I was going to write this a few days ago, but I'm lazy and put it off. Now it's a little less relevant.

First off, the Detroit Pistons are going to retire Dennis Rodman's jersey at halftime of their game against Chicago on April 1. Is there a better date to do it on? I think with Rodman, April Fool's Day fits perfectly. As a bonus, they're playing the Bulls, the team that Rodman helped win three championships in the late 90's.

Secondly, and this was what I was chewing over the past few days: Cleveland.

The Cavaliers won tonight, defeating the LA Clippers 126-119 in overtime at home.

They hadn't won since December 18. They hadn't won in 2011. They had lost an unimaginable 36 of 37 games.

The season started innocently enough. The Cavs were 7-9 after 16 games. Not great, but respectable, considering they no longer had LeBron James.

Then the wheels came off. Anderson Varejao reinjured his ankle and was out for the year. Mo Williams had hurt his hip in the preseason and eventually missed 13 games.  Outside of LeBron, these two were the Cavs best players.  Sure, they still had Antwan Jamison, but he's on the tail end of his career, and had never had to assume the role of leader.  Even in college, he played with Vince Carter, so it was not something he was accustomed to.

I heard a few people say that Cleveland was basically Jamison, and a summer league team.  Probably not what Cavs owner Dan Gilbert had in mind in the summer when he predicted that Cleveland would win a title before Miami and James.

This year, however, started with a bang. Opening night against the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics, they came out and outhustled Boston. Albeit, Boston was playing their second night in a row, after beating Miami the night before.  Cavs win 95-87.

Cleveland even had a three game win streak over Philly, Washington, and at New Jersey on November 9 that pushed them to 4-3. Then on November 10, they played Jersey again in Cleveland and lost by 8.  Remember November 9th. They haven't won a road game since.

After beating Memphis 92-86 on Nov. 27 to improve to 7-9, they hosted the Celtics again, and proceeded to get thumped, 106-87. Then LeBron and Co. came to town.

In one of the most hyped games of the season, the Cavs decided to give it a pass, putting up only a perfunctory performance in a 118-90 loss.  Minnesota beat them two nights later by 34. They lost to Detroit by ten, and Philly by 20. Chicago only beat them by five, but then they went to Houston and lost by 15. Oklahoma City beat them a night later by 29, they lost to the Heat by six, and Indy by nine.

December 18 rolled around and the New York Knicks came to town.  It took overtime, but Cleveland finally had a win, 109-102. They now stood at 8-19.

In 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were formed and proceeded to lose their first 26 games of existence, thereby setting the record for longest losing streak in major American sports. After one game, Bucs coach Rich McKay was asked about the execution of his offense, he replied "I'm all for it."

If you can say the Cavs season has bottomed out, that probably happened on January 11 against the LA Lakers. Cleveland almost got doubled up in a 112-57 loss. Read that again, 112-57.  55 points!

December ended with only the one win. January came and went. The Cavs went 0fer. At least in February, they're putting up a fight, losing to the Pacers by five, Memphis by seven, the Blazers by six, and Dallas by only three.

Through it all, coach Byron Scott has maintained a calm demeanor.  He's more concerned with his young team's effort than with their record. Then just two nights ago, the Cavs lost at home to Detroit in a game they were favored to win. It was their 26th loss in a row, tying the '76-'77 Bucs.  The final score was 103-94, but it wasn't that close.  Scott finally cracked.  The team was now 8-45.  He said that the lack of effort concerned him and that he was "mad as hell" at his players and the way his team played.  He should be.  It's one thing to be bad, but it's another entirely to not care.

So Cleveland is now 9-45. They're probably going to be the first team in NBA history to go from having the league's best record in one year (61-21 a year ago), to having the worst record the next. My guess, they'll probably end up around the 13-15 win area.

Can I be honest though? I don't dislike the Cavs, but I kinda wish they'd lost tonight.  Not only would it get Tampa out of the record books, (I'm a Bucs fan) it would set up a game on Sunday against Washingon where one streak had to end. See, the Wizards are 0-25 on the road this season. Something would have had to give.

Personally, I think Washington will lose Sunday and the Cavs will win their second game in a row.  Then, who knows?

