The first round of the NBA Playoffs was pretty uneventful for the Cavaliers, except for that Kevin Love thing, and they handled the Celtics easily in four games. Photographers from the Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer were there to capture the action, and here are some of the best photos of the series.
The first round of the NBA Playoffs was pretty uneventful for the Cavaliers, except for that Kevin Love thing, and they handled the Celtics easily in four games.
Photographers from the Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Plain Dealer were there to capture the action, and here are some of the best photos of the series.
Mason shows how the injuries to Irving have impacted his decision-making.
Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Kyrie Irving dealing with foot and knee issues, the Cavaliers do not have their star point guard at 100 percent. But that hasn't slowed down Cleveland, which has advanced to the NBA Finals even with Irving's ailments.
After sitting in Game 2 and Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks, Irving played the clincher. That gave everyone a look at how he is feeling.
Here to break down his game is Chet Mason, who won Mr. Basketball in Ohio in 2000. Mason, the boys basketball coach at Brush, played professionally for a decade in the United States and in Europe.
Mason has been a part of Cavaliers training camp and works out with members of the team during the summer. A graduate of South High, Mason has been active in growing and developing the Northeast Ohio basketball community.
In the above video, Mason discusses how Irving looks on the floor, how injuries impact what he does and what it will be like for him to deal with Stephen Curry.
Contact sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.
Here are the 4 statewide, division-by-division baseball brackets for the 2015 OHSAA tournament updated heading into Thursday's action.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are the four statewide, division-by-division baseball brackets for the 2015 OHSAA state tournament.
Two local teams remain, with St. Ignatius and Aurora left in Division I.
Click the links below to access the brackets, which are printable. The brackets also are interactive. Click on the game to see more about the matchup, particularly after the game has been played.
These brackets will be updated as the state championships progress.
Click each link below to see a cleveland.com bracket of the state tournament.
All proceeds for Cavs watch parties while the team plays on the road during the NBA Finals will go to two charities, Shoes and Clothes For Kids and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tickets for the hugely popular Cavaliers watch parties at The Q are now on sale. Unlike previous rounds, however, watch party tickets for the NBA Finals will cost $5. All proceeds will go to two charities, Shoes and Clothes For Kids and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
"As the Cavs compete to bring an NBA Championship to our city, this is a very special time for all of us to reflect Cleveland's championship spirit by helping those in our community who are in need," Cavs and Quicken Loans Arena CEO Len Komoroski said in a release by the team.
Fans can purchase tickets at Discount Drug Mart, The Q box office or on cavs.com. There is a six-ticket limit per person.
The watch party for Game 1 is Thursday at 9 p.m. Game 2 is Sunday at 8 p.m. Doors open an hour before tipoff.
Watch party plans for Games 5 and 7, if necessary, will be announced later.
The event provides as close to a live game experience you can get while the Cavaliers play on the road. Fans can watch the action on the arena's four huge scoreboards while listening to Fred McLeod and Austin Carr provide the play-by-play. The Cavaliers Girls, Scream Team and mascots pump up the crowd during the game and there's also interactive activities for the kids. Food and drink are available at a discount as well.
As Game 1 of the NBA Finals approaches it's tough to ignore the gobs of evidence pointing to a distinct reality: The Golden State Warriors, not the Cleveland Cavaliers, are the better basketball team.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As Game 1 of the NBA Finals approaches it's tough to ignore the abundance of evidence pointing to a distinct reality: The Golden State Warriors, not the Cleveland Cavaliers, are the better team.
They proved it during a sparkling regular season that ended with 67 wins and a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the tougher of the two conferences. They reaffirmed it during the postseason run that has seen them lose three games.
