Because I need something else bad in my sports fandom ...

After the Cavs sweep ...

In the midst of another Indians Summer Slump (patent pending, I do believe) ...



Steely McBeam

I'm debating not even acknowledging his existence.

I Hate the ****ing Yankees

I Hate the Yankees.

And, yes, I grew up being told to not use the word "hate" unless I really meant it.

And, yes, I still say I hate the Yankees.

I went to my first baseball game of the season on Friday night (been to at least one game every season since I was born). Got the "pleasure" of sitting in a section with a bunch of Yankees fans. And ... I say this as someone who grew up in Cleveland as a Stillers fan ... Yankees fans really need to learn etiquette for being in a visiting ballpark.

It's OK to have fun little chants. It's great to have playful banter with the other fans around you. It's fantastic to talk smak.

It's stupid to act like the home team. It's bad to stand and cheer for the closer when the final batter comes up, and act like you're the home team. And it's pathetic to start and/or crush "The Wave".

One more thought: my team may have gotten swept, but at lest my name isn't Melky.

I hate the ****ing Yankees.

ugh

1.0 IP 7 hits 8 runs 8 earned runs 2 BB 1 K 2 HR

And this is why you almost never want to have players from your favorite team also on your fantasy team.

ugh, indeed

The NHL

So, I really didn't understand the clamor in the media back in 1995. After the baseball strike and the canceled World Series. Perhaps it was my youth, or perhaps it was my living in a city going through a baseball craze. But I didn't get how one nasty experience, even as nasty as a canceled World Series, could drive you away from watching a sport.

Until it happened again. No, not in baseball. But in hockey. An entire season canceled. No Stanley Cup awarded. And now, here we are, two years later, and I still don't give a crap about the NHL. I watched exactly one game this year: when the Cup was in the building. I watched because I wanted to see the Cup awarded, not because I wanted to watch hockey.

However ... if Bill Simmons covered the NHL season like he did the NHL Draft, I'd be much more likely to watch. Classic Simmons humor. Awesome.

NBA Draft

So, the NBA draft is coming up. There's a ton of buzz surrounding it. Durant, Oden ... two possible cornerstone players.

I just can't get excited. My team doesn't have a single pick in this draft. Not a single pick. In what's being touted as one of the deepest drafts ever.

I want to get excited for it, but it seems like I'm just waiting for every team but my own to get better.

*sigh*

At least I can go enjoy Jiri Welsch, since he's really our first round pick this year.



Crap.


Thanks a lot, Jim Paxson

hmmm ...

Does this mean I need to start following NASCAR a little closer?

Questions I Can't Answer

Let me start his off by saying that this year of sports will only be complete when the Indians get swept in the World Series, and the Steelers lose by 4 touchdowns in the Super Bowl.

Seriously, look at the year my teams have had:

Ohio State football: rolls through the regular season, gets whomped (completely and totally, the actual whomping may have been illegal in a few states) by Florida in the National Title Game.

Ohio State basketball: have a good-if-not-great season, have thrilling tournament victories, and then can't hit a shot to save their life in the championship game against Florida.

Cleveland Cavaliers: have a good-if-sleepwalked-through regular season, sleepwalk through two playoff rounds, dominate Detroit, and then never get a complete game together in a sweet at the hands of the Spurs.

At this point in time, I'm checking to make sure the Avs didn't get swept in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (after I check to make sure the NHL still exists)

So, this begs a few questions:

1. Is it better to make the championship game/series and get blown out, or to not make it at all?




My inclination here is to say it's better to make the championship game/series. If you can't be #1, #2 isn't a bad place to be. But it hurts more this way.

It hurts more this year to get swept by the Spurs than it hurt last year to squander away victory in the second round against Detroit. It hurt more to lose to Florida in 1997 than it did to lose to Seattle in the first round the year they won 100 million regular season games. No loss in the Wild Card or Division Round has felt as bad as the losses for the Steelers in the AFC Title games, or in Super Bowl XXX.

At the same time, it hurt a lot less to get whomped by Florida this year than it hurt all those years the Cooper-lead Buckeyes choked away a shot at a National Title by losing to Michigan or Michigan State.

So, I guess this question is up for debate, but totally leaning towards better to get there. At least you can talk some smak to 28 other teams (or whatever)




2. Is it better to get whomped in a championship series/game or lose a nailbiter?




I can directly compare two things here: The 2007 NBA Finals (Cavs swept handily by Spurs) against the 1997 World Series (Indians lose a heartbreaking game seven to the Marlins).

