Michael Jordan (and many others) asked the question a few weeks ago, “What happened to the days where superstars wanted to beat one another?”  He said he never would’ve teamed up with a guy like Magic Johnson just for the sake of winning a championship – he wanted to beat Magic Johnson to claim that championship.  But that is why Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever play the game.  And that same reason is why Kobe Bryant has to be closing in on second place among all-time greats.

LeBron James made it completely obvious in his complete waste of time for a TV show entitled “The Decision” that he doesn’t have the same killer instinct that the greats had.  He made it rather obvious in game two, three, five and six in the Celtics’ series that he doesn’t possess that same win at all costs attitude that Kobe and Michael have/had.

But we’re not going to dwell on the past today – it is what it is.  Cleveland has been slapped in the face before and Lord knows we’ll be slapped in the face again.  It’s the life of a Cleveland sports fan.  And that’s why it takes a special kind of person to be a fan of Cleveland sports teams.  We’re not bitter about LeBron leaving anymore.  He’s a coward – and we’re better off without that egotistical attitude on our team.

However, being bitter and being realistic are two totally different concepts.  I’ve heard several people over the last few days/weeks say that the Cavaliers should hang the Queen’s #23 jersey from the rafters to honor seven of the best years in Cavalier history.

Hmm…

I mean, sure the guy gave us a flurry of Top Ten jams and chase down blocks.  He single handedly took us to the NBA Finals (only to be swept when we got there).  He was obviously the biggest factor in Cleveland’s claim of best regular season record over the last two seasons.

Notice what I left out though?  He, like every other Cavalier great before him, failed to push the franchise to the top of the league.  He quit on the team when we were just one piece away from claiming that championship.  And, worst of all, he quit on the city of Cleveland – a place that he’s called home from 25 years of his life.

Bill Livingston says it best in his article written for the Plain Deal entitled Retire LeBron James’ No. 23 with the Cavaliers? No Way when he claims that so much is made of one’s first impression.  Most of us remember the excitement that rushed through our veins when the lottery ball popped up in favor of our beloved Cavaliers.  And some of us remember LeBron’s 25 point performance in Sacramento for his NBA debut.  But all of us remember the verbal slap in the face that James delivered the Cavaliers on national TV.  It’s an image and a moment that will stay with us forever.  Not just because he did so much in making the franchise relevant again – but because we thought he was one of us, and he let us down just like any other egotistical, spoiled athlete would have done.

Does LeBron James deserve to have his name mentioned in the same breath as Austin Carr, Bingo Smith, Nate Thurmond, Mark Price, Brad Daughtery or Larry Nance?  Not a chance.  Because those six guys respected the jerseys they wore more than they coveted personal attention.  They loved Cleveland.  And they loved the Cleveland Cavaliers.  And it is the respect for more than one’s own self that makes him a legend.

That description just doesn’t fit LeBron James.  Does it?

What’s up ya’ll?  After all that’s been going on with our Cavaliers over the last few months, I deemed it necessary to throw myself out of a perfectly safe plane yesterday in Orange County, Virginia.  No, seriously.   Here’s some proof:

But I landed safely on the ground and I’m all geared up to talk about our Wine & Gold Ballers.  So let’s jump right into it – no pun intended.

Cavs in Talks with FA Matt Barnes

With the status of Delonte West currently up in the air, the Cleveland Cavaliers will more than likely gain about $2 million dollars in extra cap space if they choose to release him.  However, they will lose out on somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 tattoos.  I know, I’ll be a little sad to see all that ink walk away too.

But fear not my fellow Clevelanders.  The Cavalier front office is very interested in recruiting the services of free agent forward Matt Barnes – who just so happens to bring in about 40 tattoos of his own.  (Sigh of relief).  No, but seriously.  Matt Barnes would certainly provide the Cavaliers with an extra bit of toughness along with an extra lengthy defender to fluster guys like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.  At six feet-seven inches, Barnes averaged about 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Orlando Magic last season.  He is in search for a team that can offer him a significant amount of playing time – which the Cavaliers can.

