Someone different wins a NASCAR race

The same handful of drivers seems to win pretty much every NASCAR race. Jimmie Johnson. Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch. Kurt Busch. Kevin Harvick.

Then there are the handful of drivers who haven't won in a while but you figure will soon. Jeff Gordon. Tony Stewart. Carl Edwards. Mark Martin. Jeff Burton.

And then there are the former stars who still occassionally win, or who at the very least draw attention to themselves or the sport. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman are two such examples.

So it's good to see when someone that gets no attention from both the casual sports media and the hardcore NASCAR media win a race and that's exactly what happened yesterday, when David Reutimann took the checkered flag in the Sprint Cup race at Chicago. It was just the second win of Reutimann's career and the first time he actually drove to victory lane. His first win, last year's Coca-Cola 600, was won when he opted to stay out during a caution right as the rain began to come. During the caution, the race was halted and never started up again, giving him a rain-shortened win in a race that took two days to complete 227 of the 400 laps.

So this was the first time Reutimann got to win in a spontaneous way, in a real way. He didn't get lucky because of rain. He outraced everyone else for the first time in his career and it was really cool to see the emotion he had in doing so. Sure, he was happy to win at Charlotte last year but you could tell this one meant more to him because it was a full race.

With seven races left until the Chase, Reutimann is now in position to leap into the top 12 to qualify. The win moved him up to 15th in the standings, 96 points behind 12th place Clint Bowyer. The current top 12, in order, are Harvick, Gordon, Johnson, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Burton, Matt Kenseth, Stewart, Edwards, Greg Biffle and Bowyer, with Junior in 13th and Martin 14th.

I maintain that wins are undervalued in the Chase format. Gordon is second without a win this season, ahead of Johnson and Hamlin who each have won five times this season. Gordon, Burton, Kenseth, Stewart, Edwards, Biffle and Bowyer each are in the top 12 without a win this season while Reutimann, Newman and McMurray aren't despite winning a race. It's idiotic.

Reds-Phillies: the best game of 2010 so far?

I hope you were lucky enough to watch the Reds-Phillies game tonight. It may have been the best one of the season.

Reds starter Travis Wood, making just his third career start, carried a perfect game through eight innings. Unfortunately for him, his teammates never got him a run as Roy Halladay matched his zeroes, if not his perfection, going nine shutout innings of his own and striking out nine while allowing one walk and scattering five hits. Carlos Ruiz broke up the perfect game with a leadoff double in the ninth and I fully expected Dusty Baker to pull the plug on Wood but Wood pitched around it, retiring the next three hitters in succession thanks it part to Joey Votto reaching over the dugout railing to catch a Jimmy Rollins pop out with Ruiz on third and two out.

There was a critical moment in the game in the top of the eighth. The Reds got Miguel Cairo to third base with one out and had Ryan Hanigan and Wood due up. Hanigan is having a strong season with the bat but Halladay struck him out. Then came Wood, with the go-ahead run on third and two outs. The situation presented Dusty an interesting decision: pinch hit for Wood to try and get that run home in a tie game or let Wood hit for himself to preserve his chance at a perfect game. Remember, the Reds are in a pennant race, entering play two games up on the Cardinals in the NL Central. That run was vitally important. I don't think any manager would have pinch hit for Wood in that spot so I'm not faulting Dusty for letting Wood hit for himself but it is an interesting dilemma to have given the circumstances. Alas, Halladay struck him out as well.

The Reds loaded the bases in the 10th off enigmatic Phillies closer Brad Lidge but Lidge got out of it.

After failing to drive in Ruiz in the last of the ninth, Rollins got another chance to do the same in the last of the 11th, again with two outs. This time, facing Logan Ondrusek, Rollins delivered to give the Phillies a 1-0 win.

In this Year of the Pitcher, this was the best pitched game yet.

Bad news for Knicks fans

Today, the New York Daily News reported that should Donnie Walsh, now 70 years old and with some health issues, opt to retire, Isiah Thomas would be a candidate to replace him as Knicks president.

ESPN's Chris Broussard reports on Twitter that Walsh told him Isiah would be a candidate to be the Knicks general manager, should they opt to hire one.

I, of course, hope this happens for comedy's sake but every Knicks fan will get in line to jump off the Empire State Building should this happen.

And should it happen: Gilbert Arenas, come on down! The Knicks would like to present you with a new jersey! Allen Iverson, come on down! The Knicks would like to offer you a $40 million contract! Tracy McGrady, come on down! The Knicks would like to offer you a $50 million contract!

Honestly, this would be like Barack Obama resigning as President and George W. Bush replacing him.

Miami's welcome party for Wade-LeBron-Bosh

Somehow, I don't think Russell, Magic, Larry, Michael or Kobe ever would have done something like this. Honestly, I'm surprised Dwyane Wade would participate in something like this but after the last few years, I suppose he was willing to do it in order to bring LeBron in as the Pippen to his Jordan.

