Why I Don't Care About The Buckeyes and The NCAA Anymore

(This post was originally written two weeks ago, and was supposed to be released prior to Ohio State's first game of the season. When it wasn't completed in time, I chose not to post it. However, in the wake of Sports Illustrated's profile of Oklahoma State's program and Yahoo! Sports' recent report on SEC programs, it only added fuel to the flame. Dan Wetzel is referenced in the post, and his column on the subject hit the nail on the head generally better than what I wrote below).

I was born in Cleveland. When it came to college football, if you wanted to cheer for the sport, you only had one option: the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Cleveland State Vikings had no football team, and unless you had a family connection to another Ohio college, there was absolutely no reason for your football allegiance to not bleed scarlet and grey. I remember as a kid that I would follow the same format. I'd tune in to watch the Ohio State game and see Eddie George scamper for touchdowns on ABC followed by a local high school quiz show called Academic Challenge and the state lottery game show, Cash Explosion. My fall Saturdays were highly entertaining even if Ohio State wasn't the best team in the country.

At that time, fans were fully aware of the NCAA's rules, but they often disregarded it. They turned a blind eye to it mostly because there was no reason to pay attention to it. The only scandal that I can recall from that era was Gene Stallings's Alabama team, and that did not seem to get the type of national media attention that it would today. As fans, we accepted that players got full scholarships, and that a free education was a proper reward for whatever they did on the field.

With the advent of the Bowl Championship Series, things started to change. In Death to the BCS, written by Dan Wetzel (in my opinion, the best current sports columnist), Josh Peter, and Jeff Passan, the authors detail the level of greed and lack of logic behind the system that determines the national champion in college football. The bowl system relies on its supposed history and prestige to be appealing to schools and their fans, but the reality is that it only lines the pockets of conference commissioners and bowl leadership. Over the years of the BCS, it's become clear: the people at the top will not allow anything to stop them from making as much money as possible.

When it comes to being an Ohio State fan, everything turned with the notorious and annoyingly named “Tattoo-gate.” It was one thing to be exposed by reports, but now the NCAA had no choice but to investigate and make an example of the Buckeyes based off their rules for student athletes. The ordeal cost coach Jim Tressel his job, even though Tressel probably did the same actions (or lack thereof) that most NCAA head coaches would have done in the situation he was placed in. With the opportunity to provide appropriate punishment based off their rules, the NCAA instead gave the players involved in “Tattoo-gate” an out and allowed them to play in the Sugar Bowl that year. For any Buckeyes fan with decency towards rules and logic, that game left a sour taste in one's mouth. The NCAA wasn't even truly standing behind the rules that they established. They were looking at what was best for their product. They were looking at the money, and as usual, the Louisiana Superdome was packed with fans from both Ohio State and Arkansas.

College football got even more complicated and disturbing with the Jerry Sandusky revelations at Penn State. The subsequent investigation ultimately brought down the reputation of head coach Joe Paterno. With that, it also allowed us to examine how we look at college football as fans and what it means to us. We often put college football on a pedestal of history and appreciation. We prop up coaches like Paul “Bear” Bryant, Woody Hayes, and Paterno, even though all had their own faults and legacies affected. Yet, they supposedly created great players and greater men and were an ideal for all people in sports to attempt to reach.

The best coaches in the game are not far off from their predecessors. Under the guise that they are positive role models, they still are fearless in the recruiting process and the money generation that is involved in college sports. Nick Saban acknowledged that he would rather be out recruiting than coaching in the national championship game. Urban Meyer, who has a cloud of criticism regarding his past recruiting actions, allegedly reported on his former school, Florida, for an infraction. The best coaches don't seem like good guys. But, winning still cements one's legacy in college football over the success of any player as an individual, a human being, or a scholar. The best coaches know how to coach football, but they also know how to work in a system that's more about big business than it is about what college is actually supposed to be about. 

My reaction to the NCAA is not far off from Urban Meyer's face here.

