CURSEDCLEVELAND.COM

It sometimes hard for me to write about a player for whom I share an emotional attachment. The unparalleled Eric Snow hatred in Cleveland has always elicited a strong visceral reaction from his support group (me and his family). I genuinely thought people got it wrong when they lined up for the usual pot shots: “He’s a miss-first point guard” ; “his older brother was better at basketball, and he played football” ; and the creative “Eric Not-so-fleet-of foot.”

Well he’s not the Cavaliers’ problem anymore. The team’s disability claim was finally granted for Snow’s chronic knee. Windhorst says the team’s payroll will be reduced by $11 million, which is even more important considering the legal fees forthcoming for the “Bar Mitzvah Brawler.”

We’re not capologists, but we believe the $11 million number is misleading since it will only affect Gilbert’s payroll for this season, in which we’re guessing the team will receive a credit on a portion of the luxury tax payment (payroll will go from roughly $112 million to $101 million).  Had the league made this decision a year earlier, the Cavs could have used the money to chase a free agent. In the end, Ferry never got anything in return for Snow’s allegedly coveted contract.

As for Snow, he was one of the most underrated defensive players of this era. Do you think that’s hyperbole? Kobe Bryant said Snow defended him better than anyone else in the league. He only appeared on the All-Defensive Team once (second team), but was a handful for any two-guard in the league because of his strength and savvy. He was the one guy in wine and gold who actually played defense from 2004 through 2007. And more impressively, he was single-handedly responsible for Paul Silas’  desire to land a Chinese translator.  Get us an autograph if you run into him at Ford Field tonight rooting on his Spartans. Make it out to: 灾 祸 克利夫兰  (Cursedcleveland.com)