LeBron James to Announce Decision on ESPN

James will announce his decision tonight on ESPN

I am going to keep this short, as there are thousands of words floating out there on blogs and websites discussing free agent NBA forward LeBron James, and his decision as to which team he will bring his unique skillset this offseason. I do think that the entire ordeal is a gross example of excess and narcissism, but that is not what I find most confounding.

Tonight, in a 60-minute special to be aired on ESPN during prime time, James will announce his decision. My question is, why ESPN would want to put themselves in this position? How can they cover the story, as a news organization, while also broadcasting what amounts to an hourlong infomercial for the LeBron James brand?

For example, if they were to get word of what James’ decision was going to be, before the special hit the air, would they reveal it? By doing so, they would be spoiling the surprise, which could lead to fewer viewers. But, if they held the news until after the special, they wouldn’t be acting as true journalists. It becomes a ‘no-win’ situation. On top of that, if ESPN doesn’t report James’ decision early, it could be perceived that they were holding the story for their own benefit, even if that weren’t the case. The perception could be just as damning.

Add to all this the negative backlash surrounding the entire thing. As I mentioned, there are plenty of articles and blogs providing their two cents, much of it dissing James for turning this into a spectacle. (My two favorites so far can be found on Yahoo and, ironically, ESPN.com.) By providing the airtime, ESPN is just feeding the beast.

Obviously, the entire episode of ‘Lebronwatch 2010′ is completely overrun with celebrity gazing, Twitter rumors, giant egos, overpaid athletes, and misplaced values. His decision, however, is still news, and should be covered as such by news organizations, both local and national. What I can’t figure out, is why ESPN would willingly move themselves from spectator and watchdog, to participant.

Tags: backlash, ESPN, free agent, lebron james, nba, News, yahoo