Lebron- WTF???

[Jimcs50]

http://blog.cleveland.com/tribetracker/2007/10/medium_lebron1005.jpg

CLEVELAND (AP) - The most famous athlete in Cleveland is rooting for the New York Yankees. LeBron James always has.

Call him the LeBronx Bomber.
While in New York last week to host Saturday Night Live, the Cavaliers' star forward caused a stir back home when he said he would root for the Yankees in the AL playoffs against the Indians.

He showed up at Jacobs Field for Game 1 on Thursday night sporting a Yankees cap — and fans sitting near him chanted for him to take it off.

"I've always been a Yankee fan. I'm a big Derek Jeter fan," James said during an in-game TV interview after Cleveland took the lead. "I'm here to represent the Yankees, but right now it's not looking too good."

A TBS reporter then handed James a "crying" towel that he said Indians ace C.C. Sabathia wanted to pass along. James said the two are good friends.

"It's not like I said, 'OK, I'm picking the Yankees now that they're playing the Indians,"' James said earlier this week. "Everybody knows that I've been a Yankees fan my whole life. If the Indians were playing anybody else I would root for the Indians."

Sabathia said he didn't have a problem with James' allegiance.

"That's cool," the pitcher said. "He's sticking with his team. I'd do the same thing if the Raiders were playing the Browns."

Sabathia, who grew up in Vallejo, Calif., is a die-hard Oakland Raiders fan.









What is this idiot doing????

Ok, you can quietly root for your team, but to flaunt it in front of your own city is just plain moronic. He is from Ohio as well, it is not like he grew up in NYC. To wear a Yankees cap at an Indians game shows very little class, IMO.

[BeerIsGood!]

Why? He's a Yankee fan and has been a Yankee fan since he was a kid. He doesn't have to adopt every sports team from the place that he plays ball. That's ridiculous. I give him props for not being a two faced politican and staying true to his team.

[ducks]

lebron is a traitor
watch him go to the knicks as soon as they have money

[peewee's lovechild]

Midge will be posting any minute now that he's a champion chaser.

[v2freak]

Why? He's a Yankee fan and has been a Yankee fan since he was a kid. He doesn't have to adopt every sports team from the place that he plays ball. That's ridiculous. I give him props for not being a two faced politican and staying true to his team.

Staying true to his team does not mean flaunting a Yankees hat at an Indians-Yankees game IN CLEVELAND

[peewee's lovechild]

Who the hell says that just because you live in a city, you have to root for that city's team?? To hell with all that!!

He'd be a hypocrite if he's rooted for the Yanks all his life, but now roots for the Indians just because everyone else in Cleveland does.

Screw that.

[peewee's lovechild]

Staying true to his team does not mean flaunting a Yankees hat at an Indians-Yankees game IN CLEVELAND

Why not??

If it's his favorite team, why does he have to hide it??

That's some stupid shit.

[Jimcs50]

Why not??

If it's his favorite team, why does he have to hide it??

That's some stupid shit.


Because he owes the city of Cleveland some mutual respect that is why. Nobody said that he has to root for the Indians, but he should not wear Yankees garb to a Cleveland game at Jacobs' Field, that is just classless. Besides the Indians will have the last laugh, because his Yankees are going to get a good smack down.

:clap

[peewee's lovechild]

Because he owes the city of Cleveland some mutual respect that is why. Nobody said that he has to root for the Indians, but he should not wear Yankees garb to a Cleveland game at Jacobs' Field, that is just classless. Besides the Indians will have the last laugh, because his Yankees are going to get a good smack down.

:clap

What the hell is all that about???

He plays basketball for the Cavs. He doesn't play baseball. He doesn't owe the city of Cleveland anything. If anything, the city owes him. He took the Cavs to the Finals, something that hadn't happened in a thousand years.

He can root for whomever he wants, and he can wear whatever he wants.

[Jimcs50]

What the hell is all that about???

He plays basketball for the Cavs. He doesn't play baseball. He doesn't owe the city of Cleveland anything. If anything, the city owes him. He took the Cavs to the Finals, something that hadn't happened in a thousand years.

He can root for whomever he wants, and he can wear whatever he wants.


Yes he can, it is a free country, but it is still classless.

[peewee's lovechild]

Yes he can, it is a free country, but it is still classless.

Why is it classless??

Does Tom Brady HAVE TO root for the Red Sox?? Does Dereck Jeter HAVE TO root for the Giants or Jets??

It wouldn't bother me one bit if these guys, or anybody else for that matter, rooted with some other team that's not native to their respective cities.

I don't get why it's classless.

[Jimcs50]

Why is it classless??

Does Tom Brady HAVE TO root for the Red Sox?? Does Dereck Jeter HAVE TO root for the Giants or Jets??

It wouldn't bother me one bit if these guys, or anybody else for that matter, rooted with some other team that's not native to their respective cities.

I don't get why it's classless.

Because he wore the cap. I said he can go to game and quietly root for the Yankees, but to go there and wear that cap is like rubbing it into the fans' faces that he is against the city....how hard is that to understand?

[peewee's lovechild]

Because he wore the cap. I said he can go to game and quietly root for the Yankees, but to go there and wear that cap is like rubbing it into the fans' faces that he is against the city....how hard is that to understand?

He plays basketball for the city, and yet he's against the city at the same time?

Just because you live in a city doesn't mean you have to root for the city's team. You're not classless if you root against your city's team.

You're putting waaaaaaay too much into this.

He wasn't rubbing anything into anybody's face. He's just a Yankess fan who wanted to see the game. Nobody should give him crap about it.

It wasn't like he was screaming "Cleveland Sucks" so everyone could hear him.

[midgetonadonkey]

I don't see how it's classless. The dude is a Yankees fan and supports the team he is a fan of.

