The Cavs Suck!!!

I couldn't take it anymore. I was sitting there watching the Cavs game in the midst of a tornado warning and I couldn't help but pray that my satellite dish would be ripped from its hinges. The Cavs were just getting manhandled.

Dwight Howard is an absolute man child. Nobody could stop him. NOBODY!

I haven't seen a big man dominate the entire game like that since Shaq in his prime.

If it was 1 on 1 it was an automatic two points.

If they doubled down, he kicked out for a wide open three.

If they missed he'd get the rebound and start the whole damn process all over again.

God, I'm so frustrated.

When will Lebron learn he's not 3-point shooter? Unless he's wide open or the shot clock is winding down, he shouldn't be taking 3's. And even then he should think about it.

Look, I love LeBron. He's my favorite player. Nobody can stop him when he gets a running start with his shoulders squared to the basket.

But because he can't shoot consistently with range, and it pains me to say this, LeBron is the second best player in the NBA behind that guy from the Lakers.




It's official.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has the foot speed of a sloth and the lateral movement of a zip-line.

I can't stand watching him get beat off the dribble no matter who he's guarding. He's a liability on the floor. Then on the offensive end he stands outside the key and hoists up 20-footers.

You don't pay a 7'3" oaf to shoot jump shots. But then again why are you paying an oaf in the first place?

I hope Danny Ferry has the balls to cut him loose this off-season. No team can win an NBA championship with Z as the starting center.

Did anyone see how many times the Cavs made dumb turnovers? This series LeBron expanded his reign as te king to ruling the art of losing your dribble, passing it to the other team, or dribbling it off your foot. (Just watch the overtime of game 4)

And just like loyal subjects, his teammates followed with unquestioned obedience.

Whenever you thought the Cavs may be getting back into it, they would make a stupid turnover on a crucial posession.

In a must win game in the conference finals, you should be elevating your level of play, not reducing it to the level of a tipsy rotweiler.

As difficult as it was for me, I came to the realization that even with LBJ, the Magic were the better team. They had five threats on the floor at all times. The Cavs were lucky to have 2.

Even though one of them was a super meta-human, it's still not enough to beat a good complete team.

I had to turn the game off before I started going on my "I hate Hido Turkoglu" rant again.

So now I'm sitting here as the final seconds wind down to the Cavs season and I'm watching "That 70's Sow."

Kelso's an idiot.

Thank God for late night humor.

Why Terrelle Pryor will Lead the Buckeyes to a Championship

I've been reading all the backlash from that Andy Staples article that basically said Pryor was better than Tebow and Bradford. And I have one thing to say...

WHO CARES!!!

Really, we can go back and forth all day and argue until we are blue in the face and still probably change no one's mind.

Why don't we talk about what really matters like oh I don't know, the BCS CHAMPIONSHIP?!

But we'll get back to that in a second.

I went up to the Ohio State Spring game a couple weeks go (along with the rest of Ohio) and just like everyone else, witnessed a vastly improved Terrelle Pryor.

His footwork, mechanics, and accuracy were all night and day compared to last year and it was really refreshing to see that the OSU coaching staff was doing what they're paid to do.

But then again, how hard can it be to teach a mix between LeBron James, Usain Bolt, and Ben Roethlisberger to do anything that involves athleticism?

It's like teaching Eva Longoria to be gorgeous or George Bush to dance (Oh wait, bad example).

Anyway, it got me thinking about the potential of this team. They are young and somewhat inexperienced, but I think they are overall more talented than the 2007 and 2008 teams and pretty darn close to (if not better than) the 2006 team.

Both the 2006 and 2007 teams made it to the BCS championship and then got utterly embarrassed in front of the entire nation. Their reputation still has not recovered.

Don't get me wrong, both teams were very good, but I think think this team has something they didn't; Terrelle Pryor.

I think Terrelle Pryor is the piece in the puzzle that can put them over the top. In fact, I know it.

TP is so special that I guarantee the Buckeyes will win a BCS Championship.

Notice, I didn't say this year (it could happen), but before he graduates (or declares for the NFL Draft), TP will deliver the Bucks to the promised land.

And here's why..

1. As I was saying before, TP is one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the history of college sports.

Remember, this guy was a top basketball recruit, too.

But it's crazy to watch what Pryor did last year without really having the ability to consistently throw the ball. At times (especially when Beanie was out), Pryor was OSU's only offense.

He was getting by guys not because he was the most polished and skilled player, but because he was the most athletic.

I remember one play against Michigan State last year in particular. It was a PA fake roll out to the right. Right when Pryor turned from the PA fake, an unblocked DE was right in his face.

Pryor's raw athleticism took over as he brought the ball back like he was going to throw, jabbed forward leaving the defender in his dust, ran toward the sideline, and threw the ball across his body to Brian Robiskie in the end zone.

No one else in the entire nation could have made that play. And that's what makes him so great. He has the ability to do things no one else can.

2. Have you ever heard Pryor talk?

The guy expects perfection.

Pryor lost two games as a starter last season. After the Penn State loss (in which his fourth quarter fumble lead the games only score and interception ended the game) Pryor said,

"When you turn over the ball two times in a game, everyone can say that it's not my fault, but if you really look at it, it is."

