Hello everyone. I just wanted to make a quick blog post stating why I haven't blogged in awhile. It's simply because I just felt a break was necessary; that's all. OK, now back to the main point. If you'll recall, the Toronto Raptors had signed a European small forward to an offer sheet on July 8th and his team (the Denver Nuggets) had until a week to match the offer. Well, they didn't so the man is now an official Raptor. His name is Linus Kieza and, while this is yet ANOTHER European player, he will more than make up for the departure of free agent Antoine Wright who has signed with the Sacramento Kings. Plus, Kieza has been on record to say (while we waited to see if Denver would match the Toronto offer) that he didn't want Denver to match and that Toronto has a young, exciting city. When's the last time you EVER heard anyone say this about the Raptors? If Kieza stays true to his word, I think Bryan Colangelo should be congratulated for this move, not shamed. Here's the link for the story: The Kieza Machine is Here!
Also too, Toronto just announced yesterday that they received another player, centre David Anderson from the Houston Rockets. Here's that story: Perimeter Centre Acquired
Have a good day!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
A Miami Newswriter is Worried about Lebron!
Apparently, it seems as if not everyone wants to serve Lebron in Miami, at least not yet. A Miami newswriter, Dave George of the Palm Beach Post, is still worried and cautious about the whole deal. He of course isn't being heeded by Heat fans and by everyone else because they're all gushy and gung-ho about the team. There is an excellent blog posting online about it. Here's the link: Tension in Miami Over Lebron Enjoy!
Bonus Posting: Also too, I wanted to share with you some song lyrics by a favourite Christian metal band of mine. The band is called Once Dead and the song is entitled "Laodicea" from their 2008 album Visions of Hell. Here are the lyrics:
Neither cold nor hot, choose one or the other now
A nation so self-obsessed only to be spat out
America, America
America America
Take a look at all I have, these possessions define me
To accumulate defines a man, encompassing my being
But now that times are tough, where does that put me now
A servant of this world, from birth til' I'm put in the ground
Moral depravity
Laodicea
You'll pay the penalty
Laodicea
(2x)
Neither cold nor hot, choose one or the other now
A nation so self-obsessed only to be spat out
America, America
America, America
Moral depravity
Laodicea
You'll pay the penalty
Laodicea
(2x)
Rev: 3:14-22
Here is the link if you want to learn more about the band: Once Dead band info
Here also is the link to the song if you want to hear it: Laodicea Song by Once Dead
I'll be back with more later. Have a good day!
Bonus Posting: Also too, I wanted to share with you some song lyrics by a favourite Christian metal band of mine. The band is called Once Dead and the song is entitled "Laodicea" from their 2008 album Visions of Hell. Here are the lyrics:
Neither cold nor hot, choose one or the other now
A nation so self-obsessed only to be spat out
America, America
America America
Take a look at all I have, these possessions define me
To accumulate defines a man, encompassing my being
But now that times are tough, where does that put me now
A servant of this world, from birth til' I'm put in the ground
Moral depravity
Laodicea
You'll pay the penalty
Laodicea
(2x)
Neither cold nor hot, choose one or the other now
A nation so self-obsessed only to be spat out
America, America
America, America
Moral depravity
Laodicea
You'll pay the penalty
Laodicea
(2x)
Rev: 3:14-22
Here is the link if you want to learn more about the band: Once Dead band info
Here also is the link to the song if you want to hear it: Laodicea Song by Once Dead
I'll be back with more later. Have a good day!
Recapping the Raptors Offseason; Answering CB4's Defense of Himself
I realize that I haven't blogged in a while about the Blue Jays and I apologize. It's just that the NBA offseason up until now has held my attention consistently because of all the drama that has taken place (Lebron and the Miami Heat; the Raptors, etc). This will be my last post about the NBA for awhile, unless the Raptors make another trade. After this, it will be back to baseball.
