LeBron James

[TommyBahama]

With all of this 'talent' that Miami has? I'd LMAO if they fall on their collective @sses this next season.

reminds me of the Yankees,,,,buying a championship!!!......Jon Barry made a great point.....each players game will change......there is only one ball!!!

[chippewa]

Does he get to take his championship trophies with him to Miami?

Wait, what?

[Landshark Girl]

Another athlete "SCREWS " the GREAT PEOPLE of CLEVELAND and OHIO! Thank You LeBron James you are a TRAITOR!!!!!!!!

seriously, we can't catch a break.



go browns.

[RinglingRingling]

Another athlete "SCREWS " the GREAT PEOPLE of CLEVELAND and OHIO! Thank You LeBron James you are a TRAITOR!!!!!!!!

seriously, we can't catch a break.



go browns.

not that I am a Cavs fan, but I am thinking that "the king" needs a good blown knee-kinda injury to give him a bit of perspective. The downside is that I might have to start cheering for the Lakers as a means of keeping Lebron "humbled" in the finals.

[C-Dawg]

Another athlete "SCREWS " the GREAT PEOPLE of CLEVELAND and OHIO! Thank You LeBron James you are a TRAITOR!!!!!!!!

seriously, we can't catch a break.



go browns.

not that I am a Cavs fan, but I am thinking that "the king" needs a good blown knee-kinda injury to give him a bit of perspective. The downside is that I might have to start cheering for the Lakers as a means of keeping Lebron "humbled" in the finals.

The Celtics will keep LeFraud & the Heat from even making the Finals...he is, and has always been a choke artist when it comes to the playoffs....nothing has changed other than his jersey.

[karat]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

[chippewa]

Whether you agree with him or not, Cleveland's owner is refreshingly candid and uncensored.
ESPN:

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert said in a phone interview with The AP. "People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

Gilbert said James quit on the Cavs during their second-round series against the Boston Celtics, who rallied from a 2-1 deficit to eliminate Cleveland.

"He quit," Gilbert said. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."

Gilbert said James never returned a single phone message or text since the end of the season and that the Cavs were not informed of James' decision until he went on the air.

and a scathing letter on the team's website

[Landshark Girl]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

the average son or daughter doesn't have an entire city's hopes and dreams(and not to mention the effects on our economy) resting on their shoulders. this is bigger than just a job.

[RinglingRingling]

Another athlete "SCREWS " the GREAT PEOPLE of CLEVELAND and OHIO! Thank You LeBron James you are a TRAITOR!!!!!!!!

seriously, we can't catch a break.



go browns.

not that I am a Cavs fan, but I am thinking that "the king" needs a good blown knee-kinda injury to give him a bit of perspective. The downside is that I might have to start cheering for the Lakers as a means of keeping Lebron "humbled" in the finals.

The Celtics will keep LeFraud & the Heat from even making the Finals...he is, and has always been a choke artist when it comes to the playoffs....nothing has changed other than his jersey.

from your fingertips to God's ears and out on screen next spring...

[pietaster]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

the average son or daughter doesn't have an entire city's hopes and dreams(and not to mention the effects on our economy) resting on their shoulders. this is bigger than just a job.

If an entire city's hopes and dreams rest on the shoulders of a tall sweaty man running around trying to put a ball in a hoop, that city has more problems than the tall sweaty man deciding to play for a team in another city.

[RinglingRingling]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

the average son or daughter doesn't have an entire city's hopes and dreams(and not to mention the effects on our economy) resting on their shoulders. this is bigger than just a job.

If an entire city's hopes and dreams rest on the shoulders of a tall sweaty man running around trying to put a ball in a hoop, that city has more problems than the tall sweaty man deciding to play for a team in another city.

you have been to Cleeeeveland, right?

[surfpirate]

Art Modell is finally off the hook as the most despised man in Cleveland.

And somewhere Cleveland's own Drew Carey can be heard muttering "I guess The Price Was Right".

[JollyMon66]

Another athlete "SCREWS " the GREAT PEOPLE of CLEVELAND and OHIO! Thank You LeBron James you are a TRAITOR!!!!!!!!

