Mea culpa. Mea culpa. Due to my travel schedule last week, I wrote my LeBron James article several days before it was due to be posted. So, yes, I know that King James had already announced his intentions to move to Miami long before my story posted. Maybe I should have tweeted all of you instead.
LeBron signing in Miami is big. LeBron signing in Miami alongside the returning Dwayne Wade and the newly arrived Chris Bosh is bigger. Three of the top nine scorers in 2010 will be on the same team in 2011. The expectations for the Heat couldn’t be any higher. Miss the Finals and the season will be considered an abject failure. Miss the playoffs and they’ll declare a new holiday in Cleveland – The Festival of Sour Grapes.
I haven’t been to Cleveland lately (thankfully), but I’m sure the “My two favorite teams are the Cavaliers and whoever is playing the Heat” bumper stickers and T-shirts have already hit the streets. I’m betting you could get a really good deal on a Cleveland James jersey on EBay right about now. That is, if the Cavs fans haven’t burned them all by now.
In the world of sports that are actually being played right now, the National League won the All-Star game for the first time since the early Ming Dynasty. The NL will have home field advantage for the World Series this year. That probably won’t be enough for the NL representative to overcome the New York “Win One More for George” Yankees, who still have a few days to buy the best players from the worst teams in baseball to make their annual run for the pennant.
Final Note – the blackest day on the sports calendar, the day after the All-Star game, has passed. There are only two days a year, the day before and after the MLB All-Star Game, on which there are no games played between the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. The day before the All-Star Game we get the Home Run Derby, which leaves the day after as the saddest day in the sports fans’ year. Rest easy, my fellow fanatics, as that sad day is in the rear view mirror for another 12 months.
