Switching gears

Before tomorrow night's interesting barometer game between the Cavs and Magic in Orlando, I'm gonna switch gears for a second and talk Browns. It's a subject I've avoided like the plague this season, frankly because there never seems to be anything good to talk about and attempting to just turns me into a negative Browns basher. I've been cynical of the ManKok regime since day one, and it seemed further justified when Kokinis was let go last week. Now we've seen various reports this week ranging from Mangini's head also being on the chopping block, Mike Holmgren sightings in Berea, and even Bill Parcells himself looking for another franchise to re-shape. Wow. Sometimes the Browns make my head want to explode.

Have we been wrong about this guy?

I honestly have no idea what's going to happen regarding the next GM/coach/football czar. But I do know this - after reading this one-one-one interview today between CBS's Clark Judge and Eric Mangini, I actually have some optimism about the much-maligned head coach and his philosophy for this franchise. I feel for what he is going through this year. Maybe I read this on the wrong day and I'm feeling just a little too compassionate. But maybe we were wrong about this guy. Maybe we shouldn't be so knee-jerk about the dismal season we're forced to endure. Maybe it's time to exercise a little patience and try to breathe some stability back into this volatile organization. Maybe he deserves the chance to turn this thing around. Just do me a favor - if you still consider yourself a Browns fan, read that interview. I'll open up the comments section below to get your thoughts.

More weirdness in Berea

Just another day in the life of the Browns: George Kokinis fired as GM just eight games into his first season after being hand-picked to be the man by head coach Eric Mangini. Then finally some good news to report, as old friend Ernie Accorsi seemed to be in as the new GM! But of course that was way too good to be true, and those reports proved to be false. Accorsi emphatically stated, "I am not taking any GM job anywhere. Period." I'd probably proclaim the same if my name was attached (even if only a rumor) to the Browns too.

What next for the orange and brown? Owner Randy Lerner will apparently meet today with two fans who came up with the idea of the kickoff protest for the MNF game vs. the Ravens. Honestly, doesn't Lerner have bigger things on his plate right now? The silliness around this organization keeps growing by the day. At least we won't be forced to watch them play again this weekend, although I did see the bye week is favored by 6.5 on Sunday. Sounds like a safe cover to me. Go Cavs.

Go West young Cavs...

The Cavaliers embark on their first really tough road stretch of the season tonight in Los Angeles where they face the Lakers at 10:30pm. And they do so on an up-note after beating the Hornets 92-78 (highlights) on Friday night at home. That win improved them to a perfect 20-0 at the Q and was really much-needed after the ugly loss Thursday night in Chicago.

Can we really count on this guy as we head out West?

So how did the short-handed Cavs step up and earn a relatively easy win on Friday night against a very solid Hornets team? They junked things up on defense, they slowed the pace on offense, they made their open shots, they outworked New Orleans, and of course having LeBron on your team always helps too. LBJ finished the night with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists while playing all over the court (including logging some minutes at center). And guys like Wally Szczerbiak (14 points, 4-of-5 from three-point range) and Sasha Pavlovic (19 points and 6 rebounds in 42 minutes) really stepped up. And Mo Williams was his normal solid self, chipping in 17 points, even on an off-shooting night. And it sure was good to see Big Ben back on the court. I think his presence lifted the team emotionally, even if he only logged 14 minutes as he works to get back to 100%.

So what should we expect from this four-game swing out West? Your guess is as good as mine. Will Sasha and Wally be able to stay consistent offensively? I've seen enough Cavs basketball over the last couple years to know we can't fully depend on either one of them. Hopefully they can surprise us. There will no doubt be an increased scoring load on LeBron and Mo. But others will need to chip in if this is to be a successfull trip. And I would qualify coming home with a 2-2 record or better as a definite success. I really hate to be without two of our key guys at this important time in the season. But really, it is much better to have these injuries crop up now than in April. Go Cavs!

Browns Update: As the Steelers move on to another likely Super Bowl victory (ugh), the Browns seem to finally have found their new GM (yawn). Please just let this work out. I don't want to see another rebuilding phase for a long, long time.