Even the best ones hear it – the bad stuff – from the fans.
The Cavaliers’ LeBron James already knew that after hearing from the fans when he clumsily left Cleveland for the Miami Heat in 2010. But he had never really heard it for poor play – that is, until Sunday night when, he admitted, he just didn’t have it. As such, he couldn’t rescue the Cavs, who blew a big lead and lost to the Boston Celtics 111-108 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
That happens sometimes. These athletes aren’t supermen. They’re just people with a tremendous ability to play basketball, or any other sport. If you cut them, they’ll bleed.
Mr. Cavalier, Austin Carr, got booed. So did Bingo Smith, Nate Thurmond, Mark Price, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty and World B. Free.
The Indians’ Bob Feller heard boos from time to time when someone caught up with his 100-mph fast ball. Also getting booed were Lou Budreau, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia, Ken Keltner, Al Rosen, Larry Doby, Rocky Colavito, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, Sandy Alomar, Roberto Alomar, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton and Manny Ramirez.
As for the Browns, Jim Brown got booed when he didn’t look like the greatest football player of all-time.
Dante Lavelli got booed, too, along with Marion Motley, Bill Willis, Lou Groza, Frank Gatski, Mike McCormack, Bobby Mitchell, Gene Hickerson, Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield, Ozzie Newsome, Frank Ryan, Gary Collins, Greg Pruitt, Brian Sipe, Dave Logan, Bernie Kosar, Mike Pruitt, Reggie Langhorne, Webster Slaughter, Kevin Mack, Frank Minnifield, Hanford Dixon, Clay Matthews and Brian Brennan.
For that matter, even the head coaches, Paul Brown, Blanton Collier, San Rutigliano, Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Belichick, got booed.
In fact, Belichick got booed a lot – and that was on good days.
If you haven’t gotten booed, then you haven’t been trying.
