Red Right 88

Cleveland sports fan and sports writer

Name:
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

quit my job decided to drive west

Monday, June 01, 2009

Back from the dead

So on my Friday my acer laptop which was two years and one month old blew up. Dead dead and not just mostly dead. So I joined the revolution and bought my first mac. 


So I didn't get to post after Saturday's game. Strangely I was the least disappointed person in the bar. I tended to be older than most in attendance so I had lived through much worse. They missed Red Right 88, only saw The Shot in a Nike ad, were in diapers or barely potty trained for The Drive and The Fumble and still in junior high for Joe Table.  Their pain is mostly of the Browns and the Indians choke jobs in 2005 and 2007. Another advantage I had over most at this bar was that I actually watched Cavs games during the season. They knew we had won a lot of games but didn't understand how we won those games. Match-ups meant nothing to them. They just knew we had more wins and LeBron. So if we lost we must have choked. 

I am not going to defend Mike Brown. I don't understand why he played who he did and when he did. But I wasn't in that locker room. I would hope he had information they didn't have. 

I know my agenda is different than most in this town. I just want one. I just need one. Which ever of the Browns, Indians or Cavs gives it to me first will change my sports fandom forever. I will leave obsessive compulsive of watching every minute of every game and dial down from a 10 to a three or a four. So if losing in six to the Magic gets me closer to that one ring I take solace in that. The Magic were better than we were. You can't color it any other way. They out played the Cavs. You tip your hat. 

I am of the belief that winning a title would make it easier for LeBron to leave. And if he wins that one title and he wants to play in New York, I will drive him myself to the Big Apple and shake his hand. The kid gave all he had against the Magic and it wasn't enough. My bet is that this summer he will find another level. He will enter the gym earlier. He will stay later. He will push his teammates harder. He will care less about being a family and become more like Mike and find ways to will better play from his teammates. He will push for better players to join him. Regardless of whether he extends this summer, LeBron will be playing for a title next season. If he doesn't get one here, he knows history will look poorly on him. He knows this. He can't be what he wants if he never wins a title in Cleveland. 

If the Cavs had advanced I am not convinced they could have beaten the Lakers. Our front line got old fast in the playoffs. Our small guards got smaller in the playoffs. If having the Cavs lose in six to the Magic makes us better for next year, I am all for it.  I have waited 36 years, one more won't kill me.

But man does it suck.