The Cavaliers officially opened training camp - their first without LeBron James - this afternoon with Media Day. cleveland.com was there, providing live streaming video from Cleveland Clinic Courts. We'll be there getting interviews with players, coaches and beat reporters brought to you live.
Vogue, step aside. The NFL is going from the gridiron to the runway with fashion advice to help female fans wear their team colors everywhere from tailgates to posh nightclubs. The league has thousands of new products including jeans with logos on the back pockets, flip-flops and yoga mats for women this year. It is pairing up with shops such as Victoria's Secret and Destination Maternity to sell the new products this fall in 3,000 new stores.
NEW YORK — Vogue, step aside. The NFL is going from the gridiron to the runway with fashion advice to help female fans wear their team colors everywhere from tailgates to posh nightclubs.
The league has thousands of new products including jeans with logos on the back pockets, flip-flops and yoga mats for women this year. It is pairing up with shops such as Victoria's Secret and Destination Maternity to sell the new products this fall in 3,000 new stores.
The league is launching a $10 million marketing effort on Monday with television commercials and a new website at www.nfl.com/women.
Women — who comprise 44 percent of NFL fans — can peruse a look book showing how NFL wives such as October Gonzalez, wife of Altanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, and Tanya Snyder, wife of Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, put together the various casual to dressy items. On one page, a NFL fan wears a slit-neck hooded t-shirt (retail: $44.99) paired with a purse made of recycled license plates featuring a team logo (retail: $149.99). The tag line reads: "Who says football isn't pretty?"
The league's women's apparel business has doubled since 2004, said Tracey Bleczinski, vice president of apparel. She declined to say how much the segment was worth but said it was one-fourth the size of the men's business. The league declined to release total annual sales figures.
Women's sports apparel has been around for about a decade, and originally the strategy was to "shrink it and pink it," Bleczinski said. But products have evolved to tap into women's desire to wear team colors beyond game day. This year, the NFL is taking it a step further by putting more products in more stores and showing women how to wear them.
"It's kind of like our tag line 'love your team without looking like you're on it,'" she said. "We're giving women the opportunity to be themselves and still love the game."
The league tailors its products in step with changing fashion trends. This year, it's less about bedazzling and more about foiling — a process that makes shiny designs on clothing. Women can also buy customizable jeans that let them choose where their team logos will be displayed.
The NFL is also keeping up with lifestyle trends, creating spa gift bags with natural brown sugar scrub, Mediterranean sea salts and goat's milk and honey lotion with team logos. Those bags come with team-spirited nail polish, such as black and yellow for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. (Retail: $44.99)
The offerings are also being expanded to cater to women of all sizes, including plus and maternity. One of the best sellers so far this year is a pairing of a team logo maternity top and matching outfit for a baby, Bleczinski said.
The NFL will sell more products with existing partners J.C. Penney Co., Kohl's Corp. and Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. this year, and feature its wares on http://www.nflshop.com in mid-October.
Hear Daniel Gibson talk about whether he's spoken with LeBron James and what they've talked about. Also, Gibson talks about playing without LeBron and what the team will be like in 2010-2011.
Hear Daniel Gibson talk about whether he's spoken with LeBron James and what they've talked about. Also, Gibson talks about playing without LeBron and what the team will be like in 2010-2011.
Will Anderson Varejao be paying attention to Miami this season. Listen to his response to that question on Cavaliers media day.
Will Anderson Varejao be paying attention to Miami this season. Listen to his response to that question on Cavaliers media day.
Hear Christian Eyenga's thoughts on joining the Cavaliers and what he expects from his first season in the NBA.
Hear Christian Eyenga's thoughts on joining the Cavaliers and what he expects from his first season in the NBA.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg writes how the Buckeyes remain number one in his Big Ten rankings. Surprisingly, Iowa (3-1) is number 3 with the undefeated Michigan (4-0) number four. Wisconsin (4-0) is number two behind the Buckeyes. 1. Ohio State (4-0): The Buckeyes boast their most dynamic offense since 2006, and Terrelle Pryor continues to evolve as the trigger-man. No one...
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg writes how the Buckeyes remain number one in his Big Ten rankings.
Surprisingly, Iowa (3-1) is number 3 with the undefeated Michigan (4-0) number four. Wisconsin (4-0) is number two behind the Buckeyes.
1. Ohio State (4-0): The Buckeyes boast their most dynamic offense since 2006, and Terrelle Pryor continues to evolve as the trigger-man. No one will be pleased with Ohio State's defensive performance against Eastern Michigan, but Pryor and the offense put up historic numbers. Ohio State remains the team to beat in the Big Ten.
Rittenberg has Michigan No. 4 because despite how well the offense has played, holes remain on the defensive side.
4. Michigan (4-0): The offense continued to surge Saturday against Bowling Green, even after Robinson went down with a knee injury. Tate Forcier got his groove back, completing all 12 of his pass attempts, and receiver Roy Roundtree continued to impress.
Berry good
Jaamal Berry scored his first collegiate touchdown last Saturday against Eastern Michigan on a 67-yard run.
Berry was one of the top high school running backs in the nation two years ago. Reporter John Kampf of The Morning Journal writes:
“I’ve been waiting for that,” Berry said with a broad smile. “I just know I was going to make sure nobody was going to catch me. I saw the end zone and was like ‘I’m not going to stop running until I get there.’”