By the way, Chris Bosh has really hit the lottery. The guy has missed the playoffs five times in seven years, yet is somehow being considered a superstar here. Think about this:

Wade: NBA champion
LeBron: 2-time MVP
Bosh: Missed the playoffs five out of seven years

What am I missing here about Bosh? Has any fan ever said to themselves, "You know, the Raptors are in town, we have to go because I really want to see Chris Bosh!"

"The Decision" NHL style?

NHL free agency opened on July 1 and virtually everyone signed on with a team that day, except for the biggest fish in the pond, 27-year-old sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. Reportedly seeking a 10-year, $100 million contract, Kovalchuk has found no one willing to meet his price even as rumors of talks with the Kings, Islanders, Rangers, re-signing with the Devils and the Russian KHL have come up.

In the wake of LeBron James' trainwreck television special to announce his free agent destination, the New York Post is reporting that one of the Canadian networks is suggesting the same idea to Kovalchuk.

Seriously.

The good news is that Kovalchuk announcing on national Canadian television that he's leaving the Devils probably won't be a stake through the heart of New Jersey since he's Russian and since he isn't exactly Sidney Crosby (Kovalchuk has a 1-8 career record in playoff games, losing both his career series). The bad news is that sports are becoming more and more less fun to follow if reality television is becoming this big a component. I really hope LeBron's show doesn't set a precedent like this but it seems like we're already headed that way.

Lee to Yankees falls apart, headed to Texas instead

This morning, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that Cliff Lee was close to being traded from Seattle to the Yankees. Well, that didn't happen. The deal fell apart and now the Mariners are shipping Lee to Texas instead. Lee can wear his Rangers cap in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, then sign with the Yankees in the winter since everyone knows Scott Boras will take him to the market and the Yankees will offer him far more than the bankrupt Rangers or anyone else can.

The Mariners are kicking in money in this deal to secure better prospects. They also are receiving Texas first baseman Justin Smoak, a highly touted young hitter who came up earlier this season to play first base everyday for the Rangers. He's shown signs of promise but has struggled for most of his time in the majors.

How many more years of mediocrity for Knicks?

Other than the Cavaliers, the biggest loser in the free agent derby was clearly the New York Knicks. No one expected the Clippers to get anyone. The Bulls got Carlos Boozer and already had a solid core in place. The Heat scored incredibly. The Hawks held on to Joe Johnson (though overpaid incredibly). The Suns happily saved money. The Mavericks re-signed Dirk Nowitzki. The Celtics kept Paul Pierce and Ray Allen while adding Jermaine O'Neal. The Rockets held on to their various assets, keeping them in position to make a strike if a top-level player were to become available during the season (Carmelo Anthony? Chris Paul?). Even the Nets can say they're headed upwards, striking out on the big guns but still adding Martell Webster and rookie Derrick Favors to a decent Devin Harris-Brook Lopez combo while adding a gazillionaire owner who is eager to spend.

The Knicks? Well, it was a complete failure, unless you consider replacing David Lee with Amar'e Stoudemire, Kelenna Azuibuike, Anthony Randolph and Ronny Turiaf a success.

When Donnie Walsh took over the Knicks basketball operations from Isiah Thomas a couple of years ago, he had one mandate: clear bad contracts and create cap space for the summer of 2010. LeBron James was the target but, failing that, they would get Dwyane Wade. Surely they wouldn't miss out on both, right?

When Mike D'Antoni left Phoenix two years ago, he agreed to spend two seasons coaching horrific rosters in New York because come the summer of 2010, they would become title contenders. With D'Antoni's relationship with LeBron and Wade from USA Basketball, clearly the Knicks wouldn't miss out on both, right?

Well, they missed out on both. In fact, here is how the free agency scorecard played out:

LeBron James: Miami
Dwyane Wade: Miami
Chris Bosh: Miami
Carlos Boozer: Chicago
Dirk Nowitzki: Dallas
Paul Pierce: Boston
Ray Allen: Boston
David Lee: Golden State (from New York)
Amar'e Stoudemire: New York

All the Knicks got was Amar'e, a player who needs an elite point guard or ball-distributor to succeed (he now has neither), has health issues because of past knee and eye injuries, plays no defense whatsoever, has previously clashed with D'Antoni when both were with the Suns (although they are said to have ironed out their differences), and is signed for an uninsured $100 million over five seasons.

Ever since Isiah left, Walsh and D'Antoni have told them to be patient, told them that come summer of 2010, it would all be worth it. Everything was geared toward this summer. And they, essentially, struck out. Is Amar'e really going to better the production Lee gave them? Doubtful, especially with Lee being a far better rebounder. Randolph's entire reputation is based on doing well in the summer league. Azubuike has no reputation and Turiaf is just a warm body.

The fans have every right to be angry. The Knicks, even without having any sure-fire proof that they could succeed in the summer of 2010, sold their fans on that false hope. When Walsh and D'Antoni came in, they did nothing to try and win for two seasons. Everything was geared toward this season, right down to giving up 2009 lottery pick Jordan Hill, their first-round pick next year and a swap of first-rounders in 2012 to Houston in order to get rid of Jared Jeffries contract to free up cap space. All for this summer. And they failed. Miserably.

Walsh and D'Antoni and hapless owner James Dolan can now try and sell the fans on the promises of next summer, when Carmelo Anthony is a free agent, but why should any Knicks fan trust them? Isiah Thomas failed miserably but one thing you can't fault him for was trying to put together a winning team. Walsh and D'Antoni gutted the team for 2010 and whiffed.

So Knicks fans can get ready for a season of Toney Douglas playing a mediocre point guard, Danilo Ganillari not having space to bury jumpers, Amar'e and Randolph playing the same position, Wilson Chandler being a so-so role player, Eddy Curry being fat and lazy (although it is a contract year!) and Turiaf doing nothing.

Oh, and if I'm D'Antoni? I resign immediately. Because he too was sold a false bill of goods. He was sold on coming to the Knicks because they would be remade in 2010. Or does Walsh have some crazy trick up his sleeve? Can he parlay Curry's expiring contract into the hideous contract of Gilbert Arenas? That won't add many wins but it will add some buzz. Right now, that's all the Knicks can offer--buzz.

The NBA's greatest stage has been irrelevant for a decade and if it remains irrelevant much longer, it no longer will be the NBA's greatest stage, just as how Notre Dame is no longer college football's greatest stage. Sadly, that's what seems to be becoming of the Knicks.

Yankees closing in on Cliff Lee

Last year, the Yankees lost two games in the World Series and both of those were started for the Phillies by Cliff Lee. Now, the Yankees are reportedly on the verge of acquiring Lee.

Lee is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA this season, having a preposterous 89-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the woeful Mariners, who acquired Lee from the Phillies this past offseason. With his contract up after the season, Seattle is eager to move him for young players and ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that while the Yankees are close to making this deal happen, other teams are still in the running.

No matter, it's a certainty that Lee will be traded by the July 31 deadline. And when he is, it will be the third time in a year Lee has moved, going from Cleveland to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to Seattle, and Seattle to New York or somewhere else in that span. Lee is represented by Scott Boras and will seek top dollar in the offseason so even if the Yankees fail to acquire him now, it seems pretty certain they will land him as a free agent and that he will be a part of their 2011 rotation.

Seven thoughts on LeBron going to Miami

1. I really wanted Jim Gray, Michael Wilbon or anyone else on the ESPN dog-and-pony show to ask this question of LeBron:

"You know that you can never go back to Cleveland, right?"

LeBron said all the right things about loving Cleveland and loving Ohio, missing the most important point: he is a complete pariah in that region now. He can never go back. When the Heat go to Cleveland next season, he has to take a private plane to Cleveland that arrives 90 minutes before tip, go straight to the arena and take that same private plane out of town 90 minutes later. He can't do anything more than that.

I think Cavaliers fans were prepared for LeBron leaving. I remember speculating about his departure with buddies over beers and wings on draft night 2003 (and I, even back then, thought the Bulls and Knicks would be coming after him). But to do it in this fashion? By staging a one-hour television event thanks to the persuading of Gray, whose television career has so bottomed out that he's relegated to spending the 2010-2011 season doing sideline for the Sacramento Kings, LeBron became a villain, not just in Cleveland but throughout America. He ripped the hearts out of a fanbase that did everything they could to defend him, to support him, to love him.

The fans of northeast Ohio have had their hearts ripped out more than any fanbase in sports deserves. They haven't won any kind of professional championship since the Cleveland Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship. They endured Michael Jordan crushing them for years and specifically in 1989 and 1992. They endured The Drive and The Fumble and the Mistake By The Lake. They endured blowing a 3-1 series lead in the 2007 ALCS and the Tony Fernandez error that led to them blowing Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. They endured superstars like Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee leaving. And most famously and importantly, they endured Art Modell taking their beloved Browns to Baltimore.

But none of that pain was inflicted by a native of the region. This time, their hearts have been ripped out by one of their own, one who understood the pain of Clevelanders, one of who was supposed to have felt that same pain. LeBron spoke of wanting to continue living in Akron. Good luck.

2. LeBron's legacy is secure. Forget being one of the all-time greats. When his epitaph is written, LeBron will be remembered as the guy who had to go join another superstar who already had a ring in order to win his own.

While I'm omitting many on this chain, it has to be said that if Michael Jordan and Bill Russell are at the very top of the chain, and the next tier includes Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, and then a few chains below is Dwyane Wade, even further below that is LeBron.

