(Ding ding ding) Round 2 is upon us. The waiting is over. It's business time! You know how I know it's business time? Because I changed my avatar. That's how you know it's business time. It may frighten Moondog, but I don't care. This cat looks angry and he's on the hunt for the dirty birds from down South. If I may digress for a moment, you can't like or root for a city that has 2 professional sports teams with a relatively similar mascot for both teams. Really, Altanta? You couldn't come up with another type of mascot for your football and basketball team?
"Hey, what should we call our football team?" "How about the Falcons?" (cheers) "Well, then what do we call our basketball team?" "Well, I really like the Falcons?" "We can't use the same name, can we?" "Hey Chip! Can we use the same name for our football and basketball team?" (Chip faintly heard) "No." "Well what about another bird that resembles a Falcon?" (Chip faintly heard) "That's OK." "How about the Hawks?" (cheers)
That's like having two boys and naming them Johnny and Janni or Brandon and Bradon or Evan and Ivan. You just DON'T DO IT! So having said that, I am officially referring to the Atlanta Hawks as the Atlanta Hattons. "Why," you may be asking yourself. Well, inspired by this past weekend when the world's #1 pound for pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, defeated...no...demolished Ricky Hatton in the second round, I thought it was only fitting to not only give a name that separated the Hawks from the Falcons but also had a twist of irony in it as Hatton couldn't get out of the second round versus Pacquiao and Atlanta will face the same demise against the Cavs in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs.
With over a week off before the Wine and Gold Warriors continue the journey to everyone's ONE GOAL, I thought I would provide a few ideas for what you could be doing to pass the time until Round 2 starts:
1. Write a list of things you can do to pass the time until Round 2 starts 2. Watch the other NBA Playoff games being played and hope the Heat, Hawks, Celtics and Bulls continue to beat up one another through 7 games 3. Watch the Indians and then wonder why they can't keep a lead 4. Think about what it is going to be like to root for the Cleveland Jets...I mean Browns this season 4. Go outside and do something...ANYTHING 5. Copy someone else's theme about a blog but add you're own twist 6. Enter the One Fan contest and try to win tickets to the next Playoff game or autographed stuff (shameless plug but it is strategic) 7. Listen to Pink Floyd's "The Darkside of the Moon" while watching The Wizard of Oz with the sound muted. It will blow your mind... 8. Think about what it would be like to root for the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers this year 9. Try to convince me that the Jordan XI are not the best basketball shoes EVER made (Sorry, LeBron...you'll hold this title too eventually.)
10. Add a new friend to your CavFanatic profile every 30 minutes 11. Post a comment to add to this blog and add to the list
Back in the 90's, Gatorade created one of the most memorable commercials for Michael Jordan. The whole campaign, for those of you who are too young to remember or don't recall, was entitled "Be Like Mike." It was and still is one do the most recognizable, memorable and, in my opinion, best uses of a professional athlete, even a head of my beloved Steeler, Mean Joe Green's 1980 Coca-cola commercial. But I think that this song can now be used to talk about a different Mike in the NBA. He doesn't have a multi-million dollar shoe deal (although he may have a deal worked out for as many different pairs of glasses he has), he isn't featured on video games or products and he isn't staring in any Looney Tunes movies...yet.
You wanna be like Mike? Look no further than the 2008-09 NBA Coach of the Year, Coach Mike Brown. Aside from just being named Coach of the Year, receiving a total of 355 points, including 55 first-place votes out of a possible 122, he is successful in his profession. Here's just a few highlights over what he has done in just 4 years:
He was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month this season on 3 separate occasions and 4 times overall.
Led the Cavs to an NBA and franchise-best 66-16 (.805) record, becoming just the 12th team in NBA history to win 66 or more games in a season and the fourth-youngest coach to lead a team to 60 wins in a season.
He led us to 16 victories, tying the NBA all-time record for most victories in any month.
In four seasons as the head coach of the Cavaliers, Brown has a .643 regular season winning percentage (211-117), the best in franchise history and third among active coaches (Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich).
The Cavs are one of just four teams (Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio) to have won at least 45 games in each of the last four seasons.
Brown has led the Cavs to the postseason in each of his four seasons in Cleveland and reached at least the second round of the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons (one of just three teams to accomplish the feat along with Detroit and San Antonio).
With a 27-20 (.574) record in the playoffs, Brown has the highest winning percentage and most wins of any head coach in Cavaliers history.
But even through all that, his character, humbleness and selflessness is what sets him a part from everyone else. He is a dedicated father and husband. He gives back to the community whenever he can including focusing on education for children in the Cleveland area. He offers a smile whenever you see him and even when he was honored with the most prestigious award given to an NBA Coach this afternoon, he passed the credit to other who made it possible including Danny Ferry and his coaching staff/players. Dan Gilbert said it best:
"There is no man more deserving and it proves to the world that, yes, nice guys CAN indeed, finish first."
Congratulations, Coach Brown. Thank you for directing a season for the ages and for giving Cavs fans a reason to "be like Mike."
Cavaliers First Round Playoff Schedule vs. Detroit Pistons Game 1: Saturday, April 18th, 3:00 p.m. in Cleveland on ABC TV (exclusive) / WTAM radio Game 2: Tuesday, April 21st, 8:00 p.m. in Cleveland on TNT & FS Ohio TV / WTAM radio Game 3: Friday, April 24th, 7:00 p.m. in Detroit on ESPN & FS Ohio TV / WTAM radio\ Game 4: Sunday, April 26th, 3:30 p.m. in Detroit on ABC TV (exclusive) / WTAM radio
If necessary: Game 5: Wednesday, April 29th in Cleveland with Time and TV broadcast TBD / WTAM radio Game 6: Friday, May 1st in Detroit with Time and TV broadcast TBD / WTAM radio Game 7: Sunday, May 3rd in Cleveland with Time and TV broadcast TBD / WTAM radio
The season isn't over yet. Yeah, we got the #1 seed in the Playoffs and home court throughout the Finals...big whoop...wanna fight about it? But let's not forget the one night that you, our fans, wait for with bated breath this entire season...FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT!
For those of you lucky enough to have a ticket to the game, you will not be disappointed. Aside from closing the season with a win moving us to 40-1 at The Q for the season (sorry Willie...I do hope that YOU have a good game) and tying the NBA record for most home wins in a season set by the "C"-word in 1985-86 (Celtics is now a curse word here in the office), we will be thanking the fans in attendance a Million times over...literally. With over $1 Million in prizes that will be given away, everyone is going to leave with something who are in attendance. Not only can you win the shirts and shoes that the players wear during the game (bring some Fabreze), but we are giving away a ton of other stuff like a trip for 4 to sunny Florida, a Kia Soul, gift cards, tickets to local events, a digital entertainment system including installation courtesy of hh gregg...you get the idea...it's gonna be BIG. But for those of you not in attendance, we got some stuff for you too.
If you are a Cavs Insider, you are automatically entertained to win from a batch of prizes like a digital camera, Shearers' chips for year (sans the pepperoni pizza...that's my delivery fee that I shall keep), a Garmin, watches, a Hoover vacuum, a Cub Cadet "weed wacker", autographed items and much, much more. But wait....there's still more. Tune in to FSOhio for the game tomorrow as they hold their Viewer Appreciation where they will award fans with Cavs prize packs and tickets to Playoffs...yeah, THIS year's Playoffs. With all this appreciation, I just don't know what to do.
But the best gift of all has been what the team has done this season. There is no other gift that can compare...but I would still take it if you are lucky enough to win something. Enjoy the finale and get ready for the encore...
