do the Indian's brain trust think we have no brains?

With the trading of the most beautiful left-handed strikeout swing this weekend, the "brain trust" (a loose phrase if I ever read one) of the Indians have admitted that, in 2010, the Tribe is re-building. REALLY!!!!! When did they come to that conclusion? What stars in the sky did they read to see that?  What conversations did they have with Dionne Warrick to understand that fact?  All the "brain trust" would have done was ask the people in the know...their dwindling fan base, that's who!!

I never slept in a Holiday Inn to understand that at the C. C. Sabathia trade deadline, the towel was being thrown in on winning for the next 5-7 years.  Why?  Simple.  The money is not going to be spent.  Do the Dolans have the money?  Don't know for sure.  Do they want to spend the money?  Apparently not on ball players who can produce, both short term or long term.  They dump, yes dunp, C.C., Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, and to a lesser degree Ben Fransisco, Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, for supposedly high ranking prospects.  Then they sign such retreads as Austin Kearns; Mark Redmond, Mark Alphabet, Kerry Woods, and the aforementioned left handed strike out swing.  And still around is the deer in the headlights 3rd basemen; a 1B/DH who cannot throw; and others to numerous to mention.

Now within the past three days, the "brain trust" make the statement we have known for years, we are rebuilding.  I often think I and many others like myself, could make better decisions than the "brain trust", but WTH we are only fans who spend our precious money on season tickets; food/beverages/parking/team shop items to sit and watch a fake major league team 162 times a year.  Insulting is the best word I can use.

If I am told that it is necessary to rebuild a team, then go ahead and rebuild.  I'll accept it.  I know the economics of the sport. I am a fan, but a realist.  Come clean, tell me the plan, give me something to watch and observe grow.  I'll be all in. But don't do what my wife always says,

"Don't Bullshit a Bullshitter!!" 

are you feeling ill too?

So, it is day one after the NBA draft and do any of us feel any better?  

"Not I" said the Indians fan (lose 12-3 and have to endure a 1 hr 27 min rain delay in 8th inning!!);  

"I'm feeling a little better" said the Browns fan, "only because the season hasn't started and we all know what really will happen don't we?"

"Hell no, I don't feel better", said the CAVS fan, "In fact, I feel like puking in the lake!" 

"Are you that sick?" I replied. 

"Sick...you said sick! I could throw up in my mouth if I could" he yelled. He went on, "Bulls clear tons of cap space. Same for Heat. Damn NY has but two players on team. And NJ...billionaire Ruskie owner and no players?  Hell yes, I'm sick!!" he shouted with spittle flying all over me.  "And the icing on the cake...CAVS don't do anything; nada; zip; zero; nil; zilch!"  "And I am supposed to be happy?" "Oh but I forgot. Danny Boy is trying to buy part of Thistledown for his Casino empire.  Now that will help the CAVS, right?"

"Well," I started, "maybe." 

"MAYBE?" CAVS fan shouted as we were nose-to-nose! "The only help it will bring the CAVS is the owners' write off when the CAVS go belly-up when Ego Boy LeBron goes...pick a team, 'cause it sure dunt looks like he likes the colors Wine and Gold anymore!!"

As I back up, I say, "Go on."

"CAVS went all in (damn a casino term!) and with no reserve, face losing big time! No back-up plan; no coach; no cap space; no bodies to trade; no..NOTHING!!! Show me the lake, gotta puke!" and off he went.


Well, it shows that the disease is taking hold big time.  The disease you ask? It is widely know as "O.I.C."  HUH?  "Only in Cleveland"  

Yep, only in Cleveland can we have the 2-time reigning NBA MVP tank a needed playoff game; have an owner go all in and not have a back-up game plan; have fans force to buy '10-'11 season tickets BEFORE the playoffs and BEFORE free agency; only to watch the season go down the tubes and the "Chosen One" preparing for a new chosen arena. 


Maybe I will be like Bob Newheart and wake up to realize this is all a dream.  Yeah right, and I could play 3rd base for the Tribe!! 


But then again, given the team playing for the Indians, maybe.....No maybe not!"

does anyone remember when ALL of our teams really stunk all at once?

I know we long-time suffering C'Town fans are used to some kind of suffering with one team or another, but can anyone remember suffering with all the teams AT THE SAME TIME?  I've been around long enough to remember basketball needed peach baskets, no not that long, but long enough to honestly state it never has been like this.  Now I know things could change after July 1st and possible change for the good, but do you really feel that way?  

The Indians-a definite struggle to go to the park, fork over good money, and then watch a fundamentally-challenged team attempt to play this silly game!  There are times I think I could do no worse right now, then some on the "talent" on the 25 man roster.  Truth be told tho....I'm not that far from being right!

