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

5 Ways to Fix the Cleveland Browns

For as long as I can remember, I've been watching Cleveland Browns football. One of my first memories was on Christmas morning (I may have been 3 or 4 years old), when I received a Browns replica jersey. That jersey was the first real gift I can remember having an attachment with. Fast-forward to today, at age 32, married with a 2 year old, and another baby on the way, I'm a first year season ticket holder for the Browns. Prior to this year, I'd been to some games since the Browns return in 1999, and I'd even attended some games at the old Municipal Stadium. My Uncle was a season ticket holder until recently, which afforded me the luxury to go. Well, I'm 3 games into my tenure as a season ticket holder, and I've had some time (in between bad stretches of football) to soak in the atmosphere at the stadium, and really listen to what the fans have to say. You definitely have to sift through a lot of lip service. Everyone's the best quarterback, head coach, and coordinators. I'm fortunate b/c the section we sit in is filled with long-time season ticket holders, who for the most part, don't make a scene, and understand how the game is played. By nature, I'm a people watcher, so I've decided to share some observations. My friend Marty, who is a part of our group of 4, warned me before the season started. "You'll reach a new level of frustration now that you're vested financially in the Browns". Well, as a paying season ticket holder, I've got a few suggestions for my hometown team.

1. Change the Game Day Experience- We park a little over a mile away from the stadium (hey, it's free, so I'm not complaining), and we pass several parking lots on our way to the stadium. You know what else we pass? Bars, Restaurants, and popular landmarks in the city of Cleveland. Everyone who's ever attended a pro football game understands that tailgating will be prominent. If you don't have a van that you've converted into a Browns-mobile, or a portable charcoal grill to roast some brats on, or a group of guys to to play a 7-on-7 touch football game, there's not much for you to experience downtown. The Muny lot is more of a problem, then an experience. Sure, it's a great time, and you're going to see some crazy stuff in there, but it actually keeps people out of the stadium for parts of the first quarter (in most instances, over half of the first quarter). Playing at home in the National Football League is supposed to provide an advantage for one team. In most cases, the atmosphere at kickoff is very average. People are still filling in, waiting in line at the restrooms, or grabbing food.

I arrive in the stadium on an average of 80 minutes before each game. We watch warm-ups, and get ready for the game. While I know I'm in the minority on this type of approach (I can tell by the stadium being over 85% empty, plus I can still get cell phone service), there really isn't any incentive for fans to arrive early. No activities outside the stadium, and little going on inside the stadium. The fans are down there early, they line up at 6 am, to get in their spot for tailgating, so the experience needs to reach out and appeal to them. We've got all that lakefront property down there, so let's do something more with it than the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock Hall.

2. Hire Some Engaged Staff- Gotta say that this is the most disappointing part of the stadium experience. Walking up to the stadium, there's no momentum, no pomp and circumstance that taps you on the shoulder and says "You're almost there, get ready to have your face melted off!". As you get closer to the gates, the employees are like robots, no one out there hocking programs, no merchandise stands (hey, there's valuable real estate out there!), no live music. No one is smiling, no one is driving any excitement there. Inside, it's worse. The ushers are oblivious to everything that's going on (including fans puking, which is a whole different issue). You get scolded for standing too much, and there is nothing to get the fans jacked up on 3rd downs, so they in turn can make life miserable for the opposing offense, and give the home defense an extra lift. Even the acoustics inside the stadium are barely audible. Everyone seems content on doing what they've always done. It's got a 1980's feel down there, with the exception of the team performing on the field and fueling the excitement. The fans share some of this burden also, as many are too drunk to pay attention to what's going on, or have enough energy to cheer. It's all about where and when the next beer will be served.

3. Better Communication From the Front Office to the Fan base- I really struggled with putting this one out there, but I've gotten the vibe, more so from past executive groups, that they view the fans as a bunch of suckers. We'll pay money, no matter what the product on the field looks like. You know, that might have been the case for a while (a long while), but those times are changing. People are frustrated with group, after group, after group coming into this town, taking a boatload of owner Randy Lerner's money (mostly b/c he doesn't know any better), and leaving the house a bigger mess than it was when they arrived. What Eric Mangini did to this team was inexcusable. Ego, lack of accountability on his position, and a blatant disrespect to the fans and media in this town by withholding information like he's the head of the FBI. As for Randy Lerner, where the hell is he? Some of you might be saying "Now Tom, you don't want an owner that meddles around in everyone's business". I'm not asking for that. I'm asking for presence. Make yourself visible, show everyone that you're not just some rich guy that loves soccer. Go to the games, give people the impression that you have a stake in this, that you want to see it turn around, that this is your team, and if things don't change, then you'll swing the accountability hammer. If I'm getting paid 50 million dollars over 5 years, you better believe my boss is going to want to see if his investment is working out. How many former head coaches are we still paying now, anyways?

