It could be worse: This could be Cleveland

By Walter Villa

Ben's suspension, more Pirates frustration and what has to be considered a Penguins' aberration - 2010 hasn't been kind to Pittsburgh.

Roethlisberger's sordid off-field issues will force him to miss four-to-six games, the Pirates are a lock to again skip the playoffs, and the Pens failed to make the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2007.

Disappointing? Sure.

But look at it this way: We're not Cleveland.

Our pathetic neighbors have not won a World Series since 1948, lost their NHL team in 1978 and have never won a Super Bowl or an NBA title.

Pittsburgh, in contrast, has won numerous major championships, including a Super Bowl and a Stanley Cup in a four-month span in 2009 that had to drive Cleveland crazy.

Cleveland is like a dateless man living next to the Playboy Mansion, except that at least that guy gets to live in Los Angeles.

But it gets worse for Cleveland.

Akron native LeBron James may have played his final game for the Cavaliers. If LeBron LeLeaves in free agency next month, Cleveland's fortunes as a sports city will sink lower than the Greek economy.

This would be the biggest rejection in sports history.

No, King James wouldn't be the first member of sports royalty to abdicate his throne in the prime of his career.  But this rarity usually happens in a trade - not in free agency, where a player has a choice.

And when you add the fact that LeBron would be leaving his home-state team and that the Cavs plan to match or exceed any financial offer, you couldn't blame Cleveland fans for feeling depressed if he gives the city the pink slip.

Already this offseason, the Cavs have fired coach Mike Brown, seen general manager Danny Ferry resign and been rejected by Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

Here's the kicker for Cleveland: When mega departures have happened in sports history, those franchises have usually needed decades to recover.

Some have yet to recover.

The Boston Red Sox were cursed for 65 years after trading Babe Ruth. The Milwaukee Bucks won their only NBA title with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and have been largely forgotten since they dealt him to the Lakers.  And Seattle has been sleepless since Alex Rodriguez bolted the Mariners after the 2000 season in a decision that was solely based on money.

Now, it's Cleveland's turn.

Suddenly, by using Ohioans for perspective, the Penguins' pain of blowing a 3-2 series lead to Montreal doesn't hurt quite as much, another losing Pirates season is tolerable, and a Steelers team weakened by Roethlisberger's absence is easier to accept by repeating three simple words:

We're. Not Cleveland.