I haven't blogged in two weeks. This means I have been holding in a lot of Sportygrrl frustration. I am frustrated by things happening in sports, politics, stupid holidays and stupid people in general. My stew of frustration consists of the following ingredients:
One cup of Leave Cleveland Alone. Forbes magazine named Cleveland the fourth most miserable city in the United States. You think we don't know we have problems? You think we don't know our weather sucks and that we haven't won a sports championship in over fifty years? You think we don't know LeBron James is going to be a free agent in two years? Yes, that was actually one of the reasons they gave for Cleveland being so miserable. If you are going to call us miserable at least talk about our housing and education problems. Compared to that, James is not making us miserable. This leads me to...
One cup of Stop Talking About LeBron James' Free Agency. Yes, he may leave Cleveland, but why do we have to keep talking about it? It isn't for two years. There is nothing the people of Cleveland can do to make this decision for him. It's his decision to make. Call me in 2010 and let me know where he is playing. Right now he is playing for the CAVS. End of story. This is really starting to make Cleveland look desperate. This leads me to...
One cup of Stop Making Cleveland Look Stupid. Hey Connie Schultz: I normally like what you have to write and say, BUT the next time you show up on my favorite nationally-televised talk show, The Rachel Maddow Show, to talk about Cleveland's housing problems, don't talk about the Animal Protection League. Instead of talking about homeless people and foreclosure issues, Schultz used her national moment in the sun to talk about all of the animals without homes in Cleveland due to foreclosures. That was a shame. This leads me to...
One cup of Stop Deconstructing The Stimulus Bill. Shame on those people in Congress that didn't think Family planning should be a part of this stimulus bill. Yes, tax cuts help the economy, but you know what else helps the economy? Less unplanned childbirths and information regarding contraceptives that is attainable for people in every economic class. On top of that, why is everyone up in arms over Obama saying this bill was imperative to pass? Wasn't it our last President (sorry...I can't remember his name) and his Treasury Secretary that said the country would be ruined if their bailout plan wasn't passed? Speaking of passing...
To finish up this stew, don't forget to add one cup of I Hate Valentine's Day. Do people even know what this holiday celebrates? Try reading this article to get a better perspective. If you have to pick one day out of the year to be extra nice to your significant other, than you probably shouldn't be together. How about showing them everyday that you actually like them? Please note I also feel the same way about St. Patricks Day. There should be a rule that you have some understanding of Irish history before you go out and get drunk and then puke on my street.
Speaking of drinking and puking on streets, I leave for Mardi Gras in nine days. I think I might need to get away for a couple days, what do you think?
Runner-Up Ingredients Included: Don't purposely have eight kids while on government assistance and Brett Favre should have retired two years ago.
Showing posts with label LeBron James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LeBron James. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sports Socialism
If you are following the current landscape of the 2008 election, you would know that the new catch phrase is "Redistribution of Wealth," and it is being used against Barack Obama. This is a fun phrase that the GOP and Fox News like to use to scare people into believing this will be the first time in their life they will have to pay taxes, and that those taxes are going to go directly to a non-deserving population of people. They are even calling him a Socialist. To these people apparently a Socialist is someone who believes those at the bottom deserve a chance, and with that chance, a more competitive market place will occur at home and abroad. This is not Socialism, it's common sense. If you are a sports fan, you see this annually when your favorite team drafts a new player. To make this more relevant to Cleveland sports fans, I want to remind you of the 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers stunk. They tied for the worst record in the league. Thankfully for the Socialist mentality of the NBA, and other major sports leagues, the worst teams in the league draft first. They do this to create a more competitive league by giving the worst teams a redistribution of wealth. That particular draft brought LeBron James to Cleveland and the rest is history. If the NBA didn't believe in fairness, then LeBron would have gone to the Los Angeles Lakers who won the championship the year before, and they would have continued to win championships year after year. This would have become boring, and fans would have stopped attending games for small market teams. This most likely would have ended up in a bailout for these small market teams and perhaps an emergency plan-maybe even a 700 billion dollar emergency plan-to help out these small market teams who never received the chance at a top draft pick. Even in my fantasy football league, the worst team gets the first shot at free agents every week. I almost called the Commissioner of my league this week to complain and call him a Socialist, but then I realized he was just being fair. Because of this Socialist fantasy football policy my last place team two weeks ago, has now won two games in a row, and we have HOPE that we can make the playoffs. We were given a chance to do something with our team, whether we did or not was up to us, but at least we had a chance.
If hope, fairness and chances are how the GOP is going to re-define socialism, then count me in because I am a small-market sports fan that loves fantasy football and loves this country. For now on, just call me Jo-Anne Six Pack, the Socialist.
