Saturday, February 24, 2007

Combine: Browns Get the Nosebleeds


After a coin-flip and a big victory this week, the Browns went to the combine with reason for optimism. Phil Savage is now in good position to draft a difference maker in one of the strongest draft classes we have seen in quite awhile. There is only one problem. Will Phil Savage be able to see any of his potential targets from the 32nd row at the combine? According to NFL.com, the Browns contingent at the combine will be sitting in row 32. To prevent fighting over seats, they draw names out of a hat every year to determine what team sits where and the Browns just so happened to snag row 32. Although Phil Savage has always been known for his ability to determine heads or tails mid-flip, his proclivity to lose hat draws has always been a weakness.


Photo courtesy of optperformance.com
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Friday, February 23, 2007

2-23-07



Somewhere in Ohio - It's finally the weekend! For guys like us that means going to trendy bars, standing in isolated spots, and talking amongst ourselves....muttering things like "Man did you see that girl?" and "Remember when we used to be cool?" It's been an interesting week in the world of sports, and first and foremost congratulations to the Browns for winning the coin flip and the rights to whatever player who's career we decide to destroy by drafting them in April with the third overall pick (By the way, the last time we won a coin flip for a pick we decided to draft William Green, who turned out to be a phenomenal choice). The Cavs looked atrocious last evening, and I hate to say "I told you so" but the Orange-Out turned out to be a disaster. I would have to attribute this to the fact that too many corporate gurus attend Cavs games, and apparently are too enthralled with their business dealings to put the orange shirt on that was given to them at the entrance and join the union of loyal fans who did (Although I didn't go to the game and get a shirt, I have to wonder if they went ahead and gave out all XL's, which for those of us who aren't physically built to fill out a shirt of that magnitude then turns into either a dress or a cutoff).


Be sure to tune in this weekend as Tiger Woods goes for his 8th consecutive tour win at the Accenture Match Play Championships. I would tell you to tune into the NFL combine on NFL Network, however the miserable station that has destroyed the lives of all of us who want nothing more than to crack open a few cold ones with our buddies and watch these future stars go through their workouts has gone ahead and made it impossible for most of us. Special thanks to Time Warner Cable for not carrying NFL Network, and for employing the least literate human beings in the world to handle any customer complaints or billing issues. Finally, Manny Ramirez has continued to show us just how truly stupid he is, and it looks as if trade talks will again ensue in regards to this class-act. Check back tomorrow for more useless rambling that nobody should be subjected to reading.
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In the News



I guess Branson Wright wasted all his time stealing Hoopshype's rumors: Cavs quiet as deadline passes

Bud Shaw takes us on a roller coaster ride of mixed metaphors, allegories and malapropisms as he astutely surmises that no deal was made: Stationary Cavs still in mix of even east

Told you Nixon was a crook: Trot's in no rush as workouts begin

Sabathia could care less that people think he's a fat ass. Sabathia worth weight

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BREAKING NEWS

Browns win coin flip...yet nobody is talking about the fact that Tampa Bay gets the 35th pick and we get the 36th! The Browns get screwed again: Grossi's Blog Continue Entry»

2007 Mock Draft: First Edition



I think the old saying goes something like, "Mock Drafts are like assholes, everyone has one." Not to be outdone by the thousands of blogs more successful than ours, we've had our NFL draft beat reporter Jeremy Garver slaving on his own version of the CursedCleveland.com inaugural mock draft. Bash away.

1. Oakland Raiders - QB JaMarcus Russell (LSU) : I think Al Davis still has one more awful pick left in him before he dies (hasn't he been 90 the past 15 years?). Here, he is going to go with one of the most over-hyped QB's in recent history. You know you are about to draft a bust when they start talking about how the guy can throw 50 yds sitting down (Check Kyle Boller). You have to wonder how he would do against the speed of an NFL defense (Check his game against Florida). Good news for Browns fans though, apparently Phil Savage is hot after Marques Tuiasosopo and the drafting of Russell could mean we could snag the 3rd-stringer away from the worst team in the NFL.

