The fans' emails were overwhelming in their anger and disappointment in the Cavaliers this week.
View full sizeFor many fans, scenes of current Cavaliers -- such as Anderson Varejao -- seemingly expressing great affection for LeBron James will be the lingering memory of James' heralded return to Cleveland ... and not a home team determined to win for its fans.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Observations after one very memorable week for Northeast Ohio.
About LeBron's return and why the Cavs are mad...
The Cavs did more than lose, 118-90, to Miami, a game that could have been a 50-point defeat as LeBron James (38 points, eight assists and five rebounds) didn't play in the fourth quarter.
There is a real sense that the team let down the fans, who were looking for any reason to cheer.
Consider this email from Tom Wallenhorst: "This was a total embarrassment! The Cavs needed to play well and at least keep the game close. ... I just saved myself a lot of time watching the Cavs on TV this season. ... My son paid $50 to get a cheap seat last night and he texted me that he should have saved his money!"
There were so many angry emails, far more than the usual venting after a defeat. It was something deeper, a sense that the team didn't understand what this game meant. They were especially insulted by how James wandered by the Cavs bench and seemed to joke and talk with some players.
At least, that's how the fans saw it. They also saw James hug a few Cavs before the game. If the Cavs had kept the game close and delivered some hard fouls on James, this wouldn't be an issue.
When they were interviewed Friday, a few players such as Daniel Gibson and Antawn Jamison insist the tone was different. Gibson implied his friendship with James is over. Jamison seemed distraught by the loss. They indicated they were angry with James.
But after Thursday's game, no one from the Cavs said anything negative about James. Nor did the coaches realize how it seemed to the fans that the Cavs were not competing while being warm and fuzzy to James when the action stopped.
As Neil Kamerer emailed: "I'm done watching our team play this year. Mr. [Dan] Gilbert needs to clean house with these players and get ones with heart! They were laughing on the bench and not at all in the game. ... I'm a Cavs fan for 35 years."
This was a big moment on the national stage for the Cavs and the players, and the result was a horrible performance that led most of the nation's fans to say, "You can't blame James for leaving with those kind of players around him."
D.R. Zavagno emailed: "One has to wonder how soon Dan Gilbert wakes up to the aptitude of the modern day NBA player and what he has to do as an owner to rebuild. Given the choice, the team chose the enemy to embrace. They snubbed their team, city, and Gilbert."
As Joe Jirgal emailed: "Cavs fans [left] more upset with the team than with (James). No heart, little effort, freebies to the basket for easy layups. ... Really pathetic display. How can the fans feel good about our team that doesn't have a sense for what [this game] was about?"
As Adam Neff emailed: "After the Cavs laid down without any effort, I'm completely done with the NBA. I feel like my favorite pet just died never to have one like it again. Should I give up? I see no reason to put time/effort/money into something that only brings disappointment. I'd love for you to convince me otherwise."
Now, the Cavs have to work on winning back fans. They are not stupid. They knew the moment James uttered the infamous "taking my talents to South Beach" line, the team was no longer a contender. They are willing to buy into what Scott is trying to do in terms of changing the offense, demanding more toughness.
But fans deserved much better than what the Cavs delivered against Miami.
About the Cavs...
View full sizeThe Cavaliers need to find other offensive options other than Mo Williams in order to have much success this season.1. The Cavs coaches and players have discussed how they handled the issue of James talking to the bench. A bigger problem heading into Saturday's game at Minnesota is the Cavs struggling in every facet. Yes, Boston and Miami are talented teams, but the Cavs looked helpless during long stretches of those games.
2. It's seems clear the key to shutting down the Cavs is Mo Williams. The Cavs are 4-2 when he scores at least 20 points. He is perhaps their only player who can create his own shot off the dribble. But he can be stopped by good teams. Boston and Miami often double-teamed him and frustrated the 6-1 guard by defending him with taller players. In the lopsided losses to the Heat and Boston, Williams shot only 7-of-20 (35 percent), scoring a total of 24 points. He had 10 assists, seven turnovers and wasn't a factor.
3. The players are not adapting to Scott's Princeton offense. They rarely make backcuts to the basket. J.J. Hickson often looks confused. It's harder to play than the usual stand-around, two-man, pick-and-roll style of many NBA teams. But it's needed on the Cavs because they have no low-post scorer near the basket, nor do they have a very creative player at small forward or shooting guard.
4. At 34 years old and with a cranky knee, Antawn Jamison is not playing well in the second night of back-to-back games. In those five games with short rest, Jamison is averaging only 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and shooting 34 percent. In his 10 other games, he's at 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and shooting 45 percent.
5. I received a few emails insisting that I ignored some poor behavior from the crowd at the Miami game. One person insisted at least 20 fans were removed. The Cavs said there was one arrest, four ejections. Others wondered why I didn't hear some of the tasteless chants such as "Who's your father?" when James had the ball. I didn't hear that one, but I did hear too many obscenities. The Heat reported a towel thrown at James (leading to a fan ejection) and a battery that landed near the bench. I didn't learn of this until after my story was written.
