"Runaway slave"

I listened to Whitlock today on LeBatard's show. For the most part, he thinks Jesse should have kept quiet. Whitlock said that it wasn't about race, just an owner who feels that his star player shouldn't leave his team and Gilbert acted like a baby over it.

It's interesting you brought up the issue of African-American pro coaches. Whitlock asserts that Mike Brown, much like Denny Green, got whacked because his superstar African-American player (James) "quit" on him.

I was in the library over the weekend to get some work done outside of the house. I walked past the sports books section and saw Rhoden's book. I came pretty damn close from pulling the book off the shelf and read it. But I didn't.

Nevertheless, much ado about nothing. Someone asked him for his opinion and they got it and ran with it.

 

Does your former boss go around acting like he made you and that he owns you and that moving to another job makes you a no-good traitor? That's the difference. I along with my partners own our firm, I understand we earn money from our employees, that's business, that's called leveraging out. But we do not lord over our employees acting like we own them.

 

However, if you knew one of your best employees was looking for another job during an important time of year for the business; you felt you had done everything you could to make him happy and give him the tools to succeed; he did not give you a call to confirm he was moving to a different firm, but rather sent you a copy of the press release from a rival firm; and then publicly said your firm was, essentially, a chickenshit outfit that will never succeed without him ... then you'd be a bit upset, wouldn't you?
You might even fly off the handle and call him on his hourlong smoke breaks and the way he ducked out 15 minutes early every day during his last two weeks.

This all goes back to how James handled his exit. There's not a lot of loyalty in sports, we can agree on that. Free agency is a part of sports and there shouldn't be any hard feelings about him leaving. It's business. But after seven years Gilbert at least deserved more courtesy than he received.

 

I agree with you there, I was very disappointed in the lack of courtesy that LeBron showed the Cavs. But the Cavs knew the deal from the day they drafted him, they get him at the locked in rookie scale for 5 (and the 2 years that LeBron reupped) and then LeBron could choose where ever he wanted.

I personally feel like good for LeBron, the guy is 25 and he has not even moved away for college. Go live somewhere else.

I really disliked the way he did it though, that "The Decision" was the worst sports related thing I have ever seen in my lifetime. Now if it was MJ after a Three-Peat choosing where to go, okay, but LeBron? Do something besides get swept in the Finals (okay by a superior team).

 

Get a fucking job Jesse.

And shut the fuck up.

 

Remembering first, that we did indeed one day, several years ago, have slavery as a legal entity here ...
That's all at once a stupid/funny/outrageous statement by Jesse Jackson.

I like the comment earlier that he's the ultimate shakedown artist.
That's pretty spot-on.

 

Sink to this level? He's been wallowing in the muck for decades.

 

Say what, honky?

 

Who had the avatar of the little kid saying "That's racist!" It's a good time to bring it back. [/LMAFO]

 

Gilbert is a douche. He's not the first owner to act like a jerk. A better criticism would be that some people are uncomfortable when African American players have as much power as they did in this situation.
The owners got their "max contract" clause, you put that ceiling in, teams know what the number is they need to reach and suddenly anyone can put in a bid for a player that is at least as financially lucrative as a team in New York, LA or Chicago. Then it comes down to other factors.
Anyone think LeBron, Bosh and Wade would be playing for the Heat if there weren't max contracts? Players would be going to the highest bidder. It's one thing to sacrifice a mil or two for a good shot at an NBA title - another thing to eat $5 or $10 million - as the Heat are finding out trying to fill out their roster.

 

Big part of what is wrong with America. Why the white majority continues to subsidize this industry with its time and money is beyond me.

 

The Good Reverend has succeeded where none has succeeded before: Make Dan Gilbert look the victim, sted opposite.
Way to go, Rev.