Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James will probably resign with his hometown team, but as the city will tell you, nothing is guaranteed in the Cleveland.
—
It was February 6, 2013 and an especially numbing freeze was blowing off the frozen Lake Eerie. Cleveland was in the midst of one of its typical cold-dreary winters. The brown, gray, anything but white snow flakes appeared from the dark brown, gray, anything but white clouds above and fluttered through the air finally reaching its destination; the brown, gray, anything but white ground beneath feet trudging through ice and snow. It seems every time you look skyward, little flecks of snow distort your vision and force you to face what’s in front of you.
While the weather was harsh, the emotions in Cleveland that day were much colder. The Baltimore Ravens had just won the Super Bowl, its second since moving from Cleveland. LeBron James, Cleveland’s forgotten son, was in the middle of his repeat bid for NBA Finals Champion. Cleveland was nearing year 50 of its agonizing relationship with professional sports and championships. If following a sports team is a love-hate relationship, the people in Cleveland had mastered the S & M fetish. Too many times northern Ohioans had come close to hoisting a championship trophy, only to lose in spectacular fashion.
They call Chicago the City of Broad Shoulders, Cleveland might as well be the City of Hunched Shoulders. Every citizen walking, head down, ears tucked beneath their shoulders shielding the pain. The pain comes from everywhere in Cleveland and on this day, the pain has a voice.
Brendan Bowers is born and bred Cleveland. He lives and dies by the city’s NBA Franchise, Cavaliers. Bowers has taken his passion from spectator to blogger to analyst to expert. He is a credentialed media member following the Cavs and even he still takes second and third looks at his identification to make sure his passion has led him to this point. His website is called stiepenrules.com and anyone with any passing knowledge of Cleveland sports knows the name Ted Stiepen. In most circles, one of the worst owners ever, only second behind Art Modell, and Modell will never be surpassed.
As we sit down and chat, there’s optimism in the air. The Cavs have the future paved in front of them, and his name is Kyrie Irving. That, however, is just the tip of the ice berg. The real hope, the real optimism that drives all Cleveland fans, because when you’ve witnessed “The Drive”, “The Shot”, “The Decision”, the only thing you have to go on is blind optimism, is the hope that in 2 years, Cleveland’s most loved and forgotten son will come home. In fact, on sportstalk radio, the notion of Irving and James sharing the rock dominates each segment. James back in Wine and Gold has taken on a new preposition. It is not if, but when.
“In Northeast Ohio, we followed LeBron’s career since he was a freshman in high school,” said Bowers. “We watched him grow up. We watched Dick Vitale come here and say he’s the truth, the whole truth, we watched all that. You knew people who played with him in high school, you know people who played against him.
“When he left, there was a void.”
The void is felt the next night when the lowly Cavs take on the lowly Bobcats. The crowd is a quarter full, and all the pyrotechnics and dancing girls can’t recreate the excitement that stirred this city from 2003 to 2010. The group of high school boys left of me spend more time on their phones and talking about school than the teams on the court. The dad to the right of me has eyes intently on the game while his son sleeps on his lap. Irving will go for 22 in 28 minutes as the home team will win handily.
Leaving the arena, the fans matriculate out as if they have just left work. There is no buzz, there is no fervor. Just a void.
◊♦◊
Many Clevelanders will rip open the newspaper or log on tomorrow just to make sure what they witnessed last night was true. The void has been filled. Cleveland’s forgotten son has returned. With a simple message, James tastefully made his decision and no one can fault him for it.
Much like Michael Jordan’s “I’m back” 19 years ago, many people will remember James’ “I’m coming home.” He did it right this time. Four years older, four years wiser. The chance to build on his legacy to deity proportions is all in front of him.
“Sky’s the limit. No reservations. This town is electric.”
Those were the only words I could get out of Bowers on this night.
50 years of torment have been pushed to the back of the collective sports memory of every person in Cleveland.
Two years ago, Bowers had this to say about the idea of James coming back,
“Back in 2007, I was downtown at a bar in Cleveland. Everyone ran out to the streets when we beat Detroit. The streets were packed. Mounted police officers are jumping down, hugging people. The pictures are incredible.
“I could only imagine what would happen if we win (a championship).”
Tonight the globe lights hovering over 4th avenue in downtown Cleveland will shine a little brighter. There’s no doubt every bar will be packed with revelers, celebrating the first big sports win in Cleveland since the Cavs made it to the finals in ’07. Every sports fan is born again with the hopes and dreams that soon Cleveland’s misery will fall. Clevelanders will walk a little taller, dust off the James jerseys that didn’t find the bottom of a dumpster or end up in ashes.
◊♦◊
Yet, here we sit, a year removed from “The Chosen One’s” return and still Cleveland sits without a title.
This year was close, but a rash of injuries made it all but impossible to bring a professional sports championship trophy home. Less than a month since the Golden State Warriors were celebrating at “THE Q” James was again opting out of his contract, making him a free agent.
This time, however, the chances of LeBron staying in Cleveland are much higher. No one expects him to leave after bringing so much hope last year. No one expects him to turn his back to the his home city. Then again, C-Town was here 5 years ago, resting all its hopes and dreams on the back on the kid from Akron.
What would you do?
What would you do if you have spent your whole life in a sports city of torment? What would you do if the paranormal continued to strike your city in easily recognizable titles: The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Decision. Would you rest easy knowing there’s a 99.9% chance of James returning? Or would you look at your past, look at the heartbreak and brace yourself for another heartbreaking title?
Last year, the city may have wiped its past clean with new found hope. This summer, however, there are dark clouds looming, and the lighter fluid may be there, just in case.
—
Photo Credit: Screen Grab
Join The Good Men Project Sports Facebook page.And, if you like that, you might want a daily dose of Good Men Project awesomeness delivered straight to your inbox. Once a day or once a week for Good Men Project, or sign up for our once a week GMP Best of Sports email newsletter, your choice. Join the mailing list here.
Photo: Michael Hicks/Flickr