Berry plays behind senior Brandon Saine, junior Dan Herron and sophomore Jordan Hall. While waiting for his turn, Berry has been a spark on special teams. Last Saturday, Berry returned three kickoffs for 86 yards.
“I guess you could call it (a breakout game),” Berry said. “I still should have gotten that kickoff return. I’m just executing what I can do. When I’m in there, I’m just going to make the best of it.”
Berry has returned eight kicks for 226 yards, a gaudy 28.2-yard average. He has also been added to the kickoff coverage unit for the first time in his career. He was whistled for being offside on one Ohio State kickoff on Saturday but was otherwise the first OSU player down the field on each of the kicks.
The defense got too much rest
The Ohio State Buckeyes exploded for 73 points in its victory over Eastern Michigan last Saturday, but the 20 points allowed is what concerned the Buckeyes, writes Jim Naveau of The Lima News.
The Eagles scored at the end of drives that covered 75 yards, 73 yards and 80 yards.
“Twenty points is way too much for our expectations and goals as a defense. We want to be the best in the nation. We can’t give up 20 no matter who it is,” linebacker Ross Homan said.
Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward wasn’t satisfied, either. “We gave up three touchdowns. We have to improve a lot. Everybody has to improve. We have to make more production on the defensive line,” he said.
Nothing to smile about
Mansfield Journal reporter Jon Spencer writes how Saturday's blowout victory wasn't a laughing matter for Ohio State.
"I don't think we can take anything positive from this," lineman Cam Heyward said glumly, obviously speaking only for the defense after the 73-20 bludgeoning of Eastern Michigan. "We've got to improve a lot if we want to win a Big Ten championship."
D'Qwell Jackson will have surgery on his partially torn right pectoral muscle; he was put on injured reserve on Saturday, and lost for the season.
Jackson was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will be out for the season.
"It didn't respond" the way the Browns thought it would with rest and treatment, Mangini said.
In other Browns news:
* Mangini acknowledged cornerback Eric Wright "didn't have a good day" and didn't try to sugarcoast it or blame it on lack of pass-rush or backside help. But he said he has confidence in Wright and has no plans of benching him.
* Wright said he'll come back on Sunday and be the player everyone expects him to be and more. "I made it way too easy" for Anquan Boldin to score three TDs, Wright said.
* Mangini said he's not sure yet if Seneca Wallace will start Sunday vs. Cincinnati in place of Jake Delhomme (ankle) again.
* Linebacker Marcus Benard, who sat out Sunday with an ankle injury, said he'll be back practicing Wednesday.
Blanda played 26 seasons for the Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders before retiring in 1976 at age 48. Also, read The Plain Dealer game story from Nov. 8, 1970, when Blanda led Oakland to a comeback win over the Browns.
Alameda, Calif. (Associated Press) – The Oakland Raiders say Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda has died. He was 83.
A Raiders' spokesman confirmed the death Monday. The team is expected to release a statement later Monday.
Blanda spent 26 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback and kicker while playing for three different teams. He spent 10 seasons with Chicago, seven with the Houston Oilers and nine with the Raiders before retiring in 1976 at the age of 48.
Blanda was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 1, 1981.
..........
Blanda, then 43, led the Raiders to several improbable comeback wins during the 1970 season with his place-kicking and often coming off the bench to play quarterback as starter Daryl Lamonica struggled with injuries.
One of Oakland's dramatic wins was against the Browns, who were in their first season in the American Football Conference as part of the merger between the National Football League and the American Football League.
Plain Dealer game stories on every regular season and playoff game in Browns history can be found at the Browns History Database on The Plain Dealer's cleveland.com website.
The Plain Dealer's renown Browns beat writer, the late Chuck Heaton, was in Oakland on Nov. 8, 1970, and reported on the Browns-Raiders game:
Oakland Raiders 23, Browns 20
At Oakland
November 08, 1970
Oakland, Calif. -"It seems that the Lord's been with us the last few weeks."
George Blanda, aging hero of the Oakland Raiders' 23-20 last-second comeback victory over the Browns, was the speaker but many of the Cleveland contingent must have been in complete agreement yesterday.
The Browns seemed to have a safe lead-or at least be assured of a tie-when Don Cockroft kicked his 32-yard field goal with only 4:24 left in the game. That gave Blanton Collier's team a seven-point bulge.
IT ALSO APPEARED that it was to Cleveland's advantage to have Daryle Lamonica out of the game. Felled by a shoulder injury, he was replaced by the 43-year old Blanda at quarterback.
Even after the veteran took the Raiders 69 yards to a touchdown and kicked the extra point, the deadlock appeared certain. Oakland didn't get the ball back until only 43 seconds remained.
That was time enough for six plays by the wily old-timer, however. Then he calmly booted the 52-yard field goal-longest of his 21 years in the pros-with seven seconds left.
There were three seconds remaining as the Raiders' field goal unit raced triumpha
ntly off the field. The clock ran out as Bob Matheson returned the Oakland kickoff and the Raiders had their 16th straight regular season home victory.
NOW THE BROWNS find themselves in a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Central Division of the American Football Conference. And next Sunday, Cleveland must visit Cincinnati to meet what are sure to be Paul Brown's hopped-up Bengals.
