CWinsJim – Page 13 – CLEVELAND WINS !

Cleveland – A Place Where Pride Should Prevail

Cleveland has every right to be a proud city

There was some more bad news that struck the city of Cleveland today and it had nothing to do with its sports teams. That, in itself, is an interesting contrast. United Airlines is pulling their “hub” from Cleveland and our flights from that airline will slowly decline. This should not come as a complete shock to anyone as the airline industry, in their “consolidation phase”, is seeking to screw the consumer at every conceivable turn for the sake of their shareholders. That sounds awful but it is truly the American Way. Any company’s Board of Trustees and CEO are bound to do what they can to enhance shareholder value. That is their duty. Not to make consumers happy or enhance their value unless it concurrently enhances shareholder value. You don’t need to be an economist to recognize that that convergence rarely happens.

Consumer flight costs are going up and our convenience is going way down. Now the industry can come up with some odd constructed statistics where they claim that is not happening, but you only need to be a consumer of air travel to recognize the obvious. Since August 10, 2012, United Airlines stock price has risen from 17.78 to 45.84 as of Friday. That is a rise of almost 158% since the late summer of 2012. Even with the huge rise in the stock market for 2013, it is clear that United has outperformed even one of our most bullish market years. So the CEO and Board of Trustees are doing their job. How can we really complain about that? One reason might be that we are much more likely to be consumers of United Airlines in Cleveland and not shareholders.

It is not surprising that this announcement comes right on the heals of a lavish article in the United Airlines magazine about Cleveland. I suppose Clevelanders should think a well constructed article eases the pain of the loss of hub status. The way our sports teams are being portrayed lately, United probably does think that is a fair trade. If you really think about it, maybe some of the research that went into the article was used to determine that it was time to pull the plug on hub status for Cleveland. A bizarre twist Cleveland area residents should well appreciate.

So, despite the bad news about the United hub and the living hell that is our sports teams, we need to look forward at the positives of the Cleveland area and there are many. These have been well innumerate in other places but I will attempt this brief list as a reminder in these rather difficult times. In case there is any doubt, this is not an attempt to be cute or deferential about Cleveland or to provide comic relief. I honestly believe these things are real and palpable. I believe these things mean something. I believe they translate into improved quality of life and a better place for our families. Other cities might be able to claim more lavish examples and greater quantity but rarely greater quality.

1) Let’s start with the weather. Cleveland is the butt of many jokes and barbs about this by people in Los Angeles and Miami:

Yes, Cleveland gets winter and snow and cold temperatures. But Clevelanders also know how to deal with it and rarely are stopped by it. The streets generally remain open, commerce can continue, and residents know how to stay comfortable at uncomfortable times. Plus, Clevelanders know how to DRIVE in that weather. A fact that is sometimes overshadowed by an idiot on the road but confirmed by far fewer multicar disasters like happened in sunny Atlanta recently.

When was the last hurricane, mud slide, wild fire, Tsunami, tropical storm, earthquake or other similar massively destructive weather disaster in Cleveland? We do have flooding from time to time and certainly have tornados but our level of destruction from those disasters is generally well confined with a few people being devastated but not large populations. The number of deaths is more limited as is the destruction of property. Now I lived through a tornado with 5 homes destroyed in my neighborhood so I am not minimizing the destruction just putting it in perspective.

Our summers may from time to time seem pretty hot and uncomfortable but not nearly at the level of those in most climates where they chirp about our winters.

Clevelanders see the seasons change and the leaves turn and nature renew itself year after year. Some of our smug detractors rarely see such things and marvel when they do.

2) Cleveland area residents live near one of the greatest fresh water bodies of water in the world! There are beaches to go to in the summer that are a few miles away instead of days away. The boating community is alive and well in Cleveland and hundreds of boats travel in and fish our waters throughout the warmer seasons. We have homes overlooking the water and lavish views. No, it is not Hawaii, but I would bet that other areas would love to have Cleveland’s access to water.

3) Another more unusual angle of Cleveland’s access to Lake Erie is the fact that fresh water is probably one of the rarest assets in the world and certainly in our country. It is absolutely essential for life but few large bodies of fresh water exist. Plus, right now, we have abundant rainfall to supplement our supplies. If I were to pick an area likely to survive tough atmospheric times, it would be our area. I know this sounds crazy to discuss, but it is a valid point that cannot be disputed if you dare to think about it.

