ESPN now praising "Decision"

[Milhouse]

Also I find it hilarious that someone would suggest any fan base to "get over" such a disgusting, immature move by a player of announcing his move like a 17 year kid choosing his college.

They are celebrating his third anniversary of this journalistic abortion. What fan base do you know of that can "move on" when the largest sports programmer in the world is touting how great this abortion was???

Can you name one? Which group of fans have provided such level headed responses and reactions to such an event?

LeBron is a bitch. He will always be a bitch.

Wow so I guess you're not over it.

Cleveland got screwed in the divorce.

And 4 million to the boys and girls club is a pretty big deal. Yes he got a huge contact but not everyone gives that much to charity. Clearly his ego was also in play in setting up the decision. But you know what? He can have an ego he's the best player in the game today and he's proven that.

Leaving Cleveland was clearly the best thing Lebron did for his career. Sorry that Cleveland can't get over it.

And ESPN will ALWAYS promote itself and promote its brand. It's a business. Clearly they're playing down the Big East because its no longer on their network. Kind of like how they play up Monday Night Football over Sunday Night Football etc...

It's funny because if he had chosen Cleveland than no one would've complained at all but because he clearly made the correct decision he's still lambasted about it.

I'm not a Lebron fan or a heat fan by any stretch, but having been in Ohio for the last 6 years and around Cleveland fans I just cannot stand it. I'm a basketball fan and Kyrie Irving is an incredible player, could be the best PG in the league a couple years from now but He's constantly living in Lebron's shadow because the city REFUSES to move on. Can't will til Kyrie jets off to a place that actually gives a shit about him and isn't living in the past.

[PMI]

Wow so I guess you're not over it.

Cleveland got screwed in the divorce.

And 4 million to the boys and girls club is a pretty big deal. Yes he got a huge contact but not everyone gives that much to charity. Clearly his ego was also in play in setting up the decision. But you know what? He can have an ego he's the best player in the game today and he's proven that.

Leaving Cleveland was clearly the best thing Lebron did for his career. Sorry that Cleveland can't get over it.

And ESPN will ALWAYS promote itself and promote its brand. It's a business. Clearly they're playing down the Big East because its no longer on their network. Kind of like how they play up Monday Night Football over Sunday Night Football etc...

It's funny because if he had chosen Cleveland than no one would've complained at all but because he clearly made the correct decision he's still lambasted about it.

I'm not a Lebron fan or a heat fan by any stretch, but having been in Ohio for the last 6 years and around Cleveland fans I just cannot stand it. I'm a basketball fan and Kyrie Irving is an incredible player, could be the best PG in the league a couple years from now but He's constantly living in Lebron's shadow because the city REFUSES to move on. Can't will til Kyrie jets off to a place that actually gives a shit about him and isn't living in the past.

I can promise you with 100% certainty that had he said, "I'm keeping my talents in Cleveland," I still would've thought it was the douchiest thing I've ever seen. There are literally thousands of athletes who donate lots and lots of money to all kinds of charities every year. Not one of them has ever done it by getting on national TV and burning his home region with such public humiliation. He has the right to be as big a douche bag as he wants to be, but make no mistake, it was a douche bag move.

I, like you, got very annoyed with Cavs fans when I was living in Ohio. Particularly because of that first Wizards-Cavs series where Lebron had two game-winning layups after eight steps and a few elbow swings. Since then, I've come to understand the NBA for what it is, but at the time, I still held out the hope that a fair series could be called in the NBA. I now realize that the NBA is entertainment over all else, and I can simply watch as a fan of basketball talent instead of the way I would watch a Xavier game. In any case, it was very, very annoying being around all the Cavs fans. You would have thought they were already the Bulls of the 90s with some of those fools. But none of that changes how big of a hot, wet, flopping bag of douche Lebron James is.

[Emp]

Well put, Milhouse.

I just watched the full 11 minutes of the announcement for the first time. I didn't tune in at the time, but saw clips, and just can never understand what the fuss is all about. He could have done it at a press conference, I guess. He's the most visible and famous player on the face of the earth, then and now. Big deal he does it in a live interview. The "proof" of whether it worked as a marketing move is in the number of viewers who tuned in. 10 mill says Nielsen. Pretty impressive.

He doesn't blast Cleveland or the fans in any way. He clearly makes his priority winning championships, which is what it should be about for any player, superstar or 12th man. Why is that bad, immature, narcissistic? I can't find one immature statement in the entire video. More sour grapes from the King of Grapes.

Cleveland "professional sports fans" ARE a peculiar lot...when they show up at all. Sunday vs Tigers, a "massive" 20K show up. Really?? First place in the balance, All Stars on the field. Jaysus, WTF will get fans out if not that? 15000 showed up in Columbus on the same afternoon for what passes for major league soccer, and almost 9K for a AAA baseball game (Ha, the Cleveland Indians AAA team, a major loser this season. )

The PD has one of the best, most complete sports sections in America, but that can't cure the bizarre sense of entitlement. Cleveland fans gets what they deserve: the leavings.

[blueblob06]

I don't care about Cleveland people one way or another but LeBron knew the city would be upset, etc, if he left. A simple, "I love Akron and Cleveland and will always love it..." or something other than "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" probably would've been a better way to say goodbye. I'm not saying he was burning bridges but it could've been classier for sure.

Also, he wasn't exactly paying that donation himself. The whole "Decision" event funded the couple million that was donated.

From a CNBC article the week it happened...the bolded part makes me think that even after the donation, it was still a profitable 'event' for LeBron. He didn't just do the show and give all the money from it to Boys & Girls Club...

