I'm 52 years old, but as I sit at my desk at work, I feel like a 10 year old who's heard some bad news. That might not come as much of a surprise to the folks I've worked with these many years at the Erie Times-News, but I suspect I'm not the only Cleveland Indians fan in Erie feeling this way at the moment.

An hour ago, as I waited excitedly for the group of Indians players and club officials to arrive here, we received word that the Tribe was not coming. Susie Giuliano, public relations official for the club, called to say that the bus had made it as far as the Ohio-Pennsylvania line. "But we saw two trucks buried in the median, and when we called the weatherman in Cleveland, from Channel 3, he said another terrible front is about to move through the area," Susie said. "So, we decided to turn back."

It was a crusher for 500-plus Indians fans who were prepared to welcome the group at the Barber National Institute. The weather is bad -- no doubt about that. A terrible, 30-car pileup on Interstate 90, near the Harborcreek exit, had already claimed one life today.

But in downtown Erie, most vehicles had little trouble navigating through the snowy streets. The bottom line from disappointed Indians fans seemed to be: "We've seen it much worse than this. If the Tribe Caravan made it as far as the state line, it should have kept coming."

It says two things about Erie folks: first, we're a hardy lot. It takes a mountain of snow and sub-zero temperatures for a month to keep us down. Secondly, a visit from the major league baseball team to our west matters significantly.

That both the Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates send representatives from their teams to "touch base" with local fans shows locals that the big-leagues guys respect us. At least Cleveland's Giuliano, always a friend to Tribe fans from this region, had the good grace to apologize profusely and to promise to mail the items that would have been auctioned tonight.

To be honest, Cleveland fans in Erie have no complaints. The club has done well by us through the years -- at least in January, when the caravan visits town. Once the regular season starts, we're on our own.

So, why am I so disappointed? Well, because I love listening to baseball talk in January, especially on a snowy night. The players on the caravan always seem to let their hair down, too. They'll share jokes and tell stories about their teammates that fans like me normally wouldn't hear.

Many also get caught up in the spirit of their audience, and they make pronouncements about the great things to come.

Yes, I'm feeling a bit low about the failure of the Tribe to show up this year. It figures. We had barely a taste of winter in 2007 until two days ago, and now the snow scares off the Indians. Hope they're not turning soft on us. We'll need a hardy bunch to fight off the Tigers, Twins, White Sox and Royals this season.

-- Kevin Cuneo

To everyone who follows your Reader's Forum -- Send me a message to let me know what's on your mind. Remember, your comments make this blog a dialogue!