Amico: My move to NEOSI and the Cavs

Random dribbles on my writing move and more importantly, your defending NBA champions:

1. Well, here I am. NEOSportsInsiders.com. My new writing home. I’m happy to be here.

2. For those of you who may not know, my main job is as a broadcaster with FOX Sports Ohio. I serve as a Cavaliers and NBA analyst/insider (allegedly, anyway). I am the co-host of Cavaliers in the Paint and occasionally appear on Cavaliers Live.

3. FOX is how I feed my family of five. My family likes to eat. As do I. So it’s an important job and I’m extremely fortunate to have it. I’ve always loved to talk basketball. FSO pays me to do it. America is a great place.

4. But I also enjoy writing about sports, primarily the Cavaliers and NBA. So I am always looking for a cool place to share my opinions and stories. I love sports, I love Northeast Ohio. This is my home, and with exception of five years in Wyoming and another five in West Virginia, it’s where I’ve always lived. It’s where I was born (Akron, to be exact) and where I’ve always wanted to stay.

5. So it didn’t take long for me to figure out NEOSportsInsiders.com is an ideal fit. Here, I will continue writing primarily about the Cavs. But I also love college basketball, so I’ll be dabbling in that a little, too. At times, I’ll likely write something about the Indians and Browns (oh boy) and maybe even some high school stuff.

6. Basically, if it’s happening in Northeast Ohio and it’s sports, I’m interested and could potentially write about it. Mostly, though, my focus will remain on the Cavaliers.

7. Some of you may have followed the site I ran for a season-and-half during the Cavaliers’ run to the title. It was called AmicoHoops. That site is gone. I enjoyed it and was grateful for its many readers. But running a website is a 24/7 job. I have a newborn and two older boys and a wife. I found that I was working a full-time job without a full-time salary.

8. Again, I already have what amounts to a full-time job at FOX. I didn’t really need another. Something had to give, and I wasn’t about to make that something my broadcasting role, or especially, quality time with the family.

9. The site does live on, but with a different name. It’s now called ProBasketballDigest.com. I will still occasionally write NBA stuff there. Mostly, it will consist of the latest news, or as we like to call it, the “Rumor Roundup.” Feel free to check out the site. It will be updated regularly.

10. But when it comes to writing about pro basketball or posting podcasts, NEOSportsInsiders.com will be the obvious priority.

11. Frankly, you probably don’t really need to worry about any of this. I’ll post links to everything I do on Twitter or Facebook. You can follow me there and go on about your day. Or you can just go about your day without really worrying about what I’m doing. (It seems to be what the rest of my family does.)

12. But I am writing for NEOSportsInsiders because I read it: High school, Ohio State, Monsters, Browns, etc. Matt Medley is the primary Cavs writer and he does a fantastic job. Since I’m not a “beat writer,” but more of a feature writer and columnist, I will fill in around the edges on the Cavs — if that makes sense. If not, we’ll just figure it out as we go.

13. OK, now about the Cavs. They’ve won 13 of 15 — or 13 straight when LeBron James plays. I’d say things are going pretty well. You really have to love how the likes of DeAndre Liggins, Jordan McRae and rookie Kay Felder have filled in for J.R. Smith (thumb) and more recently, Kyrie Irving (hamstring).

14. Irving’s injury isn’t considered serious. He’s merely been experiencing some tightness, according to the Cavs. If this were the playoffs, he’d be out there and he’d be fine. But this is January, and the NBA season really is still in its early stages.

15. In fact, I took the past two weeks off. I wanted to open gifts, eat more than any human should and just watch games. Now, I’m back. Now, I will write. And of course, I will also talk way too much. But hey, it’s basketball. And hey, it’s my job. Is this a great country or what?