I was saddened to hear about the passing of Plain Dealer rock critic Jane Scott, 92, recently.

I didn't know Jane well, but our paths have crossed through the years. Besides my work on the Cavs and sports in general, I used to review concerts for The News-Herald.

It was actually quite fun, especially when we got great seats and close parking at Blossom Music Center.

For one of the shows - I think it was for Pat Benetar, but I can't be sure - Jane was sitting directly in front of me. Before the concert started, we chatted a bit. I think she had the group's playlist, which is always neat to have.

When the concert started and the lights went dim, we both went to work.

Midway through the show, I noticed Jane's head was nodding to the beat. I mentioned to my wife Susan, "Jane must really be getting into the show."

At the break, I got up to hit the restroom and happened to glance at Jane. She wasn't groovin' to the music. She was sound asleep!

Gosh, my wife and got the biggest kick out of that.

With that tidbit of news, I'll sign off for now. I will miss Jane's work and thought the world of her. She will definitely be missed.

Whereas the NFL lockout appears to be close to ending, the NBA's is just starting to pick up steam.

Some clubs are looking forward to keeping their arenas dark in the fall. That way they won't be losing money. They see it as an advantage. That rubs me the wrong way.

The NBA's financial system needs an overhaul. How could the Dallas Mavericks lose money last year en route to winning the NBA championship? It's messed up.

The news that the league office laid off 114 workers recently really hit home. It was first reported by Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

The people let go were ones I dealt with through the years: The rank and file. The cost-cutting effort represented 11 percent of the league's workforce.

"(The jobs lost were) not a direct result of the lockout, but rather a response to the same underlying issue — that is, the league’s expenses far outpace our revenues,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.

Yes, some fat needs to be carved off the bone. A friend recently said, if the league wants to save money, get rid of the WNBA.

In Cleveland, the arena probably isn't going to be filled to capacity this year like it was in the past. Even though the Cavaliers have some nice, young talent, they are not ready to contend.

Wonder if the Cavs will be forced to lay off any of their workforce? So far, I have not heard of any layoffs at 1 Center Court.

Owner Dan Gilbert has deep pockets, but he's a businessman. He'll do what needs to be done in the post-LeBron James era in which they reside.