;;;;GREATER BOSTON
>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON
"GREATER BOSTON" T THE
REVEREND JESSE JACKSON
CLAIMS THE OWNER OF THE
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS IS
TREATING LEBRON JAMES LIKE A
RUN AWAY SLAVE.
PLUS UNDERWATER IN
SOMERVILLE, MAYOR JOSEPH
CURTATONE AND THE
DEVASTATION IN HIS CITY
AFTER THIS WEEKEND'S RAIN.
AND EXTRAORDINARY SKULL TUP
TURE.
JARED BOWEN ON THE WORK OF
CHAKAIA BOOKER.
Closed Captioning
brought to you by AFLAC:
Ask about it at work.
GOOD EVENING.
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE
BROUHAHA OVER CHIEF
CHRAND-- CLEVELAND
CAVALIER SUPERSTAR LEBRON
JAMES SKIPPING DOWN TO MIAMI
WAS ABOUT TO DIE DOWN, ALONG
COMES THE REVEREND JESSE
JACKSON.
HE CLAIMS THE CAVALIER'S
OWNER DAN GILBERT'S SENSE OF
BETRAYAL OVER JAMES' DEPAR
TURE IS LIKE A SLAVE-MASTER
MENTALITY.
A COMMENT THAT'S TO THE
GOING DOWN WELL IN ALL
QUARTERS.
JARED BOWEN HAS MORE.
>> Reporter: NBA SUPERSTAR
LEBRON JAMES'S ANNOUNCEMENT
THAT HE IS LEAVING CLEVELAND
FOR MIAMI WAS A CASE STUDY
IN SELF-ABSORB HYPE.
>> AND THIS FALL, AND THIS
IS VERY TOUGH, THIS FALL I'M
GOING IT TO TAKE MY TALENTS
TO SOUTH BEACH AND JOIN THE
MIAMI HEAT.
>> Reporter: IN RESPONSE,
CLEVELAND CAVALIER'S OWNER
DAN GILBERT FIRED OFF AN
E-MAIL SLAMMING JAMES'
COWARDLY BETRAYAL OF HIS
HOME STATE.
HE ALSO CALLED HIS FORMER
SUPERSTAR A QUITTER AND
VOWED THAT BAD KARMA WOULD
FOLLOW JAMES TO FLORIDA.
CLEVELAND COACH BYRON SCOTT
SAYS GILBERT HAS EVERY RIGHT
TO BE ANGRY.
>> DAN GILBERT I THINK IS
FANTASTIC.
I THINK HE SHOWED LAST NIGHT
HIS PASSION TO WIN.
>> Reporter: BUT OTHERS
THINK GILBERT WENT TOO FAR,
ESPECIALLY THE REVEREND
JESSE JACKSON WHO SAYS
GILBERT'S REMARKS SHOW A
SLAVE-MASTER MENTALITY AND
JEOPARDIZE JAMES'S SAFETY.
>> LEBRON JAMES HAS BEEN A
DECENT, UPRIGHT CITIZEN.
HE HAS DONE SUMMER CAMPS FOR
CHILDREN.
HE HAS HAD GOOD PUBLIC
DEPORTMENT.
HE IS A GREAT ATHLETE.
HE DOES NOT DESERVED TO BE
DEMEANED AND DISCREDITED IN
THIS WAY.
>> Reporter: NOW COMES THE
INEVITABLE JESSE JACKSON
BACKLASH BROUGHT TO YOU IN
PART BY WEEI'S-- CALL HAND.
>> THE NAUSEATING CATEGORY
IS LEAD BY, I GUESS, JESSE
JACKSON'S PATHETIC ATTEMPT
TO APPEAR RELEVANT AS IT
APPLIES TO DAN GILBERT BEING
THE SLAVE AND PLANTATION
OWNER TO LEBRON'S WHATEVER
RUN AWAY SLAVE, I THINK IS
WHAT JESSE CALLED HIM.
>> Reporter: WHICH MEANS A
FEW PORE DAYS OF ALL LEBRON,
ALL THE TIME.
