THIS Is My Tribe?

Well, the dismantling of the Indians – at least, as we’ve known them the past few years – is complete. Victor Martinez was shipped to Boston today, on the heels of Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco going to Philadelphia, Ryan Garko going to San Francisco, and Rafael Betancourt journeying to Colorado. Wasn’t Mark DeRosa on the team at one point, too?

So, who’s left?

Let’s see, there’s a pitcher named Mike Gosling. Another named Tony Sipp. And don’t forget Jose Veras. Or Chris Perez.

At times, they’ll all have the chance to throw to Wyatt Toregas behind the point. Chris Gimenez, too, although he’s listed as an infielder.

Who? I mean, who?

There are three outfielders on the roster. One of them is Trevor Crowe. Talk about going from uncertainty to security; Crowe has to feel lucky to be in Cleveland during this fire sale.

Wow, what a season it’s been.

Fans are crying for Mark Shapiro’s head, but you really can’t blame the Indians’ general manager. This season is lost. And the pitching has been horrendous. Losing Lee is tough, but otherwise he surrendered some bats, and they can’t throw strikes. So stocking up on pitchers (nine of the 11 players obtained) revealed his strategy – fix the rotation, and fix the bullpen. Trust the guys who are here (Hafner, Cabrera, Sizemore, Choo, Peralta) to hit. Trust that one or two position players in the minors (LaPorta, Santana) develop into big league hitters. And hope that lightning strikes twice in the Shapiro era, and that this current crop of youngsters gets it done.

I’m not upset by it all, I’m really not. Admit it: The Indians weren’t going anywhere – this year, or next, or ever – not without better pitching. Now, we’ll sit back and watch to see if they can recharge their batteries and develop into a contender in a season or two.

Finally, how great was it to see the emotion Martinez showed after the trade? He could barely speak to reporters in the locker room. It was clear that when he said recently that he wanted to play his entire career in one uniform, he meant it. Martinez’s loyalty to the Indians, and his sadness over leaving the team regardless of their won-lost record, speaks volumes about him. Would that there were more players with his attitude in professional sports today.

Well, Now That Tiger’s No Longer the Best…

I knew it. What a fraud. Tiger Woods – number one in the world? Ha, ha.

It was only a matter of time before this showboat was exposed. Couldn’t even make the cut at the British Open! Come on, Eldrick. Champions don’t wilt under pressure. Five over par? Five over par? Puh-lease! Jack or Arnie or Ben or Sammy never would have slinked off the world’s biggest stage like that. Enough with the commercials and sponsorships, already. Come back when you’ve won something....

Oops! Sorry. I digressed, there, into the black hole of sports logic often employed by today’s “what have you done for me lately” pundits and fans. Case in point:

“LeBron James? NBA Most Valuable Player? How can that be, when he still hasn’t won a championship? He had his chance this year, and he blew it. Wilted, right there on national T.V.! And Kobe didn’t. He won the championship, which clearly makes him the greatest player in the game today.”

Except, of course, it doesn’t make him that, at all. I’m not sure when “championships won” became the defining criterion for greatness, but that’s the twisted logic that, to many, determines who the truly great ones are in sports.

No question, a few championships under the belt cement a star’s legacy. But to demote LeBron from best-in-the-game status to another-bum status, just because the Cavaliers lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, is ridiculous. Yet that’s what many fans and sports writers did. Wilt Chamberlain struggled to win two titles during his career, and he clearly was the most unstoppable force the NBA had ever seen during his playing days. Bill Russell’s teams won eight in a row. People like to argue that Russell was better – as if he didn’t have any good teammates on those Celtic teams (or a Hall of Fame coach, for that matter). I disagree, always have.

It’s absurd. Tiger had two bad days, that’s all. He’s human. His humanity got the best of him. He’s still, quite clearly, the best player in the game, and will take his place as the best ever in a few more years.

LeBron didn’t make it to the NBA Finals this year, which was a huge disappointment for him, personally and professionally. But it shouldn’t tarnish his reputation at all. Will his day come? The same question was asked of John Elway, who didn’t win a Super Bowl until the sunset of his career. And it was asked of Dan Marino, perhaps the most famous, accomplished athlete of our generation to never win a title. LeBron could win six, like Michael Jordan, or be lucky to ever win one. Time will tell.

But great is great. Tiger is great, and so is LeBron. Why can’t we leave it at that?

