Troy L. Smith, Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio – It’s an exciting time to be a sports fan in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers and Indians are so good it feels like we’re surrounded by a bunch of superheroes. Even the Browns have a few players who seem larger than life.
With the Cavs now back into playoff action, we thought we’d look at the top athletes and sports figures in Northeast Ohio and compare them to their comic book counterparts.
LeBron James / Captain America
What else could King James be? We were tempted to go with Iron Man or even Batman. But LeBron is simply the leader of all leaders, making everyone around him better and boosting the morale of an entire city a la Captain America.
Kyrie Irving / Robin
Yeah, we know we passed on Batman for LeBron James. And You might think it’s an insult to call Irving Robin, the ultimate sidekick. But that’s just the role he plays now. Comic book fans will tell you, Robin always showed potential to be the top star.
Joe Thomas / Hulk
Just look at Joe Thomas. He’s huge, intimidating and the ultimate immovable force. Something tells us opposing defensive lineman don’t like him when he’s angry either.
Francisco Lindor / Spider-Man
Lindor is the perfect combination of speed, power, agility and defense on the baseball field. And there’s no superhero as well rounded than Spider-Man. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in strength and star-power.
Stipe Miocic / Colossus
If you’re not familiar with the X-Men’s top strong guy, you should be. Colossus and Miocic have similar styles, right before they suit up (In Colossus’ case, his body becomes steel) and destroy you.
J.R. Smith / Punisher
Smith has always had a rebellious vibe to him. But he’s put that defiant nature to good use with the Cavs. What made this comparison easy is Smith’s ability to just shoot when in doubt. No comic book character shoots more than the Punisher.
Corey Kluber / Cyborg
Kluber’s own nickname is “Klubot.” He walks out and takes care of business with precision like a robot. Thus, we’ve paired him with DC’s Cyborg, who has genius level intelligence, is great at hand-to-hand combat and, of course, has robotic parts that give him superpowers.
Jessica Eye / Black Widow
Eye is currently taking time off from mixed martial arts. But when she’s in the Octagon, she’s a true badass with fighting skills unlike any other woman in Cleveland. The same can be said for the Black Widow, who kicks serious butt with the other Avengers.
Jason Kipnis / Wolverine
Kipnis has become a clubhouse leader with the Indians. But he still likes getting dirty. He’s the kind of guy you don’t want to mess with but you’d love to have your back. Nothing says grit, determination and don’t mess with me like Wolverine.
Kevin Love / Gambit
Like the charismatic character Gambit, Love has the looks, charm and skills to woo the ladies and nail a game-winning shot.
Troy L. Smith, Cleveland.com
Julie Foucher / Rogue
Foucher has been Cleveland’s top CrossFit athlete for a few years now. Her strength is beyond belief, just like X-Men’s tough lady Rogue, who can fly and lift anything she chooses.
Terry Francona / Professor X
Francona is such a laid back leader of a great team. Who else could we compare him to other than Professor Charles Xavier. Their matching hairstyles (or lack thereof) help.
Kyle Korver / Hawkeye
No comic book character has an eye like Hawkeye, who can fire an arrow at an opponent from any distance. When Korver is on, he’s an assassin from the beyond the three-point line.
Tristan Thompson / Black Panther
We’re cheating a bit here, since Thompson’s Halloween costume was Black Panther. But they have similar traits. Neither is outspoken, but handles their duties with a workman like mentality.
Joe Haden / Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler has the ability to appear out of nowhere and leave a villain unconscious before he knows what hit him. Many NFL wide receivers have probably felt the same way when being defended by Haden.
Josh Gordon / Deadpool
Deadpool is an awesome comic book hero who can take out several foes at once. But he’s also a goofball who can be hard to control. There’s no doubting Gordon’s ability on the field…assuming he can get back on the field.
Myles Garrett / Luke Cage
No. 1 draft pick Garrett is a great addition to the Browns. Anyone who saw him play defensive end at Texas A&M knows his physical gifts made him look indestructible. Kind like Luke Cage, who shatters hands with his face.
Hue Jackson / Nick Fury
Jackson is the leader of the Browns, which isn’t an easy task. But he handles it with class and the poise of a true veteran. All he's missing is the eye-patch and we’d swear he was S.H.I.E.L.D.’s top guy Nick Fury.
James Harrison / Venom
We've added in some villains just for the fun of it. First up is the Steelers jacked defender James Harrison, who looks pretty vicious, a la venom, on the field.
Isaiah Thomas / Green Goblin
To be honest, most Cavs fans will tell you they have respect for Isaiah Thomas and his game. But the Celtics guard is a villain during this playoff series. Given his team colors, the Green Goblin was an obvious choice.
Ben Roethlisberger / Thanos
Big Ben has been torturing the Browns for years and probably will continue to do so this year. We kept things fresh by pairing him with the ever powerful Thanos from "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Draymond Green / The Joker
When you kick LeBron and get suspended during the NBA Finals, the comparison is simple -- You are a joke.
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