AFC North coach compared Bridgewater to fictional character. One in four it was a Browns coach.
April 14, 2014Calling out the worst of all NFL draft clichés
April 15, 2014
Yet another uninspired crawl to the finish. We shouldn’t be surprised. This isn’t unique to the Cavaliers, necessarily. Teams in April playoff chases who get eliminated often coast to the end of the season. But just because it’s not surprising, it doesn’t make the end of this Cavaliers season any less disappointing. Above all else, that’s the word that defines this season more than any other. Disappointing. With a little frustration on the side.
This season couldn’t have been set up any better for the Cavaliers. For the first time in NBA history, the Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks all missed the playoffs. The Eastern Conference was historically bad. And yet even in this environment the Cavaliers couldn’t make the playoffs. They weren’t even all that close. With one game left to play the Cavaliers are 5.5 games out of the 8 seed. An 8 seed with a losing record. Six games under .500, to be exact. It demonstrates just how firmly entrenched at the kids’ table this team really is.
In theory the Cavaliers are close to being a playoff team. But that’s only because of how bad the Conference is. The 8 seed in the West is 48-32, or 16 games above .500. Lets be honest…the Cavaliers are nowhere near contending for anything meaningful. And this is 4 years after LeBron left. Two #1 overall picks and a pair of #4 overall picks, and this is what we have to show for it.
So I don’t know where the Cavaliers go from here. If I were the GM, I have absolutely no clue where I would even start. Whoever the GM is will obviously start by trying to lock up Kyrie Irving, but my gut feels kind of similar to how it felt about LeBron after the 2010 season ended (not that Kyrie is anywhere near LeBron’s level). I think Kyrie is completely frustrated with this franchise and for the first time, I’m not very confident that he’s going to agree to stay with the Cavaliers.
If I was in Kyrie’s shoes, I wouldn’t want to stay. It kills me to say that, but it’s the honest truth. Sure, this season overall, as disappointing as it turned out to be, was still much better than the previous three seasons. But it’s baby steps. I don’t feel a strong forward momentum. Kyrie’s not without fault, either. Once again he is completely disappearing down the stretch. His slow start to the season contributed to the team digging the deep hole they found themselves in.
But he’s still the team’s best player by a mile, and the only player you can say you definitely can build around. Rather than giving him shooters to space the floor and an offensive presence in the frontcourt, though, the franchise instead keeps pairing him with other ball dominant guards and offensively challenged frontcourt players. The SF position might be the most important position in today’s NBA, and prior to trading for Luol Deng midway through Kyrie’s 3rd season, he had never played with anything close to resembling a legit NBA small forward.
There are serious issues with how this rebuild has been handled. Some of that was bad luck and/or bad timing. It’s an excuse, sure, but it doesn’t make the mediocre talent of these last few drafts any less real. There have been moves I liked at the time they were made, only to watch them fall apart in real time right in front of us. There fingers to point and blame to be spread all around. Nobody is immune.
For the Cavaliers to be successful going forward, I think two things need to happen. One, Kyrie needs to commit long term. Two, he and Dion Waiters to need to spend a lot of time together in the offseason working on their chemistry. It will be tough, as Kyrie will have Team USA obligations to take up plenty of his time. But that’s the one way for them to salvage their future together and to make something of next season. It’s not impossible, but it’s an uphill climb that’s going to require a lot of work. We’ll see what happens.
***
The NFL draft is getting closer, and I’m no closer to knowing who the Browns should take. Usually as the draft gets closer, I have my mind made up on what I want to see happen. But for whatever reason, this year I have no clue. I’m as lost as ever about the potential of the QBs at the top of the draft. I really have no clue what the teams in front of the Browns are going to do, either. I’m about as lost as ever.
Not that it matters what I think, of course. And that might be my mindset with this draft. I’m not going to worry about what I want, and instead just be patient and see what Ray Farmer does in his first draft as GM. I’m willing to just sit back and let whatever happens, happen. Unless the Browns go completely off script and take a player projected much later in the draft, I’m generally ok with pretty much any of the players who will be available to them.