[SAtown]

I think it's fine to wear a Yankees hat (of all teams) and go to the game and such, but that pic can say a lot. It appears he's flaunting, which could be considered classless. You can see why Cleveland people would feel betrayed though.

He should have been in a suite box or something though, maybe a little more discreet. He knows every camera is going to be on him.

[K-State Spur]

Who the hell says that just because you live in a city, you have to root for that city's team?? To hell with all that!!

He'd be a hypocrite if he's rooted for the Yanks all his life, but now roots for the Indians just because everyone else in Cleveland does.

Screw that.

It's not a big deal. But it's more about supporting the same fans who support you.

Anyways, he's just another Yankee bandwagoner, even if he hopped on at a young age.

[DOMINATOR]

It's not a big deal. But it's more about supporting the same fans who support you.

Anyways, he's just another Yankee bandwagoner, even if he hopped on at a young age.
completely agree

[v2freak]

It's not a big deal. But it's more about supporting the same fans who support you.

Anyways, he's just another Yankee bandwagoner, even if he hopped on at a young age.
:tu

And I'd say he owes a lot to everyone who's ever made him one of the richest people in the world. That means most of the people in Cleveland

[BeerIsGood!]

Some of you people have some fucked up views. It would be one thing if he was showing up to games wearing a Pistons hat, but this a completely different sport. The Indians are in no way affiliated with the Cavs and there is absolutely no reason why he should keep quiet or not go all out for his team if he wants to. You people act like this is a damn war and he's treasonous. Lighten up. I doubt he's losing any Cavs fans over this, but any fan that the Cavs lose because of this is a fan that they don't want anyway.

[BeerIsGood!]

:tu

And I'd say he owes a lot to everyone who's ever made him one of the richest people in the world. That means most of the people in Cleveland

He already plays basketball for the Cavs and goes all out for the team he plays for. How does he owe anything to the Indians or Indians' fans? You do realize that not all Cavs fans are Indians fans, right? You made a tremendously stupid, dumb ass statement.

[Thunder Dan]

It's not really a big deal. I mean he has always worn Yankee stuff, and I remember him saying he was a giant Yanks fan back in 2005. I would be pissed if he just came out of nowhere with his Yankee stuff, but he has always been loyal.

My only thing that rubs me the wrong way is that he said he was a Florida State fan. I mean the dude goes to alot of Ohio State games and now he is going to come out and say he likes Florida State?

[T Park]

I don't see how rooting for your favorite team in the opposing team's ballpark is "classless"

Had he booed the Indians, or done other stuff, yeah thats classless, wearing a hat there and cheering is not.

[K-State Spur]

It's not really a big deal. I mean he has always worn Yankee stuff, and I remember him saying he was a giant Yanks fan back in 2005. I would be pissed if he just came out of nowhere with his Yankee stuff, but he has always been loyal.

My only thing that rubs me the wrong way is that he said he was a Florida State fan. I mean the dude goes to alot of Ohio State games and now he is going to come out and say he likes Florida State?

and probably a cowboys fan too. Bron-bron is just hitting all of the bandwagon teams of the 90s.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Well, he kinda grew up with them in the forefront.

Buster Olney (as he always does) made a great point today.



• Got a lot of e-mail from Indians fans who disagreed with the take here about LeBron James wearing a Yankees cap. Here's another thought: It's kind of like voting, isn't it? Isn't LeBron entitled to support the baseball candidate of his choice? Can't he like who he wants to like? And it was TBS's decision to put him on TV, not his decision.

I grew up in Vermont, surrounded by a whole lot of Red Sox and Yankees and Celtics fans, and I rooted loudly and obnoxiously for the Dodgers and Lakers and Vikings. I liked the Dodgers because I read a book on Sandy Koufax when I was eight. I like the Lakers because Jerry West became my favorite player in the second grade, during their playoff series against the Knicks. And I got a Gene Washington football card in 1972, when he was with the Vikings, and I liked their helmets. I wasn't required, by some New England loyalty test, to root for the Red Sox and Celtics and Patriots.

LeBron says he's always rooted for the Yankees. Wouldn't you, as fans, have less respect for him if he changed allegiances because he worried about what others thought? Still don't get it.

[K-State Spur]

well, isn't rooting for the team(s) that is simply in the forefront (i.e. winning) the epitome of a bandwagon fan?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

well, isn't rooting for the team(s) that is simply in the forefront (i.e. winning) the epitome of a bandwagon fan?

Those were his formative years. Has he switched allegiances? The Yankees haven't won a Series in years and FSU hasn't won a NC in years.

And it's not like the last years of the Cowboys have been stellar for their fans? Has he become a Pats fan recently?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I'm a Cowboys and Braves fan.

I grew up watching the Braves on TV since 1991, does that make me a front-runner?

[BeerIsGood!]

well, isn't rooting for the team(s) that is simply in the forefront (i.e. winning) the epitome of a bandwagon fan?

You're only a bandwagon fan if you switch to the flavor of the month. It appears that Lebron has been a Yankee fan continuously for a long time (for a 20-something), and a Cowboy fan through the lean post 1999 years. That's not a bandwagon fan.

[Jimcs50]

Not being from NY or the New England area and rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for Brad Pitt to get laid or for Bill Gates to win the lotto, it is just not right.

:)

[Jimcs50]

Kenny Lofton on First Take this morning basically said what I said. He said it is cool if Lebron says he is Yankees fan, and goes to game and cheers for his Yankees as well as the home team for good plays, but he thought it was in poor taste to wear the Yankees cap to the game. Asked if his Indians teammates will now go to a Cavs game this year wearing Spurs' apparel, and root against the Cavs, Lofton said that they were too adult to do something like that.

This is all I was saying, do not wear the gear to the game.