Stupid Cleveland

The freezing weather outside Quicken Loans Arena was nowhere near as bitter as the reception inside for LeBron James.

Cavaliers fans took every opportunity Thursday to let their former King know exactly how they felt about his departure, filling the arena well before the opening tip and directing everything from vulgarity to clever chants in his direction.

From the moment he stepped on his former home court, James heard a chorus of deafening boos. Every time he touched the basketball, he received the same treatment.

The signs and T-shirts also spoke volumes, with one T-shirt reading ``Loyalty over Royalty,'' and one sign reading ``LBJ: Play like it's Game 5,'' referencing the Game 5 Cavaliers loss to the Celtics last postseason, in which James was accused of quitting on his teammates.

The Cavaliers helped egg on the crowd, showing anti-LeBron signs on the big screen, as well as giving Charles Barkley, one of the more vocal critics of the way James exited Cleveland, plenty of face time on the big screen. Barkley received a raucous standing ovation, as did Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

Perhaps the most-asked question entering Thursday's contest was if James would do his pregame powder toss that he popularized as a member of the Cavs. James did complete his normal routine, even as the entire arena booed.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/03/1954913/lebron-james-encounters-clevelands.html

Imagine what could be accomplished if the citizens of Cleveland put as much time and effort into improving their terrible public schools, lowering their horrendous unemployment and crime rates, and cleaning up their dangerous poverty plagued ghettos.