Scott Templeton Receives Cleveland Journalism Award

Don't know who Scott Templeton is? Shame on you......as you've missed out on one of the greatest television series in history. Templeton was the quintessential douche-bag reporter, a character on HBO's The Wire. To be clear, I'd like to separate this from associating Templeton with or making any stereotypes or judgments on real journalists.....at least those from DC. [I understand there is some type of blogger-MSM war going on] -- in any case, I could estimate that I do not have a problem with 75-85% of journalists out there (I feel terrible as that is such a crude guesstimation......and yes, I used the "word" guesstimation -- so what!!). In any case, what made Scott Templeton such a d-bag on The Wire was that he was wrought with lies, plagiarism, and staunch, unsupported defense of his despicable acts.


While I am sure that Cleveland journalists are no where near the reprehensible nature of the character on The Wire, they sure have been adept in displaying skills of hackery as of late.

Tales of Hack Jobs:

First, there was this excerpt for Brian Windhorst's blog (he's also the Cavs beat reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal)

After the game, LeBron said DeShawn Stevenson hit him with a closed fist on the flagrant foul in the first half. I have since seen some photos that support that but it was not clear. Also, he seemed to go for the ball. I suspect the Cavs will push hard to have him to have the foul upgraded but it probably won’t happen. Here is the thing, people who know DeShawn have told me they think he’s crazy enough to attempt to go head hunting for LeBron in Game 5 if he thinks it is over just because of how personal this has all gotten. We’ll see.

My initial reaction was this: For one, this was posted well after the conclusion of the game. Second, he’s telling us that as a Cavs beat reporter, the only access he had to that play was photos, which he deemed to be inconclusive. That’s sad......[and later]....... This "people who know DeShawn" comment is a little disturbing. What exactly does this mean?…..you can know someone on so many levels. I mean, Damon Jones "knows" DeShawn….... Stevenson's mother also "knows" DeShawn.
>> This whole issue was discussed on a Bullets Forever post (where I made my comments) - others made many valid points, so if you have not already, I suggest you check it out.

Then Along Came Two Sallies
#1) Patrick McManamon, an Akron Beacon Columnist - Cavs need to take out the garbage
Essentially, Patty Cake: Called the Wizards garbage. Pointed out that there are more important things in this world. (Really? More important things than basketball? You don't say.) And then McManamon proceeded to write a column about everything that's gone down in this series that has to do with basketball and not those more important things. Sounds like a little snot doing nothing more than pandering to a bunch of whiny babies if you ask me.

#2) Bill Livingston from the Cleveland Plain Dealer - Fierce Wizards a joke that just keeps us laughing
Now, Bill wants to call out the Wizards for all their talk...no problem with that, as I've done the same. Unfortunately, Livingston is intent on only telling one side of the story and uses an example which horribly back-fires into his face....just wait.

So, while I am just a stupid blogger....essentially an untrained monkey....I won't do anything here but express my opinion and angrily call people names.

I'll let the real journalist take care of the duties of a well-thought-out comeback. I implore you to go read this entry from Dan Steinberg's DC Sports Bog on the washingtonpost.com: DeShawn Appears to be Popular in Cleveland.

Oh yea....the AP is getting in on the act by making shit up.

In other news:

• 6 pm start time? Crap. [We're Off To See The Wizards]
  
  
• Yup, most of the Wizards are saying what they're supposed to say. [WashingtonWizardsBlog]
  
  
• LeBron James Flagrant 1 Fouls = DeShawn Stevenson Flagrant 1 Fouls [Wizards Insider]
  
  
• My Swog Needs......something positive to happen. [My Swog Is Phenomenal]
  
  
• Meanwhile....some give props and try to find solutions. [Bullets Forever]
  
  
• As if I wasn't embarrassed enough by DeShawn Stevenson. [DC Sports Bog]
  
  
• Is this the end? (not a good sign that the Doors are playing in my head...or is it?) [DC Pro Sports Report]
  
  
• A true witness testifies. [DC Optimist]
  
  
• The Cavaliers like to vandalize their own court [DC Sports Bog]
  
  
• Rick has actually been a pretty cool Cleveland blogger (although he may not say the same about me -- not that I've said anything bad about him....just the whole 'LeBron is a baby', etc., etc. rhetoric....although, I've been very critical of Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson too) -- anyhow, Rick has a great interview with Dan Steinberg. [Waiting For Next Year]
  
  
• Game 5 Thread (talk it up) [Bullets Forever]
  
  
• Oh yea, Gilbert Arenas is finito......we may have seen his last game in a Wizards uniform.
  

Top 10 Things That Need To Jump Over A Shark

If you're not aware of the phrase, "jump the shark" then go here and here. Now that you're knowledgeable, here goes my top 10 list of things that need to jump the shark.


#10 TMZ
So as I immerse myself into the sports world on a daily basis, who am I to criticize people who become irrationally obsessed with the exposure of celebrities? Because celebrities don't matter. Yes, there are many celebs who use their elevated position in life to speak out against injustices, but most bring absolutely nothing to the table. Unfortunately, it's a sad statement on our society that TMZ and other tabloid sensationalism, in whichever form of media, attracts the eyes of our nation and the world. TMZ disgusts me. They do nothing but concentrate on the negative and joyously invade the privacy of others. Has this disease infiltrated the sports world and it's media coverage? Sure it has. But athletic competition is much more important to a productive society than Hollywood and its irresponsible celebrities. Besides, the virus of sensationalism knows no bounds. Unfortunately, since TMZ and it's low-brow equivalents will most likely never jump the shark, I had to rank it at 10. This clip best sums up how I feel about TMZ:

#9 Mohawks
When was the tipping point for the resurgence of the mohawk hairstyle? Can Malcolm Galdwell provide us with a column on this? Now, it seems like the mohawk is unfortunately becoming too fashionable....when it's "soooo" late 2007. Every time I see someone with their fresh 'hawk cut, I want to say: "Really? Can I see yesterday's receipt for your barb wire tattoo and puka shell necklace?"

