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	<title>Midwest Sports Fans &#187; Mo Williams</title>
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		<title>Cavs End Losing Streak in OT Thriller</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/02/cavs-end-losing-streak-in-ot-thriller/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/02/cavs-end-losing-streak-in-ot-thriller/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:23:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steve Kubitza</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jj hickson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=26985</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first game since December 18th last night, beating the Los Angeles Clippers. After nearly two months of pure torture for players and fans alike, the streak has finally ended. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first game since December 18th last night, beating the Los Angeles Clippers.</p>
<p>After nearly two months of pure torture for players and fans alike, the streak has finally ended.</p>
<p><span id="more-26985"></span><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/jj-hickson-cavs-streak.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-26987" style="margin: 5px;" title="jj-hickson-cavs-streak-ends" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/jj-hickson-cavs-streak.jpg" alt="jj-hickson-cavs-streak-ends" width="250" height="250" /></a>Before I finally conclude talk of the horrendous streak, the game from last night deserves to be noticed by fans nationwide.<br />
It was the return of Mo Williams after he sat out the last few weeks due to a hip flexor injury. The return of Mo finally gave the team the true point guard presence that they have been lacking. He came off of the bench and finished the game with 17 points and 14 assists.</p>
<p>The biggest surprise of the night came from JJ Hickson, who had 27 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. His blocks are the reason why he was the story of the night for the Cavs. Two of Hickson&#8217;s blocks came on powerful dunk attempts by Blake Griffin. One of these blocks led to a 3 by Mo Williams that put the Cavs up by 6 late in the fourth quarter, and Hickson&#8217;s most important block came on the Clippers&#8217; last second shot attempt in regulation. He was playing with five fouls and had to play tough, fundamental defense. He succeeded and made the key block to send the game to overtime, where the Cavs claimed victory.</p>
<p>The streak is over. This will most likely be a popular topic in Cleveland and with the national media today. Their &#8220;historic&#8221; streak of 26 losses has been covered by ESPN for several weeks now. I&#8217;m sure the people at ESPN were hoping for a Cavs loss so they could make a circus out of the game Sunday against the Wizards, who are currently 0-25 on the road this season. Luckily, this will not happen.</p>
<p>Now that the streak is over, it is time for the Cavs to gain some confidence moving forward. They face a very bad team in the Wizards on Sunday. I know that the Cavs have the worst record in the league, and the NBA record for consecutive losses, but they do not always play as badly as their record and the record show. For example, just two games ago in Dallas the Cavs had a shot to go to overtime, but they could not come through.</p>
<p>55 days passed between Cavs victories. Both of their wins in those 55 days were in overtime. The low point of their streak came against the Lakers, a game in which the Cavs only scored 57 points. But this is all in the past now. ESPN will have fun with the Cavs misfortune for another few days and then it will be forgotten, until the team starts another streak.</p>
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		<title>LeBron Accepts His Role As A Villain</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2010/12/lebron-accepts-his-role-as-a-villain/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2010/12/lebron-accepts-his-role-as-a-villain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:17:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Devon Alexandre</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=23711</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[LeBron James has done it. He has returned to Cleveland and wiped out the haters, doubters, and naysayers with a 38 point-performance. He is more of a villain now than ever.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The King did it.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Yes, LeBron has passed the toughest emotional hurdle he&#8217;ll have this season.</p>
<p>But what now? He didn&#8217;t curse back at the Cavs fans, he didn&#8217;t flip the bird to anyone. He let his game speak, and it spoke louder than ever. But what exactly did his game say?</p>
<p>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 <strong>the </strong>villain.</p>
<p><span id="more-23711"></span><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/lebron-james-villain.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23722" title="lebron-james-villain" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/lebron-james-villain.jpg" alt="lebron-james-villain" width="510" height="286" /></a></p>
<p>With the outpouring of impressive chants from Cavs fans, which included &#8220;Sco-ttie Pi-ppin&#8221;, &#8220;De-lon-te&#8221;, and &#8220;Ak-ron hate-s you&#8221;, LeBron somehow used this all to fuel his fire.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t get me wrong, LeBron has said more than once that he loves the Cavs fans, and he won&#8217;t ever forget what they&#8217;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.</p>
<p>And it was quite obvious. Whenever he&#8217;d take a trip to the free-throw line, the chants would pour in, but LeBron did it the way mom used to say: &#8220;Kill &#8216;em, with kindness.&#8221; 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.</p>
<div id="attachment_23733" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 418px"><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ap-3d8606889f1c466f98a12699681e5be8.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-23733" title="LeBron James" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ap-3d8606889f1c466f98a12699681e5be8.jpg" alt="" width="408" height="512" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">AP Photo/Tony Dejak</p></div>
