Why LeBron James is the 2016 MVP

LeBron James is the 2015-2016 NBA’s Most Valuable Player, for me at least. Here is why (but first, cue Warriors’ fans getting really mad at me and blowing up my tweets).

This is not to say or knock Steph Curry at all. He is arguably Top 2 if not the best player in the NBA right now, next to James. He by far had his best season on the best regular season team in NBA history, and that gives a great case for a unanimous MVP candidate, no?

However, with all that in mind, LeBron is still my MVP for this season.

When people argue as to why Curry is their MVP winner, they automatically go to stats. While stats convey a lot about production for a particular player, they do not reveal the whole story (keep in mind, the NBA does not keep hockey assists, which I believe Curry would have a lot of). Curry averaged 30.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.7 apg, and 2.1 spg, a very impressive stat line. LeBron averaged 25.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.8 apg, and 1.4 spg, also impressive.

So based on stats, Steph has the clear edge.

But what does MVP really mean? In recent years, it has been misconstrued to the best player in the NBA, or the one with the best stat line. Most Valuable Player is supposed to be the player that is the most irreplaceable or necessary for the team’s success.

If we are talking the league’s best player this season, it’s Curry. If we are talking most valuable to a team’s success, it’s LeBron.

Call me a homer all you want, that still doesn’t justify why LeBron isn’t most valuable to the Cavs. Curry played in 79 games this regular season, and the Warriors were 2-1 without him. LeBron played in 76 games this season, and the Cavs were 1-5 without him, with the 1 win being against the Mavericks by a 1 point margin, 99-98.

The Warriors blew by the Rockets in 5 games in the first round of the playoffs, and tore apart the Trail Blazers in Game 1 on the Western Conference Semifinals. The Cavs, without LeBron, might not have made the playoffs, maybe as a 6 or 7 seed. It looks like the Warriors won’t even have to play Steph for the semifinals the way this series is playing out.

Look, Steph Curry is the best player in the NBA right now, and that’s a Cavs fan saying that. However, if you are going to interpret the true definition of Most Valuable Player, it’s LeBron James. Player of the Year would be a more appropriate term instead for Steph this season.

In the 2008-2009 season, many wonder why Dwyane Wade did not win, seeing he had an incredible stat line of 30.2 ppg, 7.5 apg, 5.0 rpg, 2.2 spg, and 1.3 bpg, a very similar stat line to this year’s Steph Curry. Who did he lose to? LeBron James.

LeBron, that season, averaged 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.7 spg, and 1.1 bpg, which is a very close stat line to Wade’s, arguably Wade’s is better. But LeBron that season was more valuable to the Cavaliers’ success as a team overall, and if you are going to call it the Most Valuable Player Award, James should be this year’s winner.

Steph will win the award this season, LeBron will not. Heck, I think Chris Paul and Damian Lillard are more valuable to their team’s success than Curry. That is not a knock on his incredible level of play and talent. It’s just how you interpret the definition of MVP.

Source: LeBron, Wade Consider Clippers, Cavs

Per a source close to LES, Cavs small forward LeBron James and Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade are considering going to the Los Angeles Clippers next season, or at some point in the near future. This would join them with close friend Chris Paul.

The source said that the two would only consider going if Carmelo Anthony was acquired by Los Angeles.

Another possible destination would be in Cleveland, where the two are also considering joining up again. But currently, the Cavs’ locker room is torn right now between people that support LeBron and people that do not support his current antics, including unfollowing the Cavs on Twitter, his talks about joining up with different players, and his handling of post-game press conferences.

Miami is also a possible destination for the two, not as strong though, per the source. LeBron just bought a house in LA, and would consider going there. New York is not a close possibility either, and Carmelo has a strong possibility of leaving after this season.

However, the odds it happens next season or in the next couple of years is very minimal. The source said that it would most likely be an end of a career sort of deal for the 4 players. LeBron also does not want to leave Cleveland again. This is only a small consideration, but no where near close to a decision.

Please don’t tweet at me saying how I am loser. I already know I am. Just reporting a source.

LeBron James Presses Button On Social Media, Millions Freak Out

In case you missed the madness that was #UnfollowGate while hiding under your rock, sh** hit the fan on Twitter all day on Monday, when it was discovered that LeBron James unfollowed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Twitter and Instagram accounts.

In a disarray of confusion and forced logic, my timeline, which consists of a lot of Cavaliers’ fans and reporters, as well as a couple diehard (actual) Heat fans, Twitter blew up like crazy.

