Why Has LeBron Gone From Beloved To Despised? HATERS!

Posted by Jeff Sack under NBA Analysis, NBA PLAYOFFS, SDC COMMENTARY

Two weeks ago LeBron James was the “Golden Boy” of Professional Sports. Today he is being talked about as if he were “Public Enemy Number One” after being deemed a “Bad Sport” for not shaking his opponent’s hand after falling to defeat Saturday night to the Orlando Magic.

So has begun LeBron Jame’s first taste of the wrath of the American Sports Fan. Actually it has carried beyond the world of Sports as everybody short of President Obama seems to have weighed in on this issue! The anger that has been generated; is it an overreaction to a seeming-less petty act? In my opinion it most certainly is!

In case you have been in a cave over the last few days Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star and Association MVP LeBron James did not come across as warm and fuzzy on Saturday night. LBJ left the hardwood Saturday night without congratulating his opponents the Orlando Magic after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. He also refused to speak to the collected media in the Post Game press conference.

By later that night the anger was starting to show itself in the blogosphere as NBA fans reacted with outrage that the “Chosen One” had not been gracious in defeat. By Sunday morning it had blown into a full blown scandal and by Monday James had gone seemingly from Hero to Pariah. Not since Britney Spears had gone from “America’s Sweetheart” to “Psychotic Bald-Woman” have we seen someones reputation take such a huge hit.

Why has this struck such a chord in our society? Why has a young man who had a pristine reputation before this incident become so vilified? In my opinion there is a very simple answer; our two true “Great American Pastimes.“ No it is not baseball or even football or Nascar, it is a game that is played all across this nation on a constant basis. And this game does not occur on a field.

We in this country have two great National Pastimes in 2009. The first is taking one of our own and turning them into a hero and putting him on a pedestal! But the second one WE Like a lot MORE: We love to TEAR THEM DOWN!!! We keep searching, for a flaw, for a crack in the armor, for the Achilles heel. For that soft underbelly that we can sink our teeth into! There are so many HATERS out there that despise their own lives, so to make them feel better they attempt to tear somebody else down! Misery Loves Company!

We are constantly looking to duck responsibility in our society look for a scapegoat. Someone to take the blame for the things that we ourselves do wrong. Athletes are supposed to be paragons of virtue and righteousness, while they are just mere mortals as we are. Any parent that allows their kids to use athletes as role models are not doing the job as far as I am concerned.

These are Athletically Gifted Men; not great Philosophers, Rocket Scientists, Great Statesmen! They happen to be able to do something that any man who is a sports fan would love to do in such a superior fashion that they are able to command Millions of Dollars. They are not going to come up with the cure for cancer or aids, they are not going to solve world poverty or the situation in the middle east. They are ENTERTAINERS pure and simple go back to Babe Ruth it was the same way then. Or go back even further to John L Sullivan in boxing!

You think these men had Great Moral Character? Ty Cobb who used to sharpen his spikes so he could shred opponents legs, that was real Good Sportsmanship wasn’t it! Or the fact that he refused to be on the same field with an African-American player, how much of a good sport was that? How about Kenesaw Mountain Landis who kept African-Americans off the field until 1947?

You know who should be kids role models? Parents, Teachers, maybe Religious and Community Leaders. Or the Pilot who saved all those lives on that plane that landed in the Hudson River THAT MAN IS A HERO! If Society in the USA is messed up enough to pay Actors, Athletes, and Music Stars insane amounts of money don’t hate the player HATE THE SYSTEM!

Did LeBron James enhance his reputation Saturday night? Of course not he was angry at himself and his team and was not as magnanimous as he should have been. However “Discretion is the Better Part Of Valor“! Better to walk away then to say something in the heat of passion and regret it later. Go on Sports Center after the Finals and apologize. He can call every player on the Orlando Magic in two weeks after the Finals and congratulate them and apologize. I bet that is exactly what he does! I think people just wanted to see the spectacle of him blowing up on camera. Guess what? He did not give into the moment! Abraham Lincoln said “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool then to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt!”

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Comments

3 Responses to “Why Has LeBron Gone From Beloved To Despised? HATERS!”

Greg on June 3rd, 2009 10:50 pm

Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffery- good rant! A few good points. But you have not swayed my opinion. Lebron cracked. He could not handle the pressure and he ran to his bus. Leaving his teammates to fight the battle on their own! He followed every mothers mantra “If you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen.” And out of the kitchen he went. He texted his mommy and said he will see her soon. He ran home to mommy to cry!

That being said. I loved Ty Cobb for being a prick and sharpening his spikes. He did that on the field. Just like I loved Fish’s hit on Sciolla in the Houston series! Attack the competition on the court and/or field. But when the game is over be able to face the rammifications of your actions! And Lebron just wasn’t ready for that negative spotlite. So intead of crying like mommy’s little boy he went to the bus to cry while listening to his ipod!

Anyway as for your hero’s point… I agree the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson is a hero! Not NBA basketball players… And you a right America loves to build people up just to tear them down! Just look at Jon and Kate plus 8….they were the perfect family, Jon cheats and now the whole world is trying to tear them apart even going as far as claiming they broke labor laws w. their kids… America loves destroying people…. This should make Lebron STRONGER! He finally knows what being hated is all about…Even Kobe went through this w. regards to the rape alligations. He looks like he recovered just fine! Good luck Lebron… I hope you are a survivior!
truth serum on June 4th, 2009 4:00 am

jeff i agree with you man.. forget the people who don’t they have the memory and the mind of a gold fish. To add on to what your saying.. Kobe bryant has done worst! michael jordan has done similar. The end. keep on man.
Greg on June 5th, 2009 9:06 pm

finally! I get some support on this issue…never though it would come from a tarheel fan though….at least i know they know sportsmanship