LeBron James returned back to his Cleveland throne, and in stellar fashion, dropping 38 points in 30 minutes, including a 24-point 3rd quarter, as he wiped out the Cavaliers. He ignored each and every boo he heard, ignored the t-shirts, signs and hate from everywhere. And he did it all with a few smiles, chuckles, jumpers in front of the Cavs bench, and sideline celebrations.

Yes, LeBron has passed the toughest emotional hurdle he’ll have this season.

But what now? He didn’t curse back at the Cavs fans, he didn’t flip the bird to anyone. He let his game speak, and it spoke louder than ever. But what exactly did his game say?

It said: he is accepting his role as one of the most hated and loathed players in the NBA. He has accepted his role, as the villain.

With the outpouring of impressive chants from Cavs fans, which included “Sco-ttie Pi-ppin”, “De-lon-te”, and “Ak-ron hate-s you”, LeBron somehow used this all to fuel his fire.

Don’t get me wrong, LeBron has said more than once that he loves the Cavs fans, and he won’t ever forget what they’ve all been through together, and how they have helped him become the man he is today. Well, little did Cavs fans know LeBron would come back to them in his eighth season, donning red and black, wearing a black headband, and silencing a hateful crowd, in a span of 48 minutes.

And it was quite obvious. Whenever he’d take a trip to the free-throw line, the chants would pour in, but LeBron did it the way mom used to say: “Kill ‘em, with kindness.” And that is exactly what Mr. James did, with smiles left and right, chuckles here and there, LeBron smacked Dan Gilbert, and each and every fan who hated him.

AP Photo/Tony Dejak

You could see it in the beginning. LeBron was straight up feeling the butterflies. You could read it in his face easily. It hit him. He was back in Cleveland, but against Cleveland. It sounded like a movie script. The man who stole the hearts of Ohio was now breaking them.

As the first half passed, it seem LeBron became more and more comfortable. He recognized that this was the building he used to dominate, so why would it stop him now? Because he has a different jersey? Nah.

Whether it was his one handed lay-in, plus the foul, or it was his pull up jumpers from 3, or his reverse-baseline lay up on Andy, LeBron was proving to Cavs fans that they might not ever forgive the former # 23.

But nothing could prepare the Cavs team, and fan base, for what would happen next. We all remember the numerous hanging jumpers, or pre-game celebrations/dancing, or the sideline jams LeBron would throw down, right where his sweet spot was. Don’t tell me you don’t remember!

Well, for those of you who don’t, it’s right in front of Cavs bench. Yep, that’s right. In front of Mo, JJ, Andy, Jawad, Jamario, Boobie, and the rest of the squad. With every jumper that sank into the net, it seemed like a dagger would sink into the hearts of the Cavs fans, and Cavs players.

By the end of the 3rd quarter, LeBron had poured in 24 in that quarter alone; and by making most of those shots, in his “sweet spot”.

The rest of the game was more of, “Let’s see what else LeBron does”, as the boos, yelps, and hollers began to die down. The signs were beginning to drop, and the faces of every individual person in the arena went from mad to sad.

AP Photo/David Richard

LeBron had done it. He’d not only won the game, but he’d won the emotional game of tug-o-war. Finishing with 38 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds, King James did more than enough to show the world why he is still the reigning 2-time MVP, still the best basketball player in the world, and why you should still fear him.

The emotional bonds are now broken. LeBron went back home, and accomplished business. If he can do that to his loved ones, imagine what he can do to your team.

Scary. Or more like, villainous.

Here are some videos of Thursday night’s emotional game:

Though the Heat’s season has been somewhat of a disappointment, with coach Erik Spoelstra having his job on the line, Wade and LeBron not being on the same page, and the injury bug looming, we still find  someway to hype this up. And with much reason…

The Ohio-native returns; the King of Akron is about to have a not-so-homecoming party. Not in wine and gold, but in red and black.

LeBron James, is returning to Cleveland.

As a Cavs fan, this could not be any bigger. My favorite athlete is returning to the arena, city, and team he practically built with a basketball. I can’t remember a “return”, to have this much hype. According to reports, Thursday night’s game is said to have the media, and audience of an Eastern Conference Finals. I’m not surprised.

This is pretty much an NBA Finals Game 7 for this Cavalier team. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love this team as much as the next guy, but unless Byron Scott gets things figured out quickly, they aren’t making the playoffs.

So, this is their Super Bowl. This is everything for the players, fans, front-office, and everyone in that city. They were screwed over this past July, and without a doubt, they want to send a message to the “self-proclaimed King,” as Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert said.

AP Photo/Amy Sancetta

What can we expect from the city of Cleveland? To be honest, I have no idea. This is a sports crazed city, with die-hard and passionate fans. You never know what you’re going to get. But Cleveland officials aren’t messing around. They have already been in contact with the police department, and various security forces, to ensure LeBron, the Heat, and everyone else in that arena have a safe experience.

Those reports are according to ESPN, but Dan Gilbert doesn’t seem to agree with it. He made comments pretty much saying that it isn’t expected to be animalistic, but it won’t be a church service either.

With that said, I still believe there will be some nut job who’ll pull something stupid out of his rear — whether it’s streaking, throwing something on the court, or something of that nature. Let’s not lie folks, we are all awaiting to see exactly what’s going to happen.

But what’s in store for the Heat? As for the team themselves, I can only imagine the hate with which they’ll be drowned for taking the city’s icon. Wade and Bosh will walk in with smirks, knowing they have “the man”, while Cleveland knows they lost him. This can’t end well.

What’s in store for LeBron? No, he won’t get murdered or anything like that. And he won’t get intentionally hit in the groin or anything (at least I hope not), but he will be murdered spiritually, and I 100% believe that.

From the pre-game chalk toss (which he is rumored to do), to halftime, and until he walks onto that bus, LeBron’s spirits will be facing unbearable scrutiny. Sure, LeBron says he’s going in calm, cool, and collected; but you can’t believe it. He grew up there, he was raised there, and he became what he is today in that city of Cleveland.

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

But let’s not forget this is still a basketball game. The Heat are playing the Cavs. It actually might be tighter than you think.

The Heat are not only in a horrible slump at the moment, and lacking big man play, point guard skills, and better bench play, but are being hammered by the media, left and right. Spoelstra’s job seems to be on the line, and LeBron’s right shoulder doesn’t seem to want him there. As a matter of fact, ESPN even claim that Heat team members are beginning to question Spo’s coaching abilities.

But, this is still the Miami Heat, who have LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. Let’s not forget that.

As for the Cavs, they actually have something to counter Miami: great point guards. Mo Williams, and Ramon Sessions, are fast, athletic, streaky, and can run an offense. Exactly what Miami needs.

And with Byron Scott calling the plays, the point guards just might exploit Miami’s woes. Let’s not forget the emerging JJ Hickson, who can show a guy like Bosh numerous problems, with his strength and rebounding. This is still a game, NBA fans!

Yes, a game. But it’s also, “More Than A Game”, as LeBron would say. He’s coming back home. Not in a welcoming way, but on the other team’s bench. Almost like the villain we’ve been portraying him as. The media has this covered, the fans are ready to scream, curse, shout and holler, and I’m ready to witness. Are you?

