The Wide, Wide, Wide World of Sports - Gee, What's Going On?
Posted July 13th, 2007 by George Thomas
Yes, the silence is gone and I'm back ranting and maybe raving. We shall see.
What's there to talk about? Well despite the fact that the only real sport playing right now is baseball plenty. But let's start with America's Pastime and the hometown team.
After several years of being labeled cheap and not wanting to be competitive, the Cleveland Indians have to be given some serious props for inking DH Travis Hafner - a.k.a. Pronk - to a four-year contract extension. Although the DH struggled the first half of the the season, his bat will eventually awaken and he is a core member of what will hopefully be a championship season. With him and Westbrook signed, the Tribe can concentrate on C.C. Sabathia. Although I suspect that will be much more difficult because the hurler hasn't been shy about saying that he'd would love to pitch near his home in the Bay Area. But as they say: "money talks and …."
Speaking of a little bull. Apparently Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to buythe Chicago Cubs - or at least is applying to check out the team's books. Good for him. Baseball needs a little showmanship, but more importantly it needs owners such as Cuban who possess a competitive spirit and are willing to actually spend some cash to win. It would also be enormously entertaining to see how he tweaks the noses of the powers-that-be in baseball.
My colleague, Brian Windhorst, who I soon learned was one of the best NBA beat writers in the country after spending some time with him covering the Cavaliers during the playoff run, reportedthat the Cavs still itching to get the Sacramento Kings' Mike Bibby in the wine and gold. If nothing else it's going to prove to be an interesting off-season. The Kings reportedly want Drew Gooden in the deal. Eh. Gooden has his flashes, but where he might be missed most is the locker room. He's one of the Cavs' genuine good guys. As for Bibby? He can score. The assists this past season were a bit scant, but what I'm afraid of is a contract that he can opt out of after next year. If I were the Cavs I'd want nothing to do with that.
Brady and Thomas where are you?
Cleveland Browns' training camp is two weeks away and still there is little mumbling out of Berea. Word is that both Brady Quinn and left tackle Joe Thomas might go through lengthy holdouts. That's not music to the ears of Browns fans, but it's reality. With respect to Thomas, it has a lot to do with his slotting. Players selected in the No. 3 position in the draft the past three years - Larry Fitzgerald (WR), Braylon Edwards (WR) and Vince Young (QB) - all received ginormous signing bonuses. But keep in mind that they play skill positions, which means those huge piles of cash weren't out of line.
The Browns will likely argue that kind of cash is out of line for a left tackle. Given the state of the left side of the team's offensive line since its return in 1999, allow me to disagree. The team drafted him there. He fills a cavernous hole. Now pay him.
As for Quinn that's a different story. General Manager Phil Savage said all along that Quinn was listed in their top five on the draft board. Don't think that Quinn's agent, Tom Condon, didn't take note of that and will use it as leverage. Additionally, the Browns worked feverishly to get back into the first round so they would get Quinn, Condon will use that as well. The reality of the situation, however, is that Quinn fell fast and hard during the draft and it will cost him a huge hunk of cheddar. He should be paid like the 22nd choice in the first round and get his tookes into camp on time.
July 14th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Good to see you back, George. I was sorry to read about your sad summer.
On the Cavs front, they won game 3 and went on to win the series, 4-2. Alas, they were swept by the Spurs. Since then, the front office has been on an extended vacation.
In fact, though I've read all about Windhorst being one of the best beat reporters for the NBA (mostly right here in the Beacon Journal sports pages!), it looks like he could use some help lighting a fire under Ferry's feet.
July 14th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Speaking of Quinn and a huge hunk of cheddar, what do you think of his Fabio-esque photo on the cover of Men's Health magazine? Bad taste? Or absolutely fabulous?
July 15th, 2007 at 4:40 am
The Indians are going to trade for Ken Griffey Jr.
Remember, The Baron told you first!
July 15th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Quinn's mag cover was nice. The guy's photogenic and charismatic. Why not exploit it? But he and Thomas need to sign & get their butts in camp. They're not the second coming of Jack Lambert or Peyton Manning.
