The Ohio State University is in Columbus, OH but for all intents and purposes, it might as well have been in Cleveland for the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State has been a dominant force in the tournament and during the season. Ohio State has been so successful that there really isn't anything to say about them during March Madness except to say that they're GOOD.
George Mason University can attest to the Buckeye's strength, since Mason's road to an NCAA Championship ended on Sunday with a loss.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the game. I meant to shoot video of the Quicken Loans Arena crowd doing the O-H-I-O cheer, but you can picture a sea of red shirts raising their arms and yelling out the letters, just as easy!
At the end of the 1st half, the Ohio State led George Mason by a score of 52-26. The final score was 98-66. **** The man I was sitting next to, told me that Mason was without its best player, since he had succumbed to the flu. Wow. Tough break.
David Lighty was perfect behind the 3-point line (i.e. an impressive 7 for 7) for the Buckeyes and scored 25 points. Jared Sullinger and William Buford both dropped 18 points for the win. Ohio State is scorching and playing complete games. I like what I saw... Further, with all the strange upsets, maybe my bracket isn't so busted after all.
I need to work on tickets in Newark at the Prudential Center. The East bracket is HOT... Let the March Madness continue!
The walk over to Quicken Loans Arena was really cool. Check out the moon. I think it was the "start" of a supermoon. Google it, if you care enough.
The first game of the doubleheader had Marquette battling Xavier. Since, I'm from Ohio, I was rooting for Xavier. So much for that. Marquette defeated the Musketeers.
The second game was the game I was most interested in, because I wanted to see Syracuse play. I like watching their 2-3 zone defense, and I wanted to see Scoop Jardine play in person. Rick Jackson led Jim Boeheim's squad over the Sycamores. Jackson had 23 points. Syracuse ended up defeating Indiana State (i.e. final score of 77-60)
Game 1 of Session 1 on Friday at Quicken Loans Arena was a good one. By now I'm sure you've seen the highlights. Here's the game story for those of you that missed it. I arrived in Cleveland for the session and immediately I ran into three George Mason University fans. The college kids drove the 6.5-7 hours through the night to Cleveland, OH to root for their team.
It felt like "home" being surrounded by all the Ohio State fans and a few Mason fans, but it WAS "home" because I was in Ohio. Needless to say, it was surreal.
Villanova played tough, but basically fell apart down the stretch. Mason mounted a comeback and came out victorious. With just under a minute to go in the 2nd half, George Mason took the lead. **** Mason hadn't led since the score was 7-6 in the 1st half.
Mason pulled off the upset and defeated Villanova! WHAT A GAME!!!
The Washington Wizards take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6PM ET. The Wizards look to win their 1st road game when the venture into Quicken Loans Arena. Currently, the Wizards are 0-25 on the road. That's not a typo. The Wizards are winless when they leave the Verizon Center.
The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't fared much better this season. It's no secret that things have taken a 180-degree turn since LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach. The Cavaliers were on a downward spiral and lost a string of 26 games. 26 games. No, that's not a typo. The Cavs lost an abysmal 26 games, and were the joke of everyone who had an interest in the NBA and a voice. Finally the Cavs tasted victory this week, when they defeated Blake Griffin's Los Angeles Clippers (aka the "Blakers). The Cavs hadn't won since 12/18.
I remember when the Cavs v Wizards match-ups used to mean something. It seems like ages ago that LeBron James' Cavs were battling Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler's Wizards for a playoff spot in the East. It was less than 5 years ago that these games meant something, but my how the times change.
The opening tip and arena will NOT look like this tonight...
The Cavs are going into tonight's game with a record of 9-45. The Wizards sport a record of 14-38. For tonight's match-up, according to Covers.com, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a 1.5 point favorite. If I were in Vegas, I wouldn't even think about touching this game. I believe both squads have to be looking at this game as winnable. The Cavs won the first game in Washington DC on 11/8. Tonight's match-up will be interesting for all the wrong reasons, but since I'm in the TV market for the Washington Wizards, I may watch this game. Antawn Jamison was the hero in the Cavs game against the Clippers, and he's facing his former team (i.e. the Wizards) tonight. I expect him to play big. The key word there is "expect".
As an Ohio girl, I'd root for the home team. Go Cavs!
