Yes- That is the Taj Mahal in Agra, India and Yes- That is my husband and I wearing our "Witness" shirts and holding a Cavaliers flag.
Our love for the Cavaliers travels with us always, even to the heart of India.
It's kind of funny- neither my husband, Carl, nor myself grew up playing basketball. I grew up in Willowick, OH and was a gymnast for most of my young life. In high school I also ran track and played tennis. In college, I cheered for Cleveland State. I was a casual Cavs fan during those years but I can't say I really followed the team closely (I was more into college basketball and the Browns).
Everything changed during the 2002-2003 season. The Cavaliers started a group called the Cavalry, which was the featured cheerleading performance group (the pre-cursor to the Cavalier Girls). I made the squad and have been on the court and a die-hard fan ever since. After my season on the Cavalry, I spent 2 seasons as a member of the Scream Team and the current 09-10 season is my 4th as a member of the Cavs Crew (you can see me on the court during the Taco Bell ball toss and during the other fun in-game promotions).
I've grown to love the Cavs not just for the in-game experience (which is the best in the NBA), but also because of the friends I've gained and all of the amazing people I've met. Most notably, it was through the Cavs that I met the man that became my husband. He works in the Group Sales department for the team and we began dating after the 02-03 season.
On April 13, 2006, during the Cavs v. Knicks game, Carl proposed to me while I was wearing my Cavs Crew uniform and it was broadcast on the Q-tube for all 20,000+ fans to see. This Cavs theme carried straight into our wedding:
o Our wedding programs were designed to look like the Cavs "Tip Off Tonight" programs
o Ahmaad, the Cavs in-game host and the one that introduces the players at every Cavs game, introduced our wedding party
o Everyone at the wedding received a rally towel
o The table numbers and name cards looked like Cavs jerseys
o We took our wedding photos at the Q!
o The Cavs video guys (QTV) helped make our slide show
o The Cavs graphics guys designed our wedding logo (which was inspired by the Cavs playoff logo)
o All of the guests received a game ticket
I've seen a lot in my years at the Q- I was there for the down times when we only won 17 games. Conversely, I was on the court when we beat the Pistons and were crowned Eastern Conference Champions!- All of the experiences have been truly special and the Cavs will always be dear to my heart. I know that I will not be able to be on the court forever but I do know that no matter where life takes me, I will always be a Cavs fan...and a Cavs Fanatic!
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1. Cavalry '02 2. Scream Team in '03 3. NBA Finals '07 4. The night I got engaged! (4.13.06) 5. Wedding photo on Cavs practice court (7.21.07) 6. Me and Austin Carr '04 7. Me and Mark Price '05
Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 12:02 PM EST
[General]
Cavs Fans,
With the start of the 09-10 season 5 games in, I wanted to check in with all the CavFanatics out there. With this being my fourth season on the Cavs Crew each year seems to be a little different. This year, besides the 3-2 record, is so far the most exciting. The excitement and anticipation surrounding every game seems to build and progress. Who would ever thought Shaquille O'neal would be lacing it up for the Cleveland Cavaliers. I have been watching basketball my whole life and never thought that would come about. This is by far our best team to date and it is only a matter of time until the ball gets rolling and we start cruising towards the playoffs.
What makes our city and our games so exciting is coming to these games. It all starts with the best introduction video in sports. If you haven't seen it yet, the QTV Crew has outdone themselves once again. I've seen it twice in person and still get goosebumps watching it on YouTube. I don't know much about video graphics but the way they make Lebron seemingly walk out of his billboard is incredible. Kudo's to the QTV Crew for that. Once the game starts it is the best fans in the NBA that make our team what it is. The excitement the fans bring is what makes working for the Cavaliers so special. I have been around for a few years and get the feeling that this year is going to be different than those in the past. It's fitting that the season motto is to XL because everything seems bigger, obviously we have Shaq, but the expectations are also bigger and I want nothing more than for our team to exceed those expectations. I worked the NBA finals games back in 2006 and want nothing more than to see that NBA finals logo on our home court again.
Tryouts for the 09-10 Cavs Crew wrapped up about a month ago, and we are very excited about the new floor crew. Fifteen members were selected, with five of them being rookies.
Hey Cavfanatics!!! As we're all sitting around waiting for the 2nd round of the Cavalier take over I just wanted to check in. We had the Watch party on Friday night, and it was INSANE! Our fans are hands down the best fans period! Not only did a lot of you guys drive all the way to Detroit, you took over The Palace! And the rest of us that stayed in Cleveland lit up The Q. The fans at the Watch Party did not disappoint, this was my first time working a Watch Party and I didn't know what to expect.......but it wasn't 17,000 die hard fans screaming just like a crowd watching a live game. I love the fact that the Cavaliers franchise allows Cleveland to enjoy this team as much as they do. The fans here are anything but fair weather fans, we are here to stay, always have been. So Cleveland, here's to Miami and Atlanta beating each other up, and us resting up. I don't care what the votes say, WE ARE THE 6TH MAN OF THE YEAR, WE MAKE THE DIFF! And it's time we get pumped and prepare for this next series. Make those signs, and get your rally towels ready, because we're just getting started. One series down, 3 to go - with only ONE GOAL in mind.
