Has Cleveland Been Cursed?

No, this is not about the city being [the mistake by the lake].  For those days are gone.

Nonetheless, the misery still continues for the fans of at least two out of three major sports franchises located in [Cleveland], and it is arguable that it is just as bad for the fans of the [Cleveland Indians].  For it has been many a moon since the last time they won the [World Series], but they did play in three during the [90s].

Alas, the fans of the [Cleveland Cavaliers] and the [Cleveland Browns] have even less to cheer about, which I place most of the blame squarely on the management of the teams.  For the Cavaliers are owned by [Dan Gilbert], who acts like he truly [owns] his players, which is reflected in their play.

Now comes the news that the Cleveland Browns have been bought by [Jimmy Haslim], who is a very enthusiastic [Pittsburgh Steelers] fan, which would be like a diehard fan of the [Dallas Cowboys] buying the [Washington Redskins], and it will surely lead to even greater depths of mediocrity for the Browns.  For every move that Haslim could make to improve the Browns would eventually hurt his beloved Steelers—especially with them playing in the same conference division.

No, nothing personal—just business cannot be used to explain this away.  For owning a professional sports franchise has to more than just a business decision or you will wind up with a team like the...well…the Browns were, which I would think that the NFL would want to guard against at all costs for the good of the entire league.

Of course, maybe Haslim can keep his heart separated from his head without making too much of a mess out of things?  For he is currently the CEO of [Flying J], which was in direct competition with [Pilot], which is the company that his father founded.

No, I am not buying it, and it makes me a little angry to even be given the choice to.  For back during the early days of my over-the-road trucking career, a wonderful group of diehard Browns fans adopted me for a couple of days while a [lake-effect snow storm] shut down all travel in northeastern Ohio, and ever since, I have had a soft-spot for them.  Not enough to have me cheering for the Browns over my beloved Cowboys, of course, but one has to respect the devotion of someone who would stand in line while being covered by freezing rain just to buy a ticket to go see a team that was more than likely going to lose the game and [break] the hearts of their fans in the process.

Hey, maybe Haslim buying the Browns might actually be a good thing?  For it might not be long before the Browns are so obviously bad that there won’t be any expectations of them ever winning a game.  Hence, no more gut-wrenching losses!

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It Ain't Braggin'

[Dizzy Dean] was quite fond of saying, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up.”  Since he is a [St. Louis Cardinals] legend as the leader of the [Gashouse Gang], I have to give him some slack.

As a side note, I was surprised to find that the Wikipedia article on the Gashouse Gang is incorrect about the nickname.  For it is actually referring to the perception (especially at the time) that most of the members of that 1934 team would have surely been on [death row] by then if they hadn’t become baseball players on account of being such an ornery bunch.  Of course, I could be sorely mistaken, but I don’t think so.

Anyway, getting back to the braggin’ part, what Dizzy Dean would like to say is somewhat different than what the Apostle Paul was given to say.  For it is written: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. [Philippians 4:13]

Alas, as with so many other things, the significance of that verse has waned considerably in far too many hearts.  For they are so focused on the fact that there is nothing good about any of us that they absolutely refuse to recognize the work of our Heavenly Father’s Holy Spirit in and through someone [Philippians 2:13].

No, I cannot naturally blame them for being that way.  For it has been widely taught for far too long that the ability to overcome any obstacle is available through Christ, but we have to actually do the overcoming.  Subsequently, that leads to a lot of so-called boasting in the Lord that is really just boasting about what we want to believe we have accomplished in His name as He cheers us on.

Yes, our Heavenly Father could certainly put an end to all doubts.  For He could actually stand on the sidelines and watch as those who want to believe that they have been empowered to wield the sword of truth and justice against all unrighteousness make complete fools out of themselves in the eyes of this world, and in many cases, He has.

You see, as it appears to be in a man-made army, a solider is given a weapon and trained in how to fight with it, but this is not the way it is with our Heavenly Father.  For He is really the One who is doing the fighting through us, and this is true of everything that we do in this world—from raising our children to making a living.

Nonetheless, it is so very important to know and understand that it all depends upon what He wants to accomplish in and through someone.  For He will raise some up in the eyes of this world while He will crush others, but in all cases, it will be as it should be in the end [Matthew 19:28-30].

Again, none of this means that we have nothing to do with anything.  For we all have a part to play, but instead of wanting to believe that we have done good, we would be much better off wanting to truly be thankful for the good that He has done in and through us, while humbly accepting that even this is another gift of His grace.

To bring it all home, it would have been wonderful if Dizzy Dean had of been fond of saying, “What I have done ain’t mine to brag about.  For it is the Lord God Almighty, who takes the mound, when it is my turn to pitch.”

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Stay!

It is being [reported] that the Minnesota Vikings will be getting their new stadium, and I am glad.  For according to my wife, I am getting older and more decrepit by the minute, and if that is indeed true, it would only be a matter of time before I would feel compelled to start preparing for a Viking invasion of southwestern Missouri after seeing that they were now calling Los Angeles home some overcast Sunday afternoon in November a few years from now.

No, I haven’t already lost my mind.  For what I am referring to are the rumors that have been circulating about the Minnesota Viking becoming the Los Angeles Viking in the not-too-distant future if they didn’t get a new stadium built in Minneapolis.

Hey, it’s not like no other Minnesota sports franchise has ever packed up and moved out there.  Come on now, just how many lakes are there in and around L.A.?  So, doesn’t it strike you as being rather curious that their NBA team goes by the [Lakers]?

Okay, with the [Clippers] also being in L.A., I shouldn’t being acting like the Lakers are the only NBA in town—especially with the Clippers starting to play like they really are a professional basketball team this year.  Granted, it was easy to do before, but not now.  Well, at least not until this season is over, and then we’ll see what happens after that.

No, the Vikings were not the only NFL team rumored to be contemplating a move to Los Angeles.  For the [Chargers] have also been mentioned in not-so-hushed tones around certain water coolers.

Can somebody tell me what’s with San Diego?  For that is where the Clippers originated, and now the Chargers are thinking real seriously about making that same 125 (+/-) mile trip to the north?

Yes, I understand that teams have been moving here to there, and everywhere in-between, since the beginning.  For the [Arizona Cardinals] came from [St. Louis] after starting out in [Chicago].

Another situation for sports fanatics to geek-out about involves the possible future of the [Oakland Athletics], which is commonly referred to as being the Oakland A’s.  For there has been much talk of the A’s trading Oakland for [San Jose or Fremont], or [Sacramento], or a city to be named later.  All of this being after the team originated in [Philadelphia], and then made a 13 year stopover in [Kansas City] before moving to Oakland in 1968.

Yeah, I’ve hit on all of the major professional sports in America but hockey, and the NHL has been arguably the best at following Elizabeth Taylor’s [example].  For the [Winnipeg Jets] moved south to become the [Phoenix Coyotes], and then the [Atlanta Thrashers] moved north to become the new and improved(?) [Winnipeg Jets].

I do like the idea of teams changing their names when they change locations.  For the [Memphis Grizzlies] doesn’t sound right at all, but the [Oklahoma City Thunder] sounds perfect—certainly better than the [Utah Jazz].

No, I don’t like the sound of the [St. Louis Rams], neither.  For the Rams belong in [Los Angeles], and to be quite frank about it, the [Colts] belong in Baltimore.  At least the NFL had the decency to let the Browns name stay in [Cleveland], even though the actual team moved to Baltimore and became the [Ravens].  Oh, and don’t get me started on the [Los Angeles Raiders]!

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