Many people living in northeast Ohio still remember the day when the Cuyahoga River set fire. It was symbolic of the dying economy and the results of years of industrial pollution that emanated throughout the region. Though the river was cleaned up and efforts were made to remake the Cleveland area, economic depression still paralyzes the region. It’s usual in sports that the people living in an area like this invest themselves into looking for a little hope and pride in their teams. However, Cleveland sports teams are proving to be capable of raising hopes and then crushing them with disappointment.
I’m actually not a fan of any Cleveland sports teams. My teams are on the west coast for the most part, but my family is full of fans of Cleveland teams, with the exception of my brother Jimmy who somehow chose the dark side by becoming a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Despite my lack of Cleveland favoritism it’s becoming hard to watch as my friends and family are continually disappointed by watching Cleveland sports teams rise, then crash, and in one particular case, even leave the city.
I’ll forever remember the image of Craig Ehlo diving while defending “The Shot” by Michael Jordan in the 1989 NBA Playoffs, which eliminated the Cavs, or the image of LeBron James leaving the court without shaking hands with Orlando Magic players following their loss in 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. Who can forget the three AFC Championship games the Browns lost to the Broncos, two of which can be considered games of the 1980’s? However, what’s hard to swallow is following an excellent 1994 season that left expectations of possible Super Bowl year in 1995, the bottom fell out as Art Modell and the city of Cleveland could not agree on a stadium deal to keep the Browns in Cleveland. The team fell apart with the distraction and Art Modell packed up the Browns for Baltimore. It was a bitter thing to watch the now Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl 34 a couple years later. Now the new Browns have been mediocre at best and have been keen at raising expectations of fans before crashing back to the surface.
All of this brings me to the Cleveland Indians. Do you remember the division titles of the 1990’s? What about the World Series losses? Who can forget the 9th inning of the 1997 World Series where the Indians had their grasp on their first World Series title since 1948 only lose it on a Edgar Renteria liner off Indians’ pitcher Charles Nagy’s glove in the bottom of the 11th inning? What about Indians collapse in the 2007 American League Championship Series to the Boston Red Sox? They lead the series 3-1 before choking under the pressure. The Indians entered both the 2008 and 2009 season with high hopes, but now at mid-season trade deadlines have traded an unheard of two prior year Cy Young award winners as they dwell near the bottom of the American League Central standings.
The Indians, like the other Cleveland teams, continue to disappoint a fan base depressed economically and desperate for something to cheer for. This is what I call a fan’s nightmare. There is nothing to look forward to in a shredded economy and nothing to give the fans something to cheer for at home. I know a lot of people up in Detroit, Pittsburgh, or Cincinnati might be getting a kick out of watching Cleveland teams struggle, but this is getting painful to watch. It’s hard to watch an entire city go on all these years in futility. With Cliff Lee going to the Phillies yesterday for good prospects, but definitely not the top prospects that the Blue Jays wanted for Roy Halladay, you have to wonder if the Indians will ever make it around. I hope one of these teams does just to see a little excitement around here. Seeing the media cover teams that do not win gets old...fast.
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