The Morning After on SportsTalkCleveland.com

One Last Go-Round for Six Questions

2007-08-16T09:15:00.000-04:00

After yesterday's announcement that Friday will be the final episode of The Morning After, it seems only fitting to wind down the show with some old standbys here today, starting with Six Questions.

So without further ado... A Very Special Six Questions!

1- Which Cleveland team is the closest to winning a championship today?

2- Aside from LeBron, who is your favorite current Cleveland athlete?

3- You must take the place of Roger Goodell, Bud Selig or David Stern right now; who do you choose and how do you solve his league's big problem?

4- Pick one ESPN television air talent to fire and one to keep on the air forever.

5- Top 5: Name your top five most hated teams in all of professional sports.

6- Over the past two years of The Morning After/STN in the Morning, who was your favorite guest?

A Blog Post

2007-08-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

A couple notes:

Paul Belfi is running the board today and is a bit late... as it seems, the show will begin in the neighborhood of 9:30. Sorry for the delay.

A big announcement about the show will come today near the bottom of hour two.

***

In other news...

I've been compelled recently by emailers to make a post on here, including a nonsensical comment on the most recent blog post.

I wanted to share with you an email that appeared on the studio computer yesterday, just for fun:

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
() on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 14:40:44
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Robert

Email: BE4999@gmail.com

Location: Parma OH

Additional Info: Paul, Do you think you will ever update the TMA blog site? Have you EVEN looked at it over the 90 days???? NOOOOOOO you haven't. You haven't posted anything...the stats are out of date....and you lazy piece of sh#t haven't post anything!!!!!!!! Your show should be call the Morning After Birth Show!!! Why don't you go to get out of Cleveland and go back to Canada where you belong!!!!!!!!!

Submit: Submit

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hehe, you're funny.

No Show -- 7/9/07

2007-07-08T23:45:00.000-04:00

Hello TMA'ers!

It appears Jason and I are having our long weekend extended a bit as Jason is having car problems and won't be making it in. With no Jason, that means no board-op, which means no show. We'll be back Tuesday, though! Thanks all.

-Teeple

Six Questions -- 6-28-07

2007-06-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, we'll be taking liberties with the Six Questions today as we will be replacing Q's 4-6 with a mock draft, but still feel free to respond to the first three by using the email link on the right.

1- Who are two players you'd like to see the Tribe go after by the trade deadline? Why?

2- Will the Cavs buy into the first round tonight? Which pick would you like them to acquire (within reason)?

3- Will any of the following players be traded in the next 12 hours: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Amare Stoudamire?

4- Who will be picked 1-10 in tonight's NBA Draft?

5- Who will be picked 11-20 in tonight's NBA Draft?

6- Who will be picked 21-30 in tonight's NBA Draft?

Webcams out

2007-06-26T09:09:00.000-04:00

Good morning TMA'ers!

Just wanted to let everybody know that the webcams are still out here this morning, so it'd be much easier on your computer's resources if you just checked us out via the audio-only broadcast today.

Six Questions -- 6-21-07

2007-06-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

As always, it's Thursday and we have six questions regarding issues around the world of sports, both here in Cleveland and nationally. You can email us your answers one at a time or all at once by using the email link on the right hand side of this very page.

1- With two decent outings so far from Jason Stanford, is there any reason to rush Jake Westbrook back from injury?

2- Ignoring Dellucci's injury, who are your starting corner outfielders for the Indians?

3- Now that Pacman Jones is being charged--with a felony--in the Vegas strip club shooting during the NBA All-Star weekend, should his NFL suspension be extended by Roger Goodell?

4- What is the point of Jason Giambi talking to the George Mitchell investigation?

5- Is Sammy Sosa a Hall of Famer?

6- Now that it's been reported that Dan Gilbert has authorized the Cavaliers front office to dip into the luxury tax for the 07-08 season, who is on your top five free agent targets list for this offseason?

No Show -- 6-20-07

2007-06-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry gang, there will be no show on Wednesday. Jason will not be in and without someone to run the board, there cannot be a show. We'll be back on Thursday with your regularly scheduled broadcast.

Six Questions -- 6-14-07

2007-06-14T08:58:00.000-04:00

Here are your weekly questions, don't forget to use the email link on the right hand side to share your thoughts.

1- How far are the Cavaliers from being NBA Champions?

2- Forget contracts, forget the salary cap; which players on the current Cavs roster do you keep for another run at a title and which do you get rid of?

3- Have there been any redeeming qualities so far of ABC/ESPN's television coverage or has it really all been total crap?

4- Was Wednesday's exchange of beanballs exactly what the Indians needed after sleep-walking through the first half of June?

5- Ignoring injuries, what is your ideal 5-man starting rotation for the Indians right now?

6- Right now, which head coach in Cleveland is closest to being championship caliber?

NINJA WARRIOR!

2007-06-11T11:37:00.000-04:00

Seriously, this show is amazing:

GYAAAAHHH!!!!!

2007-06-07T10:21:00.000-04:00

Nightmare fuel:

(courtesy of SportsbyBROOKS)

Chad in Akron provides us even more Eva-without-makeup horror:

Thanks a ton, Chad...

Cavs Songs and Jim's Send-off

2007-06-04T10:04:00.001-04:00

A big thanks to Ben in Ohio for passing along this link to cavs.com, which has all the Cavaliers' theme songs over the years posted in downloadable form:

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/multimedia/theme_songs.html

Personally, I prefer the Michael Stanley version.

Also, in case you missed it, today is Jim's last day on the show and all day we'll be asking for your emails on your favorite Jim moment over the past year and a half. Just use the link on the right.

A little Draft Week support for the Browns

2007-04-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

Never fear, Cleveland Browns, this guy is on your side:

For those of you that did not follow the news yesterday, this guy is was James Filiaggi of Lorain, who was put to death yesterday in Lucasville after being convicted of killing his wife in 1994.

One of the reporters present for the execution was WEWS Channel 5's Curtis Jackson, who reported on the story live from Lucasville all day long. During Live On 5, Channel 5's 5pm newscast, Jackson read an excerpt of Filiaggi's final statement which, in addition to a condemnation of the death penalty, included this chilling show of "support" for his favorite team:

"When the Browns are in the Super Bowl in the next five years, you'll know I'm up there doing my magic."

We Browns fans already get a bad enough name from years and years of incidents like the 2001 Jaguars game and the Dawg Pound throwing dog bones at opposing players... do we really need CONVICTED MURDERERS using their last words to lend support to the ol' Orange and Brown?

Wow. Thanks but no thanks, James.

Showing Support

2007-04-19T08:39:00.000-04:00

One Shining Moment

2007-03-27T19:22:00.000-04:00

An early evening treat for all you hardcore TMA'ers...

It's almost inarguable that at this point that the greatest three minutes in all sports is following the NCAA Men's Basketball Finals when CBS plays a montage of tournament highlights set to the late Luther Vandross singing "One Shining Moment." One day I was having one of my regular discussions with our weekly Ohio State guest, Tony Castricone from 1460 The Fan in Columbus, and he told me that he had recently spent a very enjoyable half hour on a Sunday afternoon rifling through YouTube and watching every "One Shining Moment" montage from the past ten years. It sounded like a great idea though I was too busy at the time to actually pursue the mini-marathon on my own.

Well, with my being laid up today I decided to give the One Shining Moment Mini-Marathon a shot and aside from the bizarre version of the song *NOT* sung by Luther Vandross (2000-2002) it was just an excellent way to kill 30 minutes. Don't worry, though... I've done the digging for you guys and all you have to do is click play... (hopefully this isn't too intense on your computer's memory)

1997

Final Four: UNC, Arizona, Minnesota, Kentucky
National Championship: Arizona 84 - Kentucky 79 (OT)

1998

Final Four: UNC, Utah, Kentucky, Stanford
National Championship: Kentucky 78 - Utah 69

1999

Final Four: Duke, Michigan State, Ohio State, Connecticut
National Championship: Connecticut 77 - Duke 74

2000

Final Four: Florida, UNC, Michigan State, Wisconsin
National Championship: Michigan State 89 - Florida 76

2001

Final Four: Duke, Maryland, Michigan State, Arizona
National Championship: Duke 82 - Arizona 72

2002

Final Four: Maryland, Kansas, Indiana, Oklahoma
National Championship: Maryland 64 - Indiana 52

2003

Final Four: Texas, Syracuse, Marquette, Kansas
National Championship: Syracuse 81 - Kansas 78

2004

Final Four: Connecticut, Duke, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech
National Champhionship: Connecticut 82 - Georgia Tech 73

2005

Final Four: UNC, Louisville, Illinois, Michigan State
National Championship: UNC 75 - Illinois 70

2006

Final Four: Florida, George Mason, UCLA, LSU
National Championship: Florida 73 - UCLA 57

Needless to say, I'm ridiculously excited for this year's installment.

Super Bowl XLI Ads in Review

2007-02-04T23:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, TMA'ers, here's my honest reaction to the Super Bowl commercials tonight:

They sucked.

Wow. Could be one of the worst years for commercials on record. Between the Doritos coitus and the ton of half naked dudes surrounding a Chevy (BACK-TO-BACK) I can't remember a worse batch of Super Bowl commercials with the possible exception of 2001. That said, a few did stick out to me as amusing and memorable:

1- Bud Light - Fist Bump

2- Emerald Nuts - Robert Goulet, Office Terrorist

3- Bud Light - Rock, Paper, Scissors

4- Nationwide - Kevin Federline*

5- GM - Suicidal Robot

Honorable mention- Garmin - Giant Robot Fight

***

Those were the good ads. Now, as with last year, there were a number of ads that flat-out ignored the predominant demographic of the biggest sporting event of the year: men. One that springs immediately to mind is the Revlon Sheryl Crow thing. I mean, was the intention of this spot to make men consider changing the channel? Quick, name three things that make no sense when mentioned during a football game: Revlon, Sheryl Crow, Hair Colorists. Check, check and check. This ad was even more out of place than those campaign for real beauty ads from last year... okay, maybe not, but still.

