The following post is dedicated to all my friend (no, that’s not a typo) that are fans of Cleveland sports teams. You’re welcome.
1796 – The City of Cleveland is founded at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River at Lake Erie. The city’s first settler, Lorenzo Carter, proceeds to lose his homestead in a best of seven series against his chickens.
1865 – Cleveland’s first sports team, the Forest Citys of Cleveland (a baseball team) is founded
1885 – John D. Rockefeller moves the Standard Oil Company to New York City, making his announcement in a 14-part telegram message known as “My Decision”
1894 – The Grand Rapids Rustlers, a team which would later become the Cleveland Indians, is founded. They would move to Cleveland six years later
1912 – The city’s baseball team, at this point named the Cleveland Naps, were referred to by locals as the Cleveland Napkins, as they tended to fold so easily. Foreshadowing is a devious bitch.
1919 – Indians’ shortstop Ray Chapman becomes the only player to be killed in a professional baseball game, as he dies from injuries suffered when he’s hit in the head by a pitch from Carl Mays of the New York Yankees.
1920 – The Indians win their first World Series title, defeating the Brooklyn Robins (later the Brooklyn Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers) 5 games to 2. I dare you to find me someone who was alive for this series who actually remembers it happening.
1936 – The city’s first professional football team to stick around for more than one season, the Cleveland Rams, is founded. The Rams lasted ten seasons in Cleveland.
1940 – Bob Feller of the Indians throws a no-hitter and wins 27 games, yet the Indians finish second to the Detroit Tigers due to Feller choking in the regular season’s final game
1945 – The Cleveland Rams win the NFL title 15-14 over the Washington Redskins, thanks to a safety by Redskins’ hall of fame quarterback Sammy Baugh
1946 – The Cleveland Rams move to Los Angeles. The same year, the Cleveland Browns are founded.
1948 – The Indians win their second (and most recent) World Series title, defeating the Boston (later Atlanta) Braves in the process.
1950 – Including their run in the All-American Football League, the Browns cap off a fifth straight world title, and their first in the NFL, with a 30-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams
1954 – The Browns win their second NFL title. The Indians make the World Series again, only to lose to the New York (later San Francisco) Giants. This series featured Willie Mays’ prolific over-the-shoulder catch that is known to this day only as “The Catch”.
1955 – The Browns win their third NFL title. This is considered by me to be the golden age of Cleveland sports.
1957 – The Browns draft hall of fame running back and Nelson Mandela look-a-like Jim Brown.
1960 – The alleged Curse of Rocky Colavito takes place when the Indians trade right fielder Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers, ultimately giving Terry Pluto material to write terrible books about.
1964 – The Browns win their fourth (and most recent) NFL title with a 27-0 win over the Baltimore (later Indianapolis) Colts.
July 14, 1965 – Jim Brown retires from the NFL, shortly after being part of the filming for the movie The Dirty Dozen.
1968 – Leroy Kelly becomes the last Cleveland Browns player to win the league’s rushing title, his second overall. Kelly’s rushing title is the last individual offensive category title won by the Browns.
1970 – The Cleveland Cavaliers are founded, giving the city the opportunity to have three professional sports teams with losing records for the first time
1976 – The Cleveland Barons become the city’s first NHL affiliate. The Barons would merge with the Minnesota North Stars after two seasons due to financial troubles
1980 – Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Sipe wins the NFL MVP award. No one knows how this award didn’t go to Earl Campbell.
January 4, 1981 – Red Right 88. Long story short, Brian Sipe mistook Oakland Raiders cornerback Mike Davis for Lake Erie
January 11, 1987 – The Drive. John Elway converts 1st and 98. Broncos win.
January 17, 1988 – The Fumble. No name defensive back Jeremiah Castille forces Earnest Byner to cough up the football on the Broncos’ 2 yard line, preventing a game tying touchdown. Broncos win.
May 7, 1989 – The Shot. Craig Ehlo thinks he can guard Michael Jordan.
March 22, 1993 – Indians pitchers Steve Olin, Tim Crews, and Bob Ojeda are involved in a boat crash that kills Olin and Crews, and forces Ojeda to retire.
May 17, 1993 – The Shot II. Jordan hits a second buzzer beater against the Cavs. In the same building. At the same end of the court.
1995 – The Indians return to the World Series for the first time since 1954, only to lose in six games to the Atlanta Braves and one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time.
December 25, 1995 – The Cleveland Browns play their final home game before the team gets relocated to Baltimore.
Spring 1997 – The WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers are founded. No…really.
October 26, 1997 – Jose Mesa blows the save in Game 7 of the World Series. After Mesa’s blown save in the 9th inning, a line drive bounces awkwardly off Charlie Nagy’s glove, ultimately leading to the first world championship for the Florida Marlins
1999 – The Cleveland Browns return to the NFL after a four year hiatus. New GM Carmen Policy realizes how much he misses Jim Drukenmiller, immediately drafting Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch to be a surrogate disappointment.
2003 – The Browns make their last playoff appearance, losing 36-33 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns lead 33-21 with five minutes to go, only to be defeated by Tommy Maddox and Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala. On the bright side, the Cavs draft Akron high schooler LeBron James with the first pick of the NBA draft.
2005 – The Cavs lead the Eastern Conference finals series against the Detroit Pistons three games to two, only to choke away games six and seven to the Pistons.
2006 – The Cavs rebound from their loss in the previous season’s conference finals, making it all the way to the NBA finals. The Cavs are swept by the San Antonio Spurs four games to zero.
January 25, 2007 - The Lake Erie Monsters are founded, marking the lowest point in Cleveland sports history.
2007 – The Indians go up three games to one against the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship series, only to lose the final three games of the series by scores of 7-1, 12-2, and 11-2, respectively.
2010 – The Decision. LeBron James leaves Cleveland for Miami in a publicly televised announcement, scorning the area he grew up in to play with Dwayne Wade and win “not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4….NBA titles”.