Podcast 9/12/17: On The Browns & NFL Week 1, Indians Streak, Kobe, NBA Rankings & CFB Week 3

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

You can now download the latest episodes of "TripleThreatCLE.com's Podcast"!

Subscribe to us, on New Cleveland Radio iTunes here!

DOWNLOAD: On Browns & NFL Week 1, Ohio State's Loss, Indians Streak, Kobe & NBA Rankings (9/12/17)

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DOWNLOAD: On the Browns & NFL Week 1, College Football and special guest Zac Jackson (9/6/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On Browns Moves, Cavs/Celtics & College Football Kickoff (8/30/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On LeBron James, Browns Preseason, QB Rankings & More (8/16/17)
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DOWNLOAD: Browns Preseason, Cavs Uniforms, All-Time Uniforms & TV Reboots (8/9/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On Kyrie Irving and Sports Hall of Fames (8/2/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On Kyrie Irving's Trade Request, LeBron's Power & The Cavs (7/2417)
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DOWNLOAD: On Kirk Cousins, LeBron James, Unappreciated Players & Fast Food Chicken (7/19/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On MLB All-Star, Young Stars & Bad NBA Contracts (7/12/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On NBA Free Agency, Chauncey Billups & Our 3-on-3 Teams (7/5/17)
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DOWNLOAD: On Chris Paul Trade, Phil Jackson, NBA Moves & Lavar Ball (6/28/17)
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2017 Episodes Of Triple Threat CLE Radio Show
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2016 Episodes of Triple Threat CLE Radio Show

Leadoff with Lee 4.14.16

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams & Chris Lee, @TripleThreatLee

Last night, NBA history was made!

In his final game of his illustrious 20 year NBA career, Kobe Bryant dropped 60 points in a comeback victory, topping the Utah Jazz, 101-96. The atmosphere was electric in the Staples Center as Bryant kept taking shot after shot... and making shot after shot! Kobe attempted 50 shots Wednesday night in his farewell game, shooting 22-50, and 6-21 from 3-point range in 42 minutes of play. It was easily the best moment of the season for the troubled 17-65 Lakers. After exiting the game to a resounding chorus of "Kobe!" chants from the Lakers faithful, Kobe took to the mic and stated:

I can't believe how fast 20 years went by, man, this is crazy. This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we've been on -- we've been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout.

You can't write something better than this..... Mamba Out!

Take a look at some of the reactions from players around the league (click to enlarge):

Thank you Kobe Bryant. The final chapter in his career is the stuff of legends. - By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

But that wasn't the only history made Wednesday night. With a 125-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors became the winningest NBA team of all-time, reaching 73 wins, eclipsing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls 72-10 record. Reigning, and likely back to back MVP, Steph Curry capped off his impressive regular season draining his 400th 3-pointer of the season, shooting 10-19 from beyond the arc, finishing the game with 46 points. With 73 wins now out of the way, the Warriors can now focus on their playoff run and attempting to be the first back to back NBA Champions since the 2012 and 2013 Miami Heat. Hopefully, the main cog of those Heat teams can prevent the Warriors from obtaining that goal. - By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

And lastly from me, all of the seeding is set. Here's a look at the playoff match ups for the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Be sure to check out TripleThreatCLE.com and "TV Tonight" for game times.

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- The Cleveland Browns claimed tight end Chase Ford via waivers Wednesday from the Baltimore Ravens. Ford is 6'6", 245 pounds and entering his fourth NFL season out of the University of Miami. Chase Ford graded well as a run blocker in his limited opportunities with the Minnesota Vikings. Last season, he was inactive for eight games with Minnesota and one game with Baltimore, before being placed on injured reserve. With the tight end position lacking depth, Ford, E.J Bibbs, Randall Telfer and Connor Hamlett will all be fighting for roster spots this season.