2. Detroit Lions - QB Brady Quinn (Notre Dame) : No way should he go this high but he will probably do extremely well at his workouts and could possibly fool a top-notch GM like Matt Millen into taking him. I'm sure his failure to play well in the big games in college will translate well into the NFL (What week do the Lions play Air Force?). A lot of experts have Joe Thomas going here but I highly doubt it since the Lions just signed Jeff Backus to a 6-year deal worth over $40 million last year, making him the 6th highest paid lineman in the NFL. Even though Kitna threw for over 4000 yards this year (Ken Dorsey could go for 4000 in a Mike Martz offense) he isn't getting any younger and Quinn could sit behind him like Carson Palmer did with Kitna in Cincinatti. (Note: In no way shape or form do I think Quinn has anywhere near the ability that Palmer did)

3. Cleveland Browns - RB Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) : Perhaps you haven't seen the guy play? If that is the case, I would encourage you to check out BSmith's videolink of AP on our site before you read this. Does he have an injury history? Yes. But please don't tell me to draft Joe Thomas because Adrian Peterson is injury prone. Joe Thomas just came off of an ACL tear during his Junior year (that is a great injury for an o-lineman). Want to know what Reuben Droughns longest rush of the year was? It was 22 yards. I hate to go cliche on you here but I'm not about to pass up on another Ladanian Tomlinson.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - WR Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech) : I think this is really the only no-brainer this year in the top five of the draft. Galloway isn't getting any younger and they have no depth at receiver. Calvin Johnson is hands down the most talented player in the draft. Tampa Bay is a perfect match, they have a plethora of horrible QB's (Simms, Gradkowski and Ratay) that will force him to make ridiculous catches over the middle and waste his talent like Reggie Ball did at Georgia Tech.

5. Arizona Cardinals - OT Joe Thomas (Wisconsin) : Although they have needs on defense, the primary goal should be protecting their franchise quarterback and future "Mancrush of the Week" nominee. I don't buy into the Joe Thomas hype, nor do I really watch offensive lineman throughout the college football season. Actually, anyone who follows an offensive lineman's career is generally either: A. Lying ;B. A complete loser; or C. A complete loser who played O-line in high school.

6. Washington Redskins - DE Jamaal Anderson (Arkansas) : The Redskins defense struggled to make plays last year (trust me, I wisely drafted them for my fantasy team). Andre Carter led the team in sacks with 6.0 and the team had 19.0 sacks total. That is miserable. Coming off a surprising Junior year with 13.5 sacks, Jamaal Anderson should help out immediately.

7. Minnesota Vikings - WR Dwayne Jarrett (USC) : The days of Randy Moss and Chris Carter are long gone and a new era of Troy Williamson and Travis Taylor has been ushered in to the tune of about a combined 1100 yards between the two. Dwayne Jarrett may not be a burner but he is solid and was productive from day one in college. I think people need to stop worrying that Jarrett is Mike Williams reincarnated.

8. Houston Texans - OT Levi Brown (Penn State) : God it sucks to be a Houston fan (and I'm a Browns fan so that should be very insulting). Another year of not getting the player you want. After the Browns snatch Adrian Peterson up, the Texans best bet will be improving the NFL's worst offensive line. Carr was sacked 41 times this year and 249 in his career. Personally, I think Levi Brown is better than Joe Thomas even though I have not watched either one of them play a down.

9. Miami Dolphins - DT Alan Branch (Michigan) : Doesn't it seem like every year there is a defensive tackle that everyone says is unlike any they have seen in years? Well last year it was Haloti Ngata and this year it is Alan Branch. Between Vonnie Holliday, Dan Wilkinson and Keith Traylor the Dolphins could use a little youth in the middle. Branch can play from day one and plug his fat 331-pound body in the middle.

10. Atlanta Falcons - DE Gaines Adams (Clemson) : Atlanta's defensive line is in big need of help. Grady Jackson is 34, their best pass-rusher Patrick Kerney opted to not resign and Jonathan Babineaux is fresh off beating his girlfriend's pitbull to death. Gaines Adams will be a steal here. He has been productive throughout his college career and will be an instant presence coming off of the edge.

....and the rest of them

11. San Fransisco 49ers - S Laron Landry (LSU) : Might not be Ronnie Lott, but they need playmakers on the defense and he is an animal.

