For the Cleveland Brows, this is a bad time for the NFL to have a work stoppage. 

With a new head coach/offensive coordinator in Pat Shurmur, a second year quarterback in Colt McCoy, and a new defensive coordinator in Dick Jauron, the Browns need all the classroom work it can get.

Not to mention all of the mini-camps and OTA’s that will be missed. 

The organization has been warned not to do any coaching on the sly during any lockout as well. 

If there is a lockout, this is absolutely the worst time for the brown and orange. 

It also makes you wonder if the owners are really as smart as people think.

Owning an NFL franchise is like a having a license to print money.  The amount of cash that comes in from the league’s television deals and merchandising makes it almost impossible to lose money owning a team.

Almost impossible, right Art Modell?

Plus there is a salary cap, so there is no threat for a George Steinbrenner type owner to drive up the salaries so a smaller market team cannot compete.

Witness the current Super Bowl champion…Green Bay Packers.

The NFL has also stolen a page from baseball’s hot stove league in becoming a sport that carries interest all year around.

Immediately after the Super Bowl, you have talk about the draft and the NFL Draft Combine, where players eligible for selection run, jump, lift weights, and are interviewed by team officials and the media. 

Afterwards, players are moved up and down various rating lists based on their time at the Combine. 

Then you have mini-camps which take you into June, just six weeks away from training camp, and it starts all over again with exhibition pre-season games.

This is one of the sticking points of the negotiations.

For some reason, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has it in his head that the fans want less preseason games and more regular season games.  However, what the fans really want is not to pay full price for the games that do not count. 

Exhibition football is fine.  It’s an opportunity to see the players just drafted as well as a bunch of guys chasing a dream of playing in the NFL.  It can be entertaining.  Just not at the same price as a regular season game. 

You can go to an Indians’ game in Goodyear for $10 and get a good seat.  The NFL shouldn’t make season ticket holders purchase the pre-season tickets.  Discount the ticket prices and open it up to people who don’t have the chance to see games in person on a regular basis.

Outside of the scheduling issue, this possible work stoppage is all about the owners, who should all be doing well in the current system, wanting a bigger piece of the pie. 

Here’s a reminder for professional sports owners:  No one goes to the game to see you, they go to see the players. 

This isn’t the NBA situation where the players are making smaller markets non-competitive.  Just the opposite.  The pro football model resulted in the freaking Green Bay Packers, the smallest market in professional sports, winning the Super Bowl.

The NFL needs to get this situation resolved.  They can only hurt themselves by having labor problems with the popularity of the sport at an all time high.

It’s akin to killing the proverbial goose who lays the golden eggs.

JD

One of the things that has come out of the NFL draft phenomenon is the proliferation on so called “draft experts”.  Basically, everyone can be one, because all it takes is an opinion.

And as we all know, opinions are like noses, everybody has one.

Now, any local sports talk station has its staff expert, usually a guy who probably knows no more than you or me about who can play in the NFL or who can’t.  But he has a microphone, which listeners do not have.

The draft talk has intensified with the combine in Indianapolis, in which hundreds of scouts and “draft experts” get together and watch most of the players eligible for selection run around and lift weights. 

There’s no actual football being played.  Just a bunch of guys in shorts and t-shirts being poked and prodded by scouts.  Yet, someone will emerge as having a great combine and will sky rocket up many draft boards.

If this is such an exact science, there wouldn’t be undrafted free agents who become all pros.  There wouldn’t be guys like Ryan Leaf or Akili Smith.  The production of players would coincide with where they were slotted in the selection process.

We all know this isn’t true.

Let’s go back to 2008, when the experts were shocked that Brady Quinn, who was projected to be one of the top five or ten picks in the draft slid all the way to the 22nd pick, taken by the Cleveland Browns.

Based on Quinn’s play in the league, the experts were wrong.  Quinn wasn’t as good as they thought.

On the flip side, Aaron Rodgers was projected the first quarterback selected when he came out of the University of California, a certain top ten pick.  He dropped to late in the first round when Green Bay selected him, and they are very glad other teams passed.

