I want you to play the song below while reading this post. Try, as best you can, to not be distracted by the vicious, piercing irony of the chorus as it relates to the sports teams of Cleveland.

I know, it’s not going to be easy…especially after the events of last night rubbed even more salt into the (eternally?) tragically open wounds of an entire city’s fan base.

On the same that night that the last two Cy Young Award winners — both of whom were Indians when they won it — faced off in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James dropped to 0-2.

You might think, well hey, at least Cleveland fans have the Browns game to look forward to this Sunday!

And this sentiment, of course, would be met either with hearty laughter or plaintive cries, all depending on one’s perspective, mood, and current level of sanity.

No, ladies and gentleman, sports in the city of Cleveland most certainly do not rock. Last night was simply further confirmation of this ever deepening and depressing truism.

But don’t take it from me. Scan the Cleveland sports blogosphere. It’s hard to wait for next year when you can barely make it from day to day this year.

Cavs/Raptors Reaction: Biff Goes Boom Again on Murder Mike — (Cleveland Frowns)

I’m beside myself about tonight’s Cavaliers loss in Toronto. In a town where Jhonny Peralta has been the starting shortstop for the better part of a decade and Brian Robiskie is a second round pick, it’s too much to bear yet another coach who’s too dumb to see what’s apparent to even the most casual of fans.

Tribe Fans Hide Your Eyes: D-Day is Here — (Waiting For Next Year)

Most Indians fans I know refuse to watch one second of it. I for one, will be glued to the TV. Will it make me sick? Absolutely. Seeing two former Indian aces face off against one another, knowing that just one year ago, they were in the same rotation in our city, is nausiating.

Note: to be fair, this post by WFNY does go onto say that the departures of C.C. and Cliff Lee were somewhat inevitable and that you can’t hold the feet of Indians’ management to the fire for too long as punishment.

Still, the fact remains, what other fan base has had to watch that?

Only in Cleveland.

Time-honored tradition of rooting against teams has arrived for Browns fans — (No Logo Needed)

After Mangini’s press conference on Monday where he stated he’s sticking with Derek Anderson and his 40.6 quarterback rating the Voice of Reason is officially throwing in the towel.  I’m done, stop the fight.  Bring out Zastudil and let him punt my fandom (and this season) out at the 5-yard line.

Cleveland Browns are how bad? — (Starting Blocks)

The Cleveland Browns are probably worse than their 1-6 record indicates.

In the Browns’ last two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers have combined for 1,003 yards gained against the Browns porous defense.

The Browns’ inept offense has totaled 336 yards in the two games.

The Cleveland Browns have played 907 games, including playoffs, since they began as a franchise in the All-America Football Conference in 1946.

Never has the team had a worse two-game stretch in yardage differential. Pitrtsburgh and Green Bay outgained the Browns by a combined 667 yards.

For some reason the spelling error in this excerpt just seems appropriate. Hence, I left it. Why not? It fits the motif.

Meet the Snworb — (The Kardiac Kid)

The Browns’ lethargic, pathetic performance last week against the Packers summed up their last 10 years of futility. Fans and pundits call for the heads of Lerner, Kokinis, and Mangini, or argue that we should boycott the Browns. We could fire Mangini and Kokinis, but it would begin another rebuilding process. Lerner could sell the team, but who’s to say the new owner would be any better? And why should Browns fans boycott a team they love?

None of these solutions get us any closer to what Clevelanders really want: a competitive professional football team.

Cleveland fought hard for the Browns.

The new Browns franchise is unacceptable.

The City of Cleveland should take the name, colors, logos and legacy of the Cleveland Browns away from this franchise*.

I think that’s enough of the excerpting.

Point taken, right?

As far as the Indians are concerned, the meeting of C.C. and Cliff Lee was more the malevolence of circumstance than anything else. Yes, it sucks for Indians fans that the team couldn’t keep one or both of them, but the economics of Major League Baseball dictated their departure.

You see, C.C. ends up on the Yankees and Cliff Lee ends up on the Phillies…yet the Indians, nor any other club, ever once had a chance to bid on Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chase Utley, or Ryan Howard. Notice the glaring difference? (Note: this is not an original thought. I read it somewhere and cannot remember where to link back.)

As Rasheed Wallace once brilliantly said in a post-game interview: “it is what is is, and it do what it do.”

As far as the Cavs are concerned, I’m on record as saying that the Shaq experiment is a bad one. I just don’t see it working. Shaq of ten or even five years ago? Sure, it’s a good move. Rotund, immobile, uninspired Shaq of today?

