Tonight is the night!  LeBron James will announce on a live special on ESPN who will pay him to

play basketball!  (If your guess is “Nike,” you win snark points, but snark doesn’t help us solve this mystery.)

So let’s quickly break down his top options:

Cleveland Cavaliers – Who doesn’t want to be THAT guy who grows up somewhere, elevates the town and stays there?  He would be the American Icon, the Hometown Hero — the Demigod of Ohio.  He would be THE show, the undisputed King of Cleveland.  He would have an unprecedented level of control over the organization for the next 15-20 years – and beyond, should he choose to go into coaching, managing, or even owning an organization.  Don’t forget, the Cavs can pay him the most money under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Miami Heat – If LeBron joined the Heat, he would be a part of the most talented trio of players in generations, with Dwyane  Wade and Chris Bosh.  Miami is a party town and a bigger market than Cleveland, for sure.  However, he would be joining Wade’s team.  He’d be a tri-Captain, instead of THE MAN.  To do so, he’d have to take less money from the league and hope that endorsements and outside ventures help his bank account.  On the flip side, the pressure to win for a decade straight would be immense.  Anything short of an annual trophy hoist would be deemed  a failure.  So, to summarize: less money, less control, less spotlight, more pressure.  Don’t see it happening.

New York Knicks – If ever a team needed a savior, it’s the Knicks.  Burdened by bad drafts, poor coaching, terrible chemistry (or, to quote Charles Barkley: “just turrible”) and shady management, LeBron would give new hope to the #1 market.  He would take the franchise from an afterthought to a legitimate contender.  Plus, Amar’e Stoudamire, while an excellent player in his own right, could easily be the Pippen to James’ Jordan.  For someone who has said on the record he wants to be a “global brand,” living in NYC could go a long way in helping the cause.  The downside, of course, is the increased pressure to pump new life in a moribund organization.  I would say there would be increased media scrutiny, but James is a national player – everything he does is examined on a higher level.   The special is being filmed at former Knick star Allen Houston’s Greenwich, CT, estate.  Does that mean anything?  Or is it just a convenience place for ESPN to film on short notice?

Washington Wizards – Just making sure you’re paying attention!

Chicago Bulls – How do you become the greatest of all-time?  You can try by leading his former team.  While most people wouldn’t want to work under the shadow of Michael Jordan – the original “global brand” basketball star – James has seemed quite open to the possibility.  Outfielder for the New York Yankees…Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys…Forward on the Detroit Red Wings…playing these positions carries a mystique.  Leader of the Chicago Bulls may have that pull for James.  Do not forget that their roster is built to win for years to come.  The supporting cast is there and the salary structure appears to be in good shape.  Unlike Miami, where it would be the stars and nobodies, this team can grow together for a decade.

My Take – It makes the most sense for him to stay in Cleveland.  Why would someone rip the heart out of his hometown on national TV?   In all seriousness, what opportunities, exactly, would be more open to him if he played in another city?  None.  He has the connections and finances to call his own shots.

Where do you think he’ll end up tonight?

(Note: As promised on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, I am blogging following a very successful blackjack session in Las Vegas!  What?  A little table time after my CES work is complete is allowed!)

It is not unprecedented in any way for a star athlete to face off-the-court troubles.  And it’s not so shocking if those troubles involve the legal system.

As I’m sure you are aware of, Washington Wizards superstar Gilbert Arenas has been suspended indefinitely by NBA Commissioner David Stern following a horrible choice and even worse follow-up decisions.

The story linked above has a good run-down of the timeline, so I won’t go into details on everything, but here’s the

via: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital

main points:

Arenas lives in Virginia.  Following the recent birth of a child, he brought his guns to the Verizon Center.  The Verizon Center is in Washington, DC.  That makes the guns unregistered.  Bad decision.

Teammate Jarvaris Crittendon asked Gilbert to pay him money won in a gambling circumstance.  Gilbert left four guns in his teammate’s locker – as a joke.  Even worse decision.

