Saturday, April 19, 2014

Requiem for a lost NBA Season

The NBA Regular Season is over, and I'll post my playoff predictions later.  For now, I want to reflect on my Cleveland Cavaliers.

This was not the worst season I have experienced as a fan.  It may have been the most disappointing.  On paper, the Cavs improved by nine wins.  But there were too many games that the team didn't appear to try, that they threw in the towel.  Rumors of locker room fights.  A #1 draft pick that is screaming a 'bust'.  Andrew Bynum.

The GM was fired.  I thought Chris Grant did a great job on paper.  Kyrie was the best pick possible.  Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters were considered reaches, but when you look at who the alternatives were, I thought they were reasonable choices.  Anthony Bennett- I'll get to him in a little bit.

But Grant's fatal flaw was that he drafted for talent, and not for chemistry.  Basketball, much more than baseball, relies on the team working together and creating something bigger than the parts.  So far, the individual players haven't shown they can work as a team on a consistent basis.  They have shown flashes- and when they do, the team looks amazing- but it only lasts for a quarter or a half, and by the next game it doesn't appear again.

Should the blame be put on Mike Brown for not making them work together better?  Sure, some.  But it's also his first year with any of these players- and Brown's teams have always started slow and done better as the year goes on.  With a young team like the Cavs, they should get better in years 2 and 3.

Anthony Bennett- here's my 'foot in mouth' statement that can be thrown back at me.  I think, in ten years, Bennett will be one of the three best players in the draft class of 2013.  He's young, he has talent.  Yes, he was a complete bust.  But he's 20, and his flaw (conditioning) can be overcome.  A player like Victor Oladipo won't ever learn to be a consistent 20ppg player.  If Bennett stays in shape- and I think he will- and he stays healthy- he will improve tremendously next year.

So- where do we go from here?  There are a lot of open questions, and I'll go down the list:

1)  Will Kyrie sign?  This one is actually very simple.  In July, Kyrie can be offered a five year extension.  He can either accept, or refuse, take a one year contract, and then work towards becoming an unrestricted free agent.

I will be shocked if Kyrie doesn't sign.  Partly because- who leaves $80 million on the table?  And also- if Kyrie refuses, the fans will turn on him viciously.  LeBron James left without notice- Kyrie could, in theory, have to play a full year as a pariah. 

If he doesn't sign, the Cavs will look for a trade offer- but they'd have to be blown away.  Otherwise, the next year will be ugly for everyone around.  But I don't think that will happen.

2)  Who is the GM?  After Grant was fired,David Griffin became the interim GM.  He made one trade (Spencer Hawes) that looks good for the Cavs.  More importantly, the team improved (the team was 17-16 after Griffin took over).  I think he deserves the chance to run the team.

3)  Who is the Coach? Remember- despite everything that has happened, the Cavs improved by nine games.  I would keep Mike Brown, unless Kyrie insisted on a different coach before an extension.  And if Kyrie insisted on that, he'd better deliver.

4)  Free Agents.  The Cavs have two free agents.  Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes.  I like both players, but Deng will demand $12 million a year for 4 years.  He's had injury problems, and while he is a good player, the team didn't turn around with him.  

Hawes is younger, plays Center, works well with Kyrie, and will cost about $8 million a year.  I think he can be resigned, and hope the Cavs pursue this.

5)  The Draft.  The draft takes play in June, and Kyrie's status won't be resolved until July.  Damn.  OK, the Cavs have enough project players.  They really need a few things:
   *  Small Forward
   *  Three point shooter
   *  Shot blocking Center

Before the lottery, the Cavs are projected to pick ninth.  Someone like Doug McDermott fits the bill.

If, on the other hand, the Cavs think they will need to trade Kyrie, they will need a point guard- an Tyler Ennis should still be on the board.


Overall- a disappointing season, and one I will be glad to move on from.  But hope springs eternal...

 PS- you'll notice I haven't mentioned that LeBron can opt out and become a free agent.  He can- but he won't come to Cleveland.  LeBron has his priorities, but the fans of Northeast Ohio are not one of them.


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Wrestlemania XXX Predictions




Wrestlemania XXX is tonight.  Here are my predictions for tonight's event:




The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) © vs. The Real Americans (Cesaro and Jack Swagger) vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel vs. Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando)

What should happen: Real Americans win the titles and start on a showdown with the Shield

What will happen: Usos retain. Ryback and Axel start arguing, but don't break up.


The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) vs. Kane and The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn)

What should happen: Shield destroys Kane and the NAO. Under the command of the Authority, the New Age Outlaws attack Kane and leave him lying in the ring, "Guilt by association of knowing Daniel Bryan"

What will happen: Shield splits- Ambrose and Rollins team up and leave Reigns lying. As they walk away, Reigns spears Armstrong for the pin.


Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational

What should happen: AJ retains and keeps her stranglehold on the belt until Paige from NXT is ready.

