TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 28th

It's Birthday Friday

Happy 43rd Birthday to Michigan's finest, Glen Rice
SI voted Glen Rice the top Michigan athlete of all-time


Rice was voted as the Most Outstanding Player when he led the Wolverines to the NCAA chip in 1989, scoring a record 184 points throughout the tournament, a record that still stands today. He won a chip in the NBA with the Lakers in 2000 alongside Kobe and Shaq. Everyone remembers his 1997 All-Star game MVP performance where he scored an all-star record 24 points in a half during the 2nd half, including 20 points in the 3rd quarter.

Check out this shootout between Rice and MJ. The game was played a few days after Rice's All Star game MVP performance. Check out who hits the game winner!


Happy 53rd Birthday to another Michigan legend, Kirk Gibson

Here's one of the most memorable moments in baseball history, Kirk's walkoff HR in the 1988 World Series. I could only find some kid showing it on a flip book, the MLB is greedy with their rights on video clips put on youtube.


Happy 72nd Birthday to The Logo and Lakers great, Jerry West


Happy 24th Birthday to Ravens Blind Side LT, Michael Oher

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 27th


4 years ago today, former NFL Running Back, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, passed away from complications with a rare form of cancer called chordoma. Ironhead was considered the hardest hitting running back to ever play the game at 5'11" 260+ lbs, he was a defensive nightmare. Ironhead was drafted in the 1st round, #24 overall, by the Saints in 1988.


He played 5 seasons with them before short stints with the Bears, Falcons, Rams, and Colts. He made his only Pro Bowl appearance in 1995 with the Falcons where he was the featured RB ahead of a young Jamal Anderson and rushed for over 1,000 yards the only time in his career. (sidenote: Eric Metcalf also enjoyed his best receiving year with the Falcons that year posting 100+ receptions and 1,000+ yards the only time in his career.)

Ironhead rolling over the Canes in college


Craig's son, Cameron Heyward, is an All-American Defensive lineman for the Buckeyes and is projected to be an early 1st round draft pick in the 2011 draft. He's been compared to Ndamukong Suh and his goal is to be "the most dominant to ever play the game" as he said in a recent interview

Check him out dominating Masoli and the Ducks in the Rose Bowl


Craig other son, Craig Heyward Jr, played for Middle Tennessee St in college and was last reported to be trying out for the Saints in the rookie camp.


Do you remember Ironhead's Zest fully clean commercials where he's shown using the body wash with that "thingie" in the shower aka the loofah? It's one of the funniest commercials of the 90s. I can't find the actual video but I found some dude trying to do a spoof of it.




Happy 42nd Birthdays to retired MLB greats and future HOFers, the Big Hurt, Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell

Golf legend, Sam Snead was born 98 years ago. He still holds the all-time record for most PGA Tour wins (82)

Happy 36th Birthday to Florida Gator legend and Heisman Trophy Winner, Danny Wuerffel

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 26th

Happy 31st Birthday to Mehmet Okur
Memo partying with some random chicks, a blunt in one hand and a beer in the other.



Memo and his hot wife who's a former Miss Turkey finalist

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 25th

Ali vs Liston - 1st round knockout - "Get up and fight, sucker!"


Ali talking about the knockout punch, which he calls, "the anchor punch"


One of the most famous images in sports history




Happy 26thBirthday to San Diego Charger/Roider, Shawne Merriman

Shawne & Kendra


Shawne & Tila Tequila



Happy 32nd Birthday to Brian Urlacher

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Kaddy Korner - Week off heading for the Senior PGA by Mark Huber

It’s very frustrating leaving a tournament site when you arrive with high expectations. Birmingham held a lot of special memories, Jim had been working hard, plus his best friend and instructor were planning on a little celebration Sunday night after the win. The best I could do was laundry Sunday evening and then a long rainy drive home Monday. There were no special plans for the week off and when I left Jim he wasn’t sure if was playing the PGA the next week. Sunday afternoons are like that after a smooth 79.

The cabin was calling, it needed some TLC but turned out I was the one needing attention. After the long drive I woke up Tuesday morning achy and feverish spending the next couple of days in bed. Good news arrived Wednesday evening, I talked with Jim, he and his coach had a major revelation on the Bellvue CC practice tee. Turns out the problem wasn’t between the ears, there was a small issue with his grip.

In golf, especially professional golf, your grip may be more important than your swing. Rick, Jim’s instructor, made some minor adjustments which allowed him to free up his swing and quiet the demons between the ears. Talking with Jim you could hear the little kid excitement, he was ready to play golf again and do some damage. That was just what the doctor ordered.

It was too late to head for the cabin, our next tournament was in Denver, CO and I’d have to hit the road Saturday afternoon. These days you can prepare for a tournament via the Internet. The Senior PGA had a nice web site and the course, Colorado Golf Club, had an interactive display so I spent a few hours educating myself. Twenty years ago I knew little or nothing about a new course or upcoming event. By Thursday I felt like I knew the course, had my room booked, travels plans laid out, and looking forward to our first major of the year.

A year makes a bunch of difference. Last year at this same time I was heading for Cleveland, OH, an easy afternoon drive and working for one of the top players of all time. Now it’s a thousand miles working for a Champions Tour rookie but the preparation doesn’t change. I wanted to get there Sunday afternoon so I could walk at least nine holes.