Research done by Twitter user @kanyecobain shows that LeBron unfollowed the Cavs on Twitter yesterday:

https://twitter.com/kanyecobain/status/712021922138214400/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Many people took to Twitter to showcase their predictive analytical skills on the matter in an intellectual fashion:

https://twitter.com/sMcDonald03/status/712403540929425408

Hey LeBron, if you're entering "playoff mode," then just delete your social media. There's no need to unfollow your team.

— J.D. Widdig (@jdwiddig) March 22, 2016

If Lebron needs to unfollow people on Twitter to drop triple doubles, it's okay with me

— Tyler Kueny (@TylerKueny) March 22, 2016

https://twitter.com/Daniel_luzney5/status/712400615998152704

Dwyane Wade also threw his rational input to the mess as well:

Slow news day huh.. https://t.co/Elgih94CWg

— DWade (@DwyaneWade) March 21, 2016

LeBron had some advice on the matter as well, except it was from 5 years ago:

Can someone explain to me why u would wanna follow someone u don't like! #doesntmakesensetome

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 10, 2011

Well said, LeBron. So why all the confusion and unfollowing?

Think about it. LeBron pushed a button and millions of people tweaked. ESPN talked about it for hours upon hours. His brand got more talked about, if that is even possible. I don’t know about you, but I’d definitely have some fun with social media knowing I had so much power and influence.

A source close to the team also stated LeBron executed the unfollow to prep for the playoffs, where executes his “Zero-Dark 23” plan every year, not using social media whatsoever. This makes some sense, but why not just get off Twitter? Unless the Cavs tweet a lot about the King (which they do) and it blows up his notifications.

If LeBron ever leaves Cleveland again, it will not be because of pushing a button on an app. It’ll be for other reasons, but there’s nothing that indicates he’s been leaving other than speculative conspiracies put out there by fans. He’s very private and his circle keeps his information very enclosed, and this hasn’t been an instant where it’s leaked yet.

Dwyane Wade is right in some sense in it being a slow news day. But LeBron is the most scrutinized player on the planet, so everything he does is news (don’t believe me, check espn.com’s feed every day).

Honeslty, if he gets a triple-double every time he unfollows the Cavs, then lets get the Wine & Gold a Tumblr and a Soundcloud. But stop freaking out about nothing, unless you’re a Heat fan.

Source: Haslam Considering Pettine Gone and Farmer Staying

Per source, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is considering the route of firing head coach Mike Pettine, and keeping general manager Ray Farmer. The opposite was put out by Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, and Mary Kay Cabot reported it on cleveland.com a few days ago (check it in the link).

The same source told me that Ray Farmer did not have any control over any of the Browns picks since his hiring in 2014:

https://twitter.com/KinsleyLES/status/683107327554273280

Supposedly, Farmer relinquished control to Haslam and Pettine, and a lot of the players were not the ones he considered drafting. Pettine and Farmer do not have a very good relationship, per another source.

In addition, the source told me that a lot of the firing will depend on Pettine’s relationship with Haslam in the next week or so. The Browns owner is also preparing to start from scratch in the office as well:

https://twitter.com/KinsleyLES/status/683110877214707712

In my tweet, 50-50 means it is not %100, not necessarily a coin flip decision. Haslam is more much likely to fire Pettine than not, but it is not concrete, as it shouldn’t be. However, there is justification for that route.

Above: Mike Pettine is 10-21 currently as the Browns head coach, but only 3-18 in his last 21 games (photo courtesy of chatsports.com)

This route is the very opposite to what many believed should happen. A copious amount of people, including myself, believed Farmer should be the one to go, and Pettine could stay. However, a lot of people want both gone, and for Haslam to clean house afterwards. That strategy has not worked for the Browns since 1999, and Jimmy knows that.

https://twitter.com/KinsleyLES/status/683120952742391809

To reiterate, nothing is set is stone at this point. However, the possibility of this happening is very strong.

The Browns are the perfect soap opera, and we’ll see what happens after the season finale against the Steelers at First Energy Stadium. We’ll keep you posted if we find out any more relevant information.

(featured photo courtesy of Dawg Pound Daily)

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter, and our site also.