Alex Smith was the first QB picked that season, in fact he was the first overall selection.  How has he worked out?

The buzz this year surrounds Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton of Auburn.  Newton is a physical specimen, measuring at 6’6″ and 250 pounds.  He ran a 4.59 40 yard dash in Indianapolis. 

Unfortunately, having great speed is not the primary thing people look for in quarterbacks.

To me, the most important attributes a QB can have are leadership and accuracy.  That’s why Quinn didn’t make it and Rodgers did.  The playoffs demonstrated for one and all how pinpoint the Green Bay quarterback was with his throws.

According to reports from the combine, Newton was found wanting in this area. 

The ability to read defenses is another great skill to have.  For example, look at Bernie Kosar.  Kosar knew what the opponents were going to do when he got under center. 

It was said that Newton was found wanting in this area as well. 

Therefore, if you are Browns’ GM Tom Heckert, who makes his living evaluating talent, not talking on the radio, would you take Cam Newton with the 6th pick in the draft come April? 

If the Heisman Award winner is there, he will be under some pressure to do so. 

Newton will probably be taken ahead of that pick, most likely going to Buffalo with the third selection, so Heckert will be spared.

The guess here is that the Browns are looking at defense anyway since there is a lot of talent supposedly available, and that is a great area of need for this football team.

Thankfully, a pro is making that pick for Cleveland and not some radio guy wowed by someone’s 40 yard dash time.

JD

The Cleveland Indians have an identity problem, and not only do they confuse their fans, they seem to be perplexed themselves.

They claim to be in rebuilding mode, yet they continue to add marginal veterans to compete for big league roster spots.  They also seem to be kidding themselves when it comes to the availability of some players.

First, they signed veteran SS Orlando Cabrera to compete for a regular position at 2B.  Besides being forced to play out of position, Cabrera is impeding the progress of youngsters like Cord Phelps, who spent most of the year at Class AAA Columbus, and Jason Kipnis, arguably the organization’s best position player prospect.

Cabrera has been somewhat of a good luck charm lately, showing up in the playoffs on a regular basis, but he’s 36 years old.  Is that the type of guy a rebuilding team should be signing?

With all of the options this team has at second base among Phelps, Kipnis, Jason Donald, and even Luis Valbuena, why bring in a veteran whose better days are behind him? 

Now, it has been reported that the team signed Chad Durbin, a 33-year-old reliever who has a lifetime ERA in the American League of 5.69.  He actually spent parts of 2003-04 with the Tribe, compiling a record of 5-7 with a 6.75 ERA in 60 innings.

Instead of signing a mediocre veteran, why not look closely at rookies like Josh Judy, 25, who went 3-0 with a 2.94 ERA at Columbus and Akron, with 57 strikeouts and 14 walks in 49 innings last season?

Or Vinnie Pestano, 26, who had a 1.55 ERA at Columbus last year with 59 K’s and 14 walks in 46-1/3 frames last year.

Or Bryce Stowell, 24, who gets it up there around 100 MPH, and struck out 102 hitters in 67 innings combined last year at Kinston, Akron, and Columbus.

The point here is we aren’t talking about a closer here, the Tribe has Chris Perez to do that.  We aren’t even talking about the set up men to get to Perez.  We are likely talking about the last man in the bullpen.  So, why not give that spot to a young kid and see if he can succeed in some low pressure situations and maybe he’ll be a contributor.

That’s what a rebuilding team should be doing.  Didn’t the front office learn anything from the Jamey Wright experiment last year?

Getting Austin Kearns back is another puzzler, and now even more so because it looks like the Tribe will shift Grady Sizemore to LF when he is healthy, which now may not be until the middle of May.

If the move is made, when or where will Kearns get at bats?  Certainly not in left.  He’s a solid defensive outfielder, but you really don’t want him in CF in place of Michael Brantley.  And in right, Shin-Soo Choo is the best player on the team.