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A little Game of Thrones talk? *******SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!********* With Breaking Bad gone, Game of Thrones might be my favorite show on TV right now. And last Sunday’s episode was my favorite episode of the series so far. Never in all of my life as a television observer has there been a more satisfying death than that of King Joffrey. That’s a morbid thing to say, but it’s a testament to the writers, directors, and the supreme acting ability of Jack Gleeson. I’ve heard some rumors that Gleeson might quit acting, and that would be a shame. His portrayal of Joffrey was brilliant. They literally could not have found a better actor for the part. The way he blended petulance and indignation, with his head-cocking swagger and malevolence was unparalleled. And this episode did an amazing job of juxtaposing the worst of Joffrey and the best of Tyrion. The whole wedding scene was executed so well, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, with no clue whatsoever as to what was about to happen.
Having said that, though, I think I’m going to miss King Joffrey. He was just so much fun to hate and root against. He was a pure evil character, one of the worst in TV history. But you tuned in every week just hoping for his demise. And now that’s come, it was every bit as satisfying as I hoped it would be. But I’m definitely going to miss rooting against him.
So who killed Joffrey? I haven’t read the books, and I BEG of you guys to PLEASE not spoil it in the comments. I have five prime suspects as to who it could be:
- Sansa – This is certainly who I hope it was, but I’m not optimistic she’s brave or strong enough to have pulled it off. But she had more reason to do it than anyone. The look on her face as she had to sit there and watch as Joffrey mocked her family and took pure jubilation in the deaths of them all was heartbreaking.
- Lady Olenna – In retrospect, her comments to Sansa about deaths at weddings now looking pretty suspicious. And she clearly was no fan of Joffrey and found the wedding display to be completely distasteful. She seems cunning enough to pull something like this off, too. But I question the timing of it. If Joffrey died before the wedding was consummated, then Margaery isn’t yet Queen, right? This seems to create a power vacuum at the throne. If she was going to poison Joffrey, wouldn’t she have waited until after the wedding night?
- Oberyn Martell – He obviously has a serious axe to grind with the Lannisters. He seems hell bent on revenge for his sister’s brutal death at the hands of the Mountain. Could he have made his first strike this quickly? It’s possible, but not likely.
- Littlefinger – This is probably a stretch, as we haven’t seen Littlefinger for quite some time. But we know how much he loved Cat Stark. We know he was also quite fond of Sansa. Could this be his retribution for the Lannister’s role in the Red Wedding? We also know he has his eyes fixated on the iron throne. Killing Joffrey before Margaery was formally made Queen creates a lot of questions about who holds the rightful claim to the throne. This could be exactly what he wants.
- Tywin Lannister – We know how much he loves power. As Hand of the King, he’s been playing the part, but Joffrey has been a petulant thorn in his side. Joffrey’s decision to behead Ned Stark started the costly war with the North. At every turn Joffrey’s indifference for politics has made Tywin’s job much harder. Now that Joffrey is gone, the Hand of the King will serve in his place until the rightful heir is named. This means Tywin can rule unchecked by anyone.
Another outside possibility is the drunken fool who told Sansa to go with him. I find it hard to believe he could be capable of pulling off something like this, but he certainly seemed to know right away what was going on. He may not have been the mastermind, but it seems like he might have at least known it was going to happen and have been in on it to some degree.
Either way, I love that something this monumental happened in just the second episode of the season. And it’s even more surprising because it happened so close to the Red Wedding. I never imagined Joffrey would meet his inevitable doom so soon after Robb Stark’s death. Just some really great writing by George RR Martin and adaptation by the show runners. I can’t wait to see what else Season 4 has in store for us!
60 Comments
Once looked at as a hero/savior, Dan Gilbert is turning into a big disappointment. Not that this is entirely his fault, but it starts at the top.
Andrew, you might be one of the most perceptive show watchers of GoT I have come a across. Well done.
Thank you very much.
i hadn’t considered littlefinger angle, that makes a whole lot of sense.
i dont know who did it but we all know tyrion will be taking the fall in the near-term right?
another note, cersei’s appearance and demeanor was particularly horrifying last episode.
I have not read as far as the Purple Wedding in the GoT series, so I do not know who killed Joffrey, but my vote is for Tywin. That was my immediate thought watching the show. Another interesting possibility would be Melisandre/God of Light, much like with Renly.
another good sleeper candidate, yes!
Hmm, is that a suggestion that it’s Cersei? Fascinating. Her falling out with Joffrey’s father adds some dimension to that angle.
Russell Branyan killed King Joffrey.
Great point on Cersei. Lena Headey often gets overlooked because the writers don’t give her a lot of meaty material. But she was great in Sunday’s episode, too.