And then there's the aforementioned Chevy ad with the dudes stripping around a Chevy HHR. It's bad enough that the Chevy HHR even exists as a automobile--given that it's the second-ugliest car still in production today (behind only the DREADFUL Toyota FJ Cruiser... seriously, what the hell is that thing??)--but then to surround the car with a bunch of half-naked dancing dudes? That's what is commonly known as a 'lapse in judgment'. I know the NFL is trying to market its product to women more and more with lame crap like pink jerseys, half-hour-long Super Bowl halftime shows and Tom Brady... but come on, this is way past what people want to see. Is this entire paragraph a double-standard? Hell yes it is, but I also say that we men are entitled to it.

And don't even get me started about the Doritos commercial with the implied checkout-line sex. That was just creepy. Creepy, creepy, CREEPY!!

There were a handful of mildly amusing ads such as the Sierra Mist beard comb-over, Sprint's connectile dysfunction and a few Bud Light spots such as the hitchhiker, Mencia class and the wedding ceremony, but none of these ads were real keepers and I'll likely forget them by the time I'm reviewing next year's SB ads. I'm not sure if there are just no more good or creative ideas for ads left or what, but last night's ads were very 'blah'.

But hey! Give those folks a little credit for at the very simple fact that they had new ads. BIG BIG BIG negative points to Coca-Cola, Honda, the Weinstein Company et al who committed the cardinal sin of Super Bowl advertising by running OLD ADS! I mean, I've seen those damn CGI Coke ads in movie theaters for nearly 2 years now. They were clever the first time I saw them, but unfortunately that was 2005. You simply have to run new ads during the Super Bowl because the ads have become just as big a part of the Super Bowl event as the game itself and when people see ads they've already seen before, they just get tuned out. $2.6 mil well spent, really.

All I can say is that after the past two years of Super Bowl ads, 2008 needs to show some improvement in this regard; otherwise I'll just use Super Bowl XLII commercial breaks for runs to the kitchen and/or bathroom like the rest of the football season.

Not to prop up Tech...

2007-01-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

...but damn is this a funny picture:

Plus it'll help get the Bucks back into the top 5. See? Hokies can be useful!

MaxwellPundit Week Thirteen

2006-11-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

We're through turn four and headed down the stretch here in the college football regular season yet we have more questions for the Maxwell Award (fifth through second place) than we have answers (first place). The toughest part about this week's ballot was the fact that the last game for everyone on my ballot except the clear--yes, CW, clear--winner of the Maxwell plays for a team that suffered a loss since the last MaxwellPundit checkpoint. As such, I am forced to evaluate the impressiveness of losing efforts for spots 2-5. It's sorta like, in the spirit of the holidays, leftover turkey; it's delicious but you know it was a lot better when you saw it last week.

Now, before I start thinking too much about food, here is your third-to-last ballot.

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Discussion Ender, The Ohio State University

Annual maize and blue surgery clinic, indeed. By all accounts, Troy Smith needed to have a better game as signal caller for the Buckeyes against Michigan than he'd had in the previous two years for OSU to return to their perennial January stomping grounds... and did he ever. At 29/41 for 316 yards through the air and 4 TDs, Troy surpassed the passing numbers he'd dropped on That School Up North in both '04 and '05... all against a defense regarded by most as the best in the country. Is there even an argument at this point? I submit that there is not. Troy Smith is your Maxwell winner beyond a shadow of a doubt.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/Difficult to Blame, University of Notre Dame

Yes, we know, A.J. Hawk's brother-in-law is 0-2 against top five teams so far this year but the comparison between the losses to Michigan and USC stop right there. The UM loss was due in large part to mistakes made by The Other QB Who Wears #10 but the USC loss was really in spite of him. 348 total yards, 3 TD and no turnovers on the road in ND's biggest rivalry game? That's a great performance, kids. If you're looking for a scapegoat, so find Rhema McKnight; Brady stays put.
(Last Week- 2)

3- Darren McFadden, Tailback/Triple Threat, University of Arkansas

In another case of a team losing in spite of a great performance from their Maxwell candidate, Arkansas' special teams coverage and pass defense really spoiled another stellar effort from LaDainian Tomlinson Jr. on Friday afternoon. McFadden may have been quiet most of the season but the way he's carried the Hogs to an SEC West title despite a borderline-nonexistent passing attack has been nothing short of remarkable. Another 150+ yard, multi-TD game this weekend could see him jump higher next week.
(Last Week- NR)

4- Mike Hart, Tailback/Yeah He's Underrated, University of Michigan

Okay, okay... time to give credit where credit is due. Mike Hart is the single most important part of Michigan's offense. Not Chad Henne, not Mario Manningham, not Jake Long. It's Mike Hart and he finally had a breakout performance against Ohio State, a team against whom he'd historically languished, scoring more points himself (18) against the Buckeyes defense than any other team had all season (Iowa had the most with 17). And he did it in Columbus. Yes, I'd been stoning him all season but against a real defense he brought it strong and proved to me that he belongs in the top five.
(Last Week- NR)

5- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Shrinking Violet, West Virginia University

Watching Slaton's season-worst effort against the Bulls on Saturday, my first instinct would have been to yank him from the ballot altogether... but it's always been my intention to avoid serious knee-jerk punishments to players on the ballot, particularly if they'd been hanging around the top five all season. Saturday against Rutgers, however, is Slaton's last chance before Dwayne Jarrett or Colt Brennan get the top five nod ahead of him.
(Last Week- 3)

Dropped out- Ray Rice (4), James Laurinaitis (5)

***

Also Considered- Dwayne Jarrett (USC), Colt Brennan (UH), Brian Brohm (UL), Ted Ginn Jr. (OSU), Ray Rice (RU), Mario Manningham (UM), James Laurinaitis (OSU), Lamarr Woodley (UM), Marshawn Lynch (Cal)

No Longer Considered- Garrett Wolfe (NIU), Chris Leak (UF)

Considered for Comedic Purposes- Roughing the Snapper Penalties (UM-OSU), Souvenir Sod (OSU)

Not Considered Under Any Circumstances- Chad Henne (UM), The Rematch (UM-OSU)

MaxwellPundit: Week Eleven

2006-11-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

THE GAME is here. I'm not going to lie, I strongly considered making my top five Troy Smith, James Laurinaitis, Ted Ginn, Antonio Pittman and Quinn Pitcock just to stick it to all those losers from _ichigan... but in the end thought better of it to maintain the integrity of the poll heading into the home stretch of the 2006 regular season. Just know, though, I was really thinking about doing that.

Now here is O-H your ballot... I-O

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Conqueror of the So-called "Victors," The Ohio State University

After a week filled with rumors about a broken finger on his throwing hand, the real Troy Smith returned to the Scarlet and Grey just in time to tune up hapless Northwestern 54-10 after what amounted to a week off mentally against Illinois. 200 total yards and 4 TDs in a shortened day under center for #10 are just about the statistics to which we've grown accustomed over the past ten weeks. Troy can salt away the Maxwell by putting on his annual maize-and-blue surgery clinic Saturday at The Shoe.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/The Other Quarterback Who Wears 10, University of Notre Dame

Well, well, well... look at who's team is back in the national title hunt. And guess who has been leading the way? A.J. Hawk's brother-in-law has actually put up better stats than his '06 Fiesta Bowl counterpart this season but his brutal outing against UM is what maintains a safe distance between Mr. Smith and Mr. Quinn.
(Last Week- 2)

3- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Still Studly in Second Place, West Virginia University

Slaton's broken record of around 150 yards and a TD or two on the ground per game continued in week ten against Cincinnati (148 yds, 2 TD) en route to yet another big score for the 'Neers. This kid has been so much fun to watch this year but I really have to wonder how close behind Troy Smith Slaton would be if not for those backbreaking fumbles at Papa John's. He'll need to roast Pitt and Rutgers in the coming weeks to have an outside chance at the top spot and even then he'll need some help from UM and USC.
(Last Week- 3)

4- Ray Rice, Tailback/Clutch Performer, Rutgers University

Undefeated... Rutgers? I know... I can't believe it, either. One thing I can easily believe is that Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights would've never overcome that 25-7 deficit without the heroics of big number 27 in the backfield. Gaining 75 of his 131 rushing yards in a fourth quarter to complete an improbable comeback over a top-five opponent? That, my friends, is what a player of the year candidate does.
(Last Week- 5)

5- James Laurinaitis, Linebacker/Turnover Machine, The Ohio State University

A warm welcome back to the top five to the actual best defensive player in the Big Ten. While all the accolades have gone to Lamarr Woodley and his sack factory up north, can we all take a step back and realize that the Little Animal has not only over three times more tackles this season than Woodley (91 vs 29) but also has more turnovers (8 vs 7). As always, a big game against that school up north could mean that Laurinaitis will be a finalist for Maxwell in addition to the Butkus.
(Last Week- NR)

Dropped Out- Brian Brohm (4)

***

Also considered- Marshawn Lynch (Cal), Brian Brohm (UL), Colt Brennan (UH), Mario Manningham (UM), Ted Ginn Jr (OSU), John David Booty (USC), Lamarr Woodley (UM)

No Longer Considered- Garrett Wolfe (NIU), Chris Leak (UF)

Considered for Comedic Purposes- Bo Schembechler's Bellyaching (UM), Jim Tressel's Bomb Security Measures (OSU)

Considered for Purposes of Sticking it to That School Up North- Antonio Pittman (OSU), Quinn Pitcock (OSU), Anthony Gonzalez (OSU), Vernon Gholston (OSU), Brian Robiskie (OSU), Beanie Wells (OSU), Marcus Freeman (OSU), Malcolm Jenkins (OSU), Alex Boone (OSU), Doug Datish (OSU), Antonio Smith (OSU)

Never Considered For Even a Second- Chad Henne (IAMFJ, UM), Mike Hart (UM)

Bo Biafra Interview 11-13-06

2006-11-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

To all you folks out there who missed our interview with Bo Biafra, the lead singer of the Dead Schembechlers, here is the link to the archive of the segment. Also remember to get your tickets for the Hate Michigan Rally on Friday at Columbus' Newport Music Hall now!