Driving West Saturday afternoon stirred a few memories. It had been a long time since I drove this far west. There were a couple of West Coast trips with “Moosehead Ed” (who is now Stella, but that’s another story),  the 1988 drive from Oklahoma City with “Little Red” and “Artie”, and the last time I was in Denver was 1994 during the Senior Open at Cherry Hills. My daughter, Cassie, spent the week with me and some old Eau Claire Academy friends. We had a blast, whitewater rafting, a Pike’s Peak trip, and telling stories every evening after a home-cooked meal.

This next week will be different and I as I watched the Rocky Mountain snow capped peaks appear Sunday afternoon, I was worried about this old body, especially my hip, surviving the altitude, hilly terrain, and lack of carts. The old Rendezvous chugged into town, I quickly checked into my hotel then headed for the Crenshaw-Coore designed Colorado Golf Club south of Denver. Ben is my favorite modern architect and I couldn’t wait for a glimpse.

I walked the front nine Sunday evening all by myself, what a joy. There were a couple of mule deer in the brush, a few hawks circling below the wispy windblown clouds, and it was all mine. The serenity made the drudgery tolerable and for the first time in quite awhile I actually enjoyed walking a course. The hip wasn’t barking and the solitude was refreshing. The layout was wrapped around nature not artificially constructed like a lot of today’s courses. I’ll need to thank Ben this week when I see him.

With a beautiful course, a new grip, and a couple of fresh minds we should be on the proper end of the scoreboard again.

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan.

Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

Happy 31st Birthday to Tracy McGrady

Will T-Mac be playing with LeBron next year?


T-Mac's famous 13pts in 35 seconds comeback win over the Spurs.


Happy 47th Birthday to Michigan lowlifes, Rich Rodriguez and Joe Dumars

JD vs MJ


A rare Gatorade dump on Dick Rod.

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SWEEP HOME CHICAGO by vish

Hawks are in the Stanley Cup Finals!  What a series and what a display of dominance.  It was looking good in the 2nd period, after Patrick Marleau scored a short-handed goal on the Hawks, giving the Sharks a 2-0 lead.  Somehow, he was able to score on a breakaway caused by his puck clearing attempt, which knocked Duncan Keith to the ground.  The puck hit Keith in the mouth, and the poor guy lost 7 teeth.

Somehow it must have hit a spark on the Hawks.  Down 2-0 in the 2nd period, the Hawks were able to pull together 2 big goals to end the period.  Brent Seabrook and Dave Bolland were able to bring to score on wrist shots, and subsequently brought the life back into the Madhouse on Madison.  

Of course, the 3rd period did not disappoint either.  Both teams went at it back and forth without a goal, but the Hawks had the momentum and brought the house down with the game winning goal.  With 5:55 left, it was none other then the Big, Bad, Buff once again being in the right spot, at the right time.  The crowd went wild.  He has come up big in the clutch, and I look forward to watching him in the finals.  

One great sign going into the finals, is that the Hawks were able to limit the Sharks to just 18 shots.  Not bad for Niemi, even though he allowed 2 goals he still played well.  He allowed only 7 goals in 4 games to the Sharks, who are a very good team.  I'm so excited for the Hawks, and very excited for Chicago.  The Hawks have not won the Stanley Cup since 1961, giving them the longest current drought.  This 49 year drought is the second longest drought in NHL history.  4 more W's till the Stanley Cup comes back to Chi!!!

Enjoy the highlights....

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BIG BUFF SAYS NO WAY JOSE

The Madhouse on Madison is back!  The Hawks this time were on a mission to notch another W, bringing them one win closer to the Stanley Cup finals.  The team has finally made some noise at home and the timing cannot be more perfect.  Everybody is hitting on all cylinders.  This team is not just about Toews and Kane.  The Hawks are displaying its depth throughout the whole lineup. 

This game looked like it was going to be over in regulation when Toews made a brilliant setup to Dave Bolland for a breakaway goal.  But at the 4:23 mark, Patrick Marleau scored his 2nd goal of the game for his Sharks.  It was a battle in overtime with both goalies making beautiful saves, but someone had to score.  And so, Bolland found the Big, Bad, Buff - Dustin Byfuglien, creeping through the heart of the San Jose defense, for the game-winning goal.  I don't know how the Sharks missed the biggest man on the ice, skating in the center of their defense.  This now gives him 4 straight playoff games with a goal.  He now has 7 goals and 2 assists this postseason.  Not bad.

Another bright spot is Antti Niemi.  This guy is playing like he's Ed Belfour on the ice, making big save after big save.  44 saves on 46 shots in an overtime game is pretty good.  And he's a rookie, one win away from the finals.  Nobody thought he would play this well.  He was supposed to be the achilles to this team, but is looking more like the team's backbone in a wonderful playoff run.  I would like to see the Hawks allow less shots though, but all that matters is that we score more goals and get the W.  Can't wait for the next game!

Here's the game-winning goal by the Big Buff.

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 21st

Happy 33rd Birthday to 1988 Heisman Trophy Winner, Ricky Williams

Heisman Speech


Ricky in the SI Swimsuit edition 2000 with Kadra Ahmed-Omar


Ricky hurdling the Jets, Jim Leonhard


Happy 29th Birthday to the former #1 overall pick in the MLB draft, the Texas Rangers, Josh Hamilton.

Josh is currently batting .284 with 8 HRs and 25 RBIs.

If you don't know his story and his battle with drug addiction, check this AP video out.


Here's the mlb.com video on his record-setting 28 HRs in the first round of the 2008 Homerun Derby in Yankee Stadium. He entered that All-Star game with 95 RBIs at the break.

