Cliff Lee Wins 2008 AL Cy Young Award

Congratulations to Cliff Lee for taking home the Indians' third Cy Young award ever and the second in two years. Lee got 24 of 28 first-place votes and a total of 132 points, with Roy Halladay unsurprisingly coming in second with the the other four first place votes and 71 points. All I have to say is 22-3, 2.54. Go Tribe!

NBA Champs!

We did it! Cleveland's title drought has ended with The Cavs being awarded the 2008-09 NBA Championship. Congratulations to the Cavaliers!

Flying the flags

I noticed something as I looked out the window of my building at Terminal Tower, the downtown landmark that flies its flags higher than any other building on the skyline. The US flag is on top, of course; below that is a Cleveland Browns flag, and below that is a Cavaliers flag.

I think the Browns and Cavs flags should be switched. The Cavs are off to a great start and the Browns are flat-out depressing. They should also put a Chief Wahoo up there (they do during Tribe season, of course) and stick it between the Browns and Cavs pennants as sort of a Cleveland sports power rankings. Now that would give the GM's some incentive to put a winner on the field!

I'm speculating here, but I bet Doug would like to see the Cavalier flag at the pinnacle, even above the Stars and Stripes. Why not? The US isn't 6-2 at anything.

Heroes & Zeroes: Week 9

Bittersweet is probably the best word to describe the Browns' loss to the Broncos last week. Although the loss euthanized the Browns' playoff hopes, which had previously been living a bleak existence on life support, hopefully it marked the beginning of the Brady Quinn era. With the playoffs out of the picture, and Romeo Crennel's fate likely decided (Caesar would give him the thumbs down), the rest of this season is about evaluating Quinn. Phil Savage needs to decide whether or not Quinn can develop into the franchise quarterback that has eluded the Browns since the days of Bernie Kosar. If Quinn's development can give fans some light at the end of the tunnel, then this season won't be a total loss. If not, well...pitchers and catchers report in about three months.


This Week's Zeroes

Five Demerits: Brandon McDonald
This is tough for me to write, because McDonald has become my favorite defensive player this season, but he was thoroughly torched by Jay Cutler and the Broncos. McDonald was victimized by Cutler and receiver Eddie Royal on a 93-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that marked the first of three Denver touchdowns in that final period.

McDonald deserves credit for recognizing that the Browns' coverage was inadequate and signaling for help. At the same time, if McDonald ceases his gesticulating and just covers Royal as best he can, maybe Royal doesn't run 93 yards to paydirt. The real problem wasn't that McDonald was beat, it was that he had an opportunity to make a tackle on Royal and minimize the damage. Instead, he went for the ball and was a split second tardy. Neither safety came over to help, and instead of Royal picking up a big chunk of yardage, he waltzed into the end zone.

Four Demerits: Romeo Crennel
Everyone seems to be in agreement that unless the Browns do something crazy (e.g. run the table), Romeo Crennel should be canned. The Browns have blown a pair of sizable second half leads in consecutive weeks, and said implosions have come against less talented clubs. Sooner or later, you've got to point the finger at the ship's captain.

Bill Simmons recently called the Browns "the worst-coached half-decent team in the
league," and I'm inclined to agree. There is talent on this team. Edwards and Winslow are good receivers. Harrison and Lewis are good running backs. The offensive line has been banged up, but Joe Thomas has been injury-free, and Eric Steinbach is a premier guard when healthy. Brady Quinn appears to be a promising young quarterback. The defense has its problems, but Shaun Rogers is having a monstrous season, and the secondary is very talented, if lacking depth. The Cleveland Browns are better than a 3-6 football team. Romeo must go.

Three Demerits: Mel Tucker
Just as Crennel deserves some of the blame for the last two weeks, so does defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. Tucker's defense has been shredded in the fourth quarter of the last two contests, and they've been burned by some inexcusable big plays. In fairness, Tucker has faced two pretty solid offensive schemers (Mike Shanahan, Cam Cameron) in the last two games, but 564 yards allowed is inexcusable -- I don't care if God himself is calling the plays.