Sportygrrl Election Homework: read this article from the New Yorker to see how much McCain actually AGREES with Obama AND Biden's policy and comments on taxation.
This excerpt is from the article:
During the 2000 campaign, on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” a young woman asked McCain why her father, a doctor, should be “penalized” by being “in a huge tax bracket.” McCain replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.” The exchange continued:
YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism and stuff?. . .
MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of comfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more.
The 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers stunk. They tied for the worst record in the league. Thankfully for the Socialist mentality of the NBA, and other major sports leagues, the worst teams in the league draft first. They do this to create a more competitive league by giving the worst teams a redistribution of wealth. That particular draft brought LeBron James to Cleveland and the rest is history. If the NBA didn't believe in fairness, then LeBron would have gone to the Los Angeles Lakers who won the championship the year before, and they would have continued to win championships year after year. This would have become boring, and fans would have stopped attending games for small market teams. This most likely would have ended up in a bailout for these small market teams and perhaps an emergency plan-maybe even a 700 billion dollar emergency plan-to help out these small market teams who never received the chance at a top draft pick. Even in my fantasy football league, the worst team gets the first shot at free agents every week. I almost called the Commissioner of my league this week to complain and call him a Socialist, but then I realized he was just being fair. Because of this Socialist fantasy football policy my last place team two weeks ago, has now won two games in a row, and we have HOPE that we can make the playoffs. We were given a chance to do something with our team, whether we did or not was up to us, but at least we had a chance.
If hope, fairness and chances are how the GOP is going to re-define socialism, then count me in because I am a small-market sports fan that loves fantasy football and loves this country. For now on, just call me Jo-Anne Six Pack, the Socialist.
Sportygrrl Election Homework: read this article from the New Yorker to see how much McCain actually AGREES with Obama AND Biden's policy and comments on taxation.
This excerpt is from the article:
During the 2000 campaign, on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” a young woman asked McCain why her father, a doctor, should be “penalized” by being “in a huge tax bracket.” McCain replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.” The exchange continued:
YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism and stuff?. . .
MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of comfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Retraction
I can no longer be angry at LeBron James. He may be a Yankees fan and he may be a Cowboys fan. He may also be leaving Cleveland in two years to go play somewhere else, but he has changed my mind about all of those hard feelings. I have been impressed by the way James has gotten involved in this year's election. He has taken criticism in the past with his political stances, but I think he has finally come around to realize you can create change when you put your money where your mouth is. This is his latest gesture, and it is quite impressive considering he has already been registering voters and canvassing downtown for Obama. 
Monday, September 08, 2008
Benedict Arnold James
Many of you may remember last fall when LeBron James wore a Yankees cap to the Yankees-Indians game, and it just made my stomach turn. If you forgot, you can click here. Now I am beginning to wonder if James even cheers for the CAVS after watching him cheer on the Cowboys yesterday IN Browns Stadium. I bet he is a Steelers fan as well.
Jame is seen here hanging out with Adam "Pacman" Jones before the start of the Cowboys/Browns game on September 7, 2008.
Jame is seen here hanging out with Adam "Pacman" Jones before the start of the Cowboys/Browns game on September 7, 2008.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Witness The Backlash
In case you haven't heard, Lebron James wore a New York Yankees hat to last night's playoff game between the Cleveland Indians and the Yankees. I do believe my love affair with this man is over. His cockiness has exceeded all bounds especially when it comes to supporting the people and town that support him. The more I think about it, the more infuriated I get about the whole thing. This might blow over by the CAVS first game on November 15, but it feels like this Cleveland sports fan has been slapped in the face. When someone brought it up this morning in my office, I promptly got up and ripped down my LeBron poster, balled it up and threw it away (pictured).
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Leave Us Alone
I graduated with an undergraduate degree in public relations, which is going to make this next sentiment seem really strange, but the Cavaliers are getting too much press. I love the CAVS. This is no secret. Everyone in Cleveland it seems loves the CAVS, and now everyone in the country seems to love the CAVS, so what is my problem? The problem is if Cleveland is going to be a viable underdog, they can't do it with so much press. Everytime I turn around a so-called expert is picking the CAVS, interviewing LeBron James, asking the Spurs how they can possibly match up with the CAVS. We have moved from underdog, to trendy underdog to the trendy pick to win it all since our clinching victory over Detroit.
