Scott Raab doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, but he does wear a Chief Wahoo tattoo on his forearm. The 58-year-old Raab, a graduate of Mayfield High School and Cleveland State University, is a fan of all things Cleveland, particularly the Indians, Browns and Cavs. A 14-year veteran writer for Esquire, he is currently writing a book for HarperCollins on the LeBron James saga. Raab became national news last year when the Miami Heat banned him from the team's home arena for blogging about James, calling him a "gutless loser," "worthless scum" and "the Whore of Akron." We asked Raab how he really feels about LeBron.
What would you say to the people who have accused you of going overboard in your criticism? // People tell me that I sound like a bitter ex-girlfriend, but that's part of being a fan; it transcends romantic love. In Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Detroit, the teams have a lot to do with the places. This book is a meditation on loyalty and Cleveland sports, and part of it has been stepping back into the misery of all of that.
After the Cavs' 55-point loss to the Lakers, LeBron tweeted "Karma is a bitch. God sees everything." Can you translate? // I don't have the same clear vision of God's will that LeBron does. A lot of what he's saying is laughable. There is no access to LeBron. He is on another planet. And any Cleveland sports fan who believes in karma forgets that Art Modell won a Super Bowl. Had the Browns not been restored, Modell would stand alone as the most hated figure in the city's sports history. Now, LeBron stands alone.
Given our suffering, how do you remain such a diehard fan? // Unless you're from here, you can't really explain it to anyone else. Those people burning jerseys in the streets weren't LeBron fans. They were Cavs' fans. He was the homegrown Moses leading the city to the Promised Land. It was not just his leaving, it was leaving after that performance.
