The world is not supposed to work like this.
As learned in nursery rhymes, fairy tales and children’s books, the bad guy should get his comeuppance while the good townspeople are relieved by evil receiving what it deserves.
LeBron James is the villain. But retribution is nowhere in sight.
We all know the story by now. James called an hour-long ESPN special to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. Many people — Cleveland fans most vehemently, of course — criticized James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for holding a championship-like celebration before the season started and claiming they could win as many as nine rings.
When the Heat struggled to a 9-8 start, those criticisms became louder and harsher. It appeared karma was beginning to win the war with James and his cohorts.
Well, maybe not.
Miami has made it to the NBA Finals, and whether or not it wins the championship, James was right — as painful as it is to admit.
He had a better chance to win in Miami than anywhere else. The Heat gave him opportunities Cleveland could not. Throw hometown loyalty and “The Decision” out of conversation, and no one questions James did the right thing.
But he made “The Decision.” He refused to handle his free agency like a professional. He arrogantly tweeted “Karma is a b****” the night the Cavaliers lost a game by 55 points. He made mistakes Cleveland will probably never forgive. But it appears any karmic forces in the world have already done so.
James now has as many finals appearances in one year with Miami as he did in seven with the Cavaliers. Even if the Heat fails to win a game in the upcoming series, James has still proven his point: he made the correct basketball decision.
The world does not work the way it does in fairy tales. That’s obvious. And if James raises the Larry O’Brien Trophy above his head in a few weeks, it will be another chilling reminder of just that.
Other thoughts from an outgoing sports editor
Jim Tressel resigned as Ohio State’s head football coach Monday amid a NCAA investigation after he lied about knowledge of players selling memorabilia and getting discounted tattoos.
It’s no secret Ohio State has been a constant target of this column. But there is no denying the blame goes on Tressel for the team’s blunders. Are rules violations going on at many major colleges? Probably. But that’s no excuse for Tressel, a man the college football world long believed was above rule breaking.
He won a national championship to cap a perfect 2002 season with a no-name quarterback. Aside from Maurice Clarett, the Buckeyes had talented players who were also high-character men.
But when did that change? The Buckeyes proved they could win clean (well, at least at the moment) and did not need to start recruiting players that would make mistakes to cost Tressel his job. But Tressel let it happen, and he had to go.
Love or hate the Buckeyes, they were respected in 2003 for the way the program was run. That can no longer be said.
—Vince Nairn is a senior studying journalism and The Post’s sports editor. Send him an email with Ohio sports thoughts at vn379506@ohiou.edu
