First Steps

The journey of my novel Patches of Grey from concept to printed paperback has been interesting, enlightening and surreal. Perhaps I'll share the story with you here someday, but not now. At the moment I just wish to say that there's a great deal of difference between being a writer and being an author, and the difference is probably equally great between self published author, indie published author, author with a book put out quietly by a big publishing house, and author with major backing from that publishing house because they believe they have a Best Seller on their hands. I've been a writer for almost as far back as I can remember. My earliest publication credits go back quite a ways to when the submissions process had nothing to do with email attachments and promotion had nothing to do with posting a blog entry, updating my Facebook status, or scribbling a tweet. My short stories have been read and discussed and written about and even imitated in high schools and colleges. There are people I've never met and probably never will who have seen my name attached to pieces of fiction. People have paid hard earned money to read my words well before having the opportunity at long last to read my debut novel. To them I've been an author, but to myself I've just been a writer. I say this because being an author means doing book signings, readings, giving speeches at workshops, teaching writing courses, being interviewed for magazines/radio/TV, discussing strategy with my agent and editor and publicist. In short, being an author means living the dream. I'm not there yet, and this has been in large part a deliberate choice rather than circumstances I have no control over. Plenty of writers have transformed themselves into authors without needing the involvement of a major publishing house. If you're willing to put in the time, spend some money, hit the pavement and keep your feet moving and mouth running, we are living in an era when the author's life can be self-generated. Many have turned out to be naturals at being authors. As for me, while I'm not quite doing the eccentric recluse thing like Harper Lee or J.D. Salinger perfected, I'm not out there renting billboards either. My promotional efforts have been done just about exclusively on computer keyboard, putting out words that perhaps catch your eye and make you curious to learn a little more, perhaps not. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I wrote a novel. If you don't, chances are you have no idea who I am unless you know me personally. This situation in all likelihood is not radically changing anytime soon, but I am taking a first step tonight on the journey from writer to author. So if by chance you happen to be in Sparta, NJ this evening I hope to see you, tell you a little about my book or just shoot the breeze about whatever comes to mind. I'd rather be writing what I'm writing than talking about what I've written, but I don't believe that living exclusively within my comfort zone is truly living. Life is about taking chances, doing what frightens you a bit, maybe more than a bit. It's about grabbing hold of the reins, going faster than seems wise, doing your best to hold on, and when necessary, dusting yourself off and climbing back on after a fall. I love being a writer and have long dreamt about being an author. Tonight I'll get a little taste, and who knows, I might even like it and come back for more.

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Afterword: It went great! Think I'm about ready to step my game up a notch.

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Shirley Sherrod, You're Fired! No, Wait, Never Mind

Tweets by CNN’s Roland Martin first brought the Shirley Sherrod situation to my attention. It was apparent that he was being given a hard time by numerous people on Twitter for his stated opinion. I didn’t know what the subject matter was yet, but was in agreement with what he was saying in his defense about racism being a two-way street, that if you condemned it when flowing one way it would be hypocritical not to also do so when it went the opposite. If someone in position of authority abuses their power in the name of prejudice (or in the name of anything else for that matter), it’s plain wrong. I nodded my head along with this sentiment without knowing all the details of Shirley Sherrod’s case. As it would turn out, Roland Martin wasn’t fully informed either. Many people had been purposely duped, bamboozled, squashed by Plymouth Rock, including as I would eventually come to learn, the NAACP. Yet early on other people seemed to either know more than Roland Martin and the NAACP had been made aware of, or else they too were missing critical facts but nevertheless felt Shirley Sherrod did not deserve to be fired (technically, forced to resign) for a racist mindset that she had owned up to with a camera recording it. The video turns out to have been edited to make it seem that Shirley Sherrod was saying pretty much the opposite of what she meant to convey, which was that we need to protect the rights of poor hardworking people regardless of race, not cherry pick who to protect based on race. She briefly considered doing the wrong thing, then came to her senses and did the right thing. But the video only showed us the moment when she confessed that her thought process was unfair, leading us to believe she followed up with unfair conduct when in fact she did not. Basically Shirley Sherrod was taken out of context to the 1000th degree. Eventually the full video was produced, her supposed victims came to her defense, and she was exonerated in the court of public opinion. In the end, much more than learning a lesson in racism or repentance or politics in action, this incident revealed how easy it is to manipulate the media which in turn manipulates the populace. We live in an era where stories and non-stories alike are frequently doctored and spun to fit an agenda. It’s become nearly impossible to know the reality of “news” being reported to us because so much is slanted to form an opinion for you. We need to examine it all with healthy doses of skepticism, to think not only about what’s being told to us but about why it’s being reported as it is, what motivation someone may have for wanting us to believe what we’re hearing in the manner we're hearing it. People want to believe that the job of the news media is to deliver TRUTH, but truth can consist of many versions. Following are my thoughts as they unfolded one tweet at a time.

