Okay, we have one Baseball position in this series...Outfield...I've noticed, the biggest factor for the most part seems to be offensive numbers...well, except when 3B...Read More
These are just a few expressions millions of people across Earth have used to describe LeBron James after he egotistically announced he was "taking his talents" to the Miami Heat on July 9, 2010.
Critics immediately pointed to how he bailed on the Cleveland Cavaliers to band together with All-Stars like Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to form a Miami Heat team expected to compete for NBA championships for several years to come. While some criticism came in unclassy form, like from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert attacking the manner of James departure, others pointed out the obvious.
Michael Jordan, who James claims is his idol, said he would not have contacted his rivals to play with him. "I wanted to defeat those guys." Jordan stated.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson concurred those sentiments, and Charles Barkely has stated James departure of Cleveland has forever tarnished his image to the point he will never be mentioned in the same breath of the upper echelon NBA legends by his path and how he handled it.
"He grew up close to Cleveland. He put the city in the forefront by his mere presence. Now Cleveland is back to just being Cleveland again. He owed the city and organization the first word of his decision instead of the way he ultimately did it."
Barkely point of telling Cleveland first, instead of broadcasting "The Decision", has resounding truth. Some thought, since James is just 25-years old, he should have stayed in Cleveland and signed a short-term contract to try to bring the franchise their first title.
The Cavaliers bent over backwards trying to surround James with talent the past few years. Men like Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O'Neal were just a few All-Star players the Cav's grossly overpaid to desperately build talent around him in hopes of attaining a championship.
James responded to those dedicated efforts by saying, I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. I feel like it's going to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years. I want to be able to win championships and I feel like I can compete down there."
When the backlash of his perceived cowardice led to many in Cleveland burning his jersey, destroying any reminder of his time there, and other outrageous methods to show disgust, James reportedly imtimated bigotry over the color of his skin was the real factor for the outcry. Sports writers like J.A. Adande and Jason Whitlock disagreed, pointing out his callous actions towards Cleveland, and "an excuse to avoid dealing with his own bad decision."
Now he is in Miami, where Wade already helped carry a team to a title in 2006. Wade is the heart and soul of the Heat, and his body has taken a pounding trying to win. Bosh, a shooting guard stuck in a 6'10" frame, also joined Miami after years of failing to get the Toronto Raptors anywhere significant.
Miami faces the same problem many NBA teams do these days. They have power forwards as their best post option, and the question of where consistent rebounding will come from is a quandary they will face all year. Dexter Pittman is a 290-lbs rookie who dropped almost 100 pounds in college. Miami will hope he can help, or if journeyman Jamaal Magloire can find a time machine to take him back to 2003.
Otherwise the Heat will depend on Wade to get the rebounds and take the clutch shots, much like he has been doing the past few seasons. That or James will have to adjust his game to banging in the blocks and passing more than shooting, if his ego allows it.
There was a time the New York Yankees could just buy a roster by overpaying for top-tier talent to get a title in Major League Baseball. It worked in 2009, but the formula has generally fallen short of expectations. The Dallas Cowboys have been trying the same thing in the NFL to no success, and most likely saw their 2010 season ruined by another loss recently.
The Miami Heat is another one of those bad examples of trying to buy a ring. The easy path as opposed to building something special. One of the big reasons why Jordan and Johnson are so adored and respected in NBA lore is how they built their once lowly teams into champions and upper echelon teams throughout their careers. They earned their rings without it being bought for them by hiring superstars from other teams.
"I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today." Jordan said.
An opportunity not to respect full heartedly. Though it will take sweat to win, it will almost anticlimatic if Miami actually does win it all. There will be few pins and needles from fans watching them get there, and the term "front runner" will come to mind.
Society today expects it handed to them, preferring to rest on laurels set by predecessors. It is an egotistical approach that has garnered more wrath than envy from the rest of the planet. The term 'achievement' no longer holds the same definition to the modern genre as it once did.
If Miami falls short during James stay, the city of Cleveland will not smile alone. There is a reason he is ranked sixth on a "Most Disliked Athlete" list put together recently. Some view him a follower with the false label as leader. Others find him uneducated, immature, and clueless.
Examples range from his having a video of his being dunked on confiscated by handlers per his instructions, his refusal to sign a petition regarding genocide in Sudan, or his belittling Stephon Marbury as a player by saying his cheap shoe was an indication of his worth. Marbury sold a shoe for $15 so kids could afford it, as opposed to the shoes James represents that get sold by Nike for $160 and get built by sweat shop slaves with less than $2 of materials.