This town needs to be handled differently. It doesn't matter how you handled relations in Seattle, or Green Bay, or Philadelphia. This fan base is starving. We need to know what's going on, and that means you're going to have to face the fire sometimes. That's the nature of this town. We've watched too many "experts" come in here, with their grand plan for success, and no one knows anything about it except them. Then draft day or free agency comes, and we're all left scratching our heads. How's that whole "let's keep this a secret" thing worked out for us?

4. Enclose the stadium- Why have an open air stadium? So we have an advantage when the weather changes? The weather doesn't drastically change around here until late December. If that's going to be your plan for advantage, then you better be playing games in January. I'm sorry, this is the NFL, everyone can play in any weather condition. A retractable roof would be awesome in this city. Open when the weather is nice, closed when the weather is bad. Worried about cost? How do cities like Indianapolis (NFL), Milwaukee (MLB), and Detroit (NFL) get them? You got to look at the upside; it'll hold noise in much better, it improves the experience, and you just might be in the running to host a Super Bowl one day. With the new casino coming, new hotels will be going up, and extra revenue will be coming into the city. It makes sense, it's always made sense for the amount of inclement weather we experience here. Forget the outside advantage, b/c there isn't one. Besides, we are running the west coast offense now, and smash mouth football is a thing of the past.

5. Find the Franchise Player...and Don't Miss on Him- While the above reasons are just one man's opinion, and some of you will turn your nose up at me, all while thinking "this guy is living a pipe dream", but the biggest reason that you all can't argue with me is the product that's put on the field each week for us to get behind. The fortunes of any franchise usually begin and end where games are won; with personnel on the field. Does a great ownership group help? Yep. Do you need the right head coach? Sure. But, if you look at any struggling franchise, it usually turns around the quickest when upgrades are made to the roster. Manning in Indianapolis, Brady in New England, Vick in Atlanta, Favre in Green Bay, I could list plenty of examples of teams that found their cornerstone, locked them up, and have never looked back since. How much does one franchise player mean? Ask the Indianapolis Colts. Biggest example for CLE fans to hang on? LeBron James. No one has criticized him more than me in this type of forum, but let's be honest, until LeBron James came around, we were all hoping for Larry Nance, Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, and "Hot Rod" Williams to come riding in to the Q and save the Cavs from more than just those ugly uniforms. Look at what happened with LeBron- the uniforms changed, the arena started selling out, merchandise sales went through the roof, the Cavs logo was recognized around the WORLD, and most importantly, the team was winning...a lot. We all say now that we're glad LeBron left, but are we really better off for it? Dan Gilbert was able to re-vamp the entire arena and the game day experience, largely in part because of ONE player. What's he selling now? Team? Commitment? It certainly isn't tickets.

TR

Is Tiger Woods Done?

Tiger Woods and his story book tumble published a new chapter today, when he withdrew unexpectedly from the Players Championship after just 9 holes and posting a very Un-Tiger like score of 6-over par. This was the first round of competitive golf Woods has played since finishing 4th at The Masters last month. Tiger had taken some time off to nurse both knee and achilles injuries he sustained (and played through) at Augusta National. This no doubt is a major setback in what was hyped as a year in which Woods and his camp seemed satisfied with the progress made not only in his personal life, but with his golf game as well. This latest injury casts a long shadow on the rest of his year, and brings questions of his durability and longevity back into play. So, the question is "Is Tiger Woods Done?".

I believe there are a number of factors at work here. The first, and most critical, is the state of Tiger's life off the golf course. You could make the argument that no professional athlete has ever faced a situation of this magnitude in the prime of their career. As a result of his transgressions, Tiger lost it all; his family, his reputation, endorsement deals, his privacy, and the seemingly invinceable aura that surrounded him. Woods maintains that he's made changes to his personal life, and that he's now in a better place. I think that for a man who lived a lie for as long as he did, he didn't allow himself enough time to get right.

