Browns’ strength coach- Richardson is “Country Boy Strong”
June 11, 2012Report: Hannahan to begin rehab assignment
June 11, 2012
As far as we (and the media) know only one person ever burned their jersey, but this photo lives on.
I don’t know anyone who couldn’t appreciate a great episode of “Behind the Music.” That show was totally predictable, but still somehow fascinating. Artist makes it in the music business. Runs into problems (usually drugs) and ultimately finds some kind of peace, if not continued success after the strife. It is a prototypical human story-line. And of course, now it is LeBron’s episode according to the latest from Brian Windhorst. Windy talks about the personal re-invention that LeBron James has attempted since he hit rock bottom proclaiming haters had to “wake up tomorrow and have the same life they had before.”
Cue the plinky little aftermath music and the cymbal crescendo as we head into happier times and a LeBron James looking for resurrection. LeBron proposed to his girl, moved his family down to be with him in Florida. He basically quit Twitter and apparently stopped reading critics while also embracing an earlier bedtime. As LeBron won another MVP and the Heat smacked the Celtics to head for their second straight finals, it appears to be working. And with all the sarcasm that this Cavaliers fan can muster I say, “Isn’t that just outstanding for everyone?”
My LeBron James defense mechanism was to fight the culture that he was a big part of (if not created) when he treated his free agency like a reality TV show. If it is a me-first culture that he and his NBA cohorts want, then “me-first” means Cavs fans first for me. As a results, I said I wasn’t going to watch any national NBA games that didn’t involve the Cleveland Cavaliers. Other than a brief dalliance with TNT’s offering at a hotel bar when I was on vacation, I kept true to my word. I didn’t even want to muster up the negative energy to root against anyone. I just wanted to root for the Cavs.
I admit that I have buckled a bit and watched some of the playoffs. I’ve tried to enjoy them and, yes, I have been hoping for LeBron James to lose, but not in a really active hateful way. I figure with an attitude like that LeBron James and all his franchise-screwing clones like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and (probably) Dwight Howard have won. I just can’t bring myself to co-sign for that kind of behavior. If they are anti-fan and I support their behavior then I am also anti-fan. As a fan that means I’m anti-me. I don’t want to be anti-me and I can’t understand why anyone else would want to be either, at least with regard to their entertainment offerings.
So this guy that we all used to love and pile our hopes and dreams on had a brain fart of epic proportions. He burned down the first half of his career and made it so we couldn’t really enjoy it all. But if what Brian Windhorst is writing is true and the uncaring, selfish, horrible LeBron1 was the temporary persona and now he’s going to get back to being the guy we always thought he was before his head ballooned, what’s the choice for Cleveland fans?
Losing is the only option. If you root for the rock star who kicked drugs and is back on tour to fall off the wagon or worse yet for his bus to crash, you’re a bad person.2 Then again, if you were the original drummer, you got fired and there’s no way for you to profit from the new tour financially or emotionally, what can you do? I mean you might not want the person to die or fail, but you also shouldn’t be able to get any joy out of him figuring his life out while excluding you. ((I get tired of the girlfriend comparison, so I’m just going to call Cleveland fans the fired drummer in an episode of “Behind the Music.”))
I don’t have an answer for anyone but myself, by the way. I am kind of watching, but while I can recognize how incredible LeBron’s performances are, I can’t enjoy them. Regardless of how he turns himself around personally, I can’t co-sign for the league-altering stuff that he and the rest did. I can’t co-sign for what Windhorst refers to as his “tone-deaf” period. The only thing more self-destructive than not moving on and dwelling in hate and negativity is to be some sort of apologist inviting people to treat you like garbage.
So, what’s a Cavs fan to do? I don’t want to see his team win, but I’m not going to waste a lot of energy rooting against a guy. Generically speaking, I hope everyone figures their lives out so that they can enjoy it and contribute positively to society. Right now, LeBron James figuring it out doesn’t help me one bit though. Good for him, though, I guess. Until such a time where LeBron James has a chance to help me as a Cavs fan, I’ll work hard at being ambivalent.
That’s what watching sports is all about, right? Making emotional deals so you can respect yourself and still maybe extract a bit of enjoyment. (Sigh.)
