I've had some time to digest the Cavs loss now. We were at Paul's, so to have a Cleveland team lose while watching over there isn't exactly a new feeling. I'm not sure what went on last night because the Cavs layed an egg, almost from the start.

The early sign for me that they were in trouble was rebounding. The Cavs have been an exceptional rebounding team in recent years and it helps them get through some games where not a whole lot else is working. Final total: Orlando with 47, the Cavs with 34 rebounds.

Looks like Ben Wallace will retire. He was definitely not 100% in this series. The effort was there, but when he says "it's a young man's game now", he needs to keep his word on retiring. Can't have someone with limited offensive skills combined with self-doubt.

Wally Szczerbiak is done here. Two airballs last night and Game 7 against Boston last year are two black marks on his resume. Sasha Pavlovic probably joins him as an ex-Cav. Somehow became a savior in Game 2, ruining LeBron's celebration, BTW, then slinked back under a rock for the rest of the Orlando series, playing only 6 minutes the last three games. The trade for Joe Smith worked all the way to the Orlando series, where he lost a chunk of playing time. Only played 7 minutes total in Game 4 (a bad game) and 5, and took a DNP in Game 6...it's a mystery!

So, will the roster have a major overhaul? Daniel Gibson was awful, then hurt, last night. He took a -16 last night. I'd say he is a shaky returnee. We don't hear much about him being "LeBron's little brother" anymore.

Anderson Varejao gives the Cavs a lot of energy and actually had a really good season this year as a starter for a length of time. But when he fouls and doesn't get the flops called, oh, it can make for a long night. I believe he's a restricted free agent. Does he start next year, go back to the bench, leave, what?

Z was bad in Game 6. Could not handle Dwight Howard from the opening tip in Game 1. Showed some signs of life throughout offensively, but his defensive deficiencies, guarding the high screens and pick and rolls, caused everyone to work a lot harder on defense. He has a player option and I'm sure he's a starter next year.

LeBron was LeBron, as ever. A historic series, no doubt, but played sort of an odd Game 6. It had to be mentally and physically exhausting to carry everyone for the whole Orlando series. I don't hold too much against him for leaving the court immediately after the game. It's not like he can't text Dwight Howard an hour after the game or anything. The NBA will take care of not meeting with the media and fine him for that. No issue with him. A player for the ages.

Delonte West. His stock rose in my eyes. Tough player. He was a keeper in the Boston series last year and after a rough start in this series, he came around nicely. Took the tough defensive assignments without complaint and probably tried the hardest of someone not named LeBron James against Orlando. Look at the minutes played against the Magic: 47, 46, 43, 47, 41, 46. Nice moment when he congratulated his old college teammate, Jameer Nelson, after game 6. Not sure why he undressed to do it, but hey.

Brings us to Mo Williams. Thought to be the perfect compliment to LeBron...until about 11 days ago. Had a terrible playoff run. It was his first time through the playoff wars, so I'm not sure what to make of it. I do know that he will take the most heat of the players this summer.

Coach Mike Brown was stubborn against Orlando. He would not play LeBron on Lewis or Turkoglu for any extended period of time. It may have helped steal one of the losses, but Orlando shot so well in this series, I'm not sure what he could have done. Everything he tried, from fouling Dwight Howard to defending screens and pick and rolls, failed. Only bullet he had left at the end was Hack-A-Dwight and he chose not to do that. He will take lots of heat this summer.

The Cavs had a championship-worthy team, but fell short against Orlando. Losing Game 6, 103-90.

Meal of Links

Husband wants a rusty trombone for his birthday. Wife needs to look that one up.

The killing of an abortion doctor in a church in Kansas is dominating the news today. Here is an interesting read.

Larry the Cable Guy is not one of the Top 10 Most Influential Comedians this century. He's just not. Bill Burr makes me laugh.

Bill Burr



Exercise Yard

Joba Chamberlain starts against the Indians tomorrow. Mike Francesa is not impressed.

Visitor

None, on a beautiful Sunday.

Best Friend and I spent Thursday trying to go to a game between the Indians and Rays. It was a day game, where they bus all the kiddies in for some weather schooling. Seriously. Anyhow, we got down to Alesci's for some pregame pops and we knew the rain would get there eventually, so there was no rush to go in.

However, the rain didn't get there as early as I thought it would and by that time we were outside. Then Best Friend spotted one of the oddest sights she's seen Downtown and I had to agree. There was an ice cream truck with music blaring, but it wasn't "Music Box Dancer". Doesn't seem like lots of kids are gonna run out for curbside service. I asked if they had Bomb Pops and the woman, eager to make a sale, said yes! I then told her I really didn't want one, I just wanted to know if they had 'em.

By this time, it was a bit after 1:00 and the game was already through the 4th. Just then, it turned awfully cold and was getting dark. By the time we got back to the bar seats, it was obvious it was going to rain. And it did, it stormed pretty good for a while. Then the rain just wouldn't stop.

Two hours, 40 minutes later, it did stop. Do you know how much you can drink in that amount of time? Just ask us. I mean that's almost the time it takes for the Indians to play 7 innings. Needless to say, weekday Noon games are fun.

Meal of Links

S. and I had lunch yesterday at Vieng's Asian Bistro. Beautiful space inside as they did a great job transforming the old Claddagh. This is part of the group that owns Pad Thai in Hudson, where I have eaten before. This was OK. I had some shrimp cocktail that was fine. We split some sushi rolls that were a lot of rice and pretty pedestrian. The General Tso's was just not spicy enough. She had some Asian dumplings and chicken curry that were better, I think. The Sapporos helped and it was a very nice day on the patio, but I also got a sunburned head. Their new Happy Hour might draw a few more people.

Hudson made the list of the most expensive suburbs to live. Geez, I dunno, I work there but I've never thought it was that much more pricier. Maybe I get all my stuff in Stow, so it makes a difference.

OK, I got 20 on my first pass. You are supposed to name 50 movies.

Favorite local commercials. The Frankie & Johnny Furniture in Nawlins kinda scares me. Top Cleveland ones are still "Garfield 1-2323" from the Aluminum Siding Corporation and the "Big-O" from Lawson's.

