A Plain Dealer story chronicles events leading to the signings of James, Wade and Bosh with the Heat. Should the NBA investigate if behind-the-scenes maneuvering was in violation of league rules?

J. Pat Carter, Associated Press(Left to right) Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, LeBron James (6), Dwyane Wade (3), Chris Bosh (1) and Heat owner Micky Arison at a news conference in Miami on Friday,

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have apparently talked with each other for years about playing together at some point in their NBA careers. Maybe, specifically, after their contracts with their respective teams -- James' Cavaliers, Wade's Heat and Bosh's Raptors -- expired this July 1.

James, Wade and Bosh are now together with the Miami Heat. For insight into how this event developed, click here to read a detailed chronology of key moments by Plain Dealer Cavaliers' beat writer Brian Windhorst.

Other characters are involved in the story, such as Miami team president Pat Riley, Heat executive Nick Arison and, even, a cameo appearance -- though with some possible significance -- by NBA legend Michael Jordan.

There are limitations to what players and executives from different teams can do in scheming the makeup of team playing rosters. Our poll question is to the point: Should the NBA investigate events leading to James, Wade and Bosh all signing with Miami?

As Fausto Carmona heads for his first All-Star Game, Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. remembers his all-time All-Star moment.

David I. Andersen / The Plain DealerIn the moments after his two-run homer in the 1997 All-Star Game, Sandy Alomar Jr. was pushed out for a curtain call from the adoring Jacobs Field fans by AL teammate Ken Griffey Jr. "When I was running, I couldn't even believe it," Alomar says now of the experience. "I said to myself, 'my Goodness, I don't even know what I've done here.'"

INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: The scouts noticed it and so did manager Manny Acta. In Saturday night’s game, left-hander Aaron Laffey wasn’t throwing real hard.
One scout was clocking his fastball between 80 mph to 86 mph. Laffey can top out at 90-91, but Acta said he usually averages between 86 to 87 over the course of 100 pitches.
“His velocity was down,” said Acta. “He told us he feels good. We just found out that when he’s starting he takes something off that two-seamer to get some movement.
“A lot of times he throws the two-seamer like a batting practice fastball and lets it run away from right-handed batters. That’s how he gets a lot of ground balls.”
A scout who watched the Indians said it did not appear that Laffey had a sore arm.

Replacements: Should the Indians trade Jhonny Peralta in the second half, their top two options to play third base would be Jayson Nix and Andy Marte.

Stat of the day: The Indians went into the All-Star break at 34-54 compared to 35-54 last year.
— Paul Hoynes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Will Fausto Carmona have a Sandy Alomar Jr. moment at Tuesday's All-Star Game at Angels Stadium? It can't happen, not in Anaheim, Calif., but that doesn't mean the Indians' only All-Star can't enjoy himself.

"My advice to Fausto is to just go and have fun," said Alomar, the Indians' first base coach. "Do the same routine you do when you're playing. Don't change anything. When you pitch, do the same thing. It's not going to be any different."

Alomar went to six All-Star Games while playing for the Indians. He was voted into the starting lineup from 1990-92 by the fans.

In his first appearance in 1990 at Wrigley Field, he went 2 for 3. In the seventh inning, on a wet field, he slid into first base for an infield single and twisted his ankle. When he returned to Cleveland after the game, manager John McNamara told him, "Are you crazy?"

Alomar's All-Star moment came in 1997 at Jacobs Field. He made the team as a reserve and replaced starting catcher Pudge Rodriguez in front of his hometown fans. In the seventh inning, with the score tied, 1-1, Alomar hit a two-run homer to give the American League the deciding runs in a 3-1 victory. The All-Star catcher had hit the game-winning homer in his own ballpark. That's why Carmona can't duplicate Alomar's moment.

"That was an amazing feeling," said Alomar. "Just to have the opportunity to be there with the game on the line in your own home ballpark. That was a perfect scenario. I wasn't even thinking about [a home run]. Bernie Williams was on second base, and I'm just trying to bring the run in."

It became more than a pitcher-vs.-hitter situation when Shawn Estes tried to sneak a change-up past Alomar.

"That year I had a lot of clutch hits," said Alomar. "Shawn Estes threw a change-up and I was able to get out in front and drive it out of the ballpark. When I was running, I couldn't even believe it. I said to myself, 'my Goodness, I don't even know what I've done here.'"

As Alomar crossed the plate, the fans started chanting. It was a foregone conclusion that Alomar would be voted MVP of the night.

"It was a playoff atmosphere," said Alomar. "The fans were great. I was looking for the opportunity, got it and had a chance to deliver in that situation. It was a gift from God, I guess."

On the wall of the Indians' spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., leading to the big-league locker room, there are pictures of great moments in Indians history. One of them shows Alomar, wearing the chest protector with stars on it that Rawlings made special in the game, accepting the MVP trophy.

Alomar's son, Marcus, has the trophy and the catching gear Alomar wore that night.

"If a player says they'd rather take the three days off than go to the All-Star Game, that's bull," said Alomar. "Every player wants to be an All-Star.

"Every player should want to go to the All-Star game. It's a great experience."

Alomar played before the game's winner decided home-field advantage in the World Series. Alomar is not a fan of the change.

"They're trying to make it more realistic instead of an exhibition," he said. "I don't think it's fair. You might be exposing players that you might be playing against in postseason.

"I don't have a say, but that's my opinion."

All together: Manager Manny Acta sees a point in the second half, perhaps by the end of July or early August, where he could almost have his regular lineup intact with the return of Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.

Cabrera, who broke his left forearm on May 17, is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Monday at Class A Mahoning Valley after working out this weekend at Tropicana Field. Choo is progressing faster than expected after spraining his right thumb on July 2.

The one player the Indians won't be getting back is center fielder Grady Sizemore. He underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee on June 4 and will miss the rest of the year.

Creamer, only 23 but long considered the best women's golfer to not win a major, dominated the field in the final round.

UPDATED: 7:23 p.m.

Mike Groll / Associated PressPaula Creamer was in control of the U.S. Women's Open throughout the final nine holes on Sunday, but the final putt and the realization of victory still stunned her on the 18th green.

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Paula Creamer flinched in pain as shot after shot punished a left thumb that hurts so badly she couldn't play for four months. Somehow, the worse she felt, the better she played.

Creamer shed the title of being the best women's golfer to not win a major, never wavering during a four-shot victory Sunday in the U.S. Women's Open and putting away a field that couldn't match her confidence or steadiness.

Creamer made it look easy after beginning the final round with a three-stroke lead that never dipped below two shots, finishing the tournament with a 3-under 281. Na Yeon Choi of South Korea shot a 5-under 66 to tie Suzann Pettersen of Norway for second place at 1-over 285.

It wasn't easy. Not even close.

