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.

Time to give thanks

I have a lot of things to be thankful for in my life right now... my wife, my family and friends, my health, my job, my home, just to name a few. But there are also things in Cleveland sports that I'm truly thankful for. And not surprisingly, none of them have to do with the Browns. Here's a quick list on this day before Thanksgiving:

• LeBron James - I've been thankful for LBJ for quite some time now. He is truly a one-in-a-generation athlete and we have him here for this season and next season at the very least. Don't forget that Cleveland, despite whatever you read, see, or hear anywhere else.
• Mo Williams - How great is it to finally have someone on the Cavaliers that can initiate his own offense independently from LeBron? Mo is taking this offense to another level.
• Delonte West - His hideous occasional cornrows aside, what Delonte is doing this year at the starting 2 guard spot is nothing short of brilliant. I love his game.
• A healthy Ben Wallace. Enough said right there. He is an animal.
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas - Basically for just being Z. He is a model of consistency and professionalism. Is he the perfect player? Of course not. But he's pretty damn good at what he does and he is so dependable. Many people forget this is the same player that missed almost three full seasons due to various foot injuries/surgeries/rehab.
• Mike Brown - In a town where it is always fashionable to dislike the head coach/manager, Mike Brown is bucking the trend. He is a players' coach that values defense first and has done quite a job in his first pro gig. A .600 winning percentage is nothing to sneeze at. And it will only get better this season.
• Dan Gilbert - Finally an owner that seems to care about winning as much as us fans. He is willing to do whatever it takes to keep LBJ in a wine and gold uniform and win multiple championships. We are blessed that Mr. Gilbert came along when he did.
• Danny Ferry - Always the hard worker in his playing days, he seems to be putting even more effort into his GM duties. He is methodical and calculating, but also not afraid to make a big splash. I'm very curious to see where the Szczerbiak expiring contract takes us this season.
• Cliff Lee - For the hell of a season turned out by the lefty. Winning the AL Cy Young was just icing on the cake in Cliff's turnaround year. I'm excited to see what he can do as the ace of this staff next year. And if you would have told me last Thanksgiving that I'd be thankful for Lee this year I would have said you were nuts. Bravo Cliff.
• Grady Sizemore - For playing every game like it's his last. There are quite a few athletes on a certain team headquartered in Berea that could take notes on the way Grady leaves it all on the field in every game.

You may have noticed that a certain team dominated the above list. They are currently plowing their way through the Eastern Conference and only seem to be getting better with each game. With their 119-101 dismantling (highlights) of the Knicks last night in New York the Cavaliers improved to 11-3 on the season. And the score wasn't nearly as close as that. The Cavs were up by more than 30 at one point, while the Knicks continued to make a mockery of the game of basketball. Why in the world LeBron would ever consider playing for that joke of a franchise is completely beyond me. But New Yorkers seem to eat it up so whatever. I'll just continue listening to Brian Windhorst on the subject:

Tonight he ruled nothing out and told the Knicks fans "to have an open mind." There is no doubt a basis for all this hype, LeBron has been thinking about his options. One of them is surely to play in New York in the future. But right now -- and everything can and maybe will change -- the needle is firmly pointed toward staying home no matter what anyone says.

I enjoyed this sign in the Garden last night

Of course this saga will continue for another 20 months until a merciful end to all the speculation in July 2010. Until then I'll choose to enjoy LeBron and the Cavs working their way towards a goal that seems to be more attainable than ever for this franchise - an NBA title.

Browns Update: A fitting end to the 2008 Browns season, even with five games remaining. Go Cavs.

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.

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

One season officially ends, another lives on (barely)

Well, the Tribe officially ended their 2008 season at .500, but more on that later. First order of business, how to feel after the Browns' 20-12 win in Cincinnati? (highlights here) On one hand it's definitely nice to be back in the win column. But on the other hand, this was a sloppy victory over an 0-3 Bengals team playing without starting quarterback Carson Palmer. Of course the Browns are a little banged up themselves, but I honestly just can't feel good about this win. It took 17 fourth quarter points from the Browns to pull this one out. And that's after the Bengals turned the ball over 5 times. They were practically begging the Browns to take this one and they still seemed reluctant to do so for much of the game.

Braylon found his way into the end zone on Sunday and celebrated with some air guitar

Derek Anderson was again very shaky and tentative on his way to 15-of-24 for just 124 yards, 1 TD, and another interception. If you're scoring at home, that's six picks in four games this year and sixteen in his last eleven games going back to last season. His interception just two minutes into the third quarter probably had every Browns fan expecting #10 to strap on his helmet and take the field on the Browns' next drive, but RAC again stuck with Anderson. I thought Paul Warfield summed it up nicely on "Sports Sunday" late last night on Channel 5 by saying, "If Romeo was the coach when I was playing, my 13-year career may have lasted 20."