Golden State's road to the NBA Finals started with a sweep against the upstart New Orleans Pelicans -- a series that included a miraculous 20-point, fourth-quarter comeback on the road in Game 3. Then came the Memphis Grizzlies, the burly squad that was expected to be too physical for the jump-shooting Warriors. But after falling behind in the series, 2-1, Golden State showed the resolve and regained their regular season form, overwhelming Memphis. Most recently, the Warriors outclassed the No. 2 seeded Houston Rockets in five games.
Golden State has MVP Stephen Curry, who has been even more dazzling in the postseason, averaging 29.2 points on 46 percent from the field, including 43 percent from three-point range to go with 4.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.8 steals in 38.1 minutes. Along with Klay Thompson, Curry has helped form the league's second-highest scoring duo.
But the Warriors a much more than a two-man show. With a "Strength In Numbers" mantra, Golden State had five players who averaged double figures in the regular season. Along with a productive bench that helped limit Curry's regular season minutes and the league's stingiest defense, it was an ideal formula.
Matchups, homecourt advantage and depth all favor Golden State. So, too, does history. Each team to win at least 67 games and advance to the Finals has been crowned as champion.
For all those reasons, the Cavaliers have been rightly labeled "underdogs," a title head coach David Blatt has welcomed.
But there's one thing they don't have: LeBron James.
The ultimate difference maker masks flaws and erases mistakes. He shifts the landscape of a series in a way no other current NBA player can.
The league's most transcendent talent has returned to Cleveland smarter, better and armed with championship experience -- something else the Warriors are lacking as no player on the roster has been to the NBA Finals.
James, who nearly averaged a triple-double in the Eastern Conference finals, has raised his game to another level with Kevin Love sidelined and Kyrie Irving hobbled.
No stranger to the Finals stage, James has not only helped run the Cavaliers' offense, but he's become the leader he promised when announcing his return in a heartfelt letter. Instilling belief and confidence in his teammates and taking them to heights that didn't always appear possible, Matthew Dellavedova, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and others have had shining moments, showing the supporting cast is good enough for the first time in James' Cleveland tenure.
Unlike Atlanta, the Warriors have a number of bodies to use against James. Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala will take their chances, but none are as talented as Chicago's Jimmy Butler, who frustrated James before his offensive explosion in the four-game sweep against the undermanned Hawks.
Given his level of play recently, his experience and the contributions from his supporting cast, betting against James is an exercise in futility. When his team has needed him the most, he has risen to the challenge; refused to let his team lose.
Game 4 against Chicago, with the season on the line, as the Cavaliers were in danger of watching their season slip away, James buried the game-winning jumper, evening the series and giving the Cavs new life. When Irving was ruled out for Game 2 against Atlanta, James tossed the offense on his shoulders and led them to a much-needed win. He did the same in the pivotal Game 3, scoring the last five points in overtime.
James' most talented running mate, Irving, is less than 100 percent. Cleveland's Big Three has been reduced as Love continues to watch from the sidelines. But those things don't matter. The Warriors provide the stiffest test yet -- a ruthless team capable of turning games into blowouts. But that doesn't matter either. On the game's biggest stage, with the lights shining the brightest, they won't have the league's best player, who has peaked at the perfect time.
LeBron James will be the difference, lifting his teammates to a title and ending the lengthy drought.
A 2015 NBA Finals stats break down, both for player match-ups and the teams, since mid-January, when the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors have had the two best records in the NBA.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers enter the NBA Finals not only as the hottest teams during the playoffs, but also as the best teams in the NBA dating back to mid-January.
Since then, no other team is close.
Since Jan. 15
Rank
Team
W
L
Pct.
1
Cleveland
46
11
.807
2
Golden State
48
13
.787
3
San Antonio
34
15
.694
4
LA Clippers
37
20
.649
5
Houston
38
22
.633
6
Atlanta
37
22
.627
7
Memphis
34
21
.618
8
Oklahoma City
27
18
.600
9
Utah
25
18
.581
10
Chicago
30
24
.556
The Cavs are 46-11 since righting the ship after a mediocre 19-20 start. Much of the Cavs' struggles occurred before the team acquired J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov and Iman Shumpert. Additionally, LeBron James had taken two weeks off to nurse knee and back injuries.
