Draft Lottery Triggers Memories of The Good Ol' Days

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on May 18, 2011.

There are moments in life that you will never forget, memories that are archived in your brain forever and capable of being recalled at a moment’s notice.

Last week around campus, the capturing of Osama bin Laden triggered everyone recalling where they were on September 11, 2001. We all remember where we were when we learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center. For me, it was math class in seventh grade, and that’s something I will never forget. When I think of September 11th, I’ll remember what that was like and who I was with – just like it happened yesterday.

Powerful moment.

While they greatly pale in comparison to the tragedy that was September 11th, sports provide us with moments we never forget – events that are so important, we recall where we were, who we were with and what we felt.

For all of us in Cleveland, last night probably brought back memories of May 22, 2003, when the Cavaliers won the draft lottery and the right to select LeBron James with the first overall pick. When the Memphis Grizzlies logo was visible and Cleveland was left as the the last town standing, everyone rejoiced. Things looked like they were starting to turn around.

While I was of the belief the Cavaliers should take Carmelo Anthony over James (and I was 14, so what did I know?) it was still a great day for the city. The hometown kid was staying home! Funny how things change.

Regardless, that draft lottery back in 2003 is unforgettable. As much as Cavalier fans might not want to admit it, that was a great night and many great nights followed as a result.

We talk so much about the bad moments in Cleveland – The Catch, Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Liner Off Nagy’s Glove, The Boston Massacre and The Decision. The list goes on and on. But there are so many good moments, and sometimes in this town we dwell too much on the negatives and throw pity on ourselves.

I’m 22 now, and I remember being a kindergarten student back in 1995 and staying up late with my dad when Tony Pena hit the homer to beat the Red Sox in game one of the American League Championship Series.

I remember being on the Homerun Porch in 1997 when Omar Vizquel lined one off the leg of Yankees reliever Ramiro Mendoza and the ball skipped into left field to score Marquis Grissom and ensure a game five – which the Tribe ultimately won. That came after Sandy Alomar Jr. homered off the great Mariano Rivera, just over the glove of Paul O’Neill to tie the game.

Both of those teams came up short in the World Series, but remember how much fun those teams were?

What about when the Browns came back in 1999? I’ll remember going to that first preseason game at the new stadium against the Minnesota Vikings with my dad for as long as I live. They played Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ over the loudspeakers and the place erupted.

Sure we lost a ton of games since then, but remember how fun that was?

The '48 Special' and 'LeShot' were just two moments that earned their own names. Mix in all the 'Flight #23' highlights, and we were treated.

Am I still mad about how LeBron James left town? You bet. I’m mad as hell. Do I want the Heat to win? I’ve been lending my support to my roommates from Chicago for the last week. Go Bulls!

But last night’s lottery, if only for a minute, reminded me of how much fun that lottery night was in 2003. And how fun it was when LeBron debuted, and how fun it was when he scored 48 points against the Pistons or hit the miraculous shot to defeat the Orlando Magic. He proved us with so many ‘remember when’ moments, so last night was one of those warm and fuzzy nights as a sports fan. A time to reflect about why we bother watching.

I thought of going to games with family, and sitting around the house with people that I love watching the teams I love.

I felt better.

And I’ll feel even better when the Bulls win and beat that Son of a B****!

Without bad luck, the Browns won't be selecting Luck

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on May 8, 2011.

I’ve always said mock drafts, while fun, are stupid. They are. Anyone come across one that had the Browns selecting Phil Taylor? Didn’t think so.

It’s fun to get a general idea of what players could potentially be available when your team goes on the clock, but no one really knows. Draft speculation and the mock drafts have dramatically increased over the years, evidenced by the fact ESPN’s Todd McShay already has a 2012 mock draft available.

The top overall selection? Your Cleveland Browns selecting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

Now I’ve heard people say Luck is the next “can’t miss” prospect and I know he’s already drawing (ridiculous/unfair) comparisons to Peyton Manning. On that front, I’d like to have him on my team.

I know we have two first round picks in next April's NFL Draft, but I’m telling you right now there is NO way the Browns hold the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Unless there is a lockout for the entire 2011 season and the draft order is randomly drawn, the Browns will not hold the top overall pick. They are far from the worst team in the NFL.

I don’t buy the argument that putting Cam Newton on the Carolina Panthers – playing two games a year against division foes Atlanta, New Orleans and Tampa Bay, all of whom won 10 games in 2010 – is a better team than the Browns. I know we narrowly edged them back in November when they came to Cleveland Browns Stadium, but we’re better than the Carolina Panthers.