The Browns have four victories and four defeats for the season with six games left. Not since 1956-when the club had the only losing campaign in its history-have the Browns been in this shape at this point in the season.
The Raiders, who lead the Western Division of the AFC with a 4-2-2 record, started out as though this was to be a romp on a perfect afternoon before 54,463 fans.
They led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and hiked that bulge to 13-0 midway through the second period. Blanda kicked field goals of 43 and nine yards and Charlie Smith scored on a 27-yard pass play with Lamonica on the throwing end.
THE BROWNS couldn't even get a first down up to this point. And the defense was saving his heroics.
Cleveland took advantage of the miss to get a touchdown. A pass to Kelly was good for one first down and then Bo Scott scooted down the sideline for 63 yards and six points.
So it was 17-13 in the Browns' favor at the end of three periods after the defense shut out the Raiders in that third session.
Another Cleveland fourth-quarter threat was stopped when Nemiah Wilson intercepted a pass by Nelsen in the end zone.
THE BROWNS got another chance, however, when Bob Matheson stepped in front of a Blanda pass and returned 11 yards to the Oakland 26. They couldn't get the touchdown but Cockroft was successful with his field goal try.
So the Browns were on top, 20-13, with only 4:11 left when Blanda, who had replaced Lamonica near the start of the quarter, began to get warmed up.
After the Raiders had scored the tying points, the Browns chose to try to work into field goal range rather than settle for a deadlock. They started from their 18-yard line and moved to a pair of first downs.
IT WAS FIRST and 10 on the Cleveland 42 when Nelsen, who had his problems much of the game, threw to Milt Morin. Defensive back Kent McCloughan grabbed the wild throw and the Raiders were in business at the Cleveland 49 with those 34 seconds left.
A Blanda pass to Heweritt Dixon was incomplete. Then there was a pass interference call against Sumner that put the ball on the Browns' 39.
Jack Gregory, however, threw Blanda for a 10-yard loss and a pass by the quarterback was incomplete at the Cleveland 40. Then the Raiders were tossed back another five yards when an illegal procedure penalty was assessed against them.
THAT PUT THE ball on the Oakland 46 but gave the Raiders another down. A pass from Blanda to Dixon picked up nine yards and the receiver got outside to stop the clock.
Then came the 52-yard field goal, which meant deep gloom for the Browns and a great joy for the Raiders.
Nelsen completed only nine of 28 passes for 110 yards with Kelly catching five of those. Lamonica went to the bench after hitting on seven of 20 and Blanda finished his great day with seven of 12 for 102 yards and had, of course, those nine points on field goals.
Bo Scott led the Cleveland ground game with 101 yards and a 7.2 average but most of that came on the one big touchdown jaunt of 63 yards. Charley Smith topped the Raiders with 63 yards.
There were three interceptions of Nelsen's passes.
Chiefs defensive end Shaun Smith faces another allegation of illegal (or at least inappropriate) use of hands.
Kansas City defensive end Shaun Smith, accused by Cleveland center Alex Mack of grabbing where he shouldn't have in the Chiefs' 16-14 win over the the Browns last week, apparently is at it again.
San Francisco offensive lineman Anthony Davis was flagged for a personal foul for going after Smith at the end of a play on which the 49ers had made a first down.
Let's let CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco tell it from there:
Davis said Smith's actions were, well, below the belt.
"He tried to feel me," Davis said. "That's weird, right?"
"I think he got hit inappropriately," Singletary said after the 49ers' 31-10 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. "After a while, there's only so much you can take. He (Davis) was wrong for retaliating and he knows that."
Mack leveled his allegation of Smith's indiscretion in a conversation with The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot.
Alex Mack accused former Browns defensive lineman Shaun Smith Monday of foul play during the Chiefs game, specifically grabbing his genitals during a play near the end of the first half.
The reason it's significant is because the Browns' center got into a verbal spat with the trash-talking Smith and may have still been steamed about it a minute later when he jumped over the pile on a short pass to Jerome Harrison and drilled linebacker Derrick Johnson late. The move drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, one that moved the ball back to the Chiefs' 37.
Two plays later, Phil Dawson missed a 42-yard field goal, which proved to be the difference in 16-14 loss.
"I don't think he should be able to do that," said Mack of Smith. "I'm still fired up about it."
The incident took place after a one-yard run by Josh Cribbs with 1:21 left in the second quarter. After that play, a number of Chiefs players ended up on the Browns' sideline and punches were thrown.
Smith told the Associated Press the Monday the Chiefs beat the Browns: "I don't have no comment. I don't recall doing anything like that. I'm not known for being a dirty player or anything like that, so I don't know what that was all about."
Smith has not commented on the latest accusation. The Chiefs have a bye this week, and return at Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct.10.
Hear what Cavaliers guard Mo Williams had to say during his session with the media on media day.
Hear what Cavaliers guard Mo Williams had to say during his session with the media on media day. Mo talked about his comments in a Yahoo! story about whether he really pondered retirement this summer. He also answered questions about whether LeBron James quit on the Cavaliers in the 2010 playoffs, Dan Gilbert's letter after LeBron left and what the team expects to happen in 2010-2011.
Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant is asked if he is concerned about the low expectations the national media have put upon the Cavs following the departure of LeBron James. He is then asked why Byron Scott is the right coach for this team.
Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant is asked if he is concerned about the low expectations the national media have put upon the Cavs following the departure of LeBron James. He is then asked why Byron Scott is the right coach for this team.
The Browns made mistakes Sunday that bad teams make. As a result, they lost to the Ravens, 24-17, and remain winless.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After watching the CBS Sports telecast of the Browns-Ravens game on DVR twice -- late Sunday night and early Monday morning -- a truism kept ringing between the ears:
Good teams find a way to win and bad teams find a way to lose.
The Ravens, it is safe to assume, are a good team. That is why they were able to defeat the Browns, 24-17, Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
The Browns, based on their 0-3 record, are a bad team. That is why they lost despite going helmet to helmet with their opponent on the physical front. It was fun to replay a number of the Browns' running plays so as to truly appreciate how much hitting was being administered by both sides.
The Browns can feel good about themselves for how they hung tough against a quality team in its house, and how the face of that team, linebacker Ray Lewis, was largely neutralized.
But the Browns still lost. They are 0-3. In the business of sports, especially for one in which there are only 16 regular-season games and fans paint their bodies and pay for personal seat licenses, the result is what matters.
Rebuild or no rebuild, 0-3 is 0-3.
The frustrating part for the current edition is that it has performed better than its record. I'm not going to say the Browns should have beaten the Buccaneers or Romeo Crennel's Chiefs or the Ravens -- but they could have won any one of those games. They did not, though, because their record says they are a bad team, and bad teams find a way to lose.
Against the Ravens, four plays illustrate that point as much as any others.
1. After the Browns took a 17-14 lead at the outset of the third quarter, they kicked off and tackled the Ravens return man at the Baltimore 15. One problem: One member of the Cleveland coverage unit was offside. I'm 99 percent sure who it was, but I couldn't 100 percent confirm with a replay, so I'm going to leave it as Bill Parcells would: The player. The player was one step ahead of Phil Dawson's kickoff.
Every team will make those types of mistakes in the course of a season. But if a winless team is going to beat a good team on the road, it cannot make that one.
The Ravens returned the re-kick to the Baltimore 31.
2. The Ravens moved down the field and had third-and-5 from the Cleveland 27 with 9:21 left. Quarterback Joe Flacco, out of the shotgun, connected with Anquan Boldin for a touchdown.
Yes, Eric Wright got burned as part of a bad, bad afternoon. But the Browns' blitz -- if you can call it that -- didn't help.
The Browns originally sent eight. Or maybe it was seven, because Mike Adams, on the far left of the screen, appeared to be in no-man's land. He began looking to his left, then backed off.
Adams and two other blitzers, T.J. Ward and Abe Elam, were not even at the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. Even if you grant that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is trying to create confusion and uncertainty with the blitz packages by coming from different depths and angles, or coming in waves, there's got to be more of an immediate threat when that many players are committed.
Credit the Ravens for executing at the line; being in a max-protect mode helped. They had seven players assigned to block. But the Browns are culpable for failing to put the type of pressure on the quarterback that a rush of seven or eight is supposed to provide. Flacco had enough time to catch the shotgun snap, set his feet, see Boldin breaking free and loft the ball before getting hit.
It happened other times in the Ravens game, and in the two weeks previous, where the Browns simply did not get to the quarterback with the blitz, no matter its shape or size. And if the exotic looks before the snap have confused Josh Freeman of Tampa Bay or Matt Cassel of Kansas City or Flacco, none has shown it.
I wish I could read lips, because I am fairly certain Browns coach Eric Mangini was upset about the lack of the blitz's effectiveness after the third Boldin TD. CBS had a tight shot of Mangini speaking his mind for a second, then gritting his teeth.
3. On the ensuing possession, the Browns had first-and-10 from their 20 with 9:13 remaining. Quarterback Seneca Wallace pitched to Peyton Hillis, who was not ready for it. Wallace tracked back and fell on the ball at the Cleveland 3. Two plays later, the Browns punted from the back of the end zone, giving the Ravens excellent field position (Cleveland 42). Baltimore turned it into a field goal and 24-17 advantage.
Hillis was not ready for the pitch because, it became apparent, he and nine others on the offense thought the play was going to be a handoff to the left. Wallace accepted full responsibility for the brain cramp. As solidly as Wallace played overall, that's a huge error, a play bad teams cannot afford to make if they expect to win.
It's one thing if Hillis thinks it's a pitch when it's actually a handoff. It's another when the quarterback, who calls the play in the huddle, thinks so.
4. On the ensuing possession, the Browns had first-and-10 from their 20. Hillis rushed for 1 yard before Wallace connected with Hillis for 7.
It set up a positively critical third-and-2 for the Browns, trailing by seven. Of all the options available, Wallace throwing deep down the sideline to Josh Cribbs on the short side of the field did not seem like a wise choice. But that is what happened. Wallace not only missed Cribbs -- who happened to be covered -- he missed him big. Even if Cribbs had been wide open, the pass had no chance of being completed because it landed about eight feet out of bounds on the right sideline, near the Ravens 45.
No question offensive coordinator is one of the toughest coaching jobs in sports. The job requires split-second decisions amidst a thousand variables. Everybody's a critic. Everything looks so simple ex post facto.
Regardless, Brian Daboll probably would like to have that one back.
