"Well, that's my name." "No (fill in the rest)?"

Christmas may be just under 2 months away, but now is the season to be excited because the Cavaliers kick off the 2008/09 World Tour with a visit to Beantown tonight.  If you are reader of Moondog's latest blog, you are probably wondering about my "double secret probation."  In the best Phil Savage impersonation that I can muster, here is my response:  Once and for all, Moondog's appearance was cleared with the staff.  Secondly, there was no secondary suspension.  Thirdly, I'm in the building. I am working, the team plays at 8 o'clock.  It's the end of the story.  It's over with.  There is no secondary suspension.  Cleared by Moondog's staff.  Everybody's got it, right?

Now, let's move on to the issue at hand: It's basketball time at The Q.  The Optimist weighed in with his decision and I won't spoil the fun if you haven't read it already but let's just say we are all about to be Witness to the first letter of TheBron to the MVP voters.

I gotta get back to work but just wanted to take a moment to remind all of you to make sure your DVR's, TiVO's, VCR's or whatever else you use to record your favorite shows are tuned to the World Series, Dirty Jobs, House, The Hills, 90210 or whatever else you watch on Tuesday, because at 8PM EST tonight, your eyes better be fixed on TNT or ears listening to Joe Tait-er Salad on WTAM-1100 as you "show your love for the Cleveland Cavalieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers" as we take one step closer to the title.  All for one.  One for all.

A must read, especially if you're from Youngstown. It's not not the most creative title for one of my blogs and I know I am setting myself up for ridicule from Moondog but so be it.

E:60 ran a special segment on Kelly Pavlik that talked about his, mine and hundreds of thousands of other people’s hometown.

There may only be 73,000+ people now living in Youngstown, about 36% less than there were only 20 years ago, but you don’t have to still live in Youngstown to call it “home.” Now if you're reading this and you are from the town we more affectionately refer to as "The Yo" and not "Murder City," you will know what I am talking about, Joe G, Hudak, Brew, Scotty Mac, O, Sivie, Frasc-atelli…to name a few. If you aren't a Y-town native, I hope that you'll have an understanding as to why EVERY person you have ever met is proud to say that they are from a city that has little to be proud of from the media’s point of view. It seems that every story, whether it is the ESPN piece above or the latest story in Rolling Stone, likes to paint a picture of Youngstown that is one-sided.

Here is what Youngstown really is: Its “blue collar.” Its diverse. The average family makes $30,000 and works 50 hours a week but always has time for family. You’re raised to believe that the measure of a person’s life is not the amount of money you have or things you possess, but by the impact you have on the people who shared that life with. It is a true melting pot, with people of every race, creed and nationality. The high school is more than a place where you received an education. For instance, it could have been where you found your wife/husband, where you found immortality by being an athlete and there are some who found receiving that diploma to be a family first. The past is remembered every day and the future is something that you’ll think about tomorrow. The abandoned steel mill downtowns are memorials to our grandparents/parents triumphant past that made it possible for us to have the lives we have now and the businesses that flourish today have taken on the responsibility of carrying the torch of a new vision for Youngstown. You see the same people out every weekend and always **** about it, but yet always notice when you don’t see them and wonder what’s wrong and if they’re ok. You can go to another place to hang out, but you know they would notice that you weren’t there too. You defend the reputation and products of ice cream parlors and hot dog shoppes as if you were an owner and the beauty of Mill Creek Park is impossible to capture with words...

...We work our **** off for everything that we have. We show respect and courtesy to everyone but expect it in return. We don’t expect things to be easy. We don’t expect things to go our way. Actually, we are somewhat surprised and humbled when they do because we know that failing is the only way we get better. Kelly Pavlik’s father said it best in the E:60 piece below, “The Youngstown ethic is that there is no shame in getting knocked down, the shame is not getting back up.” We wear our emotions on our sleeve and we often think with our hearts rather than our heads. Your best friend is still the person you met when you were 5 and you still have some animosity towards a person who went to your rival high school, no matter how long you’ve graduated. You believe in God, each other and that no matter how bad it gets, it still could always be worse. You spend 18-22 years of your life to get an education and get out of the town that has made your life miserable for so long, but yet you always want to bring your friends back to it to show them what it is all about. But most importantly, it is a family. Whether you’re Greek roots lie in Campbell, your Italian ancestors landed on Brier Hill or your Slovak/Hungarian/Polish upbringing was on the West Side by Belle Vista, you share a common bond with each and every person. No matter where you end up or where you rest your head at night, Youngstown will forever be “home.”

