Finally ... Joe Cleveland ... has come back ... to the blog!
I apologize for the lenghty hiatus. It's been a busy couple of weeks with the real writing career. But, with a holiday today, it was the perfect time to put back on the "Joe Cleveland" hat and pontificate on what's been going on in the world of sports.
With the Browns season over, the fans attention turned solely to Cavs ... and we watched as this team that was the best in the NBA (regular season-wise) lose a professional sports-worst 26 games in a row.
Suddenly, the "Cleveland is a loser" jokes kept reoccurring. We really needed this losing streak like a hole in the head, especially on the heels of LeQuitter and his "Decision." Then the Indians had their usual dismal season, which resulted in fans staying away in droves not seen since the 1980s, and the Browns ... well, at least they finished ahead of the Bengals, along with beating the Patriots and the Saints. Oh yeah, and Eric Mangini was sacked; the fourth time since the team has returned 12 years ago that they have fired their head coach.
The Cavs were able to avert further embarassment by holding the all-time longest losing streak in pro sports by defeating the Clippers at home in overtime (so, at least we have company with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers). And, some measure of civic pride returned when the Cavs knocked off the Lakers at home just before the All-Star break, which left ESPN's L.A. homers so flummoxed, they didn't put Christian Eyenga's huge dunk on Pau Gasol in their Top 10 plays of the day.
One thing the Cavs are assured of is not having the worst record in NBA history (9 wins, by the 1973 76ers). And, they still have a great shot at the No. 1 pick, although who that No. 1 pick will be I have no idea.
It's time for the Cavs to put the losing streak aside and get back to how they were playing basketball at the start of the year. The fact that they overcame a 55-point loss by defeating the same opponent three weeks later is HUGE for this team's confidence. The playoffs are a pipedream. However, they still have another home game with LeQuitter and his Heat, and that guy deserves some payback.
The Cavs can get just as good of a player in the college draft at No. 3 or No. 6 or even No. 9 than they can at No. 1, so forget this "ping-pong ball in the hopper" crap. The second half is a whole new season. It's time for this team to gain some momentum for the future, and that's to start being competitive night in and night out and picking up a few wins. They won 18 games the year they got the No. 1 pick for LeQuitter, so it's not going to kill them to win a few more games.
Come on, Cavs! Got to make it happen!
***
Staying with basketball, the fortunes of the two college teams that the local fans seem latched on to -- Ohio State and Cleveland State -- almost seem intertwined.
When Ohio State's unbeaten season came to a halt in Wisconsin, Cleveland State was getting beaten on the road in Detroit. When the Buckeyes had a golden opportunity to reclaim the No. 1 ranking slip through their fingers in Purdue, the Vikings were getting beaten on national TV by Old Dominion in a key BracketBuster game.
CSU is 23-5, but it only has two "quality" wins -- Valparasio and Kent State. The Vikings have been on national TV three times this season, and have lost all three times (none of the games have been close). And, Butler, their old nemisis, has easily handled them twice. Their hold on a berth in the NCAA Tournament seems to get more and more tenuous with each game. And, there's a chance that, despite their glittering record, they could be as low as the No. 4 seed in the Horizon League Tournament next week.
Ohio State is still a consensus choice to be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, with only two losses this season. However, the Buckeyes look more and more exposed each time they lose a game. Even though they have a solid senior class, with David Lighty, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale, most experts think the only NBA player on the team is freshman Jared Sullinger (a candidate for the top pick). So, will it be enough for the team to win six consecitive games in March and April against some top competition? Will it be enough to get to the Elite 8 or the Final Four? We shall see.
Here's hoping that both teams make the tournament, CSU can win a game or two and be competitive, and OSU can make a run to the title game (and hopefully win it).
***
The Indians have begun spring training out in Arizona this week. As I look outside and see another winter storm, it amazes me that, six weeks from now, the Indians will be playing meaningful baseball games.
The common denominator with their recent string of failures has been the slow April. Eric Wedge patented the slow April all but two seasons. One of those seasons, the Tribe was one game away from the World Series. Coincidence? It's a big reason why Wedge is managing in Seattle now and why CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez are all wearing different uniforms.
Manny Acta is brimming with optimism. Not bad for a guy who should be looking over his shoulder since the team brought back popular ex-manager Mike Hargrove to be a "special advisor." Another slow srart and the team could make a PR move by dumping Acta and brining Hargrove back the bench.
Don't think they will? This is a team that was DEAD LAST in overall attendance last season. This franchise once prided itself on the longest home sellout streak in MLB and boasted about the "best fans in baseball." Those fans have spoken loud and clear about the direction of the franchise. They won't want to pay big league prices for a bush league team.
The fan base is very jaded, and deservedly so. Larry Dolan came in talking about "winning multiple World Series' titles," and since then, he's done nothing but perpetualy order rebuilding efforts and slash payroll. They once claimed they would "spend when the time was right," but that time may have come and gone.
It also doesn't help PR efforts when Dolan and Son proclaim that the reason they can't sign more players is because the fans don't come out to the ballpark. Fans don't want to hear that. Fans don't want to hear about baseball economics and the fact that teams in big markets can spend as much money as they can, thereby making it hard to compete. Fans hear that, and then look at the Minnesota Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays and the San Francisco Giants -- teams that have slashed payroll -- all field winning teams.
