Banner on TNT again

[Andrew]

This time it was somber when they were discussing if LBJ stays or goes halfway through the 4th, they did shot out RCF though

 

[BigErieCavsFan]

Only good thing I seen on my TV tonight...

 

[Glen Infante]

Anyone make a video of this yet?

 

[theSTEREO.]

Man, I didn't see it.

I was too busy with one hand on the remote, skipping forward past the carnage, and the other gripping my hair wondering if pulling it out would be less painful...

 

[cschneider27]

They held a shot of it up there for quite a while, too bad it was with the commentators saying "This might be LeBron's last home game at the Q"

 

[BryanMac22]

Sorry Glen...

New York Daily News used the banner in this article about LeBron leaving, go figure.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/05/12/2010-05-12_lebron_loses_in_cleveland.html?r=sports%2Fbasketball&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fsports%2Fbasketball+%28Sports%2FBasketball%29

Cleveland Cavaliers fans already dreading July: 'If we lose LeBron James, we lose the whole team'
BY Joe Kemp In Cleveland and Corky Siemaszko
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Wednesday, May 12th 2010, 4:00 AM

Theodorakis/NewsNick Vrouros, owner of Nick's Sports Corner in Cleveland, couldn't bear to see LeBron James play for the New York Knicks. 'He has everything here,' Vrouros said.

The banner in Cleveland's largely deserted downtown defiantly declares that LeBron James is staying put, even though he may have played his final home game for Cleveland Tuesday night.

"Born here. Raised here. Plays here. Stays here," it says.

Everywhere else in this sad city, Cleveland sports fans were waving white flags yesterday and conceding that their homegrown superstar could be playing for the New York Knicks next season.

"There will be nothing left in downtown without LeBron," said 85-year-old Alan Cohen, whose bread and butter is the "King James" souvenirs he sells at his store, Colonial Coin & Stamp.

"He's leaving Cleveland. He wants to be on a winning team."

Cohen's son corrected his pop.

"Dad, New York's got a horrible team," Gary Cohen, 54, said.

"In New York, at least he has notoriety," the elder replied.

Asked why James shouldn't give up on Cleveland, who lost to the Celtics, 120-88 Tuesday night, and hitch his rising star to the Knicks and the glamour of Gotham, Gary Cohen thought a bit and said, "He's got all his family and friends here."

"There's a lot of reasons to stay, but he's always had a love for New York," he said. "We're used to all the good players going. No professional star has ever stayed in Cleveland."

The banner was the brainchild of Nick Vrouros, 38, owner of Nick's Sports Corner, a bar two blocks away from the Cavs' home, Quicken Loans Arena - which locals call The Q.

"He has everything here," Vrouros said of James. "They take good care of him. He grew up here."

Cleveland is still smarting from losing ace Indians pitcher CC Sabathia to the Yankees. But losing LeBron would be devastating, he said.

"When we lost CC, we lost one player," Vrouros said. "If we lose LeBron, we lose the whole team."

Even more galling would be losing James to New York City, the barkeep said.

"There's a big grudge there," he said.

Michael Hannan, 28, vowed he would never watch the Cavaliers again if they let go of James.

"I wouldn't watch basketball no more if he left," he said. "He's an icon here."

Still, Hannan said James leaving for the bright lights of Manhattan is inevitable when he declares free agency on July 1.

"I think he's going to leave," he said. "He's going to go with the lights, the fame. But the only thing he'll get in New York is the notoriety."

Over at the Winking Lizard bar, 24-year-old Mike Judge summed up the feelings of many sports fans in Cleveland.

"He's everything in Cleveland sports," said Judge. "I hate to say it, but he's all we have."

jkemp@nydailynews.com

 

[MikeSwim07]

I didn't see it, my TV was off

 

[Glen Infante]

The banner was the brainchild of Nick Vrouros, 38, owner of Nick's Sports Corner, a bar two blocks away from the Cavs' home, Quicken Loans Arena - which locals call The Q.

Well ain't that a bitch.

 

[pjtoadie]

Well ain't that a bitch.

Yeah wtf!!

 

[wuck]

Daily News - "a crappy tabloid since it was founded in 1919"

 

[The Voice]

They called it the real cavs fan commission or something like that...

 

[kevinoc0]

Had your back Glen:

Dear Joe,

"The banner was the brainchild of Nick Vrouros, 38, owner of Nick's Sports Corner, a bar two blocks away from the Cavs' home, Quicken Loans Arena - which locals call The Q."

Just to let you know, this billboard was not the brainchild of Nick Vrouros. It was designed by Glen Infante, creator of I Love the Hype (www.ilthy.com), as well as countless other fans who helped with the creation of the design. At least get your facts straight when writing a scathing article against Cleveland. While Cleveland may be a "sad" and "deserted" city, we at least give credit to those who deserve it. While Nick is a great guy and approved hanging the billboard on the side of his bar, he had nothing to do with the design. At least give credit where it is due, Joe.

I figured a journalism career in New York City would be a difficult position to hold, but apparently blindly spitting out articles in which the author discredits creators and debases a whole city is more important. I understand that you have to write what sells and this is a "sexy" assignment for you, but to disgrace a city full of honest and caring people is incomprehensible. Furthermore, I don't understand the self-entitlement that comes with being a New Yorker, and quite frankly Joe, I'm happy that I don't.

Best of luck

Response:

Dear _________

I’m sorry if the article offended you and didn’t give full credit to the creators of the banner. When speaking to Nick the other day, he did mention it wasn’t only him behind the poster. But I was only told that it was him and a couple of friends that made the effort after seeing similar posters in New York. Because I wasn’t given any other leads to the others involved (and my assignment was only to speak to random fans about NY’s campaign to bring LeBron to the Knicks), I had to move on to other locals to discuss the topic.

As for the adjectives used in the story, it was only written that way out of the sentiment that I gathered from the dozen or so people I spoke to. In each case, I was told that LeBron needed to stay near his hometown because the city is struggling without him. And to be quite honest, after talking to the friendly people of your city, I was sold to the idea that King James should stay in Cleveland. He’s certainly the best thing to happen to your city in many years. But the people I talked to really believe he’s going to leave.

Let’s face it, the Knicks are a horrible team and it would be crazy for someone of LeBron’s stature to come here. And we made sure to include that fact at the top of the story. Unfortunately, the fans I spoke to in Cleveland are still worried he’s most likely to come to NY – as much as they hated the idea. And there’s a few, too, that think he’ll go to Miami.

I’m sorry again that you didn’t agree with the article, and I apologize that I didn’t get the opportunity to speak with the others involved with the banner. But I stand by the story – and hopefully you will win your fight to keep your king.

Best,

Joe Kemp

 

[ssopata]

Did anyone email him to let him know that Cleveland didn't lose CC to the Yankees. Cleveland TRADED him to Milwaukee where CC left in FA.

 

[Glen Infante]

Does anyone have the last clip of the banner being shown on TV? I'm dying to keep that in my collection. If anyone has it, I'll reward you 5000 rep points.

 

[Andrew]

Does anyone have the last clip of the banner being shown on TV? I'm dying to keep that in my collection. If anyone has it, I'll reward you 5000 rep points.

I have it on physical tape, but since I am back home there is no VCR in sight as that is a dead technology.

Go to ballers.ru, myp2p.eu and even bballvideos (google search), download game 6 and it was during the third quarter.