Seven Years In Tibet Is An Eternity Watching The Cavaliers …… Well That’s Too Painful A Thought To Have To Endure ………………………

Seven Years In Tibet Is An Eternity Watching The Cavaliers …… Well That’s Too
Painful A Thought To Have To Endure ………………………

So the Cleveland Cavaliers do know how to win after all ? Finally after 26 attempts they were able to overcome the Los Angeles Clippers . I’m sorry to say this but when the Clippers are in town and they essentially lay down like a wounded dog having been kicked to the ground I can only surmise that Vinny Del Negro’s —- team have been watching the films of Michael Vick’s former pets . Act like a wounded dog and you’ll be treated no better than a wounding dog that no one actually cares for ! And such has been the thoughts by the fans in general about the Los Angeles Clippers over the years.

=======================================================================

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

=======================================================================

Slide show for your perusal .

Twenty six games and as they say legends are made as the fans had the ignominy of seeing the Cavaliers become the team that had the worse losing record in terms of consecutive losses in all of professional sports. Cavaliers’ coach Byron Scott had to have been happy with this outcome and at the same time GM Chris Grant and team owner Dan Gilbert can feel some respite after all of the losing . Clearly however this team is a long way off from where they need to be . They at present have the worse record in the NBA and sit at the bottom of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference .

The game played at the Quicken Loans Arena
was all that could be expected from two teams literally fighting for their survival within the league. J J Hickson and Antawn Jamison would lead the charge for the team as the eked out a narrow victory over their opponents from the Western Conference . I’m sorry but when you have two teams that essentially aren’t going anywhere within the NBA this season you have to wonder about the state of the game and the product that David Stern is trying to get fans around the globe to enjoy.

Now Cavaliers’ fans can take heart in knowing that their team finally showed some heart but at the same it has me wondering can this team avoid losing 60 games this season ? I don’t know that they can but I do believe that they will end up with the worse record in the league !

As to the fate of the Clippers with the ownership led by Donald Sterling has never been competitive in nature nor has he the desire to win. And it certainly hasn’t helped that the team has to share the same venue as the Los Angeles Lakers . And given the Lakers’ history and legacy the Clippers have been left in their wake and rear view mirror. This Clippers’ team has been way too inconsistent for their own good this season and it’s becoming clear that if they don’t start competing or winning on a consistent basis then by the time Blake Griffin’s rookie contract is up for renewal there’ll be an ever decreasing chance that he would choose to remain with this organization.

Inasmuch as Dan Gilbert had made that rather infantile statement that the Cavaliers would indeed win an NBA title before LeBron James and the Miami Heat would have the chance to do so. Even if the statement had been made in anger it clearly shows that the demeanor and persona of the owner as a person. And granted NBA Commissioner David Stern saw fit to fine the owner for his behavior and several outrageous statements made. It just goes to show how out of touch the owners can be when it comes to the role of a player as an employee within the league. The NBPA and the existing collective bargaining agreement gives the players their right to opt out of a their contracts dependent on length of service after their initial first three years in the NBA . If an owner such as Gilbert doesn’t understand that then the statement made that he comes across as a slave owner with a large plantation of indentured slaves isn’t that far off in terms of its veracity .

While James was a player with the team Gilbert saw its value increase at least threefold to the point that it was valued at in excess of $400 million . Now the team might not be even worth anymore than $250 million at best, as such was LeBron James’ value to the organization simply not just from a competitive standpoint but also from an economic one as well.

LeBron James’ departure may well have been an abrupt one but the owner did himself no favors in firing Mike Brown , Byron Scotts’ predecessor and then allowing former GM Danny Ferry to leave. The biggest faux-pas on the part of Gilbert however while this whole debacle unfolded was his wish not to consult James as to who he would be hiring as Brown’s successor. That may well have been the straw to break the camel’s back and led to James making the choice that he did to pursue his career elsewhere. And while the fans in Cleveland may well have felt betrayed by the player’s actions I do feel that they ought to have looked at the actions of the team’s owner ! Does anyone truly believe that Jerry Buss would have acted in such a way were this Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson had been fired by the Lakers ? Common sense never was that profound it’d appear within the Cleveland Cavaliers’ organization (front office) and it appears there still isn’t any at this juncture .

===================================================================================

1

2

3

4

5

6

Click on an individual frame to view that picture in its original formatted size.

=================================================================================

Picture gallery for your perusal .

