While We’re Waiting… Being Bowens, Knapp’s Latest and Stadium Loudness
September 9, 2010Angels 4 Indians 3: The Neverending Story
September 9, 2010The Ohio State Buckeyes may be playing their biggest game of the season on Saturday when the Miami Hurricanes head to Columbus. And while many fans will prefer to focus on the Xs and Os, Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor created a few headlines late Wednesday after he asked Ohio State fans to take it easy on former Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James.
When prompted by a member of the media, Pryor reiterated that he and the two-time NBA MVP are close friends and that he supports his decision to leave the city of Cleveland, and he hopes fans can at least be courteous come Saturday afternoon.
“If LeBron does come, just treat him with respect and respect his decision,” Pryor said. “Please, no name calling or booing or anything like that. Please. That’s my mentor, and I’ve got a lot of respect for him and a lot of love for him.”
Last weekend, James was seen in Wooster, Ohio as he was supporting the nephew of Maverick Carter, Martice Jackson, carry the football for Wadsworth’s varsity program. Coupling this with the fact that James has been working out in the Akron area since his departure and that he has been a big supporter of Ohio State athletics (as well as Terrelle Pryor as a player), and it is not far-fetched to assume that James could be on the sidelines this weekend.
Naturally, the decision to back James will be met with criticism from various parties. For starters, James now plays for the Miami Heat, the NBA team that plays its home games approximately seven miles north of Coral Gables. Adding to the mix is the overall negative PR that this creates for Pryor given that he is largely considered to be Ohio’s newLeBron. Though not from Cleveland (or Akron, for that matter), Pryor has been embraced by many as such – after all, Pryor’s entire right arm is covered in an Ohio State “Block O” tattoo.
But in the same, this is the same Pryor that paid homage to Michael Vick in the heat of his felony trial for the now infamous dogfighting ring. Not long after, Pryor offered one of the more questionable quotes on the situation.
“Not everybody is a perfect person in this world,” said Pryor. “I mean, everyone does … kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me. I just feel people need to give him a chance. I always looked up to Mike Vick and I always will because I still think he’s one of the best quarterbacks to me and I just love Mike Vick.”
Alas, it was James who was there for Pryor when the true sophomore quarterback was having issues with being on the national stage week in and week out. Just 20-years old at the time, Pryor sought James for advice on how to handle to pressure that was placed upon his shoulders.
Last October, it was James who went to bat for Ohio State’s star.
“Being that No. 1 guy, how do you adjust to it and how do you get through it and still perform at a high level?” James said. “Sometimes it can be very difficult on [a young athlete]. I’m trying to be that guy who can really help him get through a lot of situations which he’s never seen before but now he’s seeing and understanding.”
Given that James has likely done more for Pryor than Michael Vick, it is evident that James is truly a friend of the quarterback and that the support is merely respect as such. Pryor told the media that James “is a Buckeye,” and that he “owes him a show.” Unfortunately for Pryor, while they may also enjoy “the show,” there is a good chance that his wishes of respect – especially those of not booing or name-calling – are not granted come Saturday as there are plenty of Ohio State fans that are still stung by James’ still fresh departure, occurring just a little over two months ago.
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(Image courtesy of Bucknuts.com)
46 Comments
Who exactly does he think he is endearing himself to with these comments other than the chosen 1/3rd. He needs to just shut up. I know he probably wants to stay tight with the quitness “fam” so he can benefit financially but he should still just keep his mouth shut on this issue.
The people of NEO should show James the same amount of respect that he’s shown us.
Hmmm. Nope, can’t do it. LeBron made a bush league move, and he’ll hear about it.
and TP, it’s time to shush and play.
I gotta stay neutral on this one.
I hate LeBron with a passion for what he did, and I’ll be on that same sideline with him this weekend….
But Pryor is his friend. And what kind of a man are you if you’re not standing up for your friends?
After all, it’s not like he said “yeah, Cleveland sucks, LebRon roolz lol.”
