Four years have gone by for me in college, and it's been another four years without a championship for the Browns, Cavaliers, or Indians. Cleveland rocks? Not so much. As you can see, I have chosen to make my final Sports Shot about one of my favorite topics: Cleveland sports. As a Christmas gift last year, my brother gave me a book that details the painful history of pro sports in Cleveland. You always hear fans from certain cities complaining about having bad teams and rarely getting to celebrate a championship. Well, from everything I have read and all that I have experienced as a Cleveland sports fanatic, I have come to learn that no one has it tougher than Clevelanders. In most cities, even if one team is bad, there is another championship-caliber team in another sport that balances it out. That factor is what makes Cleveland the most depressing sports town in the country. Cleveland is already a dreary city with a high level of poverty and job loss, and more than a few times over my collegiate career I’ve put up with snooty Northeasterners making fun of my surrogate hometown. When you add in the fact that it’s never had any semblance of hope in athletics until recently, it’s pretty depressing. I know not everyone agonizes over every game like I do, but it’s fair to say that having a championship parade and being on the national stage is something that would bring a certain level of happiness to anyone living in any city. Right now, it seems that Cleveland’s chances for a title are better than ever. Hometown hero LeBron James represents the hopes and dreams of not just his teammates and coaches, but of an entire city that has gone 45 years without a title. That last champion was the 1964 Cleveland Browns, who won the title before it was even called the Super Bowl. The Indians haven’t won one since 1948, and the Cavs have never hoisted the trophy. That is all about to change. I’m not willing to wait another four years with no title to celebrate. League MVP LeBron James is not going to let this team lose. The Cavs are too dominant, too focused, and too tight-knit as a team to falter now. Eight victories so far in these playoffs, with only eight more to go to bring home the trophy. Get ready, Cleveland, your time has come.

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