Moohead Radio

Cliff Lee pitched his second gem in a row, while Johnny Peralta only missed one ball as the Tribe cruised past Oakland 7-1. During the A’s broadcast, Ray Fosse observed: “4 pitches ago, we were only down 3-1 with an 0-2 count on Sizemore”.

Hey Ray. Jose Mesa was one out from a World Series. Have you taken too many to the face mask? Lots of games are decided by one pitch. God.

On the other extreme, LeBron loped through 36 minutes without shooting, penetrating or passing, while Wally Szerbiak continued his assault on the rims at the Q in a not stirring win over the NBDL Heat. Here’s LeBron’s NON MVP quote:

“We got enough stops down the stretch,” James said. “We gradually just nailed the coffin tonight. Sometimes with a win like that, you know that you don’t have to play perfect to win.”

Sometimes, when you want to win league MVP, you learn that you have to play hard every night, even with a hurt back and a 4th seed on the line.

Meanwhile, Gilbert Arenas proves his worth to the Wizards: “I think everybody wants Cleveland in that first round. They’ve been a .500 team ever since they made that trade, and everybody wants a chance at that matchup. We want Cleveland for our own reasons, we don’t think they can beat us in the playoffs three years straight. It’s hard to beat a team three years straight. We want to try our luck.”

Didn’t you have us the last 2 years? We want to try our luck??? Is this a fucking carnival game, Gilbert? I’d say that skill will play a large role in any series. But first, you need to overcome the notion that you need luck to win.

Not to mention Deshaun’s motivation to piss off LeBron and make him play great. Eddie Jordan is still a pimp without a clue in big games, with a roster of big talkers and non do-ers. This oughtta be a close series. Moo.

Either hire an offensive wizard, or lose your job

When you tell a national audience you’re gonna rest your best player because of your concern for his health…and then you play him the entire 4th quarter, you are either not controlling the team, or you are a fucking liar.

When you play 27 different combinations a week at a time, and never stick with one, either you are fickle, or a lousy coach.

When all you talk about is defense, and your players allow teams to shoot 50%, you’re either a poor communicator or you are disrespected by your players.

When you realize that Anderson and Wallace can’t play together 4 weeks after everyone else knew it, you are either retarded or you cannot assess team cohesiveness.

When you bench Sasha a year late, (but probably want to bring him back next week) you are either indecisive, or you are a rat in a maze.

When you iron your shirts and ties yourself before a game, you are either compulsive/obsessive or you think too highly of yourself

When someone steals your iron and you have 2 more in reserve, you are either compulsive/obsessive, or your players were fucking with you and now realize you’re compulsive/obsessive

When Mr Moohead turns on you, either you made a pass at his wife, or you just lost your last supporter.

It wasn’t pretty, but Delonte finally played basketball, and LeBron sucked it up. But big problems lay ahead.

Sasha was seen icing his foot. He had been benched By Mr Potato Head. Wally is all but benched. He has no arc on his shot. The big deaf guy will never play. Dwayne Jones does not play. Ben Wallace seizes up when he plays. Boobie limps off the court.

We were down to 6 man rotation last night. We were lucky we didn’t get run off the floor.

It looks to me as though Wally and Sasha have played their way off the floor. Without Boobie, that leaves D West and Devin. West better start thinking “shot” first.

Meanwhile, with home court on the line, the pimp Eddie Jordan said this after losing in OT: “It’s just funny that a defensive guard and a rookie guard makes the big scoring plays and our veterans were struggling a little bit,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said.

Why does that surprise you, Eddie? Your veterans have led you down the alley to get mugged every year. When was the last time Antawn Jamison brought his team to the playoffs? Brendan Haywood? Please. You don’t even want Arenas out there. Pimp.

We’ll be following the Tribe home opener today (if it stays dry) on the show today at 5PM!

This from ESPN.com:

The NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player isn’t prepared to say when he’ll be ready to play again, although we continue to cling to our prediction here in Dimedom that he’ll be back in less than the originally forecasted two weeks.

In the interim, Dirk Nowitzki was happy to take a brief pause from his around-the-clock ankle rehab and the Dallas Mavericks’ increasingly perilous standing in the Western Conference playoff race to help us with our MVP ballot, which is due in to the league office in exactly 20 days.

The official ballot requires voters to rank their selections from 1-to-5. The following choices reflect Nowitzki’s top-5 order entering the season’s final 10-ish games, as well as mine.

