While We’re Waiting… Quinn’s Escalators, Braylon and Rihanna, and S-Jax Trade Rumors
Written By: Scott | Category: Best of the Web | Comments: 23While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.
“There’s also specific evidence that Mangini knows [about Brady Quinn's escalators]. Last week, owner Randy Lerner was asked whether the escalators were a factor in Quinn’s Week Three benching. Lerner didn’t say, “What escalators?” Instead, Lerner said “[n]one at all.” Mangini was asked about the impact of the escalator in August, while he was still trying to figure out whether Quinn or Anderson would be the Week One starter. “Not one bit,” Mangini said in response to whether Quinn’s escalators would influence the decision. If the Lerner is trying to stiff G.M. George Kokinis simply because Kokinis eventually was worn down by Mangini’s apparent efforts to dominate the team’s personnel decisions, Mangini might already have said enough to get himself fired with cause, too.” [Pro Football Talk]
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“Speaking metaphorically, one could describe the 2005 pre-draft process by saying that Braylon Edwards and his agent sent a bottle of champagne to the Browns’ table, which the organization accepted by way of drafting him. Now Browns fans are left to wonder why their franchise couldn’t have had the foresight and good judgment of Rhianna.” [MidwestSportsFans]
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Dwight Howard finally fined for complaining about the officiating on his blog. Better late than never. [Orlando Sentinel]
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“What I’m getting at here is something I’ve been wrestling with since my wife went into labor during the first Browns preseason game – do I really want to subject him to the life a being a Cleveland sports fan?” [No Logo Needed]
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“The Cavaliers are reluctant to trade Zydrunas Ilgauskas because they don’t want to lose a big. The Warriors would love to have Ilgauskas’ expiring contract, although they know that’s likely wishful thinking. Still, there is a deal here, and it involves some combination of J.J. Hickson, Daniel Gibson, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson and Danny Green and possibly Delonte West. The fact Cleveland isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders offensively doesn’t hurt.” [NBA FanHouse]
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Ten questions about the Indians future, answered by yours truly [Simon on Sports]
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And finally, no link here. Just a big WFNY thank you to the veterans whom we will all be remembering and celebrating today, November 11th.
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Enter to win tickets to the upcoming Browns/Ravesn Monday Night Football Game
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(image via REUTERS/Gary Wiepert)
Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 1701 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
It’s not the trading Z that bothers me. It’s the THREE years left on SJ’s contract.
What have we learned in the past about handcuffing contracts?
A $10,000 bottle of champagne? If Braylon winds up broke some day, we’ll know why.
I’m not one to feel too sorry for Brady Quinn and his money situation in any way.
I also have a hard time imagining Lerner and Co. being ridiculously cheap. Incompetent , yes –but not cheap. I guess we wouldn’t even be talking about Quinn’s escalators if he had stepped up when given the chance.
@3….i dont know that one should feel sorry for Quinn, but it would be nice to have a coach that doesn’t tells total lies to the media/fans/public. I am fine with the idea that the team saves money…I just think its hard to put much trust in a coach that says “[he] does not know what the incentives are.” That bull stuff smells pretty bad.
I can’t believe that Stephen Jackson to the Cavs is the only rumor that continues to circulate. I hope the Cavs remain patient with Z’s valuable contract b/c I don’t want to see them jump the gun when a better trade may come up a little later in the season once a couple teams are out of the playoff race. Just be patient, but don’t sit on Z’s contract like they did Wally’s and get nothing in return. I’d like to see them bring in a good PF so Andy can come off the bench b/c that’s where he thrives. If they wait, they can continue to let J.J. develop and start and see what he has to bring to the table.
Bringing in Jax creates a lot of match up problems for us unless he plays the 3 and Bron plays the 4. Then I’m down. But in that case, LBJ needs to develop a post game/the offense needs to get much more creative.
Did anyone else notice that Jeter won a gold glove at shortstop? Does this seem off? Derek Jeter, gold glove shortstop?
Michael Wilbon wrote in the Washington Post this morning that the Cavs should try to grab Iverson. I’d actually like to see that happen.
How could we possible use Iverson?
Iverson is a team wrecker.
NO WAY!!!!
Good gawd jcm, use your noggin will ya? Do you feel you need to snap like a turtle at anything in print? Do you know anything about Allen Iverson? Did you OBSERVE the Pistons last year? Pleeze dude, get a grip.
