Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Takes LeBron James To The Woodshed

I didn't watch "The Decision".  I fully admit that I was not interested in anything that LeBron James had to say about his future. Shame on ESPN for helping him to make this spectacle what it was and shame on us for allowing it to become important enough to warrant the coverage.

That said, the backlash from the spurned Cleveland Cavaliers organization, specifically that of Dan Gilbert, goes beyond sour grapes and straight into "tell em' why you mad, son" territory.

This guy must have been waiting patiently for the announcement to take place because, as soon as it did, he unleashed hell on LeBron James, his dedication to the Cavs, and his character as a man. Just look at some of the things he's said:

"People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

Is that a fact, Mr. Gilbert? I would offer that we already knew who he was three years ago—and so did you. After all, any player who brands himself "The King" isn't hurting in the ego department.

And what exactly has been "covered up for" about James?

I'm no fan of his but, for my money, no one would give two licks about the Cavaliers or you if James had not led your organization back from its abyss of nothingness.

And weren't you the same guy who spent the last two years squashing any rumors of him leaving Cleveland? You defended him vehemently while placing blame on the media for the persistent rumors and, as I recall, LeBron did nada to dispel the speculation.

Don't be mad because the spade turned out to be a spade.

"I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA Championship before the self-titled former 'king' wins one....You can take it to the bank." (from post announcement letter to fans)

Ummmm...okay.

Let me get this straight (now that I've stopped laughing), prior to LeBron's arrival in 2003 your team had not made a playoff appearance since 1991. A losing effort as they were ousted by the Bulls and Jordan in round one.

With LeBron, you not only went to the playoffs the last five seasons but went deep into them and were FAVORED to win the title on multiple occasions—MULTIPLE. Now, you are trying to sell your fans on the idea that you are better off without him?...

Oh my goodness—stop. Just stop... (excuses self to go laugh again).

"LeBron James needs to go to another team with two superstars already so he can win a championship," (AP, 7/8/10)

Can I go ahead and say this?....Okay, thank you—DUHHHHHHH!!!!

Of course he left to find better players to help him win. In the seven-years he was with Cleveland, you gave him a bunch of "has-been", "never-were", and "never gonna be" players to square up alongside him. He needed better than that if you wanted him to bring home the title—you dropped the ball.

LeBron is not Jordan. Jordan elevated the play of those around him—that's not LeBron's thing. He wants the glory minus the responsibility. You should have given him more than the salvation army of nobodies that you did and maybe he would have stayed.

"The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma. Just watch. Sleep well, Cleveland." (from post announcement letter).

What the heck is this, "The Color Purple"? Give me a break, Mr. Gilbert. The curse was lifted when LeBron arrived and it returns with his departure. For all you know, his leaving was part of Cleveland's existing curse.

Wow, Dan, you're a funny guy.

Listen, "The Decision" spectacle was as pointless and unnecessary as the responses that it will generate in the days to come, but the fact is, LeBron James is now a member of the Miami Heat.

Debate all you like about his arrogance, lack of class, and disrespect of the Cleveland fans loyalty—none of that matters now. The deed is done and it's time to see what he's really made of now that he has no excuses.

Will the real LeBron James please stand up? 

Pete Carroll Is Lying and Everybody Knows It—Shame On Him!

In the wake of the sanctions placed on the USC Trojans football program, former head musketeer, Pete Carroll released a video statement to the Trojan family. In the video, he states that he is "absolutely shocked and disappointed" and goes on to say that he "knew nothing" and this was just another case of outside forces tampering with a student-athlete.

Yeah, and see, it's that kind of bologna that will make him a prime candidate to run for political office someday—or at least give it some heavy consideration—because clearly his name is mud in college football if the NFL doesn't work out for him.

For those of you who didn't know, Pete Carroll is lying through his whitened teeth. That's right, I'm saying it: He's lying!

I don't believe for one minute that he had no idea what was going on with Reggie Bush—his star player. No, Hollywood Pete not only knew what was going on, he turned a blind eye to it because he wouldn't dare jeopardize the greatness that was USC football from 2004-2005—he figured, no harm, no foul as long as everything remained status quo.

Don't ask. Don't tell.

The first clue to his knowledge was his decision to leave Southern California for Seattle—no offense to the great northwest, but who does that? Seattle may be beautiful and bountiful but Pete had it made at Southern Cal. He was a rock star and the team was his band—they always played to a full house and everyone bought the record.

Furthermore, of all the NFL teams in the league, Seattle is in need of the most repair. Building an NFL team is nothing like the college ranks. It's going to take a lot more than a smile and a shuck and jive for him to sell big time free agents on his dream.

He's going to be sleepless in Seattle for sure and the reality of his mistake will hit him much sooner than many think. However, I digress.

The NFL will offer nothing close to the lifestyle or the environment that he built for himself at USC. He may feel like a hot commodity right now, but, just ask Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban how long that lasts with an NFL fan once their team starts losing.

He'll be looking for a new job in about four years, if that long, and he will find the pickings much slimmer after this debacle.

Secondly, the lackadaisical atmosphere he introduced to the sideline of USC was tailor made for slime. No one was outlawed—heck, I could have gotten in there if I wanted to—the more the merrier. He liked the spotlight and so did his players.

That said, how on earth would he expect anyone to believe that he "knew nothing"? He knows an agent when he sees one and he has been around long enough to know when they are lurking and trying to make a deal.

If Reggie Bush was doing deals, you can be sure that people knew about it—the players, coaches, and even the administration had some idea and Pete Carroll was likely in on that memo.

"Knew nothing?", give me a break, he can barely look into the web cam and say that with a straight face.

Pete Carroll should change his name to Pinocchio, but, then again that would give the impression that he's just about ready to become something that he hasn't proven to be so far in this situation: a real man.

Honestly, Pinocchio deserves better company.

Stay Classy, Pete.

See the full Associated Press (AP) video statement below and judge for yourself: