Where have all the Hero's Gone?

[Mr. Broken]

After Jordan left the Bulls I stopped watching the NBA, it had lost some (most) of its appeal to me. Nearly a decade later (give or take a couple of years) I started watching again. Why?, because my hometown suddenly had someone to cheer for again. LeBron James was more than just an outstanding talent, more than just the next Jordan, he was one of us a hometown kid, born to lead us to the promised land. Like any outcast, mistreated, ridiculed, and quite frankly cheated group of people we latched on to LeBron. He made it OK to be from Cleveland again, well him and SRD. His likeness was plastered all over the city, and everywhere he went he was greeted by his adoring fans, he was one of us, and yet more. We built him up in our heads to be our savior, believing everything that we were told. Believing what he said, that he wouldnt leave us, that he would bring us a Championship, that he loved his city, and his fans. Then he drove a dagger into our collective backs, shot our dog, and removed himself to a safe distance so that he could taunt us at his leisure. Oh and by the way according to him, and most of the world it was all our fault, we had it coming, we didnt deserve him, we were racists, and just not a big enough stage to showcase his brand.I guess we loved him too much, and in a way we did deserve it.
I havent watched an NBA game since LeBron quit (QUIT yeah I said it again Q.U.I.T.) on the Cavs, in the playoffs against Boston last year, I'll never watch again. I could live with that, and Im sure neither LeBron, or the NBA, has noticed or lost any sleep over the defection of one fan, but thats not where the story ends. LeBrons treason has grown to threaten all of Clevelands sports franchises. Free agents ( the group of athletes who have destroyed most of what I loved about all sports) dont want to come play for our teams ( " if its not good enough for LeBron, C.C., Cliff, Braylon, or Manny then I dont want to be there"). In last years NFL draft the Browns selected CB Joe Haden, and the fans were very excited to get him, when introduced as a Brown for the first time his first statement to the Cleveland media was " When can I meet LeBron?", 2 months later LeBron takes his talents to South Beach. I dont know if they ever did meet, but part of me is terrified that they did. Haden has now shown to be quite a talent, so he'll probably leave as soon as he gets a chance.
The question becomes this, when did loving your team, and city become a crime? To those who criticize Cleveland fans of any kind, what makes you so much better than us? The answer seems to be because our loss was your gain. Right Baltimore? I'll bet when the Colts were stolen from you, you were mad as hell. Screaming" how could the League let this happen ?". Then you turned right around , and stole the Browns/Ravens from us. You must be very proud of them, and yourselves.
Now here we are at the end of another football season for which the expansion Browns can claim 5 whole wins, and have yet again fired another coach. The Cavs are an abomination, but still LeBrons team as evidenced by the recent hug fest that recently occurred at the Q.( I heard about it , as I said I dont watch anymore). The Indians make me throw up in my mouth a little bit every time I think about them, and as far as sports fans anywhere else are concerned all is right with the world. Is there a hero out there for us? Who knows? All I can say to the fans in Cleveland is keep cheering, and booing. Keep expecting success if for no other reason than you deserve it. Keep giving LeBron hell, and make sure that he knows that the old saying is true, he can never come home again.

[danlo]

Jordan's still my hero-as you might be able to tell from my av. I'd never criticize Cleveland, I was pulling for the Indians in the series...Then again I come from a city that has no professional teams and don't like (except for the Suns and Avalance) any neighboring teams including Broncos, Texans, Cowboys, Cardinals, Mavs, Nuggets, Spurs, Rockets etc...Steve Nash is close as I get to a current hero-yes no championships but one hell of a competitor. I, sorta, hear the inside track on Cleveland Sports as 94Rock's Morning Show is headed by T. J. Trout who was raised in Cleveland and is always moaning. Now please don't try to figure out who's t-shirt I'm wearing in my av-

[Menolly]

I will admit that I am hoping against hope that in the NFL, Tebow becomes a "hero." For who he is as a person, if not his player performance.

[High Lord Tolkien]

I'm curious why anyone is looking to a sports figure as a "hero" anyway.
"show me the money" was not something made up for the movie.
Sports player have no loyalty to the team they play for.
They go where the highest paycheck is.

Mr. Broken, did you mean "superstar" or something along that line?

[Menolly]

I dunno, HLT.

In my home town of Hollywood, FL, Joe DiMaggio is looked upon with a hero's glory. Not for his baseball playing days, but for putting his money and reputation on the line to find and fund the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.

Sure, there were lots of other investors who helped find the hospital along with him. But he was the primary motivating force behind it.

I do think we don't need to give an athlete a hero's glory for their athleticism, or a celebrity similar for their looks or talent whatever that may be, particularly. But hasn't that been the case for athletes since the original Olympic competitions in ancient Greece? Pretty much human nature, I guess.

[Vraith]

I'm curious why anyone is looking to a sports figure as a "hero" anyway.
"show me the money" was not something made up for the movie.
Sports player have no loyalty to the team they play for.
They go where the highest paycheck is.

Mr. Broken, did you mean "superstar" or something along that line?

Well...there's no reason LeBron had to intentionally be such an ass...e about it.
Players owe loyalty to the team they're playing for, while under contract...that's just the job...but otherwise, you're correct.
If they DO have loyalty...well, that's a bonus they GIVE, not a condition anyone can demand.
But, it's a sucker's bet to play hero for the fans anyway...you make one mistake and your 10k screaming fans are suddenly 10k executioners who, btw, Vegas gives even odds vs. the pop top on their own beer cans.

[Mr. Broken]

I'm curious why anyone is looking to a sports figure as a "hero" anyway.
"show me the money" was not something made up for the movie.
Sports player have no loyalty to the team they play for.
They go where the highest paycheck is.

Mr. Broken, did you mean "superstar" or something along that line?

Of course you are right today's sports stars tend to be the worst examples of humanity one could find, and yet I keep hoping to get a glimpse of something rare. Just a hopeless romantic I guess.

[Seven Words]

I'm curious why anyone is looking to a sports figure as a "hero" anyway.
"show me the money" was not something made up for the movie.
Sports player have no loyalty to the team they play for.
They go where the highest paycheck is.

Mr. Broken, did you mean "superstar" or something along that line?

Gotta disagree. Steve Yzerman told the Red Wings owner and coach, he'd retire before he would play for another team. He only ever was a Red Wing. He and Brendan Shanahan and Nicklas Lidstrom (as I recall) all took a pay CUT to bring Brett Hull to the team.

Now, say there is VIRTUALLY no loyalty among sports players, and I'd agree. But there are some....admittedly, very few.

[mrsnull]

Doug Flutie
Jim Kelly
LB Ray Lewis is helping the boy who was the sole survivor when his mother drove the minivan full of kids in the Hudson River
Yao Ming
Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds will pay for college for the kids of the man who was beaten by the Dodger fan
Terry Francona of the BoSox buys tickets for the military and their families

There are still good guys. They just don't get the press!