In this post I will simply go over the Raptors offseason a little bit and then I will dive into an attempted defense by Chris Bosh of his actions regarding his move from Toronto to Miami. First though, the Raps offseason. It all started with Bosh and his annoying Twitter postings that mused about his future in the NBA and with the Raptors. He started by asking fans where he should go next season to play and he rephrased the thought by asking, "Should I stay or should I go?" These constant Twitter updates angered many fans, including myself. However, at the time, I still had respect for Bosh because I reasoned that Twittering isn't a major offense. Other former Raptors have done far worse things to the team. What helped to change my mind however was the undeniable fact that Bosh was constantly wavering about his decisions. First, he put out a list of teams that he would be interested in going to. Toronto was initially on those lists, but they came up less than the other teams (Chicago, Miami, etc). This troubled me somewhat, but I didn't have much to go on at that point. Then, the rumours started: Houston, Miami, and other teams were thrown around. At the time, I started making posts on this blog reasoning as to why Chris shouldn't sign with those teams. You can still read those posts to see what my arguments were. I was becoming more and more aggravated but I still respected Bosh a little and wanted the best for him. Then, the big news happened: Chris decided to sign with Dwayne Wade and join the Miami Heat. After that, Lebron betrayed his former Cleveland Cavaliers and produced a big-time ESPN television special to "announce" his decision to join Bosh and Wade in Miami. And the charity he raised from the program? That was all just to make him look good as he reveled, somewhat uncomfortably, in the spotlight. That wasn't humble, that was merely suppressing an ego. This has all led me to regard Bosh in a different light, and the light is: if you are this close with Lebron, then you may turn out to be just like him. However, there are other Raptors developments that have taken place. First, in June on NBA draft night, the Raptors selected Ed Davis from the North Carolina Tar Heels (an NCAA Division 1 college team) with the 13th pick and acquired the rights of big man Solomon Alabi from the Dallas Mavericks. Also too, 6'8" forward Joey Dorsey was acquired from the Houston Rockets in free agency. The Raptors also recently signed forward Linus Kieza to an offer sheet. We may hear from Denver today as to whether or not he will be with the Raptors. If nothing is said, then we can assume Kieza to either be with Denver or with Greece, his home country. Finally, the latest deal to come down the pipe is that forward Hedo Turkoglu was traded to the Phoenix Suns for guard Leandro Barbosa and centre Dwayne Jones. So, that puts and end to my recap on the Raptors offseason thus far.
The current lineup is:
Solomon Alabi
Marcus Banks
Leandro Barbosa
Andrea Bargnani
Marco Bellinelli
Jose Calderon
Ed Davis
DeMar DeRozan
Joey Dorsey
Reggie Evans
Jarret Jack
Amir Johnson ( he was recently re-signed by Toronto and thus remains a Raptor)
Dwayne Jones
Rasho Nesterovich (currently a free agent)
Patrick O'Bryant (currently a free agent)
Sonny Weems
Antoine Wright (currently a free agent)
Now, onto Chris Bosh's recent defense of himself: he gave his first interview since being signed by the Miami Heat about his departure from Toronto on its sports radio station, the FAN 590. Here are some of his comments:
``I'm happy with the way I handled things,'' he told the Fan. ``I don't think I got out of line at any point in time. I knew going into this situation, wherever I chose to go, people were going to think I was crazy.''
Response: Yes, we did think you were crazy Chris. Why? You chose to Tweet instead of communicating with the Raptors fans, the people who MADE you into the star you are now and who watched you grow up. Common courtesy would say that you should communicate with those people first before anyone else. Also too, where were the Raptors management in all of this? You should have been communicating more with them as well. Add the rumours about you to the mix about you going to Houston and Miami (teams with poor talent and poor regular season records) and I think you get the point. You chose to ignore the Raptors fans and reach out to others. Let me clarify something. I'm not angry about you using Twitter and about you leaving. That's not the issue. It's HOW you used Twitter and left Toronto that's the problem. If it had of been reverse, I would still be criticizing you just the same. If you don't think you went out of line, that's your problem, not ours.
``At no time did I want to offend anybody or make anyone upset,'' said Bosh. ``My intentions through that were just to broadcast what I was doing and just have fun with it. That's the biggest part for me, just to have fun.''