Fans look at the recent draft history and wonder why a team that knows it has to build internally to compete would continually waste draft picks. They wonder about the so-called "genius" of Mark Shapiro, who made one great trade and a host of other terrible ones during his stint as the Tribe's GM. They see a team that lost over 90 games and turned off most of their fanbase PROMOTE everyone within the organization. And, the Dolans wonder why they are having trouble selling season tickets?
A friend of mine purchased Indians season tickets this year. Mostly, because they gave him a free loge to use for one game this season. With the price of the loge, the ticket package actually paid for itself. This is what they have to do to get more asses in the seats.
However, what they really need to do is win ballgames. With the Browns on the verge of blowing everything up and starting over again and the Cavs an NBA embarassment, this city is desperate for a winner, ANY winner. If the Indians truly want to win back their angry fans, the only way to do it is to win.
Now, can they win? With this roster? I don't think so. That's where PR-moves like the potential Hargrove one comes into play.
***
Pat Shurmur has announced that he will not hire an offensive coordinator this season and serve as his own. He finished hiring his coaching staff, and, by and large, it is getting high marks from others around the league.
Dick Jauron and Ray Rhodes running the defense will be tremendous in helping transform this unit into something great. They had spurts of greatness under the bombastic Rob Ryan, but that greatness was never sustained. It's why he didn't get a head coaching job and why he's now in Dallas.
Shurmer seems like he has committed to Colt McCoy as his QB, and that should be good news for Browns fans. It's about time the Browns get a QB and then build around him and committ to him. They failed with Tim Couch, failed with Kelly Holcomb, failed with Jeff Garcia, failed with Charlie Frye, failed with Derek Anderson (although, Anderson failed them) and failed with Brady Quinn. The team will now have an offensive identity, something that's been lacking for a long time around these parts.
The one thing that could derail this train is the NFL's labor troubles. A prolonged lockout will hurt the Browns as they try to input the new offensive and defensive philosophies and try to find players to fit those philosophies. In fact, the one team that could be hurt the most by a lockout is the Browns, because of massive undertaking they are trying to do.
With a federal mediator stepping in, I have a feeling that a new agreement will be made. It probably won't be made until the final days before the current agreement ends (an 11th-hour deal, as some call it), but a deal will be made.
My prediction: Get ready for an 18-game regular season. You don't think NASCAR moved the Daytona 500 a week later next year for no particular reason, do you?
***
Thanks for reading. Joe Cleveland has now taken his act to Twitter. Follow him @JoeCleveBlog. I will post all of these blogs to my Twitter account, and throw in a Tweet from time to time.
And, there won't be as long of a gap between Joe Cleveland's next appearance ... hopefully.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Super Blog
Joe Cleveland thinks, if you ask any Browns fan, the best thing that could happen in a Super Bowl is if the Browns won it.
The second-best thing is if the Steelers lost it.
The second-best thing happened this weekend, and Joe Cleveland has enjoyed every single solitary second of it.
31-25. Say it with me.
Thirty-one-to-twenty-five.
Rolls right off the tongue, yes?
Change your passwords to 3-1-2-5. Play it in the local lottery. Make it the final four digits of your phone number, so your Steeler fan buddies have to be reminded of that every time they want to call you.
On March 1, 2025, Joe Cleveland will probably declare it "National 'How Does That Taste Steelers' Day," and remind all the Steeler fans in facinity that the numerical date is 3/1/25.
Oh, it's a beautiful thing to not see any Black and Yellow (for the record, that is not "Gold." The Saints uniforms are "Gold." Yours are Mustard Yellow.) around these parts (i.e. Northeast Ohio) the last few days. Apparently, the front-runners that live around here are stunned into submission. They're now digging into their Ohio State gear so they can support the No. 1 hoops team in the nation.
They'll find it on top of their old Michigan gear that they gave up wearing when Jim Tressel came to town.
Joe Cleveland was sick and tired of hearing about "six rings" and "Steeler legacy" and "Roethlisberger wasn't convicted of anything" and "there's no rivalry with the Browns cause we always beat them" and "Tomlin is God" and "Harrison plays the game the right way" and every other annoying thing that the Steelers fans have been uttering for the last few seasons.
"Here we go Steelers, Here we go?"
You would think, the way they talk, that the Lombardi Trophy is in their God-given right to have. Those other 38 Super Bowls didn't count, you know, the ones that DIDN'T have the Steelers winning it all? All that matters is the six. Heck, even that one loss to the Cowboys didn't happen. That gap from 1980-2005, where the Steelers didn't win any championships wasn't a gap at all.
Hey, all that matters is three in the last six years, right?
Well, until Green Bay passed all over them Sunday. They can stop pounding their chests about "seven" for a while.
The real NFL legacy franchise won the title and brought the trophy back to where it all began. 13 championships, four that have come in Super Bowls, and 4-1 in Super Bowls. The Packers have one loss, the Steelers have two.
Yes, it's a beautiful thing.
Browns fans like Joe Cleveland were happy to see the West Coast offense be so tough to stop against the "vaunted" Steelers defense. Aaron Rodgers had a performance for the ages. Hell, if his receivers would have caught the ball a few more times, he might have thrown over 400 yards.
Receivers ran open consistantly. Downfield blocks were made. The Steelers had three sacks, but none in the first half. And, they scored 21 points off of turnovers, which was the difference in the game.
For all those who bashed the hiring of an unknown guy like Pat Shurmur, take comfort in this tidbit. When Mike McCarthy was hired by the Packers, he was fresh off a stint as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. That season, the Niners were 32nd in total offense. Today, that man is a Super Bowl champ.
