LeBron James challenges Cavs fans to top Golden State’s
June 8, 2015Indians to option Lonnie Chisenhall to Triple-A, recall Giovanny Urshela
June 8, 2015Happy victory Monday, Cleveland fans. If you’re like me, you’re operating on just a handful of hours of sleep, but it’s a small price to pay. If you’re also like me, you spent the entire second half pacing back and forth in front of the television. Look—I’m not proud of my pacing, but it’s as if the actions are automatic and beyond my control.
Oftentimes, I’ll sit on the ottoman for a few seconds of game play. Then I’ll get up, pace, and find a spot on a chair for a few seconds. Then the couch. Then the ottoman. Game 4 against the Chicago Bulls may have been the worst of the batch, watching the Cavaliers as they received nary a whistle and were bailed out by that LeBron James game-winner from the corner—at least until last night. Every three-pointer was such a high; every J.R. Smith foul was such a crushing low.
In my defense, these actions are mostly physical and not audible. I’m not yell-at-the-TV guy. Was I upset when LeBron James didn’t get a call at the end of the fourth quarter? Yes. But it was met with me putting both hands on my knees in disbelief. To my knowledge, I’ve only had a primal yell of celebration a handful of times—LeBron’s game-winner against Orlando in 2009, when Mo Williams hit the game-winner against Milwaukee in November of 2010, when Jason Giambi hit that grand slam against the Chicago White Sox, and then most recently when LeBron drained that shot from the corner. The last one occurred while my family was over for Mother’s Day. You would’ve thought someone put an M-80 in my infant nephew’s carrier by the elevation he obtained.
This all said, let’s turn the tables a bit. What are all your viewing habits? Do you pace? Do you yell and throw things? Do you take your aggression out on Twitter? Let’s hear it. And please, the more you share, the better. I need to feel less weird on such a fantastic Monday morning.
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Those of you who are All In on WFNY know that we’re all gigantic fans of music and the business of music. As Craig and Rock have discussed distribution practices on podcasts and within various editions of WWW, we also talk a lot behind the scenes about models like Spotify and the like. Which is why Tidal, Jay Z’s pet project, has gotten so much attention: Not only is it spearheaded by one of music’s brightest stars, it’s a case study in what will (and in Tidal’s case, will not) work when it comes to finding the right way to distribute music while ensuring that artists get their cut.
From Bloomberg:
Tidal is Jay Z’s most ambitious venture yet—an effort to profit in an arena that’s thwarted not only other musicians but startups and venture capitalists, too. Many artists are unhappy with the economics of streaming, notably Taylor Swift, who pulled her albums from Spotify last November. Jay Z wants to do better on two levels. Tidal pays record labels and music publishers a higher royalty—75 percent of revenue, vs. Spotify’s 70 percent, boosting the value of music on the Internet, including his own. And as a large shareholder, he could sell off his stake at a profit if outside investors give Tidal a valuation approaching those of other digital-music platforms such as Pandora and Spotify. …
It’s too early to write off Tidal. But if the company does fail, it may be because Jay Z didn’t anticipate the skeptical response to his claim that he was working for some greater good of all musicians.
The entire arc of Tidal will be incredibly interesting. There are rumors that Apple could swoop in with their money-printing machines and get their paws on some exclusive content while sparing Jay Z and company from an embarrassing demise. Meanwhile, Spotify will continue to be my go-to. There’s just something about having nearly every album of every artist at your fingertips. Missing out on Taylor Swift ain’t no thang.
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Just because:
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Where hot takes clang off the iron like Steph Curry on a Sunday night. Here’s this week’s edition of #ActualSportswriting:
“How a Curmudgeonly Old Reporter Exposed the FIFA Scandal that Toppled Sepp Blatter” by Michael E. Miller (Washington Post): “If you can’t tell already, Jennings is an advocate of slow, methodical journalism. For half a century, the 71-year-old investigative reporter has been digging into complex, time-consuming stories about organized crime. In the 1980s, it was bad cops, the Thai heroin trade and the Italian mob. In the ’90s, he turned to sports, exposing corruption with the International Olympic Committee.
For the past 15 years, Jennings has focused on the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), international soccer’s governing body. As other journalists were ball watching — reporting scorelines or writing player profiles — Jennings was digging into the dirty deals underpinning the world’s most popular game.”1
“No-no Regrets: The cost of Johan Santana’s no-hitter” by Phil Collins (Sports Illustrated): “Suppose the devil made you this bargain: You can have one unforgettable night doing what you love to do, but in exchange, you will never again be able to do it nearly as well. Would you take that deal? No? What if he added this: You can bring joy to thousands of people who will be forever grateful to you. But your future will be full of surgeon’s scalpels and solitary workouts in a futile pursuit of what you used to be. Would you sign on the dotted line?”2
“Outsider Artist: Understanding the Beauty of Steph Curry’s Jumper” by Kirk Goldsberry (Grantland): “Everybody has tried to shoot a basketball at least once. Most of us aren’t very good at it. Many have tried it 10,000 times or more, just trying to hone the skill, hoping to eventually summon something close to reliability. It rarely happens. And even though launching a basketball at a hoop is one of the most widely practiced activities in American sports, every once in a while someone comes along and makes it look like something only he can do.”3
“American Pharoah’s Triple Crown obliterates years of disappointment” by Tim Layden (Sports Illustrated): “And so in the long shadows of an early evening in the 37th June since the last, the last, the last—and my god, the last—at a venerable place where hope and desperation had so often melted into painful defeat, history finally let go. The moment unfolded as if from another time, asking a sport for trust that had been lost in too many defeats, too many disappointments, too many euphoric buildups that crashed in gutting failure and sent its loyal fans sulking into the darkness, unfulfilled. For so long, horse racing had been stuck on the same, yellowed page, so many times the Triple Crown had seemed at hand and so many times cruel reality dropped a hammer on old Belmont Park and so many times a generation and more was left without a legend of its own to pass along, left instead to live with musty recollections, growing more distant by the year.”4
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And finally, as we gear up for Tuesday, I highly recommend you listen to this All In mixtape from Cleveland’s own DJ E-V. The intro is especially worthwhile as it includes production from Big Juice and an appearance from Olivier Sedra, the voice of the Cavs. Click play and try to not run through a wall. Have a great Monday, you guys.
https://soundcloud.com/djev/e-v-ilthy-all-in-the-mixtape
- Truthfully, it was between this piece and this excellent investigative work on Hope Solo from ESPN.com’s Mark Fairnaru-Wada. This FIFA piece got the nudge because it led to investigative work on investigative work. Reporting always wins. [↩]
- Pitching is such a violent act. Johan Santana has a boat load of money, but man—to think that one game may have cost him his career? [↩]
- Was even more beautiful last night, wasn’t it? [↩]
- We finish up this week’s edition with a beautifully written recap. On deadline. [↩]
43 Comments
After watching Stannis’s ultimate dick-move, I needed that Cav’s win.
Oh, and I stood, but didn’t pace for the last minute of OT.
Screw you Stannis.
I’m like you, Scott. I don’t yell, but I do pace. And agonize. The tension and stress really get to me, and it’s hard to watch the games. I’m afraid what I feel is beyond healthy and normal.
All those decades when the Indians never won anything, I’d be watching the playoffs and think, “Man, it must be fun to have your team in the playoffs.” Then the Tribe finally got good and it wasn’t fun at all. I was a nervous wreck, hanging on every pitch. During a tight game, I’d go out in the garage with the radio on and pace around and smoke cigarette after cigarette (before I kicked the evil tobacco). I’m the same way with hoops, but for some reason not with football. With football, I just enjoy the moment. Weird.
I’m taking up the OT crouch, ready to explode at any moment.
There is hope. There is motivation. And there’s a fighting chance.
This team is SO CLEVELAND and I love every second of this. God, this is fun!
I’m all over the place, literally and figuratively. Sometimes I’m on one side of the couch, sometimes another. And other times yet, like at the end of the game when there might be a last second shot, I can be found hiding behind the couch saying “I can’t watch, I can’t watch” but peeking over the top of the couch to make sure I don’t miss it. If my daughter is awake, I can’t keep the volume in check on big plays, but I have yet to wake her if she is sleeping. And like Mr. C, what I feel and go through is probably beyond healthy and normal.
Last minute of OT: off couch (was heading there anyway with increasing forward leans) and on my knees, less in supplication than angry demand at the screen images.
Try not to get too emotionally vested in the outcome of any one game in a series. When I was young and the Browns played meaningful games my agonized crawls and rolls around the carpet became the subject of family jokes and exaggerations. And when the kids came it seemed idiotic to conflate sports with life. However, last night with about 5:00 remaining in regulation I knew I was in trouble. Heart was pounding and demanded peeps and larger animals stop walking between my eyes and the telly.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a coward’s coping mechanism that I fear makes me not much of a sports fan anymore: I DVR every game (Indians only when it matters) and instead of watching it live, watch it on “play.” When it gets stressful, I turn the channel or turn the TV off. Then I periodically check my Yahoo sports app while doing whatever else I choose to do instead of watching the game. If Yahoo indicates that the game might be getting better, I’ll turn it back on and either “resume” or fast forward to real time. It’s cowardly, but I find that my peace of mind (or that last piece of mind that I have) is preserved, and I don’t feel like as much of a fool for letting the “stupid [insert “Browns,” “Buckeyes,” “Cavs,” “Indians,” “Spurs”]” ruin my day. I’m a loser, but a much more at peace loser. I honestly believe that I enjoyed the last 5 minutes of the game last night more than I ever would have had I watched it in real time.
I’ve done that. On some level it’s enjoyable to watch the last 5:00 unfold when you know the outcome, kind of an intellectually objective exam of tracing what went wrong or right and why. Because when I’m in it live … Until this morning when I saw highlights I completely forget that Shump hit an enormous 3 in O.T. that broke the scoring ice, and absolutely no one is talking about it this morning.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/whid.gif
I alternate my positions while watching the game late. Pacing, sitting, praying, crouching, it’s all fair game. But I always do a small prayer to the Basketball Gods around the 2 minute mark in the 4th quarter, asking forgiveness for my sins as a fan (not watching irrelevant December Cavs games, believing in Dion Waiters, etc.). Most of the time the Basketball Gods do not hear me but last night they answered my prayer. Couldn’t be happier this Monday morning!
I talk to the TV in a similar way that I’ll talk to it when playing a sports video game (although it’s just a futile, mind you). Typically, it’s not yelling, nor does it even have a raised voice “come on” “make your FTs” “go to the hoop” “Yes (fist pump)”
This playoffs I’ve been catching myself fist pumping most made 3’s. When we opened the 11 point lead last night things started getting louder “YES!!! (fist pump)” although apparently not so loud that my wife who wakes up at 5:45 on Mondays was disturbed.
When Delly got his rebound/putback/foul towards the end of OT there was some jumping and some floor crouching/kneeling.
I’ve mellowed a bit in my 30’s, but watching me watch Cleveland Sports could be a little like watching an interpretative dance.
I was holding my 9 month old the whole game, he is battling a stomach flu so there were a lot of diaper changes. At the end of the fourth he was real bad so I was just walking in circles
Humming to him. He was asleep in my arms at the end of OT as was everyone else so my celebration was muted. The closest I can liken it to is Link in Matrix Reloaded when he watches Nei save Morpheus. Hes all by himslef watching this unbelievable thing happen and he does this highly suppressed “Yes!” And then crumples.
I was madder at that than the absurd 4 officials staring at 2 guys missed foul on the jump ball. My problem with the Roose Stanis thing now is that neither can “get what they deserve”. Simply killing or even torturing and killing Roose Ramsay or Stanis doesnt equate for their monstrosities. I hope Davos gets wind of it and stays with Jon Snow.
Look, I know I’m crazy and I’ve decided to stop trying to be normal. I was such a wreck for Game 1 and didn’t want to try and band-aid it with alcohol, so I went polar opposite and rode my exercise bike in the basement in front of the TV for the first hour of the game. Stood up for the rest of the first half, showered at halftime and tried to remain calm during the second half. Let’s just say that I will continue to do that, but I also need to re-load my supply of 21st Amendment beverages.
I don’t pace. The only moving I do is to get more food and to eat the food I got. I am frozen in nerves and if I’m watching with others we comment a ton, but otherwise we’re just glued silently.
But when they won last night, as much as I tried to hold back, especially with three girls sleeping in the other room… but after a few seconds I got up, took that big step and huge fist pump/punch into the air, Jordan-style, screaming out a YES!!!!!!! as loud as I could to get that energy out… and then tried to relax, hoping to God that none of the girls would wake up.
Thankfully, they didn’t. 🙂
I had to shower after the game but that’s me! 😉
As a spectator, I’m a yeller for sure. And almost always standing during the final minutes/at bats, usually close to the tv. Also known to punch and/or throw a pillow from time to time. I much prefer watching alone and in my own home to being around others or at a bar or someone else’s house (in this way, twitter is great for me to have: I can share the experience with others while still having solitude). And I have absolutely been known to change the channel altogether or step outside and let the most intense of moments pass, then check out the aftermath. I feel sports far more intensely than a person not competing ought to, so I have to find ways to reduce/avoid tension to some degree, lest I require medical attention. And a drink or 4 after while processing things is a must, win or lose.