>> Rooney: JOINING ME NOW IS
PETER ROBY, NORTHEASTERN
UNIVERSITY'S ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR, JAMARHL CRAWFORD
OF PROPHECY COMMUNICATIONS
AND "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED"
SENIOR WRITER IAN THOMSEN,
WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE
JESSE JACKSON COMMENTS?
>> WELL, I AM DISAPPOINTED
THAT WE HAVE TO START BY
TALKING ABOUT THE JESSE
JACKSON COMMENT WHEN I
REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT THE DAN GILBERT
COMMENTS.
>> Rooney: THAT IS OLD NEWS.
>> THOSE ARE THE ONES MOST
INAPPROPRIATE.
SO YOU KNOW, JESSE JACKSON
HAS HIS OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT
HE THINKS IS GO ON.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF
WHAT HE IS SAYING.
I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH WHAT
HE IS SAYING WITH RESPECT TO
HOW LEBRON JAMES HAS CARRIED
HIMSELF AS A SEVEN YEAR
PROFESSIONAL COMING OUT OF
HIGH SCHOOL AT 18.
HE WAS MORE MATURE THAN HALF
THE GUYS IN THE NBA WHO HAD
BEEN IN THE NBA FOR TEN
YEARS.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT --
>> SPEAK TO DAN GILBERT FOR
A SECOND.
BECAUSE HE USED CHARGED
LANGUAGE BUT NOT RACIALLY
CHARGED LANGUAGE.
SENSE OF BETRAYAL, HE DIDN'T
SAY YOU OWE ME.
HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE
BETRAYED THE FANS.
I MEAN IT WAS MARKETING IN A
SENSE.
IT WAS ALMOST PLAYING TO TO
THE FAN BASE.
>> OF COURSE, HE NEEDS TO
SAVE FACE AND MAKE SURE THE
FANS CONTINUE TO COME TO THE
GAMES.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT IS A FACT IS THAT
LEBRON JAMES MADE DAN
GILBERT A LOT OF MONEY.
HE FILLED HIS ARENA, HE SOLD
MERCHANDISE.
HE HAD THEM ON NATIONAL
TELEVISION ALL THE TIME AS
RESULT OF HIS ABILITIES AND
BROUGHT HIS TEAM TO THE NBA
FINALS.
SO YOU KNOW, LEBRON JAMES
DID NOTHING MORE THAN ADHERE
TO THE RULES OF THE NBA WITH
RESPECT TO FREE AGENCY.
AND DECIDED TO GO ELSEWHERE.
MANY TIMES ATHLETES HAVE
BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING
CONCERNED ONLY ABOUT THE
MONEY.
AND IN THIS CASE, HE LEFT AS
MUCH AS $30 MILLION ON THE
TABLE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE
TO PLAY WHERE HE THOUGHT IT
WAS IN HIS BEST INTEREST.
SO WHY DAN GILBERT HAS AN
ISSUE WITH IT OTHER THAN THE
FACT THAT HE'S NOT PLAYING
IN CLEVELAND, I GET THAT
PART OF IT.
BUT TO BE PERSONAL LIKE HE
HAS BEEN IS JUST
INAPPROPRIATE.
>> Rooney: IT WAS OKAY IF IT
WAS PERSONAL.
DOES ANYBODY THINK JESSE
JACKSON HAS A POINT?
I MEAN YOU LOOK AT MOST OF
THESE TEAMS, THERE IS A
WHITE OWNER, THE MAJORITY OF
THE NBA PLAYERS ARE BLACK.
BUT THESE ARE HIGHLY PAID,
EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE CHUMPS
MAKE $2 MILLION.
I MEAN THESE PEOPLE, ARE YOU
KNOW, LEBRON JAMES IS GOING
TO MAKE 14 MILLION PLUS.
DOES ANYBODY THINK JESSE HAS
A POINT?
>> I WOULD SAY A VERY SMALL
POINT.
IN THAT THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A
SENSE OF RACISM, WHITE
SUPREMECY, WHITE PRIVILEGE
THAT PERMEATES ALLARIES OF
AMERICAN CULTURE, SO IN
SPORTS WHY WOULD IT BE ANY
DIFFERENT.
PARTICULARLY IN CITIES THAT
I THINK ARE EVEN MORE
FANATICAL ABOUT THEIR SPORTS
THAN OTHERS, BOSTON, NEW
YORK, CHICAGOS, SO ON,
CLEVELAND AS WELL.
I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENS IS
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT
TAKES PLACE IN ALL
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS WHERE
YOU HAVE MOSTLY THE
OWNERSHIP AND THE MANAGEMENT
IS PREDOMINANTLY WHITE AND
THE PLAYERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY
BLACK.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THAT HAPPENS IN BOXING,
BASEBALL, FOOTBALL,
BASKETBALL, SO BE AND SO
FORTH.
I DON'T, HOWEVER, THOUGH, TO
REALLY SPEAK OF THIS MAN
THIS OWNER AS A SLAVE MASTER
AND TO CHARACTERIZE LEBRON
AS A RUN AWAY SLAVE I THINK
IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A
STRETCH, PARTICULARLY WITH
THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT
ARE ON THE TABLE.
BECAUSE THE SLAVERY, THERE
WAS NO PAYMENT.
>> Rooney: AS PETER POINTS
OUT HE LEFT 30 MILLION ON
THE TABLE.
>> EXACTLY.
FROM THE SOCIAL ASPECT, AND
AS I'M SITTING HERE BETWEEN
TWO SPORTS PROFESSIONALS AND
I'M A GUY THAT IS NOT THAT
MUCH INTO SPORTS BUT LOOKING
AT THE SOCIAL KIND OF ASPECT
OF IT, WHAT REALLY BOTHERS
ME IS IT JUST DIMINISHES THE
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY OF SLAVERY.
SO IT TO COMPARE IT TO THAT,
I KNOW MYSELF, I STRIFE, IF
I NEED A SANDWICH, I DON'T
LIKE TO SAY I'M STARVING.
BECAUSE IT REALLY DIMINISHES
THE MIGHT OF STARVING PEOPLE
ACROSS THE WORLD WHO REALLY
ARE STARVING.
SO I DON'T LIKE WHEN PEOPLE
COMPARE SLAVERY TO ANYTHING.
BECAUSE REALLY, IT'S
INCOMPARABLE.
>> Rooney: IAN WHERE ARE YOU
ON THIS?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF
THE REASONS THE NBA IS NOT
MORE POPULAR T IS THE NUMBER
THREE SPORTS LEAGUE IN
AMERICA.
IS BECAUSE I THINK IT
REPRESENTS SO MANY OF THE
ISSUES THAT HAPPEN IN REAL
SOCIETY MUCH MORE SO THAN
THE FANTASIES OF THE OTHER
LEAGUES.
WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT
WATCHING SPORTS AS AN ESCAPE,
IT'S HARD TO DO THAT WHEN
YOU WATCH THE NBA.
BECAUSE FOR A WHITE AUDIENCE
TO WATCH THE NBA ARE YOU
CONFRONTED WITH
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE.
AND YOUTH CULTURE.
AND WHEN YOU WATCH THE NFL
YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
ALL THE PLAYERS ARE WEARING
HELMETS.
IT IS A TEAM MENTALITY.
IT IS WHITE OWNERS DON'T
LIKE A PLAYER, THE WAY THE
SALARY STRUCTURES ARE SET UP
IN THE NFL, THEY FIRE THAT
PLAYER.
IN THE NBA THERE IS MUCH
MORE PLAYER POWER.
AND I JUST FIND THAT A LOT
OF MY FRIENDS, MIDDLE-AGED
WHITE GUYS, THEY GET TURNED
OFF WATCHING THE NBA BECAUSE
I THINK THEY ARE CONFRONTED
WITH ISSUES THAT THEY WANT
TO GET AWAY FROM WHEN THEY
WATCH SPORTS.