Give us a chance to be the underdog in this series. Nobody thought we could beat Detroit this year, which made that series victory so sweet. If people start picking us to win this thing, they curse us and they take away the glamour of Cleveland being the underdog. Let us be the Detroit Pistons of 2004. If you recall nobody picked them to beat the Lakers that year, and when they did they became everyone's favorite underdog. I even cheered for them and I have always hated the Pistons. At this point I would like the national media to just leave us alone, to not like us, to not pick us to win it all. Don't curse Cinderella before midnight even arrives. We already have enough curses to overcome just by playing in Cleveland.
*As a sidenote, I do not care what we do against the Spurs. Beating the Pistons in 6 games was sweet enough for me.
Give us a chance to be the underdog in this series. Nobody thought we could beat Detroit this year, which made that series victory so sweet. If people start picking us to win this thing, they curse us and they take away the glamour of Cleveland being the underdog. Let us be the Detroit Pistons of 2004. If you recall nobody picked them to beat the Lakers that year, and when they did they became everyone's favorite underdog. I even cheered for them and I have always hated the Pistons. At this point I would like the national media to just leave us alone, to not like us, to not pick us to win it all. Don't curse Cinderella before midnight even arrives. We already have enough curses to overcome just by playing in Cleveland.
*As a sidenote, I do not care what we do against the Spurs. Beating the Pistons in 6 games was sweet enough for me.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
You May Want To Sit Down For This One...
I think I have lost that loving feeling for LeBron. While I realize it isn't all his fault, I find that I roll my eyes the more I hear his name lately and yesterday my eyes were opened to the bigger problem.
Last week my proud city was glued to the headlines to see if LeBron was going to sign an extension for the next five years. He was the only big-name star from the 2003 draft who didn't declare his intentions right away. Cleveland got nervous. And more nervous. Finally the news came through on Saturday he was going to re-sign. I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be. I didn't start jumping up and down. I just sat there and thought about the ramifications of our one-week-wait. The initial ramifications came to light yesterday when he said he was going to change the parameters of the offer, a first for a player in his position. Instead of five years, with an option out after four years, he is going to reduce both those by one year. This is his prerogative. The city of Cleveland and the Cavaliers would never say no to his requests. Even if he was reducing the offer by two years, they would agree. We have no other choice. We know this and so does he. In that sense I do partially blame him for my current state of frustration, but at the same time, I also blame the fans of Cleveland and the media.
If you need further proof of his magnitude, check out the headline from Sunday's Plain Dealer: "Cleveland Can Breathe Again...LeBron Agrees to Sign" In essence this headline insinuates this one player has a choke hold on the city. I don't disagree with that. I used to be one of those people, and let's not get too crazy here, I still love the guy but he is not the second coming (or even the first, third or fourth depending on your religious views).
It was yesterday when it hit me most people may actually consider him the deity that is going to change this city around. I received e-mail after e-mail from people who were ecstatic about the signing. People who believe a championship will change Cleveland’s misfortunes around. People who think LeBron is going to change Cleveland by stepping on a hardwood floor. I had a woman in my office yesterday who relayed her current hardships and her monologue to me went like this: “It has been so difficult this year. I lost my job of 15 years, I had to move in with my son and help raise his kids because he can’t find work either. The school system here is failing my grandchildren and things keep getting more and more depressing. Last week I lost two family members and things have just been really hard and I don’t know where to turn. I was starting to lose faith in Cleveland until yesterday.” I then asked, “what happened yesterday?” She replied by simply saying “LeBron decided to re-sign”. I know this is a hopeful point for her but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. It made me want to scream out to all these witnesses: Is he going to watch your kids while you look for a job or even while you are working your job, is he going to put more money into the schools, stock your fridge or pay your bills? More triple doubles does not mean more jobs unless you happen to be one of his best friends from high school. Even if he does bring us a championship, what exactly will that mean for the city? Please correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think Detroit’s economy had a boom after the Pistons won the championship in 2004. Our fans, like so many fans in working class cities, are blind to sports success. We are starved but it isn’t for a sports championship, it is for a thriving community. What I hope is that the people of this city actually know the power for change rests in their hands and not in the hands of a 21-year old who calls Cleveland his “hood”. Believe in Cleveland but don’t believe that LeBron is going to change Cleveland simply by staying here.
Last week my proud city was glued to the headlines to see if LeBron was going to sign an extension for the next five years. He was the only big-name star from the 2003 draft who didn't declare his intentions right away. Cleveland got nervous. And more nervous. Finally the news came through on Saturday he was going to re-sign. I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be. I didn't start jumping up and down. I just sat there and thought about the ramifications of our one-week-wait. The initial ramifications came to light yesterday when he said he was going to change the parameters of the offer, a first for a player in his position. Instead of five years, with an option out after four years, he is going to reduce both those by one year. This is his prerogative. The city of Cleveland and the Cavaliers would never say no to his requests. Even if he was reducing the offer by two years, they would agree. We have no other choice. We know this and so does he. In that sense I do partially blame him for my current state of frustration, but at the same time, I also blame the fans of Cleveland and the media.
