"Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.
Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they're turned around."

As I planned how to welcome in the 40th season of Cavaliers basketball, I felt the pressure of doing something BIG.  I would even say something XL (shameless marketing plug).  But for some reason I kept coming back to the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter."  Not the real one because, honestly, I wasn't born when it was on air.  No, I'm referring to the one JD sang on Scrubs when Dr. Cox came back to the hospital.  I thought about the lyrics and you know what? It fits for this season.  The dreams we have for a title is our ticket out of this drought in Cleveland.  We're back in that same old place that we laughed at and had so many great memories last season.  The names have changed, obviously with our moves this off season, but that dream of a championship is now turning around into a reality for all of us.  See how I tied that altogether?

It has been 4 long months that we have been without Cavaliers basketball and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that that's too long.  The off season was good to us.  So as practice begins and the Wine & Gold Scrimmage grows near, let's give some "Welcome back" shout outs.

• Welcome back, basketball...I love this game! (Sounds like this should be an advertising slogan for a pro-basketball league)
• Welcome back, Shaq...now it's time to VS the 29 other teams in the NBA.
• Welcome back, Delonte...'nuff said.
• Welcome back, Vanilla Ice...yeah, he's still touring.
• Welcome back, Backstreet Boys...yeah, they are releasing another album. You know what...I take this one back.
• Welcome back, Derrick Anderson...as a Steelers fan, trust me, I am happy to see him at the helm rather than Brady.
• Welcome back, CavFanatics...not all 15,000+ have been on the site since the end of the season so for all of you returning from your hiatus...good day to you!
• Welcome back, Fall...this is my second favorite season, behind Spring of course.
• Welcome back, Brett Favre...I don't really mean this. I just thought that since I am writing about something sports related, I am obligated to mention his name and that he is playing football...AGAIN.
• Welcome back, Cavaliers Basketball...for the 40th season. We have missed you.
• Welcome back to you, the CavFanatic reading my blog...thank you.