@rolandsmartin Some will NEVER get that racism doesn't only go in one direction & will ALWAYS feel roles of villain & victim r permanently set.

The goal is to END racism as much as is possible. Not reverse it, not justify it, not spin doctor it, not dress it up to change appearance.

Shortest distance between two points is a straight line. If that line goes in wrong direction one way, it's the wrong direction the other way too.

Changing minds may not be do-able, but opening some may be.

Question: If white person in control of $ denied aid to black farmer & specifically cited race as reason, what would we call that white person?

If white person in control of $ and black farmer end up mending fences & becoming good friends - Great! Story not about that, but still great.

Is it messed up to fire someone for something they said 24 years ago? Oh yeah. But I guess there's no statute of limitation on unwise comments.

It's safe to say I said some pretty dum *ish 24 years ago. Probably did 24 minutes ago. What you gonna do, unfollow? No, wait, don't go!!

Will Obama be asked about Shirley Sherrod resignation? Or will questions be limited to what Regie Bush thinks about LeBron's Decision?

If the "scapegoating" of Shirley Sherrod guaranteed Fox "News" folk would chill for a bit on the Obama is Hitler schtick, I'd say fair enough.

Bottom line: Political correctness is a terrible reason to base decisions on. Decision should be correct based on common decency & logic.

Let me get this straight now that I'm caught up fully on news. Some douche named @andrewbreitbart punk'd NAACP @ expense of Shirley Sherrod?!

Based on info on hand @ time NAACP & @rolandsmartin said nothing wrong in my opinion. They showed racism's unacceptable to them regardless of direction.

Good people are so much on defensive from constant attacks by conservatives that there was rush to judgment rather than careful weighing of facts.

I've said it about 1 million times here on twitter. Rushing to judgment serves no one any good. 1st glimpse of a case is simply its surface.

Whether the accused is a cop with blood on his hands, an athlete with finger of blame pointed at him, someone temporarily made infamous for alleged improper/illegal act, or whatever the case may be - Wait for facts, weigh them, then judge.

Our judicial system is based on examining evidence & pronouncing guilt if & only if proven beyond shadow of doubt. It's a good system.

Our media system is based on manipulating people to sell version of a story that generates the most attention, leading to increased ad revenue. Bad system.

Those who criticized NAACP reaction & firing of #Sherrod were correct to do so. Hopefully most were correct for the RIGHT reasons.

RT @BenJealous (who is head of NAACP if you don’t know) Watch the Shirley Sherrod video in full for the first time, and judge for yourself: http://bit.ly/9XMlK0

Reinstate Shirley Sherrod!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pete Rose too!!!

Breaking News: Shirley Sherrod has already accepted another job after fielding tons of offers. She says she is "taking my talents to Miami"

If President Obama can turn off the internet can't he turn off Fox News, or at least make it illegal for them to use "News" in name?

Fool me once, shame on you, shame me twice... #SherrodScam

Can video lie? It certainly can when doctored, and even in some cases when it isn't. Lesson hopefully learned.

I'm sickened that Tea Party folk are going “tee hee, we got the NAACP back for making us look bad”.

But I also believe that in the end, more good than harm will come from #SherrodScam, and that manufacturing false news for political gain will ultimately backfire.