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NEW NIKE SOCCER COMMERCIAL - WRITE THE FUTURE

Best commercial ever?!?!

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Ex-NBA star Calvin Murphy confirms rumor of Delonte West sleeping with LeBron's mom

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

Happy 40th Birthday to Oregon basketball legend and the best PG the Cleveland Cavaliers ever had (sorry Mo), TERRELL BRANDON


Terrell spends his time running a barber shop / sports apparel store in Portland these days. Check it out next time you're in town.

Terrell Brandon Barber Shop
(971) 285-3145
1330 NE Alberta St Ste C (Northeast 13th Avenue)
Portland, OR 97211

Sadly, Malik Sealy lost his life 10 years ago today. Malik was driving home from Kevin Garnett's birthday party celebration in the early a.m. when a drunk driver travelling the wrong way down a highway struck his SUV and killed him instantly. Terrell Brandon and KG were teammates of Malik on the T'Wolves before he passed away.

Check out this ESPN piece on Malik. R.I.P.


Malik Sealy Tribute mix "I Wish"

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LEBRON TO THE BULLS?

NEW PICTURE:

Now that the Cavs lost to the Celtics in the 2nd round of the playoffs, we can officially put this out there...Lebron James to the Bulls?  Let the rumors begin...I will try to update this everyday with new rumors...

• UPDATE: Jordan getting in on the Lebron hype...In Chicago to play golf at a suburban country club -- yes, he still gambles on 10-foot putts -- Michael Jordan was asked The Question by one of the organizers. Normally, Jordan doesn't speculate on the business of others, but this week, he couldn't resist in opining like everyone else..."Chicago,'' he said.
• UPDATE: Latest rumor has it that Lebron is looking for a place in Highland Park right now...I posted this yesterday and this is now picking up steam. It was on WGN and the afternoon saloon...
• TRUEHOOP rumors
• Chris Broussard's thoughts
• More from Broussard (a Cavs guy too) -
  
  

  Chris Broussard, ESPN The Magazine: LeBron will visit Chicago (45 percent chance he lands there), New York (18 percent chance) and possibly other places. He'll soul-search about whether he can win titles in Cleveland, where they don't have a ton of roster flexibility. He'll consult other free agents about playing in New York and Chicago. At end of the day, I think he chooses Chicago.

• And here is President Obama getting in on this whole thing...the president thinks LeBron would look great in a Bulls uniform."
• Shortly after Cleveland was eliminated by Boston in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, LeBron James placed a call to Bulls guard Derrick Rose. What did they talk about? Word is, James said he likes Rose's game, likes his team and would welcome the chance to play together.

I personally think he either stays in Cleveland or bolts to New York, with the Nets being the darkhorse, but I hope I am wrong.  I will write more about this in my Bulls post that I am currently working on.  July is just around the corner, and Free Agency just got rowdier!  Let's go Bulls!  Please do something for once!

Also, check out these two websites dedicated to bringing Lebron to Chicago...

• Lebron James Chicago
• Send Lebron to Chicago 

Also, I'm going to keep updating this post with new rumors/pictures, so please send me any Lebron to the Bulls rumors/links/updates at docksquad33@gmail.com...

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

Happy 34th Birthday to Kevin Garnett.



KG with wife Brandi


KG with a front row seat of the greatest in-game dunk ever


"Anything is possible"


Happy 53rd Birthday to Bill Laimbeer

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MARK'S KADDY KORNER - Regions Charity Classic - Birmingham, AL by Mark Huber

The Regions Charity Classic played at Ross Bridge Resort and Spa used to be the Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Greystone Country Club and back then it was the strongest field with the largest galleries on the Champions Tour. These days the field is weak, the fans gather around the four or five holes surrounding the resort hotel and rarely venture out on the course, and there isn’t the buzz around Birmingham like there used to be. There were a lot of “remember when” stories about Greystone floating around the practice tee; everyone would love to go back.

The Ross Bridge course designed by Robert Trent Jones isn’t a bad track it’s just more conducive for mountain goats than spectators and fifty year old golfers. It’s a great collection of holes, the greens were in perfect condition, the fairways hard and fast, but the layout is so difficult to walk the tour officials allow the bags to stay on the carts at all times and everyone can ride from the greens to the next tee box. Usually there are quite a few players walking but not this week everyone was in a cart.

It was pouring rain when I arrived early Monday afternoon so I settled into my usual abode, The Oak Mountain Lodge. The lodge has seen its better day but I’m a creature of habit and been staying here since 1993. Twenty minutes to the course and around the corner from my favorite watering hole, Ragtime Café, it’s perfect for me. I stumbled into Ragtime my first trip to Birmingham, made a bunch of golfing and drinking buddies, but times have changed. There were no late nights; no Saturday afternoon scrambles with Gentleman Jack, only a couple of cold ones and a pizza to go. Everyone has gone their separate ways and grown up with their families, I couldn’t even get anyone tickets to the tournament, they were all too busy.

I walked thirteen holes Monday evening before dark crossing paths with Bernhard Langer’s caddy, Gary Hallberg and his son, plus Bobby Clampett. They all mentioned the enormous size of the greens, averaging about 10,000 square feet. The generous fairways and large greens make for low scoring and boy did they go low. Dan Forsman, with his regular caddy Greg “Piddler” Martin on the bag instead of his son, shot a course record 62 Saturday followed with a 66 on Sunday winning the tournament easily. It was a notch for the tour caddies over the “lucky sperm club”.

