Dirty Laundry

-The irony of The Sweater Vest's plight will not go unnoticed. He's literally already got the scarlet letter on his Chest.

Jim Tressel, who projects himself as a shaper of young men, a symbol of what is right in big-time college athletics, a champion of the student-athlete, has THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY is deep ish.

Terrelle Pryor was/is the most heralded recruit that the Buckeyes landed under his reign. This is saying something considering the number of players drafted and the overall success of the program. So win or lose, the coach's legacy would forever be tied to the performance of the dual threat QB + consensus #1 player in the 2008 class(who was also a top 25 basketball prospect). And now it most definitely will....

On a day when nobody was paying attention(always drop bad news on holidays) OSU asked arguably the best coach of the decade(Sorry, Saban, Meyer and Petersen) to take a hike. After rampant speculation that there could be more to come after he admitted that he previously lied to investigators,and today's news that the number of players who sold memorabilia is more like 28, then the 5 that Tressel told the authorities. Also, this spread over the last ten years, or his entire stay with OSU.  He of the .827 winning percentage, 9-1 record vs, ahem, Michigan and 2002 National Chapionship, which culminated with a win in the 2003 Orange Bowl, which is regarded by many of note as one of the best games ever. Including MOI. Even more, Tressel didn't even come clean. His transgressions only came to the surface when his players' actions overlapped with a federal, yea FBI, investigation into a local tattoo parlor's criminal activities. Yes, the same tattoo parlor where OSU athletes past and present sold/traded their memorabilia (including the famed gold pants

signed game jerseys, and bowl rings) in exchange for cash, discounted tattoos and weed. Now excuse me for being shallow, but if a star-athlete didn't receive extra benefits, he's not a star, LOL! In the old days, in the movies, Biff always got the girls cause he played football. Almost 20 years ago when Penny and Shaq played themselves played star high-school basketball prospects on the take in Blue Chips, i barely even batted an eye as a kid. As they say, IT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY. And as a BUCKEYE, Columbus, hell, OHIO is their territory. Marcus Camby got a rapper chain. Chris Webber and friends took over a half-million from booster Ed Martin; Derrick Rose and Lamar Odom allegedly had someone take their SAT/entrance exams for them. Reggie Bush/Cam Newton anyone?

I don't begrudge Pryor and the Buckeye players because seriously, the OSU kids did what any college student does when they can: they got the Hook-up. However, this situation was poorly handled by Coach Tressel. It's one thing when a few, well a bunch, of kids run amok of the sometimes faulty NCAA bylaws. But Tressel, the leader, went as far as sweeping under the rug the actions of his 5 starters instead of taking a chance to make this a lesson(you know part of the education he supposedly advocates) in order to protect his job. And because of that, he lost his job!

As far as Terrelle Pryor is concerned, he probably cost himself the chance to try to be a QB at the next level. With this Sports Illustrated article released online today, chances are he has played his last game at QB for the Bucks, his impending 5-game suspension seems meaningless now. Once touted as the new and improved Vince Young entering college, he was expected to be to Ohio State what Cam Newton WAS to Auburn. Now after 3 uneven seasons, and surrounded by questions about his football and personal life, he will only be drafted due to his immense physical talents and it assuredly won't be as a QB. Maybe a highly decorated TE in the 2011(or '12)supplemental draft...................

2011 NBA Finals

REALLY, Jason Terry?

 You know i'll be ranting providing my expert analysis throughout the series. So my quick prediction: Mavs in 6. I know i said the same 5 years ago. SMH

The 5 Best/Funnest/Most intriguing Places for Dwight Howard

I moved to the Orlando/Daytona area almost 5 years ago now. As a northeastern transplant, naturally i was raised on Big East basketball, inundated by Yankeees/Red Sox propaganda(as a Met fan no less) and caught in the tri-state love triangle that is Patriots/Giants/Jets(not in that order). My newfound locale offered nothing short of SEC football, high school football, Nascar, and more SEC football. Although The SEC has won 5 str8 National titles since my arrival (you're welcome guys!) and Florida won back to back titles in basketball in 2006-2007 seasons, sports seemed boring without a relevant pro team. Especially in my favorite sport, basketball. And then something funny happened! Basketball fever started to spread around Central Florida, and not just because of the Gators basketball achievements. The Orlando Magic started to make waves on the NBA transactions pages.

- First they tried to sign Billy Donovan, coach of the aforementioned 2-time champion Gators. I mean they DID sign him but he changed his mind and returned to Florida, presumably with a raise.

- Soon after, they hired former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy who was forced to step down by Pat Riley resigned from Miami early in the previous year to "spend time with his family".

- Next, they showered Free Agent Small Forward Rashard Lewis with a 6-year deal rumored to be between 110 and 126 million, i believe. If it seems like alot, and it is, Orlando had its reasons for the bold number. A little insight into the deal from Orlando's perspective:
   The NBA 2007 Free Agency Crop was lite to say the least, but Rashard Lewis' combination of age, position scarcity and previous production made him a sought after player. Considered the best player in Free Agency(Along with Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups) Orlando knew it would have to take an almost  max-level bid darn near to get a supposed premier player entering his prime. They had the bucks, and they also had ....

