Some Cavaliers fans might still be angry with LeBron James, but it doesn't look like there's enough ill will to fill downtown restaurants and bars like getting into the NBA playoffs used to do.
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Fans burn a LeBron James jersey last summer after the basketball star announces he will leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. Tempers have died down since then.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It looks like we're getting over it.
Though some fans may still harbor some anger toward LeBron James for his decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, many who could benefit from stoking that anger say we're moving on.
"I think we already had our fun with that," said Corey May, managing partner of the Barley House restaurant and bar in downtown. He added that fans enjoyed trashing their LeBron jerseys and booing him at games. We've gotten it out of our systems now, he said.
"What's in the past is in the past now," May said.
Calls by at least one national commentator for parties to boo the Heat are falling on deaf ears.
"Every round until Miami gets knocked out, [Cleveland fans] get to root passionately/spitefully/irrationally for The Playoff Team That's Playing LeBron," ESPN writer Bill Simmons said in a column early this month. "Why not open [the Q] for Miami playoff games and have 'Miami Hate' viewing parties?"
Not interested say the Cavaliers and the entertainment companies that ring the basketball arena.
Economic development groups estimate that downtown bars, restaurants and hotels raked in millions of dollars over the past five years as fans filled the area for playoff games. With the Cavaliers missing the post season for the first time since 2005, businesses stand to lose some revenue.
There don't seem to be enough angry fans to fill a bar to boo LeBron.
"I don't think people care about him as much as he thinks people should care about him right now," said Christa Cortes, manager of the Winking Lizard Tavern next to the Q. Cheering against James would be investing too much passion in him, she said.
Had the Cavaliers not beaten the Heat last month, feelings might be a bit different. Marketing executive Dick Clough and filmmaker Allyson Sherlock both said that game seemed to be the emotional moment fans had been waiting for since James announced he would leave the team.
"I think people are over it. We got our pound of flesh when the Cavs beat the Heat," said Clough, chief executive of Clough and Associates Marketing Solutions and founder of the Northeast Ohio Communications Advocates, a trade group for advertising and marketing professionals.
Sherlock is co-director of a documentary film called "Losing LeBron." She and her partners have been tracking fan reaction in Cleveland all year. Sherlock said many fans are still upset, but there's been a noticeable change in the tone of interviews since the March game.
"The March 29 game maybe laid a little bit of that [anger] to rest," Sherlock said from Boston where she is editing footage. "It was a really big moment for fans. The experience was overwhelming." As to the idea of opening the Q for watch parties? The team isn't interested.
Cavaliers President Len Komoroski said in an email that the team is focused on its future, not cheering against a former player.
"We have focused our efforts on planning for events surrounding the NBA draft lottery and the NBA draft itself, which will both be exciting times for our organization," Komoroski said.
Restaurant and bar owner said instead of focusing on not having Cavs playoff games, they're looking at some good things happening in Cleveland sports.
"You have three other winning teams right now with the Indians, the Monsters and the Gladiators" May said. "If they keep doing well, that should make up for not being in the [NBA] playoffs this year."
With the Indians winning eight of their first 12 games, most of the hopes of downtown entertainment businesses are on baseball this year. Home attendance has been extremely poor so far, but many blame that on miserably cold weather during the Indians' early home games.
"We really expect the fans to get behind the Indians, especially when the weather gets better," said Bryan Metzger, general manager of the Harry Buffalo restaurant and bar near Progressive Field.
Indians spokesman Curtis Danburg said with warmer temperatures on their way, he expects ticket sales to increase in the coming weeks.
"There's definitely a positive buzz that's been creating by our start," Danburg said.
Clough, who has tickets to the Indians game against the Baltimore Orioles Friday, said Cleveland sports fans have better things to worry about that a former player spurned them last year.
That said, if opponents beat the Heat badly in their first few games, then maybe the Cleveland bars would fill up.
"If the Heat did poorly in the playoffs, if they got blown out in the first round or the second round, I think people would take some pleasure in that," Clough said.