# The LeBron Hour, Finally



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5359255

Looks like LeBron has made his choice, and will make everyone wait till Thursday night.

He has requested that ESPN give him a one-hour show, for this announcement.

While that does seem a bit over the top, at least he has requested that all the advertising dollars go to charity.

The best thing that will come out of this....
By Friday, all this NBA Free Agency noise should come to an end....

And we can start to focus on the start of NFL Football.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

What's really sad about this is ESPN giving into his demands. 
I'm sorry but I had my way not a single reporter would show up at his little circus.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I agree... except, they probably should have made this a summer reality show from the start. I mean, there have been worse ideas for a reality show!

Each week a different team "courts" LeBron... and then he starts giving them "challenges" to avoid elimination... and by the end of the summer the winning team gets LeBron.

I am being sarcastic... but strangely surprised no one thought of doing this!


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Mrs. Fluffybear has suggested that since Lebron is requesting all advertising dollars go directly to charity that ESPN should run nothing but commercials for that entire 60 minutes and use the crawl for his announcement. 
Giving him a single minute of air time is only inflating his over-inflated fat head more.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

The circus is almost in town.

The NBA has truly hyped up this whole free agent thing to the point where its almost beyond all comprehension.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

Wow. I mean, I thought there were some prima donnas in baseball (I'm talking to you Alex Rodriguez) but - geez - talk about thinking that you're bigger than the game.

I guess this is just another reason I don't watch basketball. I mean, if LeBron is so good, how come the Celtics beat them? How many championships has he won? How many rings is he wearing? I mean, come on, Kobe Bryant has more 'claim to fame' but LeBron wants ONE HOUR???


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

djlong said:


> Wow. I mean, I thought there were some prima donnas in baseball (I'm talking to you Alex Rodriguez) but - geez - talk about thinking that you're bigger than the game.
> 
> I guess this is just another reason I don't watch basketball. I mean, if LeBron is so good, how come the Celtics beat them? How many championships has he won? How many rings is he wearing? I mean, come on, Kobe Bryant has more 'claim to fame' but LeBron wants ONE HOUR???


Yup....yup..and yup...

The money they are throwing these guys....and the mega-hype coming out of the NBA these days is beyond compare.

Funny thing is....most of these guys are staying with their original teams...so this mostly ends up being a salary (huge increase) negotiation ploy in the end.

With 80% of games decided in the last 2 minutes and insanely paid players...you are not alone in rejecting the NBA altogether.


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## Jimmy 440 (Nov 17, 2007)

What a clown who's in love with himself.I wouldn't know him if I saw him in the street passing me.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

What the heck is a "lebron" anyway?


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I bear him no personal ill-will... but for someone who has won zero NBA championships, or even NBA finals games... he is getting a lot of press.

For as sick as we all get with Brett Favre and his retirement-or-not summers... at least Favre won a championship in his sport before he became a distraction.

Maybe LeBron will win a half dozen championships and all will be forgotten... but until he does something, I think people would be wiser to spend their money on other available talent that has achieved something OR other potential achievers who aren't trying to take over the system.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

I have never watched a game of basketball and I hate the fact that I know what you are discussing. Just ridiculous amounts of money. If anyone thinks at these rates of pay that any game in professional sports is not predetermined you are crazy. It is hush money, plain and simple. Just MHO.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Stewart Vernon said:


> I bear him no personal ill-will... but for someone who has won zero NBA championships, *or even NBA finals games*... he is getting a lot of press.
> 
> For as sick as we all get with Brett Favre and his retirement-or-not summers... at least Favre won a championship in his sport before he became a distraction.
> 
> Maybe LeBron will win a half dozen championships and all will be forgotten... but until he does something, I think people would be wiser to spend their money on other available talent that has achieved something OR other potential achievers who aren't trying to take over the system.


Just a quick note...He played in the 2007 Finals & got swept by the Spurs.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

n3ntj said:


> What the heck is a "lebron" anyway?


Wasn't that some sort of Auto?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

armophob said:


> I have never watched a game of basketball and I hate the fact that I know what you are discussing. Just ridiculous amounts of money. If anyone thinks at these rates of pay that any game in professional sports is not predetermined you are crazy. It is hush money, plain and simple. Just MHO.


You've obviously not watched sports to think all professional are predetermined. Do you realize how ridiculously impossible it would be to organize hundreds of thousands games in ALL pro sports & thousands of players to make certain events happen to get predetermined results? Then, have no one but just one desperate former referee come forward and call them out? :nono2:


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

n3ntj said:


> What the heck is a "lebron" anyway?