I have made no secret to the fact that I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik and have endured ridicule from my colleagues in the Cavs Organization whenever they have had the opportunity to do so. However, Kelly represents more than just a fighter...he's like Youngstown's "Rocky," only you can understand him when he talks and has a better jab.  When he wins, all of us from Youngstown win because, if not for a moment, we shatter the perceptions about our home. Sports has been and forever will be an escape for people from life’s obstacles. We seek refuge and take comfort in the fact that there is someone from our hometown who has made it. It is only fitting that the boxing analogy is used when comparing Youngstown. It’s not about giving a punch, its can you take one. We have a face that we can put to the pride we have for our town. We can bring Youngstown to them. But Kelly doesn't have to beat Hopkins on Saturday to prove himself to anyone. He has already proven himself to hundreds of thousands of Youngstown natives and hopefully the world. Like John Young did in 1796, Kelly Pavlik is giving everyone from Youngstown a chance to show the world that long before the Cavaliers embraced the motto, Youngstown has been living each day for more than 2 centuries under that idea that, in everyway, it has been and forever will be: “All for One. One for All.”

Just like the prodigal son, I've returned.  Thanks to Moondog, who's heart is bigger than his brain sometimes, he dedicated a blog to me about my recovery from shoulder surgery.  Not to get into details, but I had a torn labrum in my left shoulder.  Regardless of what you think about Chad Johnson/Ocho Cinco, that dude IS playing hurt and I respect for him for playing through the pain.  Trust me, he's in pain.  Anyway, thanks to Dr. Schickendantz (yes, that's his name) and the good people at the Cleveland Clinic, they cut me open, put me back together and in roughly 8 months, I will be back on the court taking on MovieFish and The Source.  I am officially going on record to protest their victories at our United Way 3-Point Shoot Out and Skills Competition because I was on the "physically unable to perform" list.  I am aiming to be back by January...I want to be back when Agent Zero is back so Moondog will have both of his starting fantasy guards back all at once.  (All kidding aside, thanks Dog.) 

Does anybody know what "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" means?  It's a rhetorical question, kids.  It is Latin for: "After this, therefore because of this."  It is a coincidental correlation...like say, the Browns lost to the Steelers because of the terrible weather.  The Browns lost to the Steelers because the Steelers are just a better team in every facet of the game...PERIOD.  Now I know that may ruffle some of your feathers but 10 in a row and 16 or the last 17 is not a coincidence...it is inevitability.

I titled this edition of "Ryz Knows Best" with this phrase because of the ongoing speculation of TheBron's^TM (I don't know if The Optimist has trademarked this or not so I will give him the credit he deserves and error on the side of caution) departure from the Land of Cleve that the media perpetuates.  I don't want to write anything that will make Admin Witness deny me of my First Amendment right and not publish my blog nor do I want TC to come down from the 6th floor and give me a good lecturing.  All I am going to say is, in my opinion, he can root for whatever team he wants.  He can hang out with whomever he wants.  His preferences in baseball teams or boroughs in New York or football teams or "the hip-hop" does not automatically mean he is off to NY or Brooklyn in 2010.  It is a fallacy and conjecture that is intended to turn an extra ordinary day in sports to...well, extraordinary.  Could some of these things be a coincidence?  Yes, but it is not a cause for him leaving.  It is flat out superstitious.  It is no different than thinking that carrying an acorn brings you good luck or that breaking a mirror brings you 7 years bad luck or that a dog eating grass means it is going to rain. 

The ancient Greek philospher, Phyrrho, believed that everything can be doubted except appearences.  So when it comes to the speculation of TheBron^TM leaving, I guess I'll believe it when I see it.  Until then, there is one thing that I will continue to hold on to and believe in and that is: "One for All.  All for One."

Gotta run.  I can't find my rabbit's foot...

