Lebron James. Can he get the world buzzing or what? Think back 15 years ago to his high school days at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s. His games were like rock concerts. I seem to remember Shaq at his peak as a L.A. Laker coming to the Canton Fieldhouse to watch LBJ play. St. V’s games were on ESPN. I remember going to the state tournament and watching middle-aged men act like teenage girls seeing the Beatles (or in this era, One Direction). These guys were carrying copies of Sports Illustrated (the one with Lebron on the cover) just in case they had the chance for an autograph. From a 16-year-old kid.
Once the NBA came calling, ‘Lebron-mania’ reached all the corners of the globe. ESPN probably named its first child after him. Well, at least the middle name. And going to a Cavs game at the Q was a major event. A social event. It was the place to be.
Then came ‘The Decision’. In case you forgot, let me explain the facts. A 25-year old young man had just finished his 7th year with the same team, and at that point, earned the right to choose what team he wanted to play for. And he decided to switch to another team that he correctly felt had a better shot of winning.
If someone who had no idea who Lebron was just read that last paragraph, he or she would probably say ‘good for him’ and think nothing more of it. That’s probably the rational way of thinking of it.
But sports and rational thinking are rarely seen in the same zip code. The venom that rained down on Lebron for making that decision could probably even melt those fat free, perfectly square and orange imitation cheese slices.
I admit to being angry about it, and I relished the Heat’s loss in the NBA finals to Dallas the next year. But listening to local sports talk shows in the four years since he has left, I cringe at the spiteful, hateful words of some callers and hosts!
Lebron is about to make another decision about where he will be playing. As the rumor mills fan the flames of a possible return to Cleveland, the hype on talk shows, ESPN, and even casual conversations is burning hotter than a 4th of July fireworks grand finale. When he finally shares his choice, Northeast Ohio is either gonna look like the day that World War II ended…
Or it might be like one of big city riots after their team loses (or even wins) a championship game…
I might be underestimating a bit, though.
I am betting there would be a Zombie apocalypse.
Whatever reaction it is, it will all depend on a decision of a 29-year-old man to make a career location change or not. How about that for pressure? When pondering a career change that might better my life as well as my family’s, I don’t usually have to worry about deeply offending millions of people.
Sports are a beautiful element of society, and can bring great joy to participants and fans.
But sports also can squeeze out the deepest, darkest ugliness in our human nature. Like being at a pro game and watching human being in the stands scream at, curse at, demean, and degrade another human being just because he is on a playing surface wearing a uniform. And I am not just talking about that dirty drunk guy. I have seen it from the typical person that we run into every day. Its like being at a zoo and seeing some low life torment a caged animal. When & why did society make this behavior acceptable?
And this behavior, of course, is not restricted to pro games. No field or gym is safe from this plague. Whether it’s a big-time college football game or a small-time 8-year-old baseball game, you are bound to run one or more of the following: fans yelling at opposing players. Coaches yelling at refs. Parents yelling at their kids. Fans yelling at refs. Coaches yelling at players. Parents yelling at coaches. Fans yelling at fans. Fans yelling at their own players. Sports brings out passion, and that passion often takes a turn for the worse. At high school football games, I often try to sit on the opposite side of my team to avoid hearing some of this ugliness directed at the kids that I know. I remember sitting at a recent play-off team and hearing a grandma scream at her team every time a play went bad. This was 75-year old yelling at unpaid 16-year old kids trying their hardest to play a game. A very physically demanding, difficult game.
I have received some harsh words as a player, coach, and, especially, as a referee/umpire. In fact, I think the next amendment to the Constitution should be that every sports fan should be required to perform 10 hours of community service as a ref. For those of you that have done that service, it is not near as easy as it looks. If you get every call correct, you are still gonna have at least 50% of the fans mad at you!
Unfortunately, I have to admit that I have been guilty of dishing out some of those harsh words as well. I am a human, just like all of you out there. All of us can let our emotions get the best of us. But I am sure all of us like to be treated with respect. And in most areas of our lives, we try to treat others with respect. We are allowed to carry that respectful mentality to sports. And we have seen many great examples of that in big time and small time sporting events.
So whatever the outcome of this latest Lebron decision, or even the call of that 15-year old umpire on a close play at the plate, remember the words of the drill sergeant in the 1981 Bill Murray movie, Stripes:
