I had a Math teacher in high school. He was, as...

4:14 pm - Thu, Dec 2, 2010: 70 notes

I had a Math teacher in high school. He was, as Math teachers sometimes are, nerdy. A fine dresser, his shirt was always tucked in. Physically fit, but on the smaller side. Hair immaculately combed, and a crisp voice. Really great voice. Could have been on the radio.

He was an adult straight out of the Ohio Adult Handbook. A gentleman. Responsible. Small family. Good job. Honest living.

He was teaching us…well, something about Math. I remember he used football as a reference point. Talked about scoring. Then, he talked about the Cleveland Browns.

I’m paraphrasing here, because I was 14 years old and almost certainly practicing my own autograph (certain I would play in the NBA), but I remember him saying, “I went to one Browns game. Got tickets in the Dawg Pound. It was the most vile thing I can remember. They were all swearing and drinking beer. Later on, a bunch of them started throwing batteries at players on the field. They were animals. I’ll never go again.”

I remember him saying “vile.” I remember him calling them “animals,” and I remember wondering what it felt like to get hit by a battery thrown over a distance.

That winter, I watched a different Browns game on television where the fans went nuts, and remembered my teacher’s impassioned, non-math speech.

I remembered his words again last night.

I’ve never questioned why fans react the way they do. I’ve never questioned Philly fans who boo, or New York fans who expect so much from their players.

Being a fan is entirely personal.

It’s built on years of dedication. It’s a family tie. It’s your father’s favorite hat. It’s your hometown.

Whatever it is, I know I’m not supposed to understand it. It’s yours.

I didn’t know it then, but I’d like to teach my math teacher that now.

I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight. I just know that it’s not our fight. Not our business. Tonight is a very personal conversation between Lebron James and his home. And it’s a long time coming.

What I do know is that the people of Akron and Cleveland area, like the people of my home in Northwest Ohio, are salt of the earth, and are probably more concerned with making ends meet, than Lebron James’ return.

But, watch out for those batteries, Lebron.

Got ‘Em Coach