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Jake Delhomme joined the Cleveland Browns in March as the presumed starter going into the 2010 NFL season. The Browns have been down this path before, signing such veterans as Trent Dilfer and Jeff Garcia during the forgettable 11 years since their return to the league in 1999. The knock on Delhomme is that his elbow injury in 2007 signaled the end of the road for him as an effective starter, ...
In the 1970s, Campy Russell was a fixture at forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now a TV analyst for FOX Sports Ohio, Russell repeatedly leans on a favorite superlative to describe LeBron James and the Cavaliers in his post-game analyses: “Unbelievable.” As in: “LeBron played an unbelievable game.” Or, “Antawn Jamison was unbelievable tonight.” “Mo Williams was unbelievable from the three-point line,” he might gush. And so on. It occurred to me, after watching ...
There were two games played at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland Saturday night, and it was the second of the two that mattered the most. The first came in the sterling first half turned in by the Boston Celtics, who raced out to a 54-43 lead over the Cavaliers at the intermission. Cleveland had no answer for Rajon Rondo, who piled up 19 points and eight assists by halftime. The second game ...
There was a difference in the way the Cleveland Cavaliers played on Sunday in Chicago, and it was about time. This is a team loaded with talent. They boast the league’s reigning, and presumptive, MVP. They’re piloted by last year’s Coach of the Year. They have a legend patrolling the paint, a respected veteran at power forward, and an experienced guard rotation that can make you pay if you choose to leave ...
Thursday night in Chicago, the Bulls raced to an early 21-point lead and held on late to edge Cleveland, 108-106. It cut the Cavaliers’ advantage to two games to one in their first round playoff series. I want to panic or something, but I just can’t. This is what the Cavaliers do. They tease you with greatness—dominance, even—in most games, and then sleepwalk through entire quarters and cost themselves potential victories in ...
For more than three quarters Monday night in Cleveland, the Chicago Bulls matched the Cavaliers blow for blow as they tried to steal Game Two of their first round playoff series. Almost inevitably, however, the Cavs put together a late-game run—fueled by another transcendent performance from LeBron James—to claim a 112-102 win. There were no surprises, here. (Well, Jamario Moon’s three-point shooting, perhaps.) It’s a story that’s played out many times in ...
At halftime of Tuesday’s playoff game between Cleveland and Chicago, the Cavaliers held a slim 52-50 lead. The upstart Bulls looked to be in a perfect position, gaining momentum as the first half drew to a close. TNT’s Charles Barkley, however, spoke as if a Cleveland victory was an afterthought. “Chicago’s not going to win this game,” he said matter-of-factly, during the network's Halftime Report. He was right, even though the third quarter was ...
As the Cleveland Cavaliers continue their playoff quest in search of a first NBA title, it’s worth considering the importance of head coach Mike Brown to the team’s success. The Cavs are unquestionably LeBron James’ team, and have been since his arrival in 2003. His presence alone helped catapult the Cavaliers from 17 wins the year before to 35 in his rookie year. Just as significant, however, has been the team’s unprecedented ...
As the NBA Playoffs get underway, the Cleveland Cavaliers—fresh off a second straight season in which they led the league in victories—are clearly one of the favorites to win the championship. At the beginning of the season, most experts tapped Cleveland, Orlando, and the L.A. Lakers as the teams to beat—an easy prediction to make, and one that has held up. For Cleveland, especially, the pressure is on to deliver a title. ...
Guess who has started every game for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season?  No, it's not LeBron James. Try Anthony Parker—the offseason acquisition who has been called upon to do more than expected—and has quietly delivered for the team with the best record in the NBA.  In fact, Parker is the only member of the Cavs to have played in every game in the 2009-10 campaign.  Not bad for a guy who, earlier this ...