JAMES RUBERA
Special Contributor

(Rubera writes for The Spop, a great web site that delves into sports and pop culture.  He is an avid football fan and will be contributing to JSB from time to time.)

The most popular sport doesn’t need any help getting people excited for a season. The constants are enough to hold the fans’ attention. The Saints will be exciting. The Colts and the Patriots will play each other. Coaches will get fired. Players will get arrested. But this year there are a lot of unusual situations that we will see for the first (or last) time. I can’t remember a prior season that had so much going on before it even started. All seasons have their storylines, but this upcoming 5 month stretch is overflowing with potential and it’s hard not to be overly enthusiastic about the following:

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers

Ben will spot his rival quarterbacks in the league a four game head start as he sits suspended for a month after being accused of sexual misconduct with a college girl. Again. The Steelers missed the playoffs last year by a hair after losing two of their first three with Roethlisberger. They made their run in the middle of the season winning five in a row and then their final three of the year. Then they accused other teams of tanking at the end to prevent them from getting into the playoffs because “nobody wanted to play them.” Whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter. The point is they were hot and ready to be an elite AFC team again.

Since then they have lost leading receiver and Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes to the Jets and their two time Superbowl winning quarterback to suspension for a quarter of the season. They’ll be hard pressed to hold the fort down without him playing Atlanta, Tennessee, and Baltimore (with Tampa Bay mixed in). Let’s see if they can rebound and play catchup to the Colts, Jets, and Chargers in the conference and the Ravens and Bengals in their own division.

Missing the playoffs two years in a row might mean the end for coach Mike Tomlin, which would be unfortunate because he’s a damn good coach.

The T.O. and Ochocinco Show

In the same year that two of the biggest egos in the league star in their own reality TV shows, they will also get to line up together for the first time. Their independent touchdown celebrations and trash talk are legendary. The possibilities are endless now that they’re on the same team. Look for a cooperative effort of flamboyance in the endzone, on the sidelines, and on the press conference podiums. Not to mention, these are still two pretty good receivers (when they’re not double covered) who can stretch the field, so actual football highlights may be in order as well. Nobody expects this marriage to last more than a year or two due to Owens’ needy personality and declining skills, so enjoy it while it lasts. As long as the Bengals are in contention, they should be highly entertaining. Which bodes well, because this team is very good.

Brady and Moss: The Final Act?

Randy Moss is in the final year of his contract. So is Brady (as of 8/21), but nobody expects he’s going anywhere. Moss has already spoken out about the Patriots claiming that because “they don’t really pay” he expects this to be his last year in New England. It’s true that Brady hasn’t won any of his three Super Bowls with Moss, but those championships came back when the Patriots defense had the advantage every week. Since Moss has been in New England, he and Brady have covered up for the mediocre (at best) defense with offensive supremacy. They each set individual records at their positions in 2007 and went right back to business with double digit touchdown hookups in their second season together in 2009.

With at least 8 winnable games this season and Russell gone, the Seymour trade, which looked shrewd at the time, could be the latest Belichick decision to blow up in his face.  Maybe Al Davis knows what he’s doing after all.

If this is their last year together, and for all they know it is, look for them to play with urgency. If Moss departs, it will likely be for money to a place where he can pad his stats and try to catch Jerry Rice’s touchdown record, not necessarily to a place where he has a better chance to win. And the Patriots will have to come full circle with a revamped philosophy based on their new younger defense, which may not be ready to carry the torch next year. Basically, this could be Brady’s and Moss’ last chance at a championship.

J-E-T-S Hype

Where to begin. Let’s start with Hard Knocks on HBO, which could make this year’s Rams squad look like a team of destiny. The starters look crisp. Everybody’s cocky. Players want to play for the coach. Fans want to hang out with him. Individual stories and backgrounds get the viewers emotionally attached to the team, even though they are the football equivalent of the Yankees. But the Jets didn’t need this kind of exposure. They cornered the market on publicity last year when they made Rex Ryan their head coach and backed up his trash talk by going to the AFC championship with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

This year the coach has already gone public saying that his Jets will win the Superbowl and signing the ESPN tour bus on behalf of the team “Soon to be champs.” Their self-confidence and the public’s expectations are fueled by last year’s run along with the big name additions in the offseason. On the offensive side of the ball the Jets added ESPN’s Offensive Player of the Decade LaDainian Tomlinson and aforementioned Superbowl MVP Santonio Holmes. Combined with last year’s mid-season acquisition Braylon Edwards and breakout running back Shonn Greene, the Jets should put significantly more points on the board. Defensively the Jets were the best in the league last year. Adding cornerback Antonio Cromartie and future Hall of Famer and Patriot killer Jason Taylor only makes them scarier. They also drafted a very good corner in Kyle Wilson.

The only chink in the armor is the absence of Darrelle Revis, the best cornerback in football. Revis is holding out for a new contract and has already passed the point of no return, forfeiting roughly $20 million in future years because of his refusal to report in time. He had a lot to do with how outstanding the defense was last year, consistently shutting down the opponents’ best receiver. However, if Revis is a 10, the combination of Cromartie and Wilson are about an 8 or 8.5. They will still be very good. And with the improved offense they won’t have to count on holding opponents to less than 17 to have a chance to win. That being said, the Revis situation is just another thing to keep an eye on this year on a team that has all eyes on it already.

College Rivals Getting Their Own Teams. Again.

In the 2005 BCS national championship game Matt Leinart and Vince Young led their teams in one of college football’s most exciting games ever. They then spent the next two years watching their NFL quarterback jobs get taken by dinosaurs. Leinart couldn’t avoid embarrassing himself and his team with publicized hot tub and beer bong photos. He did, however, avoid 4th quarter and clutch time possessions as his coach subbed in Kurt Warner when it counted.

Warner took the job for good and led the team to a Superbowl that they were a minute away from winning. Young had his ups and downs when given the chance to start. He then went AWOL in 2008. Literally. Neither his family, friends, or coach knew where he was, provoking worries of depression and suicide. Young was found safe at a friend’s house, but the damage had been done. An injury and a beaten down ego forced the Titans to go with Kerry Collins as the starter saying publicly that Young would have to “earn the job back.” Warner retired and Collins went 0-6 to start last season. Leinart and Young are being given a second chance to live up to expectations as leaders of a franchise. They’ll have a little help. Arizona has one of the top receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Tennessee has rushing leader Chris Johnson. It will be exciting (or ugly) to see which of the college rivals makes the most out of their new opportunities.

Is Jay Cutler Really That Bad? Is Kyle Orton Really That Good? Is Brandon Marshall Really That Valuable?

Cutler and Marshall = fireworks. Orton and Marshall = 6-0 start with Marshall catching 101 balls. Cutler without Marshall = 26 interceptions with a losing record. We’ll see how Orton handles his turn losing Marshall. We’ll see how Chad Henne handles his turn with Marshall. And we’ll see if Cutler can get back to mediocre or better in Mike Martz’s new pass-happy offense.

The Baptism of Tim Tebow

Kyle Orton just signed a one year extension for a lot of money, so he is the clear starter. But Tebow, who some say may be one of the best college football players ever, will see the field. He’s arguably a better runner than a passer, so in the era of the wildcat you can bet he’ll see plenty of snaps. The argument of how good an NFL quarterback he will be started before he even began his final year at Florida. His leadership and desire have never been criticized. But his accuracy, mechanics, and habits have. We won’t get a complete answer this year, but we’ll finally get a chance to see him on the big stage. Another interesting aspect will be if and for how long he tries to openly convey his wholesome philosophy. It didn’t go over well at the scouting combine. Funny story. If stuff like that happens 100 times this year, the public might hear about five of them. Still, those are five stories we all want to hear.

Pete Carroll: From Shame to Fame to Blame to More of the Same?

Carroll was not a horrible NFL coach in the 90s. He had a winning record (33-31). But has been known as a failure for his inability to maintain control over his players. Legend has it that he once told Terry Glenn to sit on the bench. Glenn blatantly ignored him, stayed in the game, and caught a touchdown. He never had the ear of the team after that. He retreated to USC and rejuvenated a juggernaut on the West Coast. He won two national championships and went on a 67-7 streak, most of which (thanks to Reggie Bush) officially never happened.

Carroll clearly had much better luck bossing kids around, but he ditched the Trojans right before it hit the fan, announcing that he had accepted the head coaching job in Seattle just a few months before the NCAA penalized USC for the Reggie Bush fiasco. The sanctions crippled USC’s recruiting efforts for the near future since they include a two year post-season ban and took away 30 scholarships. Carroll claimed to not have seen the storm coming and simply made a personal decision to leave his throne in California for his rain coat in Seattle. It will be interesting (and possibly telling) to see if he’s really up for it or if he’s in over his head again. The latter may indicate that he, indeed, made an escape to the best available option.