 

 

 

When I Found Out LeBron Was Coming Home, 7 Months Before It Happened

In honor of LeBron’s 31st birthday, I relive the day I found out he would return his talents to Lake Erie, 6 days before his 29th birthday:

Twas the night before Christmas, in 2013

I sat at my friends’ with crackers and cheese.

When my friends’ father said something to me

That filled me with joy, and caused me to tweet:

https://twitter.com/KinsleyLES/status/415653977271713792

I was at a Christmas party at my family friends’ house, about 5 minutes away from mine. My family already went to Christmas mass right before, and we got there around 7:30. I will never forget that night.

I didn’t know what to believe when my friend’s dad said this. He had a buddy in Miami close to the organization, who knew things “that normal people weren’t supposed to know.” Confused by this, he assured me that things like this in the past were affirmed by him as well.

But how could the man possibly know that LeBron James would return, in the midst of a 3-peat with the Miami Heat, and that Kevin Love would come to Cleveland, when that part of the deal wasn’t even up to the Cavaliers, but the Minnesota Timberwolves? Was the NBA rigged?

These are all questions that popped up in my head spontaneously. I decided to roll with the tweet around 8:20 pm after being assured the man in Miami was confident. And it came with backlash:

“@FlopCitySports: From a source in Miami, Kevin Love and LeBron James are coming to Cleveland next year. THIS IS NOT A JOKE." Bull

— Ethan Wibben (@ewibb) December 25, 2013

(There were much worse tweets, believe me, but it’s tough to find all of them nowadays on Twitter).

Before it happened, Miami Heat bandwagon fans in my fraternity (who are now Cavs fans again), called me a moron and said it would never happen. Bulls fans in my fraternity and on campus said the same thing. Cavs fans were skeptical, although some trusted me.

But honestly, if someone told me this, I wouldn’t believe it either. Even if it was true, I wouldn’t want my hopes to be given up as a diehard Cavs fan.

But I had a huge sports scoop in the palm of my hand, and I decided to try and get the news out there. I had nothing to lose, no reporting reputation to garnish, so I took a leap of faith.

Back then I was a sports parody account under the name “Flop City Sports”, which is why I really emphasized the fact that I wasn’t playing.

Later in the process, I was lucky enough to hear from another source that LeBron enrolled his kids into a local Akron school in May, before the 2014 season had concluded:

LeBron's kids will attend school next year back home in Bath Township. Read more here: http://t.co/xqExmL488a pic.twitter.com/BkCjKLJSAj

— BIGPLAY CLE (@BIGPLAYcle) May 29, 2014

The story has since been taken down (and I have since been blocked from the site on 3 different accounts as well). At first, I wasn’t allowed to report this, and I was discouraged to post the Christmas Eve tweet (not by them, but by another site I wrote for at the time). However, sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling, even if the odds are against you.

I can’t explain the details and what was said behind closed doors between LeBron’s, Love’s, and the Cavs’ people and reps. All I know is that it happened, and it happened perfectly.

It seemed strange that Kyrie Irving re-signed with the Cavs so quickly too (although money talks), without knowing what would happen with the future of the team. Which is why I believe the current Cleveland Big 3 talked a lot before they all came together. James definitely did the same with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh before heading to South Beach.

At Zydrunas Ilguaskas’ retirement, you could see a photo of Kyrie and LeBron happily interacting, which reinforces that they were good friends:

I don’t post this article to gloat or boast about the situation I was in, nor make any light of it. I do it to remind people to go with their gut, to never give up, and to always stay true to your roots. To the people that never left the Cavs, and watched them play every game like I did in 2013-2014, you deserve it.

LeBron’s 31st birthday today has made me realize how far he has come since I watched him play at St. Vincent St. Mary’s when he was just 15 years old. It made me realize how lucky the Cavs were to be so bad the year before he entered the league, to have that #1 pick.

It made me realize that no matter what, anything can happen. There is no gift Cleveland could give to LeBron better than the gift he gave to us on July 11th, 2014.

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter @KinsleyLES, and our site @LakeErieSports.

Johnny Manziel and the Four Loko

Sounds like a bedtime story you could read to your future Cleveland son, right? Well, in case you haven’t heard, another Manziel drinking video surfaced…

Yes, DJ Khaled, another one. But, wait, get this, that Four Loko has %12 alcohol, and he was drinking it with his friend on Christmas Day!

I know. But if this doesn’t set you over the top, I don’t know what will. He, according to the media, was partying, and this ESPN tweet says he was rapping to Future again! Incriminating!