Opponents are obviously adjusting to Tucker's scheme, and these last seven games are going to test Tucker's mettle, as he'll have to counter-punch. Not only that, these last seven games will play a large role in whether or not the Browns' new head coach will consider retaining Tucker for 2009 and beyond. (Is anyone else writing "Bill Cowher" at the top of their Christmas lists?)

Two Demerits: Jamal Lewis
As a guy who typically loves Jamal, this is difficult for me to say, but Jamal needs to shut up. It's pretty ballsy to call out your teammates publicly for "quitting," especially when you barely averaged 3 yards per carry against Denver while Jerome Harrison ran roughshod over their defense. Lewis is likely just venting after a pair of tough games, but you can't call out your teammates like that; it's something I'd expect from Braylon Edwards or Kellen Winslow, but not Lewis, who is normally the consummate professional.

One Demerit: Braylon Edwards
The patience of Browns' fans is beginning to wear thin with Braylon Edwards. C'mon Braylon, get open and hang onto the football -- it's not rocket science! Edwards had just 1 catch for 15 yards against a Denver defense that didn't feature ace cornerback Champ Bailey, and there were at least two occasions when Braylon dropped passes he should have caught. Sure, Brady Quinn spread the ball around (8 different receivers), but he also threw 35 times, and when the Browns are throwing that much, Edwards should have more than 1 catch.



This Week's Heroes

Five Gold Stars: Jerome Harrison
If any fans weren't completely sold on Harrison, I assume they put their checks in the mail about 15 minutes after the game was over. Harrison picked up 48 yards on just 5 carries, which is nearly 10 yards a carry (just in case Jessica Simpson is reading this). By contrast, it took Jamal Lewis 19 carries to accumulated 60 yards. Harrison looks fast, shifty, and surprisingly powerful. If you put a black number 39 jersey on him, I might mistake him for Willie Parker.

There's been a strong faction within the fan base clamoring for Harrison to get more carries. If Jerome doesn't get the ball more against the Bills, Rob Chudzinski should be fired. The Browns are a different team when Harrison is on field. Harrison reaches holes quicker and hits them harder than Jamal Lewis. At this point, Harrison should at least be splitting carries, if not starting outright. Lewis is still a valuable part of the team, but at this point in his career he's better suited for short yardage or wearing down the opposition while sitting on a lead. In addition, by putting Harrison on the field more often the Browns may force their opponents to respect their running game outside of the tackles, which might soften the defense for Lewis between the tackles.

Four Gold Stars: Brady Quinn
It was only one game, but it's tough to curb enthusiasm about Brady Quinn. Quinn looked awfully poised for a guy making his first start and seeing his first significant NFL action, as he completed nearly two-thirds of his passes (23-for-35) for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Kellen Winslow. Even more impressive: Quinn didn't turn the ball over.

The offense looked different, but we expected that. There were fewer deep passes, but more sustained drives. The difference between Anderson and Quinn on short passes and screens is like night and day. I'd like to see Quinn throw some more deep and intermediate routes, and that should come with time. But let's face it: if Quinn played every game like he played against Denver, he'd be a very solid NFL quarterback.

But perhaps most impressive (and something that won't show up in the box score) was Quinn's mobility and pocket footwork. True, he's following Derek Anderson, who is blessed with the speed of a tortoise and frequently resembled a rhino while moving in the pocket. But Quinn faced some decent pressure all night, and yet the Denver defense recorded no sacks. That's not a coincidence. Quinn displayed an unexpected elusiveness, something that never stood out to me during his collegiate days or his limited action with the Browns. It was only one game, but realistically, Brady Quinn played as well as any of us could have hoped.

Three Gold Stars: Joshua Cribbs
I ripped Joshua Cribbs less than a month ago, claiming that he lacked his usual explosiveness, which was probably a result of his high ankle sprain. Well, the explosiveness is back, and Cribbs is terrorizing opponents not only on special teams, but on offense as well.