- The one who was not only willing, but eager to hang out with Jim Gray… nobody wants to hang out with Jim Gray. He somehow made Pete Rose really sympathetic. [↩]
- I’m looking straight at you people who root for ACL injuries or worse. There’s no justification for this kind of stuff ever. It isn’t even shocking as much as it is trite and disgusting. At least shocking can be interesting. When “shocking” becomes trite though? It is one of the worst forms of expression. [↩]
48 Comments
I enjoy cheering against the Heat. None of the teams that interest me are really left (I do enjoy watching the Thunder, like everyone else), but beings a “Hater” kinda gives me a dog in the race.
Lebron dropping 40-something in a meistro effort of tough shots in an elimination game doesn’t really ruin my day anymore and I certainly don’t wish him any ill-will personally. It’s just fun to have something to care about in the playoffs – and if that’s cheering against the super friends and their pet dinosaur- so be it.
Windhorst was a bigger loss for Cleveland than LBJ. A reporter who talks to people, finds interesting stories, then tells them well… that is a huge plus. Unfortunately, the Cavs have the resources to bounce back, but not sure about the PD.
My first born arrived on the day of “The Decision”. So, for me, I feel like I’ve outgrown caring about over-hyped pro athletes.
Obviously, I still care enough to comment on blogs, but getting fired up about the comments of people that have no real impact on your life is a waste. When I think about attending sporting events now, I think about time spent with my kids (there are two now). I want my team to win, but the time with friends and family is most important to me. I’m sure there are many in the muni lot crowd that can relate.
How About it? Am I alone in this?
a few things:
– how empty will Windy’s redemption narrative be if the Heat lose to OKC?
– …”the uncaring, selfish, horrible LeBron was the temporary persona and now he’s going to get back to being the guy we always thought he was before his head ballooned.” I’ve decided that this is a fallacy we nurture. Fans everywhere, and here in particular, act like their star athletes are empty vessels into which they pour their own hopes/dreams. From the age of 14 LeBron was one of the most worshipped athletes in a athlete-worshipping society. If Cleveland worshipped surly Albert Belle’s bicep flex, it was more than easy to genuflect before LeBron, who at least was savvy enough to mouth warm fuzzy platitudes for us. Even if Windy had written critically about stuff he surely saw then, about how he ignored Mike Brown, forced his gophers on Cavs payroll, whatever, we didn’t want to hear it. LeBron’s entitled view of reality (or really, his actual reality) was there from the start, and we did our fair share to enlarge it.
I can watch him play again with a good degree of objectivity. Man, what a magnificent, unprecedented combination of physical dominance and basketball skills. But these redemption stories are so trite, and obsolete immediately if they lose to the Thunder.
I enjoy watching the Thunder, but the way they left Seattle does resonate. It’s why I was really rooting for Pops and Duncan to get that last title for their legacy. Ah well.
I view it like this:
Sports are an entertainment escape that in a perfect world provide joy. The disappointments and joys through them are superficial, but they are enjoyable nonetheless. What LeBron did in his exit was to eliminate some of that joy.
Yes, I enjoy 10x more when my kids figure out how to dribble or when ‘not’ to swing at a bad pitch, etc. than I could ever get out of a professional team. But, it’s a completely different part of my brain where the joy of my family and the joy of my sports teams live.
careful Harv, some may be taking mental notes on all of that 🙂
like the post, Harv. I am – and always have been – drawn to greatness. I always loved Gretzky, Maradona, and, Tiger, etc. People called me a fair weather fan, but i just understood that i could turn on the TV anytime and check out good players. But i want GREAT. Frankly, that is what LeBron James is.
More than any player of this era – you can have your Kevin Durants (and believe me, I am rooting hard for him) – LeBron personifies greatness. I will take LeBron 10 times out of 10. He is so good.
I don’t hate him, and I am rooting for the Heat to lose. I actually dislike Battier (Duke, and his head reminds me of a Michigan helmet) and Mike Miller (Florida) more than LeBron.
