Born Here. Raised Here. Played Here. Betrayed Here.

Wait, don’t leave my blog post just yet! Don’t let the title fool you!

I know what you’re thinking: Melissa, I don’t care about Le-you-know-who! I’m so mad about what he did!

I’m not going to talk about someones “talents” going to South Beach. I’m not going to talk about how betrayed I feel as a Cavs fan. I’m not going to talk about how mad I am that someone went on national television just to boost their ego in a one hour “special”. I’m not going to talk about the fact I’m not mad that someone left, I’m mad about how someone went about announcing it. I’m not going to talk about how someone possibly threw the playoffs.

Above, are things I’m not going to talk about 🙂

Chris Grant’s Statement

After a one hour “special” to break Cleveland’s heart, the Cavs responded quickly. General Manager Chris Grant issued a statement on the Cavs website:

“We believe in this team, this organization, this community, and what we will do to compete at the highest level. We believe in the new coach and leader we have in Byron Scott, and the world class basketball organization and positive and strong culture we’ve established. Dan Gilbert and our ownership group are firmly committed to reaching our goals and succeeding on the court and in the community, at the highest level.”

“Our fans stepped up and showed their support, to a degree unlike anywhere else. We are fortunate to have the support of the best fans in the NBA. That passion and dedication will be rewarded. We will work relentlessly to continue to build a team that will contend. A team that will win championships. We are all competitors and our one goal is to win, that and Dan Gilbert and our ownership team’s commitment and investment in this organization and community are constants that will not change.”

This statement was 100% appropriate. It was issued in the correct manner, at the correct time.

Dan Gilbert’s Letter

The statement heard around the world is more like it! Dan Gilbert decided to write a letter to Cleveland.

When I first saw it, I thought it was fake! I had to check the Cavs homepage a couple of times to believe that the letter was real. (I also did a screen shot so I’d have the letter just in case it got taken down) Did I mention that the entire letter was in Comic Sans font? It was like a 13 year old girl was writing it! Lots of bold, capital letters and quotation marks, too.

Here’s a little snippet of what Gilbert said after someones decision:

Gilbert also made a big statement in the letter: “I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVILERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE.”

My PeRspective

I love my Cleveland Cavaliers. I will continue to go to games at The Q. I will continue to wear my Cavs gear and smile. I will watch the Cavs when they are televised.

I thought the statement issued by the GM was very classy. He issued a statement to try and reassure fans that it will be okay. It was the right thing to do. He didn’t say anything in the statement that could come back and hurt the organization.

Now, the statement issued by Gilbert……… You have to love his intensity. I truly believe that he meant well by issuing that letter. I love his passion, it jumps off the page. I think he was trying to channel the anger that fans had into positive energy towards the Cavs team next season. I think he wanted everyone to forget about what just happened and keep in a positive mindset with what the Cavs are capable of. Promising a championship…I’ll let that one go.

I think Gilbert could have toned down certain areas of his letter. Maybe he needed to make a draft, sleep on it, then come back and see what he thought. (I would love to see what the original draft looked like). Many people have been reacting to this letter. I don’t think this letter will have a negative impact on the Cavs. If you’re a Cavs fan, you’re still going to buy tickets after reading this letter.

I do believe some parts of the letter were appropriate. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t pumped after reading it. Dan Gilbert got me excited. He made me start to get excited for the things that are to come. I just hope that people aren’t actually offended after reading this letter. If they are, they need to step back and take a look at the entire situation. I’m sure most of us would act irrationally in Gilbert’s situation. I’m looking forward to all of the details coming out about what else fueled the writing of the letter.

If you take anything away from Gilbert’s letter, make sure it’s this:

Read Full Post »

We’re Talking Baseball, Indians Baseball

We’re talking Tribe!

Progressive Field

The Cleveland Indians. That sentence alone could make people laugh and cry; Possibly at the same time. As a Tribe fan since the beginning ,okay since 1987, I’ve experienced the ups and downs of baseball. Some people laugh when I tell them I’m a Cleveland Indians fan. I’m not embarrassed to wear my Tribe gear in public.

When some people think about the Indians, I wonder if they have trouble naming more than five players in the line up. Sizemore? No. Cabrera? No. Cliff Lee? No. LeBron James? No.

Here’s a typical line up for the Indians: CF Crowe, RF Choo, C Santana, DH Hafner, LF Kearns, 1B Branyan, 3B Peralta, 2B Valbuena, SS Hernandez. Don’t

Asdrubal Cabrera

recognize many players, do you?

The Indians aren’t drawing  fans like they used to. In the 1990s the Indians had their highest attendance ever. 1998 and 1999 were the highest attendance recorded in Indians history, 3,467,299 and 3,468,436 respectively. Progressive Field seats 43,405. The Indians attendance in 2009 was 1,776,904 which dropped drastically from their 2008 attendance of 2,182,087. It took Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg to draw 32,876 fans.

Even though I enjoy my time at Indians games, it’s obvious that many people don’t even make their way to the stadium. I took a sports marketing class my last semester at Kent State. For the class, I had to create a market plan for the team of my choice with a problem that needed fixed. I obviously picked the Indians and their attendance problem.

The Problem

Based on attendance records from the Indians 2009 season, attendance has dropped drastically. With the  trades the team has made and its management changes, fans aren’t behind the Indians like they were in the 1990s. As a result, the franchise is unable to draw a high number of fans to its games and increase profit.

Survey

I created a ten question survey to find out more about Cleveland Indians fans. Participants remained nameless when they took the

Indians sign at Progressive

survey and they could select one answer for each question unless otherwise stated. The survey was completed by more than 70 people within a week. (I know you can’t make changes to an organization based on 70 people, but it’s a start).

The survey showed that 67.9% of those that responded attend Indians games in the months of June/July.

On average, those surveyed pay under $20 to attend a game. The second price range that people purchase tickets in is $29-$20. Over half of the people surveyed attend Indians games on Saturday. Others attend on Friday while no one selected that they attend Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Over 80% of those surveyed attend one to five games per season. Only 10.7% attend more than six games a season.

Travis Hafner in 2009

When participants were asked who their favorite past players were, Sandy Alomar and Kenny Lofton received the most votes. When asked who favorite current players were, Grady Sizemore received the most mentions with Asdrubal Cabrera coming in second. (Sad that they are both on the DL).

Those surveyed enjoy promotions and giveaways. The two most common promotions were “Dollar Dog Night” and “Bobblehead Giveaway”. “Student ID” night was a close third. When participants were asked what the Indians needed to do to keep them coming to games, not including management or players, most respondents said the Indians need to win more games. When participants were not complaining about the team losing games, they said ticket prices needed to be lower. Fans won’t attend games to watch a losing team with high ticket prices.

My PeRspective

It’s true, I’ve always thought it would be pretty cool to work for the Indians. I used to work for the AA Affiliate Akron Aeros. I know some of my solutions to the Indians attendance problems may not be possible, but at least I’m making an effort. Please keep in mind, these are just ideas! Don’t knock ’em until you try ’em! 🙂

Mom and I cheering on the Tribe in Minnesota in 07

All of my ideas are based on my research. I think the Cleveland Indians should create a Grady Sizemore marketing campaign to promote the team.It’s pretty cool to walk through downtown Cleveland and see a larger-than-life LeBron James hanging on a building. Imagine a larger-than-life Grady Sizemore making a diving catch hanging on the side of Progressive Field. People in Cleveland need to get excited and think about the Indians every time they come downtown.

I also think the Indians should create a Sandy Alomar bobblehead since he is the second favorite past player based on my survey. Kenny Lofton was voted the favorite but the Indians are creating a bobblehead of him this season. Sandy is well-liked throughout Cleveland and the Indians organization. Bobblehead costs could be offset by sponsors.

I know these ideas seem like a huge task that might not work, but I feel that something needs to be done. I’m passionate about baseball and my Cleveland Indians.

*All pictures in this post were taken by me for personal use.

Indians Win graphics in center field

Read Full Post »

LeBron James signs with the Cleveland Browns

LeBron James…you either hate him or you LOVE him. I personally like him as a basketball player and a basketball player only. He’s been a great boost for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland.

LeBron has many nicknames, whether you agree with them or not:

• The King
• Cleveland’s Golden Boy
• Bron
• LeMazing
• Bron-Bron
• LBJ
• The Chosen One

Now that you’ve gotten your very own LeBron James history we’re ready to move on. (Not like you didn’t know something about him already).

I’m sure you may have noticed, but LeBron has quite a few commercials airing on television. He’s done a few for SportsCenter (I like the one with a copy machine and another with a throne). These commercial always seem to captivate me because I want to see what dumb things they’ve paid him to do. LeBron also has a commercial that he did for State Farm Insurance. Once seeing this commercial I’ve decided his pr person is amazing. I’d like to shake his or her hand (and get a job with them). 8)

There was a lot of suspense built up to this commercial. Television channels would show a picture from behind LeBron with him having a press conference. It made me wonder…what stunt is he going to pull this time? People honestly wondered if he was going to leave the NBA not knowing this was a cheap trick to get you to tune in. When the commercial aired, I was dumbfounded.

I THOUGHT IT WAS GENIUS.

LeBron has made it known that he is a Yankees, Bulls and Cowboys fan. (Weird since he grew up in Ohio. Front runner? Maybe.)He’s even been photographed wearing those teams merchandise while attending Cleveland sporting events. After events like these, LeBron needed some good pr. The State Farm commercial was exactly that.

“I’m going to a Cavaliers game and sit right behind their bench, wearing a Detroit Pistons cap. Let’s see how LeBron likes that.” -Bob Feller to a Plain Dealer reporter

Seeing LeBron in a Cleveland Browns jersey was what fans needed to see. Giving the fans hope that LeBron doesn’t hate our city and our team is what I needed to see. This was a great way for LeBron to start making amends with fans who are still  upset about the way he supports other teams.

I personally was so upset when LeBron walked around supporting other teams. *Insert bad name for LeBron here* I really do feel like his “people” and hopefully himself are trying to let everyone in Cleveland know that he cares. The next step is for him to attend a Browns and/or Indians game while wearing that teams logo. (I don’t think that’s asking a lot). But hey, it’s a step in the right direction.

AP Photo/Tony Dejak

Read Full Post »