Rounding 'em up

* OK, so it looks like the Cavaliers aren't very good after all. After last night's 20-point loss to Philadelphia, they've lost five straight, each by double-digits, and now stand at 7-14. That puts them on a pace to finish 27-55, which would be their worst record since they went 17-65 in 2002-03. That record, for those who may not remember, enabled them to get a bunch of lottery balls, one of which gave them the first pick in the 2003 draft, which they used to select some yahoo who now plays in Miami.

* These Cavs are doing fine on the offensive end of the floor, but they are just terrible on defense. Just terrible. Byron Scott made some remarks after yesterday's debacle about how the players are showing no pride in playing defense, and he's right. Nobody seems to care if he gets beaten for a layup, or if somebody makes a wide-open 3-pointer when he had a chance to get a hand in his face. Scott's got to find a way to get through to these guys that defense is important, or they'll never get better.

* The football Buckeyes are set for a Sugar Bowl matchup against Arkansas, which constitutes Ohio State's sixth straight appearance in a BCS game. You know who else has done that? Nobody, that's who. If Jim Tressel wanted to run for governor, he'd win, and you know it. But he doesn't need a demotion. Anyway, any season that ends in something other than a national championship is at least a slight disappointment, but Tressel is surely very proud of the program he's built in Columbus, and he should be.

* The basketball Buckeyes are 6-0, ranked #2 in the nation, behind Duke. I don't usually follow college basketball until March, but this is an exciting team. They've only played one game against a ranked opponent, but trounced #10 Florida in that one, 93-75. Their schedule is all cupcakes until the Big Ten schedule opens against Indiana on Dec. 31, so it'll be awhile before we see what this team is really made of, but I'm looking forward to then.

* I don't know how many people have noticed this, but Cleveland State, the university from which I am posting this blog at this very moment, is 11-0 after last night's win over West Virginia Tech (which I will admit I'd never heard of). They do have wins over Akron and Kent State, so there's reason to believe this CSU team has real potential this year. Should be interesting.

* In a non-sports-but-Cleveland-related topic, the members-elect of the Cuyahoga County Council who met in secret last week are arrogant jerks who don't deserve their positions. Because their meeting apparently didn't break any sunshine laws, they probably shouldn't be forced to resign, but they should certainly apologize. Sorry to get off sports, but I feel strongly about this.