I’ll cut Pryor some slack on it.
Boo the hell out of him and throw beer on him…
Haha. I pray LBJ will be within shouting distance of me on Saturday. TP really just needs to shut his mouth.
and yet, for thiry years, the first thing people ask me when I tell them I’m a Michigan fan is, “Why”…..well, not having to root for D-bags like this is one reason.
I didnt want him when he was the primadonna of his recruiting class. I was kinda relieved when he didnt come to Ann Arbor. And yet, I cried myself to sleep a couple Saturdays over the last coupla seasons wondering “what if”. Upon further review, I am again happy with the way things turned out.
Keep worrying about the “superstar” stuff Terelle, not the “football” stuff. Schadenfrude is my warm blanket
No.
@2 Strictly speaking, Columbus isn’t NEO. I know the Cavs are the only pro basketball team in the state, and I know there are a ton of OSU fans in Cleveland, but I really don’t know that the Cavs have that same traction in Columbus, especially at Ohio State which also pulls from southern Ohio and out of state.
I’d personally be surprised if Lebron gets much of a reaction. In the ‘Shoe no amount of Lebron hate could overpower OSU game-day and the focus will be on the teams on the field.
I do wonder if Lebron is altruistic here in actually offering advice or if he’s just trying to pull another John Wall, getting close to him just to try to get him to sign with LRMR.
So TP’s not allowed to be friends with LeBron??? If it was your friend, you would want and hope for the same treatment. I really think it’s time that we move on – particularly considering that Ohio State and Cleveland, or Akron (or whatever place it is where we identify ourselves by our wounds) are not the same thing. And believe it or not, there is about 1/2 to 2/3 of the OSU fanbase that could not possibly care less that LeBron left Cleveland – and may even be rejoicing over it. But boo if you’d like; and enjoy being the bitter 1/3 of the fans in scarlet. If it makes you happy.
If I was at the ‘Shoe Saturday (and believe me, I wish I was), I’d cheer for LeBron JUST to inspire TP to have the game of his life. I’m more than happy to follow LeBron’s lead and use HIM to achieve MY ends – an inspired Pryor and a victory over Miami.
And when we win the game, we’ll buy a keg of booze . . .
Who cares? Let’s worry about basketball once football season ends (except for the return game in Dec).
my question is, how come lebron is such a die-hard OSU fan, yet he claims to never have been a fan of indians, cavs or browns? i mean, columbus isnt THAT much further from akron as cleveland is from akron. columbus is a pretty big city too – much bigger than akron. didnt the c-bus kids look down on the akron kids, much like the cleveland kids allegedly did? if lebron couldnt afford to go see cleveland teams as a kid, could he really have had the opportunity to go see OSU games? frankly, lebron is nothing more than a bandwagon follower and hence his OSU “loyalty.” he is just making up these reasons that he never liked cle since the kids were mean to akron kids when he was young as a thinly-veiled excuse to try and justify leaving the cavs. in reality, there is no real logical reason for lebron to “hate” cleveland (in his words), yet at the same time have no real obvious hatred for columbus at the same time. it serves no purpose for him to say he “hates” c-bus but hating Cle justifies in his mind (and the non-thinking media) why he can leave Cle.
“columbus isnt THAT much further from akron as cleveland is from akron.”
Columbus is like twice as far from Akron as Cleveland is.
Come on people. We’re not really criticizing Pryor for this are we? A reporter asked him a question about LeBron and he actually gave a really mature answer.
Pryor is from Pennsylvania, why would he begrudge someone, who seems to be an actual friend, for leaving a professional franchise in Cleveland?
I was extremely angry, as most fans were, at LeBron for how he left. But let’s not misdirect that anger at Pryor.
This all boils down to the fact that Lebron brought whatever reaction he receives on himself. TP shouldn’t have to come out and beg and plead with fans not to boo him. People are smart enough to make their own decisions on how they feel about things. Kind of a dumb reaction by Pryor if you ask me.