Response: If no offense was in your plans, than your plans failed as you can obviously see. Also too, if you were just merely trying to broadcast your plans and "just have fun with it", you would have wanted feedback from US first before going to the others. At least then, I would be still respecting you more. As it is, you chose the opposite route and cut yourself off from being loved in Canada again, which is unfortunate because you're still a good player and a great guy to get to know, for the most part. Far too much emphasis has been put on "fun" and little has been put on decency and morality. The PROPER thing to do would have been: communicate first with the Raptors fans before reaching out to the others, and communicate your plans to the Raptors management much more than you did to try and work out the best possible scenario for both sides. However, you chose something different and are now teammates on an UNFAIRLY STACKED team with the ultimate traitor, Lebron James. As far as your reaching out to everyone comments, I have no problem with that personally. It's great to hear that you have so many fans and that you are using Twitter and other sources to communicate your own ideas. It's just how you did it that's the problem.
``They are some of the greatest fans out there,'' he said. ``They love sports, they love basketball, they love their team and they were extremely supportive of me and everything I did.''
Response: Thank you Chris! It's great to hear that you still love us Raps fans even though most of us are going to probably be poor sports and boo you. *sigh* I just wish you would have been more professional about how you handled everything though.
``I don't know what to expect, but I wouldn't be surprised if I get showered (with boos,'') Bosh said with a laugh.
Response: Oh, sure! Tarnish your credibility more by joking and making light about the whole serious situation. Wow! Now I've heard everything. Goodbye Chris. I can't respect someone like that. If I was you, I wouldn't be joking about it, but that's just me. Even Vince Carter didn't lower himself to that level. Your attitude has been selfish here: me, me, me, me, me. That, sir, is the major problem with you athletes today. Later!
Conclusion: Well, that wraps it up. Hope you enjoyed the responding that I offered to Chris about his moves, and I hope you enjoy my offseason recap as well. Here's the link for the Bosh comments: Bosh's Attempted Defense on T.O. Radio Enjoy!
Bonus comment from Bosh: "You can't keep everybody happy. Sometimes you have to step on some toes." (in the interview that I responded to)
Response: Agreed Chris, but that's really not the problem. We've never asked you to keep everyone happy; you can't do that. The issue is that you treated us like a secondary option instead of the other way around. As far as your comments about what I would do in your situation, I've already sort of outlined that when I detailed the proper way to go about free agency. (see earlier in this post) All in all, I think your defense is poor and it skimmed over these main issues I've been discussing. Defending something that is wrong is what I can't respect. Later!
In this post I will simply go over the Raptors offseason a little bit and then I will dive into an attempted defense by Chris Bosh of his actions regarding his move from Toronto to Miami. First though, the Raps offseason. It all started with Bosh and his annoying Twitter postings that mused about his future in the NBA and with the Raptors. He started by asking fans where he should go next season to play and he rephrased the thought by asking, "Should I stay or should I go?" These constant Twitter updates angered many fans, including myself. However, at the time, I still had respect for Bosh because I reasoned that Twittering isn't a major offense. Other former Raptors have done far worse things to the team. What helped to change my mind however was the undeniable fact that Bosh was constantly wavering about his decisions. First, he put out a list of teams that he would be interested in going to. Toronto was initially on those lists, but they came up less than the other teams (Chicago, Miami, etc). This troubled me somewhat, but I didn't have much to go on at that point. Then, the rumours started: Houston, Miami, and other teams were thrown around. At the time, I started making posts on this blog reasoning as to why Chris shouldn't sign with those teams. You can still read those posts to see what my arguments were. I was becoming more and more aggravated but I still respected Bosh a little and wanted the best for him. Then, the big news happened: Chris decided to sign with Dwayne Wade and join the Miami Heat. After that, Lebron betrayed his former Cleveland Cavaliers and produced a big-time ESPN television special to "announce" his decision to join Bosh and Wade in Miami. And the charity he raised from the program? That was all just to make him look good as he reveled, somewhat uncomfortably, in the spotlight. That wasn't humble, that was merely suppressing an ego. This has all led me to regard Bosh in a different light, and the light is: if you are this close with Lebron, then you may turn out to be just like him. However, there are other Raptors developments that have taken place. First, in June on NBA draft night, the Raptors selected Ed Davis from the North Carolina Tar Heels (an NCAA Division 1 college team) with the 13th pick and acquired the rights of big man Solomon Alabi from the Dallas Mavericks. Also too, 6'8" forward Joey Dorsey was acquired from the Houston Rockets in free agency. The Raptors also recently signed forward Linus Kieza to an offer sheet. We may hear from Denver today as to whether or not he will be with the Raptors. If nothing is said, then we can assume Kieza to either be with Denver or with Greece, his home country. Finally, the latest deal to come down the pipe is that forward Hedo Turkoglu was traded to the Phoenix Suns for guard Leandro Barbosa and centre Dwayne Jones. So, that puts and end to my recap on the Raptors offseason thus far.