Limited to 40 practice shots before each round by a still-healing hyperextended left thumb that required surgery in February, the 23-year-old Creamer found the best possible way to limit the pounding on her hand: take as few strokes as possible.

Creamer, known as the Pink Panther for all-pink attire, ended with a 2-under 69, far better than the 75 she averaged during previous Women's Open final rounds. She faded badly near the finish the last two years, and she missed the cut at last week's Jamie Farr Classic won by Choi. But this time she was as strong as her thumb is weak.

It had to be; she punished that thumb by playing 52 holes during the final two days, 23 on Sunday, because of Friday's rain suspension.

"I was in pain, but I was trying to do everything to not think about it," Creamer said.

Lifting the silver trophy that goes to the winner? That was easy, too.

Her lead briefly down to two strokes after four holes, her two biggest confidence-building shots of the day might have been long, par-saving putts on No. 7 and 8 -- even as Choi was charging with the tournament's second-best round. Song-Hee Kim had a 65 on Sunday and finished 13th.

Creamer, from Pleasanton, Calif., had two bogeys -- laying up out of a bunker on the par-5 12th during the second -- only to all but wrap it up by hitting to within 10 feet out of the thick rough on the par-4 14th. She then dropped a 10-footer for one of her four birdies.

Flashing a bit of a smile for the first time, she hit another exceptional mid-iron to 4 feet on the 442-yard 15th and made that, too.

Right about then, she knew a major was finally hers. Two weeks after Cristie Kerr won the LPGA Championship by 12 shots with domination, Creamer won with determination.

"Without a doubt, I've matured over the last couple of months," said Creamer, so bored during her layoff she attended the Masters as a spectator. "It was hard. I've prepared for this for the last three months and it makes everything so much better."

Creamer played only her fourth tournament since that operation forced mechanical changes in her game because her right side is much stronger than her left. After playing 29 holes Saturday, she feared unwrapping her throbbing thumb because "it might explode."

Her game certainly didn't, even if she worried back in February the injury might prevent her from regaining the form that has allowed her to win nine times as an LPGA golfer.

Don't think she wanted this tournament, this title? She first studied DVDs of Oakmont Country Club a year ago, watching the 2007 U.S. Open won by Angel Cabrera. A valuable lesson it was, as Sunday's pin placements were exactly the same as three years ago.

Creamer stayed poised as most of the contenders around her kept tumbling.

Two years ago, Creamer shot a 78 after starting the final round down one to leader Stacy Lewis. Last year, a third-round 79 at Saucon Valley put her out of contention before she recovered with a 69 to tie for sixth.

Brittany Lang, the first-round leader with a 69, was within two shots before bogeys on the 15th and 16th dropped her six back at 287 despite her final-round 69. Lang, Yang and former world No. 1 Jiyai Shin tied for fifth at 286, one behind In Kyung Kim of South Korea.

Wendy Ward, in second place when the final round began, took a triple-bogey 7 on No. 1 and was gone from contention. Kerr, the world's No. 1-ranked player, tried to charge with consecutive birdies on No. 2 and No. 3, but fell back with four bogeys in the next six holes. She tied for 17th.

Alexis Thompson, the 15-year-old Floridian who is the successor to Michelle Wie as the next potential big star in women's golf, trailed by five before taking a double bogey on No. 1. She was the second-longest hitter during her fourth Women's Open, but was held back by a series of three-putts while tying for 10th.

Only Choi didn't fold but, down seven before the final round began, she couldn't pull off the biggest comeback in tournament history. No golfer has rallied from more than five down in the final round.

All nine of Creamer's LPGA victories came as she led going into the final round.

Creamer is the 12th first-time winner among the last 15 majors. Until Kerr won the LPGA and Creamer won the Women's Open, the United States had won only eight of the last 39 majors.

Want some good news on the Cavs? It's new coach Byron Scott.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerEntering his new assignment with the Cavaliers as a coach who has never worked with LeBron James, Byron Scott won't be saddled by the "what if" questions that will likely linger throughout the organization for much of the near future, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are so many good things about the hiring of Byron Scott as the Cavaliers' new coach, but one of the best is that he never had LeBron James on his team.

That's because he won't have a single moment in a huddle or at halftime thinking, "If only we had LeBron, we could do this."

Instead, Scott comes with fresh eyes and an iron will. He arrives after two demanding stops in New Jersey and New Orleans. He's here "with both feet in," as he said the day after James signed with Miami.

He also comes to the Cavs with a motion "Princeton" offense. The ball moves, people set picks and move. It doesn't rely on clear out after clear out so one player can have room to dribble, dribble, dribble -- then shoot or drive.

For the last seven years, the Cavs were "LeBron's team." They were a very good team that sometimes delivered a hint of greatness. They also were a team that when trouble appeared on the court, they gave the ball to James and got out of the way.

Those days are over.

Scott takes over a team with two 15-point scorers in Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison, but neither are great players. They are guys who can be very productive in the right offense. Such as the one Scott prefers, the same one where Jamison was a 20-point scorer in Washington where he played for Eddie Jordan -- who was an assistant with Scott in New Jersey.

"I have rebuilt teams," said Scott, who is the only member of the Cavs organization who didn't seem torpedoed by James' announcement.

That's because he never had James.

Instead, he comes to town knowing that he had a 26-56 record in his first season in New Jersey followed by two trips to the NBA Finals. He was 18-64 in his first season with the Hornets, and eventually turned New Orleans into a playoff team. It sure helped adding Chris Paul, but the point is Scott will not be overwhelmed by whatever this season may bring.

As the Cavs look at their roster, they have a starting backcourt of Anthony Parker and Williams. They have Anderson Varejao at center, with J.J. Hickson and Jamison at power forward.

There is a possibility they may bring Jamison off the bench, along with power forward/center Leon Powe and guard Daniel Gibson.

As for James' small forward spot, they have Jamario Moon and Jawad Williams. They are shopping for someone to fill that spot, with expiring contracts belonging to Delonte West, Sebastian Telfair and along with some added salary cap room after James' departure.

The key is to bring in players who have youth and a chance to grow under Scott's system. One of those who has promise is Kyle Lowry, a 24-year-old restricted free agent point guard. He averaged 9.1 points for Houston last season in 24 minutes a game.

Lowry is not a shooter (26-percent on 3-pointers), but he is a solid ball-hander, a determined defender and has speed. Scott can look at young players such as Danny Green, who played little as a rookie guard last season. He may have some ideas on what can be done in this situation, because he has been there before.

New General Manager Chris Grant and Scott want to add "defensive toughness," something the Cavs seemed to lose last season.

While Scott certainly doesn't inherit a contending team in the Eastern Conference, he also won't have to deal with a superstar who has an overblown sense of entitlement.

"I do consider myself old school, but I always tell guys I'm old school with a new-school twist," said Scott.

