OT: Bill Simmons on the LeBronocalypse

Submitted by Pea-Tear Gryphon on

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100708

Thought this was a good read. Not a huge NBA fan or LBJ fan for that matter, but Simmons is a good read nonetheless. He also ends it with this quote:

What a week for LeBron's brand. I just hope he remembers to wipe the blood off the knife after he pulls it from Cleveland's back.

Poor, poor Cleveland. Not that I really feel bad being a UM/Tigers/Pistons fan though.

Seth9

July 8th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^

I fail to see how I'm taking quotes out of context. In the case of the Stephen A. Smith point, he first lauds Smith for fantastic journalism on the Lebron-Wade-Bosh to Miami deal, should it pan out, and then says that Smith wrote something only partly true. In my opinion, if you write something prematurely so that it is only partly true, then you are not engaging in fantastic journalism. On the contrary, you're being unethical.

Secondly, Notre Dame has been highly successful in the realm of recruiting, despite their recent mediocrity. This suggests that Notre Dame a) still does have quite a bit of intrigue and more importantly, b) is viewed favorably by the top football recruits of today, which directly contradicts what Bill SImmons said. Simmons was making a jab at Notre Dame because most of the country does not like Notre Dame and enjoy it when Notre Dame is abused. The problem is that the jab was laughably dumb and inaccurate, highlighting Simmons' tendency to engage in his self-styled brand of relatively ignorant sports-based populism.

The reason I mention this is because reading Bill Simmons' take on sports would be much more enjoyable if he would just stick to writing things he's actually versed in, rather than detract from his otherwise quality articles with ignorant, idiotic anecdotes that often don't even relate to the point he's trying to make.

VectorVictor05

July 8th, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^

OK, to your first point...

Him "praising" SAS is pretty tongue-in-cheek if you ask me.  He's basically saying SAS took a huge (unethical if you will) gamble by writing that, but if it turns out to be true he looks awesome.  He then expands on that point later in the article with your second quote.  Maybe we're just reading it differently, but I don't think he is giving SAS much credit and actually takes a shot at the SAS type of journalism later on.  I read a lot of Simmons' NBA stuff so I guess I'm used to him ragging on SAS anyway...that could be it.

On the ND thing...yes, I agree they have never had a problem recruiting and that alone is evidence of a solid reputation as a national power.  I'm just going off perception I guess...and common sense (not that you don't have it...not saying that) when I say they don't bring the same "it" factor to the table that they did when they were winning NCs (obvious I guess).

M-Wolverine

July 8th, 2010 at 6:51 PM ^

They can't be recruiting THAT well, and doing as badly as they have been. Because as much as we like to dissect coaches, it's talent that makes a coach look good or bad. They're classes are rated high, because they're Notre Dame.  And they're not talentless. But it's not what it once was.  And that's because Simmons is right. Used to be Notre Dame was looked at AS college football, the team, and the only really National School.  Then the tv coverage expanded, parents could watch their kid play at Indiana as much as they could at ND, people from New Jersey would go to USC as likely as ND or Penn State, scholarships came down, and ND became what they are now...a down, but elite program...but no different than USC, or Michigan, or Nebraska, or any other power program.  And really they used to be one, on their own. Now they just think they are. So Simmons is right.

VectorVictor05

July 9th, 2010 at 1:58 PM ^

Yes, agreed, well put.  That's the biggest difference I see between ND now and ND of my grandfather and father's era.

People can argue whether ND has lost their "it" factor, but based on your points, my points, and general public perception I think it's a no brainer.

JeepinBen

July 8th, 2010 at 1:02 PM ^

I especially liked the part on how going to Miami would be a cop-out 

"I think it's a cop-out. Any super-competitive person would rather beat Dwyane Wade than play with him. Don't you want to find the Ali to your Frazier and have that rival pull the greatness out of you? That's why I'm holding out hope that LeBron signs with New York or Chicago (or stays in Cleveland), because he'd be saying, "Fine. Kobe, Dwight and Melo all have their teams. Wade and Bosh have their team. The Celtics are still there. Durant's team is coming. I'm gonna go out and build MY team, and I'm kicking all their asses." That's what Jordan would have done. Hell, that's what Kobe would have done.

In May, after the Cavs were ousted in the conference semifinals, I wrote that LeBron was facing one of the greatest sports decisions ever: "winning (Chicago), loyalty (Cleveland) or a chance at immortality (New York)."

I never thought he would pick "HELP!""

Well said Bill. Maybe LeBron isn't actually "THE MAN" maybe he's not wired that way...

As a Bulls fan I hope we get him, but we already got somewhat better. Hopefully the circus will end soon

TheLastHarbaugh

July 8th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^

Well, if we can't get Izzo out of East Lansing, then getting LeBron out of Ohio is the next best thing.

Suck it Cleveland.

