Three letters have bombarded my Facebook alerts, AOL instant messenger statuses and text message inbox since I woke up yesterday morning.
And for the first time since the formation of TLC, a combination of three letters made me physically sick.
Those letters?
M-V-P.
Before I even had a chance to turn on my TV or visit ESPN.com, I got the horrible news that LeBron James had been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
Now, there is nothing shocking about this announcement in itself.
LeBron averaged 28.4 points per game, which was the second-highest in the NBA, while also averaging 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists during the regular season.
In just his sixth season in the NBA, LeBron has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and a likely trip to the NBA Finals.
There is no doubt LeBron deserved the honor.
In fact, as the face of the NBA, one could say the league needed its biggest star to earn its biggest individual prize.
But in a place like Athens, where the city is divided into three sports segments - Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh - this is the worst news fans of the Queen and Steel City could have heard.
Cleveland fans are obnoxious enough without a reason to be so.
During my four years here, I have heard bold statements like Brady Quinn is going to be a Pro Bowler, Grady Sizemore is the best player in Major League Baseball and THIS is the year that the Cavs will finally win an NBA Championship.
Statements that only a Cleveland fan could take seriously.
I must admit that before coming to Ohio University, I pitied Cleveland fans more than despised them.
But after being awoken for the 1,763rd time by students who thought they were in the opening credits of The Drew Carey Show instead of a deserted Athens street corner, I had a change ofheart.
You would think that a fan base that hasn't won a major sports championship since 1964 would be a little more modest.
I mean, we are talking about Cleveland here.
The city where the biggest body of water caught on fire.
The city that has a baseball team whose biggest accomplishment came in the movie Major League instead of in Major League Baseball.
Remember The Drive and Michael Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo?
What about the fact that Art Modell thought the city of Baltimore was better than Cleveland? Have you seen The Wire?
What is there to be so proud of?
Now that someone has actually accomplished something in the city of Cleveland, I shudder to think what my last six weeks here will be like.
Oh well, enjoy it while you can, Cavs fans. The NBA Finals are on the horizon, and we all know how well Cleveland sports teams do in big games.
- Matt O'Donnell is a senior studying journalism and is the sports editor at The Post. If you too have been awoken by drunken arguments about Bernie Kosar or Mark Price, send him an e-mail at mo134405@ohiou.edu
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Matt O'Donnell