Call Him the 'Big Deal' -- That's Good Enough For Me

Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Cleveland.

I have no concrete idea what level of talent, at this point in his career, he will bring to the Cavaliers. The goal is to team with LeBron James to win a championship. Does he have the talent? Yes. Does he have the desire? Probably. Will that desire translate into the motivation necessary to demand at least one more All-Star caliber performance from his 37-year-old body? Stay tuned.

No matter. Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Cleveland.

Think about that. When was the last time a major star of Shaq’s stature came to Northeast Ohio?

LeBron doesn’t count. Neither does Jim Brown. Both were drafted, and arrived in Cleveland as young stars-in-waiting.

You have to go back to 1974, when the Indians obtained legendary outfielder Frank Robinson from the Angels. Robby was named player-manager – the first black manager in the history of the major leagues – during the subsequent offseason and punctuated it the following April by hitting a home run in his first at bat on Opening Day.

Is O’Neal the answer? Will he help bring Cleveland its first major pro sports championship since 1964? Maybe. He’s certainly larger than life – figuratively and literally – and will bring a whole new attitude to Cavs’ Town. If he’s motivated to get into better shape – even if it’s just for one final run at a championship – then look out, the Cavaliers could be scary.

Mike Tirico raved about the deal on ESPN radio Thursday. He later interviewed Danny Ferry, the Cavs’ general manager. As Ferry put it, the chance to add a player of Shaq’s stature, including the presence he brings to the court and the locker room, is too good to pass up.

Ferry also pointed out that he and other Cavalier executives watched a lot of game tapes of O’Neal, and were impressed with how well he played for the Suns. Indeed, O’Neal averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game in 75 games with Phoenix. Contrast that with the numbers posted by the Cavs’ Zydrunas Ilgauskas: 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per, in 65 games.

Don't write Shaq off just yet.

O’Neal is a 15-time All-Star and four time NBA champion. Add in the fact that there is no more consummate entertainer, and he promises to bring an attitude to Cleveland unlike any we’ve seen in these parts.

It’s called star power. It makes the trade worth it. That the Cavs only gave up Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and this year’s second-round pick is gravy.

I mean, think about it: As I’ve written this, and as you’ve read it, LeBron James has been an afterthought.

That’s why Shaquille O’Neal is special. And it’s why he could be exactly what the Cavaliers – and LeBron – have needed.

Best Uniforms? Let the Debate Begin

On CBSSports.com Monday, Gregory Urbano named what he called the 10 coolest uniforms in sports history. In ascending order:

10. USC Football
9. Los Angeles Lakers
8. Dallas Cowboys
7. Boston Celtics
6. San Diego Chargers
5. Notre Dame Football
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. New York Yankees
2. University of North Carolina Basketball
1. Michigan Wolverines Football

Alrighty then. You’re no doubt already doing a slow burn at some of the names on the list. North Carolina’s basketball uniforms? Really? And, of course, the constantly overrated Boston Celtics garb. Ooh, they put “Celtics” across the front in block lettering. What’s so great about that? C’mon, the Bruins’ hockey unis are way better than those green monsters.

But that’s the nature of such lists. So I’m going to throw some of my own at you. Agree, disagree, whatever. It’s my blog. Note, however, that, unlike Mr. Urbano, I provide definitive visual evidence of my good taste.

I have also claimed one caveat: To make my list, a uniform cannot have made his. So there. Let the debate begin anew!

1. St Louis Cardinals. I’m shocked that this isn’t on Urbano’s list. It should be on every list. It is the classic baseball uniform of all time. Unique, colorful, attractive, historic. Has never gone out of style, never will.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers. Clean, simple, and stunning. The blue and red jump off the blazing white uniform, evoking patriotic sentiments, which I suppose baseball should do. The brilliant blue caps, the interconnected L and A…whoever did this got it right.

3. Texas Longhorns Football. The Longhorn logo is unlike any other in sports. Represents an entire state, moreso than any iconic logo I can think of. Even their opponents have to admit it’s the ultimate in cool. Slapped on that bright white helmet…perfect. And who else wears burnt orange? Great stuff.

4. Detroit Tigers. Another great uniform. The gothic D. The black piping around the collar and the buttons. The contrasting hat, with the same D. This hasn’t changed in decades, and never should. Understated and classic.

