The King Cager of the Cuyahoga

We are all witnesses.

Four words. A little alliteration. A little assonance. A dash of consonance. A sense of symmetry.

A phrase so simple and true one might overlook the fact that it's a marketing slogan, and meant as such.

One might look past the perfectly put together placement, focusing instead on the image imprinted behind the words, and with little effort, rekindle mental images of the predecessor.

Ask any Clevelander, and the phrase means the end of the championship drought.

Ask any Clevelander, and the phrase means that we own, and are therefore part of, an international superstar.

Ask any Clevelander, and the phrase means the next time that May 7, 1989 happens, Craig Ehlo will be on the other team.

Ask anybody, and the phrase means exactly what it says.

Next to the words, "We are all witnesses," is an image of LeBron James captured by a photographer during a game last year, arm upright and holding a basketball, poised for a thunderous dunk.

We are all witnesses.

Drive past Jacob's Field and Quicken Loans Arena on Ontario Boulevard in Cleveland and look straight ahead. There you will see the large and prominent Nike advertisement that bears LeBron's image and the simple slogan.

It's size and majesty indicate an object more at home in Times Square than Cuyahoga County.

The advertisement and the person.

We're not talking about a simple, above-average athlete going to the bright lights of New York or Los Angeles, and getting transformed into a superstar because of the attention and national spotlight.

LeBron James is the homegrown superstar that rose to prominence on his gifts, talent, and ability alone. He is not a transplanted or adopted symbol. From St. Vincent St. Mary in Akron Ohio, down I-77 North to Cleveland, James represents Northeast Ohio to the entire world.

Cleveland sports hasn't had that type of attention since ... um, never.

Good teams ... sure. Championship contenders ... absolutely. All-stars, pro-bowlers, and hall-of-famers ... our fair share. Ignominy and heartbreak ... too much. Heroes ... enough to keep Clevelanders coming back year after year.

But never, never, have we had an athlete the caliber of LeBron James to call our own.

Athletes of that type, of that rarified air, made last second shots for Chicago, or donned a "D" on their helmet.

They not only were creating legacies that would make the world recognize them for their talents, but they were doing so at the expense of Cleveland.

We were witnesses to so much, but never this.

Against the black backdrop, LeBron's eyes speak louder and truer than the words Nike created to accompany his image.

Sure, we are all witnesses — but, here in Cleveland, we are all participants.