An Eriote original.

I was born with a special gift.

The ability to mentally transform any situation into the worst-case scenario.

In my own brain.

My therapist calls my gift catastrophizing.

And that's why I'm uniquely qualified to scrutinize and analyze history's greatest disasters.

And find out who's to blame.

They say history repeats itself.

Not on my watch.

My name is Rebecca Delgado-Smith, and I am the alarmist.

Hey everyone, thanks for tuning into the alarmist.

A comedy podcast where we talk about history's greatest tragedies and figure out who's to blame.

Today we're discussing Balloon Fest 86.

Here's what you need to know.

It was known as the Mistake on the Lake.

Cleveland, Ohio, the city on the shore of Lake Eri,

had been the butt of jokes for years as one of America's worst cities.

What began as an industrial center in the early 20th century

had turned into a city known for pollution, factory debris, and a failing football team.

Cleveland needed a makeover, a rebrand that would change the narrative, prove America wrong,

and put them back on the map.

But what could they possibly do to transform the cleave from the heckled to hip?

...