At least you have Drew Carey...oh yea...forgot...that show was cancelled. Sorry

[parrothead216]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

Karat...we here in Cleveland and Ohio understand that it is LeBron's right to play where ever he wants to play...he has earned that right through Free Agency, but here in Cleveland....it is much more about hope for the future.

Cleveland......as great of a city that it is, has kind of been on the down turn of late. After trying to greatly improve the city and it's image nationally during the 80's and 90's.... recently, we have had our disappoints and losses, like many other places. The last few years haven't been kind to the Cleveland area and Ohio in general. Unemployment has hovered around 12-13% in some cities and everyone is leaving for the warm cities. The BRAIN DRAIN here is rampant..... No one wants to live on the North Coast were it gets cold! Hell even Jimmy has stopped coming to Cleveland......but some of us want to or have to live here.
LeBron represented to many of us the HOPE that Cleveland and Ohio will be okay. That someone wouldn't have to "shut the lights out", when the last person left.

In the winter........there was excitement and even people downtown in fine restaurants AND coming to lowly Cleveland to see LeBron James AND the Cleveland Cavaliers play basketball.
This city has supported 3 Major Sports Franchises for more years then can be listed...win, lose or draw. Our Cleveland Browns were stolen by Baltimore and the city had to fight to get our "TEAM" back! The Cleveland Indians were always the laughstock of the country....but we built the team a new "BALL PARK" and the fine people of Cleveland fans sold out Jacob's Field for 455 consecutive home games. They aren't doing so well these days...but we still support the team.

That is why LeBron didn't have to disrespect the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Cavs and their fans!! Announcing "THE DECISION" on a 1 hour primetime ESPN "Special".

The Cavs "hired" an unproven 18 year old child just out of high school. In the last 7 years LeBron has earned $97 million dollars "working " for the Cavs and with his Nike contracts of $100 million dollars plus. HE has a $48 million dollar home in Bath, Ohio! Almost $200 million dollars or more for someone who is only 25! The Cavaliers OFFER was for 6 years and $130 million dollars! Not bad for someone who never got the job done ...and didn't bring a Championship here to Cleveland.

Cleveland loved LeBron and thought that HE understood that it was about more then Cleveland or Ohio Or The Cavs or LeBron It was about having the .....arguely the "best" player in Basketball playing here and WANTING TO PLAY HERE! Loving Cleveland and Ohio as much as we do. Being part of a TEAM and about being a good guy. Doing something to put Akron/Cleveland "on THE MAP"!!! His own words!

It turns out that this isn't the lesson we have taught our children for years......it is NOT ABOUT winning or losing...but "HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME"! For LeBron it is only about WINNING!!
BTW......Lebron's "Parents" are a Parent...the father has been out of the picture since he got LeBrons mother, Gloria pregnant at 16 and The "KING" was raised on welfare and lived in public housing....paid for by our tax dollars. He owes his life to the people of Ohio who paid to keep him alive.
So I hope this explains to you why this is much more then just someone's son or daughter getting a better job somewhere else.

LeBron is a TRAITOR to Cleveland, Ohio, The Cavs and yes even to basketball.

In fact, it would not make me unhappy to see the goverment get involved in this collusion of the 3 players to fix the Championship in Basketball and an attempt to form a monopoly!

[ph4ever]

Another athlete "SCREWS " the GREAT PEOPLE of CLEVELAND and OHIO! Thank You LeBron James you are a TRAITOR!!!!!!!!

At least you have Drew Carey...oh yea...forgot...that show was cancelled. Sorry

At least you still have a team

[surfpirate]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

Karat...we here in Cleveland and Ohio understand that it is LeBron's right to play where ever he wants to play...he has earned that right through Free Agency, but here in Cleveland....it is much more about hope for the future.

Cleveland......as great of a city that it is, has kind of been on the down turn of late. After trying to greatly improve the city and it's image nationally during the 80's and 90's.... recently, we have had our disappoints and losses, like many other places. The last few years haven't been kind to the Cleveland area and Ohio in general. Unemployment has hovered around 12-13% in some cities and everyone is leaving for the warm cities. The BRAIN DRAIN here is rampant..... No one wants to live on the North Coast were it gets cold! Hell even Jimmy has stopped coming to Cleveland......but some of us want to or have to live here.
LeBron represented to many of us the HOPE that Cleveland and Ohio will be okay. That someone wouldn't have to "shut the lights out", when the last person left.