At this point, that's exactly what the Cavs need.

Jackson says Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave."

UPDATED: 9:52 p.m.

AP photoJesse Jackson compared Dan Gilbert to a slave master on Sunday following Gilbert's response on Thursday night to LeBron James' departure to Miami.

CHICAGO -- Jesse Jackson criticized Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert on Sunday, saying Gilbert sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave" and that the owner's comments after the free-agent forward decided to join the Miami Heat put the player in danger.

Shortly after James announced his decision last week, Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cleveland's fans, ripping the 25-year-old and promising to deliver a title before James wins one. He called James' decision "cowardly" and later told The Associated Press he believes James quit during a handful of Cavaliers playoff games.

"He has gotten a free pass," Gilbert told the AP in a phone interview late Thursday night. "People have covered up for [James] for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is."

Jackson said Gilbert's comments were "mean, arrogant and presumptuous."

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," the reverend said in a release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship -- between business partners -- and LeBron honored his contract."

Messages were left Sunday night seeking comment from Gilbert, the Cavaliers and James.

Jackson also called Gilbert's comments an attack on all NBA players and said the owner should face a "challenge" from the league and the players' association.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank declined comment.

With plenty of intrigue over how LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh handled their free agency, some owners are upset about potential collusion and tampering.

UPDATED: 10:55 p.m.

Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press"We really do have to re-evaluate the issue of player tampering," Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Sunday in the wake of LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade in Miami. "Who knows what will happen? But I have to suggest it to them because there has to be more definitive rules."

LAS VEGAS — When the NBA owners hold their annual summer meeting at a casino on Monday, they are expected to review potential player tampering stemming from the Miami Heat’s signing of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

And it won’t be the Cavaliers, who lost James, or the Toronto Raptors, who lost Bosh, that may be asking for an examination and changes.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told reporters at the Vegas Summer League that he intends to ask the league’s Board of Governors to take a look what transpired. The three star friends came together perhaps to arrange going to the same team before the free agency period officially began.

“I’m going to bring it up to the league that we really do have to re-evaluate the issue of player tampering,” Cuban said. “Who knows what will happen? But I have to suggest it to them because there has to be more definitive rules.”

There has been speculation that James, Wade and Bosh may have gone astray of some rules when they had a so-called “free agent summit.” The three had a meeting at James’ Bath home on June 19, according to sources, perhaps setting up plans to eventually play sign together with the Heat. At the time of the meeting, Wade was still under contract with the Heat, James with the Cavs and Bosh with the Raptors.

Free agent recruiting and negotiating, by players, team officials or agents, is not permitted until July 1.

NBA Commissioner David Stern, who will likely address the topic in a press conference following the meeting, told ESPN.com on Sunday that the league would investigate a tampering charge if it was filed by one of its teams.

A team source said the Cavs had not made any decisions whether to file any charges. However, the team most likely will not make such a complaint.

In addition to trying to set the tone they are moving on from losing James, the Cavs gave up their right to take issue when they agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to send James to Miami. The compensation was four draft picks over the next five years. The Raptors also completed a sign-and-trade with the Heat, receiving draft picks.

It is possible that Cuban, who was hoping to recruit all three of the players separately but was unable to even get a meeting with James, will file his own charge. But with the deals already done, it is unlikely the NBA will take immediate action.

There may be a resolution to make adjustments to strengthen the tampering rules while players are under contract in the next collective bargaining agreement. Stern is expected to take some questions on the matter at a press conference after the meeting.

The league has plenty of larger topics on its plate, especially with the current union contract up in a year and many economic matters threatening to cause a lockout next summer. However, there is no question what the most pressing topic will be after the Heat’s big moves last week.

“It’s not just the Cavs,” Cuban said. “It could be any team. It could be the Heat in a couple years. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. But there has to be a way to keep these guys away from each other for the last week anyway.”

Jesse Jackson slams Gilbert: In a statement Sunday, Rev. Jesse Jackson compared Cavs owner Dan Gilbert to a slave master for his open letter to Cavs fans following James' free-agency departure.

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave," Jackson said in the statement.

"LeBron is not a child, nor is he bound to play on Gilbert's plantation and be demeaned. He has been a model citizen and has inspired the children of Akron, Cleveland, the State of Ohio and the United States."

James responded to Gilbert's strongly-worded letter for the first time Sunday in an interview on ESPN.

"I think it's unfortunate that he did that," James said. "I understand that the fans are hurt and I wish it could have been a different way. But Dan and whoever his partners are have to look themselves in the mirror and understand what he may have done may have cost them in the long run."

Ilgauskas has options: Herb Rudoy, the agent for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, told The Plain Dealer that the Cavs' all-time games-played leader has been in contact with six teams. The Heat are among the franchises interested in Ilgauskas, who would likely be in line to receive the veteran's minimum of $1.3 million.

At the end of the season, Ilgauskas said he definitely wanted to continue his career and remains interested in returning to the Cavs.

Summer league roster set: The Cavs released their summer league roster Sunday. Roster players J.J. Hickson and Danny Green will play as will 2009 first-round pick Christian Eyenga. The non-roster invitees include former NBA players Rashad McCants, Maciej Lampe, Nathan Jawai and Jared Reiner. Rookie and former University of Michigan star Manny Harris is also on the roster.

The team will play five games at UNLV starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. All games will be broadcast on NBA TV.

As the national team from Spain won its first ever World Cup Sunday (and another Dutch team lost a final for the third time since 1974) fans from both countries gathered around the world and around Northeast Ohio to scream, cheer and cry for their teams

View full sizeScott Shaw, The Plain DealerFans of Spain cheer when they scored the winning goal at a World Cup Soccer watch party in Cuyahoga Falls on July 11, 2010. They were at the home of Amanda Ruiviejo, center, in red.

By Michael Scott and Brie Zeltner Plain Dealer Reporters

Arriba', Espana!

Tough luck, Netherlands -- again.

As the national team from Spain won its first ever World Cup Sunday (and another Dutch team lost a final for the third time since 1974) fans from both countries gathered around the world and around Northeast Ohio to scream, cheer and cry for their teams

"Ole' , ole'-ole'-ole'! We did it, we did it!" yelled Amanda Ruiviejo as she and a house full of friends and family in Cuyahoga Falls celebrated the 1-0 overtime win by Spain, televised throughout the world from South Africa.

The world was well represented in Ruiviejo's living room: She was joined by friends from India, Nicarauga and Mexico as well as first- and second-generation Spaniards.

But the honored guests for Sunday's World Cup final were Ruiviejo's parents, Angels Pastor and Miguel Ruiviejo -- in the final week of a three month stay with their daughter.

View full sizeScott Shaw, The Plain DealerAmanda Ruiviejo cuts a cake for fans of Spain watching the World Cup soccer match at her home in Cuyahoga Falls on July 11, 2010.