I think i have written enough without saying anything so let me say this:
If LeBron rode the coattails of the other guys on his team, I would be disappointed that he won a ring. Very disappointed. But if it was his Herculean effort that turned the game/series/title in his favor, then so be it; congratulations. And if that’s the case – if his GREATNESS propelled his boys to the top – then I have nothing but respect for it, however jaded with jealous animosity.
Perhaps James is maturing, finally. Unfortunately it’s to late both for his reputation and for many Cleveland/Cavaliers fans. Personally I’ve gotten over all of this I supported him here and even in his first year away but that was then and this is now. I’m over it. Part of the reason I’m over it is watching the horrible Heat fans and how they celebrated winning their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Or should I say the way they didn’t celebrate. What a joke if that had been Cleveland the roof would have been coming off. In some ways James is a perfect fit for his new Heat nation admirers. Part timers. The other part is the fact that OKC stands in the way of keeping James ringless. It’s going to be a great series but I really like the Thunder’s chances. Lets hope Durant gets his first ring before you know who.
I think the musical equivalent we’re looking for here is John Paul Jones. Remember when Page and Plant announced a Zeppelin reunion, only they forgot to call Jones and then they had to call it “Unledded”. So Jones had to sit around and hear people talk about how awesome it was that Zep was doing shows even though it was just a Page/Plant cash grab. Anyway that’s my nominee. Honorable mention goes to Rick Wright and David Gilmore for getting shoved out of Floyd because they had the audacity to not permanently graft their lips to Waters butt. To be honest though I still love both groups even with the knowledge that Page, Plant, Waters and Gilmore are complete pompous asses, and their behavior makes the worst NBA player seem saintly.
Along those lines I find it incomprehensible why rich greedy self entitled owners most of whom inherited their wealth and have therefore never worked for a dollar seem to get a pass while rich greedy self entitled players who at least had to work hard enough to get to the NBA get killed. I don’t know how Lebron’s behavior is any worse than Clay Bennet’s. They both made perfectly rational and legitimate buisness decisions and they both went about those decisions in the worst possible way imaginable.
Personally I’m going to root for 7 games of fantastic basketball, with at least 2 games where Durant and Lebron put up 35 plus points and I get to sit around with my “How the Hell did he just do that???” face on for 2 hours.
Nope. not alone. I can certainly sense a mellowing of my fanhood over the past few years since my kids were born. I used to really get into all Cleveland sports and OSU football. Watched most games, went to a few of each, and invest lots of time and money into supporting my teams. You get older, priorities change, and what was once important to you doesn’t seem like such a big deal now…
Now, it seems like the only team that I have maintained the passion for is the Browns. Not sure why, considering they’re the worst of the four…but I will go clear out of my way to watch the Browns games and try to make it to a couple as well (I live in Michigan, so no small task).
I still follow the other teams, but just a lot more casually now. The Indians are winning me over again, and I’m paying more attention to them this season than I have since the early ’00’s…but it’s still not what it once was.
“But if it was his Herculean effort that turned the game/series/title in his favor, then so be it; congratulations.” Yes, feel the same. I have this snapshot in my mind from the end of a game in the 2010 Boston series: a scrum for a crucial loose ball and Paul Pierce beat LeBron, the Cavs and his teammates to it. And he grabbed it with such ferocity that I thought “you SOB, you just want it more, you’re gonna win this.”
The greatness thing also. Why I try to see Josh Hamilton whenever I can because I fear he won’t last long and haven’t seen all 5-tools in a baseball player (v. athlete, like Bo Jackson) since Dave Winfield, or maybe the couple minutes that Dave Parker and Barry Bonds had the full set.
The Lebron redemption narrative is, admittedly, one that pretty much writes itself. It’s probably something that most national journalists (Windhorst included) have been saving on their hard drives since Game 6 of last year’s Finals, just waiting for a couple big games like Game 6 in Boston to fill in the blanks, Mad-libs style. But isn’t this all a bit early? Aren’t we selling the Thunder short? Look at who they beat to get where they are–the defending champ Mavs (in the first round!), the mostly intact Lakers dynasty, and the Spurs machine. Essentially, they knocked off the last decade’s worth of elite Western Conference teams. Miami, meanwhile, saw injuries kill off their only legitimate competition in Chicago and, to a lesser extent, Orlando. They had a huge scare against an Indiana team in the playoffs for the first time in years, and barely beat a seriously aging Celtics team (the media is already speculating that Allen and Garnett may retire this summer). Miami does have some momentum, but it’s only because Boston pushed them to 7 games while the Thunder handled the Spurs easier. Literally, the only advantage the Heat has is their Finals experience; they don’t even have home court or the better coach. I’m hoping that will not be enough for them to get over the hump, if only to make sportswriters work a little harder for their stories and narratives a week or so from now.
