Mo to face former mates

The Cavaliers return to the hardwood at the Q tonight to take on the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:00pm. The good news? They won't be facing the guy who seemed to single-handedly destroy them last year. In losing three of four to the Bucks last year, the Cavs watched Mo Williams run wild on them. He averaged 28.7 points on 58% shooting from the field in those three Milwaukee wins. Those performances likely had at least a little bit to do with Danny Ferry orchestrating the trade this summer that put Mo in a wine and gold uniform. So how does he feel about facing his former teammates tonight?

"It's just another game for us. We take it one game at a time. I don't have any bitter feelings against Milwaukee. All my memories there are great. The organization has been nothing but great to me. I have a lot of friends still there. I have a lot of respect for the organization. They gave me my contract. Never bite the hand that feeds you."

As you would expect, the same standard cliches we usually hear from athletes. I'm sure deep down Mo will be giving a little extra out there on the court tonight. And he should try to stick it to his former team and show them what they are missing. This is another Central division game at home that is important for the Cavs to take. Any extra motivation to win a game like this should be welcomed and encouraged. Time to extend the winning streak to five tonight...

We should all be happy that Mo is playing with LeBron tonight

In other Cavs news, it appears Antonio McDyess won't be coming to Cleveland. But not because the Cavaliers wouldn't love to have him, just that he seems set on returning to the Pistons. Both Bob Finnan and George Thomas report today that him joining any other team besides the Pistons is highly unlikely. And that's a shame because as I stated in an earlier entry, I really think the Iverson trade (and more importantly, losing Chauncey Billups) will ultimately be a bad thing for Detroit. If McDyess truly wants to win a ring this year I think either the Cavaliers or Boston (ugh, I hate to even think about that) are his best options. And in joining the Cavs he would have a chance to be with friend and former teammate in Detroit Ben Wallace, not to mention that the Cavs still have nearly their full mid-level exception to pay. I guess we'll have to wait and see how it pans out but I'd love to see him give the Cavs a shot and take on the Joe Smith role here. (And yes, it's easy for me to spend Dan Gilbert's money for him!)

And finally, LeBron James was named Eastern Conference player of the week again. This is already the 14th time in the King's career he has received that honor. And for some strange reason I have a feeling it won't be the last...

Weekend Sweep

It was a good sports weekend in Cleveland, especially since the Browns weren't a part of it. The Cavaliers had a back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday night. First they were home vs. the Pacers and then they hit the road the next night in Chicago - it's always a daunting task in the NBA to play that second consecutive night on the road. In the past few years it would have been asking a lot of this team to win both games, even against lesser opponents the likes of the Pacers and Bulls. Now with the added depth on this roster, taking both games should be the rule and not the exception.

The Cavaliers passed their first back-to-back test with flying colors after Friday's 111-107 win (highlights here) and Saturday's 106-97 win (highlights here). And it wasn't so much that they won both games, but rather how they won both games. On Friday the Cavs were forced to play out of their element. They didn't win with their defense (well, besides this play) but instead with their up-tempo offense. They flew their way to 68 second-half points and won a game they likely would not have been able to get last year.

Then on Saturday they were able to win with their defense, with their hustle, with their determination, and with their superstar showing why he's the best player in the league. LeBron's consecutive three-pointers in the final two minutes were the type of daggers that he has become famous for the last couple seasons. And we should all take a minute or two to commend LeBron for his improved free throw shooting - he has now made 42 of his last 47 after starting the season 12-of-20. He is now up to 77% overall. If LBJ can maintain that clip I see a lot more wins in this team's future.

The King and AV have been keys to the Cavs' 5-2 start

Through seven games the Cavs sit at 5-2, in first in the Central division, and about to begin a three-game home stand. Mike Brown is now comfortable with his rotation and some of his players look the best they ever have in their Cavalier careers. Anderson Varejao is playing his way into a big contract next year. Ben Wallace looks healthy and dominant again defensively. Wally has settled nicely into his role off the bench. Mo looks comfortable taking big shots and running the show. Z is steady and consistent as usual. Delonte West has adjusted very well to his starting 2-guard spot. And Boobie Gibson is showing some surprisingly adequate ball-handling skills and is starting to look more like the PG that we all hoped he could be off the bench - and of course his long-range shooting will always be there too. These are all reasons to get pumped about this team and be happy that they can divert your attention from yet another lackluster Browns season.

Losers find ways to lose

I don't know what I can say that hasn't been said hundreds of times about the Browns since 1999. They just are not a winning franchise and losing still hangs like a dark cloud over everything they seem to do. There is no more honeymoon period for this organization, at least not for me. It has been almost 10 years since they were reincarnated and we are still watching them invent new ways to lose on a consistent basis. Their debut on Thursday Night Football, a humiliating 34-30 loss to the Broncos, was just the latest example.

Was there anyone in the stands at Cleveland Browns Stadium, or watching at home all over northeast Ohio that didn't see this one coming? Our defense was shredded in the 2nd half, giving up another big lead at home and ruining a solid starting debut by quarterback Brady Quinn. I'm embarrassed by this team and fed up with their lack of discipline. Fan loyalty can quickly turn to apathy and when that happens you can lump the Browns in with teams like the Lions and Bengals. Not exactly the company we want to keep in this league.

How do we fix this mess? I think the easiest answer is for Browns owner Randy Lerner to tear two blank checks from his checkbook. Send one to Bill Cowher and the other to Brian Billick. Whomever returns the gesture first with a "yes" gets the job. At least these guys know how to win in this division. That's not to put all of the blame on Romeo, but winning starts at the top. It's quickly becoming evident that this team cannot win with a players' coach. They need someone who cares about winning as much as their fans do...

Do yourselves a favor Cleveland fans: turn 100% of your attention to the Cavaliers. They are a team that knows how to win right now. Start by going to the game tonight and watching them dismantle the Pacers. You'll even get a throwback Cavaliers Hardwood Classics winter hat for your trouble. It's the quickest way to rid your mind of the losers in orange and brown. Go Cavs.

Three wins, three blowouts

The Cavaliers' third victory of the season was another relatively easy one in their 107-93 rout (highlights here) of the Chicago Bulls. That makes three blowouts in their three victories, with an average margin of +16.7. That's not to erase their two road losses in Boston and New Orleans, but those are arguably two of the best teams in the league, and the Cavs were in both of those games in the fourth quarter.