@11 — of course he’s bandwagon. he was all over the glenville game last weekend.
http://twitter.com/KingJames/status/23169294599
like most everyone else, i dont want the focus of this game anywhere but on the game. i kinda hope he doesn’t show up.
I will boo Lebron whenever I get the chance. I really don’t give a crap what TP says. Lebron is getting what he deserves.
How about we just focus on the game vs Miami and not care what LBJ is doing? Im just as pissed as anyone else that he left. Im from Akron and graduated the same year LBJ did, but it is football season and I don’t give a crap who is on the sideline. I only care who is on the field and what that scoreboard looks like. We have been waiting for 9 months for the season to start back up and now we want to focus on LBJ? We weren’t worth his time to stick around so why waste our time booing him. I only want positive noise coming out of The Shoe to back the Buckeyes.
I have never once heard of LBJ being such a fan of OSU. This is probably related to some PR-marketing campaign by his firm to help repair his image. But on the other hand, if he wants to go to the game – let him. No doubt he’s going to get boo-ed, but that’s life and he’s a rich big boy – so he can probably handle it.
I will boo his ass off from my seat in 24B.
Cheer for Pryor, Boo LeBron
“That’s my mentor…”
Just let that soak in for a minute and tell me your head doesn’t involuntarily shake from side to side.
First, I understand that TP is a college kid. Face it, none of us really know what the heck we’re talking about at that age. Also, it’s probably true that he’s attempting to endear himself to LeBron’s team so that he can sign with his (very inexperienced and non-savvy) managment or something.
Ultimately, all this story does for me is twist my stomach just a little bit more. The obsession with the thoughts of people that happen to be able to throw an inflatable animal skin makes me sick. I am actually a little jealous of the generations before me (I’m 28 years old) that weren’t bombarded with the inane ramblings of over-paid egomaniacal pro athletes.
They play a child’s game for truckloads of money. That’s it. Let’s not spend time validating their “celebrity status” by over-analysing their words. Besides, I’m pretty sure we have enough evidence at this point to determine that TP isn’t exactly a Rhodes Scholar…and that’s OK.
@max- because braylon wasn’t a [WFNY edit: feminie hygiene product]?
Pryor’s response wasn’t horrible, he stood up for a “friend” like many of you would. I defend my stupid friends more than I should. Having said that- I can’t make it to Saturday’s game, but if any of you are within shouting/throwing/kicking/punching/urinating distance of LBJ, please do everything in your power to remind him he left this state and isn’t warmly welcomed back.
Thanks in advance,
still bitter
I am torn about #6 being Pryor’s mentor. I hate him with all my being, but he was an incredibly hyped athlete coming out of high school, who lived up to expectations, and other than being an egomaniacle jerk off the court, he never really got into trouble (like Michael Vick). You can already see Pryor become more Tresselized with the way he handles the media now, so I don’t think he is a bad influence for him. That said, I will boo #6 every time I see him.
I’m sitting in the third row in 37AA on Saturday, and LeBron was seen around the south stands area last time he was at a game. I’m not sure how I’ll handle it if he’s within earshot, and I know that LeBron won’t respond to anything anyone from the stands says to him. Still, it’s so tempting to go off on him if I get the chance.
Which sideline will he be on? What’s TP gonna say when #6 walks over to Miami’s sideline? I just hope he doesnt show up and take away from the game.
And if he does show, unfortunately the game is on ESPN, which means every chance they get we will have to see shots of him smiling on the headlines.
It’s football season. Don’t really care about LeBron right now.
Maybe James will dot the “I” but in “Miami” instead! 😉
Respect is earned not given.
Which sideline would LBJ be on if he were at the game? Being the marketing machine he is wouldn’t it look bad (in the eyes of south beach) if he were on the sideline of Miami’s opposition?
On the flip side TP just went to bat for him, and Lebron claims to be an OSU fan.
If hes there I would lay my money that hes in a suite and not on the sidelines. Although this won’t stop ESPN from giving him about as much camera time as the game. Maybe we could get Brady Quinn’s sister to come back for this one as well, then they could just pan back and forth between her and LBJ, no need for the game.
