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Thursday, July 2, 2009 7:10 PM EDT
BENNETT: On Heister and a smart Cav’s move
Some notes while anxiously awaiting the start of the 2009 National Football League season.
- If you happen to be channel-surfing tomorrow morning, you may come across a familiar face.
Greg Heister, a Portville native whose parents Joe and Sandy still live in the area, will be hosting Seasons on the Fly, a 30-minute fly-fishing program that airs in high-definition on Versus every Friday at 7 a.m.
Tomorrow’s episode will be Heister’s first national broadcast. Previously, Seasons on the Fly was the higest rated fishing show on Fox Sports Northwest, airing in major markets such as Seattle and Portland.
The program will air in documentary style, taking viewers to the best rivers in the world. Heister provides historical background on each location, describes the natural wonders of the area, and focuses on conservation as well.
Heister, who serves as President of Green Highlander Productions, which is responsible for production of Seasons on the Fly, is a seven-time regional Emmy Award winner who also serves as the play-by-play television announcer for Gonzaga men’s basketball.
- Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert is quickly becoming a shining example of how to effectively run a small market franchise.
After the Cavs were upset by Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals, Gilbert held an end-of-season press conference in Cleveland, declaring that the Cavaliers would do everything in their power to win a title. The luxury tax, which penalizes NBA teams for holding contracts that are in excess of the salary cap and is usually the worst nightmare of small market owners, was not an issue for Gilbert, who understands that a better product on the court yields more revenue during the season.
So Gilbert challenged his General Manager, Danny Ferry, along with Coach Mike Brown, to do everything in their power to improve a roster that won an NBA-high 66 games this year.
The result: Shaquille O’Neal.
Critics may say that the Cavs’ trade for the 37 year-old Shaq is simply a large band-aid to a bleak frontline situation. Others point out that the front office made the move simply with LeBron James in mind ... attempting to show that they are serious about giving him roster help and hoping he will stay after his contract expires at the end of next season.
Those critics are wrong.
Consider that the Cavs gave up Ben Wallace (a reserve forward who was contemplating retirement at the end of the season) and Sasha Pavlovic (a reserve guard who sat at the end of the bench), along with a 2010 second-round draft selection and some cash to land one of the best centers in the history of the game
Consider that O’Neal is a perfect compliment to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavs’ 33 year-old center who is only good for about 20 minutes a game at this stage of his career. While “Z” is more of a perimeter forward - relying on his jump shot and turnaround hook to score - O’Neal takes it straight to the basket, grabbing every rebound and commanding more defensive pressure in the post.
That’s sure to free up more room for sharp-shooter Mo Williams, not to mention James, on the perimeter.
The credit goes to Gilbert, who could have been very content with a roster that, as previously mentioned, won more games than any other team in the league last season. Instead, he wanted to do more. It’s something that Cleveland fans - or any fans of small market teams, for that matter - aren’t very used to. And it may just yield the city its first championship in 45 years.
(Adam Bennett, an Olean Times Herald sports writer, can be reached at sports@oleantimesherald.com)
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