Yes, I’m going back into the LeBron-O-Ram, but I’m not here to bash; I’m here to let all the haters, fans, wanna-bes, and obsessives of LeBron know, that I, a Cavaliers fan, still love LeBron, and here are the reasons why.

Enjoy.

And feel free to show love, or hate towards me on TWITTER!

1. He can throw it in Chuck’s face

Okay, this one might have a little to do with the fact that I think Charles Barkley runs his mouth just a little too much.

But anyways, LeBron James knows it as well. He knows all of you threw it in his face, so how did he respond? Buy selling some shiny new shoes!

If you don’t get my Charles Barkley reference, here’s the punch line:

“Hi Chuck!”

2.  He Simply Doesn’t Care

It’s true, guys. Get it through your heads. LeBron James couldn’t care less whether or not Cavs fans (and South Park) are making fun of his “Decision”; and he could care less that you are burning his jerseys, shoes, and every other type of product he is making off of the consumers (aka, you).

He has more to worry about, and has a bigger and better agenda to concentrate on. The guy could care less about all of the crying, whining etc. Why is that? Because at the end of the day, there is one person LeBron is worrying about, and that’s himself. No city, no team or teammate, but himself. And when you have the potential of LeBron James, you have the damn right to not really care what anyone says.

Do you really think this is fazing him?

3. He feeds off of the criticism

Criticism is something few of us can handle, and in some cases, I rarely can handle it. It’s a matter of self-confidence and assurance of the task at hand, and we all know Bron’s task at hand: to win an NBA Championship.

He showed his determination at the very start of training camp, and it still shows as Miami is progressively getting into the flow of things. But way before even training camp started, the criticism began pouring in from every angle. It got to the point of being nearly impossible to ignore. You know LeBron heard it, but what did he do about it? Hater Day!!

@KingJames  Today is Hater Day. Everyone please let them get their 2 mins of fame and light! I Love You Haters. Continue to make me proud of u guys! LOL

This is what LeBron put up on his Twitter account. Ready for what the haters had to say??

-@DieselDaveT to @KingJames no one wants to hear u speak. Why dont u speak by laying ur head under a moving car(haaaaaa, ok I’ll try that)

-@h4rd3n to @KingJames hey good game last night, too bad you’re a fraud, BITCH.(Thanks my friend, yeah right!! Haaaa)

-@KingJames continuation to my last tweet, u r a big nosed big lipped bug eyed nigger. ur greedy, u try to hide ur ghettoness.

Not the nicest things at all. How’d King James respond?

U see world how people feel! Just use it as extra motivation in whatever u do best! No one can stop your dreams from becoming reality!

&

My theme Songs “Hate Me Now” Nas feat. Diddy and “Can I Live” Big Homie Hov

Just goes to show you, the man knows there is hate; he asks for it, embraces it, and uses it to his advantage.

4. He’s using a mathematically correct, and proven formula

People want to criticize LeBron’s decision left and right about how he’s not loyal, and how he’s too cocky, full of pride…but guess what? Maybe, and just maybe, he made the right decision all along?

Let’s take a look at it this way: The champions not only always had it, but so did the great ones. The Hall of Famers, the legends, and the greatest’s of all time had it. But what was it that they had? What is the one thing that ties all of the dynasties together and legends? The Bulls, Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, and Spurs?

Each other.

That’s right. Each one of those squads had legends, hall of famers, and superstars playing together on the same team. The Lakers? They had Kareem, they had Worthy and Magic. What about the more recent Lakers? That little three-peat had two players in the top 50 all-time in Shaq and Kobe, and future hall of famers in Fisher and Horry.

The Celtics had it back then with Bird, Parish, Johnson, and many many others.

The Spurs, who won 4 rings in 9 years had Duncan, David Robinson, Robert Horry, Tony arker, and a select few others.

Even the team with the greatest single season in NBA history, Jordan’s  95-96, 72 win Bulls had it. Jordan, Pippen and Rodman. Jordan is the G.O.A.T., Scottie is  THE Robin of which all Batman’s needed; never mind the fact he’s a top 50 all-time, and Rodman, though was expelled from the league, is the NBA’s all-time leading rebounder, and deserves to be in both the hall of fame, and top 50 all-time.

Point is, LeBron and the Heat are taking the blueprint from the past champions. Chris Bosh, a superstar in today’s league and a possible future hall of famer, gives the Heat the post play, and stretch forward any team needs. Wade gives Miami the dynamic, ball handling and ultimate scoring machine on the wing, and in my opinion WILL finish in the NBA’s top 50 all-time.

Then there’s LeBron. Whom in my opinion, is Miami’s guy. He can score, pass, dribble, defend, post-up…everything. Without a doubt, a top 50 all-time, hall of famer, and will continue to rack up the awards.

So what LeBron did this summer, is proven to pay off in the long run.

5. Because…he’s still LeBron James

Not much else I can say. LeBron James, whether you like it or not, will go down as one of the better plays to pick up a basketball ever! He did it in high-school, he did it in Cleveland, and he will do it in Miami. He has racked up the awards, records, stats and so much more. The guy is a hell of a business man too. I mean, the guys got connections with McDonalds, Jay-Z, Nike, Coke, Dre… pretty much everyone at the top of the money world.

But that’s besides the point. The point is, I still love LeBron the athlete. Most complete player I’ve ever seen, or heard of in my life. He’s got the 6-8, 270 lb. body frame, the handles and passing skills of a point guard, the tight defense we’ve been waiting for, and an ever improving jumper. What’s not to like about the man’s game?

Here’s a nice little list of Bron’s achievements:

• 2× NBA Most Valuable Player: 2009, 2010
• NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004
• NBA Scoring Champion: 2008
• 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006, 2008
• 6× NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
• 6× All-NBA:
  • First Team: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • Second Team: 2005, 2007
• 2× NBA All-Defensive:
  • First Team: 2009, 2010
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004
• Bronze medal with Team USA, 2004 Summer Olympic Games
• Bronze medal with Team USA, 2006 FIBA World Championship
• Gold medal with Team USA, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship
• Gold medal with Team USA, 2008 Summer Olympic Games

Now, there is one thing missing from this list, and that is an NBA championship.

But don’t you think that with his recent “Decision,” LeBron can finally accomplish this? Finally get it done? I sure as hell do, and if you don’t, be prepared to be shocked…

over the next decade.

LeBron is leaving behind a nasty legacy in Cleveland. It all started with the ill-advised “Decision” on national television that was a slap in the face to all Cavs fans and Clevelanders alike. This resulted in Dan Gilbert’s infamous letter that riled up most of Cleveland.

This letter split the people of Cleveland into two sides. One side believed in the words of Gilbert. His putdown of LeBron was loved by this side of people. The other side was upset with Gilbert. They believed the letter was out of line. The fact that he is an owner makes this side believe that he can not act as a fan. They clearly do not know Mark Cuban.

This difference of beliefs has been seen before. A specific occasion is the Revolutionary War. However, this was a little more important than an athlete leaving his team (unless you’re Dan Gilbert). There were the Patriots and the Loyalists. Basically, it was Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger versus the Britain.