What the heck is a "n3ntj" anyway?


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> You've obviously not watched sports to think all professional are predetermined. Do you realize how ridiculously impossible it would be to organize hundreds of thousands games in ALL pro sports & thousands of players to make certain events happen to get predetermined results? Then, have no one but just one desperate former referee come forward and call them out? :nono2:


One day, I will be vindicated by the truth, just wait.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> I bear him no personal ill-will... but for someone who has won zero NBA championships, or even NBA finals games... he is getting a lot of press.
> 
> For as sick as we all get with Brett Favre and his retirement-or-not summers... at least Favre won a championship in his sport before he became a distraction.
> 
> Maybe LeBron will win a half dozen championships and all will be forgotten... but until he does something, I think people would be wiser to spend their money on other available talent that has achieved something OR other potential achievers who aren't trying to take over the system.


Now, I'm not much of a basketball guy, I prefer hockey. But in these kinds of sports, isn't more about the team? Michael Jordan obviously was one of the best players in history, but didn't he have a solid team to back him up? One player can't win a championship.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Now, I'm not much of a basketball guy, I prefer hockey. But in these kinds of sports, isn't more about the team? *Michael Jordan obviously was one of the best players in history, but didn't he have a solid team to back him up? One player can't win a championship.*


Exactly...No great player won without another (or more) great player. Jordan/Pippen, Magic/Kareem, Bird/McHale, Russell/Havlicek, etc.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

sigma1914 said:


> Just a quick note...He played in the 2007 Finals & got swept by the Spurs.


Yeah, that's why I was careful with the wording "...someone who has won zero NBA championships, *or even NBA finals games*."

He did make the finals, but didn't win a single game there... so the next time he wins even a single game in the NBA finals will be his first win.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Yeah, that's why I was careful with the wording "...someone who has won zero NBA championships, *or even NBA finals games*."
> 
> He did make the finals, but didn't win a single game there... so the next time he wins even a single game in the NBA finals will be his first win.


I can't read sometimes. :lol:


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

Anyone want to volunteer for a rescue party if he bails on Cleveland, I may need an extraction team. This place will be a war zone (more than normal) if he leaves town.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

RobertE said:


> Anyone want to volunteer for a rescue party if he bails on Cleveland, I may need an extraction team. This place will be a war zone (more than normal) if he leaves town.


You may want to start putting up the barb wire now.... :eek2:


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> What the heck is a "n3ntj" anyway?


It's an FCC call sign.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

RobertE said:


> Anyone want to volunteer for a rescue party if he bails on Cleveland, I may need an extraction team. This place will be a war zone (more than normal) if he leaves town.


I have to be honest here... All along I hoped he would stay in Cleveland. I'm sappy like that.

BUT, given that he hasn't yet won anything there yet... and the way he has been dancing and teasing around leaving... makes me think he really wants to leave even if he doesn't. I mean, if he is truly a "home town" kid and wants to stay... that would have been an easy announcement to make long ago without the fanfare.

So... part of me thinks that oddly Cleveland might be better off if he does leave... especially if it backfires on him and he doesn't win wherever he goes to next.

In these scenarios I often root for the guy to leave, then the home team to do better. I really hate the team-hopping to win championships that happens sometimes.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

He's leaving to Miami. http://www.fox8.com/sports/wjw-news...e-south-beach-party,0,5487129.story?track=rss



> According to an exclusive Us Weekly report, two sources confirm that James has rented six cabanas at the W Hotel South Beach for this weekend to presumably celebrate his decision to play for the Miami Heat.
> ...
> Meanwhile, a report on MiamiCondoInvestments.com says rumors are swirling that James has already made an offer on a $49.5 million estate in Coral Gables.


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## redsoxfan26 (Dec 7, 2007)

And then the CBA will expire and there will be a lock-out...


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

So ... can Miami buy a championship?

I'm glad I don't like sports (except Olympics and NASCAR).


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

The thing here is...

I don't know that this automatically raises Miami above either Boston or Orlando in the Eastern Conference.

It certainly drops Cleveland... but Chicago also is going to be better... so this doesn't really "guarantee" anything in the east.

Also, unless something strange happens... the Lakers should be the team to beat next year. Utah will drop for losing Boozer to Chicago.