Sarah Palin gives the when and where of Stephen Colbert's "Secret" Trip. I guess it's not a secret anymore.

Jay Leno ended his "Tonight Show" on a pretty nice note. Conan takes over on Monday.

Ever wonder why we stare? Wired is there.

Cleveland Guy Takes on TNT

I thought this was well done. I was very disappointed with the TNT crew after Game 5. Too much talk about could LeBron repeat that performance in Game 6 and Game 7, and not enough talk about the Cavs getting it together and winning Game 5. And the pregame was a Mike Brown Bashfest. Very odd.



Exercise Yard

Earlier in the week, the Champions league final was played. That is like the Super Bowl of European soccer. This morning, it was the FA Cup, sort of the March Madness of English soccer. It was 42 Celsius on the pitch at Wembley today. That's about 108 for you and me. I think that's hot.

It was Everton and Chelsea. I like Everton. They have a good coach, David Moyes, and I think they are fun to watch. They scored in the first minute and thought they might pull it off, but Chelsea dominated most of the match following that early surprise.

Chelsea gets a Cup this year, winning 2-1.

Visitor

32 Down: Kofi ____ Annan (4 letters) Answer: Atta (He actually handed out the FA Cup today.)

Alas, my lens could not be saved.

Had to work from home this afternoon, as we lost Internet and e-mail.

Larry Dolan had a heart attack.

John Kasich is running for Governor of Ohio.

Triple points with your Sheetz card this month.

Weird call from a Mount Union student selling Tribe 6-packs. Good luck!

S-p-e-l-l-i-n-g B-e-e t-o-m-o-r-r-o-w.

Drivers license renewal...now $24.

Time Warner Cable wasted no time yanking HDNet and HDMovies. They are gone.

Meal of Links

The Battle of Sotomayor. Here we go.

"My Dinner With Andre" comes out on Criterion. "My Breakfast With Blassie" nowhere to be found.

TV's 50 Funniest Phrases. Who loves ya, baby.

Cameron's house from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is up for sale. Pix are here.

Healthier pizzas? That picture made me ill.

Exercise Yard



















The Champions League ended today. The winner is FC Barcelona. Three trophies for them this season.

Visitor

68 Across: Nero at the piano (5 letters) Answer: Peter

Advice for all the kids out there. Never step on your glasses. Mine are currently being prepped to see if they can survive. I banged up my left lens pretty good. I hope I don't have to get a new one.

So, I'm back to my old ones and I can still see!

Meal of Links

Talking about Judge Sotomayor's confirmation chances. Nate Silver has the totals. Current Senators approved, 35-11 in 1998.

Trent Reznor is raising money for a patient in need of a heart transplant. Already raised more than half a million.

Al Pacino will play Dr. Kevorkian. You know, the guy on my Dead Pool released from prison on health grounds who got better after he left.

If you're a sea fish. Plan on big changes. You probably have 50 years left.

Hello, Newman.

Exercise Yard

The Cavs are performing their own version of "Drag Me To Hell".

Quick Postgame Thoughts:

Do you realize Sasha Pavlovic was perhaps not even active (one box gave him a DNP-CD, another had no listing) for tonight's game? But that's the history of Mike Brown come playoff time. Just look at the box score of Game 7 last year with Boston. Guys disappear without much notice. Today, Joe Smith only played 4 minutes. Apparently, enough time to get abused defensively like some of his teammates, as he had a -7 in that time.

Just goes to show you. For all the wasted breath about home court advantage, come playoff time, you must win on the road.

Ben Wallace had only 4 points, but even with getting picked on that Lewis three-pointer, he played much better defensively. His most active game this series. But he was -14 for the game.

Wally: 21 minutes, 2 points. Only 4 shot attempts. Cavs running out of bullets.

I am digging the "Most Interesting Man" on those Dos Equis ads. Stay thirsty, my friends.

For all of the talk about guard play and the bench: Williams and West combined for 12-of-30. The bench scored 14 points. Daniel Gibson enjoyed, what, three minutes of good play? I thought Delonte West came to play today and he made some tough shots. Almost saved the game in the last 7 seconds but he couldn't grab the ball from going out of bounds.

Mo Williams? Completely disappeared late. His last FG came with 6:46 left in the third quarter. Only attempted 3 more shots after that, missed a technical and his last attempt was a missed layup with 8:15 left in the fourth.

It's all about the Orlando threes. Cavs outrebounded them. Shot 45% from the field, 83% from the line. Only had 12 turnovers (LeBron had 8!), which points out how bad they were late in the game when those piled up. Negatives: 27% on threes and only 17 assists.

Overall, not that bad on the stat sheet, but still not enough to overcome 50% shooting and 45% on threes by the Magic.

My old adage: "Never underestimate the pride of the professional athlete". I assume the Cavs will not roll over and expect their A-game on Thursday. It might be the last chance to showcase their talent at home. I sense a win in Game 5.

Cavs lose in OT, 116-114.

Visitor

12 Down: Rumored Himalayan (4 letters) Answer: Yeti

My Uncle and Aunt have been visiting this week from Georgia. The state, not the old SSR. Anyhow, to revisit our ethnic roots, we all went out to Babushka's Kitchen on Saturday. My brother and Dad have been out there several times but that was my first visit.

I only ordered a potato pancake, so I could try things off of everyone's plate. I tell you, you have to add this to your places for comfort food. The stuffed cabbage is outstanding. The pork and sauerkraut is really, really good and the cheesecake is mighty nice. Look, this is no frills dining but it is definitely a place worth trying. It's a gem.

Meal of Links

Yeah, I'm a sucker for auto racing. Especially on this day. You start with Monaco, have Indy in the middle, and wind up with the Coke race at Charlotte, if it doesn't rain and then the Coke race runs today. However, I am still bullish on Indy.

From the Purdue marching band, to Jim Nabors singing "Back Home in Indiana", "Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!", those weepy Firestone "Take me out to the Brickyard" commercials, the winner guzzling milk, I'm in the tank for all of that stuff. But the race presentation on ABC was a bit off this year. To miss a crucial restart with less than 20 laps to go, after they made a point to clear the deck with a bunch of commercials was inexcusable.

