By now you probably know that some guy wore a LeBron Miami Heat jersey to the Indians/Yankees game last night.
First, there’s no defending the indefensible. Simply put, the guy is an asshole. He knew exactly what was going to happen.
There’s perhaps no worse place in America that you could wear a LeBron Heat jersey than the bleachers at Progressive Field during a game against the Yankees. Anywhere else in the stadium and he might not have taken much abuse — sparsely filled sections and families with kids don’t really provide the right mix of alcohol and crowd-induced rage to carry an obscene chant. But the bleachers were filled to the brim because of A. Rod’s possible 600th home run, and they were filled with the commoners, beer-addled, angry at a lopsided game, and already in midseason form spewing venom at Yankees fans who had invaded The Jake.
It began when the offending party waltzed through the home run plaza. An “asshole” chant broke out immediately.
I was standing on the porch the entire game so I’m not entirely sure what went down when the guy reached his seat in the bleachers, but judging from the events later in the night, it was a lot of the same thing witnessed in the beginning.
Eventually he was escorted out of the stadium by police. Whether this was for fighting, vulgarities, or just being a douche, I have no idea. From the video evidence, it looks like he might not have been sitting in the right seat, or fans weren’t letting him sit in the right sit, or he just wanted to try sitting in ten different seats.
I do know that as he was led from the bleachers back to the home run porch and the exit gate, a throng of proud Cleveland fans was right behind him chanting “Fuck LeBron” and “Asshole” the whole way. The crowd gained followers and chanters as they moved section to section and through the porch. Eventually hundreds of fans pressed toward the exit gate as the schmuck was officially removed from the premises, a loud “Asshole” chant echoing into the far reaches of the stadium.
His girlfriend, bedecked in a Grady Sizemore jersey and Indians gear by the way, seemed to be more upset than he was. By the time she was outside, she was in tears and screaming at the cops.
Here are five videos of some of the chanting fun, but first, a word to this fine gentleman: I wouldn’t try that at a Browns game. It definitely won’t be just some chants then.
Follow me on Twitter: @vincethepolack
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2010.
Cleveland fans are the BEST fans! I live in Colorado now and LOVED the way my home town people made this guy leave the game! Inappropriate is too polite for this social faux-pau action this guy made by wearing a LeBron jersey!
He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He’s lucky that he and his girlfriend were assaulted by the fans at the ballpark. Whether he was in the wrong seat or not, ballpark employees and Cleveland Police did the correct thing by escorting him out of the park for their safety.
If they would have left him stay, there could have been some serious trouble, all for a stupid individual who left Cleveland to try to win a championship. What could have been worse is that HIS actions could have cause a “riot” in the bleachers and his actions could have injured innocent fans, whether they were against him or not.
He WAS AN ASS for dressing in that jersey, but come on ……….. it’s just a jersey. He was trying to get a reaction, and he did. But fans should just relax, other players have left their teams and those cities survived. Cleveland will not because of these idiots and because they consider a championship all important …. it’s just an award that Cleveland will never win. We should just get used to that.
I am not gonna say that a riot could not possibly have happened… But I will say that a riot probably wouldn’t have happened… This is the way that cleveland rolls… You have to be from here to understand. We are passionate fans, we loved Lebron as if he was a part of our family… And I hurt to see him give up on his family.. . But we aren’t hateful people. We will say what we feel without holding back, but in the end we know we are all in this together and we don’t want a riot… Our bark is worse than our bite….
our bark is worse than our bite….at the jake but if he would have went to a Browns game and sat in the dawg pound, he probably would have been carried out on a stretcher.
HA! I love this. When are you guys gonna get over it?!?!?!?! It’s done!! Lebron “The King” James has decided to play in a better city with better women and with a better life! Obviously your Cavaliers staff couldn’t do enough to give him the team he wanted and the Heat did. Who can blame someone for being SMART?!?!?!? And this guy wearing a Heat Lebron jersey is a TRUE Lebron fan just like all of you were! Now you hate the guy??? You guys are “true” fans. I’m glad you guys didn’t win a championship with him. I’m just waiting for his first ring to be with Miami!!
Seems to me that the real douchebags and asshole are the fans in Cleveland. Seriously, you’re going to change F You and Asshole in the stadium? What a wonderful example all of you adults, and I use the term loosely, set for the younger fans. “Hey kids, this is how you act in public and at sporting events! Come join the fun!!!”
Seems to me that the real douchebags and assholes are the fans in Cleveland. Seriously, you’re going to chant F You and Asshole in the stadium? What a wonderful example all of you adults, and I use the term loosely, set for the younger fans. “Hey kids, this is how you act in public and at sporting events! Come join the fun!!!”
“Cleveland fans are the BEST fans! I live in Colorado now and LOVED the way my home town people made this guy leave the game! Inappropriate is too polite for this social faux-pau action this guy made by wearing a LeBron jersey!”
Cleveland fans played right into his plan. He wanted them to get pissed off, and it doesn’t even seem like he came to watch the game. He was probably sad for the first several innings that people weren’t making a bigger deal out of his jersey and not paying attention to him.
To lxpablo24xl —- I live in akron ohio and we are still feeling the traitor and decite he left on this state he is a quitter plain and simple he couldnt win a championship by himself so he had to go somewhere else he is selfish and a poor sport is that what we want our kids learning from watching lebron…. when the going gets tough… going go to MIAMI!! not cool QUITTER plain and simple i hate him we just put a sign in akron that says ” Akron home of the 2010 NBA Traitior of the year… He is now the most hated person art modell is jesus to us right now lol thats how bad he is
I’d like to thank Ixpablo24xl – Way to describe the situation. I’m a fan of LeBron and of the Cavs… He did was any smart business man should do. If your normal – cubicle or construction job for that matter – doesn’t pay you enough or whatever the case may be – do you leave?..Hell yeah you do! The average person his age, jumps jobs every 3-4yrs, he gave us 7 – what does that tell you…he put in work. I contacted my friend in Ft Lauderdale after the announcement and told him to start working on some tickets – it just gives me an excuse to go to Miami! Now, would I wear the Heat jersey in Cleveland – No. Because our true and loyal fans are way to much out of control with “King” James leaving…get over it, he’s gone, shut up already.
Thank you Vince for not trying to be one of those wimpy, holier than thou “mamby pambies” that think Cleveland fan’s are “insensitive” by yelling at this individual with “misplaced testicle syndrome” (aka: someone who was inadvertently born with balls…)… I was “very close”to the situation in the stands and most reports are ficticious… He started this by flipping off the fans while he and his other half were on their way TO the seats in the bleachers. Another fact is that he should “thank” the security and the Cleveland Police because without their protection. very, very bad things would have happened to this “New Mellenium Version of Twiggy the Transvestite”…