THEY DON'T WANT TO THINK
ABOUT REAL LIFE.
THAT TO ME IS A HUGE
STRENGTH OF THE NBA.
JUST LIKE IT IS A STRENGTH
TOWARDS SOCCER, THE WORLD
FOOTBALL, WHY THE WORLD CUP
IS SO POPULAR AROUND THE
WORLD IS BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN
IDENTIFY WITH IT.
BUT IN THIS ISLAND THAT WE
LIVE ON IN AMERICA, WE LOOK
AT SPORTS MORE AS A FANTASY
AND THAT IS THE DIFFICULTY
FOR THE NBA.
>> Rooney: IT IS NOT LIKE
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS
HAPPENED.
STEVEN MOAKLEY, JOHNNY DAMON,
ROGER CLEMENS WAS KIND OF
RUN OUT OF TOWN.
BUT WAS IT BECAUSE, AND I
ALSO DAN GILBERT ACCUSED
LEBRON JAMES OF THROWING
GAMES.
AND THAT TO ME IS A FAR MORE
SERIOUS CHARGE THAN
ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, BETRAYAL OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THROWING GAMES.
HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROOF OF
THAT.
GI BACK TO WHAT I SAID
EARLIER.
AREN'T TEAMS MORE LIKE TO
BUILD UP THE INTEREST IN THE
TEAM, HE HAS TO KEEP FAN
BASE COMING.
THAT HE DID IT FOR THAT
REASON AS MUCH AS ANY.
HE KNEW THERE WAS A 50/50
CHANCE HE WAS GOING TO LOSE
HIS PLAYER, AS THE RED SOX
DO YOU KNOW, DID WHEN JOHNNY
DAMON JUMPED SHIP.
I MEAN HAD TO BE MORE THAN
THAT.
>> I THINK PART OF THE
DIFFERENCE IS THAT LEBRON
JAMES IS FROM THAT AREA.
AND HE KIND OF PERSON FIND
THAT CULTURE IN CLEVELAND,
HARDWORKING, BLUE COLLAR
FOLKS.
AND YOU KNOW, HE WAS GIVING
THE CITY OF CLEVELAND A
REASON TO FEEL PROUD ABOUT
THEIR TEAM.
BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS
HAD THE EASIEST TIME OF IT
WITH THE BROWNS, AND THE
BROWNS MOVING AND ART MODDLE,
AND WITH THE CAVALIERS
BEFORE WITH MICHAEL JORDAN,
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, DOING ALL
KINDS OF THINGS TO THEM.
AND THE INDIANS NOT REALLY
BEING A FORMIDABLE TEAM
RIGHT NOW.
SO HE WAS THE ONE SOURCE OF
PRIDE FOR MANY PEOPLE IN
CLEVELAND.
AND THE FACT THAT HE'S NOW
LEAVING IS A HUGE BLOW.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE
FANS WOULD BE UP SET.
BECAUSE THEY WOULD WANT
THEIR HOMETOWN GUY TO STAY.
BUT IT WAS SUCH A JUVENILE
APPROACH BY THE OWNER THAT
YOU KNOW, I WAS HOPING THAT
DAVID STERN WOULD SPEAK.
>> Rooney: .
>> I WOULD HOPE THAT DAVID
STERN WOULD COME OUT AND SAY
SOMETHING AND I WAS
DISAPPOINTED THAT HE DIDN'T.
BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT
THE ISSUES AROUND THE OWNERS
BEHAVIOR TO GET DIMINISHED
BY WHAT JESSE JACKSON IS
SAYING IS.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL
THESE THINGS THROUGH THE
PRISM OF OUR COUNTRY'S
LEGACY AND HISTORY-- HISTORY
AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF
WHAT JESSE JACKSON MAY BE
REFERRING TO BUT I AGREE
WITH JAMARHL THAT YOU CAN'T
MINIMIZE THE ISSUES.
>> Rooney: WHY COULDN'T
DAVID STERN, THE NBA
COMMISSIONER FIND-- PLAYERS
GET FINED ALL THE TIME FOR
INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS AND
THAT KIND OF THING.
