The Hell With Sportsmanship

Most of the free world is claiming LeBron James did two things wrong at the conclusion of Game 6 in Orlando...he exited the court without shaking hands with any Magic players and he jumped onto the team bus without addressing the media. In my mind, only one of these reactions should receive heavy criticism.

I couldn't give Stan Van Gundy's left testicle that King James didn't shake anyone's hand when the clock hit double zeros. In my mind, sports are meant to be a battle between two competitors who don't like each other, two combatants who give it their all for the time allotted and when one is met with defeat, it's supposed to hurt, supposed to sting, the last thing you should want to do is shake hands with the boys that sent you to the golf course.

This isn't PAL soccer fellas, this is the NBA! No one needs to sign a sportsmanship form! This is how rivalries and hatred between clubs is fostered...this is what we all love and miss about sports in a time when players change teams as often as we change underwear! We hate that Big Papi and ARod love to go to dinner, but we love how much Bird and Magic hated each other!

All I hear from sports fans nowadays is how these guys don't care anymore, their minds are clogged with $ signs. Well here's a guy, who literally has to carry his team night in and night out, who puts up unheard of numbers, and has been nothing but a model citizen and ambassador of the league since he arrived. Oh by the way, the man is 24 fuckin years old!!! Cut the moralist bullshit...the entire city of Cleveland, the Nike Empire, ESPN and every other media outlet had LeBron pitted against Kobe in The Finals. Think there's some pressure there? Think he might be alittle frustrated when things didn't pan out as planned?

Now for the media melee...as much as I can understand why he left...angry about the defeat and no doubt, in no mood to answer, "so LeBron where do you think you'll be in 2010 now that the Cavs lost?" I would have wanted him to stand up before the world and talk about how anxious he is to get back on the floor next year, how he thinks this is still a very good team, but one that is obviously missing parts. It would have been the perfect time to say "Cleveland is my home, but only if I get more help." Put pressure on management again LeBron...deep down inside, I believe you want to spend your entire career playing before your home fans. I believe you realize that becoming a global icon in today's world doesn't come only when one plays in New York, LA or Chicago.

You belong in Cleveland, it's good for the league, it'll be good for you.