We’re not the worst team in our own division, let alone the National Football League. Does Cincinnati scare anybody? The Browns and Bengals split in 2010, but the good guys are up and coming and the Bengals are old and leaving. Who knows if Carson Palmer or Chad Ochocinco will be back next season. Does it matter? A.J. Green can play, and we all know that, but is anybody scared about playing Andy Dalton twice a year? I’ll take Colt McCoy over Dalton every day of the week and twice on Sunday, regardless of where they were drafted.

Are we worse than Buffalo? Arizona? What about the teams that drafted quarterbacks like Tennessee, Jacksonville and San Francisco? I like the 49ers and I understand the other two teams have running backs that are fantasy football studs, but hey, we have the feature back who will appear on the cover of Madden 2012.

Mock drafts are supposed to be exciting, and I guess by looking at McShay's and reacting with a sense of anger about how dumb it is, I’m being a bit hypocritical. I just don’t see the Cleveland Browns, barring a blockbuster trade or a random drawing, ending up with the first pick next April.

Maybe Andrew Luck is the next big thing and will take teams to the Super Bowl. It won’t be the team in Cleveland.

The Browns aren’t there yet, but they’re headed in the right direction to the Super Bowl. My bet is 2011 shows an improved product that edges closer to the playoffs. Next April we can grab two more pieces and keep the train rolling. Without Andrew Luck.

Buckeyes Draft blunders could hurt recruiting

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on May 4, 2011.

There is no denying Ohio State has a problem on its hands, and don't think for a second this is close to being over. The NCAA Committee on Infractions is still going to get involved, and that could mean scholarships being stripped from Jim Tressel's program.

Less scholarships mean you have to hit on landing the top recruits - and that hasn't been a problem. Rivals.com has traditionally rated the Buckeyes' recruiting classes in the top-15 nationally.

Obviously opposing coaches are going to put a bug in the ears of top recruits about the uncertainty of Tressel's future in Columbus. That will hurt. Why sign up for four years in Columbus when there is an increased chance the head coach could be nudged out the door? That's a strike against the Buckeyes.

While watching the NFL Draft over the weekend, I think some opposing coaches gained some more ammo by watching Buckeyes fall into the later rounds. That can't be good for recruiting. Go to Columbus, they'll say, and they don't develop you for the league.

Outside of Cameron Heyward, who went 31st overall to Pittsburgh, no other Buckeye has heard their name called in the first 100 picks in the last two Drafts.

I did some research and examined the last five NFL Drafts, and I found nine former Buckeyes, including Heyward this year, have been selected in the first three rounds. Of the eight that have played in the league, five (Ginn, Gonzalez, Gholston, Wells and Robiskie) have yet to meet expectations and Pitcock walked away after one season.

Santonio Holmes and Nick Mangold are guys who fall outside of this five-year window and have had productive careers under Tressel and also in the NFL.

So maybe it's nothing, but it certainly doesn't help Ohio State in their recruiting efforts. I know people will say that in 2007, only Florida (nine) had more picks than Ohio State (eight). Of those eight that got drafted, however, none have wowed anyone in the NFL (although in fairness, that Florida class of 2007 failed to produce any studs, either).

Using 2009 as a point of reference, 28 Big Ten players heard their name called, tying the conference with the Big XII for the fourth most. When recruiting national prospects, the USCs and Floridas of the world can ask a kid if he dreams of playing in the NFL. If so, he might not want to play in the Big Ten.

The next year, 34 players taken from the Big Ten were selected, putting the conference only behind the Southeastern Conference, which produced 49 selections.

Think SEC coaches are using these stats when recruiting 18-year-old kids? You bet.

Top prospects go to school with the hope of being there for three seasons and then going to collect a paycheck. Some might start to wonder if Ohio State is the best place to help them do that.

With all Ohio State has going on, this isn't going to help the future of their program.

A quick look at the Ohio State players drafted in the last five years:

2007:

Ted Ginn Jr. (1^st – 9) -- Started 35 career games. Totaled 12 career touchdowns. ... Anthony Gonzalez (1^st – 32) -- Caught 99 balls in 12 career starts. Seven touchdown catches. ... Quinn Pitcock (3^rd – 98) -- Nine games with 1.5 sacks in 2007. And then retired. ... Antonio Pittman (4^th – 107) -- Five career starts and zero touchdowns. More fumbles than scores. ... Jay Richardson (5^th – 138) -- Disappointing last year in Seattle, but seven sacks in first three years with Oakland. ... Roy Hall (5^th – 169) -- Caught a pass for nine yards. ... Troy Smith (5^th – 174) -- Career 78.5 quarterback rating. Tossed eight touchdowns in eight starts. ... Doug Datish (6^th – 198) -- Floated around practice squads. Nothing of note.

