While We’re Waiting… The Twin Towers, Ticket Scalping, and the Browns Name/Colors
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I was the genius who wrote not to worry after the Cavs lost their home opener, 95-89, to Boston on Tuesday. I wrote it was only one game, they’ll figure things out, blah, blah, blah. The Cavs are now 0-2 after a 101-91 loss at Toronto. As former Tribe manager Mike Hargrove used to say, “I’m not worried, but I am concerned.” Worried is when you don’t have talent to compete. Concerned is when you can’t get the talent to play together.
It’s time for serious concern.” [Terry Pluto]
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Ohio State’s flux on the offensive line will continue Saturday with the absence of starting left guard Justin Boren, who will miss the game with a foot injury. The Buckeyes should be able to survive as a six-touchdown favorite against New Mexico State, but the junior would certainly be missed if he can’t go the following week against Penn State.” [Doug Lesmerises/PD]
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About those Twin Towers: “We brought in Shaq . . . and we already had Z. They’re not the same player, they just play the same position. They both have their unique and valuable skill sets, and we have to find a way for them to co-exist on the same team. Both separately, and (occasionally) together. If either one of them doesn’t work out, they could be traded before the deadline. But that would be a serious move . . . either to get a superstar we can’t pass up, or to right a sinking ship. Because if we mix it up again mid-season, we’re going to have to go through another “transition” period, like the one we’re going through right now.” [Wine and Goldrush]
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Used to rock a throwback/Balling on the corner: “Tuesday night before the Cavs and Celts tipped off I camped out for a little bit at the corner of Ontario by the Q, right by the Harry Buffalo. This is scalper ground central and it had the atmosphere of a playoff game. For anyone that didn’t secure tickets via electronic secondary means — Stubhub, Craigslist, eBay — there was a veritable bounty of offers on the table. I counted no less than 18 guys selling tickets on the one block corner, and that was just in the twenty or so minutes that I hung out. There was lots of selling, little buying, but I was content to sit back and take in the scene, listen in on some negotiations, and get a sense for what tickets were going for a short half-hour before tip off.” ['64 and Counting]
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The name on the door has been stolen: “In 1996, the City of Cleveland won a legal settlement which kept the Cleveland Browns’ name, colors, logos, and legacy in Cleveland. Three years later, the Browns were back. But they never really came back. The Browns’ lethargic, pathetic performance last week against the Packers summed up their last 10 years of futility.” [Kardiac Kid]
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(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
October 30th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I hate the Twin Towers lineup almost as much as I hate the name of that dreadful combination and the memories it conjures up. Anyway, time to beat Minnesota tonight, otherwise it’s time to worry, Mike Hargrove style.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Worry, concern, it’s just semantics. I’m neither. They can win 42, go to the playoffs, and beat anybody.
Also, is it just me, or is it hard to take anyone besides Windhorst seriously? Sportswriters today, with few exceptions, watch the same thing you do, and make judgments just like you do. The only difference is they take their own opinions more seriously.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I was more upset about losing to the Celtics (and looking pretty bad doing it) at the Q than the Toronto loss. Losing on road game as the second game of a back to back against an imprroving team on their opening night is not all that unexpected. It’s just that it was so close to the home opener. I think all will be right in Cavs’ land once they get a couple of W’s on the board.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Yeah i don’t think that 2 old, not particularly mobile big men on the floor at the same time is what i’d call “wise.”
All the same, we are 0-2. 0-2 people! They haven’t even been a particularly ugly 0-2. Is there room for improvement? Yes, lots. But people need to step back from the ledge and reassess themselves. Sports writers are insane.
At the end of the day – we are a team built for the playoffs. Built to grind out a 7 game series. Is there doubt in anyones mind that we won’t make the playoffs? We may not be the 1 seed – but we’ll be there.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:38 am
With all that’s going on w/ the Cavs (integrating Shaq, finding splitting minutes between Shaq and Z, Delonte’s absence) I think one of our biggest week points is still the 4. Mike Brown had to go to the two-centers look against the Celtics because Varajao was getting abused and behind him there was J.J. Hickson who was getting abused even more.
We need a reliable presence at the 4 that can come in behind Andy when the Cavs are still playing big line-ups (aka not having Andy at the 5 and Lebron at the 4), even if it’s just for defense and rebounding. What happened to Darnell Jackson?
October 30th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I don’t think Jackson is going, or is expected to be any more than he is right now. A bruiser that can give you a few minutes in a pinch. Windhorst had a good piece on just how much Delonte is being missed right now. I agree with it, especially the part on how bad we miss his perimeter defense. Think about the penetration Bos and Tor were getting and how many points that lead to.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:55 am
For the love of all things holy, get Hickson minutes now. There is no way this kid is going to learn anything by practice alone.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that long Ferry / Brown meeting after the Toronto game.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Totally agree with Chris. We need our young players to get minutes and learn the game, especially if we’re already sacrificing games to experiment with rotations. My “concern” is that we’re sacrificing the short term by experimenting (which is fine), but we’re not getting as much in the long term as we should be.
The players won’t develop unless they get in-game minutes. Of course Hickson will get abused. He’s practically a rookie, and he’s going against veterans. No offense to Varejao, but he’s not going to be teaching Hickson the moves of Garnett or Bosh. The time to get these guys experience is now, early in the season, rather than during a stretch run when Brown finally thinks they might understand. The game will teach them much faster than practice (I hope).
October 30th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Mintues I agree with, but not against Toronto and Celtics. JJ and company will get plenty of time to play against the likes of the T-wolves, Memphis, and the Sacramentos of the world.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:54 am
@10 They’ve got to learn sometime. JJ looked great last year against [crappy] teams until Lamar Odom annihilated him.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
The reason why concern is brought up now is because the Cavs are being beat in aspects of the game you can’t teach. Athleticsm. Teams are simply out running them. The only thing we can hope for is Andy streaking all the way down the court drawing charges every fast break.