65 Down, 17 to Go

Wow, a lot has happened since my last post. 12+ inches of snow has melted in Cleveland... the Tribe is off to a meaningless 5-0 start in the Cactus League... Derek Anderson was cut, then blasted the fans, then half-heartedly apologized. But my thoughts are still squarely with the Cavaliers. Here's sort of my "state of the Cavaliers" address with 5 weeks left in the regular season (this is cross-posted from my other blogging grounds - www.numbersdont.com):

So here we are in the midst of the Cavs' longest non-All-Star-break break since November. The beautiful weather in Cleveland (for early March) has been a welcome thing. And aside from a ton of dog poop in my yard, the warm weather has also revealed a stroke of genius on the part of the Cavaliers. Their wise decision to sit LeBron against the Bucks and Spurs has allowed the King a rare chance to recharge his batteries before a final regular season push. The selfish Cavs fan in me really wanted LBJ to play on Monday night. But when it was over I walked out of the Q with an even bigger sense of satisfaction after seeing the wine and gold outlast the Spurs in a tough-fought win minus LeBron, Shaq, Z, and Jamison (for nearly the entire 2nd half).

As this current rest period nears an end, the Cavs have 17 games left to get everything ironed out for the playoffs. Their current three-game lead (really 4 with the tiebreaker) on the Lakers for the top overall seed has afforded them this opportunity to rest key players. Over the final 17 games the Cavs only face 8 opponents currently above .500. Just to put things in perspective, if the team completely tanks and goes something like 10-7 over that stretch, the Lakers would need to go 14-3 to surpass the Cavs. Does anyone think that will happen given how the Lakers have performed in their last four games? Or how the Cavs have performed all year? I didn't think so.

Of greater importance is getting all the key players on track so the team will be peaking in May and June. The #1 seed may seem like a mere formality at this point, but there's still plenty of work to be done. The laundry list includes a lot of moving parts:

1) Dealing with Antawn Jamison's creaky knee: This was a known issue when the Cavs dealt for Jamison and something that will just have to be coaxed along with proper rest. He will likely miss tomorrow night's game in Philadelphia but says he'll be ready for Sunday's showdown at the Q against the Celtics. Such will probably be the formula for Jamison over the next few weeks.

2) Getting Mo Williams back into the flow on both ends of the court: Mo arguably hit rock bottom with his 3-for-17 shooting performance in Milwaukee on Saturday night. He looked lost on both ends of the court as Brandon Jennings had his way on offense. It was encouraging to see Mo come back and hit some big shots Monday night against the Spurs and begin to play tougher defense in the 2nd half of that game. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little concerned with the way he seemed to be flexing his previously-injured shoulder before hitting two late free throws to ice the game. We'll have to keep an eye on that one. But I'd rather see Mo get a chance to play his way out of this funk than having to rest that shoulder yet again.

3) Figuring out how to integrate Z back into the rotation: March 22nd is only 11 days away now and that's the date Z has given to "begin negotiations" again with the Cavs. That's a polite way of saying he won't re-sign until a roster spot opens up. Darnell Jackson is likely the odd man out in this situation. Once the final playoff roster is ironed out, Mike Brown has the unenviable task of sorting out the rotation and figuring out who goes back to the bench. Things will be a little easier for the time being since Shaq is still out of action.

4) Incorporating Shaq back into the flow: This one is important to me because we saw how uncomfortable Shaq and the Cavs looked figuring out his role in the beginning of the season. It should be easier this time around now that both know what to expect of each other. But I'm hoping that the big man gets to test that thumb a bit late in the regular season before the playoff grind starts.

5) Getting back to their defensive roots: It's no secret that the Cavs' defense has been lacking for the better part of a month now. In my view, it began to slip in the game against the Knicks on February 6th, a 113-106 win in which they nearly coughed up a 30+ point lead. Aside from the 108-88 win in Boston on February 25th, the defense hasn't really been up to par since. I would be hammering this point home to the team over the next five weeks if I were in Mike Brown's shoes.

The to-do list for the coaching staff is a big one, but all parts are manageable. The Cavs know what they need to do and they have been in this position before. They were the first to 50 wins this year for a reason and we all know what has transpired over the last two seasons with the team that is first to 50. These final 17 games may afford the Cavs a chance to repeat that trend and give this city its first championship in 46 years. No pressure, right?

We're going streaking!

We're going streaking! sound bite Will Ferrell sound bites

Unofficial rule here on ClevelandChamps... when one of our teams' winning streaks hits double-digits, the Will Ferrell streaking scene must be invoked. The Cavs accomplished that feat with their first 10-game streak of the season last night. They trounced the Heat 102-86 at the Q, in the process grabbing their 21st win in their last 22 games at home. And yes, we are now on the same 40-11 pace to start the season as last year's team.

Another stellar night for LeBron with 36 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. Mind you, he did this on just 16 shots from the field. And he was 17-for-21 from the line. I'd say "efficient" is an understatement there. And he truly did fill in as point guard-de-facto last night with Boobie Gibson missing the entire first half due to his fiancee's "false labor." It was nice to see Gibson show up and play the second half and notch 12 points for himself after that scare. Shaq also recorded his 10th consecutive double-digit scoring effort (coincidence that the Cavs have won all 10 even without Mo and Delonte?). And I haven't even mentioned JJ Hickson's facial served up on Dwyane Wade, or his subsequent rejection, also at Wade's expense.

The Cavs truly are hitting on all cylinders now. They have won their last five games by an average 18.4 points. And the streak could continue with their next two against the Knicks and Nets before another TNT showdown next Thursday against the Magic. Enjoy these days Cavalier fans... especially if, like me, you took those 90's Indians teams for granted. This team is that special.

I just want one of your 27

When it's been 16,384 days since any of your favorite teams have won a championship and you've only existed for 12,368 days, you tend to build up a lot of venom towards other franchises. There is an ebb and flow to that hatred usually based on how much success these other franchises experience, or what they have done to your teams directly. So forgive me if I don't rejoice at the thought of the Yankees collecting their 27th world championship last night. The thought of it actually makes me want to vomit.

I'm not sure why I even bothered to watch the end of the game last night - I guess because I like seeing the moment when a team reaches its ultimate goal. But watching the celebration of the Yankees and their arrogant fans - who had been expecting that moment since missing the playoffs last season... the whole seen was just nauseating. Again, I'll sit here and hope for a lockout someday when the owners get the balls to fix this sport. Until then we can hope for the little guys with the script I on their caps to overcome all odds and win it all... a scenario that seems completely unlikely in my lifetime given the way the sport is currently constructed. Ugh.