If you need further proof of his magnitude, check out the headline from Sunday's Plain Dealer: "Cleveland Can Breathe Again...LeBron Agrees to Sign" In essence this headline insinuates this one player has a choke hold on the city. I don't disagree with that. I used to be one of those people, and let's not get too crazy here, I still love the guy but he is not the second coming (or even the first, third or fourth depending on your religious views).
It was yesterday when it hit me most people may actually consider him the deity that is going to change this city around. I received e-mail after e-mail from people who were ecstatic about the signing. People who believe a championship will change Cleveland’s misfortunes around. People who think LeBron is going to change Cleveland by stepping on a hardwood floor. I had a woman in my office yesterday who relayed her current hardships and her monologue to me went like this: “It has been so difficult this year. I lost my job of 15 years, I had to move in with my son and help raise his kids because he can’t find work either. The school system here is failing my grandchildren and things keep getting more and more depressing. Last week I lost two family members and things have just been really hard and I don’t know where to turn. I was starting to lose faith in Cleveland until yesterday.” I then asked, “what happened yesterday?” She replied by simply saying “LeBron decided to re-sign”. I know this is a hopeful point for her but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. It made me want to scream out to all these witnesses: Is he going to watch your kids while you look for a job or even while you are working your job, is he going to put more money into the schools, stock your fridge or pay your bills? More triple doubles does not mean more jobs unless you happen to be one of his best friends from high school. Even if he does bring us a championship, what exactly will that mean for the city? Please correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think Detroit’s economy had a boom after the Pistons won the championship in 2004. Our fans, like so many fans in working class cities, are blind to sports success. We are starved but it isn’t for a sports championship, it is for a thriving community. What I hope is that the people of this city actually know the power for change rests in their hands and not in the hands of a 21-year old who calls Cleveland his “hood”. Believe in Cleveland but don’t believe that LeBron is going to change Cleveland simply by staying here.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Can I Get A Witness?
I had such high hopes for my blog today. I wanted to write about how the United States was working against Venuzuela, or how Thomas Paine would be rolling over in his grave if he saw how this country was being run today, or even touch upon the thought that if we took the resources we are using to build a wall to keep immigrants out and used it to build a wall to keep New Orleans alive, we would be living in a much better place. This was all before last night’s game.
The CAVS’ victory last night was the biggest win in Cleveland sports since the Indians won the pennant in 1997. It is quite sad when the biggest sports victory in the past ten years doesn’t even win the series, just evens it up. However we have been dealing with sports futility for so long we will take just about anything, especially a win that denies Rasheed Wallace his victory guarantee. Yesterday Scoop Jackson of ESPN wrote an article about how losing this series to Detroit will be one of the best things that could happen to LeBron and the CAVS, and how Michael Jordan had to lose to the Pistons before he could go onto greatness. He mentioned that in the end, this will all be worth the wait. Maybe, just maybe we won’t have to wait until after this year to see how far he can take this team.
The CAVS’ victory last night was the biggest win in Cleveland sports since the Indians won the pennant in 1997. It is quite sad when the biggest sports victory in the past ten years doesn’t even win the series, just evens it up. However we have been dealing with sports futility for so long we will take just about anything, especially a win that denies Rasheed Wallace his victory guarantee. Yesterday Scoop Jackson of ESPN wrote an article about how losing this series to Detroit will be one of the best things that could happen to LeBron and the CAVS, and how Michael Jordan had to lose to the Pistons before he could go onto greatness. He mentioned that in the end, this will all be worth the wait. Maybe, just maybe we won’t have to wait until after this year to see how far he can take this team.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Isn't This Supposed To Be A Football Town?
