CAVS.SPACE

*Originally published on Suite101.com in 2010; minor revisions made pertaining to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  In 1997, Sandy Alomar Jr. had a career season, hitting the game-winning home run in the 1997 All-Star Game. Current Cleveland Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. had a successful career as a Major League catcher.  As the son of Sandy Alomar Sr. and the brother of Roberto Alomar, Sandy Jr. proved to be one of the most knowledgeable baseball players during his 20-year career.  Cleveland Indians Catcher   Alomar began his career with the San Diego Padres.  With 1987 National League Rookie of the Year, 1989 NL All-Star, and fellow catcher from Puerto Rico Benito Santiago starting for San Diego, the Padres traded Alomar with Carlos Baerga and Chris James to the Cleveland Indians for future All-Star outfielder Joe Carter.  Alomar responded by making the 1990 American League All-Star Team and winning both 1990 AL Rookie of t...

League management, owners, and players have all expressed opinions on the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement, the impending intense negotiations for a new CBA, and the potential for a lockout. Former Cavalier LeBron James further confused the NBA and its fans with comments today about possibly contracting the league and dispersing talent to other ballclubs. In the midst of all this confusion is a message that Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert understands possibly better than most Cavs fans: rebuilding in the NBA is not easy . At 8-21, Cavs fans and NBA analysts are calling for the Cavs to blow up their roster and completely start over. It is important to remember that the NBA is not the NFL or Major League Baseball. While the NBA has profit sharing to help smaller-market teams to keep up with the cash flow of larger-market teams, it does not have the out clauses that NFL contracts have. In the NFL, teams waive players annually in order to escape expensive player contracts; ...

*Originally published on Suite101.com in 2010; minor revisions made pertaining to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Before Paul Pierce joined the franchise, Reggie Lewis was selected to carry on the Boston Celtics’ NBA Championship legacy. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish were the Boston Celtics’ original Big Three.  After Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker were unable to lead the Celtics to an NBA Championship, Pierce teamed up with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to become the new Celtics’ Big Three.  However, before Boston drafted Pierce from the University of Kansas in the 1998 NBA Draft, they selected local collegiate star Reggie Lewis from Northeastern University in 1987.  Rising Star Reggie Lewis had garnered national attention as a star on the undefeated Dunbar High School team from Baltimore, Maryland.  Dunbar High School—with future NBA players Reggie Lewis, Muggsy Bogues, Reggie Williams, and David Wingate—had won 50 games in a r...

*Originally published on Suite101.com in 2010 as a 4-part series; revisions made pertaining to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and combining the 4 parts of the series into 1 article. In 1992-1993, both the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks retooled their rosters in order to challenge the Chicago Bulls for the NBA Championship. After a first round loss in the 1993 Playoffs, the Pacers caught up to the Knicks to compete for the Eastern Conference’s bid for the 1994 Finals. In 1995, the tide turned as Reggie Miller scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds to lead the Pacers to a Game 1 comeback win and series win over the Knicks. The three-year playoff rivalry between the Knicks and Pacers laid the foundation for the Pacers and led to the reshaping of the Knicks. Part I: 1993 NBA Playoffs The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks developed a heated rivalry when they met in the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 1993 to 1995.  While the Knicks were seen as a legitimate championship...

*Originally published on Suite101.com in 2010; minor revisions made pertaining to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Quarterback Matt Cassel became starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in a fashion similar to superstar quarterback Tom Brady.   Reigning 2007 NFL Most Valuable Player Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2008 season, paving the way for Matt Cassel to become the New England Patriots starting quarterback in 2008.  The promotion of Cassel to the starting lineup was not surprising, as Brady had become the starting quarterback following an injury to star quarterback Drew Bledsoe a few years earlier. Promotion After Drew Bledsoe Injury Brady began his career as a sixth-round draft pick of the 2000 NFL Draft.  Based on his performance at the Draft Combine, teams perceived him to be incapable of being an NFL quarterback.  According to statistics, Brady was too small, too slow, and generally not athletic e...