Polar opposites

At this exact moment can you think of two sports franchises that are more opposite than the Cavs and Browns? While the Browns continue to flounder through another lost season the Cavaliers are only getting stronger. They extended their impressive run with two more easy wins over the weekend, running their current winning streak to 8 and their overall record to 17-3. On Friday night the Indiana Pacers were the victims of a 97-73 drubbing (highlights) at the Q. Then the Cavs followed it up on Saturday night in Charlotte with a 94-74 thumping (highlights) of the Bobcats. Their routine blowouts of the opposition are reaching historic proportions - the Charlotte victory was the team's 8th straight win by at least 12 points. That ties an NBA record with one team you may recall... the 95-96 Chicago Bulls that finished the year 72-10.

LBJ and the Cavs are soaring to new heights this year

That's not to say the Cavs are going to win 72 this year. I just don't see any reason to push the pedal that hard all year long, especially given their already swelling 5-game lead in the Central division over the Pistons. But with the Celtics at 20-2 and showing no signs of slowing down, the Cavs will likely be pushed all year. Both teams will be gunning for the all-important #1 seed in the East, and home court advantage that goes along with it. So it will be interesting to see just how high the win total can get this year. And to put this season into perspective, when the Cavs finally reached 17 wins last season (not until January 6th) they also already had 17 losses. Buckle your seatbelts Cleveland, we're only a quarter of the way through the regular season and this is going to be a long, enjoyable ride.

Browns Update: As I said, at the opposite end of the sports spectrum you have our Cleveland Browns. Pathetic in every way, now 4-9 after their 28-9 loss in Tennessee. I know that Ken Dorsey is our starting QB now and of course I didn't expect a win over the far superior Titans yesterday. But is it too much to ask for the coaching staff to mix things up a bit? Try something new offensively (before the 4th quarter when the game is out of reach) and make it at least bearable to watch?

Some of my favorite highlights from yesterday's game:

• Jamal Lewis' 7 total rushing yards on 7 carries.
• The Browns' total offense of 178 yards.
• Romeo Crennel's flat-out refusal (or disinterest?) in challenging a close call in which Josh Cribbs actually threw a great pass that Braylon Edwards appeared to catch on the sideline for a long gain in the fourth quarter.
• Crennel's insistence in calling a timeout in the last minute of the game when the Browns were still near midfield and Tennessee just wanted to celebrate winning the AFC South title.
• The Browns then following that timeout up by not even getting a Hail Mary pass off as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

The mess of this organization is now visible in virtually every aspect of the game for this team. From the front office, to the coaching staff, to the undisciplined and quitting players (save for a handful of them) this franchise is everything the Cavaliers are not. Let's hope some of this speculation is accurate and we can get some professionalism and control back on this team.

Browns win?

I know I should abide by my own made-up rule that a win is a win, especially in Cleveland. But I just can't help tearing apart last night's 29-27 win (highlights) over the Bills. I just can't. First, those were two really bad teams playing each other last night. That's not to say that each side doesn't have individual talent... but when looking at the overall team aspect of football, the Browns and the Bills are equally bad. Good thing for us that it resulted in an entertaining (for reasons both good and bad) game on national TV. But if you really stop and think about it, this is what today's NFL has become. A bunch of teams that are pretty close in talent level, battling it out. How many really good teams would you say there are in this league? Three? Four?

There are so many things that you could criticize both the Browns and Bills for last night. Here are just a few off the top of my head:

• With Trent Edwards basically handing the game to the Browns in the first quarter with three interceptions, how do we only capitalize with two field goals? The Browns took possession on each drive at the Bills' 44, 40, and 10 yard lines. Six points? Really?
• The Bills exploited the inexperience of Brady Quinn by consistently blitzing him. And linebacker Kawika Mitchell ran seemingly untouched through the Browns' line about a dozen times. Was anyone paying attention to him? Would it hurt to keep Jamal Lewis or Charles Ali as an extra blocker back there so Quinn doesn't get killed?
• After Trent Edwards' awful start the Bills rightfully handcuffed him by only allowing him to throw the ball near the line of scrimmage for almost the entire remainder of the game. This meant that any pass was basically going to Marshawn Lynch. And of course the Browns couldn't tackle him to save their lives. How is an NFL team so inept at something as fundamental as proper tackling?
• With Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson basically ripping the Browns' defense a new one, how did the Bills only rush 35 times? I would have handed off 50 times if I was them, especially considering how bad a QB Edwards is.
• What was up with the Browns' play-calling when they kind of got into field goal range late in the fourth quarter. It was like they saw the imaginary line drawn on the field by Monday Night Football to indicate Phil Dawson's career-long field goal and decided that they were close enough right there. They followed it with three awful pass plays to the sideline, forcing Dawson to hammer home a 56-yard field goal with 1:44 left. Kudos to Phil for that kick (and his other four on the night) - as Doug Dieken said, "If Phil doesn't make the Pro Bowl this year, then no one deserves to be there."

