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“NBA-Cavaliers-No Regrets”

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There is disappointment no doubt, over how the Golden State Warriors tore apart the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals.

It was a series that was not very close, but it was a great team, Golden State-vs-a great player, from Cleveland.

LeBron James, with very little talent support around him, had no chance to carry Cleveland to victory against a firepower franchise that has to be viewed as a modern dynasty, with 3-titles in in 4-years.

NBA free agency is looming shortly, and so is another ‘decision’ , the decision, from James. Opt out of his 36M contract, leave Cleveland again, test free agency, try to put together another dream team with close friend Chris Paul, or stay and see if his Cavaliers can add on?.

Mention LeBron James, and what flashes to mind are the super human efforts of dragging the Cavaliers, willing the Cavaliers thru the playoff series, to get to the finals.

But of course, mention LeBron James, and you always have the flashbacks to his defection the first time around from Cleveland. You know, the ugly press conference, “taking my talents to South Beach”.

But sandwiched around his flight for big money to join the Miam Heat, have been two marvelous tenures with the team he grew up rooting form, form his hometown of Akron, Ohio, the Cavs.

The Miracle in Richfield Cavs, the Bill Fitch-Cavs, the Coliseum and Gund Arena Cavaliers. And now the King Jams era. All part of Cavs heritage, much like Nick Melti, Ted Stephen,Bill Musselman and Joe Tait.

Of course there has been turmoil along the way. The ouster of respected GM-David Griffin. The firing of coach David Blatt. The controversial trade of Kyrie Irving, breaking up something that was special.

He has now been part of 8-straight NBA teams that have gone to the finals. Only Bill Russell, not even Michael Jordan, ever accomplished that.

King James and his court, or whatever that was on the floor with him, have had a marvelous run.

A 1-man gang, he finishes this championship series averaging 34-points and 8-rebounds a game.

In the playoffs, he topped 40-points, 8-different times, against defenses that loaded up on him, knew what was coming, but could not still stop him. He had 4-triple doubles, in the playoffs, where they match best-vs-best. He had 2-buzzer beater baskets too.

Where does he go from here? There are two scenarios right now. He ops out of Cleveland and goes somewhere to join a frat team. Or he links up with Chris Paul, who can also opt out, and they join forces somewhere.

A max contract could take him to the Rockets to join James Hardin and Paul.

The Lakers have stockpiled all this young talent, and he could be the difference maker for 3-or-4 years, that might take LA to the top.

It’s hard to imagine Golden State adding this talent to that array of talent, in the salary cap era, but anything is possible.

There’s a young group on the Miami Heat roster but is there enough talent that he could lead the Heat back. The Chris Bosh-Dwayne Wade era is over.

The wildcard could be the specialness that the San Antonio Spurs have become with Greg Popovic. King James, Kawhai Leonard and a unique combo of young players.

In Cleveland, hot summer weather is descending on the city. Enough for fans to complain. The NFL Browns have been horrible. The Indians are struggling at .500 and don’t draw.

There should be no complaints from any Cavaliers fan going forward. LeBron gave them great years earlier, got them a ring when he returned. He has done spectacular things thru his foundations in both Cleveland and Akron.

Cavs fans should be ready to say ‘thanks for the memories’. If he had never arrived, or never come back, the Cavs could have been the Sacramento Kings for all of these years. And that would have been something to complain about.

King James. No regrets on either side.

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“What Fans-Voters-Think About NFL-National Anthem-Players”

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The war of words involving the NFL, the Players Union,the President, the Media, and its fans was taken to a new level.

Quinnipiac University, which conducts political polls of voters, ha spent the past week doing a random nationwide survey of voters about their feelings of who is right, who is wrong, what they feel about the on going debate of the National Anthem issues and the Social Problems the players are attempting to address.

