Ichiro
I was made aware of an amazing stat the other day. Ichiro is closing in on either 10or 11 consecutive 200+ hit seasons. He’s in Ty Cobb/Pete Rose territory here. That’s amazing when you consider he's also been a Gold Glove caliber outfielder player during that span.
If you had to pick a First, Second & Third All-Time MLB team, he’d have to be on it. Of course, since he’s playing in Seattle, he’s gone relatively unnoticed. Imagine the run he’d be getting if he did his work in New York or Boston?
Jets
Speaking of New York - I don’t give a damn about the Jets and no, I don’t have them in the Super Bowl already like a lot of moron national pundits are predicting.
Their quarterback, already in the Hall of Fame according to some, has to do better than 12TDs/20INTs, especially when you consider he has a good running game and a very good defense.
Pre-Season Game 2/Browns Impressions
Same old same old when it comes to a pass rush or lack thereof. If they don’t blitz, they don’t come near the QB. That’s bad news waiting to happen.
Eric Wright is what I said he was two years ago–a nickel back at best. You’ll know their secondary talent is truly improving when this guy isn’t out there on every play.
As for Brandon McDonald – forget about it! I expect him to get cut.
For those morons who are raving about Jake D., I’ll jump on board when he completes a few downfield passes. Everything he’s done in the passing game to date has been underneath.
Yes, Seneca Wallace is still much better in my book – especially when you consider how weak their right side of the “O” line is. Wallace will keep many more plays alive that JD and he has a much better arm.
I’ll say it again – SW has been better than 50% of the starting QBs in this league since he’s been a pro. Period.
Their jumbo back combination of Vickers and Hillis is intriguing. Hillis runs downhill, he’s not flashy, but more athletic than he appears. Running back actually looks to be strength on this team – even if the second coming of Jim Brown Hardesty) according to some doesn’t play a lot.
Along with running back, I like the depth at linebacker. The new additions are actually starting NFL backers. They are good tacklers, are usually in the right place and seem to have a high football IQ.
The end result -this team should be improved against the run in 2010. That’s saying something when you consider this organization has been starting a ton of #2s since 1999.
The same can be said for S. Brown at corner. He’s their best corner right now – it’s not even close. As for the rookie from Florida – we shall see. It’s way too early to come to any conclusions. But if he’s truly talented and a quick study, he should pass up Wright rather quickly.
And no, I haven’t changed my mind. 7-9 looks about right still. I do believe however that Wallave might be able to get them to 8 or 9 wins if he took every snap in 2010.
What should one look for tonight's pre-season game #3 - the dress rehearsal?
Can JD complete a few passes downfield so teams don't put 8 in the box when it counts?
Can the receivers get open? Notice I said "receivers." Their TEs look solid.
Does the O line begin to open holes for J. Harrison like they did in December of last year?
Who the hell will handle the right guard and right tackle spots?
Can the Browns get a pass rushing just 4?
Are the corners making plays on a consistent basis or just tackling guys after the catch like we've been accustomed to seeing?
Indians
The Tribe may lose 100 after all – not that it matters. Regardless, the on the job training continues. Boy, this line-up really stinks without the young catcher in the 3-hole.
Look at the bright side, they are finding out who can and can’t play every day. The sad part is, many are failing the test.
I certainly hope they bring up their top 3rd base prospect in September and give him the final month’s 120 at bats. To do otherwise, makes absolutely no sense.
And if the kid struggles and hits 190, so what? He at least figured out what highway to take to work and where the weight room is located.
Speaking of the Tribe, I hope they bring back Jim Thome next year so he can close out his career in Cleveland. First, it would be good PR. Secondly, he's still good enough to hit somewhere in the middle of that order. Third, he'd come relatively cheap. And finally, the youngest team in baseball could use some veteran leadership.
We wondered why they went the Branyan route months ago instead of Thome in 2010. In 2011, they have a chance to get it right for all the right reasons. Besides, Thome is going to go into the HOF as an Indian. Why not finish up as an Indian?
Yes, I know he $#@ed us when he left for Phily. But it's time to move on.
Think about it. Next year's top of the order should look like this - 1-Sizemore, 2-Cabrera, 3-Choo, 4-Santana, 4-Thome. That's not top-shelf, but it's not terrible either.
Finally on the Tribe, I like Jason Nix. I hope they keep him. The guy won't hit for average, he's an average defender at best, but he can play several positions and has some legitimate pop in his bat.
Cavaliers
I’m told some national publications are actually predicting the Cavaliers to win more than half their games and be a playoff team. Right - and I spent 10 years as a Navy Seals even though I just learned to swim in 2009.
Based on their current roster, if they get 30+ wins, it will be a minor miracle. And I truly hope I’m dead wrong on this one.
And if I hear one more idiot say they hope the team tanks the season so they acquire a higher draft choice, I’m going to pop an artery. You play to win the game. Period!
Anyone with the opposite belief has never put a strap on in his/her life. Either that or they were pussies when they played.
Final Thought – “Tell a lie enough and it becomes the truth.” Lenin
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Short @ Quick
South Beach Déjà
I had a request to comment on Butterfingers, so here goes. And I thought I was done with him.
What are the odds two former well-known Cleveland athletes go to the “South Beach” card in the same year? This time its Braylon Edwards taking a shot at Cleveland as a hick town shortly following LBJ’s first utterances describing his exit from town.
James can at least play. He has a reason to be arrogant as hell. We already covered the fact that he had a whole market enabling him since puberty. You can see the narcissistic progression developing if you wanted to see it.
As for Edwards, some guys never get it and never will. And for me to beat on this guy again would be piling on. I could care less. It's just another case of a pro athlete with an inflated opinon of his self-worth.
Like there aren't many of those around? Be glad he's gone.
Media Morons
I have heard numerous local media morons whine about the fact the Browns’ starting running back is on the shelf for several weeks.
The problem is Jerome Harrison is fine. These geniuses already have the Browns' 2010second round pick out of Tennessee sharing time or playing ahead of Harrison.
I don’t mention his name on purpose. Until rookies do something, especially in the NFL where at least half flame out quickly, they should be seen and not heard.
Therefore, ‘No names please” until this young man makes plays on a consistent basis -when it counts.
As for the media getting their panties in a bunch because he’s not available just yet. Relax guys.
It’s pre-season and you have a starting back that went nuts when given the ball at the end of 2009. He gets first dibs. It’s that simple.
By the way, I was impressed with the safety from Oregon during the Browns’ first exhibition game. Yes, he got beat for a touchdown. But the coverage was pretty good for a safety and that quarterback/receiver combination in Green Bay will do that to you.
The kid flew around all night, hit people and generally made his presence felt. He looked like he belonged. Unlike others, I’m not going to get excited by one performance. That’s not how I roll. But it was a good a start. Hopefully, there’s more to come.
And no, I’m not excited they beat the Packers. I’m just pleased at this point they lined up right, didn’t get a ton of illegal procedure penalties, too much time in the huddle infractions or 12 defensive players on the field calls.
Baby steps my friend, baby steps.
I’ve got some politics for you now.
VP
Some media geniuses are pushing the idea Hillary Clinton will be Obama’s VP prior to his next term. Right.
Why would she want that gig and how does she benefit from such a move?
The answer is simple. She wouldn’t want it and she wouldn’t benefit.
Hell, we've already covered she could challenge him in 2012 and give him a run for his money.
The only reason he’d want her as #2 is to keep her from running against him. She’s not stupid. Her and her hubby (Bill) can figure that out if I can.
His offer, if it actually were to take place, to dump Biden and make her number #2 would be a classic case of “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”
Come on, she’s not going to fall for that twice.
Election Numbers
A writer wrote an OP ED recently surmising the President may attempt to win re-election solely by going after the 90+% African-American vote, 2/3+ of the Latino vote and approximately 37% of the white vote.
According to this writer, a heavy African-American and Latino turnout in 2012 would mean Obama could win re-election with less than 40% of the expected white vote.
I have no idea if the math actually holds up, but I do know it would be a terrible strategy for both Obama and more importantly the country. This man came to office under the guise of being a post-racial president.
And to follow a re-election strategy along these lines would further divide the nation. He doesn’t need that for his legacy and the country certainly would be worse off for it.
Hopefully, no one in the White House is contemplating such an approach. It would be disastrous for all.
We simply don’t need further identity politics – that is where folks are separated into individual groups with individual grievances. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party seems to be doing that more and more recently.
One could argue this strategy helped win them control of Congress and the White House.
But one could also make the argument it divided the country further and soon the nation will begin making a correction at the ballot box come November.
We shall see.
Robert Gibbs
The President’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, who’s main job is to keep a low profile and control news flow actually recently committed what is normally a fatal PR flaw by making news with comments attacking the left wing of the Democratic Party.
He stated that many in the left won’t be happy until the Pentagon (those who defend us) is shut down and we have a Canadian health care system in place.
He then went on to say these folks wouldn’t be pleased with Cleveland’s own Dennis Kucinich as president. Kucinich is about as far-left a Politian as there is in Congress. But to his credit, he (DK) doesn’t back down from his positions and ideas.
First off, Gibbs did this on purpose. How do I know? Because he still has his job. He’s the president’s mouthpiece and picking a small fight with the far left might even help Obama with some centrists. That's the strategy.
No, he didn’t do this at a bar late one night after a long day and several drinks. He did it during a scheduled interview with a Washington reporter.
It’s called being the president’s wing man – as simple as that.
Besides, he was dead on.
The far left is bashing a guy (Obama) who’s overall approval ratings are in the mid 40’s and falling because he is passing legislation and governing like a lefty. And these nuts want him to more further to the left?
Amazing!
Till next time. Be good.
I had a request to comment on Butterfingers, so here goes. And I thought I was done with him.
What are the odds two former well-known Cleveland athletes go to the “South Beach” card in the same year? This time its Braylon Edwards taking a shot at Cleveland as a hick town shortly following LBJ’s first utterances describing his exit from town.
James can at least play. He has a reason to be arrogant as hell. We already covered the fact that he had a whole market enabling him since puberty. You can see the narcissistic progression developing if you wanted to see it.
