Stuck In Netural, First Place Cavs Need To Make a Move

With the All-Star break just around the corner, the NBA grind is over halfway completed.

Steam-rolling through the vast majority of the league, the Cavs are sitting pretty at 41-11. They are currently 22-3 at home and have ripped off 11 W’s in a row. They are rolling even without the services of two of the most important guards on the team: Delonte West and Mo Williams.

LeBron James has been…well he has been LeBron James. His second straight MVP award might be on the way as he has dominated to the tune of 29.8 PPG, just over seven rebounds and eight assists to go along with a career high in shooting percentage (50.4 percent) this season.

Daniel “Boobie” Gibson has filled in for the injured guards averaging over 12 points a game in the last eight games. He has taken over the offense and is looking like the 2007 playoffs version of himself.

Back then I thought he was destined for stardom as he hit big shot after big shot as the Cavs made it to their only ever NBA Finals appearance. Considering he’s only 23, he can be a big piece of the Cavs offense for not only this year but for the foreseeable future.

One guy that is not in the Cavs future plans is the “Big Aristotle,” or “Shaqtus,” or “Big Witness Protection,” Shaquille O’Neal.

He is averaging just a shade under 12 points and seven rebounds a game and is starting to finally feel comfortable in his new 23 minutes a night role. He is getting easy buckets off the pick-in-roll with LeBron and has held his own on the defensive end.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been with the team longer than any other player and he hasn’t created chemistry problems in the locker room due to his new role of coming off the bench and receiving less playing time. Now, he is some sort of a three-point specialist.

J.J Hickson is not making the offensive jump many expected from him this year. Scoring 7.2 points a game is underwhelming and he needs to show more if he expects to play key minutes in the playoffs.

The new guys Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon don’t do a whole lot for me or the Cavs. They are role players for a fourth of fifth-seeded team, but not the Cavs with their championship aspirations. Their contributions are minimal and certainly not vital for the Cavs to succeed.

So, just like last year, the Cavs are dominating yet are still missing something. This team added a 37-year-old Shaq to the playoff mix. Will he really be able to control the wild beast also known as Dwight Howard?

Can the much younger Cavs play smart enough to win in a seven game series against the heady cast of players in Boston? And what about the Hawks, whom have some terrific one-on-one scorers that get it done in crunch-time.

And these are just the hurdles in the Eastern Conference!

I don’t trust Mo Williams in the crunch time. Ditto for Moon and Parker. Shaq can’t play in close games due to his wonderfully awful free throw shooting. So what is going to happen when LeBron is double teamed and forced to pass? Hmmm, sounds like the same problem the Cavs had last year.

They need to unload Moon or Hickson and a guard to swoop in to steal a guy that is on the trading block because of financial reasons. Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire might be too much, but what about Caron Butler?

A proven crunch-time scorer that plays excellent defense as well. Or how about the Wizards’ other All-Star forward Antwan Jamison? He is a 20 point a game guy that has hit big time shots in the past. Each player can be had for less than their value as the Wizards cut their losses on a disastrous season.

Or what about Kevin Martin of the Kings. One of the league’s leading scorers lost his spot when he went out with an injury and super rookie Tyreke Evans took over. Andre Iguodala is available, as is Marcus Camby. Richard Jefferson hasn’t worked out for the Spurs and is looking for a trade. There are lots of options for the Cavs and what player doesn’t want to play with LeBron?

Last year, the Cavs thought they had enough to win a championship with the team they had and we all know how that worked out. The Cavs need another bona fide All-Star (sorry Mo—you aren’t) that wasn’t in the league when teams still wore short-shorts (sorry, Shaq).

This year, it’s the same exact situation. Don’t repeat history, Cleveland—this city has already been tortured enough. Find a guy that spreads the floor, plays strong post D, and can make a shot in the clutch. Who knows…maybe this year affects the next 10-plus years of the franchise. No pressure, Dan Gilbert!

