This LeBron James Guy...I'm Not Liking Him So Much

The Miami Heat are good. This everybody knows. They are good not because of great coaching, superior management, or weak conference opponents. No, the Miami Heat are good because of talent - specifically the talent they've purchase in the last 6 months. I'm talking here about players like Chris Bosh and LeBron James. For those of you who aren't big sports fans, let me see if I can draw a comparison here: start by picturing a movie staring Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, and Robert Redford. Even if this movie is based on the story of a typical Wednesday at Turkey Hill, directed by a sixth grader named Chloe, and featuring a supporting cast of actual Turkey Hill employees, you'd probably go see it and it would probably do pretty well at the box office. Maybe not one of AFI's top 100 films of the century (even this one), but odds are this would be a successful film. Such is the story of the 2010-2011 Miami Heat.

Since the acquisition of James and Bosh in the off season, the Heat have been followed by media and basketball fans with a fervor rivaling that of the Beatles circa 1964 - probably what led James to rename his team the Heat-les last week. Subtle. And, although suffering a string of early season losses, they seem to be on track with those pre-season predictions of championship caliber cohesiveness. The criticism for LeBron's off season antics seems to have diminished as well. It seems with every double-digit win, there are fewer sports writers carping about his ego-stroking press conference to announce his decision to work for a new company.

You'd think James would now play the part of the peoples' champ and take the higher road as it relates to his former team and critics. You'd think his "people" would be advising him to keep a low profile and politic until he has an NBA title (at least). But, we're not in the age of the peoples' champ. We're in the age of Twitter - and with it, the age of the mirror held showing the true reflection of the pampered athlete. Case in point: James' tweet after last night's 112 - 57 drumming James' former team took at the hands of the current NBA champion Lakers. It went a little something like this (exactly, actually): "Karma is a bitch ... Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"

Me to LeBron: That's the spirit, LeBron! You really told 'em. How dare those players you left to dwell in the bottom of the league try to compete and get embarrassed by the best team in basketball. And, well done closing your mindless babbling with God's endorsement. I'm sure he was very invested in the outcome of the Cavaliers/Lakers match up...and your opinion.

I want to root for James and the Heat; there's just something about a dominant player at the top of his sport that appeals to me. I was a Bulls fan in the 90's, despite Jordan's gambling and womanizing. I'm a Phillies fan, despite Ryan Howard's gambling and womanizing. Come to think of it, maybe I'm just a fan of gambling and womanizing. But, kicking a man/team/town when they're down is too much. As for this year, I'll be rooting for, you guessed it, Kobe Bryant - a man whose political approach, coupled with his gambling addiction and history of womanizing make him a perfect match for my loyalties.

Finally, to LeBron: do yourself a favor. Go find a nice casino, some groupies, and leave the Twitter account alone for awhile.