I don’t think there’s any way she did it. For all his faults, she never stopped loving Joffrey. For better or worse, he was her son. And as she said last season, for everything King Robert put her through, it was her bond with her son that got her through it.
Hmm, for whatever reason I hadn’t considered Melisandre. That’s a very interesting angle to consider.
Is it bad to believe that Joffrey’s death wasn’t harsh enough? It looked painful and the result was rather gruesome, but somehow left me wanting…
Gilbert is a snake. He made his money scamming people out of mortgages they can’t pay for and collecting his casino dollars. He has no idea how to run a professional sports franchise. Until he gets someone competent in place, it will be a long road ahead.
I thought it looked harsh. It certainly took a long time. My only issue with it was that I was always hoping Arya would eventually be the one to do it.
So we had a free HBO trial last week and I caught about 15 minutes of GoT. I’m sure it’s a great show – and I really don’t want to be “that guy” – but everyone please do yourself a huge favor and read the books. I had been intrigued to see how they depicted this great saga, but 15 minutes was enough. I am far more anxious to read Martin’s next book [Hurry up, you! I’ve seen your physique, and this story better not outlive you!] than I will ever be to watch any more of the show.
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No mention of Sigur Ros getting the background music during “the scene?” Rolling Stone called it the “gloomy assist.”
“So who killed Joffrey? I haven’t read the books, and I BEG of you guys to PLEASE not spoil it in the comments.”
RIGHT!
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I think who did it depends on whether it was the wine or the pie that did the deed. I feel like it had to be the pie, but I’ve read some people saying wine. The wine Tyrion poured in Joffery’s glass came from the bottle in front of Cersei, I can’t believe she hadn’t already dipped into it.
My two leading candidates are Tyrion, because he got Shae out (watching a second time I get the feeling Bron killed her, the way he says “She’s Gone” had a finality to it like when Deniro finds out Pesci got killed in Goodfellas). And he could have orchestrated Ser Dontos coming to get Sansa.
The Tyrell’s are the obvious choice. Lady Olenna’s forshadowing while talking about the murder of people at a wedding while talking to Sansa. To me Margaery seemed intent on getting Joffery to eat the pie, even giving him a second bite. Maybe I’m just seeing what I want.
Point is if it was anyone but the Tyrells than the overall attempt couldn’t have been just Joffery. If someone else poisoned the pie there is no way you know Jofferey is going to take the first bite, unless you use Iocane powder and know Margaery has an immunity to it. If you poisoned the wine the goal would simply be to kill Lannisters, because there is no way you poison Tywinn and Cersei’s wine knowing that Tyrion is going to pour it for Joffery.
No apologies if I misspell names, I can’t keep up anymore.
Do I have a life? No, apparently not.
On a sports note I haven’t been this apathetic towards the Cavs since the Lamond Murray/Wes Person days, and it would make sad if I wasn’t – you know – apathetic about the whole thing.
That’s a great call. Perhaps another “Red Wedding” type massacre. Cersi, Tywin and finally Joffery – at the end of Needle’s blade…
Alcoholic, incestuous attempted child murderer who takes pleasure in starving the poor just to make a point. And I can’t help but root for her. I’ve never seen a show package such a sympathetic monster quite like her.
I agree that her performance is consistently amazing given that she is almost always a figure in someone else’s scene.
In all honesty, I was so enthralled in the scene and what was going on that I didn’t even notice the background music. I had no clue it was Sigur Ros until I read it this morning.
Here’s my take on that. I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings long before the movies were out. And while I liked the movies, I couldn’t help but feel like I spent a lot of time worrying about things that were different, and things that were left out. I had a hard time just enjoying the movies for what they were.
So this time, I made the conscious decision to watch the series first. I’ll go back and read the books later, and then I can discover how much more in depth the books are. Books are always more fulfilling than their TV/movie adaptions, so to me it makes sense to experience the visual media first, and then go back and read the books later.
No way man you are not doing that to me I like my beer cold, my homosexuals flaming*, and my expository novel series’ broken down to easily digestible 10 hour yearly blocks, with plenty of recaps to shape my opinions.
*That’s a Simpsons reference before anyone gets up in arms, it does not reflect my actual view on how I prefer homosexuals to behave, which leans more to the austere Michael Caine style*.
*Upon reflection Michael Caine may not be a homosexual and in fact may just be intensely British. If this is the case sorry for the confusion
Hah, wow….I hadn’t even considered the possibility it was the pie and not the wine. My thought was that the poison was laced on the inside of the cup, not in the wine itself. Which, of course, would make the Tyrell’s still the obvious choice, as it was a gift from them.