Glad I'm not @rolandsmartin tonight. Sure, I'm wrong & piss people off sometimes, but only like about 4 people. #PerksOfNonCelebrity

NAACP & Roland Martin were duped but it wasn't their job to decide if #Sherrod should be fired and act on it if she did, so let’s not send majority of heat their way. This woman's boss (Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack) should have his management technique seriously evaluated. Truth be told though (and full version probably never will be), I'm guessing he received order to fire her from some behind the scenes big shot. Hard to believe his first instinct was to immediately get rid of a long time employee based on such slight, ancient evidence against her, without even being interested in hearing her side. Why would someone admit publicly that they had disobeyed guidelines of their job & laws of the land? It was automatically assumed that Shirely Sherrod was not merely racist, but an idiot. Why would this be assumed about someone who had done nothing but show herself to be intelligent and thoughtful up to that point?

@BenJealous jumped gun with Sharrod to prove NAACP is even handed after Tea Party accusation, but he was still great as Elvin on Cosby Show.

As for those who blame Obama for this mess, I simply can’t fathom why, although I would like to hear his take at some point in the near future much as he tossed his two cents into Professor Gates incident. Chants for another beer summit have already begun of course.

Being POTUS = damned if you do and damned if you don't and damned if you can be remotely connected to it. #ObamaShrug

It's only a matter of time before Fox "News" runs fabricated story on how Rosa Park liked to kick puppies, though just white ones.

As a wise man once said "Don't...Don't believe the hype!"

While we're passing blame around, why did Sherrod agree to resign when she did nothing wrong? I would have said “you'll have to fire me”, and then sued.

I'm about done with Shirley Sherrod indignation. She was wronged, is now a celebrity with book deal probably to come shortly. Meanwhile people are still dying unnecessarily. Keep eyes on places like Haiti and all that oil spilled in the Gulf.

RT @sinbadbad (as in Sinbad from TV, stand-up comedy, and hanging in warzone with Hillary Clinton fame) The shirley sherrod situation shows that we have to make sure we have all the info before we react...can't trust the news to give us the 411.

Once a topic has become so trendy that lightweight celebrities are chirping in to earn cool points while reminding public of their existence, I’m ready to move on to whatever comes NEXT.

Good re-cap of story that provides some of the nitty gritty details not covered in my tweets: RT @AlfredEdmondJr Reverse Racism, or Hatchet Job? http://nblo.gs/62fTR

Shirley Sherrod’s response to inconvenient untruth: http://bit.ly/aoECbg

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Update: Shirley Sherrod says Agriculture Secretary Vilsack has directly apologized http://on.cnn.com/bt3I22 Cue Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River.

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EPILOGUE

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I didn't know who Shirley Sherrod was before yesterday, felt she did kinda wrong for a couple hours, then felt strongly that she was railroaded & screwed.

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Today she's a beloved figure (at least by those who know what a good person should look like), her true admirable beliefs well known, her triumphant personal journey chronicled for posterity. It was only others on both sides of the divide & shouting from sidelines who made asses of themselves.

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She was out of work for a day. She'll be offered it back & either accept or else go on speaker tour, get book deal, really get paid. Not too bad a deal considering she doesn't appear to be far off from retirement age.

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I'm glad the Shirley Sherrod situation happened because it showed what Obama's opposition will stoop to & highlighted the worst possible way to react.

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Little to nothing can be learned from perfection but a royal screw up can be extremely informative. In end nobody was legitimately harmed.

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Politics is not a game for the faint of heart. It shouldn't be a GAME at all, but unfortunately it is, one with very high stakes.

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When next race themed drama arrives, & there's always another ready to pull into station, remember it will be unique & not an extension of prior situations.

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The most interesting thing about the Fox "News" propoganda team is that several of their hired guns may not even be racist. They simply prey on the fears of bigots who listen to them & tend to vote Republican because racists are stupid and stupid people are the easiest to manipulate and rile up. Fox primarily wants to get republicans elected and will attempt to do so by any means necessary. If warning people about Cookie Monster was more effective than telling tales about scary Black people, they'd focus their smear campaign on Sesame Street.

