Dan Gilbert Basically Telling LeBron... F U

• enigmaax

  "Wow, that's why he's the best owner in Cleveland and possibly sports. No one else would have the balls to say that..."
  
  So let me recap the criteria for best owner in sports:
  1) Get lucky in the draft lottery (or have the NBA stage it) the one year that a once-in-a-lifetime talent who grew up in your backyard happens to available as the #1 pick
  2) Fail to put enough or appropriate teammates around said talent to win a title
  3) Fail to keep the hometown kid despite having the ability to give him astronomically more money than any other team
  4) Go off on a whiny, dumbass, drunken tangent when said talent goes to another team
  
  Wouldn't the "best" owner be the one who doesn't have to get to #4?
• thedynasty1998

  

  Fab4Runner;417876 wrote:Serious question. What would LeBron ever have to do for you to not stick up for him? Would you ever admit he did something wrong?

  
  I said I don't think he handled it the best. But I think he rushed the process by having everyone visit him. He never led on the Cavs fans. He explored his opportunities and decided on taking less money on a team where he thinks he can win championships.
  
  For Gilbert to do what he did, was much worse.
• KR1245

  

  I dont think Dan Gilbert gives a fuck about what the media thinks of him. Cleveland fans LOVE what he said and thats all that matters to him. He could give two shits what some reporter for ESPN has to say about him. I'll admit that he should have handled it better but the man was pissed. Lebron shouldnt have gone on natl tv and announced that he was leaving like that. Both sides are at play here.
• thedynasty1998

  

  Gilbert cares what other players and agents think of him. Cowherd said that an agent sent him a text saying he would never lead one of his guys to Cleveland now.
  
  I hope as soon as Gilbert cuts the next guy or trades someone, that they come out and release a statement about Gilbert being a quitter, not being loyal and having no family values.
• I Wear Pants

  thedynasty1998;417815 wrote:Just like Gilbert called Brown and Ferry before he fired them. It happens when it happens. Again, I'm not saying Lebron shouldn't have called Gilbert, but it is what it is.

  They probably were at least aware of the situation. I doubt Gilbert was just not answering their phone calls or anything.
  
  And that's what you do with one of those positions. You announce it in a standard sports press conference. Those speeches were what, five minutes tops? You don't drag it out into a two year circus then fuck your hometown on national television.
• thedynasty1998

  

  I Wear Pants;417890 wrote:They probably were at least aware of the situation. I doubt Gilbert was just not answering their phone calls or anything.
  
  And that's what you do with one of those positions. You announce it in a standard sports press conference. Those speeches were what, five minutes tops? You don't drag it out into a two year circus then fuck your hometown on national television.

  
  A two year circus? Because he was going to become a free agent, he's at fault now? I can't wait to see the TV ratings for last night, because I'm sure everyone watched it. It would be one thing to hold an hour show that no one cared about. But EVERYONE wanted to know his decision.
• I Wear Pants

  And everyone could have found out the same way they found out about every other free agent in history. Small press conference or news release.
  
  He encouraged the whole thing with the media being on it 24/7.
• thedynasty1998

  

  I Wear Pants;417901 wrote:And everyone could have found out the same way they found out about every other free agent in history. Small press conference or news release.
  
  He encouraged the whole thing with the media being on it 24/7.

  
  Yea, since he controls ESPN. Even if he released a statement, people would have been waiting for an interview from him. Might as well have gotten it over with at one time.
• KR1245

  

  thedynasty1998;417899 wrote:A two year circus? Because he was going to become a free agent, he's at fault now? I can't wait to see the TV ratings for last night, because I'm sure everyone watched it. It would be one thing to hold an hour show that no one cared about. But EVERYONE wanted to know his decision.

  
  So good rating means it was the right move? Come on
• I Wear Pants

  You can't take questions after a press statement?
  
  He didn't need an hour long program dedicated to his ego.
• thedynasty1998

  

  I Wear Pants;417906 wrote:You can't take questions after a press statement?
  
  He didn't need an hour long program dedicated to his ego.

  
  It was going to be an hour long regardless
• I Wear Pants

  How's his dick taste?
• jordo212000

  

  KR1245;417904 wrote:So good rating means it was the right move? Come on

  
  Agreed. I don't think Lebron handled this well at all. If he would have returned to Cleveland, maybe I could have okayed an upbeat press conference in Akron. But to go on live tv and shove a knife into Cleveland's heart was just cold.
• karen lotz

  

  thedynasty1998;417899 wrote:A two year circus? Because he was going to become a free agent, he's at fault now? I can't wait to see the TV ratings for last night, because I'm sure everyone watched it. It would be one thing to hold an hour show that no one cared about. But EVERYONE wanted to know his decision.

