In The Trenches; What is wrong with the Cleveland Cavaliers?

By Sean Trench
As you know, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of the fourth-worst losing streak in the history of the National Basketball Association. They have now lost 22 games in a row. Last night was their shot at ending that streak. But in the end, they just couldn't put enough plays together to get it done. The team as it is constructed right now doesn't have the confidence to close out games like the one they played last night. So the losing streak just continues right now with no end in sight.

As a native Clevelander, sometimes it is hard to be an objective writer or fan. You always want to come to the defense of the home team when they are the subject of ridicule in the media. However, when the team goes from being on the cusp of an NBA championship to the worst in the league, you have to keep an open mind when it comes to the outside world of national writers and commentators that are just "kicking the dog when it is down". This team has had a multitude of key injuries this year that just couldn't afford to happen if they hoped to be competing for a playoff spot like a lot of people thought could happen. Whether you like it or not, Anderson Varejao is the heart and soul of this basketball team. He is out for the season. Without him, there is no toughness or heart on this roster.

With the trade deadline looming, the Cavaliers have to try and trade guys like Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. Jamison doesn't look like a player that wants to be here, and with Ramon Sessions stepping up in Mo's absence, it doesn't seem that Mo would be a fit here any longer. There is something very wrong with this team that goes beyond the game on the court. Ever since the horrible beating that came at Quicken Loans Arena on December 2 at the hands of the Miami Heat, this team looks like it has mentally checked out and will not ever come back from that loss. So I think you have to explore the opportunity to trade some of these guys and get some fresh players in here. Otherwise, this situation could get a whole lot worse, if that is indeed possible.

Now that brings me to something else that I want to touch on. Why in the world are the Cavaliers laughing and joking around with each other when they are 8-41?! Have some pride! If I was on a team that was the laughingstock of the league, I would be trying to get better instead of laughing and joking around. This league has changed. You would have never seen the stars in the past laughing and joking around with the opposing team. Now that's really all you see. What happened to the days of wanting to embarrass the player who was guarding you, or wanting to compete and be tougher than the opponent? I guess that has just gone away. As a fan, you want to see the guys have fun, but you also want to see them compete and be better than the opponent too. With this Cavaliers squad, you just don't see the fire in them that they want to be better.

Head Coach Byron Scott has a tough challenge in front of him. I think he knew that when he took the job, but probably not to the extent that it has come to this year. Another question has to be posed that has in other publications and blogs I'm sure already: where would this team be if Mike Brown was kept on as the coach? I'm not sure there would be that much of a difference, maybe 3-5 more wins? I mean this team has had to learn a new offense and defense. But these are grown men, right? They should have learned the system by now. It's almost 50 games into the season now. It's also interesting to think that we were talking about how many championships this team would win just a few years ago with Lebron James, to now talking about this team being possibly contracted or moved and not ever winning a title.

With how the NBA is constructed though, the Cavaliers need to look at the Oklahoma City Thunder's roster and see that is possible to have a winning team again. You have to build up through the draft and get lucky with a few picks and move forward from there. With a record of 8-41, the Cavaliers are well on their way. I know as Cavaliers fans that is not what you want to hear. But with players able to manipulate the system and create a "superteam" like the Miami Heat have done, this is the only way to win again. Tear it down and rebuild. So Cavs fans, start paying really close attention to the NCAA this year and see who might be coming to Cleveland next year. Jared Sullinger? Kyrie Irving? Perry Jones? Kemba Walker? Who would be a good fit here? That answer might come sooner than you think. But for now, GM Chris Grant, it's in your hands. Start dealing.

The Cleveland Cavaliers 2010-11 slogan should read: "It is what it is."

LeBron’s decision: immediate thoughts

By Rick Morris

Just to give my background on the LeBron story before I break it down …

I am a lifelong Cleveland Cavs fan, wearing my old battered Mark Price T-shirt on the day that signifies the end of the team’s most successful era. I remember the old wine and gold from times my parents took me to the now-defunct Richfield Coliseum as a small child. So I’m not one of the bandwagon-jumpers who only got with the Cavs when they were deemed cool by the masses.

To me, LeBron James is the best player in the league, an unprecedented amalgam of skill sets and court vision the likes of which we have never seen before. Depending on the course he sets for himself – more on that below – he has an excellent chance to go down as the greatest player of all time.

Notwithstanding his Akron heritage, I have never looked at him as more than that. He’s the best player in the game, playing for my team, but I never got too invested in him off the court. I didn’t hate on him, I just didn’t idolize him personally. There are a lot of people who foolishly inflated him into more than what he is personally – local boy growing up to save us all – and they are the ones who are the most depressed about this, because it goes against their false worldview. He’s never been my favorite player, Boobie and Z were my favorites.

