It has been a long time since I last wrote. Here are some thoughts...
CSU Basketball
-I am very proud of these guys. They shocked the world by beating 4th ranked Wake Forest. The Vikings did not back down at all during the game, they hit clutch 3's, and they fought the entire game. Cedric Jackson's alley oop is still one of the best plays of the tournament. He made Wake Forest PG Jeff Teague look stupid.
-For their second game, the Vikings did not play well at all. They couldn't hit the 3, as they were 1/15 at one point. Arizona has 3 great players in PF Jordan Hill, PG Nic Wise, and SG/SF Chase Budinger. We looked very scared, and tentative during the game, and we were playing from behind the whole time.
-Even though CSU is losing bigmen George Tandy, Chris Moore, J'Nathon Bullock (who is trying out for the NFL Draft), and guard Cedric Jackson, this team has a lot to look forward to. Guards Tre Harmon, Jeremy Montgomery, Norris Cole form a solid core of guards. D'Aundrey Brown will return to play forward, and the team has 6'8 270 lb. PF Aaron Pogue (sat out this year) waiting to play. 6'9 C Kevin Anderson will be transferring from Juco, and the team signed Shaker Heights PG Anthony Wells. While CSU will have its growing pains next year, the future is bright.
Cleveland Indians
-I haven't written about the Tribe in a little while. I really feel like this team can be a sleeper team, and take the Central division. As long as Kerry Wood stays healthy, our bullpen will be very solid. Add Jensen Lewis, Joe Smith, Rafael Perez to the mix, and you have 4 dependable, good arms. Rafael Betancourt is due to make a comeback, and Masa Kobayashi can give a few solid innings.
-Mark DeRosa will make a big difference at third base. He adds a solid bat to this lineup, and if we can get Travis Hafner to 60% of what he used to be, the Indians will have a lethal lineup. Sizemore, Choo, Martinez, Shoppach, DeRosa, Peralta can all hit. We also have Michael Brantley, Matt LaPorta waiting in the outfield, and Carlos Santana waiting to play catcher. Add in the fact that Ben Francisco had a solid first half before burning out after the All Star Break, and you have an Indians lineup could be more dangerous that people believe.
-The biggest concern I have is our rotation. Its ironic that our rotation was our strong point last year, but now it is a weakness. We can't expect a 20+ win season from Cliff Lee, we don't know if Carmona can come back fully healthy, Carl Pavano has been inconsistent and injured throughout his career, Scott Lewis has been rocked in spring training (he gave up 10 runs in his last outing), and Anthony Reyes is still a question mark from last year (he has had a good spring training, 0.77 ERA). The best case scenario is Pavano stays healthy, Lee stays consistent, Carmona regains his form, Scott Lewis gets a grip, and Anthony Reyes gives us 6-7 solid innings an outing. This is a lot to ask for, but we will have to see.
Cleveland Browns
-With the Jay Cutler debacle in front of us (Broncos tried to trade him for Matt Cassell, now he is upset), many insiders including John Clayton have said that if a trade does happen for Cutler, Cleveland will have to be involved. This is because we have 2 QB's available in Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. I would rather see Derek Anderson get traded because I believe Quinn has a higher upside, and will fit our short passing game offense much better. Quinn does not have as much experience, and I think we should let him play more.
-The issue of trading Braylon Edwards has come about, and if we can get 2 high draft picks (2nd and a 4th) along with a player, I am all for it. This would give a lot of picks day one of the draft, and allow us to rebuild this team. Braylon does not seem happy here (he went to Michigan), he can't catch, and his contract is up after this year. If he doesn't seem apt to staying here, trade him while you can. There was an offer reported by Orange and Brown Report that the Browns were offered the 2nd, and 5th pick from the Giants (New Orleans picks, Jeremy Shockey trade) and Dominix Hixon for Braylon. The Browns want WR Steve Smith from the Giants instead, and it hasn't worked out. With the Plaxico Burress mess still in form, look for this conversation to be revisited soon.
-I like the approach that Mangini is taking, he isn't going out and blowing all of our cap space on big name free agents. Look at all the bonuses that were due earlier this month (Donte Stallworth, Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers, Derek Anderson, Kevin Shaffer). Instead of spending, he is trying to find guys who fit his system through free agency, and building the team through the draft. I really believe Braylon, DA/Quinn will be traded for draft picks and young players. He wants guys who will play the game his way, and be responsible for themselves.