Hell no.

I still have faith that LeBron can single-handedly make some sweet lemonade out of the lemons surrounding him, but I just really don’t see this team as being closer to an NBA championship this year than they were last year.

Time will tell, but the Cavs could not have had a more inauspicious start. to the season

And then there are the Browns.

Oh the Browns.

What is there really to say? As a commenter pointed out in the Starting Blocks post I linked to above, “somebody”predicted dire consequences if Eric Mangini were hired. We’re stuck with the current situation right now, so I’m trying to make the best of it, but games like last Sunday really make it difficult.

At the end of the day, the only thing that Cleveland sports fans really have to get them through such dire (life)times is eachother. And here, here, and here you go for the evidence.

When my mom looked at these pictures, her first comment was, “Wow, these all people all just go there to get drunk, don’t they?”

Yes, I suppose technically that is true in most cases. But look around the sports landscape at what these people are forced to cheer for. They go there and to cope.

To survive.

The lyrics to the song may say that “Cleveland rocks,” but unfortunately the only thing that ever gets rocked are the hopes, dreams, and wishes of Cleveland sports fans.

Game after game.

Year after frustrating year.

So they wait. And in the meantime they find solace at places like the Great Lakes Brewery, with tools like 8-person beer bongs, and with coolers full of Jello shots.

And I don’t think anyone can really blame them.

**********

* – Browns fan photo credit: daniel1212 at PhotoBucket

* – Indians fans photo credit: Clemson Baseball Girl

Update: All of the panel discussions will be streaming live online starting at 12:30 at Sports Talk Cleveland.

You’ve heard me allude to it in some posts this week, and you’ve seen me using the #sm360 hash tag more and more over the last few days, so here is the official post to let you know what the hell is going on.

This weekend is the Sports Media 360 Conference in Cleveland, organized by the Dugout Sports Show. Here is the official description from the DSS website:

SM360 is a conference bringing together mainstream sports journalists, sports bloggers and sports public relations professionals for a weekend. From panels consisting of the best bloggers and well respected journalists in the sports world, to how-to workshops ranging from getting your blog noticed, building credibility with teams’ public relations and communications professionals and starting a sports related podcast. There will also be workshops for the student interested in a career in sports journalism or photography.

I am very excited to be serving on one of the panel discussions, where I will be discussing how to build credibility as a blogger. What am I even more excited about is meeting so many great bloggers and truly accomplished individuals in the online realm, and learning from everyone in attendance.

It is going to be a great weekend.

You can follow Sports Media 360 on Twitter and use the #sm360 hash tag to track the weekend’s events. And if you’re in the Cleveland area, you can still sign up and attend. If you are interested in sports blogging and online media, I would definitely recommend coming out. It should be a great weekend.

I will probably be posting more on Twitter than here on MSF this weekend, so you won’t see as many new posts. But I’ll be back Monday with the all of the regularly scheduled weekly posts that your accustomed to.

Also, for anyone who is going to the Browns-Packers game on Sunday, I will be there early tailgating. Hit me up on Twitter (@jerodmsf) if you’re going to be there.

This may be my last post before I have to catch my plane. If so, have a great weekend everyone!

The following tweet by our friend Scott from Waiting For Next Year perfectly summed up my thoughts regarding the Josh Cribbs trade rumors floating around right now:

As little underlying support there is, these Josh Cribbs rumors are not fun

He is exactly right.

Who knows how legitimate the Cribbs-to-Miami or Cribbs-to-whomever talk is, but there is nothing fun or exciting at all about the Browns’ clear fan favorite being mentioned in the same sentence as the word “trade.”

All the rumors about Cribbs got me to thinking: is he the second most untradable sports figure in Cleveland?

(I think we all know who the first is.)

Let’s think about it for a second.

Is there anyone on the Cavs right now other than LeBron that Cleveland fans have a really strong connection to? I would suspect that Big Z is in that category, but considering his age and contract, I’m not sure Cavs fans would be too up in arms if there was a parting of the ways soon.

Shaq, despite his profile and the excitement surrounding his arrival, has yet to play a regular season game for the Cavs. There has been no time for a connection to develop.

Do you see anyone else on the Cavs roster with 1/10th the fan love of Josh Cribbs? I don’t.

Let’s then move on to the Indians where, unfortunately for Indians fans, two fan favorites have already been dealt away over the past two years: C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. I would definitely have placed Sabathia right there with Cribbs, if not above.

Who else on the Indians roster might qualify in Cribbs’ class?