I agree with everyone else b/c Iverson doesn’t help us with our match up problems that we’re already experiencing. The only benefit about A.I. is his ability to score, which would be helpful when our 2nd team is out there and Lebron is resting, but that’s not a good enough reason to bring him in. The only way I do it is if they package another young player in the deal b/c it’s not really a benefit to us to bring him in w/ the baggage he has.
cavs just need to relax and watch tonight’s game before you start to judge their early performance.
Toronto was the only loss that wasn’t close and I’m unwilling to judge the team on their early loss to Boston.
Mike Brown maybe needs to tweak his rotations a bit but other than that I’m not ready to criticize them too much.
And Iverson doesn’t solve any of our problems. Its clear he still has an overinflated view of his abilities.
NO to Iverson.
Great analysis of the Tribe, Scott!
Iverson is a scorer, and the Cavs need someone to score when Lebron is on the bench. A legit scorer on the second unit means Mo plays more with Lebron. Iverson, Parker, Moon, Andy, and Z could score some points.
The whole baggage thing is totally overblown. The guy wants to play and win. And the Cavs are nothing like the Pistons were last year. Plus, he’s cheap and on a one year contract. If it doesn’t work out, cut him loose.
The article on the SJax trade touches on an interesting point that we’re all kinda overlooking – if LBJ wants it to happen, it will; if he doesn’t, it won’t. I sincerely hope they don’t jump the gun and make an unnecessary deperation trade, but in the end, LBJ will have some say in any personnel moves on this team.
I agree with the anti Jax crowd. When the trade deadline comes, Z’s (and possibly Shaq’s) contract will be worth a very good player from a team that’s going to rebuild. That’s a lot better than a malcontent who scores a lot in a run-and-gun system.
Until he’s put in a single situation in which he demonstrates he’s willing to check his ego and come off the bench Iverson isn’t worth picking up. He waited, what, 3 games in Memphis before complaining? Do you think, had the Cavs started the season with Iverson on the bench, he wouldn’t have been complaining about minutes in the losses to Boston and Toronto?
Basketball is more than just “throw a bunch of good players on the floor together and watch it work”. You have to bring in guys whose skill sets complement each other and whose egos won’t get in the way of winning.
We’re not at the point in the season where we need to pull the trigger on something as risky as bringing in a discontented Iverson to mess up the rotations. It’s still early in the season, we don’t know how much Delonte we’ll have, we don’t know where Moon’s minutes will end up, and we don’t know how much Hickson will develop. We don’t need to make ANY moves at this point.
@jcm,
1) Iverson was NOT happy coming off the bench in Detroit, why would he here?
2) Defense is not good, if you haven’t noticed it’s something Mike Brown values
3) He hasn’t averaged over 20pts for several years, playing 35-40min a game. So he’s going to come off the bench and score 10 pts in 20 min. Is that really what we need and is it worth the risk?
4) He is not about winning, he is about looking good on the court.
Actually, Iverson averaged 26.4 two years ago for Denver. He averaged 18 last year for a dysfunctional Cavs team. My problem with bringing in Iverson is that he doesn’t fix any of our defensive problems and we already have Shaq who has known to be somewhat of malcontent.
I am as far from being a Mangini fan as anybody, but this whole imagined conspiracy about Quinn being benched to avoid his contract escalators is nonsense.
If that were the goal, DA would have been named the starter from the beginning.
To believe that Mangini was conspiring to avoid Quinn’s escalators means having to forget that he started the first three weeks of the season. It doesn’t jive.
How’s that old quote go? Don’t attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence.
Not trading Wally was a HUGE mistake. that $14M would’ve really helped us even if we added 2 guys that made $7M each and not a super star. I maintain that if we are struggling at the deadline then Z and Shaq both need to go so that we can add some pieces (maybe Bosh if he forces a trade) around LBJ, since we won’t have any cap next year.
A point I’ve wanted to make also. If we don’t make any trades at the deadline, lose in the ECF or Finals and LBJ says he’s leaving, all we have to do is denounce Z, Shaq and LBJ’s rights going into FA and all the sudden we have enough money to add 2 max players, or 1 max and a VERY highly paid player. LBJ leaving would be abysmal, but it wouldn’t signal the end of the Cavs.
The second part of my statement is absolutely wrong. We’d still have no money, LBJ leaving IS the end. My apologies.