It's all half full, honest

--I've tried to build a persona as your friendly neighborhood realist over my career, yet I've been cracked as being too negative of late.  So today, I put on the rosy glasses and patted the Cavs on the head for everything they've done this season.  Drink it in and savor for the moment.

--Speaking of optimism, or at least searching for it, the Wizards are attempting to draw confidence from the fact that they were competitive in the last nine games without Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, even though they were just 2-7.  Such as, they only lost at home to the Cavs by five points.  I firmly believe they will be competitive and may win a game in this series.  Their win in Indy the other night was gutty and they are a gutty team.  But, slipping back on the realist suit, if the Wizards are saying they are confident they'll be competitive, what are they really saying?

--ESPN's Chris Sheridan taught me how to flush my toilet in Japan last summer and, for that, I am forever grateful.  He's also taught me a lot about my profession.  However, this was the first year he got to vote for the NBA Annual Awards and now I need to give him some guidance.  He voted for Tracy McGrady as a forward (not that I'm a Duke fan, but Shane Battier is the small forward in H-town) and put Dirk Nowitzki on his All-NBA Team as a center.

--The D.C. Sports Bog (yes, it's Bog and you have to ask Ralph Friedgen why) wants a fight.  OK, Steinberg, we'll fight.  Now, he's all over most things that go on in D.C., but I find no reporting today of the Great D.C. Nugathon of '07.  According to my Washington Post sources, and Steinberg they are extensive, two Post sports staffers squared off at 2 a.m. at McDonald's this morning in central D.C. and started ordering 20 pieces.  Bet this made Shannon Brown happy.  Anyway, with the score tied 56-56, I am told, the eventual winner declared: "Watch me eat these nuggets, sucka" and roared ahead to a 79-68 nugget victory.  That's 3,318 calories to 2,856 calories.  The names have been spared, but I think it tells exactly what we're telling with in this Post-Beacon Journal blog war.  The first salvo goes to me.

--If you all get bored, you catch catch me tonight on Cleveland Rants, listen tomorrow from 9-noon on ESPN 850, and view Channel 3's Sports Tonight on Sunday.