Before Tuesday night’s game in Philadelphia, Gilbert pretended to shoot his teammates in a pregame huddle.

Wednesday morning, he is suspended without pay – with no end date.  That’s a cool $140,000+ per each game missed.

Gilbert has said that he didn’t think he did anything wrong.

I am NOT about to debate the 2nd Amendment.  Not happening in this forum.  However, Gilbert’s response was eerily similar to the chorus of defenders who said they didn’t find dogkilling all that offensive.

To me, it boils down to a very simple fact: in our democratic government, elected officials pass laws for their jurisdiction that all citizens must abide by, or face penalties.  If you don’t like said laws, you can petition to have them repealed, or just simply work to replace the official at the next election.

Not agreeing with the law is no defense when you break it.

So what happens next?  With the possibility of jail looming, his career on hold and his image in tatters, what’s going to happen with Gilbert Arenas?  If you were giving him advice, what would you say?

Submissions are flying in!

Check out the original post here for more information.  (Briefly, I asked you to tell me who your favorite team was and why…but definitely read the post!)

Here are two terrific Declarations of Fandependence:

From Tom Oates (www.twitter.com/OatesTom), videographer extraordinaire!

The late, great Len Bias

We’re Americans; we love a comeback story.

No college team has a better Tragedy to Triumph story than the University of Maryland Men’s Basketball team.

The 1986 death of Len Bias spiraled the program into a turbulent pit of sanctions, coaching changes and a flurry of negative stigmatism.

We also love the story of the prodigal son; the Terps have one of their own.

In the 1960’s Gary Williams was Maryland’s scrappy, overachieving point guard. Returning to his alma mater in 1989 as head coach, Williams was besieged by NCAA sanctions; penalties for violations conducted under a previous coaching staff.

Twelve years later, Maryland – led by another scrappy, overachieving point guard – captured the NCAA championship.

What’s not to love? It’s the all-American tale.

—————— 

By: Sasha Muradali, guest blogger

When, I think back to my days at university, I see a sea of orange and blue: a vision of the University of Florida.

Located in Gainesville, Fla., a small town in the middle of nowhere, population 150,000 – population of UF 60,000 – Gainesville is where I spent four of the happiest years of my life (2003-2007, B.S. Public Relations).

Go Cure Cancer. Go Gators.

Sasha and the Gator Girls!

A college town, at its truest, I think of pokey sticks, spending dry, hot days under umbrella shaped trees, rain that spewed from the side in mass buckets and squirrels the size of small dogs. I remember the smell of the air, the fresh, swampy scent of flowing fresh water ponds and the scent of pine. I recall, the love bug season, the giant butterfly garden, live alligators and the scary, small car-sized raccoon inhabiting the moonlit street of Sorority Row every night. I taste the 3 a.m. Starbucks runs, cold pizza and lager on my lips.

Go Write the Great American Novel. Go Gators.

I met my best friends at UF.  We’ll be friends forever, we’ll grow old together, see each other get married and welcome the other’s kids into the world. There is some inexplicable bond I share with those people. To a certain extent, that bond is shared by a couple hundred thousand alumni and Gator Nation fans alike.

I remember the first time I saw the Gator Nation video, I cried.

I hadn’t graduated UF as yet, but I thought to myself, “this is it. This is exactly what it feels like.” There is just something magical about that place, some sort of rooted camaraderie that is over 150-years old. It is passed down from person to person and shared through the generations.

I know I will always bleed orange and blue. Period.

No matter where I go, who I meet or what adventures I encounter, my Gator Nation days molded me into adulthood. I was molded into a Gator.

Go Start A Fortune 500 Company. Go Gators.

But that’s what being a fan of the Gators, being a Gator – that’s what it’s about.

It’s about this spurt of happiness that crosses your face and swells your heart when you are in another city and someone is wearing your colours, your mascot, your jersey.

It’s this smile that graces your lips when someone you don’t know randomly does a Gator Chomp in front of you. They’re Gators too.