I never got on LeBron’s case for wearing a Yankees hat or any of the other idiocies people would give him garbage for doing (the one exception is that I did feel that he should set a good example for his fans and marry his baby mama since they were together anyway, but that’s more than a little more important than criticizing him for his team fandom). I thought the hate on him for the Game Five debacle against the Celtics was overblown and said so vociferously on Twitter that night, causing one friend piling on him to resent me to this day. But I saw him as somebody who was more injured than he was letting on and somebody who wasn’t dealing well with the frustration of the game flow and execution not working out, not as a quitter like so many in the “LeBron Messiah” crowd did when they bailed on him.

So I feel that, all in all, while I was never measured in my on-court opinion of him or my insane optimism about what he could deliver for my team, I was more measured than most in what I thought personally. And that is almost definitely helping me to deal with this better than most fellow Cavs fans.

Honestly, I was embarrassed by the banners on the highway overpasses and the “hometown” gaga that was being cited by so many to get him to stay in Northeast Ohio. As I said on our FDH LOUNGE show this past week (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com), I wanted LeBron to re-sign and bring Cleveland championships as badly as anyone, but the community needs to keep its dignity. The fact that LeBron was in position to sign a contract for nine digits is something that I am fairly philosophical about – it is what it is, as far as I’m concerned – but it’s not anything that we as a society should glorify. For people to be lining up to give this guy tongue baths to sign for that much money is something that really rubs me the wrong way.

I don’t feel that LeBron owes Northeast Ohio anything special just because he grew up here – and, notwithstanding his artificial distinctions between “Akron” and “Cleveland,” few in this area consider them completely separate and distinct and even fewer nationally look at it that way. But to cite another team as providing a better chance to win championships is a humungous slap in the face inasmuch as he has been the co-signer for every significant move since he got here in ’03.

[BTW, it’s also 20-20 hindsight to criticize the Cavs for catering to his every whim over these past seven years. He held a gun to their head and they would have had no chance to keep him, maybe not even the time he did re-sign back in 2006, had they not let him have his run of the place. You can hate the reality of modern big-time sports, but it’s displaced aggression to hate on the Cavs for doing what was necessary to even have a chance to keep him.]

If the team doesn’t have as great of a chance to win right now as Chicago or Miami – and I would dispute that premise, given the team’s underachievement in the playoffs and remaining chits that could be used for impactful trades – then LeBron must certainly share in that responsibility. To shrug that off completely is not a sign of great character.

Also, we are “Witnessing” changes throughout this process that led Cleveland Plain Dealer Brian Windhorst (who is, as I have said, the best beat writer in the country regardless of sport) to pronounce on Wednesday that “this LeBron” making these moves is not the guy he knew all these years. He has always struck me as fairly savvy, but I think we have seen erosion there in the form of the constant yes-man conduct from his inner circle. He did not have one person around him with the authority to tell him some obvious truths:

^ That kicking Cleveland (the pathetic mangy dog by the side of the road in the national image) in the nards with a steel-toed boot will damage his national reputation – to say nothing of the forum being chosen, an unprecedented hour of national television to rub additional salt in the wounds.

^ That nobody anywhere buys his artificial distinction between his loyalty to Greater Akron and Greater Cleveland (given that they are connected by highway and only separated by some national park areas) and that he’s digging the PR grave deeper by trying to get people to believe something so disingenuous.

^ That leaving Cleveland after he laid such an egg in the Boston series, coupled with going to a team where he will automatically be viewed as a co-Pippen to a megastar who’s already won a ring will damage his legacy – he should go ask Kobe what it was like dealing with criticism for the THREE rings he won when Shaq was the greatest star on his team, in a situation that pales in comparison to the “big game” questions many have already put on LeBron. And for what it is worth, I will now root against the other co-Pippen, Chris Bosh, very strenuously for providing probably the last nail in the coffin via his petulant refusal to even consider playing on America’s North Coast.

^ That because he is no longer graded on the curve of expectations relative to what was around him in Cleveland that he never wins another MVP award in Miami and will be deemed a failure if he doesn’t win at least four or five titles with that bunch – with one in his first year, of course (my personal prediction would be two titles for that nucleus, given the challenges that a lack of depth will bring and that getting good-to-great teammates to come in and take the league minimum would represent an unprecedented development in the league).

^ That this TV special is almost uniformly viewed as obnoxious by the public at large – with his “charitable efforts” serving as an insulting fig leaf for ego – and that it plays into a disturbing image with the “King James” Twitter account that was just opened.

^ That he transformed himself into an object of widespread derision by the number of teams he ostentatiously flirted with before coming to a decision that reeks to so many as taking the easier path in the end.

I realize that as an admitted lifelong Cavs fan that some of the above points may not seem completely objective, but I believe that they are and I stand by them. I am intellectually honest enough to say that my opinion of him, like that of Windhorst, did change as the process mutated. Had he returned, I would have been overjoyed at the implications for my favorite team, which would avoid the now-obvious need for a complete teardown/rebuild, but I would have been even more wary of him regardless.

[But I do not by any means condone the reactions of this area that I know will be coming, from seeking to burn down murals and billboards with his likeness to any threats that will come to him and his family. It’s a sad commentary on society when you consider the lengths people will go to in a futile attempt to exact “revenge” on “Black Modell.” Having said that, again just to recognize the world for what it is, he’s as naïve as can be if he thinks he’s going to be able to live during his summer and post-hoops career in suburban Akron.]