Fausto Carmona and Travis Hafner were on their way a few years ago, but then decided to suck and have fallen out of favor. The only person who could legitimately enter the conversation is Grady Sizemore.

Sizemore is a very, very good player, but for years I have felt that he was somewhat overrated.

Don’t get me wrong: he’s among the top 25-30 players in baseball, especially when you factor in his tremendous defensive ability. I just don’t consider him among the elite of the elite as some people do.

When it comes to fan love, however, Sizemore does pretty well for himself.

Guys like Grady because he’s a 30-30 threat who can help their fantasy team and has been the one consistent offensive force on the Indians’ revolving door of a lineup over the past few years. And the ladies like him because, well…I guess because he has dimples, or something? (Money, you idiot…it’s the money! And the shirts…)

And then we get to the Browns, where talented former 1st round picks like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards have recently been traded away without much fan consternation.

The only player whose popularity could approach Cribbs’ is that of Brady Quinn. However, considering Quinn’s underwhelming performances when given an opportunity, it’s not like the majority of Cleveland fans honestly feel like they have a prettier version of Bernie Kosar sitting on the bench right now.

In fact, while there is a subset of Browns fans who would be pissed and upset if Quinn got traded, there is no such subset of fans who would be pissed and upset to see Cribbs go.

ALL Browns fans would be devastated to see Josh Cribbs gone. ALL OF THEM.

Every single one.

If you can find me a single Browns fan who would be even remotely excited about the loss of Josh Cribbs, I will grow a mustache, name it Zastudil, and interview it on a podcast.

Seriously.

For all of the ill will that Eric Mangini and George Kokinis have generated since their arrival, it would pale in comparison to the fan backlash that would result from trading Joshua Cribbs for anything less than a franchise QB or an already established superstar defensive player.

Cribbs is the one guy who gives us all hope every time he touches the ball. He has been the heart and soul of the organization since he became a star in 2007. He has continued to play hard this year despite little hope of team success and little progress on a contract extension that was promised to him.

There is not much good about the Cleveland Browns right now, but whatever ounce of good exists is manifested almost entirely in the play of Josh Cribbs.

You can get away with trading malcontents like Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. Browns fans understand that. And if you’re going to be cheap, stupid-line-in-the-sand hardasses about Cribbs’ contract, and not pay the guy what he deserves, then I hope the Browns do trade him…for Cribbs’ own sake.

Josh Cribbs deserves to play for an organization that understands and respects his value to the team, fans, and city. Mangini and Kokinis just need to realize that said organization needs to be Cleveland, with no excuses.

I don’t care if he’s “just a special teams player.” Watch the damn games, watch the effort, watch his teammates respond to him, assess the value of what you’d have to pay him for the myriad tangible and intangible positives he brings, and watch the fans stay interested in the miserable overall product because of this exciting player with the never-say-die attitude and never-quit motor.

Josh Cribbs is a special player. Period.

I’m not saying pay him like a #1 WR or a top-flight defensive lineman or anything like that. Just pay the guy what he deserves for his value on the field and his value to the organization, with his value to the fans being a major part of that.

Pay him, and don’t trade him.

I’m coming to Cleveland next weekend for the Packers game. If Josh Cribbs isn’t there too, I am not going to be happy. Not one bit. I’ve never booed my own team at home — and I’d never boo the players so long as they’re giving effort — but I’d boo Eric Mangini as hard and as loud as I possibly could if Cribbs is not around.

And something tells me the other 73,200 people at Cleveland Browns stadium would join me.

Luckily, it sounds like the Cribbs rumors are just that: rumors. And from everything I’ve read, the Browns are not actively shopping Cribbs. They are merely listening to offers considering Cribbs’ desire for a new contract.

Fine. I understand that…so long as it results in an amicable resolution in which Cribbs gets a new contract and we all have some security that our favorite player will be around for a while.

Update: Cribbs’ agent thinks that the Browns are being unfair by not trading him or redoing his contract.

**********

* – Grady Sizemore photo credit: Luello.com

* – Joshua Cribbs photo credit: AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

My favorite part about living here again is reading the Plain-Dealer sports page every morning. All the Cavs, Browns, Indians, and Buckeyes info all together in one paper saves me hours of scouring PFT and bucknuts.com. My only problem is that Terry Pluto is not allowed to write every single article in the sports page. Instead I am forced to read the pathetically pessimistic views that are so often expressed by Bill Livingston and Bud Shaw. In my opinion, both Shaw and Livingstion do more harm than good, and could use either an attitude adjustment, or a new line of work.

