Let’s just do it, yeah?
We weren’t gonna get into, but we sorta feel like a wuss if we don’t. Besides, we’d hate to ruin Boney’s most anticipated moment in the past two months – the post in which we discuss the nationally televised Cavaliers-Pistons game this afternoon.
Obviously the big change in this game is the DET addition of PF/C Max Veeber, who has brought something to the team, since they’re 6-3 since he arrived.
We’re not sure what it is, since we haven’t watched them play, and it has nothing to do with the Air Jordan X, highlighted today by SLAM.
Truth is, the Cavaliers really have done the greatest injustice to their fanbase they could possibly do – created apathy. It’s not just us, unless the emails we get and the message boards we read are all full of lies and deceptions.
This game should (emphasized via italics) be huge for us as a fan. The Pistons, national TV, Superb Bowl Sunday…the Cavs only a game up from being tied with the Pacers???
The real issue, and we discussed this in private with a family member yesterday, is that we don’t know if we can come back to full enthusiasm this season, no matter what happens. Even if LeBron is waiting to “flip the switch” in March, as he’s alluded to, well…we find that kind of disgusting.
It’s the reason we’ve never been able to embrace Shaq fully as a player. It’d be a shame if that’s what LeBron James is and/or wants to be, even if he does win a championship one day.
Now, to wrap up this preview, let’s do our favorite thing and talk about ourself. If we’re being honest, we’re not feeling back to complete health yet, but we’re determined to function as if we are.
That means we went for a run this morning, despite the fact there was a 50% chance some kind of internal digestive system breakdown would occur in the public eye. With the number of paparazzi that follow us around, this becomes a huge pr issue.
It also means we reserve the right to turn off the game at halftime, which has been our CLE MO for about 6 weeks now. (When we haven’t been out-and-out boycotting them altogether.)
(We don’t know who wins – we expect to be flipping it off, after LeBron launches his 5th three-pointer and Coach Mike puts in David Wesley as a counter move to a 16-0 DET run. Oh…I guess we do know who wins.)
((Superb Bowl pick: Bears. We don’t know why.))
{ 13 comments }
I know it’s going to sound gay and all.. but I was reading your old posts from the playoff series last year to get CISED for today’s game.
I just love watching LeBron fail because EVERYONE is fixated on him. It’s fine though, if noone else can have the same enthusiasm that you used to have for your team, then you truly are a sourpuss and need to go back to cheering for the sorry Indians…
The Cavs are like a game or 2 back right now… how could you not get excited?
Because they generally play without enthusiasm or intensity. They don’t try – I have a hard time getting behind people who are like that, including my own teams. If they gave it even 90% all year, with the schedule they’ve played, they’d be up 6 games or so on the rest of the East.
What’s it mean to get “cised”?
It must be an east coast term… pronounced like “psyched” only with the “sed” on the end instead of “ched”… cised…
Anywho, not much of a game today. It was a yawner in the 3rd quarter… highlight of the game for me was when Billups was dribbling out the shot clock and didn’t have much of a shot, but still got a shot over LeBron and nailed it with 1 second on the clock…
Cavs are the same as they were last year, no real changes except Sasha. I know you hate it when Billups seems cocky by saying “we have a hard time against the teams we should beat, but we get up for the good teams”… but that’s basically what LeBron says by saying that he feels his team can lay back until March because they’re that good now….
Have I been anything but critical of Lebron since the season started? I swear you don’t even read this site!
Apathy is too watered-down for what I feel toward the Cavs, they’ve been pissing me off for some time now. It’s gotten to the point that I just know when to change the channel, i.e. about midway through the third quarter on Sunday. I’m not a big fan of pointing any single aspect of a team’s game and citing it as THE problem but the Cavs consistently pathetic free-throw shooting is indicative of the things that are wrong with the team. They are the worst team in the league at the stripe and that doesn’t seem to bother them in the least. For a team that struggles to score consistently and plays with almost no cohesion on offense, that is inexcusable.
Boney: The Indians are going to win the AL Central this year
I doubt the Indians are going to win the Central this year. You’ve got to have more than just Hafner and V. Mart… Plus with Verlander and Bonderman another year older and with Rogers throwing the slop, I doubt anyone’s going to be able to stop the Tigers… especially with Sheffield in the lineup now.
Yeah, Sizemore doesn’t bring much to the table and picking up an extremely good second baseman in Barfield really doesn’t add much either. Plus, the just Hafner and V. Mart combination sure didn’t work last season when the Indians finished in the top five in runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. I can see your point there. The Indians problem wasn’t their offense genius, it was the bullpen. Granted, I can’t say the problem is solved but they’ve certainly taken steps to address it.
