After several months of toiling over this project on my own, I feel very privileged to be joining the “Losing LeBron” team. From their site:

LOSING LEBRON is a feature-length documentary chronicling NBA superstar LeBron James’ first season with the Miami Heat, through the eyes of the fans he left behind.

LOSING LEBRON will go deep into the homes and workplaces of Cleveland residents to find out how they have been affected by this move, why basketball is so important to them, and watch as they adjust to a season without LeBron. Think Hoop Dreams meets Roger & Me. Fans and foes alike will document themselves through user-generated content as we experience this unique chapter in sports history. We will provide selected participants with HD Flip Cams so they can interview themselves, their family, and their friends, and become a part of the film’s production.

LOSING LEBRON is a film about community. We both have family members and friends in Cleveland and Akron who feel betrayed by LeBron’s decision to go to Miami. They, and so many other basketball fans, see his choice as a slap in the face to the people of Cleveland who loved and supported him. But they also see this as a trend in their long-associated history with sports heartache in their city, and a sign of the future of their city’s pride. We want this film to be an opportunity to tell these stories, and to show how beloved the city is by so many.

THE FUNDS: 
We’re hoping to raise $10,000 on Kickstarter. 

More about the filmmakers:

 

Nicole Prowell is a documentary filmmaker who takes the occasional adventure into the world of experimental film. She received her Masters Degree from Emerson College in Visual Media Arts and is currently pursuing her MFA in Media Art. Additionally, she studied filmmaking at FAMU in Prague.

Prior to moving to Boston, Nicole worked for IBM and the Jacob Burns Film Center, a non-profit art house focused on visual literacy. She has worked for MIT’s Nextlab program, traveling to the Philippines to document a medical research team. Her documentary work from the Philippines is being screened at the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. Currently, she is an assistant editor for documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee, and a teaching assistant at Harvard University.

Nicole is the former Vice President of Women in Film & Video/New England, and a member of Connect the Docs and the University Film and Video Association. Her recent projects include Happy Hunting, a short, personal documentary, which has screened in Los Angeles, New York, and New England.

ALLYSON SHERLOCK
Director, Producer, & Editor, Losing LeBron

Allyson Sherlock is a Boston-based filmmaker and editor. After earning her M.A. in 2005, Allyson co-founded a video production company specializing in socially-conscious media projects. Her company’s clients have included several of the top leading non-profit organizations in the country. Additionally, Allyson has been teaching video production and video editing at Harvard University Extension School for the past 5 years. Her work is dedicated to creating films that explore the essence of community and how individuals come to define themselves in relation to others. Her films have screened in both festivals and on television. Allyson is currently working towards a Master of Fine Arts degree at Emerson College.

After meeting with Nicole and Allyson, I was very impressed by their dedication to telling the story of Cleveland—and LeBron—organically. That is to say, without bias and without a pre-set storyline. I hope you will join me in supporting them toward their goal.

In the meantime, please, please, please visit the Kickstarter site and contribute toward the $10,000 goal before December 19th. This is the minimum amount necessary to cover production expenses—including transportation, lodging, and equipment. As the site says, “the more money we raise, the more time we can spend shooting in Cleveland and helping to discover and share all its hidden gems!”

ABOVE: Video by Eric Knappenburger, alias @CAVSWitness, effectively summarizing some of the resentment driving Clevelanders to tonight’s game. Look, everyone is entitled to their opinion! Isn’t that so, Erin Andrews?

If ever we were to pinpoint a climax of LeBromageddon, tonight would certainly be in the running. Yours truly will be shooting all day in downtown Cleveland and surrounding areas for the documentary, so get in touch if you have the gumption to be interviewed on-camera about your take on it. You can do so by commenting down below or tweeting me on Twitter.

Following the storyline of Cleveland, LeBron and Miami has proven a never-ending adventure that’s equal parts reality show, HBO drama, and NBC sitcom. It’s only slight hyperbole, in fact, to say that few writers could have penned a fictional story quite as simultaneously amusing and dumbfounding as this real-life tale of devotion-turned-enmity. And although today will surely prove the biggest landmark in the chronology of LeBron’s story since the infamous “Decision,” I don’t expect that this crazy train has quite reached its final destination.

At the same time, I really wish we could stop with the overwrought analogies comparing tonight to national tragedies. While we’re at it, tonight is not World War 3 or Chernobyl, okay?

(I know. This is rich, coming from someone who writes a blog called LeBromageddon. I’ll call a spade a spade.)

