LeBron Fiasco Doesn't
Discourage This Editor
One Great Season
Despite the global de-pantsing of the city of Cleveland two weeks ago, I am vowing never to again waver as a fan of sports teams from my beloved hometown.
This is signficant because two autumns ago I strongly considered trading in my loyalty to the Cleveland Browns.
You see, up here in New York in 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers, of all hated rivals, seemed to be on television every week. They often played the 4:15 p.m. game, and in the second half of the season, in my luxury Upper East Side apartment, I watched the black-and-gold win the majority of their games against pretty solid teams. On cold, dark, Manhattan Sunday evenings around and beyond Thanksgiving, from my cozy perch on the couch, I watched Ohio native Ben Roethlisberger lead the Men of Steel to yet another thrilling victory.
The Steelers played a tough schedule that season if I recall, and they usually won games with a smash-mouth rushing attack and a smash-mouth defense. They did it the impressive way, the right way, the Steelers way.
And then they capped off the great season by winning one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory.
Meanwhile, those clever Cleveland Browns were following up an exciting 2007 season with a typically abysmal 2008. They stunk, and the natural order of things seemed to have been set back to normal around the NFL.
But regardless of how bare the cupboard might appear to be, it's mid-July, which means Browns fans are optimistic. They say what all fans say when their team begins a season under new management, tossing around cliches about "a renewed optimism" and so forth. They're still the Browns, however, which means realistically they'll wind up being pretty weak.
With the exception of 2007, mid-July around Cleveland in recent years also means the Indians are probably a couple of 15-game winning streaks away from wild-card contention.
And adding to the pain along the lakefront this summer is knowing for the first time in many offseasons that the Cavs won't be very good. But I'm excited about the J.J. Hickson era. I loved him during the regular season and thought the Antawn Jamison acquisition was a waste because it took away almost all of the promising young forward's minutes.
Byron Scott has a history of turning teams around, so when October arrives, Cavs fans just might have some of that corny renewed optimism that disappeared on July 8 when LeBron James emptied his bowels all over Cleveland's self-esteem.
Therefore, I offer this pledge to anyone who might still be reading:
I, John P. Wise, do solemnly swear to root for the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers as I do the Ohio State Buckeyes. This loyalty shall never be relinquished, nor shall it be compromised by loyalty to, or even interest in, any other teams from the leagues in which those Cleveland teams compete. I shall forever love Brian Sipe, Craig Ehlo, Earnest Byner and Jose Mesa just as I once loved LeBron as he was helping the Cavaliers build an NBA powerhouse. And lastly, I will always carry carrots and mints with me on the off chance that I might someday meet John Elway.
Signed,
John P. Wise
Loyal To Cleveland Forever