    
     An emerging center entering his 4th season and looking every bit the part. NBA legend says that you can't win without a dominant big man, and players will follow a dominant Big, as he will make everything easier, or something like that. Dwight Howard was becoming a big draw and having made a push for the playoffs to end the 2006-07 season(though ultimately missing out) the Magic,internally, felt they were on the cusp of something with he and their other 2004 1st rounder, PG Jameer Nelson.

After a tumultuous start to the decade, the hard-working but injury-riddled Doc Rivers' teams featuring T-Mac and Grant Hill;The 2nd run with Brian Hill that didn't end so well, hampered by malcontent Steve Francis, yielded the trade for Penny, and ultimately Darko in a failed rebuild on-the-run. Fast-Forward to the 2007-2008 season and Orlando looked like a team on the come-up. Young cornerstones in Howard and Nelson, a  young SGs  who was a specialist (2nd year guard JJ Redick). A star free-agent in Lewis, and plenty of complementary parts. After being knocked out by the Pistons in the 2nd round in 2008, the core finally peaked in 2009, making the finals with a big assist from trade acquisition Rafer Alston, who filled in admirably, maybe better than Nelson. Although they lost to the Lakers in 5 games, the series was much closer than it appeared and may have been different if he had just made this lay-up. AGAIN!

However, the last 2 seasons, Orlando has failed to recreate the Magic. The mismatch offense of Turkoglu and Lewis that caused so many problems before didn't work in its newer incarnation. Rafer, Battie and Courtney Lee were all jettisoned after the Finals loss.Out went Turkoglu, In came Vince, Brandon Bass. Out went Vince, In came Turkoglu again. In came Jason Richardson. Out went Lewis, in case Arenas, guns a blazing! 

These moves look to the outside like pushing the panic button. And this has only ratcheted up the pressure to keep Dwight happy. A revolving door of ex-allstar teammates and defensive liabilities has left him overworked and overburdened. All early reports reports have Howard headed to Hollywood in Shaq Part 2. Though the blogosphere is flooded today with stories about him here or there.

Now publicly Howard has professsed that he is open to staying in Orlando, even going so far as to say that the writers in Orlando are pushing him out of town. He just wants time to make a decision. Understandable, but i don't have time so here are the 5 best/funnest/most intriguing places for D12 to land. Disclaimer: These are not the best fit necessarily, nor did i consult the trade machine to see if if fits financially, with exemptions and blah blah blah. I did it the old fashioned way, with a few knowledge of the rules and my imagination! Legggoooooo....

1) Clippers Get Dwight Howard
    Magic get Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Deandre Jordan and Minnesota 2012 1st rounder


- Clippers get what the Lakers(and everybody else want) and vault ahead of the Lakers in the race for the rest of the decade/future. They get to build around Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard. A young, balanced BIG 3 if you will.

-The Magic get a big jumpstart on the rebuild, with the prize being the draft pick, a potentially HUGE one in a draft that is said to be loaded. Aminu, 20 and Bledsoe, 21 are raw but due to their youth still have potential to grow. Deandre Jordan, 22,  is the answer to the length that Orlando so desperately needs to receive back in the deal, hence why they liked the Bynum deal supposedly. If getting rid of Jordan is a hangup for the Clippers, they can always include Chris Kaman instead.

2) Thunder get Dwight Howard
    Magic Get Russell Westbrook,Kendrick Perkins, Thunder 2012 1st round and 2014 1st round

- The Thunder get a real young defensive anchor(sorry, Kendrick) and an inside scoring presence that they've lacked. Coupled with Ibaka and Collison on defense and Kevin Durant for an unstoppable offensive inside-outside combo. I mean, who do you double team?

- Westbrook is as physically imposing a point guard as there is in the game, but there are many questions about his playmaking abilities and pure point guard skills. So put him next to undersized Mighty Mite Jameer Nelson and use him as an attacking two guard in a free-wheeling Orlando O. Kendrick Perkins can try to help offset the loss of the reigning Defensive Player of Year.

3) Nets get Dwight Howard
    Magic get Brook Lopez and New Jersey's 2012 and 2014 1st rd

- I'm definitely not comparing Lopez to Howard, but there are only a few true centers in the game, and he is one of them, young and still developing at that. Magic could do much worse. New Jersey would get  not only an all-world center, but a marquee name and running mate for newly-acquired Deron Williams, as they give their franchise a facelift upon their arrival in Brooklyn in '13

4) Bulls get Dwight Howard
    Magic get Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Bulls 2011 1st rd pick

- I must let you know  you know upfront that I'm a Bulls fan, so this gets me giddy. I mean come on, one star closer to the constellation that is the Miami Heat, right? And even though Noah is the heart and soul of the Bulls, he comes with limitations. Also, Howard will bring to the table all that he does, save for interior passing as Joakim is as good as any. Boozer's contract in itself would prolly nullify this deal, but like i said its my exercise and i can do what i want.

