Gilbert’s Letter to LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is a bit emotional.

I never saw that level of passion out of him before his reaction to the departure of LeBron James on Thursday night. He was always just a name, never a face. Now Gilbert is quickly becoming one of the more famous sporting figures in Cleveland, the yin to Art Modell's malevolent yang.

Within an hour of James' tasteless TV special, Gilbert already produced a letter disparaging James and did the same in several phone interviews. In the letter he called James "narcissistic" and referred to his decision as a "heartless and callous action" while telling fans they "simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal."

In the phone interview, Gilbert called James out for his performance in the second round of the 2010 NBA playoffs.

"He quit," Gilbert told the AP. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."

The reaction was raw, furious emotion. In any other situation it would be a public relations nightmare, but these are special circumstances.

Gilbert did not escape without criticism. The word classless was thrown around plenty in reaction to his comments. Reverend Jesse Jackson went so far as to compare Gilbert to a disgruntled slave owner, while others such as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban fully supported his comments.

"I think his letter shows all the emotion that goes with owning a team," Cuban told the Dallas Morning News. "Dan's a passionate owner, and he deserves a lot of credit for putting it out there. Most guys wouldn't have the guts to do it."

Most guys also wouldn't have the guts to extend the feud into their other businesses. Gilbert owns the company Fathead which sells life-size images of athletes among other things. On Friday, the LeBron James Fatheads were marked down from $99.99 to $17.41, which just happens to be the year Benedict Arnold was born. You have to respect the colonial burn. I wonder how many "LeBronadict Arnold" signs will be in Cleveland next season? Based on comments from fans on several websites, there are far more inappropriate signs in the works.

Gilbert's actions have provided fans with a figure to rally around and an outlet for their frustrations. If Gilbert had simply kept quiet, fans would panic more about the direction of the team and the public retaliation would be far greater.

With the aid of the Cleveland Police Department, what could have turned into an all-out riot was limited to the burning of a few jerseys. The night could have easily ended with the burning down of the building showcasing James' 10-story tall Nike banner. Fans were more adamant about tearing down the billboard than Ronald Reagan was about the Berlin Wall. Workers began taking down the wall on Saturday.

One of my few criticisms of the letter was Gilbert's caps lock filled rant when he said, "I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING' WINS ONE."

These lofty expectations combined with his harsh critique of a player leaving via free agency could be off-putting to potential free agents. However, those free agents should realize it wasn't because James left but how he did it that induced this reaction.

"It's not about him leaving," Gilbert said. "It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time."

James threw the first punch. Organizing a national television special to burn a city he meant so much to was far more classless than any letter Gilbert could ever write. While a more tasteful announcement would still have upset fans, at least they still could have respected James. He alienated one of the most loyal fan bases in the world, transforming himself from the city's most beloved to most hated figure in the blink of an eye Thursday night.

Gilbert has given fans a ray of hope. While no one expects the Cavaliers to win a championship next season, fans can see they have a passionate owner with both winning and revenge in mind. They just have to hope his spite toward James doesn't blind him from what is truly important.

— Jason Mack is a Senior Staff Member at the IC and was the Sports Editor in 2008. He also contributes to TigsTown.com with coverage of the Toledo Mud Hens.