Here's the interview:
http://www.sportstalknetwork.com/archives/ds.wma

MaxwellPundit: Week Ten

2006-11-08T10:56:00.000-05:00

Before I get all snarky and faux-clever, I do want to send out our show's thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of the late Bryan Pata.

No good segue here, so I'll just move on.

Honestly, couldn't we just have one week in this season where the Player of the Year chase made a lick of sense? Then again, what fun would that be? This week was crazy with frontrunners laying eggs, committing inexcusable turnovers and getting hurt and newcomers bursting onto the scene out of the conference least-expected. This is getting good, guys.

Let's head out to the polls...

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback, The Ohio State University

I'll be the first to admit that Troy was nothing special on Saturday against an Illini team playing about 50 feet over its collective head. In all honesty he's staying here in my ballot because noone else deserves to move up to the top spot just yet. Can redeem himself by leading a slaughter of the Wildcats in Evanston.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Brady Quinn, Quarterback, University of Notre Dame

Steady, steady, steady. A.J. Hawk's brother-in-law dropped another nasty stat line on the Irish's so-called competition--this time UNC--to bolster his still-quiet Maxwell candidacy. Honestly, though, isn't this what we expected in the preseason: Troy Smith and Brady Quinn battling it out for Player of the Year?
(Last Week- 3)

3- Steve Slaton, Tailback, West Virginia University

I know what you're thinking: "230 total yards and a TD in his team's biggest game of the year and he DROPS??" You're damn right he does, because his two fumbles were so crippling to the 'Neers, effectively turning the game for UL and costing WVU their shot at the national title. Players of the Year simply cannot do that.
(Last Week- 2)

4- Brian Brohm, Quarterback, University of Louisville

We've known all season long that Brian Brohm is an exceptionally talented quarterback and if you know me, you know I think Brohm could easily be the top pick of the NFL draft in April... and on Thursday, with his hand back at 100%, he fully asserted himself in the Player of the Year chase by dropping 354 yards and a TD on national television in his team's most important game of the year. If he does it again against Rutgers, look for Brohm to leave his Big East cohorts in the dust next week.
(Last Week- NR)

5- Ray Rice, Tailback, Rutgers University

This Maxwell race is so wonky that Rice moves back into my Top 5 after a bye week that followed a ho-hum performance against UConn. Let's be real: R-Squared is the main reason the Scarlet Knights are one of the nation's four unbeaten teams heading into week 11. Combine that with the struggles of CJ and the injuries to Ainge and Manningham and Rice gets the nod at number five.
(Last Week- NR)

Dropped out- Erik Ainge (4), Calvin Johnson (5)

***

Also Considered- Calvin Johnson (GT), Robert Meachem (UT), Lamarr Woodley (UM), Erik Ainge (UT), James Laurinaitis (OSU), Mario Manningham (UM), Ted Ginn Jr. (OSU), Colt Brennan (UH), Marshawn Lynch (Cal)

No Longer Under Consideration- Garrett Wolfe (NIU), Chris Leak (UF)

Absolutely Not Considered- Mike Hart (UM), Chad Henne (UM)

Considered for Comedic Effect- Joe Paterno's Pure Badassery (PSU), J Leman's Missing First Name (UIUC)

The Election

2006-11-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

Alright everyone, here is the deal on the election today...

The voting will open at 9:40 after the candidates have one last chance to outline their platforms or, in the spirit of the season, take unwarranted pot-shots at their opponent. You may vote through direct email or the form mail but please remember the following things:

If using direct mail, please sign your name and where you're from in the body of your mail. It should look something like this (email address typed out to avoid spambots):

To: studio [at] sportstalkcleveland [dot] com
From: Paul Belfi
Subject: Rocking the vote

I vote for Rick Springfield*

If you're using the form mail option linked both off this blog and off of the SportsTalkCleveland.com landing page, please make sure you list your name and where you're from along with listing your email address. Form mail votes should look like this:

Any other election questions can be directed into the studio inbox and we'll also be taking your regular emails about the world of Cleveland sports throughout today's show as usual.

Also, remember to vote in the real election today as well!

* - Write-in votes will be laughed at off the air then thrown out

MaxwellPundit: Week Nine

2006-11-01T08:14:00.000-05:00

Just a few weeks ago the Maxwell Award seemed to be quicksilver, slipping through the hands of those who very nearly posessed it at various points this season... but now? Now we have a dominant frontrunner, a clear #2 and the battle to be on the ballot is just plain fun to watch as a college football fan. The next four weeks will tell us everything, starting with Thursday night at Papa John's Stadium.

Rod Tidwell has respectfully asked, "SHOW ME THE BALLOT!"

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Cybernetic Breaker of Wills, The Ohio State University

This is the section where I usually give you Troy's stats from the previous week and tell you about a nasty play he made, etc, but it's all the same now; why bother repeating myself on a weekly basis. Why is Smith your Maxwell Award winner? This. Man. Can. Not. Be. Stopped. The guy is absolutely unconscious on the field. Noone else is even close to him right now.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Dolly Madison Afficionado, West Virginia University

Would it be piling on to say that the bye week was the toughest competition Slaton's seen so far this season? Just checking. I don't think I need to tell you what Thursday night's game at UL means to his Maxwell candidacy.
(Last Week- 2)

3- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/Naval Destroyer, University of Notre Dame

A.J. Hawk's Brother-in-law continues to shred the would-be competition that the Irish have faced since the debacle at home against that school up north and--if you can even believe this is possible for a Notre Dame QB--is very quietly re-asserting himself in the Player of the Year chase.
(Last Week- 3)

4- Erik Ainge, Quarterback/Second Half Standout, University of Tennessee

Steve Spurrier once famously cracked, "You can't spell Citrus Bowl without 'UT'," but with the clutch play of #10 in neon orange of late, we may need to soon amend that to "You can't spell Allstate Sugar Bowl without 'UT'." Okay, maybe not... but it'd be fun. Ainge has led some gutty comebacks in the uber-difficult SEC and though UT may not catch Florida, a couple more big games against LSU and Arkansas and Mr. Ainge will find himself seated at the Maxwell Club and also participating in a BCS bowl game.
(Last Week- NR)

5- Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver/Serious Injury From Above, Georgia Tech

He's a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of a wide receiver, it's true... but his lackluster stat line of 5 grabs, 68 yards and a TD against the team formerly known as Miami isn't enough to keep him from continuing to fall in my ballot. In the interest of full disclosure: his TD snag and the 43-yard reception are what's keeping him on my ballot at all. I have faith that ol' #21 can get back on track, though my confidence in that is all dependent on Reggie Ball. On second thought...
(Last Week- 4)

Dropped out- Ray Rice, Rutgers

***

Also considered- Ray Rice (RU), James Laurinaitis (OSU), Robert Meachem (UT), Mario Manningham (UM), Marshawn Lynch (Cal), P.J. Hill (WISC)

Eliminated from future consideration- Chris Leak (UF), Garrett Wolfe (NIU)

Considered for comedic purposes- Jake Kilroy (Kent St), Lloyd Carr's Injury Report (UM)

Absolutely not considered- Mike Hart (UM), Chad Henne (UM)

MaxwellPundit: Week Eight

2006-10-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

What can you say about this week? Sputtering performances from some top contenders, particularly wide receivers, really opened the door for a couple candidates to assert themselves in this Maxwell chase. In my mind, the Maxwell Player of the Year Award is equal parts consistency, big game performance and big plays made. Which is why my ballot is starting to take its current form.

An homage to the late Daily Quickie: Ballot. Now.

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Brutally Efficient Killing Machine, The Ohio State University

It's not even so much that Calvin flamed out, it's just that Troy is so steady and good, nay great, that you can't not have him here. 258 total yards and 4 TDs agains Div. I-AAA Indiana on Saturday and was once again secure with the ball as he lead the Buckeyes to their second come from behind win of the season. Technically. Can Michigan stop him in 4 weeks? Judging by historical precedent and Smith's current pace... HELL FREAKING NO.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Mmm Cupcakes, West Virginia University

Another week, another 120+ yard performance with a TD. This is not a broken record, it's just Steve Slaton abusing the Sisters of the Poor that WVU saw fit to schedule in 2006. In all honesty, though, with all the other contenders dropping down Slaton would've moved up with a bye.
(Last Week- 3)

3- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/Lucky Bastard, University of Notre Dame

I tried not to reward A.J. Hawk's brother-in-law too much here for coordinating a game-winning drive against a UCLA defense that closely resembled air, BUT, I will give credit where credit is due: it's the kinda stuff that puts you among the finalists. Brady's stats have been steadily impressive since the Michigan debacle... and this is college football; better to screw up early than late. And for the record: if Karl Dorrell wasn't a terrible head coach Quinn probably would be off my ballot this week. Just sayin'.
(Last Week- 4)

4- Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver/Serious Injury From Above, Georgia Tech

Downgraded from "Death From Above" to "Serious Injury From Above" after his goose egg in Death Valley. Just like Texas was a Maxwell-maker for Troy Smith, Clemson will likely end up being a Maxwell-breaker for Calvin. The only thing you can say good about Saturday night for #21 is that if Maxwell were an MVP award, that game would've put CJ at the top of my ballot.
(Last Week- 2)

5- Ray Rice, Tailback/Steamroller Impersonator, Rutgers University

Someone give R-Squared a little credit here... his 1,124 rushing yards put him ahead of Slaton at 4th in the country and has been doing this against a schedule that is roughly equivalent to Slaton's (Jeff Sagarin has WVU's schedule at #92 and RU's at #102 of 119). And he had been doing it quietly until ESPN2 saw fit to air his rag-dolling of Pitt for 225 yards and a TD on Saturday so that we could all see exactly why the State University of New Jersey is a top 25 team this year.
(Last Week- NR)

Dropped out- Robert Meachem (5)

Also considered- Erik Ainge, Mario Manningham, Robert Meachem, James Laurinaitis

Still no chance- Chris Leak

MaxwellPundit: Week Seven

2006-10-17T22:35:00.000-04:00

Wow, the games of week six really really shook up the top five for reasons that should seem all too obvious to even the most casual observer of collegiate pigskin. I know that it's going to be unfair of me to ding Adrian Peterson for getting hurt but this is a player of the year award poll--not player of half the year. For those of our listeners and readers who aren't familiar with the Maxwell Award, it is an award given out at the end of the regular college football season to the Player of the Year. Not the MVP, not the MOP, but the POY. Bear that in mind when reading this.

To steal a line from Jon Lovitz: "and now for [the ballot]!"

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Human Highlight Reel, The Ohio State University

I could give you Troy's numbers against MSU this weekend but during the snacky-cake stretch of OSU's schedule, they're only worth mentioning if they're bad. And they weren't. All you need to know is that it was another brutally efficient day for Smith and the Buckeye offense against the hapless Spartans. Not only that, but we saw yet another sick highlight from Troy when he somehow shed a D-lineman, ran to the line, stopped, and hit Brian Robiskie (as if OSU needed ANOTHER big play receiver) for a TD that sent the State faithful to the exits in the third. He just looks unstoppable right now.
(Last Week- 1)

2- Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver/Death From Above, Georgia Tech

CJ had the unusual occurrence of having a bye week actually bolster his Maxwell status this week, though he was probably bound to stay here regardless. His current statistical pace looks like 1100 yards and 16 TD but, impressive though that may be, it belies what an electrifying player #21 has become over the past season and a half. A big game this weekend in Death Valley could further bolster this stud's Maxwell presence.
(Last Week- 2)

3- Steve Slaton, Running Back/Pastry Enthusiast, West Virginia University

Three factors pushed Slaton back to this spot and I don't think I need to tell you what they were... but I will anyway: 163 yards and a TD in a win over Syracuse, Adrian Peterson's collarbone and Garrett Wolfe's 25 yard day. Slaton continues to be a cupcake steamroller and while his yards and TDs still don't touch Wolfe's, he's still got it all over Garrett in terms of national spotlight and I still see the game against Louisville as the game that will cement Slaton's spot on this poll.
(Last Week- 5)

4- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/Award Cockroach, University of Notre Dame

Another bye week beneficiary, it just seems like The Other Quarterback Who Wears Number 10 just won't go away. Consistently powerful numbers against the not-so-powerful post-Michigan schedule have pushed A.J. Hawk's brother-in-law back into the discussion. I really don't see this changing, either, granted that after UCLA this week the Irish hit the UNC-and-three-Academies stretch of their schedule. I'm also really looking for any excuse to use one more hyphen in this explanation.
(Last Week- NR)

5- Robert Meachem, Wide Receiver/Quiet Riot, University of Tennessee

While I'm always told by listeners, readers and friends in SEC country that Erik Ainge is garnering all the player of the year talk down Knoxville way, let's not forget that Meachem is the leading major-conference receiver with 34 grabs for 675 yards and six TDs in six games. As impressive as those stats are by themselves, they become magnified when we remember that Meachem plays in the ultra-defensive SEC and if he can keep averaging over 100 yards per game in THAT conference, he deserves a hell of a lot of run in our humble poll.
(Last Week- NR)

Dropped out- Garrett Wolfe (3), Adrian Peterson (4)

Also Considered- Garrett Wolfe, Mario Manningham, Erik Ainge, John David Booty

Absolutely Not Considered- Chris Leak

MaxwellPundit: Week Six

2006-10-11T07:49:00.000-04:00

An interesting week around college football and a bit of movement around the top five, though the ballot still has the same five players on it from last week. And yes, yesterday's news about Mario Manningham did affect my voting this week, as I think it should have. And since I used this space last week to comment on College Gameday signs, I just wanted to comment on the "Corso [Hearts] [Penis]" sign floating around Gainesville on Saturday. Is there a more polarizing figure in college football than Lee Corso? Some people love him, others hate him, and their feelings are often encapsulated in vaguely vulgar signs at Gameday's weekly locale. I, personally, love Corso; he is willing the Buckeyes to Tempe on January 8th by continually picking against them in big games. God willing, he'll put on a Michigan helmet on November 18th.

Without further ado... the ballot!

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Mythical Being, The Ohio State University

Ohio State entered what I like to refer to as the "WVU Stretch" of their schedule (6 relatively easy contests sandwiched between Iowa and Michigan) in week six, taking on MAC snacky-cake Bowling Green. The goal for Troy here was simple: get in, get out, get numbers, don't get an STD. And he did. His 245 total yards included a 57 yard laser-strike to Teddy Ginn and a remarkable 10-yard scramble that traversed AT LEAST 55 yards, both of which you'll be seeing on myriad postseason highlight reels, including the one at the Maxwell banquet.
(Last Week: 1)

2- Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver/The "C.J." Cleveland Fans Don't Hate, Georgia Tech

Indefensible, un-containable, physical freak, sick stats, blah blah blah... Death From Above may just be your Maxwell winner this year for one simple reason: he makes Reggie Ball look good. Ball threw for 164 yards and a TD on Saturday... and 138 of those yards and that TD went to good old #21.
(Last Week: 3)

3- Garrett Wolfe, Tailback/Proof That Size Does Not Matter, Northern Illinois University

Didn't fully seize his national spotlight on Sunday night, but with 162 yards and 2 TD on the ground still putting Wolfe on pace for nearly 2,700 rushing yards this season, I would venture to say that he didn't permanently damage his stock and was, in fact, one of the few top fivers that didn't take a bit of a step back.
(Last Week: 5)

4- Adrian Peterson, Tailback/Proof That Size Does Matter, Oklahoma University

AP is suffering quite a setback on this here ballot because of his ho-hum day of 109 yards rushing and a lone TD against the Longhorns in the Red River Shootout. I said last week that a big game at the Fairgrounds would have put Peterson in the discussion with Troy Smith but after a somewhat vanilla performance, save for the nifty 29 yard TD run, against the same defense Smith posterized in Austin, Peterson needs to tumble a bit.
(Last Week: 2)

5- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Ralph Friedgen's Greatest Regret, West Virginia University

Honestly, it's nothing against Slaton to have him here at 5th. His 208 total yard performance in Starkville was arguably the best statistical day of any of the top five, but all I can see when I think of our cupcake-eating friend is 80 yards and 0 TDs against East Carolina. Another week or two like he had against the Bulldogs, however, and we can discuss moving Slaton back up the polls--especially with Nov. 7th drawing closer.
(Last Week: 4)

Dropped out: None

Also considered: Brady Quinn, Mario Manningham, Robert Meachem

MaxwellPundit -- Week 5

2006-10-03T20:01:00.000-04:00

What a weekend it was in college football with some big names having some big days while others had a day off. The top of the ballot stays the same while the middle and bottom saw a bit more volatility. Before I get to the ballot, can I just say that outside of "CORSO, SHOW US YOUR TATES," Iowa had about the worst freaking Gameday signs I've ever seen. "TROY SMITH LIKES UNICORNS"? "SWEATER VESTS SUCK"? You've got to be kidding me, Iowa City, now we know why Gameday never goes there.

Now for the ballot...