"I decided to give him another chance," said coach Romeo Crennel, who considered replacing Anderson. "He went ahead and took advantage of it and finished on a good note."

Honestly, I really don't know what to take from this game. The Bengals are not a very good team. They had some guy named Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. But we did enough to get a road win and keep both coach Crennel on the sidelines and Derek Anderson under center for the time being. Only time will tell if that's good or bad for this franchise. They now have two full weeks to design a game plan to try to take down the defending Super Bowl champs at home. That may even be enough time for Donte Stallworth to stop stealing Randy Lerner's money...

More Browns Notes: Tony Grossi says it wasn't pretty, but the Browns will take it. And don't forget Grossi's always entertaining chat at noon today at cleveland.com (or just download the podcast later, which I always do)... Terry Pluto says the win should calm the nerves and quiet the Cowher rumors for now... Braylon is happy to be back in the end zone again... Hey, at least we're not the Bengals.

Tribe Update: The Indians finished the year at .500 with their 5-1 loss in Sunday's season finale. Going into this season, if you would have told me that they would end up 81-81 and in third place in the AL Central it would have been a massive disappointment. But at the time I didn't know that CC Sabathia would end up taking the Brewers to the postseason, Jake Westbrook would spend almost the entire year on the DL, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez would also be shelved for much of the year, out bats would be lost for the first few months of the season, our bullpen would be a complete disaster until after the All-Star break, Casey Blake would be going to the playoffs as a Dodger, etc., etc. My point is that we need to put everything in perspective as Tribe fans. I couldn't be more proud with how this team finished the final three months of the season. Coming from 16 games under .500 to finish where they did is pretty remarkable.

They also helped themselves for the future through their mid-season trades that netted some serious talent for now and the future. There is still work to be done to be ready for next year - namely filling the huge holes at second base and bullpen closer - but the groundwork has been laid for 2009. There's no reason the Indians can't finish ahead of the Twins and White Sox next year. Hell, they may have pulled it off this year if the season was a few weeks longer.

More Tribe Notes: Eric Wedge plans on giving Grady Sizemore more rest next season... And Sheldon Ocker has one last look back at Cliff Lee's incredible season... I'll be back with a more comprehensive look at the Tribe's roster and what I expect next year later this week.

Cavs Update: Only 29 days until the Cavaliers season officially starts. Training camp does open up today and cleveland.com will give you a live look at media day starting at 3pm today. I also added a new poll to the right to gauge fans' expectations for this season. So go ahead and exercise your right as a Cleveland fan duty and vote today...

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.

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.

1-9 and 0-1

The Browns are now 1-9 in season-opening games since returning to the league in 1999. Most of those losses over the years can be attributed to them just not being a very talented team. And when you factor in that every one of those openers has been at home, it really makes it seem a lot worse. But the Browns have talent now and they were 7-1 at home last year. So their 28-10 loss at the hands of the Cowboys yesterday is troubling, even if somewhat expected.

I have no problem with losing to the Cowboys. They are obviously an elite team in the NFL and will likely challenge for the Super Bowl this year. I understand that and I even said last week that a loss wouldn't surprise me and that the Browns could even afford to lose this non-conference game. What bothers me is the way it happened. From Donte Stallworth hurting himself in pre-game warmups, to Braylon Edwards dropping catchable balls, to the defensive line putting absolutely no pressure on Tony Romo, to our defensive backs getting torched by Cowboy receivers. There is a long list of things that were troubling to any of the 73,000+ of us fans that were in attendance yesterday. I won't dwell on this loss for very long, with much more important business coming up this Sunday.

The Browns defense couldn't stop anyone in blue on Sunday

My hope is that the Browns will be able to put this game behind them quickly and focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers. They need to get healthy and get focused on their own 'must-win' game now. They can't afford to start the season 0-2 with two road games in Baltimore and Cincinnati looming ahead. So all I'll say about Sunday is that the game was not much fun, and the tailgating was the highlight of the day. That's not what I expect the rest of this season.

"I wanted to put some points on the board ... there were 10 minutes left, and if you don't make it, then where do you go?"- Romeo Crennel on the decision to kick a field goal when down 28-7 with 10 minutes remaining

Other Browns Notes: Terry Pluto has some scribbles on Sunday's game, including some comments about Crennel's puzzling decision to kick a field goal when down 28-7 in the 4th quarter. That was just one of many "WTF" moments from yesterday's game for me... Braylon Edwards says he's just a little rusty after the preseason injury... and Pat McManamon gives his thoughts on a forgettable opener.