In the winter........there was excitement and even people downtown in fine restaurants AND coming to lowly Cleveland to see LeBron James AND the Cleveland Cavaliers play basketball.
This city has supported 3 Major Sports Franchises for more years then can be listed...win, lose or draw. Our Cleveland Browns were stolen by Baltimore and the city had to fight to get our "TEAM" back! The Cleveland Indians were always the laughstock of the country....but we built the team a new "BALL PARK" and the fine people of Cleveland fans sold out Jacob's Field for 455 consecutive home games. They aren't doing so well these days...but we still support the team.

That is why LeBron didn't have to disrespect the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Cavs and their fans!! Announcing "THE DECISION" on a 1 hour primetime ESPN "Special".

The Cavs "hired" an unproven 18 year old child just out of high school. In the last 7 years LeBron has earned $97 million dollars "working " for the Cavs and with his Nike contracts of $100 million dollars plus. HE has a $48 million dollar home in Bath, Ohio! Almost $200 million dollars or more for someone who is only 25! The Cavaliers OFFER was for 6 years and $130 million dollars! Not bad for someone who never got the job done ...and didn't bring a Championship here to Cleveland.

Cleveland loved LeBron and thought that HE understood that it was about more then Cleveland or Ohio Or The Cavs or LeBron It was about having the .....arguely the "best" player in Basketball playing here and WANTING TO PLAY HERE! Loving Cleveland and Ohio as much as we do. Being part of a TEAM and about being a good guy. Doing something to put Akron/Cleveland "on THE MAP"!!! His own words!

It turns out that this isn't the lesson we have taught our children for years......it is NOT ABOUT winning or losing...but "HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME"! For LeBron it is only about WINNING!!
BTW......Lebron's "Parents" are a Parent...the father has been out of the picture since he got LeBrons mother, Gloria pregnant at 16 and The "KING" was raised on welfare and lived in public housing....paid for by our tax dollars. He owes his life to the people of Ohio who paid to keep him alive.
So I hope this explains to you why this is much more then just someone's son or daughter getting a better job somewhere else.

LeBron is a TRAITOR to Cleveland, Ohio, The Cavs and yes even to basketball.

In fact, it would not make me unhappy to see the goverment get involved in this collusion of the 3 players to fix the Championship in Basketball and an attempt to form a monopoly!

parrothead216,

I understand and agree with much of what you said.

But ...... I have too many friends in Baltimore who disagree with the comments that *Baltimore stole the Browns*.
Baltimore did not want the Browns. They wanted their Colts.
Remember what Baltimore went through when the Colts bolted for Indianapolis.
They did not want to inflict that same pain on any other city.

But the NFL turned a cold shoulder to Baltimore and ignored them for over 10 years.
The NFL did not protect the heritage of the city's team like it did in Cleveland.
Cleveland got to keep the Browns name.
Baltimore has to hear their beloved name *Colts* every Sunday now associated with Indianapolis.

The NFL did not help Baltimore and promise them that they would see to it that the NFL returned to their city
like it did for Cleveland
..... and Houston
.... and St. Louis.

The NFL even shunned Baltimore with expansion
when they put franchises in Charlotte
and tiny Jacksonville while ignoring Baltimore's pain.

After all of that .... an opportunity arose for Baltimore to get the Browns
and rename them the Ravens.
This was not at all their first choice,
trust me on this.

[RinglingRingling]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

Karat...we here in Cleveland and Ohio understand that it is LeBron's right to play where ever he wants to play...he has earned that right through Free Agency, but here in Cleveland....it is much more about hope for the future.