Dawson was money from 56 yards on Monday night

• In true Browns fashion, they decided to squib the ensuing kickoff and the Bills took over at their own 44. I know they were gunshy after the kickoff return for a touchdown earlier in the quarter, but come on.
• Of course Trent Edwards made his one good throw of the night on that drive, getting the Bills into their own long field goal range at the Browns' 38. The the Bills decided to tear a page out of the Browns' playbook by playing it safe and opting for their own long field goal, except this one was going into the swirling wind.
• Also on that drive, Romeo Crennel and the Browns' coaching staff made another really boneheaded move. After Edwards' one good pass there was about 1:15 left on the game clock and the Browns still had all three timeouts. Instead of calling one immediately after that play to preserve the clock in case the Bills made that field goal, Romeo decided to let the Bills run another play and then call a timeout, effectively losing another 20 seconds. Brilliant.

I'm sure there are other things I missed, but like I said these are just off the top of my head after a late night. And I didn't even mention the continued drops by Braylon Edwards, coupled with another procedure penalty against him as well. These are mistakes that a good football team just doesn't make. But thankfully the Bills aren't a good football team either. The saddest part of all of this is that without two epic fourth quarter collapses at home (where the Browns are 1-4) this team would now be at 6-4 fighting for a playoff spot, or maybe even the division title. Only in today's NFL...

There were some good things to take away from last night's game for the Browns, aside from a much-needed win. Jerome Harrison showed outstanding speed on his 72-yard TD run and again is making a case for more carries. Brady Quinn knows how to manage a game and avoid costly turnovers in just his second NFL start (he really should be 2-0 now). Despite his drops and mental errors, Braylon Edwards still was able haul in 8 catches for 104 yards. And I loved the play that Chud called with the 'Flash' package for the Josh Cribbs TD. More of that, please.

Cavs Update: The Cavaliers look to add on to their 7-game win streak when they face the Nets at 7:30 tonight in New Jersey. It will be the first of a tough back-to-back on the road before heading to Detroit tomorrow night. So it's imperative for the Cavs to try to get a win tonight. Mike Brown is ignoring the win streak in an effort to keep the team focused... LeBron isn't satisfied with just winning seven in a row... The team needs to be successful on the road and this will be a good test... You'll never guess who was again named Eastern Conference player of the week... And don't look now but there's a new #1 on NBA.com's latest power rankings. Uh-oh.

"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves because when you start thinking, 'We've got to take care of our road trip,' or 'We've got to handle this winning streak,' that feels like an enormous burden. If you just think, 'Let's go handle our business this next game,' to me that's simplistic and you go out there and do what you do and you have a chance to win if you do it right."
- Mike Brown

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.

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

Finally... a game!!!

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

Big Ben throws one down vs. Toronto last night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will they get over the hump?

It seems like lately the Tribe just hasn't been able to get over that hump. Not that .500 is some major accomplishment, but they have crept close to the mark a few times only to fall down again. It happened again last night with a 6-3 loss in Baltimore. The loss leaves them at 71-74, instead of 72-73 with Cliff Lee on the mound tonight. I just want them to get back to .500 or better to make this season easier to swallow. And considering how far they have come to get back to this point, I think it would be a major letdown if they don't at least end the season with 81 wins.

Last night's loss again had the Indians leaving runs on the bases. A total of seven runners were left stranded, with the worst coming when Franklin Gutierrez grounded into a double play in the 5th with the bases loaded and one out after the Orioles giftwrapped two runs to tie it 3-3. Zach Jackson was able to give the Tribe 6 innings, but he did allow 4 earned runs and is still searching for his first Indians victory at 0-3.

And speaking of young Tribe starters, how about the job that Scott Lewis did in his major league debut on Wednesday night? I should have wrote something about this yesterday, but work just seems to keep getting in my way this week... but Lewis was incredible in the Indians' 7-1 win. 8 IP, 3H, 0ER, 3K, and 67 strikes on 97 pitches - those numbers speak for themselves. The only downer on the night was that Eric Wedge didn't leave Lewis out there to finish the job in the ninth. How often do you get to pitch a complete shutout in your major league debut? Well, Lewis will obviously never get that chance again... who knows how his career will turn out, but Wednesday night's gem was one to remember.

