Miami Heat: The Media Is Not To Blame For LeBron James

Most people would love nothing more than to see the constant drama surrounding the  Miami Heat and LeBron James fade into obscurity, but unfortunately James refuses to let that happen.

It's very fashionable right now to paint the media as the villains in the Miami Heat's free agency fiasco, but people tend to forget the media are not the ones who created the situation.

Did the media cook up the whole idea for James' one hour telecast to announce he was going to Miami?

What about the rock concert to introduce James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade to the Miami faithful?

Surely it was the media's idea to persuade James to send a threatening tweet with promises of revenge against his persecutors.

Understandably, fans of Miami in general and James in particular have grown weary of the barrage of shots being thrown in their direction, but instead of dousing the flames with water, James is feeding it with gasoline.

In his tweet James says he is keeping a mental list of all the people who made negative statements during the offseason, and he vows revenge against his transgressors.

At first glance it appears James' "hit list" will be a long one indeed, because no shortage of people have stepped forward to offer their opinion on James' decision to join Miami.

James, like the majority of professional athletes are victims to oversized egos, and as much as James wants to be loved by the general public, it's weird to think he doesn't understand why he has drawn the ire of so many.

There are numerous reasons observers look at James' summer in a negative light, and pretending that he did nothing wrong is only going to increase the tension.

Some people feel James took the easy way out by stacking the deck when he joined Miami, but imagine the outcry if he fails to win a championship with the Heat?

The anti-LeBron sentiments would reach a fever pitch, and an image that may have already suffered irreparable damage would edge closer to the point of no return.

Even if James does manage to win a few titles, only Miami fans will acknowledge it because the attitude of some says he would have sold his soul to get it.

That perception will be difficult to change, and it's not excused by just saying the game has evolved.

These are the types of accusations that will follow James throughout his career, and although some would chalk up the negativity as hate, the aversion to James appears to be genuine.

Charles Barkley who has been known to issue a few controversial edicts of his own recently responded to James' tweet by saying James' decision to join Miami was a punk move.

Barkley also said James' decision to air a one hour special to announce his signing was a similar punk move, as well as the carnival-like atmosphere that surrounded James' and Bosh's introduction to Miami.

Barkley's strongly worded rebuttal ended with him saying he was positive he was one of the subjects of James' planned revenge, and if so, James knew where to find him.

Those were strong words from Barkley, but it mirrors the emotions of people with no ties to the Miami Heat or no loyalty towards James.

Heat fans immediately jumped to James' defense, but once again their anger was misplaced. Did Barkley create this latest situation, or simply respond to it?

There is nothing wrong with James joining two of the top 10 players in the NBA on the same team because there is nothing wrong with a player making a decision based in his own interests.

But James must also be willing to accept the consequences of his decision and the inevitable flood of negative back lash that followed it.

Undoubtedly, Miami fans will continue to find blame in the media, haters, jealous rivals, Lakers' fans, or whatever suits their fancy, but the real culprit is within their own ranks.

As long as James continues to issue tweets, people will continue to talk about it, and like it or not, the media can not be blamed for the residual effects of James' decision.