ICYMI: Mike Pettine to meet w/ Manziel after second video of QB rapping to Future surfaces: https://t.co/ehQDcLof6P pic.twitter.com/ff1LKUDgMw

— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2015

In case you wanted to be the judge, see the instagram video posted by Busted Coverage yourself!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BUSTED COVERAGE (@bustedcoverage)

Take him to jail! He dabbed too!

I mean, c’mon, it’s not like Four Loko is even a real drink anymore. Back in the day, when it literally killed people after 2 drinks, it was the realest. But now, it isn’t anything. Maybe we could talk about this if it was a bottle of Bacardi 151?

But seriously, on Christmas Day, this dude, who obviously has been in the spotlight for drinking, can’t have a drink? It’s also worse to note that the Cleveland and national media considers this a “party”. Have you ever been to a party? Doubt it.

It’s stuff like this that pisses you off as a Cleveland Browns fan. A lot of fans believe in this dude, being quite possibly the best answer to the QB position for the orange & brown since ’99.

I realize the media has to do their job, but c’mon, we’re paying more attention to this video than the Armonty Bryant and De’Ante Sanders incident, which also happened on Christmas?

To me, that’s a joke. Because those two were drunk, and had guns, and an illegal prescription. Manziel, on the other hand, had a drink designated for women in his basement on the same day. Let’s bash him though!

The media is a joke. How are we supposed to take you clowns seriously if you cover stories like this over actual stories? The fact that he could be punished for this, to the extent a criminal could, according to the clowns, is mind-boggling. Doing tactics like this for clicks and views ain’t gonna fly.

Call me a Manziel apologist all you want, but this is some bull. I’m wouldn’t be surprised if this dude gets a sponsorship from Four Loko, or a call from Future. If the media and NFL can make money off of him for exploiting him, those people might as well!

And to think people on ESPN are saying his parents didn’t raise him right is absurd. There are bigger crimes and much worse people!

My only concern is the post itself. Why post it? But, as Ben Axelrod explains:

@TaylorRooks because if you don’t post it, it never happened. Damn millenials.

— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) December 29, 2015

Damn hard to argue with that logic.

Last thoughts: Manziel, 7/10 on the dab. A little better than Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson on the execution, but it was Christmas, so I’ll be giving. Also, Future is pretty impossible to understand without a translator, so I’ll let the lip sync slide this time as well.

Can’t wait to talk about another pointless Manziel story sometime with you in the… Future!

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter @KinsleyLES, and our site @LakeErieSports.

 

 

Jason Day’s Wife, Johnny Manziel, Iman Shumpert Jr., & the Cavs

So, the Cavs won. You knew that. Stats are cool, but let’s check out some other stuff that doesn’t matter as much! Here are some things we learned from the Thursday night matchup of the Cavs vs. the Thunder:

1. Manziel drank something. Yep, Johnny Manziel was seen court side at the Cavs’ game, drinking something out of a small cup. It looked like a Pepsi, but people were trying to speculate, saying it could’ve had liquor in it, since it was a small cup. But honestly, who cares?

Manziel was seen dapping up a couple Kevins, including Durant before the game:

Kevin Durant greets Johnny Manziel, sitting courtside in Cleveland https://t.co/3wipnkTRmo—
The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) December 18, 2015

And Kevin Love after a pass to LeBron, who finished an and-one:

After completing TD pass to LeBron, Kevin Love went over and slapped hands with Johnny Manziel.

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) December 18, 2015

Manziel wasn’t the only local celeb at the game, with appearances from Indians’ Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis:

https://twitter.com/cavs/status/677679244022046720/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

2. LeBron DESTROYED Jason Day’s Wife:

LeBron is a strange guy sometimes. At instances, he won’t hustle on a defensive play, like against the Celtics the other day:

But then, there are instances where LeBron runs over a PGA Major Championship Winner’s wife, Ellie Harvey, like on Thursday. Jason Day’s wife doesn’t even flinch, and gets taken out by a 250 pound man. Meanwhile, Day flinches horrifically, and doesn’t even spare his wife any harm from the pain she was horribly inflicted. She had to be taken off on a stretcher, while Jason worryingly followed her.

Now, Day’s reaction was quick and spontaneous, and had he had more time, he obviously would’ve protected Ellie. So I don’t blame him. Or LeBron. Just the fact that the court has NO space between spectators and the court. Also, LeBron really took that girl out, just saying.