Last Friday while at a bar on the East Side (don’t ask), I saw people cheering and high fiving. The place was going crazy when LeBron drove down the lane and scored the winning basket. I wanted to share this experience with people I talked to this weekend because I thought it was an anomaly. The weird thing is when I shared my experience, three different people told me the same thing back. I heard a story about a bar going crazy in Rocky River, The Flats and Lakewood. What the hell is going on in this town? People are coming together over a team that plays a sport inside? It makes me think back to when LeBron got drafted and said he wanted to stay here and make it fun to be a sports fan again because he lived through all the heartbreaks we did (i.e. the fumble, the drive, the shot, Charles Nagy as a closer…). In a time when players and fans are becoming more and more disconnected, it is nice to have somebody who grew up in the area now winning games in Cleveland. While none of us will ever be able to relate to a 21-year old man worth hundreds of millions of dollars, it is good to know that at one point in his life he knew how hard it was to be a Cleveland sports fan too.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
This Wedding Weekend Brought To You By Cher, LeBron and Flava Flav
Mindy's bachelorette party, the most fun I have ever had at a wedding/reception, an incredible breakfast at the Ritz and Flava Fla. These are just a few of the highlights from one of the best weekends I have had in my life.
Against most people's better judgment, we had the bachelorette party the night before the wedding. Even though it is probably a really bad idea to do this, we managed to pull it off (thankfully the wedding wasn't until four the next day). It was just one of those crazy nights where you xxxxxxxxxx but then you decide to xxxxxxxxxx so by the end of the night you find yourself examining your clothes in a room lit only by black lights and a cage, but I think we all knew it would end like that.
Raring to go, I actually woke up the next morning like a little kid on Christmas. I couldn't wait to share my best friend's big day with her. Nothing like the bride and maid of honor doing a little chest bump and high five action ten minutes before the ceremony. Without stealing Mindy's blog thunder, I would just like to say I will never have a better time with pina coladas and schnitzel. LeBron couldn't have picked a more appropriate night to score 51. It was like he added the perfect ending to a fairy tale wedding. I am sure Mindy would agree.
I joined a great group of people on Sunday to cap off the wedding festivities with an incredible brunch at the Ritz. Probably the first and only time I will ever be able to do that (Thank You Brent!). The rest of the day was spent in front of the television watching football and sharing my cable with those less fortunate (yeah riiiiight). Flava Flav did not disappoint. That’s right I am addicted to the new Flava Flav show on VH1. He has his own reality bacheloresque show. I recommend this to anyone without anything better to do on Sundays at 10 pm.
A last word on the wedding. It really was the most incredible thing I have ever been a part of in my life. Even though my arms started to hurt as I held both bouquets during the ceremony, I still managed to tear up as I saw how happy my best friend was on her big day. It must have been the dress and shoulder wrap that made me feel so girly. However I later used the wrap to do Cher impersonations at the reception and make inappropriate gestures in the parking lot, so I guess you can clean me up but apparently you still can't take me anywhere.
Against most people's better judgment, we had the bachelorette party the night before the wedding. Even though it is probably a really bad idea to do this, we managed to pull it off (thankfully the wedding wasn't until four the next day). It was just one of those crazy nights where you xxxxxxxxxx but then you decide to xxxxxxxxxx so by the end of the night you find yourself examining your clothes in a room lit only by black lights and a cage, but I think we all knew it would end like that.
Raring to go, I actually woke up the next morning like a little kid on Christmas. I couldn't wait to share my best friend's big day with her. Nothing like the bride and maid of honor doing a little chest bump and high five action ten minutes before the ceremony. Without stealing Mindy's blog thunder, I would just like to say I will never have a better time with pina coladas and schnitzel. LeBron couldn't have picked a more appropriate night to score 51. It was like he added the perfect ending to a fairy tale wedding. I am sure Mindy would agree.
I joined a great group of people on Sunday to cap off the wedding festivities with an incredible brunch at the Ritz. Probably the first and only time I will ever be able to do that (Thank You Brent!). The rest of the day was spent in front of the television watching football and sharing my cable with those less fortunate (yeah riiiiight). Flava Flav did not disappoint. That’s right I am addicted to the new Flava Flav show on VH1. He has his own reality bacheloresque show. I recommend this to anyone without anything better to do on Sundays at 10 pm.
A last word on the wedding. It really was the most incredible thing I have ever been a part of in my life. Even though my arms started to hurt as I held both bouquets during the ceremony, I still managed to tear up as I saw how happy my best friend was on her big day. It must have been the dress and shoulder wrap that made me feel so girly. However I later used the wrap to do Cher impersonations at the reception and make inappropriate gestures in the parking lot, so I guess you can clean me up but apparently you still can't take me anywhere.