-If LB Aaron Curry does not fall to us at the 5th pick, and we cannot trade down, the Browns should select DE/LB Brian Orakpo. He has incredible strength, speed, productivity, and he is a hard worker. With the next 3 picks (2 in the 2nd rd and one in 3rd) we should go after a S, RB, WR. We need a S to help offset the Sean Jones loss, a RB to groom behind Jamal Lewis, and if Braylon is traded, we have to use one of our first three picks on a WR. Draft Day this year should be pretty busy.....
Cleveland Cavs
-The Cavs won their 13th straight game versus the Detroit Pistons tonight. We are 3 games ahead of the Lakers for the best record in the league, and 5 1/2 games ahead of Boston and Orlando for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Home court is so important to us, as we have lost just 1 game at the Q all year. Without homecourt, I don't think we can get to the NBA Finals.
-LeBron James is inching closer and closer to winning his first MVP. The Cavs own the best record in the NBA, and LeBron is averaging 28, 7 and 7 this year. D Wade is great, but his team has only 39 wins, and he shoulders the load on his team. His season reminds me a lot of what LeBron did last year. LeBron lead the NBA in scoring last year with 30 ppg, 8 rebounds and 7 assists last year. Last years Cavs team only won 46 games. D Wade has 30 ppg, 5 rebounds and 7 assists a game this year. Remember, LeBron finished 4th in MVP voting last year....
-Kobe Bryant should be considered as well, but his numbers are down just a little bit from last year (he is scoring 1 less point, and 1 less rebound per game than last year). His team is doing very well (58 wins), but he has a lot of support from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Many analysts believe that that he won the MVP award last year as a lifetime achievement award. They wanted to make sure he got the MVP, to justify the fact he has been the best player in the NBA for the past few years. Once he gets Andrew Bynum back, he will have to carry the team even less.
-The stars are aligning for the Cavs this year, as we will be getting Ben Wallace back soon, we acquired Joe Smith and he has played well for the Cavs. Kevin Garnett will not be playing for the next 4 games as his knee is still bothering him, Andrew Bynum will be returning from the Playboy Mansion to play soon, the Magic lost PG Jameer Nelson for the season, and the Spurs are dealing with the nagging injuries of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli. I still believe that if the Cavs go to the Finals with homecourt versus the Lakers, they still will not win. The Lakers have great outside shooters, size downlow, and Kobe Bryant. This will be hard to handle in a 7 game series. The Cavs will need another game 5 performance from LeBron to win it all this year. This could be a special year for this team.....
Thats all folks. Thanks for reading and go Cleveland!
-Raz
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dancing with myself!
What a huge victory for the CSU Men's Basketball squad as they beat the Butler Bulldogs 57-54 in the Horizon League Championship. I am so happy for this team right now. The last time CSU went to the NCAA Tournament was in 1986. In 1986, I wasn't even alive, Ronald Reagan was the president of the U.S., LeBron James was 2 years old, Brad Daughtery was the first overall pick of the NBA draft, and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel debuted. My point being, its been awhile since CSU got to the tournament. This is such a great victory because earlier this year, CSU lost to a buzzer beater shot against Butler, and two weeks ago, CSU lost by 2 against Butler, in Butler. This team fought so hard to end the game as they never fell apart in the second half. They were down by as much as 8 points, but they never gave in. Senior guard Cedric Jackson played the game of his life as he scored 19 points, 8 assists, 7 boards, and 3 steals. Jeremy Montgomery hit huge three pointers throughout the game, Norris Cole had a huge steal near the end of the game, Tre Harmon played great defense, and George Tandy did a solid job on Matt Howard. J'Nathon Bullock struggled with foul trouble, but he fought his heart out. The 6'4 forward battled against forwards Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward, and he did not want this to be his final game in a CSU uniform. The only negative was that Chris Moore struggled throughout the game.
You could really tell CSU wanted this game more than anything. I have been cheering for CSU since I was a junior in high school. Back then, Mike Garland was coaching the team, they rarely won games, and the Wolstein Center had no fans. For many years, CSU had the lowest attendance rate of any Horizon League team. When Coach Gary Waters took over, he brought a new attitude and new philosophy to this basketball team. CSU started winning with defense, and smarts on offense. Me and one of my friends went to his summer basketball camp in 2006, and he was a great guy to speak to. I got to speak to him, and his assistant coaches, and these guys were awesome. They treated us like family, and I am so glad Coach Waters and his staff made it to the dance. Seeing him cry on the sidelines after CSU won tonight These guys deserve it and now the rest of the U.S. can see what this squad is made of. I am excited to see who this team will play in the tourney. Here is a link for your enjoyment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ-bnob1edA
Thanks for reading folks, and go Cleveland!
