The NFL and NBA thread

[qwerty007]

I did not find a similar thread after searching, but if there is one, pls move this post to it;

Is anyone else disgusted with the way LeBron James publicized his move to Miami?

Childish? Self-serving?

People ask me why I don't follow basketball anymore - all I do it point to things like this.

[IngramJohn]

Not really a basketball fan Querty ... but I wish you "good luck" with your thread.

Can remember the old Harlem Globetrotters with Meadowlark Lemon.

Never really got it ... always seemed to me that one team went up one end and scored and the other team went back and scored in their net. But, I apologise for my ignorance on this matter.

Good Luck again mate!

[grossnex]

I'm going to help you out here my brother. This is a worthy topic for discussion.

I have to say that I don't have any problem with LeBron James leaving Cleveland. That was his choice & he made his decision to leave. The problem I'm having with this whole thing is the self promotional narcissistic behavior. I was watching his prime time special & honestly it all felt like a dream. I had to pinch myself. Never before had I seen such a publicity stunt from an American athlete.

LeBron might be one of the best players to ever dribble a basketball by the time it's all said & done. But, what exactly has he accomplished to warrant this type of "branding?"

Micheal Jordan's face was all over TV through the various commercials he had (Hanes, McDonalds, Nike etc.), but when he left basketball to play baseball for those 2 years all he did was hold a press conference & that was during the afternoon! Oh yeah, and at that point Jordan had 3 championships he could hold up & show everyone.

Up until this point I liked LeBron very much. He's an unselfish player on the court & in Cleveland it was a 1 man show. It was fun to root for him when he went up against the powerhouse teams like Boston & the Lakers. Now he is the powerhouse team! I still don't think they beat the Lakers this upcoming year only because these 3 guys (James, Bosh & Wade) are all young players who want to put up big numbers & there is only 1 basketball.

I just don't see why a basketball player is treated by the media as if he's some major political figure & give him an hour in prime time TV to announce a decision as to where he's going to play next year. This is setting a disgusting precedent!

[qwerty007]

Originally Posted by IngramJohn

Not really a basketball fan Querty ... but I wish you "good luck" with your thread.

Can remember the old Harlem Globetrotters with Meadowlark Lemon.

Never really got it ... always seemed to me that one team went up one end and scored and the other team went back and scored in their net. But, I apologise for my ignorance on this matter.

Good Luck again mate!

I know we old folks say it all the time, but things have changed in basketball - and not for the better. It is a case of style over substance. Looking good over winning.

While I live in North America, I have fallen away from watching sports here, with maybe the exception of hockey and I do follow a little American 'football'.

This thread was started more as a rant than anything else - after the debacle that was 'The Decision' and how these attention starved children prance around like entitled princes. Makes me sick.

I was just wondering if there were other like minded perverts here (like myself) and I was hoping to find some solace...

Thanks for the kind words...

[keefriff]

I'm with Grossnex on this one. I don't care at all that he left Cleveland. He didn't owe them anything. I agree that he made himself look like a narcissistic self absorbed jerk but that is the nature of the business. The bigger jerk in this whole situation, IMO, has to be Dan Gilbert the owner of the Cavs. That guys rant after the thing went down was way off base. I understand his frustration but he should be above that kind of pettiness. He bad mouths LeBron but he is at least partly responsible for the "monster" that he helped create. He also trashes the guy about his clutch ability and attitude.....now wait a minute...wasn't he desperately trying to sign this guy a day before this happened? He can't rip the guy and have anyone take him serious after he enabled this guy to do what he wanted for the last five years and helped build up this image of him. IMO, he looks like a bigger tool than LeBron by far.

[qwerty007]

Originally Posted by keefriff

I'm with Grossnex on this one. I don't care at all that he left Cleveland. He didn't owe them anything. I agree that he made himself look like a narcissistic self absorbed jerk but that is the nature of the business. The bigger jerk in this whole situation, IMO, has to be Dan Gilbert the owner of the Cavs. That guys rant after the thing went down was way off base. I understand his frustration but he should be above that kind of pettiness. He bad mouths LeBron but he is at least partly responsible for the "monster" that he helped create. He also trashes the guy about his clutch ability and attitude.....now wait a minute...wasn't he desperately trying to sign this guy a day before this happened? He can't rip the guy and have anyone take him serious after he enabled this guy to do what he wanted for the last five years and helped build up this image of him. IMO, he looks like a bigger tool than LeBron by far.

IMO - nothing in life ever happens in a vacuum.

If LeBron just would have

a) Met quietly with Bosh/Wade, without announcing a 'Summit'

b) Signed with Miami in private

c) Called Cleveland and told Gilbert what he was doing

d) Called a press conf and quietly explained his decision

NONE of this happens.

It is a function of his desire to be in the news, that this backlash has happened. It is being reported that Cavs fans are calling the office, offering to help pay the $100K fine levied by Stern.

NO DOUBT...Lebron had every right to move on. He shouldn't have rubbed it in the noses of Cleveland fans...which is what he did.

I am sorry - but players keep throwing out the "This is a business" bullshit...sure for the owners, who are taking the risks. Not for the fans and certainly not for millionaire players - who are PLAYING A GAME...

...not curing cancer or performing brain surgery.

They need to get over themselves.

