Cliff Lee DOES NOT Equal Lebron James (outside of NY)

First of all, Cliff Lee's history with the Phillies cannot be ignored. He spent a half season in Texas and a half season in Philly so to say he shoved off "his team" is misleading. The comparisons with Lebron go no further than the spurning of New York, a city whose sports franchises and especially whose fans deserve a bit of disappointment for a change.

Cliff Lee didnt spend his entire career, let alone his entire life, in a city before going on national television to throw that city in the trash. He simply compared offers and quietly accepted one from a team that he had enjoyed playing for and wished to return to.

What is lost in this quasi-debate is the fact that once again we see the "national" sports media prove itself unable to remove that New York City perspective. In terms of Lee's rejection of the big offer from the Yankees, the comparison to Lebron is certainly fair. The Knicks could have paid Lebron more than the Heat and there is no doubt the star power he would possess at MSG would be off the charts.

But outside of the NY metro, there is absolutely no comparison. First of all, Cliff Lee didnt collude with other free agents to join an empty roster. Lee may be joining a perennial contender, but that contender wasnt built in a summer and Phillies executives deserve the praise for their efforts. In fact, Lee's decision reflects a believe on his part that the team's management was capable of sustaining success. Lebron simply wanted to hang out with his "boys" on South Beach. He didnt care about titles, but thought that the talent would bring them nonetheless. Cliff Lee is a winner, a competitor who wants to play for an organization focused on winning first and treating everything else as secondary to that goal.

Cliff Lee didnt announce his decision on television. He not only had his agent inform the Yankees of his decision through a phone call before it went public, but took it upon himself to personally call Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg to thank him for his time in Texas and politely inform Greenberg of his decision. Lee went about his "decision" in a professional manner while Lebron opted for the immature path of public spectacle.

So while ESPN New York (otherwise known as ESPN) cannot understand why Cliff Lee is different from Lebron (while obviously making the insinuation of race), the 300 million Americans who do not live in the New York metro area havent had that struggle.

Cliff Lee is a professional and a true competitor. Lebron James is simply a egomaniacal athlete and to compare him with the 2008 Cy Young winner is a disservice to Lee and further proof that ESPN needs to look itself in the eye and address their serious NY bias.