Let's say LeBron wins five straight titles with the Heat. You know what that would mean? It would mean he will have one fewer than Wade. LeBron joining Wade's team is like Jordan joining Magic in 1988 because he couldn't win a title in Chicago.

The thing I hate about LeBron breaking the hearts of Cleveland most isn't that he's leaving. It's that he's essentially saying "I can't win the championship as the star player." Jordan, Russell, Magic, Bird and Duncan all proved they could. So did Kobe these last two years. Isiah Thomas proved he could do it. So did Bill Walton. And Moses Malone. And Hakeem Olajuwon. Shaquille O'Neal proved he could do it with Young Kobe. D-Wade proved he could do it with Old Shaq. LeBron? He can't prove it. Because from this point forward, LeBron will be known as the guy who decided he couldn't win the title as the undisputed alpha dog and thus joined forces with Wade, another alpha dog (who already has a ring). Jordan, Bird, Magic and Duncan never joined forces with another alpha dog. Neither did Isiah. Or Hakeem. They said "I'm the best and I'm going to prove it by beating all of the other great players in this league." (Or, in the case of Jordan, eviscerating them.)

The only way LeBron can prove that he's capable of that would be if Wade suffered a season-ending injury, missed the playoffs, and LeBron led the Heat to the title. Anything short of that and LeBron has succeeded in maintaining a legacy below that of Jordan, Magic, Russell, Duncan, Bird and Kobe.

From this day forward, LeBron goes down as another Julius Erving, someone who needed another superduperstar to team up with him in order to win a title (and I'm assuming LeBron and Wade will win a title or two or five together). As a result, their legacies aren't what they could have been.

Sorry, but it's true.

3. Why I'm upset that LeBron is with Miami: the absence of really good basketball. As bad as I feel for Cleveland, especially with the ridiculous one-hour special to announce his decision, I don't fault LeBron for leaving them. We all know the hideous roster the Cavaliers have, even with LeBron. It's why they were embarrassed by the Celtics in the playoffs.

But I'm a fan of basketball and as a fan, I have two wishes: to see who the best of the best are (and sadly, LeBron eliminated himself from that upper tier by joining Wade's team) and to see great games and especially great playoff series. Sports are nothing without competition. Let's say LeBron had signed with the Bulls. How exciting would the Eastern Conference playoffs have been with the Bulls (LeBron, Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah) and Heat (Wade and Chris Bosh) joining the Magic and Celtics (if they have another run in them) as a power packed quartet in the East? Plus, the bottom four playoff teams could have offered a push with Milwaukee and Atlanta being strong.

Now? Even though Miami has only three players of quality on the team (high quality, admittedly), they are the favorites if they can land anyone of substance. And, honestly, they should win the East. Having a team being far and above everyone else isn't nearly as entertaining as having three or four teams battling it out for the crown. Right now, the Lakers and Heat should be in the 2011 Finals (so long as the Heat can somehow find a supporting cast). And anything else would be an upset. It's unfortunate that the Finals seem so set 11 months before they occur.

4. Don't even try to compare this new "Big Three" to any other "Big Three" as a means of justification. When Magic, Kareem and James Worthy were together, Magic and Kareem were at different stages (except for maybe 1985, when Kareem had a revival in the Finals) and Worthy was never on their level. Plus, Magic and Worthy were drafted into Kareem's team; neither simply signed up for it. When Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale were together, Bird was always the No. 1 guy. The Celtics trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen isn't made up any player who anyone has ever considered one of the all-time elite guys. And while LeBron and Wade are very accomplished, let's not try and pretend that Chris Bosh has done anything to put his name among the other Hall of Famers mentioned; in seven seasons, he's never won a playoff series, never been a 1st Team All-NBA and only once been a 2nd Team All-NBA selection.

However, LeBron (and Wade, to a lesser extent) are held to higher standards than the current Boston guys. LeBron has been considered a potential all-time, top tier guy since he was 15 years old. He's won the last two league MVP awards and singlehandedly taken an otherwise decrepit team to the Finals. This is the only "Big Three" with two guys who want to be alpha dogs. Those others didn't have a second alpha dog. The only time the double alpha dog has ever worked is when it's an inside-outside pairing (Kobe-Shaq, Doc-Moses). It's never worked with two perimeter guys who need to dominate the ball.

5. ESPN killed their journalist credibility with this debacle. Honestly, no one hurt their brand more than ESPN other than LeBron. I feel really bad for the likes of Ric Bucher, Marc Stein and Chad Ford, three guys who worked their tails off on this whole free agency story. In the end, they were trumped by an hour-long special hosted by Jim Gray, who hasn't been able to land a consistent gig with a major network since 2007. Remember the famous Happy Day "Jump The Shark" episode? I sort of feel like this is the moment where ESPN jumped the shark. This is the moment where they went from being the Worldwide Leader in Sports (at least, according to them) to being a national punchline. They've already been hammered by the New York Times.