12. Buffalo Bills - DT Amobi Okoye (Louisville) : A prodigy, played at Louisville as a 16-year old Freshman. Blew away everyone at the Senior Bowl.

13. St. Louis Rams - OLB Lawrence Timmons (Florida State) : He was overshadowed by Buster Davis most of the year and this is probably a little bit of a reach but sometimes you have to reach when your outside linebackers are currently Brandon Chillar and Pisa Tinoisamoa.

14. Carolina Panthers - S Reggie Nelson (Florida) : John Fox probably would have liked a hard-hitter like Landry but they will settle for Nelson who isn't too shabby himself.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers - CB Darrelle Revis (Pittsburgh) : I think every Browns fan got a good laugh when the Steelers threw a bunch of money at Ike Taylor (he is pitiful). They're going to go hometown here and this guy is good, real good. How do I know this? Most the mock drafts that I have ripped off today say that, (I have never seen him play).

16. Green Bay Packers - RB Marshawn Lynch (California) : His recent arrest might allow him to slip a few spots to Green Bay. It appears Ahman Green is on his way out (and I can't remember the last time he was good anyways) so this will be a perfect fit.
Editor's note: It has since come to our attention that Lynch was never arrested, only accused. The district attorney declined to press charges. Thanks to a reader for catching the mistake. There are 42 other errors in this mock draft, let's see if you can find the rest!


17. Jacksonville Jaguars - WR Robert Meachem (Tennessee) : Some people will have Ted Ginn ahead of him but Meachem is a little more polished. He is also 6'3" and about 210. His stock will probably skyrocket after the combine (when this fails to happen you can come back and rip my mock for having him this high).

18. Cincinatti Bengals - OLB/DE Quentin Moses (Georgia) : I don't know what the time table is for recovery after a broken neck, but I think David Pollack is out for awhile. They will go with another Bulldog here and see if he can make the switch as a 3-4 rush linebacker.

19. Tennessee Titans - CB Leon Hall (Michigan) : I guess I will rip off some of the mocks I've been reading and go with the same joke I've seen on every one. "As long as he doesn't have to cover Ted Ginn or Dwayne Jarrett then he will be fine". Pacman is their only good corner and he is always one club fight away from a 4-game suspension.

20. New York Giants - OLB Jon Beason (Miami) : Not quite sure who Reggie Torbor but my best guess is that will be the guy Beason replaces.

21. Denver Broncos - DE Charles Johnson (Georgia) : Looks like the old Brown's D-Line wasn't as good as it was hyped up to be. Charles Johnson will give them a good pass-rusher opposite Ebeneezer Ekuban.

22. Dallas Cowboys - WR Ted Ginn (Ohio State) : There probably are bigger areas of need for them but they are getting old and have no depth at receiver. Ginn is not polished but would do fine in the slot and would instantly turn around their mediocre return game as long as Roy Hall stays away from him.

23. Kansas City Chiefs - WR Dwayne Bowe (LSU) : I can't think of a team that has settled with crappier receivers year in year out. Samie Parker and Eddie Kennison's total jersey sales combined last year were five, four of which were sold on the clearance rack at Marshalls. Dwayne Bowe could be a star. He was somewhat of a late-bloomer but that happens when you are partially blind sometimes. His eyes are fixed now and he can see the ball (this could be one of the steals of the draft).

24. New England Patriots - OLB Paul Posluszny (Penn State) : He's an old school Bill Belichick type linebacker and if he gets a concussion he is not going to rat on Bill like Ted Johnson did. Shame on you Ted, your motor skills are not important to any of us anymore because you no longer play football.

25. New York Jets - CB Aaron Ross (Texas) : Best available corner and a pretty good value if he falls this far.

26. Philadelphia Eagles - OLB Rufus Alexander (Oklahoma) : I love Trotter and so does Philly but he is not good anymore. But the Eagles will give him one more year b/c everybody loves the "Wood Chop" celebration. Rufus is a tough Philly-type guy. Dhani Jones........Is not.

27. New Orleans Saints - MLB Patrick Willis (Mississippi) : All white linebacking units haven't worked since the 1970's, and they certainly didn't work in the playoffs against Chicago. Patrick Willis is probably the best linebacker in the draft and I will be surprised if he slips this far but ILB's always do.

