erik316wttn

Only the Cubs would trade their best trading chip for a prospect that plays the same position as their best player (production for $$$ wise) and a position in which their organization has some depth. This is just a question, as I don't have the stats to say if this would be a good idea or not, but perhaps Soto or this Thole guy could be converted into a 1Bman after Lee leaves?

Dragging the man's family into it. Stay classy, Cleveland. And you wonder why nobody wants to come to your armpit of a city. I'm pretty sure that's not even close to a reason why nobody wants to go to Cleveland. Well, true. But being completely classless about the whole situation (whether or not LeBron was classless) isn't a mark in their favor. Why give yourself any more reasons for people not to come there?

Didn't Yanr did that wayyyy back in the day? DaveMason10k from the old ESPN.com board was banned for that trick about a week after I joined. He was under another name and had several thousand posts before revealing himself and was immediately banned.

nothing is going to happen about this Not gonna to do anything to Miami's situation, but they could change rules so that in the future this sort of player tampering doesn't happen. To a point, yes, but they'll never completely control it. I mean, unless they check cellphone voicemails and texts, or have an NBA official around each time two guys from different teams are together outside of an NBA game, they'll never totally stop it. What's to stop two guys from hanging out in the offsason and saying "hey, we should sign together. Let's see if (name of team) will take us."

Dragging the man's family into it. Stay classy, Cleveland. And you wonder why nobody wants to come to your armpit of a city.

Partially negated by the Grabow extention.

Where was this offense all year, schmucks?

Saltalamacia is a head case right now who can't even get past his mental block to throw the ball back to the pitcher. Pass.

Lilly to the Yankees for Montero. I'll even throw in Koyie Hill to get the deal done.

I always did love a good heel turn.

Haha, I love it when someone grabs a player out from under the Yankees. Let's see if we can peddle Z off on them.

Is there any hope to get a decent player back or do you think the Cubs are just looking to dump the salary. What is his value? The more and more I look at the rumors, I am starting to get very worried the Cubs are simply looking to dump salary. I have been waiting for this deadline since the middle of last season. If we don't get any good young talent back for our talent, I am going to be pissed. The problem though is that a lot of our guys are overpaid and not performing up to their contracts, making it very difficult to get any sort of return back for them. I, for one, am totally ok with the salary dumps as it gives a new GM room to bring in new FA's.

Just what the Yankees needed, another starting pitcher. And if the Yankees get Lee what a crappy couple of years for Cleveland sports. CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Court Jester James all leaving, with two going to the Yankees. Man, I actually feel bad for the city of Cleveland. Word is that the Yanks are going to look to trade Vasquez now.

I agree that he didn't win a championship, but he led them to the first Finals appearance in the history of the franchise. He gave them respectability over a prolonged period, something Cleveland hasn't had before. He gave them national media attention. Sure, they didn't win a title but they were able to raise themselves from "Perennial NBA Doormats" to "Eastern Conference Title Contenders" with him there. I don't think they'll win the East for a while now, but they might be able to still hang onto that respectability and maybe be able to develop some good talent in LeBron's wake. They do have quite a bit of cap room to go out and maybe sign someone or pull off a trade. All is not lost in Cleveland. That feels like a fantasy to me. That team is destroyed. I don't know if I'd go that far. Byron Scott is still a really good coach and I'm guessing Dan Gilbert would sell his soul to get Chris Paul. They are going to be a 40-win team at best right now, but they've also got what...$36 million in cap room after clearing LeBron and Shaq alone? It's just that, given how important destination is to many NBA players, it's hard for me to see the cream-of-the-crop wanting to go there now. Not that it eliminates any possibility, but they just lost their biggest draw to rebuild the team, in addition to losing the bulk of their performance from the team itself. NBA players do have too much power, IMO. I'd like to see a pullback in some way, shape, or form in the next CBA. I don't doubt you. I would just like to know how, as I know very little about the economics of basketball and the powers granted to the players that are above and beyond the other major sports.