Nowitzki’s No. 1: Kobe Bryant(4-4 without Gasol…fucking Nazi)

Weekend Dime ranking: No. 1

Kobe’s standout stats: 28.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.88 spg, 46.0 FG%

Dirk’s comment: “He’s the best player in the game and he’s never won it before. He’s had his injuries, his team [has] had injuries and they’re still right up there in the West. They just beat us without [Pau] Gasol and [Andrew] Bynum. I think this is his time.” Editor’s comment…Dirk…you’re 0-8 against the last +.500 teams you’ve played. Beating the Mavs means ZERO.

WD assessment: Best Player In The Game status is not enough for us. Ditto for Best Player To Never Win The MVP Award status. Bryant answers to both, but you could just name him MVP on opening night if those were the primary criteria. Editor’s comment: How in the fuck did he jump back ahead of LeBron going 4-4 and scoring less, assisting less and rebounding less?

The MVP has to have the best overall season to get our vote.

On this scorecard? With about 10 games to go, Kobe qualifies there, too. Editor’s comment: Huh? How has his season been better than LeBron’s?

As stated in this cyberspace a few weeks back, Bryant is basically doing everything we’ve been imploring him to do since Shaquille O’Neal left the Lakers. Dock him points, if you wish, for all the drama Bryant created from late May through Halloween, but credit him for his unimpeachable focus, leadership and ferocity from the moment Lakers management told him on the eve of the season opener against Houston that he wasn’t going to be traded.

Working in the conference of the century and possibly carrying the league’s greatest expectations — all while drawing more attention from opposing defenses than just about anyone going — Bryant is playing the best team ball of his life while playing at an MVP level individually. At both ends.

Just last week, L.A. won in Dallas and Utah without Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, amid claims by Bryant’s detractors that he wouldn’t be up here in the MVP reckoning if Memphis hadn’t dropped Gasol in the Lakers’ laps on Feb. 1. Bryant has to get some credit for Bynum’s development as well as Pau’s fast transition to a new team because his rivals in the MVP race are all getting the same kudos for the effect they have on their teammates. He’s winning like he hasn’t won since Shaq was a Laker, which is what separates this Kobe from the MVP outsider of the past three seasons. Editor’s comment: So…based on 2 games he’s the MVP. He gets credit for Bynum. They lost every game after those 2 wins. Fuck you, asshole.

Nowitzki’s No. 2: Chris Paul Hey…it’s Mr Bandwagon Nazi

Weekend Dime ranking: No. 2

CP3’s standout stats: 21.6 ppg, 11.4 apg, 3.9 rpg, 2.71 spg, 49.4 FG%, 37.3 3PT%

Dirk’s comment: “He’s a beast. I don’t care how big he is. He’s a beast. That high screen-and-roll they run, you can’t guard it. They’ve had an amazing season.” Hmmmm….9 less per game, 3 more assists even though LeBron’s a forward, no rebounds, and less than one more steal per game. Shoots the same percentage as LeBron. Fucking dominant.

WD Assessment: If Bill Simmons and I agreed on anything during our all-day podcast earlier in the week (see Box 4), it’s that Paul has to win this thing if the Hornets finish with the best overall record in the West. So…it’s his team that gets him the award. Put his ass out there with Sasha and Devin Brown. Right.

Has to.

Even after all of the above slobbering over Kobe, how can you deny Paul if the Hornets — New Orleans? — win the most competitive conference race ever?

Let’s face it: Paul has been the season’s best point guard in a conference overflowing with great ones. Even if he doesn’t become the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 assists and three steals in one season, he’s going to be the league’s first 20-10 guy since Tim Hardaway in 1992-93. He’s also averaging a ridiculous 4.5 assists to every turnover — not bad for someone who only has to make the play on every single possession — and has powered New Orleans to a record of 5-1 in its games against Paul’s three main MVP rivals (Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics) entering Friday night’s visit to Boston.

However …

If the Hornets don’t win the West and the teams stay pretty close record-wise, I’m sticking with Kobe. (Great! One game out of first and the midget is toast. More great ESPN analysis) Amazing as it is that the Hornets are even in the running for No. 1 in the West given that they’ve yet to play a playoff game in the Paul Era, Bryant has the tougher job (at least to me) because of all the double- and triple-teams and junk defenses that he (and LeBron James) has to see, and those higher expectations. No one ever said this job was easy, either.

Nowitzki’s No. 3: LeBron James

Weekend Dime ranking: No. 4

LeBron’s standout stats: 30.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.83 spg, 48.5 FG%

Nowitzki’s comment: “When he puts his head down and goes to the basket, he’s so strong that he does whatever he wants. And he’s starting to take games over in the fourth quarter. He’s the future of this league. He’ll win plenty of MVPs. I wouldn’t be too worried.” Editor’s comment: When YOU put your head down, Dirk, Cuban gets very excited.

WD assessment: It must be some race if a guy basically averaging 31, 8 and 8 can’t finish higher than third. (Or fourth.)