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Holder of Jules Winnfield's Wallet, The Ohio State University

In two nationally televised night road games against top 15 teams, Troy Smith has gone 33-for-51 passing for 455 yards with six touchdowns and zero interceptions. Seriously. If he's not number one on your ballot after seeing that, then you are just being a freaking hater at this point.
(Last Week: 1)

2- Adrian Peterson, Tailback/Enemy of the 4-4 Defense, Oklahoma University

AP doesn't even need to play to stay #2 on my ballot. He's been eating defensive gameplans for lunch all season long and is clearly the most talented running back in the country. Not only that, his stats are amazing despite the fact that OU's passing game is an albatross against quality opponents. If he can lead the Sooners over the Longhorns on Saturday, then Troy may have some company at the top.
(Last Week: 2)

3- Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver/Bill Brasky, Georgia Tech

How frustrating must #21 be to defensive coordinators in the ACC? You center your entire gameplan all week around "Make Reggie Ball beat us," which is a fairly logical defensive strategy, and then all Ball has to do is put the pigskin within 5 yards of CJ and there will be a big play. Also, he torched a stingy VT defense for 6 catches, 115 yards and a pair of TD's in Blacksburg.
(Last Week: NR)

4- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Dolly Madison Spokesman, West Virginia University

Slaton drops a spot because of the continuing dominance of Johnson combined with a bye for WVU. He'll need to continue to put up dazzling numbers to keep pace with the guys ahead of him and to fend off the guys behind him, though barring injury the combination of Pat White and the Big East will keep Slaton in the conversation all year long.
(Last Week: 3)

5- Garrett Wolfe, Tailback/Mighty Mouse, Northern Illinois University

31 carries, 353 yards, 3 TDs. 353 FREAKING YARDS IN ONE GAME. It's time we start mentioning the Talented Mr. Wolfe more consistently in the MaxwellPundit balloting and not just because he's the cute little MAC-Back Who Could. He has 127 carries for 1181 yards to go with 12 catches for 159 yards and 12 total TDs... in five games. With no foreseeable resistance from the Mid-American Conference, you can reserve a spot in the top five all season long for Wolfe on this ballot.
(Last Week: NR)

Dropped Out: Brady Quinn (4), James Laurinaitis (5)

Also considered: James Laurinaitis, Brady Quinn, Mario Manningham

Media Critic: Thoughts on T.O.

2006-09-27T15:58:00.000-04:00

As the media frenzy continues to circle the chum a source inside the Dallas P.D. fired into the proverbial waters early this morning in regards to Terrell Owens, let's take a look at what we actually know:

-Someone called 911 from Terrell Owens' house at 7:51pm
-T.O. was taken to the hospital
-In response to the question regarding his intention of self-harm, Owens said "Yes."
-There were between 30 and 35 pills missing from his painkillers prescription
-The D.P.D. is not very media-friendly

Somewhere in between all of these facts you have the spin coming from both Owens' publicist Kim Etheridge and agent Drew Rosenhaus (and soon the Cowboys) together with an amount of speculation that could only be accurately described as "insane." But check out any major sports news outlet and it's more or less wall-to-wall T.O. suicide watch.

As mentioned on the show this morning, this predictable media melee brings this journalism grad back to the age-old ethical question that every journalist REALLY ought to weigh when handed a rumor that could turn into the NEXT BIG STORY: is it more important to be first or to be right? Well, thanks to the instant-gratification always-on media presence this country currently experiences, we know how journalists of all walks of life end up behaving; that shouldn't make the question posed above any less relevant. Or more simply put: what if T.O. really did not try and commit suicide?

One of the more thought provoking interviews I've seen on this subject, journalistic ethics, was conducted by an entertainer (Jon Stewart) and the subject was a high-profile journalist (Ted Koppel). In said interview, Koppel reminded Stewart of the importance in determining the difference between the facts and the truth. To paraphrase Koppel's explanation, let's say I wrote a blog entry today that said "Jim Kushlan keeps a framed photo of Frank Beamer next to his bed at night." The fact that I said that would spur many emails and provoke quite the discussion and therefore make my job as a sports talk host very easy while simultaneously flummoxing Jim as he tried to dispel these rumors. Of course, the truth about any contents of Jim's bedroom would be left by the wayside because of the focus and discussion of the fact that I mentioned the Frank Beamer picture.

And that's where we stand so far, people going crazy over the facts that I posted above with minimal regard for the truth as to what happened in the 3800 block of Commerce, erring more to the side of speculation.

"Pfft, it's pretty easy for you to ride such a high horse, Teeple," I'm sure you're saying, "but if you were handed info that could lead to the NEXT BIG STORY you would be all over it because you could make a name for your show."

Not true. Allow me to impart a recent experience I had at STC involving a former producer for a couple shows on our station. I will tell you now, though, that in regards to this story that all you will get out of me is vagueries--not the name of the producer, the shows they worked on, who the athlete in question was, whether it was good or bad, anything--you can try, but, short of employing Jamie Pressly to interrogate me via less conventional usages of whip cream, vagueries is what you shall get! Anyway...

Last week, an hour before our show was going to air I recieve an instant message from this producer telling me that there is a somewhat surprising and unexpected update on a fairly prominent Cleveland sports injury that noone else knows about. I ask the producer their sources and I'm told that this comes from a friend of the player's father. So to me, this story is a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-father-of-a-player... which is a few too many hyphens for me to trust its credibility outright. The producer tells me I could easily interview the source on the air for the full extent of this big story... but I pass. The producer says I'm crazy and that it could be a huge ratings coup for our show-- which is true. But I'd simply be reporting the fact that there is a rumor and be trotting out a third-hand source. If it was true, and we'd run it, our show would've had a banner day and picked up more steam than even the day after we were linked off Deadspin's Hugh Johnson Project; if it was not true, well, I don't think I have to tell you how quickly we would've been rapped as the irresponsible internet radio show reporting rumors as if they were facts like some late-night low-budget college radio station, setting us back at least two years. Granted that the story was dealing with an injury I couldn't just call up the hospital where the player recieved treatment and ask them, since HIPAA laws would smite my journalistic enterprise before it really began; I was at a dead end. In the end I had to go with my gut and ignore the fact out of respect for the truth.

For the record, since I was told about this 'update,' not a peep out of anyone regarding the player in question and believe me, this update was surprising enough that if anyone had been able to confirm it you'd have heard about it within the hour. Now if I flip open the Plain Dealer tomorrow and see this story I'll feel like a total ass, knowing that I could've scooped the P.D. by a week, but that's a small price for journalistic self-respect. And that's what I hope that the likes of Ed Werder strive for in their coverage of Terrell Owens this week and beyond: the responsible disemination of facts while focusing their pursuit on the truth... being first is great, but being the first to be right is even better.

I also would like to challenge all of you out there to watch the T.O. coverage the rest of this week and be mindful of the difference between the facts and the truth in every report and try and hold those who discuss the story, our show included, to a higher standard of journalism than we are used to in this day and age.

Or to paraphrase Billy Madison:

I choose... journalistic ethics! (and you should, too)

MaxwellPundit Heisman Ballot -- Week 4

2006-09-24T15:09:00.000-04:00

Week Four featured a Saturday full of lackluster performances and weak opponents so my pre-concieved notions heading into the action were certainly challenged as the day progressed. That said, it turned out that the bottom of my ballot turned out to be a bit tougher to diagnose than the top. Without further ado... my MaxwellPundit Heisman Top Five!

1- Troy Smith, Quarterback/Stone Cold Killer, The Ohio State University

What wins the Heisman: a big play or a big game? Or is it the context thereof? Smith did not have a Heisman kinda game statistically (12/22 passing for 115 yds, TD, 2 INT, 3 rushes for 18 yds) but his game-breaking drop-back-scramble-oh-crap-reverse-field-stop-and-launch TD bomb to Brian Robiskie two minutes into the fourth quarter was a Heisman kinda play that changed the landscape of the entire contest. Oh yeah, they also played Penn State.

2- Adrian Peterson, Tailback/Steamroller/Put All 11 In the Box I Don't Give a Damn, Oklahoma University

Big game in the box score for big number 28 in just over one half of football: 27 rushes for 128 yds and 3 TD; doubly nice because the other two of the emerging "Big Three" in the Heisman chase had sub-par statistical performances. Huh? What's that? They played Middle Tennessee State? I see. Second place.

3- Steve Slaton, Tailback/Destroyer of Double-digit Underdogs, West Virginia University

The last of the Big Three had a sub-par day against a craptastic opponent (24 rushes for 80 yds and 3 catches for 35 yds, 0 TD). I'm not trying to overreact to one so-so week but when you're playing EAST CAROLINA you're going to have to at least score a touchdown to not get passed by a guy who had three TDs in just over one half (isn't that normally Slaton's line?). He stays in the top three because, I mean, just look at WVU's schedule. Look at it.

4- Brady Quinn, Quarterback/Dreamboat/Savior of NBC Saturday Ratings, University of Notre Dame

Left for dead by Prescott Burgess, Lamarr Woodley and the national media hungry for Golden Dome schadenfreude, The Other Quarterback Who Wears #10 paid a visit to the ND team proctologist at halftime, got his head pulled out his ass, and proceeded to lead the Irish to a stunning comeback win (with just a little bit of help from the D). 20/36 for 319 yds, 5 TD and one INT in a win that the Irish absolutely had to have? Well done, Brady, the Downtown Athletic Club just fished your pre-printed invitation out of the dumpster.

5- James Laurinaitis, Outside Linebacker/Road Warrior/Eater of Babies, The Ohio State University

For awhile I kinda thought that using my 5th place vote on the Little Animal was a bit of a throwaway and a homerish pub-grab for the guy that's been making it happen for the defense of the team Cleveland fans often claim as their own. But then upon further review I realized that James Laurinaitis flat-out deserves Heisman recognition. 36 tackles so far this season is good for 5th in the Big Ten (good luck finding the aforementioned Woodley anywhere in the Top 50) to go with an astounding 6 turnovers created (3 INT and 3 FF) and you've got yourself a sophomore who is meriting consideration for more than just the Butkus.

More on Brian Russell's devastating... HUGH!

2006-09-22T08:47:00.000-04:00

As was originally posted by The Mighty MJD on AOL's NFL Fanhouse, here is some more video on Brian Russell getting nasty on Chad Johnson. First, the hit...

And now, 85 is... somewhere...

Today CJ is saying someone is going to pay for what happened. I'm sure Troy Polamalu and Joey Porter will be more than willing to oblige on Sunday.

BOOYA

2006-09-18T10:24:00.000-04:00

Our thanks to Barry McBride from the OBR in helping us get this animated .gif of the hit on Chad Johnson... we just had to make a site devoted to it...

