Halftime Hype

If you haven't already read Halftime Hype's post about Bradley's extension, here it is.

Obviously, there are many different opinions on whether or not extending Bob Bradley's contract was the right decision. Here are some excerpts of them:

From Ives Galarcep at Fox Soccer: The harsh reality is Bradley must do better over these next four years if he is going to prove Gulati’s decision to be the right one. He must construct a team better equipped to avoid the early-game blunders that have plagued the United States. He must rebuild his defense and he must continue his search for reliable goal-scoring talent. And when 2014 comes, if Bradley is still the head coach, he must learn from the lessons learned in 2010 and use that experience to build a team capable of reaching the levels many believe the U.S. men’s national team can reach.

From an interview with Fox Soccer's Christian Miles: "I think US Soccer made a good decision by extending Bradley's contract. Bradley is a fine and capable manager who fulfilled US expectations at South Africa. However, despite my personal admiration of the current US boss, who was able to get this current crop of players to closely realize it's potential, Juergen Klinsmann would have been an excellent choice to progress US Soccer. The German has demonstrated his ability to lead a national program through his efforts four years ago, while guiding his native country to the World Cup semifinals."

I don't think it's a matter of foreign versus American, rather it's who is the best man for the job. Klinsmann is not a typical foreigner that has no existing knowledge of the working of soccer in the US. He's lived in the US for years and is familiar with soccer in this country. He has also taken a role with the LA Galaxy in the past. With an extensive US background and fresh methods that brought success to Germany, I have no doubt Klinsmann has the capability of taking US Soccer to the next level."

From Yahoo! Sports' Martin Rogers: "Whatever Bradley does between now and the next World Cup, it will never be enough for those who love to bash the United States head coach, his methods, his philosophy and his decisions.

And it needs to stop...For those who simply can’t bear the fact that Bradley remains in charge, ponder this: Perhaps your ire should be directed not at the man, but at the federation that decided to hand him the keys not once, but twice."

From Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl: "Bradley did a good job in his first four years. My skepticism over his reappointment has less to do with Bradley than with any coach in this position, even ones who got historic performances out of their teams like Lippi in 2006 or Arena in '02. The history of World Cup second acts, especially over the last 16 years, is not a particularly good one."

"The Road to History starts now!" LeBron James tweeted after arriving in the Sunshine State. Ever since 2008, NBA fans everywhere pondered where James would be after his contract expired. Would he stay with his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers? Or would he explore his options and play outside of Ohio? In the end, his choice to play for the Miami Heat, will forever be remembered as the most publicized free agent spectacle in NBA history.

In reality, the Road to History began weeks ago. In the process of selecting his next destination, James demonstrated his control over the media and impacted the league for years to come. "The Decision" and all the hype surrounding it will not be paralleled for several generations.

When ESPN announced its one hour special, "The Decision," devoted to King James and his big announcement, many questioned the purpose of it. First and foremost, what was the need for an excessive hour long conference? Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy put it best when he said, "It takes 15 seconds to say I’ve decided."

Was it seriously necessary to hear James answer fifteen questions before he dropped the bombshell? The suspense was at an overwhelming pinnacle when millions tuned in at 9 P.M. Eastern Time. The 30 minute delay was extremely frustrating.

Also, there's concern over the ethics. James hand-picked his interviewers, Jim Gray and Mike Wilbon. Did ESPN cross the line by allowing James to have total control? Then again, he utilized his power for a good cause by donating commercial proceeds during the one hour special to charity.

However, by securing the slot on ESPN and having his every demand met, James showed everyone just how much power he has over the media. They are willing to bend over backwards to meet the King's requests. Mr. James, you want one hour of national coverage and the millions of dollars in ad revenue during those sixty minutes? No problem.

The big picture question is: Was it appropriate for James to reveal his decision on national television? After all, this past week, Kevin Durant, a top three or four player in the association, simply disclosed the details of his contract extension via Twitter. No press conference was necessary.

Perhaps the more important issue is whether the medium of his announcement was the proper way to bow out of his native city. The outrage over his decision would have certainly been less if he didn't embarrass the Cleveland Cavaliers organization and fans on national T.V.