The Johnny Manziel case highlighted just how far things have gone. The NCAA punished Manziel for a half for allegedly selling his signatures for money, a clear NCAA violation. Unless the evidence was right in their face, the NCAA would not have done anything anyway. Manziel is money. He needs to be on the football field. The fact that the NCAA punished him for a half (an unheard of punishment prior to this announcement) furthers just how much the organization insults its fans. They know they have the swagger to enforce their rules in any way that they see fit and that their fans will seemingly accept it.

The hypocrisy towards their own rules has reached such a level that it has ultimately tarnished how I interact with collegiate sports, particularly football. It would be one thing if the NCAA did not allow players to earn any money beyond their scholarship, did thorough investigations of such possibilities, and then enforced those rules properly. Instead, they need the media, whistleblowers, and other such sources to put these issues in front of their faces. Even then, they only punish based off what is best for their product and what will produce them the most money. It's frustrating and insulting to its fan base. By going to games or purchasing collegiate apparel, it feels as if one is lining the pockets of people on Wall Street in 2013 who were directly responsible for causing the financial crisis in 2008.

When I bring up my issues with college sports with friends, they often point to professional sports and their recent issues that have tainted their games from the Alex Rodriguez/Ryan Braun PED scandal in baseball to the Aaron Hernandez trial in football. With professional sports, there comes a certain level of greed, crime, and immoral behavior that come to be accepted by its fans. The main difference is the word, “professional.” These individuals are being paid hefty amounts to do these sports as a job. They get a piece of the pie when it comes to the use of their likeness, jersey sales, and the monetary success that can be gained from their name. Their negative actions receive punishment from their organizations and draw attention from the public that will forever shape their legacy, but it doesn't have an effect on how much they have already generated in earnings from being who they are as professional athletes.

The current Ed O'Bannon case has the potential to open up many doors for student athletes. But, it also will generate far more issues as well. People will debate over how athletes will get paid, if the lower budget sports programs will get sacrificed, and so many other factors if O'Bannon and the rest of the plaintiffs in the case are victorious. I have every belief that they will be victorious, but I also have every belief that the NCAA will find ways for new rules to never truly be enacted properly and for its hypocrisy to continue.

With conference realignment, lack of proper enforcement of its own rules, and an overall approach that shows that money matters over an appreciation for the game, it's hard to be a fan of the NCAA. Personally, I've had enough. As good as the Ohio State Buckeyes will be this year, I won't really be keeping on top of what they are doing. I'll go out to watch games if it's an event that my friends would like to do. I'll still support them from afar since they are still a part of my sports make-up. But, it's hard to really care about wins or losses when you know that the only people that keep winning are the millionaires in suits at conference offices just trying to squeeze out more and more money at the sacrifice of logic and fair play for their student athletes and fans.

5 Keys to The Browns Improving This Year

The Cleveland Browns season begins today. As Browns fans eagerly await today's game against the Miami Dolphins at the newly named FirstEnergy Stadium, I've compiled my five keys to the Browns improving this year (also known as the five ways to keep Browns fans sane this year). 

1. Brandon Weeden must becoming the starting quarterback.

Though the organization gave Weeden the thumbs up that he is the starter for Week 1, he is still on a short leash. He likely has the first four weeks of the season to prove himself. In this four weeks, he must show three important traits: leadership, a positive TD-INT ratio, and wins. All three of these traits don't have to be accomplished, but if after four weeks, Weeden has shown poise, has 9 TD, 4 INT, and the Browns are 2-2, we will have no problem anointing Weeden as the starter for the rest of the season and the “future of the Browns” (at least, the relative future as Weeden is about to turn 30). If Weeden shows any consistent signs of the type of play fans saw from him last season or during the preseason game against the Colts, the Browns have immediately taken a step back. Weeden is now a wasted first-round pick and the Browns are back to the drawing board in trying to find a long-term, consistent solution at the quarterback position. Weeden must show that he is a formidable starter in the NFL otherwise the Browns will continue to be haunted by another quarterback change.