Shurmer won't have Aaron Rodgers or receivers as good as Greg Jennings, but in reality, they had a bunch of unknowns. Who is Jordy Nelson? James Jones? That Crabtree guy at tight end? James Starks? Their best receiver not named Jennings was on IR (Jermichael Finley). Imagine if he was healthy and playing in that game. It would have been brutal.
So, for those who think the Browns don't have the personnel, think again. Colt McCoy is tailor-made for the WC offense, and maybe, if his receivers ran better routes or put in better position, maybe they don't stink up the joint. Sure, they could use a big play guy or a reliable guy, but Massaquoi and Robiskie had flashes of brilliance at times, and Cribbs is still someone to be accounted for and a great utility guy who can line up anywhere (when he's healthy). And, Carlton Mitchell couldn't get off the bench under Mangini. Heckert drafted him for a reason. Keep an eye on him.
Be confident that, from the very top to bottom, the entire Browns organization is on the same page. They have the same philosophy. They have the same vision. That hasn't been the case since probably Ernie Accorsi and Marty Schottenheimer were in town back in the 1980s, and we remember how great (and heartbreaking) those years were.
For the next six months (or more, if the NFL can't come to a collective bargaining agreement), Steeler fans will be rendered speechless. They can still brag about their six Super Bowls, but it sounds hollow after losing the most recent one.
Now, it's up to the Browns to capitalize on this and finally beat those guys on the field. Sure, the Steelers are still a better team as of now. But, now, the Browns have to be happy. They have a blueprint on how to beat them. They don't have a coach who kept trying to run the ball down their throats or was afraid to take shots downfield against them, preferring to be conservative.
Today is a new day, Cleveland fans. The Steelers won as many titles as we did this season (NONE), and we saw our future offense at work.
F--- The Steelers!
***
Other Super Bowl observations:
<> The commercials this year sucked. Really.
I think GoDaddy needs to be retired for good. I'm sorry, but Danica Patrick is yesterday's news and isn't even that hot, and Jillian Michaels? That broad looks like she got hit in the face with a shovel. Look at her. Yeesh.
Some were good for cheap laughs, but most that tried for the cheap laugh were just plain bad. The Doritos commercials were head-scratchingly bad. The Faith Hill one was bad. The one where the baby hits the wall was terrible. And, hey ad execs, talking babies aren't funny anymore.
I did like the Eminem Chrysler Detroit commercial. I'm not a fan of Eminem or his music, but I thought that was the best commercial of the day. I was also happy to see a lot of American car commercials during this game. It only a few years ago that there were nothing but imported car company commercials, so, as someone in a family of American auto workers, that makes me happy.
<> Who are these Black Eyed Peas people, and how did they get so popular? That halftime show was a joke.
They sounded like garbage, and the Tron people didn't help. And, I'm sorry, but Fergie looks like a man, and she sings like one, too.
You hear those songs all the time (that "I've got a feeling" song is everywhere, along with the "Let's get is started" one), but it's painfully obvious that's nothing but studio magic that makes it good. Then again, the same can be said for most pop and hip-hop music.
Joe Cleveland likes his music to rock, and the Black Eyed Peas do not rock, even if they got Slash to join them for a weak cover of Sweet Child O Mine.
<> Christina Aguilera ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Some people were comparing her National Anthem rendition to Enrico Polazzo's. You know Enrico Polazzo, the fake opera singer from The Naked Gun that Leslie Neilsen's character winds up portraying on an undercover mission to stop Reggie Jackson from killing the Queen of England. So Leslie Neilsen sings a horribly (on purpose) bad, but comically hilarious, version of The Star-Spangled Banner ("... Bunch of bombs in the air ..."), that is one of the more memorable scenes in the movie.
That's how bad it was, Christina. You were compared to a comic version done for a comedy movie.
She apologized for flubbing some lines, saying that she was caught up in the performance and blanked out. Well. maybe that should be a lesson for all the "divas" out there who are trying to sing those five-minute long versions of the song with all of the voice changes and what-not. When you diva the song up, you only make it worse.
Just sing the song the way Francis Scott Key wrote it. The audience will be very happy and appreciative. And, don't be afraid to make it short. We love America, but there's a game to watch.
So, a pair of whores (Christina and Fergie) proved to be what they are on the grandest stage of them all. At least they didn't expose their boobs like Janet Jackson did.
<> I get the feeling that Dallas won't host a Super Bowl again for quite some time.
The wintery weather that hit Texas threw things for a loop, and it all went downhill from there.
People complained about how events were scheduled far away from each other. People complained about the stadium, Jerry Jones' "crown jewel" that he hoped to show off to the world.
The worst was when the fire marshall demanded that 800 temporary bleachers be removed, which cost half of those people a seat for the game that they all paid good money for. Sure, they wound up getting 3 times what they paid for the tickets, along with free admission to next year's game, but that still was a black eye.
And, finally, what was up with that turf? What that that old school AstroTurf from the 1970s? Did they have asphault under that turf? It seemed like every other play, someone was getting injured. Heck, 3/4ths of Green Bay's secondary was wiped out, and even Roethlisberger came up gimpy a couple of times.
As someone who never liked the Cowboys or Jerry Jones, it almost served them right.
***
Lastly, the good feelings Cleveland fans shared in after the Super Bowl came crashing back to reality when our basketball teams each lost.
For the Cavs, they set an all-time record for futlity -- 25 straight losses. Two more losses, and it becomes the longest losing streak in professional sports.
