Scaling the Anger for LeBron James’ Return to Cleveland.
2010-07-29
For those of you who missed all of the hoopla last night, LeBron James Heat jerseys have already found their way into the city of Cleveland. During an Indians game at Progress Field Wednesday night, one “die hard Cleveland fan” made his way to his seat wearing the newly stitched #6 jersey. Fans reacted as if LeBron James himself had just plopped down in left field, dousing the fan with beer and food. Eventually the fan was escorted out of the ballpark, exiting to chants of expletives by hundreds of angry Clevelanders.
But the incident certainly got me thinking. If this is how Indians fans reacted to the mere site of someone rubbing “The Decision” in their face on their home turf, how can we expect a building full of Cavs fans to respond when Miami makes their first trip to Cleveland this upcoming season?
How many police officers per hundred fans can we anticipate? Will fans have to arrive an hour before tip off just to be properly screened at the doors? Needless to say, this is a game that all Cavaliers fans have their eyes set on. I’m no different, as I will most certainly be at that game, which sadly enough could be the “playoffs” for the rebuilding Cavaliers this season.
Well, with this highly anticipated event in mind, I decided to take a look at some of the things we could expect based on past homecomings. Using lists of the top ten Cleveland sports villains and the ten levels of anger management, these are some of the events I believe could transpire at the Q.
Jim Thome (Level 7)
When Jim Thome left the Cleveland Indians it was a major heartache for Tribe fans. As blogger Len Kehoe puts it, “Thome thought of Cleveland as his second home. He told the fans he didn’t care about the money, he told them that they would have to ‘rip the shirt off my back for me to leave’… [but] Thome went for the money, breaking Cleveland fans’ hearts once again.”
However, since Jim Thome left the Indians for an NL team, it would be four years and another team later before he returned to Cleveland. Upon his return, he was met with a mixture of boos and cheers. In his second game back at Jacobs Field he was even fortunate enough to hit two home runs, perhaps being driven by the abundance of boos outweighing the cheering.
The Los Angeles Times did a good job summarizing Thome’s divided reaction return to Northeast Ohio in 2006.
Indians fans are now split in their sentiments toward the 35-year-old slugger, who was traded to Chicago last winter. Many still cheer him, but there are plenty of resounding boos each time he comes to bat in Cleveland.
Due to the partially softened stance on Thome’s trip back to the place that he used to call home, it’s quite obvious that LeBron James will likely never be this fortunate when playing in Quicken Loans Arena again. We can expect the boos to erupt x10 and the cheers of the 1-2% that claim their loyalty to LeBron will surely be drowned out.
Carlos Boozer (Level 8)
I still remember the game as if it was yesterday. After experiencing a few rowdy St. Patty’s Day parades leading up to 2007, I was absolutely thrilled to learn that the Cavaliers would be hosting the Utah Jazz on March 17th that year. And, for the first time since his betrayal, Carlos Boozer was actually going to play!
Fans made sure to pack the Q with hundreds of signs for the return of Carlos Boozer in 2007.
I quickly secured a couple of club level seats and made the pilgrimage to Quicken Loans Arena with hate in my heart and vengeance on my mind. The atmosphere was fantastic with a wide variety of notables, from duct taped Boozer jerseys, with an “L” over the “B” (“Loozer”) or “BIE” over the “ZER” (“Boobie”), to thousands of drunken fans, hundreds of anti-Boozer signs, and dozens of angry chants.
Every single time Carlos Boozer touched the ball, a sea of boos showered down on him from those sitting courtside all the way up to fans in the aptly named Loudville. The young children in front of me, who probably have no recollection of Boozer other than their father’s bitter complaints since the 2004 off-season, repeatedly screamed “Boozer sucks!” off and on every five minutes throughout the entire game.
With all of that said, electric atmosphere included, the overall level of disdain was slightly less than I had assumed it would be. This was Benedict Boozer, back in Cleveland, playing on one of the most alcoholic holidays in America. Perhaps the time off between Boozer’s bolting and his first game back in uniform softened the blow from what could’ve been battery tossing to merely signs, chants, and self customized jerseys.
In the end, there is one good quote we can take away from the 2007 not-so-St. Patty’s Day massacre. When asked about what he thought the Carlos Boozer homecoming would be like, LeBron James answered “terrible… it’s going to be pretty bad for him.” He followed this up by saying he understood that Boozer did what he had to do, but “whatever [the fans] do, I’m behind them.” It’ll be interesting to see what Cleveland players are behind the fans with “whatever they do” when James is the one visiting the once again scorned fanbase.