- In other Browns news, a possible trade scenario surfaced Wednesday that featured the Browns, Bills and Broncos being involved. This is the trade scenario posted by netonesports.com that made waves around the TwitterVerse.

Whether or not this trade actually happens, it's very interesting. Consider the rumblings that Tyrod Taylor wants out of Buffalo, the Broncos needing a quarterback and the Browns in "asset acquiring mode", it could all make sense. This trade can't be any crazier than all the mock drafts floating around.

- Hall Of Fame Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann is going back to the West Coast, this time as the man in charge. 

Swann was named athletic director at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, the university announced. Swann is returning to the campus where he was a star from 1971-74, winning the national title in 1972 and making the All-America team in 1973. Swann takes over July 1 for Pat Haden. He is the third straight former USC football player to be named AD.

- Several outlets have reported that the Memphis Tigers athletic department has been in contact with Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith about becoming  their new head coach. According to one report, if Smith is offered the Memphis job he will accept. Memphis is expected to make a decision by the end of the week.

- NBA owners are scheduled to vote this week on putting ads on jerseys for the 2017-18 season, multiple sources told ESPN. The measure is expected to pass, according to sources. Several teams have begun testing the market to sell the potentially lucrative ads, which would be placed in a 2.5 x 2.5-inch patch on the left shoulder.

Corporate logos on player's jerseys are commonplace in the English Premier League and throughout international soccer. "With U.S. TV coverage of these leagues already bringing the sight of these jerseys into American living rooms, ads on players jerseys are an idea whose time has come," said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Nike takes over for Adidas as the face of NBA apparel starting in 2017-18, meaning that’s the first season this new format could be debuted. There is a real potential that players might see an issue with the revenue split, especially if Nike jerseys on sale in the retail sector include the ads.

- Per NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Johnny Manziel's second agent this off season, Drew Rosenhaus, has informed the former Browns quarterback that he either gets treatment or he will no longer represent him. Rosenhaus stated Wednesday, "I have terminated the standard representation with Johnny Manziel in hopes of helping him get the treatment I believe he needs. I have informed him that if he takes the immediate steps I have outlined for him, that I will rescind the termination and continue to represent him. Otherwise the termination will become permanent. There is a five day window for me to rescind the termination. I'm hoping he take the necessary steps to get his life back on track". 

Erik Burkhardt, left him in February when he refused to get help. The comments from Rosenhaus came after Manziel seemed "disheveled" Saturday night and showing up to a Sunset Strip nightclub and was later involved in an auto accident, where he was the passenger the same night. Rosenhaus told SiriusXM NFL "LA isn't a good place for Manziel." And with that, he has returned to Texas. Needs to start working out and get back to football. "It's a 'life & death situation' & he's trying to help a young man who's in trouble. Rosenhaus was also asked about his other Browns client, wide receiver Josh Gordon. Gordon experienced a "hiccup" & "temporary setback" in his NFL reinstatement. And believes he will be back in 2016.

Full Court Press 4.13.16: Kobe Bryant, The Last Of His Kind #KB20 #Kobe

The Last Of His Kind
By Randy Groce, @ImissWiggins

My boss Chris Williams (@nevaRWilliams), asked me to write an article about my favorite Kobe moments. I can't. There's too many. Instead I'd like to write a quick eulogy instead. He's not dead, but after April 13th his career will be. The moves, the dunks, the stare will all be gone. There's only one other guy in the league who might possess what Kobe has in terms of determination, skill, athletic ability, and the mindset to not care what anyone thinks and not be afraid to fail. We'll talk about him later. 

It seems as though there is only two ways to feel about Kobe: hate him or love him.

For probably the first 10 years of his career most fans, and some non fans of basketball hated him. They had a gun, and with that gun they possessed five fatal bullets that they would fire during any "Kobe related"argument.

He wanted to be Michael Jordan.
He shot those airballs.
He raped a girl.
He snitched on Shaq.
He got Shaq traded.

