Daily Archives: June 22, 2020

Bio-Dome plan for NBA seems doomed

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The NBA has a Bio-Dome type plan to resume their season down in Orlando and as time goes on it seems completely doomed.

The season is supposed to resume at the end of July with 22 teams participating all while essentially locked down in Bio-Dome type situation at Walt Disney World. Seems like a pretty solid way to continue their season and crown a champion. But there’s a problem. There has been a surge in COVID-19 cases in Florida which should be quite alarming.

The Orlando Pride had to withdraw from the NWSL Challenge cup due to players testing positive for COVID-19.

These players were in Orlando and tested positive, this seems problematic for a league looking to locate their isolated format down to Florida.

Adam Silver and the NBA can say whatever they want now about resuming the season, but the fact of the matter is it may not be safe. By the time the season is supposed to resume COVID cases could continue to rise which would put a premature end to their continued season plans. If the cases continue to spike a second lockdown period could occur in the state that seems to effortlessly thrive on chaos.

Not even Bud Macintosh and Doyle Johnson themselves would be able to make it through the chaos in Florida., even if they were to stumble upon another Bio-Dome for them to destroy. Only in the real world this Bio-Dome is Walt Disney World with Bud and Doyle being represented by COVID-19. We all know what happened in the movie, the Bio-Dome was destroyed. Bud and Doyle eventually revived the structure and thwarted an attempt by Dr. Noah Faulkner to blow up the Bio-Dome. Unfortunately there may not be happy ending for the NBA in Florida as the threat they are facing is not something that can be so easily defeated.

BR says Browns should consider trading Olivier Vernon

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In Bleacher Report’s 1 Player Each NFL Team Should Consider Trading Before the 2020 Season article it is being suggested that the Clevealnd Browns should trade Olivier Vernon.

Bleacher Reported posted an article titled “1 Player Each NFL Team Should Consider Trading Before the 2020 Season” and surprise, surprise it’s Olivier Vernon.

There are two things that everyone is trying to make happen this offseason when it comes to the Cleveland Browns. Moving on from Oliver Vernon and signing Jadeveon Clowney. While the latter people need to stop trying to make happen, the former shouldn’t happen either.

Without getting into a debate about abilities, grades, performances, etc. of each player, the fact of the matter is that Vernon does not have a whole lot of trade value. Vernon is someone who has long injury history and has a large salary for the upcoming season. (Those pining for Clowney better realize that the previous statement also applies to him). Vernon is set to make just over $15-milllion in 2020 and that is not really all that enticing for a team looking for pass rush help.

The real surprise of the article is that the player in question is not Odell Beckham Jr. Constant trade rumors have surrounded OBJ since landing in Cleveland and will only continue to surface. Even though this time he seems to have flown under the radar somehow. Willing to bet that if there was an honorable mention it would be Beckham.

Perhaps the Browns hype is starting to gain unstoppable momentum again. Powered by the belief that Baker Mayfield will bounce back and prove he isn’t a pedestrian quarterback. Believing that the only way that Baker is good next season is if Beckham is still in Cleveland. For that to be true Beckham cannot be the player mentioned here. Either way everyone knows that the Browns best realistic trade asset wears No. 13 and not No. 54.

Kevin Love receives Arthur Ashe Courage Award

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Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Love received the award during the 2020 ESPY Awards which took place remotely Sunday night.

Kevin Love is being recognized for being an advocate for mental health awareness. The most notable instance being the piece he published in The Players’ Tribune documenting his own struggles. “Everyone Is Going Through Something” shed some light on a subject that professional athletes have not been all that open about, their own mental health.

Talking about mental health has always been a topic that athletes have shied away from in the past. This is due to the idea that they need to be this big macho person all the time. Talking about any sort of issue mentally is viewed as a weakness and those with real issues become fearful of it being revealed.

Love would go into detail about how he went through his own struggles back in November of 2017, recalling the series of events that eventually led him to seeing a therapist. This is an unknown territory for athletes, at least active ones. Most of the time they are supposed to bury this stuff down inside. Keeping it from seeing the light day. This process usually leads to problems in other areas that should not be taken lightly. Athletes being more open will not only help themselves, but those who look up to them as role models. Letting everyone know that it is acceptable to seek help and discuss these types of issues will make a huge difference.

While Kevin Love did not become more open and discuss his own struggles to win an award, he has done a lot to help alleviate the stigma when it comes to mental health. Recognizing the contributions he has made to a once taboo subject is certainly award worthy.

Stop trying to make Jadeveon Clowney happen

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Why are we still wasting our time pontificating about Jadeveon Clowney and the Cleveland Browns? It is obvious he doesn’t want to come to Cleveland, if he really did he would have signed already. Yet, the rumors are popping up again.

Maybe Clowney is just waiting for the right offer. However Cleveland seems to be only team to putting out legitimate offers for his services and he remains a free agent. The Browns offered him the most money and essentially said thanks, but no thanks. 

Adding Jadeveon Clowney to this roster would more than likely result in the team jettisoning Olivier Vernon and his $15-million salary along the way. Essentially trading one oft-injured edge rusher for another.  Now if they added Clowney to the current group and kept Vernon as well that would be the best option. Limit the reps of both Vernon and Clowney in order to preserve their health. Joe Woods could move both guys around the line in order to disrupt the opposing offense with different and exotic looks. Now that would be a great idea, adding more pass rushers instead of replacing them. That would certainly help alleviate the gigantic hole at the linebacker position. 

Will Jadeveon Clowney sign on for that sort of role with the Browns for the one-year deal that Cleveland is offering him? Probably not and I do not blame him. Clowney wants a stable organization that is on the cusp of winning and that is not the Browns. 

The same logic in regards to trying to make fetch happen should be applied to Jadeveon Clowney. Stop trying to make it happen.