As for Edwards, some guys never get it and never will. And for me to beat on this guy again would be piling on. I could care less. It's just another case of a pro athlete with an inflated opinon of his self-worth.
Like there aren't many of those around? Be glad he's gone.
Media Morons
I have heard numerous local media morons whine about the fact the Browns’ starting running back is on the shelf for several weeks.
The problem is Jerome Harrison is fine. These geniuses already have the Browns' 2010second round pick out of Tennessee sharing time or playing ahead of Harrison.
I don’t mention his name on purpose. Until rookies do something, especially in the NFL where at least half flame out quickly, they should be seen and not heard.
Therefore, ‘No names please” until this young man makes plays on a consistent basis -when it counts.
As for the media getting their panties in a bunch because he’s not available just yet. Relax guys.
It’s pre-season and you have a starting back that went nuts when given the ball at the end of 2009. He gets first dibs. It’s that simple.
By the way, I was impressed with the safety from Oregon during the Browns’ first exhibition game. Yes, he got beat for a touchdown. But the coverage was pretty good for a safety and that quarterback/receiver combination in Green Bay will do that to you.
The kid flew around all night, hit people and generally made his presence felt. He looked like he belonged. Unlike others, I’m not going to get excited by one performance. That’s not how I roll. But it was a good a start. Hopefully, there’s more to come.
And no, I’m not excited they beat the Packers. I’m just pleased at this point they lined up right, didn’t get a ton of illegal procedure penalties, too much time in the huddle infractions or 12 defensive players on the field calls.
Baby steps my friend, baby steps.
I’ve got some politics for you now.
VP
Some media geniuses are pushing the idea Hillary Clinton will be Obama’s VP prior to his next term. Right.
Why would she want that gig and how does she benefit from such a move?
The answer is simple. She wouldn’t want it and she wouldn’t benefit.
Hell, we've already covered she could challenge him in 2012 and give him a run for his money.
The only reason he’d want her as #2 is to keep her from running against him. She’s not stupid. Her and her hubby (Bill) can figure that out if I can.
His offer, if it actually were to take place, to dump Biden and make her number #2 would be a classic case of “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”
Come on, she’s not going to fall for that twice.
Election Numbers
A writer wrote an OP ED recently surmising the President may attempt to win re-election solely by going after the 90+% African-American vote, 2/3+ of the Latino vote and approximately 37% of the white vote.
According to this writer, a heavy African-American and Latino turnout in 2012 would mean Obama could win re-election with less than 40% of the expected white vote.
I have no idea if the math actually holds up, but I do know it would be a terrible strategy for both Obama and more importantly the country. This man came to office under the guise of being a post-racial president.
And to follow a re-election strategy along these lines would further divide the nation. He doesn’t need that for his legacy and the country certainly would be worse off for it.
Hopefully, no one in the White House is contemplating such an approach. It would be disastrous for all.
We simply don’t need further identity politics – that is where folks are separated into individual groups with individual grievances. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party seems to be doing that more and more recently.
One could argue this strategy helped win them control of Congress and the White House.
But one could also make the argument it divided the country further and soon the nation will begin making a correction at the ballot box come November.
We shall see.
Robert Gibbs
The President’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, who’s main job is to keep a low profile and control news flow actually recently committed what is normally a fatal PR flaw by making news with comments attacking the left wing of the Democratic Party.
He stated that many in the left won’t be happy until the Pentagon (those who defend us) is shut down and we have a Canadian health care system in place.
He then went on to say these folks wouldn’t be pleased with Cleveland’s own Dennis Kucinich as president. Kucinich is about as far-left a Politian as there is in Congress. But to his credit, he (DK) doesn’t back down from his positions and ideas.
First off, Gibbs did this on purpose. How do I know? Because he still has his job. He’s the president’s mouthpiece and picking a small fight with the far left might even help Obama with some centrists. That's the strategy.
No, he didn’t do this at a bar late one night after a long day and several drinks. He did it during a scheduled interview with a Washington reporter.
It’s called being the president’s wing man – as simple as that.
Besides, he was dead on.
The far left is bashing a guy (Obama) who’s overall approval ratings are in the mid 40’s and falling because he is passing legislation and governing like a lefty. And these nuts want him to more further to the left?
Amazing!
Till next time. Be good.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
South Beach Talent, J29'10
Ultimate Narcissist
“I am taking my talents to South Beach next year.”
I still can’t get over that quote from LBJ. That 10 word sentence encompasses everything that is wrong with today’s athletes.
And did you expect anything less from a guy who wore a Yankee cap at Progressive Field for years?
That self-absorbed, I don’t give a damn about anyone or anything else dress code violation alone should have told the jock sniffing local sports fans & enabling local media he wasn’t staying put.
Could you imagine Larry Bird or Magic Johnson every talking like that?
Regardles, that's my new handle for awhile (South Beach Talent).
Pete Carroll
This guy takes himself way too seriously. He’s turning up everywhere on the television circuit pushing his new book which should be title “How I cheated like hell and got out of dodge before the posy caught up to me.”
And I am amazed no one has had the balls to ask him during these interviews why he skipped town before the NCAA came down on SC? Sports journalism is in a sad place right now. It’s all about kissing ass to get access and/or getting as much air time as possible.
Shelley Duncan
I took a shot at this guy a few weeks back. I apologize. I discovered he was the International League MVP last year posting 30/90 numbers. And from what I hear from someone who covers the Tribe daily, he works his ass off everyday, is a good teammate and plays the game the right way.
I like the underdog, so I hope he sticks around and can give the Tribe a decent right hand bat. Besides, I liked and rooted for his old man (Dave Duncan) when he was an Indians’ catcher ages ago.
Yea, I know he's (Duncan) not 24, but I like guys who grind it out and keep their nose clean.
Underdogs
Speaking of underdogs, am I the only one who is curious as to what type of team the Cavaliers will put together this coming season?
Hell, I may even buy a ticket to support Gilbert and company.
I was hoping they would land Matt Barnes, who can defend, plays with an attitude, is long and can play multiple positions. Unfortunately, the team will have to overpay free agents to go there right now. And in some cases, they still won’t come.
Regardless, I wish Byron Scott luck. He will need it. One thing is for certain, no one outside the Cavs’ locker room will have high expectations for 2010-11. Maybe Scott and company can use that as motivation for his troops. I will be watching to see how Scott and his staff handle this difficult franchise conversion.
Browns
Camp starts this weekend. How does 7-9 sound? I can’t imagine the Browns finishing with more than 7 wins – and that’s being relatively kind. They still have question marks at some of the most important positions on the field – quarterback, pass rusher, cover corner and wide receiver – and not necessarily in that order.
The sad truth is they are still a lot closer to being a poor 5-11 team than a playoff bound 11-5 squad. I hope I’m mistaken – but not likely.
What I am most amazed at is the fact that many in the local media along with the majority of fans are expecting a much better team based solely on the fact that the “Walrus” is in town running the show.
There’s only one problem, MH doesn’t throw the ball, catch it, sack the quarterback or cover NFL receivers for a living.
Super Bowl Picks
How’s Indianapolis and New Orleans sound? What again?
Yes, I know it’s tough to repeat in football because the playing field is level – unlike baseball, but I don’t see anyone better in the NFC than New Orleans, as long as they keep their QB upright.
And as long as Manning is slinging it in Indy, they will be in the hunt. I also still like New England because of Brady, but their defense has some holes.
I know it unfortunately won’t be the Browns and Lions playing in Dallas come February.
Notice, I always go with the teams with the QB. I never fell for the “you can win with a guy who manages the game” silliness we were being sold post-Trent Dilfer taking snaps in Baltimore. The same morons who were preaching that garbage 10 years ago are now telling the world you need a QB beacuse it's now a passing league.
What the hell have they been watching since the Reagan administration?
Which is it geniuses? And no, the rules haven’t changed that much since 2000. It has been a passing league for 30 years, not just the last five. Or haven’t you heard of Elway, Marino, Kelly, Fouts and company?
Yes, you can win big with a good running game, a very good defense and soid special teams – but it’s a lot harder to do so. Your margin for error is greater. Try coming from behind with that philosophy
NFL Lock Out
I’m told we are likely to have an NFL lockout prior to the 2011 season. Yea, that will go over well with fans during this economy.
Here’s my favorite part of the stupidity – the NFL Players' Association is holding seminars telling its players to save money in case the lockout comes. They are worried players won’t save and thus will eventually crack and push the union to making a bad deal just to get their checks again.
Can you imagine making $450,000+ a year – and that’s a conservative estimate of what a sixth rounder in his third year in the league makes – and not having enough money saved to keep your family upright for a few months? Amazing.
As NBA player rep Pat Ewing famously said during NBA labor negotiations years ago– “Yea, we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money too.” Classic!
Trading Deadline & More
The non-waiver wire deadline is fast approaching and the Indians were able to get a taker (Detroit) for J. Peralta and his $4 ½ million salary.
Peralta basically stopped hitting once he moved to third base – a position switch that should have been made years ago beacuse of Astrubal Cabrera being amuch better shortstop.
As I said many times, you can carry JP at shortstop when he consistently goes 20/80+ and .275 for you, but not if he’s going to go 12/70 and .260 for you. And since moving to third, he’s been that or worse. And third is still a spot that dictates offense first.
A question has been recently asked nationally as to why pitchers are starting to dominate again? Simple – steroids, or lack there of. Yea, there have been an inordinate number of no-hitters this season, but that’s simply an anomaly.
What is clear is that we have gone back (thankfully) in time to the pre-1990s era, where 30/100 is a very good power season at the plate, where a 4.00 ERA is just average again and doesn’t get you a 5 year/50 million deal, and where banging out 40 doubles is a good year. These are all good things.
Now if they would truly address revenue sharing and a hard salary cap, I might just begin paying attention again.
Fab 5
Not that you care – but here are the five baseball players I would pay to watch perform – Ricky Henderson, Joey Bell, Gaylord Perry, Ozzie Smith & Ken Griffey.