"I'm so happy for them and so happy they are here for this," said Ruiviejo, who works with Hispanic families at the Domestic Violence Center in Cleveland and came to the United States from Spain 10 years ago. "There is a big party going on in Spain right now, but I'm so happy right here right now.

"Time to celebrate and maybe make some more sangria -- or maybe we should go straight to the wine!"

Northeast Ohio's Dutch faithful, however, were left crying in their beers.

About 80 Dutch fans gathered at The Boneyard restaurant in Mayfield Heights, where the crowd volume was low and the atmosphere tense throughout the game.

But despite the palpable anxiety over the sporting event, the Dutch also reveled in spending an afternoon with their own people -- nearly all of them decked out in the famous bright orange colors of their team.

Keimpe van den Berg, 48, his wife Sytske Wiersma, 46, and their 12-year-old son Sybren arrived in the United States from Holland on Wednesday.

Their next door neighbor in Hudson, Bernardine van Kessel, was one of the watch party's organizers.

Van den Berg and his family were "very excited to be here and share it with people," particularly because they don't yet have a television.

Michael Scott/The Plain DealerA young Dutch fan tenses up during the scoreless first half of the World Cup Final. About 80 followers of The Netherlands -- many wearing the classic bright orange of the Dutch -- gathered at The Boneyard in Mayfield Heights to watch their countrymen fall short, losing to Spain 1-0.

Pim van den Bergh, 46, visiting Ohio from Winona, Minn., also felt lucky to be with other Dutch. He searched the Internet for Dutch groups in Cleveland to find a place to watch the game.

"I pictured myself sitting alone in a sports bar begging the bartender to put on the game," he said before the two extra time periods began. "This is great."

Fleur Chase, 31, of Cleveland, who grew up in the Netherland's province of Holland, brought her four-month-old daughter, Annelies to the party.

"There's a lot of energy in the Dutch community when they get together in big groups," she said. "It was worth coming to a bar with a young baby to be with this group."

But when tension turned to despair in the final minutes, some were overcome.

"It's just sad," said van Kessel after the match, wiping away tears. "I'm not ashamed of crying."

Sytze van der Laan, 42, of Cleveland Heights, brought his sons to watch the game and was hoping for a better outcome for his kids.

"Once in a lifetime would be nice," he said.

Van Kessel offered a solution to the Dutch sorrows not so different from the party plans of the Spaniards: "I'm going to get a couple of Heinekens and try to forget this," she said.

Packer's six scoreless innings make him 7-4 with a 1.68 ERA and a brilliant strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's even better since being put into the starting rotation.

UPDATED: 11:01 p.m.

Jason O. Watson, cavalierdaily.comMatt Packer pitching for the University of Virginia in the spring of 2009.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 7, Bats 5: Wyatt Toregas slugged a two-run homer, his first of the year, in the top of the 10th inning, and Columbus held on Sunday to beat Louisville, Ky. Jess Todd (3-2) pitched two innings in relief for the win, and Vinnie Pestano pitched a scoreless 10th for his sixth save.

Notes: Going into Sunday night's game, 2B Luis Valbuena was batting .340 (18-for-53) with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 12 RBI since the Indians sent him to Columbus. ... Going into Sunday night's game, catcher Carlos Santana (.316) and outfielder Michael Brantley's (.315) batting averages ranked first and second, respectively, in the International League. Since both are now with the Indians, soon neither will have enough plate appearances with the Clippers to qualify for league leadership. ... CF Jose Constanza did not have enough appearances for his .303 batting average to rank among the league leaders, but his 22 stolen bases (in 24 attempts) ranked second. ... RH reliever Vinnie Pestano was 1-1 with five saves and a 2.16 ERA in 23 games spanning 25 innings. He had struck out 32, walked eight and allowed 23 hits, including no homers. Pestano began the season with Akron, where he was 1-1 with three saves in 14 games. He fanned 18, walked two and allowed 12 hits (one homer) in 13 1/3 innings. ... RH reliever Bryce Stowell had pitched three scoreless innings in his first two outings with the Clippers, with four strikeouts and two walks, yielding one hit. Continuing his stints at AA Akron and Advanced A Kinston, Stowell was 2-0 with seven saves and an 0.71 ERA in 50 2/3 innings over 27 games. He had struck out 78, walked 21 and given up 32 hits, as batters were hitting .184 against him. He was striking out 13.9 batters per every nine innings.

AA Akron Aeros

SeaWolves 5, Aeros 1: Erie snapped a 1-1 tie with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Aeros LH starter Scott Barnes did not get a decision, but pitched seven strong innings, holding Erie to one run on four hits and no walks, with four strikeouts. Akron DH Matt McBride (.275) singled, and has reached base safely in his last 40 road games. LF Tim Fedroff (.261) doubled, and now has an 11-game batting streak during which he's hit .432 (19-for-44).

Notes: McBride is batting .370 (20-for-54) in his last 14 games, with eight homers, five doubles, 16 RBI and 14 runs. ... 1B Beau Mills (.232) is batting .438 (14-for-32) with three homers and 10 RBI in his last nine games. ... Barnes is 4-8 with a 5.08 ERA, but is 3-3 with a 3.11 ERA in his last eight starts. During that span, he's pitched 46 1/3 innings, struck out 42 and allowed 38 hits and 15 walks.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Keys 11, Indians 2: Frederick, Md., clubbed three home runs and 14 hits to rout visiting Kinston, N.C.

Notes: RHP Joseph Gardner (6-4, 2.86) is 0-3 with a 7.36 ERA in his last three starts, striking out 15 in 14 2/3 innings while yielding 14 hits and nine walks. Still, combining his stints at Kinston and Lake County, Gardner is 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 18 starts this season. He has struck out 102 in 91 innings, walked 38 and allowed 59 hits, including four homers. Opponents are batting .184. ... LH Austin Adams is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his first three starts with Kinston. He has struck out 18 in 12 2/3 innings. Before promoted to the Indians, Adams was 2-4 with a 3.54 ERA at Lake County. In five relief outings followed by eight starts, he struck out 61 in 53 1/3 innings, giving up 40 hits and 21 walks. ... Going into Sunday night's game, LF Bo Greenwell was batting .375 (18-for-48) for Kinston, including .478 (11-for-23) in his last seven games. Greenwell hit .310 in 66 games at Lake County before being promoted. ... 3B Adam Davis (.225) was 7-for-16 (.438) in his last four games, with a double, three RBI and three runs.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 4, Whitecaps 1: LH starter Matt Packer (7-4, 1.68) got the win, blanking West Michigan on three hits and two walks over the first six innings, with four strikeouts. DH Chris Kersten (.311) drilled RBI doubles in the first and eighth innings, and 2B Argenis Martinez (.171) singled twice and scored a run. LH reliever Francisco Jimenez pitched two scoreless, one-hit innings.

