While We’re Waiting is a daily feature here and serves as the morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your scholarly pleasure. Have something you think we should write about tomorrow? Send it to our fancy ol’ tips email address in the right sidebar.
Cavs lost 105-98 to the Spurs last night, LBJ played well and both of the coaches sat out the second half: “One could picture them with their feet up with cold beverages as the second half dragged on. There was some work being done as the Cavs lost to the Spurs, 105-98. But it was limited, sort of like the interest from the head coaches. Perhaps they knew, as there were 61 fouls called and 78 combined free throws.” [Brian Windhorst/Cleveland Plain Dealer]
A little Q&A with LeBron from Maxim Magazine set to appear in their next edition: “By 14 he was dunking. By 16 he was facing down reporters. Now the greatest basketball player in the world is 24 years old—and he’s just getting started….If there was one guy on the planet you could dunk on, who would it be? That teacher?” [Jessie Brukman]
This post was based off a tweet from Scott and led to an intriguing analysis of the second most popular Cleveland athlete. Take your pick on the site: “Who knows how legitimate the Cribbs-to-Miami or Cribbs-to-whomever talk is, but there is nothing fun or exciting at all about the Browns’ clear fan favorite being mentioned in the same sentence as the word ‘trade.’ All the rumors about Cribbs got me to thinking: is he the second most untradable sports figure in Cleveland? (I think we all know who the first is.) Let’s think about it for a second.” [Jerod/Midwest Sports Fans]
Yet another popular article about the impending Cleveland doom of the KSU product: “Cribbs is stuck in a contract dispute with the Cleveland Browns. He wants a new deal, but Browns coach Eric Mangini has been unwilling to renegotiate or add an extension to the current pact, which runs through 2012. Mangini said on Friday that Cribbs is not being shopped, leaving the special teams star caught in a bind if he is not traded and cannot get a new deal in Cleveland.” [Associated Press/New York Times]
Among the list of names playing in the Venezuela winter league for the Indians is Juan Lara who suffered serious injuries just over two years ago in a vicious motorcycle accident: “Venezuela is the place to be to see the Indians’ future. Nine players, along with two coaches, will play winter ball there. Right-hander Hector Rondon and first baseman/outfielder Jordan Brown will play for Caracas. Dave Hudges, Indians minor-league field coordinator, will manage Caracas, and Jon Nunnally will be his hitting coach.” [Paul Hoynes/Plain Dealer]
Covering more topics from the state of Ohio, I absolutely love this beginning of this article about Cincinnati Bearcats football: “It was sexy this week to be UC football. It was Eva Mendes, strolling Copacabana Beach wearing a thong and a smile. The national media loves a hot new story, and 8th-ranked UC was that, heading into its game at No. 21 South Florida, so the media came running. ‘Cute,’’ Brian Kelly called the Bearcats. They were a cute story.” [Paul Daugherty/Cincinnati Enquirer]
One last local shot for the day, as the UA basketball team began their MAC title defense yesterday: “The Zips, who open practice for the new season Friday, won the Mid-American Conference tournament for the first time and made the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history last March. Yet, that team lost more games (23-13 record) than any in Dambrot’s five-year tenure, tied for third in the MAC East and needed two miraculous shots to edge Toledo in the first round of the MAC Tournament.” [Tom Gaffney/Akron Beacon Journal]
(The photo above is courtesy of Associated Press/Darren Abate and was found here.)
