Still perfect, and no I'm not talking about Romeo Crennel's sparkling 0-8 record vs. the Steelers (more on that later). The Cavaliers remain a perfect 16-0 at the Q after their 93-86 win (highlights) over the Heat last night. Casual sports fans of Cleveland, I'm now begging you... please start paying attention to these Cavaliers. Somehow after their 26-4 start, I still don't think this city has fully embraced this team. But now that another Browns season is officially in the can, hopefully that will change. If you're not following them consistently, you're really missing out on something special.
Last night was just another example of how many different ways the Cavs can win now. They again looked sluggish through the first 3+ quarters of this one, much like the Wizards game on Christmas Day. But again, they turned it on when they had to, turning a nine-point deficit after three quarters into a 7-point win while outscoring the Heat 35-19 in the final quarter. They did it with their defense, timely shots, and some good free-throw shooting down the stretch. And I'd like to point out that even though Dywane Wade ended up with 29 points, Delonte West's defense was relentless. Plays like this highlight how valuable a player West can be. I also thought that LeBron and Ben Wallace were especially active on defense in that final quarter, as was Anderson Varejao (no different than how Andy always is). And Mo Williams proved how capable a sidekick to the King he can be by notching his third straight 20+ scoring night.
Smiles and hugs all around again on Sunday nightAll in all, it wasn't a particularly pretty victory for the Cavs but they can't blow out teams every night. The league has taken notice of just how good this Cavs team is and they are really getting the best of most opponents on a nightly basis now. And I also think being home for the holidays might play a little into their sluggish starts the past two games. We'll see if that changes when they face the Heat again tomorrow night in Miami on LBJ's 24th birthday. To calm your Cavalier craving you can watch NBA TV all day today with their '24 Hours of LeBron' programming
Browns Update: On the uglier side of Cleveland sports, the Browns' 2008 season finally came to a merciful end. The embarrassing 31-0 loss marked the franchise's first back-to-back shutouts ever. I believe they have also gone an astonishing 24 consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown. I'm not sure if that's an NFL record (probably because I stopped really paying attention a long time ago) but I would this level of ineptitude has to rank them up there with the all-time greats.
After a 4-12 season that began with lofty expectations (remember the 'Super Bowl' chants in training camp?) heads were sure to roll. And the team wasted no time last night, with Phil Savage the first man to the chopping block. Romeo Crennel is sure to follow today. Then Rebuild #4 can finally be underway. I heard a bunch of the coach/GM rumors last night and it was enough to make my head spin. My favorite was Bill Parcells & Scott Pioli. Why in the world would either one of them want to come here??? I'm sure Tony Grossi's head is about to explode today. I can't wait to listen to the cleveland.com podcast. Just another day in Berea for our Browns...
***Update*** Apparently as I was writing today's entry, Romeo Crennel was indeed fired. No surprises there, but just wanted to make sure everyone knew it was official.