Especially impressive in last night's game was the way LeBron scored his 41 points. It just seemed so effortless (13-of-23 from the floor in 35 minutes) and once again he was nailing his free throws (15-of-16 from the line). Delonte West (a three-ball call courtesy of Mr. Tait) and Mo Williams also looked great manning the backcourt and Big Ben continued he rejuvenating play with 14 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot. But most important for the Cavaliers, they were again able to keep LeBron's minutes down. And it wasn't complete chaos and panic on the floor when he had to sit for a few minutes when he tweaked his ankle. That's what excites me most about this team - they are deep enough to allow LeBron some rest and can look good without him for long stretches.

Big Ben has played well early in the year averaging 9.8 rpg

So far everything is going according to the script at home - they are finally taking care of teams handily inside the friendly confines of the Q. As I said in earlier posts, that will be a key to a big win total and playoff seeding come April. Now they need to make sure they can translate this style of play onto the road and we could be looking at a dominant NBA team this season...

Other Cavs Notes: Could Antonio McDyess be another big man option for the Cavs? Interesting to think about if he becomes a free agent... LeBron is happy with the results of the election... Old friend Drew Gooden was happy to be back in town... And the Cavs seem to be doing business the right way.

Browns Update: I will be leaving work shortly to partake in the tailgating festivities down in the Pit before the Browns take on the Broncos. Again, no more expectations from this team, but it will be fun to see the debut of Brady Quinn as the next starting quarterback of our Cleveland Browns. It's a perfect beautiful fall day and I'm glad this one will be showcased for the country to see (unless #10 completely embarrasses us and we lose again). But today hopes are high for the start of the Quinn Era. Brady thinks this game will be fun... His old coach will be watching closely tonight... Tony Grossi's latest podcast previews the Browns vs. Broncos.

My bold prediction tonight? The rollercoaster continues - Browns 23, Broncos 21.

"Yeah, it's been a little while. I'll have to dust off the ol' cleats and shoulder pads and everything. Obviously I'm excited now and I will be once game time comes. I think the biggest thing for me is remaining calm.'' - Brady Quinn

That's more like it

The Cavaliers went into Dallas last night, built a 16-point lead in the first half, let Dallas come all the way back to tie it, and still ended up walking away with a dominating 100-81 win (highlights here) over the Mavericks. If this was just our fist taste of the new-look Cavaliers then I'm already hungry for more. LeBron James led the way with 29 points (13-15 from the line!!!), Mo Williams added 14 (including some daggers during a fourth quarter run, highlighted by this long range bomb), and the Cavs outrebounded Dallas by 17. In all five Cavaliers were in double figures in a very balanced offensive attack.

I wish I had photographic or video evidence of a huge baseline dunk by Wally Szczerbiak but I cannot find it anywhere. But trust me, with 3:58 left in the third quarter and the Cavs only up by one Wally went baseline and threw one down right in Erick Dampier's face. It's like the people in control of NBA highlights were so shocked that it happened, they just decided to omit it altogether. It might be the first time I've ever even seen Wally throw one down in a Cavalier uniform and I won't soon forget it. It was the kind of night for the guys in wine and gold.

The King led the cheers from the bench in the 4th quarter

Another thing that was great about this win was the way the bench reacted throughout. They were up and cheering and really supporting the five guys on the floor all night. It may seem like a trivial thing but I can't remember the last time I saw the Cavs bench so actively involved in a game. I think it illustrates how tightly knit this group of players is and how excited they are about the opportunities ahead of them. LeBron was really leading the cheers from the bench in the fourth quarter. And how nice is that to say? Again, he only had to log 34 minutes on the court in this game and is averaging 34.5 mpg through the season's first four games. You know that makes Mike Brown grin uncontrolably. A healthy, rested LeBron means trouble for the rest of the league come playoff time...

Other Cavs Notes: Brian Windhorst's take on the big win in Dallas... The Cavaliers have some opinions on yesterday's big trade... I just noticed Bob Finnan started a new Cavalier blog to go along with his view of yesterday's win... The Cavaliers will return home to the Q tomorrow night to take on the Bulls at 8:00 pm.

Browns Update: I was literally shocked when I got three texts from friends around the same time as I was driving home from work yesterday - Brady Quinn will be the starter vs. the Broncos on Thursday night. Of course I wanted this and lobbied for it yesterday, but I can't believe the Browns actually pulled the trigger... Coach Crennel says it was his decision... Tony Grossi says the Browns just couldn't wait any longer on Quinn... Joe Jurevicius is eager to recover and return to the field in '09. We're pulling for you Joe.

"Some things had to do with it. Our record, offensive ranking, offensive production, so I made the decision to make the change." - Romeo Crennel

Pathetic collapse

There's no other way to describe the Browns' meltdown on Sunday in their 37-27 loss to the Ravens. At home with a 14-point lead in the third quarter. Not to mention a chance to put some heat on the Steelers in the AFC North race. But of course these Browns couldn't stand success and found a way to let a rookie running back and rookie quarterback carve up their defense. 24 unanswered points from the Ravens to end it? That is an embarrassing disgrace that should cause heads to roll in Berea.

The thing that angers me the most after this loss is that Derek Anderson will take the immediate brunt of the fans' displeasure. That's not to say that he isn't culpable in this loss, but 'Bad DA' really didn't show up until almost the fourth quarter. And by that point the defense had done its job to let the Ravens back into the game. Bad DA still managed to throw a perfect strike to Braylon Edwards in stride on 3rd-and-7 that should have gone for a game-winning touchdown. Of course Edwards dropped that one to add to his league-leading 13 on the year. Bad DA hit Kellen Winslow for a 22-yard gain on the next drive with the score still tied at 27 but Winslow was called for a puzzling pass interference penalty. That immediately led to another three-and-out by the Browns. And Bad DA later found Edwards open on the sideline on the next drive with the Browns only trailing by a field goal. Edwards again dropped it.

Sunday showcased 'Braylon being Braylon' yet again

The point is that Anderson cannot be held responsible for this loss. It should be pinned on the Browns coaching staff, their porous defense (aside from Shaun Rogers who again was a beast) and Edwards. I won't even mention how Dainty Stallworth was again a late scratch from the starting line-up with a pulled quad muscle. Wait, I just did mention it. This guy is literally stealing money from the Browns. Or maybe he's just embarrassed to put on that uniform every Sunday. I know I'm embarrassed to be a fan of a team that consistently plays like this in must-win games.

So what next for the orange and brown? Obviously I think we should start Brady Quinn at quarterback on Thursday. This is not to fault Anderson, it's just time to see what Quinn can give this franchise. It's now definitely a lost season and Quinn deserves a crack at the starting job going into next year. Will the Browns make such a bold move? I have my doubts. They will likely wait another week so that Quinn has a full 11 days to prepare for the Monday night game in Buffalo. I'm sure the Browns will win on Thursday just to sucker some fans back in. Not me. Not only are my expectations gone, but the hopes are too.