Goofy Super Bowl Prop Bet Predictions

The Colts are favored to win Super Sunday by six points on Sunday. I'll take the Saints to cover but Indy to win 31-27.

But the far more exciting bets to keep track of hardly include the action on the field. The phrase "prop bet" is just that—a proposition bet on events that may or may not directly relate to the final score of a game. These bets have been popularized in the past 10 years or so and the Super Bowl has the most options to bet on. You can bet on practically everything over the four hour span.

Check out the value of some of these prop bets:

How many current NFL Players will be arrested during Super Bowl Week?

Over/Under 0.5

No Barrett Robbins or Eugene Robinson's here. In 2010, players know the insanely bright lights and intense media microscope are nothing to mess with. And the strong veteran leadership of both teams help as well.

How Many Times will CBS show Kim Kardashian on TV during the Game?

Over/Under 2.5

This all depends on what Reggie Bush does on the field. If he scores a TD, she will be shown. Ditto if he has a long punt return. Considering CBS will most likely show her early in the game anyways...I think the over is a safe bet.

How Many Times will CBS show Bourbon Street on TV during the Game?

Over/Under 2

FOX showed Bourbon St. three times in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game, so I think this is another easy over. Especially if the Saints get an early lead.

Will a member of the Who smash a guitar on stage during the halftime show?

Yes +120 No -150

Rock 'n roll and the Super Bowl? Combine the two and there should be enough energy pumping to have at least one guitar fall casualty to. Who cares how old the band is.

HISTORICAL MATCHUPS:

Total Rushing Yards, which will be higher?

Joseph Addai Sunday +175 Addai Super Bowl XLI (77 Rushing Yards) -215

Addai had 77 yards back in the '07 Super Bowl and the running game has been a smaller piece of the Colts offense in the three years since. That's the crazy thing about the Colts, they aren't balanced offensively at all, yet it doesn't even matter. I'll take under 77 yards for Addai.

Total Passing Yards, which will be higher?

Drew Brees Sunday +120 Dan Marino Super Bowl XIX (318 Passing Yards) -150

Is Vegas predicting a Marino-like performance out of Brees? Great individualy—but not good enough to get a ring? Maybe, but I do think that the Saints deep ball threat opens up enough space for him to achieve the gaudy numbers. Racking up 319 passing yards is well within his reach—especially if Dwight Freeney is a no-go.

What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?

Yellow 1/1 Clear/Water 7/5 Orange 4/1 Lime Green 5/1 Red 12/1 Blue 12/1

Take the second best choice with the bigger payout. Yellow is the most common Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, but orange isn't too far behind. Nick Saban had red dumped on him with Alabama's title in Jan. Is this a new trend? Stain the crap out of your coaches clothes? At 12/1, odds are it was a fluke.

What side of the ball will the Players that perform the Gatorade Shower be from?

Offensive +140 Defensive -170

This one depends on the team that wins. I can envision the Colts running the clock out with its offense on the field in the final minutes. This means the D is in charge. But the Saints will have won on a last second Manning INT so the offense will be drenching their coach. Tough pick.

Will they show clothing apparel proclaiming the Super Bowl Champion before the final whistle?

Yes -130 No Even

Easy. Unless the game comes down to the final play, the camera will get a shot of a brand new Super Bowl champs hat on at least one player. I feel like this happens every year, which does make me a little skeptical of the odds. Maybe they have a new policy of not showing the champ apparel til when the clock hits zero. Hmmmm never know what's up Vegas' sleeve...

Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?

God 4/5 Teammates 8/5 Does not thank anyone 4/1 Family 11/2 Coach 10/1

Since a QB is most likely to win this, you need to look at Manning and Brees' personality. Both don't mention God a whole lot. Family is usually mentioned, but not first. Ditto for the coaches. Since both QB's and their teams in general are very team oriented, I'm taking teammates.

As you can see the betting world cares about the insanely stupid and minute occurrences in the biggest game of the year almost as much as the game itself. This is only a small sample size of the vast amount of prop bets for Sunday. Just remember, winning an under dog prop bet is just as rewarding in the wallet as a bet on the spread of the game. But which one do you think Vegas puts more time into figuring out and perfecting????

