Wes
05-14-2010, 10:59 AM
When it comes to being a Cleveland sports fan, there are a lot of people that have many more years of frustration and heartbreak under their belt than I do. For me, things started out pretty low. My first vivid sports memory is the Browns losing the 1987 AFC Championship game to the Denver Broncos, also known as, "The Drive." I remember sitting at home with my mother and sister watching the game on T.V., and while I didn't fully understand the magnitude of what had just happened, the feeling of disappointment was certainly felt (on a side note, my father was at the game, and to this day, still contends that the winning field goal was not good).
The years went by, and so did the disappointments, too many to mention here. Add them all up, and the popular feeling is that Cleveland is a "cursed" sports town. As a result, any professional sports team in Cleveland that even sniffs a hint of success is doomed to failure, no matter what they do. It's the curse. While there is certainly a lot of evidence to support such a claim, my feelings on the matter are a little different. I don't doubt that a curse exists, I just think it has been mis-defined. The real curse lies with the fact that as Cleveland sports fans, we are forced to relive these heartbreaking moments over and over again. Every time the Browns play on primetime television, we are shown highlights of "The Drive" or "The Fumble." When the Indians make the playoffs, we are shown images of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, or "The Catch" by Willie Mays. When the Cavs play the Bulls, you just know the video of Jordan over Ehlo is coming at some point. And sometimes, we are tortured with a video montage of all of the past disappointments and failures brutally thrown in our faces.
So here I sit, the morning after the Cavs and LeBron James have been eliminated from the Conference Semifinals by the Boston Celtics. Immediately in the rear-view mirror lies yet another disappointment, one that appeared way too early. Scanning the road ahead, I am faced with 7 weeks of media members, bloggers, and outside fans taking every opportunity they can to tell the world all about Cleveland's shortcomings, and why it would be foolish for a player like LeBron James to even consider resigning with the Cavs. 48 or so consecutive days that will rival any video montage that we Cleveland fans have ever had to endure. So while others may say that the sports teams in this city are cursed, I say to them that they are focusing on the wrong group of people. Players, coaches, and owners of those teams come and go, but the people who root for those teams remain the constant. Being a Cleveland sports fan, and reliving the painful memories over and over, is the true "Curse."
Just to be clear, I didn't write this looking for pity from any Cleveland fans here, or from any people that aren't fans of Cleveland sports. I just wanted to throw out my take, and what I think of, when people refer to The Curse.
The years went by, and so did the disappointments, too many to mention here. Add them all up, and the popular feeling is that Cleveland is a "cursed" sports town. As a result, any professional sports team in Cleveland that even sniffs a hint of success is doomed to failure, no matter what they do. It's the curse. While there is certainly a lot of evidence to support such a claim, my feelings on the matter are a little different. I don't doubt that a curse exists, I just think it has been mis-defined. The real curse lies with the fact that as Cleveland sports fans, we are forced to relive these heartbreaking moments over and over again. Every time the Browns play on primetime television, we are shown highlights of "The Drive" or "The Fumble." When the Indians make the playoffs, we are shown images of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, or "The Catch" by Willie Mays. When the Cavs play the Bulls, you just know the video of Jordan over Ehlo is coming at some point. And sometimes, we are tortured with a video montage of all of the past disappointments and failures brutally thrown in our faces.
So here I sit, the morning after the Cavs and LeBron James have been eliminated from the Conference Semifinals by the Boston Celtics. Immediately in the rear-view mirror lies yet another disappointment, one that appeared way too early. Scanning the road ahead, I am faced with 7 weeks of media members, bloggers, and outside fans taking every opportunity they can to tell the world all about Cleveland's shortcomings, and why it would be foolish for a player like LeBron James to even consider resigning with the Cavs. 48 or so consecutive days that will rival any video montage that we Cleveland fans have ever had to endure. So while others may say that the sports teams in this city are cursed, I say to them that they are focusing on the wrong group of people. Players, coaches, and owners of those teams come and go, but the people who root for those teams remain the constant. Being a Cleveland sports fan, and reliving the painful memories over and over, is the true "Curse."
Just to be clear, I didn't write this looking for pity from any Cleveland fans here, or from any people that aren't fans of Cleveland sports. I just wanted to throw out my take, and what I think of, when people refer to The Curse.