Drama King

[Napoleon]

Speaking of which, anyone have the overnights on that little debacle? I was curious to hear how many watched....

I don not have the numbers handy but it drew whooping numbers considering what we are talking about. The one number I remember is that 1 in 4 households in the Cleveland area were watching. That has got to be in the “the President has been shot” territory.

[TKGAngel]

Speaking of which, anyone have the overnights on that little debacle? I was curious to hear how many watched....

Overnights were a 7.3.

[devilmaster]

I don not have the numbers handy but it drew whooping numbers considering what we are talking about. The one number I remember is that 1 in 4 households in the Cleveland area were watching. That has got to be in the “the President has been shot” territory.


Overnights were a 7.3.

Ugh. :irked:

Sad testament that there were that many people watching for 75 minutes to hear someone basically say 4 words: 'I'm going to Miami'. Which takes about 1.5-2 seconds to say. 3 seconds if you're an average pro sports player. :\

[dando]

Speaking of which, anyone have the overnights on that little debacle? I was curious to hear how many watched....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5371061


NEW YORK -- The Nielsen Co. estimates 9.95 million people watched LeBron James announce on ESPN that he's leaving Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat, making it the third-most-watched program on cable television this year.

"The Decision" that aired Thursday night ranks behind the 12.3 million who watched the NFL Pro Bowl and 11.2 million who watched an episode of "ICarly" on Nickelodeon in January.

-Kevin

[dando]

His ROI has been zero rings for $60 million. My point is he hasn't lived up to the hype, and certainly wasn't worthy of last week's "Hey look at me" coverage..

Rubbish. LBJ was reported to add $100m+ to the worth of the Cavs alone and the economic impact to Cleveland was in the millions per season. I've heard/read various reports that the economic impact over a max contract extension would have been $1B+. YMMV. Again, not defending the hype, which was way over the top, IMO.

-Kevin

[Insomniac]

So per the story his agent is allegedly the guy who was the template for the Jerry McQuire (“show me the money”) character from the movies (and brother to Pres. Obama’s chief of staff).

I think that's off. The agent was Ari Emmanuel (Rahm's brother). But that isn't who Jerry Maguire was based on though. Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) from Entourage is supposed to be based on Ari Emmanuel. But he isn't even a sports agent.

Also he was the one who got to fire Mel Gibson (as TravelGal mentioned in the other thread).

[dando]

Ugh. :irked:

Sad testament that there were that many people watching for 75 minutes to hear someone basically say 4 words: 'I'm going to Miami'. Which takes about 1.5-2 seconds to say. 3 seconds if you're an average pro sports player. :\

Well it actually took ~30 minutes for him to say he was taking his talents to South Beach, and another 30 minutes for Wibon, etc. to give him a lap dance. :saywhat:

-Kevin

[Insomniac]

I don't mean to get political, but I'm a big free-market person, so therefore I believe James fulfilled his contract and should be allowed to play anywhere he darn well pleases going forward. I can also see Jesse Jackson's point -- hear me out -- that Gilbert's rant looked like a jilted owner of a person, not of a team or a franchise. That's what you get, however, when you view everything through the binoculars of race.

If Cuban had reacted the same way when Dirk opted for free-agency (let's say Dirk left the Mavs), I think it would have struck me the same way Gilbert's letter did... a billionaire expecting unending loyalty from a millionaire and outrage that he dare leave when his binding contract was up. It's stupid. Gilbert should have tried a new coach after the Cavs lost to Orlando in 08-09 so James would have had a year to know how it was going to turn out.


All that being said, the way he left was appalling. I will root vigorously against Miami next season, if I can bother watching. This makes me like Kobe more, and I hate James for that!

The owner and fans felt betrayed. It's not a new phenomenon in sports. I've read that letter a couple times and I just see no way to compare that to a master and slave. The owner comes across as angry and bitter.

You also would need to say Dirk has to act as LeBron did in choosing his new employer. There's just so much more to this whole thing.

[Napoleon]

I think that's off. The agent was Ari Emmanuel (Rahm's brother). But that isn't who Jerry Maguire was based on though. Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) from Entourage is supposed to be based on Ari Emmanuel. But he isn't even a sports agent.

I could swear I read that somewhere but an internet search is coming up dry so maybe I confused a few different stories in my mind. Wiki says Jerry Mcguire is modeled on Leigh Steinberg and supports your Entourage assertion.

[Napoleon]

Zydrunas Ilgauskas leaves Cavs, signs with Heat (http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/07/zydrunas_ilgauskas_to_join_leb.html)

[TKGAngel]

The agent was Ari Emmanuel (Rahm's brother).

And just to bring it full circle, Rahm was allegedly the inspiration for Josh Lyman on The West Wing.

So does anyone think this will be the new mode for FA announcements, or will players/agents be too scared of the reaction to try it again?

[Napoleon]

So does anyone think this will be the new mode for FA announcements, or will players/agents be too scared of the reaction to try it again?


The latter. The reaction was so negative (for good reason) you will not see it again. Plus even if the reaction was good there are very few players in any sport that are considered that good to merit it.


And just to bring it full circle, Rahm was allegedly the inspiration for Josh Lyman on The West Wing.

I know this is radically OT, but in the genre of who inspired who in movies/tv/works of art within the last month I learned of one that is now at the top of my all time list of “you have to be kidding”.

The 50th anniversary of “To Kill a Mocking Bird” was a few days ago so tributes and the like have been all over. The book is widely considered to be a very loosely autobiographical story of the author Harper Lee (though she denied it), something I long knew. What I didn’t know is that the character Dill is said to be based on her childhood friend who actually lived next to her for a while, Truman Persons, later to be know as Truman Copote.

