by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
Let’s agree on a few points first: LeBron didn’t it “owe” it to Cleveland — its fans, players, coaches, and management — to stay, he was an unrestricted free agent, absolutely free to choose where to work next season.
That being said, fans, management, coaches and anyone else who ever cared about the Cavs had every right to be upset with James’ decision. It is devastating to their franchise, some parts of the local economy, and perhaps the most painful thing to ever happen to Ohio sports.
The way “The Decision” was carried out, during an inexplicably silly one-hour television special, only added insult to Cavs fans’ pain and suffering.
Here’s a collection of some of the reaction from Cleveland following last night’s devastating turn of events:
-After finishing up with the burning of LBJ’s jersey and other memorabilia, fans lit up sports radio stations lines and web message boards.
-Dan Gilbert briefly lost his mind, called LeBron a quitter, and his letter continues to dominate the Cavs’ official website.
-Some in the local media predictably compared James to Art Modell, arguably the most hated man in Ohio sports history.
-My favorite reaction to the whole thing, though, comes from the Plain Dealer. Today’s edition features LeBron walking away, and they have a small graphic poking at him for failing to win a title in the seven years he was in Cleveland. Awesome.
The NBA can’t schedule a Heat/Cavs game in Cleveland soon enough.
