Daniel Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 What did LeBron do that made it a giant spectacle? This was 100% created by the media and fans wanting to know. LeBron stayed quiet the entire time while waying his options. As for 'The Decision', it was good business for everyone, and the Boys and Girls Club received about $7-8 million for it. It's amazing how much hate LeBron. He can't win at all. The funny thing is, I don't really hate him, as I don't follow and don't care about basketball. I dunno, but something about the whole thing rubs me the wrong way, and it probably has everything to do with ESPN being a part of it. I remember being just as annoyed when ESPN tried to turn the Brett Favre retirement/unretirement fiasco into the biggest thing since Pearl Harbor. In that instance though, it was just kind of a pathetic sideshow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Dan 56 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 The Decision probably got better ratings than anything hockey in the US has. What does that have to do with anything? So does reality TV. It's still ridiculous. You're comparing a cable company with a message board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 What does that have to do with anything? So does reality TV. It's still ridiculous. You're comparing a cable company with a message board. Wow, sick argument. Let's follow the logic of this one, shall we? You: Lebron is ridiculous, the hype of ESPN is stupid Me: njdevs.com went just as crazy for Kovalchuk You: I don't remember there being a TV show for Kovalchuk Me: that TV show probably got higher ratings than anything NHL related You: So does reality TV. Reality TV is not sports programming. I am comparing sports and you are comparing something else. So basically you are not seeing at all that the LeBron story is the Kovalchuk writ much larger - first of all, basketball is more popular, and second, top players in basketball are way more important than in the NHL, and LeBron is the best player in the world. Are you saying that if Kovalchuk had had a TV show to announce his decision, you wouldn't've watched it? You might've thought it stupid, but you would've watched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Dan 56 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) Wow, sick argument. Let's follow the logic of this one, shall we? You: Lebron is ridiculous, the hype of ESPN is stupid Me: njdevs.com went just as crazy for Kovalchuk You: I don't remember there being a TV show for Kovalchuk Me: that TV show probably got higher ratings than anything NHL related You: So does reality TV. Reality TV is not sports programming. I am comparing sports and you are comparing something else. So basically you are not seeing at all that the LeBron story is the Kovalchuk writ much larger - first of all, basketball is more popular, and second, top players in basketball are way more important than in the NHL, and LeBron is the best player in the world. Are you saying that if Kovalchuk had had a TV show to announce his decision, you wouldn't've watched it? You might've thought it stupid, but you would've watched. Wow, sick word twisting. Lets try it again, shall we? I didn't say reality TV is sports programming. I said just because something has ratings doesn't mean I don't think something is dumb, like Lebron-fest or reality TV. As usual, you have a huge problem with someone having the nerve to not agree with you. I'm not a fan of the ESPN hype no matter what it is and you pointing out that people around here were gaga for Kovalchuk doesn't change that. And you have no idea what I'd watch. No, I wouldn't watch a Kovalchuk show. I checked NJDevs or Twitter every once in a while to see if anything happened and went about my day. I'm not going to watch a millionaire make a decision for an hour. Edited July 11, 2014 by Devil Dan 56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 If Crosby were in a similar situation, and especially if one of the teams in the running were the Leafs, would Canadian media be just as saturated with his "decision". Yeah, there would probably be a lot of hype, but I sincerely doubt there would be a television special devoted to the "Decision". And I also doubt that if Crosby had the "Decision 2.0", he wouldn't pen an essay for SI or a Canadian equivalent and then claim he was trying to be modest about the whole thing Of course, the irony here is that we're all talking about LeBron. That's the genius of it I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) Geez if I wanted to hear this much about Lebron I'd actually watch espn. Edited July 11, 2014 by Satans Hockey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 If Crosby were in a similar situation, and especially if one of the teams in the running were the Leafs, would Canadian media be just as saturated with his "decision". Yeah, there would probably be a lot of hype, but I sincerely doubt there would be a television special devoted to the "Decision". And I also doubt that if Crosby had the "Decision 2.0", he wouldn't pen an essay for SI or a Canadian equivalent and then claim he was trying to be modest about the whole thing Of course, the irony here is that we're all talking about LeBron. That's the genius of it I suppose. No, I don't think there would be, there I agree with you - The Decision is one of the stranger things I've seen on TV, and is regarded as a huge mis-step by everyone, including, I think, LeBron himself. But the Canadian media would be going nuts in this fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpathianForest Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 This is