NBA Finals...Cavs/Warriors Round 2- Series Preview

     The NBA Finals start Thursday night with the much anticipated rematch of last year's finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. Aside from this being a matchup of the two best teams the league has to offer (sorry San Antonio and Oklahoma City), there will be plenty of story lines to discuss during the series. LeBron's legacy, the major sports title drought in Cleveland, Steph Curry's back to back MVP's, Ty Lue's journey as Cavs coach, as well as many other incendiary plot lines. One thing that can't be debated is that this will be one of the most watched Finals match ups in NBA history. Plenty of star power to go around, and two rabid fan bases slugging it out with two fully healthy rosters. For the Warriors, it's a chance to finish off what has been a historic season by claiming the league's ultimate prize, thus cementing their place in the conversation with the league's all-time greatest teams. For the Cavs, it's a chance to right last year's Finals loss, a chance for LeBron James to deliver on his promise of bringing a championship to his home state, and turn Cleveland from hard luck loser to feel good fairy tale.

     The Cavs cruised through the Eastern Conference playoffs for a second straight year with a 12-2 record. They won their first 10 straight games, before "slipping up" for 2 games against the Toronto Raptors, only to right the ship with 2 convincing victories in games 5 and 6 to secure their third Eastern Conference title in franchise history. Last year the Cavs were decimated by injuries, suspensions, and fatigue. They won games with their defense, riding James and a rag tag bunch that pushed the Warriors to 6 games in last year's Finals before bowing out. This year they've won with high octane offense, deadly 3 point shooting, and timely defense. They're peaking at just the right time, and come roaring into the Finals with a full squad hell bent on avenging last year's loss.

     The Warriors road to the Finals was a little more difficult this year than it was last year. They're coming off a grueling 7 game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, having rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to advance to their second straight Finals. They can still shoot the lights out, lead by the Splash Brothers, but there have been some signs of vulnerability in these playoffs after a 73-9 record setting regular season. Steph Curry has been bothered by knee and ankle injuries. Draymond Green has had his fair share of emotional moments with his style of play in the West Finals. The team defense hasn't been as crisp. With all that being considered, the Warriors are still a very dangerous team, and will head into game one as the heavy favorites to win their second consecutive title.

     All the tough questions seem to be facing the Cavaliers. Can they combat the Warriors lineup of death? Can Irving and Love raise their games to another level to stand with LeBron and take down the defending champions? Will the stage be too big for Ty Lue? Can the Cavs bench provide the necessary scoring punch that was so badly missing in last year's Finals? The Warriors have questions to answer as well. Can they patch their transition defense? Who will guard LeBron now that there are two other legitimate scoring threats on the floor with him? All of these questions make for a compelling Finals. While I won't offer a prediction (of course I'm pulling for the Cavs), there are some things that will be paramount to the Cavs chances of taking down the Warriors.

     Take care of the basketball. While this certainly can apply to any team in any series, there are teams that are better equipped to overcome poor handling nights, and the Warriors are one of those teams. While the Cavs also have the offense to dig themselves out of a hole, it's more critical that the Cavs win the turnover battle. Any time you can limit the amount of possessions of your opponent in a variety of ways, you take full advantage of it. You also want to stay aggressive while taking care of the ball. I'm not saying don't take chances with the basketball, but the intelligent play is the best play.

     Clean the glass and win the 50/50 balls. One of the big reasons the Cavs were able to grab a 2-1 series lead in last year's Finals was their ability to win the rebounding battle. The Warriors like to go small, and the Cavs have plenty of rebounders to clean up with. James, Thompson, Love, and even Irving have a nose for loose balls. If you can force the Warriors into tough shots, you've got to crash the glass. Second shots are certain death against Golden State.

     Go over ball screens. The Warriors have made a living off of their ball screens. Teams that sag under those screens pay dearly. The Thunder did a good job of going over screens in games 1-4. Once their attention to detail slipped in games 5-7, it was a feast from beyond the arc for the Warriors. Curry and Thompson are dangerous dead eye shooters, but you can't risk trading 3 for 2. That will get you beat all day. Force them into the lane, and hope you can rotate help quick enough. One thing the Cavs had success with against the guards of the Toronto Raptors was going over the screens and blitzing the ball handlers. It forced them away from the basket and made them uncomfortable. I'd imagine we'll see more of that in this series.

     Watch the pace. Coach Lue said that the Cavs plan to try and beat the Warriors at their own game during these Finals. I think that is a bad idea. While the Cavs are better equipped to combat the Warriors at their own game this year, attempting to play at their pace is risky. Last year the Cavs were reduced to playing a half court style of ground out basketball. This year they can change it up, and should use that versatility to their advantage. They can push the pace off missed shots and turnovers, but should consider the grind out game to stem the flow at times. What will also be important to watch are the spots in which Ty Lue decides to use timeouts when the Warriors go on runs of their own.

     Play total team defense. Irving and Love will be the subject of talk regarding their lackluster defense. These guys aren't going to turn into Gary Payton and Dikembe Mutombo before Thursday, but both have shown flashes of good defense in these playoffs. Everyone has to help each other out. Communicate, understand assignments, and stick to the game plan...even when Oracle is roaring. JR Smith has taken his defense to another level, while Shump, Delly, and RJ have been reliable defenders this year. It's not realistic to think that you are going to shut down the Warriors, but the goal should be to slow them.

     The time is now for LeBron. What LeBron James did in last year's Finals was historic. He should have been the Finals MVP. He was that good. These first two games are critical to this series. The Cavs must win 1 of them to have any realistic shot of winning this series. In order to do that, LeBron is going to have to be in attack mode from the opening tip Thursday night. He's been able to guide his team to the Finals without exerting too much energy in these first three rounds. The Cavs were diligent about resting him down the stretch. All of that was for this moment, and the time to unleash LeBron is now. He'll need to be great for Cleveland to win. Good won't cut it.

