Blog Archives
Cleveland Rocks!
It’s unanimous: The Cleveland Cavaliers are the NBA Champions!
Favorite son LeBron James, who was forgiven for “taking his talents to South Beach” based on his personal letter rededicating himself to his hometown and the people in northeast Ohio, led the Cavaliers to Cleveland’s first professional championship since 1964 (more than half a century) by making NBA Finals history.
The Cavs beat the Golden State Warriors (regular-season record 73 wins) in game 7 in Oakland 93-89 in dramatic fashion. At 92-89, LeBron attempted to put an exclamation point on the title and went for a spectacular dunk with around ten seconds left, but was fouled by Draymond Green and fell awkwardly.
Not again…
Akron’s superstar was on the court, curled up in agonizing pain having fallen on his right wrist (shooting hand). This ending was almost “too Cleveland.” After missing his first free throw, he managed to put in his second shot to give the Cavs a four-point lead. Stephen Curry had a chance to put up a 3 with about four seconds left, but nobody fouled him and he missed anyways.
The voice of Al Michaels popped into every fan cheering for Cleveland and answered in booming fashion, “Yes, I do believe in miracles!”
LeBron James was his MVP-self (third player ever to earn triple-double in game 7 of an NBA Final), Kyrie Irving proved he’s the best point guard in the NBA, Kevin Love showed up on the boards when it mattered, Tristan Thompson was a beast down low, J.R. Smith hit clutch shots on the perimeter and Richard Jefferson was a force off the bench.
For the first time in NBA Finals history, a team trailing 3-1 came back and won the championship. That statistic alone will keep the people of Cleveland smiling for generations.
“You remember the time when…”
For so many reasons, that was the only way Cleveland should have and could have won the NBA title. With their backs against the wall, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the basketball giants in the Golden State Warriors with three-straight wins (twice in Oakland).
We all witnessed Cleveland’s hometown king raise an entire city from a place of heartbreak and lifelong struggles to renewed belief and an almost incomprehensible victory that extends far beyond sports.
The Drive.
The Shot.
The Fumble.
The Curse.
Last night, today and tomorrow, Cleveland will be known for The Win.
Congratulations to my fellow Ohioans with connections to Cleveland!
Happy Monday!
In the case of the British band below, a gang of wolves is a good thing.
Seeing Wolf Gang in that very same location (The Basement in Columbus, Ohio) last September, just 3 1/2 months after the video shows, they left a great impression because they have an original sound and they are fantastic live. This is their opener that gets everybody’s heart racing, which also plays well for kicking off the workweek.
Interestingly, they set-up and took down their own equipment. It was a refreshing sight and it’s just one of many reasons to see bands you like in small venues every once in a while. The energy is inspiring.
Have an Awesome Week!
I Can’t Get No Weather…Satisfaction
Those rocking and rolling stones are tumbling into Columbus, Ohio this weekend for a Saturday night concert in The Ohio Stadium. My uncle is in town for this amazing event, which will see electric guitar riffs, pounding drums and an iconic voice shake the very structure holding tens of thousands of screaming fans. Rock ‘n roll will be alive and well tomorrow evening in Ohio’s shining capital. The only downside is the strong chance of rain.
Except, rain is simply an added bonus at a rock concert.
Here’s some lyrical proof.
Hopefully Jagger will have those moves like, well, Jagger!
Happy Duck Hunting!
Dear 12-Gauge,
There will be a superfluous amount of quacking, football playing ducks at AT&T Stadium in Texas tonight. In the purely metaphorical sense, please take care of that. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Buckeye Nation
The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing for the National Championship against the formidable Ducks from Oregon this evening at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. These two teams are similarly fast, creative and talented. However, these two teams’ identities are different in that one program is built on strength and the other on flash. Urban Meyer will be competing for his 3rd national title, while Oregon’s head coach Mark Helfrich is hoping to hoist up his first national championship trophy.
Style wise, it’s tradition v. new school.
Offensively, it’s expected that both teams will have a great amount of success, especially after their respective Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl performances. Starting quarterback (and yes, 3rd stringer) Cardale Jones will lead the Buckeyes behind a strong offensive line with the dynamic and explosive Ezekiel Elliott, along with a tremendous wide receivers corps. The Ducks will rely on the deserving Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota and his electrically-charged high-tempo offense.
Predicting a bit of an offensive shootout, the key to this game will likely be in each squad’s defense. Which team can force that game-changing turnover(s), limit 3rd down conversions and sack the quarterback? For the Buckeyes, they will need to make sure that their defensive line is relevant throughout the entire game. Their front line is the strength of their defense and they will need to stop the run game and consistently pressure Mariota into sacks and/or poor throwing decisions if they want to win.
Plus, long OSU drives will help. Mariota can’t hurt you if he doesn’t have the ball.
And, for all those Buckeye fans, here’s a cool video to get ready for tonight…
Go Buckeyes and OH-IO!!!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 