Every four years, while the sports cycle is in a little bit of a dead period, the world comes together to watch a great Mid-Summer classic.
No, not the MLB All-Star Game. Not the World Cup. It's not the Olympics either. Yes, it's the LeBron James Decision. In 2010 he took his "talents to South Beach." 2014, he's "going home" to Cleveland.
LeBron's Decision II and Carmelo Anthony were the highlights of the NBA free agency period and LeBron is the clear winner. Melo took the money and stayed with Phil Jackson in New York. I don't blame him, considering how much he stood to lose if he went to the Chicago or Houston.
LeBron took relatively less money to go back to Cleveland where he started. It was a no lose situation for James. He gets out of a declining situation in Miami with four trips to the Finals, two rings and a couple of more MVPs to his resume. He looks like a conquering hero coming home to Cleveland with really nothing else to prove. He'll never catch Jordan on the championship count.
If he wins in Cleveland, he's a hero. If he doesn't, so what. No one else has won in Cleveland.
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Speaking of the MLB All-Star game, I'm no fan of the contrived special moment. I like the memories that you weren't expecting like the ovation for Pete Rose in 1985 after he beat Ty Cobb's hit record in Cincinnati as opposed to the planned two-minute ovations like Derek Jeter had last night or the presentation of a car to Mark McGwire in 1998 after he hit 62.
I just like the spontaneous reactions instead of hearing all day "How is he going to react?" Maybe it's the season long tribute that I've grown tired of that made last night's tribute to Jeter a little less memorable to me.
I was a second away from turning on Big Bang Theory. Also, when the National League is playing game seven of the World Series on the road, you can thank Adam Wainwright. Was that pitch that Jeter lined to right field for a double to begin a three-run first for the AL part of the tribute as well?
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The World Cup came to a dramatic conclusion Sunday night with Germany defeating Argentina, 1-0, in extra time.
I saw a great Tweet over the weekend from @TheFakeESPN. "Americans not caring about soccer goes into 4 years of extra time."
While I've become a fan of the World Cup, I understand the sentiment. Don't expect MLS to surpass the NFL or any of the three major sports any time soon. I've been hearing how soccer will boom in this country for the past 20 years and it just never happens. It's more popular than ever but I think there is a limit to its commercial appeal in this country.
Anyway, in four years, I plan on watching the World Cup with my wife's family in Miami. If you really want to enjoy the event, watch it with soccer enthusiasts. Nothing is as entertaining as watching fans react to the excitement of a goal before realizing some 30 seconds later that an offsides penalty was called. There is nothing contrived or predetermined about it.
afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com