Cleveland Anonymous

[furls]

Awesome piece Cris.

Let me tell you something, I have found the cure for Cleveland sports addiction. The road to recovery is long and painful, but the path is clear.

The cure is the owners and management that have been running Cleveland franchises into the dirt for the better part of a century. Eventually they cure all Cleveland fans of their "fandom" (or at least their optimism). Once the optimism goes away, you enter the bitter phase. THe bitter phase is followed by the apathetic phase, which is followed by the "rather go shopping with the wife phase."

you can measure your progress, by the following landmarks.

You stop buying season tickets.
You stop attending games in bad weather.
You stop buying tickets.
You stop accepting free tickets.
You stop going to the bar to watch the game with buddies.
You stop watching the game on TV in favor of House M.D.
You stop tuning in to sportscenter to see the highlights.
You stop reading internet news and the sports section.

I am at varying degrees here with different teams.

With the Browns I am at the "stop watching the game in favor of House MD."

With the Indians I am at the stop buying tickets phase (i still accept free ones).

With the Cavs I am where, I have always been, I don't buy tickets.


THe really sad thing here is that in 4 years I have seen Columbus OH, turn from Cleveland south to Cincinnati North or Pittsburgh West. THis city was about 50/25/25 when I got here. It is now 15/50/35.

[pup]

Thanks Furls.

I guess what I don't understand is how one city can make so many changes, so many times and still end up with bumpkin, while other places can make one tweak, or one coaching/management change and a light comes on.

How does this change? Is it one team's "responsibility" to turn around the fortune of all 3 franchises? Once one of the three gets it done with a champioship, can the others simply follow suit?