     There you have it. This promises to be an enjoyable Finals...one sure to be filled with Tums and plenty of Novenas. Let's go end this championship drought, boys.

TR

LeBron and the Summer of 2014

     Redemption.  As early as last year, a story surfaced on Yahoo! Sports that LeBron James might be clearing a path for a return home to Cleveland during the summer of 2014, when he has the option to opt out of his much maligned 6 year deal that he signed with the Miami Heat following the 2010 season.  Even if you aren't from Cleveland or Miami, or a fan of the NBA for that matter, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't witness some part of LeBron's nationally publicized break-up with Cleveland in an hour-long ESPN special coined "The Decision".  It was insensitive, self-centered, egotistical, and just plain stupid.  The fallout was incredible, as most of the basketball world turned on James for orchestrating such a thing.  Even LeBron couldn't have imagined the venom he would receive.  He tried to fight it, justifying his every action and reaction to everything that was going on around him.  The greatest thing that happened in all of this; it all got LeBron's attention.  But I feel the need to digress for a moment.

     The story.  Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) first broke the story.  When I read it, I went still, my heart pounding.  Since July 8th, 2010, I've watched about 4 NBA games from start to finish.  I'm not even sure that number is accurate, but what I can say is that I lost all taste for the NBA after that night.  Some of it, well a lot of it, had to do with James' act of self indulgence.  Cleveland sports fans have endured a great deal of torment from the national media, but this was the end of the line for me.  I was no longer going to fully invest in anything professional sports-wise.  As I continued to read through the story, I dismissed most of it as a writer doing nothing more than taking various quotes from LeBron, creating his own connections, and drawing his own conclusions, thus telling a different story. Sure, the scenario sounded interesting, especially the part where it was reported that members of LeBron's camp were rumored to have carried a message or two back to Dan Gilbert that LeBron had a desire to return to Cleveland.  This was 47 weeks ago.

     The return.  A few days ago, another story surfaced, this time from multiple sports outlets, stating that the Cavaliers are positioning themselves to make a run at LeBron after the 2014 season.  I quickly retweeted the story, tagging a few of my basketball junkies along the way via Twitter.  The responses started coming in.  I read things like "why don't you grow a backbone and hold a grudge", "Dan Gilbert still owns the team, right?  Then LBJ will never be allowed back", and "we don't need him, we can do it without him".  The Cavs record in the post-LBJ era; a staggering 49-139, including an NBA record 26 game slide during the 2011 season.  Basketball had seen better days in Cleveland.  The story has legs, it seems to be a real possibility, and it's less than 2 years away.  Maybe.

     There are really two sides to all of this.  The Decision, and the state of the Cavaliers franchise after the 2010 season.  I'm not here to defend the idea of that television spectacle.  Not going to do it.  Ever.  As for LeBron's former employer, that's another story.  The team had reached a breaking point following the game 6 loss to Boston during the 2010 playoffs.  Most would argue that the series ended after game 5.  The current mix of players wasn't going to achieve its goal.  The design was flawed tremendously.  Aging players, bad contracts, a lame duck coach, and the weight of 46 years of sports tragedy sitting on one superstar's shoulders.  I'm not sure what happened to LeBron James that playoff season, only he can answer that.  As a fan, I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm never going to get the true story.  It was bizarre.  I know what he was called afterwards by the owner, the fans, and the national guys.  The Cavs were going to have to take a step backwards to fix this.  There was no quick solution that could be drawn up.  At this stage of LeBron James' career, going backwards wasn't an option.  His time was over here.

     Some fans will contest that the Cavs were a desperate organization, and they were being manipulated and held hostage by their superstar.  After all, LeBron could do no wrong in the eyes of the fans.  He was their king, their savior.  Maybe they were the real victims in all of this.  If that was the case, and that was their thinking, shame on them.  If anyone needed to grow a backbone in all of this, it was the Cavaliers.  Everyone from the owner, to the GM, to the coach, to the players, to the media, all the way down to the damn ball boy.  In hindsight, these things are easy to say now, but all first class organizations conduct themselves in a manner that doesn't allow them to be controlled.  The Decision was as much about the failures of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization than it was about LeBron James' ego and thirst for championships.

     So Dan Gilbert went John McClane and fired off a letter in defense of his own ego, and what happened?  He was glorified for it.  All he came off looking like was a spoiled little child who lost his favorite toy.  I guess he had every right to be angry, after all, he lost $400 million in a little over an hour.  As time has gone on, I think that both these men have learned a great deal from that experience.  LeBron has stated publicly that he regrets the course he plotted during that free agency period.  Was he completely contrite?  Who knows, and who cares.  Dan Gilbert has since expressed the same feeling of regret for his tirade.  Both men may have an opportunity, if they choose, to come together again to deliver something more fantastic, to a city that deserves a storybook ending for once.  Privately, I believe that Dan would tell you that he's a better owner due to this experience.  The Cavs are building a young team, with a young superstar at the center of it.  They've got a good coach, and the team hasn't added any disastrous contracts to the payroll, all while shedding each and every bad one.  They're in the game, waiting, doing exactly what they should have been doing for all those other years...making the Cavaliers an inviting destination for LeBron James.

     Let's dispel a few paradigms here.  Dan Gilbert would absolutely take LeBron James back.  Dan's a business man, and as a successful, smart, innovative business man, he knows exactly what he stands to gain from a LeBron James reunion.  Franchise value.  Sold out home games.  Concessions.  Merchandise.  Packed Casinos and hotels.  Vibrant nightlife in the city.  As for the fans, some will stand their ground and rue the day LeBron James comes back to town.  I once answered a question from a Boston fan of "When will this whole LeBron thing be over with for you" by simply stating "When he dies".  Honestly, I don't feel that way anymore.  LeBron James taught me a few things about the dangers of investing in professional athletes.  It's a bottom line business these days.  There's no loyalty anymore in this "culture of me".  I'll invest for my own personal reasons, not because a Nike banner tells me I should be a "witness".  Not because the guys on First Take tell me that I should be grateful that LeBron gave my team and city 7 great years of basketball.  The majority of fans would jump off the Key Tower for another run with LeBron.  In this world of second chances, this would be just one more instance supporting it.  Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone loves a story, and this would be the greatest story of them all.  Redemption.

     Then again, it could all be a ruse.


TR

The Dark Knight's Brightest Moments

     The much anticipated final installment of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is set to debut at thousands of theaters at midnight tonight.  While Batman fans everywhere are hoping the film provides a fitting end to Nolan's adaptation, there hasn't been, in my opinion, enough discussion on how we arrived at this point.  With a record breaking weekend awaiting, and perhaps highest grossing film of all time title coming down the road, along with what will surely include numerous Oscar nominations, The Dark Knight Rises will serve as the pinnacle of Christopher Nolan's brilliance.

     As we all wait to see how the final chapter will unfold...and what fate awaits, the journey of Bruce Wayne and Batman has a special place in film lore.  As Rises will provide us with plenty of memories as well as water cooler fodder for the foreseeable future, I have found myself looking back at the previous two films, trying to identify those key moments that have helped shape this current version of Wayne and his alter ego.  Here's my top ten.

     10. Bruce Wayne buys back his own company and hires Lucius Fox to run it (Batman Begins).  In the first film, we gain some insight into what Bruce Wayne's childhood was like.  We also see (albeit briefly) what his father's vision for Gotham was.  After his parents death, not much is known about Bruce.  There's a whole portion of his life we don't get to see.  Upon his return to Gotham, he casually interjects himself back into his father's company, only to find that the board of trustees, lead by Mr. Earl, aren't being provided with the necessary leadership.  Bruce takes a job, in an effort to better understand the company, in Applied Sciences.  It is there that he meets Lucius Fox, and the two spend most of their time playing with, and modifying some of the many toys stored in the basement at Wayne Enterprises.  As Wayne's fondness for Fox grows, so does his passion for wanting more for his fathers' company.

    In one of the more underrated acts of deception in the movie, Bruce pounces on an opportunity to seize his own company back.  With the stock set to go public, Wayne arranges to purchase the majority of the shares through various organizations and charities.  By doing this, he now becomes the sole owner of Wayne Enterprises, and in a twist of poetic justice, he takes the recently fired Fox and hires him to run the company, a job recently held by Earl, who in turn gets fired after firing Fox.  Confused yet?  This is one of the few moments in the film where fans get to see what type of savvy business man Wayne is.

     9.  The fascinating stories surrounding the Joker's scars (The Dark Knight).  Easily the most sinister of villains Batman has faced to this point, the Joker seems to push all the right buttons with everyone, including Batman.  While he is not an imposing physical presence, the Joker possesses a cerebral element which forces his foes to not take him lightly.  His job is to induce panic, to make you feel as if there is no way you can defeat him, that he's thought of every scenario.  While we don't know anything about the Joker's past, unlike in previous Batman films, we do know how he got the two nasty scars he has on each side of his mouth...sort of.  Throughout the Dark Knight, the Joker, at the right moment, uses those scars, and the stories surrounding them to heighten the drama of each interaction.  We know of two versions for sure (as told to Gambol, and Rachel Dawes), but as Batman himself is about to find out in the films final moments, he decides to write his own "scar" story by blasting "bat discs" into the face of the Joker, and throwing him off a building.

     8.  The Joker announces himself to Gotham (The Dark Knight).  Already having strong armed the gangs of Gotham into enlisting his services, the Joker's next step is to paralyze Gotham with fear in hopes of driving Batman to unmask and surrender to him.  All of this begins with a homemade torture tape featuring one of the "copy cat" Batmans.  We come to find out the identity of this man, Brian Douglas, moments before the Joker kills him.  Douglas is clearly terrified, and the Joker heightens the fear by "playing" with him.  He asks questions like "Are you the real Batman?".  Joker's full range of emotions are on display in this 1 minute tape, ending in a set of ultimatums to Batman himself after spinning the camera around and showing his face.  As a consequence for each passing day that goes by without the revealing of Batman, Joker promises to kill someone.  He does this by naming a city official that will be the target.

     In his first wave of attacks, he comes after judge Janet Surrillo, Commissioner Loeb, and Harvey Dent.  while he was successful in killing the first two (Surrillo's car exploded after opening an envelope she thought contained directions to a safe house, but was simply a piece of paper that said "Up", and Loeb was poisoned from his own liquor glass), he is unsuccessful in taking out Dent only because of the efforts of Wayne and Batman.  By unbalancing the political landscape of Gotham, panic and anarchy run rampant.

     7.  Batman brings Mr. Lao back from Hong Kong (The Dark Knight).  After nearly closing a deal with Wayne enterprises, Mr. Lao leaves Gotham in the middle of the night for the protection of his native Hong Kong.  Knowing that the Chinese government will not extradite Lao back to Gotham, even if the evidence is staggering of his wrongdoing, Batman, Gordon, and Dent suddenly see their chances of bringing the Mob to justice slipping away.  After meeting with Fox, Wayne has a plan for getting inside Lao's headquarters and extracting him.  The plan is simple- fly to Hong Kong to meet with Lao and tell him that the business deal will be put on hold, plant a device the downloads the building's schematics, get back inside after dark, and get past Lao's security and extract him using the "Sky Hook" program.  Simple, right?

     In one of the more special non-Gotham scenes, the skyline of Hong Kong is breathtaking, and Batman displays some new gadgets.  He base jumps off the tallest building in Hong Kong, and uses explosives to breach Lao's wing.  As bullets are flying all around him, shattering glass, Batman fights off Lao's security, then drags Lao by the his foot to the extraction point.  After blowing out the windows, and seemingly having nowhere to go, a large cargo plane, chartered by Wayne, extracts both men literally out of the sky, and Lao is delivered safe and sound for Dent to prosecute to the full extent. Of course, Lao cuts a deal, as expected, and Dent gets his hooks in the Mob.

     6.  Batman's first appearance, and subsequent defeat of Carmine Falcone (Batman Begins).  I really wrestled with this one, for the simple reason that it symbolizes so much in the arc of Batman's journey.  But, after lots of thought, it rests at #6 on my list.  In his first mission as Batman that doesn't include gathering information, the Dark Knight sets his sights on Carmine Falcone, and stopping a shipment of stolen goods from being picked up by his men.  Falcone sits at the shipyard in a limo, when he is alerted by a cop he's paid off that he "better bail".  Batman uses the shipyard to provide plenty of cover for himself, all while inducing panic on Falcone's men.  Forced to listen to random gunfire, combined with the screams of his men, Falcone begins to grow nervous.  At one point, he whispers to himself "What the hell are you?".  Moments later, his moonroof is smashed out, and he is dragged out of it by Batman.  He gets his answer to his question when Wayne says "I'm Batman!", and knocks him out.  The humor in the scene is provided when a homeless man is at the scene,  and is noticed by Batman, who looks at him and says "Nice coat", before disappearing into the sky.

     I love what this scene symbolizes.  It's not the flashiest by any means.  In fact, it shows just how simplistic Batman, and his attacks are to this point.  He announces himself to the crime lord in Gotham, and scares the crap out of him, something no one has been able to do to this point.  He straps him to a huge searchlight for the cops to find, which in turn serves as the birth of the bat signal, and the scene provides inspiration and hope that good will prevail.  The look on the homeless man's face was one of shock, but optimism, and at the very end of the scene, Batman is standing on the ledge of a building, overlooking a panoramic view of Gotham, as if to say "I'm the watchful guardian of this city, and its people".  The score for that scene also has undertones of hope and the breaking of a new dawn.

    5.  Batman and Gordon destroy the train rail, along with Wayne tower and Raz Algul (Batman Begins).  As the final battle in Begins unfolds, Gotham is under the control of a weaponized hallucinogen.  Led by Raz Algul, the League of Shadows has begun it's dismantling of the world's most powerful city.  Armed with an antidote for the hallucinogen, Gordon and Batman have to derail a train that Raz is running, that's headed straight for Wayne Tower.  Gordon's responsibility is to blow the rail system apart with rockets from the Tumbler.  Wayne is aboard the train, with the thoughts of stopping Raz and foiling his plan.  This confrontation is symbolic for the simple reason that Batman's compassion was seen as a weakness all throughout his training.  Batman not only gains the upper hand in the fight with Raz, but he learns, for the first time, to do what is necessary to defeat an adversary.  The plan was never to stop the train, but to derail it, sending Raz, and the well laid plans of the League of Shadows into the basement of Wayne Tower, left to explode into an inferno.

     4.  Diverting to Lower 5th (The Dark Knight).  One of the more clever scenes in the first two movies gives us an orchestrated trap, laid out by Gordon, Batman, and Harvey Dent.  The plan is to lure the Joker out in the open, and arrest him.  A lot is going on here.  Gordon is presumed to be dead, Batman is a wanted man, and Harvey Dent has turned himself over to authorities, claiming that he is the Batman.  Dent is being transported in an armored S.W.A.T vehicle, when his convoy is forced to change their route due to a disabled fire engine that is in flames, blocking their path.  When the message is given to "Divert to Lower 5th", one of the armed guards says to his counterpart "Lower 5th, we'll be like turkeys on Thanksgiving".  Lower 5th presents danger because there are no alternate routes out of there, and it's easy to be cornered, which is exactly what happens.

     The plan works perfectly.  The Joker makes his move for Dent, unleashing an arsenal on the S.W.A.T vehicle.  Along the way, the rest of the support vehicles (mostly police cars) are easily derailed.  Batman shows up just in the knick of time, as Joker aims an RPG at Dent's vehicle.  The Tumbler takes the brunt of the damage, but viewers are in for a surprise.  The Tumbler transforms itself into a Bat Pod, which has some really cool features of its own.  The best part of the scene is when an 18 wheeler, driven by the Joker, gets upended by the Bat Pod, resulting in both men taking some punishment.  Joker closes in on Batman, and appears to be ready to take his mask off, when Gordon, disguised as a S.W.A.T team member steps in and takes Joker into custody.  The bold plan lands Gordon the title of Commissioner.

     This is one a many chess matches between the Joker and Batman throughout the movie.  It's difficult to tell who really has the upper hand in this one.  While Joker gets captured, he never really seems uncomfortable, as if he planned on getting captured, only to have a plan to get out.

     3.  Harvey's Transformation and Gotham General's destruction (The Dark Knight).  As a reminder to all of us as to just how great the Joker is, this scene shows how much of a manipulator he can be.  Badly burned on his face and grieving the loss of his girlfriend Rachel Dawes, Harvey Dent is vulnerable for the first time in the film.  Harvey is recovering from his injuries at Gotham General, which is being evacuated after the Joker has promised to blow up a hospital within the hour.  Joker poses as a nurse (which is really more of a symbol of just how demented he is) and has a face to face with Harvey.  At this point, Harvey is angry with everyone; Joker for laying out the plan that resulted in Rachel's death, and Gordon and Batman for failing to save her.  Once the great hope for Gotham, Harvey is a broken man, and with a little coercing from Joker, he becomes Harvey Two-Face; a man fixed on exacting revenge...on everyone.

     After completing his manipulation of Harvey, Joker exits the hospital...and detonates a bomb leveling the place.  Harvey continues on his path of revenge, using his lucky coin, which has also been burned on one side, as a catalyst for which one of his personalities will decide your fate.  Joker's plan was to cripple Harvey, as he represented the best that Gotham had to offer.  By showing everyone what he's done to Harvey, the citizens of Gotham would experience a new level of fear.

     2.  Bruce Wayne's drunken tirade upon the re-emergence of Raz Algul and the League of Shadows (Batman Begins).  A surprise birthday party at the mansion brings together many story lines.  Wayne Enterprises has gone public, resulting in soaring stock prices.  Lucius Fox has been fired, and his department has been merged with Archives.  Raz Algul and his men have returned to Gotham to carry out the final phase of their plan.  Rachel Dawes is recovering from her exposure to Crane's weaponized hallucinogen.  At this point, Wayne realizes what the plan is, and that he's short on time to stop it.  Fox has come up with an antidote to the hallucinogen and needs to produce mass amounts of it...in a hurry.  As they are about to part ways, a guest stops Bruce.  At this point, Raz Algul reveals himself to Bruce, and he knows his true identity.  In an amusing move, Bruce grabs everyone's attention, and gives a toast.  He proceeds to blast everyone, called them "phonies" and "suck ups".  He kicks all the guests out of his mansion, to get them out of harms way.

     As the scene unfolds, Raz reveals the League of Shadows plans for Gotham.  As his men set fire to Bruce's home, Raz details how his men have destroyed powerful civilizations in an effort to restore balance.  Bruce learns that Raz and his men tried a different method with his father and with Gotham.  The method of economics.  Thus begins the final battle between the two.

     1.  A journey opened with the quest for a rare blue flower (Batman Begins).  Searching for the means to fight justice, Bruce Wayne's first meeting with Raz Algul in a Chinese prison sends him looking for a rare blue flower.  After finding the flower, he must carry it to the top of a mountain, where he reaches a temple.  This temple is the home of the League of Shadows, and to Raz Algul.  It is here that the origins of Batman are found.  Bruce receives training in the art of Ninjutsu from Raz.  There are a number of physical exercises that we see Bruce go through, but one thing that Bruce must come to grips with are his own fears.  Raz challenges him to confront the guilt he carries surrounding his parents' death, even stating that it wasn't his fault, but rather it was his father's, because he didn't possess the will to act.  This is best illustrated in a hand to hand combat session between Bruce and Raz on a sheet of ice.

     As Bruce prepares for his final test, and initiation into the League of Shadows, he must face his fears, while proving he can lead a group of men.  Bruce passes his final test, tricking Raz in an exercise, thus gaining the upper hand to force Raz to yield.  Upon completion of this part, Bruce learns his first assignment.  He will lead a group of men to Gotham, and destroy the city he grew up in.  He must also demonstrate his commitment to justice, as he is asked to kill a man who has broken the law in front of Raz and the League of Shadows.

     It is at this point that Bruce makes the choice to stand for something of the greater good.  In the eyes of the League, as well as Raz, there is only one way to handle this...kill the thief.  Realizing there is no other way out, Bruce takes a stand, flipping a red hot brander into a cache of vanishing powder, triggering a set of explosions that destroys the temple.  While all this is going on, Bruce is taking on the League of Shadows, destroying them from the inside.  While he shows compassion and saves his teacher and mentor, Raz from certain death, a decision that almost comes back to haunt him later in the film, Bruce has chosen his path.  Had he not chosen to stand for what he believed to be true justice, not the clouded version that the League of Shadows were asking him to adopt, we may have never come to know Nolan's Batman, and Gotham would still be looking for its hero.

TR

   

On the Eve of Their Worst Nightmare, a Little Advice for Cleveland Fans

     For Cavaliers fans, basketball armaggedon has arrived at their doorstep.  Once prodigal son LeBron James and his Miami Heat teammates sit just a single win away from the title.  Reading blogs and listening to talk shows today, the consensus is very clear.  It's over for the Thunder.  Trailing 3-1 (no team has ever come back in an NBA Finals facing such a deficit) in the series, the Heat appear to be too good, too lucky, too battle tested, however you want to describe it.  The Thunder's chances have been tossed aside, chalked up to being too inexperienced, facing too big a stage, even with a 1-2 punch that can get them back into this series in a hurry.  Not this time.  There will be others, but in the eyes of the professionals, it's Miami's time.  Enter Cleveland sports fan.

     Should Miami win and close things out, James will surely be named the Finals MVP.  Transformation complete.  He'll once again be on the path to the greatest player of all time.  The parade will be huge, every news outlet in the country will be covering, and it'll be plastered all over every channel.  There will no doubt be news casters looking for a reaction from Cavs fans.  Heck, ESPN will probably have crews here tonight, hoping to capture a few idiots in the waking moments after a Heat victory.  The picture will be painted as Cleveland fans being bitter, knuckle-dragging neanderthals that didn't even deserve James' services to begin with.  After all, we'll be reminded that he gave us 7 great years, and it was ownership's fault that he left because they didn't surround him with enough talent to get over the hump.

     In Cleveland, during LeBron's tenure, it was always about more than basketball.  It was about the renaissance of the team, a new owner, chinese partnership, a revamped arena, new uniforms, local businesses, that huge Witness banner, televised games every Thursday night on TNT.  The city was alive.  I remember, in 2007, moments after the Cavaliers had clinched the Eastern Conference title with their fourth straight win over the Detroit Pistons, I received a text from my brother that said "fuck yeah".  My brother, who doesn't care about any sport unless it involves speeds over 150 mph, was all in with LeBron.  That's what he did for our city.  He was so far removed from us, that he couldn't possibly understand how going on national television and kicking this city in the groin after he had lifted it up off the mat would anger us so deeply.

     We'll bounce back from this.  We've been through worse.  We've endured buzzer beaters, red right 88, John Elway, and the Curse of Rocky Colavito.  Sure, Dan Gilbert will catch some heat (no pun intended) for his childish reaction after LeBron left town.  James isn't absolved from those childish moments, either.  He's had plenty of them during the last three years.  What's important is that we represent ourselves professionally.  Don't give the national media another reason to bag on Cleveland and say "and they wonder why no one wants to play there".  It'll be hard, heck, I probably won't even watch the game, but that doesn't mean I'd give a sound bite to the first microphone shoved in my face.