While some may not care for Barnes, I, personally, believe he’d be a great addition to the roster.  Not only is he long and tough but he can run the floor and knock down open jumpers.  That will certainly come in handy under Byron Scott’s offensive scheme – which basically consists of run, run and run some more.

Mo Gotti Somethin’ to Say

Nobody was more disrespected during the whole LeBron saga than Cleveland’s own Mo Williams.  For the last two seasons, Mo was LeBron’s right-hand man and provided the Cavs with a dynamic two-headed scoring attack.  He was inconsistent – especially in the playoffs.  We all know that.  But while everyone talked about LeBron having the choice to pair up with Derrick Rose or Dwyane Wade, Williams was lost in the equation.

It seems that Dwyane Wade crossed a line, however, when he said in an interview that, “LeBron’s teammates didn’t help him out that game and it made the way he played even worse.”  Mo responded to the leader of Miami’s Three Scumbags via Twitter: “Come on d wade, watch your mouth. I read your article.”

While I have to agree with Mo in that Wade was a bit out of line, responding via social networking is anything but tough.  Dan Gilbert said everything that needed to be said.  Play basketball and prove the sports world wrong by playing some great basketball this season.  Then we’ll all sit back and laugh as we watch LeBron fold in the playoffs…again.

As I posted on Monday, the recent activity of our once beloved superstar has forced the Gospel to choose a new name fo the Cavaliers’ blog.  We are holding a contest that will end TODAY, Friday 16 July, at 11:59 pm et to see who can come up with the most creative and appropriate name for the new Cavaliers’ website.  FanSided.com is offering a Cavs home game tickets, a FanSided t-shirt with your suggested blog name / logo and the new Madden 2011 game to the winner.

So get your creative juices flowin’ and email your suggested name(s) to cnorman2@gmu.edu by TONIGHT Friday 16 July at 11:59 pm et.

As I conveyed on Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed Dan Gilbert’s comments about LeBron James via his letter to Cleveland fans.  I thought he did an excellent job in speaking for every Cavaliers fan across the globe.  But we’ve moved on since Thursday’s debacle.  And Daniel Gibson just bumped himself up as one of my favorite players after this letter that he wrote to Cavs fans on his blog:

What Up World,

This Message is Directly for the fans of Cleveland from your adopted son, The one and only Boobie G. As you know i was born and raised in Houston, TX. Never once stayed outside the state for more than two weeks and the time I did, that was for basketball. But after two years of college at the University of Texas I decided to make the jump. You can just imagine how fast my mind was racing going to a city so many miles out of my comfort zone not knowing one single person. But I thank God it was Cleveland! Because From day one the city embraced me and made me feel like I was home. My Second HOME. And as time went on I began to see why we connected. Cleveland is a never die city, city of loyalty, hard-workers, passion, desire, and toughness. A lot of the same characteristics I have in me and that inspired me. So I made a promise to myself that every day I stepped foot on that basketball court I would show the world what Cleveland was all about. Leaving everything i had on the court. So no matter what obstacle was placed in front of me, I would bust right through it. No matter how high, I would get over it. Or how wide I would get around it. N I hope I did that and will continue to do that. I said that to say, I know right now emotions are high, and people are confused about the way things went down. But I’m here to say DO NOT FORGET THAT WE STILL HERE. and WE GONE GRIND!!!! The Cavaliers haven’t went anywhere, just lost a piece. Everything in life happens for a reason, Some which we dont understand and never will. Somethings we cant control, But the thing we can control is our passion and our love for city of Cleveland and state of OHIO. And that every single night we take that we floor We Will represent. Blood SweAT and Tears. We will go hard. Just like you. From the bottom to the top, this organization is committed to winning and we wont stop now….. Cant stop now. I LOVE you. We Love YOU. And together We gone make it HAppen. O H I O. Hang in there.