2. Trent Richardson must have a 1,000 yard rushing season.

Richardson rushed for 950 yards last season even while having a broken rib injury. With a much better offensive system in place, Richardson seems poised to get a 1,000 yard rushing season. But, this is still the Cleveland Browns, and Richardson is certainly susceptible to injury with his aggressive running style and willingness to grind for extra yardage. Richardson also must thrive in receiving yards, which should be accomplished in Norv Turner's offensive system.

      3.  The Browns need to be a top 15 defense.

The Browns defenses have consistently been terrible since their return in 1999. It didn't matter who the personnel or the coordinator was, there never has been a season where the defense was considered threatening to opponents in the league, which is sad considering the history of intimidating defenses that Cleveland once had. With Ray Horton aboard as the coordinator, players are excited at the packages and blitzes being mixed in. However, with real questions in the secondary, there may be some growing pains for this defense regardless. Or, we may be in store for another year of a defense ranked in the 20s in the league.

4. No dumb coaching mistakes.

The Pat Shurmur coaching era in Cleveland was marked by numerous dumb coaching errors. Since the Browns usually lost, Shurmur was second-guessed on many of his decisions. However, in some cases, there were a lot of dumb mistakes leading to unnecessary timeouts being used and poor play calling (remember, we did a running play to tight end Alex Smith). In his first year, Rob Chudzinski needs to avoid these situations at all costs otherwise he will begin to hear it from Cleveland fans and media. With balanced coordinators like Turner and Horton calling plays on both sides of the ball, it gives far more hope that such mistakes won't happen.

     5.  Don't be the Cleveland Browns.

You know what I mean. The Browns find amazing ways to lose and look illogical in the process. The Browns have had only one opening-day win since they returned to the league in 1999. A victory in a winnable game against the Miami Dolphins will put this new organization and coaching staff in the right direction with fans. Please, no more moments like this one.

NFL Season Predictions

The NFL is a fickle place, particularly when it comes to prognosticating its upcoming season. It's hard to tell which teams will turn out great and which ones with high expectations will bottom out. Though it's the best league to bet on individual games as the season progresses, it's rather difficult to determine who the Super Bowl winner will be. It takes a combination of presumptions on how a team did in the previous year with what their offseason may have produced for this season. In this era of parity, it's hard to believe that the same teams will return again to the Super Bowl. Nevertheless, I quickly put together my outcome of how the season will turn out with game-by-game selections of each week. Here are my predictions that will probably amount to nothing as we wait for tonight's season opener:

AFC EAST

New England 11-5
Miami 7-9
Buffalo 4-12
New York Jets 4-12

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh 10-6
Baltimore 10-6
Cincinnati 9-7
Cleveland 7-9

AFC SOUTH

Houston 9-7
Indianapolis 8-8
Tennessee 6-10
Jacksonville 3-13

AFC WEST

Denver 12-4
Kansas City 8-8
San Diego 6-10
Oakland 4-12

NFC EAST

Washington 11-5
New York Giants 9-7
Dallas 8-8
Philadelphia 7-9

NFC NORTH

Green Bay 12-4
Detroit 9-7
Chicago 9-7
Minnesota 4-12

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta 12-4
New Orleans 10-6
Carolina 8-8
Tampa Bay 6-10

AFC PLAYOFFS

Baltimore defeats Houston
Pittsburgh defeats Cincinnati

Denver defeats Baltimore
Pittsburgh defeats New England

Pittsburgh defeats Denver

NFC PLAYOFFS

New Orleans defeats Green Bay
Washington defeats Seattle

New Orleans defeats Atlanta
San Francisco defeats Washington

New Orleans defeats San Francisco

SUPER BOWL

New Orleans defeats Pittsburgh

Why not dream of Roger Goodell handing the Vince Lombardi trophy to the Saints organization?

Drew Brees celebrates his second Super Bowl title.