At the end of the day, I still like the NBA and professional basketball. So I watch.
If someone is a “villain” I root against him. If someone is a Cav, I root for him. 🙂
I agree, if not for my self admitted “hater-dom” I wouldn’t really know who to cheer for in the finals (I was rooting for SA too). But because of the decision we get to cheer unabashedly for the Cavs and “Who-ever is playing the Heat.” It’s actually kind of fun. I’d never get behind them otherwise, but for the next two weeks – Go Zombie Sonics!!
“I get tired of the girlfriend comparison, so I’m just going to call Cleveland fans the fired drummer in an episode of “Behind the Music.”
Wait, so now I’m Steven Adler?
1. Actually, “prototypical” means new, original, etc. So the series you are referring to is merely “typical.”
2. Kevin Durant is the new Dirk Nowitzki.
I totally was going to use Adler, except that I kinda feel like his getting kicked out of the band was justified. When you try a River Phoenix sized speedball after your 4th rehab attempt I think your friends are justified in cutting you loose. Axl running around calling himself GnR and never acknowledging that Izzy Slash, and Duff actually wrote most of the best music/lyrics, kinda grinds my gears.
Cut that out! Prototypical means relating to or being a prototype. One permissible definition of prototype:”a standard or typical example.”
Back off, Mr. C, before I adjust my fake-o lensless nerd glasses and cue the Nerd-Off music. And you know what that means: all the dweebs like us, the previously anonymous “Guests,” will be swarming. And neither one of us wants that, do we, friend?
If Miami does win I just hope LeBron keeps his mouth shut about Cleveland. We dont need to be reminded, again, that his teammates “died” in the moment or whatever. Enjoy your moment and leave us out of it.
That is, IF they win.
“Permissible”? Ha! More like “permissive” if you ask me.
/Loudly snorts at own joke, causing nose to bleed all over new “Battleship” t shirt.
that actually make me snort bleed. Wait, maybe that’s from this morning.
“I didn’t even want to muster up the negative energy to root against anyone. I just wanted to root for the Cavs.”Not me! I’ve watched every Eastern Conference playoff game this year just so I can root for the Heat to lose. Yeah… not workin’ so well for me… hopefully the Thunder can shut ’em down though.”I’m not going to waste a lot of energy rooting against a guy.” I root against LeBron with all my heart. My hatred has also spilled over to Dawayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Bosh’s alien celebration faces now infuriate me even more than LeBron’s constant whining at the referees.
I find that in many ways, my own beliefs as a Christian and my competitiveness and love for sports are often on polar ends of the spectrum. Nowhere is this more true than my burning loathing of LeBron James. I despise his arrogance and self-promotion. I want him to have Christian values and to stop caring about being a global icon. But that’s where I’m in the wrong… he doesn’t have to be who I want him to be. I will never be okay with the way he left the Cavaliers (from his giving up on the court to the way he kept his decision a secret from the front office to the collusion between him and the Heat as well as Wade and Bosh, to the awful arrogance of the Decision), and because of that I will always root for him to come up short of a championship, but I wish him no injury and I would refrain from spitting on him if I saw him in person. I might even smile and shake his hand. But the father in me wants him and the rest of the young stars in the NBA to learn a lesson from his errors, and it’s hard to learn that lesson if it results in championships.
My thoughts exactly. Im still hoping they cant do it but ive come to the reality that it is probably going to happen. Please dont trash Andy, Boobie, and Antawn while raising these new guys up.
I did a clotty snort bleed at Chez Francois Saturday night. The rest of the evening kind of went downhill.