Anyhow, Helio Castroneves goes from the courtroom to victory lane.

Drop Day in the EPL. The three teams included: West Brom, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The last two teams fairly big names.

I liked this look at the Geography of Personality. Ohio looks like it's introverted, agreeable, fairly neurotic, not too conscientious, and devoid of being open to experience. Yup, that about sums it up.

Billy Joel's former drummer really doesn't like Billy Joel. Hasn't got paid in the longest time.

Dress Like A Roman



Exercise Yard

The Cavs are in trouble. Not too difficult to pick the main culprit here. Mo Williams, I think, is gonna bear the brunt. I put the Iso-Lite on Mo playing defense for a while during last night's game and the issue I have with him is he is cheating way too much. He is constantly creeping around to help out and is losing his man a lot. With the Magic consistently screen-and-rolling and pick-and-rolling with their big men (and Z, you can help here, as well), he is drifting amid all of the switching. And his man is getting open because of it. Now last night many of those shots did not go in, but Mo is absolutely killing the Cavs on both ends. That was the Cavs chance last night as they played better defense, and Orlando did not shoot as well they have in the first two games.

Other factors. Bench play. Again nothing from the Cavs. I guess Sasha wasn't "in tune" last night. Who does LeBron suggest in Game 4? Boobie Gibson? I think they may risk the defensive liabilities of Wally World, because they need someone, anyone, to make a shot.

I am really puzzled as to where the Cavs can get some help. LeBron has been good (averaging 40 points a game), but even he is missing crucial foul shots down the stretch. Z can't hit anything, but keeps firing up the longer shots. Guard play has been spotty. Delonte West played defense last night, but his offense is inconsistent. Both West and Williams launched quick threes that were ill-advised.

However, the one ray of light is the Cavs were close even with how poorly they played. If someone else besides LeBron can provide some offense, they might steal Game 4. Maybe it's as simple as David Stern needing "to make the call".

Charley Rosen breaks it down.

Visitor

6 Down: Composer of marches (5 letters) Sousa

Hope you are enjoying the blimp shots of "our two buildings" during TNT's playoff coverage...

If LeBron didn't cement his "King" status last night, I don't know what will. Before his final shot, the Cavs were dead as dead can be. I thought the season was done. And I certainly didn't think the lob would work on the last play and wanted them to shoot a three-ball. But I had no idea LeBron would get it and then actually make the damn thing. The importance of that shot going forward is immeasurable. Orlando, at one moment, probably going to the Finals. The next, they are now back in a dogfight.

Yeah, That Was Amazing



What did the Cavs do better in Game 2? They defended Dwight Howard more. Not many points after the first quarter. But let's not kid ourselves, that's what Orlando does. Howard goes long stretches without being involved. Sure, they made him work for his points by hacking him early, but let's not hang our hats there.

Much better rebounding in Game 2, a 38-30 margin for the Cavs. And the assist total for Orlando dropped dramatically to 16. And Sasha Pavlovic rises from the ashes to get 9 points and commit a phantom foul that set up the almost game-winner for Hedo Turkoglu.

Some low points. The injured Ben Wallace is giving the Cavs nothing offensively. It's even worse than normal. In 17 minutes, he had no shot attempts, hardly any touches (why guard him?) and only two rebounds. Wally won't see much more PT in this series, either. No legs for defense. And although Mo Williams hit some big shots down the stretch, he only had a 7-for-21 shooting night. And doesn't it seem his temper is going to cost us in a major way at some point? How he escaped that ball toss at Howard last night was hard to believe.

And the Cavs still need to contest these wide open three-point attempts. They just aren't running out to defend as quickly as they need to be. And it seems each time they get in a funk offensively, there are too many breakdowns immediately at the defensive end. Orlando was like a buzzsaw cutting into that lead unbelievably quickly.

The Cavs win a game for the ages, 96-95.

Meal of Links

Time Warner Cable remains the devil. They have decided to drop the two Mark Cuban channels, HDNet and HDMovies, for Smithsonian and MAV TV. How incredibly out of touch they are. HDNet actually shows lots of MMA (which I do not watch) and HDMovies actually shows stuff in HD made before 1990, like "The Godfather" (which I do watch). Obviously, it's a money thing.

I fired off an e-mail including a dig at the lack of NFL Network, as well. I got what I thought was a condescending reply. When a major cable company says NFL Network and HDNet "have limited appeal", what alternate universe am I living in?

I'm willing to take the $5 I now pay for Universal HD, HDNet, HDMovies and MGM HD and apply that to NFL Network. Don't they get that? $5 for Universal HD, Smithsonian HD, MAV TV and MGM HD is ludicrous. They need more in that "HD Tier" or they must abolish it.

Chinese guy wants to jump off bridge and commit suicide. Bystander breaks through crowd, fakes a handshake and pushes him off. Must be Mel Gibson's cousin. Oh, and the guy lived.

Lego keeps raising the bar. Next up, Frank Lloyd Wright sets.

Pittsburgh beats us again. This time, a good thing. for Pittsburgh is America's most polluted city.

Exercise Yard

Bud Selig finds hope in this year's baseball attendance. After the Yanks and Reds show up here in the next 30 days, I'm not sure how the Indians draw fans later this season.

Visitor

28 Down: Dustin Hoffman role (10 letters) Answer: Ratso Rizzo

A terrific speech from President Obama on torture and terrorism. Cheney had a rebuttal. Some excerpts below.

President Obama



Meal of Links

I love the Internets. Especially for something like this. I give you RunPee.com. The site will tell you when and how long you have to take a bathroom break during a movie. It's in Beta so not a lot up there yet. Although, they are dead on with "Wolverine".

Talk about timing. I just started a new bottle of Sriracha last night. Oh, it's crack.

Here are the Memorial Day TV Marathons.

Some really good Pop Culture Relic Quotes. There are a few that I go to.

Any ballgame where the batboy has to fetch a new bat after a hitter breaks one: "Pick me a winner, Bobby" from "The Natural".