But that’s the sort of race this is.

The Cavs have been playing short-handed all season thanks to contract issues early and injuries throughout. The big trade Cleveland swung at the trade-deadline buzzer likewise hasn’t even lessened LeBron’s load yet, with Ben Wallace hobbling and Wally Szczerbiak struggling to make the midseason transition. Translation: He has shit for team mates

The fact remains, though, that the Cavs are in a much easier conference yet are on pace to fall short of the 50 wins they’ve recorded in each of the past two seasons. (I’d say LeBron did his part) Surely you haven’t forgotten the oft-recited stat — applied to LeBron and at various points over the past couple years — that reminds us that Moses Malone stands as the last MVP from a team that failed to win 50 games … all the way back in 1981-82.

It’s true that Cleveland might be on a more impressive track than 46-36 had LeBron not missed five games from Nov. 30 through Dec. 8. (Translation: Let’s ignore a total revamp of the roster in the last 40% of the season and countless injuries) But Kobe missing almost no time with a hand injury more severe than LeBron’s can’t help James’ case, even if the Cavs were simply taking advantage of the luxury they had in the easier East to play it safe and give their franchise player some bonus rest.

Team success has always been a major variable with us because the ultimate value in any individual’s season is how much winning goes with it. Is it reasonable to expect Cleveland to have a better record in the East than its current mark of 23-19? Even accounting for all the issues mentioned above, I’d say so.

Final analysis: Dirk Nowitzski didn’t deserve the award, and the faggoty ass Kraut doesn’t deserve this column. He and Mark Cuban can circle jerk one another while Avery Johnson watches. While Don Nelson gives it to Cuban anally.

OK. I took the antibiotic to make sure I wouldn’t be graded by the fucking USDA. I suggest all cows take Z-pak. My cough is diminished, and I am back on the tennis court!!! With my chronically torn ACL and grade 4 arthritic knee. I’m gonna take somebody out on the court.

Unfortunately, my renewed strength will be tested by the Cavs Pistons game tonight. I hope I don’t vomit all over my plasma set. With Boobie back, perhaps we’ll see less of uhhhhh…..less of….

Come to think of it, I don’t know whose minutes should vanish. I’d like to see Boobie and Wally in at the same time. I guess that means DJ sits. Until we need a last second 3.

Somebody better tell Flip Saunders. It wasn’t Drew and Larry. It’s LeBron and the Potato Head defense. Once again, the Pistons couldn’t score, and the 4th quarter was the difference.

Even more amazing was scoring balance, some Wally points, and an AV hustle sighting mixed with a goofy behind the back drive.

A devastating loss for a Piston team who has trouble with Cleveland. All their hate can’t win them games. At least not against the Cavs. Rip Hamilton looked gassed, not a good sign with 14 games left in the season. Has Detroit peaked too soon?

Most of us were asking ourselves, “Why does Anderson believe his agent can get him 60 million?”. Well, he did. We never found out why. Based on his recent court performance, I have come to a conclusion: Anderson is young and foolish.

What else can explain his sudden lack of desire?

Hurt foot? Sasha’s injury was worse, and he’s not having the problems AV is
Hurt pride? Well…this might be the problem.

Anderson started the season with the demands of a 10 year old child, “pay me or I’ll hold my breath”. Like all good parents, the Cavs waited for little Andy to turn purple before offering him something. He responded by playing well, hustling after loose balls. But Andy was an only child. When he rolled his ankle, the Cavs made a big swap that landed the team 2 bigs to compliment Andy. Except Andy may not have seen it that way.

Little Andy may have sensed more of the real world creeping into his Sao Paulo dream. Andy realized that he could be traded next year, and now there were older boys to take his place, one of whom was Mr High Motor long before Andy sipped Pina Coladas at Carnivale.

So Andy came back and pouted. Gone were the smiles, the hustle, the endless motor. Gone were the dreams of developing his 17 foot fade away. Gone were the rebounds and even worse, gone were the infuriating flops that turned border line creeps like Rasheed Wallace into full time quitters.

A note to Andy: The world is what you make of it. Sport is competition. Basketball is a business. When you hung your team out to dry, you told them you weren’t going to play here. The team has covered its ass. Your current behavior only reinforces the belief that you are disinterested in Cleveland. You have two choices. Work your ass off and earn your check, or hold your breath again, and suffocate to death.

Now everyone knows I am a Michael Reghi fan. I barely know him, but he calls an entertaining game. Everyone also knows I am NOT a Fred McLeod fan. I think he’s Dan Gilbert’s buddy, calls a weak game, and has trouble with the English language. He is somewhat challenged when it comes to descriptive calls. Many times he misuses words and forgets people’s names.