Speaking of that teardown/rebuild, I’m going to make it a point to go buy some Cavs merchandise very soon. This organization did EVERYTHING they could to be successful in all areas and did not deserve this outcome. If I’m going to criticize the Dolan regime that has run my favorite baseball team squarely into the ground, I have to be consistent and support good ownership when it has tried to do well for me. I can only hope that enough Cavalier fans agree with me on the need to stand by Dan Gilbert for what he has done. The fact that he owns the new casino coming to town and is thus anchored to the community gives me hope that he’s going to have the stomach for the inevitable rebuild.

When the day comes that the Cavs do acquire a new superstar to lead the team back into serious contention, I can only hope that the landscape of the league has changed by then. For while I have anger and disappointment that stems equally from the content of the decision and the manner in which it is delivered, I realize that these issues go far beyond the character and maturity levels of a filthy rich 25 year-old. They stem from the system that has created and nurtured the mania that led him through this process that was degrading to so many. David Stern is obsessed with marketing over substance and thinks any water-cooler talk is inherently good for the league, even if it overshadows a seven-game Finals series between the league’s two most historic franchises. My hope is that one way or another, by the time my team is restored to success years down the road, that the game is not governed by a commissioner who is so determined to aid and abet the culture of self-aggrandizement that leads to moments like this. I hope – in vain, probably – that this moment causes such a backlash that it rolls back this destructive tide once and for all. Characteristically, if it does, it will be too late to help my hometown.

Also, this just in, Dan Gilbert absolutely destroyed LeBron. Good for him.

Can You Say 21-0?!?!

By Sean Trench

The road team this time was the Sacramento Kings. The Kings came into this game with an overall record of 10-35. But on this night, they did not play like a team that had 35 losses. With proficient outside shooters such as Francisco Garcia, Kevin Martin, and Beno Udrih, they kept the Kings in the game all the way to the end. Udrih was a part of the San Antonio Spurs during their championship years. He was the backup to Tony Parker. Oh and I forgot Bobby Brown, you know the legendary R&B singer from the former group New Edition? Who is also Whitney Houston's husband? Oh wait, he is actually a rookie guard from Cal-State Fullerton. Another good outside shooter though. Can you see where I am going with this?

This game was ugly for both teams. Well, the final score read 117-110, Cleveland needed some much-needed help from a reliable source. Mo "The Hitman" Williams scored a career high 43 points on 15-24 shooting, and 7-12 from beyond the arc. At one point, Mo hit eight shots in a row! He was on fire throughout the whole game. Mo also had 8 rebounds and 11 assists as well. If it wasn't for Robin,"aka Mo" the Cavaliers wouldn't have won this game. Batman "aka Lebron" finished with an easy triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was his third triple-double this season. Fresh off being named NBA Player of The Week, he proved why. There were other good things to take from this game too, however.

The play that Tarence Kinsey gave them tonight off the bench was outstanding! His constant hustle and tenacious defense really gave them a boost. I would like to see him be given more minutes in the near future. J.J. Hickson also gave the Cavs energy and hustle off the bench with 11 points and 8 rebounds. But J.J. was in good position and constantly was moving to create his shots. He is learning more and more with each game. Other than these four players, the Cavs were flat. The highlight of this game though was the shooting performance of Mo Williams and Kevin Martin.

Kevin Martin finished the game with 35 points for the Kings. He was 8-17 shooting and 4-9 from 3 point range. He was also 15-17 from the free-throw line. He constantly was getting to the basket at will and creating his shot. Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was not happy after the game saying "This was not Cavalier Basketball, we did not bring it defensively tonight." The Kings as a team shot 50% from the field. The Cavaliers pride themselves on keeping teams considerably under that number. John Salmons finished with 21 points, and rookie Jason Thompson had a nice game with 16 points.

Overall I think that Head Coach Kenny Natt has a team that he can work with, to continue to make the Kings better. He was formerly an assistant coach with Cleveland. He will get this team to play defense and bring in the players to do so. This team as it is currently constructed does not play defense at all. The Cavaliers should have beat the Kings tonight by a higher margin. They just didn't have it tonight offensively as a whole. They shot just 47% overall, and 42% from 3 point range. They did have a bright spot however, outrebounding the Kings 49-25.

I think that with the way that Mo Williams played on the West Coast trip, and also tonight, he has earned a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He has been a catalyst all season long for this team. It will be tough for coaches to choose between Jameer Nelson (Magic), and Devin Harris (Nets), and Williams (Cavs). Also Mike Brown can be the Head Coach of the All-Star team as well, if the Cavaliers keep winning. He would be the second coach to do so. Lenny Wilkins was the last, in 1989.

So the Cavaliers will be back to practice tomorrow with hopefully more good news. Zydrunas Illgauskas was back to practice and is hopeful that he can play Thursday against the Orlando Magic. This game will be another test for Cleveland as they look to keep building on their now 35-8 record. The Magic have excellent outside shooters and an interior force in the middle as well. Orlando is 34-10, so they are right up there with the top three teams in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers have the best overall record in the NBA, followed by the Cavaliers, then the Celtics, and the Magic.

