CLEVELAND, Ohio – After starting earlier today, cleveland.com continues its countdown of the 40 most influential people in Cleveland sports here.
This list isn’t about the people with the most money, power, or endorsements. It’s a compilation of the 40 people who have the most influence on the happiness of Cleveland sports fans…or lack thereof.
Today and over the next few weeks, we’ll be counting down athletes, management, owners and even those who work on the periphery of the sport to see who does the most to shape the emotional state of Cleveland sports fans.
Please understand that our list extends from Cleveland to Columbus and beyond.
We know that some people will like our list, and some people won’t. But that’s okay. If we can somehow improve your happiness, we’ll take it as an honor.
We continue with:
No. 39. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens coach
He coached one fewer year than Mike Tomlin, but he has four more playoff wins. He has a better winning percentage against the Browns (78.1 percent) than former Bill Cowher (77.8 percent). In fact, the biggest difference between Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Steelers coaches Tomlin and Cowher might be that Harbaugh’s franchise stole the Browns’ history.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Baltimore franchise might not exist if former Browns owner Art Modell hadn’t moved the football team out of Cleveland. So when the Ravens beat the Browns, or add another playoff win, or give their coach another extension (Harbaugh has eight contracts and counting), it hurts doubly. And since Harbaugh took over in 2007, the Ravens haven’t lost often.
They are 25-7 against Cleveland in that span, 160-99 overall. Harbaugh has coached just two losing seasons in 16 years. And given that Baltimore has reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson under contract for four years, In a few years, Cleveland will be able to count on the Ravens as a constant obstacle to the playoffs for at least that long.
As for Harbaugh, Browns fans can only count down the days until the 61-year-old runs out of steam or hope the Ravens lose patience with a coach who is 2-5 in his last seven playoff games. But don’t count on either. Coaching endurance runs in the family for Harbaugh — his father, Jack, coached into his 70s — and patience permeates Baltimore, which should be Cleveland, which can’t stand Harbaugh’s model of consistency.
