Game Illustrated: Dion Waiters
September 30, 2014Video: Cavs offer sneak peak of new floor
September 30, 2014Nobody in the office understood why I was crying that blurry-minded afternoon of May 22, 2003. Patrick had some idea what was going on, because Patrick had heard my half of the phone conversation with my father; the one wherein heâd told me the Cleveland Cavaliers had won the LeBron Draft Lottery Experience 2003.
Truth be told, everyone had heard some part of that, because Iâd screamed, âHoly F–k!â, thrown my cell phone against the wall, and started the aforementioned crying.
The Cavs were drafting LeBron James, and I literally did not know what to do with myself.
That was 11 years ago in a strange city I spent eight  years in and never once felt at home in. This is now, and LeBron and I (me and LeBron?) are both back home.
This was all a faux-literary way of saying my relationship with LeBron James was explosive from Moment One.
Everything written above is 100% true. The story of that day and many more why-the-NBA-means-so-much-to-me tales are chronicled in 20,000 words of a half-written book called LeBron James Shirtless that I spat out in the three days following the Heatâs (LeBronâs) 2012 title win.
That many words in so short a time is quite a thing, but then, I consider my relationship with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to be personal, and intense, and beautiful, and I donât care who thinks that sounds overdramatic and/or hyperbolic.
I like the Browns and have fond memories of the Indians. When I give myself over to it, I live and die in the most cliched manner possible by the Cavs.
Which brings me to the 2014-15 NBA Season, and my involuntary compulsion to go ahead and give myself over to it. To believe it, and to enjoy it, and to love it.
While I havenât written about or commented on the NBA with any regularity since 2008, Iâm itching to do so again. I donât want to experience any of these things that are about to happen in semi-isolation.
So a series of conversations took place with the owners of this very site wherein one of the sentences I said was, âWhat if I did an email newsletter for WFNY, and like I could send out five quick thoughts after every single game, and theyâre not like game recaps but rather a more gut-level âhereâs how I feel in these moments after this game, and those feelings might not even be directly about basketballâ, and like I was thinking that if anyone tries to edit me Iâll be a huge baby about it and quit? Something like that?â
Short version: Itâs happening, you can sign up for it here, and the following is what I currently envision it being like.
1. In the wake of The Decision, I said numerous times that if LeBron ever wanted to come back, Iâd need to be heavily romanced to restore my fandom. Turns out that within .00003 seconds of the first rumor, I was capable of producing actual tears simply by thinking about his first game back at The Q. Iâm more in on this campaign than Iâve been on any Cleveland sports season in my personal history. When I say I believe in a title, I mean it. I believe. Even if it crushes me in the end, I want to believe, and see where that takes me.
2. I know both buyers and sellers for home opener tickets. The dollar amounts are high. I get the buyers paying anything to go, but not the sellers selling, particularly if theyâre season ticket holders. Theyâll make double face value on a game vs the Bucks, and a see a massive profit if they sell half their games. An insane profit if they sell a few Playoff games. That home opener, though? Thatâs a one-of-a-kind, cannot be replicated experience. To me, no amount of financial mathematics could justify not going.
3. #TheLand as a nickname is great, even as itâs not. Itâd feel contrived coming out of my mouth, since Iâve never called it that, nor have I even heard it called that prior to LeBronâs recent Instagrams. Outside Northeast Ohio…? If La Familia wants to get people elsewhere using it, he should go right ahead. A strong nickname would serve the city well from a perception standpoint. (Of course, once Dan Gilbert decides its a good idea to push it too hard, itâs gonna get the Die & Chips Statue Treatment in some form. Ruined, before it could even live.)
4. As far as the once-and-future newsletter, my thoughts will be built on the things that I see with my eyes and my interactions with your reply emails. I donât consume a lot of sports media. I donât watch Sportscenter or PTI or Around the Horn or anything of the sort. I try not to listen to sports radio. I want the new GoPro Hero4, even though I donât do action sports. I donât get into sports debates on Twitter. I have only the most basic understanding of what PER is. I pretty much just watch the game, and then watch the next game. My previous stint in sportswriting (RIP YAYsports! NBA (2005-2008)) was partially ruined by consuming too much information. Made the writing feel redundant and the games less enjoyable. Thus, if your interest is going to be âdid you see what x wrote about yâ, the answer will probably be âno, but I did watch the gameâ.
5. This newsletter will rather be about Cavs-related emotion, and Cavs-related community, and experiencing Cavs-related things together. Of course, Iâve never once finished a project started a project and had it come out like I envisioned, so donât be surprised if Iâm sending emails in January agonizing over how Dion Waiters defensive PER during the fourth quarter of games against Eastern Conference teams under .500 when the Cavs are up by more than six isnât an accurate measure of his value.
So on, and thus, and etc.
Sign up for the newsletter here, follow me on Twitter at @brianspaeth, and go see Guardians of the Galaxy while itâs still in theaters. Itâs a fun space-adventure about the power of friendship, and thatâs just about the best thing there is.