Chad Johnson gets decapitated

A Plaintive Cry

2006-09-18T08:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, that Browns game sucked yesterday.

No, their season is NOT going anywhere...

BUT -- that Brian Russell hit on Chad Johnson in the 4th quarter yesterday was inconceivably good. It was earth-shatteringly fun to watch. I need to see it again but because the game was so long yesterday, I know of no TiVo's that properly recorded the 4th quarter... so now I put it out there to you the listeners:

I need video of this hit. It will be like a candle on a dark day for us here. I can't find it on YouTube or on Google Video, so I'm hoping one of you down there can find the video of it in a format we can repost on here so that everyone can enjoy Chad Johnson getting decapitated for years to come. I'm trying to come up with some sort of reward for the first person to find this video; I'll think of something eventually.

Either email the show between 9am and 12pm EST using the link on the right or leave a comment on this post should you find this video and I will make sure that you're handsomely rewarded.

Gotta respect the Hafner!

2006-08-17T08:51:00.000-04:00

As mentioned last segment, the fabulous sports blog Deadspin.com had a feature yesterday helping to outline to the unwashed masses why TRAVIS HAFNER *IS* THE BEST HITTER IN THE A.L.!!

For all of you who didn't see it, here are the links...

Deadspin: The Truly Awesome Power of Travis Hafner

Sportszilla: Respect Pronk

Mistake By the Lake Sporting Times: Fair Territory

A Thought on Floyd Landis

2006-07-24T08:24:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking: Who the hell is Floyd Landis?

And you wouldn't be wrong to have such a thought occur to you. Outside of the cycling world, Landis was certainly an unknown commodity just a month ago (his support role of Lance Armstrong on a handful of his seven straight Tour de France
notwithstanding). Of course, you all have likely heard by now that Landis extended the American dominance of cycling's premier event by winning the Tour de France on Sunday, battling back from a sure-fire choke job earlier in the week--mostly thanks to an otherworldly performance in Saturday's final time trial.

So maybe ESPN has pounded his name into your skull over the past couple weeks.

Why do I care?

Well, you don't, necessarily. You mostly care about Lance Armstrong... but he's retired. But while Lance Armstrong appears to be a kind of mythical, yet enigmatic, kind of rock star--you know the type: you feel like you know him but you actually know very little about him outside of a few key facts--Landis is a bit more grounded. A bit more human, I suppose.
He talks in post-race interviews about his fondness for beer. He lives in a tiny apartment in Spain during the European cycling season with fellow rider David Zabriskie (who, it should be noted, races for a rival team; not that it matters to Landis).

But, as is outlined in this great article by Daniel Coyle in the July issue of Outside Magazine, Landis' life is more of an open book. He's also a bad mo... well, decorum prevents my base-level analysis of Floyd Landis... let's just say that I think he has the same wallet Samuel L. Jackson has in Pulp Fiction (see page 4 of the above article). Basically, he's a likable guy. He may not be a dominant machine like Lance was on the Tour, and he's certainly not going to be the guy to bring the sport of cycling into the mainstream; if Armstrong couldn't do it, noone can.

Landis, however, is not a mythical rock star. He's just a guy who lives in a tiny apartment, who likes beer, who is as competitive as you could possibly imagine and possibly most importantly is completely unhindered by cycling's doping cloud that Lance Armstrong still cannot escape even a year after his retirement.

He's a guy you can get behind; a guy you can root for because, outside of growing up in a strict Mennonite family and his borderline-psychotic level of training, he's just like the rest of us.

I'm a Floyd Landis guy, and you should be, too.

LeBron Plants Business Roots in Northeast Ohio

2006-07-19T09:29:00.000-04:00

An fascinating article in Crain's Cleveland Business about a marketing summit involving Microsoft, Nike and Coca-Cola, called by LeBron James and conducted in Akron.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID
=/20060717/REG/60714049/1025/2020

You will likely have to register to read it, but it's free to register and you can decline to have extra email sent to you.

Sign of the Times

2006-07-12T07:51:00.000-04:00

Even if...

2006-07-10T15:42:00.000-04:00

While we don't know if Stephen A. Smith's Sunday report that Lebron James may be taking a 4-year $60 million contract as opposed to the max contract of 5 years and $80m (with the ability to opt out after three years following the 2009-2010 season), it is still not the time to hyperventilate, in classic Cleveland fan fashion, about losing Lebron just hours after he's agreed to a multiyear extension. Let me give you three reasons why you can remain calm, even assuming that Screamin' A. is accurate:

1- At worst, we will still have King James here on the North Coast until 2010, if not 2011 (if he doesn't opt out). That is plenty of time for a burgeoning superstar with limitless potential to bring a ring back to northeast Ohio. And if he does bring the ugly trophy back to The Q, why wouldn't he sign a second extension?

2- This theoretical contract also allows the Cavaliers to offer a bigger extension earlier than the other teams that locked up their 2003 draft picks long-term such as Toronto and Denver. This could mean that Daniel Gilbert, never shy about throwing cash around, could pony up that $150 million contract Lebron could be angling for before LBJ's 2003 peers could sniff the megabucks.

3- This is a business move by Lebron to ensure that his enormous third contract is not hindered by the expiration of the current NBA CBA, which is set to run out at the same time as Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh's shiny new max extensions. Why do you think Dwyane Wade is still working out terms with the Heat on his contract? He most likely wants the deal that Lebron allegedly is getting. (...and also because the Heat are going to be a trainwreck in 2-3 years)

With Indians this bad, what's next?

2006-06-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Indians have played 75 games so far this season, and on Monday at St. Louis won the opener of a series for the first time since May 19 against the Pirates. If any of out there reading this think the Indians can still be in a playoff race in 2006 then you might want to stop reading now, because this article is focusing on the unfortunate truth. That truth is that the Tribe is 17 games out of first, 15 games out of second (which happens to be the Wild Card in the American League) and the deficit keeps growing despite the Indians best efforts.

Knowing that, one must face the fact that 2006 is a lost season, and this article is going to focus on how the Indians can remodel what is a good core of players, most of which were here when

Cleveland won 93 games in 2005, and those players will be there in 2007.
2007 can be better but intelligent serious changes need to happen (particularly if the Central decides to keep putting out multiple legitimate contenders). At this point the question is how do the Indians go about remaking this team so that it will be closer to 90 wins again in 2007? Well I will play a little game of GM and to start we must take a look at what is going on.

In 2006 the Indians have a payroll of just over $56 million. To put that in perspective, and to illustrate what most of you perceive as the Tribe not spending money, the White Sox are at $102 million (4th highest in baseball), the Tigers are spending $82 million for their surprise leader, and even Minnesota is out spending the Indians by just over $8 million ($63 million). Spending money is only part of the equation. Especially with this team considering that not much money is being put into the budget to sign bigger free agents. If the Indians spent $70 million ($14 million more than now--or the equivalent of C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd’s contracts put together) Cleveland would still be 17th in the majors in payroll. Point there is that it should be plausible that the Indians can (and most of us would say should) spend more money. After all the old business adage is that “you must spend money to make money,” right? Anyway, let’s say for 2007 the payroll can be $70, I don’t think that’s too much and it is an increase of essentially two players to decent free agent contracts.

Secondly, we hear so much about the core of the team, well for those who don’t know they are referring to the young players that General Manager Mark Shapiro has signed to long term deals (you remember the John Hart style). Those players are: Jhonny Peralta (signed through 2008), Grady Sizemore (2012), Travis Hafner (2007 w/option for 08), Victor Martinez (2009 w/option for 2010), Sabathia (08), and Byrd (07 w/option for 08). The total salary of these six players this season is $19.3 million. If that seems like chump change in baseball, then it is, both Sizemore and Peralta make under $1 million, and Victor makes $1 million even.

Last weekend against Cincinnati we saw, what I think, is the beginning of the moves the Indians will make, and that is moving Victor to first base. Right off the bat (pardon the pun) that makes Eduardo Perez expendable, most likely in a trade this season and even Ben Broussard but that would not likely happen until the off season. Salary wise losing Broussard and Perez would save the Tribe $4.1 million. Both of these players are in the last year of their contract, though Perez has a club option for next season and Broussard has not reached the six year minimum to become a free agent yet, which translates to these players being traded as opposed to leaving via free agency. Other regular Indians that have their contracts up after this season: Ronnie Belliard ($4 million), Jason Michaels ($1.5 million), Bob Wickman ($5 million), and Guillermo Mota ($3 million). Jake Westbrook ($4.25 million), Aaron Boone ($3.75 million) and Casey Blake ($3 million) have their contracts end after 06 but have options for 2007. Of all the players just mentioned look for at least half of them to not be here next year, most likely candidates are Wickman, Boone, and Belliard. whether they leave for free agency at the end of the year or traded during this campaign.

Here comes the tricky part: the players that are trade bait this season (Wickman, Perez, Belliard, Boone, Broussard, Mota) would probably be traded to contending teams (if at all) and in return the Indians would probably not get major league ready talent and or cash. Let’s assume for the sake of argument, the Indians trade all the players I just listed or they left for free agency after the season, the point is that the Indians get players who would be in AAA Buffalo next year at best so as to not account in this equation. Money wise the Indians would save with all these trades and free agents roughly $17 million.

