I'm becoming a fan of yours Sage. "And ain't no assasin ever wore no headband".. I can see Kobe the puppet saying that shit to LBJ, ha.

Sage wrote:

LBJ saved professional basketball in Cleveland.

False!!!! That goes to Terrell Brandon!!

wes_mantooth wrote:

Sage wrote:

LBJ saved professional basketball in Cleveland.

False!!!! That goes to Terrell Brandon!!

False Again.

Ricky Davis. Ball Game.

Funny I didn't see a single question in your post...

Why do people even respond to Sage at this point? Seriously?

I have no problem at all with Sage. Sports blogs are supposed be have arguments. Good grief.

SQ_Crazies wrote: Funny I didn't see a single question in your post...

The answer is...Ball.

Footwedge wrote: I have no problem at all with Sage. Sports blogs are supposed be have arguments. Good grief.

I don't have a problem with Sage either, but obviously a lot of these guys do, which is why I asked the question.

Sage knows what he's doing, and that's getting under these guys' skin.

You really think he's under my skin?

If the Cavs don't make the finals I'll be on here blaming the refs.

Can I take that to the bank?

SQ_Crazies wrote: Can I take that to the bank?

No.

But you can take the following to the bank:

The Cleveland Cavaliers will win the NBA championship.

...and you can take that to the bank.

Former Lakers beat writer worried about Cavs...

Ted Green covered the Los Angeles Lakers for years for the Los Angeles Times. In fact, the Lakers won their first of 10 NBA titles in Los Angeles in 1972. Green covered all of them, from Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, and last season, Bryant and Pau Gasol.

Now the senior sports producer for KTLA-TV Prime News, Green apparently maintains a keen sense of what's going on in the NBA.

Green, writing for The Fabulous Forum blog on the Times' website, at least implies that the Cleveland Cavaliers have a better chance of winning their first NBA championship than the Lakers have of defending the title they now own.

Green writes:

Truth is, this Laker team, with all its precocious gifts, leaves too many unanswered questions for anyone to know what’s going to happen once the playoffs start at the end of next month.

He mentions five Lakers question marks, including:

Can Andrew Bynum be a factor? The Lakers are too big, too long and too much for everyone else (except maybe Cleveland) with Bynum active and healthy, but that Achilles strain is a worrisome injury.

And:

And when push comes to shove, which it always invariably does in the playoffs, can Ron Artest at least half-control Carmelo Anthony, if Denver gets through, and then gear up again for James, if the Cavs can get by Orlando? Don’t kid yourself, Anthony and James are the reasons -- and really the only reasons -- why the Lakers picked Artest over Trevor Ariza.

Green's conclusion:

Bottom line: Having watched and covered every one of the Lakers’ 10 championships in Los Angeles, I’m leaning toward thinking they’ll get through the West, but I’m nowhere near convinced that LeBron James and a hungrier Cavs team won’t get them in the Finals.

For sure, if you’re a realistic Lakers fan somewhere between my friends Harry and Warren, you’re going into this postseason with more uncertainty, more questions and a greater sense of dread and mystery than you did a year ago when the stars were aligned, the team wanted it badly, and the championship somehow seemed almost preordained.

Sage wrote: Not trying to stir the pot, just wish Cavs fans under 30 would be more honest as to just how they became fans.

Here's my story. My grandpa won a sports basket at a raffle in 1999. I was eight, without much loyalty to any team. There were three sets of Cavs tickets in the basket. I went to all three games. Shawn Kemp, Lamond Murray, Bob Sura, Andre Miller. I've been a fan since then. Sure, he turned around the city, but don't assume that every young kid routing for the Cavs is only there for LeBron.

If Sage is really from LA, then he knows he'd be a Clippers fan if they were the model franchise and not the Lakers. It's two-fold.

#damnstraight

GOONx19 wrote:

Sage wrote: Not trying to stir the pot, just wish Cavs fans under 30 would be more honest as to just how they became fans.

Here's my story. My grandpa won a sports basket at a raffle in 1999. I was eight, without much loyalty to any team. There were three sets of Cavs tickets in the basket. I went to all three games. Shawn Kemp, Lamond Murray, Bob Sura, Andre Miller. I've been a fan since then. Sure, he turned around the city, but don't assume that every young kid routing for the Cavs is only there for LeBron.

Here's my question...who cares if they are? Players like LeBron have that effect on people. And if you care (not saying you do goon) then you're just an asshole. You shouldn't have to have a reason other than that's the team you like.

But since we're sharing stories, I know that Sage will like mine so I'll share. Although I don't think I've ever made it a secret.

