Normally, we here at Golfstinks do our thing a little differently. We tend to approach the game of golf from a slightly different angle than most others. And today is no different.
I have come to accept the fact that most athletes, superstars especially, be it a team sport or not, are more “Me, me, me” than “Team, team, team.” But never (in my opinion) in the history of professional sports was it so blatantly obvious as it was with the recent LeBron James spectacle. Being a fan of all three major sports in the U.S., I was completely and utterly disgusted by the show Lebron James has been putting on for some time now. And it all came to a head on this past Thursday night. But I don’t want to put all of my disgust into only Lebron. It was much more than that.
It wasn’t necessarily about greed. Latrell Sprewell (who was already making over $14 million) turning down a $27 million contract, stating that he “has a family to feed” is greed. Patrick Ewing, during an NBA lockout, asking how the owners can expect them to work for the pay they are receiving as he hops into his $100,000 Mercedes, is greed. Not LeBron. He actually took less money to play elsewhere. It’s not about the money. It’s a different kind of greed.
I understand players marketing themselves. I get that. When their face is on TV, they make more money. And who doesn’t want more money? But again…this was different. I’ll start with the man himself.
Here’s a guy who is, arguably, the best player in the NBA. Personally, I don’t believe he is, I just believe he has the best statistics. But he has yet to win anything. In his seven years so far, he has reached the finals once – and was swept. But year in, and year out, it’s all about LeBron. And year in and year out, LeBron goes home empty-handed. The “King” has yet to wear a crown. Has he elevated the status of the Cleveland Cavaliers? Certainly! Have they become a much more respected franchise? Absolutely! But does that give him the right to string them along like he did? Does that give him the right to string along the people who have supported him from game 1…the always forgotten fans?
The Cavaliers have given LeBron everything he wanted. He was paid huge amounts of money. His image plastered all over the city. He wanted different players on his teams roster, and ownership went and got them. What LeBron wanted, Lebron got. But he still couldn’t get the job done. So what does he do? He parades teams in to present offers. He sets up a 1 hour TV special to showcase his decision. And he accepts the offer made by the team that will make it the easiest for him to win. And he made this decision, admittedly, without having the common courtesy to let his former team in on his decision. Don’t you think that would have been the decent thing to do? At the very least, a phone call. I can’t imagine a bigger slap in the face to the team that did everything for him. I’m sorry LeBron…but Michael Jordan didn’t need a TV special. Kobe Bryant didn’t need a TV special. And those two have actually won something. Carlos Boozer signed in Chicago, no TV special. Joe Johnson resigned with the Hawks, no TV special. Dirk Nowitzki resigned with Dallas, no TV special. Amare Stoudemire signed with the Knicks, no TV special. Chris Bosh signed with the Heat…, well…no direct TV special.
But as I mentioned, it’s not only LeBron. How about ESPN’s role in this? I mean really…was a 1-hour special necessary? I’ll admit, I tuned in until he said where he’s going. Then I changed the channel. That’s all I needed to hear. Here’s a message for ESPN – “I don’t want to hear LeBron’s feelings. I could care less. I want to watch a game! Put on a friggin’ game!” I know I am not alone when I say ESPN, intentionally or not, has helped to create the “I in team” thinking. We watch basketball highlights and all we see are dunks and threes. We watch baseball highlights and all we see are home runs and spectacular catches. We watch golf highlights and all we see is Tiger Woods. And the golf highlights are the worst! Its Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, and…”oh, by the way, so-and-so is winning…Tiger is five back of the leader.” According to ESPN, if Tiger is playing, then no one else is even worth mentioning until they have to be mentioned!
ESPN sucks up to the athletes. There, I said it. They can’t give serious sports news or an objective opinion because they are in bed with too many athletes. It’s that simple. And this LeBron James special proves it. This was not ESPN looking for an exclusive interview. This was LeBron and his representatives coming to ESPN with this idea. And ESPN, looking for ratings, soaked it up. This is a disappointing all-time low for ESPN. But wait, I have one more…
I have lost all respect for Jim Gray. How can I, or anyone, ever take him seriously again. For Jim Gray to agree to be just a pawn in this spectacle should be an outrage to anyone who considers themselves to be a good journalist. There was one question on everyone’s mind…and Jim Gray loaded us with a bunch of fluff, filler and outright crap before he got to it. “How’s your summer?” Are you serious?! “How’s your summer?” is one of your questions?! I swear if I ever see that putz on my TV again, I am instantly changing the channel. I don’t care if he’s interviewing one of my family members…they can fill me in later. This was worse than when the Yankees were telling the YES network’s Kimberly Jones which questions to ask Joe Torre during her interviews. It was just pathetic.
I know what LeBron James was trying to do. But it seriously backfired. The only people right now who probably don’t believe that, are Miami Heat fans and LeBron fans who believe he can do no wrong. Everyone else, sports purists especially, are looking at Lebron James as selfish, narcissistic, back-stabbing, and a coward. Me included. And it’s too bad because I like LeBron. But after all this, I’m just sick of him. He comes across as a player who feels he is bigger than everyone and everything else. At this point, I don’t want to see him win a championship. I hope Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is right. I hope they do win a championship before LeBron does. As long as it’s not against my Lakers, then it’s OK with me.
In my opinion, LeBron James came out of this event representing almost everything that is wrong with sports and athletes today. There is no two-ways about it. He looked bad. Plain and simple. He looked bad. People will say that once he wins a championship, all will be forgotten. Well, try telling that to people in Cleveland.