Gray, who has no credibility left anymore (amazing, given that I once really respected him for asking tough questions, even if I didn't always agree with him for doing so--like the Pete Rose interview at the 1999 World Series), asked 16 different inane questions before asking the only question anyone watching cared about. Michael Wilbon fared much better in his line of questioning but failed to ask LeBron two key questions: 1) Are you aware that you are now a pariah in your home town, another Art Modell to Northeast Ohioans? 2) Given all the backlash you have received for coming up with this show and breaking Cleveland's hearts on national television in the process, do you still think this show was the right way to deliver your message?

Also, did anyone else notice that Chris Broussard was conspicuously absent from their set after LeBron announced he was joining the Heat? Broussard was on ESPN all day, then left once the decision was announced. Broussard is from Cleveland. Was he off crying somewhere after the announcement was officially made? Or off crying somewhere that he was a part of such a ridiculous production? Either way, I wouldn't blame him.

6. No one's legacy takes a bigger hit here than LeBron's (if the Heat win the next five titles, Wade can always say he won one without LeBron) but no one's increased more than Pat Riley's. He coached the Showtime Lakers to four titles, ending a Lakers curse against the Celtics, becoming the first team to win a deciding game in Boston and successfully shifting the Lakers from Kareem's team to Magic's team without having to get rid of Kareem or bruising his ego (even Phil Jackson failed at this with Shaq and Kobe, having to sit out a year and see Shaq be traded for the shift to successfully happen). He then turned an under-talented Knicks team into a championship contender by preaching defense and rough play (which ruined the NBA, because David Stern overreacted and now every bit of semi-physical play results in technical fouls). Then he built and coached a championship contender in Miami around Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, then did the same with Wade and Shaq, and now has brought in Bosh and LeBron while keeping Wade.

The only thing left for Riley to do is prove he can win a championship against one of Phil Jackson's championship contenders, because he has never done that (the '94 Knicks beat the Bulls but Jordan was off playing baseball and the '06 Heat won the title while the Lakers were in rebuild mode). Riley has proven himself as great an executive as he was a coach. And I think he'll be coaching the Heat by New Year's.

7. Cleveland? They may as well fold the franchise. I enjoyed Dan Gilbert's demolition of LeBron in his statement to the Cavs fans (even if he was completely wrong for putting it out there and comes across worse than LeBron does in writing it) but, sadly, it doesn't mean much. There was all sorts of speculation out there that Bosh wanted to join forces with LeBron in Chicago, New York or Miami, but not in Cleveland, which says all you need to know about the way players view playing in that city.

It's unfortunate but the Cavs are likely to never have an era like they just did. They went to the Finals in 2007 and were a legitimate contender for three years after. They had arguably the best player in the league for the last five years, a two-time NBA. They had the 48 Special in 2007. Now? They have nothing. Their franchise just depreciated by hundreds of millions of dollars. Gilbert's best bet is to try and get rid of the likes of Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison, hoping they can find someone to take them for expiring contracts.

Cleveland is never going to hit the lottery like they did with LeBron in 2003 and they're never going to strike gold in free agency because even LeBron left them despite being a hometown boy who could get more money with the Cavaliers. The team will be fortunate to win 25 games next season.

Byron Scott is probably wishing he had an opt-out clause in his deal, one that allowed him to opt-out if LeBron left.

Dan Gilbert's message to Cavaliers fans

The letter:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;


As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

Dean Smith is starting to slip

In my lifetime, there have been three active college basketball coaches that transcended all others: Mike Krzyzweski, Bob Knight and Dean Smith (with Tom Izzo threatening to join the club). It's with that in mind that I pass along the sad news that it appears Dean Smith is starting to slip.

The man who retired as the winningest coach of all-time, with two national championships and names like Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Brad Daugherty, Sam Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison among those he coached (and don't forget some of my personal favorites like Ed Cota and Donald Williams) is starting to lose his memory according to the Fayetteville Observer. It reports that "people close to the coach say his famous memory is slipping. On some days he doesn't recognize people he has known for years."

The North Carolina basketball family is as tight as any college basketball family in the nation, especially among those who played or worked under Smith. Jordan still famously reveres Smith, even after he became the single biggest sports superstar in the world (and sorry, LeBron, but you're never reaching the MJ plateau of "global icon").  Says the article: "And more significantly, at least to those who are closest to him, his health issues have weakened his connections with so many former players. That has left the Carolina family shaken, with former Tar Heels missing the friendship and mentoring Smith delivered for years after their basketball careers were done."

Best wishes to the great Dean Smith, his immediate family and the Tar Heel basketball family.

Will Newsday be right?

With LeBron TV tomorrow night, the question many have wondered is if someone will scoop LeBron's show. The first attempt at it comes from Alan Hahn of Newsday who Tweets:

"Multiple sources are telling Newsday that LeBron James has decided to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. The new Big Three is here."

