A spokesman for the New York Yankees heatedly denied reports that the Yankees were tanking games in order to have a shot at perennial NBA All-Stars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade when they become free agents in 2010.
Yankees spokesman Warren LeBlanc told reportera at a hastily arranged Bronx, New York news conference that "We're doing everything we can to win, right now. We're not even thinking about two years from now, when LeBron and Dwayne become free agents."
The Yankees are seeking to regain their postseason swagger in a baseball era marked by parity, mediocrity, and precious few free agents who can make a difference for a team with big needs and a bigger checkbook. Rumors have been swirling recently that the Yankees were looking to the two NBA superstars to bring them back to October glory.
"Michael Jordan couldn't hit a curve ball," LeBlanc said, "so what would we want with Lebron and Wade? I mean, who would believe this stuff?"
A reporter confronted LeBlanc with an internal Yankees email indicating that "Even if they [James and Wade] can't help us on the field, they'll sell a lot of tickets and get us [better] ratings."
"Well, we're not completely opposed to seeing LeBron and Dwayne in pinstripes," LeBranc admitted, backtracking. "After all, we've seen that LeBron is a Yankees fan, wearing his Yankees cap in public, and everybody loves those ads with Dwayne and Charles Barkley. If we can't win the World Series, at least we can be in Charles's Top Five."
When reporters pressed LeBlanc on the ludicrousness of tanking games for two years in order to have a shot at winning in 2010, LeBlanc shot back, "Well, the Knicks and the Nets are doing it, and nobody's criticizing them. Anyway, the whole thing is Hank's idea. You think it's stupid, talk to him."
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