I know how complicated all this money talk sounds, so to break it down what I am trying to say is that this off season what the Indians should do is use what ever money they are given to sign a closer and veteran bullpen help (like the Tribe had last season with Arthur Rhodes and Bob Howry). The offense is still one of the top run producers in the league, and the starting pitching staff #1-4 is solid and should stay where they are (Sabathia, Westbrook, Byrd, and Cliff Lee). Victor moves to first, a catching platoon begins with Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Garko (assuming he will see more time at catcher in Buffalo now). Peralta at shortstop, Andy Marte at third, Sizemore, Blake and Michaels to round out the outfield. Hafner, of course, is the DH and that leaves second base. The choices for that position are to a) resign Belliard which seems unlikely, b) use Joe Inglett who is on the active roster right now but needs to prove he could play that which is a longshot, or c) pick up a veteran through a trade or free agency. These free agent possibilities include Miguel Cairo (NYY), Adam Kennedy (LAA), Luis Castillo (Twins), Mark Gurdzielanek (KC), and Mark DeRosa (Tex).

A fifth starter is another item of need for this team in 2007. The possibilities for that are Jeremy Sowers, Ted Lilly (Tor), Tony Armas (Was), or Miguel Batista (Ari) I would say are the best possibilities.

The bullpen is where the most work has to be done. A new closer will be needed; the only free agent closers are Mariano Rivera (good luck with that), Eddie Guardado who is not even a closer anymore with the Mariners, Joe Borowski who is dirt cheap, having a good year, and stuck with the Marlins and finally Wickman himself. A closer, it seems, would be something the Indians would have to trade for either this year but most likely in the off season. As for the rest of the bullpen, guys that will most likely be kept include: Rafael Bentancourt, Fernando Cabrera, and Fausto Carmona. We have not seen enough of Rafael Perez or Ed Mujica to add them to the list, but at least rest assured they are probably not going anywhere.

That leaves a closer spot and some veteran setup men spots, lets say three total spots available. Closer, as mentioned will be the trickiest because there are no big free agent closers like there were last off season. As for set up men, there are plenty. Here is a brief list with current salaries: righties Mike Remlinger (700K), LaTroy Hawkins ($4.4 million), Scott Williamson ($2 million), Mike DeJean ($1.5 million), Danny Kolb ($2 million), Felix Rodriguez (800K), Esteban Yan ($1.25 million), lefties Ray King ($2.5 million), Rheal Cormier ($2.5 million), Aaron Fultz ($1.2 million), Arthur Rhodes ($3.7 million), and Scott Schoeneweis ($2.75 million).

In summation, the Indians will keep their “core” players, bring up guys like Marte and Shoppach to permanent position jobs, keep the top four of the rotation in tact, and then spend anywhere (hopefully) between $7 and $12 million on the bullpen. Remember that guys like Marte will be making salaries under $1 million in 2007, combined with the $19.5 million of the “core” players, plus another $20 million or so in bullpen/closer help, a 5th starter and maybe a second baseman. That would bring the payroll to about $50 million ($6 million less than it currently is).

The Indians have options and if they take this type of game plan to either go with kids in the bullpen and or positions or to spend an extra $20 million to bring payroll up to a middle of the pack $70 million and that would allow for veteran bullpen and closer help, a second baseman, a 5th starter, and maybe a bat for the outfield to replace say Michaels or Blake.

The options are there and there are many paths to get this team retooled for 2007 and it should be starting very soon if it hasn’t already. Tune in later for further updates…

Another Cleveland What If Question

2006-06-06T12:05:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, while sitting on my couch trying to recover from a long night Saturday night I had this sudden urge to watch one of the DVD’s from the Cleveland Indians, Jacobs Field 10th Anniversary set (one of my favorite Christmas presents ever). I choose to watch the one from 1997. Now we all remember what happened in 1997, and first I need to put the disclaimer in here that I am not trying to dig up old wounds again from “Game 7,” but at the same time just follow me. We are asking on of those proverbial Cleveland sports questions, ‘what if?’

What if Jose Mesa didn’t suck, it would be interesting to see what we all would remember from that season. A season that could, nay should have been the Indians first title since 1948, and Cleveland’s first title since the Browns in 1964. So if Mesa didn’t blow the save (the person of course for whom the loss is mostly blamed), what would we all remember from 1997? Well one answer that might surprise you is this: Tony Fernandez would have gone down as one of the most fondly remembered Cleveland Indians of all-time.

Now at this point I know you’re thinking, Butters, what the hell are you talking about, I've never heard of this guy? Well the Indians had him and for most of the 1997 season Fernandez was just another Indian putting up modest numbers as the mainstay at Second Base. The was of course one of the side effects of trading away then fan favorite Carlos Baerga in the middle of the 96 season.

In 120 games Fernandez hit .286 with 11 homers and 44 RBI. He scored only 55 runs and committed 10 errors (.980 fielding Pct.) and then saw his time at second go way down with the August acquisition of Bip Roberts who could not only play second, but leadoff and steal bases (This was of course the only Tribe playoff year without Kenny Lofton). For the most part, Fernandez was average at best in 1997, and his contribution was soon forgotten that off-season when he signed with his original club, where he is fondly remembered and thought of, the Toronto Blue Jays (Toronto has even retired his number). The Indians would then have no answer at second base in 1998, which led them to sign Roberto Alomar in 1999.

Still wondering how Fernandez would have been one of the most famous Tribesmen, well that was just the back story after all, his real and should be remembered contribution came in that crazy time period known as October 1997, when of course the Indians came as close as they have since winning in 1948 to winning another World Series.

As I was watching the playoff part of the DVD, and all the great moments of the playoff run, you would see Sandy, a good Jaret Wright, hard hitting Chad Ogea, and the loudest ballpark in baseball. However, sprinkled in all this, at seemingly the most crucial times you would find one Tony Fernandez. That is exactly what I noticed as well, almost as if to say when watching the highlights “Hey there’s that Fernandez guy again!”

My point begins as simple as this, if Mesa doesn’t blow the save the Indians win the World Series, and Tony Fernandez would have been responsible for the series winning run in all three series played! That’s right, he hit what was, or should have become the series winner all three times. Those weren’t the only clutch moments for Fernandez in the 1997 playoffs.

ALDS, v. Yankees, Game 2, at Yankee Stadium.
With the Indians down in the Division Series 1-0 after blowing a 5-run lead by giving up back-to-back-to-back homers to the Yankees, rookie Jaret Wright gave up three runs in the first inning of Game 2. The Indians could have folded and effectively ended the series right there. But they didn’t. With one of my favorite opposing pitchers on the mound in Andy Pettitte (he’s one of my favorite because the Tribe always blew him up) the Indians struck back in the 3rd. With 2 out, David Justice, Sandy Alomar, and Jim Thome all hit RBI singles to tie the game, then Tony stepped up hitting righty off the lefty (Fernandez by the way was a switch hitter--yet another fact you probably forgot about him). So Tony steps up and pulls one to left. Chad Curtis (who played for the Indians earlier in 97) misplayed the ball, it went over his head, to the wall, and both Alomar and Thome scored, putting the Indians up 5-3. Wright settled down, and the Indians never looked back getting the crucial Game 2 to tie the series, with it shifting to Jacobs Field for the remaining three games.

ALDS v. Yankees, Game 5, at Jacobs Field.
With the Tribe tying the series again in Game 4 (Alomar with the HR off Rivera in 8th, followed by and Omar Vizquel game winning hit in the 9th), a Game 2 rematch was set for the deciding Game 5 with Pettitte going against Wright. This time around Wright was phenomenal from the start, giving up 3 runs, 2 earned in 5 1/3 innings. Pettitte, as usual against Cleveland, was hit hard again for three Indian runs in the 3rd and a 3-0 lead on a Ramirez two-run double, and an RBI single from Matt Williams. Now even though the Indians would not trail at all in this game, the Yankees (I guess because they are everyone’s nemesis) would chip away at the lead until Mesa closed them out in the 9th and the Indians won the game (and ALDS) 4-3. Wait a second, 4-3? When did the Indians get a fourth run, which therefore is the run that was just enough to hang on to the series win? That would be in the fourth inning by, what at the time was, a seemingly meaningless sacrifice fly by…..Tony Fernandez.
Alomar doubled to lead off, Thome laid down a sac bunt (trust me I know how hard that is to comprehend in 2006), and then Tony hit a liner to Paul O’Niell in right and the Indians had a 4-0 lead, that shrank to 4-3 after the sixth, but the Indians bullpen, even Mesa, hung on.

Fernandez in the Division Series: 2/11, .180, double, 4RBI. Overall Tony didn’t hit that well against New York, but the few times he did make contact, it was important contact, plus he was perfect from the field with 0 errors.

ALCS, v. Orioles, Game 3, at Jacobs Field.
The Indians had split the first two games in Baltimore, and Game 3 was the definition of a pitchers duel. Orel Hershiser and Mike Mussina locked horns and dominated the game. Mussina in seven innings allowed one run (a Matt Williams RBI single in the 7th), 3 hits, and struck out 15. Hershiser was able to match him that late afternoon going seven shutout innings and striking out 7. Later in the 9th, Mesa on to close the game and this blown save I can’t blame on him (as much as one would want to) because it was Marquis Grissom (hero of Game 2) who lost the ball in the lights and Jeff Reboulet scored from first to tie the game. Moving to the 12th now, as afternoon becomes evening, and the Indians offense still can’t get going against the best bullpen in American League in the Orioles. A bullpen that featured Randy Myers who led the league with 45 saves, a young Armando Benitez, a younger Arthur Rhodes, and ancient former Indian Jesse Orosco. With one out, Grissom walked, which brought up Tony Fernandez. Fernandez hit an opposite field flare to right that dropped in front of Jeffery Hammonds. Grissom moved to third and slid in nicely to beat Hammonds throw. Runners on the corners, one out, and Omar is up. You know the rest of the story, for on the very next pitch was the “suicide squeeze.” You know that hilarious play where Lenny Webster dropped the ball, assumed that Vizquel had fouled it off, and Grissom races to home and scores while the ball is 4 feet from home plate the entire time and Webster just watches Grissom fly past him. Point to this is that though Fernandez didn’t get the game winner, he is responsible for setting the stage for one of the strangest ways a baseball game has ever ended…stealing home on a passed ball from a missed suicide squeeze (guaranteed they don’t practice that in spring training). Either way the Indians were ahead in the series and would not trail again.