You had seven years to construct a championship team with LeBron James and failed to do so. I hope he leaves, and I hope your pro sports franchises never win a title.

pdgoblue25

July 8th, 2010 at 2:14 PM ^

Do you really think there is anything you can say to us that could make us feel worse than any of our sports failures?  We are already the butt of every joke, we have already experienced several things that are 1 in a million.  I have experienced so much sports heart ache I can't take it anymore.  Stop acting like any of you know what it's like because you don't.  I could give a FUCK how bad the Lions are, you've had success with the Tigers, the Pistons and of course the Wings.  We have had success with NOTHING!  Lebron doesn't owe us anything, and he has given us 7 great years.  The only thing he does owe us, after everything we've been through, after all the hard earned money we've spent on him, after blindly loving him even when he fails, is to not go on national prime time television, bend us over,  and completely rub our faces in it while the whole country laughs at us once again as replays Edgar Renteria, Michael Jordan and John Elway are played for the 1000th time.  The way he has handled this has absolutely disgusted me to my core.  He has never been my favorite Cavs player because no one will ever replace Mark Price for me.  We've had enough, is it really worth giving Cleveland one more shot?   Go fuck yourself!

Yinka Double Dare

July 8th, 2010 at 1:25 PM ^

If he signs in Miami, they should force a name change to the Miami Mercenaries or the Miami Hessians or something. 

Everyone will root against that team.  And since the Heat don't actually have any fans (oh, they'll have people show up, but they're probably the worst bandwagon franchise on the planet), that means basically every basketball fan will be against them.  It will be glorious to see them lose in the 2nd round to an actual team in the East.

UMaD

July 8th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^

Is his argument that Chicago was the right choice for winning.  This is a highly debatable assertion. 

1. Lebron can go ANYWHERE he wants via sign and trade.  Not just teams with cap space, Lebron's list could include LAL, Utah, Dallas, Boston. [ Someway somehow, the team that he choses would find a way to give enough assets to make a sign and trade work.  If Lebron says "I want to be a ___" its in every teams interest to accomodate him, even the Cavs.  But if they're stubborn, another team with cap space would also work (though Lebron would have to take a minor pay cut without their involvement. ]  You're telling me Rose/Deng/Noah is a better situation than Roy/Aldridge/Camby, Kobe/Gasol, Rondo/Allen/Pierce/Garnett, Williams/Kirilenko/Okur, etc?  I can design a trade where any of those scenarios happen and Lebrons chances of winning a title are far better than the Bulls.

2.  Even if you're looking at Miami vs Chicago, Miami is probably the better choice to win a title.  As awkward as the Wade/Lebron tandem may be, the Rose/Lebron tandem would be worse.  And while I like Noah, he's not an elite big man yet.  Miami is going to exchange Beasley for a quality vet and then use the MLE next year.  They'll be better than Chicago is, hamstrung as they are with Boozer and Deng's contracts and pending extensions for Rose/Noah.

Lebron chose an enjoyable lifestyle, world-class teammates, and being in an environment with close freinds.  I think he's getting killed here for way too much.  While he didn't choose the most traditional or humble route in making this decision and he did turn his back on his home town, its a pretty understandable decision under the circumstances.  The most money, the best (winter) weather, good friends, excellent coworkers...how many of us turn that down out of "loyalty"?

I'm neutral on Lebron, personally...but I don't get the animosity from anyone outside of Ohio.

If its about attention-grabbing, he'd be picking NJ/NY or LA.  If its about selfishness, he'd be like Kobe and insist on not sharing billing with Wade/Bosh.  Its obviously not about those things, so whats the big problem?

 

Saying all this...I'll be rooting against the Heat.  Their fans are insufferable and don't deserve any of this.

MI Expat NY

July 8th, 2010 at 2:02 PM ^

What if the new collective bargaining agreement does away with the MLE?  Miami could potentially be hamstrung with 3 stars and 9 minimum players.  As good as their top three would be, that's a tough way to win a championship.  If Wade gets injured, Miami is probably significantly worse than Cleveland has been for the past few years. 

There's a danger in placing value on anything beyond next season.  The NBA's current salary structure is untenable, and there will be changes.  I wouldn't be surprised if there is a move towards a hard cap, and with that, a team paying three max guys is going to have trouble putting quality components around them. 

UMaD

July 8th, 2010 at 2:26 PM ^

about pending changes to bargaining agreement.  However, its also worth considering that the salary cap could go up quite a bit as well, creating more room.  I've read that with general economic environment, hyperinflation is a distinct posibillity, so all these max salaries will look like bargains.  Either way, theres enough uncertainty that all these guys should be demanding player opt outs after 2 or 3 years.

Injury is a concern, but its as much as concern in Cleveland as in Miami.

