Nacho: A couple weeks ago Juiced Sports listed us as the sixty-fourth most influential sportsblog on the Interwebs. The SportsSibling pointed out that meant there were thirty-six less influential blogs out there. We like her view. We spake with Juiced's intrepid editor, Mitchell, and jawed about blogs and the Cleveland sports scene. Join us:SB: Just to get it out of the way: How are you dealing with the Indians? Are you polishing a gun barrel?
Juiced Sports: Well, let me give you my opinion on the series: I think it was won by manny ramirez. Not by his bat,
but by his quote, "i don't care," because the next game, the Indians 1b garko gave a bulletin-board quote "champaigne tastes just as good on the road as at home," so the red sox were really motivated, but we responded to manny's quote by being less motivated.
SB: Onward to happier subjects, like Derek "Mr." Anderson and his mechanical decimation of all foes. I'm not quite sure I'm ready to live in a world where the Browns are good. Why is this team so much better with DA under center than Charley Frye?
JS: Anderson was a sixth round pick just a few years ago, so it's not like he came out of nowhere like Brady. He hasn't been in the league as long. He has the skills, but Frye just had the heart. Frye didn't have much physical skill, but he gave everything, and that's why he was a 3rd round pick. Anderson probably had less mechanics and understanding of the game going in, but he has a better arm and better accuracy and everything, so as he has learned the game the past few years, he has slowly improved. And for the record, the Browns are still 0-3 on the road, and haven't won 2 straight in something like 3 years, so playing the winless Rams on the road, should test whether we can ever be successful...That's next week's game, of course.
The rest of the goodness, after...
SB: Considering the lack of off-season moves the Cavs were able to make, what chances do you think they have of making it back to the Finals, or even the playoffs?
JSThe playoffs is a lock. LeBron isn't going to be denied, and we we're the #2 seed last year with the same team, so I don't see why we would drop 6 slots. But, the Finals, no. We overpreformed to make it last year. We didn't make any moves because we had no cap room (though that doesn't affect the Knicks), because Illguaskus is tied up for two more years at $10 million a year.
SB:Who on the Cavs do you expect to break out and take some of the burden off LBJ?
JS Probably no one on the team currently, but I'm sure we'll sign someone once Z and Hughes's contracts expire.
Hughes was doing a good job as LeBron's #2 man up until he got injured and had his brother die halfway through his first year here.
SB: Tell me something about the Cleveland sports scene that would surprise sports fans who probably think of Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes when they think about Cleveland.
JS: I was reading the opinion section yesterday, and they had a lot of letters about the Chief Wahoo and whether or not he is racist, an ongoing topic here, and someone from Boston sent a letter in saying, "Maybe you guys are conditioned to see Chief Wahoo every game, but people outside of Cleveland are really disgusted," so if that guy's facts are true, I guess that's something about what other cities think of Cleveland...Another thing, people say the Browns have hardcore fans, but if you ever go to a Browns-Steelers home game, it looks almost like a Steelers home game.
SB: Do you have a favorite sports memory from your tenure in Cleveland. Something you connect with being a fan specifically from the area?
JS My favorite memory was watching my high school basketball team lose to St Vincent-St Mary in the playoffs when we face LeBron in 2000. Shaq and Kobe were at the game.
SB: As a Clevelander, how would/do you feel about the prospect of LBJ heading out of town any time soon?
JS: Everyone else in Cleveland seems to overreact, but I know we've got the max contract to Cleveland, and I'm pretty sure that LeBron has enough money to travel to New York and watch Yankees games whenever he wants without living there. Just because he is a Yankees fan doesn't mean he wants to play for the Knicks.
SB: who would?
JS But, I remember when were offering him his second contract a few years ago, and he (gasp!) actually took time to consider it, there was probably 4 days between when we offered it and he accepted, and in those 4 days, the talk show hosts were exploding saying this proves he doesn't want to play for us...He took less money for less years. Always bucking conformity, that one.
SB: Do you have a favorite blogger or site?
JS Besides myself? My favorite sports blog is thebiglead.com
SB:Who will have a more successful year, the Browns or Drew Carey?
JS: Well I don't know much about drew carey, because, like all great Clevelanders--Rockefeller, Steinbrenner, Ramirez--he left Cleveland, and I don't watch his new show, but if he can walk onto the road without getting runover by a truck, i suppose that would make him more successful than the Browns.
There you have it folks, straight from the source. Brethren's got an interview of his own he should be posting soon, so check back when you get the chance. Holler atcha latta.
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