Cleveland......as great of a city that it is, has kind of been on the down turn of late. After trying to greatly improve the city and it's image nationally during the 80's and 90's.... recently, we have had our disappoints and losses, like many other places. The last few years haven't been kind to the Cleveland area and Ohio in general. Unemployment has hovered around 12-13% in some cities and everyone is leaving for the warm cities. The BRAIN DRAIN here is rampant..... No one wants to live on the North Coast were it gets cold! Hell even Jimmy has stopped coming to Cleveland......but some of us want to or have to live here.
LeBron represented to many of us the HOPE that Cleveland and Ohio will be okay. That someone wouldn't have to "shut the lights out", when the last person left.

In the winter........there was excitement and even people downtown in fine restaurants AND coming to lowly Cleveland to see LeBron James AND the Cleveland Cavaliers play basketball.
This city has supported 3 Major Sports Franchises for more years then can be listed...win, lose or draw. Our Cleveland Browns were stolen by Baltimore and the city had to fight to get our "TEAM" back! The Cleveland Indians were always the laughstock of the country....but we built the team a new "BALL PARK" and the fine people of Cleveland fans sold out Jacob's Field for 455 consecutive home games. They aren't doing so well these days...but we still support the team.

That is why LeBron didn't have to disrespect the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Cavs and their fans!! Announcing "THE DECISION" on a 1 hour primetime ESPN "Special".

The Cavs "hired" an unproven 18 year old child just out of high school. In the last 7 years LeBron has earned $97 million dollars "working " for the Cavs and with his Nike contracts of $100 million dollars plus. HE has a $48 million dollar home in Bath, Ohio! Almost $200 million dollars or more for someone who is only 25! The Cavaliers OFFER was for 6 years and $130 million dollars! Not bad for someone who never got the job done ...and didn't bring a Championship here to Cleveland.

Cleveland loved LeBron and thought that HE understood that it was about more then Cleveland or Ohio Or The Cavs or LeBron It was about having the .....arguely the "best" player in Basketball playing here and WANTING TO PLAY HERE! Loving Cleveland and Ohio as much as we do. Being part of a TEAM and about being a good guy. Doing something to put Akron/Cleveland "on THE MAP"!!! His own words!

It turns out that this isn't the lesson we have taught our children for years......it is NOT ABOUT winning or losing...but "HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME"! For LeBron it is only about WINNING!!
BTW......Lebron's "Parents" are a Parent...the father has been out of the picture since he got LeBrons mother, Gloria pregnant at 16 and The "KING" was raised on welfare and lived in public housing....paid for by our tax dollars. He owes his life to the people of Ohio who paid to keep him alive.
So I hope this explains to you why this is much more then just someone's son or daughter getting a better job somewhere else.

LeBron is a TRAITOR to Cleveland, Ohio, The Cavs and yes even to basketball.

In fact, it would not make me unhappy to see the goverment get involved in this collusion of the 3 players to fix the Championship in Basketball and an attempt to form a monopoly!

parrothead216,

I understand and agree with much of what you said.

But ...... I have too many friends in Baltimore who disagree with the comments that *Baltimore stole the Browns*.
Baltimore did not want the Browns. They wanted their Colts.
Remember what Baltimore went through when the Colts bolted for Indianapolis.
They did not want to inflict that same pain on any other city.

But the NFL turned a cold shoulder to Baltimore and ignored them for over 10 years.
The NFL did not protect the heritage of the city's team like it did in Cleveland.
Cleveland got to keep the Browns name.
Baltimore has to hear their beloved name *Colts* every Sunday now associated with Indianapolis.

The NFL did not help Baltimore and promise them that they would see to it that the NFL returned to their city
like it did for Cleveland
..... and Houston
.... and St. Louis.

The NFL even shunned Baltimore with expansion
when they put franchises in Charlotte
and tiny Jacksonville while ignoring Baltimore's pain.

After all of that .... an opportunity arose for Baltimore to get the Browns
and rename them the Ravens.
This was not at all their first choice,
trust me on this.

I think the point isn't about Baltimore and how the Irsays hosed the city, it isn't about how Angelos constantly hoses the O's fans with a product best suited to playing rookie-league ball at Cal Ripken's complex despite the sports commission having built Camden Yards. Sure, they are both steel-towns that have seen their best days pass and their cores turn into shooting galleries, but it really isn't about Charm City and their own very long list of woes. It's about the way Lebron seemingly went out of his way to crap all over a city and a team that dealt squarely with him from the go, all the while claiming to know the meaning of loyalty.

