An Ohio Governor's finest moment

For several years, there has been a gigantic banner hanging in downtown Cleveland on a building across from the "Q," where the Cleveland Cavaliers play. It is a sparse Nike ad, with an image of LeBron James slam-dunking. It says only, "WE ARE ALL WITNESSES." It is a thing of beauty, and it sort of takes your breath away, and it makes you sort of proud to be a Clevelander.

But it turns out that it is in violation of some Federal law regarding the size of an advertisement and its proximity to a highway (the "Witnesses" banner is not far from where I-90 bisects Cleveland). Why this "violation" was not an issue two years ago but instead, say, THE FREAKING DAY OF THE FIRST GAME OF THE FIRST NBA FINALS THAT THE CAVS HAVE EVER REACHED IN THE HISTORY OF THEIR FRANCHISE, I don't know. But I do know that Ohio's Governor, Ted Strickland, is stepping up.

Strickland has deemed the sign "commercial art," which means it's not subject to the Federal and Ohio Department of Transportation regulations. My personal favorite Strickland quotation regarding this issue: "'We are determined to make sure this city has the opportunity to continue to enjoy this beautiful display of commercial art,' he said. Strickland disputed the notion that declaring the banner art will give Nike a special benefit. 'This is not about Nike,' he said. 'This is about Cleveland.'"

Yeah, governmental entities that aren't the Governor's office. Don't you dare try to dampen our enthusiasm and/or screw with our potential glory. Not this time.

As a lifelong Clevelander, I am not used to success or any "outside" recognition thereof

This weekend's episode of "The Soup" closed with one of the show's producers sitting in a chair, brushing Joel McHale's mullet wig as Joel sat on the floor in front of him. (This was a reference to an episode of "Wife Swap" wherein a wife brushes her husband's mullet while simultaneously telling him what a man he is.)

As the producer brushes his mane, Joel asks (I'm paraphrasing here), "So, do you think Cleveland will take it? I think they will." This reference to the Cleveland Cavaliers-Detroit Pistons series, which the Cavs clinched to great effect (BOOBIE!) on Saturday night, is remarkable. Not only is somebody outside of Cleveland talking about a Cleveland sports franchise, but that person outside of Cleveland is speaking positively about a Cleveland sports franchise and stating that he believes it can win.

Unheard of. I don't quite know how to process these feelings. When the Indians went the World Series in 1995 and 1997, it was an incredible and amazing thrill. But I lived in Chicago at the time, so I wasn't able to absorb the ambient hysteria and enthusiasm that came with living in the proximity of a championship team. Also, growing up in suburban Cleveland, I really didn't have a sense of just how futile the city was. I mean, I knew the Cuyahoga River caught on fire, and I knew that this was a very bad thing. I had the vague sense that Mayor Kucinich was inept. But I wasn't aware of the subtleties of Cleveland politics and business and education and economic development -- topics with which I'm quite familiar now having returned and worked in the city as an "adult."

I am acutely aware of Cleveland's troubles, and how good it will feel -- even temporarily, even though I don't care about basketball itself -- to have one 22-year-old from Akron (who "gets" Northeast Ohio's futility as well) singularly lift us all up on this tattooed shoulders.

That someone else, in Los Angeles no less, thinks Cleveland can win at something is a foreign and thrilling concept, indeed. Thanks, Joel. As if Little Gay, CRUISE WATCH, Clippos Magnificos and Souper Fantastic Ultra Wish Time were not enough, you believe in us, man.

I am not really a basketball fan, but I am a fan of Cleveland's crawling its way out of failure and municipal despair

And all I have to say is:

LE. BRON.