4) If you are sick, are there many places you would rather be than living in the Cleveland region? Cleveland has multiple major health systems in our area all of which have received huge accolades. Although one system garners most of the press, the medical community knows that there are huge World Class medical assets in Cleveland that reach far beyond the borders on any one system. Research and advances in medicine abound from Cleveland. Some may argue that they are equivalent, but no area can clearly declare medical superiority over Cleveland.

5) Despite huge changes in Cleveland’s automobile transportation connections and suffering through a major necessary change in its highways, Cleveland commerce has maintained and thrived. Yes, there have been major headaches but rarely causing time consuming tie-ups like in Chicago or New York or Washington or Los Angeles. Cleveland residents should be proud of the fact that commerce is rarely withered by our highways and 2 hour commutes. I have been in many cities and it is one of the easiest to both navigate and arrive on time.

6) Ignoring sports for the moment, Cleveland can brag about huge assets in the entertainment industry with our emerging movie making presence, the Theater district, the Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Music Center, as well as being the home of Rock and Roll. Our cultural assets are all reasonably impressive with quality museums and access to the arts.

7) Being a Midwest community Cleveland can honestly say that it has great places to live and great places to raise a family. Despite our struggles with the Cleveland School District, suburban schools are of very high quality and we have every reason to believe the inner city districts will continue to improve. We have multiple colleges and universities within miles of Cleveland and in Cleveland. Our medical school at Case Western Reserve is one of the best in the country.

8) All around Cleveland are huge agricultural regions with fresh food available throughout the growing season. Tropical foods and seafood need shipped in but much of what we eat can be grown or produced locally. Drive outside Cleveland or a suburb and see how long it takes you to reach miles and miles of farms. It is not long.

9) Avoiding professional sports for the moment, there is no doubt that athletes and athletic events thrive in Cleveland. We have some of the best high school sports events in the country and our college events, although on a more minor scale, are top notch as well. Just ask any Mount Union supporter, whose university is only a little more than an hour away. A normal commute time in Chicago.

10) Finally in my top 10 is Cleveland professional sports!!! And, although I blog about this topic most often, I admit that the luster of Cleveland professional sports in this article is best positioned to simply say that we have three professional sports franchises. This is the one area where other cities can certainly say that they have greater quality as well as in some cases quantity of professional sports. The sad thing is that this is one of the most visible pieces and projects a shadow over Cleveland that is neither deserved nor accurate.

There was a reason why Cleveland was one of the greatest cities in early industrial America. The resources and advantages I have outlined here are many of those reasons. Rapid transportation and a digital society have seemed to wipe out the advantages so desperately sought by our ancestors. But, when you actually look at this logically and not in the squalid light that outsider’s project, you see a fine place to live, a fine place to love, and a fine place to support. No corporate decision or sport’s franchise ineptitude can change that fact. Stay classy Cleveland (as a great newscaster might say) and never forget that we have much more to be proud of than to decry.

Dan Gilbert needs to do some soul searching about the #Cavs

Dan Gilbert cannot be a happy man !

I really did not think it would come down to this, but Dan Gilbert needs to seriously think about every aspect of his basketball team. He has spent the money and displayed the passion every Cleveland fan dreams about from it’s sports franchise owners. Gilbert has also visibly supported the decisions of his General Manager, Chris Grant, and has done nothing to undermine him. That is something a passionate owner can sometimes do to overstep his bounds as an owner. He also clearly supported the decision to rehire Mike Brown and has been very vocal in his support. In fact, that might be something that Gilbert himself initiated.

Now, over halfway into the season, Gilbert is seeing the same exact signs of disarray that caused Byron Scott to be fired and Brown to be hired. Since the coaches are different and the results basically the same, it is a critical time for a completely fresh review of all aspects of the Cavalier’s organization. This includes intense scrutiny of Chris Grant, Mike Brown, and essentially every player on the Cavalier’s roster. Admittedly this is something generally reserved for the General Manager of a franchise and not the owner but Gilbert has no choice given that Grant should be one of the critical pieces reviewed. He may need to call some high level contacts around the league that he certainly must have developed and ask them to please provide an assessment of Grant, Brown, and the players on the Cavaliers. Although this would certainly need to be “off the record”, it should be possible to get an experienced view or two of the problems facing the Cav’s franchise.

