Rachel Crader is the editor of semoball.com. She graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May of 2009 before spending the summer covering the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Highlights from Rachel's days in college include having a class down the hall from Chase Daniel and having NCAA wrestling champion Ben Askren hold the door open for her at Brady Commons, Mizzou's student center. She spent time covering Mizzou basketball, softball and baseball while working for the Columbia Missourian and is excited to return home to Southeast Missouri to cover local sports for semoball.com.

Rachel has covered three Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournaments for the Southeast Missourian and semoball.com, and she'll see you courtside again this year.

The LeBron James Debacle: A lingering question

Posted Thursday, July 8, 2010, at 8:53 PM

All I've been able to think about as I read, heard and watched (most of the time involuntarily and for a very short time) the LeBron James Debacle for the past several days is this:

What if Albert did this?

The point: I feel heartbroken on behalf of all Cleveland fans right now. No sports fan deserves this kind of torture.

If I can bear it, I'll try to answer the "What if Albert did this?" question after hearing from some of you.

I think it's as close to a guarantee as you can come by in life that Albert Pujols would never, ever subscribe to the sort of antics (whatever you happen to think of them) that we've seen from LeBron, so I'm not asking because I think I could have to go through it someday. I just think that must be how Cleveland fans feel right now, and I feel terrible for them.

Way more terrible than I would have predicted...

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First of all, I don't think Pujols would handle himself like LeBron and his entourage did through all of this. Secondly, if Pujols did leave St. Louis it wouldn't be as bad because people want to play in St. Louis. They wouldn't be as good but they would probably pick up a decent first baseman and maybe, just maybe, a relief pitcher.

-- Posted by Fatboy1972 on Thu, Jul 8, 2010, at 9:08 PM
Right, right, Fatboy.

I don't think Albert will ever leave St. Louis and I certainly don't think he would ever do it in a fashion similar to LeBron leaving Cleveland.

But, in a hypothetical world, I just can't imagine the anguish it would cause me to watch Albert announce he was leaving the Cards in a one-hour ESPN special.

-- Posted by Rachel Crader on Thu, Jul 8, 2010, at 9:13 PM
Wowzer, ready the middle part of your comment wrong the first time. I guess superior replacements would help if the team was still going to be good, though I'm not sure how much.

-- Posted by Rachel Crader on Thu, Jul 8, 2010, at 9:15 PM
Rough for Cleveland, but you cant blame LeBron on taking this opportunity. Playing with D Wade and Bosh is a great chance to win and win now.

-- Posted by that_1guy on Thu, Jul 8, 2010, at 10:03 PM
And I agree it would be tough to watch Albert do that ... which I dont think he would ... but if he did, I dont think I could watch that hour long special.

-- Posted by that_1guy on Thu, Jul 8, 2010, at 10:10 PM
You can't rule it out though. When Albert becomes a FA, he will be a bigger deal than LBJ. Given the right amount of money for his "causes" nothing would shock me. Just saying. That's all dependent on if he even becomes a FA, meaning either STL works out a deal before that point, or as it is in baseball, he gets traded to the Yankees because STL comes to the conclusion that they won't be able to sign him, and its better to get something than nothing for him..

The best part were the kids gasping in the background in disbelief. They didn't get the you little snots need to stand and cheer..

-- Posted by cole.stein97 on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 7:02 AM
Best point I heard if Albert leaves, "maybe ticket prices will go down."

-- Posted by Counter Top on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 8:09 AM
The whole LeBron fiasco was a total "over-blown" event that was not worthy of the entirety of such a spectacle! I made a point "not to watch!" I find it hard to believe radio/TV cannot find other things to report, rather than devote so much "air time" to the LeBron signing!

-- Posted by semo7178 on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 9:32 AM
He did the event on TV as a benefit to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. I hardly think that is an overblown spectacle. So, he took a while to make his decision. He was waiting to see what pieces fell in place. That's what a free agent is supposed to do. You don't want to make a quick decision that you might regret. For example, if Cleveland got Amare, he probably would have stayed. It's not like he waited to draw attention to himself. It's not his fault the media went nuts about it. And, Dan Gilbert is a childish idiot.