But all of this is subjective. Some of you like the “rubber rim” and “3-3-0″. That’s fine. I feel it is time for Moohead Radio to start a ball rolling. A ball to get Cavalier games off of FSN Ohio. I want Dan Gilbert to fire FSN. Here’s why.

When I’m watching a game, I have eyes. Even if Fred and Austin are yucking it up, I can still see what’s happening. The problems start when I can’t see the game. Every game, FSN Ohio is missing plays. Key plays. Either slow replays leave me missing entire sequences, or bizarre mid game interviews focus on the interviewee instead of the game. I have missed at least 20 plays this way, some of them HUGE.

That doesn’t include oblique camera angles that miss plays, cameras wildly careening out of control due to poor direction and switching, missed calls by Fred, returning late from commercials, and oddly out of focus replays that run into the next play.

I am fed up. Dan Gilbert routinely preaches a message of professionalism. Put up or shut up, Dan. The production value of Cavs games is not befitting of the greatest player in the game. You have great locker rooms, great workout facilities. Now it’s time to go big league with your telecasts. As a professional broadcaster (who has done sports color commentary), I am embarrassed by the low quality of these telecasts. What has finally set me off?

During the entire Indiana game, there were no breakdown stats during the game. Was LeBron closing in on a 3rd triple double against the Pacers? We never knew, because nobody was feeding vital info to the announcers. How did the Pacers draw to within 5 points in this game? Second half shooting percentage? We were never told. In fact, the Pacers scored 58 second half points. Was it our lousy defense? Well…the Pacers shot 49.4% for the game….they MUST have shot 60% in the second half. No mention of this. I’m yelling at the screen that the Pacers are making all their perimeter shots. But Fred and Austin are trying to keep up with the game. They don’t notice it, and no one is telling them. The Pacers were outrebounded 54-37. No mention of this, either. While they’re ripping on the defense on the post game show, no one realizes that Indy shot 60+% from the perimeter in the second half. Virtually no easy layups. No dunks. No game analysis at all.

Why should anyone watch a game with the sound turned up, if the game commentary doesn’t add to what I can see with my eyes? What’s so damn hard about flashing stat graphics on the screen while Austin chortles or Fred flubs a one liner? Anyone interested that Ben Wallace scored 2 points with 6 rebounds, while Joe Smith scored 12 with 8 boards? In about the same amount of playing time? Or that Damon and Wally were 5-21 and we still won? The truth is….FSN Ohio has lousy producers, directors and announcers. They actually detract from the game experience. And I’m sick of it.

Give STO a shot. Let them try to stage a legitimate professional broadcast. FSN has gotten worse since Reghi’s departure. Not just the announcers, but the entire broadcast. I will not shut up about this until Dan Gilbert hears about it. And I will see to it that he does.

Once again, a sideline detractor spurs LeBron to greatness. With the ghost of Reggie Miller looming, Spike Lee (has been director) took it upon himself to get all over LeBron after a 2 point first quarter. 48 points later, fans poured out of MSG faster than audiences at Spike’s last movie.

But before they did, they cheered the greatest player in the game, as if he already moved there. The truth is…he isn’t in New York yet, and he doesn’t need New York to be the MVP.

While pundits debate the issue, LeBron continues to improve, seemingly weekly. Exponentially. It is becoming harder to remember his last lousy game. They are now so infrequent. At 23, he owns the league. At 27?

Now you know why Knicks fans were cheering him on….all the way East.

From Brian Windhorst Blog:

–Here is what Larry Hughes said to me and Lisa Salters from ABC before the game. Lisa couldn’t believe it and made sure he knew what he was saying. Here it is:

“I play to enjoy myself, some people take this the wrong way, but winning a championship is not what I base everything on. I was given an opportunity to play basketball, travel around and have fun doing it and that’s what I want to do. I wouldn’t take being unhappy and not being myself and winning.
I would rather enjoy myself with 18,000-20,000 people watching the game and the people sending fan mail and those things and be happy…I didn’t come here to play the point guard, that’s just it. I came here to run the wing, just like he was running the other wing. I was asked to sacrifice for the team to win and for everybody, I guess, get paid. That is what was told to me and I wasn’t happy with that.”

Like his buddy Arenas, Larry lacks the balls to commit himself to improving. Larry took the fucking money with no intention of winning a title. He equated himself with LeBron. Fuckhead. 60 million dollars, whores and parties.

Now we can stop discussing Larry’s departure, and understand that ANY trade involving him was for the good of the team. If Wallace and Joe Smith want to win it all, they are a vast improvement. And even Wally’s ego cannot fathom equality to LeBron. And now Larry can have fun…even if there aren’t 20,000 people watching his sorry ass team.