The Only Way to Watch

Technology has not only changed the world, it has changed sports. Not to be Johnny Come-Lately here and say, ‘Hey, there is this new thing called the internet! Check it out!’ or anything like that. I wanted to give a quick take on how I was awed by it last night.

The evening began with my wife having control of the clicker, which as we all know, that means that the Cavs game was not on the TV. As the evening progressed, I decided to grab the ole laptop and see how the Cavaliers were doing in their game against the Heat.

I logged into ESPN.com and popped up GameCast, which showed the back and forth scoring of the game, and even though I was not able to watch the game on TV, I was able to keep up with the action and almost felt like it was 1940 and I was listening to the radio and enjoying the game in the HD of my imagination.

If I stopped there, that would not be much of an interesting story. However, in addition to GameCast being up, I was also logged into Tweetdeck, which is an application that turns Twitter into an instant messenger system. So while I am getting the technical aspects of the game through GameCast, I am also getting pop-up messages from multiple Twitter sources such as Brian Windhurst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and CavsWITNESS, all going nuts as the action of the game progressed. In my mind, I could hear Austin Carr talking about LeBron penetrating the Heat defense, “Throwing the HAMMER DOWN!”, and hitting a three from deep in whatever the hell the Heats arena is called.

Finally, the game ends and the Cavaliers are victorious as is their custom. Along comes one last tweet. I smiled and had to respond:

RizzGood2BAlive: What a game Lebron is the King!!

If you don’t recognize the name, that was Tony Rizzo of Fox 8 News and ESPN Cleveland, 850 AM WKNR.

This all brings my little blog here full circle. I have never been one to be star struck or read gossip magazines or anything like that, but I think it is really cool to get the thoughts of celebrities who are not complete idiots.

For example, I enjoy reading tweets from my local pro athletes such as Josh Cribbs, D’Qwell Jackson, Mo Williams, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Yes, it is typically impersonal stuff, but it is cool none the less.

In case you were wondering, you can follow me at CNewton_eov.

Technorati Tags: leBron,james,dwayne,wade,josh,cribbs,mo,williams,shaquille,o'neal,d'qwell,jackson,cavaliers,heat,austin,carr,tony,rizzo,espn,twitter,tweetdeck,brian,windhurst,850 AM,WKRN,Fox 8

Speed Kills

I spent most of Sunday watching the Conference Championship games.

Wow!

This morning I am writing to deliver a memo to the Browns front office. Here is that memo:

MEMO: You’ve got your work cut out for you.

Defense, Defense, Defense. The one thing that I always mentioned when talking about the Browns is that the game always seems so damn slow. You watch the 1:00 game and see the Browns lose to whatever team, then flip over to Fox to see the 4:00 game and it is like night and day. The speed of the other game is mind boggling. Your eyes get accustomed to watching the slow pace of the Browns game and then you flip over and see the speed of the other game, the intense hits, the overall quickness of the defensive squads, etc. Its no freaking wonder that the Browns are inferior. Their team defense is pathetically under staffed.

This is no offense to the guys currently on the defensive roster. You can only do what you can do and I will never deny that you guys give effort at all times. However, how many of you would displace a defensive player on one of the four conference title game teams if you were available right now? Shaun Rogers would most likely be picked up by the Saints or Jets, but who else?

What I can’t understand is why, in a world where the Wide Receiver position has grown to be 6’+ guys who are 225-250 lbs and can run like a deer, you would stock your secondary with guys who a 5’-9, 5’-10, who can’t jump, can’t run, don’t want to hit, and never attempt to wrap up. If I see one more Browns secondary player dive at a guy’s knees instead of putting a shoulder into the ball carrier, I will scream.

Start finding bigger, stronger DBs. Find corners who want to hold the point of attack. Find safeties who want to make a receiver know where he is at. Why do I need two ball hawks? Why can’t my strong safety be strong? I don’t want two poor man’s Ed Reed.  I want Ed Reed and Ronnie Lott. Bring a load and punish receivers. Make Santonio Holmes look around when crossing the field and for God’s Sake, wipe that grin off Hines Ward’s ugly mug.

Do you remember one of the last plays of regulation in the Vikings – Saint game? Brees tossed the ball out to Bush to the right and the play resulted in a four yard loss. Why?

If you get a chance to see the play again, take a look at it. The recognition and reaction of the entire Viking defense was awe-inspiring. The moment the fullback took his lateral step to get out to the edge, the entire left side of the D-line had swung around. The full back was met and destroyed immediately, causing Bush to step up before he wanted to, reducing the space he needed to make some moves. At that point the linemen penetrated the perimeter and engulfed Bush for a huge loss, not to mention hit the shit out of him.

Now, relate that to the Browns. First of all, the recognition would not be the same. Secondly, the end man on the line of scrimmage would have made his stand at the line, not five yards behind the line. Bush would most likely have got to the boundary and if our corner had gotten off of his block, he would have dove at Bush’s knees, where his simply side steps and makes another five yards before the inside backer pushes him out of bounds.

There would be no big hit, there would be no message sent, there would be only Bush slightly winded from running 35 yard from his original stance.

I’ll tell you one thing for sure. The Saints were not going to run that sweep again if they had gone into triple overtime, however I remember seeing teams run sweeps against the Browns all season long.

When re-evaluating what the Browns defense needs are, please place at the top of the list:

1. Speed
2. Intensity
3. Strength
4. Passion
5. A Strong Desire to Hit Someone

A player who does not fit this mold should not be selected in the draft and should not be offered a large free agent contract. I don’t want more Brandon McDonalds, I want more Antoine Winfields.