“Piddler” and Dan had been together for twenty plus years prior to this year when Dan’s son abruptly took over the caddie duties. It left Greg high and dry without a regular bag. The first week back in the saddle and a win was one of the feel good stories this week. The other was Ken Green.

Ken teed it up with one leg in his first medal play tournament. It’s been less than a year since his terrible accident and his only goal was not to finish last. He didn’t and wearing green knickers with a green prosthesis he roamed the course acknowledging the crowd for their support. We walked off the eighteenth green Friday feeling sorry for ourselves after a 74, looked across the water and watched Ken putt out on the fifth green. He was all smiles after the bogey and the crowd would have hugged him if they could; it definitely added a little perspective to our plight.

I’ve had a lot of good memories in Birmingham but this week won’t make that list. Jim worked hard with his instructor, Rick Christie, and his buddy “Helmster” was there for moral support, but it was a struggle. The driver isn’t behaving on the course. It looks fine on the practice carrying about 280 with a nice little fade but on the course it keeps finding the trees. We spent at least three hours on the range Saturday afternoon and left Overtime Bar and Grill early that evening with high hopes for Sunday’s round.

Jim laced a nice high fade around the corner of the difficult tenth hole Sunday morning and I thought we were off to a 65. His punch seven iron never left the flag stick; it was going to be a great day. Somewhere during a round the mind plays tricks with you and one bad shot takes over. Disconnecting from any bad shot and remembering the good ones is a golfer’s only defense. We let it get the best of us and struggled all day. Right now were in one of those golfing funks that happen to everyone out here.

It was nice; all week long various players would stop by the range offering Jim advice. Tim Simpson offered words of wisdom early in the week and Jeff Sluman stopped Saturday afternoon sharing stories about his struggle with the driver. There’s a camaraderie out here you don’t see on television. Gary Hallberg and Peter Jacobsen, who really don’t know Jim, took time to help. It’s a nice feeling knowing you’ve got some guys in your corner. We’ll get through the funk and tear it up the next few weeks.

A week at home with family, friends, and his instructor and we’ll be ready for the PGA next week in Denver.

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan.

Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 18th

20 years ago today, Cubs 2B Ryne Sandberg, finally commits an error ending his MLB-record error-less streak at 123 games (584 chances) at the 2B position. Joe Morgan had the previous record at 91 error-less games at 2B.


Happy 50th Birthday to Joakim's dad, Yannick Noah


Happy 27th Birthday to Vince Young

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NIEMI PUTS ON A CLINIC by Vish

That's right, just as the title says it... Antii Niemi put on a clinic in Game 1 against the Sharks. Playing on the road, against the #1 team in the West, did not phase Niemi at all. He stopped the puck, making 44 saves on 45 shots. Simply, he played like a veteran instead of a rookie. I think we can lay to rest anymore doubts about Niemi as our starting goalie.

However, it is a little troubling to see that the Sharks were able to get 45 shots against the Hawks. The beginning of the game seemed to give the mometum to the Sharks as they scored the first goal. Penalties were hurting the Hawks in the 1st period, but once they settled down they were able to focus on gaining the momentum. Patrick Sharp was able to tie it up in period 2, and then in the 3rd period the Big, Buff, Byfuglien scored the game-winning goal. The Hawks were able to get 40 shots on goal against a very good goalie in Evgeni Nabokov.

Hopefully, the Hawks will be able to bring down the high number of shots on goal they allowed to the Sharks. It would take some pressure off Niemi, even though he is playing like a champ in these playoffs. Sunday's win gives the Hawks a 6-1 record in this postseason. So far I am really liking our chances to make it to the Stanley Cup. Keep it up Hawks!

Enjoy the highlights... mostly Niemi owning the puck like it's his property.

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Sparing No Expense: How The Cleveland Cavaliers Can Keep LeBron James -- By Amar Panchmatia

To say that these are trying times for the city of Cleveland would be an epic understatement. To say that these are trying times for Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert would not even begin to describe what kind of impact the next two months could have on him.

Gilbert, you remember, bought the team in 2005 for $375 million, a significant raise compared to what the team was worth before drafting local high school phenom LeBron James. Seven years later, Forbes Magazine has it ranked as the fifth most valuable franchise in the entire NBA at $476 million, over $100 million more than the price that even Gilbert paid for just five years ago.

All of this, as we know, is due to just one guy: King James.

It is not often that a franchise and a city rely so heavily on one man not only athletically but also economically and socially. Sources have said that if James leaves the Cavs this summer as a free agent, the value of the Cavs franchise would depreciate by up to $150 million. Considering the amount of money Gilbert has been pumping into the franchise—specifically the payroll and arena upgrades—such a depreciation would be back-breaking for the Quicken Loans founder.

And it should serve as motivation for him to spare absolutely no expense this summer in an effort to take his franchise to the next level.

While the Cavs are well over the salary cap and cannot sign a big-name free agent other than their own (LeBron), there is no salary cap for a coaching staff. Gilbert has expected a first-class organization since the day he bought the team but has been handing the keys to a second-rate coaching staff, in particular Mike Brown.

Make no mistake about the fact that Brown is not as bad of a coach as he has been made out to be. Before he took over the job in 2005, the Cavaliers were a mess defensively. Five years later, defense is one of the pillars the team hangs its hat on. They have been an elite defensive team for the majority of Brown's tenure, especially over the last several seasons.

