As we wind down 2006 and look forward to the dawn of a new calendar on Monday, it’s time to see what the new year holds for each of our city’s professional teams. Hopefully, the first good thing we will see in the new year is Ohio State’s second National Football Championship this decade. That would be great. This past year wasn’t a great sports year for our franchises, will 2007 be any better? Let’s look at each team in order of when they will finish their season.
Cavaliers. The most successful Cleveland team in ’06, getting to the second round of the NBA playoffs and losing in the seventh game of that matchup with the Detroit Pistons. The wine and gold have not played well early in the 2006-07 season, but still have a 16-11 record after a victory last night in Atlanta. With no dominant teams in the Eastern Conference this season, the Cavaliers have as good a chance as anyone of getting to the NBA Finals for the first time.
The biggest obstacle the team has is itself. When the Cavs focus on taking the ball to the basket instead of relying on jump shots, they can beat anybody. Their problem has been against the league’s lesser teams, when their focus wanders and they lose games they should win. The Cavs have lost to the Knicks, Bobcats, and Hornets in 2006, while beating the Spurs, Bulls, and Wizards. This up and down play has to cease if the wine and gold are to make the quantum leap into the NBA’s elite.
This is the one Cleveland team who will make the playoffs. How far they will go will depend on the play of guys like Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. We know what LeBron will do. His teammates will have to produce for this team to get further than last year.
Indians. This was the city’s biggest disappointment in ’06. Coming off of a 93 win season in 2005, many (including the Cleveland Sports Perspective) thought the Tribe was a shoo-in for the post season. However, the bullpen collapsed and the Indians finished below .500. GM Mark Shapiro brought in some veterans to help in the off season, and it appears he will add one more in free agent Keith Foulke soon. Shapiro also traded for 2B Josh Barfield to fill that spot, and added another good stick against right handers in David Dellucci.
If the two of the new additions to the ‘pen work out, just two, it will help greatly. This team can score runs, and have two of the best players in the game in Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, and a very good hitter in Victor Martinez. The starting pitching is solid, led by C.C. Sabathia who has become the ace everyone expected him to be. They have some promising youngsters in Andy Marte, Shin Soo Choo, Fausto Carmona, and big time prospect Adam Miller.
The key for the Indians will be how much their bullpen and defense will improve. SS Jhonny Peralta has to be more like the ’05 edition than the one who played last year. If the relief corps comes through, the Tribe can make the playoffs. However, baseball is the toughest sport to make the post season, and Cleveland is in the best division in the sport.
Browns. Year two of the Phil Savage/Romeo Crennel is producing results worse than year one. Savage has added some talent in LBs Kamerion Wimbley, D’Qwell Jackson, and Leon Williams, but the free agents he signed have not come through, mostly due to injury problems. Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley went down with a knee injury on the first day of training camp and the season went downhill from there. Kellen Winslow Jr. returned from his motorcycle accident and is playing close to Pro Bowl level, but last year’s #1 pick, Braylon Edwards has used his mouth more than his hands.
Savage needs to add more talent in the off season. The areas of need are both the offensive and defensive lines, and at running back. They still don’t know who the quarterback who will lead the team back to prominence will be. Charlie Frye was inconsistent and appears not to know when to get rid of the ball. Derek Anderson didn’t look very good once teams developed a book on him. And there are too many needs to go out and draft Troy Smith.
Once again, a Cleveland team is in arguably the toughest division in their sport. Unless they can start winning games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati, the best the Browns can do is probably 8-8. That’s where their challenge lies. The must be able to compete within the AFC North. Next season is the make or break year for Romeo Crennel. Anything less than a .500 record and he will join Chris Palmer and Butch Davis on the pile on broken toys.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 