Josh Cribbs: Forever A Brown

Three former Cleveland Browns players likely at the end of their careers were released by their respective teams yesterday. The New York Jets cut Braylon Edwards, the Washington Redskins did the same with Donte’ Stallworth, and the Oakland Raiders let go of Joshua Cribbs. Edwards and Stallworth will likely have no place in Browns lore. Edwards pushed his way out the door (both with Browns fans and members of LeBron James’s entourage) and Stallworth inexplicably is not still in prison. But, Cribbs was the polar opposite to Browns fans.

Terry Pluto wrote an excellent column on Cribbs following his release. It details just how hard Cribbs worked to get on the team and the sacrifices he took to his body on his way to three Pro Bowl appearances as a special teamer during his tenure with the Browns. It was this type of work ethic that won him over with Browns fans.

Since 1999, the Browns haven’t lived up to the legacy that they established prior to their move. There has been a general disconnect between the team’s carousel of front offices and the fan base. Of the mountain of players that have come through the Berea training facility, only Cribbs and Phil Dawson have been admired at the level of players from the 1980s Browns teams. That’s because Cribbs and Dawson got it. They understood that the Browns were about being a community. They understood that the fans liked hard work, putting the team and city first, and laying their absolute best out on to the field. While the rest of the league’s fans laughed at the Browns faithful gushing over a couple special teamers, Clevelanders were just happy that someone understood them and played their hearts out for them on Sunday.

Cribbs played his heart out for teams that didn’t even deserve that. At best, a return specialist on a better team and functioning organization, Cribbs did that along with being a gunner on special teams, a second/deep threat wide receiver, and a potential quarterback in the Wildcat offense. Such use led to some scary moments and potential major injuries, and yet, as Pluto’s article points out, Cribbs only missed two games in the last seven years. He was this generation’s Eric Metcalf for Browns fans, an entertaining lightning rod overused at a position he wouldn’t play on any other team in the league.

Time may have run out on Cribbs’s athletic career. The Raiders, an organization that could play the game, “Who’s More Dysfunctional?” with the Browns over the past several years, released him, which likely means there won’t be much of a market for a special teamer with diminished skills. This is the time for the current Browns organization to reach out to Cribbs with an understanding of what he means for this community. Plenty of former Browns players have been welcomed back, and if it interests Cribbs, he should be offered some type of position in the organization that stresses his social and communal strengths that made him so loved by Clevelanders.

Cleveland is a loyal city. It loves the people that have been faithful to them (Bernie Kosar), and are even forgiving of the ones who brought great memories and left (Jim Thome). If his career is over and there isn’t a place for Cribbs on any other roster, there will always be a place for him in Cleveland. It’s time to bring #16 back home.

Changing Cleveland Team Nicknames?

On Grantland, Zach Lowe recently wrote, “The Definitive Guide to NBA Team Names.” On the list of 30 NBA team nicknames, Lowe ranked the Cleveland Cavaliers as #29. With such a low ranking, it made me wonder how I would react as a fan if the Cleveland Cavaliers were to change their name.

Are the Cavaliers deserving of a ranking this low for their nickname? Sure. Though, I'm not sure that I care all that much about their team nickname. It's likely because the Cavaliers will always be the third team in town for Cleveland fans unless LeBron James returns (frankly, the Cavaliers could have been called the Cleveland Urinals as long as LeBron was in a uniform and playing for them). It also might be that team nicknames don't have much of an impact on me. Then again, Cleveland is the home to sports teams who have had a uniquely different history when it comes to their nicknames.

For me, the Cavaliers were a team to cheer for when I was growing up in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, and Larry Nance, the team was filled with talent and had the potential for a NBA title if Michael Jordan never existed. The Cavaliers were really the Cavs as evidenced by their iconic logo and appealing blue and orange jerseys. There was something special to the Richfield Coliseum and the Cavs logo on the floor.

If the Cavaliers are deserving of any criticism, it is the creation of possibly the most horrifying jersey in NBA history. In the wake of the move to the new Gund Arena, the Cavs chose to change their jerseys. I'm not sure who designed it, but it looked like the Saved by the Bell opening credits vomited out a basketball jersey. The jersey became a symbol of the mediocrity of the mid-1990s Cavs shuttling through journeyman players and starters that would be bench players on other teams with the only highlights coming from barely All-Stars in Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill. The era was highlighted by the acquisition of fat Shawn Kemp, which led to one unimpressive first-round playoff series loss to the Indiana Pacers.