Lewis's MLB debut should give Tribe fans even more hope for '09

Other Tribe Notes: Mark Shapiro is excited about 2009 and says Eric Wedge isn't going anywhere. I'm sure that will probably irk a lot of Tribe fans, but I think Wedge has done an incredible job after all the injuries and trades to keep this team fighting. He's had to juggle his starting line-up and pitching rotation all year long and the team has responded well after the trades.,.Wedge is also being careful with starter Anthony Reyes, which makes Saturday's double header with the Royals even more difficult... A few more tidbits from Lewis's great debut... Cliff Lee (21-2, 2.28 ERA) is on the mound for the good guys tonight and I will happily be in attendance, hopefully not dodging raindrops. I hope a few other brave souls show up tonight to watch this incredible Cy Young season from Lee.

Browns Update: With the Browns' Sunday-nighter against the arch rivals from the armPIT of America looming, they got some good news on Thursday. I'm a huge Cribbs guy and I know how he can change a game so this is great news for me. Also, it looks as if the Steelers are trying to bait us into false hope that their QB won't be ready. Trust me, he'll be on the field Sunday night. Tony Grossi knows the key to beating this team will be getting to Big Ben.

Will we see some of the 'Flash' package from Chud on Sunday night?

I honestly don't know what to expect out of the Browns on Sunday. Nothing would really surprise me. Their defense worries me, especially against a quarterback like Roethlisberger. But I also know the offense just can't play as poorly as they did against the Cowboys. I fully expect an aerial assault on the Steelers defense, with Braylon looking to atone for the drops against Dallas. Remember, I'm not in the business of predicting and I never gamble myself because I'm so bad at it... but I just have a feeling the Browns will finally get over the mental hurdle of Big Ben and the Steelers. I'm going with Browns 33, Steelers 21.

Cavs Update: We sort of got to know Mo Williams in an online chat yesterday and I'm liking him more already:

Demetri (Cleveland, OH): Is it true that you listen to "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins before every game? If so, I'd just like to say that that is incredible.
Mo Williams: That is true.

Any NBA player so willing to admit they are a Phil Collins fan (me too) and that they listen to that song before every game is OK in my book. I'm expecting big things from Mo this year, both on and off the court. The guy is entertaining.

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...

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.

Swamped in the Meadowlands

Things were not pretty for our Brownies in New York last night, falling 37-34 to the Giants. Of course most loyal Browns fans' immediate reaction after watching the first-team offense and defense was one of panic. It's understandable with a 30-3 deficit early in the 2nd quarter, taking into account all the many bad penalties, big plays given up on defense, and downright horrific-looking offensive plays. It was bad enough that I ended up switching back to the Olympics after seeing Derek Anderson, Josh Cribbs, and Brodney Pool all leave the game with injuries. The three of them will be vital to the Browns' success this year in my opinion.

"Unbelievable," Crennel said. "Evidently we didn't do enough work. I told the team it's my fault for trying to save them in practice by not hitting. We're not very good right now."

But I did feel better after receiving a text from my buddy Nicko. He brought up a good point - after the feel-good training camp and all the national praise, perhaps this is exactly what this team needs right now. A kick in the pants, a bruise to their egos, and a message that nothing will be given to them this season. They need to earn it. And remember, this is just the preseason - a dress rehearsal for the real thing and a place to work all the kinks out. I thought the MNF announcers were especially critical of the Browns when I was watching, with Tony Kornheiser at one point making fun of them for being the "chic" pick this year. I'm sure there was more than a hint of vanilla in the Browns offense last night considering they play the Giants in the regular season. I'll be far more concerned if this is what we see on the field when these two teams meet again on MNF on October 13th.

Seeing DA laying on the turf isn't a pretty sight, even for a BQ fan like me

Cribbs is set to get an MRI today on his injured left ankle, and I'm honestly praying that he is all right. I know Syndric Steptoe had a big game last night and looks like a capable replacement, but Josh Cribbs is a game-changer... Bud Shaw is panicking that the Browns aren't ready for prime time... and even with the bad showing some game balls were awarded (although not officially by the head coach). I'm hoping that Phil Dawson's big leg continues into the regular season. The Browns will have a short week of work, preparing for a game Saturday night in Detroit.

