My First (and only) Blog About Sports

Disclaimer: I’m venting. I do not want your feedback.  Thanks.

I’m really surprised by how many people truly hate LeBron James…and consequently, the Miami Heat.  I haven’t opened my mouth about the subject because honestly, I stopped caring about basketball and most other sports by the time I graduated from college.  And if you knew me before then, you know that I lived and breathed the stuff.  Over time, I realized I was giving too much of my energy, time, and consideration to something that made absolutely no difference in my life.  And when I stopped to reflect on the stupid arguments that left my blood boiling…I realized I was stupid for having them.

Back to my point.  Why does everyone hate LeBron?  Ok, I know why (it’s pretty hard not to know why with everyone and their mother talking about it circa summer of 2010), but I still don’t understand the public reaction.  You and I both know that basketball players aren’t people.  I don’t care what you say, they don’t live in the same world as “normal” people, they don’t live by or follow the same rules as “normal” people, and because of “normal” people, they don’t get treated like “normal” people either.  So when they do ridiculous things, are we really holding them to the standards of “normal” people?  I’m not excusing anyone’s behavior; like, “Oh it’s ok, he’s a basketball player.”  What I’m saying is how did we decide what to pick and choose to justify our hate? 

If anyone wanted any kind of credibility, then everyone would be a Spurs fan.  Why? Tim Duncan.  The quietest, most behaved player in the league.  But I haven’t met too many Spurs fans.  I meet a lot of Lakers fans, whose star player both cheated on his wife and “allegedly” raped another woman.  As of late, I’ve met a lot of Mavs fans, whose team captain beat his wife.  Or did everyone forget about that?

My point: I think it’s ridiculous when people hate entire teams, if not entire players, because of their unethical behavior.  By that logic, there’d be no Steelers fans (sorry Ben).  And dare I say it, no Michael Jordan fans (adultery will get ‘em every time).  Yes, what LeBron did was crappy.  Go ask the entire state of Ohio…we get it.  But why does it matter when the league is full of unethical players?  How about this.  Stop looking for role models and just watch the game.  Thus, we come full circle to my first paragraph and why I stopped watching sports.  It’s not your life.  And it really has no impact on it, either.  What you CAN do is stop watching, buying, and encouraging their outlandish salaries.  Maybe then players would clean up their act.  But honestly, I highly doubt it.