While We’re Waiting…Cavs Free Agent pursuits, Browns QB depth, Skip Lou Brown
July 18, 2010Tribe Sweeps Doubleheader with Tigers; Jeanmar Gomez Makes Debut Today
July 18, 2010Some consider Bryant Gumbel a sanctimonious blowhard but his “Real Sports” show on HBO has been appointment television for many in the sports media world for over a decade. The monthly show has developed a cult following. Despite his failures as the play-by-play announcer for Thursday night NFL Network games, Gumbel has continually delivered thought-provoking, and often scathing, commentary in his closing monologue on Real Sports. For years, viewers of the show have always wondered exactly what he was writing on that dopey notepad when the cameras come back to the studio. This week, he and his notepad delivered one of the better comments on LeBron that I have seen thus far.
What follows is a transcript of Gumbel’s editorial:
Finally tonight, a few words about championship rings. Just when did they become the all-important barometer of who does or doesn’t count in sports? When did they supersede personal excellence or exemplary character as a standard of greatness?
I got to thinking about that the other night after the self-anointed chosen one, LeBron James, embarrassed himself as he tried to make his decision to seek rings in Miami sound like a search for the Holy Grail. It’s when he essentially admitted to placing a higher priority on winning than anything else.
LeBron’s decision is typical of our immediate gratification era, but it flies in the face of history. Even though he never won a title, Dan Marino is still the biggest hero in Florida. And in Boston, all those Celtics championships are dimmed by the unforgettable brilliance of Ted Williams, who never won anything. In Chicago, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus have legendary status despite playing on losing teams. And even in the NBA, where guys seem obsessed with being viewed as ‘the man’, real men like Barkley, Ewing and Baylor are ringless, but revered.
Despite such evidence to the contrary, LeBron James seems to think he needs a ring to change his life and secure his legacy. Maybe he’ll get one, maybe he won’t, but it’s probable that no amount of rings will ever remove the stench he wallowed in last week. LeBron may yet find that in the court of public opinion, just as putting on a tux can’t make a guy a gentleman, winning a ring can’t make one truly a champion.
Last weekend, I catalogued many of the national media’s thoughts on what went down in LeBron’s free agency circus. I suppose we can take some sort of consolation that Northeast Ohioans were not lone voices crying in the wilderness. Gumbel’s commentary this week continued to reinforce that as Cavaliers fans look for allies united in their distaste of LeBron and try to move on from the pain of The Decision.
33 Comments
” . . .no amount of rings will ever remove the stench he wallowed in last week.”
Beautiful.
Some “nice” comments about Dan Gilbert:
http://m.yahoo.com/w/sports/nba/news/article?urn=urn%3Anewsml%3Asports.yahoo%2Cyhoo%3A20050301%3Anba%2Carticle%2Cyhoo-ept_sports_nba_experts-256512%3A1&.ts=1279465731&.refer=a00662&.intl=US&.lang=en
You have to love opinion pieces.
“It’s when he essentially admitted to placing a higher priority on winning than anything else.”
It seems we’re trying to have it both ways. Prioritizing money: bad. Prioritizing winning: bad. I know that’s not really what Gumbel’s arguing here, but if I were arguing for LeBron (see 2003-2010) I’d sure use this in his defense.
On, one hand, if he just wanted to leave Ohio, I can’t blame him. If you’re younger and want to “experience life” there are plenty of better places.
But, because of the methodology just as putting on a tux can’t make a guy a gentleman, winning a ring can’t make one truly a champion
Thank you Bryant Gumble. Please, quit reading into the ESPN mentality that all that matters is rings. There is a lot more to life than trophies.
@Swig, I can understand what you’re trying to say about “experienc(ing) life”, but let’s not forget that LBJ has been hanging out with Jay Z in New York, plus traveling the world to play with the USA National teams. It’s not like he never stepped foot out of Akron.
Any fan who thinks that pro athletes care about fans or cities is living in dream land. THEY DON’T. They care about making money & winning championships. Lebron-basically carried the Cleveland Cavaliers for 7 years. He doesn’t owe the fans of Cleveland-or anyone-anything. Lebron-more then anyone-has definitely earned the right to choose the direction of his NBA career. Dan Gilberts comments about Lebron were totally idiotic and really made me understand why he probably left Cleveland in the first place. I wish Lebron all the best in Miami.
This is an interesting piece and #3 brings up a good debate. Its something that as I think about it I just contradict myself. We hate when guys leave for money, but when we have the most to give we want them to go to money. I just dont see how you leave a team that had 60+ wins in back to back seasons and say its for titles. He just wanted out and did it in the worst way possible.
