A Good Day…With Brighter Days Ahead
Watching the Browns run their record to 2-2 with their second AFC North win, then switching over to watch the Tribe win their 96th game (7th highest total in club history) amidst Cavaliers Season Ticket commercials, I realized that it’s happening.
The Cleveland sports teams are all cresting (forgive me for being overly optimistic about a 2-2 Browns record), and…has this ever happened before?
Everyone knows that no Cleveland team has won a professional championship since 1964; but, beyond that, how long (and how far-reaching) has the drought been for coincidental success by the Cleveland teams?
While a team making the playoffs has to be considered a success, a better gauge of success would be the success in those playoffs. Using that barometer, when have our three beloved franchises won at least one playoff series or game (in the case of the Browns) in their history?
Prepare yourself, the numbers are ugly, considering that we’re talking about more than 100 years with over 60 years of having at least two teams:
Indians
1998
ALDS: Indians over Boston (3-1)
1997
ALDS: Indians over Yankees (3-2)
ALCS: Indians over Orioles (4-2)
1995
ALDS: Indians over Red Sox (3-0)
ALCS: Indians over Mariners (4-2)
1948
World Series: Indians over Braves (4-2)
1920
World Series: Indians over Robins (5-2)
Cavaliers
2007
Eastern Conference 1st Round: Cavaliers over Wizards (4-0)
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cavaliers over Nets (4-2)
Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers over Pistons (4-2)
2006
Eastern Conference 1st Round: Cavaliers over Wizards (4-2)
1993
Eastern Conference 1st Round: Cavaliers over Nets (3-2)
1992
Eastern Conference 1st Round: Cavaliers over Nets (3-1)
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cavaliers over Celtics (4-3)
1976
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cavaliers over Bullets (4-3)
Browns
1994
AFC Wild Card Game: Browns over Patriots (20-13)
1989
AFC Divisional Playoff: Browns over Bills (34-30)
1987
AFC Divisional Playoff: Browns over Colts (38-21)
1986
AFC Divisional Playoff: Browns over Jets (23-20)
1969
NFL Divisional Playoff: Browns over Cowboys (38-14)
1968
NFL Divisional Playoff: Browns over Cowboys (38-20)
1964
NFL Championship: Browns over Colts (27-0)
1955
NFL Championship: Browns over Rams (38-14)
1954
NFL Championship: Browns over Lions (56-10)
1950
NFL Divisional Playoff: Browns over Giants (8-3)
NFL Championship: Browns over Rams (30-28)
That’s it.
11 playoff victories for the Browns, 9 playoff series wins for the Cavs, and 7 playoff series wins for the Indians.
Now look again at all of the years for a coinciding year.
Not there, is it?
There has NEVER been a year that two Cleveland pro sports franchises have both WON a playoff series or game in the same calendar year.
NEVER!
How absurd is that?!?
Of course, with the Cavaliers going to the NBA Finals and the Tribe facing off against the Yankees, the possibility is out there that 2007 could be the year. Once that ridiculous precedent has finally been set, the Tribe can eradicate the old “last championship in 1964” mantle from the city.
Things are turning around for our once-moribund franchises.
But, first things first, let’s take the Yankees down and make Cleveland Sports History.
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12 comments:
Thanks for taking the time to delve into this. Tribe in 3...game 1 will be a closely-contested duel that Sabathia wins 2-1. The other 2 will be laughers.
Haha that's a great find.
To continue the G4 starter discussion, I wanted to mention that it's completely meaningless that they "announced" that Byrd will be their G4 starter; of course they're going to do that, it would be insane to say anything else and kill the guy's confidence.
Heard something interesting this morning, do you guys know that the Monday rallies are an MLB requirement? I watching the Chicago news and they gave out that little piece of information.
Just thought it was sorta weird.
I know this doesn't really fit the formula, but could we get a half point for 1954? The Browns were champions, the Indians won a record 111 games in the regular season, and... stupid Polo Grounds!
R.M.,
When putting this together, I thought that 1954 would be the only instance, then remembered that there was no ALCS to go to the Fall Classic.
That's about as close as it gets...53 years ago!
VW, I've turned the corner on G4. It's dependent on SO many factors, it's just too early to call.
The way Laffey's pitching, I don't know if he gets in the discussion.
I like that idea, Pat. No way they do it though.
Although assuming that they'll go with CC if they're down 2-1, I guess the worst case scenario with Byrd is G4 is CC in G5, Fausto ready for the ALCS if they advance.
Or, maybe they'll just get swept. That'd be cool.
1:29pm on Monday and they still dont have game times out for the week. This blows.
Anyone else "hearing" day games Thursday and Friday.
That would be horrible.
tifwiw:
"Chris Russo says on WFAN that he has a (very reliable) source who tells him it will be:
Sox/LAA at 8PM on Wed.
NYY/CLE at 8PM on Thurs.
NYY/CLE at 5PM on Fri.
Sox/LAA at 8PM on Fri.
NYY/CLE at 4PM on Sun.
Sox/LAA at 7PM on Sun."
That would be excellent, rodells.
Either way, I'll watch it- if class gets in the way, class can be skipped.
This no times business is kind of crap.
With a West coast game on Thursday, I'm thinking the Tribe will play at 7 p.m. ... at least according to TBS' Web site.
And 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Wow. Browns-Pats at 1 p.m. and Tribe-Yanks at 3:30 p.m. ...
FINALLY they just posted them...
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps_07.jsp
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