5. St. Louis Rams. Ram’s horns on the helmet. Ram’s horns around the shoulders. All matching the pants. I’ll bet every player who ever dressed in those things felt good about it. I still can’t decide if the gold of today is better than the yellow of yesterday, but either way, these get it done.

6. Chicago Baseball. OK, I’m fudging a bit, by giving a nod to both the Cubs and the White Sox. Again, however, their home pinstriped uniforms have held up over time. The Sox’ intertwined logo is unique in all of baseball, and the Cubs’ simple “C” gets the job done.

7. Virginia Cavaliers Football. Clean and classic. Distinctive choice of colors. Great logo. Evokes all sorts of regional emotions. Nicely done, hugely underrated by just about everybody.

8. Pittsburgh Penguins. Come on, it’s hard to make a hockey uniform look great, and these look great. Plus they have penguins on them, for crying out loud. Who else has the cajones to do that?

9. Green Bay Packers. What can I say? Green and gold can be a nasty combination if not used properly – but these folks used ’em properly. Better in the classic days of Lombardi as shown here, but still, they’re superb.

10. Baltimore/ Indianapolis Colts. Since the days of Johnny Unitas, this uniform has stood the test of time. Peyton Manning has been a deserving successor to the legacy. Who knew a horseshoe could help define a league the way this one has?

So there you have it. Now, about my Cleveland teams.

Right now, we’re in the hey-day of Cleveland uniforms. When the Indians went back to the classic script in 1994, it heralded the return of championship caliber baseball in Cleveland. New uniforms, new stadium, new era. I hope they never change. These are what baseball uniforms should look like.

The Cavaliers did a smart thing the year LeBron James was drafted. They returned to the classic burgundy and gold of their founding years, but with a beautifully updated approach. Mind you, I still love the original Cavaliers script uniforms, but I’m sentimental about their early days, when they were such loveable losers. But the lost era of orange, blue, black, powder blue? Ugh. No thanks.

And finally, the Browns. From the 1940s through the 1960s, when the Browns literally were the Yankees of pro football, people around the country professed love for their understated appearance, complete with no logo on the helmet. And, I must admit, I still love the look. Somehow, though, it had more of a classic feel all those many years ago. The team that has been on the field since 1999 has been mostly an embarrassment to the city of Cleveland and the NFL in general. So some of the luster has worn off. But, if they begin to win again, watch the orange and brown take this region – and other parts of the country, where Browns Backers clubs are large and plentiful – by storm.

Postmortem

What amazes me, after the fact, is how so many people's tunes change. Or, how many people take on an "I told you so" mentality. Or, how so many people jump on the LeBron-bashing bandwagon.

Look, the Cavaliers lost a series they could have won. I'm not saying should have won. Just could have. But they didn't. It's unfortunate, but it's not a tragedy on the scale of a Hurricane Katrina, or a 9-11.

It's absurd to even say that, but that's how fans and members of the media often portray it. Come on, it's not rocket science. Orlando played better. To some extent, they played above their heads, if their stats in this series compared to their regular season numbers are any indication. They were lights-out, start to finish. But, so what? Give them credit. Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap.

So, some thoughts:

-- LeBron James's decision to leave the floor after the Game Six loss without shaking hands with the Magic, or to leave the arena without speaking to the media, may have been surprising and a little impolite, but it's not a major transgression. He expected to win a championship this year. This had to be one of the greatest disappointments of his career. Only he knew if he could handle talking with others, or not. He decided not. So now he's the target of critics far and wide -- fans and media pundits. Phooey. He came out the next day, acknowleged that the Magic deserved to win, assured people he's happy in Cleveland, and said it's still his goal to bring a championship to Cavs-land. Let it rest. Sometimes, losing is very, very tough to take.

-- I'm not sure I understand why Zydrunas Ilgauskas guarded Dwight Howard throughout the series. Say all you want about Mo Williams and Delonte West, but the terrible matchup was Z and Howard. To Stan Van Gundy's credit, he exploited it. The rest is gravy.

-- When you shoot like Orlando shot, you deserve to win games.

-- The post-series critiques of LeBron James, which taunt him for not making his teammates better, blah, blah, blah, ignore the fact that champions don't do it by themselves. There's no way this Cavs team, or this Magic team, or this Lakers team, beats the Lakers of Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, etc. No way they beat the Celtics of Bird, McHale and Parish. No way they beat the Bulls of Michael and Scottie. Those teams had all-time icons of the game -- the Lakers had two, in Magic and Kareem -- and never relied on just one player, especially not the way the Cavs rely on LeBron.