But this is what LeBron James is some. An image with little substance nor depth. Much like how the Miami Heat roster appears to the naked eye. So root on the dime store squad, because it is bought and paid for. That is "The Decision" the leagues corporate headquarters desires, while the rest of the planet will quietly wait for failure.
A failure James tired of and is now clearly ready to join the ranks of champion so that in a few months all can hail the king finally.
Fuck you haters, and your damn right LeBron keeping a list of everybody who has talked shit.
'Should I be who you want me to be?'
'Should I accept my role as a villain?'
'Should I make you laugh?'
'Should I be who YOU want me to be?'
Says LeBron in his new Nike commercial.
All LeBron did was leave Cleveland. And Cleveland is the worst place in the country to live. Early this year in National Survey's: Worst City to Live: Cleveland; Worst Weather: Cleveland. This is a city that treats Bernie Kosar like a King amongst Kings. And the man who does reserve that respect, who should be the city's sports hero, Jim Brown, isn't even welcomed by the Cleveland Browns new brass.
All the time, the worst shit imaginable happens to Cleveland. The Browns, getting stole right out from under the city's nose, only happens in Cleveland.
For all the bullshit the modern day pro athlete pulls and gets away with, LeBron is villified for leaving Cleveland.
Cleveland. A sports town who demands YOU respect them, because they loose so much.
Cleveland. A sports town where I once lived, but wasn't 'accepted' because I wasn't from there. It didn't matter if I went to a Browns game in a blizzard (and a 8-6 win over Buffalo) or that I had a job working at Jacobs Field for the Indians; I could never understand what its like to be a Cleveland fan.
Yeah, you loose, I get it.
Cleveland sucks. Who among us would want to live there? And if you did, and had the chance for a better life elsewhere, who would stay?
Cleveland Plain-Dealer writer Brian Windhorst, who made a name for himself covering LeBron, took a job with ESPN covering LeBron, and now has a job in Miami. Where is the outrage over that?
What if LeBron just wanted to move to a better city, Miami, where the girls, probably look a just a little better, and have the chance to play for multiple Championships. To define his legacy.
We heard for years about how Kobe only won his first three with Shaq, which he did as Shaq was the NBA Finals MVP in all three of those Championships. Who is to say he doesn't win three or five with Miami, and then move to New York to win a few more, just to prove he does belong amongst the Greatest of All-Times.
You have to own the Rings, and then we can debate how they were won.
I know, I know, it was the way he did it. Betraying Cleveland. Letting 'The Decision' happen.
What if his people talked him into, 'hey, we can raise $3 million for Charity...'
What if he already knew that Owner Dan Gilbert was a shit bird. Does anyone want to bet against me, that a marquee free agent will never sign with Cleveland, as long as Gilbert is owner, after the way he treated LeBron?
(honestly, i did think that 'letter' was hilarious though).
What if, LeBron got a lifetime exempt deal from ESPN? You do this for us, and we'll protect you through thick and thin. Part of the reason that Barry Bonds was the poster boy for the Steroid Era in baseball is because of what an asshole he was to the press. The press treated Barry like shit, and he treated them like shit right back. The problem with that is, the media can make you look like an asshole, and make most of the people believe whatever it is they tell them. Perhaps, just maybe, LeBron decided to make a lifetime ally with the World Wide Leader.
ESPN already gots his back. I saw an 8-highlight, 32-point PRESEASON performance the other night, because he is that good. And they showed it.
LeBron's legacy comes down to Championships, pure and simple. And he has a better chance to Win with Miami than he did anywhere else.
The Nike commercial asks...
'Should I be who YOU want me to be?'
No, LeBron.
Do what you need to do. And go win some fucking basketball games.
Holy Shit Batman! The Beeze is posting under NBA...Well, only one asshole can make that happen...The self appointed King has made a new NIKE commercial, and his PR team is still all about being stupid...
Dogging Cleveland one more time, and smacking any and everyone who thinks you've been a dolt...Way to "Rise"...Feel free to keep being douchebag...I hope the "King" blows out both of his knees in the first game...Hell, I wouldn't mind if he got hit by a bus...
