Moohead Radio

I’ve been watching Kelly Pavlik fight. It’s always hard to tell how good a fighter really is. Pavlik is not the first 29-0 guy to challenge for a title. Boxing history is full of undefeated challengers. There are 2 things they say about undefeated fighters: They don’t know how to lose (that’s good). They don’t know how to lose (that’s bad).

I know what you’re thinking. Perhaps you think Mr Moohead has taken one too many left hooks. But bear with me. There are 2 ways fighters are undefeated challengers.

1) They are truly talented and have blown all their opponents away

2) They haven’t really fought anyone

The danger in the fight game is the second one. and sometimes it’s hard to tell from the first one. A fighter like Pavlik looks great against Bronco McKart and Jose Luis Zuertuche, and the first thing you want to do is believe. But here are a few things to ponder.

a) McKart was fighting up one weight class and was well past his prime

b) Zuertuche was 6 inches shorter than Kelly, and many years older

c) Both fighters stood in front of Pavlik and absorbed punishment. They were slow handed

d) Zuertuche is promoted by Arum and had 3 losses. Pavlik is promoted by Arum and is undefeated.

Bob Arum is no fool. He wasn’t gonna throw Kelly into the Pond in Anaheim with a truly dangerous guy. He also knew that McKart had seen better days. A spotless 29-0 record looks good going into a title fight. And this is the biggest threat to Pavlik. He’s going to walk into a title fight thinking he can knock down whatever is in front of him. And that may not be the case.

Many of the greatest boxers in history learned from losses and tough wins. Marvin Hagler lost to Willie Monroe and Bugaloo Watts long before he fought for a title. Azumah Nelson lost as a young man to Salvador Sanchez in his first title fight. He became a great champion. Hearns learned from a loss to Leonard. If Pavlik steps in against Jermain Taylor or Edwin Miranda, how will he respond to being hurt? From what well will he draw, when he digs for strength?

It’s a big leap from Zuertuche to Taylor. Taylor is fast and strong. He hits like a mule. Pavlik cannot stand in front of him. He will have to move. He will need to take Taylor deep into the fight and wrest the title with grit and determination. Taylor will not lay down. He will try to take Kelly out within 7 rounds.

In Bob Arum’s world, young undefeated challengers keep the game going. If Pavlik loses, Arum can bring him back to Y-town and sell out the Chevy Centre. He can rebuild the aura around Pavlik. Arum takes no punches.

In a just world, Kelly Pavlik would have to fight one guy before Taylor. Somebody who can push him. Someone who has a 50% chance of whipping him. There’s an old saying in boxing. “You learn more from one loss than you do in 10 wins”. Take heed, Kelly. Don’t believe the hype they’re selling you. You’re not fighting for Arum or Youngstown. This is your life. Your career. Move against Taylor or Miranda. Learn your craft. If you lose a decision, you’ll be smarter the next time out. If a voice is telling you you’re invincible, don’t listen.

Youngstown is already proud of you. Play your cards right, and you’ll be a champion. Fight hard, yes. Fight smart. Absolutely. “The Ghost” doesn’t bludgeon opponents. He sneaks up on them and surprises them. But when you enter the ring, remember that your career is still beginning. Don’t let the promoter establish your fight plan.

We’re all behind you, win or lose.

It’s over. The cursing. The threats. The rhetoric. Mo Clarett’s morality play. Dave Anderson’s long expired commitment to host the team. Vindy.com’s 438 page forum opus dedicated to a pack of rabid Jim Terry haters. The photostatic copies of bounced checks. The memories of a failed high school all star game years ago in Pinellas County Florida. The pointless name calling against some of Youngstown’s most recognizable people by Jim Terry. The criticism of downtown’s safety. The image of a team of mafia hit men. The verbal abuse thrown at the principal of JFK High School. The “Free Mo” t-shirts. The amazing “Thunderdome”. It’s over.

All that’s left is a group of guys trying to play indoor football, a guy in Central Pennsylvania claiming he’s owed $1000, a loosely configured 4 team league, and tonight’s “sold out” preseason game that season ticket holders were not allowed to attend. Most would say “that’s enough”. Hell, even the area Chamber of Commerce warned members to steer clear of the Hitmen. That’s the equivalent of Mother Theresa bashing hungry Sri Lankans.

But against all odds (mainly constructed by Terry himself), the Hitmen are ready to hit the field running. The TV stations won’t be there, because Mr Terry chose to insult Bob Hannon, TV 33, and TV 27 at one time or several over the last 4 months. Ed Puskas of the Tribune Chronicle won’t be there. Same story. In this context, I am not sure we can find ANYONE in the valley willing to cover this event. I hear the newspaper in Sharon Pa might attend. But only because Masury is downwind from Sharon and not the other way around.

