Cavaliers Are A Confident Bunch, Print NBA Finals Tickets

[duncan228]

Cavaliers are a confident bunch, print NBA Finals tickets (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Cavaliers-are-a-confident-bunch-print-NBA-Final;_ylt=AgULXfMe0Rzag5WpHaYqQou8vLYF?urn=nba,19 4329)
By J.E. Skeets
Ball Don't Lie

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp/lead195.jpg

For a sports city that's experienced their fair share of championship droughts, collapses and "curses" — see: The Catch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catch_%28baseball%29), The Fumble (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fumble), The Shot (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Jordan-s-shot-on-Ehlo-20-years-later?urn=nba,161865), etc. — the Cleveland Cavaliers sure are a confident bunch when it comes to reading tea leaves and printing tickets.

Pictured (above): the Cavs' ticket batch for the actual 2009-10 NBA Finals — four games lettered N through Q. (Miss Cleo (http://chelsea.theoffside.com/files/2009/08/miss-cleo.jpg) says, "Cavs sweep Lakers," I guess. So much for playing out this season.)

In case you haven't figured it out, those brave Finals tickets were included in the Cavs' regular season ticket package. And while that might sound terribly cocky to some (Dwight, Garnett, Travis Diener), Waiting For Next Year has a less jinx-worthy explanation (http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=18677), as well as an idea what to do with 'em:


"... printing the whole batch of tickets now would likely be less expensive than printing, binding and mailing one set now and then doing the same thing come March or April.

However, given what has occurred over the past 40 years, I would not fault any Cleveland fan if they felt any sort of superstitious jinx-like event by merely looking at the tickets. If we are going to embrace this season, however, I say fans (and even the team themselves) should rip that page out right now and hang it up. Give us all a constant reminder of what this season is all about."

Saving on printing and mailing costs makes sense — we are still in a recession, right? — but I'm still worried. According to a second Cavs season ticket holder (http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=18677#comment-54454), the Cavs have included the maximum number of potential playoff tickets in the season ticket booklet for at least the past three seasons.

The number of NBA championships won by the Cavs in the last three years?

Zero.

This is a horrible idea.

Q: Does anyone know of any other teams that include Finals tickets in their season ticket booklet?

UPDATE: Randball (http://twitter.com/RandBall) says, "Don't get too excited ... Wolves did that last year (http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/randball/2008/11/20/thursday-nba-finals-edition-wha-happened/)." The Wolves! The nerve!

[JoeTait75]

Why do you always have to air our dirty laundry, Duncan228?

[completely deck]

lol Ohio

[KidCongo]

Why do you always have to air our dirty laundry, Duncan228?

Ay she was also quick to point out LeBron's 'Chosen-1' tatoo the other day as well:depressed

[JoeTait75]

lol Ohio

45 years of heartbreak and we still believe. You can't knock that.

[23LeBronJames23]

i told u we going all the way aint nothing gon stop us!

[Thompson]

So they're already printing Finals tickets but they don't see any need to plan a victory parade route? Huh.

[Lars]

Wow

[Agloco]

Cavaliers are a confident bunch, print NBA Finals tickets (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Cavaliers-are-a-confident-bunch-print-NBA-Final;_ylt=AgULXfMe0Rzag5WpHaYqQou8vLYF?urn=nba,19 4329)
By J.E. Skeets
Ball Don't Lie

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp/lead195.jpg


:lmao:lmao:lmao

[Spursfan092120]

We're not detroit!!

[iggypop123]

the wolves!

[Morg1411]

lol

Ah, Cleveland... :rolleyes

[ginobili's bald spot]

What a waste of paper.

[Muser]

Poor trees.

[Allanon]

Subscribing to thread for easy reference next summer.

[cherylsteele]

Are the Mavs printing these up for them, like they did their parade route?

[Red Hawk #21]

Unbelievable, its gunna be sweet watching these guys fail.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

There's tempting karma and then there's hanging a target on your crotch while presenting karma with a brand new pair of steel toed boots.

[JamStone]

As foolish as it is, I would venture to say that the Cavs aren't the only team that does this. It's only for season ticket packages and it's including the maximum number of playoff tickets possible. Big deal. Are they foolish to also think that every playoff series will go 7 games?

I'd be on board to making fun of Cleveland and Ohio any chance there is, but I think this is an overreaction to something that isn't even a big deal at all.

[duncan228]

O’Neal says Cavs look great, at least on paper (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavaliers-oneal&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Even with his four NBA titles, Shaquille O’Neal says this Cleveland Cavaliers team could be better than all the rest.

That would include the 2000 Lakers, when O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles a 67-15 record and a title.

The Cavaliers won 66 games last season, but lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals. O’Neal says he likes having inside players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao with him, along with shooters LeBron James and Mo Williams.

“It’s probably the best team I’ve ever played on, on paper anyway,” O’Neal said Thursday. “I’ve always been on management to get me the power forward I’ve needed and the shooters I’ve needed.”

To prepare for this season, O’Neal has taken up a new sport—yoga. His first lesson was Wednesday night.

[23LeBronJames23]

^^is Shaq sayin that LeBron is better than Kobe? because Cavs team without LeBron suck and you know it.

[badfish22]

Are the Mavs printing these up for them, like they did their parade route?
:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao :lmao:lmao

GOOD ONE DUDE!

[jonnybravo]

lol

Ah, Cleveland... :rolleyes

Sig!!!! Who dat!? Moar!

[Morg1411]

O’Neal says Cavs look great, at least on paper (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavaliers-oneal&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Even with his four NBA titles, Shaquille O’Neal says this Cleveland Cavaliers team could be better than all the rest.

That would include the 2000 Lakers, when O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles a 67-15 record and a title.

The Cavaliers won 66 games last season, but lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals. O’Neal says he likes having inside players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao with him, along with shooters LeBron James and Mo Williams.

“It’s probably the best team I’ve ever played on, on paper anyway,” O’Neal said Thursday. “I’ve always been on management to get me the power forward I’ve needed and the shooters I’ve needed.”

To prepare for this season, O’Neal has taken up a new sport—yoga. His first lesson was Wednesday night.

So is Leborn the "power forward I needed", according to Shaq? Or is he talking about Anderson "Gumby" Varejao? :lmao

[Morg1411]

Sig!!!! Who dat!? Moar!

Angela Sommers, bikini model and uber-babe. I'll add some different pics to my sig when I get a chance. :toast

[duncan228]

After a summer of new hobbies, Shaq tries yoga (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-cavaliers-oneal&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Shaquille O’Neal has made a career out of twisting around opposing centers.

Now he is doing it to himself.

After a summer of boxing, football, beach volleyball and swimming, Shaq has a new hobby—yoga. He attended his first class at a suburban Cleveland studio on Wednesday night.

“I’m the worst yoga student in the history of yoga,” O’Neal said Thursday.

His massive 7-foot-1, 325-pound frame needed two mats, according to Tami Schneider, owner of Cleveland Yoga in Beachwood. She was O’Neal’s instructor for the class and is special ordering a 100-inch mat for her new student, who promised he’ll be back.

“He’s got some tight hamstrings,” Schneider said. “He’s obviously a big, strong man. He told me he doesn’t stretch very often and that was pretty apparent. I’m looking forward to working with him to get him into some deeper stretches.”

O’Neal was interested in Schneider’s “hot yoga” class, which is practiced in a room heated to between 85 and 90 degrees. It’s designed to purify the body and make the body sweat, release toxins and enhance stretching.

That’s important to O’Neal, who needed some modifications for a few of the exercises, like crossing one thigh over the other.

“His thighs are gigantic and so strong, they’re as big as my whole body,” Schneider said. “So he was able to cross his ankles and that was just fine.”

For a forward bend, students are instructed to reach down to the ground in front of them. O’Neal needed blocks to bring the floor closer to him.

Still, Schneider said O’Neal is not the worst yoga student she’s seen in her 12 years.

“Not at all,” she said. “He came in just like a regular guy. He was alone, which was nice, and he seemed to feel right at home at the studio. He fit right in.”

O’Neal spent the offseason filming his reality show “Shaq Vs,” in which he competed against various top athletes in their sports. He traded punches with Oscar De La Hoya, intercepted Ben Roethlisberger passes and even swam against Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

Teammates already have remarked that O’Neal looks to be in terrific shape, which he credits to a summer in the pool.

Now the 37-year-old wants to work on his flexibility.

“You just want to stay loose. You have to do different things to stay loose,” O’Neal said. “I have a lot of time on my hands because I’m new to the city and I don’t have any hangout spots yet.”

O’Neal was traded to the Cavaliers over the summer and already likes what he sees on his new team. He has won four NBA titles, but thinks this Cavaliers team could be the best yet.

“It’s probably the best team I’ve ever played on, on paper anyway,” O’Neal said. “I’ve always been on management to get me the power forward I’ve needed and the shooters I’ve needed.”

With O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers went 67-15 and won a championship in 2000.

The Cavaliers won 66 games last season, but added O’Neal, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon after losing to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals.

O’Neal said he likes having guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao with him in the post, along with shooters like LeBron James and Mo Williams.

“When the big fella talks, you have to listen because he’s been around a long time and his resume speaks for itself,” coach Mike Brown said. “He’s been on a lot of teams. If he says that, it’s something that has to be heard.”