Shorts' Tears Over Crocs Will Be Real

Sometimes the arrogance of the shorts astounds me. Not that long ago, when Crocs (CROX - commentary - Cramer's Take) was at $24, I gave a talk at the Bank of America consumer products conference. It was a convivial affair, with my old friend Dana Cohen, the great analyst from that firm, hosting the event. I knew it would be fun so I brought my dad, knowing that he would get a kick out of it.

All went well until the Q&A session's third question, which was about Crocs. I had been extremely positive about the stock the month before on "Mad Money." I like the shoes; they are comfortable and cool and perfect for gardening, one of my passions. I said that I thought it would be terrific to buy the stock ahead of gardening season and I sported a pair, proclaiming, "Cramer be stylish."

Well, this guy just took me apart, totally eviscerated me. He started by asking why in heck did I have to slaughter the mom-and-pop investors by recommending an awful stock like Crocs, one I knew would disappoint, one that was clearly going to kill people. At first, I thought he was joking. I mean, it was completely out of keeping with the speech and the atmosphere. I said that actually, I thought the quarter could be good, and the product good.

He didn't stop. He again reiterated that I use my show to destroy retail investors with stuff like Crocs, which he again said would have a huge shortfall.

So I said, "Look pal, just short the damned thing. I will take the other side of the trade."

He kept heckling, until finally I just said "Thank you very much" and walked off the podium to my dad, who was really embarrassed for me. I wanted to punch the guy, and in the old days, no doubt, would have.

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Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for Action Alerts PLUS. Listen to Cramer's RealMoney Radio show on your computer; just click here. Watch Cramer on "Mad Money" at 6 p.m. ET weeknights on CNBC. Click here to order Cramer's latest book, "Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World," click here to get his second book, "You Got Screwed!" and click here to order Cramer's autobiography, "Confessions of a Street Addict." While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he invites you to send comments on his column by clicking here.

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