From the time he took jerseys in HS and violated the OSHSAL (Ohio State High School Athletic League) rules; thru the $100k customized Humvee he got while his mom was still living in the projects, to the last three years when he has been dogging his teammates with less than his best effort at key moments, he's a PoS and when the kharma hammer comes down, it would be nice to see it play out on national tv like his little ego-stroking did last night.

[Bicycle Bill]

Unless I bet and win on the games — whether they are basketball, football, hockey, or dodgeball — I fail to see how Mr. James switching teams is going to put one nickel into my pocket. Sure, LeBron gave Cleveland (and now Miami) something to cheer for, but at what cost to everybody else?

If parrothead216 is correct, James made almost $100 million over the last seven years just in salary alone. Where does that kind of money come from? Anybody priced an NBA (or NFL, or MLB) ticket lately? How about the amount of money they charge for a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl? Then there's the naming rights, sponsorships, the constant ads. They all bring income to the team, but even though the sponsors put up that cash to start with, when you follow the money trail to its conclusion you will see that it all comes out of the pockets of the average American consumers who end up buying the sponsor's overpromoted (and overpriced) products.

-"BB"-

[parrothead216]

I have to put my two-cents in.... I could care less about where athletes go. Sure it is sad that your home town's athletic hero goes somewhere else. It stinks.....

But let me ask this.... you, or your son or daughter just got a job offer, that has more and better benefits and they (or you) feel it is the best decision to make career wise, would you hold that against them? You would support them. Which I am sure that LeBron is doing.

And yeah whatever, it could have been handled differently with how it was presented...but that all comes with age, maturity and experience. Something that you hope your parents would pass along to you....

I'm sure his parents are happy he has a job, and that is all it is...a job....

Karat...we here in Cleveland and Ohio understand that it is LeBron's right to play where ever he wants to play...he has earned that right through Free Agency, but here in Cleveland....it is much more about hope for the future.

Cleveland......as great of a city that it is, has kind of been on the down turn of late. After trying to greatly improve the city and it's image nationally during the 80's and 90's.... recently, we have had our disappoints and losses, like many other places. The last few years haven't been kind to the Cleveland area and Ohio in general. Unemployment has hovered around 12-13% in some cities and everyone is leaving for the warm cities. The BRAIN DRAIN here is rampant..... No one wants to live on the North Coast were it gets cold! Hell even Jimmy has stopped coming to Cleveland......but some of us want to or have to live here.
LeBron represented to many of us the HOPE that Cleveland and Ohio will be okay. That someone wouldn't have to "shut the lights out", when the last person left.

In the winter........there was excitement and even people downtown in fine restaurants AND coming to lowly Cleveland to see LeBron James AND the Cleveland Cavaliers play basketball.
This city has supported 3 Major Sports Franchises for more years then can be listed...win, lose or draw. Our Cleveland Browns were stolen by Baltimore and the city had to fight to get our "TEAM" back! The Cleveland Indians were always the laughstock of the country....but we built the team a new "BALL PARK" and the fine people of Cleveland fans sold out Jacob's Field for 455 consecutive home games. They aren't doing so well these days...but we still support the team.

That is why LeBron didn't have to disrespect the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Cavs and their fans!! Announcing "THE DECISION" on a 1 hour primetime ESPN "Special".

The Cavs "hired" an unproven 18 year old child just out of high school. In the last 7 years LeBron has earned $97 million dollars "working " for the Cavs and with his Nike contracts of $100 million dollars plus. HE has a $48 million dollar home in Bath, Ohio! Almost $200 million dollars or more for someone who is only 25! The Cavaliers OFFER was for 6 years and $130 million dollars! Not bad for someone who never got the job done ...and didn't bring a Championship here to Cleveland.

Cleveland loved LeBron and thought that HE understood that it was about more then Cleveland or Ohio Or The Cavs or LeBron It was about having the .....arguely the "best" player in Basketball playing here and WANTING TO PLAY HERE! Loving Cleveland and Ohio as much as we do. Being part of a TEAM and about being a good guy. Doing something to put Akron/Cleveland "on THE MAP"!!! His own words!