And I can say without a doubt that the 1997 World Series hurt more, was more devastating, and just without a doubt sucked more. But, I think there are some other factors to consider that keep this question from being answered:


• This Cavs team is young, ahead of schedule, has a bright future, and should be back. That Indians team was nearing the end of their window of opportunity, never got back, and had the "veteran " experience edge over Florida.


• The Spurs are a team built the right way, and have been there before, and handle business properly (for the most part, cheap shots by Bowen and Horry not withstanding). The Marlins bought that championship, then fire sold it away, and for the most part felt like a completely undeserving franchise and fanbase.


• Baseball has always been my first love. Basketball has always been at best third, though I'm not sure if the Cavs rank higher than the Steelers, for reasons of my hometown being attached to one and not the other



So, I'm leaning towards saying it's better to get whomped, but I'm not able to say for sure.

So, two questions, no real answers. Anybody got any thoughts?

One Win

... at a time.

What we always say, right?

Helps us keep the faith, keep perspective on the long seasons.

When the tip comes tonight, the Cavs and their fans have to leave the mindset of "we're down 3-0" behind, and have the mindset "this game is 0-0". Right?

And we can get this win, right?

I'm certain we can.

I'm hoping we see a lineup something like: Snow, Sasha, LeBron, Gooden, Z to start the game, with Boobie first off the bench (spelling either Sasha or Snow, depending on if we need more offense or just a fresh look), followed by Marshall (much higher basketball IQ than Gooden) and AV (much more energy than Z).

One win ... one game at a time ... it's not 3-0 Spurs, it's 0-0 in Game 4.

Hope ... springs ... eternal?

Mama said they're be days like this

1-0.

12 innings.

ugh.

When you're starting pitcher throws nine innings of shut-out ball, you need to win that game. Period.

+16 in the 4th quarter

-11 for the game

ugh.

When you play like crap for three quarters, you can't win a game.

Any truth to the rumor the starting line-up for game 3 is: Boobie, Jones, James, Marshall, and Andy?

if that's the case, I'll stop calling (in Charles Barkley-like nicknames) Marshall the Large Splot of Missed Shot and Jones the Tall Stiff whose shots just whiff.

More Boobie, Please

So ... that's what it feels like to watch a NBA game with your team involved?

I'm not sure I like it.

Ugly, ugly game for the Cavaliers for 7/8ths of the game. The offense never looked in rhythm, the defense seemed unprepared, and the team never got an advantage on the boards, which has been their coup de grace all season.

And yet, despite that, they had a chance to make a game of it. A better shot, and it's a five point game with 90 seconds left. And then who knows.

At least the solution seems simple:

More Boobie. More minutes. More touches. More shots.

Less Hughes. Yes, it's a gutty performance to play through the injury, but he's not in a flow of the game at all on offense. And if you just want his defense, play Eric Snow, who has much better defense.

I actually wouldn't mind seeing a rotation of Snow, Gibson, James, Gooden, and Illgauskas. Snow can play the point and distribute to four guys who can hit shots.

The analyst in me wants to say that this game proves the Spurs are the better team, with better experience and better coaching, which trumps the best individual player on the court. The fan in me still believes though.

Game two will really tell the story ... if the Cavs can respond and win or make it a last possession game, they've got a real chance to win when they go home and win the series. If they come out flat and get beaten down again ... the series might be over.

One last thought to hang my hat (and hopes) on: The Cavs have never lost consecutive games in the NBA Finals.

The Day has finally come

The NBA Finals start tonight. After a long layoff. Seems like it's been forever since the Cavs played. I'm just eating up the experience right now. Taking in everything I can get.

Here's what everyone's saying today:

Gov. Strickland making sure the "witness" sign remains in place

Scouts Inc. has Spurs in six ESPN.com Insider required

$15K for a ticket?

True Hoop gives the Cavs some chance, but still won't pick them

Stat Geek Smackdown also has little love for the Cavs

Even Brian Windhorst is picking the Spurs

And, words from the expert:

"I think [the Cavaliers] might only be the fourth-best team San Antonio has faced in the postseason" -- ESPN.com's John Hollinger

Nice John ... I think ESPN has replaced usual East Coast bias with Western Conference bias when it comes to the NBA. I guess I was imagining that two of the last three NBA champions came from the East? I get you slotting the Suns above the Cavs, but the Nuggets and the Jazz, too? Come on, John.

Still looking for a member of the media not based in Cleveland to pick the Cavs to win ... still looking ... still looking ...

Happy to be There?

