Posted on 06/15/2007 6:13:26 AM PDT by laotzu
CLEVELAND — This city gave up hope Thursday even before Game 4's tip-off of the NBA Finals. It was evident in the ticket sales being hawked on the street, in the piles of merchandise left sitting on vendors' tables and the all-around depressed atmosphere of downtown Cleveland.
Their mood didn't get any better after the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cavaliers 83-82 to win a fourth NBA title.
The only thing left to root for was the Cleveland Indians, who are leading in their division and finally won a game this week at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, the first since the 1997 World Series.
But as for the Cavs, 2007 just isn't their time, fans here said.
The consensus is that the team is too young and too inexperienced.
"They never anticipated getting this far," said Charles Arndt, who drove from Washington, D.C., with two friends to watch the game.
Joining Arndt on his trip were Cavaliers fan Arturas Vorobjovas, 31, and Spurs fan Vee Ruengvivatanakij, 26.
"The game was done Tuesday," Vorobjovas said. "I'm just here to out of appreciation for the team. They're winners regardless."
Ruengvivatanakij, who was wearing a Tim Duncan jersey, was here for something else: "To seal the deal," he said.
Indeed, the pep was gone early in the Metropolis of the Western Reserve, as Cleveland is sometimes called.
Cleveland didn't even bother to hold a pep rally Thursday like it did for Game 3.
"It's over now and our fans know it," said a ticket hawker who would only give his first name, Mike.
Mike, who was wearing a "Spurs Suck" T-shirt, had a difficult time selling tickets for Game 4.
"We should change our slogan," he said. "You know how it's 'Rise Up.' It should be 'Give Up.'"
The Cavaliers merchandise business was bad even for Game 3, said Shedrick Hunter, who was selling T-shirts for $5.
"I'm telling you, I'm taking a whipping," Hunter said. "I'm selling them less than wholesale."
Ken Taylor, who was selling merchandise down the street, was a bit more optimistic.
"I knew San Antonio was going to beat us, I was just hoping we would win one," he said.
Taylor said Hunter should put it in perspective.
"Cleveland is the poorest big city in the country," he said.
The Census Bureau reports nearly a third of the city's residents are living in poverty, and the downtown area, where vacant buildings and the homeless are plentiful, supports the statistic.
Maybe that's why Bernard Sokolowski, of the popular Sokolowski's restaurant, said the city would move on after the NBA Finals.
They have greater things to worry about here, he said.
Gee...was it Cleveland or New Orleans that had their butts handed to them?
Either way; obviously this is Bushs fault.
Remember, there is a lesson here, this is Kucinich Country.
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