Other Browns Notes: At least you can count on Josh Cribbs to leave it all on the field every game. I'm kicking myself I didn't get a Cribbs jersey to replace my Winslow one this year... Terry Pluto has some scribbles on the meltdown... Bud Shaw also argues for the Quinn experiment to begin... And coach Crennel's 'I don't know' explanation surely won't go over very well with the fans.

“We couldn’t muster enough energy to make the plays we needed to make. I can’t put my finger on it. … I don’t know what the answer is.” - Romeo Crennel

Cavs Update: The Cavs look to get back on the winning track tonight at 8:30 in Dallas. Mo Williams isn't happy with his slow start... I like reading Bob Finnan's three points section... The Pistons are in the middle of a move that reeks of desperation. I'm sure Rasheed Wallace and Iverson will make that a winning locker room up in Detroit. One step closer to the Central division title for the Cavaliers?... And are the Nets' big plans for LeBron unraveling? I normally wouldn't even include that here, but Brian Windhorst is the man.

Week 9: Browns vs. Ravens

I didn't have time this morning to post anything too significant, so this will have to do...

Sunday the Baltimore Ravens come into Cleveland Browns Stadium. Here's what we currently know about the AFC North:

• The Browns have clawed their way back to a somewhat respectable 3-4, after starting out 0-3.
• The Ravens are just one game ahead of the Browns in the AFC North at 4-3.
• The Steelers, leaders of the AFC North sit at 5-2 with a tough Monday night matchup in Washington to face the Redskins.
• No one cares about the Bengals (aside from their drunk hillbilly fans).

Why am I laying this all out? Because if everything aligns perfectly this weekend, by late Monday night the Steelers will be 5-3, the Browns 4-4, the Ravens 4-4, and the Bengals 0-8 (the bright side for them is they can't possibly lose this week). The problem is that we've seen these type of opportunities numerous times over the years and the Browns typically fail to capitalize when the pressure is on. So what should we expect on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium? Believe it or not, I actually have hope (that is not to be confused with expectations).

As the great Andy Dufresne said in Shawshank, "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." We've learned to live by that motto in Cleveland. And when in doubt, but still full of hope, I find it best to modify my favorite Shawshank quote of them all, delivered by Red himself:

"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a Browns fan can feel, a Browns fan at the start of a matchup with the Ravens whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope the good DA shows up. I hope to see my friend Braylon, and watch him actually hold onto the ball. I hope to see Jamal Lewis get even more carries than the 20 he had in my dreams. I hope. "

I'm calling on Red for some hope this Sunday at the Stadium

Remember no expectations, just hope. And full of hope I'm going with Browns 20, Ravens 13.

Cavs Update: I was at the Q last night for their home opener. And damn was it good to see the way they played. Aside from the third quarter, where they seemed mostly bored and toyed with Charlotte, they looked great on their way to a 96-79 victory. Mo Williams' contant pushing of the ball up the court was a sight for sore eyes. The team defense was outstanding for most of the night. Boobie Gibson's 25-point outburst was a thing of beauty, reminiscent of his Game 6 performance in the ECF vs. the Pistons. LeBron's thunderous dunks were expected. And J.J. Hickson's powerful first two NBA points were not-so-expected. Overall, a solid first win before they head off a couple road games. New Orleans and Dallas will be two good early season road tests for this Cavalier squad.

J.J. Hickson throws down his first NBA points

You call that suffering?

One more thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post today... the Phillies were crowned world champs last night in a bizarre ending to a World Series that featured the first ever weather-suspended game and the lowest rated game of all time. The championship gave the 'long-suffering' Philadelphia fans their first world title in 25 years (the Sixers won the NBA crown in 1983). I have two things to say to Philly fans... first, congrats. And second, that is NOT suffering. Try this one on for size:

(If you want to watch the count get worse, just scroll down and look to your right)

Someday there will be rejoicing in Cleveland like we saw last night in the City of Brotherly Love. I just hope I'm still alive to see it happen.

Home cooking

Basketball is finally back in the Q tonight as the Cavs have their home opener vs. Charlotte at 7:00pm. I'll be in attendance and I'm looking forward to another fun and hopefully dominant home campaign for the wine and gold. These are the type of games where in the past the Cavs have had the tendency to play down to their competition. Don't get me wrong, there is some good young talent on the Bobcats roster... but this is not a team that the Cavaliers should ever lose to at home.

Home court will need to be an even bigger advantage for the Cavs this year

Expectations are high for us this year, and many so-called experts have picked the Cavs to win updwards of 55 games this year. That's a tall task for any NBA team, but the real key to success like that starts with a great home record. Here's a look at what this franchise has accomplished inside the friendly confines of the Q in the LeBron Era:

2003-04: 23-18
2004-05: 29-12
2005-06: 31-10
2006-07: 30-11
2007-08: 27-14
=================
Total: 140-65 (.682)

So there has obviously been home success since LeBron arrived. But to have a season that approaches the Cavaliers' all-time best of 57-25 (accomplished twice, in the 88-89 season and the 91-92 season) they will need to do better. I'm thinking something like 35-6 at home and then go .500 on the road. We'll see how it all unfolds in the coming months, but the path to success at home for the Cavs starts tonight in a very winnable game. Time to take care of business before heading back out on the road to face the Hornets and Mavericks...

Other Cavs Notes: Mo Williams is remaining optimistic after an 'average' Cavalier debut in Boston... LeBron had his '60 Minutes' of fame yesterday... Terry Pluto has more scribbles in his notebook about the Cavaliers... And as I could have already told you, the Cavs are near the top 10 priciest tickets in the NBA. What do you expect when you get to see LeBron 41 times a year?

Browns Update: In light of the Browns' goal-line struggles so far this season, could we see a new fullback leading the charge? I'd be surprised if they went that route, but I have to admit, it would be something to see... A decision on Joe Jurevicius' season is due soon and it's not looking good for #84. If he is done for the year, I really hope he tries to stick around for one more. He just can't go out like this... ESPN is still not believing in the Browns in their latest power rankings. Can't blame them there... I think they will have me fully sucked back in if they can win Sunday and Thursday. 5-4 going into the Monday Nighter in Buffalo would be a lot of fun.

"You know what? We talked about that [playing Shaun Rogers at fullback] a little bit," coach Romeo Crennel disclosed on Wednesday.