     For LeBron, he'll feel something to I imagine after winning his first title.  Relief will be the immediate emotion.  No more silly questions about his legacy being defined by winning a championship; those questions will be replaced by "when will you win another one or two?".  The stakes will only go up from here for him.  After all the confetti falls, and the reporters file out of the interview room, and the parade stops, they'll be another emotion that sets in for LeBron.  Even he will tell you now that he wishes he handled things differently upon leaving Cleveland, and that he hasn't ruled out playing for the Cavaliers again one day.  There will be a feeling of emptiness, because as great as his coronation will feel.  It'll always compare to what it would have been had he gotten it done in Cleveland.  You can say that's just a desperate Cleveland fans perspective (and maybe it is), but everyone loves a story now a days, and that would have been a great one.

TR

Heat vs. Thunder NBA Finals Preview

     LeBron. KD. Wade. Westbrook. Bosh. Harden.  This year's installment of the NBA Finals isn't lacking any star power.  The Thunder, the new kids on the block, owners of the best record for the majority of the regular season, and benefactors of maybe the loudest home crowd in all the NBA, don't seem to be fazed by the prospect of facing 3-time MVP Lebron James and his Miami "Heatles".  The road traveled for these two teams to this point couldn't be more different.  Miami trudged through a weak Eastern Conference, defeating the Knicks, Pacers, and Celtics.  Neither team really threatened Miami (although the Celtics series went the full 7 games), while the Thunder dispatched the defending world champion Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and a red hot San Antonio Spurs team.  Even more impressive was the fact that the Thunder took 4 straight from San Antonio after they had reeled off 20 straight victories.

     Despite their path to the Finals, both these teams are pretty evenly matched.  LeBron is playing arguably the best playoff stretch of basketball in his career (you know how I hate giving him his due), and Kevin Durant is showing the world that at the ripe old age of 23, no stage is too big for him.  The superstars will treat the fans to some spectacular moments, but this series will be won or lost by the role players.  Here's how I see the match ups breaking down.

     LeBron vs. KD.  Winners of the last four league MVP awards, all eyes will be on these two guys.  They're both going to explode for monster games, but the defining moment might come when one of these two guys makes the big DEFENSIVE play.  LeBron can guard every position on the floor, so expect him to check just about everyone at some point in this series, especially if the Heat are struggling collectively defensively.  For that reason alone, much to the chagrin of Clevelanders (especially me), advantage LeBron.

     Wade vs. Westbrook.  The other marquee matchup pits two of the best against each other.  While Westbrook is young, he brings a lot of energy to the game, and is a dynamic scorer.  He likes to run...a lot, and as much as Miami likes to run, this could pose a big problem for them.  Miami is a veteran team, and they definitely can't afford to get into a track meet with OKC, even with 2 of the best transition finishers in the game.  The big test for Westbrook is going to be his decision making during the "big" moments.  He's had a habit of trying to upstage KD by taking too many shots, and it's resulted in bad offensive possessions.  He's not a true point guard by trade.  He's a scorer.  Wade has looked and played fragile this post season.  He's been invisible for long stretches during games, offering little support to LeBron.  While there has been some speculation as to whether Wade isn't hiding some type of injury, he'll need to be huge, along with with LeBron, if the Heat hope to win the title.  Advantage Westbrook.

     Bosh vs. Harden.  While these two guys won't be matched up against each other, their performances will play a huge role in how this series is decided.  Miami gets a fresh Chris Bosh back after he missed a good chunk of the East Semis and East Finals due to an abdominal injury.  Harden has displayed the ability to hit huge shots in big spots during games this postseason.  It will be interesting to watch how these two work themselves into their game, and just how effective both will be.  Push.


     Ibaka/Perkins/Fisher vs. Haslem/Anthony/Chalmers.  Another key matchup to watch has more to do with the first two names in each set here, than the point guards involved.  With plenty of slashers on display, the paint and the offensive glass will be two very critical areas, and whoever wins those battles, WILL win the series.  It's that important.  Serge Ibaka has to be respected.  He blocks so many shots, that offensive players have no choice but to try and lure him outside the paint.  Still, the Thunder are one of the longest teams in the league, and they will no doubt try to clog the paint and turn Wade and LeBron into jump shooters.  This is a dangerous scenario for Miami.  Erik Spoelstra will have to get creative in calling plays to get his stars the ball on the move.  Foul trouble will tip the scales heavily to one side.  If I'm Miami, I attack the bigs, and hope for whistles to go your way.  Advantage Ibaka/Perkins/Fisher.


     Coach Brooks vs. Coach Spo.  One of the biggest mismatches in this series will occur right here.  Spo has struggled at times to get creative with his offensive play calling, and his team goes through lapses where they just don't look confident, and a lot of players are just standing around.  It sometimes looks like Spo struggles to command the huddle during timeouts.  Guys look disengaged, and he's already had one spat with Wade in these playoffs.  Scott Brooks is one of the better coaches in the league today, and is very creative with his offensive sets.  In order for his team to have a chance, Erik Spoelstra is going to have to coach his butt off.  Literally.  Advantage Brooks.


     This series will be entertaining for any basketball fan.  You've got the two best players in the league, facing off for a shot at the Larry O'Brien trophy.  The Thunder will have the home court, which does provide a small advantage.  Miami has shown the ability to survive when times are desperate.  LeBron will have to have another great series AND get some big games from Wade and Bosh for Miami to legitimately win this thing.  The Thunder have been battle tested throughout these playoffs, while Miami has been pushed, but really haven't been in big trouble.  With all that being said, I'll take the Thunder to win this years NBA Finals in 7 games.  Enjoy.