I chose Ricky because he’s Ricky. The best base stealer ever had a tremendous eye at the plate, could go deep right out of the gate and played with a swagger unmatched by any other pro athlete. He’s the only hot dog you couldn’t dislike. Why? Simple – because he’s Ricky. But forget all the nonsense and laughs. We are talking about the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time – and it’s not even close.
Joey Belle is #2 on the list, because in his prime before the hip problems, no one competed more at the plate than Joey. He absolutely never gave away an at bat. I respect that.
Gaylord Perry is #3 because he drove the opposition nuts – both when they were in the batter’s box, but just as important, in the dugout. No one got into an opposing team’s head like Gaylord. Even when he wasn’t loading it up, he made you think he was.
Ozzie Smith is #4 because he’s the best defensive player in the history of baseball in my humble opinion. I can’t speak for players before 1970, but in the last 40 years, no one has done it better while also playing the most important position on the field, this side of the pitching mound.
Ken Griffey is #5 instead of ARod – who I dubbed back in 2000 as potentially the greatest player in the game, because Griffey didn’t cheat and ARod did - allegedly. Early on when he was in Seattle and healthy, Griffey was the best player in the game, no questions asked. Injuries took a toll on his body, but in his prime, he was the ultimate 5-tool player.
Moron(s) of the Week
I’m driving to Akron to work this past week and decided to change from my CD playing Iron Maiden to a local radio sports talk show and what nonsense do I hear?
The two hosts are debating whether Ed Reed of Baltimore deserves to be in the Hall of Fame when he’s done playing. They actually debated this for a couple minutes. Amazing.
If Reed, arguable the game’s best defensive player when healthy doesn’t get into the HOF, then who the hell does?
One could even make the argument that for pound (Reed is about 5-11/200), he’s the best defensive player of the modern era – including my favorite Lawrence “I did not have sex with that underage hooker” Taylor.
I quickly turned off the radio and put Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark” back on the air.
Till next time - be good.
“I am taking my talents to South Beach next year.”
I still can’t get over that quote from LBJ. That 10 word sentence encompasses everything that is wrong with today’s athletes.
And did you expect anything less from a guy who wore a Yankee cap at Progressive Field for years?
That self-absorbed, I don’t give a damn about anyone or anything else dress code violation alone should have told the jock sniffing local sports fans & enabling local media he wasn’t staying put.
Could you imagine Larry Bird or Magic Johnson every talking like that?
Regardles, that's my new handle for awhile (South Beach Talent).
Pete Carroll
This guy takes himself way too seriously. He’s turning up everywhere on the television circuit pushing his new book which should be title “How I cheated like hell and got out of dodge before the posy caught up to me.”
And I am amazed no one has had the balls to ask him during these interviews why he skipped town before the NCAA came down on SC? Sports journalism is in a sad place right now. It’s all about kissing ass to get access and/or getting as much air time as possible.
Shelley Duncan
I took a shot at this guy a few weeks back. I apologize. I discovered he was the International League MVP last year posting 30/90 numbers. And from what I hear from someone who covers the Tribe daily, he works his ass off everyday, is a good teammate and plays the game the right way.
I like the underdog, so I hope he sticks around and can give the Tribe a decent right hand bat. Besides, I liked and rooted for his old man (Dave Duncan) when he was an Indians’ catcher ages ago.
Yea, I know he's (Duncan) not 24, but I like guys who grind it out and keep their nose clean.
Underdogs
Speaking of underdogs, am I the only one who is curious as to what type of team the Cavaliers will put together this coming season?
Hell, I may even buy a ticket to support Gilbert and company.
I was hoping they would land Matt Barnes, who can defend, plays with an attitude, is long and can play multiple positions. Unfortunately, the team will have to overpay free agents to go there right now. And in some cases, they still won’t come.
Regardless, I wish Byron Scott luck. He will need it. One thing is for certain, no one outside the Cavs’ locker room will have high expectations for 2010-11. Maybe Scott and company can use that as motivation for his troops. I will be watching to see how Scott and his staff handle this difficult franchise conversion.
Browns
Camp starts this weekend. How does 7-9 sound? I can’t imagine the Browns finishing with more than 7 wins – and that’s being relatively kind. They still have question marks at some of the most important positions on the field – quarterback, pass rusher, cover corner and wide receiver – and not necessarily in that order.
The sad truth is they are still a lot closer to being a poor 5-11 team than a playoff bound 11-5 squad. I hope I’m mistaken – but not likely.
What I am most amazed at is the fact that many in the local media along with the majority of fans are expecting a much better team based solely on the fact that the “Walrus” is in town running the show.
There’s only one problem, MH doesn’t throw the ball, catch it, sack the quarterback or cover NFL receivers for a living.
Super Bowl Picks
How’s Indianapolis and New Orleans sound? What again?
Yes, I know it’s tough to repeat in football because the playing field is level – unlike baseball, but I don’t see anyone better in the NFC than New Orleans, as long as they keep their QB upright.
And as long as Manning is slinging it in Indy, they will be in the hunt. I also still like New England because of Brady, but their defense has some holes.
I know it unfortunately won’t be the Browns and Lions playing in Dallas come February.
Notice, I always go with the teams with the QB. I never fell for the “you can win with a guy who manages the game” silliness we were being sold post-Trent Dilfer taking snaps in Baltimore. The same morons who were preaching that garbage 10 years ago are now telling the world you need a QB beacuse it's now a passing league.
What the hell have they been watching since the Reagan administration?
Which is it geniuses? And no, the rules haven’t changed that much since 2000. It has been a passing league for 30 years, not just the last five. Or haven’t you heard of Elway, Marino, Kelly, Fouts and company?
Yes, you can win big with a good running game, a very good defense and soid special teams – but it’s a lot harder to do so. Your margin for error is greater. Try coming from behind with that philosophy
NFL Lock Out
I’m told we are likely to have an NFL lockout prior to the 2011 season. Yea, that will go over well with fans during this economy.
Here’s my favorite part of the stupidity – the NFL Players' Association is holding seminars telling its players to save money in case the lockout comes. They are worried players won’t save and thus will eventually crack and push the union to making a bad deal just to get their checks again.
Can you imagine making $450,000+ a year – and that’s a conservative estimate of what a sixth rounder in his third year in the league makes – and not having enough money saved to keep your family upright for a few months? Amazing.
As NBA player rep Pat Ewing famously said during NBA labor negotiations years ago– “Yea, we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money too.” Classic!
Trading Deadline & More
The non-waiver wire deadline is fast approaching and the Indians were able to get a taker (Detroit) for J. Peralta and his $4 ½ million salary.
Peralta basically stopped hitting once he moved to third base – a position switch that should have been made years ago beacuse of Astrubal Cabrera being amuch better shortstop.
As I said many times, you can carry JP at shortstop when he consistently goes 20/80+ and .275 for you, but not if he’s going to go 12/70 and .260 for you. And since moving to third, he’s been that or worse. And third is still a spot that dictates offense first.
A question has been recently asked nationally as to why pitchers are starting to dominate again? Simple – steroids, or lack there of. Yea, there have been an inordinate number of no-hitters this season, but that’s simply an anomaly.
What is clear is that we have gone back (thankfully) in time to the pre-1990s era, where 30/100 is a very good power season at the plate, where a 4.00 ERA is just average again and doesn’t get you a 5 year/50 million deal, and where banging out 40 doubles is a good year. These are all good things.
Now if they would truly address revenue sharing and a hard salary cap, I might just begin paying attention again.
Fab 5
Not that you care – but here are the five baseball players I would pay to watch perform – Ricky Henderson, Joey Bell, Gaylord Perry, Ozzie Smith & Ken Griffey.
I chose Ricky because he’s Ricky. The best base stealer ever had a tremendous eye at the plate, could go deep right out of the gate and played with a swagger unmatched by any other pro athlete. He’s the only hot dog you couldn’t dislike. Why? Simple – because he’s Ricky. But forget all the nonsense and laughs. We are talking about the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time – and it’s not even close.
Joey Belle is #2 on the list, because in his prime before the hip problems, no one competed more at the plate than Joey. He absolutely never gave away an at bat. I respect that.
Gaylord Perry is #3 because he drove the opposition nuts – both when they were in the batter’s box, but just as important, in the dugout. No one got into an opposing team’s head like Gaylord. Even when he wasn’t loading it up, he made you think he was.
Ozzie Smith is #4 because he’s the best defensive player in the history of baseball in my humble opinion. I can’t speak for players before 1970, but in the last 40 years, no one has done it better while also playing the most important position on the field, this side of the pitching mound.
Ken Griffey is #5 instead of ARod – who I dubbed back in 2000 as potentially the greatest player in the game, because Griffey didn’t cheat and ARod did - allegedly. Early on when he was in Seattle and healthy, Griffey was the best player in the game, no questions asked. Injuries took a toll on his body, but in his prime, he was the ultimate 5-tool player.
Moron(s) of the Week
I’m driving to Akron to work this past week and decided to change from my CD playing Iron Maiden to a local radio sports talk show and what nonsense do I hear?
The two hosts are debating whether Ed Reed of Baltimore deserves to be in the Hall of Fame when he’s done playing. They actually debated this for a couple minutes. Amazing.
If Reed, arguable the game’s best defensive player when healthy doesn’t get into the HOF, then who the hell does?
One could even make the argument that for pound (Reed is about 5-11/200), he’s the best defensive player of the modern era – including my favorite Lawrence “I did not have sex with that underage hooker” Taylor.
I quickly turned off the radio and put Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark” back on the air.
Till next time - be good.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Gilbert & LBJ
I have been asked by several of you to comment ASAP on the LBJ announcement.
Without getting into the weeds, this is the ultimate case of an owner, city, media and fans enabling a young athlete for years to do what he pleases, then crying foul when this man-child takes advantage of them one more time as he bolts out the door.
Commandment #1 in sports folks – ROOT FOR THE TEAM NAME ON THE FRONT OF THE JERSEY, NOT THE PLAYER’S NAME ON THE BACK!
We’ve been over this many times. That's why I have never worn a player jersey and never will.
One day I will list all 10 - I promise.
Now back to the train wreck.