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@AndrewBreitbart I'd insult u but you'd probably get a perverse form of satisfaction. Just keep looking in mirror. IF LUCKY you'll feel shame one day.
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Just so we're all clear here, Shirley Sherrod did not prove black people cannot be racist. She just proved she personally isn't racist.
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No single case makes broad statement about mankind even if we translate it as such. Breibert is a jerk, Sherrod is not, that's basically it.
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Breibert couldn't find video of discrimination by black person against whites so edited one selectively. He isn't ALL whites; she isn't ALL blacks.
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Irony would be if lesson learned from Sherrod’s non-racist mindset is to be angry at all whites. If that’s what you take from it, Breibert wins.
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The enemy is not a race, a color, a creed. The enemy is the person who promotes division by any means necessary.
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No war will ever be as destructive as a Civil one. Look how long ours has lasted. Oh, you thought it ended ages ago. To some, yes. To others…
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If lesson gleaned from #Sherrod case is that THEY continue to oppress, WE continue to suffer, then you have selectively edited tale...same as Breibert.
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I'm not asking anyone to grab neighbor of another shade by the hand & start singing Kumbaya. Just asking for perspective rather than strictly biased emotion.

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RT @CornelWest (real smart guy) If you don't muster the courage to think critically about your situation, you'll end up living a life of conformity & complacency

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RT @CornelWest Morally, all racisms are the same. We must never allow black suffering to blind us to other people's suffering.

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The Reverend Who Cried Wolf

Every day numerous examples of legitimate racism in action take place in this country. Yes we currently have a brown skin biracial President who most (including him) identify as African American. Yes, while certainly not in the fantasy land of post racial identity existence, this country has come a long way. Yes, no matter how far we’ve come, the legacy of racism by whites against blacks and the institution of slavery will never be fully lived down by this nation. It is an irremovable stain. A black President can’t remove it; Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson and Oprah Winfrey can’t erase it; reparations neither real nor symbolic can erase it. Racism rolls on, this cannot be denied. It takes place in an infinite numbers of ways, sometimes in manners splashy and violent enough to make headline news, but usually in personal exchanges and privately held thoughts. There are white people with undeserved notions of superiority in their heads, and black people who will never forgive and never forget the ugliest part of our history regardless of what the present holds and the future promises.

That said, the fact that racism still exists does not mean that racism is prevalent in EVERY interaction, particularly every negative one, between blacks and whites. My novel Patches of Grey tackles this subject head on. Earlier today I quoted a brief passage from it on Twitter, taken from a scene where a fight nearly breaks out between two groups of young men. Those on one side of the dispute are black and those on the other are white, but the subject matter of their disagreement (at least on its surface) is not racial. As often is the case with young men, the trouble is over a girl. “The respective skin colors of the near combatants could not be ignored. The fact that one of them was black and the other white could not be removed from the equation, rendering the specifics of the altercation inconsequential.”

I’m writing this blog posting, and the words quoted above came to mind, because of Jesse Jackson’s reaction to the infantile public letter written by Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert. Gilbert was quite upset that his cash cow LeBron James had just left the team as a free agent (emphasis on free) to ply his trade elsewhere, and by the particularly humiliating way James went about doing it. As LeBron’s former employer I don’t know how you could possibly sit through ESPN’s airing of The Decision and not be incensed. LeBron pissed off millions of people that he doesn’t know from a hole in the wall with his actions, so of course he angered his boss. Dan Gilbert hoped for exclusively selfish reasons that LeBron would be loyal to the state he was born and raised and grew up to be a legend in. Gilbert was hoping that LeBron would be loyal to the only organization he had ever worked for as a professional basketball player. Dan was praying that LeBron would be loyal TO HIM. But the young Mr. James for equally selfish reasons (not implying that selfish must = bad, by the way; thinking of your own interests first is the most human thing we do) opted to go another way. Much has been said (plenty of it by me) about the decision, about why it was made and how LeBron chose to declare it. Much was subsequently said about Dan Gilbert’s public rant of protest, with the consensus being that as the owner of a professional sports franchise, the letter was beneath him. He was fined a considerable amount of money for his immature response by the NBA’s commissioner, and that really should have been the only other chapter to this story.


But before David Stern could get around to weighing in on the issue (which is his job), none other than Jesse Jackson (who one might think could and should easily find far more troubling situations to address) inexplicably did. What did the esteemed Rev. Jackson have to say about an issue that seems like it would be of minimal concern to him? What was his take on the venting of a disgruntled boss about losing his most treasured employee? As you probably already know, Jesse accused Dan Gilbert of having a "slave owner mentality". Now expressing a vague feeling of unease about the motivation behind Gilbert's outrage is one thing, flat out accusing him of viewing LBJ as his own personal Chicken George is another. Jesse crossed the line of concerned speculation and came damn near close to placing a pointy hood over Gilbert's face. He apparently feels that a wealthy white man can’t possibly be upset about losing the paid services of a black man who was routinely employee of the month for any reason other than that he feels he owns not just a sports franchise, but the men who work for it. Or to be specific, the black men who work for his organization. Most of those black men are paid standard American wages and Dan Gilbert doesn’t know their names, nor would he recognize them if they stood before him. But in regards to the tallest of them who get to dress super casually at work and are paid obscene amounts of money since they're who the paying public comes to see, surely they are considered to be slave labor. Why else would Dan dare to get upset when one “escapes”? Apparently the good reverend believes if LeBron happened to be white but otherwise possessed the same skill set and sparkling personality, Mr. Gilbert would be happily throwing him a farewell and thanks for the memories party rather than typing up a manifesto of indignation.

Anyone who knows anything about slavery knows that Jackson's comparison could not be further from the truth, knows that it greatly diminishes the tremendous crippling impact of perhaps the most awful event ever to take place in the history of our planet. Just as it is buffoonish and demeaning whenever Glenn Beck compares every little thing President Obama does to Hitler and the Holocaust and socialism and so called reverse racism. I trust that I don’t actually need to enumerate the countless differences between a slave and a professional athlete to anyone reading these words, or the differences between a team owner and an owner/torturer of human beings. This should not need to be explained to anyone. Yet not only are the differences apparently not clear at all to Jesse Jackson, but a fair number of people actually nodded in agreement at his accusations. Even those willing to concede he may have gone a tad too far still felt it was not Dan Gilbert’s reaction that was within logical comprehension, but rather, Jesse Jackson’s reaction to that reaction. If you see a white man (particularly a rich, powerful one) get angry at a black man (particularly one employed by the white man), what other explanation could there be for the outrage? Gilbert lost some valuable personal property and it ticked him off, no?

Well, that certainly is one way of looking at it if you feel that a black person and a white one cannot be in disagreement about anything at all without race being the underlying cause. But if you believe that people are driven nuts by other people for innumerable reasons, and that just because people are of different races it doesn’t mean this is the only level upon which they can relate to each other, a different interpretation may be derived. You may conclude, may be capable of concluding, that sometimes a black person is angry at a white one, or a white person is angry at a black one, or the two of them are angry at each other, and neither race nor the atrocity of slavery has anything to do with the matter. If you can ignore the respective skin colors of combatants, if you can remove race as the root cause in such an equation and examine the actual specifics of the situation, then consider yourself a better man or woman than Jesse Jackson (who I just can't get too angry at because of what he’s done on behalf of civil rights, plus his fair resemblance to my dad) just showed himself to be. At the very least you’re probably way nicer to be around when you’re in a cranky mood than Mel Gibson.

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"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," the reverend said in a release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship — between business partners — and LeBron honored his contract." – Jesse Jackson

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“I strongly disagree with Rev. Jesse Jackson's recent comments and we are not going to engage in any related discussion on it. Going forward, we're very excited about the Cavaliers and the positive future of our region.” – Dan Gilbert

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What you up to, LeBron?

My blog allows me to speak publicly about the wonder of the world that is LeBron James, and my beloved Twitter allows me to speak not only of him but TO him. Are you listening, LBJ? If so, the following is what I have to say to you and fellow basketball fans.