Later when talking about the interception he said,

"I should have known not to throw the ball there. I should have known to throw somewhere else. I mean, that's the game. I feel it's on me."

I like seeing a guy take responsibility for his mistakes. That shows character and maturity. It shows he's ready to handle the pressure that comes with being a top flight athlete.

My favorite TP quote, however came right after the the Fiesta Bowl loss to the Texas Longhorns. He said,

"We got to get better. We got to improve. Next year, we got to throw points up on the board. Point blank. Period."

Minutes after a heart breaking loss and the end to the longest football season of his life, Pryor was already thinking about next year and getting better.

This kid expects to win and has the motivation and the work ethic to accomplish just that. Mentally, TP is wired to win.

Point blank period.

3. There have been super athletic players in college before, but not all of them won it all.

Why?

Because they didn't have the supporting cast. But the Buckeyes have proven year in and year out that they bring in quality players that can win games.

Pryor will have a supporting cast and they're going to be pretty darn good. OSU is bringing in top ten recruiting classes year after year. They have the talent to build a great team around TP. Pryor will be what makes the ultimate difference, but his talented group of teammates will be right there with him.

Also, Pryor plays QB. No position has more of an impact in football. Great athletes at RB and WR can only make so much of an impact because they can only get so many touches.

But at QB, Pryor has the ball in his hands every play ready to change the game.

The Ohio State nation has gone through some tough times as of late. They're seen as a slightly above average team in a below average conference.

But Terelle Pryor is going to change all that. He's going to EARN the respect back.

So sit back and enjoy...

I know I will.

Mauce Clarett: "I want to play football again"

"I can’t hold these feelings in anymore. I want to play football again. I have a deep desire to play. I love the game."—Maurice Clarett

The star who dazzled fans and lead the 2002 Buckeyes to the BCS Championship wants to win another one.

The man who was suspended by Ohio State University for filing a false police report wants to regain his athletic credibility.

The rebel who lost his battle with the NFL to declare for the draft a year early wants to rejoin the league.

The sloth who ran a 4.82 40-yard dash at the 2005 NFL combine wants to speed past tacklers.

The criminal who was arrested twice and sent to jail for armed robbery wants to strap on the helmet and lower his shoulder into the end zone.

I couldn't believe it when I read it.

Maurice Clarett, that guy rotting in jail, playing football?

I guess I subconsciously dragged my mental Maurice Clarett icon into the "Jailed athlete; never think of again" folder, but apparently Clarett is eligible for early release in 2010.

But is he serious?

Does he really think any organization (NFL or not) would take a chance on a guy who hasn't played in an organized football game in seven years?

But, as Maurice says, "In the penitentiary, you could say basketball is football. Back here, everything is aggressive. Everything is intense."

So I guess a few ill-intentioned elbows during a pick-up basketball game in "the joint" qualifies you to play professional football?

Not quite.

But, hey, not so fast. Let's at least hear the guy out.

Maurice claims to have turned his life around.

And if you read his blog, it appears that he may have a point.

He has a steady girlfriend who he plans to marry.

He has a young daughter that he can't "imagine not being in her life everyday."

And...

He is currently enrolled in a distance-learning program at Ohio University (he even got an "A" on his first philosophy assignment).

On top of that, he's not sugar-coating anything.

"Anyone who glorifies prison is an idiot. Anyone who thinks that coming to prison solidifies their manhood is a fool...Most, if not all, of [the prisoners] wish they can turn back the hands of time. It’s hard to watch life pass you by, and even harder to watch your family grow up through photos. I am not doing “a lot” of time, but I still feel the pain when I think about my daughter."

He even warns people form making the same mistakes that he did.

"I am telling all the young men out there running wild to slow down. All of your so-called homeboys won’t be around when it rains and pours. You better go to school and experience the pain of studying for a test rather than sitting in a courtroom facing a sentence of 25 to life."

No one can discredit these messages, and he's talking from firsthand experiences.

OK, but even IF he has his life turned around and is all there mentally, that means squat when a 250-pound linebacker is barreling towards you.

Clarett would have to get back into "football shape," and based on his past, that could be a challenge.

Remember, during his year off, he lost all control and ballooned up to 256 pounds. Then he showed up to the Denver Broncos training camp about 20 pounds overweight at 248 pounds.

However, weight isn't the only issue. Clarett would have to be stronger, faster, and more agile than before.

But talk to Maurice, and he'll tell you that's not a problem.

"I am 220, rock solid. I am moving swift, running fast, and jumping high. My mind is right and my life is in order. I am 25, but I feel like I am 18. I am still young."

If that's the case, then does he really have a chance?

Will teams be willing to at least give him a look?

Will he have this new found discipline once he's released from the prison cell into the temptation filled world where he's already messed up so many times?

Right now, we can only speculate.

Maurice says in one of his posts, "I am rock solid. I train hard. I go hard. I’m HERE."

Yeah, Maurice is "here" and he'll be "here" when he gets out.

The question is...

Will anyone be waiting?