'The Decision', as it was called showed an amazing lack of understanding of the nature of media today.

Though one of our team members is from Ohio and is a Cleveland cavs fan who watched Lebron play in high school, the goal here is not to criticize his decision but rather to critique the manner in which he went about informing us of it.

Most of us at Policus (including our Ohioan) and many of you reading this don't currently live in their hometowns or their native states. People relocate for better jobs, a change of scenery, new opportunities, adventure, significant others and just about every reason imaginable.

It's hypocritical to expect that, as a result of his immense physical gifts, James, a 25 year old man, should feel forever beholden to the state of Ohio. Nor is it difficult to understand that a young man worth a few hundred million dollars might enjoy life in South Beach more than Cleveland. I certainly do and I have little more than a few hundred dollars. If Lebron felt Miami was a better fit for him at this point in his life then we should all respect that.

However, lebron has deservedly come under near withering fire in the last 48 hours. Much of this is bitterness by Ohioans or scorn from cities whose teams he rejected (including my beloved Knicks) served along with a heaping spoonful of the special type of 'hating' the Internet does so well. The real question is: Should lebron be surprised and how could he have handled this differently?

LBJ has gone from the nation's most beloved athlete to an Internet pariah overnight. Had he handled the situation differently I don't doubt that many Cleveland fans would have continued to root for him (though not as vehemently). Instead, James turned this into a near month long spectacle. As a result, Cavs fans who waited with baited breath for good news during the Decision were left feeling hurt and betrayed, This was not so much about the outcome as it was about the means of delivery.

To use an analogy, Lebron was breaking up with his girlfriend and instead of using the tried and true "it's not you it's me" method he told her to go suck eggs because he'd found a hotter girl. The Decision came off as callous and out of touch with reality. Rather than appealing to the fans' sense of fairness and goodwill or extending a heartfelt apology to a city of long suffering fans Lebron offered this:

I'm not sure. You know, they can have mixed emotions, of course, but it's going to be a lot of emotions not understanding why. And then you're going to have the real friends who love me for who I am. For me being from Akron, Ohio, and loving Akron, Ohio, it's always home for me. I'm still going to live there, always be home. And Akron, Ohio is always home for me and that area.

LBJ then went on to assert that he believed the real fans would keep rooting for him. Oddly, had he handled this differently they likely would have.

Digital media began to savage LBJ and the Decision nearly immediately. There's no point in our recounting the reactions as I imagine that anyone reading this has also seen it themselves but for a good cross section of reactions:

Simmons' readers are a great stand in for under 40 sports fans in general. The visceral and hateful responses were well earned. Deadspin posted an article which equally summarizes Policus' view of the tone deaf nature of Lebron's management of this situation.

Here's what we would've done differently:

1. Having decided to leave Cleveland (I believe that decision to have been a foregone conclusion), there was no reason why they had to be included in the Decision other than to help ESPN's (Disney's) ratings.
   

2. He should have immediately notified Cavs management. Doing so would have led to less of this.

3. The next morning fans throughout Ohio should have been treated to full page ads in every newspaper in Ohio featuring a 'heartfelt' well written apology which thanked the fans profusely for their support throughout his teenage years and his early NBA career and which implored them to continue supporting him. Mentioning that he would continue (if not increase) his charitable work in the state also would have been a nice touch.

4. An extensive internet campaign essentially mirroring the newspaper ads while also adding texture to the story. i.e. clips of him in high school, photo montage, cheesy melancholy music and a video address to the people of Ohio thanking them again.

5. After all this the Decision could still have been televised. The vast majority of viewers would still have watched. Outside of Ohio most believed him to be on the way out anyway. Might there have been a small dip in the ratings? Perhaps. It would have been worth it though. It isn't as if ESPN/Disney wouldn't have gladly aired it anyway.

6. He should have began the Decision by reciting a pre-written statement again directed at Cavs fans this time with an emphasis on the themes we discussed above. People move all the time, this is my job, I'm, no different than you etc...

7. Profit.

There is little doubt this would have been much better received than what was done. James is famously insular and surrounds himself largely with people who have known him since childhood. These people have no expertise in managing media. This is precisely why public figures need traditional PR teams augmented by companies like ours who specialize in helping prominent figures feel the pulse of the Internet. While it may not be irrereversible, Lebron certainly did some damage to his brand. Damage which could easily have been avoided.