Friday, August 08, 2014

It's Friday. It's Friday so we interrupt our consideration of the earthquake in China to consider this: The Cleveland "Cavaliers," man, Wow. They got LeBron back, they already had Kyrie Irving and yesterday it was reported they completed a trade with Minnehaha for Kevin Love. A new Big Three. LeBron has done it again. Cleveland is now a 5-2 favorite to win the NBA championship. One writer wrote when LeBron James left Miami that what was really behind that move was James' quest for power: to bring a championship to a second city, his city, a city that hasn't won anything since 1964 or something, with a team assembled by him. Nothing wrong with power, depends on how you exercise it, and James has exercised it expertly in Miami and now Cleveland.

I wonder how the Mistake on the Lake is going to handle this. They also have the most exciting professional football prospect in Johnny Manziel. It seems to me, only that, that Cleveland has worn its Loser status rather well. Borrowing from Dan Gilbert, Clevelanders have become martyrs, with all privileges attendant, without having to go to heaven. It has been so long since there was an expectation they would be Winners. Now, ask Vegas! Mistakers cannot play the angry victim anymore. Can they handle the expectations? The soul of Cleveland, and the tone of their sportswriters, will have to change. The soul is a mutable thing. I don't know about sportswriters. I don't know about Cleveland. The pressure is on now! LeBron James has only given Cleveland one, maybe two, years. What if the "Cavaliers" don't win? Gulp. They won't be able to go back to being pitiable victims. Nobody has taken their talents away from Cleveland, everybody has been taking their talents to Cleveland. Their soul would have to change again if they don't win. Or they'll just drown themselves in the lake.

Power. I don't know about Cleveland but I believe in LeBron James. I think he has the power to pull this off.