Sorry, LeBron, but winning isn't everything

On the same day I read about local families standing in line for hours at the Utah Food Bank's pantries, LeBron James accepted millions of dollars to abandon his hometown so he can win an NBA championship in Miami.

I was ashamed.

I was embarrassed that I'd watched "The Decision" and even more humiliated that I love sports.

How did the heroes of our games get so far from real life? And if it's money, are we to blame for the monsters created by our fanaticism?

One of the things James said when he inarticulately reminded us that there really is very little virtue left in professional sports is that "winning is a huge thing for me." It was, in fact, so important, he said he was willing to take less money to play with men he thought might help him capture that elusive NBA title.

And isn't that what we fans want? Winners? If we love winners, why don't we admire LeBron for doing what it takes to win?

Isn't that competitive fire one of the things we value most in the world's best? We're not inducting people into Halls of Fame because they're nice guys who try hard. We're not spending our hard-earned money to watch mediocre teams — just ask those college coaches who can't give tickets away.

We want to watch winners.

So what LeBron did last Thursday night was remind us that one of our favorite pastimes is a business. And that sometimes the will to win, well, it's extremely unattractive.

It made me think of legendary Green Bay Packers football coach Vince Lombardi. He is revered for his will to win — and for winning. He believed, and he made his players believe, that if they gave their best efforts, they would be victorious.

It worked for him and the Packers of the 1960s. It doesn't always work that way. Some of the world's very best athletes never won championships. Sometimes the stars don't align — despite a person's best, even excellent efforts.

And even in Lombardi's homage to winning, there is the realization that championships aren't everything. In fact, they may not even be the most important things.