Confidence. Anyone who has ever played golf knows that it's just as much, if not more, mental than it is physical. In Tiger's case, his confidence meter is on empty. On the surface, you might not be able to see it. He conducts interviews in the same manner as before, he walks with his chin up, and he still displays the competitive fire that helped define his career to this point. After Y.E. Yang was able to run Tiger down in the final round of the PGA Championship a few years back and beat him, you could see the wind coming out of Tiger's sails a bit. Golfers no longer fear him when he makes his charge. Gone is his image of the town bully that no one wants to stand up to. Living up to their slogan of "These guys are good", the PGA Tour's golfers are starting to hit their own big shots, make their own big putts, and throw their own fist pumps into the air. Simply put, the field isn't afraid of Tiger anymore...and he knows it. It's time for Tiger to give them a reason to be afraid, for the sake of his confidence.

The Health Factor. For years, golf experts debated just how long Tiger Woods' body could withstand the demands of his swing. No one swings the golf club as hard or as fast as Tiger Woods. It's a fact. His swing has been clocked at over 130 mph. That power has afforded him the flexibility and ability to hit some of the most difficult shots from the most difficult spots of any golfer ever. All that power comes with a price it now seems. The incredible amount of torque Tiger puts on his lower half has forced him into a number of medical procedures on his knee and now seems to be affecting both of his achilles muscles. No one will forget how Tiger winced through an 18 hole playoff to win the U.S. Open in 2009. People at the event said that you could hear things cracking and snapping inside his knee every time Tiger loaded up and swung his driver. The harsh reality is that adjustments need to made to Tiger's swing for the sake of his body.

Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin. This in my opinion, is the biggest nemesis standing between Tiger Woods and golf immortality. It's obvious that Tiger is the ultimate competitor. What he needs to understand is that it's o.k. to be human. Everyone was looking for something from Tiger after the scandal of his multiple affairs came out. I think we were all looking for him to be someone he never tried to be before in his life. Be normal, show emotion, let your guard down, and stop sounding so rehearsed. From all appearances, Tiger Woods doesn't like the person that he is deep down, so he keeps trying to release new versions of himself. Let's start with the affairs. Tiger was living the life that most of us dream about. Lots of money, famous, big home, beautiful wife and even more beautiful children. How does he handle all that? He sleeps with porn stars, Waffle House waitresses, and call girls. As for the golf course, he's switching swing coaches like you and I change underwear (let's hope), and he's obviously not comfortable with his loss of distance off the tee. He hates it. Soon he'll be switching clubs, if he feels it's necessary.

Do I think Tiger Woods is done? Not by a long shot. He can be the golfer that everyone thinks he can still be, but he's at a crossroads in his life. What's worked for him to this point is no longer going to get it done for him. As so many of us will experience, there comes a time in your life when you have to re-invent yourself in order to survive. I believe that these injuries are a blessing for him, and a sign to him that he returned to golf a little too soon. He still has work to do on Tiger Woods the man and Tiger Woods the father, before he can return to work on Tiger Woods the golfer.

TR

LeBron and His So Called "Apology" to Cleveland

LeBron James finally apologized to the city of Cleveland for the way his "decision" went down last summer. Yeah, right. In a post game interview following the Miami Heat's 97-87 Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics, a game in which the Heat eliminated Boston, sending the league's oldest looking team to an early vacation, James tried to extend an olive branch to the city of Cleveland by offering sentiment for the way he handled himself during last summer's free agent chase for his services. It was nearly 1 year to the day that James concluded his worst playoff series as a professional, against these same Celtics, a series that still stings Cleveland sports fans all the way to their core. Sitting at the podium, with his buddy Dwyane Wade, a Miami Heat baseball cap positioned on the table between them, James answered questions from long-time friend, national writer, and Cleveland native Brian Windhorst. It was at that point, that James offered up the apology.