It's Monday and John Schuhmann has released his NBA power rankings on NBA.com. I went straight to the bottom of the list and verified my suspicions, that the Cleveland Cavaliers were at the bottom of the list (i.e. #30).
On Friday, I received a phone call and it showed up "Unknown" on my phone. I must have been feeling talkative, because I decided to answer the call. On the other end of the phone was Zach (i.e. a guy from the Cleveland Cavaliers ticket department), and he wanted to thank me for going to Quicken Loans Arena. And then the fun started... The poor guy started to ask me questions about the game I saw at the Q.
Wow. He had opened up a can of worms, and he didn't even know it. I told him I went to the Heat v Cavs game and that, although I showed up, I'm not sure the team did. I told him I'd be willing to play hard, take a charge, and make sure LeBron never took an uncontested shot. I told him I felt bad for Byron Scott and asked for reassurance that the Cavs were able-bodied men (i.e. with 2 arms and 2 legs) who knew the rules of basketball and wanted to play the game.
The poor guy didn't know what hit him.
He thanked me for my candor, offered to talk to the front office about offering me a 10-day contract, and asked when I'd be back at the Q.
I informed him that I wasn't going back to the arena, until I was sure that the team would play at the level we all know they can play at. Sure, they're not the power house that they used to be and the hole left now that LeBron James is gone is practically impossible to fill, but LIFE GOES ON. The franchise didn't fold when LeBron left, so why do I feel like the players did? I don't expect them to beat star-studded teams, but I expect them to be competitive and BRING IT when they play mediocre/garbage squads.
We all know how the Heat v Cavs game ended. The Cavs laid down and died in front of 20K+ fans and have yet to decide to get up. I'm not even counting, but I think Schuhmann wrote that the Cavs have lost 8 straight. That's embarrassing. Where's the pride?
Thank goodness the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks (i.e. until tonight), and some other teams have been streaking in the win column otherwise more attention might be drawn to the Cavs' downward spiral.
Sadly, the Cavs franchise appears to be on life support right now. I just hope the Cavs didn't sign a DNR (i.e. do not resuscitate) because the Cavs fans in Ohio deserve better, and we're not even at the All-Star break yet.
**** Oh, and don't even try it. I'm an Ohio girl, a Byron Scott fan, and I've lived/been to the Q (i.e. Gund Arena) for some of the leanest Cavs' seasons so I know what I'm talking about. This is BS.
By now, you've all seen the lop-sided score from the Miami Heat v Cleveland Cavaliers game (aka LeBron's Homecoming). The Cavs lost by 28 points. While most hoped for a competitive game (i.e. and some even dreamed of the Cavs pulling the upset), the smart fan knew that these expectations were not necessarily reasonable. I for one, wanted a competitive game. I don't believe that Cleveland was so undermanned that they couldn't have put up a better fight.
I am from Ohio, and since I was in Ohio for family, I felt it was "meant to be" for me to drive the 4 hours up to Cleveland for the game. I arrived at Quicken Loans Arena at 6:30PM just as the gates were opening. By then the walkway from the parking garage and the entrance by the ticket window were packed with people. With so many changes from last year, I was excited to see was a Danny Ferry-less (i.e. WOOHOO!!!) Cleveland Cavaliers' organization had to offer. I couldn't help but notice that there were no pictures or images of LeBron, and that the only recent picture featured was of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Yep, they love him in Cleveland.
When I arrived at the Q, I was about 90 minutes early so it gave me time to look for and talk to my friends in the front office, walk around the concourse, and catch up with folks. The Q (i.e. formerly Gund Arena) still feels like home. It's Ohio. People rarely change and some of those people I've know for over 10 years.
I saw camera crew after camera crew (i.e. local and national news media) interviewing Cavs fans. When approached for a comment, I decline. I have very strong opinions, and these feelings do not need to be aired on TV or radio. I've been approached more than once (i.e. and I'm sure it's purely coincidental and/or random), and it always freaks me out. As a rule, I told myself that I would never talk to the media when I'm in Cleveland.
Regardless as the arena began to fill-up, I went to take my seat. I saw numerous anti-LeBron t-shirts (e.g. Quitness, The Lyin' King) and they all made me smile. People are pretty clever when given enough material to work with.
For such a big game, athletes and celebrities always come out. Some notables in the crowd were: Bernie Kosar, Drew Carey, Josh Cribbs, Wally Szczerbiak, and Dominique Moceanu.