28. New England Patriots - WR Sidney Rice (South Carolina) : The Patriots were about a catch or two away from advancing in the playoffs but the Colts hit wide reciever Reche Caldwell with the dreaded Zero coverage scheme where they leave you wide open and see if you can catch the ball. Reche Caldwell didn't......and he should probably kill himself. Rice catches just about everything thrown his way.

29. Baltimore Ravens - OT Justin Blaylock (Texas) : He is massive and the Raven's O-line is getting old. Could probably play either guard spot or right tackle.

30. San Diego Chargers - S Michael Griffin (Texas) : Definitely need help at receiver but most the good ones are gone by now. Not many weak spots on this team but god did their secondary suck in the playoffs.

31. Chicago Bears - OT Joe Staley (Central Michigan) : Fred Miller is getting old and they need guys to give Rex Grossman time so he can throw more interceptions instead of fumbling in the pocket.

32. Indianapolis Colts - DT Justin Harrell (Tennessee) : The Colts defense fooled everyone by saving up energy during the regular season and then showing up in the playoffs. If your defense makes Ron Dayne look like Walter Payton, then you probably need to beef up the middle. Harrell would have been higher but he is coming off of an injury.
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Thursday, February 22, 2007

Micro-Fracture Surgery for K2


CLEVELAND, Ohio - According to the Akron-Beacon Journal, Browns tight-end Kellen Winslow may have a rough road to recovery this offseason. This is great news for Browns fans, who just yesterday had it confirmed that center LeCharles Bentley wouldn't return for the '07 season. Although, let's not get too down on our luck, we do have a big coin flip to lose tomorrow, and Gary Baxter is recovering quicker than anyone thought (and still probably won't play this year). Micro-fracture surgery is something that many athletes have gone through and not recovered from, so lets hope our "Soldier" can beat the odds and come back at close to 100%....even though we know his 80 percent is better than any other tight end in the league in his own humble opinion. Things have gotta turn around don't they? Something good has got to happen for us Cleveland fans....doesn't it? Man it sure feels like I've been saying that very line since I was old enough to talk.
photo courtesy of cheappremiumtickets.com
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Bsmith's Daily Rant (2-22-07)

Somewhere in Ohio - Today is a sad day for me, as I have to say goodbye to The O.C, a show that has provided many laughs, as well as a few other emotions that I do not care to disclose, over the past 4 years. For those of you who haven't seen it, just take a look at this girl and see what you've been missing. That being said, today has been a very lackluster day in the world of sports. The Cavs didn't make a deal, not that I expected them to, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Part of me really wanted to see Mike Bibby running this offense, and then another part says that this team can win the East as is... I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Bad news for Heat fans, superstar Dwyane Wade looks as if he could be out for the season with a dislocated shoulder. As a Cavs fan, that is great news, but as a fan of the NBA it is tough to watch such a great leader go down (Of course, the collision that caused this was with Shane Battier, whom I have hated for years and whom I also blame, along with Coach K, for the abundance of charges that are called these days). I am very interested to see if Shaquille O'neal can carry his team, and the ripe age of 35, into the playoffs with what he says will be "aggressive play."
The Cavs have a big nationally televised game this evening against the Bulls, and I'm not going to get into the "Orange-Out" again because it will just make me mad. I'm certainly expecting a big game from Lebron (National TV has certainly had a way of making him play inspired this year) and this will be a bit of a statement game for the fans to prove that they will be just fine having not picked up anyone in free agency. Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh were elminated today from the Accenture World Match Play Championships, and I am certainly not surprised. Chalk another one up for Tiger... what is this gonna make 8 in a row? Unreal. On a side note, if you're Mickelson, even after an upset loss, you still get to go home and have sex with your gorgeous wife and enjoy being filthy rich, so his life is better than mine and I will leave it at that. I've got nothing else, so Go Cavs and lets hope the Brownies can win the big coin flip tomorrow at 7:45 a.m! Continue Entry»

Orange Out Tonight at "The Q"