3. Iman Shumpert and His Wife Out With Injured Groins. Iman and his wife Teyana Taylor had their baby girl Iman Shumpert Jr. early Thursday morning. Iman helped his wife deliver the girl in the bathroom!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Grown man Mani (@imanshumpert)

Shumpman is definitely right about this being his best assist. Also, they both were out Thursday with injured groins. Haha.

4. Sources can be wrong. Reports came out before Thursday saying Kyrie Irving would play against the Thunder, like in this ESPN article. However, he denied that rumor.

The story goes to show, don’t always trust the sources.

5. Jared Cunningham might be a rock. The dude has never seen Anchorman?! Are you serious?!

Snapshot of CLE locker room: LeBron explaining the scene from Anchorman to Jared Cunningham when Jack Black punts Baxter. JC's never seen it

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 18, 2015

LeBron is a movie connoisseur, so obviously he’s seen it. But so has every other American ever, except Cunningham? Damn, that might be worthy of a trade. (But seriously, great stuff on the court, Jared.)

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter @KinsleyLES, and our site @LakeErieSports.

 

Kyrie Irving’s Hilarious Off the Court Life

If you’re looking for actual journalism, this article probably isn’t for you. But, if you like meaningless reports about Kyrie Irving, then this article is for you my friend!

The Cavs’ star point guard will return to the lineup soon for the Wine & Gold, in what has been 6 months since the last time he was on an NBA court. Apparently, Uncle Drew has been healthy and ready to play for the past week, according to a report by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Irving will definitely be in the lineup before the anticipated Finals rematch on Christmas Day against the Warriors, and it is sure possible he returns home against the Thunder on Thursday.

So, with the excitement of Kyrie reappearing on the roster again, here’s some unimportant things you don’t know about the 23 year old from New Jersey:

1. He lives in a very popular cul-de-sac. Irving lives in Westlake, a few cities over on the west side of Cleveland, and one that is notorious being the home for other local celebrity athletes as well. He recently moved into Daniel “Boobie” Gibson’s old home, and some of his neighbors have included Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, JR Smith, and Kendrick Perkins.

2. He loves playing video games. Kyrie is definitely a gamer. Maybe not to the extent of former Wizard and gun outlaw Gilbert Arenas, but he definitely presses the B button from time to time. In fact, Irving will frequently get kids knocking on his door asking to play with him, and he has no problem in handing them an L.

The neighborhood kids absolutely love him. Apparently, he also lost to his neighbor in 2K, who is a 10th grader (c’mon Kyrie!).

3. Irving is Australian for beer, not Foster’s. 

Okay, you can block me on Twitter if you want, because that didn’t make sense, nor was it funny. Also, my photoshopping skills are about as mediocre as the Browns are at the NFL Draft.

Anyways, Irving has been heard to party with local students who return back home from college. Word on the street is he’s a pro at beer pong. I just can’t see it. It’s like the dude is also a pro at basketball or something!

4. 6 Man Could’ve Been About Him, Too.

For you older readers, I’m referring to a song by Drake called “6 Man”, off his mixtape If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late, where he raps:

      “Boomin’ out in South Gwinnett like Lou Will
6 man like Lou Will, 2 girls and they get along like I’m…
Like I’m Lou Will”

Lou Williams played for the Raptors last season, and is now on the Los Angeles Lakers. Drake wrote that verse about the former 6th Man of the Year in the NBA, but he could’ve also written it about Kyrie as well:

Now, Kyrie could’ve simply been okay with one women while drinking a cold Foster’s (he was born in Australia, if you haven’t picked that up by now). But, no, Irving wasn’t satisfied, he decided to bring along

5. He Will Probably Get Into Acting or Producing Later On

Irving is notorious for being the star of Pepsi’s Youtube series “Uncle Drew”. He recently co-produced the 4th chapter, which came out in November. He has a natural talent for acting, and has said he would love to get into more of it later on in his life.

He also said it a little sarcastically in this Foot Locker commercial:

Thanks for tolerating this article. If you made it this far to the bottom, you either appreciate my writing, or you have nothing better to do!

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(photos courtesy of pba-online.net and Pepsi)

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter @KinsleyLES, and our site @LakeErieSports.

 

 

455 Report: Week of December 7th Quick Takes

The 455 Report is a weekly report on quick takes involving the Cleveland Indians, Browns, Cavs, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The 455 stands for the number of consecutive sellouts at Jacobs Field.

