Cleveland's conundrum: World Series Game 1 or Cavaliers' ring ceremony?
The city of Cleveland has been waiting 52 years to raise a championship banner. Now it has six days to decide whether the Cavaliers NBA championship ceremony will trump being witness to what could be the beginning of the end of the Indians 68-year World Series championship drought.
That’s right, after decades of being a laughing stock, the sports world will revolve around Cleveland on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 25. On one side of Gateway Plaza, the Cavaliers will celebrate their NBA championship before their home opener against the New York Knicks. At the exact same time just a few-hundred feet away, the Indians will be playing host to Game 1 of the World Series at Progressive Field after defeating the Blue Jays in the ALCS.
Talk about a conundrum of epic proportions. Not only will fans have to decide which game to watch, some might have to decide which game to attend. And others with plans on driving will have to find a parking spot.
Good luck with that.
We’ve known this possibility existed since the American League won home-field advantage in the All-Star game. It really started coming into focus in September, when it became clear the Indians were headed to the postseason. Now that it’s a reality, Cleveland will definitely be rocking right down to its foundation.
Indians could host Game 1 of the World Series the same night Cavaliers get their rings & raise the banner. Downtown Cleveland might implode
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) October 18, 2016
Chaos might be the most appropriate word, but it will be the type of chaos Cleveland sports fans have been dreaming about for a long time. That it’s actually going to play out might feel surreal to some. But maybe that’s where the Browns come in. They’ll serve as the pinch of reality, as it’s possible they’ll be sitting at 0-7 when Tuesday rolls around.
The only fans with an easy decision come Tuesday might be the Cavaliers themselves. As we’ve seen, LeBron James and many of his teammates have been among the Indians biggest supporters throughout their run. Many, including James, have attended multiple playoff games to show their support. Were guessing they’d be there again if they could, but getting out of work won’t be as easy as calling in sick.
Regardless of how it feels or who watches what, this has become Cleveland’s year to shine. If the Indians can cap it off with a championship, the party might not stop for another 52 years.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