The question is, what is LeBron in all of this? What does he symbolize? He is everything awful about Britain. Accents, football that is not football, castles, and a Queen. I guess he also represents all the acts placed the Americans during the Revolutionary period.

Enough of the history lesson. LeBron’s interview in GQ is appalling and ironic. Ironic because GQ stands for Gentleman’s Quarterly. Last time I checked, LeBron is not a gentleman. No gentleman would do what he did regarding “The Decision”.

In the interview he also goes on to say how it would make a good story if he came back to Cleveland. I don’t think that many Patriots thought it would make a good story if Benedict Arnold came back on their side. Not as long as Gilbert is there. The whole $17.41 fathead situation shows how much Gilbert does not want LeBron back.

Whether you want LeBron back or not, buying his fathead is a bargain.

LeBron James is now going to my home in South Florida.

More precisely, Miami.

Does that do anything for me? No. Without a doubt.

I’ve been a Cavs fan since I can remember, but this one goes down as a defining moment in sports history, and it has two sides, the beautiful, and the ugly.

There has never been such a huge buildup to anything that I’ve ever seen in sports more than this one moment. It had a total of 6 million dollars in advertisements and drew an audience like none other. And during the interview LeBron James announced his decision where he would play for the next 5 years of his career while making people in Miami fall in love. At the same time he broke the hearts of each and every fan he once played for…on national TV.

Right after the announcement, I put my face in the palms of my hands, and asked myself, “Why LeBron?” I surely would’ve thought this iconic NBA figure would’ve had more class and respect than to just flat out smack his home-state in the face like that, but just like my prediction of where he’d end up, I was dead wrong.

Hours later, we got to hear from the man that put LeBron in position for a ring for the past two seasons, Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers majority owner. He had some wonderful words for the fans of Cleveland:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

I think Dan Gilbert has said everything we’ve wanted to hear. Expect more from the Cleveland side, in the coming days…

So what’s next for LeBron? Where do we go from here? Well, as you can see from the above, you know the Cavs fans have gotten a head-starton their festivities, and so if they have begun to move on, so should everyone else.

Now, what to make of the new trio in Miami?

Without a doubt the NBA should begin preparing for something historic as you have 3 of the top-10 scorers on your roster and 3 of the most iconic players in the NBA in Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. It’s like Team USA all over again, except this time they are wearing white, red, and black jerseys, and they are playing right next to strip clubs, sandy beaches, and beautiful women at every corner.

Not a bad lifestyle, huh?

But, it’s going to be complicated to wonder how Heat coach Mike Spoelstra will handle all that star power. Without a doubt, this is going to be a daunting task and Spoelstra will have his work cut out for him. But hey, it’s been done in the past, with guys like Magic, Kareem and Worthy, and Bird, Parish and McHale.

We’ve seen it done before, but can it be done with this squad?

LeBron and Wade seem to have the same mindset, except LeBron is a superior passer and rebounder, so how long until the paint gets clogged? Who knows, this just might be the “Cavs fan” in me speaking. No matter what LeBron did or said, we as NBA fans should appreciate the basketball we will witness in the next 5 years, in Miami.

In the end, life goes on and we must accept what happens, whether we like it or not. And for those of you up in Cleveland, my heartfelt apologies go out to you, because I cannot think of one city that deserves this any less.

As the last 7 years passed, we all watched LeBron go from the friendly neighborhood kid to the star of the franchise, all the way to the King of the NBA world; and the funny thing is that he did it all without winning a single championship. Maybe that’s why he’s leaving. I mean, it is the easy rout. Why not go play with 2 of the league’s best and cruise to the NBA Finals? Maybe LeBron was just tired of crying every season and walking away empty-fingered?

Whatever the case, we need to stop all the speculation and cut the rumors. No one knows exactly the logic of why LeBron did what he did, whether it was to be with his buddies, or because he couldn’t handle the pressure in Cleveland. Whichever’s the case, we have the facts now:.

• One, it will be awkward watching LeBron James in a Heat jersey.
• Two, the Miami Heat are the favorites next year in the East.
• And, three, LeBron is gone, and no one else can say it better, than those in Cleveland…

Heck, LeBron could someday define Cleveland sports, period.

I’ve never seen or heard of an athlete as advanced, bodied, and talented as LeBron in any sport, ever. Sure, he’s not the best player ever a la MJ, or even the best player currently a la Kobe; I will be the first to say it. He doesn’t have the 6 rings, or any of that.

But, can it happen? Could LeBron achieve all of that?

Why not?

And this is why LeBron James means so much to the city of Cleveland, and the rest of Ohio, not only financially, but emotionally too.

Editor’s Note: This morning, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports wrote a terrific column analyzing how LeBron and his team have handled things since free agency officially started…and why Cleveland fans should be encouraged by what it might mean for his future. Considering what Devon has provided below, if Wojnarowski’s article proves prescient it could be one of the happiest days in the history of Cleveland sports.

LeBron James has stolen the hearts of everyone in that city, and he can break them just as easily, with a pen, paper, and dotted lines he signs with a team that is not the Cavs.

Image source: Nike

But forget that, because in a few weeks, I won’t be able to make an article like this if LeBron is indeed gone. So, I want to show my viewers a glimpse of the love Cleveland has for LeBron, and what the Akron phenom has done to those in the entire state of Ohio.

Even the young feel the pain…

As you can see, things can get very emotional…

The “Don’t Go Mobile”

Even Browns star Josh Cribbs…

The Youtube nerds as well…

And last, and definitely least, the gross!

So LeBron, if you look at this article, this is what the fans of Cleveland feel for you.

And in my case, I hope it helps your decision…and yes, in a positive way, even though I know the last one was pretty creepy!

Thanks for viewing!

The date which could be known as the final day of the Cavaliers as an elite.

The day that hell broke loose in every media outlet, and the day that Twitter had sprung at least 3 types of trending topics which included either LeBron, Cavs, Cavs suck, and plenty of others surrounding the LeBron/2010 hoopla.

But since then, basketball has been played. The Magic were vanquished, as were the Suns, and the Finals was set. Set in great fashion it was, with the two most historic franchises in NBA history; the Lakers and Celtics.

But this is not about that, this is about how the Cleveland Cavaliers are falling apart. In a way, it much resembles the Roman Empire.

Led by a strong leader, Caesar, which in Cleveland’s case is LeBron James, began a strong start to a season, as they sold out practically every game imaginable, then were leading the way at the All-Star break.

Things didn’t change in the second-half of the season, as the Cavs remained in the lead until the last day of the 82-game season, and finished strong with a 61-21 season. Not as good as last season’s 66-18 record, but still a great plateau.

Then came the playoffs, the city of Cleveland was in complete euphoria, with the feeling the Cavs had the strongest argument to win the title; I mean, they had the best player in the NBA, they had one of the better benches in the league, and had newly acquired Antawn Jamison from the Wizards in a snag deal. Thing were pretty much rolling in Ohio.

The first round matchup was pretty much an ease for Cleveland, as they took on the very young, but athletic Chicago Bulls. Heck, LeBron at one point thought of it just testing his team out, testing the rotations and testing out the team’s tenacity. The most excitement in the series, was Joakim Noah’s rants, but other than that..it was bland. The series was quickly over in 5 games.