Well now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have a win finally to start as a new streak they now have the privilege of hosting another moribund and woefully inept team this upcoming Sunday when they play the Washington Wizards . Care to guess what the outcome of that game might be ?

With the Cavaliers now halting that now infamous streak how do you see them performing throughout the rest of the season ? And what thoughts if any do you have with regard to the Los Angeles Clippers and their immediate future ?

Picture and slide show details below.
——————————————————————-

Washington Wizards’ John Wall (2) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers’ Ryan Hollins (5) in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Cleveland. Washington snapped its 25-game road winless streak with a 115-100 win over the Cavaliers, who reverted to their losing ways one game after ending their record skid. AP Photo/Tony Dejak ……

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers’ Daniel Gibson , right passes the ball in front of Washington Wizards’ Nick Young during he second quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Cleveland. Washington snapped its 25-game road winless streak with a 115-100 win Sunday night over the Cavaliers, who reverted to their losing ways one game after ending their record skid. AP Photo/Tony Dejak …….

(3) Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott watches during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Cleveland. Washington snapped its 25-game road winless streak with a 115-100 win Sunday night over the Cavaliers, who reverted to their losing ways one game after ending their record skid. AP Photo/Tony Dejak …..

(4) Los Angeles Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro reacts in overtime in an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, in Cleveland. Nearly two months after it started, the Cavaliers stopped their NBA-record losing streak at 26 games on Friday night with a 126-119 win in overtime against the Clippers. AP Photo/Tony Dejak ……

(5) Cleveland Cavaliers’ J.J. Hickson, left, blocks a shot by Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin in the fourth quarter in an NBA basketball game Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, in Cleveland. Nearly two months after it started, the Cavaliers stopped their NBA-record losing streak at 26 games on Friday night with a 126-119 win in overtime against the Clippers. AP Photo/Tony Dejak ……..

(6) Cleveland Cavaliers’ Mo Williams (2) reacts after assisting teammate Antawn Jamison (4) in overtime in an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, in Cleveland. Nearly two months after it started, the Cavaliers stopped their NBA-record losing streak at 26 games on Friday night with a 126-119 win in overtime against the Clippers. AP Photo/Tony Dejak ………..

——————————————————————-

NB: NBA news ……..

The Cavaliers would lose to the Wizards 115-100 .
So once again they’re back to zero in terms of a win streak .

😛
Alan aka tophatal …………………………………

=====================================================================

Eye candy ……………….. Hidden assets Carrie’s

“Thong of the day “ …….. Melanie

====================================================================

Gnarls Barkley ….feat’g….. Cee Lo Green & Dangermouse ……..“Crazy”

———————————————————————————————

If You Can’t Face Adversity Square On And Look At It Face On Then What Use Are You If You’ve Learned Nothing At All From It ?

If You Can’t Face Adversity Square On And Look At It Face On Then What Use Are You If You’ve Learned Nothing At All From It ?

Bitch and whine but yet throwing out statistics merely to justify a loss in a competitive match simply shows complete naivete and a lack of understanding as to what it takes to win. But low and behold forty eight hours after bowing out of the World Cup we still have US fans trying to justify the claim that the US team were better than their nemesis Ghana in the round of 16 . So the US out-shot Ghana 20-16 but it’s the end result that counts and this what I believe is the asinine realization that seems to be lost on many of these fans. Wake up and smell the friggin’ coffee the US lost 2-1 to Ghana. The African nation made it to the quarter finals and the US didn’t so for God’s sake stop the bitching and fu_king whining as you’re all coming across like children who’ve been told to take a damn timeout ! If you want to be constructive in assessing the loss then look at what positives if any have come out of this all and not harp on about why you lost the game . The result most certainly can’t be changed at this juncture . And besides who says that the US team coached by Bob Bradley was the better team to begin with ? Was it because a numb-nut like Alexi Lalas said so ? His understanding of the game and his opinions are about as warranted or merited as Paris Hilton’s views would be on peace in the Middle East ! For want of a better word who gives a sh_t to begin with ?

.

Bob Bradley’s team was never that good to begin with and in terms of defense and their frontal players in attack. Well let’s just say there’d have been more presence upfront were it Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken as the frontal players on this US team. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan showed the creativity and presence of a docile mouse. Now with the US having returned home US Soccer President Sunil Gulati can assess what went wrong, where, when and why. Personally, until there’s a real competitive presence within the MLS in terms of the “talent level” then we’ll never see the maturation of US soccer on the international stage. The respect that the US craves won’t be given and it first has to be earned which is something that the fans and their players simply have yet to learn. Nothing could be more prevalent than the attitude and demeanor shown by Bradley and in particular by Landon Donovan in their post game interviews after the loss to Ghana .

