After Miami Herald columnist and radio host Dan LeBatard was denied an opportunity to pay for a front-page ad in the Akron Beacon Journal saying, “You’re Welcome, LeBron, Love Miami Fans” with a picture of two rings, he didn’t sit on his butt and complain. Like Pat Riley re-tooling the Heat roster after LeBron James‘ decision to go home to Cleveland, LeBatard sprung into action and went with billboards instead — a whole lot of them.
Mike Ryan, the producer of the Le Batard Show, showed off all the various billboards put up around Akron using LeBron’s infamous — and tired — quote during his Heat introduction:
Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5… pic.twitter.com/10FJalzbcE
— Mike Ryan (@MikeRyan790) August 7, 2014
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LeBatard has been RTing some pretty nasty tweets sent his way in light of what he’s done with the billboards, but he’s also sent a couple tweets showing off how hateful Cleveland fans got after LeBron’s 2010, capital D, Decision.
I'm the jerk RT @jagjr2570: @Stugotz790 @LeBatardShow these were taken down the day of the decision. pic.twitter.com/AzzU0DhSXC”
— Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) August 7, 2014
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I'm the jerk RT @Stugotz790: @LeBatardShow @jagjr2570 don't forget this one… pic.twitter.com/HVlUqDI7Jq”
— Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) August 7, 2014
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Perhaps what tickles Dan and his cohorts in Miami the most is the Beacon Journal put Dan’s billboards on the front page, thus bringing his plan full circle.
After refusing to run an ad by @LeBatardShow, @AkronBeacon puts it on the front page FOR FREE! #YOUREWELCOMELEBRON pic.twitter.com/luxIhd4UtS
— Steve Kairalla (@MiamiDad) August 7, 2014
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A couple things:
-There are already a lot of people who think LeBatard is being petty and disrespectful to LeBron, but some of the same fans outraged by the billboards also burned jerseys and used such vile and pugnacious rhetoric after LeBron left Cleveland in 2010, we remember feeling legitimately fearful for LeBron’s safety the first time Miami played in Cleveland.
-LaBatard is primarily ticked off James didn’t once thank Miami fans in his SI essay, and he’s got a point, even if four years of James in Miami produced two titles and four Finals appearances, not to mention the national spotlight his presence brought that entire time.
What do you think?
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