Goon, I remember those days. My dad used to take me to games a lot. I liked the Cavs but I really just liked going. But we went every time they played the Pistons because I've always been more of a player fan than a team fan and Grant Hill was my favorite player. So I used to go into the Gund with my Pistons jersey on haha. But I've always liked the Cavs--but clearly my favorite player in the league now is LeBron. There are big reasons for that that go far beyond just LeBron being generally awesome. But it's really cool that my favorite player ends up on the only team that I really ever gave a shit about in the NBA. I'm not shy about saying that if LeBron would have been drafted to the Kings, I'd be a Kings "fan"--I'd just follow them more than any other team, but the Cavs will always have a spot in my heart. But the bottom line here, is that you don't have to explain why you're a fan to anyone. And anyone who thinks that matters is just trying to be an asshole. Hell, you want me to list mine--it's all over the place and I have good reasons for all, but I just don't understand why I should ever have to explain it to anyone. But I can't wait to see the reaction to some of these:

NBA: LeBron then Cavs--it'll be that way if he leaves too.
NFL: Cleveland and Pittsburgh--although I'm mostly just a fan of the league in general and certain players.
MLB: Yankees and Indians
NHL: Penguins and Red Wings (not so much anymore, I was just a big Yzerman fan)
College football: Buckeyes.
College basketball: IU Hoosiers

I already know how a lot of people would respond to reading that--I just don't see why people care how you became a fan of whoever. And I definitely don't think it matters either.

w.......t........f

Sorry LTrain, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I have reasons for all of them that I don't think people would take issue with--but thats the thing, there shouldn't be an issue. I absolutely hate when people are so concerned with why you're a fan of some team. It shouldn't matter--everyone has the right to be a fan of anyone they want.

SQ_Crazies wrote: Sorry LTrain, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I have reasons for all of them that I don't think people would take issue with--but thats the thing, there shouldn't be an issue. I absolutely hate when people are so concerned with why you're a fan of some team. It shouldn't matter--everyone has the right to be a fan of anyone they want.

I don't mind who people root for, but multiple teams in each sport including rivals makes 0 sense.

I'm Cleveland EVERYTHING professionally, on the college ranks I'm Buckeye football and Tar Heel basketball.

I mean, I root for OSU in basketball as well, but I spent 5 years of my life between here (Ohio) and Chapel Hill, mostly in UNC hospital due to my sister. We met some great people, including Dean Smith (even though he wasn't the head coach anymore) and were hooked up with some tix to a home game. Definitely something that a 13 year old kid doesn't forget.

NBA: LeBron then Cavs--it'll be that way if he leaves too.
NFL: Cleveland and Pittsburgh--although I'm mostly just a fan of the league in general and certain players.
MLB: Yankees and Indians
NHL: Penguins and Red Wings (not so much anymore, I was just a big Yzerman fan)
College football: Buckeyes.
College basketball: IU Hoosiers

I don't care who anyone roots for...I really, really don't

But that list has abortion written all over it.

Yeah, that's awesome.

The rivals thing I understand. Basically, I grew up in Salem--which is smack in the middle of Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Used to go to a lot of games at both places when I was younger. But like I said, I'm more just a fan of the league and certain players. I just watch those two the most because they're the most relevant in my life as far as conversations go and such. I like the Browns because I'm a Cleveland fan, just not a diehard like some are. Mainly I like the Steelers because I like Big Ben, Santonio, and Polamalu is one of my favorite players in the league. I used to hate him, when he came out of USC I was not a fan at all. But he's just so exciting to watch and l said, I'm more of a player fan than a team fan. But I'm not too big a fan of either really--just a fan of the league, I don't get excited about any one team in the NFL.

And if it's the Indians/Yankees rivalry you're wondering about, well, that I have a very valid reason for but it really doesn't matter.

lol @ ytown

What SQ is really trying to say is that he's an unloyal SOB, so he's got a lot of teams in a lot of different places. He's a fanwhore.

SQ_Crazies wrote:NBA: LeBron then Cavs--it'll be that way if he leaves too.
NFL: Cleveland and Pittsburgh--although I'm mostly just a fan of the league in general and certain players.
MLB: Yankees and Indians
NHL: Penguins and Red Wings (not so much anymore, I was just a big Yzerman fan)
College football: Buckeyes.
College basketball: IU Hoosiers

ytownfootball wrote:

NBA: LeBron then Cavs--it'll be that way if he leaves too.
NFL: Cleveland and Pittsburgh--although I'm mostly just a fan of the league in general and certain players.
MLB: Yankees and Indians
NHL: Penguins and Red Wings (not so much anymore, I was just a big Yzerman fan)
College football: Buckeyes.
College basketball: IU Hoosiers

I don't care who anyone roots for...I really, really don't

But that list has abortion written all over it.

Well stated. How anyone can root for both the Yakees and the Indians....and then the Steelers and the Browns...doesn't add up.

There are homosexuals and heterosexuals in this world....but then again there are bi-sexual switch hitters. Maybe SQ is a sports fan switch hitter....who knows.