Assessing the angst in Cleveland

Hypothetical scenario: Jim Tressel’s contract with Ohio State is set to expire, and he elects not to sign an extension.  Rather, he decides to “test the waters” and look at other opportunities on the college football landscape.  After rampant speculation about his leanings, Tressel finally calls a press conference (obviously televised on ESPN) to inform the public that he has decided to take his coaching prowess to that state up north, which he feels will be a better fit for him as he continues his coaching career.

While the above-outlined scenario is a poor parallel to the Lebron James fiasco, not to mention utterly absurd, it is the only parallel that comes to mind as a Columbus resident, where Ohio State football is our featured sport, and an Ohio State fan, where Tressel is our most beloved figure.  Being outside the immediate Cleveland area and only a casual observer of Cavs basketball, assessment of the James situation can be done without the emotional involvement, and a number of questions arise related to the furor he has caused.

While I understand and subscribe to the idea that an individual has the right to choose where they work, it seems that Cavs fans also understand this angle.  The fact that James chose to play in another city is not the issue.  Rather, it is the manner in which he communicated his decision that is irksome to so many.  However, are there underlying factors at play here that make it so un-palatable?

First, was James’ conduct in Cleveland already questionable, making the announcement the proverbial “cherry on top?”  Probably not.  One can easily find a variety of links about his work in the community which, while not uncommon among professional athletes, does represent some consciousness of important issues outside of sports.  Furthermore, the primary “scandals” that come to mind related to James are his acknowledgment that he was not well informed about the situation in Darfur and his directive to confiscate video of himself being dunked on at one of his basketball camps.  Contrast this with any number of stories about professional athletes being in trouble with the law, and the criticisms of James may take on a bit of perspective.

Second, does the fact that James chose Miami make it worse?  Again, the manner of communication rather than the decision to relocate is the key issue, but would the press conference (well, make that awkwardly staged-interview) have seemed more legitimate somehow if James had said “I’m going to New York” instead of “I’m taking my game to South Beach?”  The NBA greats are now coming out to criticize James’ decision, and perhaps it is especially bothersome to Cavs fans that all the hype only led up to an announcement that James would be going to sunny Miami to hang with his friends.  Maybe the words “New York City” would have made the announcement seem more appropriate by creating an impression that James wasn’t in it just for fun, but rather was using a big stage as a prelude to playing on the biggest stage in the foremost of sports cities.

To come full circle, another hypothetical scenario for consideration: It’s 2010, James and the Cavs have emerged victorious from a hard-fought NBA Championship series against the Los Angeles Lakers, bringing Cleveland its first NBA title.  Several weeks later, after a ridiculous amount of hype, James announces his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami on a one-hour ESPN special titled “The Decision.”  Given the different outcome in the playoffs, does this make things different?  Is the rage replaced with gratitude?  If Dwyane Wade was the athlete in question – same hype, same show, but Wade is coming to Cleveland to play with James – does Miami have the same reaction considering that Wade won a championship in Miami?  Probably not.  Then again, Miami is a different animal than Cleveland.

The point is this: From a non-Cavs fan perspective, it seems that much of the angst is tied to a mindset of “James was our ticket.”  But is this mindset valid?  Popular belief gaining steam now is that James might not be the ticket, for Cleveland or any city.  He’s not the Jordan-esque player who refuses to be denied in his relentless pursuit of winning.  So if the perspective that James screwed Cleveland is contingent upon a belief that he was the guarantee of an eventual championship, then the perspective loses credibility.

Assuming that a one-hour ESPN special titled “The Apology” isn’t in the works, James will surely be booed vehemently upon his return to Quicken Loans Arena.  But Cavs fans may do well to boo softly, because otherwise James may turn into the professional basketball assassin of legend, stopping at nothing to prove those wrong who said he didn’t care about winning.  Rather than steeling James’ resolve, Cavs fans must steel their own.  Because that creates the potential for the most interesting scenario of all: James’ decision to leave Cleveland fueling a united, determined Cavs team to the championship, making James the one who brought a title to Cleveland afterall.  Just in a way nobody expected.