We all have options in life, whether we believe it or not. Those options lead us to decisions. For the average person...these decisions can be as basic as what to have for lunch, McDonald's or Subway. They can also be as intense as which job offer to take.
You didn't even have to be a sports fan to understand the "decision" that polarized the country last year. When LeBron James sat in front of a camera with Jim Gray last fall and announced "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat," it wasn't just the city of Cleveland that collectively hung their heads. For those of us that had hoped LeBron was "something different" and wanted to truly become the greatest player of all time, we were right there with Cleveland raising our fists in frustration.
Some people believe that LeBron did nothing wrong...and in fact, what he did wasn't wrong. I don't think anyone really disputes that. Listening to Colin Cowherd, host of "The Herd" on ESPN Radio, you'd think that the ONLY choice LeBron had was to do what he did, and join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. Cowherd spent many mornings on his show over the previous two years tearing LeBron up for "choking" during playoff time each year. Now, suddenly, LeBron is someone he "roots" for.
His reason for being a big LeBron supporter now: You all would've done the same thing.
Listen...coming from someone I consider to be the prototypical "front-runner", it's now convenient to back LeBron and the Heat. They're leading their best-of-seven playoff series against the Boston Celtics 2-0, and looked rather impressive in each of those first two games. However, to say that, if given the chance, everyone else would've done what LeBron did is going a little far. Cowherd compared LeBron's decision to that of a lawyer going to a better law firm, or a nurse choosing to transfer to a better hospital. Same thing? It's not even really the same league.
Let's say, for arguments sake, this fictitious lawyer worked at a law firm that defended people who were wrongfully terminated from their place of employment. No, this doesn't have anything to do with my own current situation...thank you very much. Anyway...he defended employees who were taken advantage of, and then just let go, without cause. In each of these cases, our fictitious lawyer seemed to have the upper hand...until the very end. At that point, the high-powered attorneys for the companies he fought against wielded their high-powered hammers...and when the dust settles, his case is lost. Imagine this happening for three or four cases in a row. Frustrating, right?
Now...imagine our fictitious lawyer getting so tired of always losing these cases he was so close to winning, that he decides to head to the law firm that has defended the companies he's been losing his cases to. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? He was tired of losing, so why not join the team of winners. Makes sense, doesn't it?
Note to Colin Cowherd: the NBA and real-life are NOT the same thing! LeBron may not have been "wrong" from the standpoint that, as a free agent, he can choose whatever team he wants to once his contract is up. That doesn't mean that his "decision" was a good one. He had taken his team in Cleveland to the best record in the NBA the previous season, but couldn't close the deal. Personally...I think it would be far more impressive if the lawyer won his first case with the law firm he started with, rather than heading over to a bigger, better law firm because they give him a better chance to win, even if it's for the wrong cause.
So...what would you do?
No comments:
Post a Comment