Is it possible to feel sympathy for a multi-million dollar athlete? I guess a better question is; Does anyone believe that LeBron James has any reasons to be complaining, about anything? This past week the self-imposed King, who hasn't won dick, explained how his life is "no bed of roses". Let me pause a minute, I need to get myself together, I can't imagine how he's been able to carry on living such a nightmare. (Note to self, send him a sympathy card)
Yeah, you read that correctly, James who has a Twitter account dubbed, what else, "KingJames", explained that he routinely gets messages on his account that are anything but flattering, he says some are racist and he felt it was high time to let us get a glimpse of what it is he endures day in and day out when checking his Blackberry. Is this guy a little slow on the uptake or what? You'd think he'd maybe have picked up on being a douche in the eyes of many when at an amusement park this summer in Cleveland just after "The Decision", he was really hearing it from his "former" fans, but I guess not. This is not a very bright guy. James went public by posting some of these unflattering tweets on his Twitter account because he figured it was time for all of us to feel his pain, but in my opinion this is just another misstep by a guy who is so self-absorbed he doesn't realize that we don't really give a shit. This guy is worth close to $250 million bucks and he wants us to know how tough it is being him, that on occasion he's had the misfortune of hearing it from those who see right through him and his selfish behavior. Hey LeBron, FUCK YOU, how's that? Or is that too harsh for your sensitive skin to take OFF the court?
It never ceases to amaze me the ego's some athletes have, such as Favre, Clemons, Me-O and Ochocinco. Those are some big ego's right there, but none even come close to the swollen head James lugs around, he takes loving himself to a whole new level. What I really find funny here is this moron wants us to believe for even one second that being him has it's ups and downs, that's a laugh. He's got a posse, in Miami and Cleveland he has houses you can land planes in, equipped with barber shops, gyms, home theatres, cars, you name it. It must be a real chore getting up every day of the week knowing you have to find a way to limp through that type of lifestyle. James, your not only a TOOL, you're a douche bag on just about every level I can think of, and it's my hope that when you get to Boston next week you and your free agent laced team get the shit beat of you.
It's my pleasure to give you the "YGS Tool of the Week" - the unloved, the lonely, the hated - LeBron James!
I know this topic has been touched earlier in the week, but I thought I'd give you my take on it...A view from a bitter, Cleveland sports fan...
People of Tampa Bay, how the hell can you not turnout and support the Rays...Yes, the economy sucks, unemployment is high, rich douche-bags want more tax cuts, and I'm sure your local school district is just like mine, and will be asking for more money in November...That all said, I still have to ask, WHERE ARE YOU?
You have a team that plays in what is arguably the toughest division in Baseball...I mean it's got the Yankees and Red Sox spending boat loads on their rosters, then the Rays, the Blue Jays throw in some hot streaks, then the Orioles just suck...But the Rays have been competitive for the last 4 years, without pouring mountains of cash into their roster...They're being financially responsible, and developing quality talent, and they are making the Yankees work for it...So why are you people not coming out? Drawing 17,000 the last week of the season, during a pennant race is just sad...The team giving away 20,000 tickets just to get some asses in the seats...UNREAL!
If your team was playing for a different city, like ummm, Cleveland, or Kansas City, or Pittsburgh, or Milwaukee...those stadiums would be packed, every night...Cities like these are starving for what you have...I'll trade you the Indians and the Cavs right now, for the Rays! Then you can not support two teams...And we'll pack the house...Oh wait, you're already not supporting two teams...I just read yesterday, that it's projected that at least 6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games will be blacked out, because it doesn't look like they'll sellout...Hey, I know the days of John Lynch, Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, and a revolving door of average quarterbacks are gone, but your team isn't totally awful...Hell they're 2-1...Browns fans are still scratching their heads about that!
And even if the Football isn't great, you still have some killer cheerleaders!
Get out there and support your teams...You're gonna be sad when the Rays pack up and move, anywhere...
while I'm taking to people in Florida, let me smack LeBron James a bit...I know he's in Miami, but it's all the same stupid state...James and his 22 year old, college dropout, head of stupidity, Maverick Carter, are saying that the reason people in Cleveland don't like James, and the reason the media has shit on him since he made "The Decision", is because he's black...Everyone is suddenly a racist in Cleveland...First fuck-tard, you do know Cleveland is approximately 53% black (African American)...And a number of people in the media, who think you're tool, are also black...
The reasons for why people don't like LeBron James are simple...He's an asshole! The giving up against the Celtics didn't help...Not delivering the championships he said he would hurt, but it's mainly because, he's an asshole!
Lebron and Carter, do every one a favor...Shut up...If you can't do that, take it to the next step...Rap your lips around the business end of a shotgun, and pull the trigger!
You won't be missed, and you won't be cock blocking Delonte West and you Mother anymore!