Cribbs had a solid day returning kickoffs, which included returns of 34, 37, and 43 yards. But for the first time this year, Cribbs made a big impact on offense, logging 3 carries for 48 yards, including a 27-yarder that helped set up the Browns' first score of the second half. Cribbs is a unique weapon, and as the Browns continue to develop their "Flash" package on offense, hopefully he can be used as a dual threat, running and passing a la Antwan Randle El in Pittsburgh. Opposing teams will begin to stack the box when they see Cribbs in the backfield, anticipating a run, and that's when I'd like to see the former KSU quarterback throw his first pass.

Two Gold Stars: Phil Dawson
It's a point that's already been raised many times, but where in the wide world of sports did Phil Dawson get his range from? Dawson's always been a solid kicker, practically automatic from inside 40 yards since his rookie season in 1999. But over the last several seasons Dawson's range has been mysteriously improving, and he's now hit field goals from outside 50 yards in consecutive games. Dawson's the only expansion Brown remaining, and he's been with the club a full decade. That's almost unheard of in the modern NFL.

One Gold Star: Kellen Winslow
K2 seemed destined to receive high praise until that unsightly fumble in the second half, but he must be happy that Quinn's under center. Winslow grabbed 10 catches for 111 yards and scored twice.

If Winslow and Quinn develop a strong chemistry, it will be very interesting to see what Phil Savage does with Winslow in the off-season. Winslow probably will still be seeking a salary bump, and I suspect Savage intends to trade him. That might be more difficult if he becomes Brady Quinn's favorite target. But depending on the market, trading Winslow wouldn't be such a bad idea. He probably doesn't have 5 years left in his career, he wants more money, and he tends to go rogue with the media from time to time. It will be an interesting winter.


Up Next: 11/17, Buffalo Buffaloes, Ralph Wilson Stadium, 8:30
The Browns have lost three of four, and the Bills have lost four or five, but someone has to win this Monday night. The Bills started the season 4-0 because they played disciplined football and won the turnover battle. But quarterback Trent Edwards has had butterfingers of late, and the Bills have struggled as a result. Buffalo isn't a particularly talented team, and they largely rely on letting opponents beat themselves. If Quinn looks like he did against Denver, I think the Browns win that turnover battle, and ultimately the game. I can't believe I'm doing this, but...

Prediction: Browns 24, Bills 20

Note: Nick wrote this, not Andy.

Note: Andy wrote an abbreviated version of this and published it earlier in the week and, for some bizarre reason, instead of leaving it and making his own post, Nick decided to overwrite mine and leave my name on it.

Bucks Bounce Back, Roll N'Western

Ohio St went into Evanston, Illinois this past week still with the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths. They took their frustrations out on Northwestern, and did it in a big way. Ohio St took the 'Cats behind the woodshed, coming home with a 45-10 victory.

The Buckeyes jumped right on Northwestern, as Chris Wells led an 8 play, 66 yard drive, rushing six times and scoring the touchdown. On a 3rd and 16 from about midfield, Terrelle Pryor eluded one would-be-tackler after another before hooking up with Brian Hartline for 44 yards. This play would foreshadow the entire game, as Northwestern continually forced the Bucks into a third and long, then gave up a big play. N'Western responded with a good drive of their own, finishing with a Mike Kafka TD run, tying the game at seven. Each team exchanged punts to close out the first quarter, and then the rest of the game was alllll Ohio St.

Beanie rolled for a 55 yard TD to begin the second, and they never looked back. After a Ryan Pretorius FG extended the lead to 17-7, TP took over. Pryor ran for 15 yards on a 3rd and 13 and another 21 yards on a 3rd and 16. He capped off the drive by hitting Brian Robiskie for a 15 yard score.

