James took out a full page ad in the Akron Beacon Journal to thank the people of Akron for their support, and post photos of himself participating in various charitable events in the city. It seems like the ad was to not only remind the people of Akron of all the good times the two shared, but to notify them that he will be participating in a bike-a-thon event taking place Saturday.
I haven't seen the ad, but some may have a problem with a player taking out a full page ad to post pictures of themselves doing charity work. The motive seems unclear there. Anyway, if the ad is indeed to notify Akron that he will be participating in an event Saturday, then we can hardly criticize James for that.
There is a bit of problem though. While James thanked the city of Akron, he made no mention of Cleveland. Is he obligated to thank the city of Cleveland? No, although it would be nice after the nationally televised slap in the face. The ad also appeared in an Akron newspaper, so it only seems natural James would address Akron and not Cleveland.
The problem lies in the fact that many have interpreted this ad to be another shot at Cleveland. Rather than thank the city in which he played, he thanks his hometown, and leaves Cleveland out to dry--again. However, it should be noted James didn't mention Cleveland at all, so any perceived jab at the city is the result of the reader's interpretation.
I'm not going to speculate about James' motives, but I will say that this was bad timing, and once again, over the top. Does this guy not know how to make announcements in a normal way?
My first instinct was to think James was trying to taunt Cleveland with this ad. He didn't appreciate the way Cleveland has reacted to his decision, so he decided to disrespect them in a round-about way. But then I remembered the type of people who have been advising him.
It's conceivable to think that this was a simple thank you to the city of Akron, and had nothing to do with Cleveland. However, anyone in the right mind would realize that thanking Akron and refusing to acknowledge Cleveland, especially considering the circumstances, wouldn't come off well.
But we all thought "The Decision" wouldn't make James look good, right? James' advisers let him go through with that, so why should it be a surprise that they left him go through with this letter?
Amazingly, James was starting to catch a break because of the way Cavs owner Dan Gilbert reacted to his departure. People criticized Gilbert's letter for being immature and unprofessional. He also surely hurt the Cavs chances of landing a prized free agent in the near future, if this is how he plans to react if and when they leave.
I think people were starting to realize that James being a free agent meant just that. He was free to make whichever decision he wanted. Although the anger that came with his decision to leave Cleveland was warranted, the fact that he did was his decision, and his alone.
My recommendation to LeBron would be to leave all things Ohio alone for a while. Whether it be his opinion on the Buckeyes or a charity event he's participating in, let those things be known in the quietest way possible. James has already dug himself into a hole he can't climb out of. Anything he does or says Ohio-related will be perceived as a shot towards the Cavs and the city of Cleveland.
He'll have the opportunity to visit Cleveland on December 2nd. On that date, he can let his play do the talking.
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