I may not be nearly as old as those guys, but I have seen my fair share of disappointment regarding Cleveland’s epic failure in sports over the years. I vividly remember “The Drive” & “The Shot”, and I attended hundreds of Indians games (including World Series) throughout the mid-90s. It seems after enduring letdown after letdown after letdown, the typical Cleveland fan is forced to adopt one of the following attitudes regarding the teams he has loved over the years:

1) Maintain optimism, look at the bright side, and hope for the best;

OR

2) Become a miserable piece of crap who would rather be right about losing than wrong about winning.

Both Shaw and Livingston were the ones who said last year that Mike Brown was a terrible coach who should be dismissed. Wrong again, a$$holes. The worst part is that neither douchebag offered any ideas on how THEY would improve the team, other than firing Brown. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Less than a year later Brown received 55 first place votes as the NBA’s best coach. Houston’s Rick Adelman came in second place with 13 votes. Bill and Bud, you don’t know anything about coaching in the NBA…so what do you get out of being overly critical of someone who does?

(Editor’s Note: We had hoped to bring you a picture of Bud Shaw, however we were unable to use an actual picture because of copyright considerations. When informed of this Ryan said, “Just put some douche with a molestache and say it is him.” So we did.)

Last week Bud Shaw (pictured, left) actually had the stones to say that he thinks the Cavs will make it to the NBA Finals, but lose to the Lakers in the end. He ended the piece by saying, “you’ll thank me later.”

I don’t know where to begin with how screwed up in the head this SMUG SON OF A BITCH has to be to think that in the first place, let alone collect paychecks for distributing such drivel to the fans.

What is it about the Lakers that makes Shaw so confident that they can beat the hottest team with the best record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs? What the hell is, “you’ll thank me later,” supposed to mean? Is he suggesting that we bet that the Cavs lose in the Finals, cash in, and then thank him for his prophetic “wisdom?”

Does he think we should root for the Lakers instead of the Cavaliers so that we will be happy when the Cavs lose?

The answer to all of these questions is “NO”.

Bud Shaw was simply attempting to look like he knows what he is talking about by taking the safest bet in sports: that Cleveland will not win it all, regardless of what sport you want to talk about. If having the best team in the NBA is not enough to make Bud Shaw a Cavs fan, then why on Earth is he being paid to write about them? Why does he even watch the games (maybe he doesn’t), other than to pray that we lose and prove that he was right?

Anyway, my intent when I sat down to write this was to provide my optimistic spin on the current state of each of Cleveland’s major sports teams (and Sizemore just went yard as I write this!). So let’s go, one by one:

As far as I’m concerned, if you can’t get excited about this year’s team, then you have no business being a Cavs fan in the first place.

This year’s Cavs team might very well be the finest team that Cleveland has assembled in the history of the city’s professional sports teams. Perhaps the 1964 Browns, or the 1995 Indians could give them a run for the money, but I seriously doubt that is the case.

If we don’t win the championship, it will be a tremendous disappointment, but no one can take away how good we were this year. This year’s Cavaliers demolished another franchise record seemingly every night this month; and LeBron, Mo, Delonte, Z, and Varejao are simultaneously having what could be called their best seasons to date.

If you witnessed this season, and still want to try to poke holes in the Cavs, point out what you think are flaws, and convince yourself that they will find a way to lose, then I suggest that you just leave Cleveland right now, because you are a sad, pathetic individual and we don’t need or want you.

If you are waiting for a Cleveland championship before you believe and support our teams, then please just piss off, because you are exactly what is wrong with with most fans today (see: Indianapolis Colts).

This year’s Indians team is very young; but very talented. Additionally, we could benefit from the fact that the AL Central is so weak right now that even Kansas City stands a chance (just kidding, Coco). Just because we started off 4-9 though, many pessimistic “fans” (including my very own brother) have already given up on the Tribe.

This is ridiculous.

In 1997 the Indians started out 5-8 and went on to win the pennant. {By the way, bottom of 7th right now, 6-1 good guys; Laffey looks great!} If we win tonight, we are only a half game away from where we were the last time we went to the World Series. That, plus Wood closing, plus the fact that the division is not as strong as usual, suggests that it’s not crazy to be optimistic about the Indians’ chances in 2009.

Come on, Believeland!

I have never been less excited about having such a high draft pick.