#8 Homer Replays
Not all home arenas do this, but a majority of those that I've been too are guilty. Simply put, when arenas do not show all replays of crucial moments in a game, even if the call is against the home team, they are doing a disservice to the fan. We should be afforded the ability to review and judge plays for ourselves. Selective replays amount to biased propaganda.

#7 Distaste for Bloggers
Caught Costas Now on HBO last night....it was a town hall meeting to discuss the media and sports on a range of platforms. Essentially, with the snowballing availability of information, outlets for sports are increasingly concentrating on sensationalism and quick hits of information in next to real time. Is this a good thing? A bad thing? You can debate both sides. The town hall meeting concentrated mostly on the negative side-effects. While not all outlets can be considered guilty, there are certainly no innocents.

Specifically focusing on the internet segment (since this is a blog and the segment mostly concentrated on blogs)....featuring journalist Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights), blogger Will Leitch (Deadspin [preview here]) and player Braylon Edwards (Cleveland Browns): The problem I have with those who have a severe distaste for bloggers is that they group all blogs together with their own stereotypically negative connotations. Bissinger came across indignant, aggressive and vulgar towards bloggers...ironic that he criticizes all bloggers for doing the same to athletes and main stream journalists. Buzz admittedly expressed that a basis for his anger comes from the fact that blogs are part of our future media experience....and that his son will be exposed to the glib tone and quick nature of blogs. Leitch didn't do the best job of defending blogs, but who can blame him as he was essentially ambushed. I doubt I could have done much better. Braylon Edwards actually came across as the most composed and honest voice. Read follow-ups from Deadspin here and here. And a follow up from the Big Lead here. Update: more follow-ups: Awful Announcing and another from The Big Lead.

Costas unfairly read some comments from Deadspin and attributed those as being indicative of the bloggers themselves. Sure, writer and reader may share the same nature, but I don't see much of a difference between those who comment on main-stream-media outlets and those who comment on blogs. For example, the comment contributors on Wizards Insider tend to be much more critical and irrational than those who participate in the community on Bullets Forever.

Yes, blogs run the gambit from glorified paparazzi, to opinion (biased as it may be) from a fan's perspective (usually focusing on a team because as we know, many team beat reporters have no intrinsic ties to the teams which they cover), to satire, to comedy, to fan community, to there are a ton a different blogs out which are as diverse as the components or our nation.

To group all blogs together would be just as insulting as grouping all main-stream-media outlets as one (or even worse, as bad as holding a person responsible for a despicable act committed by someone else of the same race). The microscope over athletes is growing exponentially as a result of blogging and the internet age, but blogs are not what cultivated this growth, they are just apart of it. Braylon Edwards was right, athletes of today are doing very similar things as athletes in the 60s, 70s, and even further back (read this). And yes, it's a fine line between invading their privacy with a dose of over-criticism and holding them accountable for reckless actions in public. ESPN has certainly been guilty a TMZ-esque hype.

The fact is that blogs are here to stay. There is a wide range of information available on every topic in the world. Buzz Bissinger should be teaching his son to not solely rely on one source, such as blogs, for information just as one should not solely rely on Wikipedia as the end all be all of references.

#6 The Horseshoe/Comb-over
Talking about the hair styles. Unfortunately, many men have to deal with male-pattern baldness. Fingers crossed that I will not be among this group as my family history has predicted that I will have a full head of gray. Regardless, my friends and I have discussed this possibility many times and each conversation ends with the conclusion of going out Andre Agassi Style (shaving the whole damn thing or cutting it really, really short). I really don't blame people for holding on at the onset of a slightly receding forehead, or even keeping the surroundings of a thinning soft spot, Manu Ginobili Style. At those points, medical advancements can still help. But when you get to the point where you've got more scalp than hair, you need to cut your losses. I don't think there's another conveyance of external appearance which displays such desperation as holding on to a few strands. Big ups to Dan Steinberg and Mike Wise for doing what needs to be done by taking the razor to the whole dome.

#5 The Possession Arrow in College Basketball
This is probably the only issue that I've ever agreed on with Dick Vitale....yet, it still doesn't make his annoying tirades any less tolerable. We are no longer in the 1940s when there were about two dozen non-athletic tie ups per game. The alternative possession rule was implemented in the NCAA in 1981. Some argue that the elimination of the jump ball "saved basketball" by eliminating stoppages in play; others say that thrown balls by refs can be too inconsistent, thus causing controversy. I call B.S. - For one, there aren't that many jump balls in today's game, at least not enough to slow down the game. Two, most subjective referee judgments can be considered controversial.....learn how to toss the damn ball. How hard can it really be? Simply put, the use of the possession arrow penalizes teams for playing good defense. Jump ball articles: USAToday (2004), New York Times (2006)

#4 NFL Overtime Rules
Look, I know that special teams play is a huge part of today's game, and that people have the desire for them to be a factor when an NFL game is in the balance. But NFL overtime rules amount to a coin flip. No other major sport implements a sudden death overtime when one team might not have a chance to touch the ball. NFL OT rules need to be more like college. If you want special teams to factor in, have each team kick off for the first round or two of OT. After that, you can exchange starting the possession from the 25 yard line.

#3 Douche Bags
This is pretty self-explanatory...but unfortunately, I doubt douche-bags will ever jump the shark since most douche bags are not aware that they are, in fact, douche bags. D-bags are too wrapped up in themselves to know otherwise. Now, most all of us can admit to d-bagish behavior at one point in our lives...after all, we all went to college and high school (ok, not all of us). But some provide people such a consistent display of douche-baggery throughout their lives that they should be shunned by normal society. A prime example of how to spot a douche bag can be found on Cracked.com: 5 Douchebag Behaviors Explained by Science and via this Saturday Night Live skit: The 2007 Douchebag Awards. Note: While the preceding links outline guys who are douche bags, this does not preclude females from falling in the d-bag category as well. Also, a more extreme version of a douche bag is a douche nozzle.

