Yep, throughout the 1970s and 80s, you couldn’t pay a person in Ohio to wear an Indians cap. Then suddenly, when they started winning in the 1990s, everyone was an Indians fan - caps, jerseys, jackets were everywhere. And as soon as they started losing again this decade, those same fans who piled on the bandwagon once again hid their hats. These so-called "true diehard" Indians fans should be more upset with the fans who are now on the bandwagon; the ones who didn’t fill Jacobs Field over the last few years; the ones who didn’t support their team.
James rooting for the Yankees will have no impact on who will win the Yankees-Indians series. Zero impact. So who cares who he is rooting for?
It bothers people like Bob Feller, the 120-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher for the Indians who spouted off, "I'm going to a Cavaliers game and sit right by their bench, wearing a Detroit Pistons cap. Let's see how LeBron likes that." This is the same Feller who is still living in the 1940s and yearns for the days of Benny Goodman on the radio but will not give a free autograph to a person. Instead he will charge them $20.
Cleveland sports fans have to accept the fact that teams like the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys, Notre Dame, and Los Angeles Lakers are national teams. They have devoted fans all across the nation because of their rich history and dominance in their sport.
These same knucklehead Cleveland fans don't realize how fortunate they are to have a quality player and person like James. He plays hard every time he puts on a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. Every time! These same people who are sending in emails and letters to the newspapers and calling in talk radio complaining about James should spend more time questioning their councilperson or mayor as to why the city of Cleveland is considered one of the biggest dumps in this country with its high crime and poverty rate. Instead, they are upset because James is "rooting for the Yankees."
Would they rather have an athlete who lies and says that he is rooting for the home team when he really isn't? Or how about having an athlete who does root for the home team -- and also has a personal relationship with the city's police department because he is always in trouble. When was the last time you picked up the morning paper and read that James was involved in drugs, DUIs, beating women, dogfighting, tax evasion, etc. All he is doing is rooting for his favorite baseball team - the Yankees. Get over it! Maybe in a few years the Cleveland fans and old fart Feller won't have that problem anymore because James may be right at home wearing his Yankees hat while he gets ready for games in Madison Square Garden. Think about it.