The call looked that much worse based on what the opponent's offense did minutes later. With 2:28 left, the Ravens had a third-and-3 from their 27. Flacco, from the shotgun, rolled right. T.J. Housmandzadeh, who came in motion from wide right, used a (legal) pick from Boldin and broke to the right sideline. Joe Haden, assigned to cover Housh, got caught up in Boldin's wash. Wright ended up covering. Flacco threw the ball over Wright and Housh caught it for a 4-yard gain.
It was Housh's only catch of the game.
I've got to believe the Browns have such a play in their book, especially when Wallace and Cribbs are on the field.
The term "three-peat" was coined by Cavs coach Byron Scott when he was a Lakers player. But Pat Riley, then the Lakers coach, now the Miami roster raider, owns the trademark. Somehow, that figures.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three-peat. It is a familiar term now, applied to the imperial aspirations of great sports dynasties.
It is also Cavaliers coach Byron Scott's invention. Not that he gets much of the credit or any of the money for it.
"I understand you coined the term three-peat," I said recently to Scott.
"I did indeed," he said, smiling.
The story I heard was that Scott coined the term at the Los Angeles Lakers' victory party after they won their second consecutive championship in 1988. "We were all using it at training camp [before the next season]," he said.
"But Pat Riley trademarked it, not you," I said.
"That's right," said Scott, smiling a little less broadly.
Riley was the Lakers coach at the time who, of course, went on this summer to defeat the Cavs' immediate dreams of empire by luring LeBron James to Miami as a free agent.
"Didn't the trademark thing bother you?" I said.
"It bothered me some," Scott said.
Scott moved beyond his feelings because the Lakers had another championship to pursue, the three-peat one. They did not achieve it, sweeping into the Finals, only to be swept themselves by Detroit when a plague of injuries struck.
Riley's corporate entity, Riles & Co., successfully registered "three-peat" as a trademark in November 1988. The currently retired coach -- be afraid, Erik Spoelstra, be very afraid -- receives royalties from apparel makers and sports merchandise manufacturers whenever they use "three-peat" on their products. The Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan (twice), the Lakers and the New York Yankees have three-peated since Riley trademarked the term.
Scott seems to be good at letting the past be past. If memories of the days when Scott started in the backcourt alongside Earvin Johnson and won NBA championships with "Magic and Riles" can help him now, he uses them. If they hinder him, he does not.
"I'm lucky enough to played for two of the best coaches ever in Pat Riley and Larry Brown," said Scott, who played two years for Brown in Indiana. "I have not spoken with Riles since the incident [the defection of James] in July, but he's still a friend and obviously still a great coach."
Riley is also a shark. Scott can be perhaps excused for not knowing what he had in 1988 in "three-peat," because he was a player, not a businessman. The revolting thing is how completely the Cavs allowed themselves to be played.
Owner Dan Gilbert and former general manager Danny Ferry should have howled long and loud when Riley and Jordan reportedly met with James in Miami the day of a game last season against the Heat. The wily Riley used the time to discover what James' "hot" buttons were. But Riley had absolutely no business meeting with the Cavs' superstar in his free agency year.
Riley wrote a motivational book in the 1990s. It was called "The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players."
A review shows that Riley's inner winner led him to complain about Boston's rough play when he coached the glittery "Showtime" Lakers. But when he went to the less-skilled Knicks, his allegiance to artistic basketball lapsed, and he turned the Knicks into a motorcycle gang.
As Miami's president, he sent Stan Van Gundy down a trap door to make himself Miami's coach again. Multi-dimensional in inner and outer manifestations of glory, Riley coached the Heat to the 2006 title. He is probably dreaming of at least a three-peat now with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on his team. He could then enrich himself by mandating three-peat slogans on Heat merchandise.
Other teams have tried to circumvent "three-peat." When Southern California was going for at least a share of three straight national championships in football, its marketing department used "three-Pete," a play on the name of former coach Pete Carroll. A court ruled that it infringed on Riley's trademark.
The Bulls, on their way to their first three-peat in 1993, simply put up billboards in Chicago with three rows of four basketballs on them, symbolizing the four victories needed in the Finals. Each ball had a letter of the word "peat" on it. At the time, the Bulls had won three games in the 1993 Finals. So the billboard read:
"p-e-a-t
"p-e-a-t
"p-e-a-"
Riley couldn't beat Jordan's Bulls on the court or on the boards.
Hear what Cavaliers guard Anthony Parker had to say about how different camp feels to start the 2010-2011 season, the differences between Byron Scott and Mike Brown and more
Hear what Cavaliers guard Anthony Parker had to say about how different camp feels to start the 2010-2011 season, the differences between Byron Scott and Mike Brown and more as he spoke during Cavaliers media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.
Terry Pluto knows it's Josh Cribbs and the running backs who are the closest things the Browns' offense has to playmakers. The ball should be in their hands.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OK, so this set of scribbles will have a definite theme ...
1. Let's consider what the Browns learned at the end of last season -- when they rushed for 900 yards in their last four games. That's right, 900 yards! Yes, they did it against one good defense (Pittsburgh) and others not so good (Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville). But we're talking 900 yards on the ground in four games! And we're talking only 363 yards passing -- and one touchdown -- in those four games. So everyone knew the Browns were going to run the ball, and no one could really stop them.
