The Highs and Lows of Loving a Long-Suffering Sports Team
You know, being a Cleveland sports fan isn’t always the easiest thing.
Sure, we’ve had a great past couple of months that have included bringing LeBron James back where he belongs and locking up some All-Star running mates for him in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. We even brought some dude they call “Johnny Football” to the banks of Lake Erie.
But want to know how many titles all of that hype has actually produced so far? Zero.
That’s what happens when you grow up watching, cheering and ultimately crying over a favorite team that consistently lets you down.
While I hope the tide has turned in Cleveland wit recent events, there’s no guarantees when loving a long-suffering sports team—and there are more than a few highs and lows when you do.
Low: There's Always Next Year
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The most common of phrases muttered by a sports fan of any long-suffering team, waiting till next year might sound great in theory, but in reality it’s just a way of covering up your disdain for the current season.
I mean really, what will be better about next year that will wipe out all of the years of heartache and letdowns? Adding a few, inexperienced rookies or overpaying on B-list veterans?
Waiting until next year is like a guarantee on a crappy product you just bought: It sounds nice, but it’s really just there to keep you optimistic.
High: Your Team Has No Expectations
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I’m going to bust out some serious, 30-year-old wisdom on every one of you right now: Stop putting expectations on things, because they only make things more complicated.
While we’re all guilty of doing it, when you let go of what you wish would happen and just roll with what is happening, you’ll find that your sports teams won’t let you down as much.
Sure, that might be a pretty pessimistic view, but those who really think that the Cleveland Browns will be a playoff team now that they have Johnny Manziel will only be let down when the Brownies end up with another top-10 pick in the draft.
If you think they’ll suck, guess what? Your Sundays won’t be ruined when they lose, but they’ll be amazing if they actually win!
Low: You Become Overly Optimistic
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As I just mentioned with the whole expectations thing, it’s in our nature to hope for good fortune, so having a little bit more faith in positive things happening to your crappy team is actually a good thing to have.
Here’s something to try on for size: Lose the expectations and start having a little bit more faith. It’ll be much easier to deal with wins and losses that way. As JP from Angels in the Outfield always said, “Hey, it could happen.”
That it can, JP. That it can.
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High/Low: Tickets Are (Almost) Always Available
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Maybe the best and worst thing about supporting a crappy team is the availability of tickets nearly anytime you want them.
It’s good because, well, on a random Tuesday night in December when you want to see the Milwaukee Bucks play—no offense—you can go get decent tickets for super-cheap.
It’s bad because, well, when the Bucks are playing the L.A. Clippers with All-Stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, you’re not going to be able to get tickets at all.
While this one’s a wash in terms of being good or bad, it usually ends up being better more often than not.
High: Draft Day
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I can unequivocally say that as a Cleveland sports fan, my draft-day experience is a hell of a lot more exciting than those who root for teams that consistently make the playoffs and draft late in each round.
Sure, it must be nice to make the postseason and believe that your team might win a title, but it’s a greater feeling actually getting the chance to add a can’t-miss prospect who brings both hope and hype to an organization—though it rarely actually works out as expected.
Low: You're Tempted to Jump Ship
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Don’t do it, man.
After all of those years of suffering through the tears in middle school, the frustration in high school, the rage in college and the beer sorrows ever since, the last thing you want to do is find another team to latch onto.
Sure, this long-suffering team will always be in your heart, having a piece of you no matter where you go or how old you get, but you can’t just pick and choose when to root for them.
The last thing anyone wants to be is a bandwagon fan. And while I myself have been tempted to turn to a team that actually brings good memories, the pain I’m going through now will only feel a hell of a lot better once my team finally wins something—which is spoken like a true, long-suffering sports fan.
High: Big Offseason Deals
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The one thing that consistently bad sports teams do is rebuild, and while that is super-frustrating to continue to go through, it at least keeps things fresh and exciting for fans.
From big trades that bring in new players or the front office spending on prized free agents, offseason deals don’t always lead to in-season success but at least bring optimism and great bar talk with buddies—that is, until they don’t work out.
High/Low: You Share Your Grandpa's Pain
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You know all of those stories by your Grandpa that start with, “Back in my day…”? Well, when it comes to sports, you can actually relate to them.
Sure, Gramps may have supposedly walked five miles in knee-high snow to get to school each day, but he also watched the same beloved sports team as you lose—a lot—which is one thing that you can actually swap stories about.
No one wants his team to suck for 50-plus years, but when they do, it’s interesting to hear how they did it back then as opposed to how they blow it now.
High: Your Best Friends Can Relate
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Misery loves company, and there isn’t a better place than sports for to apply that saying.
You and your friends talk constantly about all of the scenarios that will lead to your favorite team competing and, gulp, even making the playoffs. When it doesn’t happen, at least you’re not the only weirdo in the room whose day was just ruined after another loss and is drinking away their sorrows.
One of the best parts about being a sports fan is camaraderie, so win or lose, having your best buds around to share the same feelings with you is always a plus.
Low: Murphy's Law
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For those unfamiliar with Murphy's Law, I'll give you a brief reminder of its meaning: If anything can go wrong, it will.
And in sports, there's always something that can go wrong.
Need a recent example? Look no further than No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, who after the Houston Texans took him to help turn around a 2-14 team from 2013 hurt himself in his first regular-season game.
Sure, he'll be back in a few weeks and may return to his previous form, but when you're a long-suffering fan, the bad thoughts and anxiety that creep into your head are often things that actually happen—science says so.
High: Your Opinion Matters
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Sure, you might not be able to email or make a phone call to the owner, general manager or head coach to put in the guys you want to see play, but when thousands of fans boo the starting quarterback and are in favor of the backup, the coach can’t help but actually make the switch.
That’s not always the case, but we all know that teams need to sell tickets, and when a struggling team’s fans start turning on them, that team will usually give supporters what they want.
So, yes, you’re indirectly having an effect on the team—which has to feel kind of cool, right?
Low: No Big-Named Free Agents
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Arguably one of the worst things about being a long-suffering fan is the fact that few, if any, A-list free agents ever want to sign with your favorite team.
Sure, I've mentioned LeBron James returning to Cleveland a few times, but that was such a rare scenario that no fan should ever bank on that happening regularly.
Before James broke the mold to do it, how many All-Star-caliber guys would really want to spend their winters in northeast Ohio, playing for a team that had nothing but hope and high expectations?
Outside of the NBA, look no further than a team like the Oakland Raiders, who although they have great tradition and incredibly loyal fans continue to throw money at guys past their peaks and in the twilights of their careers.
It's great to hear a big-name player thinking about joining your team, but it rarely actually happens.
Sadly, sometimes, it's not all about the money.
High: At Least You're Not Spoiled
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Oh, so what if your team consistently winds up at the bottom of their division. At least you’ll be more appreciative when they don’t finish there, right?
While it must be nice to enjoy the long-term success of teams like the New England Patriots, San Antonio Spurs and New York Yankees, their fans are only heartbroken when they don’t make it to the title game, as opposed to missing out on the playoffs altogether.
For us long-suffering fans, just winning the first home opener in a decade is reason to celebrate with players as if the team just won a championship.
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