Growing up in a city near Cleveland with a family dedicated to keeping up with their major sports teams, I have learned a lot about what it means to be a Cleveland sports fan. Since I've supported these teams my whole life, I know that there are just a few feelings that no other fan base can relate to.
1. 2016 was the best sports year of your life.
Nothing could compare to the excitement you felt when the "curse" was finally broken. The joy that you felt when the final buzzer sounded in game 7 was worth all of the heartbreak you had experienced prior.
2. You watched every Browns game of their 0-16 season.
No matter how heartbroken you were from the loss the previous week, you still found yourself watching each game every Sunday.
3. You've faced tremendous amounts of criticism for supporting Cleveland teams.
Every time you tell someone not from Cleveland that you're a Cleveland fan, they always have some insults to dish out. Lucky for you though, you've most likely heard all of the jokes in the book by now.
4. You know how it feels to be heartbroken year after year.
Every year it seems that you're saying, "Well, maybe next year," and every year you can only hope that you're right.
5. But you also know how amazing it felt when the Cavs finally won.
For once, you got to say that "this was our year" and completely mean it. You know that in Cleveland, nothing is given and everything is earned, and you felt overjoyed when the Cavs finally earned it.
6. You've said "the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead" more times than you can count.
You never got tired of reminding everyone else that your team came back from a 3-1 lead against a team that went 73-9 in the regular season. To be honest, you don't think you'll ever get tired of it.
7. You know that the Indians blowing a 3-1 lead isn't the same as when the Warriors did it.
You know that the Indians were the underdogs against the Cubs and that the Warriors' loss to the Cavs was significantly more unlikely.
8. You attended the completely-crowded Cavs parade after they won.
You probably could barely see anything and were claustrophobic among the 1.3 million people in attendance, but you still wanted to be there to celebrate the championship that we finally got.
9. You've stayed and watched a Browns game in the cold and/or rain.
Cleveland weather is no match for die-hard Browns fans. You'd brave any cold or rain just to cheer on your favorite team.
10. You hate the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Cubs.
Cleveland fans root against their rivals almost as much as they root in favor of their actual team.
11. You know that Baker Mayfield deserved Rookie of the Year.
As great of a player as Saquon Barkley is, you know that the Browns would be at a very different place had they not gotten Baker Mayfield. Any rookie quarterback that can take a 0-16 team to 7 wins the next year is deserving of ROY.
12. You burned your first LeBron jersey but then bought a new one when he came back.
You were completely devastated when LeBron left in 2010 but overjoyed when he made his return four years later to fulfill the promise he made to Cleveland.
13. You're frustrated because, for some reason, all three teams can't be good at the same time.
When one team starts to do well, the others seem to fall short. You can't even remember a time when all three teams had good seasons at the same time.
14. You know what "open the coolers" means.
Cleveland Browns Military Appreciation DayWikimedia Commons
After 635 days without a win, Browns fans knew how to celebrate when the drought was finally over. Bud Light made it possible for fans to celebrate the victory with free beer.
15. GPODAWUND.
In true Cleveland fashion, the sign that meant to spell out "dawg pound" did not say "dawg pound" at all, and the mistake could be found all over the Internet.
16. And lastly, despite how terrible of a sports season your team has or how much hate you get for supporting them, you would still rep the 216 no matter what.
Win or lose, Cleveland fans are die-hard fans. You will root for your teams no matter what.
The truth is, no matter how much heartbreak you endure from watching countless losses or "almost-wins," you know that your city is more than just a "mistake on the lake." We're the best fan base in The Land, and we'll defend that forever.