TR

The 2012 Draft Showed Us One Thing; Seats are Getting Warm in Berea

     Billed as potentially the most important draft in franchise history, the Browns put a wrap on this year's draft this past Saturday evening by selecting Alabama tight end Brad Smelley in the 7th round.  With 13 picks at their disposal, and a philosophy that lends itself to building a team through the draft, the Browns looked poised to grab some players who could make a difference on both sides of the ball as soon as this season.  While fans had some early excitement when the team drafted Alabama running back Trent Richardson with the 3rd overall pick, there were some puzzling moves and selections over the next two days that fueled online chats and twitter feeds with one simple question- were the Browns brass and their fans watching the same games last year?

     While the Browns focused on offense early, using their first three picks on players to help the seemingly hapless offense (RB, QB, RT), they quickly turned to defense in the later rounds.  While the early picks are expected to be immediate contributors, it was clear that the other selections were more about adding depth to the roster.  There were some trends; just about every player selected had been a multiple year starter for their college, and had displayed the ability to play multiple positions, all while maintaining high character.  No one truly knows how many players the Browns were able to draft (with the exception of Holmgren, Heckert, and Shurmur) that they had actually targeted, but it seemed like everyone in Berea was satisfied with how things transpired over the 3 days of drafting.

     The moment the season ended this past January, you could see that things were unsettling over in Berea.  A press conference was held within a week, and most of the talk was about the quarterback position.  For the next 4 months, everyone speculated as to what the Browns were going to do with their picks.  It appeared the defining moment for this regime was about to arrive, and they were going to have the chance to finally get things moving in the right direction.  While the Browns preached patience to their fans, I believe they've started to buckle a bit under the pressure.  With a grueling schedule this upcoming season, one that includes 10 teams with winning records, another 4-12 season (or worse) could spell the end.  That's when things got a little shaky.

     Everyone within the Browns organization were in agreement- a new quarterback had to be brought in. This was one of the stranger situations because, depending on who you talk to or what you read, multiple things were said regarding this.  In January, it was all about having an open competition to determine the starter for next year.  The idea of Seneca Wallace under center didn't excite the fan base any more than having McCoy back for another year.  Maybe the Browns would sign a free agent to come in and compete with these guys.  Matt Flynn's name was out there, as was Jason Campbell's.  It seemed the Browns would be a lock to swing a trade with the St. Louis Rams to move up to the #2 pick in the upcoming draft.  The prize- Baylor's Robert Griffin III.  The Rams already had a franchise quarterback, and it seemed like a good fit.  Well, the Washington Redskins jumped right in and gave away foreseeable future (in draft picks anyways), and snatched the #2 pick right from the Browns fingers, all while the Browns were trying to drive down the price of St. Louis' pick by downplaying their interest in Griffin.  Matt Flynn signed with Seattle, and the Browns were left with no quarterback of the future.  They gave McCoy a lukewarm endorsement, one that never really felt very genuine.  As for McCoy, where was he?  He certainly wasn't talking to the media.  How did he feel about all of this?  Had the Browns talked to him?  To make things worse, Wallace was adamant that he would not serve as a mentor to any quarterback the Browns brought in.  He was here to play...and start.

     Free Agency came and went without as much as a whimper.  Players were signing all over the place with new teams.  The Browns again seemed slow to get out of the gates on this one.  Were they targeting anyone?  Did they have FA visits scheduled with players?  How much money did they plan on spending?  The picture wasn't coming into focus very clearly here.  There were a few minor signings, but nothing of major impact.  Now the fear was setting in that all the eggs were going into one basket- the draft.

     Rumors swirled around the Browns regarding what exactly they would do with their pick.  Labeled as a "swing pick", many experts believed that the draft would turn what the Browns would do at #4.  The first 3 picks were considered locks, with little drama involved.  Everyone was talking about the Browns.  What should they do?  Trade back and acquire more picks?  Trade up and draft an elite player?  Stay put?  No one really knew for sure what was coming.  As the different reports surfaced, the Browns were careful to comment on none.  They weren't talking.

     With all the things that transpired leading up to the draft, one thing was clear- there was pressure to turn things around...now.  The media was relentless.  Missing out on RG3, not doing much in free agency, and now having to hit on these draft picks; the pressure was immense.  Reports had the Browns targeting Trent Richardson.  He seemed safe to fall right into the Browns lap at #4, but Minnesota was entertaining trade offers (as it was reported) from at least 6 other teams.  Now the Browns weren't in control of their own destiny.  How would they explain to their starving fan base that they had lost out on their guy Richardson?  They wouldn't have to, as it turns out.

     It was at that moment, about a half an hour before Indianapolis would be on the clock with the #1 pick that the Browns buckled under the pressure a little bit.  They traded up 1 spot to #3 by sacrificing three draft choices (4/5/7 rounders).  They would ensure that they would get their man in Trent Richardson.  No one was going to steal their guy this time.  They would flinch again, as their man (I believe), Kendall Wright was taken a mere 2 picks in front of them.  Another player gone that was desperately needed.  Unable to risk losing out yet again, the Browns reached out and pulled Brandon Weedon as their quarterback of the future.  Maybe they could have selected Weedon with their 37th pick.  They had lost, in my opinion, any flexibility to do that when they traded three picks to move up one spot and take Richardson.  The unpredictability of the draft had tilted things a bit for the Browns.  They had gotten two of their guys on the "wish list", but they had to sacrifice extra picks, and perhaps reach a bit to select their quarterback of the future.  They still haven't addressed arguably the biggest need for the team, which is the wide receiver position.  And what to do with McCoy now?  Keep him?  Trade him?  Have an "open competition"?  Who knows what Randy Lerner will do if the Browns spit out another 4-12 season.  Heads will be rolling, no doubt.  Those seats in Berea aren't too hot right now, but they are getting a tad bit warm.

TR
   

Game #8 Observations and Opinions

Not long after I decided to stop watching yesterday's Browns/Texans game (the first half hadn't concluded yet), a very cold, hard truth had settled into my stomach. The Cleveland Browns just aren't good enough to compete each week in the National Football League. Talent, Coaching, Leadership, Preparation, and Execution are all things Pat Shurmur's group just can't seem to get a grasp on. For Browns fans, hope quickly dissipates into anger and frustration after kickoff, as our team often is out of each game by the end of the first quarter. Through 8 games, the team has mustered just 6 points in the first quarter. The organization should be, and it's tough to tell if they are, concerned with turning their fan base off completely with the effort this team is putting on the field each week. I've decided to share a few things that I scribbled down on paper this past Sunday.

