Slap in face to Z bad form

I haven't been posting much lately for two reasons. One I haven't had much to say. The Browns aren't worth talking about, this early in the season for the Cavs means nothing and I have nothing new to say about the Indians that wouldn't be a rehash of something written elsewhere.

Second I got a job working for a daily paper in the sports department. And now that I work for a sports department I have no time to watch sports. Ironic.

During the Cavs game on Saturday I was covering a high school football game. No one mentioned that Z didn't play. In fact I didn't hear about until today.

My first reaction was unbelief. LeBron is the master of summing things up afterward. His after the fact PR soundbites worry me. It's not that he isn't wrong -- especially on this one -- but he just always seem to know what to say -- after.

I think Mike Brown dropped the ball on this one. He missed the big picture. This just wasn't another game. I am not going to be part of the chorus that says we can't trade Z for sentimental reasons. After all Danny Ferry and Mike Brown are paid to win basketball games. Not be sentimental. But c'mon after all Z has done for this franchise getting him into the first half for a wave and a bow should not have been that hard. It was a slap in the face and even though he will get the record soon enough -- it will cheapen the celebration a bit. If Z is done and trading him helps the ball club win a championship then by all means do it. But this was something small and giving him his moment would not have hurt the team.

There had to be a way to get Z into that game. His first ever Did Not Play- Coach's Decision comes in the game where he should have broken the franchise record for games played with his family, the ownership and fans expecting to celebrate. Bad form Mike Brown. I understand he thought this was the best way to win the game. But this was a special moment and I thought it was something that could have been handled better. You couldn't send the big man into start the second quarter. Would Z playing two minutes in the first half lost the game? Really? But Mike Brown won the game and he sent a valuable message I suppose to the rest of the team. It is a business. Loyalty means nothing.

I don't get it. Flabbergasted. I guess I would understand it somewhat if it was late in the season but in November and you can't get Z into the game in the first half on his special day. I don't understand.