The flux capacitor really "fluxes" things up if you're not careful.  I mean, just last week: I was in a walking boot from a nasty ankle sprain (don't ask how it happened), the Cavs organization was enjoying a loooong weekend of cold beverages, warm weather, great food at the Taste of Cleveland and bone shaking fly-by's from the Cleveland Air Show.  Mark Podolak had hair, La Resistance was still resisting, no one knew who Sarah Palin was and CavFanatic.com only had a mere 1,900 members.  And now look how things are: I'm out of the boot, Podes went all Ed Norton in "American History X" on us, men across America (regardless of Party affiliation) are secretly hoping to see Palin for four more years, La Resistance has surrendered and CavFanatic.com is now over 2,300 Fanatics.  If this trend continues, "The Fanatic" better get an assistant and Admin Witness might have to see a chiropractor to realign his back from all the slaps he'll be getting for taking an idea and turning it into the wildfire that is starting to spread...all well deserved I might add.

But what about the Cavaliers?  Did we have a hangover from the Labor Day weekend?  Did we eat too much at The Taste?  Well, Moondog might have.  Did we go to alternate 2008?  It's a rhetorical question but I'll answer it...NO!  It was back to business as usual for us in "Rome."  And starting Monday, its time to "Get Pumped" CavFanatics.  How's that for a teaser? 

                                                                                                    "Great Scott!"

For nowm I'm off to enjoy the weekend.  We're hopping in the Delorean, hitting 88 mph so we can generate the 1.21 Jigga-watts and head "back to the future" to see Mega 80's at the House of Blues tonight.  The ladies will be wearing their slap bracelets, have their hair crimped and rocking their jelly shoes while guys will have their shoe laces out of those Adidas sneakers and some might even have their pants pegged while wearing a tank top.  For one night, we go back and get a chance to have a night out with the music we grew up on.  There will be pictures...don't worry.  As Ahmaad would say,  "Oh boy!"

Have a great weekend and talk to you on Monday.

First and foremost, congratulations are in order to not only the Redeem Team for bringing home the Gold and putting the United States back on top of the basketball universe, but to each and every Olympian that draped themselves in the red, white and blue at the Olympic games.  Whether you came home with a medal around your neck or not, you represented yourselves and our country with dignity, honor and respect.  (Moondog, cue up Lee Greenwood.)

I want to take a minute from the normal sarcastic and humorous tone of my blogs that you have become accustomed to and shift gears for a minute.  For the past 2 weeks, the entire Cavaliers organization has been holding various fundraising events in cooperation with the United Way.  These "fun-raising" events were comprised of things like a silent auction, the opportunity to drop our President, Len Komoroski, in a dunk tank, an all you can eat breakfast buffet, a hot dog luncheon buffet and even a 3-point shooting competition and skills challenge.  Unfortuntately, yours truly will be unable to participate in the challenge because of an upcoming shoulder surgery that will repair a torn labrum and ligaments I suffered during on of our morning runs with "the clique" before work.  My money is on Brew or The Source (Admin6).  But I digress...

The United Way provides programs for more than 400,000 of us each year through nearly 180 programs.  In 2008 alone, the United Way will spend over $53 MILLION in health and humanity services in our community.  They are responsible for programs that help people of all ages and capacities.  The money's collected go to support the basic needs of children such as child care for low-income families, mental services, adoption services or just overall youth development.  They help adults overcome substance abuse, disabilities, assets with training and services for displaced workers and literacy programs.  The United Way also makes a conscious effort to help the elderly in our community as well with hospice care, senior centers and transportation services.  They are like LeBron, they do it all.  But just like LeBron, they can't do it without help. 

I commend not only all who have donated these past two weeks in our company but, more importantly, the people here at the Cavaliers who put these past two weeks together.  They have made all of us aware of the need and importance of the United Way in our community and that we all have a responsibility to help our community and those who are unable to help themselves.

Whether it is the United Way or another organization in your area that you can assist with, there are ways that you can help make the place you call home a better place for everyone who shares it with you.  Regardless of whether you're on the court, at home, at work or in the community, remember that it is, has been and forever will be: All for One.  One for All.