Jason Whitaker on Lebron

[burk48237]

Interesting take on the King from Jason Whitaker at Fox sports.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/l...-change-113010

[Dr. Cheese]

Meh, Cavaliers fans should do themselves a favor and move on. It's not like LeBron won any rings. LeBron will do what he does. I don't see the point in bringing up Tyler Hansbrough, what has he done in the NBA? Other than color, I see no connection to Michael Vick either. Jason Whitlock complains about stereotypes and then goes for a weak one himself.

[jrthebassguy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Meh, Cavaliers fans should do themselves a favor and move on. It's not like LeBron won any rings.

Seriously. This point needs to be repeated over and over. Yes, LeBron brought more success to the Cavs than they've ever had, but it's not like he he brought a championship to Cleveland.

[Deluge Of Sound]

I do think its hilarious that Cleveland's role in the sports universe is to get screwed over at every opportunity.

[jp58]

Originally Posted by jrthebassguy

Seriously. This point needs to be repeated over and over. Yes, LeBron brought more success to the Cavs than they've ever had, but it's not like he he brought a championship to Cleveland.

Yup. There was a question about the chalk throw on Sportnation today and Cleveland(Ohio) was like the only place that didn't think he should do it.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

I do think its hilarious that Cleveland's role in the sports universe is to get screwed over at every opportunity.

Except when the NFL team plays the Saints.



-Mike

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Meh, Cavaliers fans should do themselves a favor and move on. It's not like LeBron won any rings. LeBron will do what he does. I don't see the point in bringing up Tyler Hansbrough, what has he done in the NBA? Other than color, I see no connection to Michael Vick either. Jason Whitlock complains about stereotypes and then goes for a weak one himself.

That was a pretty lame article, wasn't it. Took a lot of "courage" to write it.

Why are some sports fans such frickin' babies? Jason, he's just not into you.

[Demon_Hunter]

Jason Whitlock

[burk48237]

Guys, you might want to read the article before you comment on it. Jason speaks a lot more about the current debacle in Miami and Lebron complaining about his coach than the Cleveland thing. The guy is getting terrible advice, and is probably more disliked (to some hated) then any other sports figure in America today. And it's not just a Cleveland thing like Farve with Green Bay. I don't know one serious basketball fan that thinks that Lebron knows anything about winning.

[Papersen]

I truly admire Lebron and has made the biggest impact in the league since Kobe Bryant, IMO. However, in order to win championships he needs a team (or at least a couple of great players) and think in terms of "team success" not "personal success".

It took MJ 7 years to win a championship. He had great numbers before 1991, but not a title. Same thing with Lebron (although he`ll never reach MJ status)

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by burk48237

Guys, you might want to read the article before you comment on it. Jason speaks a lot more about the current debacle in Miami and Lebron complaining about his coach than the Cleveland thing. The guy is getting terrible advice, and is probably more disliked (to some hated) then any other sports figure in America today. And it's not just a Cleveland thing like Farve with Green Bay. I don't know one serious basketball fan that thinks that Lebron knows anything about winning.

I read the article, and comparing LeBron to two convicted felons only makes sense if one deals in stereotypes. Folks may not like LeBron's decisions, but he has no criminal record like Michael Vick or Lawrence Taylor.AFAIK, after eight NBA seasons, James has no arrests or criminal ties at all. Whitlock is pedaling in stereotypes while posing as "outspoken."

Whitlock's piece reminds me of an essay I read about Vince Young that he needs to look to Vick as an example of a working hard to get better. Vick is a good example, but why couldn't Drew Breese or Phillip Rivers be cited as examples? As others have said, why should the connection solely be racial?

[Dr. Cheese]

I'll give it to Whitlock that he does mention Rothlisberger, but my complaint that he is comparing LeBron to convicted or suspected criminals is just unfair because that is not a factor with James. Whitlock's essay is just pandering to folks who want to read that sort of thing.

[burk48237]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

Meh, Cavaliers fans should do themselves a favor and move on. It's not like LeBron won any rings. LeBron will do what he does. I don't see the point in bringing up Tyler Hansbrough, what has he done in the NBA? Other than color, I see no connection to Michael Vick either. Jason Whitlock complains about stereotypes and then goes for a weak one himself.

