Dear LeBron,

Please accept my congratulations on your being named the NBA’s MVP for the 2008–09 season.  It is an honor that I know you don’t take lightly, and it is very well deserved.

As your former teammate, friend, and fellow northeast Ohio native son, I know the work you have put in to make yourself the best player you can be.  This award is one of many you will receive for your hard work and tireless commitment to excellence.
 
You have become the leader on the court, in the community, and within your own family that I always said you would become.  I am very proud of you and thankful for the years we spent together with the Cavs.
 
 You have my unconditional support, love, and respect. Go out and bring that championship home to Ohio.
 
Sincerely,
 
Eric Snow
#20

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For those basketball critics and fans who still believe that the NBA regular season is just a waste of time, I hope that after watching the Boston vs. Chicago and the Atlanta vs. Miami first round series, you seriously rethink such nonsense.

In 2008, the Celtics’ incredible run to capture their 17th world championship should have put much of that rhetoric about wasted regular seasons to rest.  Despite having three future Hall of Fame players in their starting lineup, there is no way the Celtics could have won the title without having the home court advantage.  They don’t get past the Atlanta Hawks or my Cavs team without deciding the game in their building.  Guess what?  This year the Cavs have the home court, and that could mean a parade in Cleveland if they just hold serve.  I think King James has a great opportunity to bring a championship to his hometown team.  Let’s see him hold court against the Hawks.

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So often in the final game of a playoff series, which is ultimately won by the home team, it is so tempting to perceive that team’s primary advantage as simply being the host team.  However, another very important aspect to having home court advantage is usually overlooked.  Playing host is not just crucial for that all-important final or closing game of a playoff series. Having home court is equally important when a series begins.

I bet most NBA fans don’t look back at each individual game when recalling the results of a particular playoff series.  Those that end 4-1 or 4-2 in favor of the home or favorite team are usually considered the result of one team being clearly superior to the other.  However, when you take most NBA playoff series game by game, you will probably find that overall, the winner could have just as easily been the other team.  That’s why I contend that a deeper look at the individual games of each playoff series is so important in understanding that series.  Such an investigation is bound to reveal answers as to why home court is such an advantage to the hosting team.

I learned firsthand the other less obvious but equally important aspect of being the host of an NBA playoff series: the team with the home court advantage can avoid being upset against a hungry opponent by hosting that all-important “must win” early game at home.

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With Round 2 of the NBA playoffs in full swing, I thought it might be interesting to rank those NBA point guards competing in the postseason and give you my assessment of who has been the league's top playmaker thus far. When I look back, it was clear from the start of the 2008–09 season that guards were going to have a huge impact on the season. Well, as it turns out, they did not disappoint. Chris Paul, the top NBA point guard, entered the season as the clear front runner after having a stellar playoff run last year with the Hornets. Somehow the Spurs’ Tony Parker and the Jazz's Deron Williams were pushed to the back of the bus despite having outstanding years themselves. In other news, Mr. Big Shot Chauncey Billups was separated from his long-time running mates in Detroit and sent back home to Denver while Cleveland countered by acquiring the speedy Mo Williams for the King's court.

As the season reached the All-Star break, some interesting developments took place. Paul, Parker, Billups, and (Mo) Williams were each playing remarkably well and recognized as All-Stars (Williams for the first time). Some of the more established point guards like Bibby (Hawks), Miller (76ers), Blake (Trailblazers), (Deron) Williams (Jazz), and Rafer Alston (filling in admirably for the injured Jameer Nelson in Orlando) were all quite busy dragging their underperforming teams toward the postseason. Younger first year starters Mario Chalmers (Heat), Rodney Stuckey (Pistons), Aaron Brooks (Rockets) and NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose (Bulls) were showing NBA insiders like me that they belonged in the league and could lead their respective teams.

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Cleveland, OH – The Cleveland Cavaliers have made the medically necessary release of Cavaliers guard and Canton-native Eric Snow, it was announced today by Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry.

Snow suffered, what ultimately became, a career-ending injury to his left knee immediately prior to the start of the 2007-08 NBA season. He has not practiced or played during the current 2008-09 NBA season.

“We appreciate all that Eric has done for the Cavaliers both on the basketball court and in the community. Eric is a tremendous competitor. He had a very successful playing career and I look forward to watching his broadcasting and coaching careers unfold,” said Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry.

Snow enjoyed a long, successful and notable NBA career, the last several seasons of which were with the Cavaliers. During Eric’s final full season of play (2006-07) wearing the wine and gold, the Cavaliers won their first ever Eastern Conference Championship and made their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals.

Snow, a second round pick (43rd overall) in the 1995 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, was acquired by the Cavaliers from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Kedrick Brown and Kevin Ollie on July 20, 2004. In four seasons with the Cavaliers, Snow played in 267 games (147 starts), averaged 4.0 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 24.1 minutes. Snow played in all 82 games in both the 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons.

The 2005 recipient of the J. Walker Kennedy Citizenship Award presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association, Snow was a true champion in the community and worked hard to make a positive impact with local fathers and their children. His work included the popular Full Court Fathers program, , which brought a father/child duo to every home game for a special pregame meeting with Snow, as well as his annual father/son basketball clinic. Snow was also very active with a number of team and individual community programs, such as annual holiday toy drives and the construction of the Eric Snow Reading and Learning Center at the Ed “Peel” Coleman Community Center in Canton, Ohio. He hosted an annual fund-raising golf tournament and summer basketball camps in support of his Shoot for the Moon Foundation. Snow made charitable donations to local non-profit agencies promoting positive father/child relationships for his steals and assists on the court. He also received the 2005 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award at the 2005 NBA All-Star Game.