@3/7 — I see the quote pointing more towards LeBron possibly sticking around to represent where he came from and trying to bring a championship to NEO for the first time in 40+ years.
Winning championships > Trying and (possibly) failing to do something special
Personally, I never thought he would re-sign with Cleveland because of the $30 million added salary. For a guy who’s thinking “billionaire”, I don’t see $30 million being the determining factor… for HIM, not even the average professional athlete.
Anyway, it’s all been said already. He was a front-runner his whole life, so there was nothing special about representing NEO.
Bobby makes a real good point. This team came off back to back 60 win seasons. They just missed the Finals in 2009. In 09-10 they beat every contender. He was considered the best in the game. It’s why the Boston series is inexcusable and anyone with a brain will remember that series for his career.
I’m gonna be honest. The thought of James winning anything in Miami is so repugnant to me, I may not even watch basketball this year. I just can’t go there. Like watching the Lakers win any of their championships, I’d rather stick my head in the sand.
The more stuff that comes out about James the worse he looks. Thank God that the world sees thru him now though . It would have been oh-so-much worse had the media decided to side with James and his behavior.
I agree with The Other Tim, too. But I think underlying notion in Gumbel’s words are that LeBron acted, and has continued to act, poorly. He hasn’t acted like a “man,” rather a child. And whether you’re talking about money or rings or loyalty or whatever, if you act like a mature adult people won’t vilify you.
@ Bruce:
1.) Of course LeBron doesn’t owe us anything. We just expected a little more common courtesy from a man who this city has given their all to.
2.) If you didn’t like Gilbert’s words then you don’t understand what he’s trying to do as a businessman.
@Shamrock:
as a former account exec for a very large national bank, i take offense to the second-to-last paragraph in particular. It’s not Dan Gilbert’s fault that people max out their credit cards and don’t pay their bills. And Gilbert, personally, has never been accused of predatory lending.
I hate to lean in with political/non-sport comments but I am so sick of this mortgage thing, and sick of people trying to blame anyone but themselves (though, I understand, in some cases it is relevant to blame someone else).
And in my opinion, Gilbert seems like the kind of guy who’d pay you 25 DOLLARS – not 25 CENTS – for a lemonade, and let you keep the change.
@12 I agree with you and thought the “predator” lending remark was overboard that’s why I posted the link.
Cleveland is so sensitive to rejection they will never let this go.
Does the bad breakup mean this was an unhealthy relatioship?
At John Sharp, not necessarily. If he had this planned for two years, which has recently come up in a few articles by respected writers, then its as if we just found out we had been cheated on and he left his hig for a trophy (literally and figuratively).
We thought everything had been going great, only to find out, our love wasn’t reciprocated. Does that count as healthy, at least from one side?
Maybe its because I’m not as sophisticated as the soccer fans Gumbel seems to relish. He needs to get real. Kobe committed adultery, acted childishly, forced a top fan-favorite player out of town and NO ONE cares right now. When does one thing (The Decision) come to define Lebron James’ character. He’s been a great player and humanitarian over the years now people hate him? This is sports. Winning is everything in sports. Its the difference between being Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
And Cleveland fans: How do you get behind a owner who believes the city is cursed? Come on people, think for yourselves
…and he left his high school sweetheart for a trophy…
/I need an editor
@Matty, yeah I know he gets around, but living in Akron and visiting all the big cities is nowhere near the same as living in a big city hosting your own parties in a $50 million house.
Well LBJ will learn REAL soon a 50 Million Dollar house in Ohio is a 90 Million dollar house in Florida.
Swig, I do get what you mean.
I know this article is dead by now but can we please just clarify once and for all why Lebron’s move does not personify a hunger to win? Nobody cares about people who happened to win; we care about people who will their teams to victory. Michael Jordan was not a winner because he won; he was a winner because it was clear that no matter what his teammates did, you felt that he was not going to let them lose.
Lebron may value being on a winning team, but he ran away from performances such as he had in Detroit a few years back, in favor of having a safety net.
Also, regarding the billionaire thing: small conmsolation now, but if he keeps buying $45 million dollar houses wherever he plays, and keeps hiring business associates whose sole qualification is that they played on the SVSM team, he’s a lot more likely to be an Antoine Walker (or, dare I say, a Dwyane Wade) than a Warren Buffet.
Why are we talking about Miami Heat players?
We still talk about Cliff Lee and we traded him a year ago. CC Sabathia comes up time to time. Braylon was talked about for a while. It is what it is
Roosevelt-
Are you saying that there is a difference between Robert Horry and Michael Jordan? HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!!! HORRY HAS MORE RINGS!!!!
I liked a number of points that were made in this piece.