From what I have been told, Mike Brown and Danny Ferry, both no longer Cavalier employees, on more than one occasion tried to get Dan Gilbert to say “NO” to LeBron and his posy of friends who had free reign not only within that facility (The Q), but basically within that organization.
The owner did not dare take James’ toys away because he worried that would upset “the King.”
If you continue to enable a child, and never discipline him/her, will they ever respect you? Of course not.
When potentially half your personal wealth is wrapped up in one asset, you don’t rock the boat. And that’s the problem here folks. A sound businessman does not allow it to get to the point where a 25-year old kid and his childhood friends completely determine the fate of a franchise, no to mention the economic status of a major metropolitan city.
What Gilbert did was the equivalent of you or me going to Vegas and putting the bulk of our personal wealth on one single roll of the dice. That’s just not good business.
And of course, when the roll went bad, Gilbert completely flipped and went public. That's something you never do in PR. That’s why we have a "post-game cooling of period” my friends.
To make matters worse, Gilbert, surrounded by puppets himself, had no one savvy enough around him to either be able to talk him out of it or simply crash the Cavs servers so the owner couldn’t make a complete fool of himself.
That would have been my approach, followed by taking Dan the weightlifter out, getting him good and loaded, while no doubt having to listen to his childish bemoaning of what he had done for LeBron, Gloria and company for the past five years.
The truth is as follows – James took advantage of the system – which was his right. This isn’t 1810, its 2010 – slavery doesn’t exist anymore. The guy signed a three-year deal leaving him the out to leave. Then he did it. End of story.
We saw this coming a mile away. Anyone with common sense could see it.
What did you expect? He chose the 12-month out of the year beach and bikinis of Miami over the rustbelt and Ohio winters. That’s the simple truth of it. Think about it – many narcissistic, spoiled 25-year old professional athletes would do the exact same thing.
And no one individual in SPORTS HISTORY has ever been more spoiled than LBJ. A whole city was at his feet. You get what you deserve folks.
By the way, the clearest sign someone is totally self-absorbed is when the start talking in the "third person." James did it throughout the interview with that littel schmuck the oter night and has been doing it for several years now.
I do this for a living, remember? It's called speech class 101. Just actually pay attention to what people say, and more importantly, how they say it, and you'll have most of your answers.
God, how I wish I could fix a leaky roof or overhaul an engine. Instead, I know this silly %$#@. I'd give my left testicle to have a totally different skill set.
By the way, I thought the little schmuck doing the interview (Jim Gray or Grey - whatever) was just incompetent and continuing to just kiss ass, but I heard over the air yesterday that James' people paid him for that interview, not ESPN. No wonder there were no questions about game #5, among other pertinent issues that a professional interviewer should have addressed.
Back to poor Dan - he simply bet on red and it turned out black.
Yes Dan, I know your franchise worth just dropped by 50%. Yes, I realize the Cleveland casino you are investing in doesn’t look like it will be full come wintertime. Yes, I fully understand the on-the-court basketball ramifications for your team – 25-57 here we come.
But you put yourself in this situation and have no one to blame. No one enabled LBJ more than you. And if the kid had chosen to stay, you’d still be so far up his ass right now, you’d be able to tell us all whether he ate fish or chicken last night. So stop being a complete hypocrite. Grow up.
Had Gilbert treated James like an employee on occasion instead of his main enabler, it might have done some good long-term. Perhaps James would had had some respect for his boss when making his decision. Perhaps not. We shall never know.
And if Gilbert and company expected James to be loyal to his city, his team and his owner, they were thinking with their hearts instead of there senses. That’s always a bad plan if you are running a business.
Now man-up Gilbert, shut your mouth, hire some professionals, take their advice and work on trying to make the best of a horrible situation you helped create.
Besides, I don’t feel bad for you at all – you’re still going to be worth millions, just not as many. I feel for those downtown parking attendants, waitresses and cooks who will be out of a job when the Cavs average 10,000 fans instead of 20,000+.
As for you Dan, look at the bright side – you won’t have to put up with Gloria on the team plane anymore.
Anyone want to buy an NBA franchise cheap? I know where you can get a great deal. And with some stable leadership, long-term, it can potentially make you some money.
By the way, I officially begin a new job on my birthday (August 16). I will only have one boss (one school) instead of three. It's 5 minutes from my home and I love teaching/working there. And yes, I will still have time to brighten your week from time to time.
Be good guys. R. Jampo
Without getting into the weeds, this is the ultimate case of an owner, city, media and fans enabling a young athlete for years to do what he pleases, then crying foul when this man-child takes advantage of them one more time as he bolts out the door.
Commandment #1 in sports folks – ROOT FOR THE TEAM NAME ON THE FRONT OF THE JERSEY, NOT THE PLAYER’S NAME ON THE BACK!
We’ve been over this many times. That's why I have never worn a player jersey and never will.
One day I will list all 10 - I promise.
Now back to the train wreck.
From what I have been told, Mike Brown and Danny Ferry, both no longer Cavalier employees, on more than one occasion tried to get Dan Gilbert to say “NO” to LeBron and his posy of friends who had free reign not only within that facility (The Q), but basically within that organization.
The owner did not dare take James’ toys away because he worried that would upset “the King.”
If you continue to enable a child, and never discipline him/her, will they ever respect you? Of course not.
When potentially half your personal wealth is wrapped up in one asset, you don’t rock the boat. And that’s the problem here folks. A sound businessman does not allow it to get to the point where a 25-year old kid and his childhood friends completely determine the fate of a franchise, no to mention the economic status of a major metropolitan city.
What Gilbert did was the equivalent of you or me going to Vegas and putting the bulk of our personal wealth on one single roll of the dice. That’s just not good business.
And of course, when the roll went bad, Gilbert completely flipped and went public. That's something you never do in PR. That’s why we have a "post-game cooling of period” my friends.
To make matters worse, Gilbert, surrounded by puppets himself, had no one savvy enough around him to either be able to talk him out of it or simply crash the Cavs servers so the owner couldn’t make a complete fool of himself.
That would have been my approach, followed by taking Dan the weightlifter out, getting him good and loaded, while no doubt having to listen to his childish bemoaning of what he had done for LeBron, Gloria and company for the past five years.
The truth is as follows – James took advantage of the system – which was his right. This isn’t 1810, its 2010 – slavery doesn’t exist anymore. The guy signed a three-year deal leaving him the out to leave. Then he did it. End of story.
We saw this coming a mile away. Anyone with common sense could see it.
What did you expect? He chose the 12-month out of the year beach and bikinis of Miami over the rustbelt and Ohio winters. That’s the simple truth of it. Think about it – many narcissistic, spoiled 25-year old professional athletes would do the exact same thing.
And no one individual in SPORTS HISTORY has ever been more spoiled than LBJ. A whole city was at his feet. You get what you deserve folks.
By the way, the clearest sign someone is totally self-absorbed is when the start talking in the "third person." James did it throughout the interview with that littel schmuck the oter night and has been doing it for several years now.
I do this for a living, remember? It's called speech class 101. Just actually pay attention to what people say, and more importantly, how they say it, and you'll have most of your answers.
God, how I wish I could fix a leaky roof or overhaul an engine. Instead, I know this silly %$#@. I'd give my left testicle to have a totally different skill set.
By the way, I thought the little schmuck doing the interview (Jim Gray or Grey - whatever) was just incompetent and continuing to just kiss ass, but I heard over the air yesterday that James' people paid him for that interview, not ESPN. No wonder there were no questions about game #5, among other pertinent issues that a professional interviewer should have addressed.
Back to poor Dan - he simply bet on red and it turned out black.
Yes Dan, I know your franchise worth just dropped by 50%. Yes, I realize the Cleveland casino you are investing in doesn’t look like it will be full come wintertime. Yes, I fully understand the on-the-court basketball ramifications for your team – 25-57 here we come.
But you put yourself in this situation and have no one to blame. No one enabled LBJ more than you. And if the kid had chosen to stay, you’d still be so far up his ass right now, you’d be able to tell us all whether he ate fish or chicken last night. So stop being a complete hypocrite. Grow up.
Had Gilbert treated James like an employee on occasion instead of his main enabler, it might have done some good long-term. Perhaps James would had had some respect for his boss when making his decision. Perhaps not. We shall never know.
And if Gilbert and company expected James to be loyal to his city, his team and his owner, they were thinking with their hearts instead of there senses. That’s always a bad plan if you are running a business.
Now man-up Gilbert, shut your mouth, hire some professionals, take their advice and work on trying to make the best of a horrible situation you helped create.
Besides, I don’t feel bad for you at all – you’re still going to be worth millions, just not as many. I feel for those downtown parking attendants, waitresses and cooks who will be out of a job when the Cavs average 10,000 fans instead of 20,000+.
As for you Dan, look at the bright side – you won’t have to put up with Gloria on the team plane anymore.
Anyone want to buy an NBA franchise cheap? I know where you can get a great deal. And with some stable leadership, long-term, it can potentially make you some money.
By the way, I officially begin a new job on my birthday (August 16). I will only have one boss (one school) instead of three. It's 5 minutes from my home and I love teaching/working there. And yes, I will still have time to brighten your week from time to time.
Be good guys. R. Jampo
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Short & Quick
Out of Control
The inmates have officially taken over the asylum.
That’s what I think of this summer’s craze with where LeBron and company will end up. And I say this less than 24 hours before James makes “The Decision,” as it’s being billed by ESPN for tomorrow’s 9 p.m. prime time James love fest.
I’ve been on record for several years in saying if I were a betting man, I’d say he’s (LBJ) leaving. I could care less what he actually decides to do, except that I feel for those businesses and individuals in downtown Cleveland that will be economically affected if James leaves.
As for those who live and die with this stuff – and you know who you are, I have one thing to say – Get a life!
If he leaves, please don’t grip and head to the locked garage to stick an exhaust pipe through the window of your 1985 Gremlin while turning on the ignition.
It’s not the end of the world. The sun will come up again Friday morning – I promise. In fact, it's supposed to be 85 and clear.