Continue to show why Cleveland has the best sports fans in the country. Keep up the support and passion that makes you the reason why Cleveland rocks! Go Cavs and continue to tune into SportsTalkNetwork.com starting with AM Mayhem at 9 AM EST tomorrow to listen to best Cavaliers coverage. Also, look forward to the return of the Vegas Wise Guys featuring Vegas Vic and myself as we broadcast live from the Harry Buffalo in Painesville Township, OH at 3pm. The restaurant is located at 2119 Mentor Ave. So come out and see us!

Pass The Bucks

By Tony Mazur

Good day to you, fellow FDH Lounge Blog readers. After a 2 1/2 month hiatus, I am back to posting my random thoughts here in this blog.

Anyways, today is Draft Day in the National Basketball Association. Just as we see every year in the NBA and NFL, the week leading up to the draft gets hectic for us sports talk show hosts because of trade rumors, mock drafts, etc.

Although I am supposed to be an unbiased sports talker, I will always be a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. I always have and always will support them, through thick and thin. I want what's best for them and the city of Cleveland.

While flipping through Cleveland area terrestrial radio stations, they're all proclaiming Ohio State's Kosta Koufos as the Cavaliers' first-round pick. Mind you, I am typing this at 4:00 p.m. EST on June 26th. Personally, I'm not bent of Koufos. If it were up to me, college basketball players must attend at least two years of school. That way, you can tell if a player is the real deal or just an aberration. Kosta Koufos did not impress me in his only year as a Buckeye. Now, maybe if he played a sophomore, we could see what he's really about. The same goes for the Lopez twins. Koufos joins a long list of freshman entering tonight's draft.

If I were Danny Ferry, I would go for a big. Specifically, Georgetown's Roy Hibbert. In his tenure with the Hoyas, Hibbert has shown great hustle and has grabbed some tough rebounds.

UPDATE 12:14 a.m.: The Cavs picked J.J. Hickson out of North Carolina State 19th overall. Let the insanity begin.

In related news, the Milwaukee Bucks will be sending Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Richard Jefferson.

How does this trade relate to the Cavaliers?

Two things.

With the Bucks acquiring Jefferson from New Jersey, will Michael Redd stay put in Milwaukee, or go elsewhere?

Conversely, with Jason Kidd long gone, Richard Jefferson in the Midwest, and the career of Vince Carter on the decline, does that mean the Nets are freeing up cap space for....LeBron James? Food for thought.

Looking At Tonight's NBA Draft

By Jason Jones

Happy NBA Draft Day to all of you reading this - yes, the rumor is true - I suddenly realized that this blog thing still works and has been waiting for me to get back into the groove.

So with that, I am going to give you a few quick/random thoughts on tonight's NBA draft - just the 1st three picks and a thought or two on the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think it is a classic 'no-brainer' that the Chicago Bulls will select Memphis PG Derrick Rose. This has all the makings of a great story - the hometown kid gets selected by the hometown pro-team and leads the franchise back to glory. The Bulls are coming off of what has to be regarded as a tremendously disappointing 2007-08 season. Lots of hopes and expectations went down the drain and in a hurry as far as the Bulls are concerned.

Give Rose some time - it takes AT LEAST 1-2 seasons for an NBA point guard to develop and become something extraordinary. This 19-year-old has all the tools, gifts and talents to give the Bulls something they desperately need - leadership and hope.

With the second pick of the NBA draft, the Miami Heat select... who? TONS of speculation regarding the selection (or non-selection) of Michael Beasley. Don't buy into what you are hearing - Pat Riley WILL draft Michael Beasley. Now, will he KEEP Beasley or trade him away? That's the question you should be asking.

As for the third pick in the draft, it doesn't get better than OJ Mayo. In my opinion, he is the best at what's left in the NBA draft. Athletic, great size and great ability, I think he may be the most NBA ready player in the draft lottery. The alleged USC violations aside, Mayo has the best chance to make the biggest impact in my opinion.

The Timberwolves would be wise to select Mayo and build a team with him as their cornerstone.

Looking down the draft to the Cavaliers... I think the two most immediate needs for the team are at shooting guard and at a big man. Ilgauskas is an NBA veteran and I am not too sure how many quality years he has left in the tank.

It is odd to make this statement after seeing 'Z' come off what I consider to be one of his finest seasons as a pro. Looking at the power forward spot - I like Joe Smith - but he is a veteran backup that can deliver a quality 15-20 minutes a night. Ben Wallace is a fraud. He has his big money contract and it is apparent (at least to me) why the Chicago Bulls fans hated him with a passion.

He 'got paid' and now is doing the least amount of work as possible to stay in the league. Anderson Varejao? I don't plan on seeing him too much longer in a Cavaliers uniform. How these two needs get addressed will be interesting to watch... GM Danny Ferry can go free agency or via the draft, but at #19, finding a player that can address one of the two needs immediately will be difficult. That leaves free agency... Michael Redd is on the fan's (and Cavaliers') radar but I don't see it happening.

