If I were coming up with a list of the most hated figures among all-sports D.C. fans, it would probably be Sidney Crosby, LeBron James, Coach K, Peter Angelos and Daniel Snyder. Feel free to disagree. Most hated teams? Harder to put in any order, but the top half-dozen would likely include the Cowboys, Eagles, Penguins, Flyers, Cavaliers and Duke.
And "hate" doesn't necessarily mean "would spit in their faces on the street," but it's not some passionless emotion either. It's real. People genuinely dislike those names, and those teams.
Remarkably, the Cavs don't seem to understand that. Tonight is the the last Wiz-Cavs game of the season, and it will probably mean something to Cleveland after getting dropped by the Wiz last week. But when they were here in town and I was asking questions about the pent-up bad feelings....well, here's what Mike Brown said about D.C. fans and LeBron.
"You think there is hostility? I don't....really? I, I, you'd have to ask him that. But I'm not conscious of that."
There were other reporters there. They can vouch that he was being serious. He didn't know. I asked about the signs, and the chants, and the crying references on the JumboTron.
"I didn't notice all the signs and stuff like that," Brown said. "But you know what, any good fan's gonna cheer for their team and cheer against our team. I mean, there are some good players that come through our building, and sometimes they get booed, because they're good players, but I didn't know it was to another level here."
I have a complete disgust for all things Cleveland and Cavalier. While some people would be quick to point out that it is only because the Cavs had dismissed the Wizards from the playoffs so often, it is more so how it gets done. Stars get calls in the NBA. That's unfair, but mostly understood. And despite three all-stars on the Wizards, it seems that Lebron is given more calls than all of them combined. Furthermore, even when we deal with Lebron, one-dimensional 3-point shooters hit heartbreaking shots that are far more luck than skill (Damon Jones in particular is an awful player and to have him be proud of anything he's done basketball wise is a joke in itself). Unless your team has a nationwide following, it is easy to feel as though the powers that be are pulling for Lebron and the Cavs. The Wizards are a franchise that after so many bad years, actually got a great group of players and looked to take advantage, meanwhile, the Cavs win the lottery and are blessed with David Stern's wet dream.
I have a complete disgust for all things Cleveland and Cavalier. While some people would be quick to point out that it is only because the Cavs had dismissed the Wizards from the playoffs so often, it is more so how it gets done. Stars get calls in the NBA. That's unfair, but mostly understood. And despite three all-stars on the Wizards, it seems that Lebron is given more calls than all of them combined. Furthermore, even when we deal with Lebron, one-dimensional 3-point shooters hit heartbreaking shots that are far more luck than skill (Damon Jones in particular is an awful player and to have him be proud of anything he's done basketball wise is a joke in itself). Unless your team has a nationwide following, it is easy to feel as though the powers that be are pulling for Lebron and the Cavs. The Wizards are a franchise that after so many bad years, actually got a great group of players and looked to take advantage, meanwhile, the Cavs win the lottery and are blessed with David Stern's wet dream.
The Cavs Don't Know D.C. Hates LeBron
The Cavs Don't Know D.C. Hates LeBron
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