"The Decision"

When I woke up this morning, I wondered if it had all been a dream. A quick check of almost any internet site confirmed otherwise- Lebron James really had left the Cleveland Cavaliers. And he had done it in an hour long ESPN special that he produced.


It's not that I wanted it to be a dream, I guess. I'm not a Lebron fan, I'm not a Cav's fan. I just thought it couldn't have been real.  As I laid there in bed this morning, imagining that it was a dream was easier than trying to convince myself it was real.  While the night's sleep has added some perspective, it certainly hasn't made the decision and especially "The Decision" seem any less surreal.


"The Decision" was one of the most ill conceived ideas in sports history. It was corny, over the top, ridiculous, staged, contrived and ultimately sickening. At times it didn't even seem real. It felt like a parody. It was laugh out loud funny, while trying hard to be serious and impressive. The opening of the show featured a long and cringe worthy montage of highlights with self-important narration. Yes, we already knew this was "the most anticipated free agent of all time", we knew that this was an important decision- ESPN has been pushing it down our throats for days, weeks, even years.

“Does it Dry Up, Like a Raisin in the Sun?”

Charlie Davies, Twitter, Belief, and a Dream Deferred

We should have seen this coming. All the signs pointed to Charlie being left off yesterday’s preliminary World Cup roster. The doctors and coaches at his club, FC Sochaux, were expressing doubt and hesitation. The Club president said he wasn’t yet ready to play. The French media also wrote that Charlie wasn’t ready. But we believed. They didn’t know what they were talking about. Charlie’s “tweets” said he was back.

United States National Team doctor Ivan Pierra met with Davies in France last week, and the results of their meeting were kept relatively quiet, rather than publicized. Head Coach Bob Bradley recently tried to temper expectations and issued caution regarding Davies recovery. All the signs were pointing towards the sad news. And yet, like Charlie, we still believed. The only source steadfastly proclaiming that Charlie would be ready was Davies himself, on twitter and in numerous interviews.

We had to believe. As fans, it’s what we do. With his numerous encouraging and inspiring tweets, and rumors of amazing progress, we started to convince ourselves that it was going to happen. He was going to do the impossible. He was unbreakable. He was going to make it back to the World Cup. Only 7 months ago we weren’t even sure he was alive. A few months before that, most of us weren’t even sure who he was.

Kobe's Hardest Sacrifice

Kobe, it really is time. It's finally come to this; it's time to sit down. We all know the injuries have been accumulating as the season drags on. First there was the injured pinky you famously played with through the Olympics and all of last season, eschewing surgery in your steadfast desire to avoid sitting out. Then you injured another finger this year, this time your right index finger, forcing you to adjust your shot, and even your handshake with the President. We've watched as you have continued to play through pain this year with the elbow injury, the back spasms and now the sprained ankle.

Look, we get it. You consider yourself a 'warrior' and take immense pride in playing all 82 games every season. You are a warrior. You haven't missed a game because of injury since 2006! That is an astounding stat, and I'm surprised the media doesn't give you more recognition for it. You're one of the toughest players in the NBA- you've proven that beyond a doubt.

As a fan, we love to see players who will die for the team; we love guys who play through pain because they'll do anything to help the team to win. You've embodied these qualities throughout your career, and we respect you immensely for it. But the reason we've loved seeing you play through injuries in the past is because it gave the team the best chance to win. Now, I'm not so sure.