And on a night when the Cavs didn't play I was also following the scores around the NBA, hoping for a few other teams I dislike to chalk one up in the loss column. No such luck - the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic all prevailed last night. I hate sports nights like that, hoping for the failures of other teams for my own satisfaction and they all end up winning. I much prefer just watching my team win - like tonight when the Cavs hit the court at the Q again to take on the Bulls. I guess at least LeBron can happy that his Yankees won. And should we be happy for CC? I guess so, but then it reminds me of how ordinary he pitched in 2007 when we absolutely needed him. Just give me one title in my lifetime. Just one. Please.

Update: This guy gives a better view of the state of baseball than I ever could. Great read > http://www.bugsandcranks.com/davidchalk/baseball/yes-im-really-retiring/.

Wow, it's been too long

I've been too lazy to enter any good updates here in a while - I found Twitter and it's been my ultra-lazy way of jotting down thoughts this summer. But after yesterday's Tribe trade I had to come back and enter something more than just 140 characters of broken English...

So the Indians traded Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to the Phillies for four minor leaguers yesterday, and to me it was the final signal that I really shouldn't care about MLB or its broken system anymore. It was the second consecutive season that our tight-pursed team was inclined to trade a defending Cy Young winner in July, hopelessly out of contention in a mediocre division. If that doesn't trouble fans everywhere that something is seriously wrong, then nothing ever will. The sport is broken and only another lockout can fix it.

In the meantime, we are forced to face the reality of our beloved Tribe already raising the white flag of surrender on the 2010 season. Who will be the ace of the staff next season? A broken down and rebuilt Jake Westbrook? A highly unreliable Fausto Carmona? One of these young kids that we have no idea whether we can count on? A veteran band-aid (probably the most likely choice being someone claimed off the injury scrap heap on a one-year deal). Thinking about it just depresses me. The Central division is so winnable and we are basically already giving up. I say this because we all know the reality of the situation - we are in yet another rebuild mode, payroll will be trimmed again, and attendance will be shockingly low.

It's been nice knowing you and you will be missed

For Victor Martinez's sake I hope he is traded. But my inner-Tribe fan wishes that it didn't have to be this way. Victor has been the face/heart/soul of this franchise in this latest "era"... and for as much frustration as this era has caused us, it also gave us the highly entertaining 2005 season, and the oh-so-close 2007 season where we were basically one win away from a championship. That was just 21 months ago. So how did we get here today? Because the sport is broken and we have an owner more worried about the bottom line than winning... any chance you can save us Dan Gilbert?

Speaking of Dan, this should help get us through things a little easier: the Cavs are only 89 days away from returning to the court. Hard to believe it, but it's true. Just hang in there Cleveland, there is light at the end of the dark tunnel of misery laid out by the Tribe and Browns. And yes, I'm very happy that Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon are on board. More on them later... for now I'm mourning the loss of our Tribe and the sport I once loved.

Back from the dead

OK, it was a nice hiatus from Blogland... after the Cavs' season was cut short I couldn't bring myself back here for a while. Just an utterly disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding season. In all honesty, it was quite satisfying to see the Magic get dominated by the Lakers in the Finals... but at the same time bittersweet because I hate Kobe Bryant and it left me wondering why all those shots by the Magic were falling against us. Oh well, as we know in Cleveland THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR (goddamn I hate saying that after every season).

And next year officially started today with the successful trade for Shaquille O'Neal a.k.a. 'The Big Cuyahoga', 'Witness Protection Program', 'The Shaqalier' or whatever new nickname he settles upon. The Cavs got him for Big Ben, Sasha, their second round pick, and $500K. So we basically gave up nothing, instantly got better in an area where we needed to improve, and we still maintain our cap flexibility for next offseason. I'd say Danny Ferry hit another home run. And he resisted Phoenix's insistence on including Delonte, J.J., or a first rounder. Well done.

The pre-game festivities should be monumental starting this fall

Now, I just finally got the hang of this Twitter thing and I read this today from our beloved Brian Windhorst:

Cavs aren't done. They may still look to move up tonight and next week they will be active in free agency. More coming, D.Gilbert spending

Thank you Dan Gilbert. Thank you Cavs. Without you we'd be forced to have to watch the Tribe and their worst bullpen ever for the rest of the summer. On a side note, I was able to head up to Chicago over the weekend and watch the bullpen implode in the friendly confines of Wrigley. Just a great ballpark and a great city. Here's a picture of my better half and I... of course licensed for sale on www.cubs.com/fanfoto, hence the big "Proof" smeared across the image. Better pics to come when I stop being lazy about pulling them off my camera...

Tribe update (quick, avert your eyes!)

Sitting here waiting for the Celtics to finish off the Magic, we're forced to uncover our eyes and stare into the carnage that is your 2009 Cleveland Indians. I'll admit, I was overly optimistic about this team. I thought the bullpen would actually be a strength. I thought they'd win around 90 games and take the very winnable Central Division. Of course I also thought they'd be able to string together a couple of wins - something that has happened exactly once through the first 34 games of the season. When you stop and think about that for a second you realize how truly pathetic that face really is - and you understand why the team is sitting at 12-22 on May 13th.

I'd boo Thome if I cared enough to still go to games

It was more of the same last night as they lost 9-4 to the White Sox to again avoid a winning streak. Old friend Jim Thome hit a couple home runs off Jeremy Sowers, who really shouldn't be in any team's starting rotation at the big-league level. The bullpen also allowed a couple of late runs in the 7th to make sure there was no chance of a comeback win. It seems like a similar script every night with these Indians. And now the finger-pointing has begun. Eric Wedge is in the line of fire and many in the organization are at his defense.

I honestly don't know how/when/if this mess can be fixed. But I was talking to my buddy Nicko yesterday and we agree that there are bigger problems in baseball than just the Tribe's shitty play. MLB should really just shut things down for a year and fix all of its problems. I'm tired of the payroll disparity, and losing budding stars before they hit their primes. The steroid crap doesn't bother me all that much, I'm just tired of watching the rich get richer. I'm tired of seeing the best players sign with New York/Boston/LA. I'm tired of fans of those teams and their sense of entitlement to everything. And I'm tired of watching the Tribe lose. Come back soon Cavs, I'm already missing you.

And then there were 4

Hard to believe that we are down to just four games left in the regular season... and that the playoffs will be starting next weekend! I'm already getting that nervous/sick/excited feeling that only a Cavs fan can feel... a Cavs fan at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncert- sorry, the feeling makes me go all Shawshank. I'm just ready to get these last four games out of the way. The Cavaliers beat the Wizards in ho-hum fashion last night with a 98-86 win (highlights) at the Q. Theu were up by 24 points in the third quarter and the game was never in doubt. The guys are now just two home wins away from equaling the best home NBA record ever. And just one win away from sealing up the #1 spot in the East.

It was great to see Big Ben return to action last night, making his first appearance off the bench in 10 years. We will need all of our bigs ready to go in the postseason and Ben seemed to be his normal self for the most part, after sitting out six weeks with the fractured fibula. And LeBron was able to rest for the entire 4th quarter for the 12th time this season (that would probably scare me if I were a fan of any other team in the playoffs). Five Cavs were in double figures, and three others had at least 7 points to lead a very balanced attack.