Rey Maualuga of Cincinnati Bengals Charged with DUI

The offseason was less than one month old when Mr. Rey Maualuga decided to use some awful judgment.

The 23-year-old was arrested at 1:45 a.m. Friday in Covington, Ky. on charges of drunken and careless driving after he allegedly struck two parked cars and a parking meter.

Maualuga, 23, of Cincinnati, appeared in Kenton County District Court via video link from jail. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his promise to return for future appearances.

Maualuga smelled of "intoxicants" and told the officer that he had "about six Captain and Coke drinks," the report states. The officer gave Maualuga field sobriety tests, which he failed, the report states.

"Subject had slurred speech, blood shot, watery eyes and he was unsteady on his feet," the officer wrote.

Maualuga had a blood-alcohol level of .157, according to a Covington Police report. The legal limit is .08.

A Bengals spokesman declined comment.

Covington literally borders the city of Cincinnati, so I'm sure he had partied in the city and was trying to make it to his apartment or whatever in Kentucky.

But this story gets funnier. He was driving a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. C'mon Rey, that's the best a second round pick can do? No Hummer or Escalade?

Even funnier: He was with two female passengers.

Funniest: One of the girls was 18, and the other was a minor! Rey Rey! Can't find any 23-year-olds in the city on a Thursday night?

In the words of Michael Irvin—C'MON MAN!!!!

The Reds Hot Stove Finally Heats Up

It's the end of January and that means the Reds start their Christmas shopping.

The majority of players left are at least 50 percent off. Everything must go! Agents are beginning to sweat as they look at their list of clients that are jobless with less than a month to go before pitchers and catchers report.

The Reds are finally making noise—albeit a very hard to hear sound. This is what a team with a payroll in the bottom third of baseball has to do. A-Rod and Manny would never even give the Reds the time of day. But a washed-up Willy Taveras will. Buy low, don't expect much, that's the Reds way.

The Dusty Baker era has provided two last minute signings gone horribly wrong. Corey Patterson signed for 3M to be the Reds '08 lead-off hitter. After putting up a gaudy .205 average with only 14 steals, he was toast. Last year Taveras was the 4M bust. The Reds are on the hook for another exhilarating year of Taveras grounding out to short 200 times.

This year the Reds already made a splash by signing left handed rocket-arm Antonio Chapman to a fat contract. But his salary will only be 1M towards the cap this year. So he isn't gobbling up a Scott Rolen size chunk of the payroll. So the Reds do have a little bit of cash to work with.

Many fans are calling for a 35 year-old Orlando Cabrera to take over at shortstop. Paul Janish and his .214 average is currently slotted in as the starter. He covers a lot of ground on the field but has a minuscule 22 RBIs in 381 major league ABs. He is a great back up, but certainly not a starter for a play-off caliber team. It remains to be seen how much Cabrera is asking for at this point.

The outfield's only certainty is Jay Bruce in right. Chris Dickerson and Drew Stubbs are projected to fill left and center. That threesome doesn't exactly scare any teams. Dickerson is constantly battling injuries and Stubbs only played in the majors when the Reds were miles away from first and winning wasn't too important.

What player could bring leadership, plate discipline and excitement to Cincinnati?

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN.com reports that Scott Boras is targeting the Reds as a possible location for free agent Johnny Damon.

If they can get him for under 5M—this would be an excellent move. But considering the Yankees claim he was asking for too much money, this might all just be smoke and mirrors.

Is Boras just creating fake rumors to scare big markets teams? Would Damon ever want to play in Cincinnati after being in New York and Boston?

He would be a great fit for the Reds. If a salary cap was involved, Damon might play for a small market team like the Reds. Instead fans of financially starved teams are left dreaming.

Walt Jocketty announced the signing of RHP Jose Arredondo to a minor league deal. Arredondo, 25, went 10-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 52 games in 2008 with Angels. He led both leagues’ relievers in victories, and opponents batted only .190 against him. He was considered a lights out future closer.

