We all liked Mike, but as we’ve learned all too well this week, nothing spins the turnstiles in sports more than good, solid loathing. LeBron James’ return to Cleveland on Thursday night has made an otherwise insignificant NBA regular season game into one of the most anticipated sporting events of the decade. Just ask Ralph Reynolds and Derrick Tatum, Atlanta residents who went into business for themselves hawking a line of anti-LeBron James clothing called “Queen James #23″ (pictured). Tatum and Reynolds, who have a chemical business, decided to create the clothing, paint one of their trucks and drive the 710 miles to Cleveland for the big event. I guess they’re already outside of Quicken Loans Arena now. Please pick me up a shirt.
Other developments:
- Tickets for Thursday’s Heat-Cavs clash are going for an average of $234 each on the secondary market, according to StubHub. That’s the highest average price for a non-playoff game for as far back as StubHub’s data goes.
- On Tuesday LeBron told ESPN that he’s “ready for whatever response I’m going to get. It’s going to be very emotionally draining. I can tell already.”
- How draining? The Twitter group Cavs_Chants, which is organizing demeaning chants aimed at LeBron during the game, has 1,864 followers. They’ve even created chant sheets (here’s a couple of them).
- Meanwhile, another Twitter group is advocating that fans laugh at LeBron. They have nearly 1,000 followers.
- TNT, which will broadcast the game, sent Charles Barkley to Conan O’Brien’s TBS show on Tuesday night to promote it.
- The Celtics, who won at Cleveland 106-87 on Tuesday, were taking bets on whether LeBron would do his ritual of tossing powder above his head before the Heat-Cavs game. “The powder? I probably will,” James told the Associated Press after practice in Miami on Tuesday. “That’s just a ritual for myself, a routine that I’ve always done, I’ve done on the road. I don’t know. We’ll see. I may change. I don’t know.” Added Dwyane Wade: “If he doesn’t throw it up, I’ll throw it up for him.”
- Will the Cavs use TSA screeners to check fans before entering the arena on Thursday? That’s unclear. But security has been beefed up and is on double-secret alert, and no anti-LeBron clothing will be allowed inside.
- Assembling music for your Heat-Cavs party on Thursday? You can’t go wrong with Unfaithful by Rihanna.
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ABOUT LAST NIGHT
What you missed while finding this awesome parking space …
- The Simpsons sack the Lions:
- Drunken football fan attacks police horse? Of course it happened outside of a Houston Texans game.
- Britain’s worst soccer team only lost 22-0 on Saturday, which is a 33-goal improvement from their previous loss.
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TODAY IN MARK TRAIL …
Uh oh … “Dear Penthouse Forum …”