Tribe Update: There was some good in Cleveland sports yesterday - Cliff Lee notched his 21st victory in the Tribe's 3-1 win in Kansas City yesterday. The win puts Lee at 21-2 on the year, and barring a catastrophic collapse in his final four starts, he should now be a lock to bring home the Indians' second straight Cy Young Award.

"I really don't think about it that much," Lee said. "I think about preparing each day and doing everything I need to do to get ready for my next start. I don't really reflect back on previous outings and what I've done or look too much ahead of today. That's been a key to me being successful this year. I'm going to continue to have the same mindset."

The team is now 32-21 since the Sabathia trade... With the Anthony Reyes injury the Tribe has called up Scott Lewis from Akron to take his place in the rotation... And finally, Travis Hafner could be back on the field as early as tomorrow night for the Tribe. He homered in his last two starts for Akron in the playoffs over the weekend.

Cavs Update: The Cavs made it official on Friday with Lorenzen Wright. They also inked second-round pick Darnell Jackson from Kansas to a three-year deal. And speaking of Arthur, his letter to Kansas fans makes me happy to know we have a class-act wearing the wine and gold... The start of the season is only 50 days away now!

No more day games, please

One look at the expanded MLB standings and you'll notice something very peculiar about the 2008 Indians... they are an abysmal 15-26 in day games (.365) compared to a very respectable 52-45 (.536) in night games. What's the reason for this oddity? Is it that we are now loaded with younger players that like to stay out late and party till the wee hours of the morning (I know I would be doing that)? Maybe they just can't get up for day games. Or were they cursed by Grady Sizemore losing that ball in the sun in Kansas City late September of 2005? Although that doesn't really check out since they did go 29-19 during the day last year. Or maybe it's just a random occurrence in a long 162-game season and there really isn't any relevance to it. Whatever the case, they need to start playing better during the day. (Note to self: If you do renew your 20-game plan next year, don't get one that includes 7 Sunday games like this year).

The Tribe couldn't complete the three-game sweep at the Prog yesterday afternoon, falling 4-2 to the White Sox. Sweeping the Central division leaders would have been a tall order, especially with the inconsistent Jeremy Sowers on the mound for the Tribe. Yesterday he was able to give the Indians only 5-1/3 innings and gave up all four runs, including 2 homers. But at least the bullpen did give the Tribe some solid work again, with four relievers combining for 3-2/3 scoreless innings.

The White Sox went all out for this one, giving Jenks a rare 5-out save

Obviously I'm not a fan of these weekday getaway games. But this one really boggles my mind, considering both the Indians and White Sox have an off-day today. What was the reasoning behind scheduling this one as a day game? So you could only get a half-capacity crowd to show up? If that was the goal, then good work. The Tribe will resume play tomorrow night as they embark on a 8-game road trip starting in Kansas City. Not only will they have a chance to get back over .500 this month, but they can also get their division record over .500 and that would be a major accomplishment to me. They currently sit at 25-31 in the division with 16 games left against their Central foes.

Other Tribe Notes: Cliff Lee was named AL pitcher of the month yesterday. And with a 5-0 record and 1.86 ERA in August, who could possibly argue that selection?... Newcomer Rich Rundles is excited for his chance to be in the big leagues. He debuted with a four-pitch walk yesterday... And this is Cleveland, so I guess it's time to start worrying about Cliff Lee's future here.

Browns Update: More bad news on the injury front from Berea yesterday. Not exactly the way I was hoping we'd be going into the Cowboys game. But it sounds as if Jamal Lewis will be ready to go. As promised, I will have my Browns/Cowboys thoughts featured here tomorrow. Just don't take my advice to Vegas or your local bookie.

Cavs Update: LeBron made an appearance on ESPN yesterday. And Brian Windhorst says we are close to signing Lorenzen Wright as big-man insurance. I'd like to think of him as a slightly upgraded Scot Pollard, but of course without the fun hairdos and advice for the kids.

Another day, another win

The Tribe continued the recent hot streak last night at the Prog, winning their 12th in their last 15 games with a 9-3 victory over the Central-leading White Sox. Fausto Carmona almost gave the Indians a quality start, but ran into some trouble in the 6th inning with the Tribe up 4-0. He allowed three runs in the inning but the bullpen slammed the door shut after that. The best news of the night occurred in the 2nd inning when Victor Martinez went deep onto the home run porch for his first homer in almost a year. That was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

The HR drought finally ended for Victor on Tuesday night

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about [his drought]," Martinez said. "This game is all about having fun and the guys made some fun of me. It was a great feeling."

If the Indians are able to complete the sweep this afternoon (although I have my doubts considering it's a weekday getaway game with Jeremy Sowers starting) I may officially become a little excited about the prospects of a White Sox collapse. A win today would bring the Indians to 8.5 games back in the Central with 24 remaining. Obviously a very difficult mountain to climb, but still possible considering the Tribe ends the season with a three-game series in Chicago September 26-28. The fact that I'm even entertaining that thought right now is a credit to how the Indians have really turned their season around. A winning season is now firmly within their grasp and I will be bitterly disappointed if they don't at least achieve that.