Alright then. So far, no one else has gone with this and given the way this story has played out, it's hard to believe anything until the final announcement is made. I fully expect a report from Ric Bucher or Adrian Wojnarowski tomorrow saying that LeBron is seriously considering the Clippers, just to create even more buzz for the show. But we'll see. Speaking of Bucher, shortly after Hahn's Tweet he Tweeted this (over two Tweets):

"Never tweeted LeBron was in Mia. A source said he was. Passed it on to the mothership. Made a 2nd call, told he was in Akron. Killed report...But the insanity is rising: the 1 source came at me hard that LBJ to Mia is done. Only way I go w/one source on that is if it's LBJ/Mav."

"Mav," being Maverick Carter. Anyway, Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, who has been the ultimate LeBron authority since James was in high school, Tweeted this a little after the Bucher Tweets:

"Newsday has reported LeBron has decided on Heat. Only a couple of people can truly confirm this. None have to me at this point."

So that's where we are. Sounds like the east coast media is going to have to forego sleep tonight in order to chase down this LeBron-to-Miami report and LeBron wouldn't want it any other way.

UPDATE (10:41 pm): Chris Broussard of ESPN chimes in: "Sources with knowledge of the situation indeed saying LeBron will join Wade and Bosh in Miami, barring a late change of heart"

The only thing I will caution is that the dreaded "sources with knowledge of the situation" also said a LeBron/Bosh partnership in Chicago was a "done deal." Plus, LeBron has his show to promote. This could all be a smokescreen for the truth. Or it could be the truth. It's LeBron. Anything is in play at this point. What's fact is fiction and what's fiction is fact until he makes his official announcement.

The Big Three stays intact

The Celtics are giving it another run at an NBA championship with their veteran cast. First Doc Rivers announced he would return as head coach for the final season of his contract. Then Paul Pierce re-signed with the team for four years.

And now, Ray Allen has agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal according to ESPN's Marc Stein. Allen will have the ability to opt out again next summer should he so choose.

The offseason couldn't have worked out any better for Kevin Garnett, who had to have been wondering, at least a little, if Rivers, Pierce and Allen would all leave and he'd be left all alone. Now they're all back and we'll have to see what they have left.

Boston was 52-30 during the regular season, masked by an incredible run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Everyone figured that this playoff run was their last chance but apparently the Celtics are going to try and squeeze another title out of this group. Allen had one of the great shooting games of all-time in Game 2 of the Finals, then couldn't hit anything the rest of the way, in part because of a thigh injury suffered early in Game 3. But Allen was definitely the most consistent of these three players this past season, with Pierce and especially Garnett battling injuries that slowed down their game. Fortunately for all of them, Rajon Rondo emerged as the new superstar of the team this season, though he has obvious flaws (like horrific free throw shooting).

The Celtics now must fill out the rest of the team, beginning with someone to fill in while Kendrick Perkins recovers from ACL surgery. They're said to be looking at both Jermaine and Shaquille O'Neal as possible options. Rasheed Wallace's contract is a chip they have to play in the trade market and Tony Allen remains a free agent. But the core is back for what the Celtics hope is one more run at an 18th title for the franchise.

Boozin' it up in Chicago

The Bulls don't have to worry about striking out in free agency. With Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh off to Miami and LeBron James still up for grabs, Chicago has struck by signing Carlos Boozer to a five-year, $80 million deal according to ESPN's Ric Bucher.

The Bulls can still afford a maximum contract under the salary cap and now have a little bit of added ammunition in their hopes of landing LeBron (or do they?). By adding Boozer, Chicago can have a team of him, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Luol Deng before adding anything else. They can adde LeBron without getting rid of Deng now and if you ask me, adding LeBron makes them the best team (on paper) in the East.

But I wonder if LeBron (ironically enough) would have any ill-will toward Boozer for bolting from the Cavaliers when the two were teammates during James' rookie year. Boozer promised the Cavs he would re-sign with the team if they granted him unrestricted free agency so that he could get more money from the team, then promptly signed with Utah. One cannot help but wonder if LeBron thinks he already would have a championship or two if Boozer hadn't left him in 2004.

For what it's worth, Boozer apparently is going to reach out to LeBron and try to persuade him to come to Chicago. I think it's worth noting that while Boozer has had some injury issues, there's no denying that he has achieved far more team success than Bosh ever has. I have more confidence in Boozer to deliver in a pressure-packed situation than I do in Bosh at this point.

Feelin' the Heat

Two of the big three have fallen. Dwyane Wade is staying in Miami and Chris Bosh is joining him there. Financial details are yet to be revealed as it's still unknown if Bosh will be coming in a sign-and-trade with Toronto.

Speaking on ESPN, both said they would be willing to take less than the max for the good of the team and be able to give the team flexibility to fill out the team.