In a word: Yes.

In a sentence: Yes, but I'd like to win four more games.

In a longer explanation:

I'm thrilled to have dispatched the Detroit Pistons in six games. I'm thrilled that the Cavaliers are in their first ever NBA Finals. I was very close to cloud nine as I watched the final seconds tick off the clock and the trophy presentation. It felt as good ... maybe even better ... than 1997 when the wheel play worked to perfection, and the Indians defeated Baltimore and headed to the World Series.

At the start of the season, I predicted the Cavs (along with Bill Simmons, BTW) to win the east, and then lose in the NBA Finals. Sports Guy, if I remember correctly, predicted Suns over Cavs, I predicted Mavs over Cavs. My honest expectation was for the Cavs to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and take it to 6-7 games. Hence, the Cavs have reached both my expectations and my predictions for them.

So, will I be sad if they lose the Finals to the Spurs? Yes. I want them to win. I want them to win (believe it of not) more than I wanted the Steelers to beat Seattle (or maybe that's just the present in me talking ... we'll see how I really feel in 2 months or so). But, at the same time, I won't be crushed if they lose, the way I was crushed after game seven of the 1997 World Series (and I still haven't forgiven you, Jose Mesa).

Cheering on a team that exceeded expectations, and has a chance to win the title is a great place to be. I want to enjoy it.

Because win or lose this year, the expectation is that the Cavaliers win the 2008 NBA Finals. And that will put me in a totally different mindset.

pwnage?

I'm used to the idea of seeing a team/city dominate another team/city thoroughly.

I'm not used to my team/city being on the giving end of the whooping.

And yet, it seems that I'm staring that down.

The Cavs are up 3-2 on the Detroit Pistons with game six tonight in Cleveland with a chance to move to the NBA Finals for the first time in history.

The Tribe has won five in a row against the Detroit Tigers to open up a 4.5 game lead in the AL Central.

And the most recent wins for both teams seemed to rip the heart out of their Detroit counterpart. The Pistons held all but one player scoreless for the last 12+ minutes of the game, including both overtimes, and lost. The Tigers pounded out 11 runs and have a four-run lead in the ninth inning, and lost. Cleveland didn't just win those two games. They took shot after shot on the mouth, and then demoralized Detroit and won anyways. They left Detroit shaking their heads, wondering if they could do anything. Believe me, I know. I've seen my teams on the wrong end of those types of games all too often.

It seems like pwnage is happening. By the Indians. By the Cavs. By the city of Cleveland.

And yet ... the Clevelander in me is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something like "the Shot" or "The Mesa" or "The Drive" or "The Fumble" ... but I feel like it's not gonna happen this time. This isn't like last year against Detroit, where I was amazed the Cavs won three games and had a chance. This isn't like 1997 where we had a lead in a back-and-forth World Series. This is a basketball series we've been dominating, and losing by not making a clutch shot, not getting dominated and winning a game or two with luck. This is the type of run the White Sox had against the Indians two years ago.

It really feels different.

God, I hope it is.

Hatred

One of the best things about being a sports fan, is you get an outlet for anger and hatred. These are natural, human emotions that shouldn't be placed onto singular humans in a "real" context. But, in the world of sports, during a heated contest, the outlet is there. And as long as you can separate the worlds, it's very healthy.

And, so, I've come to the conclusion that you really need someone, something, somewhere to hate in the world of sports.

And I've always been a little torn on finding something/one/place that I can really hate the whole year round.

I grew up in Cleveland, and most folks there hate Pittsburgh. It's a great rivalry that stems from football, the Browns and the Steelers. The problem though, is that while I'm a Cleveland fan almost all the time, my one exception is football. I'm a Steelers fan to the core. It's how my dad (Youngstown native) raised me. I can't change it, even if I want to. So, while I grew up hating the Browns, I can't hate Cleveland all year 'round, because of my love for the rest of the city.

So, I've been honestly searching. Until this past weekend. When it finally hit me.

I hate Detroit.

Hate them with a passion.

This past weekend, I was simultaneously watching Cavs-Pistons on TV while gamecasting Indians-Tigers online. And every ounce of my sports being was venomously rooting against Detroit. I found myself hating them, the way I hated Ric Flair as a young NWA/WCW/Sting fan. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing them lose, except seeing them lose to my team.