Monday, December 12, 2005
All The Sudden, I Love Commercials
On Sunday, I stopped in my tracks and couldn't stop staring at my television screen. Could it really be possible? Four different versions of LeBron? Check it out for yourself if you haven't seen it by clicking on the above link.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Opening Night
I woke up this morning and I had that “Christmas Morning” feeling in my stomach. It’s opening night for the new-look Cavaliers and I am so excited. If only my new LeBron jersey was considered business casual, I could have worn it to work today to commemorate the opening of the season.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Send More Candles
My blog is currently down as I will be at the Cleveland Clinic holding vigil for Lebron James after he spent his second night in the hospital last night due to a chest strain. Don’t worry his restraining order against me is for 100 yards so you can find me across the street at the Key Bank on Euclid Avenue.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Jumping on the Bandwagon
Now ESPN has jumped onto the coronation of the King before his first All-Star Game start bandwagon as well:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2005/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=1993387
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2005/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=1993387
Symbiotic
Lately I think Sports Illustrated and I have been on the same wavelength. Yesterday they put LeBron on their cover and I wrote an entry about him. Today, Steve Rushin has answered the call from my first blog entry. I asked for a sportswriter, specifically Rushin, to help me name this sports time period we are currently in and his weekly article is just that: renaming the sports calendar. http://premium.si.cnn.com/pr/subs/siexclusive/2005/writers/steve_rushin/02/14/rushin0221/
Next thing I know Rick Reilly will be writing about my girlfriend.
Next thing I know Rick Reilly will be writing about my girlfriend.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
The King and I
Dear LeBron,
Its just a few days before the first of many of your All-Star Game starts, and I would like to take this opportunity to say a couple of things to you as an admirer, a CAVS fan, a sports enthusiast and a Clevelander.
First and foremost, I never thought a ping pong ball could make me well up and cry but on May 22, 2003, this was exactly what happened. When that little ping pong ball went the CAVS way and gave them, deservedly so after only 17 wins, the number one pick in the upcoming draft, I am sure I felt the same way as many Clevelanders. I remember Austin Carr crying as well. Here was a grown man, the all-time career scoring leader at Notre Dame, the number one pick in the 1971 draft, crying over a teenager. When the card flashed up on the screen indicating the CAVS would indeed be picking number one and in return keeping you in Northeast Ohio, I ran and called everyone in my family. My brother Mark, handling business in California, thought there was some sort of family emergency so he picked up his phone. The only thing he said he could make out was me saying: “We got LeBron, We Got LeBron.” I have a feeling Jim Paxson may have been making similar calls at the same time.
I am too young to remember the impact of Jim Brown on the city and I hardly remember Bernie Kosar requesting to play in Cleveland, though I am sure that was a glorious day as well. This however was the biggest Cleveland sports event in my life. I have followed Cleveland sports for all of my 29 years and this surpassed the 1986 Browns overtime win over the Jets to make it to the AFC Championship game, John Stollmayer winning Rookie of the Year in 1987 for the Cleveland Force and the 1995 and 1997 Major League baseball seasons for the Tribe. When you were drafted you said you were going to light up the city and that is exactly what has happened. Draft day parties were just the beginning, I personally saluted you with a cheap bottle of champagne that evening, and the excitement has yet to cease. You have made people want to come out and see the CAVS play. Let me reiterate that last statement: people are paying big money to get into Gund Arena. The public address announcer sounds better, the lights seem brighter, Gund Arena seems more comfortable. You have added excitement to this small market professional organization deprived of history, which is illustrated by Shawn Kemp making the All-CAVS first team next to Carr, Price, Daugherty and Nance.
We know we are small-market. We have heard the supposed rumors you would have rather played in Los Angeles, Miami, New York or Chicago. Rumor also has it there is a clause in your Nike agreement ensuring you would make more money working in a big market city. Let me just say we will all be watching over the next two summers to see what kind of moves you make in preparation for free agency. We will also watch to see what moves the CAVS will make to keep you here, such as signing Michael Redd to get you another running mate.
The people of Cleveland don’t want you to stay just because of what you do on the court. You have class and you are so humble for a superstar your age. More times than not, you have done the right thing, at least in the public eye. When Carmelo Anthony made a comment about not winning Rookie of the Year over you I felt insulted. You didn’t. He said he didn’t care about the award and all that mattered to him was being in the playoffs, an obvious biting remark to you about not making the playoffs. You did the right thing though. You flew to Denver and watched your buddy play in those playoffs. You never said anything back, as you could have, because he only averaged 15 points a game as the Nuggets bowed out in five games. Instead you lobbied the United States Olympic Committee to get Anthony on the Olympic team with you. You have worked as an ambassador for basketball and for the city of Cleveland and for this I am thankful. You appreciate sports in general and you have shown respect to the legacy of the game. The summer you got drafted, you went to watch the Rockers during their home games and you wore several different jerseys including your Austin Carr throwback jersey. What Cleveland sports fan, of any gender, wouldn’t have been excited to see what you had to offer this city, as you supported the Rockers and Cleveland’s historical sports icons.