LBJ enjoyed another fourth quarter from the bench on Wednesday night

The recipe for the final four games is simple, yet complicated. Avoid injuries, keep everyone from logging too many minutes, but also keep winning in order to claim home court advantage through the Finals. Mike Brown has stated publicly that he won't overtax his team just to get the overall best record. But a little part of him has to be peeking ahead to a possible Game 7 in the Staples Center in June. I'm sure the thought of it makes him cringe as much as it does to me. For that simple reason the team will need to keep the pedal to the floor and just win, starting tomorrow night in Philadelphia. Go Cavs.

Tribe Update: Great start for our Indians, huh? Two games down, two losses, two awful pitching performances. Also, add in some weak hitting for good measure. I'm sort of glad the opener was played while I was at work, and I had the Cavs game to distract me from last night's fun. Let's just hope for some weather that is at least bearable for the home opener tomorrow. Is that really too much to ask?

Back on track

After the Cavaliers' shameful performances on Thursday and Friday nights, which caused me to boycott my own blog, I wasn't sure what to expect yesterday afternoon at the Q. The team was possibly facing their first three-game losing streak of the season, but the guys responded in style with a 101-81 win (highlights) over the Spurs to run their home record to a sparkling 37-1 at the Q. The win drops the magic number to clinch #1 in the East to just 2 and still keeps a one-game lead over the Lakers for #1 overall.

Yesterday's game still featured way too much of Tony Parker waltzing through the lane unchallenged, too reminiscent of the 2007 Finals for my taste. I wish one of our guys at some point would just knock Parker on his ass with a hard foul instead of giving up a layup. But the Cavs did do a great job keeping Ginobili and Duncan in check, with the two of them combining for just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

LBJ & the Cavs had a nice bounce back game Sunday afternoon

Offensively I think it may have been Delonte West's best overall performance of the year. He was aggressive and outstanding, netting 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting. And LeBron was LeBron, with a 38/6/7 line on an efficient 14-of-21 from the field. Add in Mo's 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and the three combined for 82 points on 33-for-51 (65%) shooting. Not many teams can beat the Cavs when they play like that. It was a nice bounce back performance to right the ship before a payback game with the Wizards this Wednesday at the Q. Rumor has it that Ben Wallace will be suiting up for the good guys. Go Cavs.

Tribe Update: Hard to believe Opening Day 2009 is already here. I've neglected to spend much time on the Indians here due the the Cavs' overwhelming success. But the real games get underway in just over three hours from now when the Tribe takes the field in Texas to face the Rangers. So what to expect from the team this year? The good news is, it's an odd year. If recent Tribe history has taught us anything about that, then we should all be happy. 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2009? Let's hope for another postseason appearance. I think it's very likely with this group of guys.

A lot will hinge on the success of our starting rotation. I don't expect Cliff Lee to enjoy the same dominant Cy Young season he had last year. That's just asking too much. But I think he still will be a solid #1 starter this year. I also expect Fausto Carmona to have a nice comeback year after struggling with control problems and injury last year. The rest of the rotation is more of a question mark with Carl Pavano, Anthony Reyes, and Scott Lewis. But there are plenty of options in the minors with Aaron Laffey, David Huff, and hopefully a healthy return of Jake Westbrook, post-All-Star break.

The bullpen should be more reliable with the addition of Kerry Wood and Joe Smith to go along with the dependable options of the two Raffys (Betancourt and Perez) and Jensen Lewis. I expect this to be the major strength of this team this season and a key to their success.

The batting order should also be fine with the addition of Mark DeRosa at third base and an everyday outfield that now includes Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo. We know what to expect from Grady Sizemore, Victory Martinez, and Jhonny Peralta. Asdrubal Cabrera seems to have found his stroke again after struggling mightily last year. Kelly Shoppach should get more at-bats after last season's success and the ability to move Victor Martinez to first base when needed. Ryan Garko has had a hot spring and should also get plenty of at-bats. The one true question mark is Travis Hafner. How will his shoulder hold up? Will his timing be back? And most importantly, will the power return? If so, then this offense could really put up big numbers this season.

I honestly don't know what to expect. For fun I'll make a prediction. I think this team will go somewhere around 89-73 and it will be just good enough to win the Central. And if we get into the postseason, there's no telling what will happen from there. Hopefully we're in for a fun summer.

It begins tonight...

On the heels of their latest win, an easy 94-79 throttling (highlights) of the Grizzlies, our beloved Cavaliers begin their toughest stretch of the season:

February	Opponent	Time	Local TV	Nat TV	Radio
Thu 26	@ Houston	8:00pm			WTAM 1100
Fri 27	@ San Antonio	9:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
March	Opponent	Time	Local TV	Nat TV	Radio
Sun 01	@ Atlanta	8:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Mon 02	@ Miami	7:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Wed 04	vs Milwaukee	7:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Fri 06	@ Boston	8:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Sat 07	vs Miami	7:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Tue 10	@ LA Clippers	10:30pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100
Thu 12	@ Phoenix	10:30pm			WTAM 1100
Fri 13	@ Sacramento	10:00pm	FSOhio HD		WTAM 1100

That's 4 road games in the next 5 nights, 8 out of the next 10 on the road, and 8 of those games look to be against playoff teams. Good thing the starters have been able to sit for almost the entire 4th quarters of the last two wins. And hopefully the team isn't looking at the big picture like I am. They need to stay focused (as they always seem to be) and just look at the next game on the schedule. This 10-game stretch could make or break our chances at the #1 seed in the East and it will be important to stay healthy and win (that's not asking too much, right?). The Celtics did the Cavs a huge favor by stumbling against the hapless Clippers late last night.

Hopefully the Cavs can begin to take advantage by starting off with a win tonight in Houston, a place where they have not played well in recent memory. But this isn't the same Cavaliers team that we've seen in the first five seasons of the LeBron era. This one is 18-10 on the road this year, just four road wins shy of tying the franchise record of 22, and they are arguably the most talented Cavaliers group ever assembled. If we can continue to ease Delonte back into the lineup, keep up the outstanding defense (still #1 in the league allowing only 90.5 ppg), stay healthy, and have LeBron just be LeBron, we should be all set. The most important stretch of the regular season begins tonight and it should be fun to just sit back and watch.

Tribe Update: I can't believe it's already upon us but here's the first Tribe spring training update of the year. I "worked" from home yesterday and with our new laptop I am now afforded the ability to "work" in front of our bigscreen in the family room. So yesterday afternoon while I was "working" I was delighted to stumble upon the Tribe's Cactus League opener in beautiful crystal-clear high definition on STO-HD. I guess it shows how much I've been following things with the Tribe since I didn't even know the game would be televised (too much attention to the Cavaliers, but can you blame me?). Anyway, the game was sort of ugly, but it did feature a big three-run blast from new Tribe 3B Mark DeRosa. That was nice to see. It's still way too early for me to put a lot of energy into the Tribe, but it's nice to have them back on the radar again.