2. In that final four-game winning streak, the Browns threw a grand total of 64 passes -- 16 per game. They ran it 45 times a game. This was an offense committed to running the ball. New team president Mike Holmgren still can't figure out how the Browns won those games throwing for only 91 yards a game -- but they did. You can't win titles this way, but it's imperative for the Browns to win games any way they can.
3. Holmgren wisely upgraded the quarterback position with Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, but it's not like he brought in Otto Graham and Brian Sipe. They are better than the departed Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. But it seemed in the first two games, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was to happy to have someone who could sort of pass -- he forgot about the run, and the major commitment it takes to make a power ground game work.
4. In the 17-14 loss at Tampa, the Browns threw 37 passes, and ran it 23 times. They averaged 4.5 yards per carry in those games, but Daboll turned away from running the ball when Peyton Hillis (41 yards in nine carries) fumbled twice (losing one). In Monday's press conference Eric Mangini mentioned the Browns "ran the ball well" at Tampa. That's true, coach. But they didn't run it enough.
5. In the 16-14 loss to Kansas City, it was 31 passes to 26 runs. Jerome Harrison (33 yards, 16 carries) didn't produce. Hillis (35 yards, eight carries) had some nice moments, but the Browns seemed reluctant to put the ball in his hands -- probably because the fumbles at Tampa.
6. But the Browns should have known that Hillis had only one fumble in 88 NFL carries entering this season. It was his first game with a new team -- maybe he just tried too hard to make big plays and didn't protect the ball. The best thing for Hillis was Harrison (thigh injury) being out in Baltimore, meaning the Browns had to give him the ball. They had to return to their roots of running the ball. In the 24-17 loss to the Ravens, they had 24 passes compared to 29 runs. It produced 173 yards rushing, Hillis with a bullish 144 yards in 22 carries.
7. In Baltimore, the right side of the line was strong, especially when Tony Pashos was at tackle next to Porkchop Womack. Hillis gained 49 yards in six carries running to the right side. Two carries went for 12 and 25 yards. He had six yards in three carries up the middle. To the left, it was 89 yards in 13 carries.
8. Joshua Cribbs said the line was "begging" to run the ball. His 19-yard run was to the left side. Add in a powerful blocking fullback in Lawrence Vickers and a 240-runner in Hillis who seems to always fall forward for extra yardage -- and the Browns can have a good running game again. But they have to remain committed to it.
9. It was Harrison who led the ground game last year. This season, Hillis has been more effective. I prefer the Browns to go with the hot running back, period. Now, it's Hillis. They can mix in Harrison (when healthy). Maybe even some James Davis, too. The idea of a power running game with a big back who can also catch passes is why the Browns drafted Montario Hardesty (out with knee surgery). They want depth at the position.
10. There can be a lot of gnashing of teeth about the lack of passes to the receivers, but Seneca Wallace was 18-of-24 for 144 yards. He threw nine passes to receivers: Cribbs (six), Mohammed Massaquoi (one). He threw six more to tight end Ben Watson. Hillis had eight passes thrown his way. If the Browns had Anquan Boldin and were ignoring a star receiver, then it's a big issue. Cribbs is developing into their best receiver, and he was the target of 33 percent of the passes.
11. I'm not writing about what an ideal team should look like, I'm writing about where the Browns offense is today. They don't have any accomplished receivers. They have two journeymen quarterbacks. They do have a line and a fullback that can really run-block, when that is their mission. So I'm not going to talk about keeping receivers happy when it's Cribbs and the running backs who are the closest things this offense has to playmakers. I want the ball in their hands.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - The question involved the road schedule for the Miami Heat's traveling circus, and as Dwyane Wade leaned forward to answer, he was barely audible in the big room. Wade paused. "I think they cut my mike off," he said. With midseason timing, two microphones simultaneously slid his way - from LeBron James on his...
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - The question involved the road schedule for the Miami Heat's traveling circus, and as Dwyane Wade leaned forward to answer, he was barely audible in the big room.
Wade paused. "I think they cut my mike off," he said.
With midseason timing, two microphones simultaneously slid his way - from LeBron James on his left, and from Chris Bosh on his right.
"Thank you," Wade said. "I appreciate you passing the ball."
See? The Heat's new power trio shares just fine.
Though hardly in need of publicity, the threesome assembled for a 20-minute news conference Monday during Heat media day, hours before the team departed to begin training camp Tuesday in the Florida Panhandle.
Considering the scope of the event - 275 credentialed media, more than two dozen TV cameras - the mood was subdued. Unlike, say, Super Bowl media day, there were no VIPs in the audience to rival the celebrity of the players. There were no audacious questions or oddball outfits, either.
For the most part, the Heat merely seemed ready to go to work, even if they'll do it under a microscope.
"This team is not built for us to go below the radar," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's a good thing. The expectations are there. We won't run away from it."
Some expect the Heat to win every game, thanks to an unprecedented free agent haul that united Wade, James and Bosh. All were among the top five picks in the 2003 draft, and all are All-Stars, but none has been in a situation like this.
"There are so many things being different, even this media day," Bosh said. "Everything is different from what we all have either expected or experienced."
The question about who will take the last shot won't be answered until the season starts Oct. 26 at Boston. As for the question of who was going to take the first question: It was Wade.