As for me on another note, I’m in LA working on my game so that i may be a key part of this movement next season. The family is doing great. MY wife to be is in the studio every day and night trying to create the best album of her career. Cutting no corners putting her heart in it like never before. With so much new emotion to show the world. My son Daniel Jr. is 4 months now. Everyday he gets bigger. We took him to the doctor yesterday to get two shots. And lil man did not shed a tear. even laughed a little bit. Tough lil dude, something like his daddy LOL. The rest of the fam is back home in Houston working with the DGib Hoops Foundation-Shooting for Success. Helping mainly inner city youth to meet new friends, become more discipline, athletically and academically so that one day they may qualify for scholarships and go on to college and be whatever they want to be. Following a living example. ME… Well thats enough for today, yall stay tuned for my next post and remember if you believe, you can achieve. ANYTHING

Cleveland Stand up

1LUV,

BooBie

I still enjoy every word that I read from Dan Gilbert’s comments on Thursday night.  But this is most certainly a step in the right direction and I honestly believe that Boobie Gibson means what he says about the city of Cleveland.  LeBron obviously didn’t.  But maybe Boobie loves us as much as we love him.

With the recent activity from our once beloved Chosen One, the Cleveland Cavaliers blog needs to be renamed.  We are holding a contest that will carry on until Friday 16 July at 11:59 pm et to see who can come up with the most creative and appropriate name for the new Cavaliers’ website.  FanSided.com is offering a Cavs home game tickets, a FanSided t-shirt with your suggested blog name / logo and the new Madden 2011 game to the winner.

So get your creative juices flowin’ and email your suggested name(s) to cnorman2@gmu.edu by Friday 16 July at 11:59 pm et.

While we’re all adjusting to life without LeBron James, everyone seems to be coping with his narcissistic behavior in different ways.  From burning #23 jerseys in the streets of Ohio to ripping the giant Witness billboard off the building across from the Q, everyone is taking out their frustrations and openly displaying their hatred for the new Squire of Cleveland.

But it’s not just loyal Cavaliers fans that share a common distaste for [he who shall no longer be named].  I was approached on Saturday morning via email by a gentleman by the name of Dan Hershberg from PhillyPhaithful.com – someone with no ties to the city of Cleveland – who conveyed his sympathy for the city of Cleveland saying, “Like you, we in Philadelphia spent the better part of the last 48 hours trying not to choke on our vomit as the self-important, ego maniacal LeBron James show took up way too much of our television screen and collective sporting mindset. And while we didn’t have to directly deal with the aftermath of losing our franchise player in a gutless defection…we understand what it feels like when things don’t go your way. Like most of the rest of the nation, we think that Queen James took the easy way out. Instead of helping his loyal, hometown team reach the ultimate prize, he pretended to make his departure about winning when it was clearly all about him.”  (If you’re anything like me, you just read that and thought to yourself, ‘Hey, I like this guy already!’).

He went on to unveil a new anti-LeBum t-shirt (seen below) called ‘Ringless’.  The t-shirt is available at PhillyPhaithful.com and will sell at $19.99 apiece.  I strongly suggest checking out these shirts and rockin’ your Cleveland spirit while we remind the sports nation that we will push forward without LeCoward.

 Related Links:

Cleveland Owner Fires Back, Speaks For Cleveland

LeCoward Disproves Loyalty

More Than a Player, More Than a Franchise

Is Scott the Key That Locks Up the King?

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: The King’s Throne

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Windy City

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Jersey Style

The LeBron Saga Continues

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 4.

After being stabbed in the back by one of our very own on Thursday night, Cleveland fans across the world were, without a doubt, fuming over “The Decision”.  Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert turned that anger into a letter to the fans of his franchise that, more or less, described everything that the city was feeling.

