Cleveland at center of sports world

CLEVELAND — For much of recorded history, it would have been a headline straight out of The Onion.

Cleveland championship celebration moved up because of Indians-Cubs World Series game.

On Tuesday night, as Cleveland took its place at the center of the sports — and alternate — universe, the joke was on everyone else.

Cleveland — yes, Cleveland — rocked as it never has before.

At the same time the Cavaliers began their defense of the city’s first title in 52 years with a triple-double from LeBron James and a name-your-score win against the Knicks, the Indians began their pursuit of another across the street with a roaring 6-0 victory against the Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series.

I mean, who writes this stuff?

Here was our itinerary on a night for the ages:

• At 7:16 p.m., we watched from Quicken Loans Arena as the Cavs received their championship bling before the season opener, which was pushed up 30 minutes because of a small nearby gathering. When the banner climbed to the rafters, the place came unmoored.

“This night,” James told the crowd, “none of us will ever forget.”

• At 7:29, we headed for the exits, along with a thousand or so spectators, racing across Gateway Plaza to Progressive Field. It was 98 steps from door to door through the mass of studio sets and humanity squeezed in between the two venues.

• At 8:08, the someone’s gotta-win World Series was underway.

• At 8:09, Cleveland froze over, the next Ice Age commencing.

Here in the newly inaugurated City of Champions — and the Browns —Cleveland’s long-famished but suddenly greedy fans could not have scripted a better night.

“From a fan's perspective, is there any better way?” James said. “I don't know, having an ice cream truck outside of both arenas at the same time as well?”

Lo and behold, even that call was answered. Never mind the wind and temperatures in the high 40s. Blue Bunny Ice Cream parked a semi outside the park and handed out cold treats

This was the sweetest doubleheader in Cleveland sports history. For many, choosing between the two games was like picking between children.

“This is a dream come true,” said Amy Smith of Dover, Ohio, who came to the Indians game with her 72-year-old father, John. ”I’m jealous we can’t be at both games. We’re surrounded by awesomeness.”

John Smith remembered watching the Browns win the 1964 NFL championship, but said, ”I didn’t give it much thought.” Before two generations here came of age only with sporting heartbreak, such celebrations were commonplace. The Browns — who won seven titles under coach Paul Brown from 1946-55 — were so used to winning that they didn’t even throw a parade after the ’64 championship.

A half-century later, perhaps it is all coming full circle, the drought giving way to a biblical flood.

Alex Wolff, a 27-year-old native of Martin in Clay Township, had to be here Tuesday to see for himself.

Wolff is stationed in Sicily with the U.S. Navy. But when Cleveland clinched the American League pennant last week, the Tribe diehard dropped everything, scored a bleacher ticket, and booked a red-eye flight back to Ohio for Game 1.

“I wouldn't miss this for anything,” Wolff said.