Still, if I can completely contradict myself and be serious for a minute, I want to acknowledge that there is a potentially sinister undercurrent to this circus, too, and that only further supports the apocalyptic feeling behind the whole storyline. While we may dismiss the plausibility of the unspeakable occurring, we can’t pretend the possibility doesn’t exist. As this post on the CBS Sports blog emphasizes, every controversial public figure should absolutely take into consideration that it only takes one delusional infamer who takes his (or her) resentment too far. Far be it from me to stir the pot or buy into the buildup, but we have far too many examples throughout history to support the cautionary tone adopted by the NBA, Cavs management, and the local law enforcement.

I feel better getting that off my chest.

Anyway, as expected, we’ve seen some of the most recognizable names in the media tackle the subject of today’s showdown, at great length and with enthusiastic relish. The New York Times dissected at length the creativity of anti-LeBron enthusiasts looking for just the right response to the King’s official entrance.

One of the most interesting and in-depth reads by far is this article from ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” which goes far beyond the whole LeBron story and digs into some of Cleveland’s political and economic history.

(Oh, and hey. For our utterly shameless plug o’ the day, look who got interviewed by USA Today about the wide spectrum of emotions people are feeling in advance of tonight’s game!)

And lest we forget, there was even an analysis of the assuredly emotional return of another beloved Cavs-turned-Heat player, Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

One surprising element (at least, surprising to some of us who have grown up in Northeastern Ohio) is the increasingly clear dichotomy between Akron and Cleveland (or so some Akronites would have us believe). In this FOX Sports story, for example, several natives of LeBron’s hometown talk about how they’ve always “hated” Cleveland and how LeBron’s decision to move on was simply what any “dyed-in-the-wool” Akronite would do, and Cleveland’s reaction to it was just as poor as anyone would expect from the city.

It seems, well, bizarre. And foreign, at least to me.

But maybe it’s just because I grew up in the suburbs! I always liked both Akron and Cleveland; it never dawned on me that there were lines drawn in the sand.

So tonight is supposed to be a dramatic showdown between more than just two teams. It’s supposed to be a duel between one player and an entire city (while another nearby city allegedly sits by in judgment). A booming economy vs. a shrinking one. A disinterested fan base vs. a passionately-invested one. And, to top it all off, a potentially dangerous atmosphere for attendees and athletes alike.

But regardless of whether you embrace the hype or you dismiss tonight’s significance, or if you’re somewhere in between, it should be acknowledged.

Tonight will be something.

And whatever that something is, I for one think it will be worth witnessing.

And maybe that’s the real legacy behind LeBron’s catchphrase. It’s just that its meaning ended up being more “nuanced” that we realized when it was first coined.

… See you down there!

We’re on the threshold of the day that Clevelanders have long awaited (with much gnashing of teeth). Would-be spectators of next week’s game are shelling out some considerable cash to be in attendance on Dec. 2, the day that LeBron James waltzes back onto the court over which he once reigned.

There’s been a lot of talk about restrictions on the wearing of any anti-LeBron gear at the game, but Dan Gilbert says that’s bunk. Who to believe?!

(What, oh, what would we do without the Cavs owner’s Twitter account?)

… I’m going to go with Gilbert, seeing as ESPN has proven itself both hopelessly sensationalist and impossibly biased when it comes to coverage of our fair land of Cleve. (And if you agree, you should most definitely sign this petition.)

If things go south (… Beach!) next week, we can reflect fondly on the fact that in 1991, the Cavaliers handed the Heat one of the worst sports blowouts in history—148 to 80. And while it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll be watching another blowout, we’ve got plenty of reasons to hope that it will be a good game. The Heat have been anything but the team that some enthusiasts were (way too optimistically) predicting would win 70 games this year. In fact, the Three Kings are 1-6 against teams with a winning record, and is now further hobbled by injuries to their best shooter Mike Miller and best rebounder Udonis Haslem.

Also hobbled by Chris Bosh’s deep, abiding need to chill and LeBron’s bemoaning the glaring absence of “fun” on the court.

But we’ll talk more about what’s hurting the Heat and helping the Cavs in a more in-depth preview post, soon.

In other LeBron-related news, the King revealed his new logo this week, and (big surprise) it’s a crown! Don’t expect this motif to disappear any time soon.

(Photo credit goes to reporter Darren Rovell for picking up on this, first.)

Also, Lakers coach Phil Jackson spawned a short-lived war of words between himself and Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy when he intimated that the Heat’s mediocre record has left its coach Erik Spoelstra on the hot seat, much as Van Gundy was a few seasons ago before he resigned from the same position.