I definitely wish him no injury harm. No, my wishes are of the “Ibaka blocking his game-winning attempt harmlessly away” variety.
Well said, Vindicative_Pat
I cheer for any team that beats LeBron, regardless of what team he’s on now. I wouldn’t welcome him back to the Cavs. The only thing of his I will support are his charities.
I burnt my jersey on July 10th, 2010. I’m proud of it. I would do it again. I also burnt a dvd copy of More Than A Game and Witness shirt and a King James t-shirt.
I was mad. My friend burnt his jersey also. We were 16 years old, and LeBron disgraced the city we loved to cheer for. And I live in Gainesville, Florida. And I will continue to root against LeBron, and I can’t imagine otherwise.
It’s as simple as this for me: I was born and raised in the Cleveland area, the Cavs finally had a guy who not only was a “hometown” guy who was born in the state, but ultimately would become probably the top 10 players of all time, who could legitimately win a title here in any given year for this aching sports town, and the CAVS could actually re-sign him for the most money out of any other team when his contract was up. The decision destroyed everything for me regarding his legacy and with Cleveland. With that said, if he wins 7 championships in a row, good for him. He will ultimately get the accolades and regards as one of the greatest of all time. I don’t have ill will toward the guy for it, but they will seem tainted in my mind.
The ONLY thing I’m supremely loathing is the future ESPN articles and media reports that vindicated him from the Decision, b/c he won a championship after leaving Cleveland.
It’s as simple as this for me: I was born and raised in the Cleveland area, the Cavs finally had a guy who not only was a “hometown” guy who was born in the state, but ultimately would become probably the top 10 players of all time, who could legitimately win a title here in any given year for this aching sports town, and the CAVS could actually re-sign him for the most money out of any other team when his contract was up. The decision destroyed everything for me regarding his legacy and with Cleveland. With that said, if he wins 7 championships in a row, good for him. He will ultimately get the accolades and regards as one of the greatest of all time. I don’t have ill will toward the guy for it, but they will seem tainted in my mind.
The ONLY thing I’m supremely loathing is the future ESPN articles and media reports that vindicated him from the Decision, b/c he won a championship after leaving Cleveland.
I can attest to the fact that at least 2 jerseys were burned that fateful evening and it was my boys idea and it was his jersey! before we saw the coverage. We sat on the front porch together, talked about Cleveland now having another ” T H E ! ” And he went and got the jersey and said,” This has to be done!”So proud of that boy! Cleveland to the core and why I still believe in BELIEVELAND for the future generations. I’m also tired of rooting for other teams to beat lbj ,that being said Go SEATTLE!
I can attest to the fact that at least 2 jerseys were burned that fateful evening and it was my boys idea and it was his jersey! before we saw the coverage. We sat on the front porch together, talked about Cleveland now having another ” T H E ! ” And he went and got the jersey and said,” This has to be done!”So proud of that boy! Cleveland to the core and why I still believe in BELIEVELAND for the future generations. I’m also tired of rooting for other teams to beat lbj ,that being said Go SEATTLE!
Saw the lowlights again the other night, where lbj gave up and quit on his teammates it was glaringly obvious he had already taken his talents to south beach! Mind,body and soul!!!
For me LeBron is my new Michael Jordan. Not in terms of being on Jordans level as a player, but he’s the guy that I always root against no matter what team he is playing. I respect his talent, but Im always hoping to see him go down.
I hate the Celtics, but I gladly root for them when they play the Heat. I hated the Knicks in the early 90s, but gladly rooted for them when they played the Bulls. For me personally the NBA is a lot more fun to watch when there is a villain to root against. Even if deep down you know you’re rooting against said villain in vein. Jordan was always going to win, it was inevitable. And while LeBron doesnt quite have that same aura about him as Jordan did, it is inevitable that he’s going to get a couple of rings eventually.