The Warriors have been hot since the beginning of the 2014-15 season, including a 48-13 record since Jan. 15.
The Cavs are 12-2 in the playoffs; the Warriors 12-3.
Below is an examination of the stats since Jan. 15. Playoff statistics are included.
One team has the best player in the world; the other the 2015 NBA MVP.
A look at their stat lines tell a big part of why LeBron James and current league MVP Steph Curry mean so much to their teams.
James has Curry beat in most statistical categories - points, rebounds, assists and steals - in regular season and playoff games since Jan. 15. Curry has a slight edge in steals.
One frequent concern mentioned about James is the number of minutes he plays for the Cavs. He has averaged nearly three minutes more per game than Curry since mid-January. But, because Golden State has played four more games than the Cavs since then, including an extra playoff game, Curry has played more total minutes.
Kyrie and Klay
Per game
Klay Thompson
Kyrie Irving
Minutes
32.4
34.9
Points
21.4
21.7
Rebounds
3.1
3.3
Assists
2.8
4.8
Steals
1.0
1.4
Blocks
0.7
0.4
The No. 2 stars on each team stack up closely on the stat sheet, though Irving does have the edge over Thompson in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
A wild card here is how healthy Irving will be in the series, after nagging knee and foot injuries limited the Cavs point guard's playing in the last two series, against Atlanta and Chicago.
The rebounders
Per game
Draymond Green
Tristan Thompson
Minutes
32.5
27.3
Points
12.2
7.9
Rebounds
9.0
8.5
Assists
4.0
0.4
Steals
1.6
0.3
Blocks
1.1
0.8
Draymond Green and Tristan Thompson are not big scorers, but they play big roles with their defense and rebounding.
Green has been averaging 9 rebounds a game for Golden State since mid-January, Thompson 8.5 a game for the Cavs during the same time period.
But once Cavs' starting power forward Kevin Love went down with a shoulder injury during Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, Thompson's minutes increased and so have his rebounds. Thompson has averaged 11.1 rebounds a game over the last two series, including games of 17, 16 and 13 rebounds.
The centers
Per game
Andrew Bogut
Timofey Mozgov
Minutes
23.4
25.1
Points
5.8
10.3
Rebounds
7.9
6.9
Assists
2.5
0.8
Steals
0.6
0.4
Blocks
1.7
1.4
Timofey Mozgov was the last piece added to the Cavs before the team took off from a near .500 start to become NBA Finals quality, adding an inside presence for Cleveland.
In games since mid-January, the 7-foot-1 Mozgov has the edge over Golden State's 7-foot Andrew Bogut in points, and Bogut has the edge in rebounds, blocks and assists.
The sixth men
Per game
Andre Iguodala
J.R. Smith
Minutes
26.8
31.4
Points
8.5
12.7
Rebounds
3.6
3.8
Assists
3.0
2.3
Steals
1.2
1.3
Blocks
0.4
0.4
The top scorers off the bench are Andre Iguodala and J.R. Smith, though Smith didn't become a bench player for the Cavs until after serving a two-game suspension in the second round of the playoffs.
Both are 6-foot-6. Both play guard and forward. But they don't play the same game.
Smith is 36-of-91 on 3-pointers during the playoffs, while attempting just 38 2-point shots and getting to the line for only 10 free-throw attempts.
Iguodala is just 16-of-47 on 3-pointers during the playoffs. He takes more shots closer to the hoop (53 2-point attempts) and has been to the free-throw-line 37 times.