CLEVELAND, Ohio - According to Cavs.com, Quicken Loans arena will be packed with orange-clad fans who don't cheer loud unless it's playoff time this evening when the Cavs host the overrated Bulls. WHO CARES! Every single other team who plays sports has already done this (We even attempted this in high school), and imagine how excited the fans will be for this game if no trade is completed before the quickly approaching trade deadline. Penn State obviously had the best "White Out" (Honorable mention to the Miami Heat), and if it weren't for the enthusiasm of their students section and alumni fans, we wouldn't have to watch other teams miserably fail at attempting to reproduce the same effect over and over and over again. Instead of putting together an "Orange Out," how bout just bringin' Mike Bibby aboard? Continue Entry»

In the News



Apparently The PD has officially run out of actual players to interview...so now they're interviewing the people who normally set up the interviews. Q&A with Amanda Mercado

Paul Hoynes should never attempt humor again. Pals take chum for feud

Tribe supporters have always been called "myopic," as it turns out, it's just our starting shortstop who can't see straight. Peralta a sight for new eyes

The Browns have tons of cap space and are looking at big-time free agents, there's no way this can go wrong right? A menu with lots of fixings

"Small holes are drilled in the knee bone to promote blood flow. Scar tissue forms, replacing the damaged cartilage," Sure sounds to me like Winslow will back to 100%. Winslow recovery will take months Continue Entry»

Center of Attention


TORONTO - In cast you missed it last night, Anderson Varejao's tip dunk with 16 seconds not only gave the Cavs the win, but also punctuated a three-game stretch of excellent play since the Brazilian took over the starting spot at center. He's putting up 13 and 11 since Z left the team with his family issues. (If this were a valid reason to miss games in the mid-90's, Shawn Kemp would be vying with Grant Hill and Len Bias for the all-time missed games list). Some are speculating that Mike Brown might have a tough decision to make when Z comes back. Zydrunas was only averaging 11.7 ppg and 8 rebounds this season while contributing very little on the defensive end.

TRADE UPDATE - This morning on the Steve Czaban Show, Mike Brown said that Ferry told him last night not to "expect any presents under the tree." Sorry Cavalier fans, hope you saved those receipts on those Marcus Banks jerseys you stole from Marshalls. Continue Entry»

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Manning Urges Moynahan to Abort Brady's Fetus

Rumors are swirling today that Peyton Manning has been privately lobbying to have Bridget Moynahan consider her abortion options. This may come as a shock to some of you, but who can really blame the guy? Just when Manning had finally conquered the metaphorical dragon, he is now staring down the barrel of a loaded gun with another Brady on his way into this world. To make matters worse for the Super Bowl MVP, divisional foe the Houston Texans appear so desperate to find a replacement for David Carr that they have offered Moynahan a contract of $55 million over 4 years for the rights to the fetus (Which would be a much better deal than taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush). This could spell trouble for Manning, considering the Colts face the Texans twice a year.

Word out of Tom Brady's camp is that he supports Peyton, no matter what choice he makes. Brady has said, "I am very excited about this child, but it hurts me to see Peyton hurt in this way." Brady later said, "I am also one of the sexiest men alive, and clearly I don't want to have a child with a woman that is nearing forty that I kicked to the curb for a super model."

Here at CursedCleveland.com, we will intently follow this story to report any news on this matter to our loyal fans.
*The preceding has been a Guest Article from CursedCleveland.com's beat writer Mr. Elliott Feldman.
photo courtesy of masslive.com
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Clyde Hopes to "Glide" on Dancing With the Stars


According to CnnSi.com, Clyde Drexler, former NBA great, will be amongst the competitors in the upcoming season of ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars," which will premiere on March 19th. Clyde will hope to follow in Emmitt Smith's footsteps and dance his way to a title, and at the very least he'll get to spend countless sweaty hours with one of the ridiculously hot and scantily clad professional dancers. Other stars that will be joining in on the fun will be Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills (Who by the way has an artificial leg due to a tragic motorcycle accident in '93...I wonder if anyone will use the timeless "Break a Leg" prior to any of her performances). Rounding out the field in this season will be former N'Sync singer Joey Fatone, Laila Ali, Ian Ziering (a.k.a. Steve Sanders from 90210) and the biggest one-hit wonder of all-time: Billy Ray Cyrus (There are a few others, but their names are neither heavily recognizable nor do they give us any window to poke fun at them). Here at CursedCleveland.com, we are psyched for this new season, mostly because we don't have much to do besides watch stupid shows like this one. Good Luck to all!
photo courtesy of rockets.com
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Rumor Mill


