thelittlepost

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

Get HuffPost Sports On
Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz!

Know something we don't? E-mail us at sports@huffingtonpost.com

LeBron has decided but questions remain.

by Adam Sweeney

The inmates have officially taken over the asylum and we handed them the keys.

Thursday night, LeBron James, a player whose talent level and hype seems to know no limits, took the term heartbreaker to a new level by making the announcement that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to head to South Beach with the Miami Heat in a television special. With that decision comes hyperbole to no end, as ESPN has already stated the trio of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is one of the great trios of all time before they even played as a team in an NBA game together. But if James has become an addict of celebrity, and it certainly appears that way, then we are the ultimate enablers. This isn’t a LeBron James hate article. If anything, we put the needle in his hand.

Anyone who needs proof that America can’t get enough of the summer LeBron-athon needs to look at the SLAMonline website. The top four features all involved LeBron James. No, the irony of this article in itself is not lost on me. I feed the beast just as much as the next fan. It’s a matter of supply and demand when it comes to sports coverage. We recognize what you want to see and then slam it down your throat until you pick another flavor. Now swallow your poison.

There is nothing wrong with LeBron James choosing to go for a ring. It’s common knowledge that you can’t win a title without two to three exceptional players. Jordan had Pippen. Kareem had Magic. Kobe had Shaq and Gasol. Now LeBron has his co-pilots. The black eye to James comes in how he conducted the entire process, right up to the ultimate “Decision.”

If LeBron wants to add another sponsor in his quest for world domination, maybe Gold Bond Medicated Powder would be happy to throw themselves at his feet. It is really the only practical choice, seeing as the poor guy must be chafing from how many teams and fans rode his jock so hard, as if James needs more money. The “selflessness” of James when it comes to taking less money is laughable. He still stands to make over $80-100 million in this contract if he wants. The big money comes from endorsements. Don’t forget that James, Bosh and Wade are all Nike guys. The real winners in this choice may be Phil Knight, CEO of Nike, and the Swoosh symbol. Let’s also not forget about the Don, Pat Riley, who pulled a great sell job to make this happen.

The Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn’t blame themselves. They did everything they could to help James get a championship. The sad truth is that you are who you are. Cleveland just isn’t a top-tier city or franchise. James was not selfless or naïve enough to think he could win a championship on his own. Had Chris Bosh wanted to play in C-Town there is no doubt James would have stayed. That wasn’t happening and so James was left with little choice but to leave. Cleveland lost their high school sweetheart and now gets to look at the love letters and highlight videos of the “LeBron years” in the aftermath. You can always break out the Mark Price and Shawn Kemp jerseys, Ohio. Cough. And please don’t feel bad for the New York Knicks or any team besides Cleveland that lost in the LeBron sweepstakes. They cut off their nose to spite their face. The results are to be expected. They are now a bloody and ugly mess.

Still, there is contradiction in The Chosen One’s pick. James stated that a team isn’t built around just three guys but his decision screams otherwise. Yes, Wade and Bosh are two of the 20 best players in the game but what else does Miami have? The best choice in terms of depth was Chicago, especially once they grabbed Carlos Boozer. Somebody strike while the iron is hot and print a picture of the aforementioned trio that says “Friends first” or “Miami Thrice.” (Props to my friend Nick for the latter nickname.) This is what James is saying with his pick. Going to Miami says that he thinks superstar egos can co-exist and winning matters but don’t say that he chose the best team scenario. It simply isn’t true.

It would be foolish to crown James a champion, though haven’t we all been doing that since he was a high school phenom? Expectations don’t always equate to reality. The Heat still have to fill their roster out around the new “Big Three.” Don’t forget about the Steve Kerrs, Michael Coopers and Robert Horrys of the world. Mike Miller, who now looks ready to come along, gives them a much needed shooter. Can Pat Riley lure other veterans in to the fray? The kneejerk answer is a definitive yes. But don’t underestimate the egos of NBA players. How many true impact players want to sit on the bench and play ten minutes at best a night? We will see.

