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David Stern, Nike, ESPN and all his other investors are gonna tamper and steal him. I have never in my lifetime seen the media basically campaign for an athlete to leave his team like they are doing with LeBron. I don't want it to happen but I have a feeling it will.
I know the Cavs can pay him more than any other team in the NBA but what is to stop Nike from slipping him $100 mill for leaving? What is to stop ESPN or David Stern and the NBA from doing the same? Look at the current coverage of the NBA. The Cavs are probably the best team in the NBA and are basically dismissed as an also ran. No respect. Sure LEBRON gets coverage but any talk about the rest of the team is how awful they are.
Being fair, this kind of crap would happen if LeBron was in Milwaukee or Portland or Oklahoma City as well. Stern ain't gonna rest until NYC has a star.
We are gonna get screwed and frankly I hope everyone in Ohio boycotts the NBA forever if it happens.
Well, I hate to throw water on your conspiracy but they could have just sent Lebron to the Knicks in the draft. Also, the Knicks haven't won a championship in what? 30-40 years? The Knicks have been horrible, Stern etc. sure is taking their sweeeeet time lol.
I chalk all the Lebron talk up to Knicks fans trying to convince people that the whole "big market" stuff still matters but it is a pre-internet notion. Winning is where it is at...even if it's a small market like San Antonio, Cleveland or Orlando....
Well, I hate to throw water on your conspiracy but they could have just sent Lebron to the Knicks in the draft. Also, the Knicks haven't won a championship in what? 30-40 years? The Knicks have been horrible, Stern etc. sure is taking their sweeeeet time lol.
I chalk all the Lebron talk up to Knicks fans trying to convince people that the whole "big market" stuff still matters but it is a pre-internet notion. Winning is where it is at...even if it's a small market like San Antonio, Cleveland or Orlando....
Or for that matter the ping pong balls would have allowed them to draft D. Williams or Chris Paul in 2005 or Derrick Rose in 2008.
Seriously, LeBron pretty much single handidly saved the franchise. Had the Cavs not lucked out in the lottery and gotten that first pick which enabled them to take LeBron I doubt the Cavs would still be in Cleveland.
There was ZERO fan interest during the post Price/Daugherty/pre LeBron era.
The only Cleveland sports franchise that is always guarunteed fan interest is the Browns. They will always sell out. Fans will always follow them no matter how poorly they do.
The Indians and Cavs are another story. People are sick of the Indians refusing (or not being able) to pay enough to keep our home grown All Stars. Attendance is in the toilet which in turn lowers payroll even more. The Indians are in trouble IMO and if the Cavs lose LeBron they will be in trouble too. It wouldn't shock me to see both teams leave within 10 years.
If this was true about the Browns,they never would have left.It took them leaving for the fan base to start showing for games again.
Well, I hate to throw water on your conspiracy but they could have just sent Lebron to the Knicks in the draft. Also, the Knicks haven't won a championship in what? 30-40 years? The Knicks have been horrible, Stern etc. sure is taking their sweeeeet time lol.
I chalk all the Lebron talk up to Knicks fans trying to convince people that the whole "big market" stuff still matters but it is a pre-internet notion. Winning is where it is at...even if it's a small market like San Antonio, Cleveland or Orlando....
The big market/small market thing depends on the player.Some want the most money.Some want to win championships and some want to be the biggest name on the planet.Don't be a hater.He wants to be bigger then Koba and in Cleveland even if he wins,he won't!It depends on each and every individual player.Some just want to win and don't care where they are,which is smart.Lebron is an ego-maniac and can't live with just winning.
If this was true about the Browns,they never would have left.It took them leaving for the fan base to start showing for games again.
That's not why they left, they left b/c Art Modell was tired of not getting a new stadium through public funding (even though Cuyahoga Co. voters passed a huge issue to refurbish and renovate the old Municipal Stadium), and found that Baltimore would provide that for him & the franchise.
Not only that, but they have the largest fan based organization in the world in their Browns backers. Trust me, having lived in NE Ohio for the majority of my life, the passion for the Browns is far and above what it is for the Indians or Cavs regardless of the quality of the team. I went to a Cavs game in 2003 when they won 17 games, there were maybe 4 or 5,000 in attendance; likewise, I remember going to some Indians games down at old Municipal Stadium as a kid in the late 80s/early 90s were there would be 3-4k in attendance, you could buy an upper deck seat for like a $1 and just move down to the lower bowl. The Browns have the 2nd worst record of any NFL team during the past decade, and they still sold out every game.
If this was true about the Browns,they never would have left.It took them leaving for the fan base to start showing for games again.
Not true. The Browns consistantly sold games out before the move despite having one of the largest stadiums in the NFL.
If you are interested read Terry Pluto's book "False Start" it's a quick read and really breaks down the events leading up to the move and explains why and how the new Browns were handicapped by the NFL. Doesn't paint a very nice picture of Art Modell or the NFL but it is fair.
That's not why they left, they left b/c Art Modell was tired of not getting a new stadium through public funding (even though Cuyahoga Co. voters passed a huge issue to refurbish and renovate the old Municipal Stadium), and found that Baltimore would provide that for him & the franchise.
