The LeBacle

I hesitated weighing in on this, and I'm sure that some of you will breeze through this post waiting with bated breath for my next update from the road (yes, there will be one later on tonight).

But... I have long contended that the NBA represents everything that is wrong with professional sports - and the events that have taken place over the last week have reinforced that assertion. And, please - before you say it - this has absolutely nothing with black guys shooting a ball into a hoop vs. white guys shooting a puck into a net.

For those of you living under a rock, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh decided this week to sign free agent contracts with the Miami Heat.

It was fascinating being in Chicago as the world began to assume that the Bulls would be the logical choice for James. People down here in the US have watched with rapt attention as this played out - basketball is a huge deal in the inner city playgrounds and suburban gyms alike. But, I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime as a sports fan.

On Thursday, James was the focal point of an hour long special - disguised as a promo for his charitable foundations - and it was pathetic to watch... not one heartfelt shout-out to the people of Cleavland for the support they've given him over the last five or so years. Not one real statement that would given us any inkling of what was going through his head as this unfolded.

AND THEN, I'm sitting in my hotel room in Deadwood, South Dakota tonight watching the Miami Heat unveil the newly anointed 'Three Kings' in a ridiculously over-the-top media circus introduction at the American Airline Arena in Miami.

This proves to me that the NBA is purely about spectacle, ego and hype. It has little to do with substance - though I suppose time will tell on that - and I worry about the future of professional sport. Why? Because I think this marks a turning point for all the pro sports leagues: the players are now in complete control - they dictate the terms, they call the shots, the make the rules. Previously this has been a fine balance of all stakeholders involved (including the fans), but those days are now gone I fear.

The worm has turned, kids. It's the new world order, and though I'll still cheer for my favourite pro teams - I just lost a little bit more respect for the whole freakin' set-up this week.

Bill Simmons from ESPN.com has once again hit the nail on the head with this one - if you care, please take a minute to get his take on the whole LeBocle (his term, not mine).

I'm out...