Other Tribe Notes: Some roster updates for the Tribe now that September has arrived... And some historical context for Cliff Lee's great 2008 season... And finally, a rundown of all 20 of Cliff Lee's wins.

Browns Update: Tony Grossi has an early scouting report on the Cowboys. And the Browns have been watching "Hard Knocks" on HBO too. I've caught a couple episodes and I have to say, if I was a Cowboys player I probably would have punched Jerry Jones in his obviously surgically-stretched face by now. Why is he in every team meeting?

No, that's not a mask, but it still may frighten young children

Lee gets to 20

I know the season isn't technically over, so saying that Cliff Lee has "completed" his personal turnaround is a bit premature. The guy probably still has five more starts in him, barring any late season injuries. But honestly, at this point what could he do as an encore??? Last night he became the first Indian in 34 years to win 20 games in a season, upping his record to a ridiculous 20-2 in his complete game 5-0 shutout of the White Sox.

Cliff showed some rare emotion after the final out

He was so dominant that he actually retired 21 straight batters after giving up two singles to lead off the game. Just add that to some other incredible numbers for Lee this year:

• He has only reached a 3-0 count when facing a batter five times this entire season.
• He has only faced a batter with the bases loaded four times this entire season.
• By contrast he has been ahead in the count 0-2 against 86 batters this season, with no walks and 34 strikeouts in those situations.
• All of the above numbers are through 26 starts and 185-1/3 innings and over 700 plate appearances against him.

Those numbers are simply staggering to me, especially when you consider he was sent to AAA Buffalo at this time last year, searching for his delivery and left off the postseason roster. I've said it here before, but in a season like this one for the Tribe Lee has been a breath of fresh air and a true reason to watch whenever he has been on the mound. If he can keep this up over the last month of the season I will be truly disappointed if he doesn't win the Cy Young award. What more could he possibly do?

"I never lost confidence," Lee said. "I never got down on myself or questioned my abilities. I never once doubted what I could do."

My only disappointment from last night's game is that my wife and I weren't in attendance. We have really enjoyed his turnaround this year, especially since I was so hard on him after a game we were at against the Red Sox in August of last year. Only 23,317 were in attendance at the Prog last night, but you can bet there will be plenty more over the years that claimed they were there.

Other Tribe Notes: Terry Pluto has more great things to say about Lee and can do a much better job than me... And it's nice to see that I'm not the only one with an extreme dislike for A.J. Pierzynski... Pat McManamon also has nothing but praise for Cliff, and rightfully so... And finally, should the Indians even bother putting in an offer for C.C. this winter? I say no. Why even waste your time?

Catching up on the long holiday weekend - you can blame me for the Tribe stumbling against the Mariners, and getting swept on the heels of a 10-game win streak. Of course my wife and I were in attendance on Friday night and that likely turned things in the wrong direction - I'm superstitious like that. But the good news is that I don't have tickets again until next Friday, August 12th against the Royals. So we'll keep tabs right here on the Tribe's quest for a winning record in 2008.

Browns Update: Not a big surprise here, but expect Derek Anderson to be in uniform for the good guys on Sunday at 4:15. On the other hand, Josh Cribbs' situation is more up in the air. If he's not in the line-up on Sunday and we win the opening coin toss, I think I'll be more than a little nervous to think that Sydric Steptoe will be the first guy to touch the ball for the 2008 Browns. And I expect around 73,000 others around me to feel similar butterflies.

"It doesn't matter what I think at this point. It's not up to me. They're going to make an assessment as the week progresses and do what's best for me and the team." - Josh Cribbs

I'll give my full thoughts and a prediction on the Browns/Cowboys matchup (likely to be incorrect) later in the week. Right now my thoughts are on planning for an epic tailgating session in the Pit on West 3rd...

On the brink of 20 wins

With their dominating 10-4 victory last night in Detroit the Tribe has now won 15 of 18... 8 in a row on the road... and 9 in a row overall. All impressive numbers to be sure - but not as impressive as Cliff Lee upping his record to 19-2. Do you realize he is on pace for a mind-boggling 24 wins this year? It sounds crazy, but at this point I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls it off.

"I just want to get as deep in the game as I can," Lee said. "Give the team a chance to win and put up as many zeros as I can."

Lee continued his season of dominance by going 7-2/3 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits. He likely would have notched his 5th complete game of the season if he wasn't on a pitch count (and he should be now). And Lee got plenty of run support on this night as the Tribe belted 4 homers on the way to their 10 runs. Ben Francisco got into the act twice and even Jamey Carroll joined the home run party for the first time this season.

