Lebron - Me, Myself, I

I was going to originally label this post RIP: The Death of the Local Sports Market.  I was going to go into all about how the local sports market can't compete with national sports teams and how places like Cleveland simply can't hold onto players who want to make more money and get the spotlight elsewhere.  But this post is more about the pompous, egotistical, young man who basically thumbed his nose at his hometown.  Check this editorial out which mirrors my opinion http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100709/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_jim_litke070810.

I have no problem with Lebron going to Miami or anywhere else.  That is his right in the stupid world of professional sports.  However, it was the way and the manner that he conducted it that completely turned me sideways.  There was the whole drawn out process - have six teams come and "present" to me at a downtown Cleveland hotel.  There was the whole ridiculous national t.v. prime time event where he announced his "Decision".  It was how it was drawn out and built up.  It was a complete lack of gratitude and humility towards the area that basically adored and idolized him since he was in his mid teens.  But why should we be surprised at a guy who shows up at Indians games wearing a Yankees cap and at Browns games wearing a Cowboys hat.  As Debsue has stated, he has had people kow-tow to him since he was a kid in this area so we tended to look the other ways at such things.  He also didn't extend any courtesy at all to the team and the town that did everything possible to try to win a championship.  You can't fault the Cavalier owner who spent lavishly to put players around him, who build a first rate practice facility, and gave Lebron's buddies jobs.  In the ridiculous world of pro basketball, it seems to pay to get really bad before getting really good by getting way under the salary cap.  But finally, it was the self aggrandizement that got me.  "I am going to take my talents and play in South Beach".  If Lebron's goal is to build his brand and leave a legacy, he greatly tarnished it.  While it may be masked in the form of preferring to play for a team that can win championships, it clearly was rooted in ego.

I am done with professional sports - I can no longer support professional athletes (and owners too) who create a transient environment of overpriced entertainment.  I will take my entertainment dollars and time and invest them elsewhere.

Moratorium on Offshore Drilling

The oil spill is a massive crisis, there is no doubt about that.  We can empathize with an entire fishing and tourism industry that has been crushed by the effects of the spill.  However, the moratorium on offshore oil drilling is a typical government overreaction that has also had significant economic consequences that dwarf the impact of the fishing and tourism industry. 

According to Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, the impact of halting work on 33 exploratory wells will be devastating.

• Rigs: $250,000 to $500,000 a day means losses of up to $16,500,000 per day in costs for idle rigs.
• Supply boats: $30,000 per day for 33 rigs will cost about $1,000,000 a day.
• Employees: Up to 140 per shift at $1,804 a week could add to $330,000,000 a month in lost wages.  

The fact remains that the people on the Gulf Coast rely much more heavily on the oil and gas industry than on the farming, forestry, or fishery industries.  According to the U.S. Commerce Department, Louisianans earn $13 from mining and related activities for every dollar they get from fishing.  In 2007, the last year for which we have data, the total compensation paid to people in Louisiana working in forestry, fishing, and related activities came to just $310.0 million.  the figure for mining and support activities was $4.1 billion, with nearly all of it related to oil and gas. 

It shows the complete lack of understanding to even suggest that BP foot the bill for the government's position.

Consider Jesse Jackson's proposed boycott of BP stations.  Sure sounds good - let's make BP pay!  He obviously didn't understand that 10,000 BP stations in this country are independently owned and it costs $250,000 to buy a franchise.  Might help some of these guys to actually understand before they talk.

Entertainment Value

This past Fourth of July weekend saw us going to the Indians game on Friday night and then to Blossom to hear the Cleveland Orchestra.  We went to the Indians to hear a daughter of a friend of ours sing the national anthem.  We spent $56 which included $10 towards dinner to sit in the bleachers.  We spent $5 to park in a downtown garage.  Finally, we spent an additional $5 each for dinner to include beverage meaning the total spent was $71.  All to watch a mediocre team play (we did skip the fireworks which are good).  Contrast that to Blossom where we spent $26 to hear a one of the top 5 orchestras in the country play which included parking and we brought our own food in.  We also got a nice fireworks show.

As money gets tight, we are ever mindful of the value our meager entertainment dollars go for.  I would have rather saved at least half of the money on the Indians and saw either our Class A or Class AA teams play which are not much worse.  Professional baseball and really all of professional sports are is overpriced.  We have stopped going to any Cavs games because to sit in nosebleed seats costs $50 each ticket.  And half the teams in the NBA make the playoffs.  Save your money.

Lebron Mania

I have never seen such hoopla in one town over a single individual, let alone a sports figure.  There is actually a Lebron rumors column that shows up every day on the sports page.  There was front page coverage in today's paper about Lebron's interviews of the various teams that bow to his presence.  Then there are the Lebron sightings.  Was Lebron in NY?  Was he in Chicago?  All this plays into our defeatest shriveled Cleveland sports heart.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Lebron stay and it would mean a lot to our city.  We have never had a major sports star of this magnitude in this city since Jim Brown.  But it is basketball and life will go on if he leaves.  I would hope that we can actually give this much attention to actual issues in our city.

Independence Day

Today is Independence Day.  A time of great celebration; fireworks, parades, cookouts, etc.  Our tradition has been always to go to the Aurora parade and pick up the mounds of candy tossed from passing parade marchers.  We still do that even as our kids have grown up.  I think there are a lot of dentists marching in the parade. 

We still live in the greatest nation on the earth.  I may complain about our government, but make no mistake this is still the best country out there.  I really pray it stays that way and our country will remember its roots.  Lots of people died to preserve the freedom and liberties we have.  I pray for revival in the USA.  We have so watered down our Christian heritage.  I don't believe there are Christian countries, but the USA was founded on a belief system and that belief system is under siege.  God bless the USA!

A Little Boys Game

I am fifty years old and I still play hardball baseball.  And I still love it.  I play in a 47 and older league (having moved up from 38 and over league).  Sometimes you are just glad to be able to run around and make it through a game unscathed.  Remember two years ago my little "incident".  I play all summer and then play for a week in Florida in November.  It is truly a blast.  The last two weeks have been something special because I have hit two bombs out of the ballpark.  Keep in mind that most fifty year olds are barely able to hit it out of the infield.  To hit it at least 380 feet was truly a rare feeling and then to do it two weeks in a row was really special.  I won't mention the other little dribblers I hit because the bomb is all you remember.  It is like when you hit that memorable golf shot that goes into the cup.  It doesn't matter what you did the rest of the round - it is what you remember.  Sports memories are like that - you do something special and it kind of is like a little pick me up.  So I am still that little kid who plays that little kids game and never grows up... and never wants to grow up.

Should a Game End in a Tie?

I have been only modestly into the World Cup.  I tend to love world sporting events, but it is really hard to love a sport where at least half the games end in a tie.  Even worse, a low scoring tie.  Who is going to remember a 1-1 game or even worse a 0-0 game?  Anyone remember the baseball All-Star game from a few years ago where they let it end in a tie and how upset the fans were?  After all a tie is like kissing your sister (sorry Laura).

Contrast that with the epic Wimbledon battle from last week.  Three days, eleven hours of play.  About a close a match as you can imagine.  Someone still had to be a winner and someone still had to be a loser.  That is the way sports has to be.  Part of the reason I love baseball is because it is nine innings and there is always the possibility of a comeback.  A few years ago I was on the mound with a 15-1 lead in the fifth inning when I was pulled.  My relief core promptly blew the game and we lost 19-18.  I remember that like it was yesterday.  Sports is about winning and losing even if you are on the very shallow end of the losing side.