For CSU, it's only their second-straight loss, but it comes on the heels of a disappointing defeat to Butler and happens against Detroit, who aren't very good.
Both losses on Monday were by 3-points apiece. CSU should be able to bounce back. The Cavs, however ... I just hope they can win a few more games.
You throw in the realization that football season is officially over, coupled with the fact that the Indians are about to start spring training on what appears to be another dismal season, and you can see why we enjoyed the Steelers loss so much. What else do we have to enjoy around here?
Such is life. There's always a next year.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
The second-best thing is if the Steelers lost it.
The second-best thing happened this weekend, and Joe Cleveland has enjoyed every single solitary second of it.
31-25. Say it with me.
Thirty-one-to-twenty-five.
Rolls right off the tongue, yes?
Change your passwords to 3-1-2-5. Play it in the local lottery. Make it the final four digits of your phone number, so your Steeler fan buddies have to be reminded of that every time they want to call you.
On March 1, 2025, Joe Cleveland will probably declare it "National 'How Does That Taste Steelers' Day," and remind all the Steeler fans in facinity that the numerical date is 3/1/25.
Oh, it's a beautiful thing to not see any Black and Yellow (for the record, that is not "Gold." The Saints uniforms are "Gold." Yours are Mustard Yellow.) around these parts (i.e. Northeast Ohio) the last few days. Apparently, the front-runners that live around here are stunned into submission. They're now digging into their Ohio State gear so they can support the No. 1 hoops team in the nation.
They'll find it on top of their old Michigan gear that they gave up wearing when Jim Tressel came to town.
Joe Cleveland was sick and tired of hearing about "six rings" and "Steeler legacy" and "Roethlisberger wasn't convicted of anything" and "there's no rivalry with the Browns cause we always beat them" and "Tomlin is God" and "Harrison plays the game the right way" and every other annoying thing that the Steelers fans have been uttering for the last few seasons.
"Here we go Steelers, Here we go?"
You would think, the way they talk, that the Lombardi Trophy is in their God-given right to have. Those other 38 Super Bowls didn't count, you know, the ones that DIDN'T have the Steelers winning it all? All that matters is the six. Heck, even that one loss to the Cowboys didn't happen. That gap from 1980-2005, where the Steelers didn't win any championships wasn't a gap at all.
Hey, all that matters is three in the last six years, right?
Well, until Green Bay passed all over them Sunday. They can stop pounding their chests about "seven" for a while.
The real NFL legacy franchise won the title and brought the trophy back to where it all began. 13 championships, four that have come in Super Bowls, and 4-1 in Super Bowls. The Packers have one loss, the Steelers have two.
Yes, it's a beautiful thing.
Browns fans like Joe Cleveland were happy to see the West Coast offense be so tough to stop against the "vaunted" Steelers defense. Aaron Rodgers had a performance for the ages. Hell, if his receivers would have caught the ball a few more times, he might have thrown over 400 yards.
Receivers ran open consistantly. Downfield blocks were made. The Steelers had three sacks, but none in the first half. And, they scored 21 points off of turnovers, which was the difference in the game.
For all those who bashed the hiring of an unknown guy like Pat Shurmur, take comfort in this tidbit. When Mike McCarthy was hired by the Packers, he was fresh off a stint as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. That season, the Niners were 32nd in total offense. Today, that man is a Super Bowl champ.
Shurmer won't have Aaron Rodgers or receivers as good as Greg Jennings, but in reality, they had a bunch of unknowns. Who is Jordy Nelson? James Jones? That Crabtree guy at tight end? James Starks? Their best receiver not named Jennings was on IR (Jermichael Finley). Imagine if he was healthy and playing in that game. It would have been brutal.
So, for those who think the Browns don't have the personnel, think again. Colt McCoy is tailor-made for the WC offense, and maybe, if his receivers ran better routes or put in better position, maybe they don't stink up the joint. Sure, they could use a big play guy or a reliable guy, but Massaquoi and Robiskie had flashes of brilliance at times, and Cribbs is still someone to be accounted for and a great utility guy who can line up anywhere (when he's healthy). And, Carlton Mitchell couldn't get off the bench under Mangini. Heckert drafted him for a reason. Keep an eye on him.
Be confident that, from the very top to bottom, the entire Browns organization is on the same page. They have the same philosophy. They have the same vision. That hasn't been the case since probably Ernie Accorsi and Marty Schottenheimer were in town back in the 1980s, and we remember how great (and heartbreaking) those years were.
For the next six months (or more, if the NFL can't come to a collective bargaining agreement), Steeler fans will be rendered speechless. They can still brag about their six Super Bowls, but it sounds hollow after losing the most recent one.
Now, it's up to the Browns to capitalize on this and finally beat those guys on the field. Sure, the Steelers are still a better team as of now. But, now, the Browns have to be happy. They have a blueprint on how to beat them. They don't have a coach who kept trying to run the ball down their throats or was afraid to take shots downfield against them, preferring to be conservative.
Today is a new day, Cleveland fans. The Steelers won as many titles as we did this season (NONE), and we saw our future offense at work.
F--- The Steelers!
***
Other Super Bowl observations:
<> The commercials this year sucked. Really.
I think GoDaddy needs to be retired for good. I'm sorry, but Danica Patrick is yesterday's news and isn't even that hot, and Jillian Michaels? That broad looks like she got hit in the face with a shovel. Look at her. Yeesh.