5) Warriors get Dwight Howard
    Magic get Monta Ellis, David Lee,  Epke Udoh, and Golden State's 2012 1st round pick  

- Doesn't really work for either team, but as a fan to see the super athletic Howard in a fast-paced offense. Im sure he'd rather stay in Orlando, but Imagine the possibilities, and the amount of rebounds he'd grab a game, might average 20 lol!

Honorable mention goes to Knicks( i couldnt make up any trade without giving away STAT or MELO, knicks have nothing). Hornets: Cause they have Chris Paul and Noone else does; and Orlando(but nobody is thinking of them)

Is Cleveland on the rebound?

Ever since the Draft Lottery, I've been thinking bout Cleveland. The Grey cloud over the city of Cleveland's sports teams has been well documented. From "The Drive" to "The Fumble","The Shot" and "The Decision" to whatever they call Jose Mesa's implosion in the '97 World Series, Cleveland is famous for infamous moments.(Including this interesting piece of basketball history). But could 2011 signal "The Return" to prominence(or even relevance) for Cleveland sports.

Look, I'm not suggesting that Cleveland will become the New Boston, w/ a Championship Contender in all  4, i mean, 3 major sports and hockey lol! But the seeds have planted for a re-invigoration of a city that desperately needs it. Going into Memorial Day Weekend, Cleveland has a few things to look forward to:

* The first-place Indians, who boast a 31-18 record, including 19-6 at home with a plus 52 run differential entering the day, all league-bests. Anchored by a young core, led by Switch-hitting Catcher Carlos Santana and Closer Chris Perez along with veterans Grady Sizemore and Shin Soo Choo, the Wahoos future looks as bright as its present.

* Cleveland Cavs: We all "witnessed" the Cavaliers atrocious season, highlighted by a league-record 26 str8 losses and uncanny ability to lose games everywhichway. But because the clippers are cursed due to a stroke of luck, the cavs hopes look a lot brighter today. Follow for one second please....

        - The Cavs, flush with $$$ after the unexpected defection of Lebron(yes, he must be mentioned in a post concerning the 2011 cavs) traded PG Mo Williams(2 yrs left on reasonable deal) and Jamario Moon(expiring contract after 2011) for PG Baron Davis' bloated physique contract(3 yrs/almost 35 mil left) and the Clips 2011 unprotected 1st rounder. Ordinarily the Clips 1st rounder is the equivalent of 1850's gold and would properly be protected. But since it only projected to about a 3% chance to be the 1st pick in draft and offered financial flexibility in ridding themselves of Davis' albatross deal, the Clips did not ask for protection in the deal. As we all know, it ended up being the #1 pick, further cementing the Los Angeles Clippers as the unluckiest/most cursed/losingest franchise in sports(a crown my New York Mets are eyeing greedily).

So that leaves the Cavaliers with the Clips pick(1st) and their own(4th), in a supposed "weak draft"(Let them play, then we'll decide if theyre good or not, OK?). And as i write this, i get wind that they are attempting to acquire the #2 pick in the draft too. Even Better for them! We all know that they previously had one ROYALLY elite talent, and now they have none. The top two picks in the 2011 draft is a great start in the right direction. In a league where stars win; (see: every nba champion since i've been alive), all signs point to Kyrie Irving at 1, joining the growing ranks of lightning-quick pgs who seem to thrive in the new no-touch era we live in. Just Sayin..........

Even the Cleveland Browns have reason for optimism, no seriously. The Holmgren regime begins year 2 with a new Head Coach(Pat Shurmur) and believes it has its franchise qb in Colt Mccoy. With the ransom netted in the Julio Jones/draft day deal with the Atlanta Falcons, the Browns are slowly acquiring the pieces of a nucleus they hope will send them to where Coach(now GM) Holmgren's teams(GB,SEA) have gone before, the Super Bowl.. Offensive Lineman Joe Thomas and Alex Mack are Pro Bowlers who are young, yet already considered among the top of their positions already. If there is an NFL season, could the Browns be in the running for the first professional championship for the city of Cleveland since the Browns did it in 1964, when my mother was 6 months old.......I told you they been hurting.

Also known as the Mistake by the Lake,  in 2004, ESPN named Cleveland the most tortured sports city. But i can remeber a time when it wasn't all that bad for the city, well in my opinion....... Growing up, I remember the Cleveland Cavs and Browns as talented teams who often faced misfortune at the hands of two of the greatest ever, John Elway and Michael Jordan. I know Earnest Byner shoulda have kept marching into the end zone and should have scored from the 2 yd line in '87, but it was Elway who first exorcised the ghosts when he drove the Broncos 98 yards in '86. And Poor Craig Ehlo had no chance to block this shot in the '89 playoffs. Also the '95-'97 Indians had a superior collection of talent including Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Roberto Alomar Jr. and Omar Vizquel. Could we be seeing a renaissance in this former Midwestern power?