-- The New York Daily News reported over the weekend that Toronto is actively shopping Chris Bosh rather than risk losing him to free agency in 2010. The Raptors are interested in Utah's Carlos Boozer, while Chicago is reportedly dangling Luol Deng, among others. The Cavs should jump in and offer just about anyone other than LeBron, plus draft picks -- whatever fits when it comes to salary cap issues, expiring contracts, and so on. Ilgauskas would suffice just fine in the post next year if Bosh were alongside him. Bosh would be to LeBron what Pippen was to Jordan. I'd give 'em half the roster if that's what they want. Seriously -- take half this year's team away, put Bosh with LeBron, and Orlando disappears in four games, maybe five.

-- That said, I really enjoyed this season. I thought the addition of Williams was fabulous. I like West. I've always liked Varajeo. And I said previously that if the Cavs stayed healthy, they'd win it all. I was wrong, but it was a great ride, and I still like this team. Clearly, they need strength inside. But sports can be unpredictable, and the Cavs ran into a buzzsaw of a team in the Magic, who were (are?) peaking at precisely the right time. How hard is it to win a championship in the NBA? Consider this: The past 30 NBA seasons have been dominated by six teams. During that span, the Lakers have won eight championships, the Bulls six, the Spurs and the Celtics four each, Detroit three and Houston two. There are 30 teams in the league. And just six have climbed the mountain and won repeat titles over three decades. The Cavs are trying to get there. It ain't easy.

-- For my money? I think the Lakers match up well against Orlando, and Kobe Bryant is the lights-out shooter that the Cavaliers still lack. I'm picking L.A. to win the 15th title in their franchise's history.

One Down, Two to Go

Another out-of-this-world performance by LeBron James allowed Cavs fans to exhale Thursday night as Cleveland topped Orlando 112-102, to stay alive in the Eastern Conference Finals. This ridiculous stat line: 37 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists.

Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith cautioned on the TNT postgame show that LeBron can't possibly do that every game; it will simply wear him down. In the fourth quarter, he scored or assisted in 32 of the team's 34 points. But as James said to Craig Sager after the game, losing just wasn't an option.

So it's back to Orlando for Game Six on Saturday night. If you're the Cavs, you know you did what you had to do, battling out a win. If you're Orlando, you feel confident knowing you're going home with a chance to close it out.

You have to pay attention to what Barkley, Smith and Reggie Miller said after the game, however. They played in the NBA and know first-hand the rigors of the pro game. Their concern: Have you ever seen anyone do what James did -- dominate the fourth quarter completely and control every offensive play in the period -- for three straight games?

Miller added a great observation about Daniel Gibson, Wally Szczerbiak and Mo Williams: Is their game going to travel? Will they be able to contribute in a do-or-die game against a hot team on the road?

Williams, in particular, was superb Thursday night, with 24 points, including six three-pointers. Can he do it again Saturday? Gibson tossed in three triples. Can he do the same in a hostile arena? If so, the Cavs have a chance. If not, it may be too much to expect James to hoist the team onto his shoulders yet another time.

Speaking of Gibson, it was great to see him finally resemble the player he was supposed to be this whole season. So is it really necessary for him to mug with the three-finger salute and grin on his face after making his shots? Really? We've all gone from expecting him to hit those shots, to holding our breath when he pulls the trigger. He's as relieved as we are when they go in. So, ditch the mugging, Daniel. Win this series first, OK?

And as for Barkley, Smith and Miller on TNT; when you stop and think, they're a living, breathing illustration of how hard it is to win an NBA championship. Guess which one of the three did it? Kenny Smith. Look again. Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, as great as they were, never won a title. It's not an easy thing to do, and individual greatness only goes so far in such a team sport.

The Indians: Remember Them?

It's been too easy to ignore the Cleveland Indians thus far this spring. A terrible start has had them languishing in the A.L. Central cellar since Opening Day. However, they just completed a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, including an improbable ninth-inning comeback in an 11-10 win on Memorial Day. They're still in last place, but a sweep's a sweep, and they're showing signs of life. Still, it's a little depressing to think about the prospect of the Cavs bowing out right now and our having to endure a long, hot summer with the suddenly feeble Tribe.

Go Cavs. Please.

Best Ever: Otto, or Else...