My internet radio show has become a home for this unfolding drama. We haven’t missed a single guffaw. A single insult. A single story deviation, prevarication or insinuation. Moohead Radio is plugged into this story. So much so, I have gotten to know many journalists in Youngstown who share the wrath of Terry in one form or another. Long after the newsroom lights have dimmed, these tireless jornalists sift through the Moohead archives to lavish themselves with the story their media are too dignified to cover. For one hour they revel in the sheer ridiculousness. The ethical bankruptcy. Then it’s back to covering real sports and real news.

But now it’s over. With the first snap, the story will change from Jim Terry’s intrastate money runs, to a few hopefuls trying to extend their football shelf lives. They will crash into boards and kick into walls. They will play on a field named after an insurance company, and pray to God almighty they don’t need to call the sponsor after the game. Jim will yell and scream “I told you so”. This game will serve as his personal vindication.

But all Greek tragedies start with a tragic hero, hubris, recognition scene and retribution. While Mr Terry will delay the recognition scene, thousands in the valley wait for the Deus Ex Machina. And with it, final retribution.

The torch has been passed to Daniel Gibson in Cleveland. Eric Snow is sitting. But last night’s game was the second time in a week the Cavs won without LeBron James. Would I want to continue without him? No. But only a fool misses the moral to this story.

5 men working together defeat 5 men working apart.

The Cavs played 10 men deep last night, and none of them was a superstar. They passed, defended, and shot like it really mattered. Because none of them were superstars, no one was double teamed. They ran their plays and scored 124 points. Granted, Golden State hardly showed up, but this group of Cavaliers played like a TEAM.

No pounding the ball out front for 12 seconds. No off balance 3’s. No standing around watching LeBron. In fact, the offensive plan that Larry Hughes is so fond of complaining about seemed to work fine when everyone actually was moving. Larry wants fast breaks? Well, the defense sparked 25 fast break points against a running team. The defense that Hughes claims is not the team’s identity, forced the Warriors into tons of bad perimeter shots.

The challenge for this Cavs team is to figure out a way to mesh LeBron with 4 guys who move without the ball. To get LeBron to stop holding the ball for so long, and to initiate plays sooner in the possession. To attack if you have a quick entry available. To penetrate and get to the line early in periods.

The maligned system works. it doesn’t when the players don’t. If Larry Hughes refuses to buy into the plan, he has trade value. Everyone must play together to be a championship team.

Allen Iverson played in Philly for many years. He scored, he passed, he won, he lost, and he caused ownership so many headaches they finally parted with him. Shipped to Denver for Andre Miller and some loose change. Iverson average more than 30 points per game. But he only shot 42% from the field, and took more than 30 shots in many games. That left precious little for the other players on the floor. They took to watching Allen and losing. Allen was happy as long as he got his shots.

The same story line has been played out in many cities, whether it’s Paul Pierce in Boston, Ricky Davis (wherever he is), or Vince Carter in New Jersey. Selfishness in today’s NBA is as common as an Applebees next to a mall. But occasionally, there is another side to this story. Like in Philadelphia.

While Iverson was hoisting off balance jumpers, Andre Iguodala waited in the wings. Relegated to winning the NBA slam dunk contest, Iguodala was known more for his vertical leap than his scoring average. It turns out that a few fewer shots by Iverson, and a few more looks for Iguodala might have made a huge difference for the losing Sixers. Now that Iverson is gone, Iguodala has upped his scoring average 6 points per game, and has become a “go to” guy. The point is a simple one. Addition by subtraction.

Jason Johnson’s departure from the Indians allowed Jeremy Sowers to get a chance to start every 5 days. A lost season allowed Ryan Garko a chance to drive in 50 runs in 45 games. In Boston, Gerald Green develops while Paul Pierce is hurt. Injuries and trades can create opportunities for hungry young players.

Last night, LeBron James could not play. His maligned team mates took the floor without him, and fell behind by 17 points at halftime. Two players got a chance that would not normally have gotten one. the veteran David Wesley, and the rookie Daniel Gibson. Wesley did what vets do. He played defense down the stretch. But Gibson did what hungry players do. He passed, scored and played defense. He ran the offense. He penetrated off the dribble, and gave the team legs. He scored a LeBron-esque 11 fourth quarter points, and led the team to an 8 point win. It had been weeks since he’d seen significant minutes on the floor.