What made James’ situation novel was the polarity involved. The most unique physical specimen in basketball came from the trenches of Ohio to carry the hopes and hearts of the most jaded sports city in America. We haven’t seen a hometown boy more hyped up since Anakin Skywalker rolled out of Tatooine in Star Wars. Now it’s James who has seemingly turned to the dark side.

The made-for-TV special could not have been any more audacious if they had carried James in to the room on a throne. Was it really necessary to title a press conference concerning an athlete’s deliberation over free agency “The Decision?” Harry S. Truman deliberating over dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima is a decision. This circus show should have been called “Just tell us already!”

James had to be aware of what he was doing to Cleveland by making his decision in to a spectacle. Offering up the show’s profits to the Boys & Girls Club smelled both of desperation and self-preservation. I kept waiting for LeBron to kiss a baby and say, “Don’t forget that I’m a good person, Cleveland.” The bleachers filled with children served as a false backdrop to a stage where James has now changed from hero to villain In the eyes of many. The Miami Heat have now become the Empire, an odd juxtaposition to the superpowers of teams with tradition like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Any rebellious team who takes down King James and his roundball table will be respected.

The never-ending conversation of who is the greatest of all time also has turned itself on its head. James has shown that rings overcome loyalty, which shows that he is aware of his place in history. Kobe Bryant’s last two titles have seemed to erase the memories of hoop fans everywhere. Anyone who says Bryant wouldn’t have dragged this situation out forget his temper tantrums thrown on sports radio and his infamous statement about Andrew Bynum in a mall. It’s funny how winning changes history.

In King James’ quest to grasp the Holy Grail of public opinion, he has also lowered his respective ceiling in the G.O.A.T. conversation. James can’t win in this situation. Critics will say LeBron can’t win it by himself without superstars around him if he wins in Miami. “He had to acquiesce to Dwyane Wade to do it,” they will say. If he fails to get a title with the Heat, which is a real possibility, he will move ahead of players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone in terms of great players who couldn’t earn a ring. Is it an unfair paradox? Maybe, but LeBron has made his own bed by dragging teams along on a two-year courtship.

The true greats of the NBA stayed at home. Michael Jordan stuck in Chicago during the prime of his career. Magic Johnson did it. Paul Pierce is now a Boston hero because he held down the fort in the wake of despair. The consensus philosophy also lies in the fact that to be the best you beat the best. You don’t join them. James could have been a legend by staying in Cleveland or winning a title in New York because he would have done it alone. What this says about James’ legacy remains to be seen. Titles seem probable to come but the Association’s greatest? That’s a title that seems to be getting away from James.

LeBron James made the most fitting choice for who he has become now. He has brought a hurricane of controversy, urban legend and expectations to South Beach. Get ready, Miami. Change is coming. We have to wait and see if it will end with championship parties on the beach or a hangover even Mike Tyson couldn’t knock out. You know that we will be watching every overexposed step of the way.

www.ezinearticles.com

LeBron has decided but questions remain.

by Adam Sweeney

The inmates have officially taken over the asylum and we handed them the keys.

Thursday night, LeBron James, a player whose talent level and hype seems to know no limits, took the term heartbreaker to a new level by making the announcement that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to head to South Beach with the Miami Heat in a television special. With that decision comes hyperbole to no end, as ESPN has already stated the trio of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is one of the great trios of all time before they even played as a team in an NBA game together. But if James has become an addict of celebrity, and it certainly appears that way, then we are the ultimate enablers. This isn’t a LeBron James hate article. If anything, we put the needle in his hand.

Anyone who needs proof that America can’t get enough of the summer LeBron-athon needs to look at the SLAMonline website. The top four features all involved LeBron James. No, the irony of this article in itself is not lost on me. I feed the beast just as much as the next fan. It’s a matter of supply and demand when it comes to sports coverage. We recognize what you want to see and then slam it down your throat until you pick another flavor. Now swallow your poison.