D'oh-and-1

Not the way we wanted to start the season last night for the Cavaliers. I followed my own cardinal rule and resisted the urge to post something immediately after the game last night to give myself a chance to react in a more rational manner. I think it helped a little bit, but I'm still ticked off by the whole thing. 50 points at halftime and then only 35 in the second half. Ugh. Here are some thoughts I need to pour out after the 90-85 loss in Boston:

• LeBron - He showed the flashes of brilliant athleticism we all love about him. He worked hard to be a distributor for much of the first half, trusting his teammates. And he showed that his free throw shooting still leaves a ton to be desired. I hate to pick on LBJ, but this has to stop. Teams will be fouling him at the end of every game and he needs to step up to the line and knock them down. We shouldn't still be harping on this going into his sixth season now.

There will be plenty more battles between these two before the season is over

• Mo Williams - There was good and bad with Mo last night. First the good... he pushed the tempo in a fashion we just haven't seen with these Cavaliers. That created some easy fast break points. He also is not afraid to take the big shot and I'm sure it will result in some huge scoring nights for him down the road. Now the bad... he just seemed careless with the ball at times. Way too many bad turnovers (4 for him on the night). And his perimeter defense on Rajon Rondo was awful. It reminded me of the playoff series last year with Rondo constantly blowing by defenders to the basket for an easy layup or two free throws. That needs to stop too.
• Z - The big man will always be a target among certain Cavalier fans because of his slow feet and two or three guaranteed traveling calls a night on moves to the hoop. But Z is consistent. His 15 points and 8 boards from last night can basically be penciled into the box score every single game. And his mid-range jumper is a huge asset to the Cavs when teams collapse on LeBron in the paint. I will always love Z on the Cavs for what he brings on a nightly basis. He is what he is and everyone should know what to expect from him by now.
• Boobie - There was also good and bad here. I liked the way he aggressively drove to the basket on a couple occassions. And he seemed much more comfortable handing the PG duties (mainly his ballhandling) with the second unit. But he was way off on his outside shot last night, missing a few wide open looks that he usually knocks down. But he's too good a shooter for that to continue for too long.
• Sasha Pavlovic - What can you say about him that hasn't already been said a million times? He had a nice drive to the basket for a strong layup over two defenders. He confidently knocked down a jumper in the 4th quarter. Then later in the 4th he put his head down and plowed into the lane where three defenders were waiting to take the easy charge. And he missed a big free throw after that. I could have written the same thing about him 4 years ago and probably 4 years from now. He's like a Serbian robot that's auto-programmed to never change.
• Lorenzen Wright - He worked hard from what I saw. He knocked down a nice jumper early in the game. Then reminded us why he probably shouldn't be shooting much when he missed another one later. He looked to me like a slight upgrade over Dwayne Jones, at least in the sense that he can occassionally put the ball in the basket. No more, no less.
• Wally Szczerbiak - Same struggling defender, and same struggling outside shooter. I just wish he would be the consistent shooter that he seemed to be before he arrived in Cleveland. That would make his defensive deficiencies a little easier to swallow.
• Ben Wallace - He grabbed four rebounds and had a nice strong one-handed dunk on his long FG attempt. It appeared as if he is in great shape and his back didn't bother him at all. But he played a puzzling 19 minutes on the night. Not sure what's up with that.
• Anderson Varejao - Maybe the lone bright spot on the night for the Cavs. He was all over the floor in his 25 minutes of action. He ended up with 9 points and 9 rebounds (4 offensive) and even played some nice one-on-one defense on Paul Pierce to force a miss late in the game before the missed free throws from LBJ. This is the Andy that Cleveland fans love and are looking forward to this season. He is definitely playing for a new contract now.
• Delonte West - I love his game, I just wish he'd be more proactive offensively. He played 35 minutes and only took 4 shots. I'm not sure if it's a confidence thing with him, but he seems too tentative at times. He should be more comfortable than he is with this team.
  
• Coach Brown - Not his strongest performance rotation-wise. Maybe it's just because it was the first game and he's still feeling things out. But that second unit that was out there late in the first quarter was simply baffling: Boobie-Sasha-Wally-Wright-Andy. Who was going to score when they were on the floor together? And I'm not going to fault him for not throwing rookie J.J. Hickson out there in that game. At this point I expect Hickson to see spot minutes, or appear in longer stretches in garbage time. But he will clearly have to earn a spot in the regular rotation. Nothing will be handed to him.

That's all for now. I'm done with that game. I hate the Celtics and really don't wanna think about them anymore until the next time we face them (January 9th). I'm looking ahead to the home opener tomorrow night against the Bobcats.

Browns Update: With all the distractions supposedly behind them, it's back to football... Tony Grossi gives a scouting report for Sunday's matchup with the Ravens at the Stadium... The Browns claim their confidence is growing with each victory. A win Sunday would give me a little confidence in this team... And is Romeo Crennel the reason the Browns are still in it? I doubt many fans of the orange and brown will say yes to that.

The wait is finally over

We've been counting down the days for a while now, so it's hard to believe the 2008-09 NBA season is finally upon us. The Cavaliers will kick the season off in style tonight, facing the Boston Celtics at 8:00pm in front of a national audience on TNT. But what should we expect from the wine and gold this year? I see big things ahead...

Is this the year that LBJ will hoist an even better trophy?

First, my fearless predictions:

Overall record: 56-26
This is the deepest Cavalier team since LeBron has arrived. We've all seen what LeBron can do without a lot of help. So how will the team be now that it has depth? If they stay healthy I think they will finally take the Central division crown away from the Pistons. And that's just for starters...

NBA MVP: LeBron James
Who else is there? Spare me your Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Chris Paul arguments. This will be the first of many of these trophies for King James.

Eastern Conference Champs: Cleveland Cavaliers
This is not at all dismissing the Celtics. I wasn't a believer in them at all last year. I didn't buy into the hype. But then I saw their suffocating defense in our playoff series and I knew I had underestimated them. They squeaked out a win in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year and that was basically their NBA title right there.

So what will happen this year? As I said, the Cavaliers are deeper. They won't have more midseason chemistry issues in turning over half their roster in a big trade. They didn't have the contract holdouts of last year. This team is focused and ready. Oh, and they have LeBron. I think they will grab home court advantage over the Celtics and that will be the difference in the end.

NBA Champions: Cleveland Cavaliers
Why the hell would I be wasting my time writing this blog if I didn't think that a Cleveland team would finally break through and win it all? I don't know which team will come out of the West this year, but I do know there will be no sweeping this Cavaliers squad when they get back into the Finals. Whether it be the Lakers, Hornets, Spurs, or whomever... they will have to go through LeBron and his much deeper supporting cast. The Cavaliers have built a franchise around LeBron that expects to win multiple championships. And I think #1 (the sweetest one) will occur this June. And I can't wait to watch it unfold.