CLEVELAND, Oh. - According to our friends at HoopsHype.com, the Cavaliers are expressing a lot of interest in Marcus Banks (I know, he currently plays for the Suns, but due to limited playing time in Phoenix there aren't a lot of photos available of him in a Suns uni, hence the picture above from his former team, the Boston Celtics). The Suns are apparently looking to shed his $20 million in salary over the next four years, without getting much in return. For the Cavs, I see nothing better than picking up a 2-guard in a point guard's body, who can't play defense or shoot for a high percentage...who also has never played big minutes for a winning franchise. Please keep in mind that over at HoopsHype.com, they have rumored just about every player in the NBA to be traded in one way or another, and typically none of these rumors ever actually happen, so more than likely nothing will come out of this (And in all reality, do we really want this guy?).
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His Jersey Number Told Us How Many Games He Would Play


CLEVELAND - How do you go from becoming one of the best centers in the NFL to sitting in a wheelchair contemplating whether you'll ever play another down of football in your career? I'd suggest you go ask Mr. Bentley, who would probably admit that he overlooked the small print in the contract alluding to mandatory staph infections. Savage confirmed what most Clevelanders already suspected, that the former Buckeye and Ignatius grad would miss the entire '07 season with his knee injury. But it's not all bad news from Savage, who did state the following:

"He may never play again."

Well, at least he's not dying or anything. And sorry if we're not exactly feeling badly for him, he did receive a $12 million signing bonus and he's earning an additional $1.4 million towards his base salary. We're not exactly sure how many incentives he'll reach this season while sitting in this. Continue Entry»

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The Next (Jim) Brown?

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K-9 Killa


LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - According to FoxSports.com, Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux is claiming that he is not to blame for the death of his girlfriends dog. Gwinnett County Police certainly disagreed with the former Iowa Hawkeye by slapping felony animal abuse charges on him. He allegedly had argued with his girlfriend at home, and when she returned home later from the movies her dog was in "Severe Distress." Kilo, the one and a half year-old pitt bull mix was pronounced dead late Sunday from what police are saying was a "Massive Blow to the Head (I don't know about the rest of you, but I thought pitt bulls were supposed to be deadly dogs who killed humans, not the other way around)." I think this guy should have seen the fact that his girlfriend actually owned a pitt bull as a red flag, but hey love is blind right?
Perhaps Babineaux was taking out his frustrations from only recording 28 tackles this past season, or from not making the playoffs.....orrrr perhaps the dog actually provoked him, it's hard to say at this juncture. A Falcons spokesperson said that the team will refrain from commenting until they have all the information they need (Apparently knowing that the guy killed his girlfriend's dog isn't enough, they could be waiting to see if he sexually assaulted it as well). A note to those of you in scenic Gwinnett County: Babineaux was released on $2,300 bond Monday morning, so please keep your dogs inside until this matter is cleared up.
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Gunn Show


CHESTER, WV - Previously known for single-handedly ruining the Rocky series and for single-handedly ruining the lives of any woman he slept with, Tommy Morrison is making his triumphant return to the boxing ring. The heavyweight was banished from the sport in 1996, when the HIV virus wasn't anywhere near in vogue as it is today. If I was John Castle (his scheduled opponent), I'd think twice about pulling a "Tyson." I'm pretty sure scheduling this on the same night as the "Free Blood Transfusion" promotion was not such a good idea. Continue Entry»

Monday, February 19, 2007

Norv Turner's the Man




Christmas came early for Norv Turner this year as he was just handed the biggest gift of his life. On Monday the San Diego Chargers announced they would be giving Norv Turner the head coaching job. Giving is the key word here. I'm not sure what Norv Turner did to earn this job but I'm sure he will somehow succeed in making this team of prolific athletes mediocre. In his previous nine seasons of head coaching he has compiled a 58-82-1 record. One would probably wonder how someone could keep getting hired as a head coach with a record like that. The answer lies no further than team president Dean Spanos:

"You can say whatever you want to say [about hiring Turner]," team president Dean Spanos said. "If we hadn't made a change and we lost, we made the wrong decision. If we do make the change and we lose, we made the wrong decision. So the net result of all this is, there's only one thing we have to do this year, and that's get back in the playoffs. Just get to the postseason and win the first game, is our goal. And then I think we're off to a good start."