This is not to denigrate Kearns, who’s a solid professional, but is superfluous on a team such as the 2011 Cleveland Indians.  He’s just taking at bats away from players who will be here when the Indians are ready to be contenders once again.  And if Kearns is a guy getting 400 at bats on your big league team, you are more than likely not a contender.

Guys on your bench need to have a dominating skill, like a right-handed hitter who bashes southpaws.  Shelley Duncan fits that profile more than Austin Kearns.  And as a backup CF, Trevor Crowe and Ezequiel Carrera would seem to be better fits.

When you have depth in your farm system you need to use it.  If they are truly in rebuilding mode, then they need to start giving young guys chances.  Most of the youth mentioned aren’t 20 or 21 years old.  They are 23, 24, or 25.  They need to get a chance now.  Right now, the Cleveland Indians are going with the low risk, low reward plan.

KM

The first shot has been fired in the rebuilding process for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The team has reportedly dealt Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to the Los Angeles Clippers for Baron Davis and a 2011 1st round draft pick, which figures to be a top ten pick this June.

The benefit for LA was they rid themselves of Davis’ bloated salary, after all the guard is 32 years old.  They gave the Cavs the pick to take the salary off their hands.

As for the wine and gold, Williams has been injured all season and is a defensive liability.  He was brought here to be a second scorer to LeBron James, and he did that, averaging 17.8 points per night in his first year, but that number has declined to 15.8 in ’09-’10, and then to 13.3 this season.

However, his game changed from his days in Milwaukee, which is why the Cavs traded for him.  He was a slasher, a guy who went to the basket to score with the Bucks.  In Cleveland, he became another guy who stood around the three-point arc like many others in former coach Mike Brown’s offense.

Moon is a 30-year-old role player who never received a good opportunity last season with Brown, and fell in Scott’s doghouse this season.

Davis probably doesn’t have a good term future here, and may even be traded again today before the deadline.  He’s battled conditioning issues and injuries in the past, but when healthy and in shape was a very good player in the league.

He’s averaged over 20 points per game three times in his career, including 22.9 a night in 2003 with New Orleans. 

Perhaps his career can be revitalized under Scott, who has had great success with point guards, but more than likely Davis will be moved before next season.

There is no question that the prize of the deal is an unprotected 1st rounder from the Clips.  The only negative here is this is supposedly a weak draft, with few impact players coming out this summer. 

Still, the wine and gold could still get two young players to help them going forward.

The other great thing about this transaction is that GM Chris Grant did not have to surrender the trade exemption picked up from Miami last summer.  So, that trade chip is still available to the team either later today, or this summer prior to the draft.

So, in addition to the exemption, Grant will be armed with Antawn Jamison’s contract which will expire after next season. 

Grant had to do something, even if it wasn’t something impactful for the future, because to do nothing in this horrible season would have been a public relations nightmare for the organization.

It’s the icing on the cake that the move he made was excellent.  The only thing is cost the team was the additional salary of Davis, who makes more than Williams and Moon combined.

It would not be surprising to see another move this afternoon before the 3 PM deadline.  Most likely, Anthony Parker will move to a contender for either another draft pick or a big body.

Also, the Cavs will probably buy out Leon Powe’s contract and therefore will have two roster spots open.  Grant will be looking for big men from the D-League to fill that spot.

The Cavaliers needed to accelerate the rebuilding process, and they did so with this trade.  It’s a good first step back to respectability.

JK

With both the NFL and NBA ending their existing collective bargaining agreements this year, many people have speculated where either league will have a work stoppage before the next season commences.  One league will and there will be football this fall.

In football, the system is working well for all teams and there is certainly enough money to spread around to all involved.  There should be a rookie wage scale and the resulting extra money should go to veteran players who have proven they can play professional football.

In basketball, the owner’s need to get their league back. 

Look, there is no question the players are the show.  It’s who the fans go to see.  No one goes to a Cavalier game because Dan Gilbert owns the team.  However, the owners’ put up a great deal of cash to run the individual franchises and they are losing that right in the current system.