There is nothing wrong with LeBron James choosing to go for a ring. It’s common knowledge that you can’t win a title without two to three exceptional players. Jordan had Pippen. Kareem had Magic. Kobe had Shaq and Gasol. Now LeBron has his co-pilots. The black eye to James comes in how he conducted the entire process, right up to the ultimate “Decision.”

If LeBron wants to add another sponsor in his quest for world domination, maybe Gold Bond Medicated Powder would be happy to throw themselves at his feet. It is really the only practical choice, seeing as the poor guy must be chafing from how many teams and fans rode his jock so hard, as if James needs more money. The “selflessness” of James when it comes to taking less money is laughable. He still stands to make over $80-100 million in this contract if he wants. The big money comes from endorsements. Don’t forget that James, Bosh and Wade are all Nike guys. The real winners in this choice may be Phil Knight, CEO of Nike, and the Swoosh symbol. Let’s also not forget about the Don, Pat Riley, who pulled a great sell job to make this happen.

The Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn’t blame themselves. They did everything they could to help James get a championship. The sad truth is that you are who you are. Cleveland just isn’t a top-tier city or franchise. James was not selfless or naïve enough to think he could win a championship on his own. Had Chris Bosh wanted to play in C-Town there is no doubt James would have stayed. That wasn’t happening and so James was left with little choice but to leave. Cleveland lost their high school sweetheart and now gets to look at the love letters and highlight videos of the “LeBron years” in the aftermath. You can always break out the Mark Price and Shawn Kemp jerseys, Ohio. Cough. And please don’t feel bad for the New York Knicks or any team besides Cleveland that lost in the LeBron sweepstakes. They cut off their nose to spite their face. The results are to be expected. They are now a bloody and ugly mess.

Still, there is contradiction in The Chosen One’s pick. James stated that a team isn’t built around just three guys but his decision screams otherwise. Yes, Wade and Bosh are two of the 20 best players in the game but what else does Miami have? The best choice in terms of depth was Chicago, especially once they grabbed Carlos Boozer. Somebody strike while the iron is hot and print a picture of the aforementioned trio that says “Friends first” or “Miami Thrice.” (Props to my friend Nick for the latter nickname.) This is what James is saying with his pick. Going to Miami says that he thinks superstar egos can co-exist and winning matters but don’t say that he chose the best team scenario. It simply isn’t true.

It would be foolish to crown James a champion, though haven’t we all been doing that since he was a high school phenom? Expectations don’t always equate to reality. The Heat still have to fill their roster out around the new “Big Three.” Don’t forget about the Steve Kerrs, Michael Coopers and Robert Horrys of the world. Mike Miller, who now looks ready to come along, gives them a much needed shooter. Can Pat Riley lure other veterans in to the fray? The kneejerk answer is a definitive yes. But don’t underestimate the egos of NBA players. How many true impact players want to sit on the bench and play ten minutes at best a night? We will see.

What made James’ situation novel was the polarity involved. The most unique physical specimen in basketball came from the trenches of Ohio to carry the hopes and hearts of the most jaded sports city in America. We haven’t seen a hometown boy more hyped up since Anakin Skywalker rolled out of Tatooine in Star Wars. Now it’s James who has seemingly turned to the dark side.

The made-for-TV special could not have been any more audacious if they had carried James in to the room on a throne. Was it really necessary to title a press conference concerning an athlete’s deliberation over free agency “The Decision?” Harry S. Truman deliberating over dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima is a decision. This circus show should have been called “Just tell us already!”

James had to be aware of what he was doing to Cleveland by making his decision in to a spectacle. Offering up the show’s profits to the Boys & Girls Club smelled both of desperation and self-preservation. I kept waiting for LeBron to kiss a baby and say, “Don’t forget that I’m a good person, Cleveland.” The bleachers filled with children served as a false backdrop to a stage where James has now changed from hero to villain In the eyes of many. The Miami Heat have now become the Empire, an odd juxtaposition to the superpowers of teams with tradition like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Any rebellious team who takes down King James and his roundball table will be respected.