Lee will look to become the Tribe's first 20-game
winner in over 30 years on Sunday

So for the first time since June of 2005 the Indians have put together a 9-game winning streak. And even better news, they have climbed up to third place in the Central. I know it's all too little and too late this year, but I think Eric Wedge deserves some credit for how this team is playing now. How many other big league teams could withstand losing their Cy Young ace, having their #2 starter (Carmona) being injured for a stretch, trading away another veteran rotation guy (Byrd), trading their starting third baseman, and having their #3 and #4 hitters injured for a huge chunk of the year and still be around .500? Not to mention all the bullpen problems this year. It shows a lot of heart by this team to still play at this level after all that turmoil. And I think it bodes well for the team's future.

The Indians will look to continue the hot streak and go for the sweep tonight with Fausto Carmona on the mound for the good guys. Then they will enjoy a much-deserved day off on Thursday before starting a home series against the Mariners.

Other Tribe Notes: The team seems to be split on the decision to add instant replay. I'm actually OK with it, but why in the world would you throw it in right in the middle of the season??? Then again, this is Bud Selig we're talking about... Ryan Garko is finally on a bit of a hot streak... and Aaron Laffey may be back up with the big league club soon.

Browns Update: It will be a battle for a roster spot among Syndric Steptoe, Travis Wilson, and Steve Sanders... The team trimmed the roster down to 75 yesterday, with final cuts coming later this week after Thursday's preseason finale... Travis Daniels is just happy to not be on the Dolphins anymore.

Cavs Update: An interesting look at some predictions for this NBA season. Sasha for Most Improved??? Even I'm not that big of a homer... and Dan Gilbert is moving more things from Detroit to Cleveland.

30/30 and a half-game behind

The Tribe just kept rolling along last night, collecting their eighth straight victory with a 4-3 win in 10 innings in Detroit. This makes it 14 wins in their last 17 games and they are creeping closer to 3rd place in the Central, now just a half-game behind the Tigers. Grady Sizemore became just the second Indian in team history to join the 30/30 club, adding two more HR's last night. He now has 31 homers and 34 steals, and actually a decent shot at the exclusive 40/40 club with 32 games still left to be played.

Welcome to the 30/30 club Grady - got enough left for 40/40?

"He's unbelievable," manager Eric Wedge said of the three-time All-Star. "You wouldn't know if it was his first or his 30th. In a low-scoring ballgame, he set the tone. That's what he does. He does it from a spot in the order that can give us a lot of energy."

Newcomer Zach Jackson gave the Tribe another good start, going 6-1/3 and allowing 3 runs. Then the bullpen (where have you been all year???) really came through with some solid work, aside from Masa Kobayashi's two hits allowed and no outs recorded. Rafael Perez and Brandon Donnelly kept the Tigers scoreless for 2-2/3 innings. And the suddenly hot-hitting Franklin Gutierrez gave the Indians the lead for good in the top of the 10th with a shot to left field. Jensen Lewis came on to close things out was able to register a 1-2-3 10th for his 7th save in 8 chances. It makes me wonder how good this team could have been with a semi-consistent bullpen all year...

The Indians will look for their ninth in a row tonight with ace Cliff Lee on the mound for the good guys. He will look to improve on his 18-2 record and his 2.43 ERA... although I'm not sure what else he can do at this point for an encore. He has simply been incredible all year. With a win the Tribe would also move ahead of the Tigers in the standings for the first time since June.

Other Tribe Notes: Victor Martinez may finally be ready to return before the rosters expand on Monday. But not so fast for Travis Hafner. And Matt LaPorta is back in town after his beaning in China. Let's hope he's able to finish out the season in Akron.

Browns Updates: Brady Quinn will likely get another start in the Browns' quest to avoid injury before the season opener (a.k.a. their final preseason game). This is good news for Brady, as I'm sure he can't be happy with his performance in the last game. Although I'm a little concerned that Derek Anderson's next snap he takes in a live game will be on September 7th against the Cowboys... BQ has also been putting in some extra time with Donte Stallworth... And don't expect to see much from the Browns again in the finale, as they will be without lots of players.

A grand day for Grady

(My apologies to the handful of faithful readers out there - I was busy yesterday and didn't have time for a post. As Bartles and Jaymes used to say, 'thanks for your support.')

The Tribe has again made the Royals look like... well, the Royals. The completed the three-game sweep of K.C. yesterday with a 10-3 victory at the Prog. It was the Indians' fourth win in a row and 10th in their last 13 games. Grady Sizemore had a banner day at the plate, going 4-for-5 and collecting 7 RBI. And more importantly, Cliff Lee continued his dominant season in collecting his 18th win, going seven strong innings and only allowing two earned runs.