A sidenote: I was able to recently snag a bunch of tickets for the home opener on April 10 vs. the Blue Jays. If anyone out there in Internet-land is still looking for a way to attend the game, Razzles sports bar in Olmsted Township puts together a great Opening Day package every year (I attended last year and had a blast). $50 is well worth it to take advantage of this offer, assuming of course there isn't a blizzard in Cleveland on April 10th...

Broken records

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Cavs were firing on all cylinders again last night as they cruised to another easy 114-94 victory (highlights) over the Raptors. It was a night of broken records as LeBron got his record-breaking steal out of the way early, Z got his record-breaking rebound (perhaps the most non-descript rebound of his career) out of the way in the 2nd quarter, and the Cavs became the first team in NBA history to win nine straight games by at least 12 points. The latest win brings them to 18-3 on the year and coupled with another ugly Pistons' loss puts the Cavaliers now 6-1/2 games in first place in the Central Division.

Records fell at the Q on Tuesday night

It was more of the same inside the Q as the Cavs seemed to turn up the defensive intensity whenever they wanted to. They held Chris Bosh to just 9 points, tying a season low the 24.9 ppg scorer, and only one Raptor starter (PG Jose Calderon) even reached double figures. For the season the Cavs have only surrendered 100 points 3 times in 21 games and are holding their opponents to a league-low 90.4 average.

Offensively the Cavs also seemed to get whatever they wanted. LeBron had an amazing 7 dunks on the night by my own unofficial count. And Mo Williams is just incredible to watch, especially in person. He takes so much pressure off of LeBron. The Cavs again shot well overall from the floor (49.4%) and from long-distance (8-for-22). And they continued their stellar play at the Q, raising their home record to a perfect 12-0, now the only undefeated team at home in the league. The only downer was Boobie Gibson's toe injury. Let's hope that doesn't linger for too long.

The Cavaliers are again in action tonight in Philadelphia to face the Sixers at 8:00pm. This will be a good road test, especially if we are shorthanded without Boobie in the rotation. Do yourselves a favor when watching this one if you can - turn down the volume on the ESPN broadcast and flip on Joe Tait for the call. If you're watching the best team in the NBA, you might as well listen to the best play-by-play man in the NBA, right?

Tribe Update: The Indians are reportedly close to signing Cubs closer Kerry Wood to a two-year deal. This is the type of low-risk/high-reward type of signing by GM Mark Shapiro that we have grown accustomed to over the years with the current set up of Major League Baseball (don't get me started on Sabathia and the Yankees). But I actually think this one will pay off well for the Tribe if it goes down. If healthy, Wood can be the dominant type of closer that we've been craving here in Cleveland since the good old days of Jose Mesa (pre-World Series Game 7 meltdown) and Mike Jackson. But I hope the Tribe isn't done with just this signing. The second base/shortstop situation needs to be addressed. I don't think I'll be able to handle another spring with hopeful Cleveland newspaper articles about Josh Barfield's re-emergence...

Six in a row

The Cavaliers kept rolling along last night, winning their sixth straight game with an impressive 110-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets (highlights here). It was the team's best offensive performance of the young season (57% shooting) and they really clamped down on defense when they had to. After allowing Denver to pile up 61 first half points on 60% shooting, they held the Nuggets to just 38 points in the second half en route to their fifth consecutive home win.

Offensive Game Balls of the Night:

• LeBron James - As usual he stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in just 38 minutes. I can't stress how important it is to this team that they can now afford to rest the King for long stretches. This will pay huge dividends in May and June.
• Mo Williams - This was Mo's first real offensive outburst of the season. It reminded me of those hot shooting nights he would have as a Buck playing against the Cavs. And his 24 points meant that LeBron didn't have to shoulder the scoring load again tonight.
• Boobie Gibson - After going 0-for-8 in the win over the Bucks, Boobie really turned things around. He went 7-for-11 last night on his way to 15 points and showed off a vast array of strong drives to the basket, not settling for outside jumpers. His improved ball handling is a really pleasant surprise so far this season.
• Ben Wallace - No that's not a typo, Big Ben had a great offensive game tonight. He chipped in with 11 points on 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line (!!!) including his first one that he accidentally banked off the glass. I love what Ben brings defensively and you'll take these nights from him whenever you can get them because they are few and far between.
  

Mo is quickly becoming the Robin to LeBron's Batman

Defensive Game Balls of the Night:

• Delonte West - Delonte only tallied 8 points in his 33 minutes on the floor, but played stellar defense for long stretches when he was on Chauncey Billups. Billups torched Mo for 16 first quarter points and that's when Mike Brown switched Delonte to him. Billups ended up with 26 points, but it likely would have been much worse if Delonte wasn't making him work so hard.
• Sasha Pavlovic - You wouldn't know it from the box score (zero points on zero shot attempts in 11 minutes, but Sasha stepped in and played some nice spot defense in the fourth quarter. Mike Brown is still tinkering with his rotation, but as long as Sasha can come in and play tough defense and not turn the ball over I'm all for it. Wally Szczerbiak got burned pretty badly on a few drives last night and at least when Sasha comes in the game you know he'll stay in front of his man.
• Anderson Varejao - The mop-topped Brazilian was at it again last night. He baited Kenyon Martin into a flagrant foul-2 and an ejection late in the game when Martin threw a pretty tame elbow at Andy and he worked his flop to perfection. Martin then blew up when he was tossed out and it was a nice exclamation point to the night.

Overall, it was another solid win for the Cavs and a fun game to attend. This team is starting to understand the importance of winning at home and winning in November. They look to be hitting their stride offensively and can turn it up whenever they need to defensively. This has been a very good start to the season and they will again be tested when our good buddy Carlos Loozer pays a visit to the Q on Saturday night. I'm looking forward to being there for that one...

Tribe Update: Congrats to Cliff Lee for winning the AL Cy Young, an honor that should surprise no one that followed the Indians this year. I've written about it enough here this season - Lee was better than anyone could have ever imagined. I'm looking forward to seeing how he can follow it up next season... And congratulations are also in order for Grady Sizemore who won his first Silver Slugger award yesterday. Lee and Sizemore are two reasons (other than the start of Cavalier playoff basketball) that I'm looking forward to next April.

Winning

The Cavaliers are winning. That's the bottom line. Yet I hear a lot of complaining around the web about how they are doing it. No matter how aesthetically pleasing it may or may not be, they are WINNING. 6-2 now, first in the Central, 4-0 at home, and 4-0 in their own division. What more do you want? They extended their current WINNING streak to five last night with a 99-93 win (highlights here) over the Bucks at the Q.