The never-ending conversation of who is the greatest of all time also has turned itself on its head. James has shown that rings overcome loyalty, which shows that he is aware of his place in history. Kobe Bryant’s last two titles have seemed to erase the memories of hoop fans everywhere. Anyone who says Bryant wouldn’t have dragged this situation out forget his temper tantrums thrown on sports radio and his infamous statement about Andrew Bynum in a mall. It’s funny how winning changes history.

In King James’ quest to grasp the Holy Grail of public opinion, he has also lowered his respective ceiling in the G.O.A.T. conversation. James can’t win in this situation. Critics will say LeBron can’t win it by himself without superstars around him if he wins in Miami. “He had to acquiesce to Dwyane Wade to do it,” they will say. If he fails to get a title with the Heat, which is a real possibility, he will move ahead of players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone in terms of great players who couldn’t earn a ring. Is it an unfair paradox? Maybe, but LeBron has made his own bed by dragging teams along on a two-year courtship.

The true greats of the NBA stayed at home. Michael Jordan stuck in Chicago during the prime of his career. Magic Johnson did it. Paul Pierce is now a Boston hero because he held down the fort in the wake of despair. The consensus philosophy also lies in the fact that to be the best you beat the best. You don’t join them. James could have been a legend by staying in Cleveland or winning a title in New York because he would have done it alone. What this says about James’ legacy remains to be seen. Titles seem probable to come but the Association’s greatest? That’s a title that seems to be getting away from James.

LeBron James made the most fitting choice for who he has become now. He has brought a hurricane of controversy, urban legend and expectations to South Beach. Get ready, Miami. Change is coming. We have to wait and see if it will end with championship parties on the beach or a hangover even Mike Tyson couldn’t knock out. You know that we will be watching every overexposed step of the way.

LeBron James did a lot of things right in choosing to move down south in a quest to uplift his near-legendary status to a championship bracket. But King James made a gigantic error in judgment after his marketing team successfully secured a one-hour special with Disney's ESPN.

I'm not criticizing LeBron on his choice of teams, nor the manner in which he chose to make his decision. That's the way the ball bounces when big boys play in the big leagues. Miami fans won. Cleveland fans lost. It's not a game of loyalty. It's pro basketball, where everyone looks out for No. 1.

Isn't that why teams trade players?

Well, sometimes players trade teams. In this case, LeBron traded Cleveland for Miami.

But that wasn't his error in judgment. In fact, it may be inaccurate to say it was LeBron's error at all. It may have been Maverick Carter's call.

Photo courtesy of LeBronJames.com

Maverick is the CEO of LeBron's public relations firm, LRMR Marketing. And for a guy whose claim to fame is his close friendship with LeBron through thick and thin, Maverick has made quite a name for himself since given the green light to manage LRMR. I have lots of love and kudos for how he has risen to the challenge and overcome the slings and arrows of his critics.

But in this monumental circumstance, in which Maverick and LeBron caused the sports world to stop spinning and hold its collective breath, I believe a mistake was made. A big one.

After LeBron announced his decision to move to Miami, he failed to say he was going to Disneyland. That was a huge miscue.

Here's why.

“I'm going to Disneyland” were the iconic words pro athletes would yell after legendary victories. Someone was typically staged to ask, “What are you going to do now?”

Answer: “I'm going to Disneyland!”

Major Opportunity

That's not the real answer I expected to hear from LeBron. But I expected to hear someone ask the question, “What are you going to do now?”

And I expected LeBron to say something that would've directed his gigantic audience to an incredibly innovative website where he had special videos waiting (in like manner to the t-shirts and ball caps waiting for the winners of a championship game), gifts for new members who joined his site, a special live broadcast of his after party and a variety of other very cool options that would've monetized his social media content and leveraged his off-court persona.

“What am I going to do now? I'm glad you asked. I want to first thank the City of Cleveland and its awesome fans for such strong support. Now, I want to enjoy the fantastic welcome by the great fans here in Miami. I'm having a huge party for all of America at LeBronJames.com. Go check it out. Gifts for all my fans. You're all invited to my celebration party tonight here in Miami. I'm headed over to LeBronJames.com right now to greet my fans. I'll see you there with a special live broadcast message.”

When monumental moments in sports history occurred in the past, Disney was there to capitalize on the glory and monetize it. In the case of LeBron's one-hour ESPN special, Disney was there, as usual. But, in this case the tables were turned. The moment of reckoning was at hand. And LeBron blew it.

Or maybe Maverick missed the mark.

The bottom line is that LeBronJames.com was crawling along with a few thousand unique visitors who witnessed a very bland website showing a short video of an interview in which LeBron reveals his favorite cupcake. Yawn.

Hey, LeBron and Maverick, I've got two words for you: social media.

Better yet, here's two more: call me.

www.ezinearticles.com

The standard rags-to-riches Hollywood story often begins with actors and comedians scraping by through bar and restaurant work. But Drew Carey paid his dues with an unconventional living arrangement, he explained on 'Lopez Tonight' (weeknights, 11PM ET on TBS).

Long before 'The Drew Carey Show' and hosting 'The Price Is Right,' Carey rented out his Cleveland house and hit the road for Los Angeles. Once he got there, he said, “I lived out of my car for 18 months … My goal was to get back and do 'The Tonight Show.'”

When that day came, host Johnny Carson called him over to the couch after performing his stand-up routine. ” made my whole career, and that's why I'm where I am today.”

But Carey was quick to note some other comedians who got a career boost from Carson — namely, the one sitting across from him.

Image Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images; TV LandWell, Betty White is a step up from Drew Carey. The 88-year-old star of TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland has taped a video message with castmates Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick — in character — asking free agent LeBron James to continue his NBA career in Cleveland. White concludes, “I’ll make it worth your while…” The full script, courtesy of TV Land, below. UPDATE: The video has now been released. I just hope this doesn’t start a riff between White and Jay-Z, the musical guest on her SNL episode who happens to be part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, one of the teams trying to court James away from Cleveland. (Oh, who am I kidding? I would love to see that.)

VALERIE: Hi, LeBron. Now that we’re Clevelanders, we wanted to join in the effort to get you to stay.
WENDIE: I’ve heard of him. He’s an athlete, right?
BETTY: He plays for The Cavaliers.
JANE: Isn’t a Cavalier like a French cowboy?
WENDIE: That makes sense because LeBron is a French name. I bet it’s hockey.
JANE: It’s also a very elegant name. Maybe he’s a figure skater.
VALERIE: Look at us, it’s like a sports bar in here.
BETTY: What’s wrong with you girls? He’s the best basketball player on the planet.
VALERIE: LeBron, please stay.
BETTY: I’ll make it worth your while…

Read More: What NYC celebs should the Knicks send to woo LeBron James?

www.ezinearticles.com

the problem is not that he left. the problem is the manner in which he chose to do it.

would cleveland still have been mad if he bought them dinner before he screwed them? probably. but turning your free agency into a media spectacle, allowing 6 different clubs to fly to you and give you a sales pitch when you clearly have no intention of signing with them, and then making your own primetime tv special to announce that you are leaving? unnecessary, and cruel at the worst, incredibly naive at the best.

at the end of the day, lebron james did a lot for cleveland. he owes cleveland nothing, and they owe him nothing. there is nothing wrong with him trying his luck elsewhere. but the way he did so was classless. he had to have known that his decision would devastate cleveland, which has it hard enough in a lot of ways already. putting that decision on television, plastering it with lebron brand labels, and then hiding behind a childrens club was a nauseating display that showcased everything that is wrong with professional sports.

and to those posters who argue that we have more important things to worry about, you have a valid point. i love sports as much as anyone i have ever met, but the amount of coverage this got was disconcerting. its not like we have an oil well gushing into the gulf or two wars (remember those?) going on.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

Get HuffPost Sports On
Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz!