The current lineup is:
Solomon Alabi
Marcus Banks
Leandro Barbosa
Andrea Bargnani
Marco Bellinelli
Jose Calderon
Ed Davis
DeMar DeRozan
Joey Dorsey
Reggie Evans
Jarret Jack
Amir Johnson ( he was recently re-signed by Toronto and thus remains a Raptor)
Dwayne Jones
Rasho Nesterovich (currently a free agent)
Patrick O'Bryant (currently a free agent)
Sonny Weems
Antoine Wright (currently a free agent)
Now, onto Chris Bosh's recent defense of himself: he gave his first interview since being signed by the Miami Heat about his departure from Toronto on its sports radio station, the FAN 590. Here are some of his comments:
``I'm happy with the way I handled things,'' he told the Fan. ``I don't think I got out of line at any point in time. I knew going into this situation, wherever I chose to go, people were going to think I was crazy.''
Response: Yes, we did think you were crazy Chris. Why? You chose to Tweet instead of communicating with the Raptors fans, the people who MADE you into the star you are now and who watched you grow up. Common courtesy would say that you should communicate with those people first before anyone else. Also too, where were the Raptors management in all of this? You should have been communicating more with them as well. Add the rumours about you to the mix about you going to Houston and Miami (teams with poor talent and poor regular season records) and I think you get the point. You chose to ignore the Raptors fans and reach out to others. Let me clarify something. I'm not angry about you using Twitter and about you leaving. That's not the issue. It's HOW you used Twitter and left Toronto that's the problem. If it had of been reverse, I would still be criticizing you just the same. If you don't think you went out of line, that's your problem, not ours.
``At no time did I want to offend anybody or make anyone upset,'' said Bosh. ``My intentions through that were just to broadcast what I was doing and just have fun with it. That's the biggest part for me, just to have fun.''
Response: If no offense was in your plans, than your plans failed as you can obviously see. Also too, if you were just merely trying to broadcast your plans and "just have fun with it", you would have wanted feedback from US first before going to the others. At least then, I would be still respecting you more. As it is, you chose the opposite route and cut yourself off from being loved in Canada again, which is unfortunate because you're still a good player and a great guy to get to know, for the most part. Far too much emphasis has been put on "fun" and little has been put on decency and morality. The PROPER thing to do would have been: communicate first with the Raptors fans before reaching out to the others, and communicate your plans to the Raptors management much more than you did to try and work out the best possible scenario for both sides. However, you chose something different and are now teammates on an UNFAIRLY STACKED team with the ultimate traitor, Lebron James. As far as your reaching out to everyone comments, I have no problem with that personally. It's great to hear that you have so many fans and that you are using Twitter and other sources to communicate your own ideas. It's just how you did it that's the problem.
``They are some of the greatest fans out there,'' he said. ``They love sports, they love basketball, they love their team and they were extremely supportive of me and everything I did.''
Response: Thank you Chris! It's great to hear that you still love us Raps fans even though most of us are going to probably be poor sports and boo you. *sigh* I just wish you would have been more professional about how you handled everything though.
``I don't know what to expect, but I wouldn't be surprised if I get showered (with boos,'') Bosh said with a laugh.
Response: Oh, sure! Tarnish your credibility more by joking and making light about the whole serious situation. Wow! Now I've heard everything. Goodbye Chris. I can't respect someone like that. If I was you, I wouldn't be joking about it, but that's just me. Even Vince Carter didn't lower himself to that level. Your attitude has been selfish here: me, me, me, me, me. That, sir, is the major problem with you athletes today. Later!
Conclusion: Well, that wraps it up. Hope you enjoyed the responding that I offered to Chris about his moves, and I hope you enjoy my offseason recap as well. Here's the link for the Bosh comments: Bosh's Attempted Defense on T.O. Radio Enjoy!
Bonus comment from Bosh: "You can't keep everybody happy. Sometimes you have to step on some toes." (in the interview that I responded to)
Response: Agreed Chris, but that's really not the problem. We've never asked you to keep everyone happy; you can't do that. The issue is that you treated us like a secondary option instead of the other way around. As far as your comments about what I would do in your situation, I've already sort of outlined that when I detailed the proper way to go about free agency. (see earlier in this post) All in all, I think your defense is poor and it skimmed over these main issues I've been discussing. Defending something that is wrong is what I can't respect. Later!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Answering the Defenders of Lebron James
As you all know by now, Lebron James, the former star player of the Cleveland Cavaliers has deserted his team and ran off to find his glory with the Miami Heat alongside current Heat star Dwayne Wade and former Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh. As I have been thinking all throughout this debacle, this is an integrity and honesty issue. As well, there have been a number of criticisms and defenses concerning Lebron's selfish, foolish and morally wrong actions. This post will cover some of the loudest and most popular defenses of Lebron's latest shenanigans. Here are some of the latest defenses:
#1: "Aw, come on. The NBA is a cruel business after all."
Response: Correct. The NBA is a business, and as such the NBA is out to make money and to provide good entertainment for the fans. However, I would be remiss if I didn't question whether this Lebron news and the Heat probably dominating the league for the next 5-10 years is providing good and solid entertainment for the fans. Many will probably be turned off because of the bland and boring nature of the game. Oh sure, it'll be exciting at first and there will be undoubtedly many highlight plays. Afterwards however, it will become boring to watch for many of the NBA's fans. Also too, notice how the "business" term is used often exclusively when controversy arrives and when important players get traded. It's also used when morality is thrown out for profit, power, money, fans and winning. Isn't it also a business when the RIGHT things are done and when players actually care for other people BESIDES themselves? Financially, this is a good thing for the league. In terms of creating a good image, and in terms of morality and bringing up good children and families, this is a complete disaster. One last thing to think about: at the end of the day, when the careers are over, what will matter? Will it matter that you won 4 championships (excluding historical markers) and that you were successful? Or, will it matter that hope was given to communities and that good, clean competition was present? All of these thoughts are being missed out on by the fans, owners, players, and the media.
#2 - There's no law against players moving to different teams, and besides that these 3 players have played hard to the end of their contracts for all of their careers. They also get to be best friends and are on the Heat together. I thought those were all good things.
Response: Again, correct. There is no law against any of the things listed. However, none of these things are an issue with the Lebron situation. The issue is this: it's HOW he left the Cavs. He didn't need to go on ESPN and announce his decision to everybody. Chris Bosh didn't need to be a jerk and annoy us to death with his Twittering and wavering. "Oh, I'm not sure where I'm going. I might come back to Toronto; we'll see. Where should I go, fans? I'd rather talk to you than to management about it; I don't have the guts for that. I'm probably going to Miami...no, I still love Toronto." Are you getting the picture here? I hope so. If CB4 and Lebron wanted to be humble and honest, they would have went to management and said, "I had a great run with you guys and I loved being here. The time has now come for me to look elsewhere for work. I don't want to drag you down and I want to work out the best situation for both of us. You are the ones I should discuss it with. I'll just do it quietly." Humility is NOT talking almost exclusively with fans and going on national TV to discuss your plans. It IS about working out problems correctly with team owners and managers and seeking to benefit them as well as you would benefit yourself. It is also about quietly signing a contract and just telling your fans about your plans at the end of the season. End their misery quickly instead of annoying everybody and causing even more pain. Again, these issues are being missed by most commentators.