#2 College Football Championship
Computer rankings and the BCS are a good thing....completely necessary in terms of leveling the playing ground of the college football landscape featuring so many diverse conferences. But sports craves the do-or-die nature of a playoff system. By not having one, it's an injustice to the fans, the coaches, the players and the true reason to why we watch sports....for the entertainment and drama of competition. I've yet to hear a halfway decent reason as to why we should not implement a hybrid of computer rankings determining seeding and at least a four team playoff system. With computers there will always be controversy, but at least with a playoff system there will be a means for satisfaction.

#1 The Geico Cavemen
I've never found the cavemen commercials funny. Perhaps little kids do, but they don't buy car insurance, do they? The Geico Cavemen can be considered the LeBron James of the Cro-Magnon world: whiny dicks. The most effective portrayal of a caveman in a modern world was and will always be Phil Hartman as the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer on Saturday Night Live. The worst portrayal? Easily Brendan Fraser in Encino Man....until now. The Geico Cavemen are a homeless man's version of Link, the caveman in that tragically horrendous Pauly Shore movie.

Wizards-Cavs Game 4: Quick Pre-Game Thoughts

To ironically quote a Jay-Z song title...."What More Can I Say?" -- meaning, the way Jake put it on Bullets Forever, "the rivalry just keeps getting weirder and weirder," would be an understatement.

Taking a rewind, I tried my best to keep away from this internet thing for the past 24ish hours....for no particular reason as I did get a 10 minute check yesterday afternoon. I took in a pitiful Nats loss against the Cubbies, did some drinking, which unfortunately involved tequila shots, and justifiably found myself with a mini-hangover this morning. The usual antidote would be the tragically tasty grease of McDonald's. Since one is not convenient to my Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights location, the next best bet was the Marx Cafe on Mt. Pleasant Street. You usually don't have to deal with Sunday morning crowds, the food hits the spot and the service has all the international neighborhoody friendliness one could want. [by the way, for you're a Redskins fan, I stumbled across this City Paper article about Vinny Cerrato...interesting suggested reading]

Feeling slightly better, perhaps not 100% as I opted not to chase the hair of the dog (that bit me) I came back to do some reading on what I thought would be the life and times of Gilbert's knee injury......NoPE!

As I'm sure you are aware, all of this happened instead. What unprecedented craziness.....leading to columns and rhyme droppings from the distinguished Mike Wise and nationwide ABC mentions of nightclub fodder by Stuart Scott and Mike Tirico.

I've never been to the Park and I've only been to Love once when one of my boys from college, an ex-Harlem Globetrotter, was in town (name-dropping without name-dropping, huh?) -- I really hadn't had the desire to go back since, as I would call Love the LeBron James of clubs.....Over, Rated. So yea, why not join the boycott?

This is fun and I am excited. In the last game blog (and in the comments section), I chided DeShawn and Gilbert for their trash-talking ways.....now I'm like fuck it. Talk as much as you want fellas, especially if it gives you extra incentive to back it up.....and as long as you win, of course. In five words: Cleveland, you can suck it.

The way that this rivalry is escalating, I halfway expect this to be the culmination (long clip...the 3:20 mark would be an adequate start):

The Verizon Center: Where Undercover Gigolos Roam

Ever wonder why they refer to F Street as "Fun" Street? This whole time, I thought it had something to do with the Wizards or Capitals....or the restaurants and bars in a revitalized area of Washington, DC.

Unbeknownst to me, the corner of 6th & F in Chinatown DC (yup, right next to the Verizon Center) is where undercover gigolos roam.

Gigolo....huh, sucka?

Yes sucka indeed.....evidently the Mayor of District Heights, Maryland, James Walls Jr. (also an associate minister at a Baptist church), was arrested on the corner 6th and F late last night for doing the Buffalo Stance soliciting an undercover male prostitute. You can read the story here on the WashingtonPost.com. I guess Jimmy wanted to get ripped a new one just like the Cleveland Cavaliers.

My first thought....keeping the stereotypical image of cops in mind....was who the hell is Cathy Lanier hiring these days? Then, as the story goes, I found out that Mayor Walls offered the undercover cop $40 bucks for his "services." Hmmm....doesn't seem like much. I imagine that this cop looks like the combination of the following three people:

Ashy Larry from the Chappelle Show

The Cop from the Village People

& Pookie from New Jack City

Well Mayor Walls, good luck with that one. I knew that PG County, Maryland (excuse me, Mur-Lin) was dirty, but not that dirty.

The good name of Abe Pollin Way will never be the same.

In other news, there are way too many people in the world.

Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Playoff Game 3 Blog

Wack Rapper Alert!
(but hey....if it means good luck....)

Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

[note: this game blog also appears on Bullets Forever]

David Stern was on Comcast before the game talking with Russ Thaler and Mike Wise of the Washington Post ...who was hitting him with some hard questions, albeit halfway in jest....such as:

Why does LeBron travel worse than Patrick Ewing in the 80s? Laughing non-answer. Or....
Why do superstars get calls? Evidently Stern can prove that this is not true with statistics, but doesn't have the time....yeah riiiight.

Later, Rock Cartwright of the Redskins joins the pregame show. He says that neither Caron Butler parties nor Gilbert Arenas parties have anything on Fred Smoot parties....of course, Mike Wise and Russ Thaler are admittedly put in a rough position.....but they mentioned the Love Boat nonetheless. Unnn-com-for-ta-ble.......

