Colgate Around the Hill

Ed Boulat

Maroon-News Staff

The sports story that captivated me the most this summer was the NBA free agency saga and the uniting of "The Three Kings" in Miami. And don't get me wrong, I loved the World Cup. But nothing had more people buzzing, or more people incessantly checking their phones, TVs and computers, than the trades and free agent signings in the NBA this summer. First it was Amar'e to the Knicks, then Boozer to the Bulls, and of course the bombshell -- LeBron to the Heat in the biggest waste of an hour of my life called "The Decision." Then Wade re-signed with the Heat and Bosh followed suit. Finally, the Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert lost his mind. Great stuff. Major props have to go to Pat Riley for pulling off the greatest deal in the history of the world. In the words of ESPN analyst and talk show host legend Dan LeBatard: "Riley got everybody! Discounted! Gangster! Pimp! Don! Godfather! Everybody wanted one of them! He got ‘em all!" (the rant is on youtube and it's epic). I also happened to be standing outside of the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich when LeBron made his "decision," where at some point an angry Knicks fan told me LeBron will be, "the best Scottie Pippen there ever was." Now that's captivating.

Jordan Plaut

Maroon-News Staff

This summer definitely had a lot to offer the avid, or even average, sports fan. This was the summer dubbed the "Summer of LeBron," the main stretch of the "Year of the Pitcher," and of course the season of the World Cup. Out of everything, I would have to say that I was most intrigued by...no, not the return of Brett Favre...the success of the U.S. men's soccer team in getting the country interested in the World Cup. The team's loss to Ghana following the group stage definitely cut short what could have been an unprecedented ascension of soccer popularity in the United States, so their World Cup performance did not quite fulfill one of its important goals. If you were watching when Donovan hit the back of the net against Algeria, however, you understand the feeling that soccer is on the rise in this country with nowhere to go but up. For a fan of sport, avid or average, that's exciting stuff.  

Rebecca Silberman

Maroon-News Staff

This summer, despite the allure of the World Cup, my focus was firmly held by baseball where one transaction in particular grabbed my attention. I was shocked, utterly gob-smacked, by the news that Manny Ramirez was to leave the Los Angeles Dodgers for the Chicago White Sox. His quiet departure and relatively drama-free trade contrasts remarkably with the chaos of his arrival in LA. How could the Dodgers let him go, I wondered. Even with Ramirez's infamous attitude and advancing age, he was still Manny Ramirez, brilliant swing and dreadlocks included, right?

Then, I realized how long it had been since I had heard his name on SportsCenter and came to conclude that the Manny Ramirez who had sauntered into Dodger Stadium in April of 2008 was not the same player who would be leaving it. After his drug-related suspension in 2009, Ramirez's appearances have been interrupted by frequent injury and have been somewhat lacking.

There is a certain nostalgic sadness to the whole affair as the lions of the very near past start to weaken and the game as we knew it ends. So now begins the captivating dance, the slow-motion train wreck of watching another player limp towards retirement.

Charlie Balk

Maroon-News Staff

The most captivating and most significant story of the summer was the NBA free agency. Yes, you have Amar'e headed to New York and Shaq taking an $18.5 million pay-cut to play for the Celtics, the main rival to the team with which he won three rings. But clearly, to any casual sports fan, LeBron choosing to team up with his buddies Wade and Bosh in Miami (a.k.a. "paradise" to a rich celebrity in his mid-twenties) hit the sports world like nothing else. LeBron's "Decision" to throw personal identity, loyalty and natural competitiveness to the wind demonstrated a complete disregard for all things that traditional sports fan hold sacred. And do not think that this only impacted how fans perceive their sports heroes and idols; it is already starting to affect how other NBA athletes define their legacy. With whispers that Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul have interest in leaving the teams that drafted them to team up with Stoudemire in the Big Apple, a future of super-teams seems possible, if not imminent—a future where superstar athletes team up together with the guys who they should want to destroy head-to-head.

When summer rolls around, talk about the NBA is relatively quiet. One man changed all that. His name is LeBron Raymone James. Talk about "The Decision" ruled the summer during a period where basketball is hardly mentioned. Harsh criticism followed and LeBron turned into the villian of the NBA. Whether anyone agrees with his decision, it cannot be debated that he has brought the sport exposure. Everyone is curious to see how the Heat will fare this season and it has brought a sense of excitement to the start of the regular season that has not been seen in a while. LeBron is now the most polarizing athlete in basketball, but he has already made his decision. Now the whole country is watching.