Why it's OK to hate Lebron

It's always important to ask why. Lots has been made about how bitter fans in Cleveland have been about Lebron's decision to 'take his talents' to Miami. I've heard numerous sports commentators criticize and make fun of Cleveland fans for their reaction. Certainly it seems like an overreaction to the decision of an athlete to leave one team and join another; just a bunch of shallow and bitter people. But, it is important not to leave that initial reaction unchallenged. It is important to ask why someone might react that way. One answer is because that is the way the NBA, Lebron, and Nike and countless other corporations want them to react. If fans didn't feel emotionally connected to their teams and players, then they wouldn't buy overpriced jerseys and tickets or the products advertised during games or at the arena. They wouldn't be prepared to line the streets in the tens of thousands for a victory parade. They wouldn't spend hours in chat rooms talking about their team. They wouldn't listen to themselves being made fun of on sports radio. It really seems pretty shallow and cruel to make fun of people who are only doing what a lot of people wanted them to do.