City of Cleveland, fans desperate for championship win

Wayne Freedman Image
ByWayne Freedman KGO logo
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The City of Cleveland is hoping a first its first world championship since 1964. (KGO-TV)
The City of Cleveland is hoping a first its first world championship since 1964.

CLEVELAND (KGO) -- While Golden State Warriors fans may be disappointed with their second loss in the NBA Finals, Cleveland is buzzing with hope for its first major sports championship in half a century.

At Danny's Deli in Cleveland, all you need to know is one place on the wall. It's the history of Cleveland sports. It's all here. But do you about the 51 year drought?

It's not over water. Cleveland has plenty of that with Lake Erie.

How about 51 years without winning a world championship?

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"We like chew our fingers, get our hopes up high and then get disappointed," said Tom Sustar, a Cleveland Cavaliers fan.

Cleveland's football Browns won their last world championship in 1964. The baseball Indians last won a World Series in 1948.

It's no wonder that Clevelanders speak of LeBron James with such reverence. The Warriors are merely foils in Cleveland's half century drama.

"They have nice colors. I like their colors," said one patron at the deli.

But that's all. If Cleveland and the Bay share one word in common, it's drought.

The Bay Area has wins. And Cleveland?

"Water. Well, you can take that lake. We'll take a championship and we'll give you the lake. How about that?" joked Jeff Koons, another Cleveland fan.

But there are some folks around here who may like Stephen Curry because he was born in Akron, Ohio.

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ABC7 sports reporter Mike Shumann and reporters Wayne Freedman and Laura Anthony will be in Cleveland this week to bring you full coverage on the NBA Finals. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for live updates.

ABC7 is the only place where you can watch the Warriors in the NBA Finals. Click here for the 2015 NBA Finals schedule. And click here for full coverage on the Warriors.

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