Caveats
Of course with all I've said above there always has to be a little luck involved. I'm making the following assumptions, in no particular order:

• LeBron James will stay relatively healthy. This means he won't miss any more than his typical 5-7 games with minor ankle injuries and such. True, the Cavaliers are much deeper than in the past. But let's not kid ourselves. #23 makes all these lofty hopes possible.
• The front court players will also stay relatively healthy. The good news is that Anderson Varejao is in shape and in a contract year. I expect big things from him. More worrisome are the backs of Zydrunas Ilguaskas and Ben Wallace. We need those guys to stay off the injury report to have this team playing in top form. We also have Lorenzen Wright and JJ Hickson to assist, but at this point I don't know how fair it is to expect much from an aging vet and a rookie. Darnell Jackson could also end up in the mix once he recovers from the wrist injury.
• Mo Williams will perform as advertised. I'm not so worried about this one. I know he has tremendous talent and the desire to fit in on the defensive side of the ball. I just don't want this to be the second coming of Larry Hughes. I had high hopes for him too and he consistently disappointed all of us. But I don't see Mo having those same problems.
  
• We pull off another trade at the deadline. We have Wally Sczcerbiak's $14M expiring contract to play with and you know Ferry will use it at some point. This is the one wild card that could really propel the Cavaliers from contender to the team to beat. Ferry has shown us that he's not afraid to make a deal, but always with an eye on the summer of 2010. This will be the year that we will have to take on a contract past 2010, so it better be the right one for the Cavs this season and beyond.

This could be a special year for Cavs fans everywhere. It starts tonight with a chance to send a message to the defending champs the night they collect their rings and the banner is lowered. That should be motivation enough to start the season out right, even if the Cavaliers won't be watching.

Other Cavs Notes: Brian Windhorst gives a nice piece on coach Mike Brown... LeBron and the Cavs are following my lead by skipping the pre-game party in Boston tonight... Mike Brown is still evaluating the starting 2-guard spot... And Bob Finnan has another profile of the Cavs' head man.

"We don't need to be out there watching that, we need to get ready for the game," James said before the team left for Boston. Congratulations to them. But we're not [like] the fans of Boston. We don't need to be out there clapping for them getting rings."

They just won't go away

I knew it. Just when we stop caring about the Browns and move on to the start of the NBA season, they suck us back in. I called it on Friday and I was even close with the score, I just didn't anticipate Shaun Rogers' rejection of that Josh Scobee FG attempt. So with their big 23-17 victory (highlights here) over the Jaguars on Sunday, the Browns have kept their season alive and have undoubtedly stirred up more talk of moving on without Kellen Winslow.

Of course in typical Browns fashion, they just couldn't make it easy. They failed to capitalize twice in the fourth quarter. The first time they got down to first-and-goal from inside the 1 yard line and couldn't punch it into the end zone, settling for a field goal. Then on the ensuing kickoff they forced a fumble, recovered it at the Jacksonville 25, and again walked away with only three points. So clinging to a 6-point lead they naturally let the Jags drive down to the 30-yard line (with no timeouts) and for a few harrowing moments it looked like Matt Jones would haul in a bobbling touchdown catch to steal victory away from the good guys. But Nick Sorensen jumped in at the last second to break up the play, yet amazingly one tick still remained on the game clock. But after one final David Garrard heave into the end zone sailed harmlessly out of play, the Browns finally could breathe a sigh of relief.

'Good DA' stuck around for most of the game on Sunday and the Browns won

This game was both fun and maddening at the same time. It was the standard Jekyll and Hyde-type performance from Derek Anderson that we have grown accustomed to. He didn't have the greatest game ever (14-27, 236 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT), particularly in the 2nd half, but he made enough big plays to put some much-needed points on the scoreboard. And offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinsky deserves a pat on the back for the game he called yesterday.The 51-yard gain on a bootleg to Steve Heiden on 4th-and-1 was a stroke of genius that allowed the Browns to continue to play from ahead in the first half.

I could nitpick about some other things in this win but I won't. Well, besides the two or three completely obviously illegal blocks in the back on Josh Cribbs during second half kick coverage. They happened literally right in front of the refs and nothing was called. I rewound my DVR feed a few times after the game just to see them again and I was stunned they weren't called. And by the way, Cribbs was back to his old self, flying all over the field on special teams again and was the one that recovered that huge fumble on the kickoff in the 4th quarter. But I digress. A win's a win for these Browns and we'll take them however they come. Baltimore is up next and I don't even want to start thinking about that one.

Other Browns Notes: Terry Pluto is shocked by the Browns' victory after a bizarre week... And Bud Shaw has to go K2 on us right after another win... If we didn't already know it, now we do: Shaun Rogers is a beast... Pat McManamon agrees that the Browns are at their best with their backs against the wall... I wish all this would just go away, but apparently it hasn't yet... And if anyone is interested, I made the right fantasy call this week with Garrard over DA.

Cavs Update: Tomorrow the regular season starts. That makes me very happy. I'll give a mini season preview then. For today, the news is light. Brian Windhorst gives some tip-off thoughts for the 2008-09 campaign... And it looks like Delonte West has stolen the starting 2-guard spot... much more tomorrow when I have more time.

“I thought they worked well together. With [Delonte], LeBron and Mo out on the floor, you have three legitimate playmakers. All of those guys know how to play together.”
- Mike Brown

Week 8: Browns @ Jaguars

Let me just start by saying I hate fantasy football. I swore it off after last season, claiming that I wouldn't be in another pay league this year, again giving my money away to the rest of the league. I don't have the patience to draft properly, nor the interest to keep making prudent moves every week with all the injuries, bye weeks, etc. So what happened when my neighbor down the street asked me to join his CBS Sportsline fantasy leauge this year? Of course I said yes.

Even worse, when drafting I went against my own cardinal rule - never, never, EVER draft players from the Browns. It will inevitably lead to a curse on that player, and even worse from a fantasy perspective, stubbornness in realizing when it's time to cut ties with said player. So why am I explaining all this here? Because Week 8 features the Browns in Jacksonville to face the Jaguars. And of course my two fantasy quarterback options are Derek Anderson and David Garrard.

I'll give you a second to stop laughing about my DA pick... OK, done? Well on the night of my draft I was actually hoping and praying that Anderson would be gone when it was time to fill the QB slot, I think in Round 3. But of course I was seduced by the thought of DA in the second year of Chud's offense, surrounded by Braylon Edwards, Donte (now "Dainty") Stallworth, K2, Jamal Lewis, etc. And of course DA was still there when my pick was up and as I watched the draft clock ticking down I knew I shouldn't pull the trigger... but I did. (I wonder how many NFL GM's feel the same way on the real draft day? Do they too talk themselves into picks like that?)

