LeBron Looks Good on Paper

This is personal. It's my response to a letter LeBron wrote to me.

OK, he didn't really address it and lick the envelop himself. Of course I'm referring to the "letter" he dictated to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins.

His words won me over. And I wasn't exactly rolling out the red carpet last week, or anytime, since his rather overblown decision a few years back.

While Cleveland columnists spent oodles of time last week screaming "COME HOME, ALL IS FORGIVEN" I tweeted twice about the dude's contract options and made a rather concerted effort not to care because, hey, why should I? I'll never meet the guy, let alone know him, and in 10 years they'll be another "King." Insert eye-roll here. I'm just not into celebrities, and don't get me started on the absurdity that is pay scale in professional sports.

But that letter was really nice. If he means half of it, I'll join the chorus. Welcome home, LeBron. If you really are back to live YOUR dream - of being a better man in Northeast Ohio, well, more power to you. (If that's even possible.)

What won me over? The overall tone was good. You sound more accessible than you used to. And this part in particular, I really like:

"I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously."

I believe words can make a difference, like you apparently believe gestures can. So, OK: You show little boys and girls in NE Ohio that "making it big" doesn't necessarily mean leaving town. I'll be hoping you live up to those - and other- promising words in your letter.

A championship, plus a little respect for my adopted hometown, would be a terrific bonus.

Signed,

A somewhat reluctant, newfound-again fan 

PS: I hope you'll be #23 again. My son kept his jersey, and he's almost grown into it. So let's do this!

Good Sports Don't Lie

This is personal. It's about sport and celebrity and connotation and denotation.

In short, my advice is to know the difference.

Lance Armstrong is a celebrity, has been for a long time, and most of the thinking public figured out long ago that he was lying. And then they quit caring. Lance Armstrong is a celebrity. Sport was his vehicle to fame.

The same might be said for young Mr. Te'o, Notre Dame's celebrated (and many would argue, deliberately generated) Heisman Trophy runner-up.

And the same might be said about countless baseball heroes who stave off accusations of steroid use only to eventually admit it and then sometimes, cloak their big bicepped-selves in righteous indignation. File under Too Big for your Britches.

They are celebrities. They are not sports heroes. Sports heroes don't do that s#_+.

I'm sorry to say that I can't point to a sports hero with a name you'd recognize. But I know who my heroes are.

They're the coaches and players who do what they do (work hard, have fun) for the love of the game and respect the rules - why? because doing so adds a wonderful, thrilling, joyful dimension to life. They do what they do in spite of the coaches and players who are in it for some sort of screwed-up version of sports-self-importance. They do it in spite of the athletes and teammates whom we celebrate too often for their bullying flair. (Too bad we weren't quite ready to listen to Floyd Landis in 2010.)

Some of my sports heroes aren't players or coaches. They're the fans who attend the game, meet, or match, regardless of the weather; who cheer and smile, regardless of the score. Who smile even when they complain about the referee's stupid call. Because they get it. Sports - yes, even competitive sports - are supposed to be fun. They should add joy and spirit to life. They should be honest.

Isn't that what good sportsmanship is all about? That's a connotation, not a denotation, I suppose. Whatever you call it, that's my understanding. If yours is different, I welcome your comments.

Future sports heroes? I hope so.

~ Diane Stresing