-- Posted by yah-yah on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 10:23 AM
I believe he would have stayed if Cleveland had managed to sign one big guy (Bosh, Amare, or Boozer) but Cleveland didnt and Miami gave him this chance to play with not only Bosh, But D Wade as well. You cannot fault LeBron for anything here, except for maybe not calling and telling Cleveland that he was leaving. But you cannot fault him for taking a paycut to for a chance to win and win now, with 2 other Elite players.

-- Posted by that_1guy on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 12:43 PM
I get so angry will people talk about the event was to benefit Boys and Girls Club...WRONG. It was to benefit LeBrons EGO!! If you watched the fiasco you would have seen that there were a ton of "King James" commercials. So he benefited big time from the hour special.

LeBron could have donated some of his hundreds of millions of dollars without having that tv special!

-- Posted by FreyGuys on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 4:02 PM
Nike bought the commercials, not Lebron.

-- Posted by yah-yah on Fri, Jul 9, 2010, at 5:44 PM
Frey and the author of this blog:

The money from these commercials all went to charity.

The NBA was behind the whole spectacle. It was good air time for a struggling league.

LeBron probably would have rather just taken the $100 million and headed directly to South Beach.

If it were all about ego, he wouldn't be joining a team with 3 superstars where he may not even be the MVP of that team, let alone the whole league.

He want's to win a ring or 5. Cleveland had 7 years to put the right players around him.

As far Pujols, I see Albert starting to slip already.

It's not a terrific fall off but it is approaching one year since it began. He is still one of the best according to the stats but he's still not the same.

I don't believe the Cardinal's can risk signing him to a 7 year contract now that they've committed to Holliday.

We could really be in for many years of no playoffs if he can't produce during any or all of a new $30 million a year contract.

I love Pujols but for the future of a team I've loved a lifetime, I think you have to take offers and strongly consider moving him while you have the chance.

If you re-sign Albert the first thing that will happen is , they won't be able to afford Ludwick, then in 3 years it will be Colby and Wainwright.

-- Posted by Red Devil on Sat, Jul 10, 2010, at 7:29 AM
Frey: If you know how, do a search on "LeBron James charity" and you will see he has received awards for his charity work. Shame on you for talking about something you know virtually nothing about.

-- Posted by Red Devil on Sat, Jul 10, 2010, at 7:35 AM
Red Devil I do beleive you but I still think that LeBron did the hour special for LeBron. Have you noticed how he talks in the third person all the time. His comments at the celebration last night were very selfish and rude. He said when "we get on the court it will be easy". Are you serious LeBron? He then made a comment saying something about we could have Pat Riley out on the court with us. All he would have to do is throw it up to this. I just hope Wade doesnt get caught up in this self promotion. I like him as a player and a person.

This whole self promotion started with LeBron in high school with the whole "chosen one" and "King James" nicknames, which his has tatooed on him.

-- Posted by FreyGuys on Sat, Jul 10, 2010, at 6:40 PM
Iffythedopster, when Pujols becomes a FA it will not be a bigger deal than Lebron. It won't even be close Lebron is 25 and going into his prime and along with Kobe is the face of the league. When Pujols becomes a FA it will be a bigger deal in Missouri but outside of here and the couple other cities with a chance to sign him no one will care. I'd say Arod and Pujols are pretty comparable minus the whole steroid thing and based on talent. When Arod was a free agent after opting out it wasn't a tenth of the hype that Lebron received and the general public would be more interested in Arod over Pujols because he plays for the Yankees.

