Death Threats Haunt LeBron Fan-NYCFORLEBRON.net

[nycforlebron]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=8414

HOOPSWORLD
Death Threats Haunt LeBron Fan

By: Bill Ingram Last Updated: 4/25/08 8:25 AM ET | 1548 times read

Todd (who asked that we not use his last name) had had enough. The Cleveland native was sick and tired of watching LeBron James play with what he considered to be mediocre talent, so he decided to do something about it. He started a website (nycforlebron.net) and with it a movement around which fans – New York Knicks fans – could work together to try and lure LeBron away from the Cavs . . .and to the Big Apple.

The result?

"I can't tell you the amount of hate mail I get every day," intimates Todd. "Death threats – I mean, I'm a big sports fan, but in all reality it's just a basketball player. Someone actually went out and bought the domain name for my own name and linked it to Wikipedia under 'Treason.' Who does that?!?"

Needless to say, Cavaliers fans may have gone a little overboard to show their displeasure at the idea of LeBron leaving town. Todd argues, though, that it would be best for the budding NBA star.

"This is my problem," he explains. "I love LeBron James and I love Cleveland. The point of the website wasn't to get LeBron out of Cleveland, the bigger issue is Cavaliers management. I've been a Cavs fan forever and Danny Ferry (now GM) represents everything that's wrong with the organization. When we traded Ron Harper for him in the 80's it caused the team to dissolve. Harper was a 20-points-per-game scorer; Ferry had been playing in Italy and came back. We gave him a huge contract, which screwed up our salary cap for seven or eight years, and he stunk. He went on to be a good role player with the Spurs, but he stunk in Cleveland. Granted he came into a pretty screwed up situation as GM, but he signed Larry Hughes to a huge contract. They needed a guy who could shoot the ball next to LeBron, and Hughes couldn't shoot the ball. Then they made that big trade and limped through the rest of this season. I'm a frustrated fan. I love LeBron, I love watching him play. People are saying I'm a traitor, but I've just become so frustrated with Ferry's moves that I expect the guy to leave as a free agent."

So what does a big Cavs fan do when he feels the team isn't doing enough to utilize the talents of one of the top young players in the NBA? You start a campaign to move him to another team – a team that knows what they're doing when it comes to building around top-notch talent and putting championship-level basketball on the court every year. You organize a campaign to move LeBron to New York . . .(?)

To that end, Todd and his partners started trying to raise money through their website to offer LeBron a package including a Ferrari, Yankees season tickets, and a variety of other incentives. Of course, the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement would expressly forbid LeBron from accepting any such offer and would investigate those making it. That seems to have effectively slammed the door on Todd's original plan.

"We're still trying to find our niche. We've decided to stay away from that for now, which is why the website is under construction. The CBA wouldn't allow us to give anything to LeBron – we'd have to give it to Gloria James (his mother), and that's not what we want to do."

Through it all, Todd and his partners remain convinced that the hiring of Donnie Walsh will usher in a new era of Knicks basketball, and that LeBron should be the centerpiece.

"Donnie Walsh was probably a good hire for the Knicks. They'll start trying to put together a team that can complement him. Obviously they'll want to make a push for LeBron James. Walsh has made some questionable moves, but he's a real decent GM. I know he locked Tinsley into a bad contract and Jermaine O'Neal gets hampered with injuries a lot, but he's 20 and 10 when he's healthy. Looking at the move to bring in Walsh I think the Knicks are making a statement like they'll go after LeBron. They're going to put a real GM in place, they'll hire a real head coach, and I think this will be the start of their pitch for LeBron."

Cavaliers fans want no part of Todd's logic.

"These people are crazy," he says of the onslaught of hate mail. "They want to kill me – they want me dead. People are exposing me – going out and looking up my personal information and then snagging my last name, getting my email address, and sending me death threats. Then this guy goes out and buys my name as a web domain – I tried to find out who it is, but it's private from somewhere in Pennsylvania. People are demanding that I take it down. I don't want to be the Benedict Arnold of Cleveland. I'm a big Cleveland fan. I love the Browns, the Indians, and the Cavs are third fiddle, but I still love them. People are telling me I can never root for a Cleveland team again. They're telling me they've sent my picture to airport security so I can't get on a flight. This is what I've been dealing with for the last two weeks."