With a 24-7 lead at the break, you had to expect "Tressel Ball" to take over in the second half. This was not the case, and OSU continued to put the ball in the air, as Pryor hooked up with Rory Nicol to put the Bucks up 31-10. OK, that's enough, right Tress? Not even close. In the fourth quarter, Pryor and Robo connected for another TD, this one from 34 yards out. This play came after Ohio St successfully faked a punt. What the hell is going on? James Lauranaitis picked off Kafka with 7 minutes to go in the game, and finally Wells and Pryor exited. Time to run the clock out, right? Wrong again. Todd Boeckman came in and threw two deep balls (both incomplete of course). On the next drive OSU finally began to run up the middle, but the Wildcats were too demoralized to stop them. Dan Herron ran one in from 16 yards to close out the game, 45-10 Buckeyes.

Game Notes:

-Game ball goes to...Terrelle Pryor. TP dominated this game with his arm and his legs.

-I was shocked by Tressel running it up in this game. He won't throw the ball in the second half in a tie game, let alone up by three touchdowns. A fake punt in the 4th quarter? Throwing deep with 6 min to go? Not taking a knee with 10 seconds left? This is not the Jim Tressel I know. I don't necessarily have a problem with this, I'm just surprised. The only explanation I can offer up is that he was doing it for JoePa. Follow me here. Everyone in the football universe obviously has respect for Paterno, especially those who play against him each year. I don't think there's a coach out there (teams in the national title hunt excluded) that wouldn't like to see JoePa go out on top by winning another championship. Back to my original point, Ohio St looking good makes Penn St look good. Of course, this is all a moot point now, as Penn St blew it, but we'll discuss this later.

-The offense was back to its explosive self that we saw three weeks ago in the Michigan St game. They consistently picked up third and longs, going 8 for 13 overall on third downs. You could look at this from a negative point of view, looking at the ineffectiveness of many first and second down plays, but I'm more of a glass half full kind of guy. Northwestern had so many chances to get Ohio St off the field, and they just couldn't do it. Pryor was fantastic, going 9-14 for 197 yards, and a career high three touchdowns. He also had six carries for 33 yards. Beanie was also great, rushing the ball 28 times for 140 yards and two TD's. His 55-yarder in the second quarter was quite the highlight reel. Brian's Hartline and Robiskie looked like they were back to their All Big Ten form, with Hartline picking up 90 yards and Robo with 58 and two scores.

-If I were doing a "Heroes and Zeroes" article for this week, five demerits would go to Penn St. Come on guys, really? Iowa is not a bad team, but I wouldn't go as far as calling them "good" either. I was really rooting for the Lions after they beat OSU two weeks ago. Not only because it would increase our chances of getting a Rose Bowl berth, but also because I don't mind Penn St, and I generally root for all Big Ten teams to do well in the post season, save for "that school up north" of course. PSU's loss does however give Ohio St the chance to get at least another share of the Big Ten title, making five straight. Five straight! That's unheard of. This also opens up a very slim possibility that OSU could take home their third straight outright conference title, but that would take an Indiana win over Penn St, then Penn St taking out Michigan St at season's end. Highly unlikely.

Next week sends the Buckeyes to Champaign for a date with the Fighting Zookers of Illinois (Noon, ESPN). Ohio St has vengeance on their mind's in this one, as Illinois seemingly (but unsuccessfully) knocked the Bucks out of the title hunt last year by beating them in The Shoe. The Illini are a disappointing 5-5 this year, needing a win this week or against Northwestern just to be Bowl eligible. Expect Ohio St to continue rolling this week as they prepare for the beat down they're going to give "that school up north" in two weeks.

GET EM

L-Train Throws the Hammer Down

On paper, this game had all the makings of a blow-out.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (5-2), atop the Central Divsion, at home against the last place Milwaukee Bucks (3-4). To add insult to injury for the Bucks, Michael Redd was watching this game from the bench in a suit.

Cleveland fans are too familiar with games their teams "should" have won this year. Reflections of the 2008 Indians and Browns began to fill my head when the 4th quarter began and the undermanned Bucks were within three points.