"As part of the deal with ESPN, James’ business team, LRMR Marketing, was given ad inventory to sell. They sold co-presenting sponsorships to the University of Phoenix and Bing, with McDonald’s and Sprite also having commercials in the show.

James’ team isn’t saying how much in total was raised, but Maverick Carter, CEO of LRMR, did say on Thursday afternoon that more than $2 million in net proceeds will go to the Boys & Girls Club of America.Vitaminwater and Nike also contributed in the charitable effort."

[Ledgewood]

Cleveland "professional sports fans" ARE a peculiar lot...when they show up at all. Sunday vs Tigers, a "massive" 20K show up. Really?? First place in the balance, All Stars on the field. Jaysus, WTF will get fans out if not that? 15000 showed up in Columbus on the same afternoon for what passes for major league soccer, and almost 9K for a AAA baseball game (Ha, the Cleveland Indians AAA team, a major loser this season. )

I take some offense to this. That's the same fanbase that sold out 455 straight baseball games. The attendance lulls in Cleveland are a complex issue. It's a combination of economics and being just plain beat down. I know you cincinnati and beyond folks are sick of hearing about Cleveland's sports woes, but these teams have been losing in dramatic, horrible ways and that cannot be denied. Add things like The Cavaliers selling out like every game and being so close, losing the best player in the league, then watching him go win two in three years right away... It's just going to take more than Nick Swisher and competing for 3 months into the marathon of a baseball season to get people back for the long run. Sure, I wish more people would go to Tribe games, and they will if they can build a little more consistent of a winner. But at the moment, we've seen this act before and know how it ends.

And to say The Decision wasn't a total narcissistic display is crazy. You're a crazy person.

Also, LeBron's company raised 6 million dollars from the event and gave 2.5 to the charity. Pocketed the rest.

[PMI]

Well put, Milhouse.

I just watched the full 11 minutes of the announcement for the first time. I didn't tune in at the time, but saw clips, and just can never understand what the fuss is all about. He could have done it at a press conference, I guess. He's the most visible and famous player on the face of the earth, then and now. Big deal he does it in a live interview. The "proof" of whether it worked as a marketing move is in the number of viewers who tuned in. 10 mill says Nielsen. Pretty impressive.

He doesn't blast Cleveland or the fans in any way. He clearly makes his priority winning championships, which is what it should be about for any player, superstar or 12th man. Why is that bad, immature, narcissistic? I can't find one immature statement in the entire video. More sour grapes from the King of Grapes.

Cleveland "professional sports fans" ARE a peculiar lot...when they show up at all. Sunday vs Tigers, a "massive" 20K show up. Really?? First place in the balance, All Stars on the field. Jaysus, WTF will get fans out if not that? 15000 showed up in Columbus on the same afternoon for what passes for major league soccer, and almost 9K for a AAA baseball game (Ha, the Cleveland Indians AAA team, a major loser this season. )

The PD has one of the best, most complete sports sections in America, but that can't cure the bizarre sense of entitlement. Cleveland fans gets what they deserve: the leavings.

You really don't see how Cleveland people took it personally? You don't think Detroit fans would react the exact same way, especially if they were on about a hundred year championship drought in all sports? Please. I have no problem with someone wanting to leave Cleveland, but anyone trying to justify the way he did it is really reaching. No immature statements? Well, yea, why would he need to say anything else? The entire charade, in and of itself, was what was narcissistic and immature.

[Milhouse]

Lebron has gone on record saying he regretted doing it that way and if he could go back and do it differently he would've.

I'm sure we've all been there before the difference is our poor decisions weren't broadcast to millions/we're not in the public eye.

I'm just SO tired of people constantly bringing this up THREE YEARS LATER.

Lebron helped the city of Cleveland far more than he hurt it and even continues to with camps/charities up in akron. So in the end hate him all you want but that doesn't take the rings off his fingers or the trophies off his shelves. Sorry Cleveland couldn't build a winning culture around a once in a generation type of player. They only had 7 years to do it.....

[blueblob06]

I'm just SO tired of people constantly bringing this up THREE YEARS LATER.

People named ESPN.

[Ledgewood]

Of course having the best player in the the world helped the city financially for a while. In no way does he do anything for the city of Cleveland now. A couple gyms in poor Akron cities does nothing for Cleveland.

I love how people act like him winning is going to make the sting go away for us. It only makes it worse. And it won't go away. Ever. Not until we finally win something, which ya know, will probably never happen. So, yeah...

And LeBron only "regretted" it because he was bashed for it by just about everyone. Not because he felt bad for being a total douche.

[PMI]

Lebron has gone on record saying he regretted doing it that way and if he could go back and do it differently he would've.

I'm sure we've all been there before the difference is our poor decisions weren't broadcast to millions/we're not in the public eye.

I'm just SO tired of people constantly bringing this up THREE YEARS LATER.

Lebron helped the city of Cleveland far more than he hurt it and even continues to with camps/charities up in akron. So in the end hate him all you want but that doesn't take the rings off his fingers or the trophies off his shelves. Sorry Cleveland couldn't build a winning culture around a once in a generation type of player. They only had 7 years to do it.....

Yea, I'm tired of hearing about it too. I'm tired of hearing about Lebron every ten minutes. I'm tired of hearing about how Lebron took a shit this morning, and what that might mean to the NBA over the next five years. Lebron coverage is ridiculous. It's why I stopped watching ESPN. How sick I am of all of it does not change what it was. It was a douchey move. Cleveland fans have every right to not get over it ever if that's the way it makes them feel. Even if some of those Cleveland fans think it's silly for Xavier fans not moving on a few months after Dez Wells got kicked out. Everyone is free to feel whatever they want about it. I just think it's silly to tell a fan base, of which you are not a part, how they should feel about a major event pertaining directly to them.