CAVS-in the state of psychological doom, with no chance of every playing a basketball game again!  Really?  There was basketball before Dan Gilbert and before LBJ.  Granted it was mostly terrible basketball, but for a few years in the mid '90.  Yet will basketball leave or be gone for good after LBJ back-ups his words and goes to seek a title in a different Zip Code?  Probably not.  Great basketball could be gone, but not the sport.  One thing going for us BK fans, an owner who has deep pockets willing to spend (sometimes not smartly) but none the less, willing to spend.  Casino soon to be upon us and filling his pockets, meaning more money to spend, maybe on the necessary parts to mold into a championship team.  Who will remember all of this if a Championship Parade takes place in C'Town or Independence or even Akron?  Betcha ya won't! 

Browns past 10+ yrs. have put nothing on the field, but the lemmings keep the PSL sold; loges filled; and game attendance at near sell-out levels.  Just imagine what it would be with a team that actually competes on the field?  As Dick Enberg would say, "My or My!"

So, tonight begins the first step in a long journey to the ultimate fan destination, a World Championship.  In any sport, one would be accepted, but the CAVS are out of the box first. Let's see if they can start the journey that will end in the following phrase, "Kids, back in '11 I was at the game that brought a Championship to Cleveland for the first time since 1964!"  I do have a leg up on you though, I was in fact in Municipal Stadium on December 27, 1964 watching Gary Collins take in three perfect throws from Frank Ryan for TD's and saw Lou "The Toe" Groza's 2 FG's for a 27-0 upset of the then Baltimore Colts and our last World Championship.

See every story can have a happy ending.  Hope to have another one sooner than later, if ever!!! 

PS: I know it is World Cup time, and the Force/Crunch won a Championship since then, but honestly...do you consider soccer a sport? I don't and this is my blog!!!

is the World Cup viewed because it is soccer or an event?

Come clean everyone, you are watching/listening/reading about the World Cup, aren't you?  Why?  Do you even know?  Nope you don't, but I have an idea. Real football has the Super Bowl for pros and the BCS for college; baseball has the World Series; basketball has March Madness for college and pros have the final games of the playoffs; and hockey has it own playoffs and the Stanley Cup (side note:  Game Seven of the final Stanley Cup is the best of all the playoffs, and I don't follow hockey).  But do you follow ALL the games leading up to each sports playoffs?  Or do you get involved in the tail end of the playoff series?  If you are like me, you get involved in the final game or the biggest EVENT of the related sports playoffs.  Super Bowl-an event, not a game any longer; March Madness is more than games, it is an event spread over three weekends leading to the "Final Four"; baseball has its playoffs to see who goes to the World Series; and finally hockey has a season that culminates in the Stanley Cup.  So this brings us to soccer (no it is not football it is soccer!) and the World Cup. The World Cup is an event and we all love events, even if we don't understand a single thing related to that event.  We will set parties up around the event; we will work schedules around events; and we may even play hooky from work for the event.  

The truth of the subject is the vast majority of us US are viewing the World Cup not because it is the sport of soccer, but it is time for another event to take place and we are all in!  Now go win the damn thing won't you!!! 

...has Tribe baseball apathy hit the Dolans?

It has been a while and a ton of things have happened, and nothing is good :+(  The Cavs, lead (a term used loosely) by LBJ did the best fold-a-roo since...well I'm hard pressed to find a time a Cleveland team performed so atrociously in an important game.  At least Jose Mesa threw the ball in '97 and not the entire game; season; and possibly the franchise! the Browns FINALLY made a RIGHT step with the hiring of Mike Holmgren.  At least you have the feeling that someone is in charge and someone who KNOWS football.  The QB debacle is over, but still not settled.  But at least we have a proven QB in the mix.  Not sure?  Then I ask you to read all the names of QB's since '99 and you'll see what I mean.  Just a few weeks from now Browns camp opens and the football season sheds hope to all of us.  And that brings me to my beloved Indians.

Sadly, it pains me to say this but I have no interest in following them now.  Did not say at all, simply said now.  Why? Well if I wanted to follow the minor league players, I can travel less than 10 miles to Eastlake and watch the Captains and not have to get a second mortgage to take the family of 4; feed and drink them; and get choice seats.  Rather do that then spend what little hard earn money I have left to watch baseball at the Jake (still refuse to call it anything else).  The two times there I have witnessed a team that has deplorable fundamentals; a bullpen that seems afraid of its shadow; a batting line-up that cannot hide both Branyon and Peralta at the same time.  They may be really nice people no doubt, but has anyone seen a smoother left-handed strike out swing than Branyon's?  Or a batter that has those deer in the headlights look like Peralta?  And as far as Luis Valbena, I can loose 35 lbs, and he would STILL be batting less than my desired weight! Now there is talk of trading ANOTHER quality player away in Carmona?  Yes, I know he has struggled, but is it that far removed from the Yankee infested midges game that he was soooo dominant?  C.C. Sabathia; Cliff Lee; and Victor Martinez all traded for roster filling bodies for Eastlake; Kingston; Akron; and Columbus.  And I am supposed to be excited to go to the Jake to see what......NOTHING!  I am not one who goes to see the other stars come into town, I want to see my stars, not theirs.  And until such time, I guess my Tribe apathy is growing and that my friends is a BIG PROBLEM for the Dolan's.