2008:

Vernon Gholston (1^st – 6) -- Five career starts, 16 tackles. ... Larry Grant (7^th – 214) -- 28 career tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles. ... Kirk Barton (7^th – 247) -- Played one game for Cincinnati in 2008.

2009:

Malcolm Jenkins (1^st – 14) -- Has 21 career starts, totaling 93 tackles and three career interceptions. ... Beanie Wells (1^st – 31) -- Two career starts. Nine touchdowns and five fumbles. Does average 4.1 yards/carry. ... James Laurinaitis (2^nd – 35) -- Started all 32 NFL games. 205 tackles. Five career sacks and three interceptions. ... Brian Robiskie (2^nd – 36) -- Started 12 games … on a bad team. Just 36 career catches with three touchdowns. ... Donald Washington (4^th – 102) -- Has played in 20 games and has 13 career tackles for Kansas City. ... Brian Hartline (4^th – 108) -- Started 13 career games. Totaled 74 career catches with four touchdowns. ... Marcus Freeman (5^th – 154) -- Linebackers coach at Kent State University.

2010:

Thad Gibson (4^th – 116) -- Didn’t make Steelers roster, played two games with San Francisco. ... Doug Worthington (7^th – 242) -- Zero tackles for Tampa Bay. ... Kurt Coleman (7^th – 244) -- Played in 15 games, starting two, for Philadelphia. Had 22 tackles and one interception. ... Austin Spitler (7^th – 252) -- Played in 12 games for Miami.

2011:

Cam Heyward (1^st – 31), Chimdi Chekwa (4^th – 113), Jermale Hines (5^th – 158), Brian Rolle (6^th - 193), Ross Homan (6^th – 200)

Tom Heckert gives Browns fans a reason to believe

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 27, 2011.

Tim Couch. Courtney Brown. Gerard Warren. William Green. Jeff Faine. Kellen Winslow. Braylon Edwards. Kamerion Wimbley. Joe Thomas. Brady Quinn. Alex Mack. Joe Haden.

In the NFL, where you’re good or you aren’t, drafts should be judged the same way. You worked out or you didn’t. Winslow and Edwards worked – for a while – but ultimately overstayed their welcome. Thomas is the only one you look back and say, without question, was the right pick. It’s probably too soon to call in the case of both Mack and Haden, but so far so good.

Faine, Winslow, Edwards and Wimbley have all hung around the league, but none have reached the summit you hope a first round pick will reach. Three for 12 – at best. That’s what it comes down to. A .250 batting average.

As much as the fans hate to admit it, we were all behind Dwight Clark taking Tim Couch. Some may have wanted Ricky Williams, but generally people wanted the franchise quarterback from the start. We had no reason not to be behind Courtney Brown – injuries just detailed what could have been.

Warren was the choice over Richard Seymour and LaDanian Tomlinson – a move Butch Davis is rumored to have insisted upon. Davis missed terribly on Warren and Green, but wasn’t COMPLETELY off with Faine or Winslow.

Phil Savage then took over and selected Edwards, Wimbley, Thomas and Quinn. Eric Mangini took Mack, and Tom Heckert took Haden.

So aside from Heckert, they’ve all hit … and they’ve all missed. That’s the nature of the beast. The important thing is to hit more than you miss, and Heckert generally has.

Some “critics” suggest a Draft is successful if you draft three guys who become starters. Last year the Browns took Haden, T.J. Ward and Colt McCoy who all started in at least half the games last year. Montario Hardesty and Shaun Lauvao both had setbacks in their first season with the Browns, but expectations are relatively high for both going forward. Some thought Hardesty would start last year before the emergence of Peyton Hillis, so four starters (banking on Lauvao cracking into the starting lineup on the right side of the line) and a change-of-pace back in one draft with the Browns? Solid draft to build a foundation on.

Heckert selected two starters for Philadephia in Jeremy Maclin (19^th overall) and LeSean McCoy (53^rd overall) in the 2009 Draft. He then had to wait 100 more picks as the Eagles didn’t hold another selection until the fifth round. Still, he came away with Macho Harris and Brandon Gibson, both of whom have started half the games they’ve appeared in over the last two years, albeit with different teams than the Eagles.

