Time to weigh in on LeBron

It is incredible how short our attention is. I blame MTV with their quick cuts in videos and crappy new music that forces us to look for the next big thing all too quickly. Lebron is a "monster" and "cowardly"? Are you serious?

How quickly we forget that one of the most beloved big men of all time left his initial team titleless to join forces with a young amazing 2 guard and subsequently won 3 straight championships. What multi-nick-named, rapping, law-enforcing, unable-to-make-a-free-throw seven-foot 300 pound superstar am I talking about? Why Shaq of course. Why did he leave? My guess is he left an organization that had never won to go to one that almost always wins.

Oh and how about just a couple years ago Kobe went through THE SAME THING that LeBron just did. Now, sure, social media wasn't the cyber-king that it is now so there wasn't as much attention on it, but if you recall, Kobe was done with the Lakers. There were all kinds of rumors he was going to Chicago (ring a bell?). He had even demanded a trade before he became a free agent and then, well, he decided to stay. Why? My guess is because he was already on a WINNING ORGANIZATION!

"But Michael, Magic and Larry would never have teamed up just to win a title," you may say. Well that's probably because they were all part of organizations that built teams around their superstar giving them the ability to win. Sure, Chicago is not a historically great team, but Jordan did play with Pippen (one of the NBAs 50 greatest players), all-stars Horace Grant and BJ Armstrong and more than serviceable role players. For the Bulls' second three-peat Pippen was still there and so was one of the best defensive and rebounding forwards of all time in Dennis Rodman. Larry Bird played with Hall-of-Famers Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, Robert Parish and probably more that are slipping my mind. Magic of course played with James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (arguably the best center of all time) and, as has been discussed, he played for the LAKERS.

My point? Lebron didn't cold-heartedly, cowardly, deviously or any other adjective you wanna give him leave the fans of Cleveland. He smartly yet reluctantly left a BAD organization. James gave them the better part of a decade and they gave him squat. He had them in the FINALS with nobodys. By the time they got a big name, that big name was the aforementioned Shaq who has been reduced to a shell of is former self. They have done nothing but take the money that The King brought them. One could argue it's not their fault that big-time free agents wouldn't come to Cleveland. Then whose is it? It's their job to sell their organization, to prove that they are a good team to play for. Don't blame LeBron because Dan Gilbert is a bad salesman.

Why are Jordan and Barkley criticizing James? Probably because James and Wade and Bosh figured out a way to do something that they couldn't--not wouldn't but COULDN'T. The player was not nearly as powerful in their era as he is now. To me, it just sounds like sour grapes.

Not to mention the fact that LeBron WASN'T EVEN PLAYING HIS GAME in Cleveland. He is a born passer, a facilitator, a Magic Johnson not a scorer, ice-veined Jordan. He was unhappy. He didn't want to leave his home but did for the sake of his own happiness. Now, he gets to play HIS game, with HIS friends with an organization that has WON and has Pat Riley. Given the two options, who would not have done the same thing? It's not like this was his first contract. He gave Cleveland 7 years. It then became obvious that the relationship was clearly one-sided. So he left them. And I should feel sorry for them? Do you feel sorry when your lazy, selfish and short-sited friend gets dumped by a 10? No. Because you knew all along that it would happen unless your friend shaped up.

Sure, The Decision was awful and poorly ran. Should LeBron have spoken with Gilbert? Probably. But did the hottie call your loser friend or did she just take all her stuff and move out. Exactly.

I'm a Bulls fan so I will always root for them, but I wouldn't mind it if the Heat do go and 7-peat. A big middle-finger to every cry-baby owner who is upset that they didn't get their way. As a free market society, the better salesman (Pat Riley) will get his bonus. And LeBron, "King" James will be remembered as one of the best ever. Winning is the ultimate memory eraser. We always forgive the "villans" in sports if they win.

And a side note: Interesting that LeBron's nickname is "King". True leaders make tough decisions. And they make them usually to lengthen their reign and better the lives of those they love. The King made a tough decision. He left his home land because they wouldn't work with him. And his new Kingdom will reap the benefits. I say, "Long Live The King!"

In the begining....

....is how I decided to start my first official blog. OK, I guess that's not completely accurate. I had a blog back on Xanga (anyone remember that?) before MySpace and subsequently Facebook took over my computing habits. If you desire some background on me or want to see an almost day-by-day 2 year chronicle of a once devout Christian finding the path to a loose Atheism, check out my old Xanga blog at:

http://ineedtruth.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=ineedtruth&nextdate=1%2f28%2f2006+15%3a41%3a45.467

(the old blog starts just after my engagement ended in January of 2006 and goes through April of 2008)

Now, on to this NEW and IMPROVED blog that is actually on BLOGSPOT!!!

Why here? Why now? Why not? I've noticed myself getting increasingly lazy having many things to say but lacking the outlet or the creative energy to make my own outlet. So my hope is that regularly blogging will once again awaken the creative juices that once flowed like the oil currently gushing into the Gulf. (too soon?)

I chose blogspot because I heard it gets the most traffic and I am a whore for attention, so there you go.


Now as for the title? I tried to come up with something that would describe what I talk about most of the time, that being religion, sports, and occasionally politics but also everything else. I generally will just rant and rave about whatever is currently garnering my attention. Sometimes it may be gold, other times it may be fool's gold, others maybe Ari Gold (obnoxious but entertaining) still others may turn out to be Traci Gold (empty--like anorexic, get it?--but mildly attractive).

This will be a completely self-indulgent ongoing discussion of all of my interests. And hopefully some of yours as well.

Stay tuned!