why I like hockey the most out of all sports. There's no huge spectacle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ELIAS6 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 oh wow a lebron james thread on njdevs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) There is a spectacle about everything in Canada. If you got TSN, you'd see free agency, trade deadline, the draft is like LeBron all the time. Also, there is no comparable in hockey at all for where LeBron going and what it means to the league. Half the league has created gigantic cap space hoping for a star. LeBron is the biggest one, but it is the beginning of many chain reactions. Even though there is no comparable, if this was Crosby, it be just as big as in Canada. As for talking about LeBron, big deal. We have argued the same points about Brodeur for 4 months. It's a slight change of topic in mid July for one page. As for 'The Decision', it was a bad move by him that was probably the fault of his people around him, but it was still for a great cause and delivered gigantic ratings. The NHL sort of had that with the lockout draft lottery where everyone had a chance for Crosby. Edited July 11, 2014 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSkirt Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 At Schneider's signing I was happy to read Lou's comments about Marty, where all of his words were in the past tense. "Had a great career here" etc. I'm finally reassured that unless a catastrophe happened, we'll not see Marty on our roster again. GOAT ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RizzMB30 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 At Schneider's signing I was happy to read Lou's comments about Marty, where all of his words were in the past tense. "Had a great career here" etc. I'm finally reassured that unless a catastrophe happened, we'll not see Marty on our roster again. GOAT ! Lou has been saying this kind of thing since the draft. Give me a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neb00rs Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 The #17 saga was ONLY a fiasco on this board. Nowhere else in the media was he mentioned, outside of a few online articles. #17 didn't appear in public one time throughout the whole fiasco. LeBron on the other hand was all over TV, the world covered the damn story. Every little thing was LeBron this and LeBron that. ESPN acted as if they were reporting on a nuclear threat at the height of the Cold War. And then LeBron goes on TV with the 'Decision' and he shows what a complete egotist he was with "I'm taking my talents..." There was no humility in it at all. People were pissed off, and had the right to be. LeBron grew up a lot over the past few years and has actually become palatable. Nonetheless, no one should be likening the #17 thing to the LeBron 'Decision'. In one, the most ardent Devils fans kept the story going among themselves. In the other, the entire media devoted their lives to covering what seemed like 'a god coming down from heaven'. Even worse NBA fans themselves couldn't shut up about it and talked about it like it was the biggest decision the world ever faced. It was all nauseating and there shouldn't be anyone who looks back on it fondly. It was fitting that both sagas happened in the same summer, because it contrasted the honor and humility of the NHL with the pomp and vanity of the NBA. Glad the Boys and Girls Club got some money though, that's great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) The #17 saga was ONLY a fiasco on this board. Nowhere else in the media was he mentioned, outside of a few online articles. #17 didn't appear in public one time throughout the whole fiasco. LeBron on the other hand was all over TV, the world covered the damn story. Every little thing was LeBron this and LeBron that. ESPN acted as if they were reporting on a nuclear threat at the height of the Cold War. And then LeBron goes on TV with the 'Decision' and he shows what a complete egotist he was with "I'm taking my talents..." There was no humility in it at all. People were pissed off, and had the right to be. LeBron grew up a lot over the past few years and has actually become palatable. Nonetheless, no one should be likening the #17 thing to the LeBron 'Decision'. In one, the most ardent Devils fans kept the story going among themselves. In the other, the entire media devoted their lives to covering what seemed like 'a god coming down from heaven'. Even worse NBA fans themselves couldn't shut up about it and talked about it like it was the biggest decision the world ever faced. It was all nauseating and there shouldn't be anyone who looks back on it fondly. It was fitting that both sagas happened in the same summer, because it contrasted the honor and humility of the NHL with the pomp and vanity of the NBA. Glad the Boys and Girls Club got some money though, that's great. Agreed with mostly everything you said until that. That is simply not true. There just aren't players that big in the NHL that demand that attention in the US. The sport isn't that big to demand that attention. LeBron goes somewhere, and they become the favourite to win a championship. It also directly changes the NBA landscape with multiple moves following right after. But as I said earlier, every big hockey date is a circus in Canada. Kovalchuk didn't reach those levels because he wasn't going to change a team that much and only 2-3 teams were going after him. The honor and humility of the NHL is lot of crap. None of those things are especially true. The Decision was a mistake for LeBron. If that's the only bad thing anyone can say badly about him