Whenever I watch you play, I feel proud, though I hardly know you. We have never met and the only connection we share is that we had the same high school principal, Dave Rahtz, at two different times, at two different schools. However, before your first All-Star Game start, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for what you have done for me and for the city of Cleveland.
P.S. It is a little ironic (and completely conincidental) that both Sports Illustrated and myself are honoring you on the same day. Congratulations on your fourth cover by the age of 20.
Its just a few days before the first of many of your All-Star Game starts, and I would like to take this opportunity to say a couple of things to you as an admirer, a CAVS fan, a sports enthusiast and a Clevelander.
First and foremost, I never thought a ping pong ball could make me well up and cry but on May 22, 2003, this was exactly what happened. When that little ping pong ball went the CAVS way and gave them, deservedly so after only 17 wins, the number one pick in the upcoming draft, I am sure I felt the same way as many Clevelanders. I remember Austin Carr crying as well. Here was a grown man, the all-time career scoring leader at Notre Dame, the number one pick in the 1971 draft, crying over a teenager. When the card flashed up on the screen indicating the CAVS would indeed be picking number one and in return keeping you in Northeast Ohio, I ran and called everyone in my family. My brother Mark, handling business in California, thought there was some sort of family emergency so he picked up his phone. The only thing he said he could make out was me saying: “We got LeBron, We Got LeBron.” I have a feeling Jim Paxson may have been making similar calls at the same time.
I am too young to remember the impact of Jim Brown on the city and I hardly remember Bernie Kosar requesting to play in Cleveland, though I am sure that was a glorious day as well. This however was the biggest Cleveland sports event in my life. I have followed Cleveland sports for all of my 29 years and this surpassed the 1986 Browns overtime win over the Jets to make it to the AFC Championship game, John Stollmayer winning Rookie of the Year in 1987 for the Cleveland Force and the 1995 and 1997 Major League baseball seasons for the Tribe. When you were drafted you said you were going to light up the city and that is exactly what has happened. Draft day parties were just the beginning, I personally saluted you with a cheap bottle of champagne that evening, and the excitement has yet to cease. You have made people want to come out and see the CAVS play. Let me reiterate that last statement: people are paying big money to get into Gund Arena. The public address announcer sounds better, the lights seem brighter, Gund Arena seems more comfortable. You have added excitement to this small market professional organization deprived of history, which is illustrated by Shawn Kemp making the All-CAVS first team next to Carr, Price, Daugherty and Nance.
We know we are small-market. We have heard the supposed rumors you would have rather played in Los Angeles, Miami, New York or Chicago. Rumor also has it there is a clause in your Nike agreement ensuring you would make more money working in a big market city. Let me just say we will all be watching over the next two summers to see what kind of moves you make in preparation for free agency. We will also watch to see what moves the CAVS will make to keep you here, such as signing Michael Redd to get you another running mate.
The people of Cleveland don’t want you to stay just because of what you do on the court. You have class and you are so humble for a superstar your age. More times than not, you have done the right thing, at least in the public eye. When Carmelo Anthony made a comment about not winning Rookie of the Year over you I felt insulted. You didn’t. He said he didn’t care about the award and all that mattered to him was being in the playoffs, an obvious biting remark to you about not making the playoffs. You did the right thing though. You flew to Denver and watched your buddy play in those playoffs. You never said anything back, as you could have, because he only averaged 15 points a game as the Nuggets bowed out in five games. Instead you lobbied the United States Olympic Committee to get Anthony on the Olympic team with you. You have worked as an ambassador for basketball and for the city of Cleveland and for this I am thankful. You appreciate sports in general and you have shown respect to the legacy of the game. The summer you got drafted, you went to watch the Rockers during their home games and you wore several different jerseys including your Austin Carr throwback jersey. What Cleveland sports fan, of any gender, wouldn’t have been excited to see what you had to offer this city, as you supported the Rockers and Cleveland’s historical sports icons.
Whenever I watch you play, I feel proud, though I hardly know you. We have never met and the only connection we share is that we had the same high school principal, Dave Rahtz, at two different times, at two different schools. However, before your first All-Star Game start, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for what you have done for me and for the city of Cleveland.
P.S. It is a little ironic (and completely conincidental) that both Sports Illustrated and myself are honoring you on the same day. Congratulations on your fourth cover by the age of 20.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Why Lesbians Hate LeBron James
Last year I was sitting at a bar having drinks with some friends, when somebody mentioned they hated LeBron James. I am making a definite assumption here she had never met him, but nonetheless he disgusted her. Since I have a sincere love for the man (as you will soon find out in my All-Star Game preview letter), I had to question this. She believed he was the reason the Cleveland Rockers were disbanded.