Then came the long awaited rematch with the Celtics. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, was in 2008 when LeBron and co. were not nearly as prepared for a Finals run, as they were this time around. So, the Cavs, Cleveland and even some Boston fans I knew were prepared for a Cavs/Magic Eastern Conference Finals. But then..things took a turn for the worse, as Cleveland picked up a loss at home in Game 2. But, the Cavs redeemed themselves, and stole a victory from Boston on the road, and things began to go back to normal…sadly, it was the last time things would be that way.

Boston quickly won a home game against Cleveland, and knotted the series up. They were on a roll, and then demolished Cleveland in possibly their most embarrassing playoff loss ever.

The rumors began to fly, whether it was LeBron’s elbow, Delonte West with LeBron’s mom or plenty others. Things were not looking good on the Cavs side of things. So how would they respond?

The Cavs would end up losing the decisive Game 6 in Cleveland, as the Celtics look like they had awoken from a long slumber, leaving LeBron, the Cavs, the city of Cleveland and Ohio in utter disgust. Again, the Cavs would reach another early offseason.

Things at this point are very bitter and confusing in Cleveland. The Cavs were just taken out by what looked like a washed up C’s team, and LeBron might have played his last game with a Cavs jersey on. Clear reason to be bitter.

As the offseason arrived, the Cavs had numerous questions; who would the Cavs fire? What changed were to come? Any trades? Would they even attempt to resign LeBron?

Well the first major move came not too long ago, as the Cavs decided to fire head coach Mike Brown, on May 25th whom had the most wins, and highest winning percentage in the past two season combined. Just goes to show how bad Cleveland wants a championship.

Then today, as I was exploring the Twitterverse, a surprising tweet came along from Cavs insider, Brian Windhorst:

“Danny Ferry tells the Plain Dealer he has resigned as general manager of the Cavs”

Hearing this solidified one thing in my mind: The Cavaliers are definitely moving in another direction.

Danny Ferry who practically stole Mo Williams from the Bucks, Shaq from the Suns, and Antawn Jamsion from the Wizards, was announced to have parted ways with the organization around 2:00 PM ET, on June 4th.

Now with the two key figures in Cavaliers management, and tactical approach long gone, where do the Cavs go from here? Will there be a whole roster change? Does Dan Gilbert have something up his sleeve?

Does LeBron change ways with the Cavs, or take his own direction? Maybe, maybe not. But maybe on last Tuesday’s interview with Larry King on CNN, LeBron might have been honest, when saying Cleveland has the edge.

Possibly…

Might I add, there is the rumor flying that  Mo Williams and Delonte are on the trade block for the Cavs.

What’s next? Tom Izzo to coach the Cavaliers?

Who knows….

…no one knows, but I can guarantee all of you fans out there, that this summer will be hellish, so stick along for the ride, and I promise I will as well.

More to come…

**********

* – Quick Loans Arena image source

* – LeBron & KG image source

* – Mike and Ferry image source

There, glad that’s settled.

Now, since I complimented a Cubs fan this morning (I still need to shower to feel clean again) it’s time to counterbalance that with some love for someone from the South Side.

Luckily, the White Sox are managed by the incomparable Guillen, who somehow finds a way to do laudable things even in the midst of one of the more disappointing 50 game stretches of White Sox baseball I can remember over the last 10 years.

He recently did two that deserve recognition. And since no one slurps the Ozzie Guillen bathwater more unabashedly than me and KVB, I had to post about them.

First, Ozzie provided his opinion on the hottest story in sports for the next month. He also lobbed an insult grenade at the city of Cleveland that hit where it hurts most.

The pictorial evidence of both are below:

Image Source: The LeBetard Show via Deadspin

Image Source: The LeBetard Show via Deadspin

What can you say about this? What other manager/coach would a) be clever enough to write this stuff on a baseball, and b) have the willingness and sense of humor to put it out there publicly?

Only Ozzie, which is why he’s the best.

(And before you criticize his managing, just remember that he’s the only manager in over 200 seasons of baseball to deliver a World Series title to the city of Chicago…so f–k you.)

And on a related note, Ozzie Guillen getting unfiltered access on Twitter is the greatest thing to happen to Twitter since Conan O’Brien getting on Twitter…which was the greatest thing to happen to Twitter since…?

Now onto the second reason to love Ozzie Guillen: he has his players backs and will call out umpires when they need to be called out. Case in point, yesterday.

Joe West called a balk on Mark Buehrle and then threw Buehrle out of the game because one of the most respected veteran pitchers in the Majors had the audacity to disagree and throw his glove down in disgust. And that warrants tossing him out of the game in the third inning? F–k you Joe West.

Ozzie obviously agrees:

“Because he’s a f—ing a–hole, that’s what he is. I just went out to ask him … I wasn’t asking about the balk because you’re not allowed, anytime you go out there to ask about balk or whatever. The thing I went out to ask him about was why he was embarrassing Buehrle. I’m not going out to argue about the balk because the rule, but I went out to ask him why he’s embarrassing Buehrle and he give me one of this [dismissing him with his hands].”

For his part, Buehrle had a great quote too regarding West:

“I did the same move the toss right before that, and he didn’t call a balk,” Buehrle said. “Once I got tossed I wanted to go say a few words and try to get my money’s worth and just kind of find out what did I do wrong to balk? I think he’s too worried about promoting his CD (West is a country music singer and song writer with his own website) and I think he likes seeing his name in the papers a little bit too much instead of worrying about the rules.”

Ahh…the things that keep you interested in a baseball season when your team – which you thought would win the division – is languishing below .500.

[Oh, and sorry for the language above. What can I say? Writing about Ozzie - and thinking about the White Sox record this year - just brings it out of me.]

Maybe it was his elbow. Maybe it was because, as ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said, “…he looked like he had his bags packed already…”, or maybe it was just because the King clamped up at the time the light shined on him most.

Whichever conspiracy theory you may want to believe, there is one simple fact:

LeBron did not shine in his biggest moment.

Game 6 hurt to watch. The most emotion I’ve packed into a game. Don’t believe me, look at my tweets. It was like watching a dog eat a baby…

I don’t know how I put up with it, because ever since the beginning of the 2nd Quarter, I knew deep down inside something was wrong here.

The Cavs weren’t themselves, and neither were the Celtics. The Celtics were in 2008 form, and when they are at that level, there is little to do. Especially when the Cavs’ best player looks unsure of himself.

Is it just me, or was everyone else noticing how the aura surrounding LeBron seemed…well…just tired, beat, and done?LeBron would hardly attack the rim and showed no emotion on any possession in Games 5 and 6.

Instead you saw this:

As a Cavs fan, this definitely hurts to say, but at least I have the guts to say it:

LeBron left a nasty smudge on his legacy with last night’s loss. Plain and simple.

The guy didn’t get it done. Everyone was claiming that this was LeBron’s biggest game ever, it was the biggest game in Cleveland sports history, and LeBron left with a big L on his forehead.

It will be remembered forever, and there is nothing he can do about it.