Notes: Packer's first 11 appearances this season were in relief. He is 5-3 with a 1.45 ERA in 10 starts, striking out 57, walking nine and allowing 46 hits. ... RH relievers Tyler Sturdevant and Preston Guilmet have posted some sparkling numbers. Sturdevant is 3-0 with two saves and an 0.76 ERA in 35 innings, striking out 56. He's allowed just 17 hits, including one homer, and walked eight. Guilmet is 1-1 with seven saves and a 2.91 ERA. He has struck out 36 and walked three in 21 2/3 innings, allowing 18 hits, including one homer. Both Sturdevant and Guilmet have pitched in 16 games.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Renegades 6, Scrappers 4: Hudson Valley beat Mahoning Valley with two runs in the top of the 12th on a bases-loaded double.

Notes: The Scrappers are getting strong starting pitchers from right-handers Alex Kaminsky (3-1, 2.13) and Owen Dew (1-0, 1.15). Kaminsky has fanned 18 and walked nine in 25 1/3 innings over five starts, allowing 22 hits and a homer. In Dew's three starts, he's struck out nine, walked two and allowed eight hits, none of them homers, in 15 2/3 innings. ... LH starter Mike Rayl is 0-2, but has a 3.18 ERA in five starts, striking out 15, walking three and allowing no homers in 22 2/3 innings.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Otters 6, Crushers 5: Lake Erie scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 5-4 lead, but Evansville won it with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Crushers CF Dom Duggan (.238) singled twice, scored two runs and drove in one.

Notes: RH reliever Alberto Rolon pitched two scoreless innings. He's 2-0 with seven saves and a 3.38 ERA in 21 games spanning 34 2/3 innings. He's struck out 39, walked 10 and allowed 28 hits. ... RH reliever Jeff Cinadr is 2-1 with three saves and a 1.78 ERA in 20 games. He's struck out 24, walked 10 and yielded 23 hits in 35 1/3 innings. ... RH Josh Roberts is 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 10 starts, covering 64 innings. His ERA ranks fourth in the Frontier League.

The European champion Spaniards are now the world champions, too.

UPDATED: 10:30 p.m.

Bernat Armanague, Associated PressSpain's Andres Iniesta (right) scores past Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg during extra time for the winning goal in the World Cup championship match.

Michelle Kaufman

McClatchy Newspapers

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- The first foul of the 2010 World Cup final was committed by a spectator who ran onto the field Sunday night and tried to grab the golden World Cup trophy, which was on display on a pedestal in the moments before the players from Spain and the Netherlands were due to walk out from the tunnel. Security guards tackled the man and carried him off the field.

Almost three hours later -- in the 116th minute of hard-tackling, bad-tempered soccer that produced a record 14 yellow cards -- Spain grabbed that trophy for the first time in history, winning, 1-0, on an extra-time goal by midfielder Andres Iniesta, one of the smallest but most exquisite passers on the field.

The Dutch were down to 10 men, and the ugly game was grinding its way down to a penalty-kick shootout when substitute Cesc Fabregas found Iniesta free on the right side in the 116th minute, and the Barcelona magician they call "El Ilusionista" (The Illusionist) gave it one touch and then volleyed it eight yards past the outstretched arms of Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. The goal spared the 84,490 fans at Soccer City and the estimated TV audience of 700 million a shootout.

After he scored, Iniesta ripped off his jersey to reveal a T-shirt that read: Dani Jarque Siempre Con Nosotros (Always With Us), a tribute to the former Spanish player who died last August of a heart attack at age 26.

"I simply made a small contribution in a match that was very tough, very rough," Iniesta said. "All sorts of things were happening on the pitch. Spain deserved to win this world championship. It's something we will always remember."

Despite an impressive pedigree of world-class players, this was Spain's first World Cup final. La Furia Roja, as the Spanish team is known, entered this tournament as cofavorites with Brazil after winning the 2008 European championship. Spain started slowly, with a shocking 1-0 loss to Switzerland, but eventually found its stylish passing game and reached Sunday's final.

Spain's opponent was formidable. The Dutch were riding a 25-match unbeaten streak. They won all eight qualifiers and all six matches here, and their orange army of fans was hoping they finally would be able to celebrate their first World Cup title after the Dutch lost in the 1974 and 1978 finals.

The evening began with a lively musical closing ceremony and an appearance by civil rights icon and former South African president Nelson Mandela. One week shy of his 92nd birthday, the frail leader rode onto the field in a golf cart with his wife, Graca Machel. He wore a black coat, black hat and a gentle smile as he waved at the adoring crowd. Mandela didn't stay for the match, but the audience included dozens of dignitaries.

Hassan Ammar / Associated PressWith the celebration just beginning for the Spanish players (top), the Netherlands' Mark van Bommel (6) argues with English referee Howard Webb (second from left) after Andres Iniesta scored the decisive goal during the World Cup final on Sunday.

Fifteen African heads of state were in attendance, as were Queen Sofia of Spain and Jan Peter Balkenende, the prime minister of the Netherlands. Other celebrities included Placido Domingo, newly crowned Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal and actors Morgan Freeman and Charlize Theron.

The match closed the curtain on this historic tournament, held on African soil for the first time ever. There was much worry before the event that it was too much for an emerging nation to handle, but the host quickly put all concerns to rest. On Sunday, it was time to celebrate and blow the vuvuzelas one last time.

The red-and-orange party started early in the afternoon, as thousands of fans of both teams gathered at Nelson Mandela Square and serenaded each other with light-hearted digs. It was a festive atmosphere, as Dutch and Spanish fans danced arm-in-arm.

There was no such camaraderie between the teams once the game began. It was clear from the start that the Dutch plan was to thwart the silky-passing Spaniards with muscle and not let them find a rhythm. English referee Howard Webb pulled out his first yellow card in the 11th minute for Dutch forward Robin Van Persie, and by the 25th minute, five players had been booked.

The fouls continued, and the stop-and-go match never found a flow. Fans expected quality soccer from the two talented teams, but instead got 120 minutes of bruising. When it was over, nine Dutch players and five Spaniards had been carded. Dutch defender John Heitinga was ejected with a second yellow in the 109th minute. The previous high for a World Cup final was six yellows in 1986. Angry Dutch players surrounded Webb after the match, but their complaints didn't help.

"They have made it very difficult for us to play comfortably," said Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque, who was thrown up in the air by his players after the win. "It was a very intense match."

Asked if he thought the Dutch used dirty tactics, he replied: "I am here to speak about the good, beautiful things of football. Holland played a good game, so did we. It was a very intense battle, a very balanced, even, tight match. Yes, it was rough at times, but it is part of football. Spain, the country, deserves this triumph, this reward, this World Cup. It goes beyond sport. We have to celebrate."