"I didn't feel like I had my best stuff," he said. "I had to battle. The double plays were big. Give credit to the offense. When you get five runs in the first three innings, it gives you some cushion." - Cliff Lee

Grady watches his 3-run shot sail into the party seats in right

With their recent hot streak the Tribe has now escaped the basement of the AL Central and pretty much left the Royals for dead. It gets to the point where you almost feel bad for Kansas City and their miserable performances every year. This will likely be their fifth consecutive season finishing in last place with over 90 losses. But hey, better them than us. The Indians are now also only 2.5 games behind the Tigers for third place in the division. And to keep my dream of .500 baseball alive, they will have to go 22-14 down the stretch. Difficult but not impossible.

The Tribe opens up a six-game road trip tonight with the first stop in Texas. Fausto Carmona will be on the mound to face the Rangers at 8:05.

Other Tribe Notes: Eric Wedge will have to decide who gets playing time with the vets coming back. And apparently I'm not the only one enjoying these Olympic broadcasts... and some updates on the guys on rehab assignments.

Browns Update: The Browns will look to bounce back from the lackluster Monday night game and a shortened week with their Saturday night game in Detroit. Shaun Rogers is resisting the chance to take a shot at his former team. And a former Brown is happy to be paid, even if he is now a backup for Detroit.

Building a lead

There a few things to be happy about (aside from Cliff Lee's turnaround) during this 2008 season for the Tribe. But we should be thankful that they seem to have found a way out of last place and are now building a cushion on K.C. to keep them stuck in the basement. Last night's 9-4 victory at the Prog featured three home runs by the Indians (watch 'em: Sizemore, Garko, and Choo). It marked the Indians' eigth win in their last eleven games and gave newcomer Anthony Reyes his second victory with the Tribe. Even though only 18,946(!) were there to witness it, I'm starting to think that this team may actually be building something for the future. Obviously this is far too little and far too late to make any noise this season, but their goal should be to get back to .500. I had written that goal off a few weeks ago, but at 57-67 (.459) they at least have a shot again.

Grady swatted his 28th HR of the season in the 6th

They will need to go 24-14 over their last 38 games to reach .500, which is a stretch. But they have gone 20-18 over their previous 38 games amid the turmoil of all the trades and injuries. With Barfield, Martinez, and Hafner all hopefully back soon it is an attainable goal and could prove to be a springboard into a much better 2009 season. And it at least gives us some reason to watch every night, right? Zach Jackson will look for his first win as an Indian tonight as the series continues.

Other Tribe Notes: Grady Sizemore is happy to finally hit another home run... Ryan Garko is now more focused... Eric Wedge just wants all his guys back... and finally, there are plenty of reasons to avoid ESPN, but this article is worthy of a read.

"I'd have to say the down you get from failing is way worse than the up you get from being successful. It's something you've got to be able to get past and learn from. … You see people make excuses and you just don't want to be that guy." - Cliff Lee

Browns Update: Some injury updates in the wake of the Giants game, revealing that Cribbs and DA may be lost until the season opener (just what we wanted, ugh). Cribbs has the dreaded high ankle sprain and they are probably just going to be overly cautious with Anderson's concussion. This could spell trouble. I predict a full-blown QB controversy among some fans if Brady Quinn plays well in his start Saturday night. And Terry Pluto gives some thoughts on the team and some scribbles in his notebook.

Cavs Update: LeBron James chipped in 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals in Team USA's 116-85 whipping of Australia in the Olympic quarterfinals. The Redeem Team will move on to the semifinals Friday morning to face the winner of the Argentina/Greece quarterfinal game.

A little breathing room

The Tribe finished a nice weekend series win on Sunday, taking two of three from the Angels, the owner's of the best record in baseball. They really could have taken all three from L.A. (or Anaheim, whichever you prefer) if not for some very sloppy defense on Saturday. But as a hefty singer from the 70's once said, two out of three ain't bad, especially in a season like this one for the Tribe where most fans are just hoping to squeeze out any positive vibes.

My wife and I were at the Prog on Friday night to see Cliff Lee go the distance for win #17 in a 3-2 victory (even if it did cause us to miss this). Lee has found the winning formula for the Tribe this year - just keep the game out of the hands of the bullpen. He induced four double plays in that victory, and watching him pitch this year really is great if you followed his struggles last year. By my estimation (and barring any injuries) he should get about 7 more starts before the season is over, and if he pitches anywhere near the level he has so far, win #20 should be here around mid-September.