Team stats
Per game
Warriors
Cavaliers
Points
109.0
105.0
2-pointers
29.8
26.5
2-point attempts
59.2
52.2
Percent made
50.3%
50.8%
3-pointers
11.3
11.4
3-point attempts
28.3
30.3
Percent made
40.1%
37.7%
Free throws
15.4
17.8
Free throw attempts
20.6
23.8
Percent made
74.5%
74.6%
Off. rebounds
11.1
11.5
Total Rebounds
45.2
45.2
Assists
27.1
21.5
Steals
9.1
7.2
Blocks
5.9
4.9
Turnovers
13.8
13.4
Golden State has been the more potent offensive team in regular season and playoff games combined since mid-January, averaging 4 points more a game than the Cavs.
One reason is that the Warriors averaged five more shots than the Cavs. And though the Warriors attempt fewer 3-pointers than the Cavs, they've been more accurate.
The Cavs have reached the foul line more often and committed fewer turnovers.
Talk all things Cleveland sports in a live chat with Terry Pluto at 11 a.m.
View full sizeTerry Pluto talks Cleveland sports at 11 a.m.Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at 11 a.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.
Terry will talk about the Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals series, the Indians and Browns at OTA's.
You can jump in the comments section below and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Pluto's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in MP3 format.
One of the topics Mason tackles is whether Dellavedova is a dirty player.
Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One of the reasons that Cleveland has stayed afloat after injuries to Kyrie Irving is the play of Matthew Dellavedova. The point guard off the bench has been a hot shooter who plays hard on both ends of the floor.
If Irving is not healthy for the NBA Finals, it will again be Dellavedova who must rise to the occasion for the Cavaliers.
Here to break down his game is Chet Mason, who won Mr. Basketball in Ohio in 2000. Mason, the boys basketball coach at Brush, played professionally for a decade in the United States and in Europe.
Mason has been a part of Cavaliers training camp and works out with members of the team during the summer. A graduate of South High, Mason has been active in growing and developing the Northeast Ohio basketball community.
In the above video, Mason discusses why Dellavedova is producing, the progress he's made and if he's a dirty player.
Contact sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.
The Lou Groza Recreation Complex will be renamed Jason Malone Park on June 27 to honor an 11-year-old who died playing baseball there.
BEREA, Ohio -- A park named for Cleveland Browns star Lou Groza is being renamed for an 11-year-old ball player who died during a game there.
Terry Malone, father and coach of the late Jason LeVon Malone, said the honor "speaks volumes" about the city and Groza's family, which supports the change.
"The field is currently named after a legend because of the lifetime work he put into this community and his craft. But you don't have to be known worldwide to have an impact on a community," Malone said. "That's what Jason did in his short time."
Jason collapsed on a balmy June 29, 2002, at the Lou and Jackie Groza Sports Complex. With his father coaching and the rest of the family watching, Jason grabbed a helmet for a turn at the plate, then went down. He was pronounced dead at Southwest General Health Center of what was determined to be an undiagnosed heart defect with no previous symptoms.
A ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. June 27 to rename the Groza complex at 640 Woodmere Dr. as the Jason Malone Park. The park's main building will become the Lou and Jackie Groza Field House. The late couple lived in Berea for many years. Lou "the Toe" Groza was a Hall of Fame kicker, offensive tackle for Browns championship teams and a civic volunteer.
There's no telling if Jason might have grown up to be a star like Groza. By 11, he was already 5 foot 7. He excelled at sports, and baseball was his favorite. He played on local and travel teams of the Berea Baseball Association.
At the plate, Jason often clobbered the first pitch. On the mound, he intimidated smaller batters. At third base, he scooped up ball after ball in what became known as the "Malone Zone." Off the field, he was an honor student, merit student and choir member at Riveredge Elementary School and a member of People's Community Church.
According to a resolution passed by Berea City Council, "Jason was well known for his infectious, warm-hearted smile and compassionate disposition, and his love for his friends and family."
Besides his father, survivors include his mother, Susan, now coordinator of the Realizing Your Potential program at Berea-Midpark High School; his big sister Jessica; and kid brother Joshua.
