LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and the Summer of Oversaturation

They are arguably the two biggest stars in the sporting universe. They are the two most spellbinding athletes in their sports. They seem set on opposite paths, one ascending, one descending. And LeBron James and Tiger Woods will rule the summer of 2010.

It’s not entirely their fault. This is partly just how sports news—news, really—works in 2010: By pounding observers over the head with every angle of the big stories instead of investigating less recognizable names and reporting less notable news. LeBron sells papers, headlines websites, and lights up talk radio; that line in the hastily made Cleveland tourism video about the Cleveland economy being based on LeBron isn’t totally true, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer likely sells more papers based on LeBron than almost any other subject, and I’d be stunned if the ratio of time spent on LeBron to anything else on Cleveland sports talk stations was anything lower than 3:1.

Likewise, Tiger’s been a cottage industry since his infidelity became a national moral crisis. The New York Post put him on the cover for more consecutive days days than it did 9/11-related stories. And though that was back at the height of his parade of paramours, it’s not like everyone’s forgotten about Tiger. Articles about his impending divorce, a book about his 2009 season, and former coach Hank Haney’s denial of any PED use dot the SportingNews.com front page today.

That is their stardom pushing papers and driving traffic, though. It’s only going to get worse when things directly related to their athletic exploits come into play.

Howard Beck writes in today’s New York Times that the “frothy speculation” about LeBron James’ basketball future began late Thursday night. That’s patently absurd, of course, because it’s been months, maybe years, that LeBron has been rumored to be bolting from Cleveland. Wisps of this and that have contributed to conspiracy theories about his tea leaves, despite secret Nike contracts and the necessity of playing in a big city both getting debunked by CNBC’s Darren Rovell. Bill Simmons has been all over the map with his LeBron predictions, saying that, at different times, LeBron should or might go to the Thunder, the Clippers, and the Bulls, hedging all of that with a “best bet” that he stays. Add to all of that the idea that New York, the self-proclaimed most important city in the world, has either a confident or creepy conviction that LeBron is destined to be a New York Knick or a New Jersey-cum-Brooklyn Net, and you get just a sampling of how nutty this speculation can be.

The LeBron Derby is going to be fascinating for some and exasperating for most. I’ll be in the latter camp: I remember, being a Central Florida resident, how breathlessly the Orlando Sentinel covered their summer of 2000 pursuit of Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady, and thought it was a little overboard then. This isn’t much ado about nothing, to be fair: LeBron’s a more valuable player than any of those three were at that moment, and a star bigger than all three combined. He could conceivably swing the balance of power in the NBA for a decade with his choice, and will likely make whichever franchise he signs with a hefty sum, probably more than the nine figures his contract is likely to bring.

That great importance doesn’t quite require ceaseless reporting. though. No matter what happens between now and July 1, the Associated Press story that is released that day or shortly after, detailing LeBron’s signing, will contain almost every detail the casual fan could want about the decision.

But in the interim, the dribs and drabs will satisfy the craving for more news, and sustain business models that rely on unique clicks and papers sold. Every second that he’s in public, he’ll be watched for the slightest lean, and with publishing getting easier and more mobile, those hunches, details, and bits that flavored Sentinel columns back then will be grist for the rumor mill now. It’ll be fun, if you consider ESPN becoming LBJN or the leader of the free world being asked about a basketball player’s next contract fun.

Tiger, though? Tiger might be worse.

LeBron still has work to do to reach the “global icon” status his camp once touted as a goal. Tiger’s been a global icon, maybe the global icon, for years. And now has an exceptional following outside of the realm of his sport, with women who are disgusted by his callousness following golf to watch him fail. So everyone is watching Tiger when he misses the cut at Quail Hollow, and withdraws at TPC. Everyone cares how Tiger does because everyone is rooting for or against him.

And so his injuries will be ticker fodder for a long time, and his decisions to play or not to play tournaments will be cable news catnip. And if you want the biggest American sports event of the summer, look no further than the U.S. Open, played at Pebble Beach, site of Tiger’s most dominant performance ever. It will end on June 20, Father’s Day, which means the “Was Tiger his father’s son?” questions will be asked and answered in regards to temperament and treatment of women, but also that Tiger and his dad’s connection will mean many fathers and sons watch him together.

And those fathers and sons will be judged by wives and daughters (and other men, too) for supporting a serial adulterer. And the persistent rumors about Tiger being a PED user or a Vicodin addict will no doubt get a jolt from parts unknown trying to capitalize on Tiger lighting up Google again. And there will be a circus following Tiger everywhere he goes.

And that all assumes Tiger can play at Pebble Beach. There’s no way he wouldn’t, if healthy—but the question of his health will linger, and give news organizations plenty of headlines to catch the eye and links to collect the clicks.

Tiger Woods is a commodity now, more than ever before. He will be used as such.

LeBron James is on his way to that same stature, and having ESPN and the rest of the sports world hanging on his every word for a month and a half is going to help. He and Tiger will be things you will be sick of hearing about by your Fourth of July picnic.

So get ready to want to get rid of both of them. Or start praying that Brett Favre does something interesting.

↵