Thursday, April 23, 2009
You better be
That's awesome. LeBron using the shoe as the bat may be my favorite. But Mo running up to the camera is pretty funny too. The Cleveland Cavaliers fan in me loves this. It's a bunch of players I've followed fairly closely (at least in previous seasons. HAR!) having a good time. It probably didn't take that long to film and it was just some guys goofing off.
The Cleveland Cavaliers fan in me loves this. The bitter Cleveland sports fan in me isn't nearly as amused.
Look, this team hasn't won shit. They've had a great season and things seem to be breaking their way. But when you do stuff like this and the pre-game picture routine, you better make sure you follow through with a title. If this squad blows it, what do we do? If not now, then when?
I appreciate the fact that stuff like this will endure these players to a whole generation of fans (and this city needs some actual Cavaliers fans), but I'm just worried about focus. Even with the Pistons looking like shit, there's every chance we could be tied 2-2 coming back to Cleveland (who would've thought Atlanta wouldn't get swept after the first two last year?).
I dunno, maybe I'm overreacting, but as much as I enjoy that clip (and I do think it's endearing) I'd rather them cut out the cutesy stuff and take care of business.
Because if they don't win the title, all of this crap will look mighty stupid.
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5 comments:
I don't think its a big deal at all. And that's because they're not mocking or flaunting themselves. They were just having fun, and that's perfectly fine. It's purely a joke for the amusement of the fans and themselves.
They were flaunting to a degree with the "team picture" stuff, but it seems they've quit that after the Magic shut them up in Orlando (correct me if I'm wrong on that). I'm glad they quit because it started to cross the line.
If they were being pricks I might feel otherwise, but if they don't win it all, I'll just remember that it was a fun bunch of guys who were close on and off the court.
Hate to say it, but I think there's a lot of Cleveland fans who can't have fun with this season (not you Ben) because they don't understand what its like to have a great team who really enjoys what they're doing and where they're doing it (Cleveland, baby)
This is all part of the Dan Gilbert philosophy. Many of his players are charismatic, likeable guys who are highly marketable, so he's trying to capitalize on that.
It's entertainment. It's showbiz. That's what professional sports is. These guys are entertainers, and they're taking a 360-degree approach to entertainment. It's the new-school way of thinking, and Gilbert is the newest of new-school owners.
Gilbert loves it when Joe Smith cuts a rap album, when LBJ dances to Kid N' Play in a State Farm commercial, when Delonte West does his thing. Because when NBA players step off the court, they're still celebrities and people are still interested in what they say and do.
Spoofing on a Heineken commercial is just another tentacle on the Cavs' marketing beast. Sure, it's all about winning the ring. But if you can get some run on the Yahoo front page next to that fat British singing lady from "Britain's Got Talent," that's pub, and that counts for something, too.
At the end of the day, this is more positive than negative. It's these guys having fun together (LeBron's baseball swing was faaantastic).
And I know that stuff like this doesn't take long to film and it isn't like LeBron and Co. are the ones doing the heavy lifting.
but I do think they've left themselves open to criticism if they don't win. They've done a lot goofing off (which isn't unusual for a good team, remember the 95 Tribe's 'bubblegum on the hat' routine?) and it could come off poorly if they lose.
If they win? I expect more awesome shit like this.
This is how the Cavs blow off the pressure and stay loose, and jell as a team. It might be a factor in why they've succeeded so well thus far.
Which approach do you prefer- that of the fun-loving, loose Cavs, or the vicious, bullying Celtics? One team has shot it's wad, and the other continues to improve. That's just the truth.
I favor whichever approach that results in a championship.
As for Boston, I'm pretty sure they shot their wad bc they're full of old vets. I'm not sure their bullying demeanor has anything to do w/it.
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