The Tigers pitching is solid, no question there but the Indians had the 11th best staff ERA, which I recognize isn’t a great measure. But LOTS of things went right for Detroit last season, including the Indians totally unexpected regression. The Tigers lineup plus a 39-year-old Sheffield (if he can stay healthy and that is a big if) doesn’t address the problem that they strike out way too often and don’t walk enough, Sheff (assuming he can also remain happy) will have an impact but not to the degree the Tigers need.
You’re right about Sizemore, I can’t believe I overlooked him. I don’t see where “a lot of things went right” for the Tigs last year. They won a lot of games last year based on their quality starting pitching and one of the best (if not the best) bullpens in baseball. To think that Sheffield is all of the sudden now “injury prone” is a mistake because of one season where he has ligament damage in his wrist. Detroit dominated the Yankees after Game 1, and they continued their domination against the A’s who dominated the “mighty” Twins. Noone gave the Tigers a shot at all until after they bombed Zito in Game 1 of the ALCS…
I highly doubt with your combination of an underachieving Jake Westbrook and *gasp* Paul Byrd in the rotation along with a bullpen that is suspect and pretty much has been for the last few years.
I would say as a comparison between the 2 years where the 2005 Indians almost competed and then last year when the 2006 Tigers did actually compete that the Tigers were the more legit team of the 2. The Tigers have the manager, starters, bullpen, outfield, and a more consistent infield than the Indians do. Now DH? Can’t compare, Hafner is the best in AL. All other positions I’d give the edge to the Tigers except CF and C, and that’s only because Granderson is in his 2nd year and Pudge is fading fast. Besides, VMart doesn’t even play C anymore since he can’t defend the position properly… You’re right though, the Indians should be tough so long as Cliff Lee has a solid year like he did in ‘05… but they need Sabathia to lose weight and stay healthy…. and Josh Barfield? He couldn’t field his position in San Diego, why would he be any better in CLE? If he was such a “hot” prospect why would the Pads give him up for basically nothing?
When he was but a small boy, the city of Cleveland mercilessly ran over Boney’s dog.
The Indians bullpen has been suspect for the past few years? I assume you’re also including the 2005 bullpen that was the best in the majors. To think that Sheffield carries a higher potential of an injury (note I never said he was injury-prone, those are your words) isn’t totally unreasonable given his age.
Look, I am not going to make the argument that the Tigers are bad, I think the AL Central is the toughest division in baseball right now. But to act as if the Indians success was an aberration ignores quite a bit. The Indians bullpen cost them 10-15 wins last season. They easily project out as a 90 win team next season. Curtis Granderson is not even close to Sizemore, it has nothing to do with experience, last season was Sizemore’s second full season. And what does underachieving Westbrook mean? Posting at least 14 wins in three consecutive seasons is somehow negative? He’s exactly what he should be, a consistent mid-rotation starter.
As for Barfield, by couldn’t find a position, I assume you meant to say started 138 games and posted the seventh-best fielding percentage among all second baseman and hit .280/.318/.423 with 13 homers in a pitchers’ park. The Indians addressed a major hole with a very solid player. Is he a super star? Nope, but he doesn’t need to be, he’s a core player, a guy who can play that position for the next several years.
Fios, we shall see. I think putting someone as physically gifted as Sheff in a DH role, even at 39, is worth it. True, you do run the risk of him getting hurt, but by putting him on the bench every half inning you lessen that risk.
I’d hardly call that ragtag group of guys in ‘05 the best, but if they were the best “statistically” then I guess they were the best. To be honest, as much as I love the Tigers, I don’t really care who wins the Central as long as the Tigers make the playoffs… I don’t mind the Indians, shit, I like the Indians more than I like the god damn Cavs…
The 05 bullpen had the third most saves in the bigs and the lowest bullpen ERA … oh, what could have been … I know, I know, a familiar refrain in Cleveland. I’m not knocking Sheff as a rule, the Indians expressed some interest in getting him but shied away from it due to what it would (probably) have cost them. And I, also, hate the Tigers less than I hate the Pistons. I loathe the White Sox, the Twins are kinda harmless and I feel bad for the Royals and their fans.
Ok cool.. besides, the Tigers have the best home uniforms in all of baseball…
You shouldn’t hate the Pistons though.. hating them is like hating God
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