17 best (and worst) things about being a Cleveland sports fans
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1. Cleveland fans believe!
It's one thing to be a Chicago Cubs fan knowing there's always next year. The same can't be said for the loyal fans of the Cleveland sports teams. No matter how downtrodden the franchises seem to be, fans routinely fill the stadium of the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers.
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2. 156-season championship drought
Cleveland is home to three major sports franchises and zero championships since 1964. The last trophy a Cleveland team won was the 1964 NFL Championship Game, two years before the inaugural Super Bowl. That accounts for an unheard of 156-season championship drought for the city.
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3. Game 7 heartbreak
In 1997, the Cleveland Indians were three outs away from bringing home its first championship since 1948. Indians closer Jose Mesa blew the save, and the Marlins won the game in walk-off fashion in the 11th inning.
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4. The Browns moved, then won a Super Bowl
Not only did owner Art Modell move the beloved Browns franchise from Cleveland in 1996, but the Browns-turned-Ravens then won the Super Bowl in 2000.
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5. The Decision to leave
LeBron James, the hometown hero, was supposed to deliver a championship to the fans of Cleveland. Instead James made the decision to take his talents to South Beach in 2010. He would go on to win two championships with the Miami Heat.
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6. The King returned
King James decided not to go full-Joffrey from Game of Thrones and returned to the team that drafted him. Despite some fans burning his jersey, LeBron's return was met with cheers and a renewed optimism in the Cavaliers.
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7. The shot
Before King James arrived to save the Cavaliers, there was Michael Jordan to haunt Cleveland fans' nightmares. The rise of His Airness started with "The Shot" to end the first-round series in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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8. The Browns' futility
The years haven't been kind to Browns fans recently. Cleveland is one of four teams to never reach a Super Bowl and the franchise hasn't won a playoff game since 1995.
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9. A laundry list of draft busts
With back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in 1999-2000, the Browns selected Tim Couch and Courtney Brown, respectively. Both busted almost immediately. The fans of Cleveland are still searching for their beloved franchise quarterback.
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10. The Factory of Sadness
In the 20 years since the Browns last won a playoff game, the fans have begrudgingly named Cleveland's football stadium "The Factory of Sadness."
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11. Cleveland fans are die-hard
After a long-time Browns season-ticket holder died in 2013, he asked for six Browns players to be his pallbearers. He wanted Cleveland football players to be his pallbearers so the Browns "could let him down one last time."
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12. The Browns' best ballers
Despite the Browns' futility in recent years, the Cleveland fans have cheered for some of the best to ever play. Jim Brown is widely regarded as the best running back ever. The Browns also had Hall of Fame stars Otto Graham, Lou Groza, Ozzie Newsome and the great Paul Brown.
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13. Cleveland teams have had recent success
Since 2013, the Cavaliers and Indians have reached the playoffs in their respective sports. During the 2013 MLB Playoffs, the Indians were eliminated in the Wild Card play-in game. The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals in 2015, giving fans another reason to cheer.
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14. Marching to the beat of their own drum
Since 1973, John Adams has beat his drum in the outfield bleachers of every single Indians game. He's such a mainstay in Cleveland sports that the classic movie Major League featured the drummer.
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15. The A-list stars have returned
Now that LeBron James is back with the Cavaliers, the star fans are back to sitting courtside. Power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z frequently attend James' games.
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16. Drake's looking to move to Cleveland
Drake's been known to hop bandwagons when it comes to his fanhood, but the rapper-singer always supports his best buds LeBron and Johnny Manziel. So much so that Drake is reportedly interested in moving to The Rock and Roll Capital of the World.
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17. Johnny Manziel winning a Super Bowl would be epic
Let's face it, Cleveland fans. The Johnny Manziel pick hasn't panned out ... yet. But just think about how great it would be to see Manziel bring Cleveland its first championship in 50 years. That party would be insane.
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