And it fits the criteria. I can hate them the entire year. As an Indians fan, I've been without a real rival ... well, my entire life. As a Cavaliers fan, the only team I could possibly ever hate as much as Detroit is Chicago, and the sting of "The Shot" isn't quite as potent when compared to the magic of MJ. He did it to everyone, we were just one victim. As an Avalanche fan, I already hate the Red Wings. And, who knows, maybe my renewed hatred of Detroit will give me a renewed interest in the NHL?

That only leaves football. And, I'll admit, it's hard to hate Detroit when they're so pathetic, such a non-threat, and not even in the same conference as my favorite team. But, I found a loophole. Detroit is close enough to Ann Arbor. So football season is covered, too.

At long last, I have my year-round place to hate. And I love it. I feel my sports fandom is finally becoming complete.

I'm No Analyst

And that's why I'm changing up this blog.

It's fun to pretend that I'm an analyst. Fun to pretend I really know what I'm talking about. But, really, I have too much bias, and I'd rather just talk about what i like and what I hate, and what it means to be a fan and the joys and frustrations of fandom, then to try to break down match-ups and make prognostications.

So, I'm refocusing my efforts to emphasize the fan side more than the analyst side.

Changes

Going to be changing the format of how I do this blog here in the near future.

Keep your eyes peeled and don't go too far.

NFL Mock Draft -- Final

Well, it's draft day. The only day I eat unhealthier than I do on Super Bowl Sunday. So, I thought I'd get my final round 1 mock up.

1. Oakland: JaMarcus Russell, QB LSU

Pretty much a guarantee at this point in time

2. Detroit: Calvin Johnson, WR GT

Although I expect him (or the pick) to be traded to Tampa Bay, Atlanta, or Denver

3. Cleveland: Joe Thomas, OT Wisconsin

The smart pick. So, that means Cleveland will probably go with Brady Quinn

4. Tampa Bay: Gaines Adams, DE Clemson

Either in Tampa or Detroit, Gaines is the pick here.

5. Arizona: Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma

Could be Levi Brown, but I think AD is just a better value

6. Washington: Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame

I expect Quinn to be the pick, but Washington won't be the team. I see Miami or Chicago trading up to this spot to get Quinn.

7. Minnesota: Amobi Okoye, DT Louisville

Too much potential to pass up

8. Atlanta: LaRon Landry, S LSU

Possibly the best defensive player in the draft, even though they probably want Okoye

9. Miami: Levi Brown, OT PSU

If this is Miami's pick, it's easily Brown. If it's Washington, it might be Leon Hall

10. Houston: Leon Hall, CB Michigan

11. San Fransisco: Teddy Ginn Jr, WR OSU

His speed is too salivating, and his potential to be a game changing on offense and special teams too tempting. They still need to get another weapon for Alex Smith and he fits the bill

12. Buffalo: Marshawn Lynch, RB Cal

Need to replace McGahee, and the drop off after Lynch is astounding.

13. St. Louis: Jamaal Anderson, DE Arkansas

14. Carolina Panthers: Grego Olsen, TE Miami

Great Value, great talent, fills a need.

15. Pittsburgh: Patrick Willis, LB Ole Miss

Best LB in the draft to a team that really needs a playmaking LB. This would be a Steeler's fan dream come true (him or Levi Brown ... and no, it't not a coincindence that in my two mocks those are the two players they got). If he's gone, I imagine Darrelle Revis is the pick

16. Green Bay: Dwayne Bowe, WR LSU

They want Lynch or Ginn, probably in that order, but really need a playmaker on offense. Bowe is the next best one. Might try to trade down in this scenario, and will have to hope to find value in the 2nd or 3rd round for a RB.

17. Jacksonville: Reggie Nelson, S Florida

Too much value to pass this guy up at this point. Not the greatest need, but too much talent

18. Cincinnati: David Harris, LB, Michigan

19. Tennessee Titans: Dwayne Jarrett, WR USC

They hope Ginn falls to them, but Jarrett (and his size) isn't a bad consolation prize, especially with the connection to Chow

20. New York Giants: Lawrence Timmons, LB FSU

21. Denver: Adam Carriker, DE Nebraska

Great value, and it fills a need. What a coup for Denver

22. Dallas: Darrelle Revis, CB Pitt

Great steal. Revis could go top 15

23. Kansas City: Robert Meachem, WR Tennessee

Another team hoping Ginn or another top WR fall to them. Meachem isn't a bad catch, though, and fills a great need

24. New England: Paul Posluszny, LB PSU

Good value, good fit, fills a need.