#3 - They took pay cuts for crying out loud. Aren't you happy with that?
Response: This is yet another good point. However, it's not an issue. The issue is how these players left their respective teams and about how unfairly stacked the Miami Heat now are with talent and skill. How is this going to benefit any other team? See my other two responses above as well for more clarification.
#4 - Lebron and Chris haven't done anything wrong. They haven't unfairly manipulated the system; they just used it to their advantage.
Response: This is about the lamest excuse I have ever heard, considering that the main issues are being missed out (AGAIN) and that the very meaning of the word "manipulation" has been redefined. Click here for the proper meanings to the term. One of them is: "shrewd or devious management, especially for one's own advantage" This is the type of manipulation that I have been referring to in regards to the Lebron and Chris situation.
Conclusion: As you can hopefully see by now, none of these defenses work in light of logic, good morals, good image and many other factors that people are missing. This is all about defending a buddy and seeking glory, money, fans, and winning rather than honesty, integrity, a good reputation, and humility. This is truly a sad, sad commentary on how twisted and corrupt the system is. Let's hope some good comes out of this.
Bonus: Lastly, here are three articles that shed more light on the situation with Lebron: Lebron James and Fans, Lebron Embarrasses the NBA, and These Dream Teams don't Always Work. Enjoy, and have a great day!
#1: "Aw, come on. The NBA is a cruel business after all."
Response: Correct. The NBA is a business, and as such the NBA is out to make money and to provide good entertainment for the fans. However, I would be remiss if I didn't question whether this Lebron news and the Heat probably dominating the league for the next 5-10 years is providing good and solid entertainment for the fans. Many will probably be turned off because of the bland and boring nature of the game. Oh sure, it'll be exciting at first and there will be undoubtedly many highlight plays. Afterwards however, it will become boring to watch for many of the NBA's fans. Also too, notice how the "business" term is used often exclusively when controversy arrives and when important players get traded. It's also used when morality is thrown out for profit, power, money, fans and winning. Isn't it also a business when the RIGHT things are done and when players actually care for other people BESIDES themselves? Financially, this is a good thing for the league. In terms of creating a good image, and in terms of morality and bringing up good children and families, this is a complete disaster. One last thing to think about: at the end of the day, when the careers are over, what will matter? Will it matter that you won 4 championships (excluding historical markers) and that you were successful? Or, will it matter that hope was given to communities and that good, clean competition was present? All of these thoughts are being missed out on by the fans, owners, players, and the media.
#2 - There's no law against players moving to different teams, and besides that these 3 players have played hard to the end of their contracts for all of their careers. They also get to be best friends and are on the Heat together. I thought those were all good things.
Response: Again, correct. There is no law against any of the things listed. However, none of these things are an issue with the Lebron situation. The issue is this: it's HOW he left the Cavs. He didn't need to go on ESPN and announce his decision to everybody. Chris Bosh didn't need to be a jerk and annoy us to death with his Twittering and wavering. "Oh, I'm not sure where I'm going. I might come back to Toronto; we'll see. Where should I go, fans? I'd rather talk to you than to management about it; I don't have the guts for that. I'm probably going to Miami...no, I still love Toronto." Are you getting the picture here? I hope so. If CB4 and Lebron wanted to be humble and honest, they would have went to management and said, "I had a great run with you guys and I loved being here. The time has now come for me to look elsewhere for work. I don't want to drag you down and I want to work out the best situation for both of us. You are the ones I should discuss it with. I'll just do it quietly." Humility is NOT talking almost exclusively with fans and going on national TV to discuss your plans. It IS about working out problems correctly with team owners and managers and seeking to benefit them as well as you would benefit yourself. It is also about quietly signing a contract and just telling your fans about your plans at the end of the season. End their misery quickly instead of annoying everybody and causing even more pain. Again, these issues are being missed by most commentators.