I guess that is probably what I would have said if I just hired Norv Turner. Spanos goal of winning one game in the playoffs is probably unlikely but it certainly isn't out of the question. After all, in his nine seasons of head coaching Norv Turner did go to the playoffs once and he did win a game.

Photo courtesy of washingtonpost.com
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Poll Vault



COLUMBUS, OH - After losses to North Carolina, Florida and Wisconsin, you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who would consider the Buckeyes the best team in the country. However, recent losses by UNC, Florida and UCLA have propelled the Buckeyes to a No. 1 ranking in the ESPN poll and the No. 2 spot in the AP Poll. While the Bucks have won 11 consecutive games, they've failed to beat a team yet this season currently in either top 25. This Sunday's battle against Wisconsin will likely decide one of the four coveted No. 1 seeds in the tournament, and a potential Big Ten crown (whatever that's worth this season). It'll likely be a tough ticket this Sunday at Value City Arena against the Badgers...I smell another "whiteout," yawn. Continue Entry»

An All-Star Weekend to Forget


SIN CITY - This weekend's all-star festivities were a disappointment to say the least. Perhaps spending the week in Las Vegas drained all of the emotion and energy out of the players, or perhaps they just didn't care to put on a good show (Although apparently Charles Barkley felt like kissing another guy to get a rise out of the John Amaechi's of the world, or to punish the Tim Hardaways). In lieu of this awful television experience, I feel it necessary to list the top 5 miserable parts of this weekend's mishap:
5. Shaquille O'neal looked like he has never played basketball before, much like he has looked throughout this past few weeks of the regular season. I mean this guy is missing dunks, clanging baby hooks off the backboard (I know he's done this before, but it's never been this ugly), and if he wasn't the best 7'1" dancer on the planet he'd be higher on this list.
4. Jason Kapono wins the 3-pt. shootout, showing us that you can get a trophy in this league even if you can't dribble a basketball (Yes, I know he has the highest 3-pt. percentage of all time, but even so nobody wanted to see him win this event, especially not us Clevelanders).
3. The Dunk Contest in general was terrible and non-dramatic. Nate Robinson did as we expected and tried the same dunk 3,000,000 times, and Dwight Howard, who had the only really creative idea in the contest, was left out of the finals. Congratulations to Gerald Green for reenacting Dee Brown's old school dunk, and then going ahead and looking up at the rim at the last second to complete the "Blind" dunk (Was anyone else hoping that the judges had their unis on under their suits and would come out and have their own contest after the losers that were in the real one finished boring us?)
2. The All-Star game itself had about 3 highlights that are even worth watching. Kudos to Lebron for trying the off the backboard dunk, and then not realizing that Amare Stoudemire was in the way and toppling to the ground scaring the living hell out of every Cavs fan who hadn't turned the game off already. Perhaps the NBA should change their new marketing slogan from "Will you be watching when..." to "Will anybody watch this again?"
1. Wayne Newton should be banished from any sports event, and also from his own Vegas show. I don't know what I hated more, the fact that he wasn't actually singing or that he kept coming back and singing more songs when I thought he was done (Also, didn't it look like he was singing into a golden dildo instead of a microphone? Maybe thats why the sound was off). I know now one sight that I won't have to see when I go to vegas this summer, in fact I'll cancel the trip all together if he's even in town that weekend.
Picture courtesy of NBA.com
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Jon Diebler Has a Highlight Video, He Must Be Good



The 6'7 Buckeye bound sharpshooter is 42 points away from capturing the all-time Ohio high school scoring crown.

More Diebler:
Burson rooting for Diebler
Scoring Machine
No Longer a Tall Tale Continue Entry»

He Can't Dunk Anymore, But He Can Still Dance

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