Bibby coming here? No thanks. I'd rather have Jim Bibby back in his heyday. This is the guy who won't even speak to his own father, isn't it?
RE: the Tribe. I'm so sick of hearing that the team has been cheap and/or noncompetitive. They've been building an engine for the long-haul, so we can be in contention year in, year out. Why is that so hard for people to comprehend? They've spent a boatload of cash where it needed to be spent, and didn't waste it on failed-stopgap plans (after Lawton & Guitierrez). They do, however, need to stop bringing mediocre talent like Delucci. Our own minor-leaguers have proven to be more productive, and we have many others, esp. pitchers, who the Tribe needs to put more faith in. You've developed them, now use them…and stop blocking the way with signings like Jason Johnson, Roberto Hernandez and (to a lesser extent) Paul Byrd.
July 15th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Why not "exploit it?" Because Quinn will be playing for the Cleveland Browns, not for the Greenwich Village Vikings. No doubt there's a Jack Lambert wannabe out there that is really looking forward to getting credited with a 1/2 sack, 1/2 neuter.
July 15th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
There's an entire web universe that would like to give you a full-muzzle and double-neuter, Tucker. And also have your claws clipped off so you can't type your insipid thoughts.
Maybe you're just jealous of Brady's hunkalicious pics because you're a fat, old, bald, ugly slob of a human being who gets his jollies trying to craft witty zingers.
July 15th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Yes, I'm old and I'm bald(ing). I'm also prone to belching and farting, like all us old Gene Hickerson fans are prone to do. With that said, I'm not quite sure why Quinn would pose for "hunkalicious" pics, let alone why anybody would go off the deep end defending his and his agent's curious choice to partake in an off-the-field commercial venture targeted at the outsports.com crowd. At this point, I'm not sure if Quinn is supposed to be a professional football player or a compensated chest wax endorser. Whatever. Enjoy.
July 16th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Alan, you arent so bad when the topic isnt the Cavs. Quinn needs to know his fan base. If the 49ers would have drafted him, fine, be a fairy. This is Cleveland, this is NE Ohio, blue collar-ville. Therefore, you'll see guys wearing Joe Thomas jerseys and broads wearing #10 this fall.
That "hunk" had better be able to throw the ball, because the wind changes directions real fast on the lakefront. Ask Charlie.
July 16th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Charlie might've been more tolerable if he didn't mumble, come across as "backward," and have the model looks of Brady. Hey, the Tribe uses Grady's looks to their advantage, and there's nothing wrong with a little BQ for dessert. Especially if Alan is against it.
July 17th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Let me get this straight, you plan on eating Quinn and Sizemore for dessert? Wow. Too much information.
July 17th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
The Tribe can trade, acquire, do whatever.
The second-half Twins are still going to catch them. Maybe even Detroit. Again.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Good column on Sheffield today, George. But I'm wondering what kind of proof Sheffield should have gathered before he expressed his opinion to the press.
Come to think of it, maybe C.C. should start smuggling a tape recorder into the Tribe locker room. I notice African American players don't seem to last too long around Jacobs Field these last few years.
All loudmouth malcontents, like Sheffield, I guess.
July 17th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I'd rather look at Grady and Brady than most women in Cleveland. Whew. They're easy on the eyes, whether ol' Alan admits it or not.
Roger's Twins prediction is too scary to think about, but we all know it could easily come true. Why can they play great 2nd-half bball and we can't? Doubt anyone will catch the Tigers, tho. Great hitting, quality pitching (except that bullpen, which I expect they'll fix somehow).
Sheffield, Belle, M. Bradley, F. Thomas, Artest, Kobe, ad nauseum. What do they all have in common? Chip on their shoulder, mad at the world, big fat mouths, thug-mentality… Should we just excuse their behavior because of their skin color?
July 17th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Thomas and Kobe especially sure don't seem like thug-mentality types. My guess is Sheffield might think they're part white.