ASYLUM POLL: What would be weirder: Jordan as a Knick or Larry Bird as a Laker?

LeBron James took time out from counting his money to film a Nike commercial addressing various concerns about his public image and the things that transpired over the summer. Oh, also he wants you to buy his crappy shoes. Whether directly or as poorly played irony, the spot tries to paint him as a martyr. Is this guy serious? He wants me to feel sorry for him? He’s looking for understanding? A commercial basically saying the equivalent of “F*ck you, deal with it” isn’t going to help garner him any respect from the (non Miami Heat) fans.

James asks…

“Should I admit that I’ve made mistakes?” - Umm, yeah, good place to start.
“Should I tell you how much fun I’ve had?” – Addressing the fans of his local team, fans he played in front of for over 7 years, fans who spent their time and money following his career, would have been a fairly classy way to go.
“Should I really believe I rule my legacy?” – How can he not? He decided to go championship chasing in Miami and punch everyone below the belt on the way out of town. It’s not like he left to play baseball.
“Should I tell you I’m a championship chaser? Did it for the money?” – Again, some honesty would have been nice. How hard is that?
“Should I stop listening to my friends?” – Of course not, it’s always savvy to base business decisions about marketing companies and NBA playing destinations based on the words of the guys you grew up playing freeze tag with. Subsequently, the same people that have a vested interest in the amount of zeroes in the contract.
“Should I try acting?” – Maybe he should start with acting like he gives a sh*t.

LeBron, you can add me to the list of haters you’re keeping your eye on. What should you do? Nothing. Do everything as you are. Continue pantomiming jump shots through crowded hotels. Act like you’re bigger than the game. Do the things that are making your Q rating sink faster your effort in the playoffs. Oh, and tell Delonte I say hi.

Since learning that St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony LaRussa and Triple Crown contender Albert Pujols will be attending Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington DC this weekend, phones have been ringing off the hook at Busch Stadium. I know this because I haven’t been able to call Felipe Lopez today to ask him how his hunt for the single season errors record is going. It’s no debate that Beck is a polarizing figure in the world of political talking heads, and it certainly doesn’t help that LaRussa previously made news for endorsing Arizona’s immigration law.

However, despite the outrage over their decision to attend, LaRussa insists that it has nothing to do with politics. Regardless, shouldn’t the anti-Beck contingent be hopeful that the man with the strongest bat in baseball is going to be in the same place as the Fox News pundit?

Salute my Washington Monument, Huffington Post:

“I made it clear when we were approached: I said, ‘If it’s political, I wouldn’t even approach Albert with it.’ I don’t want to be there if it’s political,” La Russa said. “I don’t know who’s going to be there, who’s going to accept it. But the gist of the day is not political. I think it’s a really good concept, actually.”

Beck’s rally will also feature former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

So instead of talking about how Pujols and my pick for NL MVP, Joey Votto, are neck-and-neck to win a Triple Crown this year, we’re going to hear about how terrible LaRussa and Pujols are for exercising their liberties and attending a speaking event while they’re in DC to play the Nationals. Maybe the Cardinals just want to be around a crowd of people at some point during this series.