Lebron is blaming the backlash on RACE? Seriously? What about the media backlash on Brett Favre? Mark McGuire? Ryan Leaf? Once again we turn to the PR 101 playbook, and see that playing the race card NEVER works. If someone is getting scrutinized or unfairly treated because of race, the media will call them out. The public will call them out. Al Sharpton will call them out. But NEVER, EVER does any good come out of a “victim” playing the race card.
Knowing full well that this is coming from a mid-40 something year old white guy, I’m trying to objectively respond to the suggestion that race had something to do with the uproar over “The Decision”. I just don’t believe it. Many of the members of the media who blasted LeBron are black. Further, it wasn’t just the media that cried out. It was the public. Fans of all colors reacted. Some of the fans in Cleveland who burned #23 jerseys were black.
As a huge admirer of Martin Luther King and all he fought for, I believe people who play the race card in situations like this are doing a disservice to the true injustices of race relations that still exist. Racism is evil and ugly. I just don’t believe it had anything to do with the criticism LeBron has received. And I think this is just another example of how not to execute good PR strategy.