Sunday's 4-3 win featured a Houdini-like escape in the top of the 9th by Jensen Lewis to get Jeremy Sowers just his second win on the year. Grady Sizemore gave the Indians the lead for good in the 6th. And to illustrate how well the Angels have played this year, this was their first series loss to an AL opponent since May. That is pretty impressive. With the win the Tribe has now won 7 of their last 10 and they have opened up some breathing room in the fight to stay out of the basement in the Central. They currently stand a game and a half up on the Royals and only 3-1/2 behind the Tigers. They will enjoy a day off today to make room for the Browns on MNF :)

Jeremy Sowers finally notched win #2 on Sunday

Other Tribe Notes: The Indians will have some big names in the line-up on Tuesday night in AAA Buffalo. Martinez homered in Akron on Sunday. And Jensen Lewis wants to be the closer of the future. Personally I'll settle for dumping a boatload of money on K-Rod (and his 47 saves already) this winter.

Browns Update: The Browns finally get back on the field tonight for their second exhibition game, this one on Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Today's PD jokes about a possible Super Bowl preview, but is it really that far-fetched? There are plenty of reasons to watch this one, even if we will possibly play this team twice more after tonight. Want another reason? It's the debut of the Browns in brown pants. I'll admit, I'm excited for a peek at the new look. And of course, don't forget Tony Grossi's noon chat today.

"I've seen a highlight reel of Braylon [Edwards] catching the ball and me running for touchdowns. We're not the team to look over anymore. Cleveland is in the house. Put us on prime time and let's see what we can do." - Josh Cribbs

Cavs Update: LeBron and Team USA destroyed Germany today, 106-57 to finish pool play in the Olympics. His stat line reads 18 points (7-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range), 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in just 18 minutes of action. If you missed the game, it can be seen in its entirety here (not that I would ever condone watching something like that in the office). Team USA will continue play on Wednesday in quarterfinal action against Australia.

"Going against Greece and going against Spain, it was really easy to get up for," James said. "And we could have easily came in and had one of those games where we make excuses, but we didn't take a step backwards today and that was good, it was really good."

And speaking of LeBron, we've finally found an article about him in a national publication that is worthy of reading. Stop the presses, there is sanity out there. While I don't agree with everything in there (particularly the Ferry bashing - and granted, this was written before we acquired Mo), it is the first national story I've seen that presents valid points as to why LBJ would want to stay here. Imagine that.

There's the 'pen I remember

During the Tribe's recent five-game winning streak, the relievers actually started to look a little better. Jensen Lewis got a couple saves, Rafael Perez looked outstanding, and I was starting to have a little hope that our bullpen wasn't a complete disaster. Then came the last two games. Brandon Donnelly was shelled on Wednesday night, and Thursday it was Rafael Perez's turn, with some gas thrown on the fire by Edward Mujica for good measure. Those two combined to give up 8 hits and 7 earned runs in the top of the 8th inning, turning a 3-3 tie into an 11-3 deficit, and eventually an 11-6 loss.

No need to delve any further into the details of this one, but 13 hits and 6 runs should be enough to get a win on most nights - unless your bullpen gives you no chance, which has been an ongoing theme all season long. If this isn't evidence enough to Larry Dolan that he needs to spend a lot of money on the back end of this bullpen, I don't know what is. I'm usually not critical of Tribe ownership, but if they don't get something done to fix this over the winter I will be extremely disappointed.

The lone good news from Thursday night was that starter Zach Jackson looked pretty solid in his Indians debut and may end up being a key piece to our future as part of the Sabathia trade. He was the victim of some bad luck in the 5th inning when Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo lost a fly ball in the lights, allowing for one of Jackson's three runs allowed over five innings. At least the Royals lost again to keep us a half game out of last. The Indians will look to bounce back tonight as they start a 3-game weekend series against the best team in baseball. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Los Angeles, California in Anaheim (or something like that). Cliff Lee (yay!) gets the start tonight.

The Tribe gets disappointing split after taking the first two from the Orioles

Other Tribe News: Matt LaPorta hit a 3-run shot to help propel Team USA to their first Olympic win on Thursday over the Netherlands. His swing looks pretty nice to me (it can be seen around the 6:25 mark of the video on that link)... Josh Barfield could be back soon... And Travis Hafner finally made it back to Pronkville.

''I think he felt good and he looked good,'' Wedge said of Hafner, the Indians' designated hitter. ''We'll get him back out there Saturday, and hopefully he can go out (on a rehab assignment) next week.''

Browns Update: Kamerion Wimbley is trying out some new moves for '08. I can't wait to see what he can do now that he has some guys in front of him... Travis Wilson is giving credit to Joe Jurevicius for his improved play... and this Steve Sanders is turning into a favorite of mine, and not just because he's a fellow Bowling Green alum.