This is when the Cavs showed fans that they are far above the level of the other two Cleveland teams. LeBron James heated up at the right time, scoring 12 fourth quarter points to finish the night with 41 points for the third time in this young season. Anderson Varejao also continued his late-game dominance with eight points and six rebounds in the fourth.

When the final buzzer sounded, the score read Cavs 99, Bucks 93. Though, the coming months will reveal the true story of this game.

To pull out a victory on an off-night is reassuring. Certainly the best teams find a way to win even on bad nights, right?

However, this game was at home, the Cavs have had two full days rest. More concerning is that they also barely won at home over Indiana last week. Neither the Bucks nor the Pacers were playoff teams last season, and will likely both be lottery teams again this year.

Maybe Indiana and Milwaukee were playing "lights out." Champions find a way to win, and the Cavs definitely won games that were closer than they should have been. Or is this the start of an undesirable trend? Only time (and stronger teams) will tell.


Spread the Love

Despite LeBron James lighting it up for 41 points, the Cavs still finished the game with five players scoring in double digits.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao each had double-doubles, while Ben Wallace continued to ignore the basket.


You can book this one to the Cavaliers...

When Richard Jefferson's bad pass resulted in a Wally Szczerbiak steal. LeBron James dribbled out the shot clock before missing an off-balance three. Anderson Varejao secured the offensive rebound and Mo Williams ulimately hit two free-throws with one-minute remaining to give the cavs a 10-point lead.


24-second violation

LeBron James and the Cavs showed class by taking a 24-second violation with 4.7 seconds remaining in the game instead of firing up a shot to potentially extend their seven-point lead. It shows how far this team has come under the leadership of Mike Brown.

Does anybody else remember when DeSagana Diop fired up a three as time ran down to try to win the fans a free chalupa by eclipsing the 100-point barrier?


Paxson's picks

Noticed this in the Top Performers section of the ESPN NBA Scores page.




We're Going Streaking

The Cavs have now won five games in a row, matching their longest winning streak from last year. This might be the season that they finally surpass the elusive franchise record 11-game winning streak.


The Cavs better be ready to strap one on for Denver and Utah later this week.

Herb Score (1933-2008)

FCF would like to bid a fond farewell to a beloved member of the Indians' family, Herb Score, who died at the age of 75 today.

Score had two outstanding early seasons with the Indians, claiming the Al Rookie of the Year award in 1955 and making the All-Star team and leading the league in K's in both '55 and '56. Score posted ERA+ totals of 140 and 166, respectively, for those two seasons. A line drive to his face in early 1957 forever altered Score's mound presence, effectively cutting short a promising career.

Score achieved far greater fame in the announcer booth, where he called Tribe games from 1964-1997 in a career that landed him in the Broadcasters Hall of Fame. I loved listening to Score's broadcasts as a kid, with his mellow style and the funny way he pronounced his name (kinda like Uhhb) and those of the players. Uhhb was the man.

Cavs Prepare for Favorable November Schedule

Championships are not won in the first month of the season. However, each win and loss still counts towards determining playoff seeding in April. And as we all know from Cleveland's NBA Finals run in 2007, seeding can definitely help to win championships.

On that same note, the record from the first month of the season is not necessarily indicative of how a team will finish the year. Simply look back to the doomed 2000-2001 Cavs team that finished their season with a 15-45 run after firing out of the gates 15-7. Nobody assumes that the Hawks or Lakers are going to go undefeated for the remainder of this season,(they have to play each other, right?) and the Wizards will not lose every single game.

Cautionary tales aside, the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently at 5-2, are eyeing a favorable schedule as they continue through the first month of the season. The next ten opponents boast a combined .460 winning percentage from last season, with only four of those games occurring on the road.

The stretch begins Tuesday with a winnable game at home against Milwaukee (3-4), followed by home games against Western foes Denver (3-3) and Utah (5-1). Normally I would be happy with two of three victories, but if the Cavs are going to be an elite team then they must protect their home floor.

Next up are back-to-back road games against New Jersey and Detroit. The Pistons are still a strong contender, and the Cavs will likely drop this game since it is on the road, and the second night of a back-to-back. After two days of rest, the Cavs return home against a surprising Atlanta squad.

