Great Article I found on
www.theclevelandfan.com-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Favorite Son
Many an individual has hypothesized on why the Indians still struggle in attendance this season, despite a solid playoff-worthy record, whilst the excitement for the Browns, a 4-12 team last season, grows exponentially each day.
Here’s my stupid metaphor:
Cleveland is the father. He has three sons – Indians, the eldest, Browns, the middle child, and Cavaliers, the youngster.
Now, like most fathers, Cleveland proclaims that he loves all his boys equally, but this is not the case.
Cavaliers is by far the youngest son, and, until this last year, the quietest. Cleveland often would refer to his “two sons” in polite conversation, only to be gently reminded that he had three boys. “Ha ha, yes, I suppose that’s true,” Cleveland would chortle. “I guess I forgot about Cavaliers because he’s never really done anything that I’ve cared about.” Parents can be cruel.
And, despite Indians being Cleveland’s eldest son, Cleveland has been disappointed by him for a long time. Shortly after graduating high school, Indians got a prostitute pregnant, went on a drinking and methadone binge that lasted a LONG time, and ended up in rehab in the early 90’s. Lately, he’s been trying his best to win back his father’s love, but it is difficult, because papa will never love him the way he loves…
Browns. Browns was successful right from his childhood. He made his father immensely proud in high school, and graduated with great honors. Certainly, his early adult life was marked with hardships, but Cleveland respected his efforts, and his love for the boy never waned. So when Browns made it back to prominence in the late 80’s – when Indians was in the middle of the worst of his addictions and Cavaliers was still marveling at his new growth of pubic hair, Browns ruled Father Cleveland’s affections.
To this day, Browns is still Cleveland’s Favorite Son – a love that was strengthened all the more by the brief period of time when Browns disappeared and was feared dead. Since his return, he has not been the same – injured, thin, and weak - but Father Cleveland still keeps watching and waiting – waiting for the day when his Favorite Son returns to form.