Cavs Update: LeBron seems to like the trade for Mo Williams (and I'm loving another article from Brian Windhorst). And Williams insists he can play defense.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to play here. I can reiterate, as far as defense is concerned, I know what it takes to win. It's no secret. It takes defense to win." - Mo Williams

At least we know Mo's D will be better than one former Cavalier...

Busy weekend

It was a busy weekend for my wife and I as she earned her Master's degree from Bowling Green State University. But in between the trip to BG on Friday, the graduation party at our house on Saturday night, and all the overnight guests, we were able to see/hear some of the Tribe's sweep in Toronto over the weekend. It's been a recurring theme this year that the team seems to play some of its best baseball when I'm occupied with other things. So I wasn't all that surprised by the sweep, I just wish they could play like this when I'm actively watching.

We caught some of Friday night's game from the patio of the great BW-3 on East Wooster in Bowling Green. That was the site of many formative drinking nights in my younger days, so it was nice to be back there again watching the Tribe. Anthony Reyes made his Indians debut and gave us reason to think that one of Shapiro's trades may already be paying off. He was able to scatter 7 hits over 6-1/3 innings, while allowing only one run in the Tribe's 5-2 victory.

"I was excited just to start somewhere fresh," Reyes said. "I think with St. Louis, that was probably it for me. I was excited for the opportunity and just excited to be coming here, having a chance to come up here and compete."

On Saturday we heard most of the game from the Ohio turnpike while heading back home. Paul Byrd was outstanding yet again, pitching a complete game (on only 93 pitches), while allowing only two runs and 6 hits in the Indians' 4-2 win. That game also featured a bizarre ending, just when it seemed things might be getting a little dicey for Byrd. At this point, I'm hoping Byrd just stays on the team (and helps on the quest for a non-last-place finish) because he's not going to clear waivers in a trade.

"I feel good with where I'm at right now," Byrd said. "I'm very confident. I know my numbers aren't great for the overall season, but right now I feel like I can beat anybody. I feel like I'm at the top of my game."

Then Sunday's game was only seen in bits and pieces between all the Olympic-watching we were doing at home. Cliff Lee became the first Indian ever to start a season at 16-2 in the 4-0 win, continuing his stellar turnaround from a year ago. He went another 8 shutout innings yesterday, giving him 17 consecutive shutout innings against Toronto this year. David Dellucci and Jhonny Peralta gave Lee all the support he would really need in the top of the first inning. Lee is inching closer to becoming the Tribe's first 20 game winner in 34 years.

Lee has dominated the Jays (and everyone else) in 2008

"It's just easier when you're having success," Lee said of his superb season. "Things go easier, you have more fun. Things flow better when you're having success. I'm going to continue to just ride it out."

The Indians will look to build on their three-game winning streak as they return home tonight and finally get to play outdoors on natural grass (the dome road trip through Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Toronto won't be missed, I'm sure). They start a four-game set against the Orioles tonight with Fausto Carmona starting for the good guys.

Browns Update: I haven't blogged since Thursday's preseason opener so I wanted to give a few quick thoughts...

• Our first-team offense looks unstoppable by anyone not named Mother Nature. I can't wait to see these guys on the field again.
• Braylon Edwards makes at least one spectacular catch per game. If he stays healthy (more on that below) he might get 20 TD's this season.
• I wouldn't worry too much about our DB's giving up big plays to the Jets. Most of the guys that were on the field at that point will be selling insurance or playing in NFL Europe (if it even still exists?) soon.
• I wish everyone would just cut Brady Quinn some slack, including Chudzinski. Everything he does seems to be hyper-analyzed by the fans/media, and overprotected by the coaching staff. Let him air it out, and let him make some mistakes in the preseason. He needs to learn more on the field, and he will no doubt be needed in a big spot at some point in the future.
• And speaking of Quinn, his value went up a few notches after watching Ken Dorsey struggle through the fourth quarter. Somehow his 8-for-26 and 2 INT's don't even begin to tell the story of how bad he was out there.

So now on to the bad news. You knew it would happen sooner or later - a freak injury to a Brown. We really cannot afford to go into battle without Edwards, so let's all just hope and pray for no staph infections, no unexpected arthroscopic surgeries, and please no "teeny, tiny fractures to the non-weight bearing bones" to any more of our Browns.

This is not a sight that any Browns fan was looking forward to...

The Browns also signed two safeties yesterday to try and shore up the depth in the defensive backfield. And K2 is looking to help a rookie teammate. Don't forget that it's Monday, which means it's time to chat with Tony Grossi at noon.

Cavs Update: LeBron did his best and almost came up with the Olympic highlight of the day on Sunday (the US men's 4x100 swimming relay team narrowly beat him out) with a resounding and-1 alley-oop dunk. And he did help lead Team USA to a resounding rout of China in their basketball opener with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Team USA takes on Angola tomorrow morning in their second game.