A player who is constantly compared to Kobe, Jordan, Magic, Oscar and all of the other greats still hasn’t won a ring, and his 7th NBA season is now over.

Sure, the guy has 2 MVP awards, and numerous All-Star appearances, broken records, and an Olympic Gold medal, but what else? How does it look that he never has brought a championship to his home?

He has never been on top of the basketball world, and yet we call him King?

I love the guy to death for what he’s brought to Cleveland. He’s brought ticket sales, jersey sales, concession sales, an Eastern Conference title, an explosion of national coverage, and pretty much everything else the Cavs have right now. But he might also be the reason as to why they don’t have something:

An NBA Championship.

Sure, LeBron has Nike, he has the hearts of those at ESPN, and he still have my trust. But how do Clevelanders feel? I don’t think they even know yet…but just wait for it to sink in before the death threats, the riots, and the pressure to hit the Cavs organization.

But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who is on the team, who is coaching, or who is making the front office moves; this will all fall on the shoulders of LeBron. It always has, and always will. That might not be fair for a 25-year old, but that’s the reality.

So where does this leave us?

Cleveland is left empty handed, Mike Brown’s job is in jeopardy (see here), the point of bringing in Shaq is now obsolete, and LeBron is left with a big decision to make.

At this point, the Nets aren’t looking too bad.

(To be continued…)

**********

• * – LeBron (red jersey) link: Y! Sports
• * – LeBron mouthpiece: AP Photo/Tony Dejak via Link
• * – Quicken Loans Arena link: Y! Sports

As you know, I have not been a big fan of ESPN’s pretty obvious agenda to get LeBron James to go to New York. Sometimes I feel like ESPN New York should be rebranded as ESPN Go To New York LeBron.

Here is the most current example, by none other than Ian O’Connor, who has never met a moment that couldn’t be seized upon to pontificate about the inevitability of LeBron going to NY:

Across the way, LeBron was sitting in a chair at his locker, soaking his feet in a tub of ice. He eventually showered, threw on a black-and-white sweatsuit and headed for a postgame podium to praise the Celtics, acknowledge that his elbow “limited me some” and declare he’s “going to approach this summer with the right mindset.”

The mindset of a great entertainer who looked and sounded like he’s on his way to Broadway.

Unfortunately for O’Conner, and in ESPN’s defense, this viewpoint was not shared by all at the WWL last night.

Chris Broussard, when pressed for an answer, rightfully said that he had no idea but that gun-to-head he’d pick LeBron to end up Chicago. And at the True Hoop blog, Chad Ford published a quick blog post stating that three NBA GMs he talked to identified Chicago as the current leader for LeBron.

Obviously no one has any idea, and it’s all speculation meant to rile up rabid, insatiable sports fans like myself, but one thing is certain: the general assumption is that Chicago is a real player in LeBron Sweepstakes.

So, based on Ian O’Conner’s inexplicable conclusion that LeBron was “on his way to Broadway”, you’d think that his counterparts at ESPN Chicago would be ready to sieze on the Windy City’s LeBron momentum, right?

Wrong.

Back on Wednesday, before we knew the outcome of Game 6, Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago actually pulled his head out of his city’s rear end and placed any Chitown narcissism he may have aside long enough to write something that – unlike anything I’ve ever read from O’Connor – was actually objective. (Full disclosure: I haven’t read much from O’Connor, just his stuff about LeBron to New York. Please correct if I’m wrong in labeling him a completely subjective shill for NYC.)

From Greenberg’s article, entitled “Bolts from Cavs? That’s unreal, LeBron“:

I guess I’m rooting for Cleveland, although I find no small sense of schadenfreude with another Cleveland meltdown. Like David Stern, I’m hoping James stays in Cleveland, and not just for the long-suffering galoots who buy Brady Quinn jerseys and hang Fathead stickers of Zydrunas Ilgauskas on the walls of their suburban basements.

Pairing Chris Bosh with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would make the Bulls title contenders, too.
No, I think if James leaves, he’s giving away the only part of him that is truly real, his attachment to his Rust Belt upbringing. In New York, he’ll be another star, the biggest sports star to be sure, but he won’t be a hero.

…

I know it’s heretical to say as a Chicago sportswriter, but I really hope it’s with Cleveland.

Greenberg does state – accurately – that Chicago would be a better destination for LeBron than New York if his true goal is to win; but what I respect is that he doesn’t just dismiss Cleveland as some second rate podunk town that somehow isn’t deserving of LeBron.

(Memo to New York: The Akron/Cleveland area raised LeBron. Who was the last super-duper star to come from the vaunted streets of New York City? Sebastian Telfair? Get over yourselves.)

I haven’t read what’s been written elsewhere by Chicago writers to know if Greenberg’s opinion is a prevailing one, but I do know that the humility of his opinions is indicative of the Midwestern disposition I admire, was raised with, and try to adhere to, whereas O’Connor represents the arrogance and dismissiveness that East Coasters – especially New Yorkers – have towards other parts of the country.

Am I generalizing? You’re damn right I am. But you might want to think twice before arguing with that last paragraph. I don’t think you’ll have much ground to stand on.

Anyway, there really is no greater point to this post than to simply point out the dichotomy in the mindsets of these two cities when it comes to LeBron. What truly disappoints me though, far more than anything O’Connor or any other NY writer has written, is that the last few days have forced me to remove the rose-colored glasses with which I’ve always viewed LeBron…and I haven’t really liked what I’ve seen.

Sadly, for those of us who want to see him stay in Cleveland and truly believe it’s the best thing for him long-term, I’ve sensed far more NYC arrogance than Midwestern humility in James’ recent body language, actions, and words.

In conclusion, it’s probably best to let a writer without a Chicago or New York or even Cleveland viewpoint provide the closing thoughts to this post. Adrian Wojnarowski, who nailed it after Game 5, what say you now?

Winning is nice and all, and James will eventually get himself a title or two. He’s too talented. At the end of his seventh NBA season, James lost one more chance at it Thursday, and it hardly felt like the end of the world for him. He’ll get over it fast because that enormous ego will be nourished with the courtship of his lifetime, his free agency, and perhaps the hardest part will come sometime in July when James has to make a choice, pick a team and play there. Only then, the wooing of LeBron James will be complete and you have to wonder: How will King James ever live without that?

And now we wait, with the vacuum of time between now and July sure to be filled by more Ian O’Connors and more Jon Greenbergs and everything in between.

I’m exhausted by it already.

**********

* – LeBron James photo credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola via ESPN.com

Game 5 was disgusting, to say the least.

It pissed me off.

I’m a die hard NBA fan, and I could cover all teams if I felt like it. But the Cavs hold a special place in my heart and when something like this goes down, I feel like I must tear them down.

With the Cavaliers now a single game away from letting down the whole state of Ohio, a single game away from possibly tearing up a team we’ve known for years, and a single game away from losing the greatest player since Jordan, there’s no reason not to tear them down!

Image Source: Yahoo! Sports

First, and most importantly, how can you not blame LeBron for the loss?

The guy was 3 -14 shooting from the field, and was 0 -4 from three. Sure, 15 points is good for some players, but let’s get this thing straight! LeBron is not ANY player; he is THE LeBron James, and he has endorsements with Nike, McDonalds, and Vitamin-Water for a reason!

