WFNY co-founder and editor Andrew Schnitkey was at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday to watch the Browns move to 4-1, their best start since 1994. He joins The Nail to talk about his experience among the 12,000 fans at the game, the magic that Kevin Stefanski has worked to completely turn around the franchise, Myles Garrett’s dominating start to the season, the ups and downs of Baker Mayfield, and the big test that looms on Sunday at Pittsburgh.
Plus: LeBron James clinched his fourth title on Sunday night, leading the Lakers back to the top of the mountain and ending an NBA bubble experience that was short on fans, but filled with memorable performances.
Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photo from Associated Press | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin
From Twitter exchanges with LeBron James over potential Browns moves to covering games and chasing down stories for all three of Cleveland’s professional sports teams, there’s rarely a boring day on the job for Associated Press sportswriter Tom Withers. He joins The Nail to reflect on covering LeBron’s career (and, as of recently, James’ more vocal interest in the local football team), as well as where Week 1 ranks in the Pantheon of Weird Browns Games, the state of the Indians, and the next chapter for the Cavs.
Plus: The challenges of keeping tabs on three major pro sports teams simultaneously, and finding a balance between covering the basics that are expected of the Associated Press and digging deeper to find unique stories and scoops.
On Sunday night, the greatest era in Cavaliers franchise history came to a quiet end with a one-sentence press release announcing LeBron James had agreed to a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The guys look back on the uneasy alliance between LeBron and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert that ultimately couldn’t last, the bizarre work in progress that is the Lakers’ roster that LeBron will be joining, the increasingly unbalanced landscape as the league’s biggest star becomes the latest elite player to go west, and the uncertain future of the Cavs.
It was a painful NBA Finals – both figuratively and literally – for LeBron and the Cavs. Dodgy officiating, a killer mental mistake and a punched white board punctuated Game 1, and the Wine and Gold never recovered for the remainder of the series. The guys discuss the late-game proceedings in Game 1, LeBron’s busted hand, the burden on the Cavs’ front office navigating the draft and free agency in light of LeBron’s potential departure this summer, the Warriors’ weird dynamic with Kevin Durant, and how long Golden State can keep its nucleus together.
Let’s be honest: The Cavs are facing some of the longest odds in NBA Finals history when they tip off against Golden State for the fourth straight season. But is all hope lost? David Zavac, contributor for The Athletic, is back on The Nail to dive into what the Cavs can try to do to make this a competitive series. The guys also touch on the absence of Andre Iguodala and most likely Kevin Love for Game 1, how some of Cleveland’s new faces can fit into this four-year rivalry and the difference for the Cavs between playing as the team to beat in the East playoffs vs. having nothing to lose in the Finals.
LeBron James delivered an epic, wire-to-wire performance, the Cavs’ role players—led by Jeff Green!—provided just enough scoring support, and the Cavaliers are Eastern Conference champions for the fourth straight year after winning Game 7 on Sunday night in Boston. The guys get together a night later to look back on a dramatic, draining closeout game and its most memorable moments.
Baffling coaching decisions, blown defensive assignments, bad shooting and a battered jaw for one LeBron James have left the Cavs halfway to getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the next two games at The Q, the Wine & Gold aren't completely in dire straits just yet. Still, it’s been ugly so far. The guys discuss Ty Lue’s decision to ride with JR Smith over Kyle Korver in the starting lineup, the struggles of the newer members of the roster, the “organizational fatigue” plaguing everyone who has been around for the long haul, and the weight of trying to fight back in a series knowing what would await in the Finals (and *not* knowing what awaits this summer).
With a ridiculous running floater off the glass last Saturday night, LeBron James broke the spirit of yet another Eastern Conference franchise, as the Raptors bowed out meekly on Monday and fired head coach Dwane Casey four days later. A transcendent postseason for LeBron continues in the Eastern Conference finals, where the depleted-but-not-defeated Boston Celtics await. Aside from LeBron’s shot-making abilities, the Cavs were steadied in Round 2 by the presence of point guard George Hill, the outside shooting of J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver, and a devastating two-man game from Korver and Kevin Love. The guys preview the conference finals with the Celtics, air grievances about Boston, and quickly set up the West series between Houston and Golden State.
It was the most nerve-wracking first round series to ever involve LeBron James wearing wine and gold, but the Cavs survived their matchup with the Pacers. In Game 7 on Sunday, LeBron was LeBron, but his supporting cast finally came through, too. Tristan Thompson looked like the Tristan Thompson of old as he crashed the glass, and George Hill returned after a three-game absence to steady the squad through the final 19 minutes. The guys discuss how the Cavs ultimately outlasted a better-than-expected Indiana team, and then look ahead to another series with the Raptors in the conference semifinals. Every adjustment Toronto has made in the past year has been with Cleveland in mind, and for the first time, the Raptors are favored to win the series. But, ultimately, will this year’s edition of Cavs-Raps be any different than the past two?
A lot of fans figured the Eastern Conference playoffs would be more challenging for the Cavs this season than in recent years, but few could have predicted a full-fledged fight in the first round. Nevertheless, the Indiana Pacers are giving the Cavs all they can handle through four games. The guys welcome their old pal Mark Meszoros back to the show to discuss the burden LeBron is carrying, Ty Lue’s strange rotations and inexplicable fascination with Jeff Green, the revival of JR Smith—both as a scorer and as a defender on Indiana’s Victor Oladipo—and the challenge of getting Kevin Love going.
