Monday, October 22, 2007

It's Choke Time Now!

The Indians choked in spectacular fashion this weekend. With only one game separating them from the World Series, the core of this team did exactly what they did two years ago during the last week of the regular season -- they laid down and died, too overwhelmed by the situation to perform in circumstances that were almost tailor made for them to succeed.

Nothing says "we have no heart" better than being outscored 30-5 in three straight ALCS games, particularly when you consider that the Indians had Cy Young candidates on the hill for two of those games. This team obviously has some talent, but until they find some heart, Ozzie Guillen's taunt will remain right on the money.

You choked, Tribe. Live with it. We have to.

Oh, and thanks for adding one more Cleveland joke to the nation's repertoire.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

tzjxI'm really sick of defending this city to the nation. I'm sick of every negative thing someone says about this town being absolutely right.

I'm sick of every other town getting the last laugh. I'm sick of our sports teams always, always embarrassing us on the biggest stages.

Right now, I'm ashamed to be from Cleveland. I don't like the fact that I was born here. It's like having some drunk, drug-addicted family member that constantly drags you down through name association.

I'm sick of being from the poorest, dumbest, fattest city in the country, a city that at best is nothing but the recpient of back-handed "compliments" (think 30 Rock) and at worst serves as monologue fodder for Conan O'Brien.

I'm sick of it because, no matter how hard I try to cling to my pride, everyone who makes fun of Cleveland, puts it down and mocks it is proven to be 100 percent right. Cleveland, our teams and our town, are nothing but a national embarrassment. Even if it really isn't, perception is reality to the rest of the country.

I'm done defending this city until it proves itself worthy. Our teams will never win a championship, they will always humiliate us to the nation, and we will forever be known as the place where the river caught fire.

Cleveland sucks. It's a hard pill to swallow, but I don't admit it, I'll just be reminded of it many times over.

Oh yeah, and Indians, Browns and Cavs: Screw you. Anyone who thinks you perennial fuck-ups will ever bring this town a title and give us something to be proud of (besides "a great young team") is chugging kool aid.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous:

You've hit the nail on the head. I'm tired of playing Charlie Brown while the rest of the nation gets to be Lucy.

What always struck me about that Peanuts story line was not the persistent mean-spritedness of Lucy, but how pathetic Charlie Brown was for never figuring out the result would be the same. Well, I'm now going on my 42nd year of wearing the yellow sweater with the black zig-zag pattern on it, and remarkably, I've not outgrown it. Like I've done so many times before (4 times in 2007 alone -- OSU football, OSU basketball, Cav's, and now the Tribe -- shit, 2007 has been bad), I'll take the sweater off and put it in the closet, vowing never to pull it out again.

But I know I will. I'm not enough of an armchair psychologist to know why that is, but I suspect it has something to do with the dullness of daily life (at least my life), and how sports offer a pretty nice and relatively cheap alternative reality. (If I were Bob Costas or the Hornless Rhino, I would have worked the word "transcend" into that last sentence).

Each Fall for the past 4 or 5 years, I have vowed that this Fall would be the year I teach myself to drink bourbon. I think this is the year to keep that promise.

Ben said...

What season would you prefer, the 2007 Indians or the 2007 Royals. Despite how it ended, I'll take the 2007 Indians every time.

Same goes for the Cavs. I'd rather get swept in the Finals than finish with 32 wins.

Ya it sucks and this loss was brutal, but I'd rather have the shot and lose than not have the chance at all...