brutal dig!

A minor league baseball team, the Peoria Chiefs (a class A Chicago Cubs affiliate) will be hosting a viciously titled “LeBron James NBA Championship Replica Giveaway night.”

As the story puts it:

“‘Replica rings’ — also known as air — will be handed out by stadium workers as fans enter the park, according to Chiefs spokesman Nathan Baliva.”

Poor LeBron. Despite being generally one of the nicest major sports stars we’ve ever seen, he’s dug himself such a national hole of mockery (thanks mostly to his own decisions) that he is ridiculed even by fans of a different sport in a state, Illinois, that has nothing whatsoever to do with him.

How will this affect LeBron over time? Will he retreat into his shell with increasingly hurt feelings, shying the limelight? Will he ignore it and keep playing the same way? Or will he start to turn a bit prickly and aggressive?

I do feel sorry for him. However, you’d have to say he’s earned it, at least for a few more years. People are now completely justified in mocking the Miami Heat “welcome party” from last summer.

What a difference is made by a week or so. When Miami went up 2-1 in the Finals, we were all getting ready to bow down and say we were wrong. Instead, LeBron and Wade look like a couple of arrogant and immature failures after the cockiness of last summer and the silly “cough” joke about Nowitzki, who cleaned their clocks.

The difference is that Wade already does have a championship ring, won against these same Dallas Mavericks five years ago. LeBron has nothing but an imaginary ring, and even the fans in Peoria will be making fun of it this Thursday night.

Ouch, that has to hurt.

I’m actually starting not to like the way people are piling on LeBron. I think I’ve decided to be his fan again next season (as long as he isn’t playing against Chicago).