May 25, 2013

03/07 Morning Minute: Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Ben WallaceWelcome back, Zydrunas Ilgauskas!  Yesterday’s Cavaliers game was entirely too close for my liking, but there is no denying that Z’s presence in the post was huge on both ends of the floor.  Yes, he had 16 points, nine boards and three blocks, but indirectly enabling Ben Wallace to do his thing (15 rebounds, three steals, one block) helped out immensely.  Proof in the pudding: Emeka Okafor and Nazr Mohammed combined to go 8-for-23 from the floor. 

And while it’s good to see LeBron laughing off DeShawn Stevenson’s comments from last week, I think he could have come up with a better reference than this – you know he was sitting on that one for a while. 

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03/04 Morning Minute: Just Like the Real Thing

Cleveland GladiatorsWhat does it say when Cleveland pulls more fans for an Arena Football Game than New Orleans can for their Western Conference playoff-bound NBA Franchise?  I swear, with the right marketing (coupled with ticket prices and setting), you can get Clevelanders to watch any sort of football.  We.  Love.  Our.  Football.

17,000 strong attended Quicken Loans Arena last night to watch our Cleveland Gladiators win their first game of the season, taking down the New York Dragons to the tune of 61-49.  Looks a lot like Browns/Bengals, doesn’t it?  Five touchdown passes later, and this franchise has now one half of their season total from a year ago, when they went 2-14.  Even better was the reports of mini-tailgate parties held in nearby parking lots.  Tailgating…on March 3rd.  How can you not appreciate that?

Oh, and just because the team name is the “Gladiators” doesn’t mean that fans are going to stop barking or yelling not-so-nice things about the Steelers.  That’s just the way it is.  And I love it.

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03/01 Morning Minute: Gladiator, Ready?

Gladiator, Ready?
Happy Gladiator Day, folks!  That’s right.  Tonight, at 7pm in Quicken Loans Arena, football comes back from its two-month hiatus as the Cleveland Gladiators will take on the New York Dragons.  And you all know what that means.  Lots and lots of Bernie

29 Touchdowns from Derek Anderson?  Pssh.  Try 85 TDs coming from the hands of Gladiator quarterback Raymond Philyaw just a season ago.  Soon to be a household name?  Otis Amey.  The second-year receiver is fresh off of a 18-touchdown, 1,000-yard rookie campaign also had 10 TDs on the ground. 

And while Kosar may not be able to suit up any longer, he still has a chance to beat John Elway, as the former Bronco quarterback is affiliated with Denver’s AFL franchise.  Would it make up for the hardships of the 80s?  Not a chance, but it is still something to look forward to.

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