His letter is below:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

Now if that doesn’t speak for every Cavalier fan in the nation, I don’t know what does.  Reports are that LeBron was furious when he read the contents of the letter – which I think is a little funny.  He even mentioned last night in his press conference that he knew he made the right decision when he “heard the owner’s comments.”  Cry about it, LeBron.  I mean, if he doesn’t realize that the way he has handled this entire situation is completely wrong, then he is stupid.  And he’d be stupid on top of being a traitor, a quitter, a liar and anything else you want to say about the Squire. 

It’s great to have an owner that is as passionate about his team as the fans are.  And it’s even greater to have an owner that speaks the mind of every Cleveland fan in the world.

Related Links:

LeCoward Disproves Loyalty

More Than a Player, More Than a Franchise

Is Scott the Key That Locks Up the King?

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: The King’s Throne

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Windy City

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Jersey Style

The LeBron Saga Continues

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 4.

Dear LeBron,

I hate your stinking guts; you make me vomit. You’re scuuuum between my toes.

Love, The city of Cleveland

For so long Squire James has preached the value of loyalty.  He has said over and over – and, in fact, claimed to be “loyal” again on Thursday night – that the word is the most important thing to him.  He promised to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland and vowed to never give up until his goal was reached.

With Thursday night’s decision, James shocked the city of Cleveland and exposed himself as a quitter, a liar, a traitor and just another arrogant, egotistical athlete.  He then proceeded to thank the entire Cleveland organization and fan base for allowing him the opportunity to “share his talents” with the franchise for the last seven years.  And to that, I say Thanks for nothing, LeCoward.

Yes, he has provided the franchise with highlight after highlight, dunk after dunk.  But with the same end result: loss after loss.  He’s a winner; not a champion.  And his legacy will be forever tarnished – in Cleveland and throughout the NBA.  He preaches team over individual.  Yet he thrusts himself into the spotlight whenever he gets an opportunity and makes everything about LeBron.

He took the easy way out.  And, for that, his legacy will forever be tarnished.  Farewell, LeBron.

Stay tuned for Patrick Allen’s take on this decision.  I’m at a loss for words tonight.

WANTED: NEW NAME FOR THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BLOG

With the recent decision of LeBron James, FanSided will be looking for a new name for this blog.  Ideas can be emailed to cnorman2@gmu.edu.  Contest winner will take home some great FanSided prizes – possibly including tickets to a Cavaliers home game next season.

Related Links:

More Than a Player, More Than a Franchise

Is Scott the Key That Locks Up the King?

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: The King’s Throne

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Windy City

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Jersey Style

The LeBron Saga Continues

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 4.

Related Links:

More Than a Player, More Than a Franchise

Is Scott the Key That Locks Up the King?

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: The King’s Throne

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Windy City

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Jersey Style

The LeBron Saga Continues

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 4.

Tonight is the night that fans of Cleveland, New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Miami have all been waiting for: the night that LeBron James makes possibly the biggest decision of his life.  A decision that can change the NBA for decades and a decision that could prove to be the beginning of the end of a beloved sports franchise.

Since his junior year in high school, LeBron James has had the weight of the world on his shoulders.  He was named The Chosen One and was expected to be the reincarnation of Michael Jordan.  A living legend.  A man among boys.  And, tonight, James will have the eye of every basketball fan in the world on him – something he seems to enjoy.

And what will he do?  Will he remain in Cleveland and remain loyal to the people of Ohio?  Or will he slap them in the face on national TV?  Take a look at what the magic 8-ball has to say:

Surprise, huh?

Anyways, since tonight is one of the biggest nights in Cleveland sports history, the Gospel will play host to a Live Chat during The Decision show.  Join me at 9 pm – the same time the show kicks off – where we will be predicting where LeBron will land, which city will celebrate tonight, and what it means for the NBA.

Related Links:

More Than a Player, More Than a Franchise

Is Scott the Key That Locks Up the King?

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: The King’s Throne

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Windy City

I’m Going to Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse: Jersey Style

The LeBron Saga Continues

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 4.