25. New York Jets: Alan Branch, DT Michigan

Nothing but BPA here

26. Philadelphia: Joe Staley, OT Central Michigan

The Eagles are in a position to go for good value and depth, and Staley is an excellent choice

27. New Orleans: Aaron Ross, CB Texas

Good value pick, and helps the NO Secondary which looked suspect at times

28. New England: Jarvis Moss, DE Florida

A tweaner that could go top-15, and now gets to be used in both his positions by the Patriots. This is scary.

29. Baltimore: Trent Edwards, QB Stanford

Boller never panned out, and McNair is old. They make a minor reach to grab Edwards, but only because Staley is gone

30. San Diego: Chris Houston, CB Arkansas

Another step to improve the defense

31. Chicago: Ben Grubbs, OG Auburn

I'm half expecting the Bears to trade up for Quinn, but if they don't Grubbs is an amazing talent and an amazing value. They could also go WR (Sidney Rice), but there is better value in the 2nd-3rd rounds for WR.

32. Indianapolis: Brandon Meriweather, S Florida

Good value pick, and while the Colts don't have many needs, a good, versatile safety can only help.

And that's that ... we'll see if I get more than 10 right.

Random Thoughts

I know it's not just me, but I still have to make this statement:

The NBA Playoffs have way too many off-nights. The Cavaliers should be playing, at the minimum, game three tonight, not game two. Their series, if it ends in four, should be wrapping up Saturday or Sunday, not starting up in a new city for the first time. I sometimes wonder why more sports fans don't follow the NBA as closely as I do, and then something like this comes along to remind me why. Hope the large checks from TNT make it worthwhile to alienate some fan bases, David.

The Mavs and Spurs get a shot to even their series at home tonight. I won't be shocked to see San Antonio go down 2-0, but I'll be 100% shocked if it happens to Dallas. In fact, I think it's more likely that Dallas goes on a run and wins the next four against Golden State, then it is that Golden State wins even one more game. Avery will get his boys prepared, come in with a decent game plan, stick to it, and once they get the monkey off their backs and beat Don Nelson and the Warriors, they'll keep doing it.

I've come to the conclusion that Joe Thomas is simply the best available player in the NFL Draft. ESPN just posted a "risk study" on the "bust potential" for each position in the first round. Offensive Line ranked pretty safe. So, when you combine that with his skill and size, I just don't see how you would want a Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Brady Quinn, Gaines Adams, JaMarcuss Russell, or anyone else ahead of this guy. I'm a big fan of hanging on to your draft picks, but I'd give up quite a few to move up for a shot at taking this guy.

I'm wondering how to treat A-Rod's April. On one hand, he's on a record setting pace like nobody has any business being on. On the other hand, I hate to follow just about any story involving the Yankees or the Red Sox. And, on my mythological third hand, I'm comparing A-Rod's April this year to Chris Shelton's April last year. Just saying.

NFL Draft is this weekend. Party at my house Saturday if you can make it. Homemade, hand-battered beer batter onion rings! I'll try to get up a final first round mock before then, but no promises.

NBA Playoff Preview

Been a while. Oh well. Sue me. Missed the boat on an MLB preview, but I'm here now for an NBA Playoff Preview.

We'll Start with the first round series.

Eastern Conference

(1) Pistons vs. (8) Magic

I'm just waiting for the media to start playing up Darko's return to Detroit. Wouldn't it be great if he hit a game winning shot or two?

The Big Question: Will the Pistons sleepwalk through a few games and give them away?

The Pick Pistons in 6. (So, yes, they will sleepwalk and give away two games)

(2) Cavs vs. (7) Wizards

A rematch from last years first-round, only

a) LeBron is no longer a playoff rookie
b) Some key members of the Cavs have developed nicely (Gibson, Andy, Sasha)
c) The Wiz are without some key players

The Big Question: How will Mike Brown handle his bench in the playoffs?

The Pick: Cavs in Five (Mike Brown uses Eric Snow too much in one game, and the Cavs lose ... probably game 3)

(3) Raptors vs. (6) Nets

Did you know that Vince Carter used to play for the Raptors, and then tanked his way out of town? Or that the Raptors have vaulted from #1 draft pick status to division champion status in one year? If you didn't, you'll know it soon after the media hypes it for a week.

The Big Question: How did a team as talented as the Nets only get the #6 seed in the Eastern Conference?

The Pick: Nets in seven (and Vince Carter hits the game winning shot in Toronto)

(4) Heat vs. (5) Bulls
(Bulls have home-court advantage)

Another rematch from last years playoffs. This one just as interesting as it was last year.

The Big Question: Will the hot/cold shooting of the Bulls and their lack of interior scoring kill them in this series, or in another series?