<p>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 <em>against</em> Cleveland. It sounded like a movie script. The man who stole the hearts of Ohio was now breaking them.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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&#8217;t tell me you don&#8217;t remember!</p>
<p>Well, for those of you who don&#8217;t, it&#8217;s right in front of Cavs bench. Yep, that&#8217;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.</p>
<p>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 &#8220;sweet spot&#8221;.</p>
<p>The rest of the game was more of, &#8220;Let&#8217;s see what else LeBron does&#8221;, 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.</p>
<div id="attachment_23732" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 450px"><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ap-2a670029b9f642788f1a6dd9fe854611.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-23732" title="Mo Williams, LeBron James" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ap-2a670029b9f642788f1a6dd9fe854611.jpg" alt="" width="440" height="350" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">AP Photo/David Richard</p></div>
<p>LeBron had done it. He&#8217;d not only won the game, but he&#8217;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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Scary. Or more like, villainous.</p>
<p>Here are some videos of Thursday night&#8217;s emotional game:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AmCmHGZxVsw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AmCmHGZxVsw?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J4ZG2eE2K1c?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J4ZG2eE2K1c?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>MSF Top 10 List: Reactions to the &#8220;Quicken Groans LeBracle&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2010/05/reactions-to-the-quicken-groans-lebracle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2010/05/reactions-to-the-quicken-groans-lebracle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 12:43:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jerod Morris</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boston celtics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brady quinn]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[shaquille o'neal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tim tebow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worldwide wes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=14496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since everyone from Bristol to Bangkok 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.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">There is only one way to accurately describe what happened last night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland:</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>WTF?</em></h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">Perhaps not so coincidentally, the three letters above represent the same WTF number of shots LeBron James made last night.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Really, WTF doesn&#8217;t even describe last night&#8217;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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Every sports news outlet from Bristol to Bangkok will be dissecting LeBron&#8217;s poor play last night and assessing what it may or may not mean for his future in Cleveland. I thought I&#8217;d throw my two cents in as well, although with a little bit of a difference perspective.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span id="more-14496"></span>So, since everyone is reacting to last night&#8217;s &#8220;LeBracle&#8221; that made all of Quicken Loans Arena groan, boo, and exit early, we&#8217;re counting down the top 10 reactions for you this morning.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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 &#8211; with the full support of the city of Cleveland, I might add &#8211; you know you have problems.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/quicken-groans-lebracle.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14501" title="quicken-groans-lebracle" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/quicken-groans-lebracle.jpg" alt="quicken-groans-lebracle" width="620" height="450" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Top 10 Reactions to the Quicken Groans LeBracle:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">10. Even former Browns QB <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2010/03/former_cleveland_browns_quarte.html" target="_blank">Derek Anderson thinks</a> the Cleveland faithful deserved better and were justified in booing.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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&#8217; patented big stage collapse. Starks, you see, at least went down shooting.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">5. Lost in all the disappointment and finger pointing over Prince James&#8217; woefully underwhelming 3-14 shooting performance and overall lackluster play is the fact that LeBron <em>did</em> actually accomplish something amazing: he made Skip Bayless <em>more</em> impressed with himself.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">4. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPb2nZPxffU" target="_blank">Mike Brown was left speechless</a> for the second time this series&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&#8230;wait, never mind, based on the sideline shots of Mike Brown, he is <em>always </em>speechless.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">3. The game hasn&#8217;t even been over for 12 hours and already LeBron&#8217;s elbow is getting sick and tired of answering questions about LeBron. LeBron&#8217;s elbow even said that now his kids are asking him &#8220;what&#8217;s wrong with LeBron?&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The fact of the matter is that LeBron&#8217;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.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">2. We now know why Jay-Z included these lyrics in his epic song &#8220;Empire State of Mind&#8221;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,<br />
