Late on Saturday night, as basketball doom swept Cavaliers fans, I wrote about how they were reacting. Since them some more stories have emerged.
A TrueHoop reader tells what that game was like for him, as a Cavaliers fan:
My name is Ted, I'm a 22-year-old lifelong Cleveland native. I was at a bar in Akron (the Bethlehem of Ohio as I like to call it), and once the torturous game finally ended they immediately played "Build Me Up Buttercup" which starts with these lyrics:
Why do you build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup baby just to
let me down (Let me down)
And mess me around
And then worst of all (Worst of all)
You never call baby
When you say you will (Say you will)
But I love you still
I need you (I need you)
More than anyone darlin'
You know that I have from the startSo build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup
Don't break my heartHopefully this is all just a prelude to an eventual championship, and I don't cry like a little girl to "Build Me Up Buttercup" when I'm 70.
An interesting point about that song. I'm channeling my inner Danny Ferry when I point out that it's performed by a group called The Foundations.
Get it?
Maybe this is just a beginning.
John Krolik on CavstheBlog, near the end of a thougtful post about the feeling of losing when you're supposed to win:
I don't know what else to say. I want answers. I want vindication. I want validation. I want a smoke. I even want to see my ex again. I'm going to get none of those things. There will be lots of things said about this team. The trick is to not listen to them. This is a great player. This was a great team. They did great things. They brought so much joy. The memories they made will last forever.
Finally, Randolph is a moderator and commenter on RealCavsFans.com, and answered some questions about his experience, after the jump.
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
What was Saturday like for you? Hurt more than other years, or are you consoled by the fact that this is a great team with another crack at it next year?
Saturday was like making a brave yet regrettable choice at a packed karaoke bar at midnight. You had been talking, laughing, having a good time. Suddenly, you are cold and clammy, the alcohol in your system seems more like a curse than a way to blow off steam, the pit of your stomach hurts, the rhythm of your surroundings seems entirely too fast to handle, and you realize you just aren't good enough to keep up.
It was exactly like discovering you can't rap as fast as Ja Rule or hit high notes like El DeBarge while publically exposed and on the biggest stage.
With Ben Wallace and Zydrunas looking like they aged three-fold since the trade deadline, Dwight Howard was too strong and powerful for our bigs. Wally didn't have the footspeed, the backcourt looked dreadfully short. Varejao's early fouls exposed him as an ideal sixth man, but not a good match for the starting lineup.
Sure there is always the next trip to the karaoke bar, but without the talent, you will always be more humbled by the experience. I think the pending influx of financial stability from China will help strengthen the supporting cast around LeBron, and I expect some fiscally unsound franchises to be in contact with Danny Ferry very soon. We will be a stronger team next season, but this season just seemed to be our best shot to get the most out of our hungry veterans.
Where'd you watch the game? How was the mood?
I live in San Francisco, but I had plans to make a trip an hour south to meet up with another RealCavsFans member, Warren. RealCavsFans.com has been amazing for linking Cleveland ex pats: with so many professionals who grew up Cleveland sports fans strewn throughout the U.S. for job opportunities, internet chat rooms have become a great social network for rediscovering the sports obsession bedrock on which we were raised.
I never made it, mostly because I just didn't want to be out in public if the worst happened. My girlfriend spent most of the afternoon watching the Bridezilla marathon before and after the game while I was plugged into the internet, reading every article available before and after. I'm glad she knew I had to go through the entire cycle of emotion with Clevelanders, despite being as completely devoted to each play as I was during the bloodbath.
You worried about 2010? Think this will have any effect?
I have never been worried about 2010, but then again, I don't see the point of following sports if the only emotion that it brings is panic. LeBron might sell more shoes throughout the United States by keeping his future extremely vague, and he certainly has more leverage in strongly suggesting moves that need to be made this offseason, but the organization is among the strongest in professional sports. LeBron's loyalty to the community that raised him has always been evident: his family extends to the entire city of Akron. His body was sculpted by a very Ohioan high school gym, where weight rooms often rival colleges'. His passion for sports was forged by a state that was instrumental in establishing professional sports for over 100 years. Also, I can't imagine what it would feel like to be the next Art Modell in the place you call home.
What's the basketball story here? Something wrong with the Cavaliers, or are the Magic just playing really well right now?
The Cavaliers knew the value of home court advantage, which is why the team treated every game this season as if they were already in the playoffs. Still, the most knowledgeable Cavs fans started talking about Orlando as our "Achilles Heel" as early as January. The lineups the Magic have assembled are unlike any in the NBA, perhaps aside from Houston at full strength.
We knew there was no answer to Dwight Howard, but nobody expected him to raise his game at the free throw line. We knew they had long, athletic 3-point shooters at every position, but few expected the team to only have one cold game from the outside. As a Bay Area resident, I can tell you I am beyond shocked that Pietrus had the greatest two weeks of his life against the Cavaliers. The Boston series galvanized the Magic while the Cavaliers rested to the point of atrophy.
What else? Anything else you want to tell me?
Thanks a lot for stealing John Krolik from us. Joking aside, Cavaliers fans on the whole have exceeded my expectations in remaining balanced and positive in the aftermath of this letdown. I expected our website to be inundated with doom and gloom. Instead, most reactions have been similar to a New Years Eve party at 1am: some staggered toasts, some contemplation on the wild year, and some pledges for a better future that will surely be forgotten within the next few months.
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