As I was having breakfast with my daughter this morning, I decided to turn on the local radio sports talk shows. I had already seen the tweets from Mike and Mike, Adrian Wojarnowski, Windhorst, and all the rest of the national guys. This was going to be a hot topic today. I tuned in to the Really Big Show with Tony Rizzo, knowing I would get an honest reaction from a lifelong Cleveland guy. Co-host Aaron Goldhammer had just been on with Mike and Mike to give his perspective (and try to convey the Cleveland sports fan's point of view) to the national audience. Rizzo was incensed.

Once again, LeBron demonstrated that he just doesn't understand Cleveland sports fans. He insulted our intelligence and our emotional investment in our players and sports teams. Offering up an apology while you're riding high isn't exactly the most sincere way to go, LeBron. In fact, it's a cop out. It only fuels our hate for you even more. I expected a lot more (we all did) from a guy who grew up here, played pro sports here for 7 years, and from someone who still lives here in the offseason. Clearly, we all continue to be wrong about this man.

Do I want an apology from LeBron James? Hell yes I do. Here's what I want an apology for. I want an apology from James for him destroying basketball in this city after he promised to restore it. I want an apology for the way he handcuffed our team during free agency by not revealing his plans until the last possible moment, thus turning our team into one of the worst teams in the league this year and setting us back at least 3 years. I want an apology for the arrogant ass way you went on national TV, embarrassed us, then didn't even show a shred of remorse about it. How about an apology for the way you quit on everyone in last year's playoff series against Boston? Apologize to the franchise for doing everything in their power to trade for the players YOU wanted, sign the players YOU wanted, but couldn't hit the home run they needed because YOU wouldn't sign anything longer than a 3 year contract. Apologize for the way we threw away drafts, took on enormous contracts, altered travel plans, and gave your buddies jobs, only to watch you throw it in all our faces because YOU couldn't deliver on your end of the deal. Apologize for the way you helped organize a celebration on national TV the day after you ripped out this city's heart. You acted like you never cared. Why should I believe you now?

Maybe you should just apologize for not giving us your full attention for the last 7 years. Apologize for never understanding this cities passion, while admitting that all you care about is yourself at the end of the day. Apologize for the way you had one eye on basketball in Cleveland, and one eye on your new approaching situation in Miami with your friends. Apologize for knowing the whole time you were leaving, and for not telling us. Why don't you organize an hour long special for that?

TR

Why "It's How You Start" Means A Great Deal If You're the Cleveland Indians

Major League Baseball presents one of the most grueling seasons in all of professional sports. Over 30 Spring Training games, 162 regular season games, 3 rounds of playoffs, and for most, Winter Ball. Add all that together, and you usually hear phrases like "It's a marathon, not a sprint" and "It's not how you start, but how you finish". In the case of the Cleveland Indians, where for the last 10 years, their seasons have come to rest in April due to their inability to get out of the gate quickly, the latter of the above phrases carries little weight with me. For this team, getting off to a fast start has lead to success. So the formula is simple; win early and you have a shot, lose early...

The 2011 installment of Indians baseball is off to a better start than the entire nation expected. At 15-8, they own the best record in the American League. While there have been a few disappointments, there have been plenty of surprises. Manager Manny Acta seems to be pushing all the right buttons early on, and I would argue that the way the Indians "finished" Spring Training lead to this hot start. The team is young, but has displayed a veteran poise that should be credited mostly to their skipper.

Youth is a great tool, but it's only one of the tools. For a young team, a team that was and still is expected to grow and mature over a long MLB season, quick starts have historically proven to be beneficial. A little confidence never hurt anyone, right? With the Indians, there were a number of young, talented prospects (that's right, prospects), that the brass has been secretly keeping their fingers crossed on, hoping for a quick start. Players Michael Brantley, Matt LaPorta, Carlos Santana, Carlos Carrasco, and Josh Tomlin are at the top of that list. These players have exceeded expectations collectively early on, and have been put to the test in big spots this year.

While the season is still in it's infancy stages, all of us in Cleveland aren't discrediting the Indians fast start. Under Eric Wedge, the team often stumbled through April, posting only 1 winning opening month in the 8 years of Wedge's tenure. That year was 2007, the year the Indians moved within 1 win of reaching the World Series. That year was also full of surprises, and you could see the pressure lessen and the confidence grow with each early win the team notched.

