The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Don't get your hopes up, Northeast Ohio

“When the Indians record a 14-run inning in the new Yankee Stadium and the Cavs clobber the Pistons in the first game of the NBA playoffs on the same day, Ohio sports fans may be feeling excited for their teams. Stop. I mean, this shouldn’t be happening. This is Cleveland, home of broken dreams.”

When the Indians record a 14-run inning in the new Yankee Stadium and the Cavs clobber the Pistons in the first game of the NBA playoffs on the same day, Ohio sports fans may be feeling excited for their teams.

Stop.

I mean, this shouldn’t be happening.

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This is Cleveland, home of broken dreams. Akron is the birthplace of Jeffrey Dahmer and Alcoholics Anonymous, not the odds-on favorite for the NBA MVP.

Even the Browns are trying to get in on the action by drawing some buzz regarding some intriguing trade options and their No. 5 pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

It doesn’t feel right.

Yes, the story is overdone. Everyone knows the dramedies of Cleveland sports in the past few decades: the Drive, the Fumble, the Shot, the chokes, Modell. Every letdown just served as another brick in the wall of PTSD and cold cynicism that has been built around the psyche of area sports fans.

Even Jay-Z Yankee fan LeBron James understands.

I mean, it’s bad. And Cleveland fans know, said James in the Cavs locker room last week.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I’m not buying into the hype this year. Yes, I know it’s cliché and the easy way out, but it makes the most sense.

Before all of you rush over to our immensely popular Web site to anonymously harass me, let me explain.

I’m rooting for the Cavs and truly hope they get their rings. And I can only hold faith that the Tribe can turn things around and regain their form of the late nineties. And God bless the Browns.

But I refuse to let excitement grab a hold of me this year. When watching games, I haven’t been sitting on the edge of my seat or screaming at coaches like I did in the past. Just a Chris Ferguson poker face. No emotion this year.

Oddly, I found that this narcissistic and detached approach keeps my feet firmly planted on the ground. Most rabid (or fair-weather) Cavs fans that I’ve talked to, for instance, seem to take for granted that Cleveland will roll over the East and defeat the Lakers for the championship in the next few weeks.

I really hope that they do, but I don’t think it will happen that easily.

Did anyone think that Bulls rookie Derrick Rose would explode for 36 points in his first playoff game against the defending champions?

Having an open mind not blinded by fanatical feelings is not a defense mechanism but a conscious choice after years of heartbreak.

Maybe, maybe after Cleveland brings home a championship will my calloused heart grow a few sizes, but not before. We’ve said championship too many times without follow-though.

For us to be in a position to make [Cleveland fans] forget about that, we’ve done that thus far, James said. But, we still got a long way to go, and hopefully we can erase all those memories.

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