Here's hoping I am wrong.

Don't forget the FDH/DRAFTOLOGY/STN NBA Draft Guide is available for immediate download via this link - http://www.fantasydrafthelp.com/2008HoopsDraftologyGuide.pdf - it's all you need to follow and understand tonight's draft.

Finally, sportstalkNETWORK.com will have complete LIVE coverage of tonight's NBA Draft starting at 7p Eastern featuring Ben Chew, Rick Morris, Jason Joes, Tony Mazur and Paul Belfi.

The Voice of the (so-called) Fan

By Tony Mazur

My grandfather was a huge Browns fan. I'm not quite sure if he followed the Cleveland Rams from 1936-1945, but I do know he was a Browns fan from the beginning. When he wasn't patrolling the rough, pre-Civil Rights Movement Cleveland streets, he was listening to those championship teams on the radio. My father can recall my grandpa sulking all day after a Browns loss. In his later years, the Browns made it to three AFC Championship games, only to fall to John Elway and the Denver Broncos. He passed away on June 29th, 1990, leaving behind a devoted wife and four successful children. He cared about his family. But he certainly loved his Browns. To this day, I wonder how he would have reacted to the news on November 6th, 1995 that the Browns were relocating to Baltimore.

Eddie Mazur was a true fan. He supported the teams no matter how well (mid-'40s to mid-'60s) or how poorly (mid-'60s to early '80s) the Browns were performing. I know my grandfather wasn't the only Clevelander crazy about his football team. I'm sure each family has their share of stories, whether they be about heading down to Cleveland Municipal Stadium on those frigid November/December days by Lake Erie, or listening to the radio after attending Sunday mass. Fans nowadays cannot relate.

I really do have a problem with sports fans in this day in age. Unlike the "old days", if their team isn't performing well on the field or court, they'll pretend they don't exist. In some cases, folks will completely boycott the organization via petition or blog.

I can recall going to a relative's house back in 2001, a year to forget for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Hey, the Cavs game is on."

"The Cavs?! They're terrible. I don't want to waste my time." (instead, we watched Everybody Loves Raymond, a show that I still cannot get into)

Five years later, he's one of the biggest Cavs fans around.

Fair-weather fans do not just exist in Cleveland. They're everywhere. From 1995-1998, the newly-relocated St. Louis Rams weren't drawing well. Then came "The Greatest Show on Turf". Fans packed the Edward Jones Dome for the next few years following their Super Bowl XXXIV victory over the Tennessee Titans. After the downfall of Marshall Faulk and the departures of Kurt Warner and many other players, the Rams have been bottom dwellers for the past couple seasons. As a matter of fact, during the 2007 season, a couple of Rams games were blacked out locally, due to the lack of sell-out crowds.

2007 brought a lot of success to the Cleveland/Ohio sports teams. The Ohio State Buckeyes football team started off the year playing in the BCS National Championship Game, only to lose to the Florida Gators. Fast forward a couple of months to April as we see another Ohio State team fall to another Florida Gator team, this time in basketball. The Cleveland Cavaliers made their first NBA Finals appearance in team history, only to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs in four games. The Indians lost to the Boston Red Sox in seven games of the ALCS. And finally, the Browns had their best season since 1994.

For the first time in a Blue Moon, fans showed up to the playing facilities. While I was downtown working for another radio station, I saw so many people with LeBron James jerseys (most likely the kind you see hanging at JC Penny's) during the Cavs' run to the Finals. I saw more Grady Sizemore and Brady Quinn T-shirts than I can count. I saw through the phoniness. I was able to pick between the bandwagon fans and the true fans. The true fans had "Hot Rod" Williams jerseys and Cory Snyder garb.

What's going to happen to these "fans" if 2008 doesn't work out? What if the Indians' mediocre team blows its chance to reclaim another Central Division title? What if injuries hold down the Cavaliers? What if the Browns lose 11 games (which I think they will)? They won't show up. They don't care. They only want to root for a winner. And you call yourselves fans. Ha!

However, there are fans who do stick with their team. Some follow the team and cheer for the good times, but critique the bad times. Others will praise the good times and blatantly ignore the bad times. When a questionable move is made, these fans will justify the said move and attempt to turn it into a positive. These are the fans that will slam you if you say ANYTHING remotely negative towards their team (see DiaTribe Blog).

In the Cleveland area, we have some untouchable personnel. When I say untouchable, expect to get your behind reamed if you decide to critique ANY decision making. Here are Cleveland's Untouchables:

Grady Sizemore, Indians' center fielder: Grady is a terrific athlete. He can hit 30+ home runs, steal 50 bases, and make incredible catches in center field. But that's all anyone looks at. Sure he won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in '07, but I watched him the entire season. On many occasions, Grady took bad routes to the ball. Balls that he should catch were overrun or misplayed. But that doesn't come up in the box score. What does is his low batting average and high amount of strikeouts. Don't get me wrong. I like Grady. However, his strikeout numbers and poor reads on the baseball have got to go. But we all love Grady Sizemore because he's so damn cute!