LoL
http://bustedcoverage.com/2015/06/08/40-black-dudes-analyze-game-2-of-the-nba-finals/
I cannot do the DVR thing–it makes me crazy. I have a buddy whose wife insists on watching all Ohio State games on DVR delay so she can skip commercials, but inevitably I’ll jump on Twitter to see what’s happening in real time. But I will totally change channels or walk away and then return to see the results. Regardless of the method, I still cannot avoid having negative sports outcomes ruin at least a part of my day.
My wife and I absolutely agree that the only way to watch OSU (indeed, most football) games is on DVR. The fact that it’s not real-time doesn’t bother me at all (except when my brothers-in-law send texts). We had to make exceptions for the post-season ride this year, which took years off of my life.
I definitely find that I can enjoy the intricacy of games so much more when I watch it after I know the outcome. I’m such a bad fan.
It certainly makes sense for football more than most, because of the endless stoppages and commercial breaks. But it still makes me crazy knowing that SOMETHING has happened but it’s being willfully withheld. At least if I choose to flip to another channel, I can flip right back and be up to speed. Apologies to Carly Simon, but anticipation isn’t really my thing.
It’s illogical and basically insane, but I have a much harder time with this approach when it comes to the Browns. Apparently, I have a burning need to know about every one of their “three and outs” as they happen. But I guess “illogical” and “insane” are good descriptors of Browns fandom, generally.
If anything can and often should be skipped over in large pieces, it’s Cleveland Browns football. We are all of us some degree of insane for our devotion.
I make the three symbol with my fingers and say TTTTTHHHHRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE really loud after basically 60 percent of every Cavs three.
I’m curious: what is your opinion/approach to attending games in person? I ask because, seemingly in defiance of my stated viewing habits, I love being there in person. Win or lose, tense or blowout, I actually find it easier to deal with things when I’m there in the building watching it all go down. Makes little sense, but it’s true.
This reminds me of NBA Finals Rocky being the Cavs v Drago being the Warriors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFYjOZu3nG8
Love it above all else, and I stay until the end, always, regardless of outcome, weather, anything.
Always stay until the end. Even if it’s a Browns game.
I once stayed to the bitter end of a 0-20 loss to the Bengals in sub-zero temps, after my buddies left in the 1st Quarter. By the end, it was just me and about 1,000 new friends, all sitting right by the field.
wait, our team is allowed to make the playoffs in football?
I don’t yell loud as much as I used to, and I don’t swear (out loud) during games like I have in the past. I move from the couch all around, then end up sitting on edge of the coffee table, or on the floor in front of the TV. I enjoy the wins, hate the losses, but won’t get overly excited until there are 0s on the clock and we are hoisting the trophy. Especially against this team that can come from any deficit late.
I expect the team to do something stupid in football. I often times find myself laughing when it happens late in the games (almost in a satirical way).
I think he was talking Browns not Buckeyes
I like the 21st amendment as well. Back in Black and the Brew Free or Die IPA. I find myself pacing back and forth between the living room and the bathroom during timeouts.
I’d be interested to know the date of that one, as I’m almost positive I was there as well. 3rd row west end zone. Possibly the most hungover I’ve ever been. And stayed the whole game.
Must have been 2008, December 21 to be precise, but the schedule says we only lost 0-14. Sure felt like 0-20. We started the game up in Section 553 (or thereabouts). It was a Ken Dorsey Spectacular. I moved down around halftime to the 50 yard line, alone, about 10 rows from the field. Nobody in authority said a word. I guess they were happy to have the appearance of fans for the TV. It was COLD, so very COLD, and I felt like the Browns should have climbed into the stands after the game to personally apologize to everyone that stuck around. They didn’t.
Yup, that was the one. Just found the ticket stub. I was in for a visit with the old college crew, and we had spent the night before playing drinking games with Laphroaig, then pounding Labatt Blues (Labatts Blue?) down in the Valley. Spent most of Sunday wishing for death, a feeling all to familiar during Browns season.
Laphroaig! It’s the best. I was also in town just for the holidays. I might have even had some Laphroaig the night before. (Sounds like something I would do.) Are you my alter ego?
Well we haven’t ever been seen in the same place at the same time, so…
I’m getting scared.
And yes Laphroaig is lovely. However, I would not recommend it for playing Kings.
http://media.tumblr.com/8a8ba36c4769aa982a615177da85d121/tumblr_inline_mvoxd6XfW61riofu5.gif
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