During the pregame shoot around and stretching I couldn't take my eyes off the opposite side of the court. LeBron was getting booed every time his face was on the scoreboard. Zydrunas was running up and down the court in a Miami Heat jersey. The normal pre-game images I have in my head of the Cavs's Strength and Conditioning Coach and Zydrunas' good friend) stretching Zydrunas at half-court were not happening. It was strange. Instead, Zydrunas was running on the word "Cavaliers" on the arena floor, and I could feel the irony.
Nothing but the best in terms of security at the Q, I saw Rick (i.e. a familiar face) over by the Heat bench. If Rick is over there, it's serious. He's a professional and used to work the tunnels years ago.
As Cleveland Cavaliers' owner, Dan Gilbert, walked out into view to take his seat, the crowd went nuts. He received a hero's welcome. Say whatever you want about the rant in his open letter. Unless you're from NE Ohio, drank the LeBron kool-aid, believed in all the promise of the franchise, and the hype ~ you will NEVER understand, because that open letter was not intended for you. Dan Gilbert was the only person who who could speak for the thousands of people in the region and be heard by the world. I actually admire him for having the strength (i.e. read "balls) to do it and not enable (i.e. any more).
Here's video of the crowd's reaction to Dan Gilbert heading to his seat.
The pre-game introductions started and LeBron is booed. That was to be expected. Next Zydrunas was introduced and the crowd goes wild. He will always be highly regarded in Cleveland. They love him there. I lost count of the # of surgeries, but his struggles have been well-documented. **** It's ironic in a way that I had my mom's surgical procedure earlier in the day. I know I waited nervously for at least 2 of them. The last time I had been in a waiting room for a surgery was Zydrunas' last, successful foot operation in Baltimore. For those of you that think Greg Oden is a bust. I know from experience. Don't count an athlete out until he/she retires (i.e. for good).
Here's the video of the introductions. The visuals leave a lot to be desired. I guess I was shaking. The audio is priceless.
After the Heat intros Zydrunas left the huddle too early.
and had to double back. If you ask me, it's symbolic.
The Q's lights dimmed. When the Cavs did their introductions the fire came out of the scoreboard. The crowd was literally fired up. People were excited. I had a sick feeling in my stomach.
The question of the day was whether LeBron was going to do his pre-game ritual of throwing the chalk/talc/powder into the air. Yes, he did it. Yes, the girl next to me yelled obscenities at him as the "dust" began to settle. If 20,000 plus people thought they could've gotten away with it I would've pictured them storming the court because as far as they were concerned, it was "ON".
Do you see the dust/chalk/talc/powder in the air? LeBron did it.
As Zydrunas took to his spot at the center of the floor to ready himself for the opening tip, I began to feel sick. It all just seemed so wrong. I watched as he greeted former teammates. Fist bumps, guy hugs, etc. I don't know anyone on the Cavs anymore. Sure I know the names, but without taking a hard look at the roster I don't think I've ever spoken to any of the remaining players. The link I have to the team was wearing the opposing team's jersey and the only Cavs people I know in the organization are in the media, broadcasting, front office, or other arena staff. Finally, for me, the entire team has turned over... It took 12 years.
The opening tip happened and at that point I realize I need to root for Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Boobie Gibson, and Anderson Varejao in order for the Cavs to win. Wow. I don't think I can do that, EVER. I texted my friend Trey, that I couldn't believe that I had to cheer for Varejao. **** I still remember Varejao having the ball at the end of one of the home games in Cleveland, when the Cavs were in the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. 20,000+ people yelled, "Give it back!!!" when they could tell that he was actually going to take the last shot. I have nightmares about that story.
The first quarter was the most competitive and when the Cavs showed the most fight. If you want numbers check the box score on ESPN.com or NBA.com. I'm too drained to look at numbers.
Each time LeBron touched the ball, there were boos. Chants such as "De-lon-te" (i.e. a reference to the Delonte West scandal) and "Akron Hates You" rang out through the arena. When they showed a close-up of his face as he was shooting free throws among the chants, LeBron was smiling smugly. I don't believe that it didn't affect him. Sure it didn't hurt his game. He scored plenty of points and the Heat won. However, let's not forget that this is still a guy who when the going gets tough ~ runs to his mom.