If Jesus payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;">Although I&#8217;m not sure Tim Tebow really wants LeBron on his team after last night&#8217;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.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And finally, the #1 reaction to last night&#8217;s Quicken Groans LeBracle:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Don&#8217;t believe me? Read this quote:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;I just want him to be aggressive&#8230;knock somebody on their butt&#8230;You have to be mean. Go out there and show them we show up to play, show up to kick your guys&#8217; [butts]. And believe me, that will take care of itself.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Is LeBron much better at basketball than Javy Vazquez is at baseball? Sure. But could you compare LeBron&#8217;s Game 5 performance to a typical Javy Vazquez big game start? Unfortunately, you absolutely can.</p>
<p>Sure you need another Javy, New York? Just sayin&#8217;&#8230;</p>
<p>(Deep breath.)</p>
<p>(Deep breath.)</p>
<p>(Deep breath.)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Okay.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Now that I have that out of my system, let me close with a little perspective.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Last night&#8217;s game was awful. In fact, it was beyond awful. If you&#8217;re a Cleveland fan, there is not one positive that you can take from last night&#8217;s game other than the knowledge that Shaq can still dunk when left wide open. Hooray.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/lebron-chalk.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-14502" style="margin: 5px;" title="lebron-chalk" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/lebron-chalk.jpg" alt="lebron-chalk" width="250" height="313" /></a>But&#8230;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Though it doesn&#8217;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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Difficult</em>&#8230;but not impossible.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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&#8217;s final home game in his hometown, it ended about how it &#8220;should&#8221; have: in crushing disappointment.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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&#8217;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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">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.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Otherwise, another era of Cleveland sports will be doing its best <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/science/index.ssf/2009/06/cuyahoga_river_fire_40_years_a.html" target="_blank">Cuyahoga River impression</a>&#8230;by going up in flames.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">**********</p>
<p>Full Disclosure: I unfortunately listened to Mike &amp; Mike this morning, and Mike Greenberg read something by someone that described last night&#8217;s game as a &#8220;LeBacle&#8221;. I thought &#8220;LeBracle&#8221; actually sounded better. I&#8217;d like to give credit where it is due for coining the idea for that phrase, but I&#8217;m not sure where it came from first. If you know, let me know so I can provide a link. Thanks.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Update:</strong> <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&amp;page=PERDiem-100512" target="_blank">I think this was the article</a>. And it&#8217;s a good one too, by John Hollinger.</p></blockquote>
<p><em>* &#8211; LeBron James photo credit: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images via </em><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/photos?gameId=300511005&amp;photoId=625349" target="_blank"><em>ESPN.com</em></a></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; Javier Vazquez photo credit: </em><a href="http://hawkfantasysports.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/starting-pitcher-sp-busts-2010-fantasy-baseball/" target="_blank"><em>Hawk Fantasy Sports</em></a></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; Skip Bayless photo credit: </em><em><a href="http://img529.imageshack.us/i/poct31115156bx5.bmp/" target="_blank">ImageShack</a></em></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; Mike Brown photo credit: </em><em><a href="http://www.bareknucks.com/the-cleveland-cavaliers-are-struggling-mike-coach-of-the-year-brown-is-to-blame" target="_blank">BareNucks.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; Kevin Garnett photo credit: </em><em><a href="http://funfunnewsnews.blogspot.com/2010/01/kevin-garnett-road-to-glory-jh.html" target="_blank">FunFunNewsNews.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; Earnest Byner photo credit: </em><em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/02/01/sports/01anderson_CA0.ready.html" target="_blank">NYTimes.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; Jose Mesa photo credit: </em><em><a href="http://www.daylife.com/photo/019CcNy55U4cB" target="_blank">DayLife.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>* &#8211; LeBron James chalk photo credit: </em><em><a href="http://www.free-extras.com/images/lebron_james-4352.htm" target="_blank">Free-Extras.com</a></em></p>
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		<title>Williams Perfect 7 of 7 Helps Cavs Shoot Down Mavericks</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/williams-perfect-7-of-7-helps-cavs-shoot-down-mavericks/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/williams-perfect-7-of-7-helps-cavs-shoot-down-mavericks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carolyn Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=7029</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sitting Courtside at Quicken Loans Arena, sipping on bottled water, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had to smile and shake his head. One of the most popular team owners in the NBA wasn&#8217;t smiling because his first place (Southwest Division) Dallas Mavericks were winning. He smiled because the first place Cleveland Cavaliers (Central Division) &#8212; [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sitting Courtside at Quicken Loans Arena, sipping on bottled water, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had to smile and shake his head.</p>