"…a high % of sports fans hold little interest in parity. They want a clearly defined best team, a dynasty, led by an easily recognizable star, its emperor." I wrote these words in '01 in response to false Michael Jordan comeback rumor.

Do NBA fans want to see 3 of the game's elite (far more stacked than Boston's Big 3 or even Jordan, Pippen, Rodman) join forces to dominate league?



Do you like parity in sports, to wonder which team has what it takes to come out on top? Or do you prefer obvious supremacy from get go?



Do you prefer when 2-3 guys a team drafted grow into elite status & create a formidable team, or is free agent shopping spree fine by you?



Ideally I like to see homegrown talent blossom with a couple key acquisitions made to fortify (see '86 Mets for prime example).



Breaking News: Every NBA team has fired every player on their roster & are now all sufficiently under the cap to sign LeBron & his entourage.



Mel Gibson has courtside seats at Bulls, Heat, Nets & Cavs games but isn't allowed in Madison Square Garden. #FoodForThoughtForLeBron



Sign #LeBron & co-stars, meet Lakers in Finals, end reigns of Kobe & Phil Jackson for good. The mission is clear. #Knicks



I wonder if way back in 1776 our forefathers & foremothers realized that Independence Day weekend would eventually be all abt NBA free agency.



Nice of Knicks not to wait on announcing Amar’e signing. He deserves moment in sun prior to LeBron signing, at which point earth stops spinning.



I think LeBron should make his decision based on loyalty. Two teams have shown an abundance to him over his career, the Cavs and the Knicks.



The Knicks have assembled teams in recent years good enough to get 8th or 7th seed, but they kept dismantling squad & kept eyes on ultimate prize.



The Knicks strategy is unprecedented, I think. They put all their eggs in one basket, neither rebuilding nor quick fixing, just maintaining a holding pattern during which they’ve sabotaged all chances of improvement in the name of cap space preservation.



The Knicks have almost acted as if a secret deal has been in place all along. Fans kept supporting team of rented players while keeping faith in long term plan.



Obviously any team in NBA would love to have LeBron, but only the Knicks have made public a multi-year strategy to wait for chance to get him.



Will LeBron be a super rich, super famous, superstar anywhere he plays? YES. Is NY the greatest city on earth? YES. To play in? YES, when you win.



LeBron either has burning desire to be the ultimate hometown hero, or else he wants to rule Metropolis like Superman, emperor of Empire State.



If Nets were already in Brooklyn, maybe odds are 33% Nets, 33% Knicks, 33% Cavs, 1% retirement. Since they aren't (Newark, NJ just doesn’t cut it and Brooklyn is nice, but simply not synonymous with NYC the way Manhattan is), Cavs or Knicks it should be.



Newark, NJ already has coolest mayor ever in @CoryBooker - so it would be unfair if they also landed LeBron.



If LeBron goes elsewhere such as Chicago or Miami this story strikes me as having a lame ending. Not just as a Knicks fan but as a storyteller.



If LeBron doesn't come to NYK, Dolan & Walsh will be Lucille Ball, fans will be Desi, Lucy will have plenty of 'splainin to do about last few years.



If LeBron has so much love for hometown team he's played whole career for, why put them through this hellish circus?



How unfair is it that @kingjames has WAY more followers than me even though my tweet game is so much stronger?



What team will you sign with @kingjames? If you're concerned about putting your biz out in public domain, DM me. You'll need to follow me 1st though.



Reading "Why Lebron Will Go To NYK" articles is the equivalent of porn for Knicks fans. Or is it just me?!



LeBron refuses to give journalists the tip they crave. Eventually he'll sign with someone, but he's ticked off those who buy ink by the barrel.



WTF holds a press conference to announce they're staying where they've been all along? If LeBron remains a Cav he's getting #PimpSlapped



Will LeBron beat around the bush for 55 minutes to build drama before finally making announcement at end of his show? That would be a tad overkill, no?



My prediction is that LeBron will reveal on Thursday that he's still thinking about it, then bring out Brett Favre who'll reveal "me too".