In all actuality, only two of those were true, you figure out which ones. As a rookie, Kobe shot 4-14 in a game 5 playoff matchup against the Utah Jazz. He'll always be remembered for the four airballs that he shot in crunch time. Can you imagine how many guys who have played that sport that if that had happened to them at the age of 18 would have let it affect the rest of their career? Are there any other players, then or now, who could have spent all day in court while facing rape charges and 20 plus years in jail, then hop on a plane, get to the arena after the game already started and still drop 40 points? Kobe did. He somehow found a way to turn two completely different tragedies into fuel that would drive him to be the superstar that he is today. 

Kobe was far from perfect. He took too many shots when he should have passed and he was never really a true leader. He didn't trust his teammates, clashed with coaches, and hated the triangle offense. Unlike players of this generation he didn't want to be your friend. He didn't work out with opponents DURING or after the season. He wanted to beat you. Badly. He didn't want to be like Mike he wanted to be better than Mike. He emulated everything that Michael Jordan did, there's no denying that. MJ's walk, talk, gum chewing mannerisms, fade away, all of it, he took from Mike. His competitiveness is what separates him from the rest. The final time the two faced off against each other Kobe scored 55 points, 42 in the first half. That's how you say goodbye to your idol. 

As Kobe exits the game, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce won't be too far behind. They are the last of the Hall of Famers remaining from the 90's. 13 NBA championships between them. There's only one player currently in the league that I feel has the hunger and fight that they had and that is Russell Westbrook. How can you watch this young man's development and not see a direct correlation between him and Kobe. Early in their careers they were selfish ball hogs who had raw abilities that needed developing.

While everyone else told them to be more "team friendly" they continued to do it their way. They both played with another teammate who was considered the best in the game. They both eventually figured it out. Westbrook is still chasing that first ring, but I think most feel he'll get it one day. Westbrook is from LA, his contract will be up next year, and I'm pretty sure Kobe will have a conversation with him when the time is right. 

Kobe will be the first to tell you that he doesn't have many friends. I'm not sure how important that is to him, but he found out this season how many fans he has. Players, coaches, fronts office people have all sang his praises as he plays his final games. The last three years have been a challenge, but at least he's still able to leave the game the way he wants. Number #8 grew up and became a legend while wearing #24.



I expect his last shot to be on the block, right side of the basket, turn around fade away jump shot.

All net.

Full Court Press 12.25.15: NBA Season Has Finally Arrived #NBAXMas

Basketball Season Has Arrived
By @mrgroce

At first glance, I'm pretty sure when you saw the title, you figured that this was an article written in October. No, it wasn't. It's December 22nd and I'm sitting at my computer watching season one, episode 4 of Breaking Bad. When it comes to this show, I'm pretty late to the party, but as far as the NBA season is concerned, now is the time to start paying attention. Other than witnessing the Golden State Warriors begin the season with best start in the history of the NBA, you haven't missed much. The Spurs are good, as usual. The Cavs are good and injured, but almost back to fully healthy. Kobe is retiring and won't stop shooting. Dwight Howard is unhappy and people in the media are talking way too much about the New York Knicks.

But guess what?

Christmas Day is here, and for a lot of fans this is almost the equivalent of MLB Opening Day. Five games featuring five possible championship contenders. The main event takes place at 5:00 PM when the Cavs visit the Warriors for a one game "rematch" of last season's NBA Finals. 

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but somehow along the way I've developed a deep fondness of the Golden State Warriors and the league's reigning MVP Steph Curry. Like everyone else I was a naysayer who repeatedly said that a jump shooting team can not win a championship, but the Warriors kept winning and we kept doubting. Each round of the playoffs a key player was missing from one of the Warriors opponents. This gave everyone who doubted Golden State an excuse to say that their championship run was lucky. Now I'm no expert, but I think it's safe to say that the absence of Patrick Beverly and Tony Allen is not what propelled the Warriors to the Finals. Would things have been different if Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were available for the Cavs? Maybe, but this team is good, they play the right way, and the best player is dominant, all 6'3", 190 lbs of him. 