"You know, for the kids" from "The Hudsucker Proxy".

Kind of a paraphrase from Spicoli in any work setting: "We've got the tools. We can fix it."

And Stewie Griffin: "Everything's better with Cool Whip."

Exercise Yard

The Stanley Cup could use a spellcheck. Thank God for Bobby Orr.

Visitor

15 Across: His 2,297 RBI is a major league record (5 letters) Answer: Aaron

Have the Indians finally hit rockbottom? I don't know why, but my eyeballs seem to be finding their games a lot lately. I guess because when a team is going bad, you have to look beyond the box score and game summaries to see how bad things are going by actually watching the games.

Last night should have been a win. Instead it was another wasted performance by Cliff Lee. He had strong 7th and 8th innings and then Wedgie turned it over to Kerry Wood to finish off the Royals in the 9th. I decided there was not much of a fine line between using Lee or Wood in the 9th. Lee had thrown only 101 pitches, his least amount of pitches in a game since he got hammered in the Opener. Letting him finish or at least trying to finish may have stopped the current skid.

Going to Wood is probably the normal move. But these are not normal times. No, no. Wedge has to quit saving Wood for non-save situations and maybe let him work 2 innings once in a while. Giving Wood much needed work last night would have been a moot point had Wedge used him in the tie game at Tampa last Friday. Or more time on Sunday, instead of to come in and hit Upton and get the final out.

But Wood, yikes! There was still only one out after those homers, but walking Olivo is inexcusable under any circumstances. It was only the second time Olivo walked all year. Ugh! I said three weeks ago Wood looked great and if we could only get to him for the 9th inning, things might be OK. I think I'll step aside from that comment for the time being.

Back to the game. After the Olivo walk, David DeJesus comes to bat. He hit a 2-run homer off of Wood in April, so he promptly rips another Wood fastball for a triple. And that was pretty much game over. But this is another issue I have with Wedge. He goes by the book by using Wood and making a lot of these other moves. But, after the DeJesus triple, where were the two intentional walks to load the bases for the possibility of a double play? With Betancourt in the bullpen, he would have had ample time to warm up with Wood delivering those walks. And, yes, Wood was so bad last night, that Betancourt deserved a shot. BTW, I can't believe I just wrote that. Arrrrrrrgh!

I agree with those who say if the players are performing badly, it's mainly their fault. I get that. But we are seeing way too many managerial miscues by Wedge as this season is falling apart. Sizemore resting and Ben Francisco automatically assuming his leadoff spot, dropping Sizemore to only second in the lineup, using Sipp two days in a row, Garko in LF, etc. The beat goes on!

Mark Shapiro doesn't get off the hook either. I'm gonna discount the Lee and Victor Martinez trade rumors. But if Mark DeRosa gets moved and it seems likely that he will, how do they explain that failed experiment? If the decision only 2 months in is Jhonny Peralta at 3B and Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, why even sign DeRosa over the winter?

Jee-zus, I need a drink.

Unbelievably, Wood walked the bases loaded tonight in the 9th, but hung on for the save. Gonna have to keep an eye on that boy.

Meal of Links

You have to be rich to be poor. Life in the inner city.

E! has gone daft. Celebrity Twitter tweets will run on a crawl.

Oh, Canada! The Olympic Torch for Vancouver looks like a joint.

Exercise Yard

First of all, did you see all the towel waving at the Q tonight? I hope to God everyone saw the incident right before the game. Dwight Howard walking off the bench toward the scorer's table and a woman waving her towel, oblivious to the world, hit him right in the face with it. Wouldn't that have been funny if it took his eye out, ending towel distribution forever.

Reminded me of this:

As for the game, a story of two halves. The Cavs really sucked wind in the second half. They are going to need to contest the threes of Orlando a lot better. Too many wide open looks. And not much help from the guards tonight. Terrible shooting.

I can already hear the traffic lining up on the 480 bridge. Cavs lose their first playoff game this year, 106-105.

Oh, forgot one other lament after the first playoff loss for the Cavs. The Sports Illustrated jinx. Add that to the others.

The Cavs could use a dose of...

Hoosiers, Where Amazing Happens



Visitor

36 Down: Title character who "returns" in a Neil Simon title (8 letters) Answer: Max Dugan

The Cavs start up the Conference Finals against Orlando tomorrow. Here are the basic things we will hear during this round:

Dwight Howard is Superman.

How to pronounce Hedo Turkoglu. Impress your friends, he’s a Turk and it’s Turk–a-lou. No "g" sound.

Rafer Alston honed his craft on the playground.

Coach Stan Van Gundy looks like Ron Jeremy.

Orlando loves the three-pointer.

The Cavaliers do not match up well with Orlando.

But keep this in mind. We have the #1 player in the league. We have the #1 defense in the league. We have the #1 offensive rebounding team in the league. Having said that, we know the Cavs will lose a game in this series. Maybe 1, hopefully only 2, probably not 3, and certainly not 4 games, but they will lose a game during this round. So, we may as well refute ahead of time, all of the crap we will be hearing when the Cavs eventually drop a game.

The Announcers Are Biased

Whenever any Cleveland team makes it this far into the playoffs, this is the go-to card for idiots. I’ve heard this since I was a youngster. Most prominently, Bob Costas, Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker were anti-Cleveland Indians during 1995 and 1997 World Series. This glosses over the fact that Mike Hargrove was the only person in America who did not know Atlanta would bunt in Game 1 in 1995. And the fact that Jim Poole batted in Game 6 in 1995. Let me repeat that, Jim Poole was sent to up to hit in Game 6. And the fact Tony Hernandez had an error late in Game 7 in 1997 that he thanks God every day for Jose Mesa's debacle.

In 2007, it was C.C. Sabathia struggling in Game 1 against the Yankees, but yet the TBS crew hated the Indians. It never ends. It’s already started with Charles Barkley. His “Mistake on the Lake” comments are going to overshadow anything he says about the Cavs in this series, good or bad.

Marv Albert and Doug Collins will call the games on TNT. Marv still has it and is as good as it gets. Doug Collins is OK, but I’m telling you, wait for that first loss. These guys will get their share of criticism.

