This really isn't a post about Cleveland, or about Lebron for that matter. But as a preface, it should be noted that fans in Cleveland just hit an all-time low during Lebron's defection from Ohio. Fans are ready for riot, burning James' jerseys and crying out loud. Even the owner lashed out like a scorned ex-lover. He wasn't reacting as a businessman, he was reacting as a man deeply emotionally invested in his team and his players.
And it makes me worry about how I'll act one day if Nicolas Batum gets traded or leaves in free-agency. It sounds pathetic to say, but I'm already saying that I'm probably not going to handle it well. It's so rare that a player stays in one place for their careers these days. And now that Portland is in a bit of turmoil with it's front office, there's no guarantees that anybody on the roster will be seen as essential outside of Brandon Roy. And that's great for Roy, but not great if he's not the guy you're pulling for.
Truthfully, I don't know how I'm going to act. But I know one thing, it's more probable that sometime down the road, he'll be playing somewhere else. It's just the way the system works. I'm no fool. I would hope that I would handle it well. I hope that I'll be able to wish him well and follow him and his new team along with the Blazers. And that does sound pretty doable. I'm not above rooting for two teams if my favorite player is on their squad.
But looking at what happened over the last day or so in Cleveland worries me. Some people were so into Lebron James, so tied into his decision that everything came out sideways when the ruling didn't go their way. If you would've told some of those fans two years ago that they'd be burning James' jersey in the street in protest, they wouldn't have believed it. They wouldn't have thought themselves capable.
It wasn't like James got arrested for anything. He didn't rape anybody. He didn't kill anybody. No DUI's, no domestic violence, no rampant rumors of him cheating on his wife. There's no shady business deals to report and not a single reason to expect James to be surrounded by a team of lawyers in any court, criminal or civil. If you were going to root for anybody as a Cavs fan, Lebron was the best bet for your money on every level. But look at how that tower crumbled in a heartbeat. It's amazing.
The true sports fan is an odd duck. There's something about us that doesn't make sense. At this point, I'm saying that if Nicolas Batum ever left, I couldn't imagine myself ever burning a jersey or turning over a car or destroying the cards I've worked so hard to collect. But hell, there are a lot of otherwise responsible people in Cleveland who've done some really irresponsible things lately.
Let's hope that in that day that Batum leaves the club - and may it be a long way in the future - my wife or a friend gets a hold of me before I get a hold of a glass of scotch and my Bowman RC's. Don't want to do anything I'd regret.
4 comments:
I felt sorry for Cleveland at first, until the owner posted that letter. A classy organization would have expressed remorse then wished him well while vowing to continue the pursuit of a championship. If I were him, i'd be glad to be away from a place that would stab you in the back that quickly. Maybe he didn't do it the best way but we all knew this was coming three years ago. People need to take a step back and realize what's really important in life.
So who do you think got their hands on the jerseys they were wearing last night to put them in "event used" relic cards?
Man, I flipped my neighbors Subaru when I hear Rudy might be going to the Knicks. And then he didn't. My neighbor doesn't say hi anymore.
Found a mini for you at the card shop today -- Dave Cowens #141 :)
I don't think you really can comprehend the impact Lebron had here in Cleveland.
He was a great player, but he was also a local. We finally had something the rest of the country didn't have, one of the best basketball players in the planet. And for him to just up and leave, on LIVE NATIONAL TELEVISION, is upsetting to say the least. People burn jerseys and get upset when their favorite player leaves for somewhere else.
To compound this disaster, Lebron had an insane impact on our economy downtown. Businesses, bars, and other places saw a huge cash influx from the Lebron lead Cavs. If you've ever been to our city, there isn't much downtown. So to finally have downtown show some rejuvenation, it was really damn exciting. Not to mention the playoff basketball.
And in two sentences spanning 30 seconds on the worst sports channel in America, it's all gone.
And what could be worse, it could be the end of basketball in Cleveland.
This is why us Clevelander's reacted the way we did. I really doubt that makes our lot look like we are at an "all-time low".
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