As you drive down Ontario Street toward downtown Cleveland, it becomes blindingly clear whom the city belongs to. Literally.
There is a 10-story LeBron James billboard mounted across the street from the Quicken Loans Arena that is 110 feet high and 212 feet wide. In 2007, the federal government deemed the sign to be two-and-a-half times too large for its close proximity to highways.
Because the government felt that the billboard posed a dangerous distraction to drivers, they strongly urged the state of Ohio to push city officials and billboard owners to remove it.
Silly feds. They forgot that King James rules the city.
Gov. Ted Strickland ordered the State Transportation Department staff to immediately stop in its removal of the sign and said, “There is something spiritual about this presentation.”
Strickland even utilized taxpayer dollars by having state workers and lawyers research the issues for a possible court fight.
He wasn’t alone in his conviction of the deification of James. City council members and County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones all supported retention of the sign and involved the media in their quest.
Today, the sign remains though the image has changed. No longer does the banner display James midway through a dunk.
There is a 10-story LeBron James billboard mounted across the street from the Quicken Loans Arena that is 110 feet high and 212 feet wide. In 2007, the federal government deemed the sign to be two-and-a-half times too large for its close proximity to highways.
Because the government felt that the billboard posed a dangerous distraction to drivers, they strongly urged the state of Ohio to push city officials and billboard owners to remove it.
Silly feds. They forgot that King James rules the city.
Gov. Ted Strickland ordered the State Transportation Department staff to immediately stop in its removal of the sign and said, “There is something spiritual about this presentation.”
Strickland even utilized taxpayer dollars by having state workers and lawyers research the issues for a possible court fight.
He wasn’t alone in his conviction of the deification of James. City council members and County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones all supported retention of the sign and involved the media in their quest.
Today, the sign remains though the image has changed. No longer does the banner display James midway through a dunk.