The National Media Are Biased

The inferiority around this place can become suffocating, at times. Be prepared for a dose of this when the Cavs lose one. I think the media have been very fair with the Cavs. I have seen and heard many pundits picking them to win this round. There is an ulterior motive, however. It’s a huge final if it’s Cavs-Lakers. A passing of the torch, perhaps, from ex-Olympic teammates, Kobe to LeBron. So, it benefits the networks if indeed, this does this happen. It’s a fairly compelling story. Don’t think for a moment the media want Orlando to win. Yet, this is what we’ll hear after a loss.

The Refs Are Biased

Probably the toughest to refute. This is a league that had “Mister Don-a–gee, that rogue official” go to jail for gambling. And they had the referee, who they admitted blew a call at the end of a Dallas-Denver game, ref a game only a few days later in the Laker-Rocket series. So, the NBA really doesn’t help itself when the perception of their officiating is the worst of the major sports.

And I’ve witnessed some incredibly bad officiating in the history of Cavs playoff basketball. Nate Thurmond fouling out in Boston and a 1992 game against New Jersey, which remains the most heinous turnaround in officiating from one half to another I’ve ever seen.

Sure, LeBron goes to the line a ton and should go more. He gets hacked on virtually every drive to the hoop. But there will be a game where the Cavs might go to the line 15 times and Orlando 35 times or something like that. Then Mike Brown will address the stat sheet at the postgame presser and the town will cry bloody murder.

To prepare everyone for the refereeing, look, it happens every year. It self-corrects in the next game and we can all live happily after ever.

If you hear any of this crap after the Cavs first playoff loss, you’ve been warned.

Meal of Links

F-R-E-E, that spells free. As in chocolate.

A complaint about food snobbery at food kitchens. Where does it say the homeless can't have a good meal every now and then? Why is that so bad? I don't get it. The place, MEND, does not take stimulus money, BTW.

Jerry Springer leaves Chicago. He'll find a whole batch of new weirdos in Connecticut.

OK, That's Spacey



Stewie Hates Fox Ads



Exercise Yard

Rich people suck at sports. Maybe that's why they buy teams?

Visitor

5 Across: Italian-American singer Jerry (4 letters) Answer: Vale

As I watched the Preakness yesterday, the one thing that stood out aside from the race was a shot from the blimp. It appeared that hardly anyone was in the infield. And that was the backstory of the race, attendance dropped 35,000 in one year. Many issues abound. Maryland horse racing has been in turmoil for years regarding slots, the track owner is in bankruptcy, horse racing dying, etc.

But the main reason for the attendance drop...lack of beer. Or should I say a lack of bringing your own beer. The infield had been known as a knockdown, drag out beerfest and this year ownership said nope, it's over. They decided to charge $3.50 for a 16-oz. Bud (incredibly reasonable for any sporting event in America, I might add. FYI, Cleveland State charged $5 this past season) and $1 Bud Lights in the morning and no one showed up. I guess they thought security would limit the amount of beer you could drink. Gee, they should go to a Browns game.

As for the race itself, it was historic. The filly, Rachel Alexandra won, beating the Derby winner, Mine That Bird, who was flying at the end. Another strange thing. That exacta, 13-2, paid $39.20, and to get that price for two of the top favorites seemed like stealing to me.

The Belmont remains a puzzle. I think Mine That Bird goes. To hear RA's jockey, Calvin Borel, talk after the race, not sure about her chances. And trainer Steve Asmussen has a Horse of the Year contender and probably sits out. Third place finisher, Musket Man, will not go either. BTW, Borel becomes to first jockey to win two Triple Crowns races in the same year with different mounts.

Meal of Links

Two employees were caught peeing in Old Faithful. That's some geyser.

"It's All Pipes"



Terry Pluto just figured out the Browns can't run the ball nor defend the run. Uh, where's he been?

Iggy does Christmas.

Woman was arrested for not holding an escalator rail. Happened in Montreal.

Churches as small businesses. Pretty high fail rate.

The Indians finally cut the cord with Masa Kobayashi. Hopefully, he goes elsewhere to pitch and not back to Columbus. Do you realize we had a club option on this stiff for 2010? One of the worst signings of the Shapiro Era. Basically bid against themselves for a guy who was not even the closer in his final half-season in Japan. They could have asked his manager, Booby Valentine. He speaks English. As I've said ad nauseum, the fans were sold a bill of goods on this guy. David Dellucci now assumes the hot seat. If Travis Hafner's rehab goes well, he's done.

To replace Masa, the Tribe called up David Huff. Only this past week, I heard Huff was not throwing as hard as the Indians would like, still topping out at 89.

James A. Garfield lost his head. His statue had just been moved to Hiram and he became headless 24 hours later. In the PD, the Hiram President curiously defended students as being the culprits. Huh?

Exercise Yard

Manchester United wins the EPL. Again.

Randy Lerner's Other Team really spit the bit at the midway mark. They have only won 2 league games since February 1.

Next week, it's the final week of the season. Therefore, relegation time. Newcastle is the biggest team in the drop zone.

Visitor

None, it's a cool sunny Sunday.

Luis Vizcaino joins the club. First batter he faces, game-winning homer. And it was hammered.

Wedgie is now starting to walk down the path that is a precursor of many a manager or head coach's demise: Calling out players.

That's something he rarely does and it's sort of listed as one of his assets. I mean, even the beloved Sam Rutigliano fell into that trap with the Browns before he was axed.

But Wedge had these words for Jensen "Keep pumpin' that fastball" Lewis: "If you're going to make it up here, you can't miss spots by a foot to a foot and a half and expect to have success. We're up against it right now, but he's got to pitch. If you miss, you have to miss in the right area. You certainly can't miss by a foot and a half to two feet. That's ridiculous."

Just this morning, he was quoted as saying, "I was really encouraged with the way (Jensen) Lewis and (Matt) Herges threw the ball (Tuesday)."

He's losing it, folks.