The Other Big Question: How's the shoulder, Flash?

The Pick: Bulls in 7 (after Big Ben hurts Flash' shoulder in game six)

Western Conference

(1) Mavs vs. (8) Warriors

Did you know that the Warriors are the only team the Mavs didn't beat this regular season? You will, by the time you watch five minutes of any coverage of the Mavs this week.

The Big Question: Will the Warriors, after more than a decade out of the playoffs, simply be happy to be there?

The Pick: Mavs in four (that happiness won't last long)

(2) Suns vs. (7) Lakers

Yet another rematch from last year. If the Lakers were fully healthy and fully gelled, this would be a good series. That's not the case.

The Big Question: How many games can Kobe win by himself?

The Pick: Suns in 5 (Kobe goes for fiddy in game three, and the Lakers win)

(3) Spurs vs. (6) Nuggets

This is the second-most intriguing match-up of the first round for me. The Spurs are a veteran team, with championship experience, and are built to succeed in the playoffs. The Nuggets are up-and-coming, and their terrific two-headed monster is finally starting to gel.

The Big Question: Can Marcus Camby be effective on Tim Duncan?

The Pick: Nuggets in six (I'm not betting against AI in the first round)

(4) Jazz vs. (5) Rockets
(Rockets have home-court advantage)

I hate Carlos Boozer.

The Big Question: Can T-Mac get out of the first round?

The Other Question: How long until we're sick of that question?

The Pick: Rockets in 5 (T-Mac will leave no doubt, and I really hope Yao neuters Boozer)

Misconseptions in Sports

I doubt it's a secret that one of my peeves in life is uninformed statements from announcers and other "experts" in sports. So, I thought I'd address a few of these today. Cuz I can.

Overtime against Xavier proved that Ohio State is better without Greg Oden

This is one I've heard so many times in the last week that it drives me crazy. There is a big, telling, obvious reason why Xavier was outperformed considerably in overtime by Ohio State. And it has little to do with Greg Oden.

The real reason is that Xavier was trying to recover from a stomach punch. They had the game won, and then it was snatched away from them by a desperation three-point shot. They gained a large lead, fought off a comeback attempt, and had a win in their grasps, and then watched it slip away on a one-in-a-hundred shot. That demoralizes a team, plain and simple. And when that happens, it really effects your play on the court.

Of course, the other reason would happen to be the talent level between the two teams. The longer two teams play, the more likely it is that the more talented team wins. It's why we see more upsets in single-elimination tournaments, than in best-of-seven series. Simple and plain.

Of course, Ohio State's play with Oden on the bench against Tennessee does little to help my argument, but his play against Memphis sure helps me.

The Cleveland Cavaliers cannot win an NBA title without a good "second banana" to LeBron James

There is a popular notion that a superstar needs a second superstar to win a title. Jordan had Scottie. Shaq had Kobe. D-Wade had Shaq. Duncan had Robinson and/or Parker.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I call a foul.

I say with enough "third bananas" and a good second string line-up, a dominant superstar can win a ring. And I think the current Cavs are situated nicely in such a role.

Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden make pretty good "third bananas". Hughes might not have the dominant jump shot you want out of a #2 option, but he's got enough defense to give him minutes, and his court vision is pretty good, too. Gooden might not be consistent, but a guy that can honestly go on the floor on any given night and give you a 20-10 game is a good enough option. Add in other lesser players like Anderson Varajeo, Sasha Pavlovic, Daniel Gibson, and Zydrunas Ilgauskus, and you've got enough support around you to outrank a second banana.

And, besides that ... Scottie Pippen wasn't the real key to helping Jordan to his titles. It was Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, Steve Kerr, and Luc Longley.

Four #1 seed in the Final Four would be bad for the NCAA Tournament

The crutch everyone leans on to support this: the NCAA Tournament is unpredictable, and that's what gives it such great appeal.

Great. I agree.

But you know what? As of now, everyone "knows" that all four top seeds will not make it to the Final Four. That's ... *gasp* ... something predictable. If it happened once ... just once ... it'd be enough to create doubt in your mind and remove the last ounce of predictability from the tournament.

The NBA MVP will be either Dirk or Nash

I honestly think this was true at the All-Star game, but is no longer true, no matter how many ESPN and TNT pundits tell me it still is. It's become a four-man race. And currently, my top four ballot looks like this:

1. Dirk
2. Kobe
3. LeBron
4. Nash




That's enough for now ... I'm gonna try to put together a full MLB preview later this week.