I personally do not have all the answers but I am observant enough to realize that this just isn’t working. The Cavaliers should be dramatically further in their development given the good fortune they have had with number one picks and the shear number of pics they have had over the past several years. Grant has squandered opportunities in the second round of drafts and may have made the ultimate blunder in this year’s draft by squandering the number one overall pick. He seems to be very good at acquiring “assets” to use in the future but not as adept at using those assets efficiently. Maybe his picks will all turn out to be All-Stars and Bennett may eventually turn one of the worst busts into a decent player. But, given the lack of progress on this team, those fortunate scenarios seem less likely by the day.

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal made a compelling case also that Kyrie Irving himself should not be absolved from blame for the Cavs abysmal record. Certainly anyone who has seen point guards around the league blowing by Irving like he is standing still recognizes that blame clearly resides with our All-Star point guard.

So no one should be immune from this evaluation, including Irving. But, given his immense talent, a preferable solution to this mess would be one that includes him over one that excludes him. Irving often says exactly the right things but there is no conviction or passion coming from his words. They seem hollow in most interviews. This is in contrast to the interviews of Tristan Thompson that show obvious passion and disgust for losing. He says the right things and you can feel what he is saying. With Irving it sometimes sounds like a recap of Mike Brown’s beliefs and observations void of conviction. This is a bad sign and similar to the progression of the “one that left” only much earlier in his development. You almost get the feeling that Kyrie is “plotting his departure” long before that even makes sense financially. Now that is probably just Cleveland fan pessimism speaking, but it also could be true. As far as Irving is concerned, he needs to be sat down and told what is expected of him and what he needs to do to help the team win. Not what he needs to do to promote his “brand” or get more awards that doesn’t include the team winning. If he can’t do it, then the trade block might be the best way for him to help the Cavs win games. He would command a substantial return in any trade. Far better than letting him walk away for a few draft picks.

It probably would be ill advised for Gilbert to replace Grant or Brown or Irving at this time. Those kind of moves would be “Browns like” and I don’t mean that in a good way. So, once he does his research, he needs to talk with Grant and give him a solid chance to get the franchise out of this mess. By that I mean to the end of this season. He needs to be clear his job is on the line and he needs to bring a winner to Cleveland this year without mortgaging all of our future. That is possible but we might need to trade a valuable asset. If we can get valuable assets in return that will help the Cavs win sooner than later, that might be worth the risk. As far as whom to trade, that is a difficult decision and greatly depends on what other teams might offer in return. Everyone but Irving should be fair game for now and, if Irving does not do what he needs to do to advance the team, he should be right there with the rest.

Brown needs to know that there is no three year plan here. He needs to get this team going quickly or he might end up being “one and done” like Chud. Again, this is not an ideal alternative but is preferable to continuing to accept a losing result. Part of the Brown discussion should include the oft talked about “offensive coordinator” that needs to be added to his staff. Brown has never shown the necessary aptitude on the offensive side of the ball.

I guess my major point is that there must be consequences clearly outlined for each member of the Cavalier’s organization. Those consequences will include not being a part of this franchise going forward. Expectations must be set and, if not met, the pink slip will follow. The players need to know that this is their last chance to prove they can win with this group of teammates. If not, then their teammates or they will be traded until a winning group of players emerges.

No one would be more disappointed than myself if this entire organization needed blown up in order to instill the clear message that winning is the only acceptable outcome. Anything less will not be tolerated. As Cleveland fans, we should demand no less and expect no less. I really like Dion Waiters and Andy and Tristan and Kyrie and most of the players on this roster (not including Earl Clark). But if one or more of them needs to go to advance the franchise forward and into the playoffs, I am all for it. It’s about time don’t you think!!

