CLEVELAND MISERY

On the sports misery index, Cleveland is hard to beat. We all recall the LeBron James decision. Here are some other lowlights:

THE DRIVE AND THE FUMBLE

The Cleveland Browns have never reached the Super Bowl. In the 1987 AFC Championship Game, they led 20-13 and had Denver backed up on its own two-yard line. John Elway engineered one of the most memorable drives in NFL history, going 98 yards for the tying touchdown with 37 seconds left in regulation, and Denver won in overtime.

THREE OUTS AWAY

Two years after losing to the Atlanta Braves in the 1995 World Series, Cleveland was three outs away from winning the ’97 Series, leading Florida 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth. Jose Mesa gave up the tying run, and the Marlins won in the 11th on Edgar Renteria’s two-out single off the glove of pitcher Charles Nagy.

THE MOVE

The Browns were a part of Cleveland’s fabric. Owner Art Modell, rebuffed in his bid for a new stadium, moved the Browns to Baltimore after the 1995 season. At least Cleveland got to keep its history; Modell’s team was renamed the Ravens, while the Browns returned to the NFL with a new team and stadium in 1999.

STEPIEN’S REIGN OF TERROR

Ted Stepien bought the Cavaliers in 1980 and thought the best way to build a winner was by trading first-round picks for aging players. It didn’t work. Cleveland started the 1981-82 season with 19 consecutive losses and finished 15-67, one of the worst seasons in history. Stepien sold out after threatening to move the Cavs to Toronto. The NBA passed a rule that prohibits the trading of firstround picks in consecutive years. It’s called the “Ted Stepien Rule.”