I'm in the minority, but I feel that Curry has surpassed LeBron as the best player in the game. I think when people hear this they assume that I'm saying that Steph has had a better career or is on pace to have a better one. No, what I'm saying is that RIGHT NOW Curry is better simply because he's unstoppable and knows what his strengths are. 13 years in LeBron still doesn't post up much, still does not have a dependable jump shop (although he loves to shoot em), and is barely an average free throw shooter. Despite that, he still gives you 26 points 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Of course these are numbers that can not be ignored or glossed over, but I'm one of those people that feel like numbers do lie. Remember Steph has been in the league seven years fewer than LeBron, but is only has one less ring.

There is still one challenge that I need to see the Warriors complete before I crown them of the best teams that I've ever seen. I need to see what they can do against a Greg Popovich coached team in a best of seven series. So far the all of the attention has been on Golden State and Cleveland, but the Spurs have the second best record in the league and are only 3 games behind the Warriors in the overall standings. They have transitioned from a team that was led by Tony Parker and Tim Duncan to a team that is now being guided by LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard. San Antonio, Golden State and Cleveland all have great rosters, and in my opinion the Cavs have the best, but the Warriors and Spurs play "the right way" for longer stretches in games than the Cavaliers do.

The Cavs have a tendency to get complacent on defense and lackadaisical on offense. The Warriors, a great jump shooting team sometimes forgets that a drive to the hoop is smarter than heaving a 30 footer even if it is a "heat check". The Spurs, well, I'm still having a hard time finding weaknesses, but one or two are bound to pop up.  All three teams have multiple go to guys, and all three teams can play big or go small. Barring some sort of catastrophic disaster the Cavs will be in the Finals, but the battle between Golden State and San Antonio will be epic.

As the NFL regular season is coming to a close, the casual basketball fan will turn their attention to the NBA, and when they do they'll see the defending champs chasing history by trying to match and surpass the 72-10 record of the Chicago Bulls.

There will be other storylines to watch for:

1 Can Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant work together and get OKC back to the Finals?

2 Will the Bulls blow up their roster or make one more run at it with the team they have?

3 Does Miami pose a legitimate challenge to the Cavs in the East?

4 Will the fans or coaches vote Kobe onto the Western Conference all star team?


That last one was for me and I don't care what you have to say about it.



Merry Christmas, and lets enjoy the season.

Full Court Press 10.27.15: 2015-16 NBA Preview #NBA #NBATipOff

By @mrgroce

If you are a fan of the NBA like I am, today could not have come fast enough.

There will be three match-ups to kickoff the 2015-2016 season tonight: Detroit Pistons vs. Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls, and the New Orleans Pelicans vs. the Golden State Warriors. Once again, I plan on forking over $200 for NBA League Pass to watch my favorite sport and athletes. 

Last season was as entertaining, as much as it was frustrating. The key factor to most of what transpired last year was injuries. Injuries prevented the Oklahoma City Thunder from being in the playoffs. Injuries altered the playoff outcomes for Memphis, Portland, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Toronto. Injuries prevented the Cleveland Cavaliers from winning a championship. None of that should take away from the unbelievable season that the Golden State Warriors had. They won it all and deserve credit for it. There are lot of different story lines that intrigue me this year, but for the sake of this article I'm going to try and cut it down to ten. 

1. Can the Golden State Warriors repeat? It has always been said that a jump shooting team can't win a championship. Despite having the best record in the league all season long, people kept saying it wouldn't last long. The Warriors were one of the few playoff teams that avoided a significant injury and rode their MVP winning point guard Steph Curry to the Larry O' Brien trophy. 