================================================================================

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

================================================================================

Slide show gallery for your perusal . Use the arrow indicator to move the slide show frames as you see fit.

OK, so here we are on the first day of the NBA __ free agency period and as of yet we’ve yet to hear whether or not Lebron James will be returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers or making a move elsewhere around the NBA. The thought was that James would be the “domino effect” that would set everything into effect. But that now appears to be not the case as it would appear that Toronto Raptors’ power forward Chris Bosh could well be the carrot that lures James into making a decision. Bosh as one of the second tier free agents on the market, is the most desired of the power forwards out there. And the thinking amongst several NBA analysts and general managers around the league is that whomever lands Bosh will have the upper hand in luring and signing Lebron James.

Now in assessing the situation my own feeling is that LeBron if he’s to win an NBA title then for his alleged Jordan persona will be in need of a Scottie Pippen. James despite being saddled with Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O’Neal , this Cavaliers’ team was merely doing it all with smoking mirrors. And for the ass kissing morons at ESPN who simply had their lips pressed so closely to James’ sphincter that they couldn’t see the reality that this team was simply not good enough to beat the Los Angeles Lakers much less the Boston Celtics . Mike Brown and former GM Danny Ferry simply built a team for the long haul of the regular season but not for the rigors of the postseason . And now with Brown having been fired and Ferry inauspiciously choosing to relinquish his position with the team. It has now been left to Dan Gilbert the team owner and newly installed GM Chris Grant to try and gauge the situation concerning James and his status. It doesn’t appear that there has been a great deal communication between James’ handlers and the Cavaliers’ front office . If that’s not enough of an indicator that things could quite possibly change with regard to the Cavaliers’ future then the situation could well be lost on the Cavaliers’ fans and their executives. What I find very telling concerning the coaching staff of the Cavaliers was that not one of their members has played professionally in the NBA. That’s almost unheard of amongst the coaching staffs of a number franchises around the league.

Now with the Cavaliers now rushing to sign Byron Scott as the team’s next coach, with the position having been turned down by Lakers’ assistant Brian Shaw. This off season has been a very interesting one for the Cavaliers to say the least.

At one should a team give up on the season in baseball ? Now approaching the league’s mid-season showcase of the All Star Game to be held at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California __ for which the event should prove be a great spectacle. The season has been filled with one or two surprises in the league and perhaps the biggest surprise might be that of the Cincinnati Reds and their ongoing battle for supremacy within the NL Central . While that has gone on , the Chicago Cubs seemingly finds with each passing game ways of sinking into further realms of mediocrity . I’m not about to say that the Cubs are done but my God if this team were a lame dog or horse they’d have been put down and euthanized. Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella seems to be out of touch and his team even more so but then again we are talking about the lovable and hapless Chicago Cubs where losing has now become the norm and winning has become a thing of the past .

Reds’ manager Dusty Baker could very well end up becoming the NL Manager of The Year should his team win the division. Other than that there’s not much more that can be said about the Cubs and their situation . As to the surprising ascendancy of the Reds it’s hard to bet against them and their season thus far. The play of Joey Votto and the middle order of the team’s offense has been simply astonishing . Their play seems to epitomize what this team seems to be about and what they’re doing makes them the NL story of the season.

Close your eyes and you’re liable to miss the image of the NFL as it sinks lower under the tenure of Roger Goodell . As for my own view on Goodell , well, let’s put it this way, for the highest ranking executive in the NFL to seem all clueless as to the players of the NFL and their behavior. Star players such as Michael Vick and Vince Young bring the image and reputation of the NFL into further disrepute and Goodell can only act like a Roman Catholic priest caught in the midst of another sex scandal . Instead of dealing with the situation with some authority , instead what we’re seeing from the NFL commissioner is the very fact that he’s a gutless individual ! Never mind the fact that there have been some serious allegations that have arisen concerning an Indianapolis Colts’ defensive tackle Eric Foster and a rape allegation . If Goodell handles this the way that he handled the Ben Roethlisberger situation then we might as well shut up shop as far as the image of the NFL is concerned. Because it’s not as if the NLPA and Executive Director DeMaurice Smith are in the least bit concerned with the image of their members to begin with. It’s as one patron of my site stated he’s not in the least bit concerned about an NFL player being involved in a fight . My question to him was what if the situation had escalated wherein the player ended up losing his life in an act of gun violence ? For which he’s yet to respond to my question but then again I shouldn’t expect anything less from someone who thinks that gun violence is probably the best way to resolve an issue. But then again amongst young African Americans that’s probably the be all end all when they’re severely lacking intelligence. Word to wise for Vince Young and in particular Michael Vick grow the fuck up and stop being and behaving like an asshole ! You’re both doing yourselves and your race a great disservice !

