Hating

   Lately I've been doing this annoying thing where everyone's Facebook statuses bug the shit out of me.  Being from Wisconsin/Iowa a lot of statuses have been about the Bulls-Heat series and a few things about LeBron.  Disclaimer I've watched 2 quarters of NBA basketball this year, some of the 3rd of game 3 and some of the 4th of game 2 of the Heat-Bulls series.  So what I'm about to rant about has really nothing to do with basketball actually being played, instead it has to with why people hate LeBron James.

I've been a LeBron guy since ESPN put one of his High School games on national TV.  The player I watched that night was unselfish, passing like a mad man to his teammates, and a man among boys.  He was huge and has only gotten bigger.  Since that night years ago, LeBron has gone on to become 1st overall pick, biggest free agent ever in sports, 4-time MVP, took a team of losers in Cleveland to the Finals, and has 1 Championship.  That's a pretty good resume, should he have a few more titles probably, but he's 28 and if he plays to 35 that's a chance for 7 more titles.  But that's getting ahead of ourselves.  The NBA is probably the hardest league to win championships, in fact 2 teams (Boston and LA have half the Championships)  In the last 20 years 8 teams have championships, Detroit, Boston, and Dallas being the only teams with 1 in that time, leaving 5 teams sharing 17.  That's insane, yet we crush LeBron for only having 1.  The Dallas loss was bad but that was his 1st year in Miami and they hadn't clicked yet.  I'll give you he doesn't have enough championships but they only give out 1 a year.

Now I understand your a Bulls fan and you don't "like" the Heat because they are playing your team.  You have to cheer against them, I get it but does that mean you have to say "I hate LeBron."  No it doesn't you can easily cheer for your team without hating the opposition, in fact hating should be saved for a special few.  I hate 3 teams, Cowboys-Redskins rivals, Dodgers-Giants rivals, and Notre Dame-not sure why but hey somethings you can't explain.  I usually don't hate any particular players, maybe Romo, but I don't dislike Matt Kemp or even Manti T'eo.  Hating individual players is hard because you never know when they might end up on your team.  Think Yankee fans hated Johnny Damon, plenty of NFL players flip flop teams inside the division just so they can get 2 games against the team that didn't pay them.  I say this, Chicago fans who hate LeBron when he was a free agent there were rumors him and Chicago native Dwayne Wade were coming to the Bulls, would you hate LeBron then?  Once again though I don't expect you to say I love LeBron but hating him seems a little strong.

When I brought this topic up on facebook the other night someone said it's natural to hate the best, the Patriots, Yankees, and Heat for example.  Well I don't hate the Patriots and if you hate the Patriots shut up they haven't won a championship in almost a decade, 2005 being their last championship.  Do you hate Pittsburgh, or the Giants, they've won 2 each since the last Patriots win.  Do people really hate winners, if your not from Chicago and your a Bulls fan your probably a fan b/c of Jordan and his winning ways.  Now the guy who is closest to him you hate yeah that makes total sense.  This idea of hating the guy who is just like your favorite happens a lot, people in Nascar hate Kyle Busch, a guy who will win at all costs and isn't happy if he doesn't win, sounds a lot like Dale Earnhardt to me.  I think people just want to hate to hate, whether it's jealousy or just going with the flow.

When it comes to LeBron people have plenty of ammo, whether it's the Decision, the fact he didn't win a championship right away, maybe b/c he acts like a kid and has fun playing the game, you know isn't serious enough.  The Decision is as much ESPN's fault as it was LeBron, and acting like LeBron is the first free agent to not tell the city he's leaving that he isn't coming back is stupid.  Guys leave all the time and don't say good-bye before leaving.  Get over yourselves he owed Cleveland nothing, he owed you nothing and if he decided to go to Miami to try to win championships shouldn't we applaud him since we kill guys who just play for money and not championships.  Hating a guy who is shoved down our throats isn't reason either, you know there are 200 channels to watch, I for one barely watch ESPN anymore b/c they only talk about a few people.  I instead watch MLB Network for my baseball, Speed for my Nascar, and ESPN during the NFL and College Football season, but only the pregame shows not Sportscenter, tired of hearing about someone turn off the TV.  If LeBron were a jerk like Barry Bonds was I'd understand the hating but he's not a jerk.  He's fun loving always joking with teammates and having fun, he's no more cocky than any other player in the NFL or NBA including the cockiest little guy in the world Nate Robinson a Bull.

I guess in all this long winded repeating of myself I'm trying to say, this guy is one of the best ever, appreciate what your watching and stop hating.  I went through this when I was younger saying I hated Kobe, but I grew up and eventually started appreciating him and his talent.  Let's save our hate for guys who deserve it, Mike Vick, Ben Roethlesburger, other guys who broke the law, but hating a guy just b/c he's the best, LeBron, Tom Brady, Jimmie Johnson is a bit stupid.  Follow me on twitter @derekbredeson or read some older posts.