<- McDonald diving

this or this?

  <- Winfield tackling

Defense is all about the desire to stop someone. It is not supposed to be to minimize the scoring an opponent can do. You should want to blank them. Make them kick long field goals.

For Pete’s Sake! Make them punt to Josh Cribbs six times a game. Note that I said punt and not kick. I don’t want them kicking off more than one time a game. Make them punt the ball!

Technorati Tags: Browns,Defense,Antoine,Winfield,Brandon,McDonald,Saints,Vikings,Colts,Jets,Shaun,Rogers,speed,intensity,Bush,Brees,Josh,Cribbs,Santonio,Holmes,Hines,Ward,Ed,Reed,Ronnie,Lott,safety,draft,conference,championship

Looking Forward to Training Camp

No, I don’t mean Spring Training.

The Browns just finished their triumphant 2009 season, improving from last season by one win (at least that is how they would spin it), and I am done with football for the year. I don’t need to know who wins the Super Bowl, I’ve had enough football for this season.

Please don’t take my tone to be that of a snob here, I have no regrets from last season. Sure, I was hurt by the losing and the controversy, both during and after the season, but in reality, I just love the game. I love sports.

I don’t like losing; I just love to see the competition and all the goes into a long and drawn out season. However, there is simply nothing like the feelings that I get as Training Camp approaches.

The air seems a little more crisp, the sun doesn’t seem to burn as much, and the grass clippings seem to have that much more of a smell to them.

Oh its time my friends. When you get those sensory inputs, there is no mistaken that football is on its way.

I don’t ever get that feeling from the other sports. I know baseball is coming only because the talking heads on the radio tell me it is coming. I know basketball is coming because the Browns have lost their tenth game of the season. Yet, as much as the Browns dagger my heart each and every year, I can’t imagine going another year without optimism.

No, the Browns are not going to win the Super Bowl next year. Yea, they most likely are going to blow their first three rounds of draft picks. Sure, Brady Quinn will win the starting job -- only to blow out his achilles tendon right after we trade off Derek Anderson for a 6th rounder -- but when it really comes down to it… the pads smacking, the dirt flying and the adrenaline rush that I get from the comfort of my leather recliner all re-assure me that as long as there is an orange helmet on the field, that I will be entertained (positively or negatively) for three hours and that my wife will leave me alone for that duration.

That is love my friends.

Technorati Tags: Cleveland,Browns,Brady,Quinn,Super,Bowl,2009,Derek,Anderson,Training,Camp,draft

Cavaliers Won, Lakers Nothing

I sat up late last night watching the big game. Now, the media guys and the ball players will all collectively tell you that this was just another game. Political things like this are an accepted practice and I suppose there is no harm in allowing these bits of deception to continue doesn’t hurt anyone or anything. However, since I am but a fan with a pen, let me tell you that there was HUGE implications in that game.

First, the Cavs lost both games to LA last year, and we all knew it. It was on the shoulders of the Cavaliers as the moved closer to the Finals, and would not be in the least bit surprised if in an honest moment, LeBron and company would admit that they were not as focused for Orlando as they could have been as they were looking over the top of Dwight Howards head at Kobe looming in the background.

Next, the common media reaction to the Christmas day ass kicking was that the Lakers were not focused and didn’t truly take the game that seriously, “But come January, there will be hell to pay!!!” Well, January came, and just as the game was about to begin, the Cavaliers lost their starting point guard for a month. That is pretty demoralizing. However, instead of laying down, the Cavs fought back against adversity to begin the game on a 0-9 start.

Yea, I admit it… I thought that the game was going to be a route at the end of that run. Especially when Coach Brown didn’t call a time out to get the guys in check. “What the hell is he waiting for? 0-15??”

Let me hate on Kobe for a moment here, because I just can’t start my first sports blog and not bash on the ‘Kobe is the best in the game’ guys. When it gets to around the beginning to middle of the third quarter of any Lakers game I have seen since Kobe joined them, it almost like its scripted out that the announcers need to remind us that Kobe is good. We know guys. We know all about the man. Stop telling us about his determination and his will to win. “Kobe is staring down Parker, his will is too strong!”

It reminds me of an all-time great phone call on the Jim Rome Show where the caller was annoyed by the Andy Petite analysis. “Andy Petite, with the eyes of a champion…” He then went on to blast Petite by saying, “Andy Petite, with the eyes of a goat…”

So there I am watching the game, and the time comes for the Kobe ego buff session and all I can do is not to laugh and wake the family up as the words, “Kobe, eyes of a goat, stare down Parker, he will not be de-neeighed!”

I did, however, find it funny how towards the end of the game, the Lakers switched up the defense and put Kobe on LeBron. When James spun around and saw Kobe on him, it had to make him smile inside. Dude, you are good when guarding guys shorter than you, but I am bigger, stronger, faster, and younger than you. You really need to call over your buddy Artest to handle this freight train.

Worthy notes (from ESPN.com):

• The Cavs have won five of their last six home games against the Lakers and swept the overall season series with Los Angeles.
• James has won seven of his last nine head-to-head meetings against Kobe Bryant.
• Kobe Bryant finished with 31 points and became the youngest player to reach 25,000 points for a career.

Congratulations Kobe. Please hold that honor until LeBron gets there to take that from you.

<- Wore Out! (Nice finger though…)

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: LeBron,James,Kobe,Bryant,NBA,Cavaliers,Lakers,Artest,Witness