In general, outside of ratings, "The Decision" special was not a success. Honestly, James and Gray came out flat. It seemed like James didn't even want to be there, funny since his side arranged for the special. I understand that there's a lot of pressure on the man, but c'mon, the least you can do is smile here and there. What's more, rather than being engulfed in a captivating atmosphere, the interview was conducted in a "libary-like setting," as ESPN Around the Horn panelist Woody Paige described it.

One can't understate the emotions in Cleveland right now. When fans are burning jerseys, that's pretty extreme. What's more, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert really raised eyebrows with his extremely bold open letter to Cavaliers fans. Among Gilbert's comments included references to James as "narcissistic," the King's decision as "cowardly betrayal," asserting that James possesses a curse, and going so far as to say: "I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before self-titled former 'king' wins one."



One can understand where Gilbert is coming from, but he clearly chose an ill-advised way to articulate his passion. Psychologically, what Gilbert is doing makes sense. He is identifying a scapegoat in order to tame the disappointment and anger in Cleveland.

In brief, James let his hometown fans down. That's the way they feel in Ohio. The player didn't even bother to notify the Cavaliers of his departure until one of his representatives contacted the organization at approximately 9:01 P.M. ET, minutes before James revealed his decision to the world. The short notice leaves Cleveland without the chance to pursue any other big name free agents, as most have been signed in "preemptive strikes" by teams, as named by ESPN's J.A. Adande.

Regardless, such disparaging remarks about a franchise player will surely make free agents hesitate to play for an owner like Gilbert. Personally, I would be extremely impressed if Gilbert delivers on his promise and the Cavs win a title before James.

Beyond all the hype are the implications on the NBA itself. The Miami Heat are now a super team, the circus act that everyone will want to watch on the road. The expectations are nothing short of a championship, according to the latest Vegas odds, the Heat being the favorite to win it all.

Nevertheless, there are still many other circumstances to think about. As of now, the Heat don't even have an entire starting five under contract. Plus, who's to say that none of the triumvirate will be injury-free? Will issues arise among young, confident players and an equally youthful coach? Or, if Pat Riley decides to sit on the sidelines, will ego issues present themselves? There's the possibility that James, Wade, or Bosh won't see eye to eye with Riley, take it to the media, and Riley refuting with "I've won championships. Where are your rings?" Who knows, maybe the trio will engage in star wars among themselves or argue with the role players. In case anyone forgot, there is only one basketball to go around.



The new Miami Heat should send some goosebumps throughout the Eastern Conference, but not all the Eastern teams need be frightened. The Celtics, a team which has appeared in two out of the last three finals, will have the same nucleus and head coach that got them to within four points of a Game 7 championship victory on the road. The Orlando Magic have a formidable roster, themselves. Amar'e Stoudemire and the Knicks are a team to be reckoned with. When adding Carlos Boozer to a Chicago Bulls squad that already has Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah makes for a dangerous combination.

At the end of the day, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the team to beat. As two-time defending champions, the Lakers aren't worried at all about the recent transactions in the East.

Is James' decision to join Wade and Bosh good for the league? At first glance, no. Half the teams in the league will only see the super-team once in their local arena, and with the purchase of hefty ticket charges at that. The balance of power is completely off. The three fan bases of Toronto, Cleveland, and Miami have now been condensed into a smaller knit Heat nation.

Think again, though. From training camp until March, having three superstars on one team doesn't appear to be good for business. Come April, though, when the playoffs begin and tens of millions tune in, that's when the real money is made. If there's another matchup that can remotely compete with a seven game series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, with loads of hype and profit, it would have to be a Lakers team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Ron Artest versus a Miami Heat squad featuring Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade - and the likely possibility of a sideline battle between Phil Jackson and Pat Riley.

Overall, there were many components to "The Decision." LeBron James demonstrated how tight of a grasp he has on the media and how influential his moves are.

Decades from now, records will show that Lebron James was the Most Valuable Player two years in a row. They will also show that those awards were won during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the records will also show that Lebron James did not win any championships in Cleveland. Whether you were in the Cavs' front office, Head Coach Mike Brown, a fan, or one of LBJ's teammates, you not only expected better, but deserved more. As the records in the media will prove, somewhere in the mix, Lebron lacked proper prioritization between basketball and business. In the process of contemplating his future, Lebron lost track of the immediate present.

One can imagine the collective disappoint in Cleveland right now, which Lebron may not be sensitive to because of his surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I just mentioned that the people around him must be frustrated. At the same time, they enlarged Lebron's ego to a point of no return. The media are people around him too, and he must understandably feel good about himself whenever he watches his array of highlights on ESPN, now known as LebronTV, according to rapper Wale.