It turns out that this isn't the lesson we have taught our children for years......it is NOT ABOUT winning or losing...but "HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME"! For LeBron it is only about WINNING!!
BTW......Lebron's "Parents" are a Parent...the father has been out of the picture since he got LeBrons mother, Gloria pregnant at 16 and The "KING" was raised on welfare and lived in public housing....paid for by our tax dollars. He owes his life to the people of Ohio who paid to keep him alive.
So I hope this explains to you why this is much more then just someone's son or daughter getting a better job somewhere else.

LeBron is a TRAITOR to Cleveland, Ohio, The Cavs and yes even to basketball.

In fact, it would not make me unhappy to see the goverment get involved in this collusion of the 3 players to fix the Championship in Basketball and an attempt to form a monopoly!

parrothead216,

I understand and agree with much of what you said.

But ...... I have too many friends in Baltimore who disagree with the comments that *Baltimore stole the Browns*.
Baltimore did not want the Browns. They wanted their Colts.
Remember what Baltimore went through when the Colts bolted for Indianapolis.
They did not want to inflict that same pain on any other city.

But the NFL turned a cold shoulder to Baltimore and ignored them for over 10 years.
The NFL did not protect the heritage of the city's team like it did in Cleveland.
Cleveland got to keep the Browns name.
Baltimore has to hear their beloved name *Colts* every Sunday now associated with Indianapolis.

The NFL did not help Baltimore and promise them that they would see to it that the NFL returned to their city
like it did for Cleveland
..... and Houston
.... and St. Louis.

The NFL even shunned Baltimore with expansion
when they put franchises in Charlotte
and tiny Jacksonville while ignoring Baltimore's pain.

After all of that .... an opportunity arose for Baltimore to get the Browns
and rename them the Ravens.
This was not at all their first choice,
trust me on this.

Surfpirate....I knew when I typed "Stole" the Browns...some people would feel the way you stated. That example was to show the litany of things that Cleveland and it's sports fans have been through.

I remember when it happened the Baltimore fans said something to the effect ....that"they did it to us...we did it to Cleveland".

It wasn't right what happened to Baltimore ...nor to what happened to Cleveland, then AND NOW!

If you do some research on the Cleveland Browns and their Illustrious History....you then would understand why we fought so hard, to get our name and our team back. Even though we haven't won a championship since 1964. We fill the New Browns stadium with 73,000+ people for every home game! That is the kind of fans, that Clevelanders are!

That is the type of fan and city that LeBron James thumbed his nose at......last night!

[ph4ever]

Unless I bet and win on the games — whether they are basketball, football, hockey, or dodgeball — I fail to see how Mr. James switching teams is going to put one nickel into my pocket. Sure, LeBron gave Cleveland (and now Miami) something to cheer for, but at what cost to everybody else?

If parrothead216 is correct, James made almost $100 million over the last seven years just in salary alone. Where does that kind of money come from? Anybody priced an NBA (or NFL, or MLB) ticket lately? How about the amount of money they charge for a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl? Then there's the naming rights, sponsorships, the constant ads. They all bring income to the team, but even though the sponsors put up that cash to start with, when you follow the money trail to its conclusion you will see that it all comes out of the pockets of the average American consumers who end up buying the sponsor's overpromoted (and overpriced) products.
-"BB"-

I'm not arguing with you in any way just adding that that line of thinking could apply to any type of entertainment. Sports, music, theater etc. Take a musical group - pick one not just Buffett. Look at their ticket prices, the prices of tshirts etc etc. They're getting rich off of us, the consumer. And what happens in lean times like we're facing now? Ticket prices remain somewhat the same (yes some have lowered their prices but not that significiently) and even some musicians have cancelled shows because of lackluster ticket sales. HELLO??? You have lackluster sales because John Q Public is worried about feeding his family!!! The only way for this kind of rapeing of the American consumer to stop is for everyone to stop buying into the prices and stop attending and letting the powers that be know that "We're sick and tired and we aren't going to take anymore"

That being said, I know it won't happen. I'm just as guilty as the next person. I have been known to pay a small fortune for concert tickets......