Basically, the owners take all the risks.

However, right now the players and their agents are calling shots about who plays where and although commissioner David Stern can sugar coat it all he wants, he has to be concerned, and the people who own NBA franchises have to be dismayed over what has happened since last season ended.

And we know that the players are great at playing the game, but do not have a good grasp on what is good for the sport and what isn’t. 

There is no question that Denver owner Stan Kroenke saw what happened in Cleveland last summer and didn’t want to get simply draft picks for his all-star forward Carmelo Anthony.  So, he dealt Anthony to the New York Knicks, with the player holding Denver hostage because he would only sign a contract extension with New York, for a bunch of good to average players.

And at the All-Star break, Utah guard Deron Williams expressed interest in playing with Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire when he becomes a free agent after the 2012 season. 

So, the new NBA will be Miami, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and a bunch of teams that no one will care about. 

How many new pro basketball fans will be springing up in the midwest, northwest, and southwest in the next generation? 

Think about how many people in Cleveland became fans of the game in the seven years that LeBron James wore the wine and gold of the Cavaliers?  Also, consider what poor sports fans reside in at least two of the cities mentioned previously.  LA fans are notorious for showing up late and leaving sporting events early, and people in south Florida are not exactly known for their passion for professional sports.

Yet, that is where the players want to be, and in the current system, the owners are powerless to stop it.

Stern says everything is good because he never says anything is wrong with his league.  He even downplayed the criticism of “The Decision” even though most people thought it was the worst idea since new Coke.

Stern is probably the most powerful czar in professional sports, but even he has to realize that people like “super” agents Leon Rose, and the infamous “World Wide Wes” have designs on his power. 

In a league where arguably one team (2004 Pistons) has won a title without an all time great player since 1980, the unwillingness of the great players of today to stay in markets like Cleveland, Denver, Toronto, and Utah doom those cities to basketball irrelevance.  That is simply not good for the sport.

Owners of professional sports franchises can only sell two things:  A great team or hope.  The way the NBA is headed, 80% of the league’s teams will be unable to sell either. 

And that’s bad for business.

MW

With the NBA trading deadline less than a week away, this is the time for the Cleveland Cavaliers to speed up their rebuilding process by making as many moves as they can to secure young players and additional draft picks.

There are rumors that the Cavs are involved as a third team in the Carmelo Anthony saga.  They supposedly would take PF Troy Murphy off the Nuggets’ hands after they acquire him from the New Jersey Nets. 

Cleveland would get a couple of first round picks for the trouble of taking Murphy’s contract off of Denver’s hands.  However, the Cavs should not stop there.

In fact, almost everyone on the roster should be available in a trade except for the cornerstones of the build up of the team:  J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions, Christian Eyenga, and Manny Harris. 

Antawn Jamison will be difficult to move because of his high contract total for next season, and with an impending lockout looming, teams may not want to add the veteran forward because no one knows what the next labor agreement will be.

Still, that doesn’t mean he is  not tradeable.  Teams who wanted Anthony, but couldn’t swing a deal with Denver, could be looking seriously at Jamison, who still is capable of putting up 20 points per night.  He still is putting up almost 18 points and 7 rebounds per night.

The most likely Cav to be traded is veteran shooting guard Anthony Parker, who is drawing interest from both the Bulls and Celtics.  Parker is 35, has an expiring contract, and is a good defender and a very good shooter from three-point range.  He’s a perfect guy to come off the bench for a contender.

Even though Daniel Gibson is still a young player, he should be on the market because he’s another guy who can be a useful player for a team chasing a title.  He’s  a good three-point shooter, but the downside for him would be the nagging injuries that have plagued him the past few seasons.

Mo Williams may be the most difficult high-profile players for GM Chris Grant to deal.  Williams has a large contract that is not expiring, he’s had injury issues all season, and he’s a liability on defending on the perimeter.  He probably would be best suited to be sixth man type on a contending team.