Sitting in the middle, flanked by the two Heat newcomers, he served as a moderator of sorts. At one juncture, reporters on opposite sides of the room tried to ask questions at the same time, and Wade interrupted.
"There are two people talking," he said, before nodding toward James. "I know he's confused, because I'm confused, and Chris is, too."
Wade restored order and kept his teammates involved throughout, such as when he defended the much-maligned celebration at the Heat arena after all three signed in July.
"We enjoyed it," Wade said. "And 13,000 fans in the arena enjoyed it. We did it for Miami. We didn't do it for anyone outside of that. I think it was fine."
He turned to James, then Bosh.
"Did y'all like it?"
They nodded.
"Good times," Wade said.
Bosh listened closely when his teammates talked and smiled easily, while James mostly stared ahead with a solemn expression, looking like he was ready to go on a 45-point binge at any minute. The reigning two-time NBA MVP tapped his fingers on the table, scratched his collarbone, stroked his mustache and laughed only once - when Wade teased him about leaving Bosh off his list of good ball-handlers.
James was more relaxed once off the podium and in a smaller room, facing only a handful of reporters and photographers. He and Wade said they'll continue such pregame rituals as baby-powder-rubbing, and Bosh joked he'll need to come up with a similar routine to complement James.
"I'll make something up," Bosh said. "I'll watch his chalk-throwing and getting the crowd ready, and I'll go to some other corner."
Soon the Heat were boarding a flight to the Panhandle, with the cameras and notepads in pursuit. Some 250 media credentials are being issued for training camp, despite the remote location.
Beginning Monday, the spotlight is on.
"You can't hide from it," Spoelstra said. "You have to embrace it. It's not a distraction, as long as it doesn't get in the way of our daily activities and practice and focus and preparing. That's part of this team. This team is different from what we had last year."
This team is different, period.
Cavaliers roster included LeBron James the last seven years, the last five of which were playoff seasons.
Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers, about to begin their 41st NBA season, hosted their media day today and begin training camp practices on Tuesday.
The Plain Dealer and the Cavaliers pages on the newspaper's cleveland.com website continue to cover the team.
Plain Dealer/cleveland.com/cavs Cavaliers coverage includes Dan Labbe's video interviews with guard Mo Williams, guard-forward Christian Eyenga, forward-center Anderson Varejao, guard Daniel Gibsonand guard Anthony Parker. And, a video interview with general manager Chris Grant.
Also, Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Brian Windhorst lists five key issues facing the Cavaliers as training camp begins. And, Bill Livingston's column on Cavaliers coach Byron Scott's playing days with then-Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley.
Different Cavaliers
The Cavaliers led the NBA in wins each of the past two seasons, and have won eight playoff series in the last five years. They got to the NBA Finals once, losing to the San Antonio Spurs, four games to none, in the spring of 2007.
Several players, coach Mike Brown and general manager Danny Ferry are now "former" Cavaliers. Of course, the most significant departure was that of LeBron James, who signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat after playing his first seven seasons with the Cavs.
Rick Noland writes about the difference in the Cavaliers for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette:
(Mo) Williams is at his best when he’s playing free and easy and doesn’t feel guilty about taking a few bad shots or making a couple of mistakes. When he was deferring to James and trying to fit in, Williams often lost his aggressiveness and, though he’ll probably never admit it, his confidence.
Now he’s on a mediocre team again, so expect a return to his free-wheeling, numbersproducing days with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Combo guard Ramon Sessions will be fun to watch, whether he starts at shooting guard or backs up Williams and Anthony Parker — starting seems to make the most sense, because Parker isn’t in the Cavs’ long-term plans. He’ll take a lot of shots and, on some nights, put up a lot of points.
Third-year man J.J. Hickson should continue to bloom, but he’ll no longer have James around to set him up.
Anderson Varejao is going to continue to do what he’s always done, which is create havoc on defense, hustle all over the court and get some buckets on cuts to the basket.
Questions for coach
New Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is the subject of a lengthy interview on nba.com/cavaliers.
Among the questions was how the Cavs can adjust to losing centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Miami and Shaquille O'Neal to the Boston Celtics as free agents.
Scott's reply:
What we don’t have in size, we have in athleticism and length. Anderson (Varejao) is obviously a guy who’s made his living with his hustle and his passion for the game. And I think this offense is definitely going to suit him as well.
On the defensive end, what we don’t have in height, we can use our fundamentals to the best of our ability. And that means blocking people out and rebounding the ball. And that's the toughness part – it's something I’ve always aspired to have on my teams. Guys that are willing to stick their nose in there and try to do all the dirty work that you have to do to be successful.
I feel pretty good about where we are and the direction that we’re headed. And I’m just ready to get started.
Cavs ex-coaches
FoxSports.com features a photo gallery of what it believes are the all-time top 10 NBA coaches.
Chuck Daly and Lenny Wilkens are included in the group. Daly was with the Cavaliers for 41 games in his first NBA head coach job. Wilkens led the team for seven seasons.
Listed among the honorable mentions is George Karl, who began his NBA head coaching career with the Cavs for nearly two seasons.