and find that he did wrong, well he's doing it right. He's an incredible ambassador for the game. Edited July 12, 2014 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSkirt Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 a break from what ? and why must I give you anything ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roomtemp Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 Well that innocent joke lite a fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Haha, this board had Kovalchuk mania for 15 days and has the nerve to mock ESPN for Lebron mania.Apples to oranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Apples to oranges. Maybe, maybe not. Most people on this board were looking and waiting for/on every report out there...every detail. Did Kovy meet with the Isles? Him and his wife are flying to LA? Rumour has it his wife prefers LA? Is his agent using a potential massive deal in Russia as leverage. On and on... Now a much more popular sport has an athlete 100x as big as Kovalchuk that not only affects the Heat or the Cavs, but the Knicks, Rockets, Lakers, Mavs, Wolves, Grizzlies, Bulls, Thunder, directly and the rest of the NBA indirectly. So while some are annoyed but the coverage of every small detail and update, Tri is pointing out that many here were looking for every small detail when it came to finding out what Kovy would do and were just as guilty of it. When you can multiply our message board interest by 500,000 easily, well the coverage was fair. It's the summer anyway. Rather them talk about this than what Manziel is doing or other sh!t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 The NBA is a joke. I don't find basketball that interesting. I feel that hockey, soccer, and even football are more team-oriented sports compared to basketball or baseball. You don't have to like it. At least their superstars test the market. Hockey has become too predictable. Almost every elite player signs extensions and never reaches UFA status. I kind of wish the cap allowed for star players to restructure deals that can help their teams out. Whether it be to clear room to re-sign key RFA's or clear space, it would make the offseason more interesting. Instead, we sit and watch GMs lose their minds overpaying B and C level talent. The team concept I agree with. I view hockey and soccer as very similar. It takes a lot of sacrifice to be successful. Don't forget that in basketball, there's a lot less players. Most rotations are 8 deep. There are exceptions like San Antonio that emphasize the team concept. They didn't win by accident. Popovich is probably the best coach in sports. He runs it old school and isn't afraid to play everyone. Even though it's built around Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, you get to see a kid like Leonard have his moment and win Finals MVP. And underrated vets such as Diaw and unknown Mills play key roles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 The #17 saga was ONLY a fiasco on this board. Nowhere else in the media was he mentioned, outside of a few online articles. #17 didn't appear in public one time throughout the whole fiasco. LeBron on the other hand was all over TV, the world covered the damn story. Every little thing was LeBron this and LeBron that. ESPN acted as if they were reporting on a nuclear threat at the height of the Cold War. And then LeBron goes on TV with the 'Decision' and he shows what a complete egotist he was with "I'm taking my talents..." There was no humility in it at all. People were pissed off, and had the right to be. LeBron grew up a lot over the past few years and has actually become palatable. Nonetheless, no one should be likening the #17 thing to the LeBron 'Decision'. In one, the most ardent Devils fans kept the story going among themselves. In the other, the entire media devoted their lives to covering what seemed like 'a god coming down from heaven'. Even worse NBA fans themselves couldn't shut up about it and talked about it like it was the biggest decision the world ever faced. It was all nauseating and there shouldn't be anyone who looks back on it fondly. It was fitting that both sagas happened in the same summer, because it contrasted the honor and humility of the NHL with the pomp and vanity of the NBA. Glad the Boys and Girls Club got some money though, that's great. Not entirely true. While the Kovalchuk saga didn't get the same press, it was a very hot topic on Twitter. There was plenty of discussion and jokes as to when he'd finally decide. Then you had the whole drama with the NHL forcing the Devils and Kovalchuk to rework the contract. It was pretty hectic. I don't think you can compare Kovalchuk to LeBron. For starters, basketball is more popular and LeBron is front and center. He's also home grown and is the best player in his sport. So, it made The Decision and #LeBronWatch2014 very interesting. Everyone wanted to know where he was going. Kovalchuk was the biggest name probably to hit the market in the past 5 years. He wasn't the best player but certainly a marquee talent. It would've helped if he was from here. Imagine if a Patrick Kane was available next summer. There would be more coverage. Plus speculation on if he'd become an $11-12 million player. Something Stamkos could approach in a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) There is not a player in hockey whose free agency would be covered the way Lebron's was. Nobody in hockey is that well known and exposed by the media, advertising, etc. People who aren't basketball fans know exactly who Lebron is. People who don't follow hockey have no clue who Patrick Kane is. Edited July 12, 2014 by