This is sad in so many ways.

If the Cavaliers wanted to change their nickname, it should have come when Dan Gilbert acquired the team. Instead, Gilbert changed the team colors back to wine and gold, which made sense because all Cleveland fans really wanted to remember those glory days of Ted Stepien.

If anything, I'd care more about the Cavs going back to blue and orange. I don't have much of a feeling to the Cavaliers changing their name because, for all the reasons that Lowe states, it is meaningless. But, the Cavaliers are the Cavs, and they've been the Cavs for as long as I've lived, and even the name makes no sense, it's kind of become ingrained in Cleveland fans' minds enough to not touch it.

On the other hand, the Cleveland Indians have long been mired in controversy of whether or not they would change their team name. The Indians have more history than the Cavs, and defenders of the name say it was made as an homage to former player Louis Sockalexis. But, that point has never been verified as actual fact, and defenders will often find ways to use “history” and “tradition” as a means to cover up racism. Chief Wahoo is an odd and uncomfortable logo, and the long, sad history associated with Native Americans in this country is enough to say that no sports team really needs a nickname like this one. I'm more likely to want and not be affected by the Indians changing their name than the meaningless Cavaliers.

The interesting part to Cleveland nicknames is the Browns. In the wake of the Browns move, the city desperately wanted to keep the teams records, logo, and name. The idea of the Baltimore Browns was disturbing. When that was accomplished, it was a bizarrely accepted runner-up prize to the loss of the franchise for fans. Of course, time has told the story, and I think any Browns fans would rather be the Cleveland Pierogies and have two Super Bowl wins under their belt while seeing the Baltimore Browns be insignificant than the exact opposite occurring.

In the end, the Cavaliers are a terrible nickname, but I'm not sure it matters in the whole scope of Cleveland sports. We have had bigger issues with team nicknames, and the fan base of Cleveland likely wouldn't care what our team name was as long as we win one title.

Now, for another memorable moment that the mid-1990s Cavs brought us:

Browns Organization Looking Surprisingly Sane

When the Cleveland Browns named Brandon Weeden their starting quarterback yesterday, it was yet another sign for fans that the current organization may be sane. While this may be a first sentence more fitting for an article in The Onion, it’s actually a sad reality to the dysfunction that has plagued the Browns’ front office since the team returned to the league in 1999.

The best organizations in the league have succeeded with a sound front office and a highly skilled quarterback with strong leadership ability. In fourteen seasons, the Browns have shown the exact opposite skill set. The front offices and coaching staffs don’t fully support their starting quarterback and a constant carousel of all of these positions occur in a comical and depressing fashion (from Spergon Wynn throwing passes directly into the ground to Phil Savage resigning but then John Collins being fired instead to George Kokinis’s quick dismissal to Romeo Crennel flipping a coin to determine a starter to fans cheering Derek Anderson as he lay injured on the field).

When Jimmy Haslam purchased the Browns last season from Randy Lerner, Browns fans reasonably had mixed feelings. A new owner likely meant another organizational change for the most inconsistent front office in the league. But, after cleaning house, Haslam selected an experienced CEO in Joe Banner. They smartly didn’t hire Chip Kelly either via Kelly’s own decision or their own (the Browns didn’t have the proper quarterback in Weeden to run Kelly’s offensive system, which would have led to yet another starting quarterback in a Browns uniform), and then went with Rob Chudzinksi.

