Friday, July 9, 2010

THE "DECISION" IS MADE.

The last few weeks anyone who is a fan of sports, especially the NBA were captivated by the hysteria which was the Lebron James Sweepstakes. A number of teams, including both NY-area teams were in a fierce bidding war for his services and he, being the "Anointed One", took full advantage of the perpetual ass-kissing that came his way.

On July 1, when free agency became official, the chaos began. With the biggest NBA free-agent class in recent history being released to the highest bidders, all eyes looked towards Lebron James, the biggest jewel in the group. The last few days became a feeding frenzy of rumors and speculation on who was going where. Teams lined up to make their pitch to "King James". If that wasn't enough, the "King" decided that he would hold a prime-time press conference to announce his decision. Now all of the teams in the running (Cleveland, Chicago, L.A. Clippers, New York and N.J.) would have to wait a week for the answer.

The bar filled up with curious onlookers, anxious to hear where "The King" would go.





Right before the press conference began, folks began taking wagers on where he would end up. Once the conference began, the bar became silent as everyone hung on every word, hoping to catch a hint of where "The King" would go.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (Obama was inaugurated in less time than what it took for Lebron to announce his choice), he finally made his decision known to the world: MIAMI HEAT.

There was a mixture of gasps, groans and cheers from fans of the Heat, Cavs, Knicks, Bulls and yes, even the Nets. I wasn't that surprised that he would leave his hometown for the glitz and glamor of Miami. There were signs pointing in that direction for weeks. I think I was more in shock at how he did it. It was tasteless and smacked of arrogance and self-indulgence. And that pissed me off as well as the majority of the fans watching the charade unfold on ESPN.




As a former Clevelander and long suffering Cleveland sports fan, I could truly feel the pain of those living in Cleveland and having to witness what was taking place and how it was unfolding. This guy had, in one fell swoop, tossed aside every promise he made to the city and ripped the soul out of it in the process. Sure he dedicated 7 years of his early career to the city and brought it good times and winning seasons. But if one goes back to his rookie year, he said that his #1 goal was to bring a championship to his hometown. And he stuck by that mantra for years. Then something happened: He looked like he gave up during the Boston series. A couple of games he looked as if he simply quit on his team. That was a sign right there that maybe he was going to give up on his quest to bring a title to Cleveland. And sure enough, he did.

In his "press conference", he stated that he was moving to Miami because they presented his best chance to win a title with guys he wanted to play with. He was embarking on "new challenges" and was thrilled to have the opportunity to play for the ownership in Miami. Here's a novel idea: How about completing the challenges you started out with in Cleveland?

At the end of the day, "The King" is going to do what's best for him and his family (and friends). If he feels that the best thing is to move to Miami, so be it. However, my bone of contention is that he could have found a better/classier way to do it. Most Cleveland fans will probably have handled the departure better and probably thanked him for what he did for the city; instead he has now made himself Public Enemy #2 in the city of Cleveland (behind former Cleveland Browns owner, Art Modell, who at the age of 80, STILL can't show his face there). And his once shiny image has taken a beating that will take a long time to recover from. Hope it was worth it, big guy.



WEEKEND HAPPENINGS:

TONIGHT: Kick off World Cup Finals Weekend with our "Weekend Kick-Off", featuring $4 domestic drafts/mixed well drinks (5-9pm)! HUGE N.L. series between the NY Mets and the Atlanta Braves (7pm)!

SATURDAY: "Kick the Keg Saturdays" take center-stage with $2 mugs, all beers on tap (except premium brands), 12-7pm! World Cup 3rd Place match: GERMANY vs URUGUAY, 2pm!

SUNDAY: WORLD CUP FINAL: SPAIN vs NETHERLANDS, 2pm! Wear your team colors with pride! Fan with the most team spirit (jersey, facepaint, vuvuzela, etc.) wins an Adidas World Cup Soccer Ball!


That's It. That's All I Got.