2 of the best American authors in the last half of the 20th century and the were childhood friends in Southern Backwater, Alabama, USA.

[Insomniac]

And just to bring it full circle, Rahm was allegedly the inspiration for Josh Lyman on The West Wing.

So does anyone think this will be the new mode for FA announcements, or will players/agents be too scared of the reaction to try it again?

I think there could be more, but how often does this happen? I think this blew up so badly because people still thought Cleveland was a possible choice up to the end, and after he chose Miami everyone pretty much thought it was a done deal way before he announced it. I think if it was anywhere else but Miami, it wouldn't have been such a debacle. It's this sense that he knew all along Cleveland was out, he was going to Miami and decided to go onto national TV and and give kick Cleveland a stomach punch on his way out of town.

But who knows. I really believe it's all based on the circumstances on how well it works out.

For example, Tom Brady and his final year of his contract is talked about a lot. The fact that he doesn't have an extension yet. Whispers he isn't happy. (I do worry a little there is some truth to it given that Peyton is in the same exact situation and no one is really saying anything.) Say he has finally had it, the Patriots aren't offering him as much as he wants, he wants to be on the West Coast to be closer to his son with Bridget Moynahan, etc. and he says at the beginning of the season he's playing the season out and will head to free agency. (This can't really happen with the franchise tag.)

I don't think I'd be mad he had a special on ESPN. Granted, if he went to the Jets or Steelers he'd be dead to me. ;)

I guess with LeBron, he never really said why he left Cleveland. Maybe people just want to know why.

[WickerBill]

Was I the only one reminded of this other recent craptastic phenomenon?

http://sacg.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/tx_mcknightusc.jpg


LeBron should have just had hats sitting in front of him, and picked one.

[dando]

Was I the only one reminded of this other recent craptastic phenomenon?

No. :saywhat:

LBJ never had the pleasure of being recruited for college, so I suspect he had fulfill that need. :irked:

-Kevin

[dando]

pHXh73Sm21k

:rofl: :thumbup:

-Kevin

[dando]

G7xlzLOZH5c

:D

-Kevin

[dando]

A good write up on all things Drama King. (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Asisw0B7dxxElRE6rxc2p.C8vLYF?slug=aw-heatfreeagency071610)

-Kevin

[Napoleon]

ESPN ombudsman blasts network for LeBron coverage. (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/ESPN-ombudsman-blasts-network-for-LeBron-coverag?urn=top-257681)

[dando]

ESPN ombudsman blasts network for LeBron coverage. (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/ESPN-ombudsman-blasts-network-for-LeBron-coverag?urn=top-257681)

Original article is here (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=5397113).

EDIT: FYI, it is named the Entertainment Sports Programming Network for a reason. :\

-Kevin

[Don Quixote]

Very good analysis of the trainwreck. ESPN should learn from this, but they won't.

[Don Quixote]

Great Lakes Brewing Company making "Quitness" beer. Nappy, you need to review it for us. :laugh:

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/news/miami-too-hot-quitness-returns-home-on-7-17

[devilmaster]

Great Lakes Brewing Company making "Quitness" beer. Nappy, you need to review it for us. :laugh:

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/news/miami-too-hot-quitness-returns-home-on-7-17

Good joint. I remember trying it out a couple years back.

[dando]

Great Lakes Brewing Company

:thumbup: :thumbup:

-Kevin

[chop456]

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter :thumbup:

Christmas Ale :thumdown:

And a friend told me people stand in line for it? :saywhat:

Went there for lunch last summer and my friend was a little surprised when he got the bill for $70 for 2 growlers. :laugh:

[Don Quixote]

WTF, I would stand in line for bad beer. :D

[TKGAngel]

ESPN pulled a story from a freelancer about partying with LeBron in Vegas. Check it out on Deadspin (http://deadspin.com/5598719/read-espns-spiked-story-about-lebron-among-the-naked-ladies-in-vegas).

(It's Deadspin, so it always might be NSFW.)

[dando]

ESPN pulled a story from a freelancer about partying with LeBron in Vegas. Check it out on Deadspin (http://deadspin.com/5598719/read-espns-spiked-story-about-lebron-among-the-naked-ladies-in-vegas).

(It's Deadspin, so it always might be NSFW.)

Precisely why E$PN is considered a pseudo 'news' organization. They try to play it both ways (entertainment and news), but it doesn't work. :saywhat:

-Kevin

[Don Quixote]

Article disappears from espn website.

read it here, yeesh (http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=6300)

[Napoleon]

Well the Drama Queen makes his first appearance in Cleveland in another uniform this Thursday night. It will be interesting to see how he is received.

[Methanolandbrats]

Well the Drama Queen makes his first appearance in Cleveland in another uniform this Thursday night. It will be interesting to see how he is received.

Cavs by 25 :D :thumbup:

[Don Quixote]

I hope the Cavs fans are on their best behavior..............:D

[Napoleon]

I hope the Cavs fans are on their best behavior..............:D

I plan to trash my house while watching the game.

[Napoleon]

Well the Cavs have announced bottles of beer will not be sold tonight. I wonder why?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QWb6sOPCDIM/SigEs9JbLrI/AAAAAAAAAEM/hr0cMoOAikM/s400/10cent-hilgendorf.jpg

[Don Quixote]

I plan to trash my house while watching the game.Good call. In your honor I will burn my couch in the front yard.

[dando]

Heat by 25 :D :thumbup:

Fixed. :gomer: Thankfully civility has broken out in Cleveburg.

-Sam Wyche

:D :p

[Napoleon]

Figures, LaBron has his best game of the year.

Now I have to clean up my trashed house.

[Don Quixote]

Figures, LaBron has his best game of the year.

Now I have to clean up my trashed house.Don't bother, you will just trash it again when the Browns play. :D