Don't Think You Didn't See It Coming
I am prepared. How about you?
We are either:
A) A matter of hours away from a news conference, with LeBron James’ smiling face telling us he was just kidding, and that he is a Cleveland Cavalier for life and that we have nothing to worry about, because the city’s only hope of ever breaking the Curse of Cleveland Pro Sports will bring home a Championship (yes, Browns, I said “only” … you know we may as well not even watch this year with the mess the front office has made).
B) A matter of days away from LeBron following his wallet and going to some other team.
"We are either a matter of hours away from LeBron James’ smiling face telling us he is a Cleveland Cavalier for life, or a matter of days away from him following his wallet and going to some other team."
As much as I hate to say it, I really think it’s going to be “B.” I have alsolutely no faith in LeBron James staying in Cleveland. I think it’s unrealistic.
Sure, it was funny at first a couple years ago, when New York Knicks fans were holding up signs that “We’ll see you in two years, LeBron” and other drivel. “Ha-ha, Knicks fans, whatever keeps you from crying yourselves to sleep at night because of your half-assed excuse for a basketball team.”
It became a lot less funny a year ago, when LeBron didn’t seem to be in a rush to negotiate his extension, and said he’d be “weighing options” and such. Knicks fans remained obnoxious (actually, I’m not sure New York sports fans are ever not obnoxious). But there was still hope… get Shaq, win a title, LeBron stays. It was that simple.
Then the Cavs blew it this year… hell, they didn’t even come close. And I think that is the moment reality set in. Wait… not reality. More like resignation.
Now, with some sort of “dinner party” planned for LeBron tomorrow in New York (according to reports on ESPN), the sweepstakes begin. Now, I can’t imagine why LeBron would go to a godawful team such as the Knicks. If LeBron continues to say he wants a front-office commitment to building a championship team, the Knicks would have to go right up against the salary cap to get the pieces they would need. I mean, LeBron alone can not save that team. You’d need him, and at least a LeBron clone or two.
"LeBron alone can not save the New York Knicks. You’d need him, and AT LEAST a LeBron clone or two."
So, I can’t see him going to New York.
But money does strange things… and that’s why I don’t see him staying in Cleveland, either. Even after all the Cavaliers have done for him – successful or not.
“Pro athletes” and “loyalty to a city” are not phrases you see together very often. There aren’t a whole lot of “one franchise” players in any sport. There are very few “class” athletes – like Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman in hockey, or Magic Johnson in basketball, for example – who stay where they are because they want to. The Almighty Dollar rules.
I hope I’m wrong. Honestly, I do.
However, I am very prepared to be right.
However, if I am wrong and LeBron does stay in Cleveland, I think there is a certain… “style” that should be considered for the announcement.
See, there’s an old sports legend…
It’s not so much a “legend.” I recall reading it from a credible source (AP wire story, I think), but I didn’t have it in front of me, so I had to do some digging, and luckily enough, I found something to back it up, which is good, because I had a couple of the details wrong.
Anyway, the “pseudo-legend” goes like this: In 1997, after losing out on a bidding war for Mark Messier, the New York Rangers committed Colorado Avalanche captain (and restricted free agent) Joe Sakic to a three-year, $21 million offer sheet ($2M each year, plus a $15 million signing bonus). Under the rules, Colorado had a week to match it or lose Sakic, and get the Rangers’ next five first-round draft picks, etc.
So, the story continues that Colorado took the whole week to do some financial juggling to secure the kind of money they needed to match (which they did, the full story is here). To celebrate, the Avs’ front office sent the Rangers’ front office a framed print of Nelson Rockefeller flipping off hecklers at a 1976 campaign stop.
"The Cavaliers’ giving the Knicks the finger is probably not the nicest thing to do. But if the Cavs are going to make a move and keep LeBron, do it with a little style"
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the Cavaliers’ keeping James and then giving the Knicks the finger (literally or proverbially) is probably not the nicest thing to do, and I probably shouldn't be implying that I condone this. But like I said, if the Cavs are going to make a move and get this done, do it with a little style, right?
It would go a long way to make people forget about that silly rally in Akron last week, or that even-sillier “Please Stay LeBron” video that somehow even got our Governor involved (and I hope tax dollars didn’t pay for that trip, because that was an embarassment).
LeBron James staying in Cleveland would be a modern miracle… then again, so is a pro sports title in Cleveland.
Now all we have to do is wait….