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Let me just say that I was hoping to not have to mention The Decision ever again on the Wolves board, because I know there are plenty of other places on RGM where its still being discussed. However, I just had to after watching this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJG_VR9NYmI

Nw, first of let me tell you that I am okay with LeBron's decision to go to Miami. I don't see what the big deal is, and how people think he's only doing it because he couldn't win one on his own. So he decided to take a job in a different city, big flippin' deal. People do that all the time. The way he did the one hour special may not have been the greatest idea, but I don't think its that important in the grand scheme of things.

Back to that video, I think it is utterly disgraceful for a hard working, blue collar city like Cleveland to treat a guy like that. SHOW SOME CLASS! What's the big deal if somebody wants to wear a LeBron James jersey?

Now here in Minnesota, we have two instances we could look back on (well, more like one-and-a-half) where we handled the situation much better.

1. Kevin Garnett - When Garnett was traded, I would be surprised if there was one KG jersey burned in the streets in anger. There was no hatred if someone wore a KG5 shirt in downtown Minneapolis either (that I'm aware of). We accepted it for what it was, and moved on. If anything, people were more disappointed with Wolves management because they continually failed to surround KG with the pieces he needed to compete.

2. Joe Mauer - Heres the .5 I was referring to, because the deal never actually happened. But if it did, I think you would still see people proudly wearing Mauer jerseys to the park, no problem.

Is this just a case of Minnesota Nice, or an extreme over-exaggeration by the residents of Cleveland?

The special was in very poor taste...but Cleveland people need to grow up. That is all. Its a freakin' game.

The Garnett situation was different than the current Lebron situation in that I think everyone realized it was time to trade him as the team had really gone down hill in his last couple of years with not much relief in sight. Lebron was not in that position. They still had the best record in the regular season 2 years in a row. They were waiting for Lebron to step up like Kobe and lead the team which did not happen. He had enough talent around him although maybe not one player of the Gasol level.

As far the the Mauer situation goes--if he did the Lebron "decision" and left, I think the feeling would be the same as toward LEbron here.

^^Agreed. The Cavs have been the top team in the East. They were getting to the playoffs as well so it's not like he was on a losing team or in a terrible situation. The Decision left a bitter taste in the mouths of the people/fans of Cleveland, doing them "dirty" on national TV. It's not like LeBron was Karl Malone status, he's in his mid 20s, had plenty of time to fight for a ring in Cleveland. I'm not upset over him choosing MIA, it got us Beasley.

I don't think there's a lot of comparison between Garnett and James. Garnett, for example, didn't leave the team in FA or have a show about it. He also never clocked out of important games and the like. They're just too different for comparison.

But you're completely right, we're more awesome then everyone else.

It's his choice on where he wants to play and what his legacy will be. The old school in me doesn't agree with it, especially as I saw Cleveland make a lot of win now moves to appease him. Regardless, I think The Decision was the only thing you could classify without a doubt as a poor decision on his part. As far as what Cleveland fans think, I could really care less as long as they don't hurt anybody in the process.

Lebron's situation isn't like KG... Lebron basically walked for nothing, at least with KG we got something back.

A better example is the Gugliotta situation when he left Minnesota for Phoenix and we didn't treat him very well after that.

I want to burn Joe Mauer jerseys, and the people wearing them, every time he goes 4-6-3.

463 should be his jersey number.

^^^ thats a lot of ppl/jerseys there bud.

Wasn't there some money or donated or something from that special?

I'm guessing you weren't in the left field stands for Chuck Knoblauch's return to Minny. Tom Kelly and the PA announcer had to beg the fans to stop throwing lord-knows-what onto the field. A forfeit was threatened.

Randy Moss? Even though he couldn't win a Super Bowl here, he definitely made it exciting for fans to watch the Vikes and left us with some great memories. Even though fans may have been upset that he was traded I think a majority of fans wished him the best and would be happy to see him win a Super Bowl.

There were a lot of people here in MN who bought his jerseys when he went to Oakland and even more when he went to NE and people never did anything to someone who wore it. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't recall any burning of his jerseys after he left either.

shangrila wrote:I don't think there's a lot of comparison between Garnett and James. Garnett, for example, didn't leave the team in FA or have a show about it. He also never clocked out of important games and the like. They're just too different for comparison.

But you're completely right, we're more awesome then everyone else.

I'm starting to think no one ever watched the playoffs and we just take Bill Simmons's word for everything now. LeBron was trying so **** hard the fourth quarter of game six I felt terrible for him. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get multiple rebounds off free throws where you're lined up behind the three point line without trying? You've got to exert yourself at some point, no way around it.

By the way, anyone who didn't care for LeBron's show was never young and cocky, which really sucks for them. I thought his show was **** beautiful. He stopped the world for an entire hour. That's so impressive it should be completely beyond reproach.

I thought his "show" was disgusting. Narcissism. Greed. Dementia. The boy has some seriously stupid management personnel. They used a couple dozen little kids as props. If he and his entire posse had been crushed by a mack truck while jaywalking immediately following the "decision" I would have giggled.

I think this is worse than joe mauer signing with the yankees, for less money.
Joe isn't capable of doing something like this to his fans. Lebron has no heart. Its all ego.

The only guy I can think of that would receive hate like that would be Norm Green. Fortunately they don't make jerseys for owners.

It's awful in Cleveland right now. I was there on Tuesday night to watch a Yankee/Indian game and the whole city hates LeBron's guts. There were shirts bashing him and his mother. Truly a disgraceful move by the city.

KG was at a complete other stage of his career. KG got traded (and didn't even really demand one), Lebron left by his own decision. Just complete different situations.
Eventhough I do agree with the original post in this thread, I also understand the fans from Cleveland a bit. Mainly b/c they go from contender to a 'not so good' team. But burning jerseys etc. is a little disrespectful in its own. James did bring a lot of good basketball and some success to the Cavs, didn't he?

skorff26 wrote:
A better example is the Gugliotta situation when he left Minnesota for Phoenix and we didn't treat him very well after that.

As for Tom Gugliotta, I still am horrified by the fact McHale didn't deal Googs for Elden Campbell/Eddie Jones just b/c he doesn't want to deal with the Lakers. That was so shortsighted...

I think the only way for this to be an apples to apples comparison would be if Joe Mauer played up free agency for 2 years then at the 11th hour had a 1 hour TV special where he announced he was taking his talents to the Bronx - for less money. Then let's see if Minnesotans are exceptionally nice (they're really not, but it's a solid selling point for the state so I won't complain)

Minnesotans can be just as thin-skinned and insecure as anybody. Twins fans *still* boo A.J. Pierzinski (sp...) when he comes up to bat, and that's just for some snarky comments he made after he got traded to the Giants. And that's the trade that brought Joe Nathan here and opened up a spot for Mauer behind the plate. We certainly got the better end of it, but when AJ dissed the Twins organization, people took it soo personally. Imagine if that had been somebody who people here really loved! They would be seen as the antichrist!

Devilzsidewalk wrote:I think the only way for this to be an apples to apples comparison would be if Joe Mauer played up free agency for 2 years then at the 11th hour had a 1 hour TV special where he announced he was taking his talents to the Bronx - for less money.

for it to be apples to apples, mauer would have to somehow be even better at baseball than he already is....add in world series and alcs losses too...