And why would you freak out over a guy who not only leaves his hometown, but decides to rub it in good and nasty by starring in his own one hour television special announcing the decision?
Finally, why go nuts over a dude who quit on his team in arguably the most important game in franchise history (game #5 versus Celtics)? I'll never let that go.
And if he decides to stay, that’s great for the Cavs and the community. But please, don’t get plastered and start setting cop cars on fire down Euclid like you are celebrating a world title.
He’s an athlete/entertainer – he didn’t just cure cancer or come up with a new cheaply produced and abundantly available energy source.
Look, like I said, I hope the guy hangs around, but as you can tell, I have lost a lot of respect for the man over the past couple years because of the way he’s handled this.
And as he’s gotten closer and closer to making his decision, it’s gotten worse and worse.
In the dictionary under self-centered, it says the following: “concerned only with one’s own self.” If should include a glossy 8x10 of LBJ for the way he’s dragged this out, oblivious of how it has affected everyone else.
And don’t try to sell me the ridiculous, narcissistic (aka: self love), made for television special with the “we are giving the commercial proceeds to charity” line.
I’m in the business, at least I was for a long, long time and pretty good at it too. I know PR bull when I see it. That’s just cover for LBJ and Nike to continue to build the James “Brand.”
Could you imagine Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or the real “23” pulling this “made for television” stunt?
And those guys each had multiple championships while LBJ has “Witness”
T-shirts available for sale at your local Drug Mart.
I actually had a semi-family member ask me if I’d like one for X-mas a couple years back.
He was surprised I didn’t have a "Witness" shirt since I worked in sports and lived in NE Ohio.
I then informed him I would rather he give me what they gave the American Indians in the 1840s – blankets with smallpox – than a “We are Witnesses” shirt. He was speechless.
I simply don't believe in hero worship - but you know that already.
Back on point - this is what happens when you’ve had your $#@ kissed since you were a freshman in high school x10. I don’t think anyone has ever told this young man when enough is enough, let alone “NO.”
And I say this regardless of what decision he makes on his basketball future. The guy simply needs to get a grip on reality before he starts believing his $#@ don’t stink!
Yea, I know, I'm really unloading on the guy but it's not like he's a low-life and beats women or gets plastered on a regular basis and then drives a two ton weapon on the open road.
I get it. Perhaps I'm a little over the top. But if you have a basic level of self-humility in your make-up, aren't you creeped out some by this spectacle?
Bosh & Johnson
As for Chris Bosh – come on. He didn’t want to go to Cleveland because it would hurt his “brand”? There’s that word again. This from a guy who has won as many NBA playoff series in his seven-year NBA career as you and me – none!
And Joe Johnson, a good NBA scorer and nothing more, got the max from Atlanta. Get serious. How many years experience of evaluating NBA talent do you need to have to realize that was a bad move - none.
I could go on, but why bother – you get the point.
Like I said – the inmates are running the asylum.
Brand
As for the "Brand" concept. This is a word that has gathered a ton of steam the past 10 years or so. It's popular in business, industry and academics. Now it has made its way into sports.
As someone who works in the field of words, I think it's way over-used and in many cases, silly even to reference the term, especially when you are an athlete who hasn't won a donut.
Again - some folks simply take themselves way too seriously.
Class Act & Humility
I wonder what Lenny Wilkens, a true NBA professional and terrific human being who played and coached in Cleveland, is thinking right now about LBJ and this whole circus?
To me it’s about carrying yourself with class and substance, it's not about image.
You see, the Lenny Wilkens' of this world never have to brand themselves.
Till next time. Be good.
The inmates have officially taken over the asylum.
That’s what I think of this summer’s craze with where LeBron and company will end up. And I say this less than 24 hours before James makes “The Decision,” as it’s being billed by ESPN for tomorrow’s 9 p.m. prime time James love fest.
I’ve been on record for several years in saying if I were a betting man, I’d say he’s (LBJ) leaving. I could care less what he actually decides to do, except that I feel for those businesses and individuals in downtown Cleveland that will be economically affected if James leaves.
As for those who live and die with this stuff – and you know who you are, I have one thing to say – Get a life!
If he leaves, please don’t grip and head to the locked garage to stick an exhaust pipe through the window of your 1985 Gremlin while turning on the ignition.
It’s not the end of the world. The sun will come up again Friday morning – I promise. In fact, it's supposed to be 85 and clear.
And why would you freak out over a guy who not only leaves his hometown, but decides to rub it in good and nasty by starring in his own one hour television special announcing the decision?
Finally, why go nuts over a dude who quit on his team in arguably the most important game in franchise history (game #5 versus Celtics)? I'll never let that go.
And if he decides to stay, that’s great for the Cavs and the community. But please, don’t get plastered and start setting cop cars on fire down Euclid like you are celebrating a world title.
He’s an athlete/entertainer – he didn’t just cure cancer or come up with a new cheaply produced and abundantly available energy source.
Look, like I said, I hope the guy hangs around, but as you can tell, I have lost a lot of respect for the man over the past couple years because of the way he’s handled this.
And as he’s gotten closer and closer to making his decision, it’s gotten worse and worse.
In the dictionary under self-centered, it says the following: “concerned only with one’s own self.” If should include a glossy 8x10 of LBJ for the way he’s dragged this out, oblivious of how it has affected everyone else.
And don’t try to sell me the ridiculous, narcissistic (aka: self love), made for television special with the “we are giving the commercial proceeds to charity” line.
I’m in the business, at least I was for a long, long time and pretty good at it too. I know PR bull when I see it. That’s just cover for LBJ and Nike to continue to build the James “Brand.”
Could you imagine Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or the real “23” pulling this “made for television” stunt?
And those guys each had multiple championships while LBJ has “Witness”
T-shirts available for sale at your local Drug Mart.
I actually had a semi-family member ask me if I’d like one for X-mas a couple years back.
He was surprised I didn’t have a "Witness" shirt since I worked in sports and lived in NE Ohio.
I then informed him I would rather he give me what they gave the American Indians in the 1840s – blankets with smallpox – than a “We are Witnesses” shirt. He was speechless.
I simply don't believe in hero worship - but you know that already.
Back on point - this is what happens when you’ve had your $#@ kissed since you were a freshman in high school x10. I don’t think anyone has ever told this young man when enough is enough, let alone “NO.”
And I say this regardless of what decision he makes on his basketball future. The guy simply needs to get a grip on reality before he starts believing his $#@ don’t stink!
Yea, I know, I'm really unloading on the guy but it's not like he's a low-life and beats women or gets plastered on a regular basis and then drives a two ton weapon on the open road.
I get it. Perhaps I'm a little over the top. But if you have a basic level of self-humility in your make-up, aren't you creeped out some by this spectacle?
Bosh & Johnson
As for Chris Bosh – come on. He didn’t want to go to Cleveland because it would hurt his “brand”? There’s that word again. This from a guy who has won as many NBA playoff series in his seven-year NBA career as you and me – none!
And Joe Johnson, a good NBA scorer and nothing more, got the max from Atlanta. Get serious. How many years experience of evaluating NBA talent do you need to have to realize that was a bad move - none.
I could go on, but why bother – you get the point.
Like I said – the inmates are running the asylum.
Brand
As for the "Brand" concept. This is a word that has gathered a ton of steam the past 10 years or so. It's popular in business, industry and academics. Now it has made its way into sports.
As someone who works in the field of words, I think it's way over-used and in many cases, silly even to reference the term, especially when you are an athlete who hasn't won a donut.
Again - some folks simply take themselves way too seriously.
Class Act & Humility
I wonder what Lenny Wilkens, a true NBA professional and terrific human being who played and coached in Cleveland, is thinking right now about LBJ and this whole circus?
To me it’s about carrying yourself with class and substance, it's not about image.
You see, the Lenny Wilkens' of this world never have to brand themselves.
Till next time. Be good.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Short & Quick
Stay with me this time – I’ going to move quickly between traffic.
Stan the Man (Moron)
General Stanley McChrystal was recently relieved of his duties in Afghanistan for criticizing his civilian boss – the president. That’s a no no and he deserved to be canned for it.
However, what is more shocking is McChrystal and his staff giving this kind of access to a reporter from Rolling Stone Magazine. What did they think he was going to write?
Why not just let Osama Bin Laden in your weekly strategy meetings Stan? And by the way, don’t frisk him and his body guards as they enter the briefing room. They don’t mean any harm to Americans.
McChrystal deserves canned for stupidity alone. No wonder the war in Afghanistan is taking so long. We have morons in charge.
Then we find out McChrystal actually voted for Obama. What? Did he think that would ingratiate him and his staff with Rolling Stone?
Hey Stan, you wear a military uniform for pete sake – an American military uniform. They (Rolling Stone) wanted you’re ass and you served it up on a platter. Did you really think letting the world know you voted for Obama was going to lead to a fluff piece from a group of people who would like to see this country’s military embarrassed?
In all seriousness - this man served his country with honor for many years and we are all indebted to him. However, being naive can be a deadly weakness.
In this case, it (being naive) did McChrystal more harm than any bullet he ducked during his long and distinguished service to the nation.
I just wish he had someone around him with some PR common sense when the request from Rolling Stone came in. All this could have been avoided.
Speaking of Common Sense
While we are on the subject, I’m not a military man and never played one on television, but I hope David Petraeus’ first order is to loosen up the ridiculous rules of engagement in Afghanistan.
Make it simple – if you see a bad guy, shoot. If he drops his weapon but doesn’t surrender, shoot. If he goes into a crowd of locals, you are allowed to go get him. If bad guys go into a mosque, go in after them and forget offending the locals.
If these simple rules of engagement can’t be applied, then I say let's pack up and come home. End of story.
Erkel In Charge
Has anyone besides me noticed we have Erkel running our country?
President Obama is lauded by the Washington press corps for being a good athlete because they saw him put a basketball in a hoop – something none of them could ever do.
Most of those media members earned varsity letters in backgammon in high school you know.
The truth is Obama looks like the friendly, slightly retarded kid who always got picked last in recess when I see him running up and down the basketball court (aka: Obama with the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill).