The Cavs are beating the teams they are supposed to beat. And I honestly think sometimes they get bored during these games they are supposed to win. You could see it in both Chicago wins, the win over Indy, and again last night against Milwaukee. Build a big lead in the first quarter, slowly let the other team creep back into it, keep it close until the fourth quarter, then apply smothering defense and timely offensive execution for the win. That and a heaping dose of LeBron dominating offensively. It's been the Cavs' formula for success for years now and even with the increased talent on the roster, I wouldn't expect Mike Brown to put the reigns on the King. Of course we would all love the Cavs to run their offense to perfection, with everyone moving around creating easy opportunities. We've seen flashes of that early this season but then some were complaining that LeBron wasn't scoring enough. So he puts up three games of 40+ points in the past week and now it's time to criticize the Cavs for their 'LeIso' offense? As long as they keep winning I'm fine with whatever the formula entails. It certainly beats the alternative...

One thing that bugged me about last night's game had nothing to do with the Cavaliers. Why does FSN always go to their court-level baseline camera shot on breakaway dunks? If someone can give me a logical answer then I'll never complain about it again. Last night LeBron stole the ball late in the fourth quarter. It looked like any one of three Bucks could converge on him and foul him before he had a chance for a breakaway dunk to ignite the crowd. But LeBron turned on the burners and flew past everyone for a wide open dunk that looked pretty normal, at least by his standards, from FSN's shitty baseline camera angle (which can be seen in the highlight link above, around the 1:40 mark). It wasn't until the postgame highlights that I realized just how amazing the dunk really was. LBJ took off from literally one step inside the foul line and threw it down with ease. Just ridiculous.

I hate you FSN baseline cam

And I wanted to clear another thing up while I'm on the Cavs. I'm not sure how many 'not-so-knowledgable' fans there are out there, but I have a feeling there are many. I overheard a conversation in the locker room of my gym yesterday and it really dismayed me. I'm paraphrasing the gist of it:

Guy 1: How about those Cavs? They're looking good!
Guy 2: Yeah they are playing well. Fun to watch.
Guy 1: They might have the best shot of any Cleveland team to win a title in a long time.
Guy 2: They better get one either this year or next year. You know LeBron will probably leave.
Guy 1: Yeah, someone out there will probably give him as much money as he wants. No way we can compete with that.
Guy 2: Yep, you know the Knicks will probably offer him like $40M/year. It would be worth it for them just to draw the fans!

Now it took everything in my power to not jump into that conversation and right the many wrongs I was hearing, but I didn't want to be that know-it-all guy that eavesdrops on other people's business. So I didn't say a word but I made a mental note to refer to it here this morning.

This is not Major League Baseball (a.k.a. the only professional sport with no salary cap and spiraling contracts that increase based on market size). This is the NBA where there are such things as hard salary caps and max contracts. You can read all about them in the league's collective bargaining agreement. I prefer to go here when I really have a question about something regarding NBA contracts. Bottom line - the Cavs can offer one more guaranteed year at around $20M more than any other team. So when the Cavaliers offer LeBron the max contract in June of 2010 it will be for one more year and millions more than any other team can offer. Please stop panicking about him leaving. Enjoy him for the next two years. And rest easy knowing Cleveland (yes Cleveland!) can give LeBron more than any other city. OK, I'm done talking about this. At least until the next silly conversation I overhear on this topic...

Other Cavs Notes: We have officially begun flirting with the NBA's newest free agent Antonio McDyess. I still think it's a longshot that he leaves the Pistons, but if we can start building a lead on them I guess anything is possible... The Cavs' bench is making its mark. I'm loving the newfound enthusiasm... And LeBron knows that winning games against division foes is important.

Tribe Note: It's with great sadness that I'm referencing the passing of Herb Score today. Growing up in Cleveland, Herb's voice always reminded me of the care-free summer days and nights of my childhood. We should have won Game 7 against the Marlins in the 1997 World Series, which also happened to be his last game broadcasting for the team he loved. R.I.P. Mr. Score.

Finally... a game!!!

It had been 9 days since the last time a Cleveland team played, with the Browns and Indians last suiting up on September 28th. So even though last night's preseason game at the Q didn't really matter, at least it finally gave us something to talk about. And our first look at the new-look Cavaliers. Well, at least the first listen since the game wasn't televised. And by the way, it was damn good to hear Joe Tait's voice again...

Big Ben throws one down vs. Toronto last night

I wouldn't put too much stock in the final score, with the Raptors winning 104-84. How seriously can you take a game in which LeBron played 8 minutes and chipped in one point on three shots from the floor? And keep in mind that Delonte West wasn't even in the building. Overall the starters didn't really play much at all (Mo 26 minutes, Sasha 22 minutes, Ben 20 minutes, Z 22 minutes) with the goal being to keep everyone healthy and rested for the start of the season. So mission accomplished there. Brian Windhorst has the rundown in the PD (how good does that sound?) this morning of all the good and bad from last night's game.

"We looked pretty good at it at times, at other times we looked sloppy," Mike Brown said. "We have to be selective with our tempo, we have to know how to run."

And I also liked this piece from George Thomas at the ABJ (apparently taking over for Mr. Windhorst there) on JJ Hickson's Cavalier debut:

Rookie J.J. Hickson (7 points, 4 rebounds) didn't light things up on the scoreboard, but willingly and enthusiastically played some tenacious defense. His digging one off the floor in the first half led directly to a Cavs basket, but it was in the fourth quarter that he showed what the team saw in during the summer. He stole the ball from Toronto's Will Solomon at the 10:44 mark near midcourt and dashed to the Cavs basket, sealing the deal with a thunderous two-handed dunk that got the crowd roaring.

So it's one preseason game down, seven more to go before the real season starts in just 20 days. Terry Pluto likes what he sees so far with Mo pushing the tempo... And here's an interesting tidbit about the Cavs possibly coming close to acquring Jermaine O'Neal in the offseason. All I can say is thank the sports gods that that didn't happen. He will no doubt be hurt again by January... And finally, what to make of Anderson Varejao this year? One of my favorite Cavalier 'insiders' has a good piece on RealCavsFans.

Tribe Update: We found out yesterday that Travis Hafner's shoulder may need arthroscopic surgery. That's great news considering we are on the hook for $57M over the next four years with him and he's already showing diminishing skills at the plate. Hopefully it is due to the shoulder and it gets corrected, but I'm not holding my breath right now. Paul Hoynes and Sheldon Ocker both give their summaries from Mark Shapiro's state-of-the-team address yesterday. I thought it was interesting to hear him put so much emphasis on acquiring another starter. I'll eventually jot down my thoughts on the 2009 Tribe here as soon as I stop being lazy about it.

Browns Update: I guess it's time to get back into Browns mode again. I will reluctantly play along, this time with lowered expectations. But my patience is obviously wearing thin. Tony Grossi has a scouting report today on the defending Super Bowl champs. I'm just hoping we can somehow keep this game close and not embarrass ourselves in the spotlight. At least Josh Cribbs is feeling good again.