In both 2007 and 2008, the Eagles didn’t have a first round pick and still Heckert was productive. He stole DeSean Jackson (second round) in 2008 and in April of 2007 walked away with Kevin Kolb (second round), Stewart Bradley (third round) and Brent Celek (fifth round). His 2006 Draft, which failed to produce a headliner, has five guys that have started half of their games in the NFL, and another in Jason Avant who is solid.

I’m a huge believer in track records. When you examine the players Heckert has picked, there is no reason not to trust that he will vastly improve the team not only tomorrow night, but throughout the weekend.

With that said, I’m all behind Heckert. Call me a homer, but I think he has done a terrific job in the Draft over the years. I trust him completely.

We have all talked about the Draft since the Steelers pummeled the Browns back on January 2^nd to end the season. This town loves the NFL Draft and I would bet the farm it comes up more in conversation than any other town. Since that first week in January people have asked me who I want the Browns to pick. Things are always changing in the NFL Draft, so I always say the same thing: I want who Tom Heckert wants.

It’s the safest thing to say. He’s usually right.

Surprise Brantley Salvages Sabathia Trade

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 24, 2011.

When you trade a Cy Young Award winner, as the Indians have done twice in recent years, you figure you ought to get something pretty darn good in return. Back in 2008 when the Tribe was dealing CC Sabathia, rumors were swirling about what was being offered in return for the Tribe ace.

When all was said and done, the Milwaukee Brewers offered the best package, centered around first baseman Matt LaPorta. It also included pitchers Zach Jackson - who turns 28 in a few weeks and is in the Texas Rangers system with the Round Rock Express – and Rob Bryson, who is impossible to locate. Then, there was that ‘player to be named later’ that had fans intrigued for a while.

Some thought it would be Mat Gamel or Taylor Green, others were hoping for Alcides Escobar or Lorenzo Cain. (Escobar and Cain were part of the package the Brewers sent to Kansas City to acquire another former Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke.)

Turned out that ‘player to be named’ was Michael Brantley – even if the Indians weren’t happy with it.

They have to be happy now.

Gamel, 25, and Green, 24, are both in AAA Nashville. Both appear to be blocked at the corner infield positions in Milwaukee because of Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee. The Tribe appears to be set at third base with Lonnie Chisenhall waiting in the wings – a better option than Gamel or Green.

Meanwhile Brantley, who will turn 24 in a few weeks, has been an important contributor to the Tribe this season. Since the All-Star game last July, a span that covers 74 games, Brantley is hitting .289 (86/298) and is 13 for 15 in stolen base attempts. He’s worked for 29 walks while striking out 35 times – although he has more walks (11) than strikeouts (9) so far in 2011. His 42 runs in that 74-game span project out to 85 runs over a 150-game span, and that’s not from the leadoff spot.

That’s where he should be. I think he’s capable of being a 100-run guy from the top spot in Manny Acta’s lineup.

The jury is still out on LaPorta, although even the most loyal Tribe fan would express their concern over his lack of production. Brantley, however, has given fans a reason to be excited. I firmly believe he should be put at the top of the lineup, a move that would allow Grady Sizemore to slide down in the order.

When you trade a Cy Young winner – you ought to get something pretty darn good in return. The Indians got a leadoff man (which still isn’t enough for a Cy Young winner, obviously) who will cover center field in Cleveland for the next decade. As things currently stand, it looks like the 'player to be named' will be the centerpiece of the CC Sabathia trade.

Browns don't need 'sexy' pick - they need right pick

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 20, 2011.

I love the NFL Draft as much as anybody and I’ll admit to being a nerd that reads as much as he can on all the top prospects. Each Saturday in the fall you can find me in front of the television watching college football, but I am FAR from an expert. I’ve read as much as I can, but I’ll concede I know nothing.

When I watched Missouri beat Oklahoma on national television, Blaine Gabbert was just a guy. Now he’s potentially on the verge of becoming a top-five pick. I thought he was just a guy. Did I pay attention to his teammate, defensive lineman Aldon Smith? No. I just watched the game– like everyone else.

When it comes to the NFL Draft, no one has all the answers, which is why I stopped checking out mock drafts. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. predicts the Browns to select a new player every week. Last year on the day of the draft, some “experts” had the Browns selecting defensive back Kyle Wilson from Boise State with the seventh pick. He went to the Jets with the 29^th pick, 22 picks after Cleveland selected Joe Haden. It’s fun to get a general idea of where guys will go, but fans should be cautious to put too much stock in the predictions.