You know nothing, Jon Snow.
No, I understand. Part of why I only cared to watch 15 minutes of GoT is because Samwell and Jon did not look anything at all like they look in my mind. Lame. But there it is. Also, it’s just really hard to capture in a few short minutes (or even hours) the depth of the characters and story. I wanted to see more detail.
Just know this, though: I am dying to reveal the great stuff that comes after. (You. Have. No. Idea.) But I won’t. Someone accidentally ruined Breaking Bad for me, and that was horrible. Enjoy the show. I’m sure it’s great, and maybe I’ll check it out someday.
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See I never considered the glass that’s great. You realize this is how the Kennedy conspiracies started right? For what its worth there are two times earlier in the wedding when Joffery puts the glass to his lips, the first time he puts his mouth on the cup but does not drink the second he drinks but spits the wine out when the dwarfs are performing. For what else its worth I’m pretty sure the only people shown to actually drink wine during the wedding before Joffery dies are Tyrion and the blonde guy sitting between he and Tywinn. I kinda Zapruder film watched that while my daughter refused to sleep last night.
I thought pie because I felt like the closeup focused shot of the dead birds was sort of a foreshadowing bit. Again, I could totally be just seeing what I want.
Of course, if it was the cup….remember, it rolled under the table and Sansa picked it up. Could she have slipped something in the cup when she picked it up? I think I was just hoping it would have been a Stark to kill him, so I’m reaching for this one.
It was Snape.
We all know it was Maggie anyway:
http://www.thecommandzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Mr-Burns-Getting-Shot-By-Maggie-For-Trying-To-Steal-Her-Candy.jpg
Obviously the yellow king is to blame for all of this.
Starring
If it’s any consolation it was a lot more gruesome in the book. He basically clawed his throat down to the muscle fibers
“Michael Caine may not be a homosexual and in fact may just be intensely British”
I realized that truth when I saw “A Simple Man” with Colin Firth (really good), and thought how amazingly he plays a middle aged, dour gay man.
** SPOILER ALERT **
Winds of Winter chapter recently released:
I’ve never been a fan of his from that first press conference to that absurd Tweet post decision. I just wanna know where is Usher at?
GoT is the best this weekend’s past episode was one of the best in quite awhile. It just makes me never want to get married ‘cuz bad things happen at weddings!
I DON’T KNOW HOW TO READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was a great series season 2 has some big shoes to fill with Woody and my twin brother Matthew.
Hodor reminds me a lot of how I’ve always pictured you kinda ironic no?
Hodor reminds me a lot of how I’ve always pictured you kinda ironic no?
I almost didn’t look at this because of the spoiler alert. But I’m really glad I did!
“But he’s still the team’s best player by a mile”
I wouldn’t say “by a mile”
“and the only player you can say you definitely can build around.”
And I’m not sure if this is “definitely” true.
It seems that we’re desperate to lock up Irving because he’s our current best player. I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. You have to evaluate your ability to contend with Irving eating up max contract space.
It’s especially funny if you’re familiar with the books, as every chapter in the saga is written from an individual character’s perspective.
Go CBJ!!!
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That’s fair. Not everyone has to agree. I stand by those statements, as they are just my opinion.
I think Kyrie Irving is a completely different player with good talent around him. And he’s pretty darn good as is with pretty lousy talent around him.
“I think Kyrie Irving is a completely different player with good talent around him”
Sure, but this is true for the vast majority of NBA players. Playing next to Lebron, Gibson looks like a passable backcourt starter, without, well, not so much. If we need a couple really good players around Irving for him to truly shine, isn’t that a damning enough indictment on whether or not he should be getting a max contract?
Not for me. As far as I’m concerned, the only players in the NBA today that can win games on their own regardless of supporting talent are LeBron and Durant. There are different types of max players as far as I’m concerned.
Wow… I waded into these comments thinking it would be mostly Cavs talk about that disappointing P.O.S. season they just put on the board, but it was mostly GoT talk, a show which I’d love to watch, but I refuse to pay for.
But I think we’re moving the bar there. Kyrie, with a bit of supporting talent, not a whole lot, but there’s some there, is still nowhere near good enough to win in this league.
Who do you think we need to get to play next to Irving to feel confident about this team winning 50 games?