Cleveland Cavaliers Fans Deserve A Championship More Than Anyone
By Robby Sabo
Heading down the stretch of the 2014-15 NBA regular season, it is becoming more evident that the Cleveland Cavaliers have a great title chance.
1964.
This was the year Cleveland celebrated its last professional sports championship. Thanks to the likes of Jim Brown, Frank Ryan and Paul Warfield, the Cleveland Browns took home the NFL championship that year.
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Between the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers, Cleveland hasn’t witnessed a winner in 51 years.
This is only a small fraction of the reason feelings were intensified in 2010 when LeBron James decided to “take his talents to South Beach.”
When discussing the two cities, there’s no contest.
Miami has warm weather, a superstar attitude, a nightlife where even the biggest party animals can’t keep up, and even Don Johnson. Cleveland has snow, a blue collar mentality, a bleak “Siberia-like attitude,” and Drew Carey.
Now, which city do you choose? Miami destroys Cleveland in almost every area.
However, when sports fandom is concerned, it’s a TKO — Cleveland steps on the throat of that farce of a sports town in South Beach.
You witnessed it first hand. When LeBron was in Miami, American Airlines Arena would remain a quarter empty at times. They suddenly possessed the greatest athlete in the world, and still the organization had trouble filling up the building.
When certain teams came to town, road jerseys would be more prevalent than Heat jerseys.
So many asked the question: how could James stand the fact that his fans were so unenthusiastic about professional basketball?
As a general NBA fan it was tough to take. Think about how the people of Cleveland felt.
Not only did James thumb his nose at his own hometown team, he went to a city that had no deserving right to watch him on a nightly basis. Fair-weather Miami fans come out in droves and Cleveland had its heart broken again.
Who could blame them for burning No. 23 jerseys in the streets? Hell, James didn’t even leave the right way.
Of course we all know “The Decision 2” made everything right in the world once again. Clevelanders have put back up their “Witness” billboards and posters and revel in the fact James is once again “their guy.”
Although, now that the Cavs sport a record of 49-27 while playing the part of the hottest team in the NBA since mid-season, most can argue the honeymoon is officially over. Heading into this stretch run while jockeying for Eastern Conference position brings reminds the city of the phrase: championship or bust.
It is the reality for LeBron.
The same thirst for a winner Cleveland currently displays is the same quality that creates such a fantastic fandom.
“Fan” is short for “fanatic.” In many instances it is the wild behavior which is created from hunger and “want to” that develops the best fans in the world. Cleveland is so ready and willing for a championship of its own that the feeling around the city has gone nutty.
It is this same fantastic fandom that has created so much pressure for James and this team.
The mission statement James laid out upon his return to the Cavs was simple and to the point. If he doesn’t win a championship for his hometown, he and everybody else will view it as a failure.
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Soon the NBA playoffs will start and the Cavs 2015 season will suddenly ramp-up. Cavs fans will be louder than just about any other fan-base in the NBA.
The Indians in 1995 and 1997; Michael Jordan over Craig Ehlo; “The Drive” and “The Fumble.” They are all constant reminders for how close the city has been in the past, and they’ll all get louder as the Cavs move along in the tournament.
If LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers do reach their ultimate goal, one real sentiment that everybody will agree with will be echoed throughout this country: the city of Cleveland deserved to watch this championship team, and we’re all ecstatic for them.
As real fans, nobody is more deserving.
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