2. What can we expect from the Oklahoma City Thunder? First, can they stay healthy? Secondly, if healthy, how will Durant and Westbrook coexist? The last time both guys were on the floor together Durant hadn't played with the Westbrook that came close to winning the MVP award. Will one guy step back and let the other be "the man" or are we looking at a Kobe vs Shaq type situation? How will new coach Billy Donovan handle having two talented superstars on the floor at the same time? Will Durant and Westbrook actually listen to a former college coach?

3. Will the Cleveland Cavaliers win the championship that eluded them last season? So close we could taste it, but one by one we watched them go down. First it was Kevin Love, then Kyrie Irving, then Iman Shumpert. JR got suspended, Delly got sick. LeBron is great, but even he couldn't overcome all of that. If the Cavs can stay healthy, the Eastern Conference will belong to them. They'll simply be waiting to play whoever makes it out of the West to play in the Finals. 

4. Is Anthony Davis ready to take it to the next level? Many experts have chosen Anthony to be the first pick as the guy they'd take to start a franchise. I disagree, but he's almost there. I know that night in and night out he can battle and win against the best bigs in the game, but can he take his team past the first round of the playoffs. Can he lift his team from the bottom half of the eight playoff teams and lift them to the top four and host a playoff series. 

5. Is this it for Kobe Bryant and what does that mean for the Lakers? Kobe is one of the greats. He's always said that he would retire before coming off of the bench and being a 13-15 points per game guy. The Lakers have a good up and coming young core with pieces like rookie D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr. Will Kobe take away playing time from one of these young men or will coach Scott have the "marbles" to tell him its 25 minutes a game from here on out. As a 20 year fan of Kobe I hope he knows when it's time to walk away. 

6. Will the Miami Heat look as good in real life as they do on paper? PG Goran Dragic had a full training camp to work with Wade,  Bosh, and rookie Justice Winslow. Big man Hassan Whiteside commands respect in the paint and Amar'e Stoudemire still has a little left in the tank. The question with this team is the same as always can they stay healthy? If so, this is the only team the Cleveland Cavaliers should be worried about. 

7. Has the Chicago Bulls identity changed? With the departure of Tom Thibodeau who was a defensive genius, how will be Bulls play under new coach Fred Hoiberg? The last time a truly great defensive minded team lost its coach (Detroit Pistons Larry Brown), and the team full of vets started falling off, players started getting traded away while some left for free agency. In my opinion, if Chicago doesn't win it all this season, expect to see either Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, or Pau Gasol to be traded in the offseason. 

8. Who's the favorite in the West?  The Spurs and Clippers seemed to have made the biggest improvements, while the Rockets, Warriors, and Thunder pretty much remained quiet and kept their rosters in tact. As usual it's going to come down to the match-ups, but if health is not an issue I don't see any team beating the Clippers in a seven game series. Wow, even I can't believe I just wrote that. Newly acquired players Paul Pierce, Josh Smith, and Lance Stephenson can absolutely help this team win it all. The only question is if coach Rivers can somehow contain all of those egos and get them to buy in. The key to that will be Pierce. He's well respected around the league and guys listen when he speaks. 

9. Should we care about the Knicks? Probably not, but it's a team from New York which means somebody cares, I guess. Carmelo is healthy and coach Fisher heads into his second season with limited talent on the roster. Will rookie Kristaps Porzingis be able to deal with the media in the Big Apple if he doesn't live up to their expectations? Will team president Phil Jackson turn things around? Will owner James Dolan bring back Isaiah Thomas in some capacity? 

10. Who will be this years surprise and disappointing teams? I'm not sure why, but I think I'm picking the Orlando Magic to make it to the playoffs this year as the eight seed. They have some pretty good young talent led by Victor Oladipo and a strict coach in Scott Skiles who has had success as a head coach. The team I expect to disappoint or "fall off" will be the Washington Wizards. I am not a Paul Pierce fan, but for the reasons I had him helping the Clippers reach the Finals are the same reasons I have his leaving Washington as the main cause of them falling from the 5th seed to the 7th or 8th and departing in the first round of the playoffs.