Mock drafts are always changing, but the players aren’t, which is why I think the whole process is somewhat silly. What changes between the end of the season and the draft in late April? I’d love to see how different a draft conducted in January would be if it were based solely on watching the players perform on the field. People fall in love with the “flavor of the week”.

I understand the NFL Combine and the theory that you’d want to know as much time as possible getting to know a player before you invest millions of dollars in him. But guys train for months to perform well that one week in Indianapolis. If a defensive lineman runs a 4.8 in the 40-yard-dash, that’s terrific. Can he play football? This isn’t track.

That spills over into fans wanting a “sexy” pick - a guy that looks good in the spandex. A.J. Green and Julio Jones have nice highlight tapes – and I can understand the Browns drafting either of them as we do need wide receivers. But winning in January in the playoffs is sexier than getting a passing grade from Kiper Jr. in late April. Some Browns fans moaned when the Browns took Alex Mack in the first round back in 2009, claiming center isn’t a glamorous or exciting position.

It’s exciting in games – when it really matters – when the Brown and Orange are facing third down and one and Colt McCoy follows up the rear of Mack to gain a first down and keep the clock running. That’s exciting!

I hear people all around town talk about wanting Green or Jones – or even an eye-popping athlete like Louisiana State defensive back Patrick Peterson. All three of those guys were terrific college players in terms of production, so if Tom Heckert thinks one of them can help us the most, I’m all aboard.

However, if the Browns go a different direction and take a defensive lineman, I don’t want to hear people complain. We surely need defensive lineman. Their highlight tapes might not be too exciting, but they’ll help make the team highlight tape – the one a Super Bowl winning team gets – sexy.

Thanks for Tait

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 13, 2011.

Before I joined the staff of LandLoyalty, the site named Tait as the most loyal person in Cleveland sports. They couldn’t have picked anyone better, and it’s sad to think that tonight will be the last time his raspy pipes will bring us basketball from Quicken Loans Arena.

It was 35 years ago today that the Cleveland Cavaliers played in their first playoff game, and think of all that has changed since then. From Richfield to Cleveland, from Nick Mileti to Ted Stepien, through Gordon Gund and Dan Gilbert. From Austin Carr playing in that playoff game to calling tonight’s game alongside Fred McLoed on FoxSports Ohio. The arenas and the colors and the personnel have all – understandably - changed. It has been 35 years.

But not radio play-by-play man Joe Tait.

He was there in 1976 (having started in 1970) and he’ll be there tonight when the Cavs conclude the 2010-11 season. Just think of the run he’s had. Mix in the run he had with the Indians long before my time, and he really is the voice of Cleveland athletics.

Sports are about wins and losses, sure, and Tait saw lots of losses. (Think of all the bad basketball that man had to sit through?) But they are, at the same time, so much more. Play-by-play men play a part in that as all of us have a “remember when” story, recalling a time we just couldn’t be in front of a television and had to dial in to a game on the radio.

I remember frantically hopping from graduation party to graduation party in the summer of 2007 and listening to bits and pieces of game six of the Eastern Conference Finals on WTAM. The enthusiasm in Tait’s voice as Boobie Gibson drained “three-ball” after “three-ball” told listeners it was time to start preparing for the reality that the Cavaliers were heading to the NBA Finals.

People my age remember Jim Donovan yelling “RUN WILLIAM, RUN!” as the rookie from Boston College broke the big one to get the Browns into the playoffs after the 2002-03 season. We remember Rafael Betancourt striking out Mark Ellis in 2007 and Indians play-by-play man Tom Hamilton ensuring fans they would have an October to remember. Calls stick with us forever, and they trigger memories.

Tait presided over 38 years worth of memories, and had few witty one-liners of certain calls that stick with us. It doesn’t come up a lot in basketball. I’m not saying the other play-by-play men in town do, but Tait never made the game about him. He told us when it was “basketball time at the Q,” he told us what happened during the game, and then he wished everyone a good night.

Now we wish him a good bye, and good health. It’s been a real privilege to listen to him call games, and something sports fans take for granted.

It will still sound nice when the good guys hit a “three-ball.” But it will sound so, so different.

Last Impression of Ramirez Will Ruin First Impressions With Tribe

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 10, 2011.

They say that first impressions mean the most. I disagree.

My first impression of Manny Ramirez was back in 1994, his first full season playing with the Tribe. I was just a little boy, and young kids always love the new, shiny toy. Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle – and even Jim Thome to an extent - had been here for a while. We got 21 games of Manny in 1993, so he was the new attraction.

