Open Letter to Fans From Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Shortly after Lebron James announced his intent to sign with the Miami Heat starting the 2010-2011 season via an hour long announcement on ESPN, the Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote this letter for the Cavs fans, slamming Lebron James.

The original letter can be found here: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html In case it gets deleted/retracted by the NBA, I have a copy of it right here for you to see.


Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....



Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

July 8, 2010 Lunch Links

1. Block your crazy Ex with this simple internet tool. [Ex Blocker]
2. A smart phone full of apps. [TweetPhoto]
3. 25 incredibly hot women married to untalented athletes. [Bleacher Report]
4. NBA players who went broke. [Complex]
5. Celebrities who look like muppets. [Unreality]
6. Pam Beesly gets married. [Moon Dog Sports]
7. Nine band names you didn't know were sexual. [Holy Taco]

NBA 2k10 > Khloe Kardashian

July 7, 2010 Lunch Links

1. How social media radically altered advertising. [Mashable]
2. Retro racist ad of the week [Copyranter]
3. So long, Dodge Viper! [Mainstreet]
4. Four sex tips from Olivia Munn. [Asylum]
5. The 23 countries most likely to default. [Business Insider]
6. This is why you put password on your wireless router. [TDW]
7. Seven ways to pretend like you care. [Guyism]
8. They put condoms in McDonald's happy meal. [Pedal To The Metal]
9. Nine celebrities who look like predators. [EgoTV]
10. Ten greatest fat athlete of all time. [Maxim]
11. Women reach sexual peak heading into their 40s [Telegraph]

Justifying Suarez' Handball

Luis Suarez became an overnight hero for Uruguay after he used his hands to kept the ball away from the goal line. Under regular circumstances, using your hand to control the ball movement in soccer is very frowned upon. If the referee caught you use your hand to control the ball, he would give you at least a yellow card and a free kick for the other team.

The score was tied at one between Uruguay and Ghana in the dying minutes of the 30 minutes of extra times. Ghana's offense bombarded the Uruguayans' penalty area. At one point, one of Ghana's players headed the ball and it looks like it was going to be in the net. However, Luis Suarez was right behind the goal line and used his hands to kept the ball away from passing the goal line. The referee saw this, gave Suarez a red card, sent him off the field, and gave Ghana a chance to score via penalty kick. Asamoah Gyan took the penalty kick, but he had a little too much power that sent the ball hit the top of the cross bar and missed the net. As soon as he missed, the ref blew the final whistle to end the game and proceeded to penalty shootout. Ghana lost 4-2 in the penalty shootout and that broke the heart of many Ghanaian supporters i.e. the whole continent of Africa. Watch the video below in reverse angle to see one of the most dramatic finish in the World Cup history.



A lot of people think Suarez cheated for using his hands to keep the ball away from the net. But he actually did not cheat. He committed a foul and got penalized for it. The ref did the right thing for sending Suarez off the game and gave Ghana the penalty kick. Let's look at it this way, if Suarez blatantly used his hand to control the ball in the 73rd minute, outside the penalty area, resulted in expulsion from the game and a free kick for Ghana, would you call that cheating? No, because that would be a very idiotic move by Suarez if he did that. Most people think it's cheating since the opposing team got eliminated because of that handball.

Suarez really got nothing to lose to use his hands to control the ball at that point of time. He knew the ball was going to go in the net if he did not knock the ball away with his hand. If the ball went in, there really was no time for Uruguay to score another goal to even things up and would make Uruguay got eliminated from the World Cup. By using his hands, not only he did not allow the ball to go in to the net, Suarez also created an opportunity for Uruguay's goal keeper to stop the ball from the penalty kick. If Ghana were to win the game and advances to the semi final, Suarez made it slightly harder for Ghana to win. It was not Suarez' fault that Asamoah Gyan did not score in that penalty kick. I would ask the question again, would you say Suarez cheated if Gyan scored the goal in that penalty and Ghana advances to the semi?

Suarez' handball was definitely one of the most brilliant & instinctive, yet controversial plays in the World Cup history. Because of his handball, Uruguay now would play the Netherlands in the semifinal. Even if they could not advance to the final, because Uruguay is missing a couple of key players including Suarez, they still have a chance to play and win for the third place spot; it is a much better accomplishment than getting eliminated in the quarter final.

July 6, 2010 Lunch Links

1. Chase customers can now deposit cheques via iPhone [Mashable]
2. What does Michael Scott's "diploma" say [imgur]
3. You might not wanna mess with this World of Warcraft gangsta. [NedHardy]
4. Facebook adds face detection feature to photos. [Fast Company]
5. The two ways to get your views heard at the G20. [Cracked]
6. 21 things you should never buy new. [Yahoo]
7. Seven bizarre sports ritual. [Ranker]
8. Eight things women are insecure about. [AskMen]
9. Google can be funny. [Spewf]
10. Justifying Luis Suarez' handball against Ghana. [LionsDenU]