Some were good for cheap laughs, but most that tried for the cheap laugh were just plain bad. The Doritos commercials were head-scratchingly bad. The Faith Hill one was bad. The one where the baby hits the wall was terrible. And, hey ad execs, talking babies aren't funny anymore.
I did like the Eminem Chrysler Detroit commercial. I'm not a fan of Eminem or his music, but I thought that was the best commercial of the day. I was also happy to see a lot of American car commercials during this game. It only a few years ago that there were nothing but imported car company commercials, so, as someone in a family of American auto workers, that makes me happy.
<> Who are these Black Eyed Peas people, and how did they get so popular? That halftime show was a joke.
They sounded like garbage, and the Tron people didn't help. And, I'm sorry, but Fergie looks like a man, and she sings like one, too.
You hear those songs all the time (that "I've got a feeling" song is everywhere, along with the "Let's get is started" one), but it's painfully obvious that's nothing but studio magic that makes it good. Then again, the same can be said for most pop and hip-hop music.
Joe Cleveland likes his music to rock, and the Black Eyed Peas do not rock, even if they got Slash to join them for a weak cover of Sweet Child O Mine.
<> Christina Aguilera ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Some people were comparing her National Anthem rendition to Enrico Polazzo's. You know Enrico Polazzo, the fake opera singer from The Naked Gun that Leslie Neilsen's character winds up portraying on an undercover mission to stop Reggie Jackson from killing the Queen of England. So Leslie Neilsen sings a horribly (on purpose) bad, but comically hilarious, version of The Star-Spangled Banner ("... Bunch of bombs in the air ..."), that is one of the more memorable scenes in the movie.
That's how bad it was, Christina. You were compared to a comic version done for a comedy movie.
She apologized for flubbing some lines, saying that she was caught up in the performance and blanked out. Well. maybe that should be a lesson for all the "divas" out there who are trying to sing those five-minute long versions of the song with all of the voice changes and what-not. When you diva the song up, you only make it worse.
Just sing the song the way Francis Scott Key wrote it. The audience will be very happy and appreciative. And, don't be afraid to make it short. We love America, but there's a game to watch.
So, a pair of whores (Christina and Fergie) proved to be what they are on the grandest stage of them all. At least they didn't expose their boobs like Janet Jackson did.
<> I get the feeling that Dallas won't host a Super Bowl again for quite some time.
The wintery weather that hit Texas threw things for a loop, and it all went downhill from there.
People complained about how events were scheduled far away from each other. People complained about the stadium, Jerry Jones' "crown jewel" that he hoped to show off to the world.
The worst was when the fire marshall demanded that 800 temporary bleachers be removed, which cost half of those people a seat for the game that they all paid good money for. Sure, they wound up getting 3 times what they paid for the tickets, along with free admission to next year's game, but that still was a black eye.
And, finally, what was up with that turf? What that that old school AstroTurf from the 1970s? Did they have asphault under that turf? It seemed like every other play, someone was getting injured. Heck, 3/4ths of Green Bay's secondary was wiped out, and even Roethlisberger came up gimpy a couple of times.
As someone who never liked the Cowboys or Jerry Jones, it almost served them right.
***
Lastly, the good feelings Cleveland fans shared in after the Super Bowl came crashing back to reality when our basketball teams each lost.
For the Cavs, they set an all-time record for futlity -- 25 straight losses. Two more losses, and it becomes the longest losing streak in professional sports.
For CSU, it's only their second-straight loss, but it comes on the heels of a disappointing defeat to Butler and happens against Detroit, who aren't very good.
Both losses on Monday were by 3-points apiece. CSU should be able to bounce back. The Cavs, however ... I just hope they can win a few more games.
You throw in the realization that football season is officially over, coupled with the fact that the Indians are about to start spring training on what appears to be another dismal season, and you can see why we enjoyed the Steelers loss so much. What else do we have to enjoy around here?
Such is life. There's always a next year.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Basketball woes
A little bit of that and a little bit of this ...
Pat yourselves on the back, Cavs. You've set an NBA record. And no, it's not a good kind of record. You just lost the most consecutive games in a row in a single season.
Twenty-four straight losses and counting. Joe Cleveland is PROUD that you represent his town. PROUD, I tell you!
Yes, Joe Cleveland can be very sarcastic. To quote the foreign co-worker in "Family Guy:"
"Oh, ho-ho ... eees funny cause eet's not true .... oh, ho-ho ..."
Who would have thought that the Cavs would go from being the first team in the NBA to reach 40 wins to the first team to reach 40 losses in one single season. Well, ESPN and all the other haters who thought that the Cavs would suck without LeQuitter did, but still ...
The Cavs have tied their own record (set during the Ted Stepien years ... who would have thought the Cavs would ever rival those forgettable years?) for most consecutive losses. Although, back then, the Cavs lost 24 straight during the course of two years. They did this in one.
Does anyone else think that the Cavs will win another game this year? How about two games? Three? Four? OK, that's just crazy talk right there, so I'll stop before it gets ridiculous. Heaven forbid, an NBA team can't win five games over the span of three months. How sad is this team?
The sad part is, as much as people like Joe Cleveland applauded Dan Gilbert for his "open" letter to the fans just hours after LeQuitter made his self-indulgant "Decision," I think we can all step back and realize that maybe Gilbert should have left well enough alone. Perhaps this is what he deserves.
A guarantee that your team will win an NBA title before LeQuitter's team does? Wow.
