This is from a Bill Simmons Mailbag in November 2009. Crazy!
https://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnflpicks/091125
Q: You know how when top recruits in basketball or football make their college decision, they often call a press conference and put the three hats of the schools that made the final three in front of them ... then pick up the hat of the school of choice and put it on? What if LeBron announces he will pick his 2010-11 team live on ABC on a certain date for a show called "LeBron's Choice?" What type of crazy ratings would that get?
-- Drew, Columbus, Ohio
SG: "LeBron's Choice" sounds too much like a Lifetime movie -- like, he became the first NBA player to make himself pregnant and now he can't decide whether to give up the baby for adoption or not. I'd go with something more newsy, like "Decision 2010: LeBron's Verdict" or "The LeBron Sweepstakes." Actually, it might make more sense to make this a six-episode show, along the lines of "The Bachelor" -- maybe "The LeBrachelor"? -- in which he'd start out with 29 GMs, then narrow them down to eight, then six, then four, then three, then two, then one.
Regardless, you're right -- this should be a televised event. If LeBron were smart, he would market the event through his company, sell the rights to a network and reveal his choice on that show. We know what the offers will be. (New York, Miami, Chicago, Memphis, New Jersey, the Clips and the Zombie Sonics can offer the max. Cleveland could offer the max plus an extra year. Nobody else could offer as much.) It's a cut-and-dry thing. So why not? He could even make it pay-per-view. If people were willing to pay $44.99 for a UFC 106 card headlined by Jenna Jameson's washed-up husband fighting a guy who hadn't won in two years, I'm pretty sure they'll pony up $44.99 for "Decision 2010: LeBron's Verdict."