Albert Belle (Level 9)
When Albert Belle left Cleveland for the Chicago White Sox, it was a move that greatly angered fans since he chose to play for the team’s main rival. Feeling scorned, fans bottled up all of their animosity and saved it for his return the following season.
Belle wandered back to Cleveland in 1997 and was met with more hate than he could handle. Following the initial return on June 3rd, drastic measures had to be taken for the sake of security. As one Belle dedicated website documented the series in real time, “Angry, taunting fans throw debris at Albert in left field. Team owners add extra security for the last 2 games of the series and keep fans away from the porch overlooking left field.”
While it may seem somewhat harmless, once fans begin to throw anything at a player, all bets are off. Furthermore, the fact that additional security had to be brought in and certain sections of the ballpark were off limits proved that the heightened tension was cause for concern.
For James, this is the best case scenario homecoming he can expect this season. While I’m certainly not condoning it, there will undoubtedly be several stops in play, particularly in the first quarter, due to objects being thrown on the court at his direction. If fans wearing James’ #6 Heat jersey are getting pegged with debris in the very same left field stands that fans used to throw objects at Belle, I can only imagine what objects the actual #6 jersey will attract. Unfortunately for James, avoiding debris throwing fans isn’t as easy as closing off a section of the 360 degree, oval shaped arena.
Art Modell (Level 10)
The only one in the same weight class as James on this list, Art Modell is considered a curse word throughout Northeast Ohio. Unfortunately, for comparison’s sake, Modell has yet to once again step foot on the earth he tried to salt 14 years ago.
What was worse: Art Modell's original sucker punch or LeBron's recent roundhouse?
After stealing an entire sports franchise from the city of Cleveland, Modell had to abandon his Ohio home for fear of what fans may have done. Following several death threats, Modell hired an ex-Marine, Henry Gomez, to protect him down in his Florida home in West Palm Beach. But even though he had a military trained body guard and was over 1,000 miles away, Cleveland fans still lined up outside of the home, harassing Modell any chance they could get. That’s all of the way down in Florida, so take note LeBron.
From firing legendary coach Paul Brown, who the team is named after, to completely uprooting Cleveland’s beloved Browns, Art Modell is the city’s original villain. In a way that only furthers the anger towards him, Modell has internalized a lot of this hate and made it part of his persona. When asked if James would surpass him as Cleveland’s most hated villain, he responded “nonsense… I don’t think there’s any basis for it.”
Ultimately, James may never pass Modell as Cleveland’s number one sports villain, but he has to come back to the city at least twice every year.
So what should we expect?
To be honest, I’m not sure what this night will entail. There will certainly be a lot of anger in the air and the tension within the stadium will be unbelievable. It could be a night that makes the city of Cleveland look bad in the eyes of the nation or it could be a let down for those die hard fans who hope it makes LeBron James regret ever leaving the team.
One thing is certain, however. If the angry fans at Progressive Field on Wednesday night were any indication, you may want to proceed with caution that night. As Cleveland fan and blogger Matt Bowman put it, “Anyone who brings his/her children to the first Cavs/Heat game at the Q this year better not be complaining about crowd rowdiness.”
After all, crowd rowdiness and level 10 anger is to be expected.
Make sure to join the discussion at Numbers Don’t and Real Cavs Fans!
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Where the hell is Cleveladn?
“These [levels of anger management] go to 11.” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll7rWiY5obI
/This Is Spinal Tap’d
Water balloon night?! That would be sweet!