What about the comparisons to Rothesberger? I don't see this piece as racial at all. He was talking more about a guy who won in HS and has been worshiped ever since with no real accountability and minimal work ethic. He's been a coach killer, and every time his team loses it's the other guys fault.

[basstotheface]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I read the article, and comparing LeBron to two convicted felons only makes sense if one deals in stereotypes. Folks may not like LeBron's decisions, but he has no criminal record like Michael Vick or Lawrence Taylor.AFAIK, after eight NBA seasons, James has no arrests or criminal ties at all. Whitlock is pedaling in stereotypes while posing as "outspoken."

Whitlock's piece reminds me of an essay I read about Vince Young that he needs to look to Vick as an example of a working hard to get better. Vick is a good example, but why couldn't Drew Breese or Phillip Rivers be cited as examples? As others have said, why should the connection solely be racial?

You do know that that white guy on the field for the Steelers is actually a player right? His name is Ben and he was in the article.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

...why should the connection solely be racial?

In my experience, when black athletes who have become successful speak out, they compare themselves to other black athletes. Same goes for a black athlete who has overcome adversity to be successful, they again compare themselves to a similar black athlete.

I think it's all part of that "you don't understand white boy" attitude/mentality I see and hear all the time. But hey, it is true. I am white, always have been. I have no idea what it is like to be black.

-Mike

[Mark Latimour]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

But hey, it is true. I am white, always have been.

I could have sworn you were black in the last thread...

[MJ5150]

I go back and forth according to the thread I am in.

-Mike

[RS]

All I am going to say is if you are not from Cleveland, you will never really understand the whole Lebron thing.

[Double Agent]

I'm sorry, but I think the comparison with Vick is 100% spot-on. The thing is, he is comparing Vick is his pre-prison playing days to Lebron now. Vick has pretty much said that he cheated the Falcons because he didn't work as hard as could in the weight room or the film room. However, even though that was true, he was able to have a lot of success in the NFL because of his sheer, natural ability. He didn't have to try hard and was probably difficult, or impossible, to coach. It took a major change in his life, i.e. prison time, for him to re-evaluate the things he was doing. Now, by all accounts, he is a very different person. He is certainly different on the football field. Whether the changes stick or not is yet to be seen.

Lebron is comparable to Vick in that, without working as hard as most pro athletes have and without conforming to his coach's demands, he is so physically gifted that he still enjoys enormous success. However, his physical skills alone are not enough to win a championship, just as Vick was not able to win a Super Bowl on his own. He is not comparing Lebron to Mike Vick, the convicted felon....he is comparing Lebron to the pre-prison Mike Vick, the spoiled, pandered to, "entitled" pro athlete.

[RS]

Originally Posted by Double Agent

I'm sorry, but I think the comparison with Vick is 100% spot-on. The thing is, he is comparing Vick is his pre-prison playing days to Lebron now. Vick has pretty much said that he cheated the Falcons because he didn't work as hard as could in the weight room or the film room. However, even though that was true, he was able to have a lot of success in the NFL because of his sheer, natural ability. He didn't have to try hard and was probably difficult, or impossible, to coach. It took a major change in his life, i.e. prison time, for him to re-evaluate the things he was doing. Now, by all accounts, he is a very different person. He is certainly different on the football field. Whether the changes stick or not is yet to be seen.

Lebron is comparable to Vick in that, without working as hard as most pro athletes have and without conforming to his coach's demands, he is so physically gifted that he still enjoys enormous success. However, his physical skills alone are not enough to win a championship, just as Vick was not able to win a Super Bowl on his own. He is not comparing Lebron to Mike Vick, the convicted felon....he is comparing Lebron to the pre-prison Mike Vick, the spoiled, pandered to, "entitled" pro athlete.

I dunno. There really weren't any reports of Lebron slacking on time in the gym or practices in Cleveland. In my seven years wathcing him carefully, it seemed obvious to me he worked on improving the his game most if not each summer.