<p>One of the most popular team owners in the NBA wasn&#8217;t smiling because his first place (Southwest Division) Dallas Mavericks were winning. He smiled because the first place Cleveland Cavaliers (Central Division) &#8212; coming off an unexplainable lost to the Charlotte Bobcats Friday night &#8212; played their best basketball game of this season, beating his Mavs in a 111-95 shootout win, led by an astounding shooting performance from Cavs guard Mo Williams.</p>
<p><span id="more-7029"></span></p>
<p>Paying homage to Cavs Legend Jim Chones, on his 60th birthday,  Mo Williams was perfect with his 3 point shots&#8211;making all seven, scoring a team high 25 points (tying LeBron James) and finishing overall 9-for-12 in shooting.</p>
<p>Additionally, it was an exciting night for both Anderson Varejao and Delonte West fans. Varejao scored 15 points, and grabbed 9 rebounds (3 of them offensive). West whose playing time has been limited, due to his Bi-Polar disorder and personal problems, had a double-double breakout game. He came off the bench,  receiving a thunderous applause from Cavs fans&#8211; scored 10 points, had a season high 10 assists, and played solid defense.</p>
<p>As always, Lebron James had a stellar game. The MVP scored 25 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and had a season high 12 assists. Shaquille O’Neal scored 9 points, had 4 assists, and added 6 rebounds. Coming off the bench, Jamario Moon added 13 points, had an assist, and grabbed 9 rebounds.</p>
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		<title>Cavs Gets Redemptive Win Over Magic</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/cavs-magic-recap-cavs-win-102-93/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/cavs-magic-recap-cavs-win-102-93/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:33:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Carolyn Cooper</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delonte West]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Conference]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebron james]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Orlando Magic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=6577</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the city of Cleveland’s pride on the line, and with last season’s heartbreaking Eastern Conference Championship loss still fresh in the mind of LeBron James and Cleveland fans, the Cavaliers got a redeeming 102-93 win over the Orlando Magic, last night.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the city of Cleveland’s pride on the line, and with last season’s heartbreaking Eastern Conference Championship loss still fresh in the mind of LeBron James and Cleveland fans, the Cavaliers got a redeeming 102-93 win over the Orlando Magic, last night.</p>
<p>Mo Williams, who previously struggled in the Conference Finals, found his shots this time around. He scored 22 points (9-9) in the first half of the game, and added 4 assists. Williams finished the game with 28 total points, 6 assists, and 1 rebound. Also, an aggressive LeBron James scored a season high 36 points, with 4 assists, and 8 rebounds.</p>
<p><span id="more-6577"></span></p>
<p>In the much anticipated Showdown between the NBA’s two self-proclaimed “Supermen,” Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard&#8211;Howard (11 points, 7 rebounds) outscored and out rebounded O’Neal (10 points, 4 rebounds). And, at the Free Throw Line O’Neal went 2 of 4, and Howard was 5 of 12.</p>
<p>Getting his second start in place of Anderson Varejao, JJ Hickson had his best game of the season—scoring 9 points, with 6 rebounds. And although he traveled with the team, Delonte West didn’t sit on the bench with his teammates. He was declared inactive just before the start of the game, due to “internal matters.”</p>
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		<title>Sports World Roundup: 36 Hours of Sports B.S. and Disappointment</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/05/sports-world-roundup-36-hours-of-sports-bs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/05/sports-world-roundup-36-hours-of-sports-bs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2009 13:05:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jerod Morris</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NFL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brady quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chicago White Sox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Browns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jake Peavy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[joshua cribbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebron james]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phil dawson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=2417</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The last 36 hours have just not at all been what I expected or hoped for them to be.  From my fantasy teams tanking, to the up and down last couple days of being a White Sox fan, I am looking forward to a fresh start (and the Pirates!) this weekend.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/msf-square-logo.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1109" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="msf-square-logo" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/msf-square-logo.jpg" alt="midwest sports fans logo" width="151" height="125" /></a>The last 36 hours have just not at all been what I expected or hoped for them to be.</p>