If people don’t understand why any championship won in Miami will be cheapened, then they never played sports. It’s not just about winning championships. Its about the journey. That’s why Michael Jordan was so emotional after the Bulls finally got it done, because of everything he had to go through to finally get there. Its like climbing a mountain. Its tough, and there’s no guarantee you’ll actually get to the top, but when you do, there’s no better feeling. What James did was akin to taking a helicopter to the top of that mountain and avoiding the struggle. One can… Read more »
(@Cleveladn Guy) I love it when people use all of this response space to name call rather than make a real and valid argument or point. Seeing as you can not spell Cleveland, it is hard to believe that you are indeed a Cleveland guy. (@OpenMinded) Thank you for voicing an opinion that I think is just as prevalent out there as Anti-Lebron sentiment. I agree that athletes’ “job” is to win, however there is another side to that. And that is competition and sportsmanship. It is clear that Miami has a talent advantage over most other teams in the… Read more »
@OpenMinded I’m tired of being told I shouldn’t be upset or whatever because LeBron has the right to leave, I KNOW he has the right, it’s not about the fact THAT he left, it’s about HOW he left. He KNEW ALL ALONG that he wasn’t coming back here, did he tell the Cavaliers? Allow them to persue other FAs? Of course not. He paraded six different teams to Cleveland to have a big LeBron love fest, why? Because he skipped College, and wanted to be “recruited” Part of me wanted him to leave because I had thought he quit during… Read more »
hey, sometimes no fans are better than fans who threaten their sports figures time and time again
wow. i can honestly say i’m baffled by most of the stuff here. I love cleveland, and my family goes way back in this state and that city. But even my folks understand that what he did was put himself in a better position to win championships. In 7 years he’s had to carry the load time and time again, and yes, it makes you “the man” on the team and in the city. But that doesn’t get u far in the history books or very many Larry O’Brien trophy’s. How many teams in the past 30 years have won… Read more »
Rich, you sir are an idiot.
Thin line between love and hate…
All you people with your idle threats, and clever nicknames LOVED LBJ last year? Cooperative witnesses, you were talking this bull sheet after the first time he “gave up” in the Boston series…
Remember when Kobe “gave up”?
Yeah, Lakers and KB got over it, and I guess you could say it worked out…
You kicked dude when he was down, so why so hurt when he dip set on that ass?!!!!
Since we’re goning to get slammed by any and all media but the Cleveland media, go all the way. Get as juvenile as we can. Personally, I’d be happy right up until a “Malice at the Palace” situation. Detroit is still living that down.
Best case scenario, I see multiple stoppages in play and whatever network carrying the game turning off the stadium mics. Worst case scenario, is a fully-fledged riot. A dollar beer night would exacerbate this, but if it’s going to happen anyway (the riot) at least make some extra cas while you’re at it, Gilbert.
I thought about having the loudest possible standing ovation for Z when he comes into the game and absolutely nothing for Lebron. Guys the networks and Lebron want us to show how supposidly “classless” we are then lets show them how great of a crowd we can be. Sure, Z left too but actually had the decency to give a nice interview and no ESPN special. So I say give Z a hero’s welcome since he was with us for so many years and I just think really supporting our guys will be the best thing. Because unfortunately while releasing… Read more »
I hope LeBum gets in a severe car accident and has to be treated downtown at the Clev Clinic! I hope the doctor treating him has a tatoo that says “Chosen One”….And they have to amputate an arm and a leg, that way he has an excuse to only play at 50% effort, LOL!
Apparently the players want to go to Miami, where there are no fans.
just keep your chins up. cheer hard for your team. you guys will get a chip soon
cleveland fans are scaring away all the players from playing there!
Yea, I’m for some 10 day contracts here. Bring back Anthony Mason and Charles Oakley.
The silence and/or not showing up idea was intriguing at first. I thought it might be kind of cool to do something different or unexpected from the norm. But in the end, I really don’t think it does much of anything imho. Being silent would be pretty difficult to actually get the crowd to pull off. Also, it being so out of the ordinary and noticeable, I figure that would be just as easy for Lebron to think that he was something special to “deserve” that kind of treatment, as opposed to just booing/yelling. Also, I agree with the above… Read more »
I think Rich is right. LeBron has hundreds of millions of dollars and an amazing life. He has demonstrated that he doesn’t give 2 shits what his hometown thinks of him. Maybe there is some chant that will get under his skin due to some secret insecurity but I don’t know of any. Chanting “Pippen” isn’t bad, but I really don’t think he cares. It would be nice to beat them, but that ain’t going to happen. I’m for signing Rick Mahorn to a 10-day contract.
^^ Rich you are absolutely right – silence will not help me either. I will be booin, yelling and screaming at the tv whenever he touches the ball. I don’t think his ego will let him grasp the situation but it will be a fun experience.
I’m not understanding this idea of teaching him a lesson. Nothing is going to make him understand. And with that in mind, I just want a way to vent my anger, knowing full well it will have no effect on his own understanding of what we feel. Silence isn’t going to be a good way for me to vent my anger. I need to be loud.
Do you guys believe he is thinking about that day as much as we are? I bet he is. I don’t think he understood the magnitude of his wrong-doing until espn showed him the burning jerseys. I’m pretty sure he was double guessing his decision right then and there. But what’s done is done and now he must face the crowd who once hailed him as king(I can happily say I never thought he truly “had it” – whenever I was asked “Lbj or Kobe?”, I always answered Kobe). Now the tables have turned and he’s no longer the one… Read more »
And I haven’t actually done or seen the calculations but I believe he is still making more money by moving to Florida due to no state income tax, when you factor in all his endorsement money. I could be wrong though.
Good christ, no one is really going to thrown urine at him. It’s not Philadelphia.
In any event, he will probably orchestrate an ESPN interview shortly before he returns to Cleveland in which he expresses regret for the way he left the Cavs and makes some sort of apology. ESPN will absolve him and cast the Cleveland fans as bitter and classless for not welcoming him back with open arms.
With the exception of the Miami fan (@CavsSuck) who was probably the same idiot that wore the Miami jersey to the Jake and had nothing but unproven statements and opinions (and the audacity to make a comparison to 9-11), I agree with all these great suggestions. I don’t think that boycotting the game will hurt anyone but the team, however the psychological effect on the league might be worth it. I particularly loved the idea of the combo of dollar beers and the balloons. Make it happen, Mr. Gilbert! I am of the opinion that the decision that Lebron made… Read more »
Lets face it the Miami-Cleveland at the Q will be off the charts and the vitriol directed at Lebron will be ugly and cross many lines…if this guy is near the same level as Modell I cant imagine expecting anything less…you just gotta wonder what the players will do…will a Cavs guy foul hard will a fight or scuffle break out…any ejections or flagrant fouls…who knows…but it will be insane and intense…pretty much a playoff atmosphere multiplied by the Lebron saga…. Yah hating an athlete is a popular thing and maybe not something that should pre-occupy our lives…i dont think… Read more »
Thanks for all of the comments, guys.
I’m glad to see there are so many other fans as anxious as I am to attend this thing.
Wow there’s some people with some anger issues around here. I personally think its important to separate “Sports Hate” from “Real Hate” and make sure we don’t lose perspective of that the first time LeBron makes his return to Cleveland. Throwing urine on someone is just reprehensible and way over the line for sports hate (anyone who insists they have real hate for LeBron needs to find something better to do with their life.) I sports hate the guy as much as anyone else, and the very reasons why I sports hate him are also the very reasons why I… Read more »
Actually in the long run he only took 7 mill less than he could have in Cleveland (he saves something like 7 million by moving to a state with 0 personal income tax because the only people with any money there are all retired and for these fools trying to bash on Ohio for “sucking” I am pretty damn sure the economy of Florida couldn’t rely on their oranges, as well before the economic crisis Ohio had a GDP of 466 billion which ranks 7th in America, i feel its safe to assume that many Ohio residents took their family… Read more »
I agree with Joey1320. No matter Cleveland’s reaction that night, if the Cavs can pull off a win, that would be better than anything you could throw at the traitor. Let him leave Cleveland that night with his tail between his legs and one more L in the column for Miami.
^^ Mark you are completely correct about Lebron not making more money, but it all came down to taking the easy way out… I wish he HAD done it for the money IMHO.
Anyways, I will be watching the game at home, hoping the cavs win it. That’s all i want. I don’t care what happens to/with lebron. I don’t care about crowd reaction or what could happen if people get out of hand… I only care about the final score.
Can’t wait!
I will start by saying this: LeBron had every right to leave, I think most intelligent fans recognize that. That said, everything else that has happened (since 2006 when he signed the BS 3 year deal) was set up so he could leave, and he had it planned. Gilbert made me actually look back at last year’s Orlando series, where I never originally thought he did quit, and it was apparent in a number of the games that he indeed was not in it. I watched about every game for 7 years, and that series and the Boston series, pretty… Read more »
I usually don’t respond to ignorant posts (and ones that use 9-11 to make their point?), but one point that cannot be stressed enough is that LeBron James will not be making more money in Miami. He took a paycut to go and play there. Sorry, but he cannot be defended in that regard like Thome, Manny, Belle, and Boozer were.