The final week of the month matches the Cavs at New York, home against Oklahoma City and Golden State, and on the road against Milwaukee. Normally this should result in four wins, however two back-to-backs in a row may be too much to sustain the strong play.

At worst, I suspect the Cavs should finish the month of November with a record of 12-5. This is one time where I am happy to be wrong with my previous prediction that the team would hover near .500 to open the season.

While encouraging to see, there is a lot of room for growth on this team. The 2007-2008 Celtics did not lose their fifth game until January 12th. Then again, the Cavs are on pace to win 58 games...if the first two weeks of November mean anything.

Stay tuned.

Quick Hits: Cavs/Bulls

This was a game that the Cavs may not have won last season. It was the tail end of a home-away back-to-back, and those are games in which NBA teams typically struggle. But although the Cavs had their problems and allowed a few runs by Chicago, they rallied in the fourth quarter to put the Bulls away.

The game began with a short-lived Chicago lead in the opening minutes, which was quickly erased as the Cavaliers erupted to take a 24-10 lead. The Cavs probably could have ended the game in that first quarter, but the Bulls didn't roll over, and by the time the quarter closed the Bulls had pulled back within 5 points (32-27).

Ben Gordon led a second quarter charge for the home team, and the Bulls quickly tied the game at 34. Gordon would finish with 29 points. Chicago built a lead in the second quarter, and a pair of Andres Nocioni 3-pointers gave the Bulls a 51-42 lead. Fortunately the Cavs fought back, and LeBron capped the half with a thunderous dunk to whittle the lead down to 3 points (57-54).

It looked like the third quarter was going to give the Cavs problems again, as the Bulls, fueled by Derrick Rose, opened a 70-60 lead. But once again, the Cavs refused to fade, and a Daniel Gibson trey tied the game at 74 late in the third. The quarter ended with the Cavs trailing by the same 3-point deficit they faced at the quarter's commencement.

As much as the second quarter belonged to the Bulls, the fourth quarter belonged to the Wine & Gold. A LeBron James three gave the Cavs an 80-77 lead, which was their first lead since the second quarter. A 31-7 run built that lead to 12 points (89-77), but the Bulls fought back valiantly to cut the Cleveland lead to a mere 2 points (96-94) with just under 3:00 remaining. LeBron James took it from there.

James hit a three to increase the lead to five points, and then Ben Gordon made it a one-possession game with a pair of free throws. But LeBron, as if channeling Jules Winnfield ("oh, well allow me to retort"), buried another three to open a six-point lead (102-96), and essentially end the game. The final was 106-97.



Quick Hits

LeBron's Line: 13-29 for 41 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, 11-13 FT, 2 turnovers.
James has now dropped 41 points on the Bulls twice this season. Although LeBron was 4-of-7 from deep, I especially like how he's pounding the paint this season, and his improved free throw shooting might be the reason he seems so determined to do so. LeBron is now shooting 77.3 percent from the charity stripe, up more than 6 percentage points from last season. If he continues to hit the freebies at that clip, watch out. Teams may have to rethink any "Hack-A-Bron" strategies they employed in the past.

I like Mo Williams. A lot.
I was all for the Mo Williams trade. It seemed like a vintage "something for nothing" NBA trade. Granted, it wasn't the Pau Gasol deal, but considering that the Cavs were in desperate need of a scoring point guard, it got the job done. That said, I was a bit nervous that Williams would shoot too much or dominate the ball, which are two things you don't want to happen on a team that also features LeBron James. I know it's still early, but I love the way the offense looks with Williams running the point.

There are ball handlers, and there are point guards. Larry Hughes was a ball handler. Mo Williams is a point guard. Williams isn't merely running the point because he's a savvy dribbler, he's playing the position because he's a good distributor. The difference between the Cavs' offense pre-Williams and post-Williams is almost night and day. Gone are the days when LeBron dribbled down the clock and threw up a dumb three. Gone are the days when everyone just stood around and watched LeBron. Mo Williams isn't going to win any assist titles in Cleveland because of the degree to which LeBron James handles the ball, but his abilities to distribute and also create his own shot are making the Cavaliers' offense less predictable, more consistent, and more difficult to defend.