I wish the Cavs had played with the same intensity as the crowd. Towards the start of the 4th quarter which began garbage time since the Heat had a huge lead, you could tell that the crowd had had it. LeBron was talking to the Cavs bench and an assistant coach even told him to "Shut the f*ck up." Don't believe me? Google it. Before the start of the 2nd half, it looks like Mo Williams to go f*ck himself? Don't believe me about that either? Google it.
LeBron waiting to check into the game. Spoelstra coaching.
LeBron wouldn't play the 4th Quarter. He didn't need to. **** WOW. I just checked the box score. Did you know that Zydrunas didn't take a single shot against the Cavs. ZERO field goals attempted in almost 17 minutes of action, with only 2 rebounds. I have an opinion on this, which I will keep to myself. However, those numbers send a statement.
For the record, They flashed a sign on the scoreboard. The sign read, "We're down 25, but we still have more fans here". My guess is that the girl's sign was alluding to the fact that at least Cleveland fans care about the game and team more than fans in Miami. **** My brother lives in Miami. He travels a lot and gets asked all the time what people think about the Heat record. He said he tells them the truth. No one cares.
People in the stands were throwing beers at an obnoxious guy looking to get beat up by obviously taunting and waving LeBron's Heat jersey. A man was being escorted out and then decided to turn around and try to fight the people assisting him to exit. A melee broke out and a few people got on top of him to get subdue and get him out. I watched him as he fought and hit the floor. I only caught the later part on video. Supposedly there was only one arrest at the game. My guess, is that it was that guy.
Here's the video I shot of the man being subdued. I missed shooting when he turned around, resisted, fought, and knocked over the trashcan, but I saw it.
The game ended and the city was quiet. Sure some people were out, but it wasn't a lively scene. People seemed angry still. I read an article or a tweet earlier today and the author asked if Cleveland can begin healing now. My best guess is, "Not yet."
From the look and sound of it, Cleveland and I are not ready to "make nice" with LeBron yet.
Before the season started, everyone knew that last night's game was probably one of the most important games of the regular season. Of course I'm happy that I went, but I'm also thankful that it's over. If you ask me the Cavs stopped playing after the first quarter. The Cavs should've played LeBron tougher and more physically. The Cavs should've made their shots. The Cavs should've stopped jawing with him from the bench and made their game speak for itself. Could've, should've, would've ~ but didn't.
I doubt you'll see me in Cleveland for another Cavs game this year. Byron Scott has his work cut out for him. I wish him the best. :-P
It's December 1st, but it might as well be NBA Christmas Eve in Ohio with all the anticipation surrounding LeBron's return to Cleveland. You'd think LeBron was Santa. Actually, that's a VERY BAD analogy (i.e. more suitable would be those letters flipped around to spell "Satan"), since I don't believe most people are excited about LeBron's return to the Quicken Loans Arena for the "right" reasons. What are the "right" reasons? I don't know.
I do know that people who were originally going to skip the game for safety concerns or to avoid the mess, are now ponying up the dough and texting me that they'll be there and/or wanting to know if I have time to meet up before the game. **** If you're going to be at the game and you know me, please text me so we can catch up.
I'm in Ohio. I came in this morning because my mom is having a surgical procedure tomorrow. I will be at the hospital bright and early and when she is home recovering (i.e. hopefully knocked out on meds) and under the watchful eye of my brother (i.e. a non-practicing physician) I will be on the road to Cleveland. If my mother isn't knocked out on drugs, I guarantee that she will be in front of the TV watching the game. It's all she can talk about, and she's not a LeBron fan.
She's an NBA fan because of me. She's familiar with the Cavs because of me. She's gone to a few Cleveland Cavaliers games with me. Now that I think about it she's even been to Richfield Coliseum. Athough she may not be all up to date on the nitty gritty (i.e. she asked me if Gund Arena and the Quicken Loans Arena were two different buildings while we were eating dinner tonight), she's still going to be rooting for the Cavs. Now that I think about it, my brother lives in Miami and he's flying tonight. Hmmm, maybe it's a good thing that I'm not going to be at home for the game after all.
**** Actually, I just literally asked my mom who she's rooting for and she stared at me blankly. What the heck is going on around here?!!? Give me strength. Wow. She just asked me if the Cleveland Cavaliers are any good. I must remain silent. I cannot antagonize her before her surgery tomorrow.