Sure, he had 7 assists and 6 rebounds, but that is expected from LeBron if not more! What did he look like out there? “He looked like a guy who was ready to leave town…”, according to ESPN, and PTI’s Tony Kornheiser. You know what? I couldn’t agree any more.

What else did it look like? An elbow injury? See here.

What about the rest of the Cavs? They played like garbage. No ifs, ands or buts about it. They played “Nets” basketball.

How do you give up about 120 points on your home court, and not even reach the 100-point mark? Seriously? Then you let Ray Allen, disguised as…(never mind, I’m not going to say it…I’m Christian..) take a dump on you with 25 points, shooting 6 -9 from three (66.6%).

This does not look anything like the 82 -game season Cavaliers at all.

The Celtics shot 55% from the field, and 50% from three, while Cleveland’s offense was 41% from the field, and 33% from three.

Image Source: Yahoo! Sports

And last, but certainly not least, what could this mean for the city of Cleveland?

Everything.

The city that has been heartbroken by MJ, Elway, and many others, has consistently been heartbroken by the poor play of the Indians and the Browns. Just saying those two names makes me feel like puking. Then there were all of the New York boys who have been nagging LeBron left and right to come to the Knicks and join Jay-Z, Elvis the Easter Bunny and everyone else’s mother, in order to make Bron happy.

Certainly, it has been rocky for this city. But at the end of the day, they love their Cavs, and they most certainly love LeBron. When you have a poster the size of a building, which features the man himself, you know you are loved. But when LeBron and Cleveland’s love affair is threatened, Cleveland fans turn to attack mode. They don’t want to lose the one thing that makes them smile…or else, this city turns into anarchy.

Cleveland image source: Files.Nyu.Edu

So before I let you go, I want to let you know that the Cavs and Celtics Game 6 is probably one of the, if not THE most important game in Cleveland’s sports history. It is must-watch TV and the drama will be brought! And if the Cavs lose, the city of Cleveland will go haywire, the Cavaliers themselves will break apart, and they will lose the one thing that’s keeping the sun shining in Cleveland.

WTF?

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the three letters above represent the same WTF number of shots LeBron James made last night.

Really, WTF doesn’t even describe last night’s game. Cleveland and LeBron pretty much rolled over, on their home floor, in a must win game, in a performance that even the Atlanta Hawks would have considered soft.

Every sports news outlet from Bristol to Bangkok will be dissecting LeBron’s poor play last night and assessing what it may or may not mean for his future in Cleveland. I thought I’d throw my two cents in as well, although with a little bit of a difference perspective.

So, since everyone is reacting to last night’s “LeBracle” that made all of Quicken Loans Arena groan, boo, and exit early, we’re counting down the top 10 reactions for you this morning.

Here they are, along with a hastily made photo collage that I think pretty much sums up last night. (Memo to Mike Brown: when Jose Mesa is trying to kick you in the face – with the full support of the city of Cleveland, I might add – you know you have problems.)

Top 10 Reactions to the Quicken Groans LeBracle:

10. Even former Browns QB Derek Anderson thinks the Cleveland faithful deserved better and were justified in booing.

9. Kentucky coach John Calipari was apparently in the arena last night. After the game, not even Worldwide Wes himself could convince Calipari to add LeBron to his next recruiting class at Kentucky.

8. After the game John Starks called LeBron. He requested royalties the next time LeBron decides to imitate him in a big game. (Note: Legally, LeBron would not be required to pay John Starks royalties because he did not completely infringe on Starks’ patented big stage collapse. Starks, you see, at least went down shooting.)

7. While waddling dejectedly to their cars, multitudes of Cleveland fans sought solace by reminiscing about the less painful and crushing memories of Earnest Byner and Jose Mesa.

6. At halftime, Cleveland native Brady Quinn implored his new teammate Tim Tebow to use his powers of divine intervention to compel a Cavs comeback. Tebow responded that he would, as long as the Cavs showed up to play the second half. They never did.

5. Lost in all the disappointment and finger pointing over Prince James’ woefully underwhelming 3-14 shooting performance and overall lackluster play is the fact that LeBron did actually accomplish something amazing: he made Skip Bayless more impressed with himself.

4. Mike Brown was left speechless for the second time this series…

…wait, never mind, based on the sideline shots of Mike Brown, he is always speechless.

3. The game hasn’t even been over for 12 hours and already LeBron’s elbow is getting sick and tired of answering questions about LeBron. LeBron’s elbow even said that now his kids are asking him “what’s wrong with LeBron?”

The fact of the matter is that LeBron’s elbow said an MRI that had been scheduled for LeBron will no longer be necessary. So see? Nothing to worry about. (LeBron and the rest of the Cavs will, however, be undergoing EKG assessments at the behest of owner Dan Gilbert. He wants to make sure his players still have normal heart activity since they showed none on the floor last night.)

2. We now know why Jay-Z included these lyrics in his epic song “Empire State of Mind”:

Me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,
If Jesus payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,

Although I’m not sure Tim Tebow really wants LeBron on his team after last night’s performance, we can certainly understand why Jay-Z would rather have Wade and his ring. (Hey, DWade may have received a huge assist from the refs in getting his one ring, but at least he attacked the basket and took control of the game to put the refs in a position to hand him a title.)

And finally, the #1 reaction to last night’s Quicken Groans LeBracle:

1. All those New York fans clamoring for LeBron James to come to the Big Apple? They just had a harrowing realization: they already have LeBron, and his name is Javy Vazquez.

Don’t believe me? Read this quote:

“I just want him to be aggressive…knock somebody on their butt…You have to be mean. Go out there and show them we show up to play, show up to kick your guys’ [butts]. And believe me, that will take care of itself.”

No, that was not Mike Brown describing LeBron James after Game 5. That was White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen talking about Javy Vazquez when he pitched in Chicago. After failing under the pressure of the Windy City, then succeeding in the obscurity and absence of pressure in Atlanta last year, Vazquez is now back in New York shrinking on the big stage.

Is LeBron much better at basketball than Javy Vazquez is at baseball? Sure. But could you compare LeBron’s Game 5 performance to a typical Javy Vazquez big game start? Unfortunately, you absolutely can.

Sure you need another Javy, New York? Just sayin’…

(Deep breath.)

(Deep breath.)

(Deep breath.)

Okay.

Now that I have that out of my system, let me close with a little perspective.

Last night’s game was awful. In fact, it was beyond awful. If you’re a Cleveland fan, there is not one positive that you can take from last night’s game other than the knowledge that Shaq can still dunk when left wide open. Hooray.

But…

As bad as last night was, and as epically bad as LeBron James was in a really big spot, the series is not over yet.

Cleveland has already beaten Boston once in the Garden. And LeBron, despite how badly he played last night, has shown us in the past that he is capable of virtuoso performances in big spots. Remember his epic 4th quarter against Detroit a few years back? Remember his tremendous performance as recently as Game 3 in this series?

Though it doesn’t seem like it after last night, LeBron and the Cavs are still very capable of winning Game 6 and forcing a Game 7, although the championship experience, maturity, and momentum of the Celtics certainly will make it extremely difficult.

