My Plea to Cleveland Sports Fans

[GreasySpread36]

Belle never said he would stay, stayed quiet & just went for the $$, and he wasn't boo'd relentlessly like Boozer or Thome was.

That's not how I remember it. As I recall Belle was booed like crazy the first several times he came back with the White Sox.

I don't understand how anyone could have wanted LeBron back after the Boston series. I didn't understand it then and I still don't understand it now. To me he had to go. Both sides needed a divorce.

 

[MoFlo]

That's not how I remember it. As I recall Belle was booed like crazy the first several times he came back with the White Sox.

I don't understand how anyone could have wanted LeBron back after the Boston series. I didn't understand it then and I still don't understand it now. To me he had to go. Both sides needed a divorce.

The first several times he came back with the White Sox would've been the same season though. Thome & Boozer were boo'd for multiple seasons. That's my point.

 

[Huber.]

Eh, I will always boo players that leave for more money. It's too much fun if everyone joins in.

 

[ken kaniff]

This is really just a valuable lesson in life as far as im concerned.

The league needed a boost. It struggled to find an angle after Jordan retired. No matter your opinion of it, The Decision catapulted the NBAs popularity. It sucked for Cavs fans, but was great for the league.

Certainly I would have preferred to have had LeBron stay and win rings for the Cavs. But it wasnt my decision. It was Lebrons, and Lebrons only.

Ultimately the league is a business, and whats transpired has been great for business. It sucks but it helps me remind myself that nobody is entitled to anything, and that applies to me as a fan.

 

[blank964]

That's not how I remember it. As I recall Belle was booed like crazy the first several times he came back with the White Sox.

I don't understand how anyone could have wanted LeBron back after the Boston series. I didn't understand it then and I still don't understand it now. To me he had to go. Both sides needed a divorce.

Exactly I think I lost so much respect for him after Game 5 that I thought it was best for him to leave. It was almost like if he stayed I'd only want him there to win a championship or else he'd be shit to me. That's not fair to him and not healthy for me as a fan.

 

[Randolphkeys]

The league needed a boost. It struggled to find an angle after Jordan retired. No matter your opinion of it, The Decision catapulted the NBAs popularity. It sucked for Cavs fans, but was great for the league.

You will have to provide factual proof that this improved NBA popularity. It didn't help LeBron's popularity, in fact, it forever damaged it. LeBron leaving the 17th market with a high percentage of the population who love sports for the 16th largest market in Miami - where people are front runners for following their franchises - has little bearing on the popularity of the NBA as a whole. LeBron was one of the leaders in jersey sales before and after he switched teams. So sorry, find some evidence.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/09/10/nielsen-local-television-market-universe-estimates/5037/

 

[Marcus]

This is really just a valuable lesson in life as far as im concerned.

The league needed a boost. It struggled to find an angle after Jordan retired. No matter your opinion of it, The Decision catapulted the NBAs popularity. It sucked for Cavs fans, but was great for the league.

Certainly I would have preferred to have had LeBron stay and win rings for the Cavs. But it wasnt my decision. It was Lebrons, and Lebrons only.

Ultimately the league is a business, and whats transpired has been great for business. It sucks but it helps me remind myself that nobody is entitled to anything, and that applies to me as a fan.

LMAO. Seriously? Show some statistical evidence saying that league popularity has "catapulted."

Look, I could honestly care less if he won a ring or not or whether he plays for the Cavs or the Heat or whoever or wherever his career takes him. But I have yet to see ANYTHING to suggest that the league's popularity was dramatically raised after LeBron left the Cavs. The only thing I've seen as a result of his leaving Cleveland is other teams trading away All-Star/superstar players because they don't want to be left empty-handed like LeBron left the Cavs. Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul were just two of them. I'd be shocked if Dwight Howard stayed in Orlando. And then of course there's the Deron Williams saga.

I'd hardly say that players dictating where they play while they are still under contractual obligations with another team is an example of the league's popularity "catapulting." If anything, that's just why so many people are turned off by the NBA anymore - there are simply too many shady dealings and aspects of it anymore.

 

[jnizzle]

Miami vs. Boston and Miami vs. Thunder shattered tv ratings records. On twitter during game 5 there were the 3rd most mentions of all time during an event, behind the Super Bowl, and Grammys. I'd say the level of interest recently has been incredibly high.

 

[ken kaniff]

Just look at the Nielson ratings.

The league doesnt care if peope think they are crooked, so long as they still tune in.

 

[ken kaniff]

Miami vs. Boston and Miami vs. Thunder shattered tv ratings records. On twitter during game 5 there were the 3rd most mentions of all time during an event, behind the Super Bowl, and Grammys. I'd say the level of interest recently has been incredibly high.

It created plots. People are emotionally invested, one way or another.

 

[elcheato]

If the league was "crooked" they would have extended the series to 7 games to max out the ratings.

 

[Jon]

It's not setting yourself up for disappointment when the only expectation is that, if he leaves, he doesn't do it via a selfish, self-centered, self-promoting nationally televised special.

If it's not that, it could just as well be something else. You can't trust ANYTHING these guys say because they're all coached and handled. If one of them was actually being sincere and telling the truth ... there's no way to know. All you can do is judge them by their actions and what they do for our team. Forget the rest.

James is flawed. Big deal. It doesn't take Ghandi to stuff a basketball in a hoop.

 

[Jon]

You will have to provide factual proof that this improved NBA popularity. It didn't help LeBron's popularity, in fact, it forever damaged it. LeBron leaving the 17th market with a high percentage of the population who love sports for the 16th largest market in Miami - where people are front runners for following their franchises - has little bearing on the popularity of the NBA as a whole. LeBron was one of the leaders in jersey sales before and after he switched teams. So sorry, find some evidence.

Nielsen Local Television Market Universe Estimates - Ratings | TVbytheNumbers

Actually, I think it's provably true. Given they just came out of a lockout, it's pretty impressive that these finals were the highest rated since 2004. The fact that Cleveland was the #1 TV market for the finals outside of Miami and OKC ... kind of shows a sad formula for boosting ratings.

 

[Jon]

You're insulting the intelligence of Cavs fans with this statement.

I know that most Cavs fans (including most here) who know basketball, would have been ok had he just left via Free Agency, as he was free to.

And I remember when this board went in to nuclear meltdown when W&G posted that thread claiming that LeBron had quit on the team and management was completely befuddled about what was going on. Including demands to dump him, even if we got back nothing.

There was zero doubt that there was going to be an extreme negative reaction if LeBron left - and the way these things go, is if there wasn't "The Decision" to latch on to as the rallying cry ... it would have been something else.

I'm not speaking for you, here, btw. Everybody takes things differently. Obviously I took it as fait accompli. I didn't feel mad. I felt numb. My wife took it much harder, but doesn't waste her time posting on message boards or going on tirades about it. So your mileage may vary ... but have no doubt the board and the city was going to meltdown.

 

[mhi]

The league needed a boost. It struggled to find an angle after Jordan retired. No matter your opinion of it, The Decision catapulted the NBAs popularity. It sucked for Cavs fans, but was great for the league.
.

Nielsen ABC Ratings.
NBA Finals ratings second-best ever on ABC | NewsOK.com

Its true,
its just disgusting that Lebron's "success" as well as the league's had to come at the expense of Cleveland sports.