The other veteran that Grant is trying to move is Jamario Moon, who has started to play better as of late.  Moon is a solid wing defender and can hit the three-point shot.  However, that is about all he contributes offensively.  He doesn’t handle the ball well, which doesn’t allow him to create his own shot. 

Moving the veterans would accomplish two things.  First, it would allow the Cavaliers to accumulate as many draft picks as possible, meaning another influx of young players joining the team for the 2011-12 season.  The more shots you have in the draft, the more chances you have of a project type player panning out.  The picks the Cavs are going to get for these guys aren’t going to be in the lottery.

Secondly, it would give the young players currently on the roster some more experience.  Clearing out the off guards like Parker and Gibson would allow Eyenga and Harris to be on the floor more often.  And a deal for Williams would solidify Sessions as the team’s point guard of the present.

The opportunity is there for Grant.  He has to try to move as many of the veteran’s whose futures are behind them  It’s time for the Cavaliers to start devoting every minute to the future.

JK

Since the Browns returned in 1999 and the playoffs have been a rumor for most of that time, the most popular thing for the fans to look forward to is the NFL Draft.

It’s like the Super Bowl.  It’s an event that’s debated for four months, from immediately after the season ends until the actual day of the draft.  The players in the draft go from being the favorite of the fans to not desired, to back as a popular choice.

That happened last season to Joe Haden, and he turned out quite nicely for the Browns.

Many gurus have Cleveland picking a wide receiver with their first round selection, the 6th overall pick, in this year’s draft.  This is based on the 2010 starting wideouts being Mohammed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie. 

However, it is likely that GM Tom Heckert will follow the same strategy as he did last year and go with defense first in 2011. 

Notice that most of the veterans released last week played on that side of the football.  Therefore, the defense needs to be rebuilt, and what better way to do it than in the draft.

There should be no question that this is biggest area of need, especially on the front seven, which right now probably has three starters:  T Ahtyba Rubin, and LBs Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong.  That leaves four spots open.

There is no question that this franchise needs a game changer on the defensive side of the ball.  Name the last great Browns’ defensive player?  Not an All Pro player, a Hall of Fame defensive player who put fear in opponents. 

It can’t be done.  At least, there is no player who suited up for the Browns in the last 40 years that fits that description.

That’s what this team needs more than anything, especially in the AFC North.  They need a Ray Lewis or Troy Polamalu type.  And picking this high in the draft gives them an opportunity to go out and get one.

One position that is not an area of pressing need is quarterback.  Whether or not you think Colt McCoy is the answer, you have to believe he is an upgrade to the people who have called signals since Derek Anderson’s remarkable 2007 campaign.

Many people are pointing to Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton as the 1st round pick to get a guy to compete with Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco. 

While Newton has all the physical tools to play QB in the NFL, he’s still was a spread option guy in college and therefore is a bit of a risk.  He’s also played just one year of major college football.  He is simply too big of a gamble for the Browns, when they have glaring needs on defense.

It comes down to what is more of a position of need:  Defensive front seven or quarterback?  Even McCoy’s biggest critic would have to admit the Browns need a big time defensive player in order to be a factor in this division.

As for the wide receiver need, the Browns probably feel that with a better offensive system, the guys they have will improve. 

The wild card here is last year’s 6th round pick, WR Carlton Mitchell.  One of the mysteries of last season was that Mitchell couldn’t or wouldn’t be allowed to be on the field.

Also, remember that in a lot of cases, good quarterbacks make good receivers.  McCoy’s continued progress will make the wide outs look better.

Yes, the Browns have offensive needs such as another lineman and another receiver would be helpful.  However, the biggest need on this football team is defense.  That’s where the sixth pick in the draft should be used.

JD

The last week of play tells you all you want to know about the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it has to drive coach Byron Scott crazy.

After Sunday night’s loss to Washington, it would not have been surprising had the coach destroyed the locker room in anger at the effort put out from a team whose record is now 9-46.

Monday night, the wine and gold took on one of the NBA’s better team, the Dallas Mavericks.  They played with passion and hustle, and was tied late in the fourth quarter.  They had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Anthony Parker’s three pointers missed, resulting in the Cavs’ 25th straight loss.