Mike Zavagno of FearTheSword.com and the Cavalytics podcast joins the show to help the guys get ready for the NBA playoffs. It was a strange season—or maybe even four or five seasons rolled into one—for the Cavs. But as they get ready for the Pacers in the first round, the Wine and Gold appear to finally have their full lineup available for the first time since the trade deadline. The guys discuss players like Jeff Green and Jose Calderon going from afterthoughts at the beginning of the year to key members of the playoff rotation, how the players acquired at the deadline—Larry Nance Jr., George Hill, Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson—will fit into the Cavs’ plans, familiar faces who could have reduced (or entirely eliminated) roles, and what more to expect from LeBron James after a tremendous 15th regular season. Plus, a rundown of the rest of the playoffs: Are the Sixers the Cavs’ biggest threat in the East? Was Golden State gifted a path to the Western Conference finals? And can anyone challenge the Rockets or Warriors in the early rounds? ... Oh, and there's also a story in the first five minutes about the time Mike encountered Taylor Swift at customs in the U.S. Virgin Islands and ended up in tabloids around the world. (Yes, really.)
Down 15 points at the half to the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors. Playing without Kyle Korver, Larry Nance, Tristan Thompson, Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman and head coach Ty Lue. At another point in the season, this was the kind of night in which the Cavs would unravel. But on Wednesday, LeBron James and Co. had different ideas. The guys discuss one of the team’s most stirring wins of the year, as well as Kevin Love’s return to the lineup, the surprising emergence of Ante Zizic and what’s left of the regular season. After a number of false starts, is this finally the time the Cavs turn the corner? … Plus: Appreciating Joe Thomas’ incredible playing career at one of football’s most hard-to-appreciate positions, a quick survey of the latest buzz around the NFL draft, and a shout-out to the UMBC Retrievers for ridding March Madness of the least watchable major conference powerhouse.
Larry Nance Jr. has been everything Cavaliers fans hoped he would be when he was acquired at the trade deadline. Tristan Thompson, meanwhile, hasn’t been quite up to the form he showed in playing an enormous role in the Cavs’ title run in 2016, and he’s now sidelined with an ankle injury. With Tristan down, Larry Jr. is getting a shot in the starting lineup, and the early returns have been promising. What happens to the Cavs’ frontcourt when TT returns? … Plus: Would the QB-desperate Browns really pass on a quarterback at the top of the draft? Also, was there anything the Indians could have done to better distribute their limited supply of tickets for Opening Day?
Cleveland is buzzing about basketball again as the Cavs kick off the unofficial second half of the NBA season on Thursday night. As we saw in a two-game preview before the All-Star break, the excitement comes with good reason. LeBron James is engaged, the team is rejuvenated and the games are once again must-see TV. The guys talk about the early returns from Larry Nance, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and George Hill, and what to look forward to down the stretch. … Plus: The most fun events to watch in the Winter Olympics, why not even commentary by wet blanket Bode Miller can ruin downhill skiing, and a quick thought on potential free agent QB targets for the Browns.
Scott Sargent, editor and co-founder of WaitingForNextYear.com and a contributing writer for Bleacher Report, joins the show to bring the guys up to speed on the state of the Cavs heading into another Christmas showdown with the Warriors. New faces such as Dwyane Wade, Jose Calderon and Jeff Green have the team surging after a rough start to the year. Scott explains what has made the Cavs’ excellent second unit work so well, why Calderon has been a surprisingly good fit with the starters, where Isaiah Thomas and Derrick Rose will fit moving forward, what Tristan Thompson’s role will look like and whether any roster moves are coming later this season. … Plus: A quick rundown on the Warriors, and the LeBron James vs. James Harden MVP debate.
As you may have heard, The Nail is joining up with Waiting For Next Year. The guys welcome Craig Lyndall of WFNY to discuss that news, the NFL and Craig's #SellTheBrowns mantra, and the state of the Cavs one month into the NBA season. Are the Celtics an actual threat in the East or another in a long line of media creations stemming from LeBron fatigue? What in God’s name possesses fans to defend Derrick Rose? Plus: Thoughts on Jae Crowder, Jeff Green, Dwyane Wade and the almighty Brooklyn pick.
With two weeks of headlines to catch up on, the guys dust off "What's the Deal?", a fan favorite format from last year. Topics covered in this version include: OSU coming back from the dead in the College Football Playoff picture, the Jerry Jones vs. Roger Goodell feud in the NFL, the Browns, Peyton Manning, Corey Kluber winning the AL Cy Young and early Indians offseason rumblings, and LeBron and the Cavs starting to get it together. Plus, with the recent airing of ESPN's "Nature Boy" documentary and WWE Survivor Series coming up this weekend, Tom shares a story about the time he interviewed Ric Flair, as well as Vince McMahon and Triple H, back in 2004.
It's a new season in the NBA, and the Cavs have a lot of new faces as they look to make a run at a fourth straight Finals. The guys discuss the good, bad and ugly from the team's opening night win over Boston, dealing with the growing pains that come from replacing half your rotation, and ignoring the endless noise that will be sure to surround the team with LeBron in the final year of his contract. ... Plus: A few minutes on uniforms (Ohio State, what are you doing?), and a quick peek ahead to OSU-Penn State next week.
Kyrie Irving has been traded to the Boston Celtics. The guys get friend of the show Mark Meszoros on the line to discuss the blockbuster deal that is bringing Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick and a prospect to Cleveland, sort through the Cavs’ options moving forward, and ponder the ever-present question: What, if anything, does this mean regarding the team’s future with LeBron?
With no single story dominating the Cleveland sports landscape, the guys go around the horn this week. Topics covered include: Brock Osweiler getting the start at QB in the Browns’ preseason opener, what we’re looking forward to in that game, the Cavs’ new uniforms, and sifting through agendas to understand what’s going on with Kyrie and LeBron.