Tribe Updates: Franklin Gutierrez and David Dellucci (a personal favorite of mine this year) have been showing improvement at the plate. I appreciate Dellucci's hard work, but I still don't see how or why he would fit into this team's future plans... Terry Pluto gives his always-enjoyable scribbles on the Tribe... and Matt LaPorta was in the center of an Olympic beanball-fest against Team China yesterday. I'm really getting sick of these Chinese athletes (sorry if my USA-centric opinion is shining through but there is no way those Chinese gymnast are 16). Check out this video at the 2:45:30 mark if you want to see LaPorta getting beaned. And the 2:06:40 mark if you want to see what kind of started it. Just watch out for all the unedited swearing if you're watching at work.

"He told me, 'I'm OK, I'm OK,'" U.S. manager Davey Johnson said of LaPorta "I said, 'No, you're going to the hospital.'"

Not exactly the Olympic moment that LaPorta was hoping for

The Indians are back on the field tonight at the Prog to start a three-game battle with Kansas City to stay out of the Central cellar. Anthony Reyes will be on the hill for the good guys.

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.

The sky is falling!!!

Well, not really, but the good folks at ESPN would like to have Cavaliers fans believe that. I can really see no other explanation for why this story was released last night and is still featured prominently on the front of espn.com. I'm already sick and tired of hearing about LeBron leaving and his unrestricted free agency doesn't even begin for almost two years from now. The fact of the matter is that he will not play in an inferior league, even for an outrageous offer like $50 million/year. Marginal talent like Josh Childress (a nice player, but nowhere near a superstar) might signal a beginning of more NBA players heading overseas to chase more money, but I just can't see a star like LeBron ever doing the same. I think the "person close to James" that leaked this story is probably doing this just to hype up the international appeal of LeBron's marketing plan. And what better way to do it than release this information just two days before the start of the Olympics? Now international basketball fans can watch the greatest player in the world and drool over their chances to snag him in 2010. Sounds to me like a great strategy for the making of a "global icon," a goal LeBron has stated many times in the past. But fear not Cavalier fans, he won't be heading to Europe, and he has over a hundred million reasons to stay in a wine and gold uniform.

LeBron to Europe? I don't think so.

Speaking of that, let's take a quick look at the Cavaliers' salary cap numbers. As much as the national media would like you to believe that LeBron is leaving, he has no reason to. Not only can the Cavs offer him more guaranteed money over more years than any other NBA team, but Danny Ferry has also done an excellent job of clearing cap flexibility for the next two off-seasons. The expiring contracts we have this season (Wally Szczerbiak, Damon Jones, and Eric Snow) total over $25 million. You can bet these will be used in a trade at some point to bring in more talent for this season. And Joe Smith and Anderson Varejao (if he opts out of his non-guaranteed year for 2009) will clear another $10 million. Then we will have another $25 million coming off the books in 2010 with Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The point I'm trying to make is that the roster you see now will not be the same roster over the next two seasons. It will be more talented and should give Cavs fans everywhere a reason to smile. Just be patient and we will hopefully see LeBron get his 'Pippen' and a few other guys to help bring us the title we crave. And that said, we are already very close even with this far-from-perfect roster. LeBron is that good. The sky is not falling and the future is bright in the short- and long-term for this franchise.

Tribe Update: You knew it had to happen eventually - the Tampa Bay Rays finally figured out a way to beat our Indians (just their fourth win in their last 23 tries against the good guys). All you need to know about this one is that the Tribe could not find a way to drive guys in once they were on base (13 runners stranded!) and Rafael Betancourt continued his downward spiral. Then he decided to make it worse. And then Edward Mujica joined in the home run party. When the dust finally settled the Tribe lost again, 8-4.

Yay, they brought in Betancourt!

Thankfully the Royals lost too, so the Indians are still within shouting distance of finding their way out of the Central cellar. I've given up on my silly dream of .500 baseball this year and am now just hoping to finish ahead of the Royals. Today Jeremy Sowers gets the call for the Tribe in a 12:40 start (the always fun weekday getaway game). This one could get ugly.

Browns Update: Day 13 of training camp brought more details about Josh Cribbs hoping for a new contract. Tony Grossi says that Cribbs is out of line. We also got the news of Gary Baxter's arthroscopic knee surgery, and I was not surprised (let's just hope for no follow-up staph infection). And D'Qwell Jackson expects to have a big year, thanks to the new d-line in front of him.

''My loyalty is to this football team and I'm sure they'll show me the same loyalty in return.'' - Josh Cribbs

These guys are in first place right?

I just checked the standings and the Tampa Bay Rays do in fact lead the AL East by three games over the Red Sox. But you'd never know that by the way they've played against the Tribe this season. Last night's 5-2 win in Tampa puts the Indians at 5-0 vs. the worst-to-first Rays this year, with the Tribe outscoring them 36-10 in those five games.