Of the 236 homers he belted in a Wahoo uniform, 17 came in the 1994 season – officially classified as his rookie year. He, obviously, only got better as a hitter over the next couple of years, eventually leading the league in RBIs with 165 in 1999.

Fathers would tell their kids to watch Ramirez hit and emulate him. But only the hitting part. Everything else he did was not to be copied.

But for all the dumb plays he made – and there weren’t legendary miscues in Cleveland like there were in Boston – there was a “remember when” moment. I remember where I was – at my grandmother’s birthday party – when the up-and-comer belted a walk-off shot against Dennis Eckersley that prompted the Hall of Famer to mouth, “Wow!”

We echoed Eckersley’s thoughts quite often during his time in Cleveland. What a joy he was to watch!

Of course, he took the money from Boston after the 2000 season, perplexing to many because there were reports Ramirez didn’t even cash his paychecks. The Red Sox ended the drought with Ramirez on the squad, winning the World Series in both 2004 (Ramirez was World Series MVP) and 2007.

Pressure never seemed to bother him, and Bill Simmons wondered aloud during the 2007 American League Championship Series against the Indians if Manny really, truly cared.

"When Manny went deep, my first thought was, 'Quit posing, Manny, we're still down 7-3.' Then it dawned on me that Manny probably had no idea what the score was. In fact, he probably isn't aware that baseball games are determined by which team scores more runs. Manny's only point of differentiation comes when, after hitting a home run, he sees his teammates waiting for him at home plate -- it's at that point he knows it's time to go to the strip club."

His teammates waited for him at home plate a number of times – and because of that he was headed to another club, the one in Cooperstown, New York. Those days are long gone after Ramirez abruptly retired from baseball on Friday afternoon, reportedly because he failed a second drug test.

Only an idiot fails an announced drug test. I don’t even know what type of person you have to be to fail two. An addict? I don’t know.

Regardless, that first impression of Ramirez can still be called back from my memory on command, but when I hear his name it will be the last impression, the one of him quitting amidst controversy, that will be triggered.

The whole thing is tragic, really. He was such a natural and so fun to watch. Being fun to watch is not something often said about baseball players, but Ramirez genuinely was.

Now we know he cheated, and really we were the ones who got ripped off. He’ll be fine with his millions of dollars, and who knows if living with the label of PED user bothers him.

It bothers me.

Years from now people will still talk about what an outstanding hitter he was – and a career .312 batting average with 555 homers suggests he was one of the best ever. We’ll talk about “Manny being Manny” and being a cut-off man in left field. We’ll talk about the funny things he said, sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish.

We’ll talk about all those things, but first we’ll talk about him being a cheater.

It’s the last impression – not the first – that matters most.

Could Cleveland State Do What Butler Did?

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 6, 2011.

We all watched as Butler shot a dismal 18.8% against Connecticut on Monday night on the big stage. Embarrassing that they only shot 18.8%, but important in that we all watched. Butler’s on the map now. People know where Butler is and what the program represents. Not to be lost in Monday’s defeat is the fact Butler made it to the national title game back-to-back years against two of the game’s Goliaths. They matter now. I was left wondering, could Cleveland State do this?

Don’t think for a second that lots of luck isn’t involved. Butler needed last-second shots from Howard to get past their first two tournament opponents. You have to be lucky, but you have to be good. You also need the competition to be watered-down, as many suggest it is now with the guys that are one-and-done and head off to collect paychecks.

You need players, ones that are capable of playing in the NBA someday. Not right now, but someday. Players are the biggest thing. Brad Stevens got Gordon Hayward, the ninth overall selection in the 2010 NBA Draft, and Shelvin Mack, who many believe played his way into the first round of the NBA Draft if he elects to leave school early. Matt Howard could very well be selected in June as well. Three pros on one team is not something a lot of teams have. We all know it’s about players. Cleveland State had Norris Cole, who should hear his name called in June. And that was it.

There is talent in Northeast Ohio, but the problem is there are also a lot of colleges in the area. Butler competes in-state with Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue. That’s TOUGH recruiting competition, don’t get me wrong. Those other three can afford to miss on recruits – and when they miss their five-star recruits slip to three-star recruits. Butler has to recruit three-star kids and turn them into five-star talents. But even fourth in the state of Indiana is better than the fate Cleveland State faces.