#3 - They took pay cuts for crying out loud. Aren't you happy with that?
Response: This is yet another good point. However, it's not an issue. The issue is how these players left their respective teams and about how unfairly stacked the Miami Heat now are with talent and skill. How is this going to benefit any other team? See my other two responses above as well for more clarification.
#4 - Lebron and Chris haven't done anything wrong. They haven't unfairly manipulated the system; they just used it to their advantage.
Response: This is about the lamest excuse I have ever heard, considering that the main issues are being missed out (AGAIN) and that the very meaning of the word "manipulation" has been redefined. Click here for the proper meanings to the term. One of them is: "shrewd or devious management, especially for one's own advantage" This is the type of manipulation that I have been referring to in regards to the Lebron and Chris situation.
Conclusion: As you can hopefully see by now, none of these defenses work in light of logic, good morals, good image and many other factors that people are missing. This is all about defending a buddy and seeking glory, money, fans, and winning rather than honesty, integrity, a good reputation, and humility. This is truly a sad, sad commentary on how twisted and corrupt the system is. Let's hope some good comes out of this.
Bonus: Lastly, here are three articles that shed more light on the situation with Lebron: Lebron James and Fans, Lebron Embarrasses the NBA, and These Dream Teams don't Always Work. Enjoy, and have a great day!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Cleveland Owner Confirms my Hatred of "King James"!
Wow, have I got some news for you folks! I have just returned from reading the BEST sports letter or article that I've ever read! Period! It is from Dan Gilbert, the majority owner of the NBA team the Cleveland Cavaliers and it has to do with the recent dealing of Lebron James and Chris Bosh to the Miami Heat. In case you didn't know, childish, selfish, and egotistical Lebron went on national TV (ESPN) tonight and announced his "decision" to go and join Bosh and Wade in Miami. As he puts it more beautifully than I do, I'll simply let you all read his letter to the Cavs fans. Enjoy! Here is the link for the following letter that I have copied onto this post: Scathing and Indicting Letter Against Lebron
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
Thank you, Mr. Gilbert! You've just made one NBA and Toronto Raptors fan very, VERY happy! Keep up the good work and sleep tight!
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
Thank you, Mr. Gilbert! You've just made one NBA and Toronto Raptors fan very, VERY happy! Keep up the good work and sleep tight!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Aplogies, Miami Rumor Proven True, Sad Day for Raps
I haven't been blogging for quite a while, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. The reason is twofold: my computer underwent a freak accident involving the loss of ALL music files so I have been working to get my music back. Also, I have just received word that Chris Bosh is no longer a Toronto Raptor. He was traded yesterday afternoon to the Miami Heat and will now play alongside star guard Dwayne Wade. What does Toronto get in return? Answer: nothing. Yes, that's right, nothing. We will have to now watch as CB4 enjoys the South Beach weather, him winning with the Heat and him being booed by Raptor fans who will watch Toronto play against Miami at the Air Canada Centre. This episode smears Toronto as being a city who is incapable of winning, drawing key free agents, keeping star players, and having fans who are nothing more than bratty poor sports. We've seen this with Damon Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and now Bosh. For all of this, I first blame the ownership and the management and it trickles down from there. Do I have anything against Chris? No, for that would repudiate what I just wrote and I also must remember that Chris played his heart out every night for the team. He's getting older and he wants to win. Toronto will not be able to provide him with that opportunity, so I can understand if he wants to go somewhere else. However, I don't think that Miami was the best choice for Chris. For more on that, browse my June posts for my questions to the Miami Heat people. I'm not writing this all out again, so search for that. The only thing I'm upset with is that there is not going to be a sign-and-trade deal between the Heat and the Raptors where the Raptors would be able to acquire some cash or players from Miami that would benefit the team. Other than that, I wish Chris all the best and I will still applaud his efforts and successes both in life and in the NBA. Good day to you all, and here's the link to the article about Bosh: Bosh and Wade Join Forces in Miami
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