The text to accompany the photo of Wilkens, who had a 1,332-1,155 coaching record:
It's easy to dismiss his NBA record for coaching wins (since surpassed by Don Nelson) as the result of mere longevity. After all, he only had one title to show for his 32 seasons with six teams, and he had 11 losing seasons — or 11 more than Phil Jackson. It's also hard to think of any coaching innovation or particular style that defined his coaching career. Still, it's unfair to devalue longevity in a pressure-cooker profession that has burned through (and burned out) many capable men. Indeed, it was Wilkens' calm and unflappable demeanor that made him such a successful coach for the long term. Just as he kept his cool on the court as a nine-time All-Star, he did the same on the sideline. That's why he's one of three men to make the Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach. (John Wooden and Bill Sharman are the others.)
Browns coach Eric Mangini didn't try to sugarcoat Eric Wright's bad game in Baltimore, but expressed confidence in him and won't yank him from the starting lineup.
UPDATED: 8:20 p.m.
BEREA, Ohio -- Eric Mangini acknowledged Eric Wright's bad game in Baltimore, but expressed confidence in him and said Wright won't be yanked from the lineup Sunday against the Bengals.
"Eric didn't have a good day and when you don't have a good day against a really, really good player [Anquan Boldin], it ends up being a bad day," said Mangini. "I can tell you this, that Eric Wright has played a lot of good football for us all throughout last year, matching up the against the best receivers, doing an outstanding job. He was disappointed and my expectation is he'll play a lot better next week."
So he won't replace him in the lineup with rookie cornerback Joe Haden or Mike Adams?
"No, no," Mangini said.
But won't Cincinnati's Carson Palmer be licking his chops and six-time Pro Bowl receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco be ready to pounce?
"They're welcome to," said Mangini. "[Wright's] going to be out there. He's going to be playing."
Mangini said he wasn't aware of any outside distractions that may have caused Wright to play so poorly, giving up three touchdown passes to Boldin. A source said something was wrong with Wright physically or mentally, but specifics have not been revealed.
"[There's] nothing that he and I have talked about," said Mangini. "Sometimes you're off and that's what he said, that's how he felt. There's nothing to add to that."
Instead, Mangini gave credit to a three-time Pro Bowl receiver.
"You're playing against one of the best receivers in the NFL with an outstanding quarterback, so there's not a lot of wiggle room," said Mangini. "You make a mistake and it's going to get exploited."
Wright reiterated Monday that "I just wasn't playing like myself.
"It's easy to move forward, because it's not like I really even made it at all hard on him to do what he did. Moving forward, I feel confident and comfortable in getting the job done."
Wright avoided the question of an off-the-field issue.
"Um, you know, it's... what's most important is coming to work and doing your job and playing the game the way it's supposed to be played," he said. "Now that we've watched the film, everything's more positive and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
Monday, Mangini didn't try to pin Wright's struggles on the lack of a pass rush or safety help. He said the Browns were a split-second away from getting to Joe Flacco on an all-out blitz on Boldin's third TD -- it was T.J. Ward who was coming clean -- if Wright could have covered a moment longer.
"It was there," said Mangini. "We just had to hold up for another half a beat. It was there and the technique wasn't where it should be. We didn't have the right depth. It doesn't take long to get there, but you've got to be able to hold up long enough to let it happen. Flacco threw off his back foot, laid it up and the guy ran under it."
After Boldin's second TD catch, a 12-yarder on the right side of the end zone between Wright and Ward, Wright gestured toward Ward as if to say he should've helped out in coverage.
"That was man-to-man and [Wright] could've gotten some help there," said Mangini. "But as the corner in that situation, you've got to play like you have no help."
Mangini, who spent five seasons in New England as a defensive backs coach, knows what Wright has to do.
"Cornerbacks have to have short memories," he said. "They're going to be tested again and you need a short memory and a high confidence level and you need to know that you're good.
"You can't play with any apprehension because you're alone often and when you make a mistake it goes for six. I have a lot of confidence in Eric. I've coached a lot of guys and I've seen a lot of different talent levels. He's a very talented player and he's made a lot of strides."
Wright acknowledged the key is to come back strong against the Bengals.
"The measure of a man and his character is how he responds to adversity and I'm looking forward to the opportunities," he said. "I just feel like we have a great shot at winning the game, so that's what's most important."
Mangini said Wright didn't apologize to him and didn't need to.
"I made mistakes in the game, coaches made mistakes in the game, and other players made mistakes in the game," he said. "It's not whether you say 'sorry,' it's whether you don't do it again."
Cornerback Sheldon Brown agreed no apology to the team was necessary.
"He works hard, he does all the little things, we know he's prepared," said Brown. "He's probably the only guy on the football team that downloads all the film and goes home and watches it. He's dedicated."
He also applauded Wright for facing the music after the game and again Monday.
"He's a true professional," said Brown. "A lot of guys would go and hide between the lockers and try to point fingers. It's a team sport. We could've won the game in many other ways. It's not his fault and never will be his fault."
Cavaliers guard Danny Green talks about getting the opportunity to play and the adjustment of playing without LeBron James in his second year in the NBA in this video from Cavs Media Day earlier this afternoon.
Cavaliers guard Danny Green talks about getting the opportunity to play and the adjustment of playing without LeBron James in his second year in the NBA in this video from Cavs Media Day earlier this afternoon.Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions talks about coming over from Minnesota and playing in Byron Scott's system with former teammate and good friend Mo Williams.
Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions talks about coming over from Minnesota and playing in Byron Scott's system with former teammate and good friend Mo Williams.