The analysts who warned that the Cavaliers just didn’t match up well against Orlando (Charles Barkley chief among them) appear to have been onto something. Anything could yet happen in the Eastern Conference Finals, but, if the first four games are any indication, Orlando will advance. Cleveland simply hasn’t devised an answer for the Magic’s incredible three-point shooting arsenal. Seriously: 17 three-pointers in Game Four? That’s ridiculous.

And yet, the Cavs lost by just two points. In overtime. And LeBron James had the ball in his hands for another buzzer-beating attempt that would have won the game. That’s why anything could yet happen. The Magic have the upper hand, but every game has been a battle.

Predictably, with the luster wearing off of James’ star for the moment, people are coming out of the woodwork with the “best ever” banter. The party line goes like this: LeBron is great, but he’s not an all-time great. The true test of greatness is championships. Minus championships, no one can be the “best ever.” Michael Jordan is the best ever because of his six NBA titles. Joe Montana is the best ever because of his four Super Bowl victories. Babe Ruth is the best ever because of his seven World Series titles....

And that’s the sentence that begins to reveal the folly of the argument. No, Babe Ruth is the best ever simply because he was…well, the best ever. He revolutionized the game. He established the benchmarks against which hitters would forever be measured. Not just those 714 home runs, but also an insane .342 lifetime batting average. And, before all of that, he was one of the sport’s premier pitchers, winning 78 games for Boston over a four-year span – 18 of those in 1915, at the tender age of 20! The Red Sox won three World Series titles during that time. Ruth was, by any account, Herculean. Bunyanesque. Did I mention larger than life?

I bring all this up only because I read something this morning that left me scratching my head. A blogger on the ESPN Sportsnation website, who goes by the moniker “Pastor Troy,” blasted away at LeBron – apparently because the good reverend just had to get something off his chest. You can read the entire entry here, but he basically takes James to task (now that Orlando’s up 3-1) for not bringing out the best in his teammates; says Jordan did it, LeBron hasn’t, so ya’ll be hatin’. Something like that. And then he slips back into the championships-are-the-one-true-measure-of-greatness line.

Fine. Then I am here to proclaim, once and for all, that the greatest athlete in the history of professional team sports in the United States is not Michael Jordan…is not Joe Montana…is not Babe Ruth…is not Jose Mesa (ahem)…but is, without question…

…Otto Graham.

The man played 10 seasons at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. His team was in the league championship game all 10 of those seasons. And they won seven of those 10. He was four-for-four in the brief history of the All-America Football Conference. Lest we be tempted to poo-poo that league as one minor (that’s the first time I’ve ever written “poo-poo” in a sentence), the year after the AAFC folded Graham led the Browns to the NFL title in their first year in the league. And then he led them to two more over the next five years.

Ten seasons. Ten championship games. Seven victories.

Take that, all you title-touters.

Bill Russell’s eight straight NBA championships (and 10 in 11 years) don’t count, because…it messes up my argument for Graham.

But not really. I’ve never bought the championships-as-benchmark line of reasoning. Of course titles matter. But Terry Bradshaw has four Super Bowl rings – and he did it first. Why isn’t he as great as Montana?

The aforementioned Russell’s 10 championships outdistance Jordan’s six (and everyone else's). Why isn’t Russell the greatest?

In hockey…OK, I don’t know anything about hockey.

But you get my point. I have no problem with people taking the Cavs to task for the way they’ve performed against Orlando. But the problem isn’t LeBron. He’s once again exceeded expectations. He’s making 30- and 40-point games routine – routine – and that hasn’t happened since Oscar Robertson was running roughshod over the rest of the NBA in his prime.

I don’t know whether Otto Graham was the best quarterback in history, or even in the top 10. I know he was unsurpassed as a big-game player. And he won more championships than any other.

But the greatest? There are too many factors to consider. And those who insist on titles first are missing out on the intangibles that make the greatest athletes truly great.

LeBron has those intangibles. Yes, I’ll accept that he needs to win a championship or two to fully secure his place in history. But Pastor Troy has jumped too quickly into the LeBron-taunting fray. Number 23 is everything he was cracked up to be, and more. And the series isn’t over, although the Cavs are admittedly on life support.

This is LeBron’s sixth season. He’s 24. Michael Jordan didn’t win his first championship until his seventh season, at age 27. LeBron’s time will come. The fact that he’s accomplished so much so soon is cause for celebration, not degradation – no matter what happens Thursday night, or for the rest of this series.