Coming home from Southwest General after his son's death, Terry Malone stopped at the ballpark. "I came back to this facility to begin that process I knew I had to go through."
He went on to coach son Joshua and other local ball players for several more years. Meanwhile, Jason's name was put on a local college scholarship, a sign in the outfield at Berea High School and a bench at the Groza complex.
There's no danger that renaming the complex will make locals forget Groza. The man who wore number 76 will still be honored at the address of the Browns' headquarters, 76 Lou Groza Blvd., and in Lou Groza Football, a local recreation league.
Then there's Lou Groza Field, a football field that opened two years ago on Pleasant Street and became confused in some visitors' minds with the older Groza complex. Mayor Cyril Kleem says renaming the baseball complex should simplify things and, more importantly, honor another good citizen.
John Groza, Lou's son, approved the name change for the park and says his late parents would have done likewise. "The young man was real first-class, very bright and athletically talented. My father was all about helping youth. He'd be proud of the young man and the city of Berea going forward and doing this name change."
Are the Twins legitimate contenders? Can the Royals overcome an abysmal starting rotation? Can the Tigers survive a slew of injuries? Can the Indians make up lost ground?
Discuss all of that and any other MLB-centric questions with Indians beat writers Paul Hoynes and Zack Meisel in a live chat at noon.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians responded to a miserable April with an above-average May. How will they fare in the summer months?
The American League Central figures to provide an entertaining race. As teams begin their third month of play, the Minnesota Twins (30-19) sit atop the division. The Kansas City Royals (29-19) sit a half-game back, followed by the Detroit Tigers (28-24), Cleveland Indians (24-26) and Chicago White Sox (23-26).
Are the Twins legitimate contenders? Can the Royals overcome an abysmal starting rotation? Can the Tigers survive a slew of injuries? Can the Indians make up lost ground? How will they address their roster moving forward?
Discuss all of that and any other MLB-centric questions with Indians beat writers Paul Hoynes and Zack Meisel in a live chat at noon. Drop your questions into the comments section below.
Guards that can do it all - penetrate, pass, score and defend - will be key ingredients for teams adapting quickly to the new college basketball rules.
CLEVELAND - Now that enough time has passed to digest the new men's basketball rules, the next question is which teams in the Mid-American Conference seem best equipped to take advantage of them?
The major focus has been on slicing the 35-second shot clock down to 30 seconds. But there are several other rules that look to be more impactful. One is a defender can only get a five-second call when the ball is not being dribbled. A good ball handler who can maintain his dribble, even throughout the 30-second shot clock, will never be penalized with a whistle.
Another rule is an emphasis on moving screens. If officiated as written, this will tax motion offensive teams that rely on multiple screens to free a shooter for wide-open shots.
And perhaps the least talked about, but potentially most impactful, will be not allowing coaches to call timeouts during live action.
What does that mean? Once the ball is put in play, if the defense gets a quick backcourt trap, the coach can no longer call a timeout to beat the 10-second count. At the end of the game, once the ball is in play for that critical possession, a coach can't call a timeout if the play he called is suddenly not going to work.
Therefore, an extension of the "coach on the floor" will be imperative. More often than not, he will be the point guard.
The new rules make it harder for defenses to draw fouls on players driving hard to the basket, and with a faster clock, 3-point shooting is likely to increase as well.
In short, seasoned point guards who can handle the ball and make quick decisions under duress and score will be mandatory. And practice preparation by coaches with contingency plans will separate the winners from the losers.
So going into the season, which MAC teams seem best prepared for these changes. Here is a quick look. But it is not, necessarily, a list of favorites to win the league in 2015-2016.
1. Central Michigan - CMU was one of the highest scoring (78.2 points) and best 3-point shooting (38.3 percent) outfits in the league and the bulk of the team is returning. Point guard Chris Fowler was one of the MAC's top scorers and also the top assist man. He can't shoot 3-pointers well (30.3 percent) but his 132 free-throw attempts were in the top five of the league.