The next game was against Detroit, a team in the lower tier of the league.  However, the Cavaliers came out not ready to play and the Pistons rolled, handing Cleveland their 26th consecutive loss.

The losing streak was broken on Friday with an overtime win against the LA Clippers. 

The Cavs came ready to play, scrambling for loose balls and working hard on defense. 

Apparently, that game satisfied their thirst for victory because they laid an egg against Washington, losing to a team that had not won on the road all season. 

It’s hard to believe that any team with as poor a record as the Cavaliers would take any opponent for granted. 

It also means there is a deeper problem for Scott, GM Chris Grant, and owner Dan Gilbert.

Scott has been trying to go with his veterans as of late, probably to generate some trade interest in guys like Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Mo Williams, and Jamario Moon.

But the problem is these guys just don’t seem to be interested in doing what is needed to win on a night in night out basis.  Perhaps, LeBron James saw the same thing and that’s why he left.

There is no excuse for not playing hard or not being prepared to play. 

Sunday night, Williams and Parker turned the ball over so much it resembled Christmas Eve with the two Cavaliers in the role of Santa Claus. 

And those are the veterans!

Maybe the coach and GM see the same thing from these players and they are biding their time until they can cleanse the roster.

This team needs someone to step up and show everyone what needs to be done in order to win in the NBA.  Right now, there is no one currently on the roster who shows this type of professionalism.

At least guys like Ramon Sessions, Manny Harris, Samardo Samuels, Daniel Gibson, and the much maligned J.J. Hickson act like they care. 

For those who question the latter’s talent, look at his numbers since Scott benched him for missing practice at the beginning of January.  He is putting up numbers, and even better, putting out an effort every night.

There seems to be people starting to question the coaching of Scott right now based on the club’s record and the lack of effort in these recent games.

How do you motivate the dead?  That’s what Scott has to work with right now.  Many of his veteran players aren’t giving him effort on a regular basis.  That shows a lack of heart on the players part.

The coach cannot want to win more than the players.  If that is truly the case, Byron Scott can’t shoulder the brunt of the blame for the Cavaliers’ record. 

Nothing will change until a talent transfusion is performed by Grant. 

Anyone want to be an NBA coach?

JK

It’s become an annual rite of spring.  Right before spring training starts, the Cleveland Indians sign a veteran free agent that they do not seem to need.

Last year, it was Russell Branyan, who took at bats away from Matt LaPorta early in the season.  He also was a poor defensive player, clogged up the basepaths when he did get on base, and of course, struck out as often as Lindsay Lohan goes to rehab.

This year, the Tribe has signed 36-year-old veteran Orlando Cabrera to compete for the second base position. 

We have mixed feelings here, because on one hand, it shows the Indians are not happy with Jayson Nix at that spot.  Nix is a below average player and Cleveland shouldn’t be handing him a regular spot.

Also, Cabrera winds up in the post-season a lot.  In fact, he’s been on a playoff team six of the last seven seasons.  He’s been on winning teams, and perhaps he can share what it takes with his younger teammates.

Here’s the rub, though.  All indications are that the veteran can’t play very well any more.  He is 36 years old.

Last season, Cabrera hit .263 with 4 HR, 42 RBI and a 657 OPS.  Those aren’t impressive numbers.  But it gets worse.

Cabrera played his home games last season in Cincinnati at The Great American Ballpark, a great place for hitters.  Away from the Queen City, he hit .233 with 1 HR, 16 RBI, and an OPS of 571.  That’s the guy you just signed.

Remember that Progressive Field is a pitcher’s park, and you don’t have to be a genius to see Cabrera is going to be an offensive liability. 

And his defense has slipped as well, mostly because he’s slowed down due to age.

The reality is that Cabrera hasn’t been a good offensive player since 2004 when he played for Boston’s world championship team. 

Plus, his presence is going to retard the progress of some of the young players who should be getting a look this spring with a chance to make the big league roster, Cord Phelps and Jason Kipnis.