Addition By Subtraction? Will the Chargers continue to be elite without LaDainian Tomlinson?

Hoping to get over the hump, they shipped out the franchise cornerstone to hand the team completely to Philip Rivers. He will be replaced by draft pick Ryan Matthews who has similar characteristics in a younger body.

Will the Raiders continue to be a doormat without Jamarcus Russell?

The biggest bust since Ryan Leaf is gone and arriving in his place is Jason Campbell, one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the league who doesn’t put up big numbers but doesn’t take many chances. The fate of the Patriots will also be decided by this swap. New England owns Oakland’s first round pick next year as a result of the Richard Seymour trade, which in the Jamarcus Russell era would have been a lock for a top 10 overall pick. The Raiders won 5 games last year and picked 8th. With at least 8 winnable games this season and Russell gone, the Seymour trade, which looked shrewd at the time, could be the latest Belichick decision to blow up in his face. Maybe Al Davis knows what he’s doing after all.

NFC East

1. Can the Cowboys be the first team in history to host a Superbowl? Jerry Jones sure thinks so. The rankings, the pros, and the analysts have Dallas ranked at the top of the league in talent. Tony Romo may be a heck of a golfer, but he has still yet to come up clutch when it counts. He has a new club in the bag with new receiver Dez Bryant and we’ll see if Miles Austin is for real. Keep an eye out for the game when their dream dies (because it will) and be sure to watch for Jones’ reaction in the owner’s box.

2. Donovan McNabb in Washington. There’s a good chance this will be successful and most will point to McNabb as the savior, but it doesn’t appear that the quarterback position has been the problem for the Redskins. And if it has been, an aging and less mobile McNabb is not that much of an upgrade from a still improving and still young Jason Campbell. Mike Shanahan taking over is going to be the real difference maker. He will provide the leadership and organization that the franchise has been lacking for a long time.

3. Can Kevin Kolb be Aaron Rodgers? Rodgers sat for a few years behind a veteran and came out blazing when the team was turned over to him. Kolb appears to be cut from the same cloth. He was fairly successful in his two emergency starts last year, throwing for a ton of yards,

4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions (to the champion Saints and their ball hawking defense). He seemed to have good rapport with deep threat DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek. We’ll see if he can still put up the numbers when teams have the chance to prepare for him. 4. The Giants. Not sure what to look for. But we get/have to watch them at 4pm every Sunday on Fox. So whatever it is, we’ll see it.

That Guy in Minnesota

If you’ve read this far, you’re an NFL fan and don’t need to be told what’s going on. You have to believe that this, finally, is the last go around. Love him or hate him, wouldn’t it be something for him to play in the Superbowl in what should be the last game of his career? It would be the first time ever that every fan had a rooting interest in the game. Half wanting him to lose and to watch his dreams be crushed for all to see. Half wanting him to win and do what he’s been trying to re-accomplish for 15 years. It would break the ratings record (as it does every year) if he played any old boring team. God forbid if Manning, Brady, or the Jets are on the other side of the field.

Photo: AP

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It has become a tradition of mine recently to post NMA News (Taiwan) videos over the weekend of recent events in America with hilarious computer generated illustrations.

They did it with Steven Slater, the loser JetBlue flight attendant who went psycho on his flight (NMA representation). They did it with Sarah Falin, whose description is similar to Slater’s (NMA representation) and Al Gore.

Now I’ve started a new website for Asian videos with a whole bunch of NMA News videos there.

Here’s their most recent one on Rod Blagojevich’s trail, where the jury hung on 23 counts:

Over at my Asian videos site, you can watch there other NMA videos:
Google is Taking Over the World
China is Taking Over Japan
Dodge Uses a Fake Monkey in Ads After PETA Whines

Juiced Sports Blog has long been a fan of PETA.
In 2007, I had an email exchange with PETA over why we should ban teams from being named after animals (They didn’t think the South Carolina Gamecocks should be allowed to name themselves after an animal.), then I asked them why we shouldn’t have every celebrity in the world attend animal sensitivity training courses, and they said that would be a great idea since they already want every Major League Baseball player to do so.

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MIKE KAYE

1)The aforementioned QB in Minnesota will throw more game-losing interceptions then game winning touchdowns.

2) A team can make the playoff in the NFC with 8 wins.

3) Buffalo will win one game at most and Chan Gailey will be fired by week 10.