TV Weekend 2.27 - 2.28

By @nevaRWilliams

Last Man Standing (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
World's Funniest Fails (FRI, FOX, 8pm)
The Amazing Race (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
Heart Of Dixie (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
Cold Justice (FRI, TNT, 8pm)
Cristela (FRI, ABC, 8:30pm)

iMPACT Wrestling (FRI, Destination America, 9pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 9pm)
12 Monkeys (FRI, SyFy, 9pm)
Glee (FRI, FOX, 9pm)
Hawaii Five-O (FRI, CBS, 9pm)

VICE Special Report: Killing Cancer (FRI, HBO, 10pm)
Helix (FRI, SyFy, 10pm)
Banshee (FRI, Showtime, 10pm)

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Black Sails (SAT, Starz, 9pm)
Saturday Night Live, Dakota Johnson, Alabama Shakes (SAT, NBC, 11:30pm)

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NBA
Cavaliers @ Pacers (FRI, FOX Sports Ohio, 7pm)
Heat @ Pelicans (FRI, ESPN, 8pm)
Thunder @ Trail Blazers (FRI, ESPN, 10:30pm)

Kobe Bryant's Muse (SAT, Showtime, 9pm)
Spurs @ Suns (SAT, NBA TV, 9pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Ohio @ Akron (FRI, ESPNU, 8pm)
Valparaiso @ Cleveland State (FRI, ESPNU, 10pm)

Georgetown @ St. John's (SAT, CBS, 12pm)
Michigan @ Maryland (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
Louisville @ Florida State (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
Missouri @ Georgia (SAT, ESPNU, 12pm)

Villanova @ Xavier (SAT, FOX, 2pm)
North Carolina @ Miami (SAT, CBS, 2pm)
Northern Iowa @ Wichita State (SAT, ESPN, 2pm)
Cincinnati @ Tulane (SAT, ESPNews, 2pm)
TCU @ Oklahoma (SAT, ESPNU, 2pm)
Dayton @ VCU (SAT, ESPN 2, 2pm)

Arkansas @ Kentucky (SAT, CBS, 4pm)
Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech (SAT, ESPNews, 4pm)
West Virginia @ Baylor (SAT, ESPNU, 4pm)
Iowa State @ Kansas State (SAT, ESPN 2, 4pm)
Texas @ Kansas (SAT, ESPN, 5pm)

Tennessee @ Florida (SAT, ESPN2, 6pm)
Syracuse @ Duke (SAT, ESPN, 7pm)
Boise State @ San Diego State (SAT, ESPN 2, 8pm)
Arizona @ Utah (SAT, ESPN, 9pm)
BYU @ Gonzaga (SAT, ESPN 2, 10pm)

NASCAR
XFINITY Series: Atlanta (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 2pm)
Camping World Truck Series (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 5:30pm)

NHL
Blackhawks @ Lightning (FRI, NHL Network, 7:30pm)

Devils @ Blue Jackets (SAT, FOX Sports Ohio, 5pm)
Maple Leafs @ Canadiens (SAT, NHL Network, 7pm)
Rangers @ Flyers (SAT, NBC, 8pm)

GOLF
Honda Classic, Third Round (SAT, NBC, 3pm)

MMA & BOXING
Bellator MMA Live: British Invasion 134 (FRI, SPIKE, 9pm)
Friday Night Fights (FRI, ESPN 2, 9pm)
Golden Boy LIVE Boxing: Randy Caballero vs. Alberto Guevara (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 10:30pm)
UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano - Prelims (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)

OTHER SPORTS
English Premier League Soccer (SAT, NBC, 12:30pm)
World of X Games: Air & Style, Los Angeles (SAT, ABC, 3pm)
Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular (SAT, ABC, 4pm)

TV Tonight 2.16

By @nevaRWilliams

NBA
Kobe: The Interview (NBA TV, 9pm)