And when he went bowling, he couldn’t come close to breaking 100. We mentioned at the time, no one, absolutely no one, should be president with that kind of game.
There’s a fat, drunk midget women out there with a stump for a leg who could break 100 a t your local bowling alley.
And did you see him when he threw out the first pitch back in April?
And I’m not a golfer, but I’ve seen his swing, and I am pretty sure with a couple weeks of practice, I could probably give the guy a game.
What’s next – are we going to see him strike out in slow pitch softball?
Again, I like the guy personally. I’m on record with that. However, if I were advising him, contrary to the morons who he has around him, I would tell the man, stay away from sports photo-ops, they aren’t helping.
The dud really needs my advice.
World Cup
The Italians giving up multiple goals in a game is like a solid Steelers’ defense getting torched for 40. My Azzurri were really bad – not advancing out of the first round.
As for the U.S. losing to Ghana, several U.S. media members were surprised with Ghana’s speed advantage over the USA. Really?
Next you’re going to tell me the sky is blue or that Al Gore expects his masseuse to play with his “Johnson” when she arrives to give him a rub down in an Oregon hotel room.
Did someone forget to tell these “sports experts” that our best athletes don’t play soccer?
Regardless, I liked the effort and solid team play from the U.S. squad. Overall, it was a decent showing for the U.S. on the world stage. And yes, I, unlike the other morons commenting on soccer, know of what I speak.
And no, I don’t have an opinion on replay and the officiating. Everyone is missing the point anyway. They don’t need replay as much as they need a second official on the field of play. You have one dude chasing the ball and having to keep an eye on 22 players. That’s ridiculous.
The side refs (dues with the sily looking flags) are there mainly to watch for off-sides, so their area of focus is narrow and doesn't really permit them to watch the rest of the action.
Think about it, in the NBA, you have three guys watching 10. Hell, even in the women’s game, they have three officials – although it’s not needed since the pace is so much slower.
Add another official who covers his half of the soccer field and you cut down on some of the missed calls. There, I fixed it. And yes, that’s the last time I will give this much space to soccer. Most of you don’t give a $#@! I know.
Baseball
Lefthanders nationwide should be mandated to donate 10% of their Major League checks to Jaimee Moyer. Here’s a soft-tossing lefty who didn’t figure it out until his early to mid-30s.
So now every manager/general manager is afraid of giving up on the soft-tosser too early for fear he’s the next Moyer. Right.
Speaking of soft-tossing lefties, if I ran the Indians, I would cut Aaron Laffey solely for this quote following his shelling after being called back up to the bigs to replace fellow soft-tosser David Huff.
“It’s kind of tough to do (go deep into the game) when you go back and forth for two years. I don’t expect to be 100% (ready to start) at this point in the season.”
Okay, I get it. So he got knocked around after coming back up because the Indians have jacked him back and forth from starter to reliever. Never mind the fact that he’s been lucky to draw a ML check at all based on past performances.
It’s someone else’s fault. Why, that post-steroids era 4.59 career ML era he has amassed deserves applause. Hell, why don’t we just make you the #1 starter and leave you alone Aaron. You’ve earned it. Moron.
How about "I just stunk tonight and didn't take advantage of my first opportunity after being called back up."
And by the way, as the Indians spend the next two months trying to dump salaries, let’s hope they don’t go off the cliff and deal Fausto Carmona. It seems like he’s figured it out – with some credit needing to go to new pitching coach Tim Belcher. Carmona is signed through 2014.
Listeb closely - there is NO good baseball related or economic reason to dump him. Period.
If you see this guy go, you should panic if you are an Indians’ fan. It would tell you the Dolans have absolutely no intention of putting a competitive team on the field anytime soon.
Hafner, Peralta and Wood should be gone. The main objective, as stated in previous posts, should be to add back of the bullpen help.
As for Westbrook, I would need to get in return a quality young Major Leaguer with skills to move him (Westbrook) right now.
Why?
A 2011 starting staff that features Carmona, Talbot and Westbrook is a decent starting point to work from in a mediocre division. You add a couple lefty bullpen power arms and move Justin Masterson to the back end of the pen, and you have the start of a decent staff.
I will keep beating that horse (Masterson to the pen) until they figure it out.
Great Thinking
I am told MLB is considering re-aligning the leagues based on market size. Really? Why not just admit the game is rigged? Could you imagine the outcry the first time the Kansas City Royals, winners of the small market league, beat the Yankees in a best of 7? Come on.
Just address the issue in the next collective bargaining agreement.
How do you do that you ask. Simple.
The mid and small market must force a lockout until this is address. They will need to stand, not only against the players and their union, but against the Yankees, Red Sox and the Dodgers of this world.
If handled correctly, public sentiment would be on their side. They just need the will and coordination to do it.
I’m available for consultation of course.
Speaking of player/management negotiations, did you ever wonder how ridiculous it is when you hear a professional sports union rep state he’s telling players to save up and prepare for a long strike/lockout?
These players are so stupid, even after being told trouble is coming, most of them couldn’t go more than six months without getting paid.
How the hell do you not have money saved if you’ve been making seven figures or close to it for several years?
Amazing.
Browns
Did you know that in 9 of the last 10 years, an NFL team has gone from 5-11 to 10-6 or better? I’m just reminding you, again, how much easier it is to run an NFL team.
Look – you can’t lose money the way it’s set up. You can re-sign most of your top players regardless of the market you are in without fear they will skip town. You can cut players a year after giving them a huge deal. And if you have half a brain in terms of talent evaluation, you should be able to turn a bad team into a good team relatively quickly.
This of course begs the question – why can’t the Browns do it?
Hey, we’ve been over this.
Let’s just remember to set the bar higher around here this year. There is no reason why this team, with some decent player personnel moves and solid coaching, can’t get into the playoffs in a couple years.
It starts with adding a couple quality veteran receivers before they break camp. It includes naming Seneca Wallace as your starter. And it involves giving Jerome Harrison the rock 22-25x a game – something they were finally forced to do at the tail end of last year.
Basketball
I can’t wait until the LeBron signing frenzy comea and goes. I’m already bored by it at this point. Here’s my advice to LBJ:
Sign with the home team that coddled you and surrounded you with enough talent to post the best record in the sport the last two years.
Sign with the city whose fans have embraced you and kissed your #@$# at every turn – even after you did the unforgivable in my book and tanked it in game #5 versus the Celtics.
Sign with the team and city you said emphatically you would bring a championship to.
Let me put it a different way LeBron– do you really want to be hated and despised in your hometown more than Art Modell is?
That would be some legacy.
By the way, why the hell would any superstar want to go to Chicago and play in Jordan’s shadow? That makes absolutely no sense.
And as for going to play with Wade in Miami – does LBJ really want to be his Scottie Pippen, because that’s how it would be seen? That’s his team and he already has a ring. You have jack!
And if you end up in New York or New Jersey, we know you’re more interested in being seen than winning titles.
One final thought. If the Cavaliers do resign James, the work isn't over. No, they don't need an verhaul lke everyone says. Again, the won more game sthan anyone the past two years.
You desperately need to get a 6-3/6-4 guard that can keep the opposing point out of the lane - one that can truly defend. And then you add a Marcus Camby type defensive presence in the post. A little toughness around the edges would also help.
One more thing, several of you have commented that I need to post more often. Fine, perhaps I will. However, please provide feedback as well so I know what is liked and disliked. And I don't mind constructive criticism. We can all learn from others.
I prefer feedback at my private home e-mail address most of you possess. Robert Jampo likes his low profile you know.
Be good!
Till next time. Be good.
Stan the Man (Moron)
General Stanley McChrystal was recently relieved of his duties in Afghanistan for criticizing his civilian boss – the president. That’s a no no and he deserved to be canned for it.
However, what is more shocking is McChrystal and his staff giving this kind of access to a reporter from Rolling Stone Magazine. What did they think he was going to write?
Why not just let Osama Bin Laden in your weekly strategy meetings Stan? And by the way, don’t frisk him and his body guards as they enter the briefing room. They don’t mean any harm to Americans.
McChrystal deserves canned for stupidity alone. No wonder the war in Afghanistan is taking so long. We have morons in charge.
Then we find out McChrystal actually voted for Obama. What? Did he think that would ingratiate him and his staff with Rolling Stone?
Hey Stan, you wear a military uniform for pete sake – an American military uniform. They (Rolling Stone) wanted you’re ass and you served it up on a platter. Did you really think letting the world know you voted for Obama was going to lead to a fluff piece from a group of people who would like to see this country’s military embarrassed?
In all seriousness - this man served his country with honor for many years and we are all indebted to him. However, being naive can be a deadly weakness.
In this case, it (being naive) did McChrystal more harm than any bullet he ducked during his long and distinguished service to the nation.
I just wish he had someone around him with some PR common sense when the request from Rolling Stone came in. All this could have been avoided.
Speaking of Common Sense
While we are on the subject, I’m not a military man and never played one on television, but I hope David Petraeus’ first order is to loosen up the ridiculous rules of engagement in Afghanistan.
Make it simple – if you see a bad guy, shoot. If he drops his weapon but doesn’t surrender, shoot. If he goes into a crowd of locals, you are allowed to go get him. If bad guys go into a mosque, go in after them and forget offending the locals.
If these simple rules of engagement can’t be applied, then I say let's pack up and come home. End of story.
Erkel In Charge
Has anyone besides me noticed we have Erkel running our country?
President Obama is lauded by the Washington press corps for being a good athlete because they saw him put a basketball in a hoop – something none of them could ever do.
Most of those media members earned varsity letters in backgammon in high school you know.
The truth is Obama looks like the friendly, slightly retarded kid who always got picked last in recess when I see him running up and down the basketball court (aka: Obama with the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill).
And when he went bowling, he couldn’t come close to breaking 100. We mentioned at the time, no one, absolutely no one, should be president with that kind of game.
There’s a fat, drunk midget women out there with a stump for a leg who could break 100 a t your local bowling alley.
And did you see him when he threw out the first pitch back in April?
And I’m not a golfer, but I’ve seen his swing, and I am pretty sure with a couple weeks of practice, I could probably give the guy a game.