2. Akron - The Zips did not shoot at their overall standards last season, or pass it as well. But they return one of the best inside tandems (Pat Forsythe and Isaiah Johnson) in the league, two proven 3-point shooters in Reggie McAdams and Jake Kretzer, plus a pair of clever young point guards (Noah Robotham and Antino Jackson) who should only get better as sophomores.
3. Eastern Michigan - The big plus for EMU is it is one of the few MAC teams that consistently employs a zone defense, and early speculation is zone defenses are about to proliferate to counter the new rules. But that's not all. Guard Raven Lee (16.7 ppg) is one of the top two returning scorers in the league.
4. Buffalo - Transition to a new coach and the loss of its No. 2 scorer will hurt early on. But the return of MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss, a still lethal backcourt led by Lamonte Bearden, and an already fast-paced offense should all bode well with the new rules.
The wild cards - Ohio University and Kent State. Both will rely heavily on transfers, particularly on the perimeter, but both already have proven scorers on the baseline. The Bobcats proved last season they can score in bunches, esprit d' corp will be their bigger issue.
Kent won't have the collective 3-point shooting it had last season, but the Flashes historically attack the basket with a vengeance, which should draw a lot of fouls. The key for them will be good free-throw shooting to make up at the line what Kent will not get behind the arc.
Check out a compilation of the top high school sports headlines on cleveland.com throughout May
CLEVELAND, Ohio – May featured the buildup to the conclusion of the 2014-15 high school sports calendar. Take a look back at what you might have missed.
Below is a compilation of the top high school sports headlines on cleveland.com throughout May, from numerous coaching changes, to the tragic car accident that killed two Hawken athletes, to district and regional events.
Look for a similar High School Yearbook post at the end of each month throughout 2015, and a complete year-in-review in December.
Be sure to vote for what was the biggest headline. Now let's take a look back at May’s top stories:
Brunswick's Gabby Maslowski helped her team win the 2015 Division I Amherst Regional championship.
BRUNSWICK, Ohio — Brunswick senior hurdler Gabby Maslowski will end her great high school track and field career competing in four events at the 2015 OHSAA Division I State Track and Field Championships in Columbus on Friday.
The senior already has had some memorable moments in her career.
Among them was helping her team to the 2015 Division I Amherst Regional Championship on May 29. Maslowski earned wins in the 100-meter hurdles (14.73 seconds) and with the Blue Devils' 4x400-meter relay (3:54.43). She will also compete at state in the 300 hurdles and the 4x100.
Friday will be the fourth time Maslowski, a Miami (Ohio) recruit, will compete in the state meet.
Q: How thrilled are you to have the opportunity to end your high school career competing in four events at the state meet?
A: "It's pretty incredible because I've been nervous the past three years. So I'm just going in confident, not nervous because I have nothing to lose. This is my last shot. So I'm going to try as hard as I can and not overthink it. It's just going to be nice to finish on that track."
Q: What does it mean for you as a senior to bring Brunswick a regional championship in track?
A: "It's just a great feeling. It just really warms all of our hearts inside and the fact that we worked so hard through the season to get this and we didn't even really think that we were going to get it, and we just did it, it's a great feeling inside. It makes me excited for what the younger athletes have to come."
Q: When you started doing track, what was it that got you into the hurdle events? A: "(My coach) tried me in the 300 hurdles because I was good in the 400 and I'm tall. This year, I just started doing the 100 hurdles. It was new to me. I'm not good at all the form yet. But she thought because I had the foot speed that I could actually get the 100 hurdles. And I did pretty well at them, I guess."
Q: Your senior class graduated on May 24. Is it bittersweet knowing that this is the last part of your time in high school?
A: "It's kind of sad because this is like my family. I just love them. It's going to be weird transitioning to college track. Just to leave it at winning a regional championship with my team, it's just a great feeling and I'm so excited for what we can do (Friday and Saturday)."
Q: Do you have any rituals or superstitions?
A: "I actually wear the same clothes, everything the exact same. Right before a race, I do the same high knees and stuff. I fix my hair the same. I just have a superstition about everything I do. I have to eat at the exact same time. I'm very superstitious about it. So I think that helps me mentally and not being so nervous for races."
Q: How excited are you to continue your track career in college?
A: "It's pretty incredible, knowing that I can go on with it and just see what I can become and everything. To just get a new level of it is a great feeling."
Our high school sports staff will go through the nominations and decide which ones to include in the poll to decide who wins the Team of the Week. Look for the Team of the Week poll every Monday afternoon. Voting is open until Thursday at noon. Come back and vote after each day. The winner will be announced Friday afternoon.
Did we miss one? Let us know by adding an answer into the poll or leaving a message in the comments section below.
We want to hear from you. Whether it’s asking us questions in the comments or commenting as you check out all the high school sports content, please take advantage of the comments section and let us know your takes on local teams, players and conference predictions.
Is LeBron James correct when he says he's never been better? How much does Kyrie Irving's health play into the Finals outcome? Terry Pluto discussed those issues and more during his weekly podcast.
Terry Pluto Podcast: June 2, 2015
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is LeBron James correct when he says he's never been better? How much does Kyrie Irving's health play into the Finals outcome? What's the most likely result of Kevin Love's impending free agency?
Berea will spend $14 million to $15 million to help the Browns renovate their heaquarters and stay there through at least 2028.
BEREA, Ohio -- Berea City Council unanimously approved a deal Monday night to cover $14 million to $15 million worth of renovations to the Cleveland Browns headquarters and keep the team here through at least 2028.
The deal also commits the Browns to 10 kinds of community service.
"It's a great facility," Mayor Cyril Kleem said Tuesday, "but they want to make it better, primarily for the players. When a free agent takes a tour, the training facility is an important factor. It often shows the commitment of the team to winning and to the health of the players."
The Browns hope to begin renovations next year. They're looking into extending the indoor field, currently 70 yards long, to the 100 yards of a game-day field. They're also considering built-in pools for therapy, adding parking spaces, storage space and more.
Peter John-Baptiste, the Browns' vice president of communications, said, "We continue to work with Mayor Kleem and city officials on remaining here for many years to come."
The city built the Browns' headquarters in 1991. The site is 76 Lou Groza Blvd., an address with the name and uniform number of a Hall of Fame kicker and offensive tackle. The Browns pay no rent, but Berea shares the team's income taxes with Cleveland, which hosts the home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The suburb's share of those taxes varies widely from year to year and came to $2.9 million in 2014.
Under Monday's deal, the city will contribute $7 million up front for renovations, mostly through bonds, making use of an A+ credit rating. The city will also rebate 40 percent of any excess in the team's yearly local income taxes beyond $2.6 million through 2029. Kleem expects the payroll to keep climbing, resulting in total rebates of $7 million to $8 million.
The Browns' lease runs through 2040, but the new deal delays an opt-out clause from 2020 to 2028. Two years ago, the Browns paid for most of a $3.5 million renovation of the complex's offices and added 68 workers there. Kleem does not expect new jobs from the latest deal.
The Browns have done many kinds of community service over the years. The new deal spells out 10 kinds, old or new:
Admitting the public to at least two practices or other football events per year.
Giving an unspecified amount of office and athletic equipment to the city for civic purposes.
Hosting a yearly fundraising event for the Berea Youth Sports Commission and/or Lou Groza Football, a recreational league
Giving the commission and/or Groza football tickets yearly to a home game and a "game day experience"
Giving an unspecified number of tickets to Browns games and events to the city, which will pass them along to local nonprofit organizations
Helping the city get grants and community programs from the National Football League
Sending a player, alumnus or coach to a local civic event each year
Hosting a yearly public safety training program
Producing three promotional videos about the city. Kleem expects to post them online and show them to prospective businesses
Making the fieldhouse available for civic use 15 days per year
The team has explored moving its summer training camp out of town, maybe to Columbus, starting in 2016. But John-Baptise said no decision has been made yet.
LeBron James is playing as well as he ever has in his career, and more coverage for the 2015 NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- See all the headlines from Cleveland and the Bay Area as the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are only two days away from Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals.
Below is a collection of stories - including several predictions -- videos and more, broken down by content from Cleveland and content from Northern California media outlets. At the bottom is general NBA links of note.
See an interesting article or column about the NBA Finals online? We invite you to share a link to it in the comments section below.
The NBA Finals begin Thursday in Oakland, Calif., at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Prediction: It's tough to ignore all the evidence pointing to distinct reality -- Golden State Warriors are better basketball team, but LeBron James will be the difference, says NEOMG Cavaliers writer Chris Fedor.
Former St. Edward High quarterback Kevin Burke and former Glenville defensive back Mike Edwards were selected to play for Team USA in World Championships this summer in Canton.
The seven-nation tournament, set for July 9-18 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, has been held every four years, beginning in 1999. IFAF works with 78 countries spanning six continents with national federations dedicated solely to American football. The U.S. won in 2007 and 2011, the only years it has participated.
The U.S. team features players from 24 states and will compete in a field against national teams from Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, Mexico and South Korea. Team USA is coached by former Boise State and Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins.
Edwards played at Glenville and played at Tennessee in 2009 before winding up at Hawaii in 2011. In 2012, he led the nation with 1,215 kickoff return yards, including three touchdowns. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets, but did not make the team.
Burke, who played at St. Edward, was the first two-time winner of the Gagliardi Trophy, given to the top Division III player in the country. He owns several school records and led the Purple Raiders to the Stagg Bowl three straight times, winning his sophomore season.
Meacham had 51 receptions for 945 yards and 12 touchdowns for Mount Union last season.
The mom of LeBron the jaguar picked the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Championship at the Akron Zoo. Goodyear has two blimps over Akron this week as the company shuffles its fleet. Cavs guard Matthew Delevedova meets fans at Summit Mall.
AKRON, Ohio -- According to LeBron's mom, the Cleveland Cavaliers will win the 2016 NBA Finals.
This is not LeBron James' mom, but the mother of LeBron, the Akron Zoo jaguar, who like the human LeBron left Akron in 2010. (He took his talents to Louisville, Kentucky.)
LeBron's mom, Naom, had the chance to pick a red or a yellow ball and cast her wager on who will win the upcoming championship series. She chose the red ball with her paw. Call it a toe-in for the Cavs.
Goodyear blimps convene over Akron: There are two Goodyear blimps flying the skies over Akron this week, the brand new Wingfoot One airship and the Spirit of Innovation Blimp. The company is in the middle of a fleet change as it prepares to launch its second semi-arid airship later this year, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
The first new ship in the fleet, Wingfoot One, is being sent to Florida to replace the Spirit of Innovation, which was launched in 2006.
Moneypenny means business: On his first day as Mayor of Akron, Garry Moneypenny, brought in recruiters from 20 companies. They told him about their struggle luring people to move to Akron, the Beacon Journal reported Tuesday.
"Talent acquisition is probably the biggest problem. We can't change the weather. We need to have something else that entices them, something like a nice brochure or website. Where are the things we can do in Akron?" Bridgestone Americas Recruiter Steve Charles said in the report.
Delevedova meets fans at Summit Mall: Cavaliers guard Matthew Delevedova sat at a table at Summit Mall on Monday, signing autographs for eagerly queued fans.
"Well, he's Australian and I love his accent," Claudia Simmons told WAKR radio. "He's a fabulous basketball player and very exciting to watch."
