Sizing up Santana and Uniform Notes …While We’re Waiting
July 30, 2014Mariners 5, Indians 2: Tribe slide continues, the time to sell may be upon us
July 30, 2014On Tuesday, when I was driving around listening to the Dan LeBatard show, they were discussing a plan to buy a full-page ad either in Cleveland at the Plain Dealer or in Akron at the Beacon-Journal. From what I could gather, they were upset that LeBron James had not thanked Miami fans, either in his essay/letter in Sports Illustrated or in the Miami papers. You know what? They might have a bit of a point, but that’s not my fight. Word this morning on Cleveland.com is that the Northeast Ohio Media Group has declined to run the full-page ad, turning down the money.
Representatives of The Dan LeBatard Show called the Cleveland media outlet on Tuesday to purchase a full-page advertisement in this Sunday’s edition of the newspaper, Northeast Ohio Media Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mike Maleski confirmed. NEOMG sales staff are responsible for ads in The Plain Dealer.
The show’s request was “politely declined,” Maleski said.
This is what the proposed ad would have looked like according to Twitter-housed Heat fans.
I have to say, I think it’s a funny idea. Throughout the whole LeBron returning saga, one major takeaway for me is just how good a radio show Dan LeBatard has in Miami. He’s funny, he has a great perspective and he doesn’t take himself very seriously at all. Once you realize how sarcastic and self-deprecating he is, it’s really a great showâthere’s a reason he’s been picked up nationally.
And even allowing that I like LeBatard and I think he’s funny, good on the Plain Dealer for turning down the ad dollars that they could have made running this advertisement. I mean, it was probably an easy choice not to allow their pages to be used to taunt their readership, but still.
[Also see:Â Cavaliers to reportedly play in Miami on Christmas Day]
51 Comments
Why should Lebron thank the Miami fans? Other way around idiots…
he’s thanked the miami fans. let’s just stop that storyline before it gets started.
there are Miami Heat fans?
Thank the same fans that bailed when the game was on the line? FWIW, LeBatard is French for “the bastard.”
Seriously? Thank Miami fans? The ones that showed up in the middle of the 2nd quarter on a nightly basis and bailed in the final minutes of a finals game?
And Dan LeBatard is not a good radio host. He only has a show because he broadcasts from, or what was at least, the center of the NBA universe for the last four years. Pretty soon he, and his dad, will be off the national airwaves and probably be running a Miami version of “All Bets Are Off”. Good riddance.
Props to the Plain Dealer for using common sense.
Mr. LeBatard, don’t go away mad.
Just go away.
Dang, PD could have hired an actual editor with that $$
Two rings, one for each Miami fan. Isn’t that enough thanks?
or at least a beat reporter…
I guess I just don’t understand why the fans would be saying that anyways. I would get it if it was signed by Riley or someone actually affiliated with the Heat
The Heat have fans?
Le Batard walks an extremely fine line between being witty and being a complete and utter troll. I think the national exposure he got when Miami became basketball mecca for four years severely blurred that line. Think he’s an incredibly smart guy and a great radio host, but there have been plenty of times where he’s made me want to click the unfollow button on twitter.
They don’t know how to use computers (why they wanted to print an ad and didn’t think he thanked them)
TROLL. Just look at those troll faces. Shouldn’t Miami be thanking him for the championships? All this is was an attempt to annoy Clevelanders by showing off the rings. Get a life.
Fixed it.
This is EXACTLY what I was thinking. The LEAST responsible people for those championships were Miami’s fans.
You knew this guy would have to show his true colors some time.
It’s only fitting Tard be in his name.
Dont understabd how cleveland fans can say they arent bandwagoners. More people burned lebron jerseys than left the arena game 6. Cavs attendance was bottom half of the league last year. Before lebron heat were top 10 every year. In attendance. Lebron did not thank miami heat fans. He thanked the miami heat organization. Theres a difference. Yes, when lebron came the heat picked up a lot of bandwagon fans but there were plenty before. They are a winning organization, unlike any cleveland franchise.
I cannot agree with you on LeBatard. I find him smarmy, condescending, and wildly disorganized. I can’t watch his stupid show with his dad, and I think he has a face made for radio. For me, one of the worst tv sports hosts around.
i feel like he has always shown these colors, and those colors are drab: faded gray-beige and wet, trampled concrete.
calling yourself a “fan,” and paying money to watch an admittedly poor excuse for an NBA team play ball are two different things.
And many fans burnt LeBron jerseys but not their entire Cavaliers wardrobe. The hate was for the player, not the team.
and that was my downtick. Disqus – you’re so weak.
Well good thing that the papers didn’t publish it, as they thought better of it than to troll Cleveland fans too. Would’ve been stupid to convey LeTard’s idiotic idea in, say a Cleveland sports forum. Thank god that didn’t happen, right?
TBL did some research on the mass burnings of LeBron jerseys.
You know what number they came up with?
7.
Seven.
“More people burned lebron jerseys than left the arena game 6.” – Common misconception. We forgive you.
The two years before LeBron went to the Heat, they were 15th in attendance.
Before Dwayne Wade was drafted the Heat were 22nd, 19th, and 15th in attendance (going back to 2001).
Cavs attendance was similarly poor without good players, but don’t make the fan bases something they are not.
Now if only we can slide this ad into all of the Miami newspapers without them knowing about it. That would be nice. đ
just buy a billboard near the arena
not 1, not 2, not 3 …
This too. LOL!
Yeah I hate that Disqus got rid of the counts on the downtick. It has a new age/everybody-gets-a-trophy/let’s-not-hurt-any-feelings vibe.
He ruins PTI whenever he is on it and does so happily.
Right! Hey wait a minute…
+100.
I actually like they got rid of it. I think too many places people are worrying about their numbers and trying to either get huge upticks or downticks. Those trolls chasing the downticks now get less feedback, which I can only assume is a good way to discourage them.
Actually they should be thanking him, assuming any are left.
They know how to use them, but the serious amounts of ingested cocaine prohibit their fingers from navigating keyboards properly.
The newspaper is much easier to just open
……and then roll into a giant straw.
it makes me uncomfortable, actually. or at least embarrassed for the guy.
That’s LeBatard’s dad doing the promo sentences.
“Fans”
Hey now, the miami fans were about as effective during the finals as Wade was, so there’s that.
I’ve heard him on his show on this topic, and my impression is that he and his guests are less upset on behalf of the locals than at the potential loss of great grist for their shows and columns. We get a lot of that here too, where some radio hosts openly pulled for Manziel to be drafted because his presence would make for “excitement in Cleveland” and “make Cleveland relevant.” Which leads to show after show featuring “does Johnny party too much?”
These Miami guys parsed The Letter for something potentially offensive and decided that merely saying “Miami will always be my second home” is as tone deaf as The Decision. It’s personal for them, it’s their livelihood.
Personally I can’t stand the guy. This is what happens when ESPN creates personalities instead of just covering sports.
still better than currently suspended Stephen A. Smith
Barf.
He can take his lighter skinned brother Skip Bayless with him as far as I’m concerned!
If they need any help with that, I know just the guy
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–Hcoes94i–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/pe4sxpr1nsadgopwaich.png
I’d have both at the bottom if I had to rank them all.
Downtick
To be honest outside of the word “Thank You Miami” all it talks about is how he is going to miss his teammates because thats why he came there. Not that I really care, but thats hardly any kind of thanks.