Once again, because we’ve been over this before.  Phelps is a hitter.  He hit over .300 at Columbus (AAA) last season in a little less than 300 at bats.  He’s a switch hitter as well. 

The Tribe front office gave him an award in the off-season for most being the most consistent hitter at hitting the ball hard. 

The other big factor for Phelps is that he just turned 24 years old.  The organization needs to find out about him now.  He should be given the opportunity to earn and hold a big league job.

Having Cabrera on the roster hinders the chances of young players, guys being hyped by the organization, getting playing time.

Why talk about how good your farm system is if you never give any of them a chance to play in the majors?

Team president Mark Shapiro and his protegé, GM Chris Antonetti seem to be forever haunted by bringing up Brandon Phillips too soon in 2003, when as a 22-year-old, he hit .208.  Three years later, he was dealt to Cincinnati and is averaging 20 HR per season and hasn’t had a batting average less than .261.

Phillips recovered from his “traumatic” rookie season, but the front office has been very conservative with young players since.  This kind of stance is what losing organizations do. 

Instead of bringing in the Cabreras and Austin Kearns of the world.  Bring in pitching. 

The Tribe front office needs to alter its approach.  Nothing will change around Progressive Field until it does.

MW

As the losses mount up for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the whole LeBron James leaving story as re-emerged from the national media. 

With it is the criticism of Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert.  Gilbert deserves some negative press, but blasting him for the way James left and his handling of the former Cavaliers and his support team is unmerited.

Gilbert has taken criticism for the letter he wrote to Cavs’ fans the night James decided to leave the franchise, and that is understandable.  It was written in anger, and in retrospect, should have been crumbled up and put in the garbage.

However, at the time the supporters of his team loved it.  They gave James unconditional love and couldn’t believe that someone from around here wouldn’t want to stay. 

Promising a title before the Heat gets one was over the top and since the Cavaliers best chance to win anything this season comes in the draft lottery, the owner’s statement was silly.

It’s funny that Gilbert is being criticized for how the player was handled when he was wearing the wine and gold.  He did everything he could to make him feel like he was the most important piece of the franchise, and based on how the value of the team dropped without him, it was with good reason.

The critics say Gilbert should have been tougher with James, not an “enabler”.  That’s hindsight, and there is no place for it here.

If the Cavs’ ownership had put their collective foot down and been tougher with James, and then he left, the same people would be saying Dan Gilbert handled it all wrong, he should have coddled the superstar in an effort to keep him.

Other anti-Gilbert people talk about how the Cavs should have put a better roster around James.  They conveniently forget that #23 probably had a lot of imput on major moves affecting the roster. 

They say the worst GM’s are the players themselves and it’s true in this case.  However, assuming James was consulted and signed off on these trades, he had a large hand in not having the proper talent around him.

One guy who flies under the radar and doesn’t get a lot of criticism is former GM Danny Ferry. 

By all accounts, Ferry could have made a deal to get Shaquille O’Neal from Phoenix at the trading deadline in 2009, but declined, not wanting to disturb the chemistry on a team that ended 66-16. 

Perhaps a championship banner would be hanging from the rafters at The Q had the deal been made.  Supposedly, Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract was the centerpiece of such a deal.

Ferry should also get criticism for selecting Christian Eyenga in the first round of the 2009 draft.  Although Eyenga shows promise now with his athleticism, he’s a project. 

With the Cavs ranking among the NBA’s elite at the time, shouldn’t a more ready to play guy should have been picked in that spot, say a player like DeJuan Blair, who is putting up good numbers the Spurs, who happen to have the league’s best record?

LeBron James left the Cavaliers because he wanted to go play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and the three of them decided the coolest place to play was in Miami. 

He didn’t have the competitive gene that Michael Jordan had, which was to dominate all in his path.  Jordan wanted to beat everyone, including his friends. 

Just don’t blame Dan Gilbert for the way he treated James and his entourage.  As for the make up of the team, the owner is just a part of that problem.

JK