Imagine you were from Cleveland, asleep for 3 days, woke up in South Florida and picked up the Miami Herald on Sunday. You would've thought you had woken up in the Bizarro World.
Et tu Z?Here are 3 stories from the Sunday Herald that Clevelanders might find hard to stomach.
1. Zydrunas Ilgauskas considering joining Heat
"Cavaliers free agent center Zydrunas Ilgauskas told The Miami Herald on Saturday that he is ``looking into the option'' of rejoining James, his close friend, in Miami. Ilgauskas said he has been in contact with the Heat, making him one of a handful of veteran centers Miami has pursued in recent days."
Yes, Ilgauskas is free to do what he wants, gave the Cavaliers 13 inspiring seasons, didn't string us along for years, went along with that trade to Washington and is so deserving of a championship, but still, Miami?
2. LeBron James loved, hated and misunderstood
While James' reputation has taken a hit nationally, Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard sees it differently.
He chose to take less money. He chose to sacrifice being the singular star of his team in order to share the stage -- and in a city that belonged to another star, no less. He chose to admit to all that he needed to lean on a friend for help. He chose to go from the easy and forever love of little Cleveland to unholy criticism that would wildfire-spread from the burning jerseys in his hometown to a smoldering that would engulf our entire sports nation. He chose to go from hero to villain. Chose it. Think about that. He chose to go from love to hate. And he chose to subjugate his enormous ego in the name of team. In other words, he put winning above all else -- above money, adoration, even home.
Le Batard was turned off by "The Decision" TV special, but writes that's not the point.
The way James chose to make his announcement was cheesy and ridiculous and a monument to the kind of childish me-me-me fans despise from arrogant athletes. It was also benign and fun and funny, but it doesn't feel that way to fans when an athlete dares to toy and tease with those damn emotions. So it becomes one of the worst ideas an athlete has ever had in theory and in execution -- a disaster so epic that it buried James' unprecedented message about winning and sacrifice.
3. Cavaliers owner redefines sour grapes
Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote writes about Dan Gilbert's open letter to fans and Cleveland's reaction to 'The Decision,'
Dear Dan [Gilbert] and Cavs fans: LeBron had every right to leave, and he chose a better team and a better city than what you could offer. Deal with it. The shame in this isn't that LeBron chose to leave or even in the way he did. The Cavaliers owner and Cleveland fans are the ones who are shamed by their almost comically childish response.
Oh no he didn't.
It's much too early for the Miami Heat's Big 3 to start counting titles
A voice of reason, at least from this perspective, can be found 90 miles to the north at The Palm Beach Post. Greg Stoda writes about that over-the-top party the Heat threw for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
It was James who figured the games themselves will be "easy" in comparison to Heat practice sessions.They sounded disdainful of opponents almost to the point of insolence.
They acted with a superciliousness bordering on scornful.
They were full enough of themselves that James felt comfortable counting up to seven championships as a possibility before he, Wade and Bosh are done heaping carnage upon the NBA.
Nailed it.