Do you think LeBron is going to do the talc/chalk thing before the game tomorrow? I say, YES. I think if he had the nerve to do the show "The Decision", why not throw some talc in the air? I think his bravado won't make him refrain from the pre-game production.
Even if LeBron does the same talcum powder routine,
it'll still be a different site
I've heard LeBron make mention of the visitor locker room. I can't remember if I've been in there or not, but even if I had I'm sure it's been remodeled through the years. If you're familiar at all with the tunnels of the Quicken Loans Arena, you know that the visitor locker room is the first one on the left right when you hang a right from where the bus parks. If I remember correctly, the referees locker room is next and it's on the right if you proceed down the hall. The home locker room is all the way through the tunnel past the family lounge and the home tunnel. Unless LeBron really feels like greeting the arena employees, his interaction with the crew will probably be limited since he doesn't have to go that far into the building. I wonder what sort of reception he'll receive from the always professional security staff. Regardless, because of the set up, who really cares about the visitor locker room. Sure it's smaller (i.e. I've seen teams stretching in the halls pre-game), but it has everything the Heat need.
Wait. Cutie, Coach Erik Spoelstra will be in Cleveland too. Hellooooo. I wonder if Zydrunas will do me a favor and give him my number. Hahaha. But seriously, enough years have passed. Can't we all just get along?!!?
I'm looking forward to seeing Byron Scott coach the Cavs. As a former Lakers fan, I am a Byron Scott fan.
I hope the game is competitive. I hope the Cavs come out blazing at that everyone plays at the top of their game. I would love to see the Cavs win. If the Cavs win, I'm sure the dynamic three-o (i.e. Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James) will allude to the fact that they didn't get much rest after playing the Detroit Pistons. Wow. How exciting would it be to see the Detroit Pistons defeat the Miami Heat tonight? OK. Maybe now I'm dreaming.
But like I said, it's only December 1st but it feels like Christmas Eve for basketball fans in Northeast Ohio. Instead of putting up stockings and laying out cookies, I'm sure kids and adults are breaking out the markers, making posters, and/or printing T-shirts in preparation for tomorrow night's game.
It should be a sight, and with the holiday season approaching now is the time to dream and make a wish or two! **** How do I know? One of my wishes already came true earlier today. Don't know what I'm talking about? Don't even worry about it.
Dear Miami Heat players, please "shut up" and play.
Dear Erik Spoelstra, if you get fired, come hang out with me. By the way, LeBron body-checked you when he bumped into you. I'm no genius, but I am a girl so I know "passive-aggressive" behavior (i.e. KIDDING, kind of, not really) when I see it.
For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about? Here's a video I found on Youtube.
I'd like to bump into Spoelstra (i.e. but not like LeBron did)... Haha. Coach Spoelstra is a cutie! See you guys on Thursday at the Quicken Loans Arena!
Right now the Cleveland Cavaliers are battling the visiting New Jersey Nets. The Cavs are down 7 in the 4th with a little over 2 minutes left. For those of us that know the NBA, it's GO TIME.
**** Photos are courtesy of Carm Olaes.
Once my former boss, Carm, texted me that he was at the Quicken Loans Arena watching the Cavs game, I requested some pictures. I haven't been back to the arena yet, this year and wanted to "see" what I was missing. It's great to see that there's a good sized crowd out supporting the Cavs!
Byron Scott has his work cut out for him this season, and it looks like his bench has been coming through for him so far. If I remember correctly, I think I saw that Antawn Jamison is coming off the bench these days. Well, whatever works...
As I was typing this post, the Cavs ended up losing to the Nets with a score of 95-87. The outcome might have been different had Mo Williams not left the game injured. Let's hope, Mo returns to the line-up soon. I'm not going to speculate as to his injury, since it seems as though the folks in Cleveland are confused.
I predict that the Cavs win at least 40 games this year. Some of you might think that's optimistic, but what can I say... I have to have faith, and I like the fact that the Cavs have a proven winner, Byron Scott, as their coach.
I was looking at the schedules earlier today and noticed that the Cleveland Cavaliers are visiting the Washington Wizards tonight at the Verizon Center. For a minute I thought about checking it out. A minute...
This year is different. Even though I'm an Ohio girl and I'm still a Cavs fan, I don't think I can bring myself to go to the game. I took a look at the roster and can't get myself to get excited and sit in my "usual" seat behind the Cavs bench.