The economy sucks, rookie salaries are higher than ever, and the talent pool isn’t nearly as deep as it was in years past, but I am still confident that Mangini and Kokinis know what they are doing based on their track records. EVERYONE is looking to trade down, which would be ideal but unlikely. I hope that a team like Philly, who is seriously considering Knowshon Moreno, might opt to take the hit and trade up to ensure getting him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if no team traded up in the first round.

That said, if we do pick in the #5 spot, I’d like to see us pickup Michael Crabtree. I know there is a ton of hype surrounding him, and that this year’s draft class is exceptionally backloaded with talented WR’s, but this kid seems too good to pass up. I should note that I felt completely different about who the Browns should draft when I thought that Winslow, Stallworth, and Jurevicius would be making contributions to next year’s offense. (Also, Braylon Edwards must have been pulling tubes with Michael Phelps, or caught VD from Ann Arbor (WHORE!); because he is no longer good at catching footballs.)

Anyone who thinks that they can predict how the Browns will fare next season is full of [baloney-sauce]. We went 10-6 in 2007 when we were supposed to suck, and 4-12 when we had high expectations for the team. And all of this happened when we actually knew a little bit about what was going on within the organization. Anything can happen in the NFL, and ManKok isn’t saying peep, so no one really knows what plans are in place and what expectations we should have for team personnel or outcome of the season.

My guess is that Bud Shaw and Bill Livingston, who is highly critical of Lerner, are only negative about the team because they don’t have any idea what to write about anymore. They have grown accustomed to having head coaches and general managers hand them their stories for years, and now Mangini is making them earn their inflated paychecks.

I know that journalists, even sports journalists, are supposed to be unbiased, and I agree completely. I just think that Shaw and Livingston are often negatively biased, for whatever reason, as opposed to unbiased. Like I said, it doesen’t seem to be a effectTerry Pluto, who has no problem balancing being both a legitimate jounalist, as well as a fan.

~ Ryan Russell

A book entitled The Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers, written by Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, outlines exactly what LeBron James means to the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise, the city of Cleveland, and how important his long-term presence was, is, and will be moving forward for both.

The publishers of the book have been nice enough to send me a copy, which I cannot wait to tear into once it arrives. LeBron James is, in my estimation, the most compelling athlete in the world today. We have watched his every move on a national scale since he was a senior in high school. And he is one of the rare prep phenomens who has not only lived up to enourmous expectations, he has exceeded them.

The story of LeBron James’ basketball career, and its importance to the cities of Akron and Cleveland, is fascinating. Superstar athletes have always important to the people of the cities in which they play, but LeBron’s importance to Cleveland goes far beyond that; more than just being important, LeBron James has become almost essential to the fabric of a city that yearns like few others for a championship to lift up civic pride and spriit.

Just read the official description of The Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers:

When the Cleveland Cavaliers drew the top pick in the 2003 NBA draft, an entire city buzzed with excitement. After all, how often does a LeBron James come along? Especially for Cleveland, a midmarket Rust Belt city without a sports championship in forty years. Especially for the Cavaliers, a long-struggling team that had never reached the NBA finals.

Now, it seems everyone has something riding on LeBron—billionaire team owner Dan Gilbert looking for a return on his investment . . . teammates eager for a championship ring . . . the league in need of the next Michael Jordan to promote . . . the shoe company with its multimillion-dollar endorsement deal . . . even popcorn vendors in the stands of Quicken Loans Arena and servers waiting restaurant tables in a downtown that now booms every game night.

Award-winning sports journalists Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst take an in-depth look at how a team and a city are being rebuilt around LeBron James. They tell the converging stories of a struggling franchise that had to get worse in order to get better and a highly touted teenage phenom, the local kid who became their future.

This book will fascinate any basketball fan who wants the inside story of how LeBron James became the young superstar shouldering the weight of an entire NBA franchise.

I’ll provide a review of the book once I receive my copy and read it, but I wanted to take a few minutes on a lazy, relaxing Sunday afternoon to do you and the book’s publisher a favor and tell you about it. For all LeBron James fans, Cleveland fans, and sports fans in general, the LeBron James bookThe Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers should be a worthwhile and compelling read.

Buy the LeBron James book: The Franchise

(Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans. Click on image for full-size view.)

The biggest story in the 2008-09 NBA season has had nothing to do with the actual play on the floor. Sure, the 21-2 start by the Boston Celtics as they defend their title has been nice. Derrick Rose has given Chicago Bulls fans legitimate hope for the future of the franchise. And Mo Williams has provided a tremendous boost to the Cleveland Cavaliers offense in the Cavs’ impressive start to the season.

