Written by Jeff Rich

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I seriously can’t wait for it to be “just another game”.  I’m tired of the saturation of this story, just as I am about any routine dead horse beatings in the media today.  An interesting story, an intriguing topic with much fanfare, can’t simply be reported on these days without being dissected and over-reported until it loses momentum.  It’s enough to make a sane man, even one as insane about the world of sports as I am, just lose it.  Current events aren't even current events without crazy speculation on what the distant future may hold.

Of course, I’m talking the media manipulator himself, the Akron-born member of the Miami Heat.  To be fair, it’s a question he’s been baited into since his unpopular decision, and he keeps biting, which has probably been spun into a story that plays to his advantage, and that of his famed marketing team.  Anyone with an ounce of credibility understands that for Cleveland, it’s egg in our faces, whether we’d take him back, whether we’d want him back.  His lap dogs at ESPN will make sure that he looks good and we look bad, we've all seen this movie before.  Personally, I say there’s no way it will ever happen, and I’m sure I’m not in the minority on that, but is it far-fetched to believe that there are NBA players, the type that could help the Cavaliers in the future, that might buy into such a tall-tale?

In an outstanding moment for karmic justice, what if this spin that makes the former hero into the victim that gets theoretically rejected by his hometown?  Before you get too overjoyed about putting the heartbroken shoe on the other foot, understand that he would only remind us that Cleveland’s not actually his hometown because, you know, Akron is so much different than Cleveland.  But, this isn't about him, or his manipulative marketing methods, the lies he tells in ridiculous attempts to be liked or well received.  I've already said more than I care to say about him, what I want to talk about is him floating the idea out there, which could in turn become a selling point for a locale that is a tough sell across the board, but especially for a winter sport.  The Knicks sold their fans on it for three years, even if the summer of 2010 wasn't the slam dunk that ESPN and the New York media thought it would be, who’s to say they won’t soon be selling Summer of ’14 the same way?

In an effort to give credit where credit is due, allow me to cite a Tweet from StepienRules.com contributor Bill Nagel, suggesting this story leak during free agency.  While I’m not at all excited about that prospect, even in the absence of there being any actual merit to the lie itself, the false pretenses it brings about as a selling point is undeniable.  I don’t understand the legalese behind it, but actually mentioning his name as selling point would probably constitute tampering, but why not let the media do our bidding?  I believe the national media owes Cleveland a solid.

The Front Office can take on an “act as if” approach to Free Agency and personnel moves over the next few years, climbing towards that top tier of teams that actually have a chance to win it all when the season starts.  They can allow every Free Agent that walks through the door believe whatever they want, the downfall in 2010 was that prospective talent had the chance to see how things would play out, but the Class of 2012 & 2013 won’t have that luxury.  They can only speculate on the future, and again, while the legal mish-mash is above my pay grade here, I doubt management can offer any insight on what their intentions would be for a player still under contract in Miami (should he opt out of his contract).

Even if it’s not for that player, especially if it’s not for that player, I really like the idea of building a team that is only a player away.  With a few decent draft picks, a few seasons to develop them, and a few quality free agents that buy into the “name on the front of the jersey” mentality, that one player away doesn't have to be a global icon.  At the risk of drowning everyone in cliches, I am going to say that I don’t ever want one of my teams to have all of their eggs in one basket again, I would like options.  Perhaps, three years is enough time to get to where that one player away is somewhat inter-changeable, where it won’t matter if that guy is Markieff Morris, Taj Gibson, Marshon Brooks, Greg Monroe, or that other guy that we've been talking about.

You know what’s worse than not being liked?  You don’t want to be replaceable, but at some point our sentiments rise above simply spiting a guy, a kid really, no matter how angry we once were.  I suppose it’s easy to get fooled by the bright lights of New York, the beaches in South Florida, and the Hollywood appeal of L.A., but that only invites talent if it’s accompanied by the prospect of winning.  Even if Cleveland actually were the perpetually dreary industrial jungle that it’s commonly depicted as on a national level, it shouldn't matter, winning basketball does matter.  That atmosphere can be created with the Cavaliers in Cleveland if Dan Gilbert, Chris Grant, and Byron Scott play their cards right.

That brings me to one last point.  Right now, the Cavs have an ace up their sleeve with Kyrie Irving, and more to the point, the marriage of Scott and Irving.  It’s not speculation; Jason Kidd and Chris Paul are proof, Byron Scott can do work with marquee point guards, so it’s fair to say that Irving could go from good to great on Scott’s watch.  That prospect may make Cleveland a good landing spot for young talent as soon as this summer, and that might mean Eric Gordon.  Add in a lottery pick, which should come to place without “tanking”, and Cleveland could suddenly have their own Big 3.  Speaking of tanking, I sincerely hope that all of that talk ends when this season ends, it’s tough to be part of fan base where the consensus isn't hoping for the team to win every game it plays.

In the meantime, I’m just thinking about the current roster and the games being played in 2012.  I’ll let the other idiots handle what may, but probably won’t happen a few years from now.  Since I have to deal with it on my television now, I’ll keep my mind on the positive spin.