So how did the Reds sign him to a minor league deal? In 2009 he went 2-3 with 6.00 ERA in 43 games. Hmm that's not going to get it done for the Nationals. He battled elbow problems all season and had surgery to fix it. Problem is, the surgery will require him to miss the ENTIRE 2010 season. The Reds are hoping that '09 was a anomaly and when healthy, Arredondo can boast the Reds 2011 bullpen.

And yes, already talking and thinking about the 2011 season is not a good omen for your 2010 chances.

Johnny Gomes is still out there. So is Jermaine Dye. There are 93 unsigned free agents looking for jobs. As a frosty January comes to an end, the Reds, and other small market teams hot stove is just beginning to heat up.

Carson Palmer Skips Pro Bowl For Thumb Surgery

The Pro Bowl is such a joke.

The reason why Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was named to the Pro Bowl as a fourth alternate is because third alternate, Carson Palmer, is recovering from thumb surgery.

As reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer , Palmer had successful thumb surgery last week on his non-throwing hand and is recovering in his home in California.

The thumb was injured way back in week five against the Ravens. For the rest of the season he played with a glove on his left hand. Palmer was forced to hand the ball off with his throwing hand which made for some awkward hand-offs. Plenty of commentators foreshadowed a chance that the unorthodox hand-offs could lead to a fumble sooner or later. Despite not looking pretty, Palmer never had a problem with the exchange.

Palmer would rather go through surgery than play in the meaningless contest. The lack of memorable moments in the game is outrageous considering the star power. Name me your favorite Pro Bowl memory? I can't think of one.

Gobs of players find any injury excuse to get out of playing in a game that has less importance than a preseason game. Now that's saying something.

The game is next Sunday, a week before the Super Bowl. Great, don't let any player from the two best teams in the NFL get a chance to be in the game. Makes perfect sense to me.

I always thought the Pro Bowl was a way to extend the NFL for one more week. It already has the smallest schedule of any of the four main sports, so why shrink the calender? Does moving it to Jan. 31 really make the NFL any more money than having the game two weeks later?

Players know that their bodies are basically what gets them paid. So why put your money-maker on the line in a exhibition that pays you only a sliver of your current multi-million dollar deal? Why put forth any effort at all? What's the worst that can happen; some random coach from a team you play every four years gets mad and benches you?

These are the questions I'll be asking when I get to meet Roger Goodell.

Something needs to be tweaked in this game to make it relevant.

Why Are the Bengals Sticking with Bratkowski?

The biggest running complaint about the 2009 Bengals wasn’t concerning receivers, special teams or the tight end; it was about the play calling. The once high-powered Bengals offense had been reduced to a motorized scooter running out of battery power.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski has taken the majority of the criticism, and rightfully so. The run, run, pass scenario played out way too much for most fans' liking. The creativity consisted of a reverse to a receiver with the quarterback having to throw a block. The lack of flea-flickers and zigzag routes didn’t bother fans as much as the predictability. Talk radio was consistently oozing ungodly amounts of "fire Bratkowski" venom.

More often than not, a seasoned Bengals fan had a good idea of the play that was about to be run. If it's pretty obvious to the general public, imagine the lack of strategy needed for opposing defenses. The midseason tweaks and adjustments were ineffective, and it cost the team dearly in the end.

Unfortunately, the Bengals have an owner that takes penny-pinching to a new height. Firing a guy before his contract is up would require Mike Brown to fork over some extra cash—not going to happen. Bratkowski will be back for his 10th season as offensive coordinator of the Bengals, according to the team's official Web site.

How is this possible? Coordinators are hired and fired at will. There are only two head coaches (Jeff Fisher, Andy Reid) that have been at their current positions for more than 10 years; a coordinator sticking around that long is unheard of. It's understandable if Brat has achieved multiple seasons of success during the decade. Well, having two playoff losses doesn’t scream being worthy of such a rare feat.