Few members of the media have criticized him, particularly his offseason endeavors. "While Lebron spent his summer visiting music moguls and furthering his international brand via clothing and shoe chains, Kobe spent days in Houston refining his game by learning new post moves from one of basketball's all-time big men, Hakeem Olajuwon," as eloquently written by The Bleacher Report's John Haverford. Did anyone dare mention that he's been too distracted from the game during the regular season? Did the pundits ever stop proclaiming him the best player in the NBA? No, he's only been criticized after everything has crashed and burned. For his benefit, Lebron should welcome feedback, whether it's good or bad, to help keep things in perspective. Quite simply, the media has provided "The King" with a pedestal too high for his own good.

Two conflicting enterprises: Lebron James the brand,

and Lebron James the player

As a talented 24 year old who's within reach of becoming a billion dollar athlete, the next team he signs with is obviously a big deal. It's not something that should be spoken about candidly in press conferences, especially not before your contract year. I can understand how a youngster like Lebron could get caught up in the question, "Where are you headed?" After all, it can totally change the league's dynamics. In the end, the media is always going to be pushy for answers. Part of Lebron's job as a player is to stay focused, but he was already talking about his next destination over a year in advance.

The current frustration with James should be in equal parts directed toward this season's shortcoming as well as how much more Lebron could have devoted to the game and his team, and thus, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Didn't Lebron James learn from the Cavs' fall to Orlando last year? Despite the mediocrity of the Eastern Conference, there's no cruising to the NBA Finals. It almost seems like Lebron's teammates desire a ring even more than LB himself, and that shouldn't be the case. I wonder what it's like to be a Cleveland Cavalier. Unless you're Mo Williams, you'd never get any attention and barely be given the opportunity to succeed, since so many plays are drawn up for Lebron. Think about the young players like Jamario Moon and JJ Hickson who still strive to get better. They don't receive nearly much attention, but fulfill their job description. Lebron should've done the same thing.

If you're Head Coach Mike Brown, you've received the blame when times are tough and completely disregarded when things go well. Don't you deserve some more credit when you coach a team to 61 regular season wins? Shouldn't you draw praise for keeping everybody grounded, even when Lebron is strolling around with a New York Yankees cap? The person who really deserved more, though, is the Cavs' owner, Dan Gilbert. You're not paying Lebron James millions on top of millions to drop dead after the first round. Your team's best player shouldn't openly discuss with the media that he wants to leave your squad. You shouldn't have to bare "witness" to that.



A question for Cleveland fans: Would you rather see Lebron dance, have handshakes, look like he's having tons of fun, and then only withstand the first round or would you like to see Lebron with a signature glare, a fire in his eyes, grit his teeth when it's time to step up, and win a championship? The good times you've had choreographing dance moves with your teammates, is nothing compared to the joy the entire city of Cleveland would feel if you were to win the title. Believe it or not, the Most Valuable Player award is exponentially more meaningful if your team is successful. It's apparent that Lebron is still trying to figure out the limits of individuality in the team sport that is basketball.

The fact that Cleveland didn't get far is not solely Lebron's fault and isn't the end of the world. Lebron is an intelligent person and knows his playing days will come to a conclusion. He deserves to be commended for his business-savvy just as much as for his basketball abilities. From the day he was drafted until now, he has brought pride to Cleveland and established the Cavaliers as legitimate contenders. He has undoubtedly earned his MVP awards. It's great to see that Lebron has the brains to supplement his athletic nature. Perhaps, he could've followed the footsteps other player-businessmen, such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, who devoted much time to their brands after their playing days.

There's no doubt Lebron James works hard. He wouldn't be where he is, considered the best basketball player in the world, if he didn't. Countless articles and commentaries have chronicled how amazing he is, especially for his height. The issue so many are starting to have with LBJ is that he should have and could have worked harder; it's mind-blowing to think he had the potential to be even better. When Kobe Bryant won MVP but went on to be embarrassed by the Celtics in the NBA Finals, what did he do? The next season he came back with a burning desire, won a ring, and silenced all his critics. As I mentioned in this post, LBJ was too caught up in expanding Lebron James the brand, instead of perfecting Lebron James the player. Instead of silencing critics, Lebron has created them.