First The Drive, then The Decision. Now, The Depression?
By Evan Light
I wasn’t around for the Drive, the Fumble, the Shot and Red Right 88. I am too young to remember Jose Mesa and Art Modell, while The Decision is still burning fresh in my mind. Life as a Cleveland sports fan has been more like the weather today than the sunny 60 degree weather an April should have. It rained for 12 hours today, and it is still raining. It has been nothing short of depressing.
Tonight, Mother Nature did all of us a favor and postponed the Indians game. And the Cavs, yet again, found a way to lose to the Detroit Pistons. After the game I sat here, looked outside and said “this has become a depression”. While I tend to stray away from admitting to the curse that is inevitably placed upon our city, I couldn’t help but think about the situation that we are in. With all that has happened to us, like the Shot and the Decision, are we in the middle of the newest heartbreak? The only name that I found fitting for this heartbreak: The Depression.
The Cavaliers are slowly crawling to the finish line on a season that should be forgotten. Kyrie Irving can’t even spell defense, let alone play it. The roster has about six players on it that actually have a chance at being on the team next season. Our coach is on the hot seat, as he should be. The lack of improvements being shown in the past three seasons on the defensive end outplays any argument about the lack of talent on the roster. This also doesn’t include his horrible rotations and management of minutes. If you could imagine a way to lose a basketball game, the Cavs have done it this season. Oh! I also forgot about the four blown 20-point leads to teams from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns. While Tristan Thompson looks like the only player taking steps in the right direction, the front office apparently is more interested in piling up draft picks and assets instead of putting talent on the floor.
The Browns are heading for another mystery draft and a training camp with a quarterback competition for the 14th season in a row. After drafting Brandon Weeden in the first round last year, our Brownies have recently signed Jason Campbell, completed workouts with Florida State’s EJ Manuel, and Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib, and have scheduled workouts with West Virginia’s Geno Smith, Arizona’s Matt Scott and USC star Matt Barkley. Yet we are supposed to remain optimistic that we will put a successful team on the field. With our fifth coach in the last decade at the helm, we get to look forward to a new scheme on both sides of the ball, and a new kicker for the first time since the return of the team. This would be the year to compete in the AFC North. Baltimore has lost seemingly everybody except Joe Flacco and the team Chef, while Pittsburgh continues to downgrade.
The biggest hope for this city was thought to be in the Tribe, and they are now on pace to use 126 starting pitchers. Our $100 million-plus lineup can’t score runs to save a life. While it is too soon to start giving up on this team, you have to be a little worried about using seven starting pitchers in under two weeks, and getting outscored 25-to-7 by a Yankee lineup that does not include names like Jeter, Rodriguez, Granderson and Teixeira. We were also “lucky” enough to miss facing C.C. Sabathia. Yes, we do have a bunch of new parts. And yes, it is still way too early to hit the panic button. But the worries we had before the season have already smacked us in the face and some.
While it is true that we are in the middle of The Depression, I will try to stay the positive guy that I am and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Every depression must come to an end. I will continue to have faith in the Cavs’ front office that they know what they are doing with all 46 of their draft picks. I will hope that Brandon Weeden turns into a productive quarterback in the National Football League, or the Browns strike gold in the upcoming draft. I do believe the Indians’ lineup will start hitting and I am hoping a few guys can take advantage of the available spots in the rotation.
I have to have faith in these things. It comes with being a Cleveland fan. I mean, it has to stop raining eventually, right?