Article published August 12, 2009
James might not find Cavs are best option
Idle thoughts from an idle mind, while wondering ifNotre Dame will prove to be a Top-25 team …
• LeBron James holds all the cards in negotiating a new contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and it appears he’s going to play them. King James said he is unlikely to accept an extension until after the 2009-10 season, at which point he can test free agency. Why, he asks, have options if you don’t explore them?
That makes sense, but this isn’t about money, per se. The max is the max in the NBA and he’ll get that from whoever wherever. He’ll earn $15.7 million next season and is a multi-millionaire approaching billionaire. It’s hard to imagine he’ll have more off-court earning potential somewhere else. After all, how much is enough?
James has a say in every step the Cavs make, and if he takes a good look, he’ll realize that none of the teams that have positioned themselves to bid for his services are any closer to the promised land — a championship — than is Cleveland.
LeBron is smart and savvy. He may be the smartest, savviest 24-year-old on the planet. But why wait?
• The Cavs recently added Shaquille O’Neal, but there was a big loss, too. Mike Brown of Cleveland was the NBA coach of the year last season, but nobody ever raved about his offensive X’s and O’s until John Kuester joined his staff. Now, Kuester is head coach of the Pistons.
• Time to eat some crow. Well, maybe half a bite. I commented recently on “Spike” being a silly name for the Toledo Walleye mascot because it has nothing to do with either fish or hockey. Plenty of fishermen have since let me know that their term for a walleye yearling is a spike. If you say so. I mean, who do I look like, Steve Pollick? Anyway, it’s still a silly name.
• Is this for real? Donte Stallworth, who served 24 days of a 30-day jail sentence for DUI manslaughter, sought and received modifications to the remainder of his plea-deal arrangement. That takes some nerve, even for an NFL player. The rest of us would still be in the slammer … for a long time to come.
• Which is baseball’s best team? Currently, much debate would center on the Yankees and the Dodgers, who are considered to have only a so-so pitching staff. Right when it looked as if that might change thanks to Defiance’s Chad Billingsley — an 0.82 ERA over 11 innings in his last two starts — he’s going to miss a turn because of a hamstring problem. One man’s top five: Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, Rockies, and Cardinals.
• Michael Vick served his time and was conditionally reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, allowing him to practice and play in the final two exhibition games. Wouldn’t you expect one team to have taken a chance by now?
• Skipping through NFL camps: The Lions’ loss of Jared DeVries to a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture is a huge blow to a thin defensive line. End Shaun Smith was quickly signed, but comes from Cleveland with plenty of red flags. … Bengals insiders say linebacker Rey Maualuga should contend for NFL defensive rookie honors. … Browns’ rookie center Alex Mack was manhandled by nose tackle Shaun Rogers in a scrimmage. But Rogers does that to a lot of people. Mack and veteran center Hank Fraley should still be above-average anchors for the O-line.
• I realize nobody asked, but I would have named the Walleye mascot Gill.
Contact Blade sports columnistDave Hackenberg at:dhack@theblade.comor 419-724-6398
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