But Brown has taken this team only as far as he could. As a guy who is in his first job as a head coach and just recently turned 40, he is neither the right coach for this team or this superstar. Look at the head coaches who have won championships over the last decade (Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley, Doc Rivers, and Larry Brown) and you will see that, outside of Rivers, they are all Hall of Fame coaches.

The exception, Rivers, had already had a previous head coaching job in Orlando to learn from and was not in his first job in the position.

Survey that list again and one name—Larry Brown—should jump out at you if you are the Cavaliers. It's because Larry Brown could be the one elite-level coach who could be available this offseason for the right, and undoubtedly steep, price.

Gilbert already has a history of being fixated with Larry Brown. After Gilbert bought the team back in the spring of 2005, there were rumors that he had offered Brown the position of President of Basketball Operations. With Brown rumored to be out of Charlotte due to tension between him and new Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, Gilbert should not hesitate in contacting Brown again.

And this time, it is important that Gilbert gets it right. Brown has been credited for turning around franchises in Indiana and Philadelphia. Before Brown went to Detroit, the Pistons were in a similar position that the Cavs are in right now. Brown got them over the hump and made them champions.

Outside of a few blemishes in New York (seriously, who did succeed under Isiah Thomas?) and the 2004 Athens Olympics (Argentina won't be popping up on anyone's NBA schedule any time soon), Brown's record has been remarkable and speaks for itself.

That is why it's important that Gilbert go out of his way to pay Larry Brown whatever it will cost to put him on the Cavaliers sideline in 2010-11. Gilbert could even throw in a front office role and give Brown final say on all player personnel decisions. Adding Brown would also give Gilbert a leg up compared to other suitors for James since none of them have a coach of the caliber of Brown. Some, in fact, don't even have a coach at all.

Although getting a Hall of Fame coach that commands attention and respect would be a heck of start, Gilbert would be far from over. His roster would still need major tweaking.

Gilbert should still bring back General Manager Danny Ferry to work with Larry Brown in the front office, and the two should work tirelessly in surveying every team from around the league looking for players that teams are looking to move. With the position that the Cavs are in—no draft picks and no cap space due to deals to bring in players like Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams—that is the only avenue they can take to make the team better.

They will be surprised at what they find. Around the trade deadline this past season, the Cavaliers were hot on the trail for both Jamison and Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire. Another rumor that had popped up was discussions with Philadelphia regarding Andre Iguodala, who has up to four years and close to $50 million left on his contract. A team like Philadelphia that is rebuilding may look hard to move that contract, especially if they can find another cornerstone player through the draft.

Getting a guy like Iguodala for the limited assets the Cavs have may also include seeing Cleveland take on Elton Brand, who has three years and about $51 million left on his contract. That would be a combined $100 million in salary that Cavs would take on, and although Iguodala and Brand are not world-beaters by any means, they are far better than the limited amount of talent LeBron James has had to work with over the majority of his seven-year career in Cleveland.

That by no means should be the trade that the Cavaliers zero in on. It is merely an example of what they would have to do in order to add talent to this roster: take on exorbitant contracts and further inflate their payroll. A player like Iguodala is the same age as LeBron, and he would easily become the best player James has had to play with in his entire career as a Cav. (No, a 38-year old Shaquille O'Neal and a 33-year old Antawn Jamison don't count. And put your hand down, Mo Williams.)

There will be a plethora of options out there, especially sign-and-trade options involving free agents such as Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, and Stoudemire. Now is not the time for the Cavs to get cute. As long as teams are not asking for LeBron in a sign-and-trade, then Ferry would have to make anyone and everyone available on the roster.

Some would say it's not fair to put that much pressure on a mid-market team like Cleveland, but that's the hand Gilbert has been dealt. He knows that keeping LeBron in Cleveland was the overwhelming objective of his ownership when he bought the team. Plus, no expense he invests in the team this summer will come close to the crippling financial hit he would take if James decides to go elsewhere.

Not only is it the only hand Gilbert has, but also the last. It is the moment of truth for both him and the city of Cleveland. And if the extraordinary financial commitment he made over the last five years wasn't enough, then there are still plenty of other improvements that could be made possible with more expenses.

Or else.

"Or else" isn't something Gilbert—and especially not the city of Cleveland—wants to think about right now. Or ever.

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

May 17th

Mario Soto of the Cincinnati Reds threw 4 strikeouts in only one inning.

Soto was a 3x All Star and struck out more batters than any other pitcher from 1980 to 1985



How is it possible to strike out 4 batters in one inning? When a batter has 2 strikes on him takes a swing and misses for strike 3 and the catcher doesn't have control of it and instead of tagging or throwing the runner out, the batter reaches base. The strikeout is recorded but the out is not recorded and the inning continues.

It's not as uncommon as you would think. This feat has happened more than 50 times throughout baseball history. baseball almananc article

Surprise, surprise
Who would have thought that the Reds would be 1st place and the Cubs in 4th place behind the Pirates in the NL Central thru the first quarter of the season?

CURRENT NL CENTRAL STANDINGS

Cincinnati Reds--------21-16
St. Louis Cardinals----21-17
Pittsburgh Pirates-----16-21
Chicago Cubs----------16-22
Milwaukee Brewers---15-22
Houston Astros--------13-24

Happy 28th Birthday to Tony Parker

Tony and Eva to NY Knicks rumors

Happy 27th Birthday to Channing Frye. Look for him to be a matchup problem for the Lakers on the perimeter where he was a surprise 3pt threat all season long.