4) Sam Bradford will start week 2 or 3 for the Rams and will win two games.

5) The Tampa Bay Bucs’ Wide Reciever Mike Williams (of SU) will have the most immediate impact of any non-1st or 2nd round pick in this year’s draft.

6) The Detroit Lions will win 6 games this year and Jim Swartz will finish in the top 5 in coach of the year voting.

7) Brent Celek will have a 80 catches and a 1,000 yards recieving this year, but will finish 2nd in yards to Desean Jackson and TDs to Jeremy Maclin for the Eagles.

Tom Brady will not get a contract extension earlier then mid-season.

9) This is Randy Moss’ last season as a Patriot and that will be very apparent by mid-season.

10) San Diego will eventually sign Marcus McNeil, but Vincent Jackson will be traded before the trade deadline.

11) Andre Johnson will win Offensive MVP and the Texans will make the playoffs with Gary Kubiak as Coach of the Year.

12) The Green Bay Packers will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

13) Matt Ryan will lead the league in TDs thrown.

14) Darrelle Revis will holdout into the season but will still be in the top 10 in pass deflections when the season ends.

15) Chad Henne will not start every game this season for the Dolphins.

16) The Bengals will cut Antonio Bryant and regret it by midseason.

17) The Saints will finish 1st in the NFC South, the first time a team has won back to back NFC South division titles.

18) Jay Cutler will throw at least 18 interceptions.

19) Donovan McNabb will win 3 games by himself for the Redskins.

20) Jimmy Claussen will start at least one game this season and will lose every game he starts this season.

21) The New York Giants will promote Ahmad Bradshaw to starting Running Back over Brandon Jacobs and will help improve their running game significantly.

22) The New York Jets will have a losing stretch of at least three games and ESPN will unfortunately wonder why till the team wins.

23) Dallas Cowboys will lose more games at home then they will on the road.

24) Todd Haley’s Chiefs will lead the league in Interceptions.

25) Denver will lose and lose a lot and Josh McDaniels will be shown the door.

26) Cleveland will surprise alot of people as will Eric Mangini (unfortunately).

27) The Steelers will have a losing record this year.

28) Arizona will start at least 3 different QBs this year.

29) Seattle will be worse this year then last and Pete Carrol will cry after at least one loss.

30) Tim Tebow will have more rushing yards then teammate Lendale White this season.

31) At least one major player will be traded by the deadline.

32) The guy that will most benefit from being on a new team: Aaron Kampman.

33) Ryan Matthews will make or break the Chargers season.

34) Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles will gain more total yards then Shaun Greene and Ladanian Tomlinson.

35) The Raiders will win more games then at least one NFC division winner, but will still miss the playoffs.

36) Daryl Smith of the Jaguars will lead the league in tackles.

37) Ndamokong Suh will double Gerald McCoy’s sack total.

38) Albert Haynesworth will not play more then 3/4 of the season.

39) Reggie Wayne will lead the league in recieving.

40) Chris Johnson will be not gain more then 1,100 yards.

41) Mike Turner will once again lead the league in carries.

42) David Garrard will not be the starting QB of the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of the season.

43) Kirk Morrison will be considered the best traded vet of the offseason.

44) Josh Freeman will have the biggest sophomore slump.

45) Kevin Kolb will throw at least a ratio of 4 TDs for every 2.5 interceptions.

46) Justin Tuck will not become a premiere pass rusher.

47) Lee Evans will have the highest yards per catch average.

48) Adrian Peterson will greatly disappoint this year.

49) At least one more NFL coach will be pissed with Lane Kiffin.

50) The AFC championship will have a ton of contenders up until the playoffs start.

Photo: Getty

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Via: Medical Insurance

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LeBron said that Dan Gilbert never cared about LeBron (direct quote).

“I don’t think he ever cared about LeBron,” James is quoted as saying.

Thank you, LeBron, but we already know you’re an egomaniac, so we don’t need you to speak in third-person just to remind us.

(From a factual standpoint, Gilbert came close to ceding the team to LeBron. He targeted free agents with LeBron’s approval and he let LeBron’s friends ride the team plane. Partick Hruby sets LeBron straight on the meaning of the post-breakup letter at ESPN Page 2.)

And if you wanted Clevelanders (and all other fans who can identify with an egomaniac star leaving in celebrity fashion) to remain at least lukewarm to seeing your face on TV, you shouldn’t have said this:

“And Clevelanders, because they were the bigger-city kids when we were growing up, looked down on us. … So we didn’t actually like Cleveland. We hated Cleveland growing up. There’s a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day.”