Not only that, but they have the largest fan based organization in the world in their Browns backers. Trust me, having lived in NE Ohio for the majority of my life, the passion for the Browns is far and above what it is for the Indians or Cavs regardless of the quality of the team. I went to a Cavs game in 2003 when they won 17 games, there were maybe 4 or 5,000 in attendance; likewise, I remember going to some Indians games down at old Municipal Stadium as a kid in the late 80s/early 90s were there would be 3-4k in attendance, you could buy an upper deck seat for like a $1 and just move down to the lower bowl. The Browns have the 2nd worst record of any NFL team during the past decade, and they still sold out every game.
Steelers and Cowboys have a bigger following nationally;and I thought this was a basketball thread.
The big market/small market thing depends on the player.Some want the most money.Some want to win championships and some want to be the biggest name on the planet.Don't be a hater.He wants to be bigger then Koba and in Cleveland even if he wins,he won't!It depends on each and every individual player.Some just want to win and don't care where they are,which is smart.Lebron is an ego-maniac and can't live with just winning.
So, the point we disagree on is as follows....
You feel that by moving to a NY market he will get "more attention" even if he doesn't win.
I feel that is not the case, that with the internet etc. it doesn't really matter where he plays now, especially since it's now a global game. WINNING championships is really the only way he is going to get bigger.
Want proof? He is already all over the commercials, has all the major endorsements, billboards, clothes, shoes, ESPN is all Lebron....you name it. *wait for it......* AND he is currently playing in Cleveland.
I just don't see how he could be any bigger right now, certainly not by being losing in a Knicks uniform. There are just a number of much better run teams out there where he would instantly make the team a threat for 5-10 years to come.
This isn't 1975 where the major news media was centralized in NYC and people got all their information from newspapers and Walter Cronkite.
You feel that by moving to a NY market he will get "more attention" even if he doesn't win.
I feel that is not the case, that with the internet etc. it doesn't really matter where he plays now, especially since it's now a global game. WINNING championships is really the only way he is going to get bigger.
Want proof? He is already all over the commercials, has all the major endorsements, billboards, clothes, shoes, ESPN is all Lebron....you name it. *wait for it......* AND he is currently playing in Cleveland.
I just don't see how he could be any bigger right now, certainly not by being losing in a Knicks uniform. There are just a number of much better run teams out there where he would instantly make the team a threat for 5-10 years to come.
This isn't 1975 where the major news media was centralized in NYC and people got all their information from newspapers and Walter Cronkite.
The 2 major markets in basketball are in Los Angeles and NY.There are other teams that have substantial followings but not as big.If Lebron goes to NY he plays HALF his games at MSG.OBVIOUSLY they are going to add more then just him and they would be a playoff team. Going all the way in his first year,doubtful;but you never know considering how the Celtics added.By the way the main point is not about really being bigger then he is now,it's about people boosting his ego.In the 2 major markets you are a celebrity to the 100th power.Even though he would stand out more in a smaller market where there are no celebrities,he wants his pedestal to sit on. The Knicks will win with him,I assure you.They have a decent core and are about 3 players away from being solid.Now put Lebron,Bosh or Wade and maybe one more free agent and what do you have? You have a solid team and maybe a championship and Lebron bigger then he is now while he plays 40+ games at MSG as opposed to in Cleveland. This is not even an argument,it's too obvious.An egomaniac never gets enough people talking about him.Now when your teams following is much bigger and the surrounding population in tremendously larger you go from a great to a god!Would a guy like a Derek Jeter have as big a fan base and following in Cleveland? Obviously not, open your eyes.
The 2 major markets in basketball are in Los Angeles and NY.There are other teams that have substantial followings but not as big.If Lebron goes to NY he plays HALF his games at MSG.OBVIOUSLY they are going to add more then just him and they would be a playoff team. Going all the way in his first year,doubtful;but you never know considering how the Celtics added.By the way the main point is not about really being bigger then he is now,it's about people boosting his ego.In the 2 major markets you are a celebrity to the 100th power.Even though he would stand out more in a smaller market where there are no celebrities,he wants his pedestal to sit on. The Knicks will win with him,I assure you.They have a decent core and are about 3 players away from being solid.Now put Lebron,Bosh or Wade and maybe one more free agent and what do you have? You have a solid team and maybe a championship and Lebron bigger then he is now while he plays 40+ games at MSG as opposed to in Cleveland. This is not even an argument,it's too obvious.An egomaniac never gets enough people talking about him.Now when your teams following is much bigger and the surrounding population in tremendously larger you go from a great to a god!Would a guy like a Derek Jeter have as big a fan base and following in Cleveland? Obviously not, open your eyes.
-Lebron already has a massive fan base, commercials, famous friends etc.
-Jeter has played in 7 world series, think of all the guys you see doing commercials and what they have in common. The general public only pays attention to the finals for the most part.
-Ok, the Knicks might be able to put some talent around Lebron...but we have already agreed that in terms of chances for winning a championship there are better options out there.
We agree more than we disagree on the topic. I think our sticking point is that I think winning championships is what will propel Lebron and he has a better chance of doing it elsewhere. Should be fun to watch, they might do it this year even.
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There are just a number of much better run teams out there where he would instantly make the team a threat for 5-10 years to come. 