But the biggest story so far this year has been about 2010, and specifically the amazingly loaded free agent class that is anticipated to hit the market at that time. The headliner of the 2010 free agent class is, of course, LeBron James. And if you need a reminder of LeBron’s greatness, let’s take a quick trip back down memory lane to my favorite LeBron memory: his ridiculous playoff performance against Detroit in which he led the Cavaliers to a Gave 5 playoff win by scoring 29 of the team’s last 30 points:

Already this season, the New York Knicks have traded away players to improve their salary cap situation for 2010 while decreasing their chances of winning now, in 2008. New head coach Mike D’Anmustache basically admitted that the Knicks were looking towards the future with their moves. Other teams have followed similar tacts, making moves that are more about payroll and salary cap than improving a franchise’s immediate chances of winning.

Sure, some owners may be using the guise of positioning themselves for 2010 to save money now in response to the economic downturn in America — but no one is doubting that the primary goal of franchises like the Knicks, the Pistons, and the Nets, among others, is to have the necessary cap space to make a strong run at King James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and the other superstars who will be free agents in 2010.

A few weeks ago, when the Cavaliers visited New York, much was made in the media about the potential for a 2010 marriage between LeBron James and the Knicks. LeBron has not been bashful about proclaiming his goal of being a “global icon” and has certainly not gone out of his way to put the kibosh on the rumors of his interest in being in a bigger market like New York. Here is video of the controversial interview that LeBron James gave to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN back on November 25th:

LeBron took some heat from the likes of Charles Barkley for this interview, but since that little blurb of controversy the Cavaliers have been on a roll.

Since their November 25th meeting in New York with the Knicks, the Cavaliers have won 10 straight games — and done so in dominating fashion, winning by an average of 20.2 points. For all of those who criticized LeBron for not putting his current team first, and being too focused on the future, he has allowed his play on the court and the success of team to do the talking. This easily looks like the best team that LeBron has played with since he entered the NBA, and the Cavs and Celtics appear to be on a collision course towards the Eastern Conference Finals for a likely meeting against the Lakers in the Finals.

But how small is the window of opportunity for the Cavaliers to win an NBA title with LeBron James? Many people think it’s a done deal that he will bolt Cleveland after next season. Cleveland fans, conditioned to expect heartbreak from the Cavaliers (Jordan over Ehlo), Indians (Edgar Renteria off Jose Mesa), and Browns (too many examples to list), are already stricken with anxiety over losing the most sensational athlete to play in Cleveland since Jim Brown. And what makes LeBron James even more special and beloved is that he is a hometown kid, growing up in nearby Akron.

While Cleveland fans may be pessimistic by nature, and understandably so given their star-cross sports history, they are also fiercely loyal and passionate — and you can expect a full court press of love for their King over the next two years in an effort to convince him to stay.

One example is LeBron2010.com, where they are currently accepting donations for a billboard to be placed in Cleveland that will implore LeBron to stay home. The “Our Plea” page on LeBron2010.com includes a sobering reminder for all Cleveland sports fans:

Albert Belle: Left Cleveland.
Manny Ramirez: Left Cleveland.
Jim Thome: Left Cleveland.
The Cleveland freaking Browns: Left Cleveland.
LeBron James: ??

Another such example is a new website that just went up from the same Cleveland zealots who gave us www.cowher09.com. The site is called SaveLeBron.com, and only has 311 views as of this posting, but has not even really been officially launched. You can, however, go to Save LeBron right now and sign the petition they have started to show LeBron James how many people hope he stays in Cleveland. The picture at the top of this post was inspired by my first visit to Save LeBron, and by reading the site’s tagline: Why be an icon, when you can be a savior?

That line changed my thinking about LeBron James’ future.

I am not from Cleveland, nor am I a die-hard Cavaliers fan. I root for them peripherally, because I am more a fan of players in the NBA than any individual team and have always loved LeBron James. While I’ve always wanted to see him stay in Cleveland to fulfill the fairy tale of the local kid who leads the hometown team to great success, I’ve been of the opinion that LeBron should take his talents to a bigger market to maximize his exposure potential and fulfill his own goal of becoming a global icon.

I’m not so sure that this will actually serve his best interests anymore.

New York, LA, and Chicago are all bigger media markets than Cleveland and, on the surface, seem like they would allow LeBron James to further his personal interests much moreso than Cleveland. But what these markets do not offer is the one thing that Cleveland does: unconditional love and respect from his hometown fans that he will never be able to duplicate anywhere else, and the potential to single-handedly lift an entire city that he has called home for his entire life.