How good will the Heat be? Who knows? They're still in the running for LeBron James, although Wade and Bosh join a team that only has Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley under contract. That being said, I think a Wade-Bosh combo makes Miami a contender in the East but they have to greatly improve their supporting cast to be a championship-caliber team. No team is winning a title without good role players off the bench and we'll have to see if Miami can get them. Maybe they can get several good role players with the money earmarked for LeBron.

Wade and Bosh reportedly signing with Miami

Not that this is much of a surprise at this point but ESPN's Chris Broussard is reporting that Dwyane Wade will re-sign with the Heat and Chris Bosh will join him.

Given all of the reporting over the last two weeks, I'm not sure I'll believe this until it becomes official and Broussard says the two will announce it today. We'll see.

LeBron TV: Free agency 2010 officially reaches the ridiculous (if it hadn't already)

In the last week, every bit of non-news has turned into news, every bit of non-news contradicting the previous bit of non-news. If anything has spoken more to the ridiculous nature of media in 2010, it's been NBA free agency and, I must say, I'm just as guilty of it as anyone.

Fans of Cleveland gave up three days of their lives last week to line the streets and show their support for LeBron James and their disdain for the Knicks, Bulls, Heat, Nets and Clippers as they attempted to woo him away from the Cavaliers. Stories such as LeBron showing up for the meetings wearing shorts, or him showing up at his basketball camp wearing a Yankees hat, became national news. On July 28, it was reported that James and Chris Bosh signing with the Bulls was a "done deal" and just one day later, Stephen A. Smith reported that James, Bosh and Dwyane Wade had held a summit and joined forces, deciding that they were going to join forces in Miami. This preceded Stephen A. retracting the report about a week later, essentially reporting that his report was incorrect.

Reports of how the teams made their pitch became major headlines, ranging from the Cavaliers showing him Family Guy-style cartoons to the Bulls brass walking across the street like they were the Beatles on the Abbey Road album to the Knicks telling LeBron how they could make him a billionaire. That the Heat met with him for nearly three hours and the Clippers for less than one was national news.

Yesterday, all of the sports websites had some variation of this headline among its top stories: "LeBron joins Twitter." No, seriously. This was considered a national sports story of importance, James joining a social media site.

But it hasn't been all about LeBron. Last Friday, ESPN's Chad Ford reported that Dwyane Wade was leaning toward committing to joining the Bulls, then it became even bigger news that Wade and Bosh were meeting the Bulls simultaneously, causing massive pain in Miami and jubilation in Chicago. And at the same time, ESPN's Chris Sheridan reported that the so-called done deal of Joe Johnson re-signing with the Hawks wasn't such a done deal because he was still considering the Knicks and Bulls too (as if anyone really cares about Joe Johnson). Bosh, meanwhile, was chronicling his free agency tour on Twitter (even posting a photo of himself having dinner with Wade while cryptically saying that "someone" was missing) while both he and Wade were making a documentary of their free agency whirlwind. Then Amar'e Stoudemire joined the Knicks (at least this was actual news) and started angling for Carmelo Anthony and Tony Parker to join him, even though neither is a free agent for another year, making New Yorkers delirious ("We're gonna get LeBron, Melo, Parker, Evan Longoria and Amar'e!").

Nothing has demonstrated non-news turning into major news more than NBA free agency 2010 and there's no doubt that LeBron, Wade and Bosh are eating it up. If anything, LeBron probably now wishes he hadn't rejected the notion of a whirlwind free agency tour where he threw out the first pitch at Wrigley, partied in Manhattan with Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov, attended a Yankees game with Mike D'Antoni and had drinks poured down his and Pat Riley's throats on South Beach. It's all reaching a culmination on Thursday, with ESPN and LeBron joining forces on a one-hour television special to announce where he's going, a show that feels rather anticlimactic because everyone except Chris Sheridan (the only reporter left that feels LeBron is going to the Knicks) seems to believe his return to Cleveland is pretty much a formality at this point. It's somewhat reminiscent of Kobe Bryant's 2004 television announcement that he would stay with the Lakers, something also seen as a given at the time, especially since the Lakers had traded away nemesis Shaquille O'Neal a couple days prior.

Everyone is going to pile on to LeBron for doing this television thing (if Bob Ryan is on PTI tonight, you can pretty much guarantee that he's going to scream about it) but the reality of the situation is that the media that complains about this is the same media that created all of this, created the monster that is King James and that is this free agency tour. If you ask me, this is a smart move by LeBron, whose free agency has been more important to American sports fans than the NBA Finals or any game LeBron has actually played.

All I know is that this show culminates a really sad couple of weeks in the history of sports journalism and makes me happy that I chose blogging instead of news reporting as a line of work (can blogging be a profession?). I'd be embarrassed if I were a member of the news media right about now.

At this point, I believe LeBron is going to re-sign with the Cavaliers (even though even without Bosh or Wade, Chicago is the best fit for his long-term interests of winning). I believe he's going to have an opt-out in three years so he can do all of this again, only next time he'll probably decide it isn't worth such media attention (whether the media agrees or not is another story entirely). And I'll be tuned in on Thursday to watch.

The first major NBA free agent domino has fallen

Amar'e Stoudemire is signing with the New York Knicks. His agent has confirmed it, Amar'e has confirmed it by talking to the media and even the Knicks have confirmed it, putting a picture of Amar'e in a Knicks jersey on the Madison Square Garden marquee.

Of course, it isn't yet on MSG's website or on the Knicks' website because free agents aren't technically allowed to sign until Thursday.

Anyway, this is a good signing for the Knicks so long as they can find a point guard who can push the ball. And the best one out there is, um, well, Luke Ridnour. They better hope LeBron comes or Amar'e's promises of Tony Parker come to fruition or this has disaster written all over it.

(And, no, I don't consider Joe Johnson staying in Atlanta to be "major.")

Bob Probert passes away

During his career, there were few players like Bob Probert. He had the hands to once score 29 goals in a season and the fists to once rack up 398 penalty minutes in a season (and to go over 300 penalty minutes in two other seasons as well).

In an era of the NHL where there were numerous players in the league whose sole purpose was to drop the gloves, Probert was the best fighter of all of them yet also served a real hockey purpose as a player who could put the puck in the net.

Probert died today at the age of 45 after collapsing while on a boat in Lake St. Clair, near Windsor. He was 45 years old.

The cause of the death has not yet been released but one can only hope it wasn't related to the substance abuse issues he faced during his life. He was once suspended by the NHL for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. from Canada and once had a motorcycle accident while having traces of cocaine and three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

In tribute to perhaps the greatest enforcer in NHL history, here are a sampling of some of his fights. RIP.

Maradona says he's done

It is with great sadness that I report that Cronica newspaper in Argentina is reporting that Diego Maradona is done as the coach of Argentina's national soccer team. While nothing has officially been announced, the paper quotes Maradona as saying, "It's done, my chapter has ended."

This isn't official and a close friend of his is quoted as saying that he's still thinking about it. And let me say this: I hope he changes his mind. The World Cup has been fun but Diego Maradona made it more fun than the vuvuzelas, the horrific announcing, the U.S. miracle and Charissa Thompson's ridiculous reports on Yahoo! combined. Maradona made this event much more interesting and much more fun for a person like me that follows soccer on the periphery before really throwing myself into it once every four years.

So, Diego, I'm begging you: please come back for 2014.

MLB All-Star teams unveiled

The rosters for the All-Star Game (this time it counts!) have been unveiled and I have only two comments:

1. It's time to rethink things when Evan Meek is an All-Star (quick, what team does he play for?). And Arthur Rhodes? Really? It's not like the Reds didn't have anyone else to choose from (unlike the Pirates, the team for whom Meek pitches and, to be fair, he is having a great season as an eighth inning guy). Do we really need LOOGYs on the All-Star team? Who is his one out going to be? Early prediction: David Ortiz.

2. How on earth is Omar Infante an All-Star but Joey Votto (arguably the NL MVP to this point) not?

RAFA!

I think it's safe to say we have entered the era of Rafa. Rafael Nadal just won his second Wimbledon title, easily putting away Tomas Berdych in straight sets. It is Nadal's eighth major championship, putting him halfway to Roger Federer's record of 16.

With Federer pretty clearly in his age of decline, the next few years figure to be dominated by Nadal. I mean, who is going to beat him? Over the last six years, he has destroyed the competition on clay so it's a fair bet he's not going to lose much at Roland Garros. He now has won 14 straight matches at Wimbledon, winning in in 2008 and this year (he missed it last year because of a knee injury). He's captured the Aussie, beating Federer there in a five-set final last year. All that's left to secure the career grand slam is the U.S. Open.

Of course, Nadal has had virtually no success at Flushing Meadow, which maybe opens the door for the rest of the field. Will defending champ Juan Martin del Potro repeat (or even enter, after missing the French and Wimbledon with a wrist injury)? Andy Murray has done well there so maybe he can finally break through and win a major. Or how about perpetual underachiever Novak Djokovic, who has made a career of talking a big game but not backing it up? He won the 2008 Aussie Open and is now the No. 2 player in the world (with Federer falling to No. 3) so maybe he can take it. Perhaps Robin Soderling, who has played Nadal better than anyone the last couple of years, can finally break through. Or maybe Federer has one more run in him.

Whatever the case, it seems like the only thing that can derail the Nadal train now are injuries (and don't discount them--given his frantic style, recurring leg injuries could occur). He should dominate Roland Garros and Wimbledon for the next few years and he has already proven his ability to win the Aussie. The U.S. Open may be the field's only hope and Nadal could end that in a couple months too.