I'm not so sure you're right about "untenable" salary situation.  NBA is making good money even if ticket sales are in decline, global marketing and their overall audience is increasing. Many teams are still happy to go over the cap. Paul Allen just paid 3M to move up in the 2nd round.  The owners are throwing money in every direction.  The NBA is fine.

MI Expat NY

July 8th, 2010 at 2:56 PM ^

I tend to agree that the NBA is fine, and yes there are owners that have no problem spending the money, but there are also owners that are pretty stingy (Hornets, Clippers, etc.).  I think there is a fear in NBA offices of becoming just like baseball, whwere only the "haves" can compete on a yearly basis.

Secondly, even owners willing to spend money can't be happy with how willing some teams are to vastly overpay for "veteran" talent, which simply drives the cost of their own signings up.  Just because owners can and will spend money, doesn't mean they want to. 

UMaD

July 8th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^

But we're a long way from MLB.  The Knicks, Blazers, Mavs and others have failed while spending money.  The Pistons, Cavs, Magic have had success while not overspending.  The correlation between salary and success is much smaller in the NBA and the disparities are much smaller.

While the owners obviously want more salary controls, they're undermining their argument with the way they spend.  In other words, they may WANT a hard cap, but it may take a lockout to get it, which will cost them a great deal.

M-Wolverine

July 8th, 2010 at 7:01 PM ^

I mean, if it's really piggybacking a win, why not force a sign and trade with the Lakers? If Wade and LeBron are scary, how about Kobe and LeBron?  I bet Phil Jackson's back would feel a lot better if he had both those guys, and was guaranteed title after title....

I think Bill is pissed that he's been predicting Chicago all along, and now looks to be wrong.  I love Rose as a player, but he WAY overrates Noah.  Good player, but not one of the tops in the League at his position. And Boozer can't even play a full season, and isn't Mr. Personality. I think he wins as much or more in Miami.  Just gets less credit for it.

And I agree with you about the Heat.  Sets up a good ND/Cowboys/Yankees team for the NBA.  You either love them or hate them.  And Miami doesn't deserve it.  But they have a pretty damn cool football team.

Smitty D

July 8th, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^

go to espn.com   takes this gem

 

He knows better than anyone what kind of sports anguish they have suffered over the years. Losing LeBron on a contrived one-hour show would be worse than Byner's fumble, Jose Mesa, the Game 5 meltdown against Boston, The Drive, The Shot and everything else. At least those stomach-punch moments weren't preordained, unless you believe God hates Cleveland (entirely possible, by the way). This stomach-punch moment? Calculated. By a local kid they loved, defended and revered.

phild7686

July 8th, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^

Years ago I thought I might actually root for Lebron after he left Cleveland, but now I'm realizing that I will also root against the Drama King.

CraigMack

July 8th, 2010 at 2:01 PM ^

than winning.  Article makes all of the them seem like pretty big pieces of shit.  I am glad i grew up watching the greatest of all time.

CraigMack

July 8th, 2010 at 2:32 PM ^

get him in trouble trhough, and he stayed with Chicago,  left and came back.  MJ liked to win, the other 3 just care about the celebrity status.

M-Wolverine

July 8th, 2010 at 7:04 PM ^

Dad killed over gambling payments?  You decide.

But seriously, he was a dick then too.  Just a winning dick that had the media in his pocket as much as LeBron has ESPN in his tonight.

azby

July 8th, 2010 at 2:53 PM ^

I think one of the more annoying things with this whole free agency deal is the idea that the media constantly says that LeBron, or any big time star, HAS to play in a major market like NYC or Chicago to improve his "brand."  That is a joke.  LeBron has been in Cleveland, not exactly a major media hotbed, for 7 or so years, and is one of, if not the, most talked about athletes in the world.  He's not exactly hurting for publicity.

Also, I really enjoyed the sports guy's article.  I don't usually read him, but he made a lot of really good points in this.

Sven_Da_M

July 8th, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^

F 'em all:

1. Ohio

2. Cleveland

3. LeBron

4. Dan Gilbert

5. Pathetic Cleveland fans, especially.

I hope LeBron leaves, and never wins a ring.  The ONLY reason I'd want LeBron to stay is so that Tom Izzo wouldn't be able to sleep for years.

I guess we'll know if he comes out tonight wearing this:

 

JeepinBen

July 8th, 2010 at 4:47 PM ^

LeBron James has rented six cabanas at the W Hotel South Beach this weekend to celebrate his team decision, two sources confirm to UsMagazine.com.

That adds more fuel to the fire that James, 25, will announce he's joining the Miami Heat Thursday night, as several insiders told ESPN this morning.

M-Wolverine

July 8th, 2010 at 7:05 PM ^

If LeBron picks anyone other than the Cavaliers, it will be the cruelest television moment since David Chase ended "The Sopranos" by making everyone think they lost power.