I agree that he didn't win a championship, but he led them to the first Finals appearance in the history of the franchise. He gave them respectability over a prolonged period, something Cleveland hasn't had before. He gave them national media attention. Sure, they didn't win a title but they were able to raise themselves from "Perennial NBA Doormats" to "Eastern Conference Title Contenders" with him there. I don't think they'll win the East for a while now, but they might be able to still hang onto that respectability and maybe be able to develop some good talent in LeBron's wake. They do have quite a bit of cap room to go out and maybe sign someone or pull off a trade. All is not lost in Cleveland. That feels like a fantasy to me. That team is destroyed. You could be right. I don't follow the NBA enough to say for sure. Just my opinion, not facts.

Cleveland would have dealt with it just fine if he'd talked to them...explained that he felt like he needed to go somewhere else, and was just a decent human being about it. Sure, he'd have had haters, but nothing like this. Certainly not Gilbert throwing a temper tantrum. Instead, James decided to announce on a TV special to the Cavs (and 4 or so other teams) that he wasn't going to be joining them. I've lost a massive amount of respect for Lebron James through this....even if he had come to the Bulls, which I still wanted. Clearly a very skilled basketball player, but clearly not as mature as most thought. Probably true. I think the Cleveland hate was coming no matter what. Maybe it would have been less. By doing this, I don't think Lebron really cares about whether people in the cities who lost out respect him or not. He wants rings. Rings = legacy. It was obvious to me that's how he thinks of it. He was concerned he would never get the legacy he wanted in the NBA if he stayed in Cleveland. To me, that makes him a lesser legend than Jordan automatically. And I know many, many others feel the same way. But, this is apparently the new NBA. Work out a team-up deal and get your rings. To hell with everything else. Now watch the cavalcade of almost-retired pseudo-stars who will want to play on this team for peanuts to get their rings, too. I'm not saying I like it. But I'm not losing any sleep over it. The NBA isn't important enough to me for that. A lot of that happened in Boston after KG and Allen went there. A lot of guys went there just to be role players and win a title.

I agree that he didn't win a championship, but he led them to the first Finals appearance in the history of the franchise. He gave them respectability over a prolonged period, something Cleveland hasn't had before. He gave them national media attention. Sure, they didn't win a title but they were able to raise themselves from "Perennial NBA Doormats" to "Eastern Conference Title Contenders" with him there. I don't think they'll win the East for a while now, but they might be able to still hang onto that respectability and maybe be able to develop some good talent in LeBron's wake. They do have quite a bit of cap room to go out and maybe sign someone or pull off a trade. All is not lost in Cleveland.

Whatever you say. And besides, the judge and the doctor both believe that my pyromania is under control.

Just you talking about idiots fans overreacting to disappointment, and how you would supposedly never do it. There's a difference between posting displeasure on an internet message board and actually physically setting fire to a jersey in a symbolic act.

I doubt you'd be saying "it is what it is" if the Bulls lost Michael Jordan in the summer of 1990. Well, he is right, though. I'm not saying that I don't understand the hurt and disappointment in Cleveland. I do. I'd probably be upset if the best player my franchise has ever had left in his prime before ever bringing a championship. However, it's the nature of sports. Jerry Seinfeld was right: Players move so much that you're essentially not rooting for teams, you're rooting for laundry. He left a ton of money on the table to go to Miami, so this isn't about greed. It's about the desire to win, to reach the very pinnacle of your chosen profession. If I were a Cavs fan I certainly would not be happy at all, but I wouldn't be one of the idiots burning his jersey in the streets. Aren't you the guy who gets apoplectic when the Cubs go behind in a game? Changing the subject because your argument was shot down? And what does that have to do with LeBron?

