Team of the Future

An unlikely city stole NBA headlines this season. It was home to the league's best regular season record, the Coach of the Year and the Most Valuable Player. And no, it wasn't Boston, Chicago or Los Angeles. It was Cleveland.

The Cavaliers were the only team in the league to win eighty percent of their games this season. They led the NBA in point differential. Their defense was unbreakable. They defended their home floor, going an astonishing 39-2. They were the greatest team in the NBA.

The media, as well as fans nationwide, praised the Cavs for their care-free, laid-back approach this season. But as fun as it was to watch LeBron and his loosey-goosey teammates dominate the standings, the Cavs playoff run was over sooner than you can say: O-VER-RAT-ED!

In fact, the most surprising part of their shocking playoff exit was how lopsided it was. The Orlando Magic upset the Cavs because they had more athletic, more aggressive big men. And this dominance -- led by Dwight Howard -- was the greatest factor in Orlando's 4-2 series victory in the Eastern Conference Finals. This result may have come as a surprise - but should it have?

The truth is, the Cleveland Cavaliers struggled against the league's best all season. Including the Eastern Conference Finals the Cavs were a combined 5-10 this season against the Lakers, Celtics and Magic - the teams that finished two through four in the regular season standings.

LeBron and Co. particularly struggled against the Magic. In four games at Cleveland (where the home team won three of four) the Cavs' average margin of victory was a mere three-and-a-half points. In five games at Orlando (where the home team was undefeated) the Magic's average margin of victory was thirteen, including four double-digit wins.

The scary thing for Cleveland fans, something that became quite evident after Game 1 of the Conference Finals, is that the Magic were no fluke this year. They have an All-Star point guard and the best center in the league. And they're only going to get better.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to be the Team of the Future in the Eastern Conference. Instead, it looks as though the Magic have claimed that title. If you thought, last fall, that LeBron had a tough decision to make next summer, that decision has only become more complicated.

As for the Orlando Magic, the sky's the limit. Their coach is proven, their roster is young and talented, and they now have championship experience.

Plus, if you were a free agent this offseason, where would you rather sign: Cleveland or Orlando? Better team, better weather, bigger market. What's not to like?

The Worldwide Monopolizer in Sports

I loved Nickelodeon when I was kid. That was, of course, until I discovered ESPN. And now, nearly fifteen years later, I'm a full-blown addict.

Like most sports fanatics, I rely on ESPN for about 90% of my news and information. When it comes to sports, no one does it better. Where else can we get non-stop, round-the-clock coverage of the sports that matter most to us?

From hilarious yet professional on-air personalities, to great behind-the-scenes people, very few cable networks have mastered broadcast journalism like ESPN.

And it doesn't end there. They have a diverse lineup of gifted writers and their investigative reports rival those of CNN.

But despite my praises, I also have my reservations.

Is it me, or does "Breaking News" -- that is often anything but -- lead off every SportsCenter? Contradicting rumors are constantly hogging on-air time. And every development of every rumor is tediously scrutinized. I don't know about you, but I'm turned off by exaggerated non-stories.

It's as if ESPN is constantly reaching for something to talk about. Don't false reports from "a source close to the situation" hurt ESPN's credibility?

I cringe every time I read the words "undisclosed", "anonymous" or "allegedly" on ESPN's Bottom Line. You don't need to have a degree in journalism to know that this is frowned upon throughout the industry.

People wonder why newspapers are falling and less formal multimedia outlets are rising. Traditional forms of media report cleanly, succinctly. They don't embellish. They don't create drama. They simply report the news.

ESPN has monopolized sports journalism. Sure, they've done it fair and square. But when people only tune -- or log, for that matter -- into one network, that one network can say or do whatever they please. Who's going to stop them?