  
  Stewart Mandel tweeted the special got a 7.3 rating. Higher than 95% of NBA games.
• enigmaax

  I Wear Pants;417906 wrote:You can't take questions after a press statement?
  
  He didn't need an hour long program dedicated to his ego.

  
  Maybe he didn't need it. It is still more pathetic that Cleveland fans have to cling to that as their medicine to feel better. If you didn't already think he had an ego, you were blinded by your fandom. The only difference now is that he's somewhere other than Cleveland so all of a sudden his ego makes him a sack of shit. Whatever.
• enigmaax

  jordo212000;417917 wrote:But to go on live tv and shove a knife into Cleveland's heart was just cold.

  
  So, if it was pre-recorded it would've been okay? Or just have someone read the ticker?
  
  Personally, I feel as though he manned up. If it had been a generic announcement people would've bitched because he wasn't man enough to speak the words himself. He made his announcement, he explained how he arrived at his decision. He even took on the tough questions (how do you feel about people burning your jersey). If it wasn't one thing it'd have been another - no win situation with Cavs fans unless he stayed.
• KR1245

  

  Not excusing Gilberts actions but we wonder why this dude was so pissed
  
  
  Withers: Lebron never returned any call, e-mail, or anything from Gilbert since the end of the season. including 4 phone calls last night.
  
  Wow.
• thedynasty1998

  

  karen lotz;417925 wrote:Stewart Mandel tweeted the special got a 7.3 rating. Higher than 95% of NBA games.

  
  So even the Lebron Haters tuned in...
• ytownfootball

  

  enigmaax;417939 wrote:So, if it was pre-recorded it would've been okay? Or just have someone read the ticker?
  
  Personally, I feel as though he manned up. If it had been a generic announcement people would've bitched because he wasn't man enough to speak the words himself. He made his announcement, he explained how he arrived at his decision. He even took on the tough questions (how do you feel about people burning your jersey). If it wasn't one thing it'd have been another - no win situation with Cavs fans unless he stayed.

  
  Manning up would have included telling the franchise you've been with your entire career what your intentions were so they didn't get shafted. If, that is, you're as "loyal" to your home town as you claim. Why is this so hard for some of you to admit?
• thedynasty1998

  

  KR1245;417941 wrote:Not excusing Gilberts actions but we wonder why this dude was so pissed
  
  
  Withers: Lebron never returned any call, e-mail, or anything from Gilbert since the end of the season. including 4 phone calls last night.
  
  Wow.

  Maybe that should have told them something.
• I Wear Pants

  That's a tough question?
  
  A tough questions would have been "Why didn't you think the Cavs deserved a phone call telling them that they weren't the team but thanks a lot for their offer and for trying to put together decent teams and building facilities near your house?"
  
  or "Why do you act like Cavs fans shouldn't hate you when you've played them along for months especially after your lackluster playoff performance?"
  
  I would have been disappointed no matter how he left or to where. But I wouldn't actively root against him if he did it in a different way.
• KR1245

  

  thedynasty1998;417946 wrote:Maybe that should have told them something.

  Proabably but come on man. Are you really going to justify those actions? You cant be serious
• jordo212000

  

  enigmaax;417939 wrote:So, if it was pre-recorded it would've been okay? Or just have someone read the ticker?
  
  Personally, I feel as though he manned up. If it had been a generic announcement people would've bitched because he wasn't man enough to speak the words himself. He made his announcement, he explained how he arrived at his decision. He even took on the tough questions (how do you feel about people burning your jersey). If it wasn't one thing it'd have been another - no win situation with Cavs fans unless he stayed.

  
  I'm no Cavs fan, just saying. Seemed a little harsh.
• thedynasty1998

  

  KR1245;417952 wrote:Proabably but come on man. Are you really going to justify those actions? You cant be serious

  
  I've said it numerous times, I do think he should have told the Cavs in advance. But it would have been two days earlier, so let's not pretend like the Cavs missed out on all of these free agents because Lebron waited a couple days. No matter what he did, Cavs fans were going to hate him. But there is no excuse for what Gilbert said.
• I Wear Pants

  What would the difference of a sign and trade made for Cleveland's cap? Is that something Lebron could have done to ease the exit? I don't know at all, that's why I'm asking.