Watch: 5 legendary moments in Cleveland sporting failure

For the first time in 19 years, a major Cleveland sports franchise finds itself in a Game 7 of a championship series Sunday. A Cavaliers win over the Golden State Warriors would end a 52-year title drought for the city and end any perceived athletic curse on the south shore of Lake Erie.

While Cleveland's teams have rarely made it as far as their respective championship rounds - this is the Cavs' third NBA Finals appearance - it is the manner in which the city's squads were eliminated that's been so galling for fans in northeast Ohio.

The following are on-field failures; not to be confused with off-field heartbreak, like the Cleveland Browns leaving town in 1995 and LeBron James leaving town in 2010 (after all, both the Browns and LeBron eventually returned).

Red Right 88 (1981)

The 1980 Browns had the best record in the AFC. In their divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders, however, they elected to go for the end zone trailing by two with under a minute left - rather than attempt a field goal that would give them the lead. It did not go well.

The Raiders would go on to win the Super Bowl.

The Drive (1987)

Hosting the AFC Championship Game with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line, the Browns watched the Denver Broncos' John Elway lead his team on a 98-yard, game-tying drive in the final six minutes of regulation. Denver would eventually win in overtime.

The Fumble (1988)

In the following year's AFC title game rematch, the Browns were driving for the tie, trailing 38-31 with 1:12 left. The drive ended with Earnest Byner fumbling at the one-yard line, and the Broncos returning to the Super Bowl.

The Shot (1989)

The 1988-89 Cavaliers were the second-best team in the East, with first-round home-court advantage over Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls two years before the latter team got over the hump and started winning titles. In the deciding Game 5 at home, Cleveland bore witness to Jordan's growing legend.

Off Nagy's glove (1997)

Prior to Sunday, this is the last Game 7 with the league championship on the line that a Cleveland franchise has been in. A Tony Fernandez error in the bottom of the 11th inning helped load the bases for the Marlins' Edgar Renteria, who poked the World Series-winning hit into center that just grazed past Indians pitcher Charles Nagy's glove.