It is the classless manner in which LeBron announced his decision that sparked so much outrage among many fans. I personally felt he came across as a self-absorbed child, and his overblown announcement special on ESPN was thoughtless and entirely insensitive, not only to the people of Cleveland, but also to the many individuals, families, and charitable organizations who are struggling during these difficult economic times.
I liked a number of points that were made in this piece.
It is the classless manner in which LeBron announced his decision that sparked so much outrage among many fans. I personally felt he came across as a self-absorbed child, and his overblown announcement special on ESPN was thoughtless and entirely insensitive, not only to the people of Cleveland, but also to the many individuals, families, and charitable organizations who are struggling during these difficult economic times.
It doesn’t matter how many rings LeBron wins (and that’s assuming he’ll even win one). His classlessness and arrogance will likely overshadow anything he accomplishes on the court in the remainder of his career.
Tom, as much as I hated what he did, how can you say that it “was entirely insensitive” to “charitable organizations who are struggling during these difficult economic times”. Pretty sure his shenanigans got 5 Boys and Girls Clubs (Akron, Cleveland, Miami, NY, Chicago) over 2.5 million dollars combined. I think that Miami fans, his posse, and charitable organizations were the only people he was not insensitive to.
I don’t support what he did by any means, but that was just flat wrong
I won’t get into a long discussion about this because, quite frankly, LeBron isn’t worth it.
The announcement showed exactly how self-absorbed LeBron really is, and I still feel the manner in which he handled things was entirely classless from start to finish.
As for the Boys & Girls Club chapters you mentioned, LeBron didn’t open his own wallet and give them a donation. He strong-armed a television into handing over some advertising revenue in exchange for stroking his ego for an hour in an unprecedented display or arrogance.
There is an article that sums things up better than I could hope to. I’ll share the quote here.
———————————————————–
Mitch Albom, who is also the author of Tuesdays With Morrie, is especially critical of the decision.
And Mr. Albom writes on a Detroit Free Press blog that the donation only adds to the absurdity of the event.
“A prime-time event? To announce a free-agent signing? And don’t point out that some proceeds go to charity. You want to give to charity, quietly write a check. Don’t get a network to do it for you so it gets to pump its shows and you get to shower yourself in international coverage—while calling it philanthropy.
“The NBA has embarrassed itself here. The media have embarrassed themselves. And a guy who calls himself ‘King’ may be beyond embarrassment, which is truly embarrassing.”
Basic economic term: opportunity cost
He had the opportunity to pocket most of that money, therefore giving it up is a real cost that is to be considered.
I don’t know why I’m arguing for this guy. I’m with you on everything else though.
In regards to the money that went to the charity, I think it was poorly conceived marketing by his yes-men to make him come off as a good guy.
I got to hang out in Cleveland with some friends over the weekend (one of whom is part owner in a local bar/restaurant). The stories I heard from him and some of his friends/coworkers about how classless James is when it comes to something as simple as leaving a decent tip speaks volumes on just what a jerk this “child” truly is.
Bryant Gumbel has the nerve to speak about “personal excellence and exemplary character?” That’s too funny considering how he abused and humilated his wife with the little blond tramp that he’s married to now.
You guys are simply pathetic. You are now turning to whore mongers to find the high road. Again, why are you not celebrating his departure?
@30 Is Dan Gilbert a classless jerk? His company Quicken loans is being sued for the non payment of wages.
While it is a boon to hear and read such comments, LeBron has always stated that winning is what matters, not money. We in Cleveland knew this. As a city that put all of our decades of loss onto his shoulders, and his having grown up seeing and FEELING that weight, it is no wonder that winning is even more important to him.
I am in no way saying what he did was right, and I am in no way supporting his ‘decision’, actions, behavior…any of it. But we have to look at our own overwhelming hunger to win after so many years of not.
Gumbel is so far off base here. These are the parameters that the media themselves have put on players — win titles or an asterisk will be next to your name in the history books. The ONLY thing that great players are judged by is championships. Don’t bring up the “Robert Horry has won blah blah,” because I’m not referring to role players winning titles. When a player reaches a level of greatness, he starts getting judged by the number of rings on his fingers. No one can say that’s not true. That’s the way the media and fans have ALWAYS simplistically evaluated players. It is a lazy and stupid way to evaluate players, but nonetheless, the media chose their course.
It is absolutely RIDICULOUS to get upset about it now, and blame LeBron, who since he was 16 freaking years old has heard “better win six,” for seeking those titles. There’s a universal mandate for him to win, and win often. The Cavaliers didn’t surround LeBron with a team that’s set up to win multiple titles. Everyone involved in this knew the rules — don’t try to change the barometer now just because you’re upset about the way he left.