Heh. Think of it this way: Ohio only has one NBA team to root for, so as far as basketball goes, the citizenry is united. The two NFL teams we have aren't so great and are geographically on other ends of the state. OSU is in central Ohio, and is basically considered a professional team, so it also serves as a uniter.
You'd know more than I would, but I'm skeptical there are legions of Cavs fans in Cincinnati. Certainly more than any other team, but I almost moved to Cincinnati around junior high, and during my visit I got the impression Cincinnati people very much viewed themselves as the crown jewel of OH and didn't much care for the rest of the state, specifically Cleveland.