Never going to have this view of LeBron in a Cavs jersey again
Actually, for this game, I'd almost be willing to reconnect with some folks that I knew from my days in Cleveland and are affiliated with the Wizards now... BUT, I'm not going to do that either. Not tonight.
As I look through all my albums with so many pictures of the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers, it's amazing how many of the people have moved on. Most athletes are journey man. They can be nomadic because of free agency. They get traded, and/or eventually retire. Look at the picture below from Game 6 of the Playoffs in 2008. None of the guys in the picture play for the same organization now, that they did 2 years ago.
Oh, and if you think I'm going to get all dolled up and head to the Verizon Center to see Anderson Varejao, well... You don't know me at all. Sorry... I have to be honest. Ugh, that reminds me. I need to find my "Got Boobie?" shirt. I like Daniel "Boobie" Gibson and that T-shirt still makes me chuckle...
In a world with so much player mobility, it's no surprise to me that some teams have adopted a "generic" approach to promotion. In Cleveland, where LeBron James' image was ubiquitous, I'm not surprised that there isn't a face associated with the organization anymore.
Here are some of the latest Cleveland Cavaliers banners adorning Quicken Loans Arena (i.e. photos courtesy of Dave Soulsby, President of Central Graphics Group):
The #10 on the jersey is generic
****I just checked to see if long-time radio announcer, Joe Tait, is traveling with the team after his cardiac surgery. He's not. If you haven't heard Joe Tait call a game, you're missing out. He's truly a special talent. Best wishes, Joe. Get better soon.
I will make it to the Quicken Loans Arena before the end of the year. Save me a seat. Wait... Let me clarify. Save me a good seat :-P
The more I think about it, I might just scalp a quick ticket just to watch John Wall "Dougie" during the player introductions... Who do I think I am kidding? I'm not going to go... LOL. Here's a clip if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
Simple question: Now that LeBron has joined the Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, would you watch the Miami Heat play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena?
Here's some video I shot (i.e. at Game 6 of the Cavs v Wiz series in April 2008) of LeBron's pregame chalk routine, that we'll probably never have to see again...
Remember those commercials where the girl would be in a tub and say, "Calgon take me away."? Well, I'm not foolish enough to believe that works. I've clicked my heels three times and said, "There's no place like home." However, my black flats don't even look like ruby slippers and let's face it ~ my name's not Dorothy so that won't work either. If I had a private plane and could go anywhere tonight, I'd take that plane straight to Cleveland, Ohio. Yes, I said it. I'd even invite Joakim Noah to come with me, because we know he can't be busy. That's just how nice a person I am! Game 5 is tonight, and the Cleveland Cavaliers should be ready to exploit homecourt advantage and defeat the Boston Celtics.
I was watching TNT earlier this week and I heard Ernie Johnson use the term "LeBrondo". That made me laugh. Rajon Rondo was the story of Game 4, and LeBron James was the story for Game 3. Both teams split games on their home floor (i.e. basically trading wins and losses). I think I recall LeBron saying that he wanted to guard Rondo tonight. Well, let's just hope that that doesn't open up the floor too much for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Can you tell that I'm a Cavs fan?!?!
I hope Cleveland is bringing more of its offense and defense to the table tonight and is ready to dominate. I got into a discussion last night about the merit of Mike Brown. My friend was saying that he couldn't coach. I admit, I am a member of a "Fire Mike Brown" group. We both remarked that the only play that Coach seems to call in the huddle (i.e. after a time-out, etc.) is the "Give the ball to LeBron" play. Trust me ~ he and I are smart and have high basketball IQs, but I assure you that even the dimmest bulb on the shortest bus could figure that out!
**** Coaches are in a very unenviable position. We love them when the team wins, and we second guess and join "Fire XYZ" forums when the team loses. I like Mike Brown, when the Cavs win and when he's not snubbing Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Regardless, I will still ultimately blame Danny Ferry if the Cavs don't win a NBA Championship this year.
Come on Cleveland, it's GO time at Quicken Loans Arena!!!
The Ohio State University is in Columbus, OH but for all intents and purposes, it might as well have been in Cleveland for the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State has been a dominant force in the tournament and during the season. Ohio State has been so successful that there really isn't anything to say about them during March Madness except to say that they're GOOD.
