Cleveland Sports Fanaticism, Superstition, and Despair

So I've had some time to recover from the sweep that the Cleveland Cavaliers had to endure at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.  Second place was never so embarrassing.  The whole amazing season for the Cavs has confirmed that despite my attempts to detach myself from sports and city pride, I'm still a bit of a fanatic.  As a Cleveland fan from the age of about 11, I have had to deal with so many losing seasons for not only the Cavs, but the Indians, and the Browns.  Even when these teams were good, they could never win a championship.  I shudder every time I hear about "The Drive", "The Fumble", "The Shot", and "Jose Mesa".  To be fair, I did experience an Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA football championship, but this is getting old.  I'm convinced God hates Cleveland sports teams.

Now that we've established that pro sports hasn't been kind to the teams I support, I need to confess that I still get excited rooting for "my teams".  It raises my blood pressure, puts me on edge, makes me happy or irritable depending on the outcome.  Add to that the fact that I become temporarily superstitious, (kind of like driving amongst bad drivers makes me swear when I ordinarily don't).  I actually wear certain clothes, change seats, turn the light in my living room on or off, or intentionally have more pessimistic thoughts in a kind of reverse psychology game I try to pull on sports karma.  Despite the fact that I'm generally rational and logical, I somehow get this temporary feeling that my subtle actions have a cosmic influence, a butterfly effect if you will, on the outcome of games for "my teams".  Team skill, coaching and experience have nothing to do with it.

I suppose to that I want some positive press for the hometown I love.  It doesn't matter where I live or move.  I always say that a real fan is a fan for life.  I know it's "just a game," but I and many many others somehow equate how good our hometown teams are with how great our city is.  I really wanted the Cavs to beat San Antonio partially because I despise some stereotypical things about Texas, like conservativism, wastefulness, over-religiousness, prejudice, southern 'justice', and guns.  Also, something about Tim Duncan bugs me.  But, the Cavs lost.

What makes pro sports so important is the morale boost it provides a city.  And few cities need this boost more than Cleveland especially with its depressed economy and after it has  been the butt of so many jokes for so many years.  It's actually a very liveable and nice city.  In fact, The Economist ranked Cleveland higher in this respect than many cooler cities.

In baseball, the Indians are doing well this year and they might make a run at the World Series.  (Some Cleveland fan somewhere will now blame me for a new Cleveland sports / Things I've Noticed jinx).  Once when I was in Las Vegas, I inquired about betting on every team except the Cleveland teams to win a championship.  In essence, I wanted to buy a Cleveland championship.  Apparently, they don't do that sort of thing in Vegas so it's back to the drawing board.  Maybe I should pray more.  I just hope a Cleveland team wins a championship before I die.

+ Atul

Comments

[Dave P]

Two comments:

Many of your fellow Cleveland fan brethren have been stepping up the trash talk especially about the Indians and Cavs. A Detroit fan's response: 1948

I commend you for sticking with your hometown teams through good and bad times. I have the same mindset in choosing to always root for the home team even when it can lead to embarrassing moments.

[beige]

Atul, good to know you're one of the unwashed heathens who like sports, welcome. You're in good company.

My sympathies over your Cavs, who would've had a better showing had the Suns won their series (will not go on rant about the refereeing in that series-will not go on rant--). I only root for the Spurs when they're up against the Lakers.

Anyhoodle, from one frustrated-by-his-town's-teams sports fan to another: I hear you.

(will not go on rant regarding Bulls/Sonics Championship series, will not go on rant regard--)

[Leon]

I feel the same way about cricket!

[chancelucky]

While the 49ers have had more than their share of success, the Giants have third longest extended run of not having won the World Series. The last time they won it, 1954 when they swept the Indians.

Bottom line, I feel your sports pain. The Browns did win a Super Bowl, they just happened to do it as the Baltimore Ravens.....talk about your rotten deals.

[Atul]

Dave, I can't believe some Cleveland fans are talking like they're Univ. of Michigan fans! I don't trash talk, but the Indians/Tigers battle should be great this year.

Beige, yes it seems like many of the blogging progressive types have given up on sports. Seattle and Cleveland fans should start a support group. We both have ref'ing incidents to complain about. But the NBA is so dependent on ref's calls, it can get annoying.

Leon, National pride in a sport makes it worse. Since I'm Indian, I understand how big of a deal cricket can be. When's the last time Jamaica won a world championship of some sort? I don't know when India last won either, don't follow it enough.

Chance, I feel sorry for the baseball Giants too. Don't remind me about the Ravens winning the Superbowl. That was like a giant slap in the face from the sports gods.

[From Detroit and Pittsburgh]

Cleveland Rules!