LeBron: Classy or Sassy?

Hey, I don't know. They rhymed.

So there's been all this consternation about how LeBron didn't shake hands with his opponents after his loss the other day to the Magic. One of our commenters referred to him as a "classless bitch," and there was much consternation on the ESPN airwaves. I saw a montage of guys like Juwan Howard, Skip Bayless, Bill Rhoden, Mike Lupica, and several others all appearing to be of the opinion that it was immature. I saw this montage on the Sports Soup on Versus (which is trying sooooo hard to be hilariously funny).

However, isn't it possible that LeBron was just beside himself? That maybe he was so upset that he didn't want to deal with anybody? I mean, it's not like he was playing PS3 in the locker room and blowing off reporters. The dude got dressed and high-tailed it to the team bus. He was done. And, really, what could he possibly have said? The Cavs just followed up a 66-win season by losing in six games (and probably should have been swept) to the Orlando Magic, a team absolutely nobody was talking about a month ago. So, seriously, what could LeBron have said? He did everything he could, and so if he even said anything of that sort, someone would write a column about how he was implying his teammates weren't up to snuff -- which they really weren't.

All that said, I'm not defending LeBron. He's a big boy and he's the face of the Cavs and pretty much the league. He needs to sit up there and answer questions after big losses just like he does after big wins. I remember Tiger Woods blowing off the press after shooting a 75 in his first year on tour and people pointing out you need to be the same, sportsmanlike guy in those instances that you are when you shoot 67. Good point.

I also love how everyone is carving up every word he says about his future in Cleveland and then running with it. "LeBron said he wants to stay!" "LeBron said he's got no reason to leave!" Let me ask you something: If LeBron did want to leave, do you think he'd say so right now? I mean, seriously, people. He's got a year left on his contract. If he said to the press right now that he was even thinking of contemplating to listen to offers once he becomes a free agent, well, they'd burn down the Q, I think. LeBron cannot say that or the Cavs go into the tank, in many ways. The minute he says he's going to consider his options, I think it's all over. The team will not play with focus because they'll feel like the fun is over, the fans will then either stop coming or will come but will be bitter... and it'll all serve to motivate LeBron to leave.

I think he's going to stay, too, because there's no reason he needs to be in New York or Brooklyn to be a star. It was evident during the conference finals when Jay-Z and A-Rod and other athletes and celebs were there for the game. This was Cleveland and it was the center of the sports world on those nights. And that's very cool for Cleveland and a big indicator -- to me, at least -- that LeBron can be just a big a star in Ohio as he can be anywhere else. It's a global village now and we all can see all games and all stars anytime we want. LeBron is from Ohio and if he can even bring one title to Cleveland, he'll be a god there forever.

Is The Pain of Ehlo Officially Gone?

Boilerdowd touched on this below, but I just have to ask... Cleveland fans, and anyone else who cares... does this:


....officially bury this?

As an outside observer, I think it does. I'm sure there are Cleveland fans who are used to negativity and won't agree... but good things can happen to Cleveland. And this is proof.

Why LeBron will stay in Cleveland

J Money asked me an interesting question the other day: "Does an NBA title make LeBron more or less likely to stay in Cleveland?"

Here's my take on the matter.

If LeBron wants to leave, there's nothing that anyone can do to stop him. The key is making him not want to leave. The Cavaliers have done that by consistently upgrading not only the team, but the facilities as well. They've consulted with him about players and styles of play. They've made him comfortable. Normally I'm not one for coddling players and treating certain guys different than the rest of the team, but in this case the way the Cavs have pulled it off makes it seem like none of the other players mind. They're having too much fun to mind. They're as tight-knit and as loose as any team I can remember. They hang together off the court and that comraderie helps them to play better on the court. Because of the atmosphere surrounding this team, I think that LeBron will stay in C-Town regardless of whether he wins a championship or not. Of course, I say that now. A lot can happen in a year.

Will he leave because of money? There's all the rumors about a $100 million increase in his Nike contract if he goes to one of the 3 big markets. Is he going to play for the Clippers? I don't think so. The Lakers have no need for him and can't afford him anyway without gutting their roster of all of its depth. I don't think he'll go to Chicago and work in the shadow of Michael Jordan. That leaves the Knicks and the Nets. If the Nets don't move to Brooklyn (and that's looking less and less likely as time goes on) then there's no draw for him. He could go to the Knicks but that team is reminiscent of his early years with the Cavs. Does he really want to go through that again? I don't think so. Ultimately players are measured by their rings and if he wants those then he'd have to wait at least 5 years to get one in New York. That leaves the Cavaliers. They can pay him the most salary, and with the cap likely dropping, they can pay a lot more than the next nearest team.

I think he'll stay because he's comfortable here. He's from here, and regardless of whether he wears Cowboys and Yankees hats or not, he knows what it's like to be a Clevelander. He knows the ever present sense of dread that exists whenever a sports team is close to anything meaningful. He knows the history. He knows that there have been no champions in this city in over 50 years. Fifty years! He has a chance to end all of that, and if he does and then he leaves he will have thrown all that away. However, if he wins it all and he stays... well, you might as well rename this place Jamestown. LeBronville. Bronburg. Whatever. He will own the city more than he already does and 50 years after he retires he will still be beloved here, in much the same way as Jim Brown. That's a meaningful legacy. That's why he'll stay.

Cleveland Is Gay For Sports

You may or may not have heard, but Cleveland is a front-runner for the Gay Games of 2012.

The other cities considered finalists are Boston and DC.

Events include "swimming, basketball, figure skating and softball, as well as nontraditional events, such beach volleyball and, in a first for the games, rodeo. They would take place downtown and in Akron."

Akron, you may have heard, is famous for making rubber. Just saying.

From the article:

Leading the Cleveland effort are Brian Tavolier and W. Doug Anderson, organizers of North Coast Athletics Volleyball and past Cleveland Pride parades. They flew to South Africa in October to plug Cleveland.

Come on. To "plug Cleveland"?

I'm far to juvenile for you to leave in lines like that.