Silence in the North: Cavs-Raptors Game 2, Behind the Box Score
May 3, 2018Getting to know Browns new CB Denzel Ward with Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope
May 4, 2018
For the LOVE of the Game…
That punny title is for Scott who pre-emptively made fun of all the Kevin Love pun headlines as K-Love was playing a great game to help the Cavaliers take a 2-0 lead in Toronto yesterday.
That sound you here is editors across the NBA dusting off their Kevin Love pun headline maker.
— Scott @ WFNY (@WFNYScott) May 3, 2018
Let’s just talk about Kevin Love for a minute. I know I’m not alone when I say that he’s someone I root for in a “little brother” kind of way. When he plays well, I immediately think, “Good for him!” like he is some sort of underdog who needs a win under his belt. Meanwhile, we’re talking about a 29-year-old NBA All-Star who makes all women swoon with his rugged good looks, has more money than all of us combined will ever amass, and dates a model so beautiful and accomplished (SI Swimsuit issue / Victoria’s Secret) that if there isn’t a Super in front of that title, I can’t be far off. It’s a testament to Kevin Love for how he’s dealt with playing in LeBron’s wake. It’s also to point out once more just how big of a deal LeBron James is in the history of the NBA, professional sports, and certainly Cleveland professional sports.
The world has counted LeBron and these Cavaliers out at least five times since the post-season began. LeBron just keeps silencing haters and doubters. To think that he continues to do this at the rate that he continues to do it with nary a thing in the world left to prove is unbelievable. He now has the Cavaliers up 2-0 and headed home for Game 3 on Saturday. Not bad at all for an old head, right Dave?
Get down with @dimoko as he tells you why LeBron James is an old head. Chris Clem’s Cavs Cast #124 – Cavs/Raptors Game One recap with Dave Sterling #Cavs #Raptors #Dimoko https://t.co/cUJ5t2QcQe via @LWMPodcast #WhateverItTakes
— Chris Clem (@Chris_Clem) May 2, 2018
Stadiums and Domes and Things…
The Cleveland Browns are talking about a new stadium, and they should be. FirstEnergy Stadium, formerly Cleveland Browns Stadium, and currently and undeniably The Factory of Sadness1 is one of the worst stadiums in North America. There may be stadiums in worse condition that make the argument difficult, but considering the age of the edifice on Cleveland’s portion of the shore of Lake Erie, Cleveland’s stadium is undeniably awful.
There are plenty of easy jokes to be made like, “WHO CARES ABOUT THE STADIUM. FIX THE PLAY ON THE FIELD, AMIRITE?” Those are true, of course, but these two things don’t have to be mutually exclusive. As it turns out, due to a variety of factors, Cleveland’s stadium and actual football team are mutually inclusive of being bad. Something better, preferably with a roof would help everyone.
Yes, I’m team dome and retractable roof when it comes to any new stadium. I don’t care about ancient football traditions involving ice and snow any more than I care about antiquated notions about cars without anti-lock breaks or airbags. Hell, probably half the high schools in Cleveland have beautiful field turf fields that are a joy to play on.
If we have to suffer through the building of a new stadium, including the inevitable public financing, the even more inevitable and ridiculous financial projections of what the stadium will “generate” in terms of economic impact, at least let the thing get used more than a dozen times per year.
In summation, stadium bad. Stadium deals worse. Stadium deals inevitable because billionaires. So, at least give me a good stadium with climate controlled indoor seats. Maybe that will mean a Super Bowl. Maybe not. We can’t count on the Browns to make it to one, so it might be our only shot. Better yet, start working on Wrestlemania. That would be more fun anyway.
Infinity War was good but…
I know this is full on lame parenting mode, but I was disappointed how hard of a PG-13 Infinity War turned out to be. Beyond spoilers, and beyond the fact that it was really pretty good, the vulgarity, violence and frightening sense of doom was out of control this go-round in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
My other complaint was just how much this movie presumes I remember about all the other previous movies. On many occasions during the film, I was scrambling to remember what had happened with characters in previous films that I had seen, but not memorized. The film lacked context clues for the less obsessed among us. That said, I did end up seeing this one twice for circumstantial reasons. I thoroughly enjoyed it both times.
That’s it for me this week. Thanks for joining us.
- Love ya Mike Polk! [↩]