Statistics worth studying:

Quinnipiac University….Political Poll on National Anthem
..58%-Players are not being unpatriotic…35%-Criticize players-disrespectful

..82%-Democrats-Players right to protest…13%-Players wrong
..82%-Republicans-Players are disrespectful..18%-Agree with players

..67%-Hispanics-Players have right..23%-Players wrong
..85%-Blacks-Players have right protest…13%-Disagree with players
..51%-White Voters-Players are wrong..44%-Allow players protest

..51%-Americans agree with NFL new rules…42%-Disagree
..51%-Americans disagree NFL should fine teams…44%-Agree discipline

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“Baseball-The Glare of the Light”

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This is a tough call to make. Tough to take a stance on. Tough to write about. Tough to watch the young man deal with it.

Tough too to know what really happened.

Oregon State’s top pitcher, lefthand Luke Heimlich, is a player without a team going forward.

1-of the top college pitchers in baseball, he has now gone thru the draft a second time, and has not been chosen.

The Beavers ace is a registered sex offender, for an incident that happened when he was 15-years old.

He is on track to graduate. He has been a model citizen in Corvallis his entire career.

He confirmed his plea agreement after an incident with a 6-year old niece, so there would be no trial, and his extended family would not be put thru the pain of a court case.

Now he says he was co-erced into accepting the deal. A year after being taken off everyone’s draft board, he gets bypassed again.

The family says he was victimized in the legal system. The university has supported the young man thru all the counseling programs he volunteered to enter.

The mother of the daughter says he is not innocent, but refuses to shed details.

The Oregonia newspaper dug up the incident a year ago getting access to the file of police, which showed he had registered as a sex offender.

Now no major league baseball team wants to draft him, and likely none will sign him, as his ‘past’ trails him around.

This is the same game of baseball that has tolerated PED cheats, drug abusers, alcoholics, wife beaters, those guilty of DUIs, gun violations, and more.

For a pitcher, who dominated college baseball for a second year in a row, and went (15-1) this year, his personal trial seems never ending, with no resolve, until some club takes a stand saying everyone deserves a second chance.

The fact he has never been in trouble since, should be some type of message. The fact teammates speak up for him, and a Unigvrsity President has supported him thru his rehab, should merit some consideration.

But because this involved an innocent child who was touched, it obviously makes a difference.

Everyone recognizes the names Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, Jerry Sandusky and so many more. Now Luke Heimlich’s name is now mentioned in somewhat the same circumstances, with a very different type of victim, a child

You be the baseball exec of a team. Would you take a chance on him, in that he seems reformed?

I would with conditions, and after extensive due diligence.

Sadly, no one else in baseball seems willing, at least not yet.

The glare of the light is oh so strong on this situation.

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“NFL Questions Worth Asking”

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Notes-here-there-everywhere around the NFL.

WHITE HOUSE…..President Trump keeps tweeting about NFL players, the anthem, and more. The Eagles deliver their own message, as only 10-players say they’d go with owner Jeff Lurie to a so called Super Bowl honor ceremony for Philadelphia. Trump cancels it, uninvited the Eagles, and invites lots more public rebuke going forward.

PATRIOTS….The final week of their OTA’s, then their mandatory full minicamp. QB-Tom Brady and TE-Rob Gronksowski both finally show up, so crisis averted about a player’s revolt about Bill Belicheck’s ‘Doom’ personality. Gee it’s just June-now what the Pats beat writer going to write about.

CAROLINA…So many new things in off season camps. Watch this project. The Panthers new offensive coordinator Norm Turner, trying to refine the mechanics of quarterback Cam Newton. Not reign him in, or stop him from running with th ball, but rather, up his poor 52% completion rate.

MINNESOTA….New QB-Kirk Cousins, meet the new pages at the back end of the Vikings playbook, about the run-pass options they want to install in their offense.

SEATTLE….Things will be different for QB-Russell Wilson now, with a retooled offense, new RB-Rashaad Penny, and new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Look for a very different offensive package.

RAMS…They are going for broke this season, with all their off season acquisitions. Ndomakong Suh, Aquib Taleb, Marcus Peters. The big story is will they be broke next offseason, and how will they resign all these players headed towards free agency? Still unresolved, the future pay scale for their top defensive tackle Aaron Donald, whom they refused to restructure after 3-very good seasons.

MIAMI….Ryan Tannehill, meet your new teammates. The Dolphins are very different in camp now. The quarterback returns, but there is no Jay Ajayi, Jarvis Landry, Ndomakong Suh. A lot of talent gone.