JJ Hickson sighting.
Do you remember where you were when JJ Hickson was drafted? Do you remember which expletives you selected to describe Danny Ferry's choice? The Hickson pick was pretty unpopular at the time, and I'm guilty of trashing the decision myself, but my opinion has changed. The little I've seen of Hickson has left me wanting more.

If you haven't perused any of Hickson's college highlights, make a point of doing so. I was immediately impressed with his athleticism and post moves, and the Cavaliers are a team that desperately needs to develop or acquire a young post option. Mike Brown has been making an effort to give Hickson some minutes early in the season, and I hope JJ's playing time increases in the coming weeks.

Hickson's already a solid rebounder, and he had a great play against the Bulls when he stole a rebound away from Luol Deng and scored a layup. Fellow TCF writer Erik Cassano made an excellent point last week that Hickson may have trouble down the stretch, having never been through the rigors of an NBA season that lasts 82 games plus the playoffs. We'll have to keep a close eye on the rookie to see how he responds to the grind.

Win the easy ones.
It sounds simple enough, but beating the teams that they should has been a real problem for the Cavs in the last few years. You got the feeling that the team was phoning in dozens of regular season games every year, and it probably cost them a better playoff seed at least once.

We still need to see more of this team, but it looks like things might be different this time around. The Cavs are now 5-2, with their two losses coming on the road in competitive games against solid clubs in the Celtics and the Hornets. But the Cavaliers have also been very businesslike in dispatching lousy teams like the Bobcats, Bulls (twice), and Pacers, along with the mediocre Mavericks. If this trend continues, I like the Cavs to win the Central Division, and possibly give Boston a run for their money for the East's number one seed.

As the rotation turns.
Mike Brown is usually fairly creative in finding rotations that work, but one of his third quarter rotations left me scratching my head. On the floor at the same time were Daniel Gibson, LeBron James, Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace, and Delonte West. That's basically three shooting guards, a small forward, and a center/forward who can't score. I don't have a problem with going small, but when you go small and you don't have a legitimate scorer at center or power forward, there's going to be trouble. Needless to say, that rotation was nixed pretty quickly.

Every Rose has its thorn.
Derrick Rose is going to be a very good pro. The guy is silky smooth, quick as hell, and unlike many rookies, doesn't appear to be in love with his jump shot. Rose seems to know that getting to the hoop is the easiest way to score, and he's going to be a star in this league. Michael Beasley may end up being a better player than Rose (purely a theoretical at this point), but nobody's going to second guess Chicago for pulling the trigger on their hometown boy.

Separated at birth.
Anderson Varejao and Joakim Noah could be twins. Not biologically, of course, but in their playing style. Noah and Varejao are both spark plugs for their respective teams coming off the bench, both guys are terrific rebounders and disruptive forces on defense, and both guys have a jump shot that's ugly as sin. Fortunately for the female Cavs fans out there, I think Varejao has Noah beat in the looks department, which isn't a real hard task when you take a look at the dude.

DiGiorno Pizza® Austin Carr Quote of the Game. After stating that he brought only six DiGiornos with him to Chicago because it was only a one-night trip, Carr stated, "I got the diet pizza." If loving AC is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Up Next: Milwaukee Bucks, 11/11, 7:00, Quicken Loans Arena

NFL Picks: Week 10

If not for the Browns selling us out, we might have all had super weeks last time out. Well, OK, not Figgs. I (this is Andy) love this week's board. I might miss a bunch (this has yet to happen in 2008), but I really enjoyed picking them. The NFL is fun, even when your favorite club is a massive disappointment.