Mark Shapiro, Indians' GM: Former Indians GM John Hart took home six Central Division titles in seven years, and made two World Series trips. How did he accomplish that feat? He went out and spent money on veterans (Orel Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Paul Sorrento), picked up top prospects (Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Baerga, Sandy Alomar, Jr.) and drafted pure hitters and sluggers (Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez) to help lead his team to victory. After the 2001, season, he handed his job over to his assistant, Mark Shapiro. Since '01, the Indians got rid of every player mentioned above in favor of younger (and cheaper) talent. Since '01, the Indians have been to the postseason ONE TIME. After the Red Sox celebrated their World Series victory, Mark Shapiro has refused to make moves. Instead, he has resigned the guys who blew the 3-1 ALCS lead. Why do you have to rip on Shapiro? They won 96 games! I'm sick of hearing that line.

Jim Tressel, Ohio State football coach: Jim won a BCS National Championship Game in 2003. He was blessed to have a talented quarterback (Troy Smith) lead him to many wins. But if you think about it, Jim Tressel has not won a National Championship with HIS RECRUITS. They lost two straight National Championship Games to SEC teams. Tressel loves to recruit within the state of Ohio, which is fine if other schools weren't importing recruits from other areas. If the game plan fails and the Buckeyes lose, it's not Tressel's fault. His assistant coaches should be fired for not doing their jobs.

In the three major professional sports, fans have the opportunity to vote for the starting lineups in their respected All-Star Games. Name recognition is huge when it comes to the voting process. Detroit Tigers' catcher Ivan Rodriguez started in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game. Not only should he have not started, but he shouldn't have been in the game. There were four to five better catchers than I-Rod last season, but since everyone knows "Pudge", we'll put him in the game. The same goes for Penny Hardaway. His best years were behind him, but fans STILL voted for him, based on his history with the Orlando Magic and his nickname.

No matter how you put it, fans annoy me. If you're going to support your team, go ahead. Don't make excuses as to why they may not be performing well, but also don't ignore or boycott them if their season is in the crapper.

Meanwhile, I cannot wait to see all of the die-hard Tribe fans come out to Progressive Field to cheer on their team....in April. 10,000 people and 32,000 ass-less green seats.

Addressing the Jason Kidd Trade Rumors...

by Jason Jones



Speaking of the trade talks, I would love to see Kidd in Cleveland as much as Lebron would, but what could the Cavs possibly give for him? The only hope is that Kidd's team will be looking to set up for the Brooklyn Nets days. The move to Brooklyn is expected to happen between the '09-'10 and '10-'11 season. Larry Hughes' contract expires at the end of the '09-'10 season. Others expiring in that season are Ilgauskus, Varejao and Sasha. As for expiring contracts before that, it's Snow, Gooden, Marshall and D. Jones. Earlier expiring contracts that are a lot less likely to be moved are Newble, D. Brown, S. Brown, Dw. Jones and D. Gibson. Clearly, if New Jersey or any other team for that matter wants Ira Newble, Dwayne Jones, Damon Jones, Eric Snow, and Donyell Marshall, they can have with little to no hesitation. No one in their right mind would give away Jason Kidd for any collection of what we are willing to lose. I would be willing to move more than most.

Off Limits List...

1. Lebron-14.75x3 yrs

2. Boobie-.687x1 yr

Kidd and Lebron Can't Do It Themselves List...

1. Ilgauskus-10.6x3 yrs

2. Andy-5.6x3 yrs

3. Sasha-4.6x3 yrs

4. Drew-6.75x2 yrs

Upside, Rather Not Deal Them List...

1. Shannon-1x1 yr

2. Cedric-2.4x4 yrs

3. Devin B-1.1x1 yr

Too Expensive, Not Worth The Headache List...

1. Larry-12.8x3 yrs

2. Donyell-5.7x2 yrs

3. Eric S-7x2 yrs

4. Damon J-4.25x2 yrs

5. Ira-3.4x1 yr

Throw Away Players List...

1. Dwayne J-.770x1 yr

2. D.Nicols-$90,000x1 yr

The interesting angle is to move one or two of the players from list 2, and any number of players from the remaining lists with the exception of list 3 literally. It is not a deal breaker to take any of them (Shannon Brown, Devin Brown and Cedric Simmons), I would just like to see how they would perform with 2 of the best passers at their respective positions.

The need that is most important to address in any contemporary trade discussion is coming within the 25% of contract dollars. If Jason Kidd is the only player traded from New Jersey, that number is somewhere between 14–15 million dollars on the low side.

Anything that can be proposed…it will be perceived that we would be trying trade a collection of garbage (or cap-friendly players, i.e. players coming off the books soon) for an elite and eventual Hall of Famer.