-- Posted by badams2s on Sun, Jul 11, 2010, at 8:11 PM
I'm not going to say much about what Lebron did because it's over and he just wanted to put himself in a position to win a couple rings although what he did to Cleveland was not very professional. Albert would never do something like this, first of all he has came out and said that he wants to stay with St. Louis for his entire career because they are constantly in the playoffs and have a shot at the world series. Secondly, he would not ask for a $30+ million contract. When him and Scott Rolen were both negotiating new contracts Pujols took less money because he wanted Rolen to stay. But all in all i guess this type of stuff happens when 20-35 year olds rule the world.

-- Posted by BB-BORE on Sun, Jul 11, 2010, at 11:39 PM
go HEAT!!!!

-- Posted by peter_grant on Tue, Jul 13, 2010, at 8:20 AM
Get ready everyone..jump on....here comes the Miami Heat bandwagon!!!

I think it would be funny if they lost after all this. I like Wade but it's going to be very tough to cheer for them this year

-- Posted by FreyGuys on Tue, Jul 13, 2010, at 5:15 PM
1.Labron turns down a $30 million deal with the Cavs.

2.donates the proceeds from his public announcement which topped $2.5 million to The Boys and Girls Club.

AND HE'S THE VILLIAN?

For goodness sakes Wade and Bosh even agreed to a pay cut to make this deal happen. I also think people questioning the time it took for Labron to make a decision is just absurd. Finding the right team that wasn't overloaded or lacked proven talent wasn't going to happen overnight. The fact is Labron wants a championship and needs a supporting cast to get that.

I have a few choice words to describe Cav's owner Dan Gilbert, he is so upset his workhorse is setting himself up for a real championship that he would lash out at a basketball player who has above all honored his contract and owes nothing to the OWNER of a team. I also find it funny that once Labron decides to leave THEN he says Labron gave up on his team in the playoffs. Hmmm, so while he was still signed I guess he played up to your standards right Gilbert? Labron made the absolute best decision and good luck to him and the Heat.

-- Posted by sbulldog4life on Tue, Jul 13, 2010, at 7:09 PM
He had a ONE HOUR SPECIAL. Imagine you favorite player on your favorite team. Say he had been there 6-8 years and was one of the best in the league. Then he comes up for free agency. Instead of making a decision like everyone else, he holds and TV special to say he's living your team. That would drive a stake in your heart!

LeBron or the chosen one or King James as he calls himself just showed his true colors. SELFISH!

When it comes down to it, he still doesn't have the heart to take the last shot. It will be Dwyane Wade's team just wait and see!

-- Posted by FreyGuys on Tue, Jul 13, 2010, at 9:11 PM
I mean he's selfish in the way he wants all the attention, talks in the third person, etc. In the same way he wants the attention he also doesn't want the blame at the end of the game either. Thats why he often passes up big time shots.

He's been in the league for seven years and people want to compare him to Jordan or even Kobe. He's not at that level yet. He may make more money than any athlete ever before its over but he's lost a ton of respect throughout the basketball world.

-- Posted by FreyGuys on Tue, Jul 13, 2010, at 11:24 PM
I don't think we have to worry about Albert doing all of this because baseball doesn't promote itself as well as basketball. Lebron could play for free and still make as much or more than any other person in sports with all of his endorsments.

-- Posted by BIGELW on Wed, Jul 14, 2010, at 9:04 AM
I think St. Louis doesn't have anything to worry about, I think someone earlier said it best when saying he has a reason to stay as the cards do challenge for their division and can make a run to the world series. But to think he will stay just because he says he will is setting yourself up for heartbreak. True enough he may not leave in the fashion that Labron did (sans the hour special).

I live in Memphis and we still have a sour feeling after being promised by Calipari that he would stay in Memphis but after he began "meeting" and entertaining bids from Kentucky I knew he was leaving because ultimately a person is loyal to themselves especially in the sports entertainment industry. Be it for the money or the opportunity to win. They are a commodity and must protect themselves. Luckily U of M has one of the top 5 recruiting classes coming in.

I guess what I'm trying to say is the world will continue to spin and the Cavs will still play ball, how well without Labron remains to be seen.

-- Posted by sbulldog4life on Wed, Jul 14, 2010, at 1:12 PM

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