(But at the end of the day, the NBA only has itself to blame. You let 19 year old kids come into the league, with no education/life skills, give them millions and you reap what you sow)

[keefriff]

I agree that LeBron could have handled it better. He could have done it quietly and maybe people's reaction would have been different but Cleveland would be pissed off no matter what he had done. As far as this not being a business for the players, I disagree with that 100%. These guys have a short window to try and make as much money as they can. Their careers in sports typically last less than five years. I certainly would be trying to make as much as I could knowing that I could blow out my knee tomorrow and be done forever. The owners make money or else they wouldn't pay the large salaries that they do. I don't begrudge ANY proffesional athlete for trying to get the most that he can. I know it is not brain surgery but neither is acting and nobody says a word when movie stars demand 15 million dollars to make horsesh*t movies. It is the nature of the business and if the demand is there then I can't blame them one bit for trying to get whatever they can. It is a game but one that makes alot of money for the owners and the players. As far as risk goes as related to business, what about an athlete in the last year of his contract? Isn't he risking everything everytime he ventures onto the court, field, diamond? He could tear his knee up and never get another contract. Do you think the owner will give him some sort of a severence? Not likely. All athletes risk their livelihood everytime they go to work.

[grossnex]

Brilliant analysis Qwerty my brother.

I just want to back it up with some more talk in the same vein. In my opinion the NBA & NFL are the 2 most talked about sports in this country for 1 essential reason: The Player.

Both of these leagues decided a long time ago to market the player 1st & the franchise 2nd. The Lakers are the champs so let's use them as an example. I'm willing to put myself out there & say that every 1 mention the Lakers get as a franchise by the sports media, is quickly followed by at least 2 statements about Kobe Bryant. There's also a statue of Micheal Jordan outside the arena in Chicago that the media show every time there's a Bulls game these days. And he owns another team.

Compare this to hockey from an American perspective. Hardcore hockey fans know the good players in the league, but myself as a casual hockey fan I can probably name 2 players in the entire league. I do however know all of the teams. The NHL hasn't caught up with the marketing aspects of hyping their superstars.

In the NFL even, we had a moron named Plaxico Burress go carry a loaded gun into a nightclub & accidentally shoot himself in the leg. Now he's sitting in prison since you can't carry guns into clubs in New York. All I can think is that this guy felt he had some sort of entitlement because he was an athlete that he could do whatever he wanted to.

I really don't care how much they get paid as much as the way they conduct themselves. Are they rap stars or professional athletes?

[qwerty007]

Originally Posted by keefriff

I agree that LeBron could have handled it better. He could have done it quietly and maybe people's reaction would have been different but Cleveland would be pissed off no matter what he had done. As far as this not being a business for the players, I disagree with that 100%. These guys have a short window to try and make as much money as they can. Their careers in sports typically last less than five years. I certainly would be trying to make as much as I could knowing that I could blow out my knee tomorrow and be done forever. The owners make money or else they wouldn't pay the large salaries that they do. I don't begrudge ANY proffesional athlete for trying to get the most that he can. I know it is not brain surgery but neither is acting and nobody says a word when movie stars demand 15 million dollars to make horsesh*t movies. It is the nature of the business and if the demand is there then I can't blame them one bit for trying to get whatever they can. It is a game but one that makes alot of money for the owners and the players. As far as risk goes as related to business, what about an athlete in the last year of his contract? Isn't he risking everything everytime he ventures onto the court, field, diamond? He could tear his knee up and never get another contract. Do you think the owner will give him some sort of a severence? Not likely. All athletes risk their livelihood everytime they go to work.

Well - I guess we can agree to disagree.

Athletes today are overpaid babies - maybe if they spent less on bling and the lifestyle, they wouldn't go bankrupt so fast. Latrell Spreewell turned down $21 million for 3 years because "He needed to feed his family". Scotty Pippen is going broke, Antoine Walker IS broke...

...it's all about STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE.

Sorry - the only people who can say 'it's a business' are the owners who are taking the risks. LeBron has made how many millions so far (along with endorsements) $100-200-300...

...WASTING money is no excuse to say "it's a business". Neither is it a reason for Jesse Jackson to say it is slavery.

PLEASE...pay me millions to play a game...ENSLAVE ME!!!

Agents (i.e. Lawyers) along with selfish players who have no concern past their own bellybuttons, are the reason things are the way they are.

S'Okay - it can't go on forever...the goose will be killed. It's only a matter of time. (Bird, Magic, Jordan and the others who faithfully built this league must be crying over how the knucklehead children are destroying the league)


I guess, Keefriff, at the end of the day, I come from a different time:

Players should play the sport for the love of the game. Obviously you feel that they should get as much money as possible. That is what is wrong with sports, today. Player try to push it on ownership, saying "look how much money they make"

It should not be about the money. You should play the game because you love it. Basketball players play for the cash. Hockey players, play because they love the game...

[qwerty007]

Originally Posted by grossnex

Brilliant analysis Qwerty my brother.

I just want to back it up with some more talk in the same vein. In my opinion the NBA & NFL are the 2 most talked about sports in this country for 1 essential reason: The Player.

Both of these leagues decided a long time ago to market the player 1st & the franchise 2nd. The Lakers are the champs so let's use them as an example. I'm willing to put myself out there & say that every 1 mention the Lakers get as a franchise by the sports media, is quickly followed by at least 2 statements about Kobe Bryant. There's also a statue of Micheal Jordan outside the arena in Chicago that the media show every time there's a Bulls game these days. And he owns another team.

Compare this to hockey from an American perspective. Hardcore hockey fans know the good players in the league, but myself as a casual hockey fan I can probably name 2 players in the entire league. I do however know all of the teams. The NHL hasn't caught up with the marketing aspects of hyping their superstars.

In the NFL even, we had a moron named Plaxico Burress go carry a loaded gun into a nightclub & accidentally shoot himself in the leg. Now he's sitting in prison since you can't carry guns into clubs in New York. All I can think is that this guy felt he had some sort of entitlement because he was an athlete that he could do whatever he wanted to.

I really don't care how much they get paid as much as the way they conduct themselves. Are they rap stars or professional athletes?

You sir, are correct. They are rap stars...