Re: The Lebron Safari 2014
I find this whole letter issue that the Jim Browns and Dan Le Batards are pushing to be pretty hypocritical.
The letter was an emotionally worded reaction to an action that lacked regard for the fan base and the organization that supported Lebron for years. To say it had slave master overtones was nothing but sensationalism as a way of improving ratings and/or clicks.
To demand an apology for the reaction, one would first question if the action itself required apology. Not the leaving part. I think most folks have come to the conclusion that leaving was well within his rights. It was how it was done that people take issue with. The Decision. It joined the scars the city fan base carries with it and is frequently reminded of every time the Browns playoff legacy comes to topic. With that said, I don't think there was ill intent. I think he saw the opportunity to make some money for a foundation he cared about. I also think he was caught up with the naivety of youth and the hype around him. Those factors devolved into The Decision as we know it.
If you watch the video of his reaction to the jersey burning, you see legitimate pain. That wasn't what he was going for. I think then he started to realize the mistake. With time, he's stepped back and said if he put himself in the same situation of a passionate fan, he'd be upset too.
Gilbert has also said that if he had it to do over again, he'd change some of the wording. The sentiment, however, would still be there. Betrayal. He and the fan base felt betrayed. That wouldn't be an unexpected reaction to how that went down.
I think that goes down as lesson learned for both of them. I think if Lebron does go, he's going to have the courtesy of letting the team know first, privately. There won't be a TV show. There won't be fanfare (as reported this weekend). It's just going to happen. Hopefully that approach results in the majority of the fan base there celebrating his achievements when with the team as opposed to a vitriolic response. I think if Gilbert were faced with the situation again, the letter would still contain the sentiment of betrayal, but soften some of the language used in delivering it.
With that said, I think both parties here have expressed some form of regret for exactly how things went down and can hopefully make it water under the bridge.
Making it anything more than what it is, or throwing it out as a reason to not come back seems pretty desperate or misguided.