I think I’ve watched or listened to more basketball this playoff season than in any previous entire season. Last year I watched the finals but this year I’ve been more into it. It has been surprisingly time consuming, especially when I get caught up in the pre-/post-game news and speculation. It has been rather stressful, even when the Cavs win, especially these finals. It is easy to get caught up in the game and want the local team to win. It can feel like their identity is part of my identity and their success is part of my success, in part because of the city’s renowned “Cleveland curse” and broader “rustbelt” identity against a desire for the area to succeed. I sometimes have to remind myself that their game is not my game and their success is not my success. It can feel great when they succeed and might have an influence on the city’s morale, but it is unrelated to success in my own life. Just watching the games has been entertaining, some of the plays and records broken have been exciting, and so has how far the Cavs have come against expectations. If they lose game 7, I think it was still worth it to watch. That said, I do hope the Cavs defy the odds and finally break the “Cleveland curse”. Go Cavs.