ALCS, v. Orioles, Game 6, at Camden Yards
This is the one Tony Fernandez moment that you may actually remember as well as the story behind it. In batting practice earlier in the day, with Fernandez in the cage. He hit’s a liner, which bruises Bip Robert’s hand, forcing manager Mike Hargrove to remove Roberts from the lineup and put Tony in. Bip was supposed to start at second base that day. You know the rest. Mussina and the Oriole pitching was untouchable, while Charles Nagy, in what to me was his best moment ever, pitched in a way that made you think that you were watching Bob Wickman for seven innings (Nagy went 7 1/3). In the end Nagy denied Baltimore of any runs and the game was still scoreless heading to the 11th. Benitez is now in for Baltimore and had already given up two game winners in this series, this was about to the third. With two out, Fernandez hitting from the left side this time, got into a Benitez fastball and drilled it over the right field scoreboard to the standing room only crowd on Eutaw Street. Indians win 1-0, and win only their 5th American League Pennant ever. By the way of the three, that’s right, three total hits the Indians had in 11 innings that day, Tony Fernandez had two of them.

Fernandez in the ALCS: 5/14, .357, double, HR, 2 RBI, 1 error. Fernandez hit the pennant winning homer, and a surprising .357, his highest postseason batting average until he out did himself in the 97 World Series. This of course is also a player who played with the good Toronto Blue Jay teams of the late 80’s and early 90’s, and won a ring with the 93 Jays.

World Series, v. Marlins, Game 7, at Joe Robbie Stadium
The day that should’ve been Cleveland’s finest moment in about 35 years. It would be Herb Score’s last broadcast after seeing so much losing, it was the day that was supposed to exorcize the demons and start the so-called curse busters nearly a decade earlier than it did with the Red Sox and White Sox. And for 25 of 27 outs it looked like it would have. This is where I will spare you from recapping some of the pain. However earlier in a game that featured veteran Al Leiter and rookie Jaret Wright, the Indians struck first. Wright was masterful and as we all know should’ve gone down in history as the youngest person ever to win a Game 7 of a World Series (it wasn’t to be and that honor would go to the Angel’s John Lackey in 2002). With a good pitchers duel forming and the Tribe batting in the third, Thome walked, followed by a Grissom single. After Wright sac bunted them over and Vizquel poped out, Fernandez strode to the plate and connected for a two-out, two-run line single to center that put the Indians up 2-0.
Even with Bobby Bonilla’s homer off Wright in the 7th, Cleveland still led 2-1, and as we know if Mesa doesn’t blow the save, that would have been the final score. This means that Tony Fernandez would have had the series winning RBI in the Division, League Championship and World Series! This I can’t stress enough for my argument, because if it had gone down that way, that’s what we would remember (among other things). This is of course where reality sets in, the save didn’t get saved, and Fernandez pulls the death nail ‘Bill Buckner’ play that opened the Marlins door of victory in the 12th. Remember though if Mesa doesn’t blow the save, a side effect (other than a World title) is that that play never happens.

Fernandez in the World Series: 8/17, .471, double, 4 RBI, 2 errors. Fernandez came up big offensviely in an offensive minded series. His .471 average a career best for a playoff series and had a number of nice hits in key situations. For the entire postseason in 1997 for Cleveland, Fernandez was: 15/42, .357, 3 doubles, HR, and 10 RBI. The 10 RBI's tied a career high for a playoff year with his 1993 playoffs with Toronto.

10 seasons later, Fernandez is a just a footnote in Cleveland Indians history, who is only remembered (though it is a great thing for one to be known) for hitting the pennant winning home run in 1997. Some out there choose to remember the ball rolling under his glove at second, but that is I guess just the Cleveland way of thinking. Tony after all is remembered as one of the Blue Jays greatest heroes, and did have a good career spanning 17 seasons from 1983-2001, 11 of those with the Blue Jays. Overall an average to above average player in a league filled with stars and busts. A player who is remembered in one city only, but who could have been made immortal in another.

Gilbert Thanks the Fans

2006-05-25T09:51:00.000-04:00

As promised...

Dan Gilbert thanks the fans on page D3 of Wednesday's Plain Dealer with a full page ad (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Who Shot Mamba?

2006-05-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to go help out Brian Spaeth's summer project, WHO SHOT MAMBA? Click the picture to find out more about the project and how to donate!

There is still the Tribe

2006-05-22T07:33:00.000-04:00

With all our attention, and rightfully so, focused on LeBron and the Cavaliers run in the playoffs that sadly came to an expected but unexpected end in Detroit, many out there are forgetting that the Cleveland Indians are playing baseball right now. But when you open up the sports section and see a team that is at .500 and seven and a half games behind the White Sux you wonder how that can that be?

At first glance that seems like a travesty that a team supposedly this good can be fiddling around .500 shortly before Memorial Day. Well let's not forget that last season at this time (through 44 games) the Indians were 20-24. The pitching both in the pen and rotation was lights out, but the lineup couldn't hit water if it fell out of a boat. In the first 44 games of 2006 the reverse is true and at many times the pitching is reminding us of 2004.

Fear not, there is still some hope that the summer and the Indians will heat up. This is a team since Eric Wedge took over as manager that has repeadley struggled in the first two months of the season. 21-32 in 2003, 22-26 in 2004, and 25-25 in 2005. All of these records punctuated by horrible Aprils (this April the Indians were a modest 13-12 but that is the first winning April since 2001).

I know you are probably still wondering how this team, a team that won 93 games last year, is still struggling. Well it is the pitching, but then again you knew that. First off, if anyone expected the overall staff to be as good as they were in 2005, then you don't know baseball. Losing Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton and replacing them with Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson is a clear downgrade, but from a rotation standpoint Jake Westbrook and Cliff Lee are not as efficient as they have been. Lee can't seem to get past the sixth inning, and Westbrook is having many of his sinkers hit hard, on the ground, but still hit hard for opponent hits that haven't been there in the past. Then you have C.C. Sabathia who missed all of April after pulling a rib muscle (again) on opening day, however since his return he has been one of the best in baseball (4 starts, 3-1, 1.95 ERA). Moral of the story is the starting rotation is not as good as it was last year.

The real problem however is the bullpen. The positive here is that Danny Graves is gone (it took the Indians another month in 2004 to give up on Jose Jimenez--remember him?). Bob Howry was lost to the Cubs in the offseason and was by far the worst move of the offseason letting him get away. Guillermo Mota has not been as good as needed but is at least healthy, Bob Wickman is perfect in save opportunities but hasn't had many because the middle relief can't get him the ball. Rafael Bentancourt has been hurt until last week and Matt Miller is done maybe forever. Point is, the best bullpen in the game in 2005, is having a hard time getting people out in 2006. Pitching is the name of the game, look at Chicago last year and the Tigers right now, their success is based on good pitching. All this being said the starters have gotten a bit better and this same bullpen has given up just one run in the last eight games.

There is good news, the offense hasn't really lost a beat since their run last summer. The Indians lead the American League in runs scored, second in batting average, fifth in home runs, and fourth in slugging. Pronk is still Pronking opponents, Victor is still over .300, Casey freaking Blake is the league's leading hitter, and the platoon at first base of Guitar Broussard and Son of Tony are hitting a combined .358. I am not suggesting for a moment that this offense is as good as that of the mid-90's, but when you have an offense that can put up numbers, you still have a chance.

The Tribe just completed a 5-1 week against the Royals and Pirates, and even though many would say "well those teams suck," it is so important to take care of business at home against bad teams. The Indians next nine game come against Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago to close out May. This is the competition that the Indians must beat in order to get closer in the division as the spring goes into summer. Wedge uses a lot of cliches in his interviews, but one is true here, if the Indians take it one game at a time, and go something like 6-3, then the Indians still have a chance to close some ground while it's still early.

Jim Kushlan

Nooooooooooooo

2006-05-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

Still recovering from Game Seven. Full thoughts later tonight; probably after I recuperate by watching the Oilers-Ducks game.

One MASSIVE thought though:

Joe Crawford is usually a good ref. And not just by NBA standards (which are absurdly low), he's actually a good ref. A good ref... except for the end of the third quarter when he missed foul calls that he was standing no less than three feet from on consecutive Cavs posessions to end the quarter-- the most egregious being Rasheed Wallace CLEARLY hacking Donyell Marshall's arm as he went up for a three pointer. The foul would've been Mr. Histrionics' fourth and would've set a drastically different tone for the fourth, not even to mention the fact that Donyell would've gotten three freaking foul shots.

NBA officiating has been an absolute joke over the past three seasons and David Stern refuses to address the situation. He's been a fine commish for the NBA but the albatross that is NBA refereeing will forever be his legacy in my mind, much like steroids will be Bud Selig's legacy and the 04-05 lockout will be Gary Bettman's. Something has got to change in terms of the people wearing the gray shirts; they have been the secondary focus of what has been an otherwise exemplary NBA postseason.

I was also surprised at how often the Pistons were bitching and moaning about foul calls considering the preponderance thereof went their way. There was so much whining by the opposition that you would've thought the Cavaliers were playing the Spurs.