by Ryan Isley
LeBron James loves Akron. Nick Swisher loves Ohio, including Cleveland. That is why LeBron is one of the most hated athletes in Cleveland and Swisher is the Mayor of Brohio.
Now I know what some of you are thinking. You are saying to yourselves “but Ryan, you have been one of the biggest and most outspoken LeBron defenders out there.” And you would be right. I was, and I still am. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t see the differences between the way Swisher enjoys playing in Cleveland and the way LeBron enjoyed – or didn’t enjoy – playing in Cleveland.
The one thing LeBron never truly embraced after being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 was the love of playing in Cleveland. Sure, he made declarations that he wanted to bring a championship to Cleveland, the city that is just a short drive from his home in Akron. But when push came to shove, LeBron never gave Cleveland fans the sense of security they wanted – no, needed – when it came to plans about his future.
It always felt to Cleveland fans like LeBron was looking for a way out of Cleveland instead of reassuring them that he actually loved playing for them. Each time LeBron had the chance to commit to playing for Cleveland long into his career, he said just enough to keep fans cautiously optimistic but not too much to where he would back himself into a corner. To some, that was enough to convince them that the Akron-born LeBron was just biding his time until he could leave.
When his free agency was on the horizon in the 2009-10 season, LeBron talked about it with reporters until the Cavaliers played in New York against the Knicks and then decided to not talk about it until the end of the season. It was just another instance where LeBron seemed to have his mind elsewhere while playing for Cleveland. When it was announced that LeBron would make his final decision known at The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, it was no longer a matter of if LeBron was leaving, but more a question of where he was going.
The fears of fans were of course realized when LeBron famously told Jim Gray that he was “taking my talents to South Beach.” That was the moment when LeBron was no longer one of them. He was now the enemy.
Nick Swisher was once that enemy. He was once booed loudly at Progressive Field when he hit a home run and raised his arms in the “O-H” motion as he crossed home plate. Swisher was trying to pay homage to his Ohio State Buckeyes and the fans but that was lost on most of them that day. I was at that game. I cheered because I knew Swisher’s history.
When Swisher agreed to terms with the Indians this past offseason, he was no longer the enemy. He was one of us. He was coming back home to Ohio. But most importantly, he wasn’t just playing in Cleveland – he WANTED to play in Cleveland.
That was something that Cleveland fans could not say about most big name free agents in the past. And who could blame them? To say Cleveland is not a desirable spot for most free agents would be an understatement. The Indians have not won a World Series since 1948, the Browns’ last championship was in 1964 and they have never been in the Super Bowl and the Cavs have been to one NBA Finals, winning zero championships.
So the signing of Swisher really was a big deal. And became even bigger as the days, weeks and months went along.
Swisher constantly talked about how much he loved playing in Cleveland, smiling ear to ear every time he mentioned it. There was genuine joy in his voice and his actions, something Cleveland fans are not used to, and something they certainly never received from LeBron.
Even while he didn’t have his best season, Swisher never let that stand in the way of his love for the game, or the city. He footed the bill for a fireworks display for the fans, showing his appreciation for their support throughout the season. He did ticket giveaways on Twitter throughout the season and retweeted some of the fans who sent him tweets, showing his love for the fans.
He was everyone’s bro.
When Fox Sports did their Chasing October special on the Indians, it was Swisher who was bouncing around like a 10-year-old on a Halloween-induced sugar high leading them through the clubhouse. His excitement was uncontainable, as it has been since the day he signed to play for the Indians. When the Indians clinched the No.1 wild card spot this past Sunday, Swisher gleefully talked about going back to Cleveland for the wild card game, constantly referencing “the 216.”
Could you imagine LeBron doing this? Yeah, neither can I.
Of course, Swisher and LeBron were in different points in their careers when the decisions to play in Cleveland or not to play in Cleveland were made. Swisher already had a World Series championship with the Yankees in 2010 and had just turned 32 years old. LeBron was still in search of his first NBA championship, was only 25 years old and was entering the prime of his career.
There is always a chance that LeBron will one day realize he good he had it in Cleveland and might even return and show the fans his appreciation more than he did when he was a Cavalier from 2003-2010. After all, he is still only 28 and it seems like he has plenty of years left in his career.
But for right now, Cleveland fans need to keep embracing their Ohio-born player who relishes plying in his home state. After all, it is refreshing to see a player like Swisher who wants to play in Cleveland, soaking in every minute that he can like a kid at Disney World.
Nick Swisher is no LeBron James.
And I am completely cool with that, bro.
Comments? Questions? You can leave them here or email Ryan at ryan@morethanafan.net
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