Remember when LeBron James “betrayed” the city of Cleveland, the state of Ohio and goodness knows what else when he uttered the following words, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat” to Jim Gray in that debacle of broadcast journalism, “The Decision”? You do? Great. And do you also remember how Cavaliers fans reacted to his decision? Not well, right? In fact, many of them took to the streets to protest and some of those folks decided the best way to articulate their anger by burning all of their LeBron James jerseys and other assorted apparel.
That’s when someone got the bright idea that instead of destroying perfectly good clothing, maybe the classier and less wasteful thing to do would be to turn and negative into a positive and take all those unwanted jerseys and t-shirts and donate them to charity? More specifically, why not ship all of it down to Miami for the homeless in LeBron’s new NBA home?
Great plan. And admirable. Unfortunately, there’s one problem:
The homeless don’t want the crappy stuff.
Technically, it’s not the homeless who are refusing the Cavaliers duds. Instead, the charitable act sadly – and somewhat perplexingly, I might add – has turned into some kind of political issue.
Via Sporting News:
“It’s on hold right now,” Rita Clark of the Miami Coalition for the Homeless told BrowardPalmBeach.com. “There’s a lot of politics around this.”
“It seemed very well-intentioned, but it’s not gonna happen right away,” Clark says. “I’m trying to help them be better-received here in Miami.”
Jeez, it’s just clothing, people. Let’s not overreact. Who in the heck is in charge of the Miami Coalition for the Homeless, anyway, Rebecca DeMornay? How about we allow cooler heads to prevail here and provide the homeless with some much needed clothing? At least until we reach the point when the homeless who are wearing LeBron James Cavs jerseys are strapped to rickshaws. That’s the line that cannot be crossed, Rusty.
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Miami organization not accepting donated LeBron jerseys [Sporting News]
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- David - Sep 4, 2010 at 11:21 AM
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We’ve got to remember that the homeless are people, too, with political opinions and sport affiliations and dignity. Just because a shirt is free doesn’t mean it’s meeting all their needs in the city where they try to eek out a living. Even a modicum of respect is appreciated.
Also, it sounds like the donator in Cleveland wanted to cause a stir. Send them overseas instead to a place where people aren’t all caught up LeBron hype.
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- Ron Hontz - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:04 PM
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“eek” out a living?
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- Ron Hontz - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:07 PM
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“eek” out a living?
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- dan - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:10 PM
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David
We’ve got to remember that the homeless are people, too, with political opinions and sport affiliations and dignity. Just because a shirt is free doesn’t mean it’s meeting all their needs in the city where they try to eek out a living. Even a modicum of respect is appreciated.
Also, it sounds like the donator in Cleveland wanted to cause a stir. Send them overseas instead to a place where people aren’t all caught up LeBron hype.
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China, everyone there is a Kobe fan. They can use the shirts to wipe ther butts after a good healthy crap.
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- dan - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:10 PM
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David
We’ve got to remember that the homeless are people, too, with political opinions and sport affiliations and dignity. Just because a shirt is free doesn’t mean it’s meeting all their needs in the city where they try to eek out a living. Even a modicum of respect is appreciated.
Also, it sounds like the donator in Cleveland wanted to cause a stir. Send them overseas instead to a place where people aren’t all caught up LeBron hype.
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China, everyone there is a Kobe fan. They can use the shirts to wipe ther butts after a good healthy crap.
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- Dallas - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:13 PM
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Perhaps you should review the news for the Cinco De Mayo story from out here in Ca. Several students wore American Flag inspired T-Shirts to school. Some normally wore these shirts, a few did it as a quiet statement/protest. The Mexican students/school staff –honoring a Mexican holiday with Activities–were not pleased and the school took the stand that these students should change or turn the t-shirts inside out–because the American Flag inspired shirts–no actions no words–just the wearing of the shirts was considered an agressive action.
There were follow up marches by both sides. The school board and all others involved made it a hot political issue.
Its not just the name it is also the team colors. They have commercials now about the attitudes of people who move to a new neighborhood and get TV packages that show their “favorite” team. Neigbors leave platters of food that say “dirt bag”, dog urinate and tear up the property or throw shovels of snow at glass doors.