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Every year, reporters, supporters, and fans ask me about my experiences with owners and management in the NBA. Fans love to comment on the moves and commitment to winning exhibited by team owners and management. Some of these discussions got me thinking about what it might be like to own a professional sports franchise. Which team would I purchase, and in which league?
 
If I were to seriously consider buying an American sports franchise, I would have to really look closely at some key factors. For me, those factors would include team/franchise history, team/franchise championship potential, the history of the actual city or region of the team, the fan base, and the team’s overall potential for profitability. After all, this is a business, and while fans just want to win and don’t care about making money, I know that all owners want to make money and hopefully win a championship in the process.
 
Here are my choices in the four major sports industries.

1. NBA—The Los Angeles Lakers is the franchise to buy. With its sunny skies and Hollywood elite constantly attending the game, a Lakers game is always the place to be. Its 82 home games are like red carpet events, which means more money for the owner. The Celtics may have the edge in NBA titles, but Boston, for all of its American history, is not where the stars come to play.

2. NFL—Whether you like it or not, if you have the money to buy an NFL team, you might as well buy “America’s Team.” Despite some controversial players throughout the team’s history, the Dallas Cowboys are the NFL.  When they do well, the league does well. All the other owners wish they were the owners of the Cowboys, or at minimum, they pray for a competitive Dallas team so they can get some of that money the league is bound to have when the Cowboys are in the mix.

3. MLB—Like the Cowboys, the New York Yankees are the team in their league. Sure, the Red Sox have won the division for the past few years and out-performed the men from the “Boogie Down Bronx” recently. But Big Papi, Schilling, and even Manny (when he was a Red Sox) will never be in the class of Ruth, Jackson, and Jeter. I would buy the Yankees and spend big money like Steinbrenner because I know there is always big money to be made in the Big Apple.

4. NHL—I must admit that hockey is not really my game. But I have been to Canada, especially Toronto. And while Montreal has the championships, the people of Toronto have a passion for hockey. Anyone who’s spent even a little time in Toronto will realize it is a no-brainer.

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Hello. I just wanted to say that I am also from Canton, Ohio and a graduate of Mckinley Sr.High. I have a deaf sister that is a good friend of your brother Ricky. I basically wanted to say that I think you are a good role model as well as your wife. I watched her on The Real Houswives and am very happy that she kept it real being sophisticated and classy and she represented herself and her family very well. You and your wife are inspirations to others and thank you for all you do.

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Football has always been one of my favorite sports to watch.  And after re-watching the 2009 Super Bowl on my DVR, which featured the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Arizona Cardinals, I remember why I love to watch that sport so much.

It’s true that part of my love for watching live football comes from the fact that Canton, Ohio is both my hometown and also the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (www.profootballhof.com). You almost have to love football if you are going to live in that state.

It doesn’t hurt, either, that Ohio boasts having arguably some of the best high school and college football teams in America. Few states can match the type of football success that has become tradition in Ohio.  I think most kids grow up in Ohio with a football in their bed before they get their first bottle or teddy bear.

What I’m getting at is, I understand Ohio’s obsession because I love to watch football myself.  On most weekends from August to February, I rush home to check out my favorite college or pro football teams.  However, I rarely get as excited about watching other sports, with the exception of basketball. To me, some sports are just flat-out boring.  I rarely get through a full game unless it’s a playoff contest or some other special event (like the Olympics, All-Star, or World Championship games).

What sports are in your “Fav 5” when it comes to live viewing? Which will you fall asleep on and which do you have to actually play in order for them to be listed as your favorites?

Here are mine… let me know yours! (You must be logged in to comment.)

Have to be there:

1. Basketball and Football (TIE)
2. Hockey
3. Baseball
4. Nascar
5. Golf  

If playing:

1. Basketball
2. Football
3. Golf
4. Bowling
5. Baseball
6. Tennis

I like but I just can’t get thru the whole game watching it on TV:

1. Bowling
2. Tennis
3. Soccer
4. Nascar
5. Hockey
6. Golf (unless tiger is playing)
7. Baseball (unless its October)

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Hello Eric,

I know your life and character have been on display throughout your career, and you have been a tremendous role model to many.   I also know people have talked about you coaching in this league and wondered if you would consider it due to the schedule demands and what this would mean in sacrifices in raising your family?  (no this isn't your wife under a pseudo screen name)

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Let me begin by saying that I love God and I'm extremely proud to be a Christian who professes his love for our savior Jesus Christ. But I want to share one situation in particular when it comes to strength, weakness, and of course faith. I am talking about when your days are down, your back is against the wall or when a friend or family member is going through hard times.  How do you continue to believe?  How would you help someone else stay the course in faith and not give up? For me I lean heavily on God’s grace and mercy.  I realize that no matter what I may go through, he has placed many blessing in my life.
 
To help get me through sometimes, I refer to one of my favorite verses of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 it reads “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardship, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, I am strong”.

What about you?  How do you help others even when at times you may not always be as strong as you’d like?

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