Jocks & Drake & Rock n' Roll: The Cleveland vs. Toronto scorecard

This Friday, Cleveland and Toronto begin the American League Championship Series - the second time in the past five months these cities have faced off. While Cleveland has the edge in basketball thanks to the Cavaliers' 4-2 win over the Raptors in last May's NBA eastern final, it remains to be seen how they'll stack up in baseball - as for a number of other items, here you go, and let the arguments begin.

TOURIST ATTRACTION

Hockey Hall of Fame vs. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Downtown Cleveland is home to some of music’s greatest artifacts, housed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Want to get a look at some of Jimi Hendrix’s ruffled blouses or Michael Jackson’s famous sequined glove? Then head on down to Cleveland. But want a close-up look at the Stanley Cup or Wayne Gretzky’s rookie jersey, and it’s Toronto and the Hockey Hall of Fame you’re looking for.

Winner: Cleveland. It’s tough for sweat-stained jerseys to compete with the original Flava Flav Nike jacket and giant clock.

NICKNAME

"The Six" (or The 6, The 6ix) vs. "The Cleve"

No one quite knows exactly why we call Toronto The Six, but Drake said it once so now everyone who lives in the city’s boundaries has to as well. It is most likely a reference to Toronto’s most common area code, 416, and that the city used to be broken up into six separate boroughs. Cleveland, meanwhile, has a host of nicknames but none perhaps so catchy as “The Cleve,” made famous by NBC comedy 30 Rock in an episode titled "Cleveland," which manages to paint the city as an idyllic place where Liz Lemon is a model, you can pet a police horse and everything smells good because, well, Cleveland.

Winner: Toronto. Put it this way: Would you rather, “flee to the Cleve and club-hop down at the Flats and have lunch with Little Richard,” or be “Runnin' through the 6 with (your) woes”?

'90s COMEDIAN

Mike Myers vs. Drew Carey

Drew Carey is not only Cleveland’s best-known '90s comedian, but he might be one of the city’s biggest promoters. After all, he based his sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, in Cleveland and made sure we were all well aware that “Cleveland Rocks!” He’s also a huge supporter of the city's teams and was named “greatest Indians fan alive” by the club, along with being given his own bobblehead. Mike Myers, meanwhile, is a proud Scarborough native who already has a street named after him in his childhood neighbourhood and, as a long-suffering fan, can often be found wearing his Maple Leafs jersey.

Winner: Cleveland, but we all know the points don't matter.

RAPPER

Drake vs. Kid Cudi

Born Aubrey Drake Graham, rapper Drake has become the unofficial ambassador of Toronto and easily its most recognizable celebrity. You can find Drake at the sidelines of Raptors games, hosting his own music festival or just chilling on the CN Tower. Also before music, Drake was a star of beloved Canadian TV show, Degrassi: The Next Generation (more on that later). Kid Cudi is a Grammy-winning rapper and producer, who has enjoyed solid success and is well known for his original and creative work. He too has dabbled in acting, including guest spots in The Cleveland Show and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Winner: Toronto. Drake is to Toronto - sorry, The 6ix - what Drew Carey is to Cleveland.

TV SHOW

Hot in Cleveland vs. Degrassi

Sure, Hot in Cleveland has Betty White playing a "sassy" caretaker, but Degrassi, and its many iterations, stars real teenagers dealing with real teenager issues.

Winner: Toronto. Hot in Cleveland ran for six seasons with its ratings tailing off toward the end, whereas Degrassi has proven it will continue to educate youth on drugs, bullying and teen pregnancy until the end of time.

ICONIC ATHLETE

Jose Bautista vs. LeBron James

Fans burned his jersey when he departed, but they welcomed LeBron back with open arms when he decided to bring his talents back to his home state to play for the Cavaliers two years ago. They especially loved him after he led the Cavs to back-to-back Finals and, finally, mercifully ended the city’s 52-year championship drought with a win in June. While Toronto’s Jose Bautista is not a native son, the city has adopted him as its own, having been the place where he’s looked most at home as a big-leaguer. If nothing else, he gave the city its most iconic sports moment in more than two decades with his bat-flip to end all bat flips during last year’s playoff run.

Winner: Cleveland. LeBron is tough to beat - just ask the 2016 Golden State Warriors.

BEST SPORTS MOMENT

1993 World Series vs. 2016 NBA Championship

The Blue Jays completed back-to-back championships when Joe Carter hit a walkoff, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift Toronto over Philadelphia for the World Series title. It remains the last time a Toronto team won a championship in the major North American leagues. As mentioned, Cleveland saw its own drought end this year when the Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to the Golden State Warriors in this year’s NBA Finals to win the championship.

Winner: Toronto. If the Cavaliers repeat this upcoming NBA season and LeBron hits the buzzer-beating shot, perhaps we can revisit this argument.

SADDEST SPORTS MOMENT

Bruins vs. Leafs 2013 vs. Every Browns game

The Browns losing in spectacular ways has become somewhat ordinary, expected even - they don't call it the Factory of Sadness for nothing. But the Maple Leafs reached a new low with their third-period collapse against Boston on May 13, 2013. Leading 4-1 with less than 10 minutes to go until a second-round berth, the Leafs allowed three quick goals to the Bruins. Patrice Bergeron scored the game-winner six minutes into overtime, and the image of a sprawled out James Reimer became forever etched in every Leafs fan’s mind.

Winner: There are no winners here