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DOOMSDAY FOR CAVS FANS

Three Cavs fans sum up their feelings after last night's Cavs loss to the Celts:

Amar Panchmatia....

This is an absolute nightmare. I just got back to my cousin's place in long island and I can't sleep. I went to the game, and repped us hard today, and when the crowd started chanting "New York Knicks", I thought I had died and woke up in hell!  Welcome to hell Amar, that is what I told myself at that moment. It was a living hell. That's all I can say to describe it. If for some reason I end up in hell after I die, I am now prepared. No joke, tonight prepared me for it. It can't, it won't, get any worse than this.

I'm not gonna lie, you guys can ride if you want, but I shed some tears on the ride back to NYC last night. I thought of all the times over the last seven years, good, bad and ugly. Of that blessed day in May of 2003 and seeing Russ Grannik pull out the Memphis Grizzlies logo out of that envelope, meaning that the Cavs had the first pick of that draft. Of that debut game in Sacramento when he wowed us all. About the way he dropped 41 on the Nets his rookie year to have an improbable comeback against a then-good Nets team. About how sick I was when Boozer backstabbed us the way he did, forever leaving the man without a sidekick to this very day. About the way he scored 43 at the Gund on the Pistons in his second year when my brother and I were in attendance. About him dropping 56 on Toronto later that season, to this day a career high. About that playoff collapse in '05 and seeing Dan Gilbert buy the team and fire Paul Silas and Jim Paxson. About Ferry coming on the job and spending so much money on Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones. About that first 50 win season and finally clinching that first playoff berth in the third season. Getting flip Murray to replace an injured Hughes and seeing that cat hit some clutch shots to help us get to the playoffs. About we are all witnesses.  About that first Wizards series and his baseline drive in game 5 to beat the wizards in game 5. About having no shot in hell against that '06 Pistons team and still coming back to take a 3-2 lead because of the man's incredible, improbable theatrics in games 3-5. About the joy and jubilation when he signed that extension in '06, even if it was for only 3 years. About that dunk on Tim Duncan to open up his fourth year. About another 50 win season. About the palace of auburn hills, game 5. 48 pts, 25 straight, 29 of the last 30. About watching from far away Portland, Oregon as the team made the NBA finals and won the Eastern Conference and finally seeing the city so happy again. About the sweep at the hands of the spurs. About varejao's holdout that summer that fucked our momentum. About that 3-team, 11-player trade at the deadline in '08 that shipped out Hughes for Ben Wallace and friends. About that 7-game series with Boston in '08 and no regard for human life. About game 7 and 45 pts not being enough. About trading shit for Mo Williams that summer. About starting 08-09 as a team on a mission. About the home domination and not in the Q, nigga!!! About 66 wins and playoff sweeps. About Leshot in game 2 against Orlando and kissing my TV.  About losing in game 6 and not shaking hands. About check my stats. About Shaq for Ben Wallace.  About envisioning championship parades and SI DVD commercials. About Antawn Jamison at the trade deadline. And in the end, about a broken, wounded, and tortured heart.

My cousin felt sick to his stomach for me. He's a huge Yankees fan for life, and ever since we were kids we would have battles whenever the Indians played the Yankees in the playoffs. Remember 97 and 98? even in 07, the famous Yankees cap series, our families talked so much shit over it. He knows how passionate I am. I don't think he really cares if Lebron goes to New York or not, but I could see how much my pain showed by seeing him be so affected by it. Now here we were, a week before he's getting married, and we're still like little kids letting sports affect us so much. Well, at least I am. That's just who I am and always will be. Like I said before, its a scarlet letter you wear for life, being a Cleveland sports fan. The cruelty is that sometimes you embrace it like its a badge of honor, like look at me and what I've been through! Only because we had him on our side. He made us believe. He made us dare to dream. He made Cleveland cool again, if only for a passing time.

But in the end, he left us with the emptiest of feelings. Because at least us Cleveland fans could always say "wait for next year" every single damn time in our lives. This time around, we know we can't. And that may have been the worst feeling of all.

Bring it on, Satan. you got nothing on May 13th, 2010. 

Suman V...

This really must be what divorce is like.  I skipped school today.  I tried to read a few articles, but have just been watching Family Matters reruns and getting caught up on 24.  I am going to go see Robin Hood now, by myself.  Part of me wants him to suffer wherever he goes. Part of me knows I'm better than that...and that he deserves better than Cleveland.  He's amazing but he needs a better supporting cast and Cleveland cannot give that to him.  We're just a regular season squad like Windhorst says.  We'll probably lose Windhorst too to ESPN in all this and have to go back to Mary Cay Cabot.  We are all pretty knowledgeable NBA guys. And we can predict things better than most.  But for 2-3 years we have been blinded by love.  We talk ourselves into the people we sign instead of being pissed.  Which I guess it what you have to do since you have no choice.  But we all agreed last year we need more length on the wings and got excited at the prospect of Ariza or Artest.  Instead we settled on Moon and Parker and rationalized. Then we got Shaq and said he can guard Dwight....most arrogant thing ever ...assuming we would automatically be back in ECF...But I really think Cleveland has done everything they could to get him to stay.  They were never passive.  It's easy to sit back and say they should've done this and done that.  For example, the summer of Larry Hughes was huge. We put on a full court press for Mike Redd and Joe Johnson.  And when we signed Hughes he seemed like a Pippen.  Nobody complained.  It wasn't until after he sucked and we realized he wasn't it that the haters said "see i told you."  Ferry has done a marvelous job.  Unfortunately, marvelous in Cleveland is like average for other cities.  A team in a big market with a better front office could've done so much more for Lebron.  I still think Mike Brown is a great tactical coach but now I know he's not a big enough personality to make Lebron better and control his ego like Phil and Pop do.  However, I will be rooting for him as he tries to make the Warriors or Clippers a playoff team.

