The wait is over for my friend Jon-Michael and the rest of the Cleveland sports fan base, a Championship is back in “C-Town.” That’s right the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL (American Hockey League) has won the 2015-16 Calder Cup, and has put the 52 year Cleveland Championship drought to bed.

The last Championship for the Cleveland Browns was when they were crowned the 1964 NFL Champions defeating the Baltimore Colts at Cleveland Municipal Stadium 27-0.

The last Cleveland Indian Championship was in 1948 when the Indians defeated the Boston Braves 4 games to 2 to win the World Series.

Irving, James, and Love

As for the Cavilers their still looking for their first NBA title, and are in the midst of a possible championship right now, but are down 3 games to 1 to the Golden State Warriors who defeated the Cavs last year to win it all. And even though Lebron and Company are down, and the odds stacked against them, it can still be done. Remember the  2004 Red Sox team that came back from from a 0-3 deficit to the Yankees, winning the next four to advance, and eventually win their first World Series since 1918.

2015-16 Calder Cup Champions – Lake Erie Monsters

But back to the matter at hand … a Championship in Cleveland!

The Monsters looked extremely strong in the playoffs and, as we all know hockey is a very streaky sport. Lake Erie got hot and stayed hot at the right time. The Monsters took games 1 and 2 from the Hersey Bears in Pennsylvania pretty handedly 4-1, and 5-3 respectively. The two games in Cleveland were a different story, were a lot closer, both needing over time. Game 3 was won in O.T. 3-2. And as for game four on Saturday night, Monster fans endured 3 scoreless periods, before, with just 1.9 seconds left in overtime Right Wing Oliver Bjorkstrand slapped in the winning goal to give the Monsters the 1-0 win, and the the franchise, its first AHL Championship.

Bjorkstrand may be number 29 in the programs, but, for the Cleveland sports fan he is now #1!

Congrats Lake Erie… the proverbially monkey is finally off Cleveland’s back … kinda.

(photos courtesy of: Getty, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Lake Erie Monsters)