So anyway, now I have to decide which quarterback to give the start this Sunday. I obviously should have already cut ties with DA, but the stubbornness I referred to just won't let me do it yet. I'm still convinced that he can pull out a big game or two before Brady Quinn finally gets the full-time job. And that's not to say I think DA is a good quarterback anymore. I actually think he's a poor decision-maker and a guy who needs to be in a rhythm to succeed. And that's something that just will never lead to success on the Browns with guys routinely dropping catchable passes or running the wrong routes altogether. Yes, he has a cannon for an arm (which was unfortunately on display on some short passes to Jamal last week), but what other redeeming qualities are there? I have ultimately decided to give the start this week to Garrard, for the sole reasoning that my benching of DA will propel the Browns to a win.

Garrard gets the nod in a tough fantasy call this week

What do I actually think will happen on Sunday? I really don't know. But history suggests that these Browns seem play their best football when their backs are against the wall. Look no further than the Giants game two weeks ago, or the Cincy game in Week 2 last year, or both Ravens games last year. Something in Romeo Crennel's team seems to shine when the axe is ready to fall on his neck (or at least the chubby spot under his head where his neck should be). I don't know why but I'm going with Browns 23, Jags 20.

Other Browns Notes: K2 is definitely out for Sunday's game, his appeal set for Tuesday... Pat McManamon says the Browns should just release Winslow... Terry Pluto says the Browns' biggest letdown is Braylon's drops... And ESPN's 'expert panel' currently has the Jags winning across the board (although three picks still remain as of 11:30 on Friday) so you just know the Browns will somehow pull this one out, right?

Cavs Update: Only 4 days left... the Cavaliers will finally put the preseason to bed with their finale against the Wizards in Columbus on glorious ESPN-HD tonight at 8:00... Ronald Dupree was the final roster cut yesterday, and Jawad Williams is thrilled to be home... It looks like Delonte West is getting the start tonight. Could this mean that Sasha has fallen out of the rotation yet again? And does this mean that Boobie will be the true backup PG? We'll know soon enough... And the Cavs are running with Mo when they have the chance.

"I'm not going to celebrate, but I think my family will celebrate. For me the process is never over, I have to continue to work hard and prove I belong." - Jawad Williams

More bad publicity

So I was watching all the cable news channels last night, flipping around to get all the perspectives (I admit, I'm somewhat addicted during election season even though I can't wait for it to just all be over). On CNN I noticed something to this effect scroll across the bottom of the screen: "Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow to appeal his one-game suspension - AP."

Now I know going into this season the Browns were expecting lots of attention. With five prime time games on the schedule the team was hoping that all of the media focus would be based on what was happening on the field. Somewhere I'm sure Phil Savage was just shaking his head at the latest embarrassment for this franchise yesterday. Now everyone knows that not only have the 2008 Cleveland Browns underachieved, they've also managed to get caught up in a PR mess that doesn't figure to disappear anytime soon.

Good luck trying to cheer us up this year Phil

I defended K2 yesterday, but upon hearing that he is now appealing his one-game suspension I'm done defending him. It looks to me like this is all a ploy to keep his game check ($235K) that he is scheduled to miss during his suspension. I gave him the benefit of the doubt yesterday, assuming that he spoke out in frustration. But given that his agent is the one-and-only Drew Rosenhaus, Winslow's history of injuries that have likely shortened his career, and his longing for a new contract, this whole scenario just screams 'Pay me or I'll make a mess for you.' And if that's the case it is despicable, embarrassing, and completely unacceptable.

"As a grown man, if you make your bed, you have to lay in it. I'm not Kellen Winslow. I don't really understand what's going on with him and the team. I'm sure he felt he did what he needed to do." - Darnell Dinkins

Winning usually cures most ills for a team but I'm not sure even that (as unlikely as it seems with these up-and-down Browns) would help with K2. The Browns are nearing a crossroads with him and it just might be time to cut ties and rid the team of yet another distraction that they just don't need.

Other Browns Notes: Steve Heiden is hurting, but still expects to play Sunday vs. the Jags... And speaking of tight ends (that seems to be all we're talking about today), rookie Martin Rucker may be activated for Sunday's game. Yet another indication that K2 is expendable? I guess we'll have to see how he does, but we already know we have two decent stop-gaps in Heiden and Dinkins, so the more the merrier... I'll give my fearless prediction for Sunday right here tomorrow and you just might be surprised.

Cavs Update: The Cavaliers sleepwalked their way to a 97-79 loss to the Pistons last night in their almost-preseason-finale. Not exactly the best way to debut themselves to basketball-starved fans on Fox Sports Ohio's only preseason telecast. But when you take into account that #23 was a DNP for the night, I think we can all agree that this game doesn't mean jack$hit. They will finally end their marathon of a preseason tomorrow night on ESPN against the Wizards... The Cavs are expected to make their final roster announcement today so we'll see if Jawad Williams or Ronald Dupree will be the last man standing... I always like to read Brian Windhorst's take on these preseason games, so here you go if you didn't already see it... Dan Labbe put together a nice piece today on how the Cavs stack up to Cleveland's other pro teams... And finally, Bob Finnan reports that LeBron James was already crowned the league's MVP in a preseason NBA poll of general managers. Way to go out on a limb there guys!

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008-09 MVP

K2 out & Cavs season fast approaching

First order of business today - Kellen Winslow was suspended for one game by the Browns yesterday. He will miss the Jacksonville game on Sunday and isn't allowed to re-join the team until Monday. While the suspension is completely justified, I'm actually quite surprised that the Browns did it. This seems a little out of character for them and illustrates just how upset Phil Savage must have been after the reported 'heated exchange' he had with K2 outside of the Browns locker room after Sunday's loss to the Redskins. Here are pieces of what Savage had to say yesterday:

"The Cleveland Browns are committed to winning and taking care of our players. We are also committed to protecting the privacy of our players, particularly with regard to medical issues. To that end, following discussions with Kellen Winslow and his representation, the Browns agreed to make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of his recent medical condition."

"Kellen has expressed his desire to be a productive member of the Cleveland Browns. His comments and behavior on Sunday evening, however, were unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily disparaging to our organization. His statements brought unjustified negative attention to our organization, and violated the team-first concept of our football squad. Therefore, disciplinary action will be taken in the form of a one-game suspension without pay for conduct detrimental to the club."

And part of Winslow's response:

"I remain loyal to the Browns organization, my teammates, the fans and the city of Cleveland. I remain a hard worker on and off the field in support of my teammates and our goal to have a winning season. I hope to be a Brown for a very long time. I know that the organization and I can move forward and focus on having a successful season, which I believe everybody agrees upon."