With all due respect you don't know what this is like.  And you never will.

The only way I see him staying in Cleveland is if somehow Wade or Bosh or John Wall get to the Cavs. Those are the only 3 players I see available that could make him stay in Cleveland...other than Kobe, Dwight, CP3, and some other scenarios that are ridiculous.  And since the chances that one of those 3 come to Cleveland is 0.000012% .... he is gone.  I don't even think there is anything to discuss about "if".  It is "where".  Chicago, NY, Miami, Nets, or Clippers.  Maybe even Dallas or if he and Dirk can go somewhere together.

What KG said rings so true...loyalty can be a bad thing.  My boy grew up in North Dakota and was a huge Minny fan when KG was coming up. He moved to Cleveland in like 10th grade (like over 10 years ago) and has since become a huge Cleveland fan but he still loves KG.  I used to ride on him saying KG was a choker and Duncan proved he is better.  But look at him now on a real team with other real players.  He wins.  He is a winner.  He wasted his youth like he said to Lebron.  Wasted it in Minny.  Lebron is wasting in Cleveland, and needs a winning team with another star, a dominant head coach (not a puppet that will suck him off like Calipari), and vets that have won rings that can guide him.  Shaq was good and he tried but we should've been bringing him off the bench and saving him for Orlando/LA.  Mike Brown was not going to be able to do that...maybe Phil is the only guy that could've done that...or Pop.  Lebron needs Derek Fisher and Kurt Thomas types around him.  He only has 3-4 more years of this ungodly, otherworldly athleticism and he needs to take advantage of it now.  I'd say it is 90/10... leave/stay.

Lebron is a winner.  He is not a choker.  He had 1 bad/terrible playoff series.  Look at his career, he dominates ...and he dominates when it matters (usually). But he did quit.  But everyone good has quit at one point.  Kobe quit.  MJ quit.  Everyone.  This series won't define him.  He'll go somewhere and win more MVPs and titles somewhere else, and nobody will even remember this.  Nobody remembers Kobe quitting against the Suns.  Nobody remembers Kobe and Shaq ruining a potential dynasty because of beef.  Nobody remembers Paul Pierce having to get wheelchaired off the court like a bitch when he hurt his shoulder not his legs.  Nobody remembers the great KG/Duncan debates.  Everyone only remembers the championships. That's all that matters.  And whenever and wherever he wins, he will be remembered for that.  And he will win, I will bet my life on it.  He is a winner, not a loser like us.  He probably doesn't have it mentally yet.  He doesn't seem to get it.  But he will.  He just needs to be surrounded by other people who get it and who still want it.

I can see why you guys hate him ...first that your friends talked about him so much.  Second that he is arrogant and doesn't seem to let losing affect him.  But honestly, especially Vik (Docksquad) if he goes to Chicago, it will change your life.  It is "appointment tv" like Simmons said.  You will always make room to watch the game because you don't want to miss what he does next.  All those little things like dancing and the dunks and the intros you complain about, but I hope it stays...that stuff is amazing to watch on an everyday basis.  We all want to root for those teams that get along like that and wish they were our team ('04 red sox, '07 ny giants, '86 celtics), it makes winning 100% more fun.  We had everything, but we never quite got the winning part. And now we will go down as the Fab 5 of the NBA.  Really cool, but not winners. And if you watch him on an every day basis you understand even more.  Same with Derrick Rose or Kobe, or if you watch every one of Aaron Rodgers' throws...you can appreciate them even more when you see it every day.  And you get used to it, and sometimes it takes seeing them fail to realize how great they really are.  That's what Lebron was hinting at when he said "I spoil people."  It was really arrogant, but it was the truth.  He is just better and way more mature than we give him credit for.  Well we had Lebron every day.  There was a reason we said he's the best PG in the NBA, it wasn't just hyperbole.  And there was a reason we said he is the fastest player in the league end to end.  And on top of that he is Karl Malone's size.  Especially if you see him in person, its just unbelievable.  He is "Video Game James" for a reason.

As an NBA fan, it is terrible we won't get to see a Kobe/Lebron finals.  I'm actually hoping Kobe has another prime year left in him next year, and wherever Lebron goes ..that they make it too....and they clash.  For a real NBA fan this is our Jurassic Park.

As far as where he should go I'd rank them like this (not knowing salary cap situations that well, but oh well):

1. Chicago or New Jersey: I really think he's waiting on the NBA draft.  If the Nets get the first pick and can take John Wall...then mama there goes that man.  Wall, James, Lopez... can trade Devin Harris for someone else.  Plus moving to Brooklyn. Jay-Z.  It has everything.  If not, then New Jersey doesn't make much sense. And Chicago does.  D.Rose, Noah, room to sign or trade for more players.  DRose would be a great compliment.  Probably the best compliment possible in the NBA because I don't think he's a hog like a Wade or Kobe would be...and I would be ecstatic at the 2 best athletes in the NBA playing together.  I hope it doesn't take signing Calipari for them to get Lebron though.  Calipari isn't the right coach for him in my opinion.  Krsykkskkwisklfk;gdajdkski (Duke's coach) would even be better.  Calipari already failed in the NBA, and he isn't a molder of men.   If they can get a real man like Popovich or bring back Phil....and then sign Lebron.  That would be perfect.  One of these 2 make the most sense.  Both big markets too.