More importantly in this lost season for the Indians, Cliff Lee improved to 15-2 with last night's victory, going 7 solid innings and only allowing 2 runs on 115 pitches. I've run out of things to say about Lee's season, but I'm really hoping he can keep this up over the next two months. Having him win the Cy Young after his nightmare 2007 would make this season a little more bearable for all Cleveland fans. But he will likely have to be very solid down the stretch to convince the baseball writers to vote for him. I actually caught a small piece on ESPN yesterday claiming that Joba Chamberlain should be in contention - he has pitched 89 innings, compared to Lee's 153 - so that's the mentality we're dealing with...

General Lee just keeps rolling along

Asdrubal Cabrera and David Dellucci provided all the run support that Lee would need last night. I cannot tell you how much I hate that David Dellucci is #2 and the DH in our lineup right now, but I'll at least give him credit for his two home runs in three games this month. And I won't complain about his .238 average and 39 RBI on the season (in 256 at-bats!). Well maybe I just did complain. The best news from last night's game was the bullpen performance from Rafael Perez, giving the Tribe a 1-2-3 8th and 9th inning to preserve the win for Lee. That's the Perez that we all fell in love with as the set-up man in last year's great run. I hope this Perez decides to stick around for a while. And if we could ever get Betancourt back on track we could have the two Raffys back again to bolster our AL-worst bullpen.

Other Tribe Notes: Newly-acquired pitcher Anthony Reyes may soon be heading up to Cleveland. And there are a few other reclamation projects that may get their shot with the big-league club in the coming weeks.

And sometimes baseball just doesn't make much sense. From what I remember, this guy was awful with the Tribe:

Ryan Ludwick was named NL Player of the Week for hitting .538 (14-for-26) with four homers and eight RBI for St. Louis.

Browns Update: The Browns finished up Day 12 of training camp yesterday. Romeo Crennel said that Brady Quinn will get most of the work at QB on Thursday night. And Josh Cribbs is reportedly looking to restructure his contract. I doubt Cribbs will let this become a big distraction, but it is something to watch.

Cavs Update: The Cavaliers finally signed a free agent yesterday, inking Tarence Kinsey to a deal. He will likely take the spot in the rotation that Devin Brown played last year. He's young, athletic, and is a safe pick for Danny Ferry. I expect more moves to be made, but right now everything is delayed until the Delonte West situation gets resolved.

Meet your newest Cavalier, Tarence Kinsey

Game 6 Anticipation

As I sit here and think about Game 6 tonight, there are a lot of thoughts swimming in my head:

• Can we hold serve at home, or will the pressure of 20-1 in the second round for the home teams destroy us?
• Can we survive the loss of Boobie tonight, and possibly the rest of the playoffs?
• Will Mike Brown peel Damon Jones off the bench tonight? And if so, will it play out like I envision (where he is on fire from downtown and torches the Celts)?
• Will the Celtics fold under the immense pressure of winning a road game in a hostile environment?
• How will the Cavs respond to their first elimination game since Game 4 of last year's Finals?
• Will linking to this oldie-but-goodie inspire the Cavaliers to beat the Celtics, a la the '92 playoffs?
  

I guess we will know the answers to all of these questions soon enough. But for what it's worth, I had a dream last night that I was talking to LBJ about Game 6. He reassured me that they Cavs are bringing it tonight and wouldn't let us down at home. It's pathetic that I did actually have that dream, I know, but it actually made me feel better when I woke up. My wife sort of rolled her eyes when I told her about it this morning, as I would expect any female to do when their husband tells them such a thing. TMI coming out in the blog today so let's move onto something else...

Can DJ be more than a cheerleader tonight in Game 6?

Tribe Update:
Aaron Laffey gave the Tribe another superb start yesterday, even if the scoreless streak from the starters was ended. I can't complain about the one unearned run he did allow in the Tribe's 4-2 win. It was concerning to see Rafael Betancourt have to be yanked in favor of Masa Kobayashi to get out of the ninth, but a win's a win's a win as they say. The Tribe is now a full 1.5 games in first and 3 games over .500 for the first time all year. And the Tigers keep sinking deeper into the abyss. As Borat would say: "Niiiiiiiiice!"

Small Browns Update:
With OTA's currently going on for the Browns, we got this small bit of information about Josh Cribbs' more expanded role in the 2008 Browns offense. Any time you can get the ball in this guy's hands, good things are bound to happen. Can't wait for September!