As for the Indianapolis Colts and their GM Bill Polian they’ve been less reticent to issue a statement concerning the matter and the alleged rape. The so called “pristine image” of the Indianapolis Colts is about as clean as that of the Roman Catholic church and their wish to be seen as God’s representative of Christianity on the earth. By my way of thinking that’s akin to asking a group of neo Nazis to be the custodians of the Torah and a church filled with young African American school children. You simply know that no good can from the outcome much like the Colts’ need to keep this all quiet and completely away from the public domain . And nowhere is this more self evident than in the actions of the organization and that of the commissioner’s office. And as to the assumption of the NFL if it’s a first time offense by a player then the league has a right to deal with the issue as it sees fit. Well whatever happened to the league’s player conduct policy ? Goodell much like his edict is completely full of shit much like the rest of the crap that he’d like for us all to buy into. I wonder how Goodell might have dealt would’ve dealt with the Ray Carruth affair were he commissioner at the time ?

Doubt my word concerning the NFL then simply look at the actions of Goodell and the inconsistencies of his rulings over the past few years ? Show me the consistencies in his deliberations and how he has come by them and then ask yourself is there any justification as to the types of punishment that has been meted out ? Goodell actions haven‘t exactly been seen as a deterrent to the players who court trouble and then hide behind the legalities of a justice system that has been all too soft on celebrities and in particular athletes. Were the actions seen that of an every day citizen then we’d be asking what the hell is going on. But as I’ve alluded to before the justice system and that of what Roger Goodell deems as being fair is about as equal in its logic as the actions of a habitual liar., Their actions are that way as a safety mechanism because it’s the only way that they know how to act.

========================================================================

US soccer international player Landon Donovan. The player often called ” the face of US soccer ” had moderate success at the World Cup in South Africa before the team bowed out of the tournament. As to whether or not he’ll be around for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil that scenario would seem extremely unlikely at his juncture. guardianuk.co/ Giles Mayhew ……

US team soccer coach Bob Bradly makes his way to the dais /podium to address the convened press during the World Cup . Getty Images / Elise Amendola ……….

US Soccer President Sunil Gulati whose job it will now be to assess the US team’s failings at the World Cup. Gulati has publicly stated that he was disappointed at the team’s effort but understands that there’s still a great deal that needs to be done . Also on his agenda appears to be whether or not Bradley should still be retained as the national team’s head coach. Getty Images / Ken Springs ………..

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers . The player is amongs the most coveted free agents in this years players on the market. And the feeling is that any decision made by the player will then affect the ongoing to be made by the other top tier players on the market. Associated Press/ Chris Curran ………..

Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors . Many believe that he may well be one of the deciding factors in the LeBron James’ sweepstakes. And with Amar`e Stoudemire as it’s being reported having signed a 5 year $ 100 million contract with the New York Knicks. The door may well be now opened for Bosh and James to be perhaps signed by the same team. courtesy tsn.com / …………..

Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto who has had an inspirational first half to the season as he and the Reds have fought for dominance in the NL Central against the St Louis Cardinals . Getty Images/ Kent Carlson ………..

Cincinnati Reds’ manager Dusty Baker whose team is having a rather strong season in the National League. Associated Press/ Chris Mayhew

Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella seen here remonstrating with a league official during a game. Much of Piniella’s on field antics seems to have epitiomized his team’s decline this season. Getty Images/ Mackenzie Stewart …………….

Colts’ defensive tackle Eric Foster who’s being sued by a female hotel receptionist for sexual assault and battery. Just another in a long line of NFL players seemingly embroiled in a felony. courtesy/MTC/ George Bridges ………..

NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith whose voice has remained ominously silent concerning the conduct of his members . I wonder why that is ? Getty Images / Doug Benc ………….

========================================================================

Picture gallery for your perusal .

Chime on in with a comment as you see fit and I’ll do my best to respond to your comments as succinctly as I can and once again thanks as always for your continued support and patronage. It’s been appreciated throughout my time here contributing within this domain.

Alan Parkins aka tophatal

Red Hot Chili Peppers ………… “Give It Away”