Know something we don't? E-mail us at sports@huffingtonpost.com

www.ezinearticles.com

Frankly, I'm just glad he didn't choose to first spend a year with the Jets before moving on.

I'm cool with LeBron James's decision to take his game to Miami. I'm not cool with the reaction in Cleveland. The King has a talent, a gift, and he should be able to sell to whoever is willing to buy it. If he were willing to accept a tender offer of nine bucks an hour to play solely for a Rucker Park, New York City, pick-up team — and eschew the NBA in order to perfect his asphalt skills — it'd be his call to make, and no one else's. James isn't a slave or an indentured servant — he's a free agent, in both the sports-specific and plain-English meanings of the term.

Like every other professional athlete, the man sells talent, and it's ludicrous to suggest that the Cleveland Cavaliers have a monopsony on the basketball skills market. They're not in a position to specifically dictate to James how he must market and tailor his product. The blind rage in Cleveland implies that sports would be better if they returned to the era of Major League Baseball's infamous “Reserve Clause,” which unfairly bound players to the teams that had drafted them in a sort of indentured servitude.

In his instant-classic “Open Letter to Fans,” Gilbert — majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the proverbial guy who signed LeBron's checks — lambasted James, taking special care to place “quotation marks” around certain words in order to solicit the most disdain. To describe the four-ring circus that James orchestrated this week, Gilbert wrote, “[James's decision] was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his 'decision' unlike anything ever 'witnessed' in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.”

As a writer, I'd have chosen different words to put within quotes — “special,” perhaps, and maybe “entertainment,” (the sixty-minute ESPN spectacle in which LeBron revealed his plans was decidedly neither). As a human being, I find Gilbert's immaturity especially offensive.

I've left jobs before, once because I'd grown tired of waking up at 2:30 in the morning to bake muffins and scones for the lawyers and accountants of Downtown Portland; another time because the summer was over and I had to leave Oregon to go back to school in Connecticut. What might Dan Gilbert have said to me upon hearing of my decisions to leave these jobs? Would he write an outraged epistle to the people of Portland that bemoaned my selfishness to seek more than four hours of sleep each night? Would he mock my desire to return to “college” to finish my “education” and earn my “diploma”?

The biggest disappointment in Gilbert's letter is his high-handed pronouncement that James has let the kids of Ohio down. He wrote, “This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown 'chosen one' sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And 'who' we would want them to grow-up to become.” In his New York Times column, the venerable William C. Rhoden challenged Gilbert's assertion, positing that, “There are myriad lessons contained in the James free agency drama. The first is controlling the game; not allowing the game to control you.” In other words, when you're blessed to live and work in a country and profession that celebrate the freedom of an open market, the mature thing to do is to follow your heart — and your talent — to wherever it may take you. Gilbert essentially demands that James remain a child, forever bonded in an infantile thrall to his parents (in this case Papa Gilbert and Mother Cleveland).

The more profound let-down to the sons and daughters of Ohio comes from Gilbert. The letter serves as Exhibit A for why knee-jerk reactions — especially those made in anger — are best expressed in private until a cooler, more rational course of action can be contemplated. No, Gilbert didn't hop on a plane to Greenwich, Connecticut, to throw an uppercut into James's jaw, but really, the result of his violent words is the same. The glee with which he bawls out James is reprehensible, and kids would do well to see it as an example of what not to do when they feel wronged. Brace yourself, because juvenile use of finger-quotes is set to skyrocket.

In any case, the 2010-11 season is going to be great.

www.ezinearticles.com

At 9:03 p.m. EST, the sun set on Cleveland, Ohio. At approximately 9:35 p.m., many Clevelanders felt as if it may never come back up.

LeBron James, northeast Ohio's native son who single-handedly dragged a Cleveland Cavaliers franchise on life support out of the ground and into the NBA's elite, has decided to leave a once-again crippled Cavs organization and take his dominating game to Miami to join fellow mega-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

When put in the right perspective, you can't really blame him for joining a team like Miami's (relax, Cleveland). Joining two other perennial All-Stars on a team with legend Pat Riley at the helm nearly locks up at least one NBA title for LeBron. After all, he has been consistent in saying that winning is what's most important to him.