mfitz804 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neb00rs Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Agreed with mostly everything you said until that. That is simply not true. There just aren't players that big in the NHL that demand that attention in the US. The sport isn't that big to demand that attention. LeBron goes somewhere, and they become the favourite to win a championship. It also directly changes the NBA landscape with multiple moves following right after. But as I said earlier, every big hockey date is a circus in Canada. Kovalchuk didn't reach those levels because he wasn't going to change a team that much and only 2-3 teams were going after him. The honor and humility of the NHL is lot of crap. None of those things are especially true. The Decision was a mistake for LeBron. If that's the only bad thing anyone can say badly about him and find that he did wrong, well he's doing it right. He's an incredible ambassador for the game. I mean, yeah there is some bias and willful naivety to your bolded part, not gonna lie. Obviously if the situation presented itself the NHL would be somewhat more of a 'rock star' sport. Nonetheless, I do think there is something to where a lot of these guys come from (bumblefvck Slovakia or Siberia) that brings with them a more low key, tough, humble attitude. Like I said, LeBron has really won me over with his maturation the last four years. He seems like the adult in the room now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RizzMB30 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 You don't have to like it. At least their superstars test the market. Hockey has become too predictable. Almost every elite player signs extensions and never reaches UFA status. I kind of wish the cap allowed for star players to restructure deals that can help their teams out. Whether it be to clear room to re-sign key RFA's or clear space, it would make the offseason more interesting. Instead, we sit and watch GMs lose their minds overpaying B and C level talent. The bolded. I don't mind that at all because it means that you have to draft well and you have to be a winner in order to keep your homegrown players. It's that kind of thing that keeps teams like the Rangers and Chicago from becoming the Miami Heat. The reason deals can't be restructured is because GMs are suppose to be smart and not make long term deals that require the restructuring in the first place. The league hated the long-term deals going around the league, and the Suter and Parise contracts were the last of them, thank god. I agree with the rest of your post though. The whole team-first thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 There is not a player in hockey whose free agency would be covered the way Lebron's was. Nobody in hockey is that well known and exposed by the media, advertising, etc. People who aren't basketball fans know exactly who Lebron is. People who don't follow hockey have no clue who Patrick Kane is. I bolded the second statement because it's 100 percent true. Hockey is not marketed the way basketball or the other major sports are. The more exposure, the better. In addition, basketball's stars have their own shoes. When you have a big corporation like Nike promoting worldwide, it's popularity is through the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 The bolded. I don't mind that at all because it means that you have to draft well and you have to be a winner in order to keep your homegrown players. It's that kind of thing that keeps teams like the Rangers and Chicago from becoming the Miami Heat. The reason deals can't be restructured is because GMs are suppose to be smart and not make long term deals that require the restructuring in the first place. The league hated the long-term deals going around the league, and the Suter and Parise contracts were the last of them, thank god. I agree with the rest of your post though. The whole team-first thing. The drafting part I have always agreed with. Development is much trickier than the other sports. Only special talents make it right away. Other stars take time and patience. That's why you can't just rely on drafting. If you look closely at Chicago, they draft better than anyone. Look at the supporting cast (Saad, Shaw, Bickell, Hjalmarsson, Kruger). It must be nice to have consecutive lottery picks (Toews and Kane) become stars. The Rangers have never benefited from that. They lucked out with Lundqvist (2000 Round 7). Most first round picks have been busts. Post-lockout, Staal fell to them at 12. I saw that the defenseman Ottawa picked (Brian Lee) retired. A Sens fan tweeted that they could've had Kopitar. Only recently have their first round picks (Kreider, Miller, Skjei) improved. They've done a better job in later rounds. Callahan was a fourth round and Dubinsky and Anisimov second round. Stepan second round. Hagelin sixth. Adding to the Hawks, wait till Teravainen makes it. They also stole Hartman. The Kings drafted well too. Look at some of the kids who contributed. Pearson and Toffoli. Voynov and Muzzin behind Doughty. Martin Jones was an undrafted rookie free agent. Eventually, they'll turn him into something like they did with Bernier. In the cap, you have to manage your assets. Creative trades, etc. If you want to argue the positive of teams locking up their stars, it shows commitment and loyalty from both sides. It's good business. Back to the original topic. Maybe it would be best for Brodeur to retire. Sign one of those one-day contracts with the Devils and call it a career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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