For the record, I don’t like basketball, I root for no team. I dig Bosh, but mostly for that push he made for the all star team two years ago. That said, this spectacle actually interested me. It made me listen and watch the NBA offseason. This debacle, IMO, helped the NBA. I want to see the Heat play now. I want to see these egos mesh, if that’s possible.
I think this helps Kobe too. He’s not the most beloved athlete outside LA. Rape does that to people usually. But now look. Kobes loyal. He’s quiet. He’s devoted to the game and his city. In a underwhelming finals performance-wise, Kobe still looks the shining star.
As far as the Cavs…that outburst from Gilbert was ridiculous. Now he’s devoted to winning? He picked a ball out of a hat to even win Lebron in the first place, sat back and watched Boozer leave, and counted his new money while Lebron played 7 years virtually by himself. No team has won a championship with one star player. Maybe 94 Houston, but that debatable. Mo Williams? Lakers record with Kobe out, 5-2, Cavs, 1-6 minus James. C’mon. Now Gilbert’s bitter because Lebron wants a better opportunity to win? Ok, but he jet alienated half of next years free agents.
Was Lebron ridiculous in his methods? Of course. Did it hurt sports? I doubt it. You’ll never see this again. Is it bad for sports? Nah. Its not changing anything save for people’s feelings for Lebron.
Anyways, nice blog. Thanks.
/diatribe
Could LeBron James have announced his decision with a Tweet? Yes, but would that have raised $2.5M for the Boys and Girls Club of America?
Could LeBron have told Cleveland before becoming a free agent that he was likely to move on to play with Wade and Bosh? Sure, but how many times have any of us alerted an employer that we were going to be leaving prior to making a final decision?
Was the e-mail sent by Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, the first indication of classlessness LeBron has picked up on? Probably not. He’s been with the organization for seven years and odds are he’s seen evidence that his boss was a four-alarm jerk. (And who likes working for a jerk… even if they are “currently” kissing your ass?)
It all boils down to this: For once, an athlete decided to use the system to help himself and a charity he cares about, rather than having the system use him. And while it would’ve been nice to see LeBron stay at home in Cleveland, he’s a human being and has the right to choose his own destiny without that choice being labeled a ‘cowardly betrayal’ by his former employer.
I think the whole thing was overblown…by LeBron and his handlers. LeBron is a great player, but this just reaked of a poor attempt by an immature person to garner more attention for themselves and say “Hey world: LOOK AT MEEEEEE!!!!!”
This didn’t remind me of a PROFESSIONAL negotiation between an athlete and ownership. It reminded me of the song and dance we see every year on the 1st Wednesday of February….also known as College Football’s National Signing Day…when a bunch of high school kids hold press conferences to “pick” a school.
My thought, LeBron (by his OWN choosing) didn’t get to have the “fanfare” involved with selecting a college – since he went straight to the NBA – so, instead, he used his 1st free agent contract to “mimic” that attention. The only thing missing from the interview was a table between LeBron and the interviewer with hats lined up from the Knicks, Heat, Bulls, Cavs, and whoever else, for LeBron to grab one, “test” the fit, then throw it aside to “test” the next…then the next…then finally land on the Heat.
Pathetic.
It’s funny how many different angles this issue can be looked at from.
Stephen, the specatacle interested me as well. I’m sure it interested many sports fans and it may turn out to be good for the NBA. But that still doesn’t make it the right thing to do.
Alleged rape. Kobe was accused of rape by a woman who turned out to be a nut. It was also the second or third time she attempted to accuse an athlete of rape. He cheated on his wife. The rape thing is just something for people who don’t like him to shout about.
I disagree about the outburst from the Cavs owner. I think it was a great rallying cry for the Cavs fans who feel slighted by LeBron. I believe it mirrored most of the fans feelings about the situation. Do you believe he was not devoted to winning? That’s just silly. He picked a ball out of a hat? So do a bunch of owners…every year…for the past 20+ years. Boozer? He was not half the player he is now when he left Cleveland. He left for Utah for an offer that would have put Cleveland over the salaray cap. They didn’t just let him walk.
Cleveland brought in more than Mo Williams. They brought in Shaq and Jamison as well. They did enough to have the best record in the league for back-to-back years. But when they lose in the playoffs, their owner isn’t devoted to winning? That’s just ridiculous.
Jim,
Agreed about raising money for a good cause. But we all know that was basically his (and his advisors) way of painting a pile of crap gold. A turd by any other name is still a turd.
By the way, I have no idea what his affiliation is with Greenwich, CT or why the decision took place there, but if you’re not familiar with CT, a boys & girls club in Greenwich (or anywhere in Fairfield county for that matter) is the east coast equivalent of the boys & girls club of Beverly Hills. He could have chosen a better location. However…again, I agree…it is a good cause.
The classlessness comment is pure speculation based on one angry letter. We have no idea about anything else Dan Gilbert says or does. For all we know, He may be the classiest person in America. But he’s low-key, so we have only one episode to go on.
Have the system use him? The system made him a multi-millionaire, and may someday make him a billionaire. I would HARDLY call that being used by the system.
Do you honestly think the owners are at an advantage? If so, what advantage? If one owner won’t pay a player what he wants…another owner will. The owners are the reason the system is what it is.
My issue is not whether he should or should not leave one team for another – he has every right to do that. The issue is the way he chose to do it. It was a sad, pathetic spectacle.
Mark,
That is all I was trying to say in my post. Nothing more.
It wasn’t an issue of whether he should or should not leave his team. It wasn’t about raising money for a good cause.
It was simply about the “ME, ME, ME” aspect of todays superstar athlete.
Lebron came off looking like an attention-starved, bigger than the game, bigger than the team, bigger than other players, clown. Anyone who disputes that simply hasn’t been paying attention.