<p>It all started on Wednesday when, buoyed by my fantasy baseball team&#8217;s hot start (my team and another have already opened up a double-digit lead on the pack in a H2H league), I decided to take to the message boards with some thinly veiled trash talk at the rest of league.  My team is playing the other top team next weekend so I posed the question of whether or not it was the biggest H2H matchup in May in the history of fantasy baseball &#8211; a reasonable question I think.  Naturally, my hitters have struggled and my pitchers have been awful this week.</p>
<p>Then, on Wednesday, the Cavs were surprised by the Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.  After watching the Cavs dominate in the first quarter, I thought it would turn into another Pistons/Hawks rout.  Not so much.  The Magic proved that they would be worthy Eastern Conference Finals adversaries, and if they needed any more motivation for tonight and the rest of the series <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/24524/mo_williams_talks_smack_to_magic" target="_blank">Mo Williams decided to give them some</a>: &#8220;I don&#8217;t feel this team can beat us four times.  I don&#8217;t see them beating us four times.&#8221;</p>
<p>The only problem, of course, is that the Magic have beaten the Cavs 9 out of the last 12 times they&#8217;ve played (at least, that was the stat tossed out on the radio today) and lead the series 1-0.  I&#8217;m thinking a more humble approach would work here; but the the proof will be in the pudding tonight.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the B.S.</p>
<p>So I wake up on Thursday morning to the exciting news that the <a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/05/jake-peavy-chicago-white-sox-trade-rumors-aaron-poreda/" target="_blank">White Sox are surprisingly making a hard charge to get Jake Peavy</a>.  I run into the office and post about it here on MSF, leave to teach a class at the SBDC here in town, and then get back and hear that it&#8217;s all up to No-Trade Peavy whether the deal will go down or not.</p>
<p>Always willing to do anything necessary to help my teams win, I get the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">completely misguided</span> inspired idea to start an <a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/05/jake-peavy-to-the-white-sox-online-petition/" target="_blank">online petition to show Jake Peavy support from White Sox fans</a>.  In my <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">insanity</span> zeal to somehow make a difference, I convince myself that I can promote the petition, get tens of thousands of White Sox fans to sign it, and it gets added to the &#8220;Pro&#8221; list Jake Peavy is making as he weighs his options.  Then he comes<img class="alignright" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/white-sox-player-on-back.jpg" alt="white sox suck | http://media.photobucket.com/image/white%20sox%20fan%20crying/WhiteSoxSuck/soxsuck5.jpg" width="271" height="240" /> to Chicago, ultimately does an interview with MSF, leads the White Sox to the World Series, and his sublime K/BB ratio inspires Iran and Israel to schedule a Texas-style square dance at which they will squash their difference and lead a united front for peace in the Middle East.</p>
<p>Well, we all know what happened.  A measly nine people signed my measly petition and Jake Peavy pretty quickly soon thereafter decided to stay with San Diego.  Oh, and then the <a href="http://www.southsidesox.com/2009/5/21/882747/white-sox-miss-sweep-by-mere-20" target="_blank">White Sox got shellacked 20-1</a>, as if we needed to feel any worse after getting jilted at the alter.</p>
<p>I would go into more detail about my thoughts on Jake Peavy and the White Sox from yesterday, but Bobby from Tremendous Upside Potential pretty much said everything I was already thinking.  <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/24524/mo_williams_talks_smack_to_magic" target="_blank">Hop on over to TUP</a> and read his post.</p>
<p>(By the way, the sublimely perfect picture to see there of an unnamed White Sox fan on his back was lifted from PhotoBucket, courtesy of the aptly named profile &#8220;<a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/white%20sox%20fan%20crying/WhiteSoxSuck/soxsuck5.jpg" target="_blank">White Sox Suck.</a>&#8221;  Ridiculous.)</p>
<p>So, that all kind of sucked.  In more positive news, <a href="http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/05/21/mangini-cribbs-meet/" target="_blank">Josh Cribbs visited the Browns facility yesterday</a> and even took part in a team meeting, although he is still not taking part in any on-field activities.  But the fact that he is having dialogue with Mangini at least appears to be a positive step in the right direction on the surface.  And <a href="http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/05/21/quinn-jumps-out-to-early-lead-over-anderson/" target="_blank">Brady Quinn has apparently vaulted into the lead for the Browns QB race</a>, mostly by virtue of the fact that Eric Mangini had to pick <em>someone</em> to take the first team reps.  I just can&#8217;t get excited about our QB situation heading into this season after the debacle of last year.  Every time I think about Quinn and Anderson is reminds of <a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/808/" target="_blank">my favorite South Park episode</a>&#8230;</p>
<p>And on that same subject, why is <a href="http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/05/21/browns-kicker-is-a-no-show/" target="_blank">Phil Dawson not attending the voluntary minicamp</a>?  Purportedly he wants a new contract, to which I would respond: &#8220;Dude, you&#8217;re a kicker, and we were 4-12 last year.&#8221;  The way I look at it, kickers get new contracts when things are good and everyone else has been taken care of.  I realize that Phil Dawson was perhaps the Browns&#8217; most valuable player last year, but shouldn&#8217;t that be a clear sign to Browns management that we need to spend money elsewhere to upgrade our roster?  I love you Phil, I really do, and I think you&#8217;re a great kicker.  But consider the timing.  A 4-12 team probably has bigger fish to fry than a solid, but still pretty replaceable kicker.  (Or as my old high school buddy Ssengats might call him, &#8220;a piece of equipment.&#8221;)</p>
<p>Before I being the work day, time to pass a little love along to some of our good friends here at MSF.</p>