Meal of Links

Wolfgang's Vault has recently added a lot of Tubes concerts available for download. These live shows are representative of the type of entertaining shows they were famous for back then. Check out New Year's Eve at the Winterland especially. Stanford band doing "Living in the USA". "I Love Lucy", a Crime Theme medley segueing into "Mondo Bondage"! Terrific version of "Slipped My Disco". WPOD, of course. A band that continues to be criminally underplayed. They are back at Tangier in October this year.

The Summer of 1988 at the movies. Probably the best find that summer? "Midnight Run". I do recall I saw Morgan Freeman for the first time in "Clean and Sober". Saw "The Last Temptation of Christ" in Montreal that summer. There was a bigass theatre in our hotel and I remember it being the rage. Odd fact: "Die Hard" and "A Fish Called Wanda" opened up the same week. "Die Hard" on only 21 screens and "Wanda" on 3. That is hard to fathom in 2009. "Bambi" and "Dead Pool" same week, as well.

Look who still uses the death penalty.

25 controversial movies. "Warriors" at #14, but "The Da Vinci Code"? Yikes! Oddly enough, "The Last Temptation of Christ" clocks in at #6. Good times for Barbara Hershey. Mary Magdalene and Harriet Bird in a short timeframe. Caviezel is Number One.

"The Bartender Hates You"



"Jam Wow"



Exercise Yard

One kid's incredibly long story on catching someone's first major league homer in Miller Park. It's not like the guy asked for season tickets or anything.

Visitor

62 Across: Money with hits (5 letters) Answer: Eddie (Ohio State Fair this year!)

What is it about Marc's that brings out my inner Mr. Crankypants? Last night, I stop in for only a few items, including Goldfish. As the cashier is scanning the items, I grab a bag and start packing. She puts some Baked Lays in a bag and starts asking hysterically, "Where's the Goldfish? Where's the Goldfish?".

I tell her, "Hey, I already packed 'em."

Her reply, "You're messin' me up."

I told her, "Hey, I'm in a bit of a hurry and, quite frankly, I am actually helping you out by packing."

She said and not snottily, I may add, "Well, there's a void anyhow, so you'll have to wait a bit longer."

I ended up giving her the Goldfish, because I am not sure I would have received the bag any quicker.

I mean, is it just me? Because this place is killin' me.

Meal of Links

Wilco's new album is streaming. It has some keepers on it.

Man, this is a lot of catching up with Richard Bey. Cue up "The Way We Were". Him and Wally George...the lunatic fringe.

Beware of The Claw! He can show up without warning.

A Wolfram Alpha tutorial. Looks kinda neat.

Dissecting "The Big Lebowski". Yes, in true cult fashion, it still holds up. December 5 at the Cedar-Lee.

The WBWC Music Marathons have started up again. Today, it's Talking Heads.

Visual proof that there are two Blue Jays fans dressing as umpires at some of their games. First noticed this against the Tribe last week and laughed out loud at their antics.

I stopped at Sheetz today for some gas and some lunch. Two new items on the food menu. Grilled flatbread sammies and pizza. Pizza goes for $2.79 a slice or 2/$5. I had a ham and provolone flatbread sammie. Pretty good.

The Hermitage in Nashville has America's Best Bathroom. Somewhere, George Costanza nods his approval.

I got the e-mail to try and save Paste Magazine. It's a wonderful thing to read, but I'm very conflicted about donating.

Exercise Yard

Bill Simmons chats it up with Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell always makes me think.

Visitor

65 Across: "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer (5 letters) Answer: Liszt

I was down at Progressive Field last night as the Indians won, 9-4. Gale and I actually saw Carl Pavano work into the 7th inning! The guy has unbelievably turned into the second-best starter on the team. But it was a terrible crowd. You could tell when I parked close to East 9th on Prospect around 6:00.

The crowd was listed as 14,000, but trust me, there were not that many people there. And these were on that half-price ticket plan and they still couldn't draw. I admit it was cold and the Indians suck, but it was mindful of an early 1994 crowd. I understand the cold part, because I am still fighting my cold. Thought I had it licked late last week, but over the weekend it had returned. Jee-zus, this has been hard to shake. Anyhow, they are really pushing the Tampa series, starting on Memorial Day, for tickets. However, the Yankees, Cardinals and Reds show up in late May/June, so that should temporarily allay any temporary attendance woes.

Couple thoughts about last night:

First time I had seen or heard any mention of Albert Belle in quite a while. They showed his memorable 1995 grand slam off of Lee Smith accompanied by Herb Score's call (where was that Opening Day?). He's been poison for quite a while.

"Hang On Sloopy" was referred to as an "Ohio tradition". Ugh!

Aaron Laffey may become Pavano's "personal reliever".

Ryan Garko has been warming up pitchers between innings as a reminder to Eric Wedge that he is still on the team.

A female in front of us had one of those Hulk Hand Cup Holders on. If anything looked like it could be sold behind the curtain at an Indians team shop under the (ahem) "Novelty" banner, this is it.

Today, the Indians announced the return of Spork No. 1. On a team of Sporks (Matt Laporta now a first baseman), this is significant. And to hear Wedge say that said Spork is a candidate to hit leadoff, is he officially certifiable?

Meal of Links

What makes us happy? A cool report on a 72-year Harvard study.

Jack White takes Dead Weather on tour. Cleveland date? Of course not.

Jesse Ventura derides Cheney. He'd waterboard him, if given the chance.

Dude, don't Bogart them Cheerios.

The changing of the guard in Afghanistan. Not many times is a General publicly fired.

God help us. An "American Gladiators" movie has been announced.

Exercise Yard

The Bruins force Game 7. Quite simply, they have to win or it's another lost season.

Visitor

2 Down: "Deal or No Deal" host Mandel (5 letters) Answer: Howie

I found myself watching some absurd movie on Channel 5 yesterday afternoon. It was called "Abducted". I had mowed the lawn and just finished grilling some burgers when I joined this flick about 30 minutes in. I don't know, this plot is right out of Lifetime (I guess it is), but a warden allows an inmate to escape with the proviso that he kidnaps and then kills the warden's wife.