Alright, sports time...more specifically baseball.
First off, Armando Gallaraga of the Detroit Tigers threw the 21st perfect game in baseball history...except the first base umpire blew the call on the final out.  Gallaraga beat the runner by a step and the ump, Jim Joyce called safe.  Every replay showed clearly that the runner was out.  To Joyce's credit, he did admit after the game that he got it wrong, and he apologized to Gallaraga.  Upstanding move by him.

Second, Ken Griffey Jr retired today.  This saddens me. Griffey was the best player of his generation.  An athletic freak who finished his career with 630 home runs.  The most refreshing thing about Griffey is that he never used steroids.  What he did, he did it on pure ability.  Just think what would have been had he not been hurt for the better part of five seasons.  I did a little math and figured out how many homers he would have hit if he was healthy for all 162 games...go ahead and add 146 more to his career total.  776! Barry Bonds, who holds the career record (ahem) only has 762. Griffey aged normally, he didn't gain a hundred pounds of muscle and revitalize his career as Bonds did.  You want proof that Barry used roids?  Look at him in 1992 vs him in 2002.  On the flip side, look at Griffey in 92 vs 02.  He's the same player. Looks the same, runs the same, swings the same...he got older, his skills eroded, he wasn't quite the same.

Griffey saved baseball in Seattle.  In the late 80's and early 90's the Mariners were a joke and were very, very close to being relocated to St Petersburg.  Griffey, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez made them relevant again. They made the playoffs in 95 and beat the Yankees in the first round.  Even after Griffey left, the team won 116 games one year. 116-46. He was the main reason that Safeco Field was built.

I think it was fitting and the only thing that would have been right to do that he finished his career in Seattle.  The Mariners realized that they owed him that.

When you remember him as a player, don't remember the older version who couldn't hit much, or run.  Remember him running up the wall to steal a home run.  Remember the diving catches he made look routine; remember the moonshot home runs he hit (a few of which may have not landed yet).  Remember that he played the game the right way: he gave 110% every day and he always had a smile on his face.  Remember that if you saw him live, you were watching a first ballot hall of famer. 

Thanks for the memories Junior...it was a joy to watch you do your thing

I'm reminded occasionally that sometimes I'm an idiot.  Good, got that out of the way. Well, lets see, since my last post my life has taken quite the interesting spin. I realize that I am not always flattering in my assessment of people, and to be fair, I deserve whatever flak I get from it. Good news, I am buying a house. Just have to get the inspection out of the way, and I'm set. Also, I will soon be engaged. I know, dramatic, isn't it?  HIere's the kicker...I'm going to marry Amy.  I was reading one of my old posts about God having a sense of humor...He does. Amy and I had a wonderful relationship in the past, but things happened that I'm not proud of, and we ended...not particularly well either. She is an amazing person, and I was very foolish to do what I did. I really don't deserve her, but hey even I occasionally get lucky. I know in the past I've not portrayed her particularly well in my posts, but that was another time and another person.  Now, I'm in love.  She is everything I could have asked for in a partner. I remember also saying that I enjoy going and reading old posts, so I can see where I've been, get an idea where I'm going...let me just get it out of the way....I was a MORON!!! Alas, with one thing and another, things seem to be heading toward a really good conclusion. I'm greatly blessed, even though I've done nothing to deserve it.

Amy and I got back together in October. It's nothing I could have seen coming, nothing I thought possible. I thought we had hurt each other too badly.  I've recently discovered, however, that love really does heal hurts. Looking back and knowing what I do now, I don't know how it was possible that I was so foolish as to make the choices I did.  Ah well, as it is said, "water under the bridge." I've learned from experience that if life ever gives you a second chance, especially in an area such as this, you are best served to take it.

I'm going to inherit a daughter from this arrangement as well! Sofia is almost 3, and she's a beautiful, awesome little girl. Amy's friend Sarah said that it seems that nothing ever happened between us, but Amy just had to go away for a while to get Sofia. I'm glad she did.  I have a family...let that sink in...a freakin family! Wedding date is tenatively set for August 28, 2010...Pray for me as I embark on this next portion of my life...I need the wisdom to be a good husband and father. I need patience and understanding, because I have a daughter and I have no sisters, have never been around little girls, so that should be a sitcom in and of itself.  Most of all, pray that I love my family as I should, that I never take the little things forgranted, and that I always treat my wife in the manner she deserves.  She is my queen, Sofia is my little princess...I've been given a second chance...Thanks, God

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