Also, Miami is really, really nice.

For the Cleveland faithful (those of us who remain), the feeling of monstrous disappointment/nausea isn't much of a novelty. The wounds from Cleveland's laundry list of athletic disasters are still excruciatingly fresh.

But this is different.

Everything about Cleveland's latest catastrophe seems to sting more than most of the well-chronicled Cleveland sports tragedies.

When LeBron arrived in Cleveland and hushed the armies of critics ready to shoot down the hype flying around him, Clevelanders claimed a rare, growing hope of attaining that which has so craftily eluded them for so long: Winning.

As LeBron's career in Cleveland went along and his grasp on the NBA tightened, he matured into the region's brightest shot at its first championship in over 40 years.

The fact that James grew up in nearby Akron made it all so much sweeter.

As usual, the Cavaliers became tantalizingly close to capturing an NBA title in 2009, only to flop against the previously-overlooked Orlando Magic. After an even more impressive campaign this season, LeBron and the Cavaliers once again bowed out of the postseason in early fashion—this time to the hated Boston Celtics.

By the time the Lakers locked up their latest championship last month, hysteria and utter panic were already running rampant through the streets of Cleveland.

The thought of falling from nearly the top of the NBA—and geting so close to snapping a “curse” that just won't break—back to the league's dungeon chilled many a Cavalier fan. (The products the Indians and Browns have put on display lately certainly haven't helped soothe anything.)

That thought has just taken a terrifying turn toward reality.

The one element about the newest crushing blow that hurts the most to Cleveland?

LeBron putting himself on a pedestal for all to view (and they did).

He was told how awesome he is via highlights and interviews—before ditching his hometown when he was needed the most.

This Modellian defection, which James turned into a worldwide spectacle, and the supremely disappointing end to James' career in Cleveland make the latest chapter in Cleveland's sad sports story just a tad more disheartening than nearly any that have been penned before it.

If all those painful moments have taught Clevelanders anything, however, it is that we possess some of the most resolute, unfaltering resolve around.

The sun will rise tomorrow, Cleveland.

“

Dear Cleveland, all of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers supporters wherever you may be tonight:

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several-day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight: “I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA Championship before the self-titled former ‘king’ wins one.”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our homegrown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland. Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day…

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue.

www.ezinearticles.com

Here’s a photo of the LeBron meeting scene in downtown Cleveland inside the IMG building. The shot came just as James was about to sit down with the owners of the New Jersey Nets, Mikhail Porkhorov and Jay-Z.

Here’s a banner, via Brian Windhorst of the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, that was strategically placed outside the IMG offices where the meetings are taking place:

The AKRON BEACON-JOURNAL also has video of the comings and goings of the various parties involved.

So far the Knicks and Nets reportedly have met with James.

Windhorst also reports Thursday that the Cavaliers have agreed on a three-year deal with Byron Scott for the club’s head coaching position.

That deal is viewed as a sign by some observers, for many different reasons, that there’s a very good chance James will stay in Cleveland.

LeBron James announced Thursday night that he’ll be playing for the Miami Heat next year. James made this announcement during a one-hour special on ESPN. How did ESPN manage to fill an hour of prime-time programming with a grain of information that I’ve already conveyed in that two-line introduction? The same way American Idol results shows manage to exist — by padding it with a bunch of time-wasting nonsense, obviously. Here are the five most impressively insulting examples:



1. Photoshops Of LeBron In Five Different Jerseys

“With just minutes before the big announcement,” proclaimed Stuart Scott, “let’s take a look at what LeBron James would look like wearing the jerseys of his five different suitors.” ESPN then showed that photo above, which is not news, information, or a thing.

But what would LeBron James look like if he played…ON THE MOON?

Thanks, Worldwide Leader In Sports and Theoretical Photoshops! Now let’s see what LeBron would look like if they killed him with a barrage of baseballs…

Onto the rest…



2. It Was Sponsored By Bing.com

The special was called “The Decision” (note the thrilling description)…

And the whole thing was sponsored by Bing.com, whose tagline is “Stop searching, start deciding”:

This whole unnecessary program was a sham perpetrated by Bing’s advertising dollars, wasn’t it?

I decide “No sh*t.”



3. Reaction Shots = These Dudes

After the announcement, Stuart Scott teased another clip, “Now let’s see what the reaction was like in Miami when the news was announced…” which led crazy, unreasonable Me to believe they were gonna cut to some downtown Miami “LeBron Watching” party that would erupt when the news was announced, as sports often do during Drafts or road playoff games.

What we got, instead, was this shot of one Miami bar and about five Entourage extras D-bagging into the camera:

That is some reaction, you two guys! One of whom is in a Cleveland jersey! I’m gonna compile a one-hour special about why I was so happy they didn’t cut this show down to a half hour.



4. Footage Of This LeBron Jersey Burning

In the middle of Michael Wilbon’s via-satellite interview with LeBron after the announcement, ESPN suddenly cut to this footage of Cleveland fans burning LeBron’s Cavs jersey, and Wilbon asked LeBron how he felt about it:

Now, QUICK! Your reaction to THIS PICTURE:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT, YOU TRAITOR PUSSY? I’m paraphrasing.



5. The Cavs Owner Wrote A Letter To Cleveland Fans In COMIC SANS

Alright, this wasn’t technically part of the ESPN broadcast, but after the announcement, Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert issued an open letter to Cavs fans on the team’s website (click pic for full size, to get the total Sans Experience):

It’s already insulting to be told that your team will be fine after losing LeBron James; being told this information in Comic Sans font, well…that just goes way past ‘depressing’ and into ‘almost perversely amusing’ and then past that even further into ‘utterly hypertragic’.

I feel truly sorry for all my Cleveland-fan friends today, and I don’t say that as a sarcastic Pittsburgh fan (I’m indifferent towards the Cavs anyway), this pretty much sucks any way you look at it. At least ESPN handled the announcement with the level of attention-whoring and self-aggrandizement truly befitting LeBron James himself. Maybe that was ESPN’s meta-point this whole time? WHOA. Literature.

www.ezinearticles.com

(CNN) – Former Cleveland mayor and current Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich weighed in Friday on the Lebron James free-agency saga, admitting that James “was the beneficiary of a status in Cleveland that only a few athletes ever achieved.” And in what many basketball experts might consider a bold prediction, Kucinich said that Cleveland would “surprise the NBA with its resilience” next year.

“I think the other players are going to have a chance to show their potential,” Kucinich said on CNN's John King, USA. “I mean you could imagine for some of the tremendous athletes who are part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, in many ways they have to be in the shadow of one extraordinarily gifted athlete. And now they'll have a chance to come forward, and you may actually see the kind of chemistry that can produce the kind of teamwork that will be essential to win.”

Touting Cleveland's strong emotional commitment to its sports teams, Kucinich acknowledged that some might say the Cavs will be “at a great disadvantage” next season, but he added that life will go on in his home city.

“This town wants a winner and invested a lot in Lebron James, it backed him, it helped pay his salary,” Kucinich said. “So, are there hard feelings? Yes. Strong emotions? You bet there are. But will Cleveland bounce back? Of course we will. This is a strong city and a strong sports community and the fans are the best. And you know the Cavs have the support of the community and an owner who is determined to deliver. So the team will come back, no question about it.”

Kucinich cited estimates that placed the economic impact of James' departure on the City of Cleveland somewhere between $38 and $48 million, but he was quick to point out that much of that money is generated by the entire Cavs team, not James alone.

“We still have a team and the team is going to be supported,” Kucinich said. “Cleveland will rally behind the rest of those athletes …I don't think that you're going to find anyone talking about us closing up shop because we lost one athlete.”

www.ezinearticles.com