When you hail from the best city in Ohio, it’s easy to turn up your nose on your neighboring cities.
As a proud Columbus native, I will always go to bat for the 614. We’re not the most well-known, or the most talked-about, but as the capital city and the home of Ohio State football, Columbus is at the top.
Unfortunately, this column isn’t about C-Bus. It’s about the other big Cs.
I have no dog in the fight between Cleveland and Cincinnati. Both are fine cities, considering they’re the second or third best in Ohio, depending on your order. I have friends and family in both and while I can’t claim them as my hometown, I could see them both potentially being my future home.
Some people like polish boys while some prefer a three-way from Skyline Chili. It’s a tasty and fun debate.
But the debate for which city has dealt with the most sports heartbreak? That’s a tough one.
Last week, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians fans both had their souls crushed after watching their teams be eliminated by the Braves and Yankees, respectively. For Reds fans, it was tough to see their team, which at one point was considered a World Series contender, cap off a disappointing season.
For Indians fans, this season was a blessing and a curse. The team wasn’t supposed to be very good yet managed to secure the fourth seed behind excellent pitching. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the Indians defense and superstar Francisco Lindor, were nowhere to be found against the pinstripes.
At this point, you could mark up 2020 as another disappointing year for Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Reds and Indians are out of the playoffs, FC Cincinnati is awful and the Cavaliers were so bad it took a pandemic to stop them from losing.
But don’t give up yet, neighbors.
This weekend, I saw something that warmed my heart. For the first time since December 2018, the Browns and the Bengals won on the same weekend. Yes, you read that right.
I know it seems like I’m bashing Cleveland and Cincinnati even more, but I’m serious. Growing up in Ohio when you’re not a Browns or Bengals fan causes you to look at both franchises as a joke.
I mean, can you blame me?
The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1991, the Browns starting quarterback changes more than the Saturday Night Live host and the Steelers were the only team nearby that was successful.
But from what I saw on Sunday, I believe things can change.
Bengals fans saw their savior Joe Burrow win the first of hopefully many games and the Browns, by the way of trick plays and Odell Beckham Jr., beat my childhood favorite Cowboys on their home field.
Neither of the wins I considered my own, but it did feel good to see my friends and family not talk about the misery they often deal with every week. My Cowboys may have lost, but the people I care about won.
Ready for your lesson?
Sometimes in life, we don’t take the time to celebrate or appreciate our friends' small wins. The Bengals will probably continue to struggle and the Browns by no means are Super Bowl contenders, but it made a lot of people happy to see them win this weekend.
I could’ve soaked about my Cowboys, but instead I realized, “wow, the Browns are good for the first time in a very long time.” Take a second out of your day to appreciate your friends, family or even neighbors’ victories.
Even if you lost.
