SB Nation Cleveland - the hit list

Dan Gilbert Will Make Bid To Host NBA All-Star Game In Cleveland, According To Reports

2012-05-15T23:03:36Z

Both Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan and Tom Withers of the Associated Press report that Dan Gilbert will make a bid with the NBA for Cleveland to host an All-Star Game in the next few years. The Cavaliers' majority owner apparently told the media of his plan on Monday afternoon at Cleveland Clinic Courts, shortly after the presentation of Kyrie Irving's Rookie of the Year award. Via Withers at AP:

Gilbert, who opened his new downtown casino Monday, said he plans to approach the league about hosting a future All-Star weekend. He hopes Cleveland would be able to get one ''in the next few years.''

The Cavaliers have not hosted an NBA All-Star Game since 1997, when the league celebrated its 50th anniversary by honoring the its top 50 players in history, most of whom spent the weekend in Forest City. For Clevelanders, the weekend was highlighted by Vitaly Potapenko's appearance in the Rookie game, Bob Sura's less than strong showing in the dunk contest, and Terrell Brandon's participation in the main event on Sunday.

Gilbert is hoping to ride the momentum of his new casino, opened on Monday night, and the forthcoming convention center, to spotlight the city's appeal for the weekend. 1997 was a highlight year for the city, hosting both the NBA and MLB All-Star Games in the new venues at Gateway, and also enjoying the buzz of the recently opened Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Cavaliers and Irving's Rookie of the Year Award, visit Fear the Sword. For all your NBA 2012 awards news and Playoffs coverage, visit SB Nation's NBA hub.

Kyrie Irving Wins Rookie Of The Year, Kia Sorrento

2012-05-15T17:11:30Z

One of the consistently awkward moments of the "Kia Performance Awards" presentations are when the winner of the honor receives a car that is quite clearly not targeted for his life of luxury. The NBA, and Kia, presented the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving with the 2012 Rookie of the Year award on Tuesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts. The Korean carmaker also gave Irving the keys to a brand new Kia Sorrento SUV, which he clearly does not need/want.

Like most players, however, Irving said he would donate the car and relayed a nice story about what he plans to to with the vehicle. He said he was giving the car to his former AAU program, the New Jersey Roadrunners, and told a brief anecdote about how his coach would pick up a young Kyrie and his teammates in a beat-up Windstar and cart them all around the New York metro area. Photo of Irving with his new Sorrento after the jump:

Via @Cavs:

ACC/Big Ten Challenge 2012: Ohio State Will Face Duke In Rematch At Cameron

2012-05-14T18:15:59Z

The Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team will travel to Durham to face the Duke Blue Devils in the 2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Buckeyes crushed Duke at Value City Arena in the 2011 Challenge, rolling to a 22 point win that was never in doubt. Thad Matta's club will head to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, November 28th for the rematch. Per ESPN, the telecast of last year's matchup was the highest rated game in the history of the two conferences' early-season clash.

Both Duke and Ohio State should be highly ranked at the start of the 2012-13 season. While they lose All-American Jared Sullinger, the Buckeyes do return the duo of Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas, who should ensure things continue to run smoothly on the offensive end. The Big Ten is going for its third straight win in the Challenge, after losing the first ten years. North Carolina will travel to Indiana in the other marquee matchup of 2012.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Buckeyes, visit Ohio State blog Land-Grant Holy Land.

VIDEO: Ohio Northern Students Create Robot Football Team

2012-05-14T13:35:23Z

There's been plenty of talk about the future of football recently, and if the NFL can't enhance player safety, will the game as we know it disappear? Some engineering students at Ohio Northern University in Ada recently put on the first "all robotic" football game, competing against a team of mechatronic players from Notre Dame. The robot quarterback can't be much worse than what we've seen under center for the Browns since 1999. Video after the jump:

Via Wired.com:

The Browns, Summed Up In Two Back-To-Back Tweets

2012-05-11T15:25:07Z

It has been an eventful week in Berea and Cleveland Plain Dealer Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot has been covering it all. She has two back-to-back tweets on her timeline, attributed to the team's head coach Pat Shurmur, that, for me, basically sum up the entire Browns franchise from 1999 to the present.