Colt McCoy is taking a beating. A lot was made about the work that McCoy had put in this past offseason to learn the West Coast offense. Camp Colt seemed to give the Browns faithful some hope that their quarterback was not only proactive, but was trying desperately to form some type of cohesiveness with his group on offense. The first few preseason games gave the impression that Josh Cribbs was much improved at the receiver position, and Evan Moore would be a solid target for McCoy. It appears that was a great mirage as both receivers have had minimal targets, and have struggled to find a role in Shurmur's new offense. No one could have imagined Colt taking the pounding that he has to this point. Yes, the loss of Eric Steinbach hurts, and yes this is a new group, but the offensive line hasn't done Colt any favors. What's worse is that the coaching staff seems to be clueless as to how to stop these protection woes.

The Peyton Hillis drama is majorly affecting the team. Whether you want to believe it or not, this is a major problem. Hillis was arguably the most popular player on the team, and the face of the franchise nationally. Featured on the cover of Madden, and in high demand everywhere, it seems that Hillis is finding out first hand just how the "business" of the NFL works. He hasn't played it cool, either. A controversial strep throat sit out, a missed charity event appearance, a temper tantrum in practice after re-injuring his hamstring last week, a questionable decision to get married on the team's off day during a game week (while he was injured), and a shaky work ethic this year (including getting treatment while injured), resulting in a players meeting with him, have all forced Hillis into the doghouse with just about everyone. On a team devoid of playmakers, Hillis was someone the Browns had to have in the fold. Instead, he's going down on a long list of distractions that have plagued the team since it's return in 1999.

The team doesn't look prepared. This one falls directly in the lap of the coaching staff. Slow starts have buried the Browns since week 1. Penalties, turnovers, and lack of creativity on offense have stopped the team from establishing any sort of rhythm, something that is crucial in the WCO. Receivers have run incorrect routes more than their fair share of times, and blitz protections have been horrible. Even a member of the Texans defensive line was miffed that the Browns continued to not block him, even after he had recorded 3 sacks on Sunday. There haven't been any in game adjustments until it's too late. We haven't really attacked opposing defenses from the outset yet. Game planning is head scratching as well. No real effort to exploit mismatches, and definitely no extra effort to get the ball into the hands of our best players. Teams are taking our top players out, but they are getting help from our coaching staff! Looks like the blind leading the blind here. Pat Shurmur is a first time head coach, and it definitely appears that he's in for more than he bargained for.

The injuries just keep piling up. Year in and year out, the Browns get derailed before they even play a meaningful game due to a mounting list of injuries. Some are freak injuries, like when Braylon Edwards decided to race Donte Stallworth after practice, wearing no cleats. We all know what happened next, Stallworth stepped on Edwards' foot, cutting it open. There also was Kellen Winslow's "star boyz" moment on a motorcycle. This year, the Browns have been without the services of Hillis, Massoquoi, Watson, Moore, Fujita, Steinbach, Pinkston, Pashos, Hardesty, Brandon Jackson, Cribbs, Gocong, Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, Usama Young, and more due to injuries. All teams deal with injuries, but the Browns just seem to get hit with a ton each year. With the team depth chart as shallow as the local baby pool, they can ill afford injuries to key players.

The offense can't be this bad, can it? While a good chunk of this can be chalked up to injuries at key positions, protection issues, and lack of talent at skill positions, the offense has been just awful at times. Early on, the offense was definitely pass first. In a home loss to Tennessee this year, McCoy put the ball in the air 61 times. Yes, the Browns were behind, forcing them to throw the ball more than they would have liked to admit, but that's a ton of attempts. In a 6-3 win against Seattle, the Browns held the ball for over 40 minutes, and yet they barely won the game. The Browns have just 2 touchdowns in their last 13 quarters. They've scored just 6 points in the first quarter all year (outscored 58-6 overall), and just 3 points in the third quarter. There is zero quick strike ability, and the play calling has been described as "vanilla". What's worse is that there seems to be no logic or flow to the play calls.

The defense is overrated. Ranked as high as #4 in the league this year, the defense has been mostly smoke and mirrors. Joe Haden has been awesome, and D'Qwell Jackson has been playing with confidence, but the rest of the defense has been overhyped and overblown. On Sunday, they allowed a season high 261 yards on the ground. In week 1, Cedric Benson ran for over 130 yards, and Chris Johnson had his only 100 yard game of the year against the Browns. What's even more glaring is that the Browns 3 wins have come against teams with a combined record of 3-21, and of those 3 games, 2 were unimpressive (1 point win over Miami, and the 6-3 flameout vs. Seattle). You could even make the case that the week 2 win vs. Indianapolis wasn't locked up until the final minutes. In my opinion, the Browns are lucky to have 3 wins. The quarterback list the Browns have faced so far this year is even more unimpressive- Andy Dalton, Kerry Collins, Chad Henne, Kyle Boller, and Charlie Whitehurst. Not exactly gunslingers by any stretch of the imagination. Truth be told, the Browns have a young D line (which has shown some signs of life, but has delivered little pressure overall), some age in the secondary, and some of the slowest linebackers in the league. Even more unsettling- 5 games left in the division against teams with a combined record of 18-7.

So where do the Browns go from here? It appears they are headed towards another top 10 draft pick, and the blueprint has been for Tom Heckert to stock pile as many picks as possible and build through the draft, but this team has so many needs that the draft can't be solely relied upon to fill out the roster. The Browns will have roughly 23 million to spend in free agency this upcoming offseason, a time that seems to be the most exciting (sadly) for the Browns, and their fans.

TR