Wow...a lot going on in the pre-game, huh?

Initially, Eddie Jordan said that Gilbert Arenas felt some slight pain and aching in his left knee and that he might not play at all. Comcast reported this around 7:15.

Then, when the show was thrown to Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier, who were "just" handed the starting card at 7:30, Gilbert Arenas' name was on it.

Who knows with this team? As we all are probably well aware, the Wizards had a loose game-day locker room....at least with hair-dos as Caron carved "Tough Juice" in the back of his head , evidently himself, and Andray Blatche and Nick Young were sporting mohawks. My initial reaction is that this team doesn't need to be clowning around...then again, I'd rather have them loose than uptight.

Ron Thompson makes a nice assessment on how Gil starting will affect Roger Mason (as Antonio Daniels will be coming off the bench)....essentially, Ron speculated that Roger might play better because he is used to playing with AD. We will see. Personally, I'm more curious to see how AD will play. (Even though I have a good feeling about the Silent Assassin.) The Wiz have gotten zilch from AD this series. We need his energy off the bench.

Phil Chenier had a recent sit down with Gil:

On yesterday's practice: an "emotional film session" where they knew Eddie Jordan was going to come down some players throats. He wasn't the usual laid-back Eddie. The most unusual part though was when Gil was talking about Jordan coming down on those who took selfish shots in game 2.....Gil was glad that he only had one instance.....Whhhat? I gotta go back and look at that. Really? Only 1 bad shot from Gil?

Watch Comcast or TNT? How about both....two+ TVs makes it easy, but who do you listen to? I'm inclined to put the volume on TNT. Barkley says that Gil has to "pass the damn ball".....and that seals the deal. I'm going with TNT. I like my hometown guys, but I'm not ready to hear anything slightly bias this game. Of course, we'll have to see how Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello do.....

Arenas is going to be limited to 28-30 minutes....LeBron is miming homeruns on the court during intros....Yankees fans..."great"....and then LBJ does his powder thing. Very original LeBron.

Quarter One

The White-Out looks decent....Bron gets booed as the Cavs get the tip. Caron is defending James to start. He misses a jumper.

Soldier Boy sighting? Nope, not yet...at least not on TV. LeBron blocks a Butler transition layup....and then goes down and gets a layup. Same ol', huh?

10:38: Wiz ball movement gets AJ a lane for a layup...first Wiz points. 2-2 game.

Wally hits and easy step back on Gil...interesting matchup there as DeShawn is on Delonte West.

10:06: Haywood yells after the baby hook. The Cavs go to Wally again cause Gil is on him. Mike Brown will go to whomever Gil is guarding.

Looks like DeShawn has a mohawk too.

9:28: Patient offense....lob to BTH, scores on Big Z and draws the foul...As Ilgauskas is draped on BTH, Haywood stupidly throws a chicken win into his stomach...Big Z then gives a push back. Initially it looks like a tech is just on Z, it's actually a double T and justifiably so...Eddie is pissed. 6-4 Wiz after FTs.

DeShawn gets a steal, but guns a trey.. Nope. Ilgauskas somehow gets a breakaway dunk and BTH smartly doesn't do anything like foul as he was following behind. 6-6 game.

8:51: Gil misses his first 3....high rebound. Two Cavs and DeShawn go up for it..DS gets there first and gets the foul, he really skied on that one.

8:42: Hook Stevenson..LeBron is guarding him and he tries a dribble then guns the rock..a three miss. No need for that BS...

Then Stevenson misses a layup after LBJ (or Wallace) blocked Haywood...not a good start for the Lock Smith.

7:55: Uh oh...getting the calls against LeBron out of the way early..Bron gets a charge called on him.

Gilbert and BTH run a pick and roll....dunk. 8-8 tie. I'm proud of the Verizon center atmosphere....I'm not there but it sounds pretty intense.

Cavs post Wally on Gil...he misses an easy...Arenas drives back at him and gets a lay-in Cleveland didn’t expect drive from Gil. 10-8 Wiz.

5:57: Wallace gives Jamison a bear hug pelvic thrust thingee from the back and picks up his 2nd foul...first commercial break 10-10 game.

Gil goes to the bench and TNT reports that he had an MRI earlier today, the result is a bone bruise. AD is in the game.

5:27: LBJ misses a 3 in the corner, Wallace gets the board. The Wiz don't even pay attention to LBJ going to the hoop to receive pass from Wallace for a dunk. 12-10 Cavs.

AD gets his first layup and looks like himself. Next time down (after a Wally miss), Butler gets his first FG, a midrange baseliner. 14-12 Wiz.

So far on defense, the Wizards are moving much quicker and keeping up with Cleveland's ball movement. This game, they are sprinting to cover their assignments.

3:44: Wiz get into penalty as Joe Smith fouled Butler on a rebound.....seems like the Wiz are going up harder and higher for boards.

3:15: Varejao completely flops....what a douche....but I can't blame the ref for calling a charge as Caron had his arm out there. Butler should know that Andy V. will try to set people up with his dramatics.

Another charge is called...this time on Andray....looks like another good whistle. LeBron is present in the paint, especially on offensive boards, but the Wiz have packed it in, minimizing drives. Another TV timeout, 16-12 Wizards. 5 turnovers for the Cavs, 3 for LBJ...but only 2 points for the Wiz off that. Washington has 4 turnovers themselves.

1:44: LeBron misses an impatient 3...AD jets the rock all the way to the hoop....And 1 on Andy Varejao who judging by his face, has never committed a foul.....ever.

Blatche gets the timing and throws Devin Brown's shit. The Cavs started 6-11 from the field, 1-8 since.

0:09: With the clock winding down, LeBron James goes up, leading with his knee a la Karl Malone. Makes the hoop and 1. Nice move, dick. 21-17 Wizards.

