare, who Oden should be compared to the most now, didn't take his team to the promise land.

Oden has been and will be a work in progress. He was pushed around a lot in college, was not even the most valuable player on Ohio State's team last year and has a long way to go. I'm sure Portland understood this, but the media never has for some reason. He's a big man and will fill out nicely in around 5 to 6 years, but his rookie year in the NBA was going to be a rough one. Portland needs to stuff as much food in this guy as possible this year and have him working out 3 times a day.

Portland was going no where this year anyway. You can't throw all these new faces on a team and expect them to gel and win right off the bat. They will win and win with Oden, but they are still years away. Looking long-term as Portland is, getting another high draft pick next year may be the best thing that could happen to them. You just can't build dynasties with free agency in the NBA.

USF Proves Florida is tops in HS Football

2007-09-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Being from Ohio it's unthinkable for me to believe that any other state, be it CA, PA, TX or FL is more dominant than Ohio when it comes to High School football. Kirk Herbstreit is definitely on this same page. But what proves that both Kirk and Swope Blog are wrong is the emergence of the University of South Florida football program. They clearly prove that Florida is the dominant state in high school football.

The USF football program has only existed for three years and already they are one of the top programs in the country. There are hundreds of programs around the country that have been at it for hundreds of years and still can't compete with major football programs. Ohio has many schools that fit into that category including Toledo, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent State, Cincinnati (getting there), Ohio U, Bowling Green and more. But, USF does it in three years? They did it because of the talent right in their own backyard, something Ohio just doesn't have any more.

Programs are built, rebuilt and sustained with in-state talent. Florida is absolutely loaded with in-state talent year after year. Separate from all the recruits that stay in-state to play ball, take into account all of the players that leave Florida each year for major programs throughout the country. Ohio State lands just about all the 4 or 5 star recruits the state of Ohio has, with very few big time prospects left over.

USF is also competing against 3 major programs in-state for recruits in Florida, Miami and Florida State. Even after losing the best of the best to the big boy's in-state and throughout the country, they still have 97 players on their current roster that played high school football in Florida (not all active for games of course). Using The University of Akron as an example, they have 34 in-state players, but what's even more telling of the lack of talent in Ohio compared to Florida, is that Akron has 12 players from the state of Florida. The high school throw aways that Ohio State doesn't want are just that - throw aways. Ohio just doesn't have the talent and has no where near the deep talent pool that Florida has.

Florida may not have the same tradition that Ohio has with high school football, but one thing is for certain, Florida does have better high school football.

Netflix Earns my Shift Back

2007-09-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Lift, shift and retention! Blockbuster got the lift part correct. They were genius in creating plans that lured customers away from Netflix. Then they made the plans so great that customers fell in love with them. And then they cranked up the price 32% and are watching this customer shift on back to Netflix.

I was one of the millions that left Netflix and jumped on the Blockbuster bandwagon. I like to think I was responsible for the almost $1 jump or 15% increase in Blockbuster's stock price over the last couple months as well. But, as many big businesses do, they got greedy. They shouldn't have. They had my $14.99 a month for two movies at a time with unlimited exchanges at the store. The exchanges I loved. I found myself overwhelmed with movies at some points. It was a challenge to just catch up half the time. It was the perfect program, that is, until the email from them came.

Blockbuster sends me a note letting me know that I need to pick a new plan or starting next month, my current plan will jump to $21.99. That's one heck of a jump. Over the course of a year we are talking an $84 price hike. That's 24 Cafe Mocha's I could lose out on. Don't get me wrong, I'll throw money around on the web as much as the next guy, but when things become a matter of principal, you have to say enough is enough.

If you're a new subscriber to their plan, you won't see this price as they don't offer unlimited exchanges to new members now. A new $14.99 member gets two at a time rentals through the mail, but is allowed only three in-store exchanges a month. On top of that they took away the free monthly coupons for new members.

I was caught off guard, confused, betrayed and was hurt by what my beloved, loyal movie dealer was doing to me. In haste I opted to stay at the same $14.99 a month rate, but was dropped to only one at a time, while still getting my unlimited exchanges (only for current subscribers). They got me. They roped me in and punched me in the face.

Well last night I punched back. An email from my long last friends at Netflix hit my inbox. They are offering me unlimited access with two at a time for $13.99 to come back. Yes, I lose the pleasure of hitting the local BlockBox and giving a smirk as I think I am getting away with stealing as I simply exchange a movie with no money trading hands, but, but, but, I save money and win, right? Sure I do, but where I really stick it to the man, is with how Netflix on top of my mail movie access will also allow me to download a movie to my laptop as part of my two at a time. Blockbuster doesn't offer that do they?

What Netflix has given me is basically, unlimited movies at any time. My wife and I will get the popular movies in the mail as usual, but the movies I want to watch and she doesn't, I'll simply download them anytime, anywhere I want and watch them at my leisure. On plane (soon to have wi-fi), in a train or during a cross country trip. Oh, if I had kids I would be the father of the year. In all seriousness, if I'm in Tulsa on a business trip, there is no longer a need for $11.99 movies (clean I promise) at 9:00 at night. I simply log into my Netflix account and download the movie of my choice. When I'm done, I can do it again. This is access anywhere at anytime. Can't get that with the BlockBox trips.

A quick comparison of rates:

Blockbuster - $14.99 a month = 2 at a time unlimited mail, with 3 in-store exchanges per month.

Netflix - $13.99 a month = 2 at a time unlimited mail, with unlimited PC downloads.

Movies at my fingertips does beat the trip up the street in my book and again, sticks it to the man. Also, thanks for the extra cash Blockbuster, I took my modest 15% gain in three months and sold all my Blockbuster stock last night. More Cafe Mocha's for me!

ESPN is Killing NASCAR

2007-09-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Alright, so ESPN is actually wonderful for NASCAR, but the ESPN broadcasts are absolutely excruciating and Saturday night it got outright sickening. I found myself actually muting the sound on Saturday night. But for those that made it through with the sound on, I'm sure you were playing the same game I was - Guess how many times Rusty Wallace and the ESPN crew says "Dale Jr. promised his fans he would not give up" and "You can't question Dale Jr.'s effort" and "There is no quit in Dale Jr." and "Jr. is doing this for his sponsors." Jr, Jr, Jr, Jr and I actually like Dale Jr. - a lot.

Give me a break already. It was repeated over and over. Oh, let's not forget that Rusty was very worried for Kevin Harvick all night, because as he would have you believe, Kevin's team wasn't letting him know how hard he was being on the breaks. It's the same commentary week in and week out with this on-air crew. They find a couple things to talk about and don't let it go. And if it has anything to do with Dale Earnhardt Jr. expect it to go on forever, or at least until his car blows up. Funny how they didn't have to much to say when that happened and how they actually seemed confused about what to talk about.

There is zero personality in any of the pit-road crew, booth crew or pre & post race crew. You get the feeling that they learned the drivers names on Wednesday before the race. We know the crew on Sports Center can't pronounce half the drivers names, let alone know how the sport actually operates.

I for one had enough Saturday night. Here is a clue to all those out there that constantly try to remind me that these drivers are so concerned about the points and that they are never going to say die and are out there to give it there all - the drivers only care about one thing --- WINNING! Week in and week out, that is the only thing on 43 drivers minds. They don't add up the points, they don't worry about this or that, they give it 100% every time out and all they care about is winning. And yes that does mean for themselves, for their fans and for their sponsors.

Give me the Fox on-air crew any day, even the NBC crew, which I now appreciate more than ever. ESPN will grow to understand NASCAR and it's fans eventually, but for now, I'll stick to using the mute button on the Rusty Wallace and NBA Center crew.

Who Skipped Over Manning?

2007-09-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

So you took L.T., L.J., Alexander, Jackson or another running back in the first round of your fantasy draft over Payton Manning. A mistake made each year by millions of running back happy fantasy players. Manning is not only the top QB in fantasy football, but is the best overall player. So, why not take him? I'm very happy with trading up to the #4 pick to grab Manning. Last night's game is a great example why. Three TD's and 288 yards! Not an above average night and not a below average night, but a standard week in, week out performance by Payton.

There were two RB's playing last night that in most leagues were both drafted ahead of Manning: Bush & Addai. Put both their numbers together and you didn't score as many points as Manning did. How many people skipped on Manning in the first round to get a top 5 QB stud later in the draft like Drew Brees? How did that work out for you last night?

You take the best scoring players in fantasy in each round, regardless of position. Those that left Manning on the table for the likes of Reggie Bush or Willie Parker made a huge mistake. Somebody prove me wrong.

Borowski = Wickman = Mesa

2007-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

It's been 49 years since the Cleveland Indians won a Championship and 10 years since their last appearance in the World Series. If 2007 is to prove to be the year for Cleveland, they have one major problem at the end of the rotation to overcome. Anyone who has witnessed Joe Borowski pitch the ninth inning this year with a two or three run lead understands exactly where I'm coming from.

Yes, it's hard to complain about someone who is leading the American League in saves with 40, but how many times can the Tribe get by with Big Joe loading the bases and giving up one or two runs before closing the game out? The Indians won't be playing the likes of the Royals, White Sox and Devil Rays in the playoffs. The Yankees, Red Sox and Angels will not let opportunities go by and offer a little more firepower as well. What's the Tribe's record against the latter three teams this year? The answer is 2-5 against Boston, 0-6 against New York and 3-3 against the Angels. Borowski's line in those 19 games - 1 loss, 1 save!

Cleveland fan holds their breath every time Borowski toes the mound. But, then again, Cleveland fans have been holding their breath with closers since 1994. That's the year Jose Mesa joined the Tribe. As with Borowski, Mesa put up great save numbers, but did it at the expense of an inflated ERA and a WHIP that makes all fantasy owners cry. This is a disturbing trend in Cleveland, one that the Atlanta Braves couldn't deal with, which led to the release of Bob Wickman in the middle of a pennant race. Tribe fans are extremely familiar with Wickman's closing issues, but hey, the saves were there right? Mesa, Wickman and Borowski are all the same person - plenty of saves but many more heartaches. I'm one Tribe fan that hopes Borowski doesn't lead to another heartbreak year for Cleveland fans.

So I ask, why will 2007 be different for the Tribe with Joe Borowski as their closer? A closers job is 3 up and 3 down. Remember, it was 10 years ago this October that Jose Mesa took the mound in the 9th inning of Game 7 against the Florida Marlins. How are the Borowski days of today any different than the Mesa days of old?