I do not generally take myself seriously as a sports blogger/commenter, but I cannot sleep and I am going through a sense of catharsis as I type this post the night before the NBA Finals.

The pain and emotions the people of Cleveland and those connected to it are well known. The shot, the drive, the fumble, the decision, the World Series and ALCS failures; they have all been driven down our throats ad nauseam. Now, if the Cavs were to lose this series in painful fashion (perhaps a redundant statement), it will be thrown into the previous debacles. As hard as it would be for me to stomach another championship loss, what the Cavaliers and LeBron James have given to the city of Cleveland could not be categorized as a failure. They have brought back a sense of identity to the city, based on a genuine feeling of group protection that had been benign since 2010. 

The connectedness and neuroticism shared by Cleveland supporters is unlike any fandom I have witnessed. Buckeye Nation is known to be everywhere and can be shared throughout the world, which is special in its own right. Cleveland fans have endured misery, success, frustration, together in ways that have created a bond unmatched in professional sports. Perhaps that notion shared by others is actually a sort of cognitive bias. I would like to assume that is not the case. 

Despite the obsessive hunger of wanting to win a championship, I think many Cleveland fans (along with myself) can say with confidence this team has provided much more than a possible championship to Cleveland. I made a statement early in the season that despite the stars on the team, I was not having fun watching this team play. Some of it was connected to the wins and losses and I certainly knew there would be a feeling out process. By the time February came around, the Cavs enjoyed the fruits of winning while I had sheer, unadulterated joy watching them play. It was comparable to watching the Buckeyes defeat Michigan State earlier last season; winning the championship was unbelievable, but witnessing the process take place created the highest form of fan satisfaction. The same could be said for the Cavs. I have enjoyed the process so far and it has been a great past few months.

For those of you who love to share their Cleveland fandom with friends and family, the best is yet to come. It may or may not be in the next week or two, but it doesn't need to be. I have felt instant gratification from this season...

But partying with the entire city of Cleveland on East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue sounds pretty great, huh?

Go Cavs. All in.