<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The NBA hasn't released its 2004-05 schedule yet, but that shouldn't stop loyal Cavaliers fans from their preparations. Get that oil a-boiling. Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz will be in town at some point, for one night only, and all of Cleveland had better be ready to welcome that traitor with appropriate sound and fury. Hoist him up on the nearest yard-arm. Cover him in red ants. Make him drink Lake Erie water. Boozer is Public Enemy No. 1 in Cleveland. He's hated more than John Elway, Michael Jordan, Edgar Renteria and the dozens of other athletes who have broken northern Ohio fans' hearts over the years. It's all due to his decision to chase the cash and sign an offer sheet with the Jazz, whose new, clean, boring uniforms are perfect for new, clean, boring Salt Lake City. If you're a Cavs fan, Boozer is a money-grubbing lout who went back on his word to kindly, blind team owner Gordon Gund and altar-boy general manager Jim Paxson. If you're objective and understand how the NBA works, you realize Boozer is far from the evil, lying narcissist the Cavs are trying to convince us he is. And the Cavs are far from the NBA version of the bumbling Duke brothers, who get stuck by Louis Winthorpe and Billy Ray Valentine on frozen orange juice futures. Both parties tried to win big in this deal, and both sides ended up losing. Of course, Boozer is losing with $68 million in his bankbook, but he has suffered a defeat, nonetheless. Cleveland took the most tangible hit. Instead of picking up Boozer's 2004-05 option for $695,000 and then paying market rate for the power forward next year in the free-agent market, the Cavs tried to get assurances from Boozer, his wife, CeCe, and agent Rob Pelinka that Boozer wanted to stay in Cleveland, even at a price millions below what the market would bear. According to Gund, the Boozers said several times that they wanted to be in Cleveland, that Gund and Paxson could trust them and that long-term security was the Boozers' goal. Some went so far as to applaud the Cavs for paying Boozer $5 million-plus this year, instead of the $695,000. What altruists. Of course, the goal was to get Boozer at a discount. Once the Jazz weighed in with a $68 million offer -- $26 mil more than the Cavs could give -- Boozer began to see what was going on. He also heard a member of the Cavs' organization say that he didn't think Boozer could become an All-Star in Cleveland. So, Boozer looked around. And the Cavaliers were in trouble. </div> Link Like Shaq say's the NBA's a cutthroat business. I dont think what Boozer did was wrong, if someone told me I couldnt do something like become an Allstar then I would be pretty darn pissed as well, I dont blame Boozer for leaving.
I beg to differ. I hope Boozer is pelted with tomatoes... or bricks at the next Jazz @ Cavs game... There is NO excuse for what he did. Jazz fans shouldn't try to pull one out of their ass either. This is coming from a quite big Jazz fan too.
I dont think Boozer did anything wrong, he should be able to sign where he wants. He has said that he did not say he was going to sign with Cleveland. Cleveland said he did, so who are we to believe? I believe Carlos. All I have to say, its going to be rough atomosphere in Cleveland when the Jazz visit.
The Cavs aren't the victim here - they gambled and lost. Sure they did Boozer a favour by not picking up his option and offering him more money... But they offered him 6 years for 41 million. Sure they pay him about 3.5 million more than they would have paid him next season, but after that - Boozer would have been losing out on a lot of money that he would have made on the free agent market. Then again, had they offered him 2 years at let's say, 8-9 million (whatever league rules allow them to offer), then both sides win because Boozer gets paid more for next season, then he can sign for big money sooner. Cleveland would have gotten a discount on 2005-06 then can pay him big money after that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting spark22:</div><div class="quote_post">I dont think Boozer did anything wrong, he should be able to sign where he wants. He has said that he did not say he was going to sign with Cleveland. Cleveland said he did, so who are we to believe? I believe Carlos. All I have to say, its going to be rough atomosphere in Cleveland when the Jazz visit.</div> His agent also said he lied. Thats why he quit. He didn't want to be around that anymore. And thats good you believe Carlos, in Cleveland we used to too.....look where that got us...
