Cavaliers fans were at their best when so many expected the worst.
View full sizeFans made their sentiments clear, but never crossed the line in booing LeBron James Thursday night, says Terry Pluto. He just wishes the Cavaliers had displayed the same energy.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers fans certainly dealt with the return of LeBron James to Cleveland with far more class than the defending Most Valuable Player handled his move to Miami.
That's a credit to this these fans and this city.
It's probably a downer to some in the national media who arrived in town for Thursday night's game much like that ghoulish segment of fans who attend auto races hoping for a major crash.
After all, we are supposed to be the land of the Great Unwashed, where people still live in caves, killing dinosaurs for dinner and then eating them with our bare hands. Beer Night, Bottlegate and general ugliness is supposed to rule in this cultural wasteland.
Don't you get tired of all that? Aren't you sick of seeing video of those few guys who burned James" jersey when he announced that he was "Taking my talents to South Beach"? Or that somehow we would fail to survive the loss of a 25-year-old basketball player?
Instead, the crowd supplied mostly laughs with its signs and chants.
There was "Akron hates you" a few times when James had a the ball. There were some clever signs such as Merry Quitness and Traitor James.
One of my favorites was WWMJD: What Would Michael Jordan Do?
The Hall of Famer certainly wouldn't go on television to announce his decision to leave the Chicago Bulls, where it took him seven seasons to win the first of what became six NBA titles. But it seems we no longer live in a world of patiently building a winner and staying loyal to a fan base that has embraced you.
Security was tight and any hint of misbehavior led to a quick ejection.
Before the game, walking on to the court were some current and former Browns: Shaun Rogers, Joshua Cribbs and Bernie Kosar. Travis Hafner and Jensen Lewis represented the Indians. Browns rookie defensive back Joe Haden was in the crowd, and received a huge ovation when spotted by the scoreboard camera.
Perhaps the loudest cheer went to Dan Gilbert, when the Cavs owner briefly appeared on the scoreboard. The boos thundered for James when he was introduced.
Former Cavalier Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Miami's starting center, and he received a tremendous and deserved ovation. For hardcore Cavs fans, it had to be discouraging watching 13-year Cavalier veteran in a Heat jersey, just as it hurt to see the final score: Miami 118, Cavs 90.
Northeast Ohio can be proud of its fans, but the Cavs were horrible. After jumping to a 17-12 lead, they were overwhelmed by James and the Heat. By the end of the first quarter, they were behind, 31-23. At the half, it was 59-40. It just kept getting worse.
As the Cavs crumbled, the Heat united around James, who had an MVP-type game with 38 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Who knows if Miami (12-8) uses this game -- its third victory in a row -- to help turn its season around? Frankly, who in Northeast Ohio cares?
The Cavaliers were chastised by coach Byron Scott for a lazy approach. During the game as he was pouring in the points, James walked over to the bench a few times and chatted with some of his former teammates.
The Cavaliers should be embarrassed by their lack of effort.
But not the fans. They were at their best when so many people expected the worst.