Coach Mike Brown needs to take a long look at the films from last night. Necessity IS the mother of invention. LeBron’s injury forced the Cavs to play as a team, as opposed to 7 guys and a superstar. No one pounding the ball aimlessly for 12 seconds out front. No crazy off balance threes. Lots of perimeter passing and ball sharing. Hard nosed defense and clutch free throws.

Guys like Iverson take the shots. Guys like LeBron get the endorsements. But guys like Wesley and Gibson make teams. There is a reason why basketball has 5 men on the floor for each team. Because one man cannot beat 5. And 5 men playing together can’t lose.

And every time a Shaq, a Kobe or a Yao goes down, there is a player waiting for his chance to be one of the 5. The chosen 5 on the floor at the end of an unlikely win.

I grew up in Canton Ohio. The home of Thurman Munson. We all remember the tragic day of the crash. Mr Moohead grew up watching Nick Weatherspoon play at McKinley High School. Same with Phil Hubbard. Life in the 60’s and 70’s was different. While we loved our local athletes, there was ONE who stood out. One.

Thurman Munson didn’t really solely belong to Canton. He was captain of the Yankees, and New York adopted him. Nick Weatherspoon went to the University of Illinois, and then to the Bullets in the NBA. Phil Hubbard went to Michigan, Cleveland, then Detroit. Only one guy belonged to Canton.

He was a funny looking kid who ran all over town wearing a cap. You saw him running everywhere. He was a student at Canton Lincoln High School. He was my Mom’s student. She taught there. He was a really good runner. But nobody really knew how good, until he stepped to the starting line in Munich in 1972. His name was Dave Wottle, and he represented his country in the olympics. But there wasn’t a tv in Canton that wasn’t tuned in to his 800 meter final.

The race was so close. Wottle lagged behind the field and passed each runner as he rushed to the finish line. One Kenyan…2 Kenyans…Then a Russian. Watch it here. People in the country were captivated by this amazing performance. But Wottle wasn’t going to New York or Washington. He wasn’t going to have a series of TV ads named after him. No million dollar endorsements. A week later the country had moved on. Except Canton.

From that day forth, when you took a drive around town, you started seeing kids running in caps. Everyone wearing that silly cap. Dave Wottle was from Canton. He lived there. He came back with a gold medal. No one else claimed him. No other town offered him more money to become “theirs”. We were all Dave Wottle in Canton. And he was us.

So now, a blurry YouTube video is all that’s left of our local hero. We’ve grown up. We’re sports fans, but we don’t know who to identify with. We cheer for the guy wearing the local uniform, but he’s not one of us. He makes 10 million a year and changes teams every three or four years. And we’re not him. We’re working people trying to get through another tough economic year. Is Jim Thome an Indian , Philly or White Sock? Is Manny Ramirez an Indian or a Red Sock? Is Ozzie Newsome a Brown or a Raven? And what will LeBron be 4 years from now?

For one summer, Johnny Damon was a Red Sock. But Dave Wottle will always be from Canton. And he will always be a part of me.

http://www.mooheadradio.com/archives/dolan.mp3

If this isn’t a wake up call for MLB, then I don’t know what is. If you are a fan hoping for a consistent (or occasional) winner in Cleveland, this will feel like a cold shower. Paul Dolan was brutally honest in his explanation of everything from steroids to payroll to free agency. And you all better hope we develop young talent beyond Pronk and CC. Because those guys won’t be in Cleveland for long. Your comments? Feel free to express yourselves.

10AM Monday. Here’s the stream address:

Dolan Interview

Tune in and listen to an interesting interview

Moo

I saw that it was Muhammad Ali’s 65th birthday a few days ago, and I remembered how entertaining he was. I thought of the story of his first fight with Joe Frazier. Ali lay on a table aching from head to toe after the fight. His jaw was swollen like a balloon. Beside him lay an African American woman crying hysterically. It was Diana Ross. Today I found this photo

I then realized how long ago my story was. My age showing, I started thinking how things had changed. When was the last great heavyweight fight I’d seen? Who was the new Ali? I figured if there was one, he’d be plastered all over ESPN1, 2 ,ESPN News, ESPN Classic, ESPN Desportes, ESPN U, or the new ESPN Lunch (it’s only on during lunch). But there is no new Ali. What I do see are the 16 year old high school basketball players on ESPN.

So who’s the next Wilt Chamberlain? Remember 2 things:

1) Wilt slept with 20,000 women (one was Diana Ross)

2) Wilt went to college AND the Globetrotters

It is unlikely that Greg Oden will sleep with 20,000 women due to new penicillin resistant strains of STD’s. It’s more likely he won’t be in college for more than a year. He’ll make more money than Outback Steak House (my least favorite of all the beef places) without a perimeter game or solid jump shot. But in today’s world, to heck with the “J”…it’s the money that matters.