<p>The guys over at Sharapova&#8217;s Thigh continue to entertain with their Random Retro Baseball Player series.  The most recent highlight?  <a href="http://www.sharapovasthigh.com/2009/05/random-retro-baseball-player-mark.html" target="_blank">Mark Gubicza</a>, who was a pretty good pitcher for the Royals.  Now, feel free to go to the <a href="http://www.sharapovasthigh.com/" target="_blank">Sharapova&#8217;s Thigh home page</a> and scroll down.  You will not be disappointed, as Mark Gubicza is clearly the least attractive person pictured.  The fact that I have chosen the post about Gubicza to link to, when I could have chosen any number of hot chicks now has me wondering if I am way too obsessed with baseball&#8230;</p>
<p>Next, <a href="http://huggingharoldreynolds.blogspot.com/2009/05/big-ben-doesnt-have-twitteror-cancer.html" target="_blank">step over to Hugging Harold Reynolds</a> (my favorite blog name ever, by the way).  We are always proud to support any post that includes a picture of Ben Roethlisberger looking like a drunk neanderthal.</p>
<p>Our buddies at Sparty and Friends have uncovered the <a href="http://www.spartyandfriends.com/?p=14166" target="_blank">movie poster for Spike Lee&#8217;s next film about Michael Vick doin&#8217; work</a>.</p>
<p>Robert Littal, the bona fide sports expert, has a post that includes something you don&#8217;t see every day: <a href="http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/05/lbletter.html" target="_blank">criticism of LeBron James</a>.  For its uniqueness alone, I send you over there.</p>
<p>And finally, I sent you on your way this morning with a link over to <a href="http://joshqpublic.com/2009/05/20/vegas-baby-vegas/" target="_blank">Josh Q. Public</a>, who is already on his way to a weekend of ridiculous fun in Las Vegas.  Since I&#8217;ve never been there before, I figured I&#8217;d try to live vicariously through the Elvis Presley video he posted yesterday.  Not surprisingly, it didn&#8217;t work.  But we here at MSF always support weekends of irresponsibility, debauchery, and good old male bonding.  Have fun out there JQ.  Thanks for making me even less excited about my work day today.</p>
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		<title>Cavs-Celtics Preview: Battle for Eastern Conference Supremacy</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/03/cavs-celtics-preview-eastern-conference-supremacy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/03/cavs-celtics-preview-eastern-conference-supremacy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:16:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brendan Bowers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boston celtics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=1837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Cavaliers are in Boston tonight, one game up in the quest for Eastern Conference supremacy, with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics on the line.  Since these two teams met in the East Finals last year, the Cavs have gotten better while the Celtics have, at best, stayed the same.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mo-williams-cavs.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1836" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="Mo Williams - Cleveland Cavaliers" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mo-williams-cavs.jpg" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers - Boston Celtics Preview" width="189" height="259" /></a>The Cavaliers are in Boston tonight, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/standings" target="_blank">one game up in the quest for Eastern Conference supremacy</a>, with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics on the line (the season series is currently 1-1).</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a big one tonight.</p>
<p>If the Cavaliers win, it is going to go a long way towards securing home court advantage in the playoffs. But even if they lose, I&#8217;ll take my chances come playoff time if this year&#8217;s version of the Celtics match up with this year&#8217;s version of the Cavaliers again for an Eastern Conference Finals repeat.</p>
<p>If you go back to the Game 7 that Cleveland lost in Boston last year, by five points, there is no way that you can look at these two teams and not say that Cleveland got extremely better, and Boston &#8211; at best &#8211; stayed the same.</p>
<p>From a roster standpoint, the Cavaliers have subtracted Damon Jones and Devin Brown from last year&#8217;s playoff squad. In return they added Mo Williams and J.J. Hickson. The Celtics, on the other hand, subtracted James Posey, and added Stephon Marbury &#8211; huh? &#8211; and Mikki Moore &#8211; who hasn&#8217;t seemed to be able to score a basket since Jason Kidd left him having to create a shot for himself &#8211; and I can&#8217;t see how that math makes Boston better.</p>
<p>Mo Williams alone makes your team six points better on an off night, no?</p>
<p>If you ask me, Danny Ainge has been smoking all of Red Auerbach&#8217;s cigars since hoisting the trophy last year. The East is Cleveland&#8217;s for the taking and tonight will go a long way in deciding that.</p>
<p><em>Mo Williams photo courtesy of AP Photo/Tony Dejak</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<em><strong><br />
</strong></em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bigtimegameboards.com"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1560" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="BigTimeGameBoards" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/btgb-ad.gif" alt="Custom Cornhole Boards and Accessories" width="125" height="125" /></a><strong> </strong>JD<em> Shaver is a featured columnist at Midwest Sports Fans who also runs <a href="http://shaversports.blogspot.com/">Shaver Sports</a>, where they discuss everything you ever wanted to know about Cleveland sports.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>JD Shaver&#8217;s contributions to Midwest Sports Fans are sponsored by <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bigtimegameboards.com" target="_self">BigTimeGameBoards.com</a>, the company that helps you tailgate like a champion with our high quality cornhole boards, sets and accessories.  And if you don&#8217;t know what cornhole is, you aren&#8217;t a Midwesterner.</em><strong><br />
