#6's Return?

[GreasySpread36]

a) Feel free to point me to any posts you made declaring LeBron was about to make a jackass of himself on national TV from before the program aired.

b) Did you watch the show?

a.) I didn't care whether or not he did the show beforehand. I wanted him gone after the Boston series and made no bones about it on this forum. I recall that being the minority view. I do remember Jim Rome saying that afternoon that LeBron HAD to be coming back because he couldn't possibly have the gall to diss the city and the region on national TV. So at least one more prominent person than I thought it was bad form going in.

b.) Of course I watched. So what?

 

[I-77 NORTH]

The top three local markets were Cleveland (26.0 ); Columbus (14.2) and Miami (12.8). Chicago ranked sixth with a 10.7 and New York ranked seventh at 10.4.

Man, does Lebron even know about this?

 

[Stark]

Man, does Lebron even know about this?

He wouldn't care.

 

[Jon]

a.) I didn't care whether or not he did the show beforehand. I wanted him gone after the Boston series and made no bones about it on this forum. I recall that being the minority view. I do remember Jim Rome saying that afternoon that LeBron HAD to be coming back because he couldn't possibly have the gall to diss the city and the region on national TV. So at least one more prominent person than I thought it was bad form going in.

Yet, having the gall to diss the other cities ... would be ok?

b.) Of course I watched. So what?

Ultimately in this media world ... your real vote is where you click.

 

[Chris]

Clevelanders watching the program is hardly an approval of it. The Decision was retarded as all hell. I've never seen anyone defend it before...shocked right now.

 

[Jon]

Clevelanders watching the program is hardly an approval of it. The Decision was retarded as all hell. I've never seen anyone defend it before...shocked right now.

Do you go out of your way to get "shit on" much?

Or did you watch because you wanted to see some other city get "shit on"?

 

[GreasySpread36]

Yet, having the gall to diss the other cities ... would be ok?

Take it up with Jim Rome if you disagree.

Hey, if you're good with LeBron embarrassing himself on national TV, I'm good with it too. It hurt him a lot more than it hurt the Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland. Actually, it was the best thing that could have happened for the city from a PR standpoint because it instantly shifted the narrative from "LOL CLEVELAND CAN'T KEEP A GUY WHO GREW UP 45 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN LOL" to "THAT SELFISH BASTARD BACKSTABBED HIS HOMETOWN ON NATIONAL TV!!!"

 

[-Akronite-]

Watching something does not mean you approve of it. I've willingly looked at pictures of Holocaust victims, says nothing about my views.

Clevelanders anticipated this Decision the most and based on the circumstances watched the special. That doesn't mean the special was any good. Just because I watch the draft, it doesn't mean I can't criticize the Browns for taking Weeden.

It would have been a relief if he said "Cleveland," but the only thing that would've made the special any less douchey by saying Cleveland would be that he didn't dump on Ohio. People would still be pissed for a build-up to nothing, though.

Nothing you are saying makes any sense.

 

[Scholar]

Isn't there a regular "Lebron" thread to regurgitate this crap in? I thought this was suppose to be about his possible return, not a rehash of historical past leaving events. I feel like I just used the way back machine and I am reading some old "Jon from Virginia" posts in vintage black and white. Back before they invented color posting. :chuckles:

 

[Jack Brickman]

Yet, having the gall to diss the other cities ... would be ok?

I don't see how that's even remotely the same thing. LeBron played in Cleveland for seven years. He was from the Cleveland area. We were the only team that he had played for prior to The Decision, and thus we were the only team that stood to truly lose if he left. We were also the only fan base that would have been flat out devastated if he announced his decision to leave on national television, thus giving the city another terrible sports moment that we already had more than our fair share of.

I honestly don't understand how anyone from Cleveland can not get that it was The Decision itself that inspired the real hatred for LeBron. After all the bullshit the average Cleveland fan has been through over the years, we had to sit and watch this guy give us one more horrible nationally televised moment just two months after he had given us another.

You can see the difference just by looking at those numbers you posted. The highest chunk of people watching The Decision were from Ohio. New York and Miami never had LeBron before it, so if he opted to go elsewhere it sucked, but ultimately it was no big deal. Not the same for Cavs fans at all.

Finally, there was nothing that was going to make The Decision okay. Even if he had chosen Cleveland, it would have remained a distasteful, egotistical way to announce a free agency choice. However, if he had chosen Cleveland, even the national media would have waived it off and said, "Well, he did it to raise money for charity." Cleveland was the only safe choice in that special because it was the only fan base that would feel truly destroyed by any choice other than Cleveland. That's why so many people, even in the national media, assumed LeBron would choose Cleveland when the special was first announced. It was the only choice that wouldn't make him look like a total piece of shit.

 

[Tlyons]

Mind boggling that this has to be explained at such a Barney level.

 

[Chris]

Do you go out of your way to get "shit on" much?

Or did you watch because you wanted to see some other city get "shit on"?

They were getting shit on whether they watched it or not.

 

[col63onel]

Jason Whitlock said only the "insanely dishonest" would defend The Decision.

Congrats, Jon, Welcome to insanity!!!!

 

[Jon]

Jason Whitlock said only the "insanely dishonest" would defend The Decision.

Congrats, Jon, Welcome to insanity!!!!

You know what? I'd be perfectly fine with Jason Whitlock thinking I'm being "insanely dishonest".

Here's some more of what Jason said in that article:

For seven years, James seemed to delight in, court and fuel himself with universal adoration and respect. It’s gone now, and it’s not coming back. He’s a hero in Miami, a coward in New York, a spoiled, narcissistic punk most everywhere else and Black Modell in Ohio.

Cavs fans burned his jersey in the streets. Police protected his house in Akron and a giant “Witness” banner in downtown Cleveland.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert eviscerated LeBron’s reputation, telling The Associated Press that James quit in the playoffs and wouldn’t return phone calls or text messages for more than a month, and he described James’ televised reality-show exit self-promotional and cowardly.

Have you checked the poll lately?

60% of the Cavaliers fans who responded are now willing to take the "Black Model" back. Only 13.8% said no way. Only 18% would hold out for an apology. No doubt some of you guys are in that 18% or 13.8%, and you can keep flaming me if it makes you feel better, but I'd suggest you wake up and smell the coffee.

The majority of fans don't take moral stands about their sports figures. They only care about winning. The ironic thing is I *am* one of those fans who would take a moral stand ... that is if James actually did something reprehensible. His only crime is not realizing (like I've said before) that there's no nice way to tell 6 cities "screw you". I have no doubt his donation to the Boys club was meant to cover the stench ... but you know what? Who gives a fuck about the motivation? The money is going to do some good, and the program itself did no actual harm.

 

[Jon]

Watching something does not mean you approve of it. I've willingly looked at pictures of Holocaust victims, says nothing about my views.

If someone was invited to attend a gassing at a Auschwitz with full knowledge what was going to happen ... you don't think that would say something about their "view" on the matter?

You weren't watching "The Decision" ... 60 years later to understand the social impact of the program ...