The Vikings are competing with Ohio State – although probably not for the same kids. But think of in-state kids like Norris Cole? How did Cincinnati, Dayton and Xavier all miss on Coles? The whole Mid-American Conference whiffed too. Coles is out of eligibility, so while he moves on, Cleveland State needs to replace him … and then find some additional weapons.

This is where the luck comes in. We’ve seen local talent like Delvon Roe and Tom Pritchard leave for Michigan State and Indiana, respectively. Garfield Heights is a factory (and their head coach Sonny Johnson was a Viking), and they send guys to big-time programs. People come into Northeast Ohio and export the talent. What Cleveland State needs is for one of those guys to want to stay close to home, or someone to transfer. Damon Stringer (Cleveland Heights High School) transferred from Ohio State to Cleveland State. Saint Ignatius’ Joe Rey left Xavier and returned to play for the Vikings.

Butler hit the jackpot with Hayward, Howard and Mack. Cleveland State hit it with Coles, but you need to hit on multiple studs … and have them on campus as the same time. It’s like playing a slot machine.

You need a great coach, and Butler clearly has one. Stevens is 117-25 in his first four years at the helm. Enough said. Gary Waters, the top man at Cleveland State, is 271-206 during stints at Kent State, Rutgers and Cleveland State. Waters has won NCAA Tournament games at Kent State and Cleveland State, but was just 28-52 in Big East play during his time guiding the Scarlet Knights. Of course, they aren’t traditionally a basketball powerhouse, but his time there wasn’t overwhelming. Waters is a good coach. Is he a great coach? He’s well-respected, that’s for sure. Cleveland State interim Athletic Director John Parry held the same position at Butler from 1990-2006, so he’s seen how programs are built at that level.

Butler has Hinkle Fieldhouse and Cleveland State has the Wolstein Center. Never been to Hinkle, but we all know the lore. I’ve seen my fair share of Division I arenas, and I’m extremely impressed with the facilities Cleveland State has to offer.

They need the players. Mixed feelings on the coach. Facilities are a check.

Could this happen here? The stars have to align. The Vikings are still far from the mountaintop. It doesn’t happen overnight. Butler won at least 20 games every year since the 2005-06 season. They didn’t fall into this. It might be a few years away, but Cleveland State, with its resources, has a better chance than most mid-major schools. Waters might not be around long enough to see the project through (could Buckeye assistant Brandon Miller be the guy?), but it’s certainly possible.

The odds? Probably as good as getting three of the same kind on a slot machine. Brad Stevens was lucky, and here’s hoping the Vikings find similar magic.

New Season ... Old Carmona of Three Years Past

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on April 3, 2011.

I know it was just one game.

But during Friday’s opener against the Chicago White Sox, Fausto Carmona looked bad. Really, really bad. The bad guys scattered 11 hits in his three-plus innings of work, and few (if any) were cheap. They hit the ball hard. Again, just one game … but not a good sign.

When you look at the Tribe and try to project what will happen in 2011, you can’t feel great knowing Carmona has been labeled as the ace of the staff. We all remember how brilliant he was in 2007 (19-8, 3.06 ERA) but that three full seasons ago. Nothing he has done in the past three years suggests he will return to those numbers. Since the start of the 2008 season he is 26-34 with a 5.08 ERA. That’s our ace, everybody! (In Carmona’s defense, he was better last year than the two years prior. His ERA was 0.71 higher than 2007 as opposed to 2010, but his win-loss totals were skewed because he played on a bad team. He had 13 less strikeouts last year than he did in 2007 in five fewer innings. He was better – but certainly not back.)

It’s not like the Indians have a ton of other options for their top starter. Are you going to put Carlos Carrasco at the front of your rotation? Justin Masterson? No. People need to stop buying into the idea Carmona is an ace until he shows something. The Fausto Carmona of 2007 is gone … and maybe dead and buried. Bury the expectations with him.

We all recall how crazy 2007 was, so maybe it was all an aberration. Carmona won 19 games and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young vote. The Browns won 10 contests and Derek Anderson went to the Pro Bowl. LeBron James was all-everything in the playoffs and Cleveland reached the NBA Finals. Just chalk it up as a fluke.

Now we all say Anderson was a fraud and a one-year-wonder. We say the Cavaliers were probably a year early and got lucky with the stars aligning so they could reach the championship round. We should now be able to admit that Fausto Carmona simply had it working in 2007.

I know yesterday was just one game so it’s silly to over-react. But it’s about as silly as expecting a guy to be a dominant ace after having just one good year in a five-year career.

NBA? No Thanks.

This column was first published in The Carroll News on March 31, 2011.

