Top Cleveland Sports Memories

It's time to take a look at my favorite sports' moments as a Cleveland fan. Since 1983 (when I was 6), I've been a diehard Cleveland fan so all these moments are from recent memory. With all the bad memories, it's important to sift through the bullshit and discover the moments that made me happy. My three teams (Cavs, Browns, Indians) have not secured a championship since I've been watching, but there are still some specific events that made me proud (dare I say it) to be a Cleveland fan:

10. LeBron secures 06 MVP honors in All Star Game - The most recent memory is the lowest, but I was extremely proud to see LeBron James help the East put away Tracy McGrady and the powerful West squad. This could be the first of many All Star Game MVPs for the King.

9. Couch beats Steelers 33-13 - Tim Couch's career in Cleveland was doomed from the start. We should have known that a hot-shot QB in college wasn't going to light it up on a badly formed expansion team. I've always stuck up for Couch because of that and it was this Sunday night in 2003 that Couch made one of his few marks as a good QB in the NFL.

8. Sandy Alomar wins the 97 All Star game in Cleveland - Jacobs Field was the site for the 1997 MLB All Star game and while our town was the center of attention, Sandy Alomar decided to give us an extra treat: he put the NL away with a late Home Run to secure MVP honors and make home-town Cleveland proud.

7. Browns beat Jets in 87 playoffs - Before "The Drive", the Browns had some late magic of their own in the classic double overtime victory over the New York Jets. The Jets were tough thanks to Ken O'Brien and the rest of the Jets' squad, but the Browns found a way to pull it off in one of the most memorable NFL divisional playoff games ever.

6. Indians beat Yankees in 97 ALDS - After winning their first World Series in the 90s, the Yankees were already considered to be the Evil Empire in my mind, and the favored Yankees were ousted by the Indians in Game 5 of the ALDS in the 1997 playoffs. What made this even more satisfying was the fact that I was in college and I had annoying friends who liked the Yankees who were very obnoxious at the time. It was a great honor to rub this one in their face.

5. Browns spank Steelers 51-0 in 89 - No game between the hated Steelers and the Browns was more gratifying than this ass kicking the Browns handed out to the Steelers that year. It remains as the worst loss the Steelers ever suffered. If only we could do that nowadays.

4. Indians beat Orioles in 97 ALCS - The Orioles were a powerhouse at the time, and most people thought it was their time to shine after their controversial loss to the Yanks in 2006 (everyone remembers that douche-bag Jeffrey Maier). Thanks to Tony Fernandez and Marquis Grissom, the underdog Indians put them away to reach the World Series. Great memories all around.

3. Cavs win LeBron Lottery in 03 - Years of bad luck and mediocrity were put to rest when NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik revealed that the Cavs won the most anticipated NBA draft lottery perhaps ever. LeBron James would prove to be the savior of Cleveland basketball as they are now embarking on a mission to win their first championship.

2. The Indians' 95 Season - The whole 1995 season for the Indians was one of the greatest memories a fan of Cleveland baseball could ever enjoy. They dominated the American League that year, and when they weren't dominating, they pulled off some of the greatest comebacks in recent history. The most memorable moment was a July comeback against the A's. Manny Ramirez hit a game-winning HR off of then-feared closer Dennis Eckersley. All Dennis could say was: "WOW".

1. Indians beat Mariners in 95 ALCS - No other moment gave me more joy than to see the Indians put aside years of frustration to make it to their first World Series since 1954. I damn near cried that night when they beat the Mariners and Randy Johnson to get into the Octocer classic. Nothing was more gratifying than seeing Kenny Lofton score from second on a passed ball to secure our victory in game 6. I'll never forget that moment for as long as I live.