The Rockers were Cleveland’s Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) and like all WNBA teams they were funded by the NBA team in that city. Keep in mind the WNBA has been around since the summer of 1997 and has yet to make a penny for any of the investors. If you have ever been to a WNBA game, it is a very similar feeling to being at a minor league baseball game. If the team was lucky they would get half capacity, the marketing tactics would make you cringe at times, and to be honest, these games had no flair. Put simply, there was no excitement. Also for this story to make sense you have to understand the fan base for the Rockers was lesbians and small children. I am yet to hear from the children on this issue but I have heard from several women who would identify themselves as lesbians and boy were they mad and some of them apparently still are for the loss of this team.
Now this particular friend of mine felt like the owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers had given up on the Rockers to promote LeBron James, as if he needs anyone’s help to promote himself. They felt Gordon Gund, the owner of the Cavaliers didn’t care enough to promote women’s sports in Cleveland. Here is my opinion on that: It is not Gordon Gund’s job to support a failing sports league. He is a business man. Sports is a business. Also for anyone familiar with Gordon Gund, then I am sure you are familiar with the Gund Foundation, an organization started by his father in 1952 to support the city of Cleveland. The Gund Foundation is synonymous with philanthropy and last year alone gave away close to 28 million in grants to fund the arts, economic development, the environment and human services. Plain and simple, the man and his family care about people bettering themselves but he wants to win on the court. Now I want to make a comment to all of those women that felt like the CAVS gave up on the Rockers to promote LeBron and a new era in CAVS history, get over it. I am the strongest proponent of Title IX I know (keep in mind it ONLY has to do with educational institutions), I have spent the past ten years either working in women’s sports or researching women’s sports. However, why we would we want to rely on men to support our women’s sports leagues in the first place? Yes, in many historic battles for women's rights, men have served as allies but women were not solely dependent on these men, especially for ten years without gaining anything for either gender in return.
The reason I find this issue relevant today is that I still hear people talk about LeBron as if he is the reason the Rockers disbanded. Gund just sold the CAVS at the beginning of this year and I feel his legacy as a person who wanted to better people should remain strong. Women should not blame LeBron or Gund for the failure of the Rockers, they should blame themselves. Oh...and yes, I am a lesbian.
The Rockers were Cleveland’s Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) and like all WNBA teams they were funded by the NBA team in that city. Keep in mind the WNBA has been around since the summer of 1997 and has yet to make a penny for any of the investors. If you have ever been to a WNBA game, it is a very similar feeling to being at a minor league baseball game. If the team was lucky they would get half capacity, the marketing tactics would make you cringe at times, and to be honest, these games had no flair. Put simply, there was no excitement. Also for this story to make sense you have to understand the fan base for the Rockers was lesbians and small children. I am yet to hear from the children on this issue but I have heard from several women who would identify themselves as lesbians and boy were they mad and some of them apparently still are for the loss of this team.
Now this particular friend of mine felt like the owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers had given up on the Rockers to promote LeBron James, as if he needs anyone’s help to promote himself. They felt Gordon Gund, the owner of the Cavaliers didn’t care enough to promote women’s sports in Cleveland. Here is my opinion on that: It is not Gordon Gund’s job to support a failing sports league. He is a business man. Sports is a business. Also for anyone familiar with Gordon Gund, then I am sure you are familiar with the Gund Foundation, an organization started by his father in 1952 to support the city of Cleveland. The Gund Foundation is synonymous with philanthropy and last year alone gave away close to 28 million in grants to fund the arts, economic development, the environment and human services. Plain and simple, the man and his family care about people bettering themselves but he wants to win on the court. Now I want to make a comment to all of those women that felt like the CAVS gave up on the Rockers to promote LeBron and a new era in CAVS history, get over it. I am the strongest proponent of Title IX I know (keep in mind it ONLY has to do with educational institutions), I have spent the past ten years either working in women’s sports or researching women’s sports. However, why we would we want to rely on men to support our women’s sports leagues in the first place? Yes, in many historic battles for women's rights, men have served as allies but women were not solely dependent on these men, especially for ten years without gaining anything for either gender in return.
The reason I find this issue relevant today is that I still hear people talk about LeBron as if he is the reason the Rockers disbanded. Gund just sold the CAVS at the beginning of this year and I feel his legacy as a person who wanted to better people should remain strong. Women should not blame LeBron or Gund for the failure of the Rockers, they should blame themselves. Oh...and yes, I am a lesbian.
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