Spain had the better chances as the game went on, with Sergio Ramos hitting a header over the bar in the 77th minute. The Dutch had a great opportunity in the 62nd minute, when Wesley Sneijder split the Spanish defense and put the ball into the path of Arjen Robben, who blasted a shot that goalkeeper Iker Casillas blocked with his feet.

"Even with 10 players, I thought we would be able to make it to the end and get to penalty kicks," Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk said. "It's sad, really, to lose the final in this way. It's disappointing because we came so close. We could've won it."

Van Marwijk was on the defensive after the match, as reporters accused his team of playing dirty, one even saying it was akin to karate.

"It's not our style to commit horrible fouls," he said. "It's not our kind of football. It has been our intention to play beautiful football, but we also were facing a very good opponent. Both sides committed terrible fouls. It might be regrettable for a final.

"You are looking at this from a Spanish perspective, but there were quite some fouls on both sides I don't think the referee controlled the match well. But let me be clear -- the best team won the match."

The Spanish players celebrated by jumping in a circle and raising the trophy toward the sky as red fireworks filled the chilly night air. You could sense their relief. The underachiever label gone for good.

Where does Ohio's disdain for LeBron James now leave former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell? Probably with only a temporary reprieve.

Matt Houston / Associated Press"I’m not waiting around for LeBron to take me off the hook," Art Modell told The Baltimore Sun on Saturday after some media polls suggested Cleveland fans were replacing him on their most-hated lists with the former Cavalier. "I'm not on any hook." But Modell did agree that James' televised announcement was an embarrassment. "That was a ridiculous promotion," he said. "Whose idea was that? That's not sports on primetime television. It's absurd."

Peter Schmuck

The Baltimore Sun

BALTIMORE -- When LeBron James announced to a national television audience Thursday that he was forsaking home and hearth to pursue his hoop dreams in Miami, he immediately shot to the top of the list of the greatest villains in Cleveland sports history.

And why not? The kid who grew up in nearby Akron was offered more money to remain in his home state and try again to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA title, but chose instead to jump town and rub that decision in the faces of his longtime fans on an unprecedented one-hour ESPN announcement special.

So, where does that leave former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, who has held the title of the most hated sports figure in Northeast Ohio since he moved that team to Baltimore in 1995?

Probably with only a temporary reprieve.

It seems like every media outlet in the Cleveland area is running a poll to find out where LeBron's departure ranks among the great civic disappointments of all time and where "The King" now stands among the most hated sports figures in the city's history.

No one should be surprised that in the immediate emotional aftermath of James' departure, he is beating Modell in some of the local Internet media polls. In fact, in a Fox8.com poll with nearly 5,400 responses by early Saturday, Modell was being out-hated by a 2-1 margin, but this new civic indignity isn't likely to make local fans view him in a different light.

If you want some evidence, consider the poll run by The Plain Dealer that asked what fans considered the greatest disappointment in Cleveland sports history. When the question was cast that way, 64 percent of respondents chose the departure of the Browns and only 29 percent chose the departure of LeBron.

That's not hard to understand. The Browns were an institution in Cleveland for a long time and their absence created a gaping hole in the area's sports legacy. LeBron is an individual player who was the most popular athlete in town for seven years. He'll certainly be missed, but at least he didn't take the rest of the franchise with him, so Modell probably won't be off the hook for long.

"I'm not waiting around for LeBron to take me off the hook," Modell said Saturday. "I'm not on any hook. I did what I thought was right for the players, coaches and employees in my organization. I have no regrets."

Modell moved the team only after Cleveland rebuffed his repeated requests for a new stadium while building new facilities for the Indians and Cavaliers. He needed more revenue to ease a large debt burden and got it by bringing the Browns to Baltimore. His alternative was to remain in antiquated Cleveland Stadium.

For those who want to compare that to Robert Irsay's midnight ride a decade earlier, keep in mind that Modell left the Browns name and colors, and the fans were quickly guaranteed a new Browns franchise and the new stadium the city would not build for the old franchise.

James is an Ohio native who has been treated very much like a king in Cleveland. The Cavaliers offered him more than the Miami Heat, though the tax advantages of living in Florida will offset much of the difference. He said on Thursday night that he didn't want to leave Cleveland, but it's pretty hard to support that contention when he didn't have to leave and wasn't lured away by a much larger contract.

For a lot of people, it was the way he left -- with the special one-hour ego trip on Thursday night and Friday's over-the-top celebration in Miami -- that was most galling. That's one thing upon which Cleveland fans and Modell can agree.

"I didn't watch it," Modell said. "That was a ridiculous promotion. Whose idea was that? That's not sports on primetime television. It's absurd."

The bottom line: LeBron had a right to do what he did, but Cleveland sports fans have a right to thumb their noses at him and curse his future endeavors. That's what they did to Modell, but the curse only lasted until the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2001.

Still, Modell seems to harbor no ill will toward his former home and the people who came with him to Baltimore all seem to maintain an affection for Cleveland.

"I love Cleveland," Modell said. "Cleveland was my home and I loved every second of it. I didn't think they were going to have a parade for me when we left, but I hoped they'd remember the good things we did in Cleveland."

Ravens senior vice president for public relations Kevin Byrne, who came to Baltimore with the franchise, can't help but sympathize with the Cleveland sports community.

"It's sad for Cleveland," Byrne said. "It's a traditional car-based and steel-based economy. They've lost so much and it wears on the people there. I've been involved in it. I was there for "The Drive" and the fumble in Denver and the Browns' move to Baltimore. So, it was an absolute delight for them to hit the lottery and get LeBron and see him dominate right from the start. It was a great seven-year run."

Now, it's over and there are a lot of former LeBron lovers who have become LeBron haters. Their blood is running hot right now, which has temporarily taken some of the historical heat off Modell, but old grudges die hard.

Modell told a Cleveland radio show on Friday that when the dust settles, he likely will remain "the most hated man in Cleveland."

Sadly, he's probably right.

Anything goes? Columnist Norman Chad writes that the Internet makes so much information so accessible, but how much of that information is reliable?

Anything goes? Columnist Norman Chad writes that the Internet makes so much information so accessible, but how much of that information is reliable?

LeBron James' prime-time, nationally televised announcement that he would be leaving Cleveland and going to the Miami Heat generated $6 million in advertising revenue.

View full sizeRichard Arden,
Associated Press/ESPNLeBron James nationally televised announcement that he would be leaving the Cavs for the Miami Heat generated $6 million in advertising revenue.

LeBron James' prime-time announcement on ESPN that he would be taking his talents to South Beach and the Miami Heat generated $6 million in advertising revenue, according to adage.com, the only arm of Advertising Age magazine. The network donated the time and the ad revenues were donated to various charities. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America were the greatest benefactors, receiving about $2.5 million.