Last Week
Andy: 8-6 (ho-hum)
Figgs: 6-8
Nick: 8-6
Nick's Money Picks: 1-2

Year to Date
Andy: 74-52-4
Figgs: 60-66-4
Nick: 65-61-4
Nick's Money Picks: 11-10

BROWNS (-3) vs Broncos
Andy: I'd take the Browns anyway, but the Broncos have dropped their last 6 against the spread. Right, Nick?
Figgs: Browns.
Nick: Browns. Quinn delivers in first start. The Browns may never lose another game.

FALCONS (-1) vs Saints
Andy: Can the ATL get some respect? Love the Dirty Birds here.
Figgs: Saints.
Nick: Falcons. Ryan's playing well, Turner's running hard, and they're at home. What's not to like?

BEARS (+3) vs Titans
Andy: Titties win over the Grossman-QB'd Bears. Have to.
Figgs: Titans.
Nick: Titans. Rex Grossman is playing QB against an undefeated team and I only have to give 3? Sign me up.

LIONS (+6.5) vs Jaguars
Andy: Tough call. I've been banging the Lions for a few weeks, especially at home. I'd like to have 7, but hell, Cincy beat JAX last week so I'm going with the DET.
Figgs: Lions.
Nick: Jacksonville. If this line were >7, I'd go the other way.

DOLPHINS (-9.5) vs Seahawks
Andy: Fish. One of my other tough calls on the board. I just don't like Seattle on the road.
Figgs: Seahawks.
Nick: Seahawks. Too many points.

VIKINGS (-1) vs Packers
Andy: Vikes, making a big statement game. Seriously, if you're a Viking fan, you know your boys need to strap one on and finally beat the Pack.
Figgs: Vikings.
Nick: Vikings. Green Bay's not for real.

PATRIOTS (-3.5) vs Buffaloes
Andy: Pats, fo shizzle. Damn Vegas and its 3.5's.
Figgs: Bills.
Nick: Patriots, but I could see this going either way.

TEXANS (+1) vs Ravens
Andy: Until I see a reason to pick the Texans (2-6 ATS this year), I'll oppose them. Plus, this weird Raven team wins games, especially against the likes of a Rosenfels/Schaub QB tandem.
Figgs: Ravens.
Nick: Ravens. Baltimore doesn't make enough mistakes to lose this game.

JETS (-9) vs Rams
Andy: Watch me willy-nilly lay 9 points on this. I'm getting a bit cocky here. The Rams should just not even show up.
Figgs: Jets.
Nick: Jets. Changed this one at the last minute because S-Jax is out.

RAIDERS (+9.5) vs Panthers
Andy: I like a semi-pride game out of the Raiders, losing by 7-8 but covering. Do they still have the baseball dirt on their field? I feel like you should never take CAR on a dirt field.
Figgs: Panthers.
Nick: Panthers. They've flown under the radar all year at 6-2.

STEELERS (-4) vs Colts
Andy: I pick nobody, since there is no line. I win! What do we think Roethlisberger is worth, 3? 4? Update: the line is in and I'm taking the Steelers.
Figgs: Colts.
Nick: Pittsburgh. I have no feel for the Colts, and Pittsburgh's pretty consistent.

CHARGERS (-16) vs Chiefs
Andy: No way do I lay 16 on a so-so Charger team, considering the pluck the Chieves have shown of late. Why is this so high?
Figgs: Chiefs.
Nick: Chiefs. Sixteen is too many points this season, regardless of the teams involved.

EAGLES (-3) vs Giants
Andy: Giants. Bill Simmons has it right: take PHI when they play a bad team, take the opponent when it's a tough team.
Figgs: Eagles.
Nick: Giants. When are the defending champs going to get some respect? They should be favored by 3 here.

CARDINALS (-9.5) vs 49ers
Andy: I think this is the Cards' coming-out party. They might win this by 50. Did you know that Kurt Warner's passer rating is 104.2? Wow.
Figgs: Cardinals.
Nick: Cardinals. I've never been more comfortable giving almost double-digit points. Cards by at least 3 scores. O/U on how many times Singletary drops his pants: 1.5.