Of course, when the woman finds out about the plan (the inmate had a tape the warden had made inadvertently while blackmailing him. Yeah, that bad.), she falls in love with the guy and has mad abduction sex with him. Did I forget to say the inmate was framed by his ex-wife and her boyfriend for killing a man who wasn't really dead. Oh, the prosecutorial malfeasance of that case! Anyhow, they go on the run for a while and try to find the "dead" guy.

Now all of that isn't why this movie will be memorable for me. It's this scene they had at the local Western Union-type office. The inmate and warden's wife stroll in and ask the clerk to check on a transfer made two years ago. They had the receipt, but remember the inmate has no ID. The clerk tells them she can't do it, "How do I know you're not dumpster diving for identity theft?" Ooh, cutting.

Then the warden's wife notices the clerk was eyeing a shoe ad. So, she slips her some cash and says, "Nice shoes." The clerk gets the hint and says, "Oh, transfers that big will definitely remain in the system. Here it is." She says the guy's name and then says, "I can get you an address and a drivers license number."

I know, I know. It's only a movie. But the clerk seemed awfully principled on identity theft 30 seconds prior and I get that everyone has their price. But why not just give the name and address, why go with the drivers license number, as well? I wondered if they even read the script. It seemed to go way beyond what a bribed low-level clerk would do. I'm surprised she didn't join them and look for the guy.

Meal of Links

A picture of a men's bathroom in Vancouver.

"1984". The book that killed George Orwell.

The NBA finally admits it. They blew a call. But then do nothing about it.

If David Lynch Directed "Dirty Dancing"



Exercise Yard

The Indians are really bad. Now they have resorted to the inevitable "team meeting". Let's see where they stand at the end of May, but right now, the ship be sinkin'.

Meanwhile, the Cavs are rolling.

Only Tiger Woods can get the headlines, while being 5 shots back

The Bruins are in trouble.

Visitor

None, it's Mother's Day.

I saw "Wolverine" this evening. I headed over to Cinemark where they seem to have this movie running every 30 minutes or so. Now this was the origin version of Wolverine. As you know, he's our favorite cigar-chomping, motorcycle-riding Canadian wiseass superhero. So, we get the backstory on how Logan became Wolverine. Not a lot though. I think he was a kid, he got mad and somehow claws appeared out of his hand. But why let plot get in the way of fighting later on.

Anyhow, for a Canadian, he sure fought a lot of wars for the U.S. And with his brother Sabretooth at his side, played by Liev Schrieber. Eventually the army, well, the evil Col. Stryker, picks both for a unit he's compiling. Sort of a mutant Dirty Dozen. Anyhow, Logan quits, moves to Canada and then eventually has to go back to the world he knows, when his brother starts shaking things up by turning more evil than Logan cared to remember. But there is lots of trickeration as he gets injected with Adam Ant. No, I think it was adamantium or something. Anyhow, that's how he got that sharper stuff coming out of his hands. If you remember the trailer, "Ooh, shiny."

So, it was typical comic book stuff. Lots of special effects, bad military villains, fight scenes, unbelievable lack of security at government installations, you know the routine. We get appearances by Gambit, Deadpool, Agent Zero, Bolt, and the Blob. Decent movie and it was mildly entertaining. A nice kickoff to the summer schedule.

Meal of Links

Porn star Stormy Daniels may run for Senator from Louisiana. Change we can all get behind.

Jack White says not so fast. The White Stripes have not broken up and are, in fact, recording.

The cast of "Fawlty Towers" reunited. A very funny show. Haven't seen it lately, I wonder if it holds up.

Awkward family photos.

Look at how a Roomba moves. Kind of like a funky Spirograph.

Who do you carry a lifetime grudge against? Gotta be that idiot Nissan guy on the radio commercials.

The background on how Luc Besson became a producer. Loved the guy since I saw "Subway" lo those many years ago.

A look back at another favorite movie. "Wings of Desire".

David Lynch presents "The Interview Project". Could be interesting.

More polling. It's tough being a Governor.

The Indians are still bad. I get a look at Pavano on Monday.

Exercise Yard




















Manny Ramirez was busted for a drug on the MLB banned list. You can tell he was on something, because his locks are three times as long over the last few years. Or since it was a women's fertility drug, I guess it's a case of "Manny Being Tranny". OK, I stole both those lines, but it's still damn funny.

I'm just disappointed with the news. I suspected he was on it, hoped he wasn't, so it's not that much of a surprise. The real surprise is what he was caught with, hGC (similar to Clomid). That's so old-school of him. hGC itself doesn't manufacture testosterone, it just helps the body produce it again. Which is obvious after cycling down from steroid use. He could have achieved the same results using other things out there which aren't banned. It's probably what everyone else is using currently.

Visitor

3 Down: Red fez wearer (7 letters) Answer: Shriner

Happy Cinco de Mayo!





















As you can tell, I had to celebrate at home this year. I have this nagging cold which I am hoping leaves me soon.

We finally have a legitimate Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. No, not Taco Bell. So, I ordered some takeout from Mexico Lindo. I got the taco, burrito, rice and beans dinner. Accompanied by chips and salsa. Then I washed it down with some midget Coronas.

Just in time for the Cavs game. Bueno!

Meal of Links

A Wilco lawsuit. Stemming from one of the best music docs ever made.

Here's your movie preview for the next 2 months. "The Hangover" was the funniest trailer I have seen in the theater in many, many months.

Photographer and subject meet at Kent almost 40 years later. I would assume next year's anniversary will be big.

Blaupunkt Ad



Exercise Yard

The Cavs tonight? Way too easy. I think we are looking at 5 games, at most, to take care of the Hawks.

Visitor

19 Across: "If I Ruled The World" rapper (3 letters) Answer: Nas

On Saturday, amongst all the sporting events on TV, HDNET reran the Godfather Trilogy. Usually, I beg off after the first two. But something compelled me to watch "Godfather 3", you know, the one that never really existed. Unfortunately for me, the damn thing started at 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

But to give it a fair shake, I decided to watch it until the end. That meant, around 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning, I am now 100% certain that "Godfather 3" sucked. A rather large one, I might add.