-Raz
You could really tell CSU wanted this game more than anything. I have been cheering for CSU since I was a junior in high school. Back then, Mike Garland was coaching the team, they rarely won games, and the Wolstein Center had no fans. For many years, CSU had the lowest attendance rate of any Horizon League team. When Coach Gary Waters took over, he brought a new attitude and new philosophy to this basketball team. CSU started winning with defense, and smarts on offense. Me and one of my friends went to his summer basketball camp in 2006, and he was a great guy to speak to. I got to speak to him, and his assistant coaches, and these guys were awesome. They treated us like family, and I am so glad Coach Waters and his staff made it to the dance. Seeing him cry on the sidelines after CSU won tonight These guys deserve it and now the rest of the U.S. can see what this squad is made of. I am excited to see who this team will play in the tourney. Here is a link for your enjoyment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ-bnob1edA
Thanks for reading folks, and go Cleveland!
-Raz
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Trifecta
What a great night to be a Cleveland fan. The rest of Ohio can suck a cock after tonight. Columbus has nothing but the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Columbus Crew. No one watches hockey, I could play MLS soccer, and OSU football won't be good for another two years. You can collectively add the talents of Columbus athletics, and they wouldn't come near LeBron James. The other big city in Ohio is Cincinnati, and they have their MLB team in the Reds. I don't know what other sports teams come from there. All I know is that it would suck to be a sports fan in Cincinnati, because you really have nothing to cheer for, and your next to the state of Kentucky. Some of you might be wondering why I am calling out these cities, and its because this blog is about Cleveland sports, and how great it is. People always talk shit about this city and how we can't win anything, but I have a feeling it is going to change soon.
The John Carroll Blue Streaks basketball team heads to the Sweet 16 of the DIII NCAA Tournament after defeating Carnegie Mellon at the buzzer, the CSU Vikings defeated UW Green Bay to advance to the Horizon League Tournament Finals, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rebounded from a horrible loss to the Boston Celtics by defeating the Miami Heat. I will write a little bit about each of these three teams.
John Carroll Basketball
I am very happy that our squad advanced to the Sweet 16. I have a few friends on the basketball team, and they are a good group of guys. Our team plays great defense, and they just outwork every team. Our tallest player is 6'4, and we never give up in games. I am excited to see what this team will do this year, and next year in that we have 1 senior graduating. Also, our starting lineup features 4 juniors, and 1 sophomore. These guys are coached by Mike Moran, who has been a staple in coaching at JCU. Lets hope he can continue to lead our guys deep into the tournament.
Cleveland State Vikings
This is the team I was quietly cheering for the most. One of my favorite basketball players ever, J'Nathon Bullock played a great game tonight. He had 16 points and 8 boards. I would have been very sad if this was his last game. CSU trailed by 6 at half, and in the second half they played great defense, and attacked the basket on offense. Senior Point Guard Cedric Jackson had 14 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists. George Tandy had one of the best put back dunks of the year, and I am sure it will be on ESPN's top plays tonight. Sophmore Norris Cole stepped up big off the bench with 23 points. He is one of the building blocks of the future at CSU. This win is huge in that it came without one of CSU's best players in D'Aundrey Brown. I am very excited for the Horizon League Tournament Finals versus #22 Butler. Twice, Cleveland State has lost to Butler by 2 points. CSU has to have revenge on their mind, they are one game away from the Dance. Playing in the Hinkle Fieldhouse isn't easy, but I really think CSU can pull off the upset.
Cleveland Cavaliers
-Good win tonight versus the Heat. The Cavs returned to playing solid basketball, and they lead for most of the game.
-The Cavs played without any heart versus the Boston Celtics Friday night. The Celtics beat us because they wanted that game more than we did. Without Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis, the Celtics continued to pound us inside. Too many times Leon Powe, and Mikki Moore got 2 feet within the basket and just layed it in. Yes, we did not have Ben Wallace, and this game showed how much we really need him, but there is no excuse for Leon Powe to have 20 points on us.