Meanwhile, it’s finally sunk in just what a poor excuse for a sports town Miami really is, driving the Heat’s PR branch into a frenzied fit of damage control—they’ve resorted to what can only be described as blatant bribery to get its tanned, toned populace in their seats. On time, please! Here’s a cheaper hot dog for your troubles! Cheer together, boys and girls!

And, oh—if you were fooled into believing that Michael Jordan actually put out that scathing video mash-up mocking LeBron’s Nike commercial, I’m sorry to burst your bubble.  Still, the mash-up is amusing and definitely worth a click.

And if you didn’t hear about it, apparently there’s a grassroots effort to keep LeBron and his sidekick (we mean Bosh, not the long-suffering Savannah!) out of the running for a position on the All-Star game’s Eastern Conference team. It’s entitled, appropriately, “Keep LeBron Out.” 

Yeah, good luck with that one. But anti-LeBronners can dream like no other. Speaking of, the satirical @LeBronJamesEgo Twitter account should be in particularly good form this week, so let’s all look forward to that.

ABOVE: Yeah, so much for this. This coronation party came a smidge too soon.

The Celtics Shut Down the Heat

The NBA season started off with a bang, and, as expected, the media swarm took over Boston last night at TD Garden. All in anticipation of the Heat hoopla.

Then the original Big Three took on the the new Three Kings, and everything became so much less glamorous and glittery for LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh. This became clear early on when the Heat only scored 9 points in the first quarter, coming to only 30 in the entire first half.

This was a more abysmal showing from the Heat than anything we saw in all of last season, when their roster had a blatantly less impressive list of players.

But one loss by the Heat to last year’s East Conference champs proves nothing, of course. So before all of Cleveland collectively and prematurely dances on Miami’s grave, we should note that many of the problems are fixable. The weak defense, the poor spacing, the lack of cohesion … all issues that can be ironed out as these guys play more together.

In all honesty, I’ve seen LeBron play better, but I’ve also seen him play just about this well, too. With 18 seconds left on the clock, watching LeBron take contested three-pointers smacks strongly of deja vu.

Still, it has to sting to see some pronouncements like “Cavaliers Part II” from various sports media. I think I accurately read LeBron’s mind when I say that his worst nightmare would have to be ending up exactly where he was in Cleveland—with a supporting cast only mildly better, except now Bosh is playing the role of J. J. Hickson and D-Wade is playing some version of Mo Williams.

But Rome wasn’t built in a day, Bron Bron admonishes us. And Wade’s hamstring injury has certainly thrown off their “chi,” basically turning the Heat into a one-man show featuring guess-who. (Yeah, this doesn’t feel familiar at all.)

And the least happy Heat fans have to be the owners of this Miami bar. Although their marketing idea really is a win-win scenario for the rest of the fan base.

Bottom line is, these Kings won’t be ruling over opponents’ courts any time soon (ha, ha), which is some small comfort to resentful Clevelanders who tuned in last night.

Hey! Maybe it was just that hex the witch on WMMS put on him. I’ll try not to take up space here ranting about how it seems nearly impossible these people still have their jobs.

Cavs Season Launches Today

As they have been doing for some time already, sports pundits nationwide are predicting nothing but tragedy for the Cavaliers this season. You’ve got Sports Illustrated saying they’ll be the second worst in the Eastern Conference, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Dwyer (now infamously) saying their best hope is 12 wins this year, and so on. Only the Plain Dealer’s Tony Grossi has the audacity to suggest they’ll pull off more wins than losses.

But as I’ve suggested previously, the tanking scenario seems improbable, if not exactly impossible. Byron Scott is out to prove himself, and he’ll fight to show everyone that he was the right man for this job (I bet soon enough people will even be chanting, “In Byron We Trust,” and I’ll admit I’m still not over the fact that he did 70 free throws in a row a month ago). 

So really, it’s up to Cavs management to think “big picture.” This will probably mean trading away some of our last remaining good players, in which case, then we will tank. Organically and naturally. I know, I know … this is a painful idea for Cleveland fans to accept, but we’ve got to take this medicine if we’re ever going to get better. And by “get better” I mean set ourselves up with better draft options.

Oh, and hey. Today is the Cavs opener game. As for whom we’re playing, look! It’s the Celtics again! Poetic. Maybe taking on the Miami media darlings will have tired them out, giving the Cavaliers a chance to start their season off by beating the team that ruined everything for them last year.

Or maybe not. With solid players but no superstars, the Cavs will be hard-pressed to best the Celtics, who boast three of the latter type and plenty of the former.

Still, it should be a showing with plenty of heart and some real fundamental basketball, i.e., more passing and more opportunities for supporting players to shine, without LeBron filling up the court.

And then there’s always the Team Gilbert party before and after at The Clevelander on Huron, just a couple of blocks from the Q. Yes, Team Gilbert. That exists.

By the way, if you want a copy of the old-school Cavs Zine and see the article written by yours truly about our worst case scenario this year, come to the Q and look for the tired-looking blonde outfitted with a video camera and a tripod. Take a copy home with you. Share with a friend. All of that.

And before we forget, we must mention LeBron’s exquisitely scripted and filmed video aimed at the empathetic hearts of basketball-loving Americans, complete with a pink donut, a bulldozer, and a recitation of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” Give this thing an Emmy. If nothing else, it underscores once again that Nike’s marketing team is filled to the brim with geniuses, particularly when it comes to damage control. And we should all be so relieved to know that Charles Barkley was not offended by it, either, although he still says it was a waste of money. Not sure if Barkley is an authority on wise monetary decisions, but, whatever.

Happy Cavs Day, Cleveland!

A big thanks to The Upper Deck for the helpful reminder that Miami’s city skyline is cooler than ours.

Seriously, Miami? You take our star player and our marketing campaign? Why don’t you take our beloved Free Stamp, too? You can have the world’s largest rubber stamp when you pry its spongy goodness from our cold, dead fingers.

Actually, maybe you can have that.

… As shared on Twitter by @CavsWitness, whose forewarnings about the image’s nauseous qualities were much appreciated (if largely unheeded).

ABOVE: Video from the initial “reveals” of the new Cavs jerseys. I cannot be held responsible for how many times the emcee says “yes, indeed” or “the original wine expression.” I tried to edit it out to save you all … but I got tired.

It’s worth noting that the last time new Cavaliers jerseys were introduced, LeBron James had just been drafted to the team.

So naturally, it wasn’t without some nostalgia that fans officially said “bye-bye” to the royal blue variant that once paid homage to King James, and embraced new jerseys in the traditional, throwback shades of wine and gold.

The consensus among fans seemed to be that the unveiling was … somewhat cathartic.

ABOVE: Please forgive the annoyingly distracting yellow noodle behind LeBron. It was every man (and skinny camera-bearing journo) for himself in the media dugout area, and there was no way I could move. So just embrace the noodle.

It was significantly smaller in scale than previous years, but LeBron James still managed to receive a disturbingly Jesus-like reception at the ”King for Kids” bike-a-thon this past Saturday: The Plain Dealer reports that one excitable child even screamed, “I touched his hand! I touched his hand!”

Kids, the man plays basketball. He doesn’t cure leprosy. Although I have witnessed him part throngs of people like Moses.

Then came exactly what Cleveland had asked for, but exactly one month later than most of us wanted it:

“To the city of Cleveland, my fans in Cleveland, Northeast Ohio,” LeBron addressed the enraptured crowd. “I want to say thank you for the last seven years, and the years in the future.”

ABOVE: Now that we’ve been kicked to the curb, here’s a collage of embarrassing LeBron pictures, in the time-honored tradition of any one who’s ever been rejected. Take that, LeBron! Who’s humiliated now, huh? Or not.

All right, I know it’s been a while since I posted. Not since Thursday, in fact.

… Look, I was coping with the pain, okay? I know I’m not the only one who feels as if she’s been dumped by her favorite boyfriend.

But LeBromageddon is not over. This blog was created to deal with the maniacal madness of this particular era in Cleveland, and the gravy train of insanity has yet to derail. To make up for my absence from blogging, I’d like to list for you my top 10 favorite crazy things that have unraveled in just 5 days.

In just a few hours, millions will tune in to watch the closing curtain for LeBromageddon: an hour-long special titled (okay, somewhat pompously) “The Decision.”

It’s one part brilliant marketing move, one part disastrous media circus. A fitting finale to the mania of the past 8 days.

Cavs fans woke up this morning with an unsavory taste in our mouths. It tasted of defeat.

And Heat.

Also, money.

While hopeful Clevelanders slept fitfully in our beds, the NBA prepared to drop a bomb on our feeble dreams: late last night, a league cap was announced that was a full $2 million higher than originally expected. This extra cap space allowed the Miami Heat to make LeBron James an offer that was only about a million dollars short of offers by New York or Chicago, but with the added benefit of playing with two perennial all-stars, which no other team can boast.

Those stars being one Dwyane Wade and one Chris Bosh.