</strong></p>
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		<title>Notorious Cavs Rap Song and Video Illustrates New Cleveland Mentality</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/02/notorious-cavs-rap-song-video/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/02/notorious-cavs-rap-song-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:14:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brendan Bowers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebron james]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=1723</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Notorious Cavs rap song, set to the tune of the Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs and Harmony callabo-classic Notorious Thugs, is more than just a catchy tune.  The song and video of Notorious Cavs illustrate the new winning mentality in Cleveland.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/00s-cavs-logo.gif"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1308" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="00s-cavs-logo" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/00s-cavs-logo.gif" alt="Notorious Cavs Rap Song and Video" width="300" height="159" /></a>When I was first sent the link to the <a href="http://shaversports.blogspot.com/2009/02/notorious-cavs.html" target="_blank"><strong>Notorious Cavs</strong></a> rap song on Monday, I felt the way Turtle had to feel in that Entourage episode where he found the demo CD Saigon left in E&#8217;s Maserati. <a href="http://shaversports.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I knew a hit when I heard one</a>. What else do you call a song that drops lyrical gems like &#8220;<em>we got more James than Worthy</em>&#8221; and has a chorus that rings out, &#8220;<em>you better run and tell the Celtics, tell the Celtics</em>&#8220;.</p>
<p>But the Notorious Cavs song, set to the tune of the Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs and Harmony callabo-classic <em>Notorious Thugs</em>, is more than just a catchy tune. While the lyrical content is deep, the delivery is on point, and the video coincides verbatim with the words.  This song is something bigger. While it is certainly hilarious in addition to all those aforementioned things, this song is also inspiring a movement amongst Cleveland fans. No more loser mentality. &#8220;<em>Even on the road we are getting standing ovations</em>&#8220;.</p>
<p>Take a listen and watch the Notorious Cavs video for yourself:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTZS6q6T2F4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTZS6q6T2F4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>With this group, these Notorious Cavs, its going to be different this time, and this song speaks to that.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s why <a href="http://shaversports.blogspot.com/2009/02/mo-williams-on-espn-radio.html" target="_blank">I like Mo Williams jumping in and saying he does think the Cavaliers are going to win it all</a>. Its about time we get our swagger back around here, and nothing helps a city&#8217;s swagger more than a rap song about their pro basketball team&#8230;sorta.</p>
<p>Its about time we say yeah, we are going for the whole thing, and the rappers that brought you the Notorious Cavs, did just that. Great work fellas.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<em><strong><br />
</strong></em><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bigtimegameboards.com"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1560" style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="BigTimeGameBoards" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/btgb-ad.gif" alt="Custom Cornhole Boards and Accessories" width="125" height="125" /></a><strong> </strong>JD<em> Shaver is a featured columnist at Midwest Sports Fans who also runs <a href="http://shaversports.blogspot.com/">Shaver Sports</a>, where they discuss everything you ever wanted to know about Cleveland sports.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>JD Shaver&#8217;s contributions to Midwest Sports Fans are sponsored by <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bigtimegameboards.com" target="_self">BigTimeGameBoards.com</a>, the company that helps you tailgate like a champion with our high quality cornhole boards, sets and accessories.  And if you don&#8217;t know what cornhole is, you aren&#8217;t a Midwesterner.</em><strong><br />
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		<title>LeBron James Upset at Mo Williams All-Star Game Snub</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/01/lebron-james-upset-at-mo-williams-all-star-game-snub/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/01/lebron-james-upset-at-mo-williams-all-star-game-snub/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:12:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brendan Bowers</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleveland Cavaliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebron james]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nba all-star game]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=1424</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Upon hearing that Mo Williams' name was left off the All Star Team, and that the Cavaliers, the team with the best record in the NBA, would only be sending one All Star to the game in Phoenix, LeBron James was not too pleased.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/lebron-james.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1423" style="border: 5px solid black; margin: 5px; float: left;" title="lebron-james" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/lebron-james.jpg" alt="LeBron James Upset a Mo Williams All-Star Game Snub" width="195" height="262" /></a>Upon hearing that Mo Williams&#8217; name was left off the All Star Team, and that the Cavaliers, the team with the best record in the NBA, would only be sending one All Star to the game in Phoenix, LeBron James had the following to say:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;It just shows a disrespect to Cleveland, Cleveland Basketball, Cleveland everything. I haven&#8217;t seen the All Star list yet, so I cannot comment on who&#8217;s in it who&#8217;s not in it,  but it is definitely disrespectful that we continue to do work, every year, but nothing shows up for it.  They always say that when you win, individual accolades take care of themselves, but that doesn&#8217;t happen for us most of the time. &#8220;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>My first thought here is a question to all the NBA coaches who voted.  Do you really want LeBron James coming into your gym feeling as though you disrespected him?  Not the best move.</p>