This week’s takes come in topics including Johnny Manziel and the historically bad Browns, the overreaction at Quicken Loans Arena, player ideas for the Tribe, and the robbery of the Buckeyes’ playoff chances.

Browns: Reports surfaced last night and today that Johnny Manziel has been essentially “set free”, and given the starting the job for the remainder of the season again. This, after he was given the starting job, but we all know what happened during the Browns’ bye week. Pettine, however, said no QB decision has been made yet.

Manziel just turned 23 yesterday, and was reward by being benched for the 2nd consecutive game. In all honesty, he deserved some punishment for lying to Browns’ officials. But now is the time to start Manziel to see if the Browns need to draft a QB for next year. And lemme answer that for you…

NO! The Browns can draft a QB if they want to, just not in the earlier rounds. In case they haven’t noticed, they have no offensive playmakers. Other than Terrelle Pryor, all their starters are around 5’8″-5’10” in height, and they have statistically the 2nd worst defense in the NFL, the 8th worse passing defense, and 4th overall worst defense (2nd worst in terms of point per game). Josh McCown, Austin Davis, and Manziel have done pretty well given that they have no team or coaching staff to work with. The Browns need to draft elsewhere in 2016, at any position, whoever has the most talent on the board.

As I like to say, the Browns are a team away from the Super Bowl. The coaching staff is struggling as well. Pettine and Farmer both need to be fired, and the Browns need to make a big splash at a coaching hire, which will not be easy. However, it needs to be done instead of hiring another inexperienced coach. Candidates can include Jon Gruden, Nick Saban, Jim Tressel, among others. It won’t be easy, but Jimmy Haslam will need to pull out the wallet (as well as the Bible) for this one.

Indians: With winter meetings underway right now for all MLB teams in Nashville, the Indians can make some serious negotiations towards big moves for the team. They need a few bats, a 3rd baseman, and a right fielder. With talks of Carlos Carrasco being moved around the trade deadline last season occurring, especially with the Tribe trying to acquire Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig, I could see him being moved.

The Reds recently announced 3B Todd Frazier, and every player on their team, is being shopped. The Indians could definitely include a package with Carrasco for acquiring Frazier, who posted a .255 BA, 35 HR, and 89 RBIs for Cincinnati last season.

Reports are that the Indians are also interested in Shane Victorino, although they are not known to be too serious. Jason Kipnis may also move to center field.

Cavs: In case you have a severe case of forgetting what happened in the 2014-2015 season, the Cavs (and particularly LeBron James) rest for the playoffs throughout the season. It may not be obvious, and it may be ugly, but that’s the matter of the fact. They are a 4th quarter team, and a team that finishes the season out strong. They are without Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, who are both returning relatively soon. Timofey Mozgov is still recovering with his knee, and Mo Williams isn’t 100%.

So yes, the Cavs are 13-7, but in the words of the great Aaron Rodgers:

R-E-L-A-X!

Buckeyes: I’m not going to sugarcoat it: I believe Ohio State got robbed by the selection committee. It started with ranking Oklahoma #3 initially, not necessarily just this weekend. Both Ohio State and the Sooners beat decent teams (TCU for OU, Michigan for OSU), but to me, the loss against Texas really stands out. The Longhorns, who finished 5-7, and are bowl ineligible, beat the Sooners 24-17 on October 10th.

Ohio State just recently lost to #3 Michigan State by a field goal, who is also in the College Football Playoff alongside Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is deserving, but Ohio State definitely did not get the treatment Florida State did after their national championship win. Immediately getting bumped to #3 when the rankings came out, the loss bumped them out of the top 4. Whose loss is weighted more? The committee thought Oklahoma’s wasn’t as significant. They won the Big 12, but were basically rewarded for not having to play in a championship game.

I won’t be too mad though, because I still have a nice 2014 National Champions hat that I always will have. Go Bucks.

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter @KinsleyLES, and our site @LakeErieSports.

Top 10 Coldplay Songs of All-Time

(above, Coldplay having fun, unlike what Manziel is allowed to do on bye weeks)

Pepsi and the NFL just recently announced that Coldplay will be playing at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in February. The popular British band also just released their 7th album “A Head Full of Dreams”.

Now, I usually only write about Cleveland related items here, and the Super Bowl and the Browns are like Diet Coke and Mentos. But I really like Coldplay, and this site needs some content (plus, I can write about whatever the hell I want to on my site).