I don't envy Phil Savage's job at all. He has been trying to rid this franchise of its downtrodden image ever since he arrived in Cleveland. Now he has this mess to deal with on two levels. The first is figuring out what to do with Winslow. And the second is convincing the players that they are safe from staph infections.

I can go either way with Winslow. On the one hand, I'm a huge fan of the guy's passion and heart. Many people still tend to villanize him for his 'soldja' comments he made years ago. Or his boneheaded decision to recklessly ride his motorcycle which obviously led to some very serious injuries and directly hurt his career. But I look at what he went through to get back onto the field and then how he performed last season when he clearly was not 100% physically. He is a warrior on the field and he wants to win as much as anyone in the NFL. But on the other hand, he needs to realize that the team is bigger than just him. He cannot put Savage or the organization in this position and think there will be no consequences. I'm glad Savage stepped in and acted swiftly, but I wonder where this leads regarding Winslow's future with the Browns. I guess time will tell.

And as far as the staph infection thing goes, I don't know how you handle that one. It really sounds like the Browns have done everything they can to find the source of the problem. And I work for the Cleveland Clinic, so I'm not even gonna touch that one. But I do see other guys in other organizations go through this too (Tom Brady anyone?) so who knows where this is really coming from. I'm definitely not scientifically qualified to speculate, but I would be concerned if I was a player on the Browns or any other NFL team for that matter.

Cavs Update: Only six days away now. The Cavs collected their second win of the preseason last night in Philadelphia with a 91-83 win over the Sixers. LeBron led the way with 20 points in 25 minutes, as all of the starters' playing time increased in preparation for the regular season. Boobie Gibson also chipped in 17 off the bench with a nice 6-of-9 shooting night, including 3-of-5 from long range.

Mo also added 13 for the wine and gold

The Cavs will head to Detroit tonight to take on the Pistons in their second-to-last preseason game and this one will finally be on Fox Sports Ohio. And speaking of Fox Sports Ohio, there were some excellent Cavs-related programs on last night, particularly 'Cavs Spotlight: Joe Tait' and 'Cavs Spotlight: Daniel Gilbert'. Here is the broadcast schedule that show's all the dates and times they will be re-run. Excellent viewing to get you ready for the season.

More embarrassment, courtesy of the orange and brown

Stop me if you've heard this one before... the Browns came out flat, DA looked terrible, the receivers (well, Braylon) dropped many catchable balls, the defense couldn't stop the run, the coaching staff looked overmatched, timeouts were squandered, and the clock was mismanaged down the stretch. We often complain about consistency with this franchise, but one thing has been consistent since 1999. Losing.

14-for-37, but undoubtedly DA still has a firm grasp on the starting job... where's Brady?

Their latest loss is another head-scratcher, mainly because the Redskins are possibly the worst 5-2 team I've ever seen. I'll give credit to their physical defense - they hit the Browns hard all game - but other than that, Washington is very beatable. They were practically begging the Browns to at least tie the game up as the clock wound down yesterday. And instead of taking advantage, the Browns offense sputtered again, just like it had all day. They ended up settling for a 54-yard field goal attempt by Phil Dawson that everyone watching the game not named Crennel knew had no chance.

But I was actually glad the game came down to that kick. We all know if they would have picked up that first down, panic would have ensued and the clock probably would have run out on them. Has this team ever heard of spiking the ball to preserve the clock? I can't remember them doing it once so far this entire season. The sense of urgency in every aspect of this team seems to be non-existent, aside from the beatdown of the Giants last week.

So where does the team go from here? At 2-4 they head to Jacksonville next week to face a team that is certainly better than the Redskins. And now they have a PR nightmare on their hands (again). More on that in a second. This team supposedly plays its best when their backs are against the wall. Next Sunday would certainly qualify. But the real question I have - as a Cleveland fan, how much longer should I really care? How much more time should I invest in a lost cause? And how much longer till the Cavs hit the court?

"A big reason I'm upset right now has to do with [the staph infection]. I heard from Romeo Crennel and I heard from my position coach [Alfredo Roberts] when I was in the Clinic. I heard from my teammates. But I never heard from the main man -- Phil Savage -- and that really disappoints me. Sometimes I don't even feel a part of this team." - Kellen Winslow

Other Browns Notes: More on the whole K2 situation - this is what happens when an organization is so secretive about its injuries. The Browns never really let the public know anything about possible injuries. So everyone assumes the worst. Rumors fester and inevitably a guy like Winslow gets embarrassed by everything that is now out there. I'm sure he was frustrated after yesterday's loss and let off some steam by talking to the media. But the Browns need to change the culture in that locker room. Phil Savage talked about getting rid of the 'woe is me' attitude upon his arrival. It was gone briefly during last season's success, but it is back again in a big way. And frankly, we're all sick of it... Braylon Edwards says his frustration yesterday led to his poor showing. Shouldn't a Pro Bowl receiver be better than that?... Terry Pluto weighs in on yet another loss in a pointless season... Tony Grossi's noon chat should be an entertaining one today.

Cavs Update: Thankfully the Cavs' offseason is finally coming to an end. We are almost there - only 8 more days. They were able to grab their first win of the preseason on Saturday night with a 100-93 victory over the Sixers. They will face the Sixers again tomorrow night, with only two tune-ups remaining after that.

After publicly admitting his emotional issues that kept him away from the team for 12 days, Delonte West had a very nice game on Saturday... Ben Wallace says he's happy just being a role player now. Umm, hasn't he always been pretty much a role player?... Mike Brown says the starting 2-guard spot is still up for grabs... And Mo Williams was actually ejected from a preseason game on Saturday night, LOL.

Week 7: Browns @ Redskins

Sunday, October 19
4:15pm, CBS-HD
FedExField, Landover, MD

Here we are, already moving into Week 7 of the NFL season. The Browns have won two straight after their dismal 0-3 start and have sucked many doubters right back into their typically frustrating roller coaster style of play. They will face the Redskins in another late Sunday start, this time at 4:15. With a short week to prepare after the Monday night game this week, what should we expect? As always, your guess is as good as mine.

Keys to the game:

• Establish an early lead. The Browns were able to do that against the Giants and it allowed them to keep their offense balanced, instead of abandoning the running game.
• Stick to the plan. The offense had a banner day on Monday night with a lot of plays that seemed to surprise the Giants. Chud surely has more of those plays up his sleeve and it's time to showcase all of them with this offense.
• Put pressure on the quarterback. Jason Campbell is still fairly inexperienced. To me, he's more of a 'game manager' than a 'game changer.' But if the Browns can find a way to keep utilizing some of the blitzes they showed on Monday, them might be able to force Campbell to make some throws he's not comfortable making.
• Stay focused. The Browns need to avoid all the false starts, illegal shifts, and illegal formation penalties that have seemed to plague them all year. They were able to get away with that at home, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea to start pulling that crap on the road.
• Play like the underdog. We all know the Browns have a hard time dealing with success. They are better when expectations are low. I hope they won't be puffing their chests too much after the MNF win. There is plenty of business left to be handled and simply getting back to .500 needs to be an immediate goal.