Difficult…but not impossible.

The unfortunate truth of the matter if you understand the sad history of sports in Cleveland is that if Game 5 does end up being LeBron’s final home game in his hometown, it ended about how it “should” have: in crushing disappointment.

In fact, because such a cursed, downtrodden city has placed so many hopes on this one person to deliver them from sports purgatory, it is almost cravenly predestined that it would end with those same cursed, downtrodden fans booing the man who was supposed to be their sports savior. I really hope that’s not the case, but still less than 12 hours removed from the filth I watched last night from the Cavs, it is really hard to see the silver lining right now.

On Thursday night it will be up to LeBron and the Cavs to burst through the storm clouds hovering over the city and their season to give fans a reason to keep hope alive.

Otherwise, another era of Cleveland sports will be doing its best Cuyahoga River impression…by going up in flames.

**********

Full Disclosure: I unfortunately listened to Mike & Mike this morning, and Mike Greenberg read something by someone that described last night’s game as a “LeBacle”. I thought “LeBracle” actually sounded better. I’d like to give credit where it is due for coining the idea for that phrase, but I’m not sure where it came from first. If you know, let me know so I can provide a link. Thanks.

Update: I think this was the article. And it’s a good one too, by John Hollinger.

* – LeBron James photo credit: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images via ESPN.com

* – Javier Vazquez photo credit: Hawk Fantasy Sports

* – Skip Bayless photo credit: ImageShack

* – Mike Brown photo credit: BareNucks.com

* – Kevin Garnett photo credit: FunFunNewsNews.com

* – Earnest Byner photo credit: NYTimes.com

* – Jose Mesa photo credit: DayLife.com

* – LeBron James chalk photo credit: Free-Extras.com

I know, it’s not going to be easy…especially after the events of last night rubbed even more salt into the (eternally?) tragically open wounds of an entire city’s fan base.

On the same that night that the last two Cy Young Award winners — both of whom were Indians when they won it — faced off in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James dropped to 0-2.

You might think, well hey, at least Cleveland fans have the Browns game to look forward to this Sunday!

And this sentiment, of course, would be met either with hearty laughter or plaintive cries, all depending on one’s perspective, mood, and current level of sanity.

No, ladies and gentleman, sports in the city of Cleveland most certainly do not rock. Last night was simply further confirmation of this ever deepening and depressing truism.

But don’t take it from me. Scan the Cleveland sports blogosphere. It’s hard to wait for next year when you can barely make it from day to day this year.

Cavs/Raptors Reaction: Biff Goes Boom Again on Murder Mike — (Cleveland Frowns)

I’m beside myself about tonight’s Cavaliers loss in Toronto. In a town where Jhonny Peralta has been the starting shortstop for the better part of a decade and Brian Robiskie is a second round pick, it’s too much to bear yet another coach who’s too dumb to see what’s apparent to even the most casual of fans.

Tribe Fans Hide Your Eyes: D-Day is Here — (Waiting For Next Year)

Most Indians fans I know refuse to watch one second of it. I for one, will be glued to the TV. Will it make me sick? Absolutely. Seeing two former Indian aces face off against one another, knowing that just one year ago, they were in the same rotation in our city, is nausiating.

Note: to be fair, this post by WFNY does go onto say that the departures of C.C. and Cliff Lee were somewhat inevitable and that you can’t hold the feet of Indians’ management to the fire for too long as punishment.

Still, the fact remains, what other fan base has had to watch that?

Only in Cleveland.

Time-honored tradition of rooting against teams has arrived for Browns fans — (No Logo Needed)

After Mangini’s press conference on Monday where he stated he’s sticking with Derek Anderson and his 40.6 quarterback rating the Voice of Reason is officially throwing in the towel.  I’m done, stop the fight.  Bring out Zastudil and let him punt my fandom (and this season) out at the 5-yard line.

Cleveland Browns are how bad? — (Starting Blocks)

The Cleveland Browns are probably worse than their 1-6 record indicates.

In the Browns’ last two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers have combined for 1,003 yards gained against the Browns porous defense.

The Browns’ inept offense has totaled 336 yards in the two games.

The Cleveland Browns have played 907 games, including playoffs, since they began as a franchise in the All-America Football Conference in 1946.

Never has the team had a worse two-game stretch in yardage differential. Pitrtsburgh and Green Bay outgained the Browns by a combined 667 yards.

For some reason the spelling error in this excerpt just seems appropriate. Hence, I left it. Why not? It fits the motif.

Meet the Snworb — (The Kardiac Kid)

The Browns’ lethargic, pathetic performance last week against the Packers summed up their last 10 years of futility. Fans and pundits call for the heads of Lerner, Kokinis, and Mangini, or argue that we should boycott the Browns. We could fire Mangini and Kokinis, but it would begin another rebuilding process. Lerner could sell the team, but who’s to say the new owner would be any better? And why should Browns fans boycott a team they love?

None of these solutions get us any closer to what Clevelanders really want: a competitive professional football team.

Cleveland fought hard for the Browns.

The new Browns franchise is unacceptable.

The City of Cleveland should take the name, colors, logos and legacy of the Cleveland Browns away from this franchise*.

I think that’s enough of the excerpting.

Point taken, right?

As far as the Indians are concerned, the meeting of C.C. and Cliff Lee was more the malevolence of circumstance than anything else. Yes, it sucks for Indians fans that the team couldn’t keep one or both of them, but the economics of Major League Baseball dictated their departure.

You see, C.C. ends up on the Yankees and Cliff Lee ends up on the Phillies…yet the Indians, nor any other club, ever once had a chance to bid on Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chase Utley, or Ryan Howard. Notice the glaring difference? (Note: this is not an original thought. I read it somewhere and cannot remember where to link back.)

As Rasheed Wallace once brilliantly said in a post-game interview: “it is what is is, and it do what it do.”

As far as the Cavs are concerned, I’m on record as saying that the Shaq experiment is a bad one. I just don’t see it working. Shaq of ten or even five years ago? Sure, it’s a good move. Rotund, immobile, uninspired Shaq of today?

Hell no.

I still have faith that LeBron can single-handedly make some sweet lemonade out of the lemons surrounding him, but I just really don’t see this team as being closer to an NBA championship this year than they were last year.

Time will tell, but the Cavs could not have had a more inauspicious start. to the season

And then there are the Browns.

Oh the Browns.

What is there really to say? As a commenter pointed out in the Starting Blocks post I linked to above, “somebody”predicted dire consequences if Eric Mangini were hired. We’re stuck with the current situation right now, so I’m trying to make the best of it, but games like last Sunday really make it difficult.

At the end of the day, the only thing that Cleveland sports fans really have to get them through such dire (life)times is eachother. And here, here, and here you go for the evidence.

When my mom looked at these pictures, her first comment was, “Wow, these all people all just go there to get drunk, don’t they?”

Yes, I suppose technically that is true in most cases. But look around the sports landscape at what these people are forced to cheer for. They go there and to cope.

To survive.

The lyrics to the song may say that “Cleveland rocks,” but unfortunately the only thing that ever gets rocked are the hopes, dreams, and wishes of Cleveland sports fans.

Game after game.

