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Cavs fans on a spending spree
By CHARLES GROVE
BOARDMAN
You know that scene in “The Shawshank Redemption” where Andy Dufresne escapes from the sewer and on his knees looks to the sky screaming?
That was similar to Boardman’s Jonathan Marafiote’s reaction when the clock hit zero on the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night and the Cleveland Cavaliers secured the city’s first championship in 52 years.
“I actually asked my wife if I was dreaming,” Marafiote said. “I rolled out of bed and onto my knees in my boxer shorts on the floor. I could not believe it. I got so choked up.”
Those kinds of emotions are what sent so many Cavaliers fans out shopping on Monday looking for official championship merchandise.
JCPenney in the Southern Park Mall had a difficult time selling Pittsburgh Penguins merchandise even after last week’s Stanley Cup Championship, but Cavs shirts were snatched up on Monday as if someone was giving away $100 bills.
“We had two full racks of shirts and within an hour we’ve only got maybe 20 left,” said Kim Carillon, JCPenney General Manager. “We should have more shirts coming [today] along with player shirts, jerseys and other team apparel.
“We’ll probably sell them into the holidays.”
Other sports apparel stores at Southern Park had loads of fans looking for official merchandise but will have to wait until later in the week to get them in person.
“Everyone’s been asking for [official hats],” Lids employee Korri Maynard said. “We haven’t gotten them yet but we will. We sold a lot of hats the day before. Everyone came in here looking for one.”
Columbiana’s T.J. Benton was one of those fans who couldn’t find a championship hat at Lids.
“I’m such a huge fan I had to come out here looking for one,” Benton said. “Last night was crazy. We had a party with family and I was worried I was going to stomp through the floor during the game it was so intense.”
For Sean Pregi and Billy Slipkovich of Boardman, they decided to go the online route as soon as the game ended.
“We just ordered online,” Pregi said. “You can buy it instantly and not worry about it.”
“You can make sure you get the size you want and the price you want,” Slipkovich said. “It’s just so much easier.”
Foot Locker employees inside Southern Park said they’ll be getting official shirts and hats this week and have seen a significant uptick in Kyrie Irving’s and LeBron James’ shoes the past week. They even managed to sell one pair of Steph Curry’s Under Armour shoes.
Joshua Mosley of Jersey World in Southern Park had to start putting t-shirts on his wall racks typically full of jerseys. In many styles, he only had one jersey left, but replacements are supposed to be coming in.
“I’ve sold a lot of jerseys this week,” Mosley said. “I got a hold of one black Kyrie jersey and it sold within 15 minutes.”
At Dick’s Sporting Goods the same table that was full of Penguins merchandise the day after Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup was nearly bare when it became the Cavs’ turn. Only a few t-shirts remained.
One of those shirts is going to Marafiote’s young son Giovanni.
“I always said I’d raise my little boy to be a Cleveland fan,” Marafiote said. “I wanted to keep him from the dark side of Pittsburgh. It’s been 38 years of heartbreaks and heartaches for me with Cleveland but now he got to see a championship.
“Even if he doesn’t remember it, he’ll have this shirt.”