I’m not a lebron hater, anymore that is. I spent a lot of energy rooting against him last year. This year, I came to the realization that I dislike the heat and what they stand for more than I hate lebron. So he left, that’s his own choice. But the way they got 3 superstars, surrounding themselves with those who want to ride the coat tails of superstars even if they don’t contribute is everything I hope Cleveland sports never becomes. Well that, and their little pep rally.
i’m so confused. LeBron is the embodiement of the Miami Heat and what they stand for. so, hating them is hating LeBron.
not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Despite the general trend of loathing Lebron here, I still think what Bennett did in moving the Sonics to OKC was a far greater offense. The part of me that can’t stand corporate welfare sees Bennett’s Sonics/Thunder as far more indicative of what’s
wrong with professional sports than Lebron James’ immature ego. As Adande recently tweeted, “Before you
automatically cast LeBron as the villain, would you rather have a player
leave town or an entire franchise bolt?” As much as it hurt to see Lebron leave Cleveland, at least we still have a team (and a good up and coming young team at that!). Seattle fans have nothing.
As far as I’m concerned, this one is a no brainer. I have nothing against Durant and Co., but I can’t stand the thought of Bennett and Co. winning. And so I say, go Lebron! And go Heat!
ESPN is the article being sourced here. This is not a reputable source of news, especially when written by Windhorst. They know most people dislike LeBron and this media propaganda is trying to make the public sympathize with a figure where there is no reason to. You judge a man by his actions, not his words. This article is BS. Media garbage.
Agree 100%. What happened to the Sonics is nearly, but not quite, as bad as what happened to the Browns. I remember how I felt when the Ravens went to (and then won) the Super Bowl. That’s probably about how fans of the Sonics are feeling right now.
What LeBron did with “The Decision” will always stick in my craw (but not as much in his performance vs Boston in the 2010 playoffs), but I won’t begrudge him for leaving Cleveland for Miami when he felt that it would afford him a better shot at a championship (which it did).
Really looking forward to the Finals this year. Both teams are really fun to watch. And personally, I’ve found it better to stop hating LeBron and just enjoy watching a great basketball player. Don’t have to be his fan or root for his team to enjoy his game.
Oh yeah. If he betrayed ANY city except Cleveland, there’d be a small chance he’d go without winning a championship. Since LeBron not winning a championship would work in Cleveland’s favor, the heavens automatically deem such an occurrence inconceivable.
I can’t stand VanGundy’s “LeBron’s really a great guy” propaganda during the games either – although he did say that he can sympathize with Cleveland sports fans on the matter. Either way, the dude needs to come off it already.
Any coherent premise of this post completely falls apart if one takes away the assumptions made herein that the NBA as currently structured is an unqualified good for humanity, including the structure of the various relationships between and among the owners, the players, the franchises, and the public.
You say you “can’t co-sign for the league-altering stuff that [LeBron] and the rest did,” but nowhere do you begin to establish that the league was altered in a bad way. And here we are on the day of what’s objectively the most compelling NBA Finals in recent memory.
You should read Dave Zirin’s post at the Nation on “why we should all root for the Miami Heat.”
Yep, that will be the narrative, he couldnt win in Cleveland, didnt have enough around him, blah blah blah….
THANK YOU for the new metaphor. Sick of being the ex-girlfriend in this scenario.
I will never understand the view that a fan has to justify his rooting interests, either for or against a player or team. I have seen many recent articles indicating fans should stop “hating” Lebron and appreciate his skills. Says who? One can like or dislike a team or player for any reason at all… color of uniforms, college attended, political views, personality etc. and not have to justify his or her reasons.
As for me, since I am a Cleveland fan and value loyalty, I root against Lebron and the Heat. Besides the self centered “Decision” I simply don’t like it when a player attempts to create a super team and circumvent all the hard work necessary to win. None of the greats of the past, threw in the towel and teamed up with a rival.
Finally, Lebron threw away the sweetest story of all…..staying loyal to his city and leading it out of the wilderness to its 1st title since ’64. He had a chance to be the ultimate hero, and went in the other direction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GpdUjgPYRE&feature=player_embedded
That’s my photo. 😀 My friend Ryan and I rushed home from a bar the night of “The Decision” and had a “Lebronfire” in his yard. Needless to say, I caught the jersey up in flames at the perfect moment and sent it into WEWS. Would you mind crediting the photo? My email is jholton2012@gmail.com. Thanks, and go OKC. –Jennifer