I’m still bitter LeBron James left Cleveland, but after watching the NCAA Tournament the past few weeks, I care less and less about his departure. Quite frankly, I had to be reminded early last week that James and the Miami Heat were coming to Cleveland.

I went to the Cavs/Heat game at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night, and much of the night was scripted: Fans would mercilessly boo LeBron and he would go off (and he did, recording a triple-double). Somehow, someway, the Cavaliers found a way to win the game in what was the only surprise of the night.

I’m glad the Cavs won, but as we all know the wins are few and far between. Usually the results inside Quicken Loans Arena are about as predictable as the WWE matches that are hosted inside the same arena.

If you peek at the ESPN.com power rankings from the preseason and now, 22 weeks into the season, they look the same. Of the top 10 teams from late October, eight teams still remain.

Why play the regular season? I get that the playoffs are exciting and if I had a horse in the race, I’d watch each playoff game. Realistically, five or six teams have a shot at winning the title. If you aren’t a fan of one of those teams, there is little point in tuning in to watch the two teams go back-and-forth for 46 minutes before pressing the ‘on’ button in the final two minutes to decide the outcome.

I don’t even like hockey, but I find the Stanley Cup playoffs to be riveting. The pride and passion is obvious. I don’t see that when I watch professional hoops.

College basketball is more my cup of tea. Butler and Virginia Commonwealth doing battle Saturday night for the chance to play for the national title? Sign me up. Nobody, except for two losers that filled out hundreds of brackets on ESPN.com, saw that coming.

I get that the NBA players are the best in the world. Players like J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison dominate college basketball and then fall off the face of the Earth when they start getting paychecks. I think it is, in many ways, a completely different game.

It’s a better game. It’s a team game. We heard a lot this week about “The Butler Way,” which is a way of saying the right way. Play team defense, hustle and put the team first.

We’ve heard that the folks at CBS aren’t happy that Butler and Virginia Commonwealth will meet in one semifinal Saturday night because they’ll lose advertising dollars. Sorry for them, but I’m pumped.

Is Browns biggest draft need a wide receiver?

This column was first published on LandLoyalty.com on March 30, 2011.

I was messing around on Twitter Sunday night, and I saw Sports Illustrated’s Peter King was talking NFL Draft with fans (FOUR WEEKS FROM TOMORROW!). King has gone on the record as saying he thinks the Browns will draft a wide receiver in the first round and a fan tried to persuade King otherwise by suggesting, “Cleveland doesn’t have to take a WR. They have bigger needs.”

King’s response was simple: “No they don’t.”

We all felt bad for Colt McCoy last year as he ran for his life waiting for Mo Massaquoi or Brian Robiskie break open. Wide receiver is a need and there is no denying that. But is it the biggest need?

Some mock drafts have as many as six defensive ends going in the first 15 picks, suggesting this is a very strong draft for the big guys up front. The team obviously cut ties with Shaun Rodgers and Kenyon Coleman, so it seems logical that the Browns could go after players to line up in the new 4-3 defense that Dick Jauron is bringing to town.

The Browns currently have seven defensive lineman on the roster, and outside of Ahtyba Rubin and Robaire Smith (old!) – and to some extent Brian Schaefering – the rest have little experience. Titus Adams, Travis Ivey, Ko Quaye or Brian Sanford do anything for you?

We’ve heard the argument about the Browns drafting Louisiana State CB Patrick Peterson – a player who wowed people at the NFL Combine – if he is available to play opposite Joe Haden. As New Orleans and Green Bay showed in their Super Bowl victories, it’s a passing league. You have to stop the pass. There’s merit to that argument.

Personally, I buy into Bill Parcells famous ‘Planet Theory’: There are only so many big men on the planet who can move well enough to play professional football, and you must draft as many of them as possible.

If you look at the defensive lineman who represented the AFC at the 2011 Pro Bowl (Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Jason Babin, Haloti Ngata, Vince Wolfork and Richard Seymour), only Mathis wasn’t selected in the first round. Five of six? I’ll take those chances.

Wide receiver has historically produced a lot of busts in the NFL Draft – but three of the four players on the AFC Pro Bowl roster were first round picks.

The Pro Bowl argument is based on a one-year sample size, obviously, but I have nightmares of Charles Rogers or David Terrell. If the Browns take A.J. Green or Julio Jones, it’s hard to argue with that.

But I think we need defensive lineman more. I think its safer. Coming off back-to-back 5-11 seasons, can we afford to be conservative in the Draft?

What do you think?