The first email goes out after the Wine-and-Gold Scrimmage on Wednesday. Iâm still thinking of a name for it, so if you have any thoughts, let me know.
49 Comments
Will there be thoughts on the latest Mike Bibby trade rumor?
Or maybe Tom Izzo as next head coach?
I’ve pre-written 4000 words on this, yes.
What is Allef wearing today
AlF? https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmen.hotnews.bg%2Fuploads%2Ftinymce%2F2_alf.jpg&t=544&c=D358bsdgp_iaZw
I signed up – this better be good!
For those of us who are already inundated with emails, and would likely enjoy this but would also love the discussion that branches off of that, why not simply make this a WFNY standard piece after [some/most] games/as desired?
If you check out Craig’s podcast with me (I think it’s up now), I explain a bit about that. Quick version is that email conversation takes on a different tone of the sort I’m looking for, and these are also meant to be quick and digestible, ie not an extended piece of the type that might hit the main site.
Got it.
I’m a terrible WFNY fan, I’ve never once listened to a podcast. (Never enjoyed podcasts – I’m a visual guy, what can I say…)
Best I can offer is give it a try – my intent is really to be as nonobtrusive on people’s time and inboxes as possible –
Yeah, I will give it a try. Figure I can always unsubscribe… right? đ
This amuses me to no end…and it really doesn’t matter if you are answering in a snarky-sarcastic manner…or if you’re serious.
Same here. I’ve participated in one podcast. My participation is the only reason why I “listened” to it. Once the editor got done with it and posted it…I promptly ignored it too.
It stems from one of my common given reasons for giving up my old site (which Scott has heard probably 10 times now), ie I was tired of feeling like I was required to have an opinion on the latest MIke Bibby trade rumor.
Your #4 item above is the main reason that I would sign-up. What a refreshing, old, concept! I would love more of this in sports.
Problem is, I’m just a bandwagon Cavs fan and don’t really love basketball. Let me think this thing over . . .
No once you are in you are in for life! Well wait I think we found a loophole. Kidding…
Do it…do it now…press that button!!!!
Mmmmm . . . don’t like peer pressure. I’m now less likely to do it . . .
Hey when did I get demoted?
if you don’t do button push on signing up i’ll be somewhat heartbroken
I called you a “peer.” Hey, that’s a promotion!
WRONG AGAIN that’s a demotion and not even funny human!
You don’t need him he’s the Wally Szczerbiak of WFNY! đ
Emotional manipulation! First you talk about crying at work, and now this? What are you, Tom Rinaldi?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It’ll improve your vocabulistics and knowledgery of all things Cavs!
Two things that will make me cry real tears;
1) the first multi-pane comic
2) if you conversate back to me.
-TVBrain
This is most excellent news. Huzzah!
Signed up, looking forward to it Brian!
BTW, I’ve been calling Cleveland “The Land” ever since a large gentleman that kind of looked like Tractor Traylor yelled “Yes! We are back in the land!” when my plane landed coming home from a trip. Don’t use it that often, but I kind of like it.
Interesting – I had really never heard it before!
Thx you know I love you –
I’m in serious debate with myself over the Photoshop elements of this endeavor –
I mean, ok. But I get so much email already. Did someone tell Brian since he’s been gone that Tumblr is the new myspace and Twitter is the new ICQ? AOL isn’t cool anymore either. /sarcasm
“so donât be surprised if Iâm sending emails in January agonizing over how Dion Waiters defensive PER during the fourth quarter of games against Eastern Conference teams under .500 when the Cavs are up by more than six isnât an accurate measure of his value.”
YES.
Ouch. Too soon?
Don’t you mean Len?
ICQ LOL that brings back memories.
I signed up for the Guardians of the Galaxy newsletter because I love friendship and spaceships. The two best kinds of ships.
Gotta say that YAYSports was one of my favorite reads back in the day, so I’m super excited to get your unique perspective back to the every-day-cavs level. Any chance this type of endeavor leads to more yaysports-esque type writing (i.e. more than 5 quick thoughts?). looking forward to this.
Of course if you live most anywhere but here you also get to enjoy CHAMPIONSHIPS….which are pretty neat SHIPS as well.
Oh and it’s not a SHIP; it’s a sailboat.
http://i.imgur.com/KHqtXTN.gif
I will always know what a schooner is. Thanks Kevin Smith!
Clerks was on IFC or Showtime the other night (which I think I watched everyday of my high school life) and still to this day does that thing hold up.
Unreal.
Listened to the podcast this morning and signed up! Agree with what you said about a different tone set through email. Sometimes the comments section/twitter format just turns into noise! Looking forward to some good convo!
Okay, after much thought, I did it – mostly for the vocabulistics and knowledgery. I better not regret this.
It definitely does. Admittedly, Chasing Amy is still my favorite. Clerks is second though.
I don’t see a way this could possibly backfire.
Fly fat man fly!
I dunno – we’ll see what happens – it really is going to be a “whatever comes out” type of thing, so if that’s what comes out, that’s what comes out.
Thanks Chad – looking forward to your responses –