What’s next – are we going to see him strike out in slow pitch softball?
Again, I like the guy personally. I’m on record with that. However, if I were advising him, contrary to the morons who he has around him, I would tell the man, stay away from sports photo-ops, they aren’t helping.
The dud really needs my advice.
World Cup
The Italians giving up multiple goals in a game is like a solid Steelers’ defense getting torched for 40. My Azzurri were really bad – not advancing out of the first round.
As for the U.S. losing to Ghana, several U.S. media members were surprised with Ghana’s speed advantage over the USA. Really?
Next you’re going to tell me the sky is blue or that Al Gore expects his masseuse to play with his “Johnson” when she arrives to give him a rub down in an Oregon hotel room.
Did someone forget to tell these “sports experts” that our best athletes don’t play soccer?
Regardless, I liked the effort and solid team play from the U.S. squad. Overall, it was a decent showing for the U.S. on the world stage. And yes, I, unlike the other morons commenting on soccer, know of what I speak.
And no, I don’t have an opinion on replay and the officiating. Everyone is missing the point anyway. They don’t need replay as much as they need a second official on the field of play. You have one dude chasing the ball and having to keep an eye on 22 players. That’s ridiculous.
The side refs (dues with the sily looking flags) are there mainly to watch for off-sides, so their area of focus is narrow and doesn't really permit them to watch the rest of the action.
Think about it, in the NBA, you have three guys watching 10. Hell, even in the women’s game, they have three officials – although it’s not needed since the pace is so much slower.
Add another official who covers his half of the soccer field and you cut down on some of the missed calls. There, I fixed it. And yes, that’s the last time I will give this much space to soccer. Most of you don’t give a $#@! I know.
Baseball
Lefthanders nationwide should be mandated to donate 10% of their Major League checks to Jaimee Moyer. Here’s a soft-tossing lefty who didn’t figure it out until his early to mid-30s.
So now every manager/general manager is afraid of giving up on the soft-tosser too early for fear he’s the next Moyer. Right.
Speaking of soft-tossing lefties, if I ran the Indians, I would cut Aaron Laffey solely for this quote following his shelling after being called back up to the bigs to replace fellow soft-tosser David Huff.
“It’s kind of tough to do (go deep into the game) when you go back and forth for two years. I don’t expect to be 100% (ready to start) at this point in the season.”
Okay, I get it. So he got knocked around after coming back up because the Indians have jacked him back and forth from starter to reliever. Never mind the fact that he’s been lucky to draw a ML check at all based on past performances.
It’s someone else’s fault. Why, that post-steroids era 4.59 career ML era he has amassed deserves applause. Hell, why don’t we just make you the #1 starter and leave you alone Aaron. You’ve earned it. Moron.
How about "I just stunk tonight and didn't take advantage of my first opportunity after being called back up."
And by the way, as the Indians spend the next two months trying to dump salaries, let’s hope they don’t go off the cliff and deal Fausto Carmona. It seems like he’s figured it out – with some credit needing to go to new pitching coach Tim Belcher. Carmona is signed through 2014.
Listeb closely - there is NO good baseball related or economic reason to dump him. Period.
If you see this guy go, you should panic if you are an Indians’ fan. It would tell you the Dolans have absolutely no intention of putting a competitive team on the field anytime soon.
Hafner, Peralta and Wood should be gone. The main objective, as stated in previous posts, should be to add back of the bullpen help.
As for Westbrook, I would need to get in return a quality young Major Leaguer with skills to move him (Westbrook) right now.
Why?
A 2011 starting staff that features Carmona, Talbot and Westbrook is a decent starting point to work from in a mediocre division. You add a couple lefty bullpen power arms and move Justin Masterson to the back end of the pen, and you have the start of a decent staff.
I will keep beating that horse (Masterson to the pen) until they figure it out.
Great Thinking
I am told MLB is considering re-aligning the leagues based on market size. Really? Why not just admit the game is rigged? Could you imagine the outcry the first time the Kansas City Royals, winners of the small market league, beat the Yankees in a best of 7? Come on.
Just address the issue in the next collective bargaining agreement.
How do you do that you ask. Simple.
The mid and small market must force a lockout until this is address. They will need to stand, not only against the players and their union, but against the Yankees, Red Sox and the Dodgers of this world.
If handled correctly, public sentiment would be on their side. They just need the will and coordination to do it.
I’m available for consultation of course.
Speaking of player/management negotiations, did you ever wonder how ridiculous it is when you hear a professional sports union rep state he’s telling players to save up and prepare for a long strike/lockout?
These players are so stupid, even after being told trouble is coming, most of them couldn’t go more than six months without getting paid.
How the hell do you not have money saved if you’ve been making seven figures or close to it for several years?
Amazing.
Browns
Did you know that in 9 of the last 10 years, an NFL team has gone from 5-11 to 10-6 or better? I’m just reminding you, again, how much easier it is to run an NFL team.
Look – you can’t lose money the way it’s set up. You can re-sign most of your top players regardless of the market you are in without fear they will skip town. You can cut players a year after giving them a huge deal. And if you have half a brain in terms of talent evaluation, you should be able to turn a bad team into a good team relatively quickly.
This of course begs the question – why can’t the Browns do it?
Hey, we’ve been over this.
Let’s just remember to set the bar higher around here this year. There is no reason why this team, with some decent player personnel moves and solid coaching, can’t get into the playoffs in a couple years.
It starts with adding a couple quality veteran receivers before they break camp. It includes naming Seneca Wallace as your starter. And it involves giving Jerome Harrison the rock 22-25x a game – something they were finally forced to do at the tail end of last year.
Basketball
I can’t wait until the LeBron signing frenzy comea and goes. I’m already bored by it at this point. Here’s my advice to LBJ:
Sign with the home team that coddled you and surrounded you with enough talent to post the best record in the sport the last two years.
Sign with the city whose fans have embraced you and kissed your #@$# at every turn – even after you did the unforgivable in my book and tanked it in game #5 versus the Celtics.
Sign with the team and city you said emphatically you would bring a championship to.
Let me put it a different way LeBron– do you really want to be hated and despised in your hometown more than Art Modell is?
That would be some legacy.
By the way, why the hell would any superstar want to go to Chicago and play in Jordan’s shadow? That makes absolutely no sense.
And as for going to play with Wade in Miami – does LBJ really want to be his Scottie Pippen, because that’s how it would be seen? That’s his team and he already has a ring. You have jack!
And if you end up in New York or New Jersey, we know you’re more interested in being seen than winning titles.
One final thought. If the Cavaliers do resign James, the work isn't over. No, they don't need an verhaul lke everyone says. Again, the won more game sthan anyone the past two years.
You desperately need to get a 6-3/6-4 guard that can keep the opposing point out of the lane - one that can truly defend. And then you add a Marcus Camby type defensive presence in the post. A little toughness around the edges would also help.
One more thing, several of you have commented that I need to post more often. Fine, perhaps I will. However, please provide feedback as well so I know what is liked and disliked. And I don't mind constructive criticism. We can all learn from others.
I prefer feedback at my private home e-mail address most of you possess. Robert Jampo likes his low profile you know.
Be good!
Till next time. Be good.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Short & Quick
Tony Hayward
What did the media whores who represent us and moron members of the press expect the guy to do when Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, was dragged in front of the cameras in Washington DC?
Did they really think he would admit fault?
You had a better chance of getting him to accept responsibility for the Holocaust then admitting liability. The guy was doing exactly what his attorneys to him to do. And you & I would do the exact same if in his shoes.
The more I see from Congress, the more I dislike those hypocritical, over-bearing, self-important, half-wits.
And how about that representative from North Carolina, who when asked by a couple snot-nosed college kids a harmless question this past week, went off and grabbed one of them – first by the shoulders, then by the arm and not letting go. That arrogant bastard assaulted the kid - pure and simple.
The old prick kept asking, in his southern drawl – “Who are you? Who are you?” – as he grabbed the kid half his size who looked like he was going to piss his pants.
If that bastard put his hands on me without provocation, he would have ended up on the ground and in need of serious medical attention. I do not believe in violence as an option of first or second resort, but understand this - the only people permitted to touch me either have the same DNA as I do or must be sleeping with me at the time.
Dan Gilbert
You have to wonder who, if anyone, if advising the Cavaliers’ new GM Dan Gilbert. Did he really think a high quality coach would take the Cleveland job without knowing if LBJ would be here?
If he wanted Izzo, why not wait until July to contact him, after the world finds out if ‘The King Without a Ring” stays put?
Here’s my favorites as of today – of those individuals currently without an NBA head coaching gig - Hubie Brown, Mike Fratello & Byron Scott, in that order. Again, these gentlemen all have one thing in common – they get the most out of the talent they work with!
As you are aware, I also like Scott Skyles a lot, but he has a job. And no, I don’t want Larry Brown. The professional gypsy, who can coach, kept LBJ on the bench in international play several years ago. Trust me, LBJ remembers that. And if he doesn’t, a member or two of his entourage will.
Cavs’ Only Card
To his credit on this front, Dan Gilbert is playing the only true basketball related card he has with LBJ. The Cavs have contacted the Raptors about a sign and trade for Chris Bosh. Of course, in order for this to work, the Raptors have to be interested in what Cleveland has to offer (aka: Andy V or JJ Hickson, Mo Williams, a #1 pick, etc.), it has to work in terms of cap space, Bosh has to be interested in coming to Cleveland, and LBJ would need to sign off and agree to stay. That’s a ton of stars aligning in order to make it work.
However, it is the only way I see the Cavaliers being able to attract James with something that might entice him to stay.
By the way, in Bosh, you would be getting a younger version of the Lakers’ P Gasol – long, skilled and relatively soft. And yes, he’s better than anything the Cavaliers currently have on the roster.
3 Hole Hitter & Soft Tossers
My early impressions of Mr. Santana – the Tribe’s new catcher - are very positive. What jumps out is the patience he shows at the plate for such a young hitter. The Indians’ brain trust (oxymoron) must agree. They wasted no time putting him in the 3 hole.