Denver might be good with Karl back as coach if his health holds up... and Oklahoma City might still be a team to contend with...

But for all the fanfare, I don't see this as a "done deal" guarantee of anything for Miami in terms of championship level success.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

the one thing it does mean...

Comes Monday morning... We won't get Lebron 24x7 on all the sports radio and TV Shows.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Thank God! I've not seen such unwarranted publicity since Britney forgot her undergarments!


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> the one thing it does mean...
> 
> Comes Monday morning... We won't get Lebron 24x7 on all the sports radio and TV Shows.


Lucky you, my local stations now won't give a hurricane time for 2 weeks now since the announcement.


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## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilberthttp://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html​


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Sixto said:


> Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilberthttp://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html​


While I agree that the hype and the "decision show" has been a bit overboard... That letter is probably the biggest bunch of garbage and poor sportsmanship I have ever read. This is absolutely ridiculous that that came from a majority owner. Lebron gave them 7 years. They didn't give him a supporting cast. You can't expect the guy to stay in Cleveland forever. He wants to win a championship and it obviously wasn't happening there. You can't fault the guy for wanting to go try and win somewhere else.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

The "I wanna win" thing was overplayed ... and this free agency is overhyped. The guy is a good ball player. The greatest? Probably not. He may finish his carrier with a championship. He may not. But one thing is for sure. He will finish his carrier. Every ball player's career ends some day.

I'd like to see a little less emphasis on the "winning is everything".

As far as the letter ... apparently whining is everything. It is good to pick oneself up, dust oneself off and move on but that tirade was over the top. Perhaps the Cavs would like to refund the extra income that having LeBron for the past seven years brought them? It isn't like the organization didn't benefit from his presence.

BTW: During coverage on CNN when fans in the bars saw the results the reactions from New York, Cleveland and Miami were carried live. A little too live for Cleveland where one bar patron decided to flip off the camera when the announcement was made. Later on when ESPN was reporting from Cleveland the police was separating the crowds from the reporter so she could get the job done.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Thank goodness the last tractor trailer for the circus can be seen leaving town.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> the one thing it does mean...
> 
> Comes Monday morning... We won't get Lebron 24x7 on all the sports radio and TV Shows.


You are kidding right?

Now that we know he is going to Miami, they will talk about that all summer! No way ESPN stops talking about this until at least the first NBA game of next season.

Mark my words.


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## Jimmy 440 (Nov 17, 2007)

Oh was that announced last night ? Yawnnnn !


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## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

LeBron who?


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Stewart Vernon said:


> You are kidding right?
> 
> Now that we know he is going to Miami, they will talk about that all summer! No way ESPN stops talking about this until at least the first NBA game of next season.
> 
> Mark my words.


You mean they will stop talking about Danica Patrick and her performance in NASCAR


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

The biggest idiot last night was Jim Gray. He can never be taken seriously again.

He was 100% paid for by the James camp. He's as much of a journalist as, well, he ISN'T a journalist anymore.

I for one hope Mr. James suffers loss after loss. He took the easy and selfish road. He could've been a great. Now he might be a great big flop.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

I'll be the second one to say...Lebron Who?


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

My "problem" was in the method by which the decision was conveyed, and not the decision itself.

Truth be told... owners and teams will cut players or trade them at the drop of the hat, often without any notice at all... so I honestly don't feel sorry for the team or owner of the Cavaliers.

BUT... when a player has the chance to be above board and explore his earned opportunities and then he proves to be no different than ownership/management... that is just disappointing.

That's what gets on my nerves about these things... and to be fair, the media is every bit as much to blame as anyone in LeBron's camp. ESPN didn't have to do a 1 hr special... and all the media doesn't have to talk about this like it is the end (or beginning) of the world until a decision is actually ready to announce.

So I can't really blame LeBron for the road he took... but I had hoped for better from him. I didn't expect better, but hoped for it. But he isn't the first or the last to let me down in that manner.

I do feel sorry for fans... though not the ones who were lighting jerseys on fire. I understand disappointment and frustration, but adults need to stop turning over cars and setting fires to celebrate OR protest sporting "events" and announcements. It's sad.


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## Jimmy 440 (Nov 17, 2007)

I can't wait to see him at his 1st game back in Cleveland next season.Saying that is an understatement I know ! I am not a basketball fan in any way,but I might tune in if it's on tv to see the crowd vent their anger on him !


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Mike Russo on XM had advice for Cleveland fans. Stay away.