A hard fought first quarter. Wiz were up 9, but it ends 21-17.

1. Lotta turnovers: 6 for the Cavs, 5 for the Wiz.
   
2. Curiously, Wiz have 5 steals and Cavs have 0.
3. DC is shooting 40% from the field and 5-5 from the FT line.
4. Cavs at 38%, only 1-1 on FTs.

Quarter Two

Both teams start with turnovers. LeBron James on bench to start 2nd.

10:38: MaseON for three. Thanks buddy, bout time....(he missed a layup at the end of 1st). 24-17 Wiz.

Andray blocks Big Z....got to love Blatche's presence to start.

10:06: Mason pump fake....see ya Boobie...ball transfer...and buckets. 2 pointer. 26-17.

9:29: MaseOn again...this one was easy as the Wiz has a 4-1 fast break...Haywood was out high covering a Big Z screen for West, BTH poked the ball away and got the steal. SWARM! 6-0 Silent Assassin run!

Larry Hughes is in the house. Comcast's Chris Miller is interviewing him on the sideline.....and I could care less.

9:04: AD fouled Devin Brown on a 3 attempt.....ok, should be a call....just didn't think they would do it after the shot missed and the rebound was secured (by Varejao I think). Brown makes 2 of 3.

Blatche, Haywood, Mason, Butler and AD in (interesting lineup...I'm down)....Mason miss...Blatche board, kick out to Mason...drive....ball back to Blatche for the dunk. 30-19 Wizards.

MVP so far: Andray Blatche
LVP: DeShawn, 0-3

7:45: Really? Are you kidding me? They call a travel on Big Z? Noooo!! I just heard an 'oink' outside of my 5th floor window. And after that...just as everyone is wondering where LBJ is, Mike Brown gets him off the bench. Pretty good rest for LeBron. Gilbert also checks back in....

7:01: Mason takes a heat check coming off screen...looks like a play run for him, not a bad miss.

Arenas has his point guard head on a swivel coming down the court....Cavs lose Butler, he gets the pass from Gil and a dunk on Andy's back. Mason gets a steal....but misses the three. I would have liked to see Mason not do that. 32-22 Wiz.

6:31: Cavs commit another turnover...their point guard play is terrible. That's their 13th, Delonte has 3.

6:01: Butler hits a trey and everything is going right so far....so far....so far....

Oh, Butler....really? You go for a Varejao pump fake? Cavs points...then a Wiz turnover...trying to go for a homerun pass.

Jamison Block! Benny Wal-lace...wrong direction brah! Wiz get the ball, Jamison runs the court, Gil flips him a no look pass..no basket but foul and 2 FTs. That's the Bill Russell play of the game. 36-24 Wiz.

Hmmm...why is LeBron not going inside as much...scurred? (that's how people say 'scared' in Mur-lin, I mean Maryland)

4:19: Gil with a sweet bounce pass to AJ...he "lulled the Cavs to sleep" - Phil C's words. But dammit if AJ doesn't miss both FTs.

Tell you what though....as Big Z counters Haywood's points.....the Wiz are doing a much better job with getting hands and eyes in the passing lane when LeBron cuts through.

3:00: Meanwhile...Gilbert Arenas limps into the locker room.

Stevenson rattles home a trey....his face goes numb again...idiot. C'mon, don't do that crap. 43-29 Wizards.

2:33: Butler steal...Mason all the way to the hoop...the Verizon center is going nuts.

The Wizards points off turnovers has picked up....they now have 18.

1:53: Caron hits a running bank...11-2 Wiz run since the 4 minute mark.

0:55: Wow...no really, wow - Caron Butler spins and splits a white guy double team (Big Z and Wally World) he drives and hits a double-clutch hanging one-hander. Amazing. Mike Fratello compares Butler to Elgin Baylor. Barkley would later compare this move to Dr. J. High compliments.

LeBron is a no-go for a shot as the clock runs down...he's pleading his case to the ref. I think I see a tiny Johnny Cochran devil and angel on his shoulders and that's the half.

49-33 Wizards. A great job from every angle...the crowd, the offense, the defense, the coaching. My inner skeptic reminds me that there's a TON of time left. But still, you couldn't script it better.....aside from the part about Gilbert going to the locker room....Cause I've never seen a movie where the supposed good guy gets taken out and the movie gets better, until tonight perhaps. (And no, I'm not counting that movie where Samuel L. Jackson got eaten by a shark, Deep Blue Sea)

Half Stats:

1. Wizards FG=50% (64% in 2nd quarter)- Cavs=39 %.
2. Points in paint 30-12 Wiz.
3. Turnovers: 15 Cle, 9 Wiz.
4. Steals: 9-1 Wiz.
5. FTs 7-9 Wiz, 5-8 Cavs
6. Boards- Cavs up 19-16, 6-2 offensive
7. 3s - 2-8 Wiz, 0-3 Cavs
8. LBJ was 5-11, the rest of Cleveland was 9-25
9. Points: Caron 12, LeBron 11, Haywood 10

Quarter Three

Gilbert Arenas is out for the rest of the game....but he's sitting on the bench (of course, right....well, you never know sometimes).

My biggest fear....if the Wizards win big, is that they talk smack (ok, only DeShawn) and get the Cavs angry.

11:35: 3rd starts with an AD miss at the end of the shot clock......don’t like it.

11:20: Although, LeBron is also settling for jumpers. Nope.

The Cavs have no offensive flow.....they're left with Ben Wallace dibbling in post, almost traveling....and a miss. He gets his own board....Wally misses a shot that looks flat.

Haywood is no doubt getting the best of Big Z.....easy post possession on offense nets 2 FTs....and BTH is drawing offensive fouls on other end. 53-34 Wizards.

Butler goes hard for a steal..not close. Cavs convert. 53-36.