CHARGERS….It appears they want Antonio Gates in their rear-view mirror, not willing to re-sign him, even with the loss of Hunter Henry to a season ending injury. And now Mike Williams, last year’s top pick, is ailing again, with a hamstring in camp. Knee and back problems wasted away his rookie season.

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“Padres Pitching-A Trickle Becomes a Torrent”

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Baseball is all about pitching. If you have it, you have a good team. If you don’t you are in trouble.

The Padres are about to put trouble in their rear-view mirror.

There will likely be no more 1-year rentals. No more gambling on guys taking low priced contracts job to rebuild their career. No more journeyman trying to hang on. No more injury rehab guys.

At least not it you connect the dots, look at the blueprint, and follow the rosters of each of the Padres minor league teams.

Another big arm joined the list of new Padres pitching acquisitions, with the first round selection of high school phenom Ryan Weathers, a 19-year old left-hander, and the son of former major league hurler David Weathers, a former Reds-Mets-Brewers pitcher.

The stats are staggering, a (10-0) record with a microscopic 0.09-ERA in the hight school ranks with 148-striekouts in 76-innings.

He may be three years away for sure, but the conga line of arms has just started at Petco Park.

In the last 4-drafts, the Padres have selected 82-pitchers in the draft, signed 7-pitchers in the International Free Agent period, and traded for 5-other big arms in a wide variety of trades.

Tyson Ross and Clayton Richard head up this rotation. Joey Luchessi and Eric Lauer have just arrived. Luis Perdomo and Dinielson Lamet will rally from arm issues.

If you believe quality and quantity go hand in hand, then Ryan Weathers heads up a wave of a total of 95-new pitchers in the organization.

(2017)…The Padres added 16-pitchers, headed by high school phenom MacKenzie Gore, and young arm Nick Margevisius already having success in the minors.

(2016)…First round pick Calvin Quantrill seems to be the next one in the assembly line of draft picks to be called up, but the real gem might be Class A-pitcher Reggie Lawson, dominating at lower levels.. Luchessi and Lauer have already graduated to the majors. That was part of a stunning 24-pitchers picked up in one summer.

(2015)…Phil Maton was the first to get here, but injuries has slowed the progress of the rest of the group, led by Jacob Nix. The disappoint has been the top pick in that draft, Austin Smith, who has never found his talent level yet. Seventeen pitchers joined the organization.

(2014)…Sometimes it takes time, you have to hope so, that this group of arms don’t wash out completely. TJ Weir, a reliever, is still in the system, as are Chris Huffman and Corey Bluberg, each having had some success at different levels, but no consistency. Kyle McGrath has had a cup of coffee. Injuries stopped Zach Lemond. The retooling on the mound started with 25-arms that summer.

(Surprises)…Luis Perdomo came as a Rule 5-draft pick and has had some success and will be back from El Paso this season, in what turned out to be a solid acquisition from the Cardinals. Lamet got here faster than anyone projected, and will recover from surgery.

(Trades)…Jose Castillo came from Tampa Bay, and has climbed up the ladder. The Padres believe there is star status in Miguel Diaz, an ex Miami Marlins prospects. Logan Allen came from the Red Sox and authored a no hitter last week. Surgery slowed the progress of Chris Paddock-Miami, and Anderson Espinosa-Boston, but the upside still exists.

(Internationals)….There are six young arms slotted at different spots in the farm system, all very young, and all a bunch of years away. Adrian Morejon, Ron Bolanos, Osvaldo Hernandez, Henry Henry, Michael Baez and Omar Fernandez are arms worth following.

Within a year, Padres ERA’s of 5.00-plus should no longer be part of any conversation. Pitching takes time to develop, and you get the sense, that the franchise is built to win for the next five years going forward. They surely won’t all make it. Some will get hurt. Some flameout. Some reach plateaus and never go beyond that. Some might be trade bait.

So just keep that new number in mind “94”….Ryan Weathers, and all the others acquired in the prior four years by the Padres front office.

Padres pitching, a trickle of talent about to become a torrent of talent. Winning should follow.

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