NHL
Rangers @ Islanders (NHL Network, 7pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Pittsburgh @ Virginia (ESPN, 7pm)
Clemson @ Georgia Tech (ESPNU, 7pm)
WOMENS: Maryland @ Michigan State (ESPN 2, 7pm)
Seton Hall @ Villanova (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)

Kansas @ West Virginia (ESPN, 9pm)
WOMENS: Duke @ Notre Dame (ESPN 2, 9pm)
Butler @ Creighton (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)

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WWE Raw (USA, 8pm)
The Celebrity Apprentice, SEASON FINALE (NBC, 8pm)
The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm)
Gotham (FOX, 8pm)
2 Broke Girls (CBS, 8pm)
The Originals (The CW, 8pm)
Mike & Molly (CBS, 8:30pm)

Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life, An All-Star Grammy Salute (CBS, 9pm)
Sleepy Hollow (FOX, 9pm)
Jane The Virgin (The CW, 9pm)
SI: The Making Of Swimsuit 2015 (Travel Channel, 9pm)

Better Call Saul (AMC, 10pm)
Eye Candy (MTV, 10pm)
State of Affairs (NBC, 10pm)
Castle (ABC, 10pm)

Leadoff with Lee 12.15.14 #Browns #Kobe #Kings #Mariota

By @cleeverizon

- Did we watch a bunch of UPS workers playing football or the Cleveland Browns?

Let's start here, Johnny Manziel made it to Cleveland Browns stadium at 10:57am. That's 3 minutes prior to the 11:00am time that Browns players are required to be at the stadium. So he was on time, he was tracked using his tracking number which is #2. All eyes were on Johnny as he came out to the field to warmup, but he was caught wearing Beats By Dre headphones. This is a violation of NFL rules barring players to wear them before or after games due to the partnership they have with Bose. So expect Manziel to get fined by the league.

In his not so hot debut, Johnny was 10/18 for 80 yards and 2 interceptions in the game. The defense didn't keep the Bengals offense off the field. Cincinnati held the ball for 39 minutes in the game, leaving the Browns only 21 minutes on offense and not being able to get into rhythm. The "Nati" rushed for a total 224 yards with rookie Jeremy Hill gaining 103 yards in the first half and finishing with total of 148 in the game. Despite the woes of the game, the biggest improvement you will see with a rookie quarterback is the progression he makes from his first game to his second game.

- In a stunner, late last night Michael Malone was fired as the coach of the Sacramento Kings. It's said that even though the team got out to a hot start, the team is currently at 11-13, which did not meet ownership's expectations. Malone was in his second season as Kings coach. After star center DeMarcus Cousins was removed from the lineup with viral meningitis, the Kings have gone 2-7 in their last nine games which led to Malone's end. Assistant Tyrone Corbin will take over as the interim coach. Corbin had a 112-146 record as the coach of the Utah Jazz.

- Kobe Bryant moves into 3rd place on the NBA scoring list passing Michael Jordan. Bryant now has 32,293 points. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928) have more career points than Bryant.

- Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the 2014 Heisman trophy. He is the first player in school history to do so. Mariota had 788 first place votes and received the second highest percentage of possible points in Heisman trophy history behind Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith(2005). Mariota leads the league in passing rating (186.2) and 5th in average yards per game (342.5). The Oregon Ducks won this year's PAC-12 championship. Mariota has one more year of eligibility left and has not decided if he will declare for the 2015 NFL draft.

- Former Cavs player and #1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins won the NBA rookie of the month for November. He's averaging 11.6ppg (2nd among rookies), 3.7 rebounds, 1.13 steals in 15 games. In November, he was first in scoring, steals and minutes, along with being second in blocks and third in rebounds (among rookies).

- The New England Patriots clinched their 6th straight AFC East crown while Denver won their 4th straight AFC West title and the Colts clinched their 2nd straight AFC South crown. The NFC has no division winners as of yet.