Daniels is doing a good job of penetrating and dropping dimes to AJ so far. He's also playing D that's better than what we're used to from him.

8:27: AJ continues hotness with a J off the screen. AD made a perfect pass for his 3rd assist in 3rd. 58-38 Wizards.

7:47: Cavs get two offensive boards on one possession but can't knock down any of three jumpers. LBJ 3, Wally mid-range, West 3....nope all day.

Cleveland fans should be mad at West's D right now because Daniels is doing what he wants.

DeShawn has been on LBJ the past three or so possessions

6:58: Stevenson hits a trey.....and here we go. Ambasol on the face (I feel I should explain ambasol...it's numbs tooth-aches) Cleveland timeout. 14-5 Wizards run, 63-38. Lotta time left....left.....left......

6:39: LeBron hits a funky bank runner. 63-40 Wiz.

6:21: DeShawn hits another 3....yea, easy to hit them when you're up 20, huh? (sorry, I'm still mad at him)

5:55: DeShawn with a heat check 3 and miss...DAMMIT - DON'T DO THAT CRAP!!! GET A GOOD SHOT YOU MF!!!! (I'm still scared of a crazy comeback)

Delonte West is a funny looking dude....If I were directing an old tymie play, I'd cast him as a shoe shine boy....Hey Mista!!

You know it's going bad for Cavs when Big Z makes 1 of 2 FTs. 68-43 Wizards.

4:25: Oh No! Jamison misses an easy dunk back cutting LeBron, who didn't have his head on a swivel....nice pass from Caron.

Caron strips the ball from LeBron...dunk you very much. He knew LBJ was going to settle for a jumper. Got em like Sidney Dean baby!!! 72-43 Wiz.

Dammit....Caron misses a J....he slipped....Cavs come down and Joe Smith gets a dunk. Eddie calls a timeout...Caron limps to the bench. Hopefully it's not too serious, doesn't seem like it. 72-45 Wizards.

TNT is reporting that Eddie Jordan went army on the Wizards: He broke them down after game 2 and then built them back up. I know there's a Full Metal Jacket joke here somewhere.

0:52: That's what I like to see....Andray gets the ball on the wing and drives it right down Varejao's throat...and gets a foul call. 1 of 2 FTs, but Wiz get the ball back.

Uh oh...here comes trouble. Nick Young has just checked in.

0:40: Mase Still On....drive pull-up Buckets. 77-48 Wiz.

Another thing I like: The Wiz are still doubling LeBron to get the ball out of his hands.

Uh oh....the Wizards fans chant overrated while LBJ is at the line....and that dude can't help but smile during both shots, missing the 2nd. Of course, the Cavs get a steal or something and LeBron puts on a cape and throws down a dunk.

After only 4 points in the first....Jamison has nailed 11 in the 3rd. 7 came in the first 4.5 minutes. That's how you start an important quarter.

Quarter Four

FINISH STRONG!!

Big Z gets an easy to start 4th. 77-53.

11:20: But D-Song and Andray keep attacking the basket until the ball goes down.

James drives and gets Andy V. an easy. LBJ's 3rd assist. 79-55.

Wiz use all the clock and Butler has to force a 3...James comes down and nails a 2. C'mon Wiz, stay aggressive....79-59 Wizards. (20 point lead with 10 minutes left....not exactly comfortable)

9:36: Songaila curls off the screen bounce pass from Caron....man Devin Brown made it way too easy for Butler to make that pass.....bucket, foul, but FT miss.

Comcast reports that LeBron keeps looking over at the Wiz bench...evidently he and Gilbert are having words. Really Gilbert? Have you not learned? This is only one effing game...and the Wizards haven't even won yet at that.

Coming back from the commercial, Gilbert is laughing it up, cutting up...saluting someone, probably the Cavs, on the sideline. You stay classy Gilbert Arenas.

8:15: DeShawn Stevenson nails another trey and does the Damon Jones butt slap. Jake just commented on the thread. Soulja boy is indeed in the house . You think Soulja Boy will get on that heroin in a couple years like B.G. did? I give 5-1 odds on yes. (funny thing...BG is about a 1000% better rapper than Soulja Boy)

7:39: Stevenson gets a steal, comes down....LeBron doesn't feel like following him off a screen. The Lock Smith hits another trey. He dances up the court, whatever......I'm beginning to despise DeShawn Stevenson. 89-61 Wizards.

7:11: LeBron goes to sit, probably for the rest of the game. Overrated chants start again. I'm sorry, but we are effed. Doesn't anyone know this franchise is cursed and that the Cavs are going to win the next two? (of course, by saying this, I'm hoping I negate a curse....oh shit...did I just reverse it? aw screw it.)

6:50: Caron drives and hits a crazy shot to get a foul. 30 point lead.

The more the Wizards talk trash, the more I do not give a crap about this win. Am I beginning to sound like a grumpy old man? Should I be happier? I'll remind everyone that this is just one game.

There's still 6 minutes left and this game can't be over soon enough. Never thought I'd say that up 30 with 6 minutes left.

6:07: Stevenson and Butler go out for the game...Stevenson is the best "at home up 20" player with a mohawk.....like ever.

5:54: How insulting would it be if Mike Brown inserted Damon Jones right now? .....well speak of the devil!

5:15: Mason hits the screen with a cross over...buckets. Largest lead of either team in series. 32 points.

Damn Mase-On (A trey ball, 16 points).....what can I say? I called it. Then again, pretty much everyone had a good game. Go me.

And it's ice pack city on the Wizards bench.

Fratello says that Mike Brown is steaming on the Cavs bench...concurrently on Comcast, Mike brings his little green glasses cleaner out and starts working them thangs.

Uh oh...Varejao comes in with 4:17 left....on my god...he's got a hatchet in his hands!!! Look out Wizards.