For instance, Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall = 18.5 mil compared to 19.7 from Jason Kidd -- that's crappy for New Jersey. Z, Eric Snow, and Damon Jones = 21.25 to Kidd’s 19.7, still a crappy deal for New Jersey. Unless, you look at it like I think New Jersey has to, for them to make some cap moves to help them make a punch toward the Brooklyn move. The biggest issue they have now is to deal with the financial impact of said move. Ticket, merchandise sales are down big due to the fact that Jersey fans know their team will not be their team for long. Any move they make is not one to win today, but to build to the Brooklyn days. Even though I do not necessarily believe that Kidd WILL come to Cleveland, don’t be surprised if he is traded to a team for expiring contracts. Case in point, the Lakers WERE the biggest candidate for Kidd. After this season to date, there is no way in HELL they will trade Bynum. There will always be teams like Dallas and Phoenix that will be in the mix because they have great depth of talent. I just don’t see it happening. Recently there has been rumors of a 3-way deal. All of those things aside, look at the free agent class in ’09-’10 and ’10-’11.

Top 20 Free Agent Rankings ’09-‘10

1. Jason Kidd
2. Allen Iverson
3. Elton Brand
4. Shawn Marion
5. Mike Bibby
6. Baron Davis
7. Ron Artest
8. Josh Smith
9. Andre Iguodala
10. Stephon Marbury
11. Corey Maggette
12. Ben Gordon
13. Lamar Odom
14. Luol Deng
15. Emeka Okafor
16. Devin Harris
17. Steve Francis
18. Rasheed Wallace
19. Chris Wilcox
20. Chucky Atkins

Top 20 Free Agent Rankings ’10-‘11

1. Steve Nash
2. Chris Paul
3. Tracy McGrady
4. Carlos Boozer
5. Ray Allen
6. Jermaine O’Neal
7. Joe Johnson
8. Richard Hamilton
9. Deron Williams
10. Manu Ginobli
11. Marcus Camby
12. Shaquille O’Neal
13. Ben Wallace
14. Al Harrington
15. Stephen Jackson
16. Brad Miller
17. Bruce Bowen
18. Mehmet Okur
19. Cuttino Mobley
20. Andrew Bogut

In this age of NBA basketball, there is a perceived blueprint to success. The idea is one of two approaches. 1. One or two elite players + a group of role players, or 2. 5-7 solid basketball players playing under the team-first aspect. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons subscribe to the latter of the two. It seems, at least for this season, that the Trailblazers may also be filed under this category. Some other teams that have success under the first idea, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and so on. If the Nets want to look to be a real contender once they move to Brooklyn, either pathway will suffice. All it takes is setting themselves up to be under the cap enough to get 2 of the top prospects or 5 of the lesser prospects. Kidd’s contract expires within these parameters. By moving him for a group of lesser players allows them to be even more than 19 million less when it does expire. We may be talking 2-5 less, but still less. If the salary cap does not increase (which it will), that number would be 53 million. Assuming it does, the number could be higher.

Based on contracts that extend past the 2010 season, this is what they would look like.

V. Carter-17.3

R. Jefferson-15.0

S. Williams-2.5

M. Willimas-3.0

J. Boone-2.9

It is possible to see that the remaining 12 players would not be on the roster in ’10. Naturally, they could not go without filling in the roster along the way. Assume that, if they are smart, the majority of the remainder of the roster would be filled out by players that average 1.18 mil (as they do now, minus Jason Kidd). That is an additional 16 mil. That equals 56.7 million total. As the team makes offseason acquisitions, they should make moves that lessen that number. Take players like Jason Collins and Jamaal Magloire, who make 10 mil combined and pick up guys in the 1-2 mil range. If they do that enough times along the way, they could potentially be 10-15 mil under the cap when it's all said and done. Then, by keeping Carter and Jefferson and adding players like Deron Williams, Elton Brand, and Marcus Camby, the team would be an instant contender.

Here’s to hoping theory does not translate perfectly. The point is, let’s hope the Nets front office thinks this way now and doesn’t have it come to fruition. Make the move to trade Kidd for lesser pieces parts whose contracts come off the books at the right time and are unable to make the kind of moves that would make them contenders.

On another tangent, these are also names fans of the Cavaliers, Heat, and Raptors can look forward to. Lebron, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh all signed contract extensions that end in 2009-2010 with player options for 2010-2011 season. Imagine if even one joins another. Replace Larry Hughes with Dwayne Wade. Replace Shaq with Chris Bosh. I am not claiming that this was their respective motivations, but the potential is there. Take the Cavaliers as they stand now. Before the 2009 season starts, 24.7 million will come off the books (Snow, Gooden, Marshall, Damon Jones). Before the 2010 season, 38.8 million (Hughes, Ilgauskas, Varejao, Pavlovic, Simmons). We can do this all day. Point is, if a team is willing to not literally pursue short-term winning for the sake of the future, a dynastic team can be created. For the new Brooklyn Nets:

PG-Deron Williams

SG-Vince Carter

SF-Richard Jefferson

PF-Elton Brand

C-Marcus Camby

Or Maybe…(what if they traded Carter in a similar fashion)