I doubt you'd be saying "it is what it is" if the Bulls lost Michael Jordan in the summer of 1990. Well, he is right, though. I'm not saying that I don't understand the hurt and disappointment in Cleveland. I do. I'd probably be upset if the best player my franchise has ever had left in his prime before ever bringing a championship. However, it's the nature of sports. Jerry Seinfeld was right: Players move so much that you're essentially not rooting for teams, you're rooting for laundry. He left a ton of money on the table to go to Miami, so this isn't about greed. It's about the desire to win, to reach the very pinnacle of your chosen profession. If I were a Cavs fan I certainly would not be happy at all, but I wouldn't be one of the idiots burning his jersey in the streets. How do you feel about Brett Favre? Not happy about it, and I'll admit that I was mad when he went to Minnesota, and I won't root for him in the evil purple colors, but when he went to the Jets I at least wished him well. I didn't burn any of my Brett Favre stuff, though. I don't expect Cavs fans to root for him in Miami, but just because he left I don't think his time in Cleveland should be discounted. I fully understand that Brett Favre was a key reason the Packers came back to respectability after being terrible for most of the 70's and 80's, just like LeBron brought respectability to a franchise that never really had much of it. And Brett had brought a championship to Green Bay and wasn't in his prime. Also, football isn't as much of an individual sport as basketball is.

I doubt you'd be saying "it is what it is" if the Bulls lost Michael Jordan in the summer of 1990. Well, he is right, though. I'm not saying that I don't understand the hurt and disappointment in Cleveland. I do. I'd probably be upset if the best player my franchise has ever had left in his prime before ever bringing a championship. However, it's the nature of sports. Jerry Seinfeld was right: Players move so much that you're essentially not rooting for teams, you're rooting for laundry. He left a ton of money on the table to go to Miami, so this isn't about greed. It's about the desire to win, to reach the very pinnacle of your chosen profession. If I were a Cavs fan I certainly would not be happy at all, but I wouldn't be one of the idiots burning his jersey in the streets.

The one thing he doesn't have is a city that gives a crap about sports. So what? If he wins a title I don't think he'll say "Wow, I wish Miami was happier."

His situation in Cleveland wasn't that bad. Got to the Finals. Got to the East Finals twice. Best record in the league 2 years in a row....all in the last 4 years. Sure he wants to win a title, but he is 25. His moved reeks of desperation and it wasn't necessary. If he wanted to win a title so bad, he could have convinced his team to bring in Amare, or Boozer, or Lee or Bosh to the best regular season team in the NBA for the last 2 years. That being said, I can't fault him for making the move. I have never said it was a bad or stupid move. I think it was the easy way out. Bottom line. I'm sure the team was fine with bringing any of those guys in, but did the guys want to go there? It's been very public that Bosh didn't want to play in Cleveland. I cant speak for any of the other guys as I don't know the situation, but from watching him last night I think it genuinely hurt him to leave Cleveland and I'm sure he would have preferred to stay there had he been able to bring in one of those players. And I agree.. he didn't have a bad situation in Cleveland, but his situation in Miami is better. I personally don't blame him for wanting to go play with 2 close friends and probably 2 of the top 10 stars in the league today. Who wouldn't want that situation?

While Gilbert did act out of line, do you honestly think he should be thanking LeBron after he failed to ever contact the Cavaliers, make a spectacle out of himself and not let the Cavs know his plans until five minutes before? It's not like the Cavs didn't bend over backwards for LeBron. I'm not saying LeBron isn't wrong either. I'm just saying that for all that he did for the franchise he should have had a little bit more class about it. He could have put out a generic "We are disappointed that LeBron has chosen to pursue other opportunities, and think that he could have brought a championship to Cleveland" statement, but didn't have to rip him like he did. What did he do for them? The franchise isn't any better off now than before he showed up. Tons in merchandise sales, a full arena more often than not, appearances on national TV, perennial playoff contender, an NBA Finals appearance, national media outlets talking about your team..... yeah, LeBron did nothing.