The sight of a near-empty arena would say a LOT more than a chorus of boos.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> Mike Russo on XM had advice for Cleveland fans. Stay away.
> 
> The sight of a near-empty arena would say a LOT more than a chorus of boos.


So would a semi full of ripe tomatos....


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Just beat them ... on the floor. Trash talk and poor sportsmanship won't help Cleveland. Winning is the only answer.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> Mike Russo on XM had advice for Cleveland fans. Stay away.
> 
> The sight of a near-empty arena would say a LOT more than a chorus of boos.


Yeah... except it would punish the Cleveland team more than it would punish LeBron.

A better reaction, in my opinion... would be to sellout the arena and neither cheer nor boo him. Booing him shows you care too... and if you ignore him, silence will speak louder.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

yosoyellobo said:


> Wasn't that some sort of Auto?


I think you're confusing that with the LaSalle. :lol:

These guys get paid WAY too much money for what they do. While the rest of us are taking pay cuts, losing jobs, and struggling to get by, they just keep more and more money. :nono2:


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Yeah... except it would punish the Cleveland team more than it would punish LeBron.
> 
> A better reaction, in my opinion... would be to sellout the arena and neither cheer nor boo him. Booing him shows you care too... and if you ignore him, silence will speak louder.


Very true! All you do by booing him is feed his ego more.

Miami though should have put a clause in his contract which states any year in which Miami fails to make the playoff's, Lebron only gets the league minimum.


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## lflorack (Dec 16, 2006)

Greg Alsobrook said:


> While I agree that the hype and the "decision show" has been a bit overboard... That letter is probably the biggest bunch of garbage and poor sportsmanship I have ever read. This is absolutely ridiculous that that came from a majority owner. Lebron gave them 7 years. They didn't give him a supporting cast. You can't expect the guy to stay in Cleveland forever. He wants to win a championship and it obviously wasn't happening there. You can't fault the guy for wanting to go try and win somewhere else.


I tend to agree. I know it's heartbreaking to the Cleveland fans that he decided to leave but the fact is he did it to win. We always jump on athletes for being about the money. In this case, he left a LOT of money on the table in order to go somewhere he feels gives him the best opportunity to win.

Again, I understand the disappointment but that letter and some of the fans are simply displaying very poor sportsmanship. If the owner cared that much about winning a championship before, he should have provided Labron a supporting cast sufficient to win one -- not guarantee it after he leaves.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

TheRatPatrol said:


> I think you're confusing that with the LaSalle. :lol:
> 
> These guys get paid WAY too much money for what they do. While the rest of us are taking pay cuts, losing jobs, and struggling to get by, they just keep more and more money. :nono2:


Do you mean the DeSoto? 
While I agree that the player are overpaid, nobody is putting a gun to the owners head and forcing them to paid. I don't for a minute believe that the league is losing 400 millions a year like I heard someplace.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

The overpaying thing has been talked about this week too...

Several owners (Hawks signing Joe Johnson for a max deal comes to mind) probably overpaid for their "talent" this year... and you know those same owners will be complaining next year for the new collective bargaining agreement that they are overpaying.

I'm not arguing collusion by any means... but if owners don't want to overpay, then they shouldn't overpay.

That said... I do believe that fans pay to see the athletes, so IF ticket sales are strong for a team and ad revenues/merchandising are high for that team... I do think the athletes on that team should be paid a large share of that profit pie.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Stewart Vernon said:


> The overpaying thing has been talked about this week too...
> 
> Several owners (Hawks signing Joe Johnson for a max deal comes to mind) probably overpaid for their "talent" this year... and you know those same owners will be complaining next year for the new collective bargaining agreement that they are overpaying.
> 
> ...


I wonder if 2-3 years from now....if the NBA sees significantly shrinking ticket and other revenues...if we all look back at this year's free agent frenzy as the beginning of the end...


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I wonder if 2-3 years from now....if the NBA sees significantly shrinking ticket and other revenues...if we all look back at this year's free agent frenzy as the beginning of the end...


Naw ... they will blame something else. The economy seems to be a fair target to blame any business failure on ... regardless of if the real reason is poor management of the business.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

James Long said:


> Naw ... they will blame something else. The economy seems to be a fair target to blame any business failure on ... regardless of if the real reason is poor management of the business.


Yep... there are some unfortunate casualties of the economy (like small businesses and a lot of laid-off people)... but many of the bigger companies did this to themselves.


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