6. I hate the profane language screamed by some fans. You get a lot of that at football games, and this was more like a rowdy Browns crowd than what you usually find at the Cavs games. Overall, the disasters predicted were avoided. I'm just glad that mess is over.
About the Browns...
View full sizeEric Mangini's future with the Browns remains dependent on a strong finish by his team -- including Sunday's game in Miami, says Terry Pluto.1. I did several national talk shows this week on LeBron James, but several questions on Cleveland sports dealt with these themes: "Is Eric Mangini's job on the line?" The answer is -- of course. Any coaching coming off a 5-11 season with a new front office that includes an established coach as president means the current coach has to produce. That has been the case since Mike Holmgren was hired as president, and decided to retain Mangini.
2. Yes, this is a big game at Miami, as are all five remaining games. The 4-7 Browns should aim for at least a 7-9 record to ratify much of what Mangini and his staff have done. It also will make a point to the fans -- the team is improving.
3. At this point last year, the Browns were 1-10 and had been outscored by a combined 160 points, or 14.3 per game. Today, they are 4-7, consistently playing tight games, being outscored by 13 points (1.2). They are one of five teams with an offense to score at least 20 points in the last five games. They are one of four defenses this season yet to give up 30 points.
4. So the record is better, and the stats are better. The Browns finished last season with four victories, making them 5-11. Mangini wants this team to have a sense of accomplishment, along with confidence in what they are building and to do it with another strong finish.
5. The coaches are challenging the players to realize that character and toughness win games this time of year. The weather is cold. Virtually every regular player is dealing with some type of nagging injury, many have multiple physical problems. For teams such as the Browns, not in the playoff race, the temptation is for some players to sit out, or not pay attention in meetings.
6. That won't be the case with Miami, which is 6-5 and one of the biggest and most physical teams the Browns will face. The Dolphins rank No. 4 against the pass, No. 14 against the run. They will load up the line against Peyton Hillis, daring Jake Delhomme to throw -- especially to the wide receivers. The Miami safeties will be near the line, trying to take away passes to running backs and tight ends.
7. The coaches are talking to Delhomme about avoiding "catastrophic" interceptions, those returned for touchdowns. There's nothing wrong with throwing the ball away. At 36, he simply can't make the athletic throws that he did a few years ago -- something the coaches must drill into him. Many of Delhomme's interceptions have been on off-balance throws. He has had two passes intercepted for touchdowns, a third returned to the Browns 1.
8. The Browns believe Delhomme can look sharper than he did against Carolina. They are convinced his ability to run the no-huddle gives the Browns a real advantage because it can wear down a defense and also develop a quick rhythm for Delhomme. Something the Browns must remember is Delhomme is a momentum passer -- good and bad. He can become very hot, and then very cold.
9. In the victory over Carolina, Delhomme ended the first half by fumbling. Why were the Browns passing with 40 seconds left, the ball on their own 29 and with a 21-13 lead? Run out the clock. In the third quarter, the Browns opened with a pass, which was intercepted. They got the ball back, ran it once -- and then Delhomme threw an interception. So there were two interceptions, a fumble for a 10-yard loss and a 1-yard Peyton Hillis run on four plays. They have to calm down Delhomme with wise play calls when he starts down one of these scary roads.
10. The Browns expect Miami to run the ball. They may move veteran linebacker David Bowens from outside linebacker to the inside, helping Chris Gocong and Eric Barton. The Dolphins ran for 186 yards in their victory at Oakland, and the Browns gave up 151 yards (5.6 average) to Carolina last week. If Bowens plays inside linebacker, that means Marcus Benard and Jason Trusnik will receive more time outside -- with Matt Roth on the other side.
11. This from Profootballfocus.com: "Joe Haden continued to fly up the Rookie of the Year candidate lists, not to mention our own corner rankings, with another fine day. Haden was largely avoided on the day, but still managed to net himself a pick on a ball thrown over the head of the intended receiver. ... He will very possibly justify his status as the top-ranked corner prospect of the 2010 draft when the season is done."
12. And this from Profootballfocus.com: "Right tackle John St. Clair had a very bad day protecting the passer. He [gave up] a sack and five further pressures conceded, which won't make it any easier for the Browns to keep their passer on a tight leash and limit their mistakes. Only a passable day as a run blocker saved St. Clair from a truly poor grade."
13. The Browns know St. Clair has weaknesses, but they believe he combined well with veteran right guard Porkchop Womack on run blocking. Also, rookie Shawn Lauvao had a very tough game in his one start against the Jets at right guard.
14. Hillis continues to assemble a monster season. His 905 rushing yards rank ninth in the NFL. He is second with 11 rushing touchdowns, fifth with 48 rushing first downs. His 46 receptions are third among running backs.
15. I will be signing copies of my book "What I Learned From Watching The Browns" at the following: Hudson's Learned Owl Books (Wednesday, 7-8 p.m.); Westlake Borders (Friday, 7-8 p.m.) and Cuyahoga Falls Borders (Saturday, 1-2 p.m.).