Nobody is quite sure what will happen when Miami Heat forward LeBron James returns to Cleveland when the Cavaliers play the Heat. With Dan Gilbert’s letter, the anger about LeBron’s “Decision,” and all those burned jerseys, it certainly seems like things could get dicey when James returns to the Quicken Loans Arena.
A preview of that event might take place this weekend, when the #2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes play the #12 ranked Miami Hurricanes at Ohio Stadium. James is a huge Ohio State fan, and stood on the sidelines when the Buckeyes played Penn State last season. More than a few of the 102,329 people expected to attend the game will likely have a bone to pick with James if he shows up on Saturday, but Terelle Pryor and Jim Tressel are both urging OSU fans to treat James with respect:
With many fans still angry over LeBron James’ decision to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is calling for calm.
James, who jilted the Cavaliers to jump to the Heat this summer, may attend Saturday’s game at Ohio Stadium between No. 12 Miami and second-ranked Ohio State.
Tressel said Thursday that it was time to let go all that anger.
“Sore subjects need to pass,” Tressel said at a news conference. “Things are as they are. We all make decisions. You have to respect one another’s decisions and move on.”
On some message boards and college football sites, angry fans have said they do not want James coming to the game. Some have hinted at violence.
James communicates with Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who also urged fans to welcome the former Cavaliers guard.
“If LeBron does come, just treat him with respect and respect his decision,” Pryor said.
“Please, no name calling, or booing, or anything like that because that’s my mentor. I have a lot of respect and a lot of love for him.”
James, who grew up in Akron, did not play college basketball. But he has said that if he had not jumped directly to the NBA, he would have attended Ohio State.
“He’s a Buckeye,” Pryor said of James’ rooting interest in the game pitting the Buckeyes against the team from his new hometown, the Hurricanes.
Make no mistake: James is going to get booed if he shows up on Saturday. Pryor and Tressel’s urging might mitigate some of that, and hopefully it’ll decrease the chances of some sort of incident, but James is going to get booed.