Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert
______________________________________________________________
Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;
As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.
This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.
The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.
There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.
You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.
You have given so much and deserve so much more.
In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:
"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.
If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.
Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.
Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.
This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.
But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.
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.
Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....
I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:
DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....
Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers
:eek:
Think he's a lil' pissed? He tried to put a curse on James and the entire city of Miami. ;D
He himself has fallen victim to the curse of gratuitously injecting unnecessary quotation marks. This could get serious.
True dat! I didn't even notice that. :rotfl:
Is there an athlete alive worth 20-40 million a year? I don't think so. . . but still we pay! :rolleyes:
Ouch. Doesn't he know he may have just sealed his own fate with his statement and they may not even get a chance to go to the finals now? Sounds like he might have let his mouth overload his posterior just a bit there.
Quote from: Locutus on July 09, 2010, 06:35:35 PM
Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert
______________________________________________________________
Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;
As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.
This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.
The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.
There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.
You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.
You have given so much and deserve so much more.
In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:
"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.
If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.
Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.
Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.
This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.
But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.
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.
Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....
I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:
DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....
Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers
I wish the best to Mr. James. It's his life and his decision, even tho I don't give a damn.
Basketball players don't have a long time to make money. But if he get hurt, in any kind of an accident or sick, his basketballs days are over.
I sure don't see any ball player as a role model. I see him as an over paid, $99 million, basketball player. But he has to look out for himself first.
Quote from: The Troll on July 09, 2010, 09:20:24 PM
I wish the best to Mr. James. It's his life and his decision, even tho I don't give a damn.
Basketball players don't have a long time to make money. But if he get hurt, in any kind of an accident or sick, his basketballs days are over.
I sure don't see any ball player as a role model. I see him as an over paid, $99 million, basketball player. But he has to look out for himself first.
I believe the term "guaranteed contract" takes care of that quite nicely. . .
Quote from: me on July 09, 2010, 08:49:54 PM
Ouch. Doesn't he know he may have just sealed his own fate with his statement and they may not even get a chance to go to the finals now? Sounds like he might have let his mouth overload his posterior just a bit there.
Yeah, I know. When I first read that part about a personal guarantee that the Cleveland would win a championship before LeBron I thought, "Him and what army?" :yes:
This picture is from the American Airlines Arena just about 30 minutes ago. There's a party going on 'round here. Now where are my season tickets?
(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-spt-100709-lebron-heat-625p.ss_full.jpg)
Well, if the triplets delver half of what the hypes says they will, then I guess the Heat may make their investment back in ticket price increases and merchandising. . . I hope they do. . .
But I still do not think there is an athlete alive that deserves that kind of compensation. . . But you get whatever the market allows I suppose. . .
Interesting that you said that PH. The Heat sold out on season ticket sales today. :yes:
Quote from: Locutus on July 09, 2010, 10:06:28 PM
Interesting that you said that PH. The Heat sold out on season ticket sales today. :yes:
Well, it is usually the case when a professional team takes on a stable of hyped talent, but more often than not the hype ends up being just that and expectations do not come near to being met. The exception proving the rule, I hope it ends up being a win for the Heat.
I really wish the players would make a strong effort to clean up the thug life persona the league has perpetuated over the last decade or so though. While I have never been more than mildly interested in basketball, the thug act has eliminated any interest what so ever in the sport for me.
If he's human and he is, he will screw up some way. Small or Large he will make a mistake. The only problem he has is, that he's under one hell a big, big spot light and one hell of a big, big magnifying glass and a big, big bunch of people waiting for him to do it. :sneaky: :yes:
He is NO Walter Payton, THAT is for sure..... Class is nearly lost on today's athletes ... Loyalty means nothing, it is all about the $$ and self image. Payton, was sought by every club in the NFL, and could have wrote his own check, but he wanted to stay with the folks who stood behind him and had some loyalty to George Halas, and stayed with the Bears and won a Super Bowl, with one of the greatest teams ever.....I remember Rick Sutcliffe, a pitcher for the Chi Cubs, once took a reduced salary, IF the Cubs would sign Andra Dawson....they got Dawson, and the Cubs had one of it's greatest seasons ever...Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell who played for the Houston Astro's took the minimum salary towards the end of their careers so they could STAY with the same club they came up with and play in a World Series, and they DID.
You don't hear much about THOSE kind of Classy guys much anymore.... :no: ..LJ, could have been forever a class act in Cleveland, but chose to go after MORE fame and MORE fortune....it was a ballsy choice, and more power to him, but I WISHED he would have STUCK it out with the folks who has supported him MOST of his life, and brought a National Championship to them....
Quote from: Henry Hawk on July 10, 2010, 08:09:37 AM
He is NO Walter Payton, THAT is for sure..... Class is nearly lost on today's athletes ... Loyalty means nothing, it is all about the $$ and self image. Payton, was sought by every club in the NFL, and could have wrote his own check, but he wanted to stay with the folks who stood behind him and had some loyalty to George Halas, and stayed with the Bears and won a Super Bowl, with one of the greatest teams ever.....I remember Rick Sutcliffe, a pitcher for the Chi Cubs, once took a reduced salary, IF the Cubs would sign Andra Dawson....they got Dawson, and the Cubs had one of it's greatest seasons ever...Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell who played for the Houston Astro's took the minimum salary towards the end of their careers so they could STAY with the same club they came up with and play in a World Series, and they DID.
You don't hear much about THOSE kind of Classy guys much anymore.... :no: ..LJ, could have been forever a class act in Cleveland, but chose to go after MORE fame and MORE fortune....it was a ballsy choice, and more power to him, but I WISHED he would have STUCK it out with the folks who has supported him MOST of his life, and brought a National Championship to them....
It would be nice to do the loyalty thing. But in this case, it the money and I don't fault him for it. In any sport the live spam of the athlete isn't very long. The main thing, he the one working for it. He was born with that skill and he doing it all by himself. He not like the CEO sitting on his ass using other peoples money and in a lot of cases their stealing that. People pay to see him play and if he doesn't they don't pay and he's histroy.
Quote
Wasn't strictly the money -- Cleveland offered him more money than Miami.
Probably thought he had outgrown Cleveland; became a lifestyle thing for him.
Additionally, he probably felt he had a better chance of getting rings in Miami.
Leaves me with the feeling that --
Lebron James, for all the hype, doesn't have what it takes to deliver championships as the head-honcho leader. He needs to be part of a "trio" to make it happen. I'm fairly convinced now that he never will have the qualities of Micheal Jordan (who, in all honesty, needed Scotty Pippen to win championships), Larry Bird, Julius Erving, etc., all of whom had the talent and the leadership qualities necessary.
Quote from: followsthewolf on July 10, 2010, 06:42:07 PM
Wasn't strictly the money -- Cleveland offered him more money than Miami.
Probably thought he had outgrown Cleveland; became a lifestyle thing for him.
Additionally, he probably felt he had a better chance of getting rings in Miami.
Leaves me with the feeling that --
Lebron James, for all the hype, doesn't have what it takes to deliver championships as the head-honcho leader. He needs to be part of a "trio" to make it happen. I'm fairly convinced now that he never will have the qualities of Micheal Jordan (who, in all honesty, needed Scotty Pippen to win championships), Larry Bird, Julius Erving, etc., all of whom had the talent and the leadership qualities necessary.
I agree with what you say. :tiphat: