With a record like this, Cleveland fans can lay claim to being the most cursed city in sport

IT HOLDS the dubious honour of one of the longest losing streaks in sport, but that’s just touching the surface of this city’s horror story.

1964. That’s the last time any Cleveland sporting diehard had a reason to smile.

After more than 50 years of hardship the pressure is on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to deliver a championship in the upcoming NBA Finals and end the longest drought in American sport.

We take a detailed look at Cleveland’s sporting horror story.

THE BROWNS (NFL)

FROM the highest heights of 1964 when Cleveland’s NFL team became champions courtesy of a 27-0 win over Baltimore, the Browns have sunk to the lowest of lows.

Since 1999, they have cycled through more than 20 quarterbacks, each one proving to be just as big a disappointment as the last.

Cleveland’s No. 1 draft pick in 1999, Tim Couch, turned out to be one of the biggest draft busts in history, managing only 62 games in a five-year career, while a muffed play by Brian Sipe in the final moments of the 1981 divisional playoff against the Oakland Raiders blew any hope the team had of collecting silverware that season.

It wasn’t just on the field where the Browns had their issues, though. Owner Art Modell relocated the team to Baltimore for the 1996 season, in effect sounding the death knell for the franchise.

Then coach of the Browns Bill Belichick was in the process of implementing a master plan to ensure future success at the club, but he was fired following the move, and instead took his expertise to the New England Patriots where he won his first of four Super Bowls in 2001.

While the Browns were reactivated and returned to the NFL in 1999, their results since have been nothing short of dismal, producing only two winning campaigns — a 9-7 win-loss record in 2002 and a 10-6 in 2006.

They lost their final five games last season to finish bottom of the AFC North and hopes aren’t high for a bright future ahead.

“How about we practice winning this time, guys?”

THE INDIANS (MLB)

IF you thought the Browns’ record was awful, just wait until you hear about the Indians, Cleveland’s baseball franchise.

Having last won the World Series in 1948, the Tribe’s historical winning percentage stands at 0.500, a stat that would drive any fan to tears.

The Indians have been plagued by horrific luck over the years. 1960s pitcher Sam McDowell became an alcoholic, forcing him to leave the game at just 32. Power hitter Tony Horton retired at 25 during the 1970 season due to mental illness, while they suffered one of the worst seasons in Major League history in 1987, finishing with a 61-101 record after being declared “the best team in the American League” by Sports Illustrated prior to the season commencing.

Fans thought they may have been in for a taste of success during the 1990s, but again they fell short. The Braves accounted for them in the 1995 World Series, the Orioles beat them in the 1996 division series and they lost to the Marlins in the 1997 World Series.

Any time you see a long line outside a psychiatrist’s office, you can be almost certain that it’s made up of Braves supporters.

The Indians last won a title in 1948.

THE CAVALIERS (NBA)

THE Cavs are yet to secure a title in their 45-year history. Part of the blame should be attributed to the legendary Michael Jordan, who sunk their 1989 title aspirations with a freak basket in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

They were never in the hunt for silverware in the 1990s and early 2000s, while even the presence of LeBron James on their roster hasn’t been enough to secure a championship.

The King went close in 2007 before being accused of “quitting” during the franchise’s inexplicable defeat in the 2009-10 Eastern Conference semis.

However, after accounting for Atlanta in this year’s Eastern Conference finals, Cavs fans will be hoping that LeBron and co. can deliver an NBA championship to the Rock ’n’ Roll capital of the world when they come up against the Golden State Warriors.

THE BARONS

DON’T feel bad for not recognising the name, the Barons were Cleveland’s ice hockey franchise, lasting only two years in the NHL from 1976-1978. That was still enough time to carry on the Cleveland tradition though, winning just 47 out of 160 games.

Originally published as With a record like this, Cleveland fans can lay claim to being the most cursed city in sport