Championship Rang!

The city of Cleveland is on fire tonight, as we are only 8 minutes away from a pivotal game in the final series against the Golden State Warriors. Prospect Avenue is painted with wine and gold, and from my window in Richmond Heights, I can hear the roaring fanatics cheering in excitement downtown. This is our year! We are so close to victory that the taste of sterling silver, vermeil and gold linger on the lips of Lebron James and Matthew Dellavedova. Like an over sized new born, the Cavaliers can feel the 14.5 pound trophy resting in their arms.

Our city is in need of a championship. Lebron is in need of the glory of being halfway caught up to Michael Jordans' collection of championship rings. With this title, we will be more than just the city where the river caught on fire. We will stand for more than crime, poverty and lack luster tourist attractions. We will gain an ounce more of respect! We will be champions! We will be the Cleveland that was once voted All-American city 5 times!

It's not only about Lebron and the Cavs. It's the city coming together and going "ALL IN!" We are uniting together with hope, with faith, and with loyalty. We are proud citizens in full support of our home teams. We are hungry for a victory and the world is getting a glimpse of what Cleveland fans are all about. I've never seen so many Cavs t-shirts, hats, hoodies, jerseys, gloves, towels, banners, bumper stickers, etc. being worn by 1 out of every 5 people in the city. I've never heard so much excitement in the voices of fans during pre-game and post game conversations. The city has come alive again!

It feels good to be apart of something great. Have I ever shot a basketball at the Q? No. Have I put in any hours at the gym working out? No. Am I a hard bodied, tattooed, finely tuned athletic machine? Nope. But I have a strong love for my city, and I know this trophy will bring her pride, self confidence and redemption.

Should the Cavs lose, I'll still be a fan. They are fighting hard, and pulling out all the stops in order to bring home as many W's as possible. I'm so proud of these guys and I wish them all the success in the world. As a person with big dreams and goals I can imagine what these guys are experiencing right now. Some of these guys have never made it this far in their careers. Some of these guys have dreamed of this moment for many years. Some of the players on this team thought they would never see this day. Yet, they are here. They are dreaming about winning. Thoughts of touching that trophy are consuming their minds. They are giving all of their energy mentally and physically in order to get closer to their dreams.

I completely understand. All the hard work, all of the failures, all of the dedication is boiled down to 7 games, 48 minutes per game, 12 minutes per quarter...

All I can say is thank you guys for your talent, skills, and love for the game. Cleveland is behind you win, lose or draw. We appreciate all you have done so far, and we hope to gain the bragging rights of being a city with an NBA title. We are ALL IN!! Bring us home that championship rang!!!