Screengrab of the tweets after the jump:

Via @MaryKayCabot Twitter feed:

Offseason optimism, instantly given a dose of reality.

For more on the Browns, their offseason program and the Phil Taylor injury, visit Dawgs By Nature. For all your NFL news and notes, check of SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Kyrie Irving Signs Endorsement Deal With Skullcandy, Wants To Work With...Skateboarders?

2012-05-11T13:31:51Z

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving impressed everyone around the league with his rookie campaign, and that's translating into notable endorsement deals. Irving inked a deal with popular headphone maker Skullcandy, which has a full cadre of NBA endorsers -- including two who recently had the opportunity to spend a day with Skullcandy rep and supermodel Kate Upton. Irving, however, cited his past experience in skateboarding and expressed interest in the potential endorsement opportunity for working with Skullcandy's skateboarders.

Quote from Irving on the deal after the jump:

via SportsProMedia:

"I love the Skullcandy brand and what they're doing to support basketball. I couldn't be happier to partner with a brand that creates amazing products that blend lifestyle and audio, especially because music is such a big part of basketball culture," Irving is said to have said. "Plus, I grew up skateboarding and am really looking forward to the exciting things they have planned for me and some of their top skateboarders like Eric Koston."

h/t HoopsHype

For more on Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers, visit Fear the Sword. For all your NBA news and notes, visit SB Nation's NBA news hub.

Cavs Looking To Superstitiously Replicate 2011 Draft Lottery Results

2012-05-10T15:58:02Z

Dan Gilbert held his offseason press conference on Wednesday and the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery was topic one. Gilbert said he plans to go through the exact same routine and process that brought the Cavaliers so much luck last year, when they landed the Clippers pick at No. 1 and their own at No. 4. The Cavaliers owner will be taking his son Nick, who was the team's rep on the dais last year when he exclaimed "What's not to like?"

And if Nick doesn't have the same success this year?

Via Sam Amico at FSO:

"If he doesn't get the first pick, he'll be grounded all summer," Gilbert joked.

Gilbert did say they will try to replicate the exact same routine from 2011, looking for some superstitious luck.

"We're trying to repeat the same route, the same clothes, the same people. We're trying to do everything the exact same way," Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said of the team's approach to this year's event. "We really are sort of superstitious with that stuff."

As for the various Cleveland dignitaries that joined the Cavaliers front office last year, Gilbert said he's hoping Bernie Kosar and Joe Haden will be back on board again for 2012, via Daryl Ruiter:

Gilbert says he hopes 2 repeat everything with lottery; hoping Joe Haden Josh Cribbs & Bernie will be able to make it; they're supersticious
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) May 9, 2012

For more on the Cavaliers and the upcoming 2012 NBA Draft, visit Fear the Sword. For all your Draft analysis and Playoffs news and notes, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

UPDATE: Gene Smith Has Contract Extension With Ohio State Through 2016

2012-05-10T13:32:12Z

*UPDATE: The link to the extension is old news, tweeted today by the Dispatch's Rob Oller. Carry on with your befuddlement that Smith still has a deal through 2016.

Ohio State announced that they reached an agreement on a contract extension for Athletic Director Gene Smith. The Buckeyes' AD has been under fire over the past couple years, with plenty of boosters and fans unsettled and angry at his handling of the tattoo incident and subsequent NCAA investigation. He badly misjudged the penalties, resulting in a bowl ban that could have likely been self-imposed during this past mediocre season. Luke has the full details of Smith's less than impressive record over the past few years at Land-Grant Holy Land.

Smith's new deal extends his contract four years through 2016, and raises his base salary from $640,000 to $648,000 with the potential for another $100,000 in incentives. Here's the statement from Smith on the new deal:

"I'm excited and honored to receive this extension. I'm committed to supporting President Gee and his vision for the institution. I look forward every day to supporting our student athletes and coaches. I've enjoyed experiences at many institutions but none like this. This is my final home. Sheila and I have put down roots in Columbus," Smith said.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Buckeyes, visit SB Nation's Land-Grant Holy Land.