While an odd choice in a way, Chudzinski brought three positive attributes: his history of being a Browns fan, an explosive offensive mind that would fit Weeden far better than Pat Shurmur’s West Coast system, and seasoned coordinators in Norv Turner and Ray Horton. Browns fans need to be able to relate. The fan base has had too many coaches who seemed distant from them either due to their aloofness in press conferences (Crennel and Shurmur) or apparent total disregard for criticism (Butch Davis and Eric Mangini). With Chudzinski once being a fan, he has an understanding of the history and make-up of the Browns' supporters. Turner and Horton serve well as coaches right by Chudzinski's side, and his ability to grab a two-time Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator along with a defensive coordinator who easily could be the Arizona Cardinals head coach right now was impressive.

The hiring of Michael Lombardi as General Manager was a questionable one. With his historic connection to the departing Browns in 1995, Lombardi has left a sour taste in the mouths of most Browns fans. But, the new administration has allowed Lombardi to be quiet for better or worse, and Banner has taken the helm as the representative who speaks to the media on all decisions. During the Bernie Kosar broadcasting "scandal," Banner headed off the issue with an apology to the Rams. Counter that instance with Mike Holmgren taking a week to address the media on the far more serious issue of Colt McCoy's concussion. There were signs that the structure of the organization was better than it had ever been in the Lerner era.

But, when Jimmy Haslam's Pilot Flying J came under fraud investigation from the FBI, it looked like the new administration was already set for the usual dysfunction in Berea. The coaching staff and players have managed to decently weather the storm of any off-the-field Haslam distractions.
When Chudzinski announced there would be a “competition” between Weeden and Jason Campbell, most Browns fans rolled their eyes. It was inevitable that Weeden would be the starter otherwise the new organization was wasting away a first-round pick from the previous year for a now journeyman back-up to take over the helm. The “competition” was looked at as a way to fire up Weeden.
Strangely, at least from preseason standards, it's worked. Weeden's 18-for-25 with 229 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The offense has looked fluid. Receivers are open and, in fact, wide open, which is something Browns fans rarely saw in Shurmur's quick throwing system. It's still the preseason, but there's reason to believe that with Chudzinski and Turner, the offense will be vastly improved.

 Browns fans can only hope Weeden's arm can bring a different type of organization to town.

It's why the “competition” has worked and the announcement of Weeden as the starter at this point shows the organization has some sense. It wanted to challenge Weeden to impress them, and he did so quickly within the first two preseason games. So far, it may be a testament to both coaching and play calling along with Weeden's determination and offseason workouts. But, to announce him as starter now gives the Browns the knowledge of how they are heading forward in the final two preseason games and into the September 8 opener against the Dolphins. Weeden is their leader, and will be the first Browns starting quarterback to start the opener two seasons in a row since 2007 (Charlie Frye was the last, and he was traded the day after the 2007 opener, an embarrassing 34-7 loss to the Steelers).

The ball now falls squarely on Weeden to see if the Browns can finally have some consistency at the quarterback position. Weeden turns 30 this year. The time is slipping away, but he's also in a system that fits his skills better than ever. He has to start off strong otherwise fickle Browns fans will inexplicably be calling for Campbell's name. Cleveland is desperate now not just for a winner, but to actually watch entertaining football. It's time for Weeden to air it out otherwise Browns fans will be letting the air out of another season with a high first-round draft pick.

2013 NBA Finals Prediction

I regret that I didn’t write a blog post prior to Game 7 of the Heat-Pacers series because I forecasted that the Heat would win a blowout. Most people would say that it is easy to say in hindsight since that is what is actually happened, so I’m going to try to beat them to the punch with my NBA Finals prediction, which may end up being horribly wrong, but at least I can back up the reasons behind why I think it will be right. The reason that I was so convinced that the Heat would close things out in the Eastern Conference Finals was based off NBA history. If the Pacers would have beaten the Heat, it would have been an impressive victory that bucked all trends that have been established by the NBA, a league whose playoffs have become usually easy to forecast its results. Superstars win championships especially the best superstar in the game. It’s the simple reason why the Heat will win the title.

It’s strange to me how easy the media is quick to turn on the Heat. It’s likely because they are the villains and most people want to see David beat Goliath. But, simple statistics and history would have shown the media that the Heat were going to win the Eastern Conference Finals. How could an experienced team with at least two future Hall of Famers on it lose to a balanced talented team with no Conference Finals Game 7 experience? Not to mention that the Heat have the best player in the world at the peak of his career.