Just Checking In...

As I said before, I hate the bye week for the Browns, especially when it happens to coincide with the end of the MLB season. And really, it has ended for me now that the Tribe is done. I'm only watching the playoffs in passing if my team isn't a part of the fun. And that's mainly just to root against the Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, and Brewers. The Red Sox for obvious reasons. The Cubs just because it's been 100 years for them and I like to see them suffer even more than us Tribe fans (And who are we kidding here? The Bulls won six titles in 8 years and the Bears even won a Super Bowl in '85. So F Chicago). The White Sox just because they're the White Sox. I can't stand Jim Thome, Ozzie Guillen, A.J. Pierzynski, or their annoying fans. And of course the Brewers because we gave them CC in a mid-season trade. But at least he is treating the playoffs this year in similar fashion to how he did last year. His rough outing yesterday has the Brewers on the brink of elimination. I hope their fans think it's worth giving up their two best prospects for a half-season rental that got you into the playoffs (for the first time in 26 years) only to be swept in the division series. This could end up being another stroke of brilliance by Mark Shapiro, a la trading Colon for Lee and Sizemore (yes, I'm purposely leaving out Phillips).

Tribe Update: Why are we still talking about Luis Isaac being fired??? He is (was) a bullpen coach. Enough already... A look at some former Indians in the postseason... And here's a comprehensive look at the Tribe's roster for 2009.

Cavs Update: 25 days and counting until the season tips off. I received word yesterday that Flash Seats will still work for our season tickets, we just won't be able to re-sell them via the Flash Seats website (which I never had much success selling with anyway)... Our two rookie big men seem to be making a good impression so far in camp... But Brian Windhorst says JJ Hickson is already experiencing some growing pains on defense.

We'll soon find out what Hickson can provide for the Cavs this year

"In the summertime, J.J. showed his talent level was really high. He's young, but his potential is unlimited. When you're as good an athlete at he is at that size, I think you can do a lot of things when it comes to running and jumping and getting by guys off the dribble. He can play with his back to the basket. He can step out and face up a little bit. He's a decent shooter." - Mike Brown

I hate bye weeks

For the Browns' sake, obviously the bye week is coming at a good time. But for Cleveland sports fans' sake it is not. The result is a slow Cleveland sports news cycle, especially with the Tribe done for the season and the Cavaliers' regular season tip-off still 27 days away. Damn it... why couldn't the Indians have turned it on just a little sooner? Watching the end of that White Sox/Twins one-game playoff last night was brutal. I don't think either of those teams is as good as the Tribe is right now. But as I've been saying my entire life, there's always next year. Or as my inner-Cavs fan is saying - there's always this year.

New Cavalier PG Mo Williams

"One team I always envisioned myself with was here. I'm fortunate in that it was a dream come true. I felt that with the way I played and the way LeBron plays, he's a great complement to what I do and I'm a complement to what he does." - Mo Williams

Cavs Update: Brian Windhorst talks of Mike Brown's new kinder, gentler training camp... The Cavs are eager to unleash their new point guard... Micheal Dickerson (remember him way back from the University of Arizona?) took a long road to Cavaliers training camp... And FSN Ohio has some great Cavalier programming the entire month of October to fill the void before the season starts.

Tribe Update: Some housecleaning was done on the coaching staff. All I ever saw Isaac do was hold a clipboard in the bullpen, but you'd think he was a god with some of the raging comments on cleveland.com. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he's a bullpen coach people. Take a deep breath and relax... Eric Wedge gave some thoughts on the 2009 Indians, and as usual doesn't really go into a lot of detail. But I'll say it again, I think he did a great job with this team this year and I don't understand why people are constantly calling for his head... Terry Pluto goes back over his predictions for the 2008 Indians. I like that he's man enough to do that. I'll never re-hash anything I predict, unless it somehow actually comes true.

Media Day offers first look at new Cavaliers

I've made no effort to try to hide my love for the Cavaliers here. I sometimes feel like I defend them as I would my own child. They are always third fiddle in this city, behind the (ever-disappointing) Browns and the Indians. And that's a shame because obviously LeBron is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and we have him right here to watch on a nightly basis. I get frustrated when casual fans don't see this as a great team. Sure there have been holes on this roster in past seasons, but they have been the most successful Cleveland playoff team in years and I think they have only scratched the surface of their potential. This team is now arguably the deepest squad in the Eastern Conference, and of course they have the best player in the league for at least two more seasons. So yesterday's media day at the Q was a great chance to catch up with the Cavaliers and get a sneak peek at what's in store for us this season.

It's nice having Andy in camp this time around

The best news to me is there are no distractions heading into training camp this year. No contract holdouts, no injuries, no disgruntled players. Just a hungry team led by an even hungrier superstar. Get pumped Cleveland - yes, it's the hokey catchphrase adopted this season, but it's appropriate when you get right down to it. This is one team that will not disappoint you this year.

Some observations from the articles and pictures I've skimmed over:

• LeBron actually likes playing for the Cavaliers! (*GASP!*) Some of those quotes from LBJ are sure to disappoint the national 'experts' that can't comprehend why the King would want to stay here past 2010.
• Delonte West has a new look. He's always been kind of an odd-looking character, but hey, whatever works for him. I'm just glad he's still a part of this team and I expect bigger things from him this season.
  
• Boobie Gibson is always an entertaining interview.
• Mo Williams and LBJ seem to have become fast friends. I can picture Mo in a Damon Jones-like class clown role off the court... only with the on-court game to go along with the antics.
• Even at 6'8" and 260 lbs., the King is still a kid at heart. I'm sure Danny Ferry had a mini-heart attack when he learned of LBJ playing pickup football with Boobie and others, but it was harmless and shows that these guys still know how to have fun.

''I've never given any indication that I was leaving or didn't like being here. Every time I am asked the question — I love being here, I love playing in front of these fans, my family is here, I grew up 30 miles away — I never gave any indication that I did not like playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.''
- LeBron James

More Cavs Notes: Brian Windhorst reports that big Z has no plans for retirement or early free agency (I also like the part at the end about Delonte and the Russia rumors)... Pat McManamon says the Cavs need to trust each other this season... The PD (pre-Windhorst so bear with them for another week or so) has some things to consider as the Cavs open camp... Dan Labbe has some notes from media day... And finally, I usually hate these things and disagree with them vehemently, but I actually have no problem with espn.com's initial NBA Power Rankings.

Tribe Update: Jhonny Peralta says he's open to a move to third base. I'm glad to hear that, because that's where he'll be come April... The Tribe may finalize the CC Sabathia trade by picking their final player today. Thankfully the Brewers made the playoffs so it is our choice... Kelly Shoppach underwent 'minor' knee surgery yesterday at the Cleveland Clinic. The words "minor knee surgery" strung together in a sentence always make me a little nervious, so let's hope for the best for Shoppach. He had a nice season behind the plate and at the plate this year... And finally, Shin Soo-Choo was named AL Player of the Month for September. This is a well-deserved honor for Choo and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do in a full season in 2009.

