Brooklyn had seen better days. A city struggling through several economic battles. Local factories closing, newspapers folding, people leaving the borough for New York suburbs. Standing in the shadow of Manhattan, Brooklyn rested all of their hopes on the ball club they loved so dearly. Every year, the summer belonged to the Boys of Summer, as the Dodgers were affectionately called. When the Dodgers moved west, people were heartbroken. There are still some that shout, "the Dodgers belong in Brooklyn." Dodgers did a lot for Brooklyn, baseball, fun and politics.
Next year finally came in 1955 when the beloved Brooklyn Dodgers faced their dreaded foe the Yankees in the World Series. In 7 games, the Dodgers finally bested the baseball giant and next year was actually 1955. It was only a few years later that the Dodgers moved to LA but for a moment the Dodgers stood defiantly as the best team in baseball.
The City of Cleveland has seen brighter days. A city struggling in many ways with high hopes on a basketball team. Those hopes rest on the shoulder of Lebron James. Born and raised 30 minutes from Cleveland, Lebron James was named King of the basketball court. If he hasn't been asked to save the city then James was certainly asked to save Cleveland sports. A sports community that has not won a professional sports title (in basketball, baseball and football) since 1964. There are a dozen cities that carry the three major sports and Cleveland has had the longest stretch without a championship than any. Seattle comes in second when the Super Sonics won the NBA Championship in 1979.
The City of Cleveland has seen many moments of heartache when involving their sports franchises. The Cleveland Browns are one of a few NFL teams to have never reached a Super Bowl. The Cleveland Indians were two outs away from winning the 1997 world Series but failed to win. In 2007 the Cavaliers went to their first finals but were swept in humiliating fashion. The sports fans of Cleveland have been saying, "wait 'till next year" for over 40 years and after so many years many people have lost their patience.
The Cavaliers just lost, again. They are out of the playoffs and all the hopes dashed. The future of Lebron James in flux. Will the city be heartbroken again by his departure? Yes. If he leaves will the city pick itself up and talk of next year? At least not for some time.
What I can say without hesitation is that Cleveland sports fan love their teams, almost to a fault, painfully, and passionately. Cleveland fans have dealt with many years of futility when the teams were lousy and only disappointment when the team were on the brink of victory.
Personally, the speculation of how and why the Cavaliers lost in the second round of 2010 playoffs to the Celtics will be discussed in every classroom, barber shop, bar, office, and basketball court throughout Cleveland for some time. Did Lebron James quit? Did the team quit? Did the King want to lose so he would have a better excuse to leave Cleveland? I can say this, if any of those things are true than Cleveland deserves better than James or the team itself. I don't care how good of an athlete or a baller he is, I hated Lebron James for his play, his actions and his attitude. I am not even a fan of the Cavaliers or the NBA but enjoy the game that as a boy I loved so much.
"Wait 'till next year." For Cleveland, I hope so but I doubt it. "Wait 'till next year." is all this city has to hold on to and if it worked for the Dodgers maybe it can work for Cleveland.
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