2.  Team up with Dirk Nowitski somewhere.  Probably Dallas.  Mark Cuban would bend over backwards for LBJ which is what he wants.  He'd get any player or coach he wanted.   I think Dirk would be a great complimentary player....inside/outside and already proven he wants it like KG (Minny version) and that he's clutch.  Screw the haters...he is clutch. Unlike Wade, I think Dirk and LeBron would be better compliments as far as styles.   And maybe they could each rejuvenate each other for a few more years and get a run of a few more chips.  Haywood and Dampier provide good post players/protection.    They could trade Kidd and
Caron for something better supporting pieces.

3. New York for obvious reasons...THE big market and D'Antoni's offense.  I actually think that tall Italian goon is a good compliment ...Gallinari.  He's fiery and a keeper.  Kinda like Dirk but better looking (giant pause).  But this only makes sense if they can sign LeBron and Bosh.  Or Lebron and Wade.  Not Boozer, he's not good enough.  I wouldn't even mind this scenario and might even become a closet Knicks fan.  But Knicks fans are like Cleveland fans as far as loyalty goes.  They'd rather lose with players they like, than win with a fake sellout team.  Its hard to argue with Lebron needing to be in the best city in the world. But the time for action is now.  He can't afford to waste 2 or 3 more years building chemistry and finding the right pieces. It needs to be like Boston when Pierce, KG, and Allen came together and it was instant.  I  don't see that happening, so i don't see New York happening.  If it can happen then New York would be my most logical destination, but I just don't see how it would work out with the correct players for at least 2 or 3 more years.

4. Miami ..so low.only because I don't see how Wade and Lebron will play efficiently with each other.  This might be the dumbest thing I've said, I don't know.  But it's 2 guys who have always had the ball in their hands.  That can't happen when there is 2 of them on the same team.  Maybe, but I don't know.  But maybe they could trade Beasley and picks and maybe get Bosh and Amare too and build a true dynasty?  They would need a post presence.  But I guess this would be the most entertaining option.  And with no state income tax, and the lure of South Beach....I have to say this is the one I want to see happen.  The prospect of running into Lebron at Mansion is amazing.  Also, I will instantly move back to South Beach if this happens and start "we'ing" the Heat like nobody has ever bandwagoned anything before.

5. Clippers - might make the most sense talent wise but their owner is a Nazi and this will never happen.

In closing I'd just like to say that we deserve every bad thing you guys will say about us (namely because we have been arrogant a**holes) from now until if/when a Cleveland team ever wins a title. I''m beginning to feel more and more like that will never happen. Amar said it perfectly, and I really did print his writeup out and will carry it in my wallet until someone wins a championship for us...and then i will burn it.  It was great.  It's like a suicide thing where I can slit my wrists without actually slitting them, just by reading that email.  But everytime I read it (and it's great because it includes everything that happened on this journey that started with the ping pong balls) ...everytime I read it, it's like I'm slitting my wrist and get a little release and start to feel better again until I have to read it again.  

This is literally the worst case scenario/doomsday for Cleveland fans.  We thought it had bottomed out.  But apparently it doesn't and there are lower and lower levels of hell.  We've experience losses before. ...and losses in bigger games (i.e. World Series game 7...even the Orlando series last year ..AFC championships in the NFL).  But never before had we completely been ripped of any hope and trampled on.  We've been shit on constantly but the shit has never been lit on fire and then forced into our mouths.  We don't deserve this, Nobody does.  W had this savior as our hope and he is taking a dump on us in our own house, and then leaving town.  And all we can do is watch. This sucks...

Ajay K...

Almost everyone rooted for New Orleans this past Super Bowl. People everywhere said "That city needs it. It needs a win."  It didn't matter if you were a football fan or not, you were almost certainly rooting for the Saints if you didn't have ties to Indianapolis. The city of New Orleans received one of the biggest haymakers of recent history. It was devastation beyond belief almost in an instant. That sentence is what equates and separates Cleveland and New Orleans in my book. Cleveland has been devastated, and I don't mean by potentially losing Lebron James. I mean the city has been going through a 60 year slump in which half the population has moved out of what was once one of the most prosperous cities in the country. The city has seen it's economy slow down so much that a snail looks like it's moving at light speed past it. Downtown is empty. Our lake shore and river banks are not a sight to be seen. Very little has gone right for the city since WWII. And this is where New Orleans and Cleveland differ. New Orleans had one quick blow to the head. We've been getting worked over by body shots for the last 60 years. Does that make our city less deserving of a win? Lebron isn't going to fix Cleveland's economy or supply thousands of people with jobs and pull them out of poverty by himself, but Clevelanders looked at him like a beacon of light. Here was our savior, right from our backyard. Right when we're going through the worst recession any of us have seen in our lifetime, he was quickly ascending towards his peak. He made you forget just how bad Cleveland really is. It was fun to see Cleveland on Sportscenter every day and to have something for people to talk about when you mention you're from Cleveland. It would hurt when people would say there's nothing for Lebron in Cleveland or that he's leaving for sure. Sure, in the back of my mind I knew he's bigger than this city, that he should go somewhere else, that he should have younger talent around him, that he should have a better coach, but it still hurt to hear those comments. I just never understood, do we deserve any less than New Orleans just because we've been dying a slow, torturous death rather than an instant one? 

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