WOULD THIS HAVE FALLEN INTO
THAT?
>> I THINK HE WILL.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT HE
DIDN'T LIKE IT HE THOUGHT IT
WAS A STUPID THING TO DO.
BUT PART OF THIS TOO IS
DRIVEN BY THE WAY LEBRON
JAMES MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
THAT WAS A VERY JUVENILE WAY
TO DO IT.
>> Rooney: IT WAS CLEVER.
>> IT WAS CALL OUST.
HE HAS BEEN SEVEN YEARS,
SEVEN YEARS IN CLEVELAND.
>> Rooney: THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY LOVED IT.
>> THE REST OF THE COUNTRY
HATED IT.
>> Rooney: I DON'T THINK SO.
THEY LOVED IT.
>> I THINK WATCHING THAT
SHOW, PEOPLE, HE HAS FAR
FEWER PEOPLE CHEERING FOR
HIM AFTER THAT SHOW THEN HE
DID BEFORE.
AND IT'S BECAUSE I THINK, MY
IMPRESSION IS HE WAS THERE
FOR SEVEN YEARS.
ONE OF THE MOST DEPRESSED
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
HE WAS FROM THERE.
HE WAS THE FRANCHISE.
AND HE CREATED THIS
IMPRESSION BY SAYING, BY
GIVING ALL THESE SIGNALS HE
WAS GOING TO COME BACK.
AND THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE
HE HOLDS THIS KIND OF
REALITY TV SHOW TO ANNOUNCE
THAT HE'S WALKING AWAY FROM
HOME.
IT CAME OFF AS A VERY
CALLOUS PRESENTATION.
>> Rooney: NOW YOU'VE GOT
JESSE JACKSON LIONIZING HIM
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER, DOES
IT.
THE PENDULUM TURNS THE OTHER
WAY.
>> I THINK WITH LEBRON, TOO,
HIM GOING TO -- BEING SO
YOUNG AND THE FACT WE DO
LIVE IN THIS VERY REALITY TV
TYPE OF CULTURE T I THINK
THAT THAT FILTER IS JUST
OFF.
AND SO IT'S LIKE HEY, I CAN
PROMOTE MYSELF, YOU KNOW,
IT'S MARKETING.
AND DO THIS 24 HOUR BUILDUP,
OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I MEAN WAS IT A GOOD
MOVE.
PROBABLY NOT.
BUT I CAN COMPLETELY
UNDERSTAND HOW IT HAPPENED.
MUCH LIKE THE GESTURES THAT
MANY OF THEM MAKE, YOU KNOW
SO, ON AND SO FORTH.
>> I CAN TELL YOU LOOKING
BACK ON T I'M SURE HE VERY
MUCH REGRETS THE TV SHOW.
>> Rooney: REALLY?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY, HONESTLY,
YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THE
BACKLASH THAT HE IS GETTING
FOR TELEPHONE.
HE HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE-- .
>> Rooney: I DIDN'T WATCH IT
I WASN'T THAT INTERESTED.
>> I-- LET ME TELL YOU, I
MEAN THE GUY HAD DONE NO
WRONG FOR SEVEN YEARS.
AND HE WAS UNIVERSALLY
LOVED.
AND NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE CHEERING FOR
HIM TO LOSE.
IT'S A MATTER OF HOW YOU SAY
THINGS THAT MORE IMPORTANT
THAN WHAT YOU SAY.
HOW HE SAID IT WAS A-- HE
MADE A TERRIBLE PUBLIC
RELATIONS DECISION.
>> Rooney: I'M LOOKING FOR
THIS STORY TO GET THROUGH
THE 24 HOUR CYCLE.
>> TELL ME ABOUT IT.
I HAVE BEEN ON THIS FOR TWO
YEARS.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS TONED.
>> Rooney: IAN THOMSEN,
PETER ROBY, JAMARHL, THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
WHEN WE CONTINUE,
SOMERVILLE'S MULTIMILLION
DOLLAR DOWNPOUR.