Uber-agent Ari Emanuel is the man behind the program, said adage.com. And though the move broke the hearts of a Cleveland fan base that had supported James for his seven-year pro career, and even before that as a high school star at St. Vincent-St. Mary, Emanuel defended it as the shape of things to come.

"Everybody can say what they want -- it was the wrong decision, there was too much hoopla, whatever -- but for me it  was about doing the event, getting the advertisers to participate and doing it for charity," Mr. Emanuel said. "This was a major success for advertisers, and we're getting closer to pushing the needle on advertiser-content programming."

"At this point, the only thing that will keep me interested until football season is a roster completely full of hungry kids. Just don't think I can watch much more of Jhonny, 'Half-ner' and Marte." - spIndianFever

View full sizeAP FileSome fans aren't sure how much more they can take of watching Indians' veterans struggle.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians enter All-Star break on losing end, 6-5, to Tampa Bay in 10 innings, cleveland.com reader spIndianFever is hoping to see more prospects in Cleveland soon. This reader writes,

"At this point, the only thing that will keep me interested until football season is a roster completely full of hungry kids. Just don't think I can watch much more of Jhonny, 'Half-ner' and Marte."

"Danny Ferry did an overall good job, but some of his decisions seemed desperate. Mike Brown is a very good defensive coach who would have been the right guy to work with a young team now that the 'King' is gone. Both were sacrificed in a last ditch effort to keep James. It is easy to look back and see all the mistakes the morning after, but the Cavs have a good future with a committed owner and a good coach in Byron Scott. James, on the other hand, will end up very wealthy but with a weakened legacy and no place to call home." - jknight50

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain DealerMike Brown failed to win a title in Cleveland with LeBron James.

In response to the story Terry Pluto's talkin' ... about the Browns' potential ballhawks, Tribe's Jayson in the Nix of time and why the Cavs should not seek short cuts, cleveland.com reader jknight50 thinks the Cavaliers became victims of trying to appease LeBron James. This reader writes,

"Danny Ferry did an overall good job, but some of his decisions seemed desperate. Mike Brown is a very good defensive coach who would have been the right guy to work with a young team now that the 'King' is gone. Both were sacrificed in a last ditch effort to keep James. It is easy to look back and see all the mistakes the morning after, but the Cavs have a good future with a committed owner and a good coach in Byron Scott. James, on the other hand, will end up very wealthy but with a weakened legacy and no place to call home."

Cleveland's sports bloggers discuss what adding Bobby Engram means to the Browns, plus look ahead for the Cavaliers and look back on LeBron's decision.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerBobby Engram's signing may just be insurance against Brian Robiskie picking up where he left off from a disappointing 2009.

Browns

Cleveland Reboot: "I've always enjoyed Engram – simply based on the idea that the Bears gave up on him a full decade ago, only to watch him become one of league's more productive wideouts. But again – the odds of a 37-year old wide receiver contributing are pretty slim. However, the idea here is that Engram could prove to be a nice safety net, especially given the tenuous nature of Brian Robiskie as a starting wideout. Although I've already heard the howls of many Browns faithful who think the Engram signing is an indication that the Browns are again reaching for veterans – think about the 'greening' of the team in 2009 – this move is simply for insurance purposes. If Mohammed Massaquoi continues to progress and if Robiskie can unlock his NFL potential, this is a move that will be easily forgotten." » Read more

Cavaliers

WaitingForNextYear: "LeBron is now gone and there is hardly any quick fix that will instantly jump this team to being one of the best anytime soon. ... So, what should the Cavaliers do with the remainder of their team? Blow it up. Get rid of guys left and right. Please don’t acquire more bad contracts of players that are not on the right side of their prime years in the league." » Read more

Land Loyalty (formerly LeBrowns Town): "Was he entitled to a fresh start? Absolutely. But there was no need to bring the Cavs along for the ride only to leave the franchise in shambles. No person with respect for the organization would have dragged the team through the mud like LeBron did. In fact, one could argue that LeBron never really gave the Cavs a chance. The six-year deal he'll receive from the Heat? He never offered the Cavs that long of a commitment." » Read more

"No need to worry Art. Your legacy is cemented." - berniebrown

View full sizeAP FileArt Modell.

In response to the story Art Modell on LeBron James' fallen status in Ohio? 'I'm not waiting around for LeBron to take me off the hook', cleveland.com reader berniebrown doesn't think that's a concern. This reader writes,

"No need to worry Art. Your legacy is cemented."

Terry also says LeBron-less Cavs should be glad they have Byron Scott as their coach moving forward.

AP photoByron Scott is a good for for the Cavaliers moving forward, Terry Pluto says on today's Starting Blocks TV.

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Bill Lubinger. Today's highlights:

• Should the NBA look into collusion charges against the Miami Heat in the wake of their signing of LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade? Vote in the Starting Blocks poll posted now in the blog.

• Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto, today's guest on the show, says he thinks the NBA should make at least some effort to investigate collusion, if even just to put the team on the hot seat. Also, Terry, who wrote a column for today about Byron Scott, talks about how patient the Cavaliers should be with their new coach. He adds that they the LeBron-less team will be better off with a coach who has been through NBA battles instead of an inexperienced coach like Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

Starting Blocks TV will return Tuesday.

Seventy wins a year, and an annual title seem like givens for LeBron James and his "Big Three" Miami Heat teammates.

View full sizeMiami HeraldDwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James (left to right on your radio dial) will rack up ring after ring, insists a blogger. Gee, why even bother playing, then?

Bill Simonson, who writes "The Huge Blog" for Mlive.com, was pretty blunt about the hourlong informercial LeBron James conducted on Thursday: It never should have happened. But Simonson was equally blunt about his prediction for the revamped Miami Heat: 70 wins a year and championships for the next five years.

The highest level of basketball is not a team game. It is about stars taking over when needed and matchup problems. Wade, James and Bosh will create so many lopsided mismatches that teams will not be able to handle them.

And while some critics have said the Heat still have a holes in their roster – notably the lack of a good guard, a la Rayjon Rondo – Simonson said it won't matter one whit.

Talk of Miami needing more talent to win is absurd. Michael Jordan made millionaires out of a bunch of mid-level NBA players around him. He won six rings because no one could stop him even when they knew he was getting the ball.

Throw Wade, Bosh and James on the same court, and all you can do is pray they are off their game. That is the only way to beat them. The rest of the league and the fans know it. This is why the Miami Heat have become the New York Yankees of basketball without the Big Three having played a game together.Five titles in a row will be easy if they stay healthy.

"If they stay healthy." Fortunately for them, Cavs fans are above ensuring that's not the case.

On the other hand, don't discount the new Cavs. Fifty cents says that coach Byron Scott could've gotten James the title he so desperately craves, and gotten it right here in Cleveland.