It's one thing to call out LeQuitter for what he really is, which is a quitter. It was fairly obvious to anyone with a pulse (or anyone not associated with ESPN) to realize that LeQuitter tanked those last two games of the Boston series. You don't play that poorly all of a sudden. And, remember when people (even media-types) were saying that LeQuitter was going to have elbow surgery after the season, and that he had a serious injury? Joe Cleveland wants to know when that elbow surgery happened, and how did it go? Because, he obviously didn't hear about it. Did you?
However, to make outlandish guarantees is something else entirely. The national media roasted Gilbert following the letter, which let LeQuitter off the hook. The Cavs' current struggles only makes Gilbert look worse (and LeQuitter look better).
In case you wanted to know, the NBA record for least wins in a single season is 9, set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. All the Cavs have to do is win two games over the remaining three months to avoid this ignomious record.
Wow, two whole games. That's like asking someone to dig a replica of the Grand Canyon with a spoon, right?
Thanks a lot, Cavs. You disgust me. Take a bow, morons!
***
Speaking of basketball, Joe Cleveland finally got out to see the "winning team in town," Cleveland State, last Thursday against Valparasio. Then, I watched as ESPN came to the CSU campus and broadcast the Vikings big matchup with Butler to the nation on ESPN2.
What a difference two days make.
The CSU I witnessed on Thursday did not resemble the CSU I watched on Saturday. Joe Cleveland would like to know who those imposters were wearing Forest Green and White (well, they were wearing black jersies instead of the usual ones, so maybe that had something to do with it).
I was impressed with the Vikings against Valpo, although they missed too many free throws to my liking and they kept committing dumb fouls (although, it's fairly obvious that the Horizon League is taking on the bottom-of-the-barrell college refs. I don't know how many traveling calls they missed on Valpo, among some other questionable calls). I like their ability to play defense and that they aren't afraid to run. I like that, while Norris Cole is clearly the top option offensively, they have guys who can hit the long-range jumper like Jeremy Mongtomery and Tre Harmon.
Aaron Pogue, however, looks like a stiff to me. He looked like when I saw him in person, and he definitely looked like it against Butler. How do you miss layups when you're 6-10 or 6-9 or whatever you are?
A win over Old Dominion on the road in the Bracket Buster could be good enough to salvage their chances at qualifying for the NCAA Tournament (which is now accepting 68 teams this year, not 65). However, at this rate, CSU better hope Butler gets beaten in the HL Tournament. Because its obvious that Butler has some sort of hex on them.
How can Butler lose to Youngstown State but yet beat CSU? For that matter, Butler has lost to a LOT of teams in the HL this season. Yet, they are 2-0 against a team that is 21-4, and handed that team their only loss on their home court.
Maybe the weight of the bandwagon was too much for CSU. A nearly full house greeted CSU and the ESPN cameras for the noon tip-off. It was the first time all season that the Wolstein Center was that full. Maybe they were better when they were playing in front of people dressed like green seats instead of actual people. Who knows.
CSU still is the frontrunner to get the top-seed in the HL Tournament, which means there's a good chance they will be hosting that championship game should they not choke (knock on wood). However, it appears likely that, despite a glittering record, they may need to win the league if they want a shot at the field of 68. National perception is reality, and the nation has witnessed two terrible CSU performances against Butler and a third against West Virginia. Both teams clearly aren't the same teams that reached the Final Four last year.
Best of luck, CSU. You're our only hope.
***
So, maybe it's time for a Super Bowl prediction. After all, it is being played later today.
Take this for what it's worth (and, I'm sure the bandwagoners will believe that I'm not being objective), but I'm predicting Green Bay 30, Pittsburgh 21.
Pittsburgh is great against the run. However, Green Bay is not a running team. They are a passing team. I believe they can exploit the Steelers secondary and Rodgers can avoid the rush to make some great throws. They've got at least two huge plays in them.
Green Bay is great against the pass. Pittsburgh may try to run with Mendenhall a lot. However, their offensive line is weaker without center Maurkice Pouncey. Doug Legursky is undersized and not that good. You can bet that B.J. Raji will try to put pressure right up the middle. Green Bay will try to bring the heat on Roethlisberger. The Billy Joel wanna-be is best at bouncing off would-be tacklers and making plays out of nothing. It will be up to guys like Clay Matthews to make sure they bring him down when they hit him.
If Brian Schaefering can do it twice and Hank Poteat can do it once, I think Matthews can handle it.
Besides, the team that's had the most distractions this week has been the Steelers. Paparazzi have hounded them all week. Green Bay has been left alone. People were just waiting to see if Roethlisberger would screw up, or Harrison, or any of them. A routine trip to the strip club got posted to the Net. Roethlisberger drunkenly warbeling Piano Man made it to SportsCenter, where they spent 20 minutes debating on whether it was a story or not.
Umm, if you're going to spend 20 minutes talking about it, guess what: IT'S A FREAKING STORY!
Yes, the heart is rooting for Green Bay. However, the head believes that it will happen, too.
***
Two more weeks until the Indians open spring training. How long is it before the NFL Draft starts?
***
So, Joe Cleveland's latest poll is, if you had a choice right now for a winter sport, would you keep the NBA and the Cavs or an unidentified NHL team? Simple question.
The NBA is built so that teams from large media markets or teams with superstars succeed. The Cavs have neither right now, and those prospects don't look like that's gonna change, even if they get the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
The NHL, meanwhile, seems to be more wide open. Sure, they're trying to market their superstars (like Crosby and Ovechkin) and hope that those teams get the big push. However, it seems like it doesn't have the preferential treatment that proliferates throughout the NBA like a fungus.
Cleveland fans may believe that the NHL won't work here. They point to the two seasons in the late 1970s that the Cleveland Barons were in the NHL as proof of that. I beg to differ.
The Barons, when they were originally in the AHL, were a powerhouse and very popular among the fans (remember, there was no basketball in town then). They were replaced by the Crusaders in the fledgling WHA (which tried to pawn itself off as a legitimate competitor to the NHL), and the Crusaders did well here. After the Barons were moved to Minnesota by the Gund Brothers, Cleveland had some minor league hockey teams that drew OK. The Lumberjacks got a nice niche for a while. The reincarnated Barons were afterthoughts, but the Lake Erie Monsters seem to be marketing themselves fairly well.
Cleveland sees itself as a major league town (eat it, haters), and supporting a minor league team isn't high on the radar. But a major league hockey team? I think Cleveland fans (a blue-collar bunch) would support it.
I always felt hockey was more conducive to the average ticket-paying fan base in Cleveland than basketball, especially as contracts got bigger and superstars began acting more and more like spoiled divas and/or wanna-be thugs. Cleveland finally had one of them, and for 7 years, they were the hot ticket in town. But, the diva is gone, and we're left with a bunch of scrubs who can't buy a win if they could get it on clearance at Big Lots.
Feel free to vote in the poll, and comment your thoughts about which would be better here -- NHL or NBA. Don't let the stench of the current Cavs affect your thinking. Think about the 41-year-old body of work.
***
Lastly, the man behind "Joe Cleveland" would like to dedicate this installment of the blog to the late John G. Cole. Cole was the longtime editor-in-chief of the Lorain (OH) Monring Journal, where I cut my teeth as a sportswriter. I learned a lot about being a journalist, a writer and a good man from Cole. He was a tough person to work for, but you were a better person for it in the long run that you did, and that you survived.
Cole died suddenly this week at the age of 61. Rest in peace, sir!
Untl next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Pat yourselves on the back, Cavs. You've set an NBA record. And no, it's not a good kind of record. You just lost the most consecutive games in a row in a single season.
Twenty-four straight losses and counting. Joe Cleveland is PROUD that you represent his town. PROUD, I tell you!
Yes, Joe Cleveland can be very sarcastic. To quote the foreign co-worker in "Family Guy:"
"Oh, ho-ho ... eees funny cause eet's not true .... oh, ho-ho ..."
Who would have thought that the Cavs would go from being the first team in the NBA to reach 40 wins to the first team to reach 40 losses in one single season. Well, ESPN and all the other haters who thought that the Cavs would suck without LeQuitter did, but still ...
The Cavs have tied their own record (set during the Ted Stepien years ... who would have thought the Cavs would ever rival those forgettable years?) for most consecutive losses. Although, back then, the Cavs lost 24 straight during the course of two years. They did this in one.
Does anyone else think that the Cavs will win another game this year? How about two games? Three? Four? OK, that's just crazy talk right there, so I'll stop before it gets ridiculous. Heaven forbid, an NBA team can't win five games over the span of three months. How sad is this team?
The sad part is, as much as people like Joe Cleveland applauded Dan Gilbert for his "open" letter to the fans just hours after LeQuitter made his self-indulgant "Decision," I think we can all step back and realize that maybe Gilbert should have left well enough alone. Perhaps this is what he deserves.
A guarantee that your team will win an NBA title before LeQuitter's team does? Wow.
It's one thing to call out LeQuitter for what he really is, which is a quitter. It was fairly obvious to anyone with a pulse (or anyone not associated with ESPN) to realize that LeQuitter tanked those last two games of the Boston series. You don't play that poorly all of a sudden. And, remember when people (even media-types) were saying that LeQuitter was going to have elbow surgery after the season, and that he had a serious injury? Joe Cleveland wants to know when that elbow surgery happened, and how did it go? Because, he obviously didn't hear about it. Did you?
However, to make outlandish guarantees is something else entirely. The national media roasted Gilbert following the letter, which let LeQuitter off the hook. The Cavs' current struggles only makes Gilbert look worse (and LeQuitter look better).
In case you wanted to know, the NBA record for least wins in a single season is 9, set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. All the Cavs have to do is win two games over the remaining three months to avoid this ignomious record.
Wow, two whole games. That's like asking someone to dig a replica of the Grand Canyon with a spoon, right?
Thanks a lot, Cavs. You disgust me. Take a bow, morons!
***
Speaking of basketball, Joe Cleveland finally got out to see the "winning team in town," Cleveland State, last Thursday against Valparasio. Then, I watched as ESPN came to the CSU campus and broadcast the Vikings big matchup with Butler to the nation on ESPN2.
What a difference two days make.
The CSU I witnessed on Thursday did not resemble the CSU I watched on Saturday. Joe Cleveland would like to know who those imposters were wearing Forest Green and White (well, they were wearing black jersies instead of the usual ones, so maybe that had something to do with it).
I was impressed with the Vikings against Valpo, although they missed too many free throws to my liking and they kept committing dumb fouls (although, it's fairly obvious that the Horizon League is taking on the bottom-of-the-barrell college refs. I don't know how many traveling calls they missed on Valpo, among some other questionable calls). I like their ability to play defense and that they aren't afraid to run. I like that, while Norris Cole is clearly the top option offensively, they have guys who can hit the long-range jumper like Jeremy Mongtomery and Tre Harmon.
Aaron Pogue, however, looks like a stiff to me. He looked like when I saw him in person, and he definitely looked like it against Butler. How do you miss layups when you're 6-10 or 6-9 or whatever you are?
A win over Old Dominion on the road in the Bracket Buster could be good enough to salvage their chances at qualifying for the NCAA Tournament (which is now accepting 68 teams this year, not 65). However, at this rate, CSU better hope Butler gets beaten in the HL Tournament. Because its obvious that Butler has some sort of hex on them.
How can Butler lose to Youngstown State but yet beat CSU? For that matter, Butler has lost to a LOT of teams in the HL this season. Yet, they are 2-0 against a team that is 21-4, and handed that team their only loss on their home court.
Maybe the weight of the bandwagon was too much for CSU. A nearly full house greeted CSU and the ESPN cameras for the noon tip-off. It was the first time all season that the Wolstein Center was that full. Maybe they were better when they were playing in front of people dressed like green seats instead of actual people. Who knows.
CSU still is the frontrunner to get the top-seed in the HL Tournament, which means there's a good chance they will be hosting that championship game should they not choke (knock on wood). However, it appears likely that, despite a glittering record, they may need to win the league if they want a shot at the field of 68. National perception is reality, and the nation has witnessed two terrible CSU performances against Butler and a third against West Virginia. Both teams clearly aren't the same teams that reached the Final Four last year.
Best of luck, CSU. You're our only hope.
***
So, maybe it's time for a Super Bowl prediction. After all, it is being played later today.
Take this for what it's worth (and, I'm sure the bandwagoners will believe that I'm not being objective), but I'm predicting Green Bay 30, Pittsburgh 21.
Pittsburgh is great against the run. However, Green Bay is not a running team. They are a passing team. I believe they can exploit the Steelers secondary and Rodgers can avoid the rush to make some great throws. They've got at least two huge plays in them.
Green Bay is great against the pass. Pittsburgh may try to run with Mendenhall a lot. However, their offensive line is weaker without center Maurkice Pouncey. Doug Legursky is undersized and not that good. You can bet that B.J. Raji will try to put pressure right up the middle. Green Bay will try to bring the heat on Roethlisberger. The Billy Joel wanna-be is best at bouncing off would-be tacklers and making plays out of nothing. It will be up to guys like Clay Matthews to make sure they bring him down when they hit him.
If Brian Schaefering can do it twice and Hank Poteat can do it once, I think Matthews can handle it.
Besides, the team that's had the most distractions this week has been the Steelers. Paparazzi have hounded them all week. Green Bay has been left alone. People were just waiting to see if Roethlisberger would screw up, or Harrison, or any of them. A routine trip to the strip club got posted to the Net. Roethlisberger drunkenly warbeling Piano Man made it to SportsCenter, where they spent 20 minutes debating on whether it was a story or not.
Umm, if you're going to spend 20 minutes talking about it, guess what: IT'S A FREAKING STORY!
Yes, the heart is rooting for Green Bay. However, the head believes that it will happen, too.
***
Two more weeks until the Indians open spring training. How long is it before the NFL Draft starts?
***
So, Joe Cleveland's latest poll is, if you had a choice right now for a winter sport, would you keep the NBA and the Cavs or an unidentified NHL team? Simple question.
The NBA is built so that teams from large media markets or teams with superstars succeed. The Cavs have neither right now, and those prospects don't look like that's gonna change, even if they get the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
The NHL, meanwhile, seems to be more wide open. Sure, they're trying to market their superstars (like Crosby and Ovechkin) and hope that those teams get the big push. However, it seems like it doesn't have the preferential treatment that proliferates throughout the NBA like a fungus.
Cleveland fans may believe that the NHL won't work here. They point to the two seasons in the late 1970s that the Cleveland Barons were in the NHL as proof of that. I beg to differ.
The Barons, when they were originally in the AHL, were a powerhouse and very popular among the fans (remember, there was no basketball in town then). They were replaced by the Crusaders in the fledgling WHA (which tried to pawn itself off as a legitimate competitor to the NHL), and the Crusaders did well here. After the Barons were moved to Minnesota by the Gund Brothers, Cleveland had some minor league hockey teams that drew OK. The Lumberjacks got a nice niche for a while. The reincarnated Barons were afterthoughts, but the Lake Erie Monsters seem to be marketing themselves fairly well.
Cleveland sees itself as a major league town (eat it, haters), and supporting a minor league team isn't high on the radar. But a major league hockey team? I think Cleveland fans (a blue-collar bunch) would support it.
I always felt hockey was more conducive to the average ticket-paying fan base in Cleveland than basketball, especially as contracts got bigger and superstars began acting more and more like spoiled divas and/or wanna-be thugs. Cleveland finally had one of them, and for 7 years, they were the hot ticket in town. But, the diva is gone, and we're left with a bunch of scrubs who can't buy a win if they could get it on clearance at Big Lots.
Feel free to vote in the poll, and comment your thoughts about which would be better here -- NHL or NBA. Don't let the stench of the current Cavs affect your thinking. Think about the 41-year-old body of work.
***
Lastly, the man behind "Joe Cleveland" would like to dedicate this installment of the blog to the late John G. Cole. Cole was the longtime editor-in-chief of the Lorain (OH) Monring Journal, where I cut my teeth as a sportswriter. I learned a lot about being a journalist, a writer and a good man from Cole. He was a tough person to work for, but you were a better person for it in the long run that you did, and that you survived.
Cole died suddenly this week at the age of 61. Rest in peace, sir!
Untl next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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