I am convinced it's memorable for only two lines. One by Michael, which Costanza made his own: "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."
The other when Michael tells Kay, "I used to look out this window and think of you." to which Kay replies, "Yeah, then you married someone else."

I actually suffered for this art, because I developed a bad sore throat, which is always the omen of a cold coming on for me. I hate it. I go all winter without a cold and now that it warms up, bam, I get one. I'm curious. If I did not watch the movie, would I have developed that sore throat. I wonder.

Meal of Links

Devo goes to the UK. A look back.

How the late-night shows circumvent the Writers Guild. Freelancers fax jokes to the program for $75 to $100 for each joke used.

Guy thinks he found the formula for Dr. Pepper. He paid $200 for the ledger which might get $75,000 at auction.

Exercise Yard

Malcolm Gladwell offers lengthy advice for underdogs in basketball. Press, man, gotta press.

Visitor

54 Across: Verne captain (4 letters) Answer: Nemo

Well, wouldn't you know the horse I chose for the Kentucky Derby actually became the favorite. The previous favorite, I Want Revenge, wanted no part of a muddy track, and was scratched. So, with the track turning up wet, all eyes looked toward Friesan Fire, an AP Indy horse, to win. Um, that didn't happen. The favorite in this race almost always never comes through.

It was a slow half-mile in 47-and-change, when I saw Friesan Fire in about 6th, just off the pace. A good spot, I thought. Then he disappeared like Keyser Soze, WTF? What I didn't know was, see, he stepped on himself at the start. So, he hurt pretty much bled through that half-mile before spitting the bit. Friesan Fire eventually finished 18th, probably walking at the finish. I pity the fool who finished behind him.

Mine That Bird, a 50-1 shot, had the ride of his lifetime and was the winner. The second-biggest upset in Derby history. We'll see if they load up the van and head for the Preakness. That race was not in the cards before the Derby, I assure you.

However, the Preakness might be a great betting race if Mine That Bird shows up. if you hated him at 50-1 this week, you may really hate him as a favorite (or second or third choice) in two weeks.

Meal of Links

This might change the Internets forever. It's called Wolfram Alpha. I think it sounds fascinating.

Tiananmen Square, twenty years later. I still recall Dan Rather, outside of a TV truck, on the air until they pulled the plug on him.

Why does it take the NBA three weekends to finish their first round of playoffs, then immediately put the second round into hockey mode. That is, every other day. Very strange and they've been doing it for years. Cavs-Hawks schedule. What the hell, another look at LeBron (Virtually everyone I ask about this ad remembers the exact play):



Old Farts Making You Smile



Senator Schumer wants New York State maple syrup to be used at the IHOP. By God, what's good for Vermont, is good for New York. A couple of weeks ago, I was hankering for pancakes so bad, I went to The Big Egg. And they were good.

Exercise Yard

Saw the Pacquiao-Hatton fight on...shhh...YouTube, of all places, en espanol. I have been solidly behind Manny Pacquiao for many years and relish this type of fight, where he gets to box the overhyped Ricky Hatton. My goodness, the crowd was amped for this one. Of course, Hatton's followers show up, but Pacquiao has somehow over the years united Filipinos, Mexicans and Los Americanos in his corner.

Pacquiao figured out Hatton in about, oh, 90 seconds or so. He put him down 2 minutes in with a big right hand and followed up with another knockdown before the end of the first round. Uh, that's Pacquiao, 10-7, on your scorecard at home. Then near the end of the second round, BAM, left hand to chin. Game over!

With Floyd Mayweather, Jr., coming out of retirement (or is it recession?), Pacquiao-Mayweather looms in the future. Pacquiao truly is a gift from the boxing gods.

Visitor

None, a nice May day.

I didn't have the swine flu. Do you have pig flu? Here's your culprit! But I know this made me ill:

Oak Ridge Boys/"Seven Nation Army"



I haven't actually been ill, but watching way too much of the NBA playoffs. New month today and I'm back.

Hey, today was the first time in many years I had to deal with E-Check. Not much has changed. They only had one lane open shortly after lunch. Weird employees remain.

My niece spells burps, "b-e-r-p-e-s". Of course, I think that's funny, and I did pronounce it "ber-pees" a la herpes.

Hope you didn't buy a $220 million Mega Millions ticket, because I have the winner.

How about Rado and Marty Allen getting dumped from Triv's show on WTAM? Haven't really noticed much of a change except the two bits I heard were lamer. I mean, "Paco Gonzalez" (seriously with a "jew" for you" accent) wants us to travel to Mexico. Yikes, that was incredibly unfunny. But Triv still hates Obama. So, you can still listen to that if you wish.

Saw the Kentucky Oaks today. Rachel Alexandra looks like a filly for all-time. Won by 20 lengths today, it appeared. Tomorrow's Kentucky Derby winner...Friesan Fire.

Meal of Links

Tomorrow is Free Comic Day. I think I might see "Wolverine".

Favorite opening scenes of all time. I just watched "Once Upon a Time in the West" last Sunday on the HD Channel. I always thought Charles Bronson ruled this one. But the more I see of Jason Robards, I like him more than ever.

"Raising Arizona" provides "No, not that motherscratcher."

"Mulholland Drive" with the Jitterbug!

"The Searchers" as ever. And nice shoutouts to "Blow Out" and "Jackie Brown".

Artists who get a lifetime pass. For me, it's probably Clint Eastwood. Hey, I paid to see "Bronco Billy" in the theater.

Environmental changes are affecting some popular tourist destinations. Even the Galapagos Islands.

A primer on the greater of the babkas. Chocolate babka! BTW, there is a "Man Hands Bandit" running amok in Seattle.

Why hasn't anyone developed an "SNL" killer? Maybe the time is right.

The AT&T Blue Room returns with the New Orleans Jazzfest this weekend. Looks like the Sunday lineup is strong.

Miss California is now "protecting marriage". Looks great in a swimsuit, but she's not very bright.

Exercise Yard

Guy Lafleur's son's troubles finally get Guy Lafleur in trouble. Sheesh, these guys are a piece of work.

Visitor

31 Across: "Turn Me Loose" singer (6 letters) Answer: Fabian