The homeless–with this economy and the simple cost of starting school–are not the only ones who go to thrift stores or free clothing exchanges–shouldn’t be part of a big “piss on you” campaign. If they wanted to do some good, then yes I agree with Dave, send it to someplace where it would do some good….not sure where it would be, but that is for “more smarter” people than I am
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- April - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:17 PM
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I’ve got an idea.
Let’s clothe all the homeless and then put them on busses to Cleveland and they will appreciate all the homeless people wearing their free trashy clothing.
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- Leslie - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:25 PM
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We used to live about 10 miles from Akron and now in another state. I am reading these stories about Mr. James and I have some questions. First of all isn’t this America where we are all free to make our own choices? Why is it that the heads of companies and banks can move from one place to another; “stealing” other people’s moneys and futures? When this happens, it seems quite often, why don’t the people burn company letter head and ads, etc? Why is it that we never read “trash” about Mr. James? Could it be that he is a good family man, business man with morals and standards? We have never read that he has abused anyone. Mr. James does not abuse animals, cheat on his wife, or have a string of “women”. Oh; I have never read about Mr. James and drug problems. Now it seems to me that Mr. James made some personal choices that have landed him where he is and not one of us has the right to treat him the way he is being treated. No, I have never met Mr. James, I would be proud to shake his hand.
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- a basketball fan - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:42 PM
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It’s not so much that James decided to go to Miami which he was free to do. It was the way it was “announced” with all media hoopla that caused the bad feeling. How many other athletes have gone to new teams after their contracts are up and held press conferences to make the announcement?
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- Randall - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:47 PM
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It’s not so much the choices he’s made, it’s how he’s conducted himself while making them; the word “unprofessional” springs to mind. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass that he left CLE, but to do so on a nationally-televised event, w/o even having the courtesy of informing his then-employer ahead of time, shows an incredible disdain for the franchise/city that treated him like the Messiah. In an ego compare/contrast, Kevin Durant signed a max extension a couple days later, and announced it “officially” on Twitter. People in the greater CLE area may be a bit more hyper in their hatred, but James has earned every bit of scorn he gets.
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- Kenneth Krieger - Sep 4, 2010 at 12:52 PM
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John Unitas still has a Statue in Balitmore. James has nothing in Cleveland. One was a leader the other could not lift his team when the chips were down. Ken Krieger 239-283 7385 Cape Coral, Florida
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- Theresa from Akron - Sep 4, 2010 at 1:01 PM
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David,
Many homeless are people with mental disorders and/or are from states up north who made their way south to warmer climate that is year round.
Sorry – beggers can’t be chosers in this case.
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- weezilgirl - Sep 4, 2010 at 1:38 PM
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for “a basketball fan”, get over it and move on to something that is positive and productive.
volunteer somewhere.
write a letter about the million dollar bonuses the CEOs of the big companies are still taking. yes, the ones that we “helped” out.
go protest in front of their buildings.
basketball is a business and then a game.
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- weezilgirl - Sep 4, 2010 at 1:41 PM
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leslie, you have written the most rational post that i’ve read about LeBron James.
CEOs are taking bonuses in the millions of dollars and laying off employees. these are the people that we “helped” with taxpayer’s dollars.
i don’t hear anyone griping about that.
basketball is a business and then a game.
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- weezilgirl - Sep 4, 2010 at 1:43 PM
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“Even the homeless don’t want LeBron James Cavs apparel”
Sat Sep 04,2010 10:00 AM ET By Weed Against Speed
Weed Against Speed, why did you find it necessary to lie in the headline? You knew you didn’t have a story so you “dressed it up” to attract readers?
Shame on you!
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- beaverdam - Sep 4, 2010 at 2:52 PM
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Mr.Krieger and the other posters are correct. Mr. James played honorably and had every right to move, but to rub it in Cleveland’s face on TV and not to even give a proper 2 week’s notice to the owner or teammates of a franchise that had paid him a lot of money and built their franchise around him was bush league. Johnny Unitas would never have done that, nor would the people at the top of today’s game. He has the right to move, and we have the right to tell him he is jerk for the way he did it. If he had stayed in Cleveland he would have been a legend just for staying rings or no rings. Now if he gets rings it will be because of Wade. In my opinion.
