The lasting image I have of LeBron James in the 2007 playoffs isn't of him scoring 29 of his teams' last 30 points against the Pistons, it is of him sitting on the bench in critical situations during timeouts, biting his nails like he was waiting for the three o'clock school bell to ring and a bully was after him. 

Now I know it probably has nothing to do with his nerves but come on, this is the NBA and like the old Kobe Sprite adds go "Image is Everything".  Is that the image he wants to leave with spectators?  I don't know if it's just me, but I don't remember any other NBA legend or Finals superstar biting their nails nervously when it seems like everything is on the line.  If he's gonna be an assassin, he needs to at least look like one.  Fake it 'til you make it.

The Cavs got swept under the rug like mothballs and LeBron got close to setting a four game NBA Finals turnover record.  He had ONE great game in this year's playoffs and the rest are forgettable, at best.  He needs to shoot better, hit more free throws, and make better overall decisions on the court. 

I would trust Michael Jordan, fresh out of the owner's box with a stogie in his mouth and dressed in a three piece suit, to hit a game winning or clutch free throw before I would trust LeBron.  The Miami Heat got the best player out of the 2003 draft and a steal at #5, because, as I said when I first posted this, "LeBron's no killer", but D-Wade is!!  But hey, LeBron is a great dunker, though.

Oh how I love the offseason!  You have the draft.  You have OTAs.  You have minicamp.  So much hope.  So much potential.  Then you have the preseason.  Teams like the Panthers go 4-0.  Houston goes 3-1.  Oakland goes 4-1.  The Colts go 1-3.  Da go 2-2.  Hopes are riding super high for so many teams, then...Bears

REALITY CHECK!!! OH!! OH... OOOOHHHHH!!!!!

It's funny how people can really, trully forget how much their team sucks between the end of the season and the beginning of the next season.  Last year's Super Bowl teams had a combined preseason record of 3-5, so let's not get too excited when these teams are in shorts and helmets.  Let's also not get too hyped up over that existential word "potential".  "Potential" kills teams.  "Production" wins championships.

I'm not gonna bash any other teams, but here's what I do know about Da Bears, and the quarterback situation in general:

Rex Grossman absolutely, positively, unequivocally will be better.  Guaranteed!  Why do I say that?

Grossman had seven games last year with a QB rating of at least 100 or more.  Two of those games had a rating of over 130.  He had one at 98.5 which is an ass scratch away from 100.  That is not potential.  That is actual game play.  We know what he is capable of when he plays his best.

Grossman had five games which totally skewed his average rating.  Games with ratings of 10.4, 36.8, 23.6, 1.3, and 0.0 ratings respectively.  It has been Grossman's mission in the offseason to work on his footwork and his pocket presence, making a commitment to stepping into his passes and not throw off of his back foot.  His mechanics were the cause of most of his ills at the quarterback position.  Many of the bad throws he made were actually good decisions, but bad throws or mechanics.  Mechanics can always be corrected, but dumb quarterbacking is harder to fix.  There will be no Kyle Orton playbook for Grossman.

Finally, and to cut this short (because I can elaborate all day), the addition of Greg Olsen at TE and the commitment of Ced Benson at RB, coupled with the addition of Devin Hester on offense will give Grossman more weapons than he could imagine and with better mechanics, he will be bringing a gun to a knife fight most games.  Berrian and Bradley will be sick deep threats if both stay healthy, and with Olsen and Clark in the middle and Hester looming, this will be an awesome year. 

Grossman will make the Pro Bowl this season.

GO BEARS!!!

One of the biggest cliche's in basketball today is when a player says, especially after a  loss, "I took what the defense gave me, and made a play".  The funniest thing about that is that I don't think I  ever heard Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Kobe Bryant say those words after a loss.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see LeBron succeed, because the league needs it.  But all these comparisons to the NBA greats and LeBron being the "next great legend" needs to slow down a bit, and here is why:

LeBron came into the league a manchild with a $90 million Nike contract and an unselfish passing game.  That unselfishness is what is causing all of his problems right now.  With all that cash up front, the motivation for greatness is less.

Most of the great killer closers like MJ, Magic, Bird, and Kobe were selfish players long before they learned how to make their teammates better.  See Jordan over Ehlo, Magic's hook shot over the Celtics his rookie year, and multiple Kobe shots over whoever wherever.  These players honed a killer closer instinct that they would be able to tap into in the future when they deemed necessary.

LeBron hasn't yet honed that killer closer instinct yet because he is so preoccupied with being "the ultimate team player" and all around ball player.  He needs to experience the pressure of taking that shot against the Pistons and missing it.  He needs to be selfish.  He needs to tell his teammates to "give me the damn ball" like Keyshawn.  He's very young and he needs to hone that killer instinct now before he becomes "just a really good point forward" when his career is over and done with and his legacy is being analyzed. 

He needs to stop "taking what the defense gives him" and impose his will on other teams.  MJ would shoot 7-28 and still take the last shot.  That's a killer.  He needs to separate himself from Dwyane Wade because he is the only one from his draft class who is developing that killer instinct as of yet.

He needs to perfect his own game winning skills before he worries about making his teammates better.  That's real talk.