Year after frustrating year.

So they wait. And in the meantime they find solace at places like the Great Lakes Brewery, with tools like 8-person beer bongs, and with coolers full of Jello shots.

And I don’t think anyone can really blame them.

**********

* – Browns fan photo credit: daniel1212 at PhotoBucket

* – Indians fans photo credit: Clemson Baseball Girl

Update: All of the panel discussions will be streaming live online starting at 12:30 at Sports Talk Cleveland.

You’ve heard me allude to it in some posts this week, and you’ve seen me using the #sm360 hash tag more and more over the last few days, so here is the official post to let you know what the hell is going on.

This weekend is the Sports Media 360 Conference in Cleveland, organized by the Dugout Sports Show. Here is the official description from the DSS website:

SM360 is a conference bringing together mainstream sports journalists, sports bloggers and sports public relations professionals for a weekend. From panels consisting of the best bloggers and well respected journalists in the sports world, to how-to workshops ranging from getting your blog noticed, building credibility with teams’ public relations and communications professionals and starting a sports related podcast. There will also be workshops for the student interested in a career in sports journalism or photography.

I am very excited to be serving on one of the panel discussions, where I will be discussing how to build credibility as a blogger. What am I even more excited about is meeting so many great bloggers and truly accomplished individuals in the online realm, and learning from everyone in attendance.

It is going to be a great weekend.

You can follow Sports Media 360 on Twitter and use the #sm360 hash tag to track the weekend’s events. And if you’re in the Cleveland area, you can still sign up and attend. If you are interested in sports blogging and online media, I would definitely recommend coming out. It should be a great weekend.

I will probably be posting more on Twitter than here on MSF this weekend, so you won’t see as many new posts. But I’ll be back Monday with the all of the regularly scheduled weekly posts that your accustomed to.

Also, for anyone who is going to the Browns-Packers game on Sunday, I will be there early tailgating. Hit me up on Twitter (@jerodmsf) if you’re going to be there.

This may be my last post before I have to catch my plane. If so, have a great weekend everyone!

As little underlying support there is, these Josh Cribbs rumors are not fun

He is exactly right.

Who knows how legitimate the Cribbs-to-Miami or Cribbs-to-whomever talk is, but there is nothing fun or exciting at all about the Browns’ clear fan favorite being mentioned in the same sentence as the word “trade.”

All the rumors about Cribbs got me to thinking: is he the second most untradable sports figure in Cleveland?

(I think we all know who the first is.)

Let’s think about it for a second.

Is there anyone on the Cavs right now other than LeBron that Cleveland fans have a really strong connection to? I would suspect that Big Z is in that category, but considering his age and contract, I’m not sure Cavs fans would be too up in arms if there was a parting of the ways soon.

Shaq, despite his profile and the excitement surrounding his arrival, has yet to play a regular season game for the Cavs. There has been no time for a connection to develop.

Do you see anyone else on the Cavs roster with 1/10th the fan love of Josh Cribbs? I don’t.

Let’s then move on to the Indians where, unfortunately for Indians fans, two fan favorites have already been dealt away over the past two years: C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. I would definitely have placed Sabathia right there with Cribbs, if not above.

Who else on the Indians roster might qualify in Cribbs’ class?

Fausto Carmona and Travis Hafner were on their way a few years ago, but then decided to suck and have fallen out of favor. The only person who could legitimately enter the conversation is Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore is a very, very good player, but for years I have felt that he was somewhat overrated.

Don’t get me wrong: he’s among the top 25-30 players in baseball, especially when you factor in his tremendous defensive ability. I just don’t consider him among the elite of the elite as some people do.

When it comes to fan love, however, Sizemore does pretty well for himself.

Guys like Grady because he’s a 30-30 threat who can help their fantasy team and has been the one consistent offensive force on the Indians’ revolving door of a lineup over the past few years. And the ladies like him because, well…I guess because he has dimples, or something? (Money, you idiot…it’s the money! And the shirts…)

And then we get to the Browns, where talented former 1st round picks like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards have recently been traded away without much fan consternation.

The only player whose popularity could approach Cribbs’ is that of Brady Quinn. However, considering Quinn’s underwhelming performances when given an opportunity, it’s not like the majority of Cleveland fans honestly feel like they have a prettier version of Bernie Kosar sitting on the bench right now.

In fact, while there is a subset of Browns fans who would be pissed and upset if Quinn got traded, there is no such subset of fans who would be pissed and upset to see Cribbs go.

ALL Browns fans would be devastated to see Josh Cribbs gone. ALL OF THEM.

Every single one.

If you can find me a single Browns fan who would be even remotely excited about the loss of Josh Cribbs, I will grow a mustache, name it Zastudil, and interview it on a podcast.

Seriously.

For all of the ill will that Eric Mangini and George Kokinis have generated since their arrival, it would pale in comparison to the fan backlash that would result from trading Joshua Cribbs for anything less than a franchise QB or an already established superstar defensive player.

Cribbs is the one guy who gives us all hope every time he touches the ball. He has been the heart and soul of the organization since he became a star in 2007. He has continued to play hard this year despite little hope of team success and little progress on a contract extension that was promised to him.

There is not much good about the Cleveland Browns right now, but whatever ounce of good exists is manifested almost entirely in the play of Josh Cribbs.

You can get away with trading malcontents like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. Browns fans understand that. And if you’re going to be cheap, stupid-line-in-the-sand hardasses about Cribbs’ contract, and not pay the guy what he deserves, then I hope the Browns do trade him…for Cribbs’ own sake.

Josh Cribbs deserves to play for an organization that understands and respects his value to the team, fans, and city. Mangini and Kokinis just need to realize that said organization needs to be Cleveland, with no excuses.

I don’t care if he’s “just a special teams player.” Watch the damn games, watch the effort, watch his teammates respond to him, assess the value of what you’d have to pay him for the myriad tangible and intangible positives he brings, and watch the fans stay interested in the miserable overall product because of this exciting player with the never-say-die attitude and never-quit motor.

Josh Cribbs is a special player. Period.

I’m not saying pay him like a #1 WR or a top-flight defensive lineman or anything like that. Just pay the guy what he deserves for his value on the field and his value to the organization, with his value to the fans being a major part of that.

Pay him, and don’t trade him.

I’m coming to Cleveland next weekend for the Packers game. If Josh Cribbs isn’t there too, I am not going to be happy. Not one bit. I’ve never booed my own team at home — and I’d never boo the players so long as they’re giving effort — but I’d boo Eric Mangini as hard and as loud as I possibly could if Cribbs is not around.

And something tells me the other 73,200 people at Cleveland Browns stadium would join me.

Luckily, it sounds like the Cribbs rumors are just that: rumors. And from everything I’ve read, the Browns are not actively shopping Cribbs. They are merely listening to offers considering Cribbs’ desire for a new contract.

Fine. I understand that…so long as it results in an amicable resolution in which Cribbs gets a new contract and we all have some security that our favorite player will be around for a while.

Update: Cribbs’ agent thinks that the Browns are being unfair by not trading him or redoing his contract.

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* – Grady Sizemore photo credit: Luello.com

* – Joshua Cribbs photo credit: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic