The week hasn't officially started yet, and Joe Cleveland is already chalking it up to being the greatest week ever.
This is what happens when Ohio State can take out Michigan and the Cleveland Browns can do the same to the Pittsburgh Steelers in back-to-back home games on back-to-back afternoons.
Joe Cleveland was fortunate enough to witness the latter in person. I was also at the 2009 Thursday night game in which the Browns sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times and stunned the Squeelers, 13-6. This one might have been a bit better.
Sure, Consentlessberger wasn't in uniform for this one. He sat on the sidelines nursing broken ribs. Also, Troy Polamalu wasn't in uniform, but then again, he hasn't been in uniform very much this season and yet the Steelers defense came into Sunday's game ranked No. 1.
It doesn't matter.
As Pat Shurmur told the team after their 20-14 victory that was more dominating than the score actually indicated, "You rookies are now 1-0 against the Steelers."
Jimmy Haslam, who was in the other owners box for several Browns-Steelers games that went the way of the Yinzer, is now 1-0 as the Browns' owner against the team he was once affiliated with.
Shurmur is now one of just three Browns coaches since the team returned in 1999 to beat the Steelers. The other two -- Eric Mangini (2009) and Chris Palmer (1999 and 2000). Coincidentally, both Mangini and Palmer were fired after just two years on the job, and -- a win Sunday regardless -- Shurmur is still expected to be fired after this season, his second year on the job.
Brandon Weeden becomes the third Browns starting quarterback to win a game against the Steelers. Tim Couch was the starter for the wins in 1999, 2000 and 2003, while Brady Quinn started the 2009 game. Weeden also becomes just the second rookie quarterback to beat a Dick LeBeau defense while LeBeau headed up the Steeler D.
The eight turnovers forced by the Browns were the most a Steeler team committed since 1989. It was also the most the Browns forced since 1989. Coincidentally, the last time it happened for either team, they played each other in a very memorable 51-0 season-opening victory at Three Rivers Stadium (Bud Carson's finest hour).
Sure, the starting quarterback may have a 37-year-old third-stringer and one of the wideouts may have been a 35-year-old guy who was sitting on his couch this season and had missed most of the last four seasons after shooting himself in the leg at a nighclub. And, it may have only been a six-point win.
But, in the end, it was a Browns victory ... OVER THE STEELERS!!!
Hallalujah!
Last season, you could sense the Browns were right there, as far as being physical with the ever-intimidating Steelers. The Steelers won both games, 14-3 and 13-9, but the Browns made the Steelers work for both games.
The Browns injured Roethlisberger in that first game, and forced him to play the entire game in the season finale when they had hoped to jump out to a commanding lead in that season finale to prepare for the playoffs. They also took out Polamalu and running back Rashard Mendenhall during that season finale, and without them, Pittsburgh lost a Tim Tebow-led Broncos team in the first round of the playoffs.
This year, it was the Browns that were the physical team. It was the guys in brown jerseys who were intimidating. It was the Browns that delivered solid hits that forced six fumbles -- five recovered by the Browns.
Don't look now, folks, but the the balance of power in the AFC North is shifting. The Steelers are getting older and more beat up, while the Browns are younger and hungrier.
The Ravens continue to win, but they, too, are also getting older and beat up. Meanwhile, the younger Bengals made the playoffs last season and are sneaking back into the hunt after being written off by many following a 34-24 loss to Browns a few weeks ago.
Could the road to the AFC North championship be going through Cleveland and Cincinnati the next few seasons? What does this Sunday tell you?
The Browns dominated the Steelers. The Bengals dominated the Raiders. The Ravens had to rally to beat the rudderless Chargers in overtime -- a team that lost to the Browns a few weeks ago.
Haslam wisely stepped in and pulled the plug on the disasterous "white flag" promotion. They should have put those palates outside the Steelers locker room so they could take them as they left. Or, handed them out after the game to anyone wearing black and yellow and crying in their little yellow towels.
Probably the only thing better than watching the Browns beat the Steelers was watching all of those stunned Steeler fans, who so gleefully twirled their towels and tried to make Cleveland Browns Stadium Heinz Field West just a few hours earlier, walk out into the chilly Cleveland afternoon zombie-faced, like the famine just hit their village or something.
It was a beautiful thing.
Now, the Browns improve to 5-23 against those Stillers since 1999. Not a fantastic stat, but keep this one in mind.