Wiz get a steal. Andray Blatche gets a dunk. 104-65.

3:20: Nick Young fails to get his with a three miss.

The ghost of Billy Thomas is in the game.

2:38: Nick Young makes a strong drive....holds the ball low where the defender can get it...strip poker, Cavs steal.

2:13: Damon Jones misses a 3...I almost wanted him to make it to see what he does. Cavs get the board and he ends up missing another. Foooo-GAZI!

1:19: Mason Junior ball....Pecherov open in corner and ready to shoot. Mase holds his hand up...no rookie....Mase- ON! Deucer for his 18th point. 106-69.

Wiz steal...Pecherov all the way down the court...and attempts a goofy layup. Sorry Stewie....it was Lois' fault.

0:47: Damon Jones misses another...damn.

0:13: Devin Brown hits a three....are you shitting me? Brown fouls Andray Blatche with 12 seconds left and down 36. Can the Wiz use that as motivation for the next game?

Game over flip.

You know Mike Brown is full of it.....he says that the Verizon Center crowd is "one of the best in the league if not the best in the league" - what...did you get that quote from some sort of Coaching Quotes in A Loss Handbook?

Turning optimist.....it was a great crowd for this night. It was a great win. Now the Wizards need to play the next game like this one never happened.

Stay Hungry DC.

NBA.com box

Bullets Forever Game Thread: Wizards vs. Cavaliers Game 3

TAI: Uh oh....if you've somehow found your way to this blog, that means that SB Nation still has Bullets Forever held hostage with technical difficulties.....I smell hints of a Cleveland conspiracy (just kidding....maybe). Now begin the game 3 thread from BF's Jake The Snake:

(Hey guys, sorry about the technical difficulties over at Bullets Forever today, I can assure that all the SB Nation tech gurus are doing their best to get things back to normal as soon as possible. Until then, many thanks to Truth for graciously allowing us to host the game thread for tonight's game here. -Jake)



The Essentials:
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 3 (Cavs up 2-0)
Verizon Center
8 p.m.
TNT

Key Links (drop any others in the comments)

• A final word on the Haywood incident.
  
• Wizards react quotes from Game 1 and Game 2.
• The Domi.Nick Affect is back!
  
• Lots of great stuff from the Bog today: New hairstyles for Caron and Nick, Wizards discussing tonight's game, and checking out some playoff themes.
• White Out Conditions are being reported by We're Off To See The Wizards.
• WaitingForNextYear introduces DeShawn to Damon Jones (not for those with an easy stomach). In the comments there's a link to some encouraging trends for Wizards fans.
• DCPSR hands out grades for Game 2.
  
• The Wizards behind the scenes.
• Sadly, Eddie Jordan will not be rocking the white suit tonight.
• TAI's Game 3 Preview, plus many other great links.

Tonight's Lines
Cavs at Wizards: Wizards by 5
Over/Under on total points: 198

Well folks, this is it. A win tonight puts the Wizards right back in this thing and a loss would pretty much end it. You never want to say that the Wizards couldn't win 4 games in a row, but it would be awfully, awfully difficult.

I think we all know what needs to happen tonight (more ball movement, keep LeBron from getting into the lane, hit open shots, not get caught up in fouling, etc.) and after the debacle in Game 2, I have no worries that the Wizards will be able to recommit themselves tonight in front of (hopefully) rockin', monochromatic crowd.

This is an open thread, so if you're as stunned by Damon Jones' coat as Chuck is, talk about it here.

GO WIZARDS!

Wizards-Cavaliers: Webbing A Preview of Game 3

This is not so much a game 3 preview as it is a festival of related links and the best words from them. I've read them all and can vouch for each and every one. Enjoy.

My Prediction?
A big game from the Silent Assassin.

flickr/wizardsdotcom

Good Words to Start
>> "We have to channel all of our aggressiveness, all of our excitement and all of our bravado into being organized within the team framework." [Eddie Jordan via WashingtonWizardsBlog]

>> "Discipline first is self control. Discipline second is The Enforcer. If you can't control yourself, The Enforcer must control it, and that's me." [Eddie Jordan via DC Sports Bog] - Oh yea, same link....Caron Butler shaved a message in the back of his head.Advocating to use Roger Mason Junior as the "enforcer" because of his "super human strength." [Basketbawful]

>> Great piece on the upbringing of Roger Mason aka The Silent Assassin [Jon Siegel, Washington Times]

>> "Caron seems to be farely healthy, Gil's far from behing Gil. And we know that. But look, they don't have Sasha Pavlovic and they've got some guys banged up. LeBron's got a bad back. So, you know, we can't use that as an excuse but, Gil's flat out not healthy. He's not nearly the Gil we're going to see in October." [Eddie Jordan via Wizards Insider]

>> "The Cavaliers, meaning Mike Brown and James, have successfully created the perception that the Wizards are playing dirty basketball and are out to hurt one of the game's biggest stars. The Wizards maintain that they simply want to play clean, hard basketball and not give James easy layups, dunks and three-point plays. [Ivan Carter, Wizards Insider]

>> "The coach at practice today said the fouls his players are handing out are no more violent than those the Cavaliers are laying on the Wizards. The Cavs are just doing a better job acting. [Mike Jones, Wizards Outlet]

>> "They need to implore the Jordan philosophy of allowing Lebron to go one-on-one with DeShawn and not let the other players to kill them. I figured Coach Jordan would have picked that key factor up from watching the Finals last year, so maybe he isn’t studying film the way he should be in order to lead this team to a win. [Kingly-1, Les Bullez @ MVN]

>> "There is still time to turn this series around, but it must begin Thursday night with a win. Any kind of win would do, though decisive would be nice. At this point, though, beggars can’t be choosers and Bullets fans are beggars, I’m afraid. [Spence, DC Pro Sports Report]

>> "We know it's going to be electrifying," James said. "It's going to be a hostile environment. We have to able to, if they hit us with a punch, we counter with a punch......Not literally," he continued. "Let me change my words. If they make a few shots, just counter their attack and move on." [LeBron James via Washington Post]

>> Arenas, on what’s gone wrong: "There were plenty of times where I just wanted to say, ‘[Forget] the offense,’ and go out and do what I do best. But that’s not basketball right now. They’ve been winning passing the ball around right now, and that’s what we have to do." Translation: When we’re down 0-3, I want you all to go back and smell the smugness rising off of this quote. Until then, I’m pleading frustration, innocence, and self-inflicted confusion. [Bethlehem Shoals, Slam]

>> Where will the passion of Eddie Jordan get him in the future? [Stet Sports]

Is Caron Butler more hurt than he is leading on? Or does he simply not want to mention the word 'injury' in any response to the media, and thus lead people to think he might be making an excuse?
>> "I asked him about his health. Before the series Butler, who missed the last three games with a bruised right knee and earlier missed a large chunk of the season with a hip injury, answered this way: "It doesn't really matter because we have to play tonight and I'm going to be out there. I have to leave everything on the court. Just gotta play. No excuses for anything whether it's a nagging injury or anything. I'm going to look in the mirror and be comfortable with whatever happens in this series. Let's just go out there, leave everything on the court and see what happens." [Ivan Carter, Wizards Insider]

How Much Potential Atmosphere Does A Phone Booth Have?
>> "The Wizards are encouraging fans to wear all whitle to create a "white out" but I'll curious to see whether Wiz fans can match the passion and energy Caps fans have brought to the table in the playoffs. [Ivan Carter, Washington Post]

>> "Or you could do it gangsta style," Young continued, "and come in your white tees," Dominic McGuire finished. "White tees, white Air Force Ones," Young said. "The clean Air Force Ones, you know what I'm saying?" McGuire agreed. [DC Sports Bog]

>> Is the Wizards Locker Room like The Office? [Washington Post]

>> "Resistance to Cleveland professional hackery need to be strongly reinforced. Referees need to be reminded that they do not work for Nike with "REF-YOU-SUCK"s. I want to not be able to feel my ears. [Bobtimist Prime, DC Optimist]

>> "During one 15-minute increment that included overtime [of the Caps game] (9:45-10 pm), the D.C. rating was 8.6, which translates roughly to 198,000 households. It's a lot more people than will watch the Wiz playoff game in this market tomorrow......Will Caps fans argue that their team has surpassed the Wiz? Or does everything reset now? I can't tell you how many fans I've spoken with whose explanation was a laugh and a "Washington loves its winners;" I guess we'll see. [DC Sports Bog]

>> "You have to earn it. You've got to get the crowd believing in you. You've got to get the crowd to say, 'Hey, they're playing good basketball, they're rebounding well and they're defending well.'" [Eddie Jordan via Washington Post]


Does Anyone Even Care About Soulja Boy Anymore?
>> "James was asked on Tuesday if he planned on doing his "Soulja Boy" this week. "Nah," James said. "I got my Roc Boy dance ready." [Wizards Insider]

>> Soulja Boy will be at the Verizon Center......in a Cavs jersey? [Akron Beacon Journal]

>> Well, tonight's Soulja Boy concert in Cleveland has been canceled. [via DC Sports Bog]

>> "Stevenson was wearing a Jay-Z t-shirt, but he seemed genuinely surprised when reporters pointed that out, said it was completely unintentional and then returned to ask that reporters not make a big deal out of the shirt, repeating several times that he had not even realized the implications when choosing the shirt. "I just wore it [randomly]," he said again and again. "I don't want TNT saying I wore a LeBron-Jay-Z shirt. I just wore it, I swear." [DC Sports Bog]

>> LeBron has a new dance to combat the "Soulja Boy" [We're Off To See The Wizards]

------------

"I’m hoping that this is the prototypical Wizards team that will bounce back from a tough loss like that. Now we have to return the favor. If we trust each other and play harder we will give ourselves a chance." [Eddie Jordan via WashingtonWizardsBlog]

The Haywood Incident: A Final Word

Put yourself in this all too familiar situation: You see a player on the team you root for commit a foul on an opposing player going for a shot.....but the foul isn't strong enough. Actually, the foul is rather clement as the opposing player brushes it off and scores the basket, And 1. What do you say to yourself? "If you're going to foul the guy, don't let him get a shot off!"

My truthful opinion: Brendan Haywood's foul on LeBron James deserved a flagrant 1 and not a flagrant 2.

But.....I understand why the referees felt the need to toss Haywood from the game. And don't worry, I'm not pulling the "Superstar Call/David Stern Conspiracy" card. At that point in the 3rd quarter, the refs had to do something, as they were well aware of the situation..... from the war of words off the court to the blade cutting tension on it. A message needed to be sent to both teams: crossing the line beyond 'physical play' will not be tolerated. Do I like being on the losing end of that message, and the game? Of course not.

I will contend that the act of Brendan Haywood's foul was no worse that Anderson Varejao's arm swipe at Andray Blatche's head.

However, the subsequent result of Haywood's foul appeared much worse, especially in the surroundings of an impassioned crowd and an emphatic protectionist coach. I blame neither Mike Brown nor Cleveland fans for their emotion, as many of us in Wizards Nation should admit that we would have reacted in a similar fashion.

We can debate the merits of which foul was or was not a "basketball play" for years and will never come to a consensual conclusion. There might be a child's handful of players in the NBA who would intentionally attempt to hurt someone. I'd like to think there are none, but let's go with the law of averages. In any case, I truly believe that no such players exist on either of these teams. Anderson Varejao was hoping for a block but got an armful of face instead when Andr