-How does one stop this, two things, Its pretty simple, one box your man out. If you stay low, put your body on your man (I know this sounds gay), you will box your man out. I have done this numerous times while playing the game of basketball, and it works!
-Two, force your man to stay out of the paint. If he is trying to post up, put your arm and shoulders into him and force him out of the paint. If you just stand behind your man, and allow him to get the ball, he will either force his way in (like Glen Davis did with his big big body, like Leon Powe did with his quickness, and like Mikki Moore did with his athleticism and length). I know this sounds simple, but you have to play physical with the Celtics. In one of my previous blogs, I wrote how TrailBlazers forward Travis Outlaw said that you just need to hit the Celtics back if you want to beat them. That definitely didn't happen last night.
-Paul Pierce hit so many damn shots from the outside. He did this during game 7 too. Heres an idea, force him to go to the hoop. He has destroyed us from the perimeter, and putting a hand in his face isn't working. If we suck him to the middle of the floor, then he will be forced to take a bad shot or dish it out.
-We just looked outmatched yesterday, and we didn't seem to play as a team. Once we got behind, we gave the ball to LeBron. This didn't work in that he made 5-15 shots. He needs to quit his perimeter shooting, and go to the hole. When your 6'9 and 260 lbs. you shouldn't be shooting jumpers.
-The rest of the starters did fine as Anderson had 15 points and was the only active body downlow, Mo had 26 points as he put on a shooting clinic (4-5 from 3 pt. and 6-6 from the free throw line), Delonte had only 5 points, but he had 8 assists, and 6 boards, and Z continued his consistent play with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Z also did a good job sticking up for Anderson again after Davis knocked him to the ground.
-JJ Hickson looked like a rookie (2 turnovers, 1 reb. 0 pts.), Joe Smith looked rusty (he shot 3-8), Daniel Gibson continued his struggles (3 pts, 1 reb. 1 assist), and Wally couldn't get any good looks (4 points).
-If we have any chance to win in Boston, we need great bench play, and a great game from LeBron. The Celtics feed off of their crowd so well, and we just need LeBron to be coldblooded (much like Kobe was earlier in the year in Boston). I think a another Game 5 performance is needed to knock the Celtics out....
Well folks, that just about does it. I hope we can continue winning here in Cleveland! Thanks for reading and go Cleveland!
-Raz
The John Carroll Blue Streaks basketball team heads to the Sweet 16 of the DIII NCAA Tournament after defeating Carnegie Mellon at the buzzer, the CSU Vikings defeated UW Green Bay to advance to the Horizon League Tournament Finals, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rebounded from a horrible loss to the Boston Celtics by defeating the Miami Heat. I will write a little bit about each of these three teams.
John Carroll Basketball
I am very happy that our squad advanced to the Sweet 16. I have a few friends on the basketball team, and they are a good group of guys. Our team plays great defense, and they just outwork every team. Our tallest player is 6'4, and we never give up in games. I am excited to see what this team will do this year, and next year in that we have 1 senior graduating. Also, our starting lineup features 4 juniors, and 1 sophomore. These guys are coached by Mike Moran, who has been a staple in coaching at JCU. Lets hope he can continue to lead our guys deep into the tournament.
Cleveland State Vikings
This is the team I was quietly cheering for the most. One of my favorite basketball players ever, J'Nathon Bullock played a great game tonight. He had 16 points and 8 boards. I would have been very sad if this was his last game. CSU trailed by 6 at half, and in the second half they played great defense, and attacked the basket on offense. Senior Point Guard Cedric Jackson had 14 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists. George Tandy had one of the best put back dunks of the year, and I am sure it will be on ESPN's top plays tonight. Sophmore Norris Cole stepped up big off the bench with 23 points. He is one of the building blocks of the future at CSU. This win is huge in that it came without one of CSU's best players in D'Aundrey Brown. I am very excited for the Horizon League Tournament Finals versus #22 Butler. Twice, Cleveland State has lost to Butler by 2 points. CSU has to have revenge on their mind, they are one game away from the Dance. Playing in the Hinkle Fieldhouse isn't easy, but I really think CSU can pull off the upset.
Cleveland Cavaliers
-Good win tonight versus the Heat. The Cavs returned to playing solid basketball, and they lead for most of the game.