Dick Vitale lives down the street from me. Really. He lives in a 12,000 square foot house. His walk in closet’s bigger than my garage. I’m serious. Here’s proof

How can Dick Vitale afford this kind of house? Well…he’s the pimp of college basketball. He’s the constant reminder that it’s ok to get all gushy about coaches that illegally recruit (have you EVER heard Vitale say: “He’s a lousy coach. He got the kid’s Mom to sign by giving her a Jag, baby”) and players that never go to class and leave after a year or two. If the pimp announcer can afford a 12,000 square foot home, imagine the college coaches…even the high school coaches who lend a hand in the process. They all create a 17 year old Frankenstein, ready to hire an agent, skip college, and go straight to the NBA. Once there, they can get into gun shooting incidents outside of bars, and complain about a lack of playing time or offensive touches. All while making Dick Vitale’s house look like Diana Ross first thing in the morning.

We got high school kids with no fundamental skills in the NBA. Not just dribbling. I mean READING. We got DH’s in MLB that look like Popeye AFTER spinach ingestion. We got guys eligible for Cooperstown who pumped themselves up with HGH and steroids. We got NFL players punching team mates, kicking opponents, slamming their coaches and going on strike. NBA brawls with fans. A baseball commissioner who owns one of the teams. 52 million dollar deals just to TALK to a Japanese baseball player who doesn’t even speak English. Where does it end?

It isn’t just Cleveland sports. The whole thing is out of whack. It makes my radio show a lot easier to prep for.

But something tells me that a closer look at big league sports would be a lot like Diana Ross’s picture. Without the hype, the money and the drama, it’s just getting really old.

Big news! The owner of the Tribe has agreed to talk to me on the phone at 10AM Monday. I will stream the interview LIVE on Moohead Radio. All you have to do (to listen) is come to the site (www.mooheadradio.com), and click on the “listen live” link on the front page at 10am. Simple. Do the same every weekday at 5pm to hear the live program.

If you want to ask Paul Dolan a question…drop me an e-mail (mooheadradio@yahoo.com). See ya at 10am Monday!

Here’s a brief overview of what you are about to experience. This is what we call “suspension of belief” in the radio biz.
My name is Mr Moohead. I am a Cow. My choices in life were limited. Either hour after hour on the automatic milking machine, or discover a way to pay my way without sensitizing the ol’ udders. I talked Mr Farmer into allowing me to start an internet radio show from a barn here in rural Vermont. He wasn’t really thrilled with the idea. In fact, I stole his credit card and created a bovine state of the art internet studio in the back of the barn. I have been a Cleveland sports fan my whole life. It struck me as somewhat odd that the sports talk radio stations in Cleveland talked more about Pittsburgh than Cleveland. In fact, the biggest one (1100 AM) Doesn’t even TALK sports most of the day. The other one (850 AM) keeps getting sold to out of town people. So out of sheer frustration (because of “The Fumble”, “The Drive”, Jordan’s buzzer beater, and every other Cleveland sports tragedy), Mr Moohead created “Moohead Radio”, and rapidly gained 2 regular listeners. That quickly doubled to 4 in 3 months. With my four regular listeners in tow, I chose to branch out into NE Ohio, including the Youngstown area. Little did I realize that Youngstown and a Cow were made for one another. I have a lousy show with 4 listeners, and you got the Mike Tyson World Tour, and Jim Terry’s EIFL indoor football league. It was then I realized we were meant for each other.

Since those salad days, the show has gained a hoof hold in the NE Ohio area. Mr Moohead started talking YSU football and Youngstown high school football with new listeners from the greater Y-town area. Unlike other radio shows, a Cow became an odd host, combining intermittent fan whining with rare bovine insight, to create a personality based radio program.

With all that said, please be aware that it IS internet radio. Uncensored. Sometimes the language gets salty. Sometimes Mr Moohead calls out the local teams. Sometimes he calls local businesses to complain about things. He’s a Cow. Most listeners are hooked once they hear how much of a “fan” a Cow really is. He tends to verbalize exactly what you were thinking…in a slightly twisted way.

Among the few fooled by a Cow…Vindy.com, who decided to give a Cow his own blog within the vindy site. Here, a Cow will pontificate on the sorry state of local and NE Ohio AND national sports. If you enjoy what you read here, try the show. If you think it’s a complete waste of time, take a number and get in line. I don’t have time for you.

Keep checking back for bovine blog updates. Right now, we’re talking Cavs, Indians, OSU basketball, Browns, as well as all the national stuff. Drop me a line if you’d like to share your thoughts. Moo.