Browns Update: Stop the presses, Donte Stallworth claims he'll be ready to play vs. the Giants. Excuse me for being skeptical, but I'll believe it when I see it... Phil Savage gave the dreaded vote of confidence to DA and RAC... And Terry Pluto says the Browns just need to play better.

Back home...

To the handful of faithful readers out there, I apologize for the outage this week. I had to travel for work and really didn't have proper computer access to add any good updates. Spending a couple days in Madison, Wisconsin - as nice as it is - made me homesick for Cleveland. Call me crazy, I know. At least I got to miss the Tribe's slide in Boston (I can't stand the effing Red Sox). So we're back below .500 again, but with a chance for redemption this weekend in Chicago. I also got to miss out on the speculation regarding the Browns' brewing QB controversy. But now we know that DA will get the start, with BQ waiting in the wings for his chance to try to keep this sinking ship afloat. And has anyone else heard the Bill Cowher rumors? I briefly heard something on the radio last week about him buying a house in Strongsville. Then I even heard the same when I was in Wisconsin. I love all this speculation (probably based on the same unsubstantiated rumor I heard on the radio). Oh well, back to the grind...

Browns Update: The Browns take on the Bengals in Cincy on Sunday. And thankfully were finally a 1:00 pm start. The good news is if we keep playing like this, we'll have plenty of 1:00pm starts on the schedule next year. One of the more depressing things I did see when I was away from Cleveland is that this will be the fourth time since 1999 that both the Browns and Bengals enter their intrastate rivalry game winless. So four out of the last ten times we've met for the first time in a season, we've both been 0-and-something. Pathetic. But even worse if you're a Bengals fan, because at least we've had the expansion team excuse to lean back on. I really don't know what to expect anymore, especially out of either of these teams. My predictions have been woefully wrong all year, so hopefully I'm wrong again. I'll go with... Bengals 17, Browns 14. But win or lose this Sunday, it's really a win. A true win gets us back on track going into the bye week and some confidence in our preparation for MNF on October 13 vs. the Giants. But a loss probably means the Brady Quinn era will officially begin. And possibly the end of the RAC era (and inevitably more Cowher rumors). So all that should be fun to watch unfold. Although I don't think I'm ready for this franchise to start over again...

Will Sunday be Crennel's farewell?

Other Browns Notes: Tony Grossi talks about Crennel working through the storm... And what is up with our special teams so far? I think most of it comes down to Josh Cribbs playing hurt, although that doesn't explain the terrible punting by Dave Zastudil... At least we now know the Browns aren't eye-gougers. I was really worried about that...

Tribe Update: I won't go into the details of the Tribe losing the last three to the Red Sox. All I can say is F Boston. At least we know that Jhonny Peralta will finally give third base a try this weekend. Hooray!!! Rookie suprirse Scott Lewis will be on the mound for the good guys tonight as they attempt to ruin the postseason plans for the White Sox.

Cavs Update: Only 32 days until the first game! We finally got to hear from Dan Gilbert and Mike Brown in a press conference yesterday. Terry Pluto says that we can count on the Cavs to not disappoint. And I agree 100%. And Brian Windhorst also reports on the opening of camp. Speaking of Brian... I have heard from a very reliable source that he will soon be the Cavs beat writer for the Plain Dealer, following in Terry Pluto's footsteps by leaving the ABJ. If true, this will obviously leave a huge hole for the Beacon Journal, but will be a big plus for Plain Dealer readers. Finally some good Cavs coverage from the PD! It's about time.

I'm digging Coach Brown's new look

Stick a fork in 'em

Done. Over. Finished. After their awful 28-10 loss in Baltimore, the Browns' 2008 season of hope is already at an end. At 0-3 they are done and you can write it down now. And really, if this is how they are going to play this season I'm glad it's already over. I've laughed in years past in conversations with friends, all of us agreeing that we should never get our hopes up for the Browns. We made that mistake after somehow making the playoffs in 2002, with a very lucky 9-7 Browns squad. We pinned our hopes on Kelly Holcomb's arm and were bitterly disappointed. Then last year, the Browns came out of nowhere again, led by another no-name quarterback that made us forget Detmer/Couch/Holcomb/Wynn/Garcia/Dilfer/Frye. The 10-6 Browns of 2007 gave us reason to hope again and saw 6 different players sent to the Pro Bowl. Their high-powered offense re-wrote the franchise's record books. So it was safe to have high hopes for 2008, right? Wrong.

Ray Lewis delivers the blow that ended the 2008 Browns season

Derek Anderson is starting to look a lot like Kelly Holcomb of 2003. Forcing balls into coverage, overthrowing open receivers, taking sacks, and serving up those killer turnovers. Yesterday he was 14-for-37 for 125 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Just think about those numbers for a second. There's a reason why he has a league-worst 43.5 passer rating. Yikes. And those interceptions directly led to 14 points for the Ravens. The Chiefs can forget about their idiotic fantasy of getting Brady Quinn. I have a feeling he's gonna be needed here in a Browns uniform in the not-too-distant future. When the Browns inevitably go into Cincy and lose this weekend and enter the bye week 0-4, I fully expect us to have a new head coach and new starting QB going into the Monday nighter against the Giants. And I don't think that is a knee-jerk pissed-off fan reaction. Those are necessary moves to save a team that just flat out quit yesterday in Baltimore.

And one final side note on yesterday's debacle - is there anything worse than watching Ray Lewis dance around like a lunatic? Or seeing Ed Reed gobble up another interception against the Browns and take it into the end zone untouched? I know the Ravens defense is good, but we made them look like it was 2000 all over again. Just utterly embarrassing on so many levels, I feel like my head is going to explode. And what does RAC have to say about it?

"Right now, we're not a very good football team. We're going to have to do a lot better or this thing's really going to get away from us." - Romeo Crennel

Even he sounds worried at this point, and he should be. He has maybe 7-10 days left as head coach of this football team...

Other Browns Notes: Terry Pluto gives his post-game scribbles... And he talks about another QB controversy in Cleveland (here we go again)... Don't miss Tony Grossi's noon podcast - always entertaining after a beatdown like yesterday... Pat McManamon also weighs in on a season that is slipping away.

Tribe Update: As embarrassed as I am with the Browns now, I'm equally proud of the way the Indians are finishing their season. And sad for the fact that their run is almost over. It's been a strange year to say the least for the Tribe. But there's no questioning this team's grit and determination in their quest to end the season with a winning record. Yesterday's 10-5 shellacking of the Tigers at the Prog (how bad is Dontrelle Willis now???) finally put them back over .500 for the first time since May 17th. It was the Tribe's sixth consecutive win and gave youngster Scott Lewis his third straight victory to start his major league career.