That’s where we get to LeBron James. He’s having the best season of his career by far and the most deserving of his 4 Most Valuable Player seasons. He has the added confidence of one championship under his belt. It’s ridiculous to bet against him. How easy is it for people to forget that the Heat had a 27-game winning streak? This team isn’t a bunch of chumps. On any given day, they could lose to a talented team as they did with the Pacers. But, in a 7-game series, they have the will and experience to win it all.

In looking at the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs have had a great run. I love that team. I love their organization. I love how their main core of players have stood the test of time and dominated younger teams that people would expect they would lose to. But, that’s what makes it even more perplexing for people to believe so confidently that they will defeat the Heat. It would be a different story if 2013 LeBron James were facing off against 2003 Tim Duncan. What an amazing showdown that would be that would dictate how the histories of these two players would be determined. But, that situation is left for a video game or an annoying debate between Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. This is a matchup between LeBron James at the peak of his career and an aging but still amazingly effective Tim Duncan.

Here’s the main point: if LeBron James wants to be thought of as one of the greatest players of all-time, he can’t lose this series. If his name can even come close to that of Michael Jordan’s, he can’t lose this series.

Once Jordan reached his peak, he never looked back. There was never a hiccup other than his retirement. He beat an older Magic Johnson to pass the torch, his supposed equal Clyde Drexler in an embarrassing manner, Charles Barkley, a skinny Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, and John Stockton and Karl Malone. Some of the greatest players in NBA history could never touch a ring in the 1990s because of Jordan.

That’s the same situation LeBron is in. If he wants to be considered the best, how could he possibly lose to an elder Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili? The supporting cast doesn’t matter. For your Joel Anthony, you have Jordan’s Bill Wennington. For your Shane Battier, you have Jordan’s Jud Buechler. A superstar wills his team to victory and gets his role players to do their roles. As much Dwyane Wade may be injured, he still will put it into gear and blow out his knee if he has to in order to get the production that he needs. That may mean laying an egg in a Game 6 and having his leader LeBron subtly call him out in order to help dominate a Game 7.

If LeBron enters the pantheon belonging to the greats, he wins this series. Just as I said after the 2007 NBA playoffs that LeBron was just too good to not win a title do I say now that he’s too good to not win a second under these circumstances. He’s a superstar that’s simply amazing. He has the confidence to find the way to win just like Jordan did. If he doesn’t, then it would be a surprise to me, and it puts LeBron back in the same conversations we had about him before he won a title last year. Can you imagine the current LeBron James putting up an 8-point stinker performance like he did in Game 5 of the 2011 Finals? Not likely.

 Once again, LeBron James's legacy is on the line.

The 2-3-2 format of the NBA Finals is something that I've always found obnoxious. It doesn't make sense that the format of the 7-game series suddenly changes and it's a shift that dramatically does not benefit the team not possessing home field advantage. It's very difficult to win 3 straight games at home against the same team let alone the best team from the opposing conference. Since 2000, only 3 teams have managed to win all three games in that position (2004 Detroit Pistons, 2006 Miami Heat, 2012 Miami Heat – all three teams won the title). Only the 2006 Miami Heat managed to come from 2-0 down to win the title. So, odds say the Spurs have to split the first two games to have the leverage and momentum to even do the difficult task of winning three straight games. It's even rarer that teams in such circumstances find themselves up 3-2 heading into Game 6 on the road (only the 2010 Celtics did that and then lost the final two to the Lakers). It makes the idea of winning three straight games against such a talented team as the Heat unlikely.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Spurs can win this series. Never say never. But, for anyone to have such conviction that the Spurs will win is surprising. The Heat have proven to be the favorite all year long. Any time that the media or fans have second guessed them, they've come out and played stronger and answered. It only makes sense that LeBron and the Heat shine because that's what happens in the NBA with superstars at their peak on teams that are so good.

My prediction: The Heat in 6.