People who ordinarily know nada & could care less about basketball are talking about LeBron. He has set the stage nicely. #JordanTigerApproved



It doesn't matter if LeBron has won championship rings yet. The only important thing to him is nailing performance of Man in the Mirror on Thursday. We already know he can dance like MJ. Practice your bawling LBJ, not just your ballin’.



LeBron James will do just fine no matter who he picks. Unless he picks Sarah Palin, that is.



LeBron is going to sign with some team and make a bunch of money just because he's black and black people get everything. #RushLimbaughLogic



Those who believe LeBron will team up with Bosh & Wade believe titles are most important to him, not proving he's game's best.



You can't believe that LeBron has a giant ego AND that he's ready to concede his only shot at title is by playing for an All Star team.



We already know LeBron can win it all when teamed with best of best (see US Olympic Dream Team)? Can he win with merely a solid squad?



How does LeBron continue being LeBron if he has to share the ball with Wade who deserves & will demand it just as much if not more?



LeBron and Bosh makes sense to me, as does LeBron and Amar'e, as does LeBron staying put. But All Star team in Miami? Not so much.



Of course plenty of things that make little sense to me end up happening anyway. I'm making no predictions just sharing my two cents. Okay, perhaps I’ve gone a bit over two cents by this point.



If LeBron joins up to win with Wade & Bosh he simply can't be next Jordan or Kobe. He can't be next Tim Duncan. Barely the next Paul Pierce.



There's no such thing as a co-King. You're either The King or you're one of many subjects.



Prince was right!!!! The internet is going away. Or rather, it's getting a new name. Starting tomorrow we'll be surfing the LeBronet.



Only thing these NBA star summits have been about is establishing timing of individual press conferences, not creation of SuperFriends team. But one never knows, do one?



My respect for LeBron is gone if after all this fuss he stays in place, or if he teams up with D-Wade rather than challenges him for dominance.



So ESPN couldn't or simply refused to send camera crew & reporter to Akron? 'Course not. Why travel to CT to announce that you're staying in OH?



I'm pulling for LeBron to end up on Knicks but can respect (unhappily) if he chooses Bulls or Nets instead. If it's Heat or Cavs, he's an idiot. #PointBlank #ReasonsHaveBeenClearlyStated



As if Twitter wasn't addictive enough before this LeBron craziness. Damn damn damn!



Beware Marbs encore! RT @ShamSports This time last year the biggest thing happening in world of the NBA was Stephon Marbury eating Vaseline.



We're all officially no longer allowed to make fun of Brett Favre.



If LeBron joins Wade & Bosh on Heat, "F Miami" is my new battle cry that I'm sure millions will join me in. Go Kobe, Go Howard, Go anyone else!



Granted "F the Heat" was already one of my battle cries, and not only on these 100+ degree days here in NYC, but ante will be upped big time.



Jordan didn't need to team up with Olajuwan & Malone, just needed a quality wingman and some spare complimentary parts. #JustSaying



Ideally, Wade+Bosh in Miami; LeBron+Amare in NY; Rose,Noah,Boozer+ in Chicago makes for reasonable parity & great rivalries in East.



It will be real nice if the Knicks obtain player who in all likelihood will be the NBA's best over next decade. But I'll settle for any players who make them relevant again. Also, I've changed my mind. Continue poking fun at Brett Favre if you wish. It's fun and the last thing I want to be is a buzzkill.


Is the way LeBron's handling this whole DECISION matter an eensy teensy bit overdramatic? Of course. But you'll find no mockery from me about it. He may manipulate the media however he wishes in whatever ways he's able, but he can't force the public to be riveted to his every calculated, strategized move. He guessed that we'd be fascinated by his plans and the rationale behind them, and the plain truth is, he guessed right.



RT @KingJames Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight.



Mr. James, my questions to you are – 1) Did you really think declaring yourself “King” was a good idea, even if you’re just claiming the kingdom of Akron for now? 2) Do you really want people to view you as NBA royalty? If so, do it the way prior kings have since the formula is a proven one. Lead a team that you’re clearly the best player on to multiple titles. My recommendation is the New York Knicks.


Final Note: LeBron is and will be a Superstar no matter what his next move is, but his buddy Jay Z is right - Everyday a star is born.

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