If I were in charge of this merry band of men, besides working backwards in terms of building a strong bullpen and working back to the starters, I would also be searching high and low for a true leadoff hitter.
The Indians sorely lack a guy at the top of the order who works the count and can post a .400 on base percentage or better. I could care less what position he plays. Put him in the DH role if necessary. There’s nothing etched in stone that says your DH must be a power hitter.
The best of the Indians’ soft-tossing lefties (Mike Huff) is struggling once again this summer to get out of the fifth and sixth innings. Unfortunately, it looks more and more like he’s a fifth starter at best. If that is the case, then bring up a prospect who has earned a call-up to take his place. I have seen enough.
It took the Indians too long to call up Harvard’s Frank Hermann – who was lights out pitching in the minors and has been very effective in his short stay in Cleveland to date. What do you have to lose? Why you are at it – where is Michael Brantley and Matt Laporta?
I’m going to be beating this horse until I wear it out.
Browns
Look for the Browns to run the ball early and often this fall. In fact, don’t be surprised if this team ends the 2010 season among the league-leaders in rushing yards. I know that’s hard to believe considering the team’s past rush rankings. Follow me here.
First, J. Harrison established himself as a good-looking young back at the tail end of the season – once the genius Mangini activated him. At minimum, he looks like a guy who could get you 1,300 yards this fall.
If you believe the glass is half full, you are counting on him to break the Browns’ single-season mark for yards rushing.
That’s right, you heard it here first.
The record is 1,863 yards set by Jim Brown in 1963 – in case you were wondering. That’s 116.5 yards per game Harrison needs to average to break that mark. That’s doable if they commit to running the ball, he stays healthy and gets the bulk of the carries.
The Browns may opt however to rest Harrison on occasion and give their rookie back out of Tennessee (Hardesty) some action from time to time. They traded up to get Hardesty. Therefore, they must truly like his skill set. And remember, running backs come quickly at this level. The learning curve is rather short.
Can you say Mack and Byner? Yes, back in 1985, the Browns had two guys rush for 1,000 yards. I’m not saying that will happen either this fall, but I would not be surprised if this team rushes for well over 2,000 yards this season.
Third, with Jake D. taking snaps, you want to run the ball. Again, I want my boy, Seneca Wallace at the helm. We’ve liked him for years and hope he gets a legitimate shot at the starting gig.
I know one thing - “The Walrus” wouldn’t mind if he starts. Wallace played for him in Seattle and there’s a reason he kept him around so long.
One thing is for certain, if Mangini goes with Jake D. and he starts throwing picks left and right, expect a short hook.
Finally, would you throw the ball to this receiving corps? Unless they add a couple professional receivers soon, you are likely to see, by necessity, a very boring brand of football in Cleveland this fall.
Of course, the problem with being run-oriented is you can’t play catch-up and you’d better have a good defense that keeps it close.
Did I say you need a good defense? That's another issue for another time.
Farewell
Finally, a farewell to a sports icon – Manute Bol, who passed away recently.
The “Dunking Dinka” was a true pleasure to watch. As a youngster, I always pushed hard for the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire Manute and Mugsy Boggs so I could personally watch that freak show every night. They never took my advice ofcourse.
I argued with many that Mugsy, all 5-1 of him – was perhaps “pound for pound” the greatest athlete of our time. To be that short and have a lengthy NBA career spoke volumes. It wasn’t like he was playing golf or curling. He competed against the best athletes in the world and held his own while being eligible for "midget bowling."
As for Manute, and all 7-6/165 pounds of him, you always worried a stiff draft from an open gate would knock him over. Regardless, he was a very entertaining sports figure. May he rest in peace.
Till next time. And yes, I am still taking requests.
What did the media whores who represent us and moron members of the press expect the guy to do when Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, was dragged in front of the cameras in Washington DC?
Did they really think he would admit fault?
You had a better chance of getting him to accept responsibility for the Holocaust then admitting liability. The guy was doing exactly what his attorneys to him to do. And you & I would do the exact same if in his shoes.
The more I see from Congress, the more I dislike those hypocritical, over-bearing, self-important, half-wits.
And how about that representative from North Carolina, who when asked by a couple snot-nosed college kids a harmless question this past week, went off and grabbed one of them – first by the shoulders, then by the arm and not letting go. That arrogant bastard assaulted the kid - pure and simple.
The old prick kept asking, in his southern drawl – “Who are you? Who are you?” – as he grabbed the kid half his size who looked like he was going to piss his pants.
If that bastard put his hands on me without provocation, he would have ended up on the ground and in need of serious medical attention. I do not believe in violence as an option of first or second resort, but understand this - the only people permitted to touch me either have the same DNA as I do or must be sleeping with me at the time.
Dan Gilbert
You have to wonder who, if anyone, if advising the Cavaliers’ new GM Dan Gilbert. Did he really think a high quality coach would take the Cleveland job without knowing if LBJ would be here?
If he wanted Izzo, why not wait until July to contact him, after the world finds out if ‘The King Without a Ring” stays put?
Here’s my favorites as of today – of those individuals currently without an NBA head coaching gig - Hubie Brown, Mike Fratello & Byron Scott, in that order. Again, these gentlemen all have one thing in common – they get the most out of the talent they work with!
As you are aware, I also like Scott Skyles a lot, but he has a job. And no, I don’t want Larry Brown. The professional gypsy, who can coach, kept LBJ on the bench in international play several years ago. Trust me, LBJ remembers that. And if he doesn’t, a member or two of his entourage will.
Cavs’ Only Card
To his credit on this front, Dan Gilbert is playing the only true basketball related card he has with LBJ. The Cavs have contacted the Raptors about a sign and trade for Chris Bosh. Of course, in order for this to work, the Raptors have to be interested in what Cleveland has to offer (aka: Andy V or JJ Hickson, Mo Williams, a #1 pick, etc.), it has to work in terms of cap space, Bosh has to be interested in coming to Cleveland, and LBJ would need to sign off and agree to stay. That’s a ton of stars aligning in order to make it work.
However, it is the only way I see the Cavaliers being able to attract James with something that might entice him to stay.
By the way, in Bosh, you would be getting a younger version of the Lakers’ P Gasol – long, skilled and relatively soft. And yes, he’s better than anything the Cavaliers currently have on the roster.
3 Hole Hitter & Soft Tossers
My early impressions of Mr. Santana – the Tribe’s new catcher - are very positive. What jumps out is the patience he shows at the plate for such a young hitter. The Indians’ brain trust (oxymoron) must agree. They wasted no time putting him in the 3 hole.
If I were in charge of this merry band of men, besides working backwards in terms of building a strong bullpen and working back to the starters, I would also be searching high and low for a true leadoff hitter.
The Indians sorely lack a guy at the top of the order who works the count and can post a .400 on base percentage or better. I could care less what position he plays. Put him in the DH role if necessary. There’s nothing etched in stone that says your DH must be a power hitter.
The best of the Indians’ soft-tossing lefties (Mike Huff) is struggling once again this summer to get out of the fifth and sixth innings. Unfortunately, it looks more and more like he’s a fifth starter at best. If that is the case, then bring up a prospect who has earned a call-up to take his place. I have seen enough.
It took the Indians too long to call up Harvard’s Frank Hermann – who was lights out pitching in the minors and has been very effective in his short stay in Cleveland to date. What do you have to lose? Why you are at it – where is Michael Brantley and Matt Laporta?
I’m going to be beating this horse until I wear it out.
Browns
Look for the Browns to run the ball early and often this fall. In fact, don’t be surprised if this team ends the 2010 season among the league-leaders in rushing yards. I know that’s hard to believe considering the team’s past rush rankings. Follow me here.
First, J. Harrison established himself as a good-looking young back at the tail end of the season – once the genius Mangini activated him. At minimum, he looks like a guy who could get you 1,300 yards this fall.
If you believe the glass is half full, you are counting on him to break the Browns’ single-season mark for yards rushing.
That’s right, you heard it here first.
The record is 1,863 yards set by Jim Brown in 1963 – in case you were wondering. That’s 116.5 yards per game Harrison needs to average to break that mark. That’s doable if they commit to running the ball, he stays healthy and gets the bulk of the carries.
The Browns may opt however to rest Harrison on occasion and give their rookie back out of Tennessee (Hardesty) some action from time to time. They traded up to get Hardesty. Therefore, they must truly like his skill set. And remember, running backs come quickly at this level. The learning curve is rather short.
Can you say Mack and Byner? Yes, back in 1985, the Browns had two guys rush for 1,000 yards. I’m not saying that will happen either this fall, but I would not be surprised if this team rushes for well over 2,000 yards this season.
Third, with Jake D. taking snaps, you want to run the ball. Again, I want my boy, Seneca Wallace at the helm. We’ve liked him for years and hope he gets a legitimate shot at the starting gig.
I know one thing - “The Walrus” wouldn’t mind if he starts. Wallace played for him in Seattle and there’s a reason he kept him around so long.
One thing is for certain, if Mangini goes with Jake D. and he starts throwing picks left and right, expect a short hook.
Finally, would you throw the ball to this receiving corps? Unless they add a couple professional receivers soon, you are likely to see, by necessity, a very boring brand of football in Cleveland this fall.
Of course, the problem with being run-oriented is you can’t play catch-up and you’d better have a good defense that keeps it close.
Did I say you need a good defense? That's another issue for another time.
Farewell
Finally, a farewell to a sports icon – Manute Bol, who passed away recently.
The “Dunking Dinka” was a true pleasure to watch. As a youngster, I always pushed hard for the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire Manute and Mugsy Boggs so I could personally watch that freak show every night. They never took my advice ofcourse.
I argued with many that Mugsy, all 5-1 of him – was perhaps “pound for pound” the greatest athlete of our time. To be that short and have a lengthy NBA career spoke volumes. It wasn’t like he was playing golf or curling. He competed against the best athletes in the world and held his own while being eligible for "midget bowling."
As for Manute, and all 7-6/165 pounds of him, you always worried a stiff draft from an open gate would knock him over. Regardless, he was a very entertaining sports figure. May he rest in peace.
Till next time. And yes, I am still taking requests.
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