The narrative of LeBron James’ historic career will be infinitely more compelling if he stays in Cleveland and, undoubtedly, delivers multiple championships to his hometown. Should be jump for a city like New York, the narrative may get more immediate exposure — but it will be far less compelling and heart-working, and exceedingly more complicated. New York may offer more money at the end of the day, but that money comes with increased pressure and the “support” of fans who will turn their back on you in an instant if you don’t deliver multiple championships.

LeBron should ask Alex Rodriguez about playing in New York. ARod is one of the most talented and productive players in the history of baseball, but he gets no love or respect in New York. Sure, he brings it on himself somewhat by making poor PR decisions and struggling in the clutch — but I have to think that part of his struggles are created by trying to live up to the pressure created by the New York media and the mindset of the fans. It is like a vicious cycle that has chewed up and spit out many great players before, and will continue to do so in the future.

Cleveland will never treat LeBron this way, assuming he remains the upstanding, hard-working, and team-first individual he has been throughout his career. Fans in Cleveland may get frustrated at losses, but they appreciate hard work and honest effort. The expectations in New York are win at all costs; the expectations in Cleveland are play hard, give us everything you’ve got, and do everything to win — but we’ll support you as long as you show us the respect of leaving it all on the floor.

Who wouldn’t rather play in that type of environment, for their hometown fans, than being a hired gun in a cutthroat city like New York that only “loves” you if you win all the time?

Plus, the contract money will be equivalent. The NBA has a salary cap, unlike baseball, so the Knicks can’t just pony up $300 million for LeBron and blow Cleveland out of the water. Cleveland will do whatever it has to do to keep LeBron and pay him as much or more than any other team. The difference in money could ostensibly be from endorsements and exposure, and for many players I can see this being a valid argument. Johan Santana will have a lot more opportunities to make money outside of his baseball contract in New York than he did in Minnesota; but Johan Santana does not transcend baseball, he does not transcend sports.

LeBron James does. And he has the Nike machine behind. He could get infinite exposure and endorsement opportunities playing in Alaska. He may go down as one of the five best athletes in American sports history by the time his career is done. A lesser star may need the media spotlight of New York to become a global icon. All LeBron James needs to do is bring titles home to Cleveland, which he will do if he stays — and possibly begin doing even before 2010. As long as he wins and maintains his clean-cut image of success, LeBron James will remain the most popular and exposed American athlete regardless of if he’s in New York.

I have also heard rumors that LeBron has some type of ridiculous escalator clause in his contract with Nike should he end up in New York. I can see the logic on Nike’s part — but I disagree with it. LeBron can become an icon of the fickle love of New York — whose loyalty is to championships, not to LeBron — or he can lift an entire city that loves him unconditionally by staying in Cleveland. If LeBron goes to New York, he becomes one of many who stands out slightly because of his prodigious talents. But he would be just another who followed the money to New York. If he stays in Cleveland, LeBron James further separates himself from so many who came before him by choosing loyalty and home over being a mercenary for money. Global icons are created by doing things differently, by breaking new ground — not by following the formula that so many other before have followed.

Case in point, Tiger Woods has become a global icon not because he bases himself out of New York, but because he has broken new ground in his sport and won consistently. He transcends media markets and he has broken through the ceiling of exposure that was supposed to be possible for a golfer. Well, most people seem to think that there is a cap on “how big” someone can get playing in a second-tier media market like Cleveland. For most people that is probably true. Like Tiger Woods, LeBron James transcends not only his own sport but all sports; and he also transcends the purported ceiling of exposure available to himself in Cleveland.

Icons are a dime a dozen, but the opportunity to truly be a savior is rare. LeBron James is a uniquely gifted basketball player and personality who has a legitimate opportunity to be the savior of sports in his hometown. That is transcendent — and global icons are defined by the magnitude of their transcendence.

LeBron James will succeed no matter where we he plays. He will ultimately win championships no matter what city he is in. And he will continue to transcend his sport and develop a resume of accomplishments that will eventually place him among the most successful athletes of all-time. But to reach the rarified air of global icon that he aspires to, LeBron James needs to be different and do something different than those before him. Michael Jordan already paved the way for becoming a superstar and a global icon by winning in a top-level media market. If LeBron James goes to New York, all he can be is the next Michael Jordan.

If LeBron James stays in Cleveland, and undoubtedly becomes the savior of sports in his hometown, he will be breaking new ground and paving a new path. That is what a global icon does: something different than has been done before.