-The Cavs played without any heart versus the Boston Celtics Friday night. The Celtics beat us because they wanted that game more than we did. Without Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis, the Celtics continued to pound us inside. Too many times Leon Powe, and Mikki Moore got 2 feet within the basket and just layed it in. Yes, we did not have Ben Wallace, and this game showed how much we really need him, but there is no excuse for Leon Powe to have 20 points on us.
-How does one stop this, two things, Its pretty simple, one box your man out. If you stay low, put your body on your man (I know this sounds gay), you will box your man out. I have done this numerous times while playing the game of basketball, and it works!
-Two, force your man to stay out of the paint. If he is trying to post up, put your arm and shoulders into him and force him out of the paint. If you just stand behind your man, and allow him to get the ball, he will either force his way in (like Glen Davis did with his big big body, like Leon Powe did with his quickness, and like Mikki Moore did with his athleticism and length). I know this sounds simple, but you have to play physical with the Celtics. In one of my previous blogs, I wrote how TrailBlazers forward Travis Outlaw said that you just need to hit the Celtics back if you want to beat them. That definitely didn't happen last night.
-Paul Pierce hit so many damn shots from the outside. He did this during game 7 too. Heres an idea, force him to go to the hoop. He has destroyed us from the perimeter, and putting a hand in his face isn't working. If we suck him to the middle of the floor, then he will be forced to take a bad shot or dish it out.
-We just looked outmatched yesterday, and we didn't seem to play as a team. Once we got behind, we gave the ball to LeBron. This didn't work in that he made 5-15 shots. He needs to quit his perimeter shooting, and go to the hole. When your 6'9 and 260 lbs. you shouldn't be shooting jumpers.
-The rest of the starters did fine as Anderson had 15 points and was the only active body downlow, Mo had 26 points as he put on a shooting clinic (4-5 from 3 pt. and 6-6 from the free throw line), Delonte had only 5 points, but he had 8 assists, and 6 boards, and Z continued his consistent play with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Z also did a good job sticking up for Anderson again after Davis knocked him to the ground.
-JJ Hickson looked like a rookie (2 turnovers, 1 reb. 0 pts.), Joe Smith looked rusty (he shot 3-8), Daniel Gibson continued his struggles (3 pts, 1 reb. 1 assist), and Wally couldn't get any good looks (4 points).
-If we have any chance to win in Boston, we need great bench play, and a great game from LeBron. The Celtics feed off of their crowd so well, and we just need LeBron to be coldblooded (much like Kobe was earlier in the year in Boston). I think a another Game 5 performance is needed to knock the Celtics out....
Well folks, that just about does it. I hope we can continue winning here in Cleveland! Thanks for reading and go Cleveland!
-Raz
Monday, March 2, 2009
She Cried Mo, Mo, Mo.....
What a huge win for the Cavs tonight versus the Miami Heat. The Cavs ended their recent roadtrip with a 3-1 record. The Cavs started off with a horrible loss to the Houston Rockets in which we lost Ben Wallace to a broken leg. We had our worst shooting night of the year that game. We picked it up with a win versus a injury depleted San Antonio Spurs squad, and a nail biter last night versus the Atlanta Hawks. Tonights win to me though was one of the best wins of the year. We were down 11 in the fourth, and the Cavs did not fold their tent. This team showed how it could overcome adversity at the end of games, and fight their way through a game. The Cavs flight into Miami was delayed numerous hours because of the snow storms in Atlanta, and the team did not get into the hotels in Miami until 7:00 AM. This team just has a different flare and swagger than teams in the past. In this game, Mo hit big shots in the last two victories, Andy drew charges, and LeBron had a huge dunk at the end of the game. This all came against one of the best players in the league in Dwyane Wade. Kudos to Mike Brown for shifting the defensive strategy in the fourth quarter by double teaming Wade with LeBron. Wade was held to 2-8 shooting in the 4th quarter. Remember, Wade scored a total of 41 points in this game. Brown forced the rest of the Heat to beat us, and the Heat had not seen this all game. I ussually don't interject my opinions of non-Cleveland players, but I think Wade is one of the best players in the league. I don't like when people compare LeBron to MJ because he is not the same player. To me, LeBron is more of a Magic Johnson with much more scoring. LeBron facilitates, rebounds, and is just a freak of nature when it comes to his size and speed. Wade is more like MJ in that he can shoot, he is consistently bringing pressure on defense, and he is an amazing finisher. LeBron, Kobe, and Wade are without a doubt the 3 best players in the game. I am glad to see Wade back in healthy form.