So, without further ado, this is tough, but here are my top 10 favorite Coldplay songs of all-time, including all of their releases:

(Honorable Mention: Yellow, Warning Sign, The Scientist, Speed of Sound, Paradise, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, Hymn for the Weekend)

10. Charlie Brown (Mylo Xyloto)

I loved Mylo Xyloto, despite a lot of critics not liking the way Coldplay was heading in the industry with their 5th release. My favorite song on the album was “Charlie Brown”. Jonny Buckland broke out on this album, and his guitar part on this song is beautiful and powerful. Classic for me.

9. Trouble (Parachutes)

Coldplay’s debut album “Parachutes” featured some classics, such as “Yellow”, “Sparks”, “Shiver”, and this song. Trouble is a beautifully haunting rainy day type of song that I love playing whenever the Browns lose on a Sunday night.

8. Midnight (Ghost Stories)

Ghost Stories was a very different release from the band, who added more pop and synth instruments than ever before. This song is hauntingly beautiful, and makes Chris Martin sound like a heartbroken robot, like me repeating my same sorrows on Sundays with the Browns. The bass pumps adrenaline through my ears and body, and leaves an addicting satisfaction for a repeat listen.

7. Adventure of a Lifetime (A Head Full of Dreams)

I love Coldplay’s new release. Very strong, upbeat, and nostalgic. It brings back certain vibes of old albums, as well as modernizing their sound for 2015-2016. “Adventure of a Lifetime” highlights Buckland’s shredding abilities, as well as Coldplay’s ability to create a song to groove to.

6. Viva la Vida (Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends)

Their only #1 hit in America, and probably their go-to song. “Viva la Vida” was awesome for me in 2008, but it is not as awesome as their other songs. Still, kinda hard not to put this banger in my top 10.

5. Violet Hill (Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends)

The first time I heard this song was on MTV2 (when that was a thing), and the next day I heard it live at Quicken Loans Arena. The chorus echoes “if you love me, won’t you let me know”, kinda like the question I ask the Browns after every heartbreaking, mentally deteriorating decision they make in front of my innocent eyes. It’s haunting, but very beautiful at the same time. Coldplay makes beautiful bangers, and this is one of them. Love the bass drum in this song.

4. Talk (X & Y)

Buckland’s guitar part is my favorite Coldplay riff probably ever. I imagine myself in space or hovering over Lake Erie at nighttime listening to this. I love its fast-paced drums and reverb-capturing sounds. Talk speaks to me in a way the Cleveland Browns could never emulate. “Or do something that’s never been done”, like a Super Bowl in Cleveland (Coldplay + Browns = feels).

3. A Sky Full of Stars (Ghost Stories)

This dance anthem is a song I can’t get out of my head, like that Monday Night loss against Baltimore. “A Sky Full of Stars” is powerful, peaceful, and epic all at the same time. You gotta love the power in Chris Martin’s voice throughout the song. Despite my natural beliefs, the band plays this song live pretty well (if you ever get a chance to see Coldplay live, DO IT. Worth the price).

2. Fix You (X & Y)

This song is a perfect Cleveland Browns post game song. Every lyric applies to some certain aspect of the team. Awful yet beautiful and prophetic! The song starts out by giving you the feels, but also adding in elements of gorgeousness and serene atmosphere. Then, the guitar and drums and bass kick in, and you just gotta jam to it. A timeless song. Johnny Manziel, “I will try to fix you”, cuz Pettine certainly won’t.

1. Clocks (A Rush of Blood to the Head)

And… my favorite Coldplay song of all time: “Clocks”. The first song by them I ever heard. It’s a classic. I remember hearing this song at Jacobs Field all the time. It made me want to listen to more Coldplay songs. The piano sets the tempo of the song, and the difference in percussion and key arrangements are what make this song unique. I love the song lyric “A tiger’s waiting to be tamed”, the beautiful lyric that reminds me about how the Browns can’t tame Johnny Party! The lyrics are soft-spoken, but very powerful and meaningful. I can listen to this song in any setting (I have a trap remix too for college situations as well). They really outdid themselves on this track.

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So, @ Cleveland Browns, be more like Coldplay, and be awesome, and make an appearance at a Super Bowl sometime while I’m alive. Thanks!

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Joey Kinsley, Founder, Writer, Lake Erie Sports

Follow me on Twitter @KinsleyLES, and our site @LakeErieSports.