<p>With regards to the comment, I couldn&#8217;t agree more with LeBron, and am glad he said that. The snub is disrespectful towards the Cavaliers and Cleveland, there is no way around that.  I am not the Elias Sports Bureau, but has the team with the best record in the NBA ever sent only one All Star?  And Mo was certainly deserving.  All he has done this season is average over 17 points per game, shoot 40% from the three-point line, and elevate the play of his team from a good team, to a title contender right now.</p>
<p>What do you think?Â  <a href="http://lebron2010.com/?p=546" target="_self">The guys over at LeBron2010</a>, I&#8217;m sure, agree with The King.</p>
<blockquote>Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong> JD Shaver is a featured columnist at Midwest Sports Fans who also runs <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/http://shaversports.blogspot.com/');" href="http://shaversports.blogspot.com/">Shaver Sports</a>, where they discuss everything you ever wanted to know about Cleveland sports.</strong></em></p>
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		<title>Cavs Keep Winning Streak Alive as LeBron James Sets Scoring Record</title>
		<link>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2008/11/cavs-keep-winning-streak-alive-as-lebron-sets-scoring-record/</link>
		<comments>http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2008/11/cavs-keep-winning-streak-alive-as-lebron-sets-scoring-record/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:06:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicholas Gerlach</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured Column]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delonte West]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eastern Conferece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Godzilla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jay-Z]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebron james]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mo Williams]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 8th straight game last night beating the New Jersey Nets 106-82. The big story of the night (as usual) was LeBron James, who scored his 11,000th point, passing Kobe Bryant as the youngest player ever to do so in the NBA.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lebron-james.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-111" style="border: 5px solid black; margin: 5px; float: left;" title="lebron-james" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lebron-james.jpg" alt="LeBron James Sets Scoring Record for Cavaliers" width="167" height="191" /></a>The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 8th straight game last night beating the New Jersey Nets 106-82.  They are now 9-2 after going 1-2 in the first three games.  The Cavs dominated on the boards in New Jersey and also had 8 blocks on defense.  The big story of the night (as usual) was LeBron James, who scored his 11,000th point, beseeching Kobe Bryant as the youngest player ever to do so in the NBA.</p>
<p>James had 31 points 8 boards and 4 assists for Cleveland on the road in front of his buddy Jay-Z&#8217;s struggling New Jersey squad.  He also had help. Newly acquired PG Mo Williams helped with 16 pts and 6 assists.  Guard Delonte West also chimed in with 16 pts while going a perfect 4 for 4 from three point range.</p>
<p>This is exactly how I want to see the Cavs winning games.  Defense, rebounding, LeBron James, and excellent outside shooting.  While James hasn&#8217;t had much help on the offensive end of the court in his tenure in Cleveland, they have always played tough &#8220;D&#8221; and rebounded well.</p>
<p>King James has been dominating so far this year averaging 29.9 ppg, 8 rebounds a game and 7 dimes a game while getting a lot more help than in years previous from his supporting cast.  I think that right now Cleveland is playing as well as any team in the Eastern Conference.  I like that they can be physical, they hustle on D and they have a defined leader.  I know Lebron James is 23; but, he&#8217;s been in the league so long already that he is just about 30 in basketball years.<a href="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/lebron-james-dunk1.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-807" style="border: 5px solid black; margin: 5px; float: right;" title="lebron-james-dunk1" src="http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/lebron-james-dunk1.jpeg" alt="LeBron James Sets Scoring Record for Cavaliers" width="227" height="283" /></a></p>
<p>LeBron James wants a championship badly and he has 2 years left in Cleveland.  I hope that he can get a championship before his contract is up to help him really consider staying with the Cavs for his entire career.  James told an ESPN reporter before the game, &#8220;I think you do what is best for you and you do what is best for your career,&#8221; when asked about his future in Cleveland.  LeBron also made it clear that he wants to play for a franchise that gives him the chance to win multiple NBA championships.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m sure Cleveland fans would rather him say something like, &#8220;I&#8217;m from Northeast Ohio and I will never leave, not even if I&#8217;m being chased by a rabid Godzilla with a machine gun cock.&#8221;  But, we will have to wait and see.</p>
<p>The Cavs must do everything that they can to keep him.  LeBron James should get whatever he wants.He is the best player in the NBA and having him on your team automatically puts you in contention for an NBA championship.</p>
<p>[tags]lebron james, cleveland cavaliers, nba[/tags]</p>
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