Back to the victory, this puts us 1 game ahead of the Celtics for the #1 seed. This is huge for us because if we get homecourt advantage I honestly believe we can go to the Finals. This victory shows us that we are a much better team than we were last year, and this game is definitely a confidence builder. Also, the addition of Joe Smith will only help this team. Chemistry really won't be affected because he played with us last year, and he brings a great veteran presence. He purposely got a buy out so he could come back here, and get a ring. We now have a solid big man off the bench, and this will allow Andy, and Z to get some rest. He is a good jump shooter, he rebounds well, and he is good at drawing offensive charges. When Ben Wallace comes back, we will have 4 solid bigmen, along with Hickson and Jackson. Its crazy to think that we traded Damon Jones for Mo Williams......
I want to write some quick scribbles about the Browns. This past Friday, the team traded TE Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 2nd round pick this year, and a 5th round pick next year. I think this was a trade that needed to be made. Winslow is a difficult character guy, who wanted a new contract. The Browns paid this man $11.6 million in the 2 years he was hurt. The Browns made him the highest paid TE in the league before he took a snap in the NFL. He had one great season, and he wanted a new contract. He has bad shoulders, 4 knee surgeries, ankle problems, and 2 staph infections. He can no longer block as a TE, his speed decreased this past year, and he was flagged for 7 offensive pass interference penalties last year. He said the organization treated him like "a piece of meat".
There are two reasons why K2 was so vocal about the organization and his contract demands. One, he has been pampered and told that he is the greatest his whole life. His father was a TE for the San Diego Chargers, and Winslow once compared himself to a soldier. After the first touchdown he scored in the endzone his junior year at Miami, he did the Heisman pose. If he doesn't get what he wants, he whines. Second, K2 obviously knows that he is not 100% in terms of health, and he probably will never be. He once said that he will probably be at 90% the rest of his career, but him at 90% is "better than any TE in the league" (ego issues?). He wants to make as much money possible because he knows his body won't stay healthy for much longer. Did you notice that his contract demands came right after his first Pro Bowl year? Maximizing ones own value? He played in only 10 games last year and was hurt for most of it. Lately, he was unable to practice at full speed because of his health problems. Now, don't get me wrong, K2 is one of my favorite players on the Browns. He plays with a lot of heart, and he has great hands, but he is just way too much to handle. What made me love him so much (his swagger, great plays as a receiver), also made me cope with the trade. His contract demands, coupled with his large ego probably did not bode well with the new staff. Our new staff is not like Romeo where they will just let players do what they want. Also, a positive from the trade is that we saved saved about $3.6 million for the cap. I was sad to see K2 get traded, but the Browns are in need of picks, and he was just too much. Here are some other quick notes about the Browns:
-Speaking of cap space, the Browns have about $25 million free.
-Kokinis and Mangini have been looking at players that will fit into their system. They are not going for "big name" signings. Some guys that might be brought in for visits are S Jim Leonard, and CB Jabari Greer.
-Shaun Rogers is unhappy because Phil Savage promised him numerous things when he was signed. The new regime did not get that memo, and he is unhappy. Also, Rogers is unhappy that Mangini did not speak to him when he was first hired. Again, like K2, Rogers is a pro athlete who will get upset when someone does not speak to him. There are worst things in the world Shaun. Also, seeing Albert Haynesworth get a $100 million contract does not help.
-Josh Cribbs met with Mangini and Kokinis and Cribbs came away very impressed. Notice how last year Cribbs and Jamal Lewis called out the team for quitting, and you didn't hear a word out of Braylon, K2, or Rogers? How many times did we see Braylon drop a pass and him saying that the game was his fault? I remember Willie McGinest said the Pittsburgh loss last year was on him because of a missed tackle...
-The insiders on the Orange and Brown report said that the Browns front office will meet with Braylon. If he is open and receptive to a new contract and team philosophy, then they will look to lock him up, as he is in the last year of his contract. If he does not seem inclined with the visit, then look for the Browns to trade him....
-There is nothing new to report on the DA/Brady Quinn situation.
-The Matt Cassell trade to the Chiefs basically insures that they will draft LB Aaron Curry. The Browns can either draft DE/LB Brian Orakpo from Texas, or trade down to draft USC LB Rey Mealuga.