I hope #6 is wearing a big ol’ custom made #6 Hurricane’s jersey. Better yet, maybe one of those stupid split-jersey things that Quinn’s sister/Hawk’s wife wore during the OSU-Notre Dame bowl game.
Would you put it past him?
I don’t care what Pryor says. He idolized Mike Vick and his mentor is LeFraud. Not exactly stellar role models. As long as he lights up the ‘Canes i’ll be happy.
What I won’t like is ESPN’s constant pandering to LeFraud. You know they will try and get a sideline interview with him. Maybe #6 will fly in Jim Gray to do the interview.
Terrelle Pryor is a fugging moron.
I only hate this team even more…
As Cavs fans, we ignored the red flags with Lebron. I hope OSU fans do not make the same mistake. Every time this kid is in front of a microphone and shares his views on life, it’s a headliner that makes you shake your head. He’s a heck of a talent, but he is a problem waiting to happen.
I never thought I’d be happy he didn’t choose Michigan, but I am.
[WFNY Edit: Please read “Before you Comment”]
i think lebron put this idea in pryors head. he said”ask the fans what would they think if i came”
BUT PRYOR needs to be careful here. he has a friendship with bron. His point of view is tainted. you can not expect the true fans of ohio to forgive lebron for what he did. Pryor said that lebron was a buckeye at heart. Tressel said that he committed to him three years ago. We all thought lebron was a cavalier and betrayed us
Lebron should not come and take this night away from the bukeyes He just wants to let the world know that he still welcome home. wich is not true.
@ #19 “I have never once heard of LBJ being such a fan of OSU. This is probably related to some PR-marketing campaign by his firm to help repair his image.”
Errrrr, maybe you should have paid attention when Lebron’s logo was on the basketball jerseys a few years back. I’m pretty sure most of the Buckeye players still wear his shoe custom made for Ohio State as well. Or when he said if he would have gone to college it would have been Ohio State.
“As Cavs fans, we ignored the red flags with Lebron. I hope OSU fans do not make the same mistake.”
OSU has the luxury of not having to worry about it. It’s the nature of the game in college that guys don’t stay. The Buckeyes would only be able to keep Pryor for one more year after this anyway. The only thing Pryor could intentionally do to Ohio State would be to throw a game which would hurt his own draft status down the line.
No need to spoil the big game on Saturday be men and ignore the fact that he is even there. Don’t waste your energy possibily affecting TPks play. Save your anger for the “Q” where we can boo him and it actually might affect his play.
Positive emotion brings positve motion, until Clevelanders learn this we will just continue to look stupid to the rest of the world.
Great things are coming to the Double “O” if you we let them.
How many “close” friends does LeQuit have?
I’m getting tired of hearing about all his fricken
“friends”.
Spit on him if you get the chance.
And damn, Pryor is ugly.
A couple of points:
It’s hard for Pryor to speak for the fact that 1) Just because you play for Ohio State doesn’t mean you’re from Ohio, 2) As such, Lebron’s decision didn’t mean anything to you and 3) You need to be worried about the game and 4) Lebron is only friends with you because he wants you to join LRMR marketing. Now that John Wall signed with another marketing agency, lets see how many trips Lebron makes to Lexington, KY for UK games.
Pryor just put himself in a situation where he better win this game. As if that wasn’t already the case..
#20–Hamsterdam is no more 🙁 Your avatar made me giggle in the same way I did when I saw one that said “Omar comin”
I don’t care who Pryor is friends with. I won’t cheer for James or boo him because Pryor asks me to. Good grief TP , where do you get off? James should get the reaction he’s earned–and by that I mean he should be booed unmercifully.
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[…] perhaps it could have went unnoticed until the day of the game. But once Pryor stirred the pot, telling fans to “respect” the man who blasted the city of Cleveland on national television two months earlier, and not to boo or call […]