Now “The Shot” has a whole different meaning.
It belongs to Kyrie Irving, who hit the game-deciding three-pointer, and no longer Michael Jordan.
Now “The Drive” belongs to the Cavaliers, and not the Denver Broncos, for their refusal to give up on themselves when just about everyobe else did.
Now “The Curse” belongs to the Chicago Cubs, and no longer Cleveland’s teams.
Now “The Fumble” belongs to Steph Curry, and not Earnest Byner, as his team became the first in NBA history to blow a 3-1 Finals lead.
All that after the Cavaliers captured the city’s first major pro sports championship in 52½ years with a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 on Sunday night at Oracle Arena.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Indeed, there were so many forever memories that were made in that game, no doubt the biggest in Cleveland sports history.
But what I will remember most was the raw emotion at the end. You can’t fake raw emotion. It’s either there or it isn’t.
And it was definitely there.
Oh, it was definitely there!
It was there in LeBron James.
In Tyronn Lue.
In J.R. Smith.
In the fans at the Watch Party inside and outside of Quicken Loans Arena.
And in so many places in Northeast Ohio and beyond where there was a TV on, and fingers crossed as hearts raced.
In 1964, when the city last won a title – in the NFL – as the Browns thumped the Baltimore Colts on a cold Dec. 27 at Cleveland Stadium, the thing I still remember most was the raw emotion afterward.
There is one film clip you always see of quarterback Frank Ryan and wide receiver Gary Collins, who combined for three touchdown passes, hugging warmly and tightly with smiles as big as Lake Erie.The unbridled joy they felt was incredible.
Sports are entertainment.
They are supposed to be fun.
It was a heckuva lot of fun in 1964.
You could see it on those long-ago faces.
But it was a heckuva lot more fun this time, in no small part because of the long wait in between.
You could see it on those faces again.
Because there is nothing more fun in sports than being a champion.
And Cleveland finally has a champion again.