Things #Cavs Mike Brown needs to learn fast

Mike Brown needs to adjust some things

Here are some things Mike Brown needs to learn quickly. The season is moving fast and last night’s loss was pretty ugly. So here are one fan’s suggestions:

1) At any position, Earl Clark is a near disaster on the court. He doesn’t have the skill sets necessary to play a substantial role on this team. He can do some things that are helpful, but only if he can shoot.

2) If starters suck and defensive energy is low, sub in second team early and make sure Delly is on the floor. You waited WAY too long to sub out the starters in the third quarter particularly.

3) If the team doesn’t know defensive intensity wins games, don’t remove Delly from rotation. It appeared to me that Delly was either out of the rotation or nearly so until garbage time. His energy is amazing on the defensive end. So you need to reward the players who follow your philosophy with minutes. Not set them on the bench.

4) If team doesn’t pick up full court when they should, tell them to do it! You are the coach!! In your post game presser you mentioned that the team should realize that they needed to pick up the intensity and should have spontaneously picked their man up full court. The ONLY player that does that was on the bench. So you could have considered telling them to pick up full court at a well staged time out. I thought coaches did that?

5) If you need to yell at them to push the ball every possession, someone isn’t listening! I admire that you are very vocal and yell “push it” every possession, but it seems to me that you shouldn’t have to say it more than a couple of times. If it isn’t happening, the point guard needs to kick some butt and make it happen. If he doesn’t, then maybe he isn’t listening.

Well, those are just a few suggestions. I know that I am just a fan and blogger, but the performance from Brown’s team last night makes me feel like a thoughtful fan who played basketball might have a valid suggestion or two.

Either way, I certainly hope that last night’s game is not a reflection on what we will see the rest of the year. I actually don’t think it will be common and Luol Deng summed it all up in his post-game interview quite well. The Cavs needs to realize when a team makes a run, they must STOP THEM to close out the run and not try to OUTSCORE them. If that is true, Brown needs to play the players that embody that philosophy when these runs occur instead of players who take the other approach. I know they need to learn but Byron already tried the approach of letting them swing on the vine and it failed. The only way Brown can make his point is to take away or add minutes on the court. Then explain to them when reviewing the film why he did what he did. It might just work.

The Cavs Season Begins NOW

Cavs now have a window of opportunity with Deng

I certainly know that much has been written since Chris Grant decided to make a run for the playoffs this year. Many have said that Grant made that decision to attempt to save his job. While that may be true, the result was a new beginning for the Cavs season and a fan base infused with excitement. There are many reasons for this result but it was not just getting a quality player for Bynum. It was the exact player they received in return and the fact that no quality Cavs player was involved. The only “assets” used were other teams draft picks and a potential draft pick swap in 2015.

Anyone who questions this deal in any way is not looking logically at the Cavs desperate situation. The Cavs have PLENTY of draft picks going forward and may acquire more in future deals. What they don’t have are wins!! And do not be deluded that the Cavs could have gone through another year of “tanking”. My observation as a season ticket holder is that the Cavs fan base was growing weary of the continued losing. Another year at the top of the lottery was going to drive many fans that have remained loyal since LeBron to depart discouraged and dejected. Sure I know many hard core fans like those I brush elbows with in Twitter would have been just fine with another tanking season. But I don’t think the majority of the fans could understand or support it. The boos would have slowly intensified as each putrid loss flew by. The attendance would have dipped as well.

Now you could say that the Cavs might have turned it around without a deal so all that gloom and doom talk is unjustified. And, as I have said in past posts, the team might have turned it around by Irving leading with increased intensity and improved defense. In analyzing the season so far, I was becoming increasingly concerned that nothing was going to turn the losing around this year baring a miracle.

The Luol Deng trade has changed the possibilities for this year and potentially for years to come. That could happen with or without Deng signing long term. Here are the reasons why this trade was far superior to any other possible trade:

1) Pau Gasol is a fine player who was having arguably the worst season of his career and played in a position that the Cavs had minimal need. To have added him in a similar trade with little chance of resigning would not have changed the Cavs fortunes. Gasol is also considerably older than Deng.

2) The Cavs added a player who is in his prime, having the best scoring year of his career thus far, has unquestioned high character, and is a defensive force on a team that needs more intensity on both ends.

3) The Cavs added a player in a critical position of need where the players were so forgettable that, if they cut both Gee and Clark tomorrow, no one would shed a tear.