Tiger Woods is a global icon because he won consistently and was the savior of an entire sport. Michael Jordan is a global icon because he won consistently and was the savior of the NBA after the tumult of the 1970s and 1980s. Have we ever seen an athlete become a global icon because they literally became the singular savior of sports for an entire city?

Not that I can think of, and it is the reason why LeBron James should stay in Cleveland: not just because it is in the best interests of his hometown, but because it is in his own personal best interests as well.

What do you think?

After you go and sign the petition at SaveLeBron.com and donate for the billboard at LeBron2010.com, use the comments section to give your reasons for why LeBron James should stay in Cleveland. And if you disagree, voice that opinion too. No single decision will define the future landscape of the NBA like where LeBron plays after 2010. Let’s debate it here and try to gauge what Midwest sports fans think about this issue in general.

Tonight, the Cleveland Browns take on the New York Giants at Cleveland Browns Stadium, nestled comfortably in the heart of the Midwest. Thus far into the 2008 season the Browns have not done as well protecting their home turf as they did last year when they went 7-1 at home. Already, two writers here at Midwest Sports Fans have predicted a win tonight for the Browns in their Monday Night Football matchup against the currently undefeated Giants.

And while the Browns are clawing their way to a tough, hard-fought, highly significant victory this evening, Cleveland residents, and anyone planning on visiting the city, have the opportunity to enter a contest for a chance to chance to win a significant victory of their own.

PositivelyCleveland.com is sponsoring a contest that honors Cleveland’s history as the Rock and Roll Capital of the World. All you have to do is follow this link to the Cleveland Rock and Roll In the Know Sweepstakes and fill in your name, email address, and phone number to enter.

The winner of the contest will receive four tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with a private guided tour with the museum’s curator. According to official contest rules, entries must be received by this Friday, October 17th, at 11:59am.

There are plenty of compelling reasons to enter:

1. Did you know that the first ever rock and roll concert was held in Cleveland in 1952? I did not. Hence, the presence of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
2. Should you be chosen as the winner, you can make an entire week out of your trip to Cleveland. You can take your tour of the greatest music museum in the world, shoot on down to Canton and visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well, see the Goodyear blimp in Akron (also the hometown of LeBron James), and enjoy some outstanding parks and golf courses during your downtime.
3. Brady Quinn is still wearing a hat and holding a clipboard, so if you profess your support for John McCain and Sarah Palin, as Brady Quinn did recently, he might be compelled to accompany you on your tour. (Disclaimer: This claim is by no means guaranteed and is, in fact, utterly preposterous. Do not plan a trip to Cleveland hoping Brady Quinn will be your tour guide. Who knows — if the first half goes badly for Derek Anderson tonight, Quinn could actually be playing.) As of right now, Brady has nothing better to do, and he is obviously a rock and roll fan as evidenced by the picture of he and Brett Michaels from Poison to the right.
4. Our very own Ryan Russell, a Cleveland native who predicted a victory for the Browns tonight and is also a professional musician for The Franchize (who recently played a show at the Playboy Mansion), has been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “50 times” according to him, and thinks it’s a necessary trip for any music fan.
5. Karma. The more fans of the city of Cleveland who enter the sweepstakes, the better the Cleveland Browns chances of beating the New York Giants tonight and winning the AFC North. Don’t believe me? Well, answer me this: can it hurt? No. But it could, possibly, in some cosmic way help. To me, that says zero downside, but huge potential for upside. Right now, if you’re a Browns fan, you should be doing everything to increase this team’s karma and good fortune!

Prove your fan loyalty and sign up for the Rock and Rock In the Know Contest right now. Then come back here and leave a comment with your prediction for the score of the game. Whoever comes the closest to the actual game score (assuming a Browns victory — remember folks, we win and lose as a team) will receive two free passes to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, independent of the sweepstakes. We’ll roll the free passes over to next week if the Browns somehow come up short tonight. (Hint: There is NO incentive to pick the Giants to win. We’re all about boosting the Browns karma here at Midwest Sports Fans, objectivity be damned. Let’s see how long of a comment thread we can get of overwhelming Browns positivity!)

Aren’t you glad you kept reading?

So go sign up for the contest, leave your comment and score prediction here, and then cheer your heart out for the Browns tonight. The Season of Great Expectations is at a crossroads this evening, but a victory puts the Browns back on a positive track. We’ve already given you our predictions for the score of the Browns’ victory. What is yours?

[tags]cleveland, cleveland browns, rock and roll hall of fame, pro football hall of fame, ohio, contest[/tags]