With the Indian's recent impressive winning streak, Cleveland sports are once again front and center in the professional sports world. However, Cleveland sports are not typically in the limelight for how well they are doing, rather the city has suffered years of heartbreaking losses and poor decisions, resulting in the "Cleveland curse." This curse was a constant presence over the city until 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Since then the Indians have also stepped up their game, going to the World Series in 2016, and now have a near record breaking winning streak. For those who are unfamiliar with the sad history of Cleveland sports, here are the main event that shaped the sports atmosphere in Cleveland today.
Football
Red Right 88
A playoff game against the Oakland Raiders in which the Cleveland Browns attempted a touchdown pass that was intercepted by the Raiders causing them to win the game and advance to the AFC Championship and eventually the Superbowl.
The Drive
1986 AFC Championship when Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway led his team to a 98-yard drive down the field to beat the Browns and advance to the Superbowl.
The Fumble
Another AFC Championship game against the Broncos, another heartbreak. In 1987 Browns running back Earnest Byer fumbled the ball on the Broncos 1-yard line once again causing the Browns to lose.
The Move
In 1995 Browns owner Art Modell made the decision to relocate the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore sparking controversy and causing Cleveland to be without a football team until 1998.
Basketball
The Shot
In Game 5 of the first round of the 1989 NBA playoffs Michael Jordan hit a game winning shot to put the Bulls ahead by one point to give them the lead against the Cavaliers and win the series.
The Decision
A heartbreaking TV event in which Cleveland's golden boy, Lebron James, announced that he would be moving his talents to play with the Miami Heat.
The Block
The only positive event on this list, in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals Lebron James blocked a layup attempt by Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors which kept the score tied and led to the Cavaliers winning the Championship.
Baseball
The Catch
At the top of the 8th inning of the 1954 World Series Vic Wertz had a hit that would normally be considered a home run but due to the larger field the game was played in, Willy Mays of the New York Giants caught the ball resulting in an out that prevented the Indians from gaining the lead and winning the game.
The Curse of Rocky Colavito
Some believe that the trade of Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers resulted in a curse that has prevented the Indians from winning the World Series ever since.
1997 World Series Game 7
The Indians lost Game 7 of the 1997 World Series during extra innings which was very similar to their loss of the 2016 World Series.
