Cavs have made a positive change to the player introductions at RMF

In regards to player introductions for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which are always a key part of the fan experience, they typically have the lights go out, then they do some type of on-court animations which are accompanied by videos on the jumbotron. From there, then fire gets shot out of the swords that are on the side of the jumbotron while each player is introduced.

Finally, after Ahmad Crump yells “Cleveland Cavaliers!” one last time, three massive explosions go off.

However, approximately halfway through last season, the Cavs made a change to their player introductions. The way that they changed their player introductions is that they got rid of the loud explosions at the end of the player introductions.

This was a positive change to player intros by the Cavs.

For most people, the player introductions are just a side component of attending a Cavaliers game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Albeit that’s not the case with me because for several years I’ve been terrified of the Cavs player introductions.

In fact, I completely avoided going to the 2015-2018 NBA Finals when the Cavs were facing the Golden State Warriors because I was so scared of the enhanced pyrotechnics that would be used in the player introductions.

Considering the position that the Cavaliers are in now, that’s one of my biggest regrets. But in my defense, I had no idea that the Cavs would fall off of a cliff to this extent.

When I’ve attended Cavs games in the past at the FieldHouse, I’ve utilized a variety of strategies to try and combat my fear of pyrotechnics.

On Friday, March 19, 2021, I went to the Cavaliers game against the San Antonio Spurs (a then-rematch of the 2007 NBA Finals), a game in which the Cavs ultimately lost by six 116-110. During the player intros, I was just sitting there having a conversation with my dad. So I didn’t leave my seat, I didn’t cover my ears, I didn’t close my eyes, I didn’t wear headphones or anything like that.

I hope that this is the standard for the Cavaliers moving forward to not use the loud explosions at the end of the player introductions. I’m not just saying that for myself, though; I’m saying that for the fans who attend Cavs games that fall somewhere on the Autism spectrum.

Yes, the Cavaliers have a sensitivity room where people can go if they want to get away from the pyrotechnics or the loud noises. But the sensitivity room that they have at the FieldHouse doesn’t work for everyone, such as myself.

As stated earlier, approximately halfway through the season last year the Cavs stopped doing the loud explosions at the end of player introductions.

I think that the Cavaliers should keep it this way for players such as Darius Garland, leading scorer Kevin Love and/or others, and only use the fire shooting out of the swords on the jumbotron as well as the on-court graphics and the video on the jumbotron.