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Their season ticket sales are up. They'll be spending more time on TV and radio stations across Ohio. And fans can expect to hear a lot more hype in the months to come; after all, word is their place is rockin'.
Even before the Cleveland Cavaliers tip off the regular season this Friday against their archrival, the NBA champion Chicago Bulls, the home team has managed to score points with many Clevelanders. Last season's heart-thumping playoff fight against those same Bulls certainly didn't hurt.
Critics say Cavs fans still don't cheer for the team with the maniacal fervor of, say, Browns' fans. But the Cavs' marketing staff, or the "team behind the team" as senior marketing vice president Jim Kahler likes to call it, has worked to crank the excitement level up a notch.
Mr. Kahler said his staff "wanted to carry something from the...