I’ll say it again: LeBron can play for whoever he wants, but he is a public figure, and as such, he will be judged by the people who are essentially paying his endorsement salary–the fans. Fans from any team West of New York City have experienced celebrity athletes with over-inflated self-worth carrying on like they don’t care about their fans and don’t owe anything to their teams, and those fans will not be moved to buy a product pitched by LeBron.

Nor will just about anyone who hears him continue to refer to himself in third-person. Seems LeBron is the kind of athlete who needs to be on TV to promote himself but who would do better just staying off TV if he wants to stop his image free fall.

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The NFL’s biggest flip flopper, and it’s most synonymous gun slinger is coming back.  Again. That according to sources, who you may recall the first time around were a little off.  But like a good Brett Favre off-season story the conclusion is never 100% certain until the man says so himself.

Favre is reportedly coming back.  For a huge payday (like he needs it) and another crack at bringing one of the NFL’s most hard-lucked franchises their first Super Bowl title.  Minnesota and Favre came close last season, but an ill-advised interception late in the game, and a Garrett Hartley field goal in overtime dashed any Viking dreams of a trip to Miami.

So here we are.  Training camp is well underway,  HBO’s Hard Knocks has a new team and Brett Favre is prepared to join the Vikes this week, right in time to get in a few meaningless pre-season games, before he begins his 20th season.

The man owns a zillion records and he still has that incredible games played streak, so clearly his only real motives to come back are an itch to keep playing (while avoiding the whole excessive practice stuff) and to bring a Super Bowl title to the Twin Cities.  And maybe to have his own TV channel by the end of the season (o wait, he already has ESPN).

A lot of people are sick of the man who has hogged our television screens for years now.  They want him to exit the sport.  To take his little sideshow with him.  I used to be one of them.  But the truth is, I don’t mind him anymore.  I’ve gotten used to it, like an annoying family member.

And the fact of the matter is, he’s one of the last remaining dinosaurs in the game.  He’s getting so old (124 last time I checked) that maybe he was indeed born in the land of the dinosaurs.

But on a serious note, what was Minnesota’s alternative?  Become irrelevant and boring or remain a Super Bowl contender?  So some of their top players (Vikings confidantes) sold their souls to go to Hattiesburg, Miss. to visit with the old lug and try to talk him out of, well his indecisiveness.  And apparently it worked.

Favre’s in Minnesota and that means that once he agrees to finally do another merry go round, that Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels once again take a backseat to the Favre circus.  Not that anyone outside of their friends and family really care.  Lets face it: Jackson and Rosenfels are nobodies; Mediocre quarterbacks who will probably never amount to anything more than journeymen, quality backups.

Favre meanwhile is a legend (on the field and in his own mind).  He has a command of the huddle and a firm grip on the organization’s balls.  Minnesota put all their eggs in the Favre basket for a second year in a row and for a second year in a row, it’s going to work in their favor.  By the chin of their chinny, chin, chin.

Will Favre repeat his MVP-like numbers from a year ago?  The odds are stacked against it.  After-all, at the age of 40, it’s hard to expect him to throw 33 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions.  His 68.4% completion percentage and 107.2 quarterback rating will be extremely difficult to duplicate.  But his presence alone makes Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin even more dangerous.  Rice had a breakout year in 2009 and Harvin has boatloads of talent.

So here we are.  Middle of August.  Another Favre story.  Another Favre season.  Another Favre comeback.

Brett’s back.

Again.

Photo: Reuters

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SCOTT JACOBS

We received an email tip from iSixty tonight about Udonis Haslem, who was arrested this weekend.  Haslem you may remember, turned down a lot of money to remain with the new look Miami Heat, a team he has spent his entire career with.  I had the chance to meet the young man 4 years ago, and he was surprisingly low key and soft spoken.  I guess that happens when you’re an undrafted player who makes it in the NBA as a garbage man, hustle-machine, as Haslem is.

Anyways, this tip we received included 4 pages of police reports, but since we don’t know the validity of the pdfs sent, we will not display them on JSB. We will however post the excerpt that we received.  From there we’ll open opinion up to the public.  Is Haslem a victim of something regrettable or was he targeted unfairly?

