The Decision - The Quiet Storm Mix

This is different. When LaBron James left Cleveland four years ago to join the Heat to win "not one, not two, not three" championships, it was a different James than the one that announced today that he is returning home to Akron to play for the Cavaliers. I can't really call him self-centered because he has been the center of attraction since tenth grade. For the most part, (4 MVP's and two championships later) he has actually handled it well, as best one could. For my generation, he could have left "The Decision" show out. But as one of my boyz put it, this is the "Age of Attention" for his generation."


This time around, he did leave the show out. After reading the Sports Illustrated article in which he made his decision, he shows a level of (dare I say it?) maturity. While he says he does not have regrets going to Miami, I believe him when he says that he wants to bring home a title to Ohio. Like he says in the article:


"...Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son."


I feel that.


Having said that, he now says it time to get to work. He's got part two of today's championship formula in All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Giving early cred to one of my boyz who's picking Kevin Love. Unfortunately, for Wiz fans like me, why not Melo? Actually, I could give you $130 million reasons why.


At the end of the day, Dorothy said it best: "...there's no place like home."

Deferring

I'm driving home from Baltimore after having a great 4th of July holiday when I ran over a terrible hole on the streets of their downtown. As soon as I heard the "thump" (which sounded worst than your usual bump), I thought it might be trouble. By the time I left Baltimore airspace and hit 95, there seemed to be no trouble.

More than halfway on the way back to DC, this guy in a family van is frantically trying to get my attention, telling me that I need to pull over NOW. When I did, I saw this:
 

In comes Jeremy, who had stopped a few yards in front of me. He said that I had been driving on the tire like that the last half mile or so.

 

God does put people in your life who serve as angels. They can only be in your life for a few weeks, few years or in this case, less than a hour. But what they can do for you can be life-saving.

 

Now before I could start to gripe about the work that was ahead of me, Jeremy went into action. He had jacked up the tire and replaced it with the "temporary" tire I luckily had in less than 15 minutes. When I asked him if he was a mechanic, he said, "Yea. I'm in the US Army. I do this kind of work every day."

 

Are you kidding me?

 

When I offered him money, he refused (of course) saying, "...you just looked like somebody who needed help." Saying WOW does not do him justice.

 

It's here where I give a pound (as I always do) to our soldiers. While I have always held them high in regard in general, it's times likes this that I truly thank them for their service, both here and abroad. They are the reason that we can celebrate our country's birthday every July without fear of mortar fire.

 

I know what you're thinking: It's a great story, but what does this have to do with sports? Sometimes you just have to get out of the way and let the superstars do what they do.