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Hi, I’m Greg Strosaker. A chaotically organized, distractedly focused, approximately precise, thoroughly brief, passionately disinterested, hesitatingly decisive and rigidly spontaneous study in consistent contrast.

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Dan Gilbert's Open Letter to Cavaliers Fans Regarding Lebron James

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Dan_Gilbert_Letter.pdf (221 KB)
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While much (though not all) of Cleveland is clearly disappointed by Lebron James's decision to bolt to the Miami Heat, this open letter from Dan Gilbert to Cavs fans strikes me as unnecessarily unprofessional and vindictive.  In addition to the clumsy language and outright grammatical errors ("nor NEVER"?) which one would not expect from a successful executive, the tone is aggressive to the point of being abusive, and it appears desparate instead of reassuring.  I'm not sure that ALL CAPS promises are what fans need at this point to continue their support of the team.  Why not take the higher road and wish Lebron the best of luck in his efforts at Miami, while promising to continue building a successful franchise here in Cleveland?

While it may have provided emotional relief for Mr. Gilbert to write this letter, it does very little to inspire confidence in the future of the Cavaliers organization.  I agree that Lebron's ego has grown outsized, especially in light of his most recent playoff performance, but we have the opportunity to be "the better town" and team, and will certainly lose that with such vitriol.  Can you picture this type of response to a star employee leaving an organization?  What would it say to the rest of the individuals remaining with the company?  Yes, sports is different and competitiveness is ingrained in the very business, but negativity builds on itself and does not uplift or inspire performance.

Posted

2 comments

Jul 09, 2010
Keith Moehring said...
Hi Greg,

I'm not sure I completely agree. I think what Gilbert did last night was genius. My feeling is too many sports franchise owners are too distant and don't show their "fan side." Personally, I'm excited at the fact that we have an owner who is willing to cross that line of being professional and use his voice to echo the outrage of his target audience.

If he sat back and said good luck to LeBron, I'd be much more worried about the Cavs than I am. That letter confirmed for me that we have an owner who is invested in this team and city, and will do what ever it takes to bring home a winner.

Part of what makes Cleveland great is the passion we pour into our sports teams. An owner who shares this passion, and is willing to display it front millions in spite of the inevitable backlash, is inspiring and someone I'm proud to support.

Jul 09, 2010
Greg Strosaker said...
Hi Keith, thanks for your comment and being willing to provide a different perspective. I agree that passion is a key ingredient in building anything successful, and that Dan's approach does indeed show such a passion for the team as more than just a business. I do believe that you can communicate passion in a more professional and maybe even convincing manner. Lebron's approach to the whole situation is deserving of criticism, and I didn't mean to imply that Dan should not have offered such criticism. I believe it can be done in a more uplifting and positive manner for the fans than what he has done here.

And, for the record, I hope the Heat fizzles, I think Bosh is an over-rated player, and perhaps there won't be enough points to spread around all those egos. I'll even root for the Celtics, who I've long despised, over the Heat if it comes down to it.

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