The excerpt:

“Udonis Haslem, has no criminal record [and] no priors, helps underprivileged kids and has done nothing but great things for South Florida and the Miami Heat, has been charged with 5 (yes 5) counts by the Florida Highway Patrol after being pulled over because his windows were too dark!! [Inside sources who are familiar with the events have confirmed that his long time friend did have some marijuana on him]. After two police searches, two K-9 searches and keeping him at the scene for over an hour and then nearly 3 hours at FHP headquarters, they are pinning the possession charges on Udonis. The FHP trooper himself sent an “anonymous” tip to a local sports station before they had even charged him.”

Photo: AP

Update, by Mitchell Blatt:
According to NBC News, he was charged with marijuana possession (which this source did say was his friends’–one friend was also arrested), and he was also charged with illegal window tint. (However, the police report that was attached only listed 5 drug charges and no other charges: 1 for “cannabis over 20g” and 4 for “drug paraphernalia.”)

MIAMI – Heat forward Udonis Haslem was arrested Sunday for possession of marijuana following a traffic stop in Miami-Dade County. … The trooper smelled “an odor of marijuana from within the vehicle,” Wysocky wrote in a press release, leading to the arrest of both Haslem and passenger Antwain Fleming, 33.
…
Besides the speeding citation, Haslem was also charged with illegal window tint, Wysocky said.

- NBC Sports

The police report, which has already been posted at multiple sites, including The 305 (the same one that was sent to us) says:

There was paper documents in the same bag as the marijuana with the passengers name. Driver + passenger were arrested + advised their rights. The driver did not want to answer any questions. The passenger stated the bag was his … [text is a little bit hard to read for 5 words] … Later the passenger stated that the drugs in the car belonged to him.

The report also states that Haslem was originally pulled over for going 78 MPH in a 60 zone.

That is just submitted for the purposes of complete information, not for commentary purposes.

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Another blog that recently has gotten attention for its rankings has been Balladeer’s Blog. He has lists of the Top 20 Coolest College Sports Logos, Top 20 Coolest Names for D3 NCAA Teams, Top 20 Coolest-Named College Sports Teams in the NAIA (lead by the Evergreen State Geoducks)

His lists have been well-received by the teams mentioned and have inspired coverage on some of their websites:
USAO Drovers react to Top 20 mascots list
Ave Maria Gyrenes
USAO again

Now you can add Juiced Sports Blog to the list of reactions.

Being Juiced Sports Blog, I must point out that the fact that said universities’ publicity people mentioned a new Wordpress blog on their official websites does speak to the level of attention the NAIA receives, but Balladeer wants to promote NAIA sports.

I posted this to introduce you to a cool new sports blog with some interesting features, including the “cool-named sports team” feature, which is posted pretty often.

While I’m at it, I should also mention that I started a new blog exploring Asian pop culture and posting Asian videos (including a fair share of Asian women…) called Lovable Asian Videos.

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After taking criticism from Cavs fans and others throughout the sports world (Charles Barkley said “The Decision” disturbed him.), LeBron James is doubling down on his arrogance and contempt for the feelings of his former Cleveland fans.

You would expect Cavs fans to be annoyed and maybe even angry, when the second best player in the league and the only hope for sports in a town that hasn’t won a major championship since 1964 announces on a national TV special that he was going to leave Cleveland. It wasn’t just that fact that he left–which any athlete is prefectly entitled to do–but that he announced it in such a manner and was dancing for the cameras in Miami the next day. Moreover, he was given so much control of the team in Cleveland–his posse was allowed to travel on the team plane–and then he even played poorly in the Celtics playoff series.

Fact is, anyone is going to be a little bit annoyed with their former-star player no matter how they leave. But LeBron just amplified those feelings in the process. And by going down to Miami Beach to try to engineer an easy championship with Wade and Bosh does, as so many critics have said, take him out of the conversation with Jordan and Bryant.

Fans and analysts alike are entitled to voice their opinions just like LeBron is entitled to leave.

For James to whine about so many Cavs fans who voiced their opinions just furthers his egotistical image. It says to the world, “Not only do I not care about giving the city of Cleveland the decency of a respectful ‘decision’ process, furthermore, none of you should be saying anything about it. You should feel that I’m more important than your city.”

For the record, winning a championship will not vindicate LeBron James. None of his critics, including #1 Critic Charles Barkley, doubt that he has a very good chance of winning a championship. He just acted in an egotistical manner and took the easy way out.

Barkley said:

“This clearly takes him out of the conversation [with Jordan]. He can win as much as he wants to. There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as the man.”

LeBron, you may very well win a championship, but you’re not establishing yourself as a classy person.

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