Early Observations

To win, you have to find the right mix of players. The Indians certainly have plenty of youth to go around, but they are often searching each year for the right bargain veterans to mix in with their youth. Newcomer Orlando Cabrera has been just what the doctor ordered. He's been around, been on winning teams, seen the playoffs. He's a pro's pro. He can also play a variety of positions on the infield. He's gotten the timely hit, along with the big hit, and he's usually right in the middle of most Indian innings where crooked numbers are posted. Returning veterans Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and a reborn Travis Hafner, whose numbers are very encouraging through the first 23 games, have all helped stabilize and support the young guns in the Indians offense. Sizemore has especially been electric since his return from microfracture surgery on his knee. He's displayed a good burst, a quick bat, and has done a good job of cutting down on the strikeouts that plagued him the last 2 years. Manny Acta no doubt was faced with a tough decision upon Sizemore's return. Michael Brantley was doing a great job in the leadoff spot, and the argument could have (and probably was) been made to bat Sizemore lower in the lineup until he felt stronger. Acta didn't hesitate, returning Grady to the leadoff spot, and thus added a new threat to the top of the order. The lineup seems to be gelling, as the Tribe was ranked third in the league in runs scored.

While the hitting has grabbed plenty of attention, it's been the pitching that has really been the story. You want surprises? How about Justin Masterson and his 5-0 record and sub 2.50 ERA? Josh Tomlin is 4-0. Mitch Talbot was 3-0 before his injury. Carlos Carrasco has pitched well at times also. The big disappointment has been Fausto Carmona, the guy everyone was counting on to put it all together and establish himself as the ace of this staff. After a disastrous opening day start, Carmona has pitched better, but not much better. He was shelled by Minnesota last week, and has often struggled with his command. Recently, Manny Acta challenged his young ace to attack hitters more often and trust his stuff. He's constantly falling behind hitters, and heading into tonight's start, he sports a record of just 1-3, with an ERA near 6. If he Indians hope to contend, he'll need to be the driving force.

The bullpen has been equally as good as the starters. I believe this is mostly due to the fact that the Indian starters lead the league in quality starts. Rarely is a Tribe starter removed before the 5th inning, and Acta has had the luxury of using his relievers in the roles that they are most comfortable in. There have been a few really bright spots in closer Chris Perez, and rookie Vinny Pestano. Rafael Perez has been solid, but he hasn't looked the same since 2007. Tony Sipp and Chad Durbin need to do more if they hope to be around in September.

Steady players Asdrubal Cabrera and Jack Hannahan have been great for the offense. Cabrera's defense at short is elite, and teamed with Orlando Cabrera, also a former shortstop, the team has a solid double play duo up the middle. The team has been fun to watch, and has even showed a little resiliency in games that they've fallen behind early. There's plenty to be optimistic about.

While no one truly knows how this year's Cleveland Indians season will play out, the one thing we can all agree on is that they seem to be pointed in the right direction. Attendance is a bit disheartening, but Cleveland fans have shown that they'll support a competitive team. Owner Larry Dolan certainly isn't the most popular man in town, but Mark Shapiro, Chris Antonetti, and Manny Acta are helping him stay out of the direct line of fire right now. The team is playing well at home, winners of 9 straight (the longest streak since 2005). There is one thing that Tribe fans can be sure of; their offense will get better...because Lonnie Chisenhall is coming.

TR

To Be The Man...

As the NBA regular season came to a close last week, and playoff seeds were finalized, a few stories began to surface regarding Dwyane Wade's message to both LeBron James and Chris Bosh this past summer, which lead to both stars deciding to join Wade in Miami for the next 6 years. No one truly knows exactly what Wade said to his free agent-to-be friends, but Brian Windhorst, who is very close with James, and covers the team, summed it up in one sentence. Wade's message was loud and clear- being the man was "overrated". I have a problem with this message.

Athletes do this kind of stuff all the time. It's almost comical to watch the events unfold. It's like you're driving down a highway, and up ahead you see a 10 car pile up. You know you should slow down and use caution, but you just don't. Before you know it, you're in the pile up wondering why you didn't heed the warning signs in the first place. They use words like "sacrifice" and "maturity", "teamwork" and "commitment". These are all the buzz words that fans love to hear their super stars say to them. Rarely do the actions of the super star athlete reflect what they spent so much time trying to convince us of.