4) Offensively the team now has another quality option who knows how to move the ball and cut to the basket without the ball (an area of critical need for the Cavs)

5) The long offensive lapses of no points for 8 minutes on the clock should fade away with Deng added to our other options

6) The Cavs have more than a remote chance of resigning Deng because of the type of character he has and the fact the Cavs will be able to make a very attractive offer.

7) The players will be energized because the management has made a commitment to winning THIS year and not just looking way into the future. This will be very important to help the players realize that there is no hidden agenda to “tank” again and that the organization EXPECTS them to win.

8) Irving will be able to feel the commitment of the team to building a winning culture instead of the draining losing he had seen thus far.

9) Most importantly – And I mean most importantly – The Cavs management and coaches now have the opportunity to see how this team will be able to play with a legitimate small forward. Something none of us have seen since the departure of James.

The thing that will derail all of these good vibrations is not winning. There is no guarantee that the team will begin to win consistently even with Deng. He is a fine player and I think the trade was fantastic, but that does not guarantee even one win. The Cavs still need to exert maximal effort for 4 quarters in order to string significant wins together. They have to play better and harder on the road. So there are many things we don’t know and many things we can hope for.

So even though the results are still in question, the fact remains that the Cavs season starts again now. The interest will never be higher and if the results are favorable on the scoreboard, we may remember this trade fondly for years to come. If for no other reason than allowing us to find out how good the Cavaliers can be with a real small forward.

#Browns seem to be Traveling on a Narrow Track

The Cleveland Browns are clearly focused on their head coaching search and it seems to me that they are on a very narrow track. This is a narrow track with respect to whom they will hire as Head Coach and whom they will draft first this year. Also, being a very narrow track, it is much easier to derail. That is the part that concerns me the most.

If it is true that it is only a matter of time before the Cleveland brain trust hires Josh McDaniels and then pairs him with Johnny Manziel, we are going to be starting the 2014 season rocking on that narrow track. Both McDaniels and Manziel are known for their flairs for the dramatic. They seem to have egos that at least match their talent levels. Manziel seems to think he can beat his fellow offensive players into submission with fire and brimstone speeches on the sidelines. It seems to work fairly well on a college stage. Not so sure how it will translate to professional players. McDaniels, not to be outdone, has created some fireworks of his own based on his volatile time in Denver.

On the positive side, both seem to be very talented and accomplished in their methods. They seem to produce results. It is very true that the Browns do not need to have choir boys leading them to victory and that volatile egos with a burning desire to win can work. But if those same egos clash, well that would lead to an explosion off the tracks.

So, for the Browns fans that are so psyched about this magical combo please be aware that this will be an interesting and possibly rocky ride until things smooth out. There is legitimate hope that McDaniels has learned some lessons from his checkered Denver experience. And it is also true that he will not be a General Manager so some of the pressure will be taken off. This could translate into a much improved final product. It is also possible that cooler heads will prevail with Manziel and he will come in with fire but not the kind that burns his teammates or himself.

Now the problems with Manziel’s size, reckless style play, throwing off the back foot and other issues may not be as easy to tame or control. So it remains to be seen what the results will be. My hope is that Hoyer can win the job and Manziel (or anyone else we pick for that matter) can sit back and watch awhile until they are thrown out there. If people think Manziel (or any of the quarterback prospects this year) is a finished product that is simply not the case.

Of course I would be extremely pleased if there is a real Head Coach search and that Malzahn from Auburn is a legitimate target. He is innovative and supports an up-tempo offense similar to Chip Kelly. But, because he is less hyped, I think he might even be a better choice than Kelly was last year.

I also hope that the Browns brain trust has not settled on a quarterback to target as of yet and a true analysis is ongoing. There are many ways to go with this and I really don’t think any of the quarterbacks this year come close to Andrew Luck or even RGIII for that matter. So to trade up and lose valuable additional assets to “get their guy” might not be the best strategy this year. However, I think it is exactly the strategy they will employ. I am fearful that the Rams will insist, at the least, on both first round picks and that would be a shame given all of the needs we have. Remember, there are only three picks before 4. There I said it. Thank you Captain Obvious.