And just to make a point, because I’ve seen a few people now place all the blame on Indians fans and none on the Miami fan. The guy wore that Heat jersey for ONE reason. To get attention. He didn’t wear it because it’s the only thing he had…no, he bought it JUST so he could wear it to a CLE game. HIS ENTIRE GOAL WAS TO PISS PEOPLE OFF. To sit there and act like he was some innocent guy who was just attacked by an angry mob is to totally dismiss what he was really trying to accomplish.… Read more »
Thought 1: I’m sure the network airing the game will make their “poor, ungrateful, depressed trashy underclass of the nation” view of the city apparent. All of which indicating that none of those clowns has ever actually spent time here. Thought 2a: Lebron, the supposed home town guy, never really actually seemed like a Clevelander or Northeast Ohioan (the difference is nil, because this region is in this together). Never felt like representing the city or region, and as the Boston series showed, didn’t have the mental fortitude, toughness, or even pride that would make one not want to quit… Read more »
I know it’s hard for 10-12 year olds to recognize their own contradictions on their own..so I’ll help.
Your silly last last two lines, where you try to play the victim, totally contradicts the first three lines of your post. Americans can’t be united (says who, btw??You??) except in a crisis? This bothers you? Well, then why would you take the time to make your name CavsSuck and type Cleveland has no class if you are so concerned about being united? Idiot.
Cavs fan boo another b/c he wore a Lebron jersey? If you were Lebron, you’d leave Cleveland for Miami too. Miami is a nicer area, has better looking women and he gets paid more money. Cleveland has no class!!!! Lebron left your team, get over it! No wonder why Americans can’t ever be united. We tear each other apart and only back each other in times of crisis like 911.
I hope someone sitting at that courtside table steals the powder so he can’t even do it. Or swaps it for itching powder.
I would very much like to a few beers dripping off of LeBron when he does his powder routine back in Cleveland.
Batteries cross the line, though, even at a football game.
I’m with Colin, except I think we should boycott the game completely. Can you imagine a completely empty arena on national TV? Get your boos out on the way in, make a picket line, but man…that would be amazing, he would just feel ashamed…that’s something that’s never,ever happened before.
The determining factor of what happens in Cleveland when he returns is how HE responds to what fans inevitably do. If he just plays and leaves, it won’t be THAT bad. If he flaunts the fact, it WILL be that bad.
I think rating Thome a seven is too high. I feel he would be welcomed back in open arms if he ever signed with the team. Manny, too.
If Thome isn’t penalized for playing in the steroid era, he should go into the Hall Of Fame as an Indian.
They should do a dollar alcohol promotion that night. If it’s gonna be bad anyway, why not go all the way?
Surprise me – Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), Antitrust
There will be blood.
First off, I never condone violence. That said, there is ALMOST nothing our fans could do that I would have a problem with. Obviously there is always a line that can be crossed, but I think it gets pushed farther back than ever before this time. No matter what we do, even if it is as passive as booing nonstop from pregame to the final buzzer, the media will come down on us like a bunch of grudge-holding children that can’t get over anything, but I would expect no less from them as they don’t understand what it is truly… Read more »
The most exciting part about this is Dan Gilbert could very well be promoting all of the mayhem. It is not inconceivable for Gilbert to have a special montage of LeBron let downs and chants on the big screen.
I think chanting Pippen everytime he touches the ball would irk him the most.
If there is one game I will find a way to get to, that first game will be it. I remember getting tickets to the Orlando game towards regular season end, and most of the starters (including lbj) didn’t play. My very first Cavs game I attended since the richfield days when I was a lil kid. Of course I kmwent to the past 3 or 4 Cavs preseason games here in Columbus, but definitely not the same. While part of me has gotten over lbj’s departure, and part of me hopes he gets some rings (still favorite player in… Read more »
Great write up Cam!
Hoping to secure tickets for that 1st meeting. It’s doubtful, but even if I don’t, I’ll be at the best sports bar booing along with them.
One of my friends and I are going to do anything we can to be at the game. Hopefully, and I posted this at RCF, whenever James touches the ball, is mentioned, etc., the crowd does nothing. Complete silence. Act as if he’s not even there. As a former player (ok, so it was only high school, but its relevant), I transferred schools after my sophomore year. When we played my former school my senior year, the first time I touched the ball (I was inbounding in front of their cheering section) I was booed vociferously. I was curious what… Read more »
Great stuff Cam… of course I will be at the first Cavs/Heat game at the Q this year. Wouldn’t miss that one for the world. Thankfully I don’t have any children to contemplate bringing along with me. It will certainly be a Level 10+.