Evidently the Cavs are Finished

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

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

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

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."