What will happen: The other divas attack AJ, then let Tamina take the pinfall to end AJ Lee's streak.


André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

What should happen: They need a new single mid to upper card face. Cody Rhodes and Golddust are the final two. They agree to flip a coin. Golddust loses, then attacks Cody to win the Battle Royal and start a feud with Cody

What will happen: Big Show wins, throwing out Shaemus in the end


John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

What should happen: Wyatt wins, realtively cleanly (Harper puts Wyatt's foot on the ropes to break a pinfall). Cena takes time away from the ring as the Wyatts go on a rampage. After a couple months, during one of Wyatt's speeches, Cena calls him out from the rafters, claiming that he found his own Dark Angel to teach him how to fight the Wyatts. In Cena's corner for the rematch- Sting

What will happen: Attitude Adjustment after a great 15 minute match, 3 count for Cena.


Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

What should happen: Undertaker wins, and Brock Lesnar blames Paul Heyman, attacking Heyman, and leaving him in the ring. Lesnar vowsa to either win the title by next Wrestlemania or leave wrestling for good

What will happen: Undertaker wins


Daniel Bryan vs. HHH


What should happen: Thirty minute match with Bryan beating HHH with the running knee but the announcers wondering how much he has left in the tank.

What will happen: HHH sneak attacks Bryan on the way to the ring, and spends the first ten minutes destroying Bryan- but unable to put him away. As HHH gets more frustrated, he gets more desperate, finally going for the sledge hammer. As he goes for the hammer, Bryan dives onto HHH outside the ring and takes control, then pins him with a small package



Randy Orton © vs. Batista vs. TBD


What should happen: In the end, the storyline is too good to pass up. Daniel Bryan has proven himself a company man, willing to work with anyone. He's Bret Hart, but even more over than Hart was. He doesn't pull the power plays that CM Punk has. They've tried to kill off his heat, or push it to someone else, and it's failed. The crowd is behind Daniel Bryan.

It's so obvious that it would take WCW to screw this up. Bryan wins the title and the final shot of the show is the entire audience chating "YES!"

What will happen: The only way that doesn't happen is if Batista has an ironclad guaranteed win in his contract- and even then, don't be surprised if that's pushed back. Bryan wins.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Money

George Will wrote a column over 20 years ago that we should redo who we honor on money.  I think this is a fantastic idea.

Look- who's on the coins and bills of today?  Politicians.  Why?  We're the United States!  We mock politicians!  Besides, I hate any idea that puts politicians on a pedestal above citizens.  Yes, we've had some great leaders.  But there are far greater things in the United States than who get elected to what office.

So I'm offering my suggestion for the bills- who should be honored on each of the denominations:


$1.00 bill (Current:  George Washington).  George Washington.  Just because I want to reduce the number of politicians on our currency doesn't mean we should get rid of them altogether.  In addition to being the Father of our Country and the First President, Washington was also a great general.

$2.00 bill (Current:  Thomas Jefferson).  Norman Borlaug.  Not many people use the $2.00 bill, and not many people have heard of Norman Borlaug.  Borlaug's research into agriculture may have saved a billion lives.  He should be celebrated.

$5.00 bill (Current:  Abraham Lincoln)   Abraham Lincoln.  Still keeping the President who kept the country together.  Washington and Lincoln are the only elected officials that I'm keeping (but I'm keeping one more person)

$10.00 bill (Current:  Alexander Hamilton)  Jackie Robinson.  Americans are obsessed about sports.  I think I could argue that half the bills should have towering sports figures, from Babe Ruth to Jim Thorpe to Michael Jordan.  But the $10.00 bill is popular, and Robinson represents the best in the United States- both as an athlete and as a person.

$20.00 bill (Current:  Andrew Jackson)  Mark Twain.   Father of American literature.  "Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer" remain classics. 

$50.00 bill (Current:  U.S. Grant)  Neil Armstrong.   There are a lot of choices to honor the scientists, inventors, and explorers- Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, Alexander Graham Bell.  But the Moon Landing is one of our greatest achievements, and should be celebrated.

$100.00 bill (Current:  Benjamin Franklin)  Benjamin Franklin.  I'm keeping Franklin, because he was so much more than a politician.  Inventor, writer, diplomat. 

They don't make any bills over $100.00 anymore.  But I'd like to bring back two bills, especially because prices keep rising and we might need them soon.


$500.00 bill (Formerly:  William McKinely)  Lucille Ball.  Americans love their entertainers.  And I can come up with several nominees (Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, etc.).  Ms. Ball a star on stage, radio, and television- she can hold her own with anyone else on this platform. 


$1000.00 bill (Formerly:  Grover Cleveland)  I would like to nominate Andrew Carnegie for the $1000.00 bill, because I believe we should honor both the industrialists and the philanthropists.  And having a steel magnate on the highest currency seems appropriate.

 Thoughts and suggestions for other nominees welcomed.