It’s that laugh that creeps up from inside of you, when from across the airport, someone shouts “Go Gators!”

Being a Gator, is so much – it’s more.

There aren’t adjectives enough to describe the exhilaration caused by being a part of three national championships back-to-back, or the rush of seeing University Avenue swarming with hundreds of students after the NCAA or BCS wins. They swung on the trees and climbed the street lights.

I hear laughter; I feel comfort; I see jovial, blinded bliss; I remember my home away from home –

The University of Florida is in Gainesville. The Gator Nation is everywhere. Go Gators!

Sasha Muradali runs the ‘Little Pink Book’ . She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida (’07) and an M.A. in International Administration from the University of Miami(’08). She loves Twitter and all things social media, so you should find her@SashaHalima.

Currently Sasha is the VP of Communications for the Gator Club of Miami. Find them at http://www.miamigators.com

Back in the 1980s, Hulk Hogan preached about the “demandments” of being a so-called “Real American:”

I think, as sports fans, it’s our turn to put demandments on our favorite teams. These are the core values we attach to our fandom. We should hold them accountable to these standards, from ownership to the players:

Demandment #1 – Have a Chance to Win Today

Is there anything worse than going to a game or watching one on TV that your team has ZERO chance of winning? Think about all the teams facing Johan Santana mid-summer. Brutal, right?

We demand that our teams have a fighting chance every single game. Yes, they may lose…but if they have “lost” before taking the field, what’s the point in rooting for them?

Demandment #2 – Sniff Contention

Only one team wins a championship, we understand. It’s REALLY hard to be better than the rest of the teams in your league/division/conference, let alone the best in your sport. However, you’ve got to at LEAST be considered a long-shot dark horse for much of the season.

We demand that our teams be in the thick of the fight for the majority of the season. Sure, they may hit a late-season swoon, but you can never take away those fun months of possibilities.

Demandment #3 – Have a Superstar

A team needs to have a minimum of one “superstar” attraction. Kobe Bryant, Albert Pujols, Alex Ovechkin. These are players in the prime of their career that are strongly affiliated with their teams. They are players of national relevance, keeping their teams on the first part of “Sportscenter” most nights.

We demand our teams have a showcase player that is part of the national sports conversation. Perfect example: LeBron James. Even when the Cavs were terrible, he was a top story.

Demandment #4 – Have a Plucky Underdog

Call them the “heart and soul” of the squad, if you will, but this player needs to stretch limited talent into maximum impact. They can’t be the best player on the team, just the one doing the most with the least. Brian Roberts had heart surgery as a kid. God Shamgod had a great name and not much else. There are millions of these stories out there.

We demand a player to root for, to cheer for, to experience the game through…a reflection of ourselves on the playing surface. While we all want to be the superstar, we can empathize more with the 25th man on the 25-man roster.

Demandment #5 – Have Quirky Personalities

Anyone remember Randy Myers? One of the greatest closers of the 1990s. What a strange dude, though. He kept live-action grenades in his locker. Blackjack MacDowell flipped the bird to fans. Popeye Jones had REALLY big ears. Caron Butler chews straws from McDonald’s. GIVE US MORE OF THAT!

We demand players that are oddball whackjobs. They bring color and depth to the public persona of the team. They bring normalcy by being so abnormal. And we love it.

Demandment #6 – Stadium Seating

Enjoying a team is more than just the on-court action…it involves the atmosphere you see them in. A stadium should be special, unique and…home. A home not just for the players, but for the fanbase, as well.

We demand a stadium experience, from construction to attendants to food to entertainment, that brings us closer to the team, that makes us feel like we are as much a part of their success as anyone else. Make the stadium a second home to us and we will never leave you.

See, sports teams, it’s not that hard. Give us those six things and you’ve got a fanbase forever. We WANT to cheer you. We WANT to love you. And we’re willing to invest time, energy and money in you if you make sure we’re taken care of.

Follow The Six Fan Demandments and we’re on your side.