It seems that being an NBA fan is a full-contact sport these days. Fans in Seattle are fighting and demonstrating in a last-ditch effort to keep their team, and fans in Cleveland are engaged in an all-out war against one man who suggested LeBron might be better off somewhere else.

It seems the world of Fantasy Hoops is taking on a life of its own.

Checkout the 2008 Playoff Weekly Stats Leaders Here

Also on HOOPSWORLD

No longer the number one overall pick we thought he would be years ago, where will O.J. Mayo go in the draft this June? Get the latest scoop here at HOOPSWORLD....

The major moves for Jason Kidd and Shaquille O'Neal were meant to bring postseason success this year, but that doesn't look to be happening in Dallas and Phoenix. But is it far too late to call those deals a failure?

An offensive player drives to the basket, leaves his feet, and is knocked to the ground by a defender. How does an official tell the difference between a hard foul and a cheap shot? HOOPSWORLD's own Mike Moreau breaks down the call.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held May 20th, with the actual NBA Draft being being held June 26th in New York City. Make sure to check out HOOPSWORLD's Draft coverage as we draw closer to the NBA Draft!
About the Author: BILL INGRAM
Bill Ingram is Executive Editor for HOOPSWORLD, powering HOOPSWORLD.com, HOOPSWORLD Magazine, and The Basketball News Report. He is a member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and has been covering the NBA for ten seasons.
Email to a friend
Email to a friend Print Version
Print version Deliscious
del.icio.us Digg This
Digg this

Comments (4 posted) Post your comment
Please be respectful of the writers in your comments or they will be removed
posted by Ih8tU2, 25 April 2008 6:10:36 AM
That's what you get, genius! Why don't you try getting the Raiders moved from Oakland next. I'm sure their fans won't mind at all. Sucks to be you.
posted by JB, 25 April 2008 11:26:50 PM
I'm not sure how Ferry came into a "screwed up situation." In fact, it was a great situation. $30 million in cap space to burn, plus LeBron James. I mean, a trained monkey could have handled the job.
posted by Yes Siry Bob, 28 April 2008 12:58:48 AM
death threats is way over the top... But this dude deerves mean mail... faker doesin't love Cleveland.. the poorest big city in the nation... Lebron means sooo much to its self esteem and definitely, also its economy... then we got some jerk media types who live in New York who constantly covet and druel over lebron... so disgusting we have not gone one year without the media stirring up speculation of his departure im supposed to feel sorry for this guy? ok fine... only for the death threats part and thats it
posted by Bill Ingram, 28 April 2008 10:14:11 PM
Agreed - if you want to hate, hate. That's what's fun about sports. But death threats??? Get real . . .


News Around Basketball
THE FEATURES

This Week's Top 5 Stories
Stars of Game 4: ORL @ TOR
Death Threats Haunt LeBron Fan
Stars of Game 3: ORL @ TOR
Nelson Better Than Advertised
More

NBA

Courtside Blog: Live in Denver
Scott Named Coach of the Year
Time For Gibson, Varejao To Step Up
This Week's Top 5 Stories
Riley Out, Now What for HEAT?
More

FANTASY

Fantasy Recap: Studs to Duds?
07-08 Fantasy Awards: Overrated & Underrated & More
Fantasy Awards: MVP and Biggest Bust
Fantasy Hoops 2.0: The Playoffs!!!
Box Score Blitz 4/16/08
More






Email to a friend
Email to a friend
Print Version
Print version
Deliscious
del.icio.us
Digg This
Digg this
DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE

Avg Rating 5.0/5
(total 1 votes)
RELATED NEWS

Calling Trades Failures Still Premature
Losing Is Not An Option
The Truth About Tracy McGrady

TOP STORIES

Rumors: Bynum Out Longer?
J.J. Redick Unleashed
Kobe's Game Cashes Check Mouth Wrote
Town Hall Meeting: Mitch Kupchak Talks Lakers
Behind The Scenes With LA Lakers

PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS | CONTACT US | SITE MAP | RSS FEEDS
AmericanEagle.com
© 2007 Fantasy Sports Ventures