-Raz
Back to the victory, this puts us 1 game ahead of the Celtics for the #1 seed. This is huge for us because if we get homecourt advantage I honestly believe we can go to the Finals. This victory shows us that we are a much better team than we were last year, and this game is definitely a confidence builder. Also, the addition of Joe Smith will only help this team. Chemistry really won't be affected because he played with us last year, and he brings a great veteran presence. He purposely got a buy out so he could come back here, and get a ring. We now have a solid big man off the bench, and this will allow Andy, and Z to get some rest. He is a good jump shooter, he rebounds well, and he is good at drawing offensive charges. When Ben Wallace comes back, we will have 4 solid bigmen, along with Hickson and Jackson. Its crazy to think that we traded Damon Jones for Mo Williams......
I want to write some quick scribbles about the Browns. This past Friday, the team traded TE Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 2nd round pick this year, and a 5th round pick next year. I think this was a trade that needed to be made. Winslow is a difficult character guy, who wanted a new contract. The Browns paid this man $11.6 million in the 2 years he was hurt. The Browns made him the highest paid TE in the league before he took a snap in the NFL. He had one great season, and he wanted a new contract. He has bad shoulders, 4 knee surgeries, ankle problems, and 2 staph infections. He can no longer block as a TE, his speed decreased this past year, and he was flagged for 7 offensive pass interference penalties last year. He said the organization treated him like "a piece of meat".
There are two reasons why K2 was so vocal about the organization and his contract demands. One, he has been pampered and told that he is the greatest his whole life. His father was a TE for the San Diego Chargers, and Winslow once compared himself to a soldier. After the first touchdown he scored in the endzone his junior year at Miami, he did the Heisman pose. If he doesn't get what he wants, he whines. Second, K2 obviously knows that he is not 100% in terms of health, and he probably will never be. He once said that he will probably be at 90% the rest of his career, but him at 90% is "better than any TE in the league" (ego issues?). He wants to make as much money possible because he knows his body won't stay healthy for much longer. Did you notice that his contract demands came right after his first Pro Bowl year? Maximizing ones own value? He played in only 10 games last year and was hurt for most of it. Lately, he was unable to practice at full speed because of his health problems. Now, don't get me wrong, K2 is one of my favorite players on the Browns. He plays with a lot of heart, and he has great hands, but he is just way too much to handle. What made me love him so much (his swagger, great plays as a receiver), also made me cope with the trade. His contract demands, coupled with his large ego probably did not bode well with the new staff. Our new staff is not like Romeo where they will just let players do what they want. Also, a positive from the trade is that we saved saved about $3.6 million for the cap. I was sad to see K2 get traded, but the Browns are in need of picks, and he was just too much. Here are some other quick notes about the Browns:
-Speaking of cap space, the Browns have about $25 million free.
-Kokinis and Mangini have been looking at players that will fit into their system. They are not going for "big name" signings. Some guys that might be brought in for visits are S Jim Leonard, and CB Jabari Greer.
-Shaun Rogers is unhappy because Phil Savage promised him numerous things when he was signed. The new regime did not get that memo, and he is unhappy. Also, Rogers is unhappy that Mangini did not speak to him when he was first hired. Again, like K2, Rogers is a pro athlete who will get upset when someone does not speak to him. There are worst things in the world Shaun. Also, seeing Albert Haynesworth get a $100 million contract does not help.
-Josh Cribbs met with Mangini and Kokinis and Cribbs came away very impressed. Notice how last year Cribbs and Jamal Lewis called out the team for quitting, and you didn't hear a word out of Braylon, K2, or Rogers? How many times did we see Braylon drop a pass and him saying that the game was his fault? I remember Willie McGinest said the Pittsburgh loss last year was on him because of a missed tackle...
-The insiders on the Orange and Brown report said that the Browns front office will meet with Braylon. If he is open and receptive to a new contract and team philosophy, then they will look to lock him up, as he is in the last year of his contract. If he does not seem inclined with the visit, then look for the Browns to trade him....
-There is nothing new to report on the DA/Brady Quinn situation.
-The Matt Cassell trade to the Chiefs basically insures that they will draft LB Aaron Curry. The Browns can either draft DE/LB Brian Orakpo from Texas, or trade down to draft USC LB Rey Mealuga.
-Raz
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