With all that said, I'm awfully worried about this game. I just don't see the Browns being able to stay as focused as they were coming out of the bye week. I can envision a close game, coming down to the wire with the Browns in their frazzled, clock-wasting version of the 2-minute offense. That will spell trouble in the road. I'm going with Redskins 24, Browns 17. I hope I'm wrong.

Other Browns Notes: K2 looks to be practicing today, and wants to play on Sunday... If he is unavailable against the Redskins, Tony Grossi wonders if Steve Heiden and Darnell Dinkins can have the same impact in this game... At least Braylon Edwards and DA have found their 'freaky rhythm'... And the Redskins are a little banged up this week, so maybe we are catching them at a good time.

Cavs Update: The Cavs dropped their fourth straight preseason game last night at the Q, 91-70 to the Spurs. I'd like to say I'm not at all worried because it's just the preseason... but I think I said the same thing about the Browns. It looks like it was just a bad shooting night all around for the team. Delonte I can understand because he's been out of camp. Mo's 3-for-14 on the other hand... yikes.

Where the hell has Pop been hiding all summer?
I think he scared some small children out of the Q last night.

Brian Windhorst says not to worry, and he is the expert so I'll go with him. BW also had a nice video chat yesterday that's worth a look and listen. 11 days until the real season starts...

Thursday thoughts

A few thoughts this Thursday that I wanted to throw out randomly...

• It's chilly in Cleveland today after being almost uncomfortably muggy yesterday. It looks like fall is really here and soon winter will be too. Ugh.
• I still can't believe how the Browns completely dismantled the Giants on Monday night. Reflecting on it after a couple days, I honestly think it was the best Browns game I've ever been to in person (keeping in mind that the only real competition for that crown was the win over Atlanta in the season finale in 2002 and I didn't regularly start attending games until the reincarnation of the franchise in 1999).

This pretty much sums up Eli's night on Monday

• These have been some lean years for us Browns fans, with makes the first Monday night win since 1993(!) against the Super Bowl champs that much sweeter. I rather enjoyed the game replay last night on NFL Network HD and of course DVR'd it for future viewing pleasure.
• I have my doubts whether the Browns can have an encore performance this Sunday on the road after a short week of preparation for the Redskins. But it seems like the Browns are at their best when little is expected of them. So I will keep my expectations low for the foreseeable future in hopes that it will magically propel them to victories.
• I hope the 'Flash Package' and other Chud gadgets are used more on offense in the coming weeks. The Giants looked totally confused every time Cribbs lined up at quarterback, and the double reverse play to Harrison was a thing of beauty. And the NFL Films replays really showed how the Giants over-pursued the play from the start.
• I want Kellen Winslow to completely recover from whatever undisclosed illness is bothering him. First, I don't want him needlessly rushed back if he's not healthy yet (and you know it's just killing him to not be on the field). And second, the offense really clicked with Heiden and Dinkins. No need to mess with that unless K2 is 100% - or as close as he can be after all the leg injuries he has sustained.
• The Browns just might be onto something with their young secondary. Brodney Pool, Brandon McDonald, and Eric Wright all had key interceptions on Monday night (none bigger than Wright's beautiful 94-yard TD return to seal it). All off-season there were calls to shore up the secondary with a veteran cornerback, but Phil Savage resisted the urge to overpay an aging veteran and stick with the youngsters. So far they have played pretty well this season. And that's not even mentioning Sean Jones who is still recovering from a knee scop, but expected to play this Sunday.
• Only 12 days left until the Cavs begin their season. Yes, I'm sick of the countdown too. I just want the season to start now. They have another meaningless preseason game tonight against the Spurs at the Q. I'd like to go, but I know I'd be regretting it by the third quarter when the NBDLers are running around out there.
• Delonte West finally returned to camp yesterday. Maybe it is a good thing that we still have a few more preseason games to play. I want him ready to go to start the year. And it's nice to hear that Ben and Sasha also returned to full practice. Now let's just keep these guys healthy.

“He’s a big part of our team. It’s good to have him back. It’s good to see him high-spirited and concentrating on the game of basketball.” -
LeBron James on Delonte West's return

Did that really happen???

Wow. All I can say is wow. We actually do have an NFL team again. What a great win last night. I don't think I would have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes inside the Stadium. The Browns dismantled the Giants, outplaying them in every way possible en route to a huge 35-14 win that just may have saved their season (very fun highlights here).

Eric Wright seals it with his 96-yard interception return for a TD

Where has this offense been in the first four games? I know Ryan Tucker was finally back from his hip injury - does he really make the line that much better? DA seemed to have all day to throw on his way to 18-of-29 for 310 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs. And I have to say that Steve Heiden and Darnell Dinkins stepped up in a big way in the absence of Kellen Winslow, combining for 6 catches, 81 yards, and a touchdown. And Braylon Edwards finally had his breakout game with 5 catches for 154 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion. He beat Aaron Ross like a drum all game long.

The Browns even mixed it up offensively with the run, gaining another 144 yards on the ground. When was the last time you saw this team go an entire game without a punt? Savor last night's rare feat because that may not happen again for a long time. Their signature drive started with 8:11 left in the third quarter and ended 87 yards later (112 if you count a bunch of silly penalties) with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Edwards.

And the Browns came up equally huge on defense forcing 3 Eli Manning interceptions, including the game clinching 96-yard touchdown return by Eric Wright. We can forgive him for dropping an earlier interception after watching that play unfold. And I love Jim Donovan's call of that play starting around the 3:25 mark in the highlights above. Goosebump-inducing, reminiscent of his "Run William, run!" call back in 2002.

So where do the Browns go from here? Your guess is as good as mine. I expected a 34-13 Giants loss last night and got a 35-14 win. What do I expect this Sunday when the Browns travel to Washington to face the Redskins? I'll let you know later in the week. For now, let's bask in the warm glow of a big victory on national TV. It's been a long time coming for this team and it feels good to have a little pride restored in these guys.

Other Browns Notes: Terry Pluto gives his post-game scribbles from the big victory... Braylon Edwards was finally able to quiet some critics after his big game... James Walker talks about how the Browns kept their season alive... And don't forget Tony Grossi's podcast today. I'm sure he'll be just as shocked as the rest of us.