You get the feeling that if the season were somehow stretched for another month that the Indians would catch the White Sox and Twins. Amazingly, they are now only 5-1/2 behind Minnesota and just 8 behind Chicago. I know the Wedge-haters out there don't want to hear this, but the guy has done a great job juggling this line-up all year and keeping the team focused and playing hard. I for one am looking forward to next season. And I know that this Cleveland team won't quit like the Browns did yesterday.

Fausto provided a satisfying and lasting memory Friday night

And on a personal note, I was so glad to be in attendance at Friday night's game at the Prog. Seeing Shin-Soo Choo rise to cult-level status among the fans was one thing (this guy's swing is something to behold). But watching Fausto Carmona pound on Gary Sheffield's head was even more gratifying on so many levels. My hatred for all things Detroit has grown over the last couple years with the Pistons and their tired act, and now the Tigers and their bloated payroll and underachieving roster. Thank you Fausto for giving us that memory and a big f*ck you to you Gary Sheffield. You're a class act with your .223 average and $14M salary. I'm gonna enjoy having you around for one more year in the division, and watching your team fall flat on its face yet again.

The Indians will begin their final road trip of the year tonight in Boston with Zach Jackson going for the good guys against Josh Beckett. Not exactly the pitching match-up I'm most looking forward to, but Cliff Lee will get the start tomorrow night.

Week 3: Browns vs. Ratbirds

With the Tribe off last night, I'm reduced to giving my worthless prediction for the Browns game at M&T Bank Stadium. I didn't even realize it was a 4:15 start until yesterday. It is not my favorite thing to have to sit around on Sunday waiting for the second game, especially when my favorite team is 0-2. I want them back on the field ASAP so I can try to forget about the first two games. Obviously, the Browns need to win this one or their season may already be over, as dumb as that sounds just three games into the season. Really, I don't think anyone knows what to expect from the brown and orange at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if they lost and I wouldn't be surprised if they won big.

Remember what happened last time the Browns visited Baltimore?

The Ravens should be nice and rested after Hurricane Ike disrupted their plans last weekend in Houston. But that also means they could be rusty. And with a rookie quarterback in there, you would think that this is the perfect time for the Browns to throw in some blitzing schemes to try to rattle young Flacco. Then again, we've rarely seen that type of planning on defense so who knows what's to come. I do know that with Robaire Smith out of action for the year, it's one less big guy up front to occupy their offensive line.

On the Browns side of the ball, it's imperative that they come away with some points this weekend. A whopping sixteen points through two games isn't going to cut it in this league. Not to mention their meager 206.5 ypg average, good for second-to-last in the AFC. With the weapons this team has, there is no excuse for that type of output. I expect Braylon to elminate the drops, Winslow to be involved more, and Stallworth to be standing on the sidelines in street clothes again. So now on to my prediction...

I see this game coming down to the wire, even though it should not. The Browns are head and shoulders above the Ravens talent-wise. But this is a road game, and the Browns just won't make it easy - just look at last year's game against an overmatched Ravens team. The Browns also have a coaching staff that consistently has looked overmatched and ill-prepared. Play-calling, clock management, and coaching decisions have been even worse than the execution on the field. I could honestly see this one coming down to another Phil Dawson field goal as the clock is winding down with the Browns of course having no time outs and scrambling to the line (a la the 16-15 win in Pittsburgh back in 1999). It was excusable for an expansion team, but I'm not sure why it's still possible 10 years later. Nevertheless, I'm going with Browns 16, Ravens 13.

Other Browns Notes: Phil Dawson is actually hoping for a repeat of last year's performance in Baltimore. Well, at least the part where the teams wins... And more good news - Eric Steinbach is hurting. Just what we need... And Tony Grossi gives his thoughts in his Friday podcast.

Tribe Update: After their final off-day yesterday the Tribe is back in action tonight. This will be the last game that my wife and I will be attending this year so I hope to be sent out on a good note. Fausto Carmona is on the hill for the good guys to start the final 10-game push for .500 or better... Based on my expecations going into this season, Ryan Garko has truly put up some puzzling numbers this year... Jensen Lewis seems to be enjoying the tiring role of everyday closer... And kiss Buffalo goodbye, the Tribe is now calling Columbus its AAA home.

The sweep taste of victory

The Tribe was able to cap off their sweep of the Twins with a 6-4 win last night at the Prog. Amazingly, the Indians are now 31-35 vs. the Central Division after such a horrendous start to divisional play. They even still have a chance to finish with a winning record against Central foes if they can somehow sweep both their remaining three-game series against Detroit and Chicago. More importantly, last night's victory brings them within 2 games of the .500 mark with just 10 games to play. So just a 6-4 finish (or better) would mean a non-losing season, which would be pretty remarkable when you consider how bad things were in July.

Pronk's shot in the 4th was a sight for sore eyes

The only downer to last night's game was that Cliff Lee wasn't able to hold on for his 23rd win. He entered the 7th inning with a 4-2 lead, but some bad luck caused him to depart with a 4-4 tie and a disgusted look on his face. I just love Lee's intensity this year. He was so upset he didn't even notice the rousing standing ovation he got from the crowd, who realized that this was their last chance to thank Lee personally for an amazing year. But thanks to the offense picking Lee up, his no-decision allowed him to finish the year a perfect 10-0 at home.

"I was so focused on what just happened, I didn't hear anything," he said. "I was just frustrated with the way things went in that inning. I was caught up in the moment." - Cliff Lee

The Indians also managed to sock two more home runs off of Twins' pitching last night, giving them a total of eight in the three-game sweep. The most welcome sight was obviously the shot off the bat of Travis Hafner. It was one of those no-doubters that Pronk has become known for over the years and I had my doubts whether we'd see one of those again in 2008. Jhonny Peralta also added a solo shot of his own in the 4th for his 22nd on the year.

Other Tribe Notes: Terry Pluto reflects on Cliff Lee's stellar season... The Indians' 2009 schedule was released yesterday, and good news - we play 40% of our games in August and September instead of April and May. I'm already dubbing it 'The Season of Redemption'... The Tribe will enjoy their final off-day of the year today before beginning a three-game series with the Tigers tomorrow night at the Prog.

Browns Update: Stop me if you've heard this one before - Donte Stallworth still isn't healthy enough to play. Shocking I know... And Tony Grossi talks about Braylon Edwards and his 'slump.' Whatever is going on with that, it needs to change quickly. I'll be back here with my big Sunday prediction tomorrow...

Cavs Update: Only 40 days until the season officially kicks off. Nothing big to report really, just that I'm excited. The Cavs may be rounding out their roster with the addition of Ronald Dupree. Here are his career numbers. Nothing earth-shattering, but maybe a little more depth in camp, and perhaps some good defense if he makes the final roster.