Cleveland Sport Teams | An Undefeated Passion

One city, three pro sports teams

By Destination Cleveland

By John D. Luteran

Cleveland Sports (21st Century) by Nathan MigalDestination Cleveland

A Fanbase of Optimists

In Cleveland, sports aren't just a night out at the ballpark or randomly catching the game on TV. It's inextricably woven into the fabric of what it means to be a Clevelander and handed down - like season tickets - from one generation to the next.

League Park & Baseball Heritage Museum (cont.) (21st Century) by Destination ClevelandDestination Cleveland

Pressure Creates Diamonds

Time and memory are marked by the moments we experience as a community. Our grandparents knew victory. Our parents? Decades of struggle. A time marked by moments like The Drive and The Shot. It wasn't until this generation - and The Block - that victory returned to The Land.

Tremont Tap HouseDestination Cleveland

A Way of Life

Sports in CLE aren’t life or death, they’re just life. Weekends are planned around where you're watching the game. Weddings are planned around bye weeks. You see team logos on laptops and lunch pails alike. It's not whether you're wearing a jersey to work, it's which jersey.

1999-2021 (21st Century) by Cleveland BrownsDestination Cleveland

Cleveland Browns

In Ohio, football is king, and it's no different in Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns dominate sports conversation year-round. A storied tradition since 1946, names like Paul Brown, Otto Graham and the great Jim Brown are etched into the annals of football history.

Cleveland Tailgate by Nathan MigalDestination Cleveland

Beyond the Dawg Pound

Browns games are citywide holidays. Bars fill up with friends and family. Church goers rush home after the final "Amen" to begin their second vigil. True diehards line up before dawn for the Muni Lot, a tailgater's paradise with orange school buses and gourmet gameday eats.  

Burning River Roller Derby, ClevelandDestination Cleveland

Burning River Roller Derby

You think the Browns hit hard? The Burning River Roller Derby competes in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association with a mission to provide an inclusive community for all women and other marginalized genders to pursue athleticism and personal strength. That's tough enough.

Cleveland Sports (21st Century) by Nathan MigalDestination Cleveland

Cleveland Cavaliers

From the highs of the "Miracle at Richfield," to the agony of running up against Michael Jordan's Bulls time and again, the Cleveland Cavaliers have given us amazing moments for over 50 years. Head Downtown on any game night and you’ll feel that electricity.

Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Championship Parade by Cody YorkDestination Cleveland

That One Special Day

In 2003, the direction of the franchise changed forever, when the Cavs drafted a local phenom from just down I-77. Thirteen years (and a couple of decisions) later, 1.3 million fans lined the streets of Cleveland to celebrate the city's first championship in over 50 years.

Stipe MiocicDestination Cleveland

The Land of Stipe

Beloved Clevelander Stipe Miocic won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2016. He went on to become the only fighter to defend his title three consecutive times. The best part? The greatest UFC heavyweight of all time is still a full-time firefighter in suburban Valley View, Oh.

Bob Feller & Carl Hubbell (1940) by Gjon MiliLIFE Photo Collection

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland's longest-tenured pro sports team has been a constant in this city through good times and bad. When spring hits, the countdown to the Home Opener begins. Walk around the city on a game day and you'll see patios filled with fans decked out in CLE gear.

Bob Feller Statue (21st Century) by Erik DrostDestination Cleveland

Rally Together

After the team's inaugural season as the Cleveland Guardians, the only thing that's changed is the name and logo. The team and its history remain the same. Head to Progressive Field and you'll see a community come together to root for The Land with every pitch (and Hot Dog race).

The Great OutdoorsDestination Cleveland

The Great Outdoors

CLE is paradise for runners, hikers and bikers alike. The Cleveland Metroparks offer over 300 miles of trails from Lake Erie in the north to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in the south. Or, try the 87-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, its five nature preserves and wildlife.

Cleveland MonstersDestination Cleveland

Cleveland Monsters

The AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, the Cleveland Monsters continues the city's long love affair with pro hockey that goes back to the 1930s. Fun Fact: By winning the Calder Cup in 2016, the Monsters actually beat the Cavs to a championship by just over a week.

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