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- Rusty - Sep 4, 2010 at 2:56 PM
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Hey weezilgirl, don’t fall trying to get off your high horse.
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- rnazario - Sep 4, 2010 at 3:07 PM
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The basic problem is that people are ideolizing these multimillionares when those “athletes” (business men)dont really give a dam about society. all they care is their bottom line.Just stop buying all their memorabilia (junk) and the whole world will be better off.
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- Really Don't Care - Sep 4, 2010 at 3:13 PM
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In five years they will be considered “throwbacks”.
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- Bama - Sep 4, 2010 at 3:21 PM
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Do not think people are not taking this just a little to far .
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- Tao Mokoda - Sep 4, 2010 at 3:23 PM
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Some of you might do well to consider that, although basketball IS a business, it’s only a business to those who are making money from it. To the rest, it’s a sport, it’s entertainment, and many people have a lot of their emotions tied up in their team, not to mention loyalty and the hope of being able to enjoy being a ‘championship city’.
When the best chance of accomplishing that left Cleveland, the fans felt betrayed and this is how they express that. Does that make it right? No, but that’s the reality, and an understandable, albeit rather immature one. Very often trying to oversimplify a thing becomes a barrier to understanding.
I personally don’t like Lebron anyway, and I hope he NEVER wins a title, but from a “business” perspective, I have been laid off from jobs with the only notice given 15 minutes before quitting time on what turned out to be my last day, so loyalty-to-the-company is a bunch of equestrian manure! HOWEVER, in this case, Lebron should have thought about the FANS that were the ones who bankrolled much of his wealth over the past seven years, and let the folks know something in advance. For that, he lacks class, in my opinion.
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- AngelP - Sep 4, 2010 at 3:24 PM
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LOL, uh huh. Is it hot in Miami??
BTW, did you read about James’ behavior in Vegas? I do agree that James and all sports figures have the right to play anywhere. It is the manner in which James handled it with “The Decision” that angered so many people from Ohio. If you believe that was a class act and something you would do yourself, you are as classless as LeBum!!!
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- Tao Mokoda - Sep 4, 2010 at 3:33 PM
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Sorry, dude, but “proper” 2-weeks notice? That’s a big, fat load of diaper filler!
I honestly cannot remember the last time a company that laid me off gave me more than 15-20 MINUTES notice! I’m talking about calling us in at 4:45 or so on what turned out to be the last day of employment.
Although I do agree that he was a jerk for doing it the way he did it, it’s not for that reason. I think he owed the fans who bankrolled much of his wealth more than that.
But if I leave a company, the only thing that is “proper” is that I don’t steal anything or trash the building on my way out! If I give any notice at all, it’s purely out of kindness on my part!
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- baronwolf - Sep 4, 2010 at 4:35 PM
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You know what, many people that aren’t homeless have mental disorders as well and to marginalize human beings by talking down to them is not appropriate, it’s just condescending. The majority of the homeless are victims of unfortunate circumstance. Many are families who have lost there homes or veterans whom we have ignored after they returned from protecting us. Stop talking about the homeless as though they weren’t fellow citizens and human beings with equivalent worth to any other American. This story isn’t about LeBron, it’s about clothing for people who need it and they should be given the choice as to whether they want it,not some paid ‘volunteer’ who gets to go home every night. Also the ‘beggars can’t be chosers’ crack shows an amazingly shallow morality. There but for the grace of god go you.
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- Wren - Sep 4, 2010 at 4:38 PM
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It is not the fact that he made his choices but the way in which he relayed them to his Cleveland fans and bosses. He acted like they had treated him poorly and didn’t pay him enough. He acted like he deserved better. His playing was not that good, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he actually threw a couple of games just to get attention on how bad he decided his teammates were. I get very tired of people who have talent, regardless of how much, who act like they deserve to be served everything on a silver platter. Good riddance to bad rubbish!