For the entire second half of the ‘09 season, the passing game consisted of nothing but slants and screens—with maybe the occasional overthrown deep ball just to keep the defenses thinking the Bengals had some sort of vertical attack.

The running game was without a doubt the bread and butter of the ’09 offense. But the stubbornness and repetitiveness of the Bratkowski approach was easily sniffed out as the year wore on. Cedric Benson had more than 27 carries six times, and that includes the three-and-a-half games missed because of his hip injury. He had 301 total carries, and he might have had close to 400 without the injury.

The best offensive performance in the second half of the season was the 27-24 loss to the Chargers. The deep slants were there, and Chad Ochocinco caught a 49-yard bomb that came courtesy of a vintage Carson Palmer pass. The running game was actually not relied on to do the heavy lifting for once, as Benson only had 15 carries.

The 24 points were the most scored in a game during the second part of the year. Palmer looked comfortable with the aggressive game plan as he racked up a season-high 314 passing yards (43 yards more than the next highest).

The hurry-up style implemented in the second half of the game provided a more fluent and balanced attack. Never was the game plan or offensive fireworks it provoked ever implanted again for the rest of the season. The result was scoring 17 points against the Chiefs and a combined 14 points in two straight games against the Jets.

This past season, the Bengals defense was seventh against the run and sixth against the pass for the forth overall ranked D. It is only the third time in franchise history—and the first since 1989—that they had finished in the top 10 in all three categories in the same season. In short, they had a phenomenal season, and next year the unit could get even better with all the young guys coming back.

The major question for Bengals fans going into the 2010 season is simple: Can Bob Bratkowski be trusted with navigating this stale and underachieving offense?

Evan Turner Puts OSU on His Back, Earns Player of the Week Honors

Junior forward Evan Turner averaged 23.5 points over two games last week to lead Ohio State to back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, as the Buckeyes defeated the sixth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers and the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers. His prize? Big Ten Player of the Week.

During Tuesday’s contest at Purdue, Turner posted 23 of his career-high 32 points in the second half to ignite a late rally as OSU recovered from a 13-point deficit to top the Boilermakers, 70-66.

Ohio State is No. 21 in the Associated Press media poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll that were released today.

With Turner in the lineup, Ohio State is 3-1 against the Associated Press Top 25 this season. In those contests, the 6'7 "guard is averaging 24.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and shooting 58 percent from the floor.

This is the fourth Player of the Week award for Tuner on the year and his seventh overall.

If the Ohio State Buckeyes want to make any sort of noise in the NCAA tournament it will be because of Evan Turner.

After a promising start to the season, the entire Buckeye nation was slapped in the face when Turner landed roughly on his back after attempting a dunk. The early reports were that he would be out for eight weeks with a fractured back. It looked just as painful as it sounds.

But merely a month later Turner was back on the floor and picking up where he left off. The team struggled in his absence, going 3-3 ,with the wins against Presbyterian, Delaware St., and Cleveland St—not exactly the cream of the crop. Now that Turner is back, the Buckeyes are once again a force and Turner still isn’t even 100 percent yet.

For the season he is averaging 18.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists a game. He still has some issues to iron out, specifically his 28 percent mark from three-point range and his 4.2 turnovers a game. And is his back fully healed? Can a hard foul tweak it again?

He is the catalyst for the squad and makes the offense flow as smoothly as a waterfall. Whether it is a slam dunk, a tough board, or a steal on defense, Turner is the guy making all the big plays when it counts. But he can’t win it all himself.

Turner is going to need David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and William Buford to continue spreading the floor with their shooting. All three players are averaging 13.3 points a game and provide balance to the inside outside attack.

Turner is looking more and more like a lottery pick, and dominating the conference at this sort of pace will certainly garner Big Ten Player of the Year honors. His size and speed will make him a hot commodity to NBA scouts.

So this is the year OSU, be prepared to ride the achy back of Evan Turner into the tournament. He has proven to fans and players a like that he is up to the challenge.