In the years Cleveland beat Pittsburgh (1999, 2000, 2003 and 2009), the Steelers were denied a playoff berth. Sitting at 6-5 with another game with the Ravens on tap next week and not getting any healthier, 2012 could be another notch in that chain.
This week, Browns fans don't have to hear it from those front-running losers at their workplaces or in their circle of friends. Now, WE can be the ones who let them have it.
Like I said before, we haven't seen the Buckeyes and Browns score wins over their archrivals in the same weekend since 1962, so this one was a long time coming. Just imagine if the Cavs could have held on against LeQuitter's Heat Saturday night?
Speaking of the Buckeyes, you've got to congratulate them on a 12-0 season -- a season that nobody expected. Sure, some true Buckeye homers probably thought Urban Meyer would have Ohio State in the national title game in his first year, but most would have been happy with a winning record and another win over That Team Up North.
Who would have thunk it that, if not for a bowl ban, Meyer could have very well had the Buckeyes playing for a national championship in January, and against Notre Dame, even? Take that, ESPN and SEC!
Last season, this team finished a dismal 6-7 under Luke Fickell. With Meyer, that got transformed to 12-0. This is not a coincidence.
Meyer's spread offense fits Braxton Miller like a glove. Unlike Rich Rodriguez, who came to Michigan as an unpopular choice and then proceeded to force his spread down his school's throat despite not having the proper personnel (and was fired after just three seasons), Meyer knew that the Buckeyes had the pieces in place to make the transtion to the spread pretty seemless.
He was able to convince the seniors, whom he didn't recruit, to stay, even though they had the right to transfer penalty-free to another university when the NCAA sanctions were handed down.
They didn't blow the doors off their opponents, which some critics have brought up. However, the fact remains that they played in 12 games and won them all.
If Ohio State is not the preseason No. 1 next season, then something is definitely wrong.
Meyer got the rivalry back to Ohio State's side after Jim Tressel owned Michigan during his 10-year career (9-1) and the hiccup last season under Fickell. It looks like it will be there to stay for the time being.
Ohio State beating Michigan and the Browns beating the Steelers. Yes, Thanksgiving DOES mean something, after all!
***
Don't look now, but this Browns team could use the Steeler win to springboard themselves to a fanstastic finish.
The 2009 team responded from that 13-6 Steeler win to rip off four consecutive victories to end the season. The winning streak saved Mangini's job for a season under incoming team president Mike Holmgren, who was rumored to have been hired just before that Steeler game.
This season, the Browns follow up with games against Oakland on the road (3-7), Kansas City (1-10) and Washington (5-6) at home, and Denver (7-3) and the Steelers (6-5) on the road. Only the Bronco game appears to be totally unwinnable, and that could be interesting if they clinch prior to that and rest Peyton Manning and some of the starters.
The Redskins under Robert Griffin III are playing well lately, but it should be cold on Dec. 16. RG3's idea of cold growing up in Texas was 55 degrees.
The Browns could very well be 8-8 (if all the planets and stars align properly) or, at least, 6-10 when this season is all said and done.
6-10 isn't great, but it is progress from 4-12 and 5-11 over the last four seasons. If two of those six wins are against Pittsburgh, you can make a case for Shurmur to stick around for another season.
Some idiots are complaining about draft position ... ENOUGH ALREADY!! If we perennially play for the damn draft, we'll always rebuild. You need to win games, that's the bottom line. And, is there any lock-down player that you need to get in the top three or four this year? Matt Barkley, Geno Smith and Collin Klein aren't looking likc locks to be future QB studs in the NFL, and most of the high prospects appear to be on the defensive side.
So, quit bellyaching about how the Browns won or why they won. The bottom line is, THEY BEAT THE DAMN STEELERS!!! Be a true damn Browns fan and ENJOY IT for once!!!
I will say, though, that anything less than that 6-10 projection, and Shurmur is gone ... even if they can beat the Steelers again at Heinz Field in the season finale.
The Browns aren't a great team, but anyone with any knowledge of the NFL can see that this team has some interesting and intriguing pieces in place. This team has talent, and that talent was on display. That talent will only get better with more experience and with better coaching.
Football fortunes are on the rise in Ohio. Just you wait and see.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
And, PITTSBURGH SUCKS!
Showing posts with label Ben Roethlisberger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Roethlisberger. Show all posts
Sunday, November 25, 2012
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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