PG-Chris Paul

SG- Richard Hamilton

SF-Richard Jefferson

PF-Carlos Boozer

C-Brad Miller

The only way the Nets trade Jason Kidd for what can be considered a bag of garbage, is to do the aforementioned plan. Otherwise, let it go. This idea began as a Cavalier-centric thought. To bring it back around, the only way it happens is if they believe that they could get Varejao, Hughes, and Pavlovic, whose contracts all add up to almost 24 million. That’s the other end of the 25% spectrum. That means they trade 19 million for 24 million, all of which comes off the books at the same time. Yeah, they take on more contract money now, but eventually lose more contract money. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY. The NBA is not a nice gated community. The Nets are not going to trade Kidd to the Cavaliers because they are good neighbors and it’s the nice thing to do. It has to work for both sides. If that weren't the case, the Cavaliers could lose Larry Hughes (a guy can dream), as well as the big hairy crybaby Andy V and Sasha. What that tells me is the team would look something like this…

PG-Jason Kidd

SG-Daniel “Boobie” Gibson

SF-Lebron James

PF-Drew Gooden

C-Zydrunas Ilgauskas

To all of the Cavalier fans, “can you live with that”? Not much in the way of a bench, is that the answer? I don’t know that it is, at least not immediately. With the need to address the bench, maybe in 2-3 years, maybe. And here’s the beauty of it all. If that all happened and they were able to address the depth over the next 2-3 years, that is one year away from the end of Lebron James’ current contract. Just some food for thought.

Bill Simmons, sad attention whore

By Rick Morris

In case anyone is still unaware of the deplorable depths to which ESPN Page 2's once-amusing Bill Simmons has plummeted, his hacky trail of "look Ma, I'm going to get some attention by saying something stupid" has wound down to this pile of excrement: Lebron and the Cavs won't even make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference. Really.

If you wish to amuse yourself with his continued idiocy, you can't do better than this wonderful parody, which is a "Sports Guy Mad Lib" of sorts. Have fun!

C-Town, grow up about Lebron!

By Rick Morris

As a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area, you might think I'd be most sick and tired of the perennially horrible and depressing economy -- or perhaps the harsh summers and winters -- or perhaps the single worst market in the country for terrestrial radio (albeit made much more bearable by my sweet, sweet iPod in the car) -- or perhaps the knuckle-dragging, no-vision mediocre politicians sucking at the public teat -- or perhaps the legacy of no major professional sports championship (I said major championship, indoor soccer!) since 1964.

Actually, the element I'm most sick and tired of is none of the above, although it's somewhat related to the legacy of losing sports teams.

You see, the Cleveland area is singular in the barely repressed overcompensating self-loathing that manifests itself in the world's biggest inferiority complex. If somebody at ESPN so much as mentions something unflattering about Cleveland off air and sotto voce to boot, 10 morons would immediately clog the phone lines of a local talk show to whine about it. It's almost impossible for anyone outside of Cleveland to properly appreciate this, but ANYTHING said by ANYONE in the national media can be taken at any time as a reprehensible slam on America's North Coast by its paranoid residents. A mere "Here comes the Yankees" from Chip Carey during the ALDS telecasts was enough for the majority of the Tribe fanbase to complain that its female private parts hurt.

So Lebron James, as a fellow lifelong Northeast Ohioan, should have known the grief he was buying by wearing a Yankees hat to ALDS Game One at Jacobs Field.

Personally, as a lifelong fan of all C-Town sports teams and certified Yankee hater, I didn't appreciate his gesture. But I'm just about unique in this town right now for the fact that I have no great urge to burn him in effigy.

Cleveland fans are actually pretty amusing in their ignorance and lack of any type of perspective on Old Number 23. To date, Lebron has lived up to the NBA pedigree by serving as (unmarried) baby daddy to two young tykes. With urban America plagued by countless ills that could be traced back to births out of wedlock and single parenthood, Lebron has chosen not to set a positive example for so many of his fans. But the "sports is my life" yokels who worshiped him considered him perfect before and now call him the devil incarnate for donning a Yankee lid.

Let me be clear. I have worn, and will continue to wear, Lebron gear including a #23 Cavs jersey. I have never been an immense fan of the man personally, dating back to his Hummer-driving days in high school (just try defending the indefensible on that deal!). I don't harbor dislike for him -- his "King James" persona is a bit much for me, but I think he's fairly well-adjusted when you grade on the curve and factor in that the world has been kissing his tuckus since his mid-teens. But I've always been cold and mercenary in my support of him. He's the single greatest athlete Cleveland has had in my lifetime, inasmuch as Jim Brown was before my time. He represents the greatest hope for a championship for my hometown teams, so I want him to succeed to bring my team a title. But I'm certainly not invested in him personally at all.

So when he does something jerky like taunt Tribe fans with a Yankees cap, I've got it in perspective, unlike the "Lebron hates us just like our evil overlords in the national media" nutcases who populate my hometown. Fortunately for them, The FDH Lounge exists and can demonstrate to those types that sports are important and fun, but there's actually a world that exists beyond it.