Being from Cleveland, I did not follow the college and pro careers of both Wade and Bosh, but in the case of James, we all know how the script has been written. Did James believe that being the man was overrated when at the age of 17, his face was plastered all over the cover of Sports Illustrated, touching off a national media frenzy that eventually lead to his high school games being televised (which at the time was unheard of) on ESPN? Perhaps he felt this way when he received throw back jerseys for free from a Shaker Heights sporting goods store, leading to an investigation from the OSHAA, and a subsequent penalty for James. Surely it had to be when his mother received a loan for James' brand new Hummer (while he was still in high school), a loan that Mrs. James could in no way pay back with her current income situation.

When Nike came calling, giving James a shoe deal worth $90 million, all before he played a single professional game, surely that had to be the foundation for Wade's pitch. As LeBron filmed commercial after commercial, unveiling all his unique personalities such as "Business" LeBron and "Wise" LeBron, do you think he was telling himself "this really sucks, I wish these guys at Nike would just leave me alone"? Endorsement deals with Vitamin Water, State Farm, and McDonald's had to bolster Wade's position, right? And what about all the self-appointed nicknames like "King James" and "Chosen 1" (hell, he even got a tattoo across his back for that one)? Wearing #23? It seems like someone was right at home with being "the man".

I could go on for a long time about the wild parties, website launches, cartoon spin-offs, LRMR, appearances on "Entourage", clothing lines, celebrity event hostings/appearances, and soccer club ownership- all of which came with being and wanting to be "the man" for James. Wade and Bosh also used these platforms to maximize their own brand, and seemingly become multi-millionaires overnight. In the case of Wade, Bosh, and James (especially James), it seems that falling back on Wade's words are convenient only when failure accompanies these men on the basketball court when the stakes are the highest. Game-Winning shot attempts? Championships Won? No thank you, I'm not cut out for being the man after all. Maybe James never wanted to be "the man", but then again, he shouldn't have spent the first 25 years of his life trying to convince us all that he was.

Joe Tait and the Long Shadow he Casts

I'll always remember the first time I heard Joe Tait's voice without realizing it was Joe Tait. I was going through some of my father's cassette tapes and blindly playing them on his stereo one afternoon shortly after my parents told my brother and me that they didn't love each other anymore. I was 11, and had started to take an interest in basketball. The Cavs were a good, solid, young team on the rise, with plenty of stars to like. Anyways, after pressing play and starting another random tape, I heard the closing minutes of the 4th quarter of perhaps the most famous game in Cleveland Cavaliers franchise history. The Miracle of Richfield. The Cavs were in just their 6th year of existence as a franchise, and this was their first playoff series in team history. The opponent was the Washington Bullets. The year was 1976.

As I listened, so many sounds were flooding through the headphones and into my ears. The crowd was roaring, the players were making big time plays at both ends of the floor, and the announcer of the game, Joe Tait, was shaking the mic with every call. I couldn't see him, but I could just see him; sweat beading on his forehead, shortness of breath, and sweaty palms as he called every second of this battle. His voice was strained at times, barely audible over the crowd noise. After it was all over, it was as if Joe was on the floor, fighting for rebounds, setting screens, and directing teammates on the floor. When the Cavs won that game, you felt like you won. You felt how Joe felt...alive!

I was hooked. I listened to all the Cavs games moving forward. Turn the sound down on the TV, put on the Sony Walkman, and just listen to Joe Tait bring it home. 7th grade camp, yep I had to have my Sony Walkman so I could listen to the Cavs/Bulls playoff series. I heard all the catch phrases over the years that became favorites with Cavalier fans like "3 Ball...GOT IT", "Wham with the right hand!", "Line to the left, sights it, shoots, it...good." and "The Cavaliers will be moving left to right on your radio dial". I would be shooting hoops outside and would play all the parts; the crowd, the d-fense chant, and of course, Joe Tait's radio play-by-play. Joe Tait was responsible for my interest in basketball. I was certain that I would do radio broadcasts one day, just like him. I often regret not following through on that.

Now, only 2 games remain in the broadcasting career of Joe Tait. I'm not sure what the Cavaliers have planned for their radio team beyond this year, but it's going to be hard, after 39 years, to flip on the radio for Cavs broadcasts, and not hear Joe's voice. I suppose he's earned a break. Thank you for being you, Joe, and thank you for sharing your passion of basketball with all of us. You'll be missed after one final "Have a goodnight, everybody".

TR