All this rage is coming from a man who regularly buys and sells players. On the surface, it seems little more than the hypocrisy of a businessman who had a deal fall through. But behind Gilbert's rage is more than hypocrisy. What infuriated Gilbert was that his money wasn't enough to retain the services of LeBron James. James and two other friends from the American Olympic basketball team, Chris Bosh and Dwayne, decided that they wanted to become the nucleus of the best team in professional basketball.

. . . In basketball, as in most professional sports, it is owners working with general managers who are traditionally responsible for assembling a team. James, Bosh and Wade, in remaking the Miami Heat, were, in effect, saying that idea is old hat. Owners are not the only ones who can put together a great team. Talented players can do the same job just as well.

In one of the few businesses in America in which workers have greater name recognition than the executives who pay them, the result has been a sports revolution. Owners such as Dan Gilbert have now been warned: the old formula for making a profit based on fielding mediocre teams and charging high ticket prices is in jeopardy. Players who want to see their sport played at the highest level can create their own teams. The example set by James, Bosh and Wade can be duplicated by others.

OK, Starting Blocks will give basketball to Mills. But it could never happen in baseball or football, with their larger rosters.

We hope.

NBA commissioner David Stern fined Steve Kerr (then of Phoenix) for making a joke about James prior to the start of free agency. Yet three players appear to have manipulated an entire league. Turning a blind eye to what the players did would be an insult to every fan in Cleveland who paid for a ticket the last seven years. Is it difficult to prove wrongdoing? Of course. Worth investigating? Absolutely, whether a team complains or not. If the league doesn't look into what happened, its anyone's guess the next team and city to be buried because of some prearranged deal between players.

Too, Stern has acted in the past. Years ago Juwan Howard signed a free agent contract with the Heat when they had a young Alonzo Mourning. Howard and Miami (including Pat Riley) celebrated. Stern investigated, found tampering, and sent Howard back to Washington.

This does not make the letter written by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert perfect. It was over the top in some ways. But ... it also was honest, and knowing a fraction of what happened does explain Gilbert's anger and raw emotions. Too, Gilbert voiced the feelings and frustrations of almost every Cavaliers fan. That he's admired by those fans doesn't make the vitriol OK, but it also doesn't make it a "slave" relationship, as Jesse Jackson described.

Slaves don't make the millions James did, in Cleveland, for a good team. James is a high-paid athlete who, as Jackson properly said, lived up to his contract, then left. He's not a slave, and never was.

End of story? Maybe. But that's up to Stern. David, not Howard, although the radio Stern may wish his show were this bizarre.

Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert rejects Rev. Jesse Jackson's allegation that Gilbert's letter on the heels of LeBron James' departure had a "slave master mentality."

View full sizeRon T. Ennis,
Fort Worth Star-TelegramCavaliers manjority owner Dan Gilbert fired off a brief denial in the face of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's allegation that Gilbert's letter about LeBron James' indicated "a slave master mentality." This photo shows Jackson at this year's NBA All-Star game in Texas.

In a statement on cavs.com, Gilbert wrote: "I strongly disagree with Rev. Jesse Jackson's recent comments and we are not going to engage in any related discussion on it. Going forward, we're very excited about the Cavaliers and the positive future of our region."

Columnists around the nation react to LeBron James' decision to take his talents to South Beach (a.k.a. the Miami Heat).

View full sizeAssociated PressCavs fans might have agreed with the Knicks faithful who booed LeBron James when he showed up in New York for Carmelo Anthony's wedding this weekend. Some columnists from around the nation might've agreed, as well.

No question about it: Just about every sports columnist in the United States took his talents to South Beach -- figuratively speaking -- when Cavs star LeBron James said he was eschewing his home state for the warmer, gaudier climes of South Florida and the Miami Heat.

Starting Blocks took a little time to check out some of the rants -- and raves -- from scribes around the country about what Clevelanders view as the biggest defection since Benedict Arnold, and Miami residents see as the greatest thing since the invention of neon lights.

• Greg Cote, a columnist for the Miami Herald, likened Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's open letter to fans about LeBron James' decision to bolt to the Heat to a drunken 3 a.m. phone call to an ex-girlfriend's answering machine.

While it probably wasn't the brightest move Gilbert has made, there was no evidence he was schnockered at the time, which Cote acknowledges. But the writer goes beyond taking shots at an angry owner. He took on the city, as well.

Dear Dan and Cavs fans: LeBron had every right to leave, and he chose a better team and a better city than what you could offer. Deal with it. The shame in this isn't that LeBron chose to leave or even in the way he did. The Cavaliers owner and Cleveland fans are the ones who are shamed by their almost comically childish response.

Mama always said it was easier to be a gracious loser than a gracious winner. Chalk another win up for Mama.

• Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News pointed out what should be obvious: The pairing of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James has inherent problems in that both are used to being "the man" for their team.

The natural tendency for great players thrown together is to become too deferential. Wade won't want to take the last shot all the time. Neither will James. I'm not even sure where poor Chris Bosh fits into the plan (not poor by financial standards, but you know what I mean). The Heat certainly won't be calling plays to feature his skills.

Wade and James are too much alike to thrive together naturally. This isn't Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, where there was a very obvious "A" player and "B" player. And the "B" player just happened to be the best defender in the league.

Even if you label Wade a shooting guard and James a small forward, both take on point guard roles in crunch time. Both need to dribble the ball and drive. It's what they do best.

At least it was until now.

It IS wrong to enjoy someone else's pain. Isn't it?

• Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press said that Cleveland won by losing. Honest.

The events of last week have lost you a superstar, but they gained you a nation. They made you sympathetic. Cleveland with LeBron was like Julia Roberts with Lyle Lovett -  a nice romance, but the clock was always ticking. Ah, but once those two split up, who got the public embrace? The beautiful, famous actress -- or the plain-faced country singer?

That's right. Mr. Plain Face. Julia was hated. Julia got the "How could you?" Lyle was beloved. Because Lyle is one of us. Regular folk.

And so are you.

That'll be a great comfort next year . . . to Cavs fans watching the LeBron, Wade and Bosh in the Finals. Those are the same Cleveland sports fans who, sadly, watched two ex-Indian Cy Young winners - C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee - pitch for the Yankees and Phillies in last year's World Series.

Sigh.

• Mike Lopresti of USA Today noted that the onus now is on the Heat.

And after the gaudy exercise in excess Thursday night, this can be said about future Miami resident LeBron James: He and his new mates had better win. No, strike that from the record. They'd better flatten earth and take no prisoners. The Heat never had more heat. Only a championship -- more than one, in fact -- will allow them to get away with this and not be infamous. They have made the Yankees look like the Salvation Army.

Nothing is really funny about all this . . . except the mental picture Lopresti created of George Steinbrenner standing on a streetcorner waving a handbell and asking for donations.

• Dan Shaughnessy, columnist for the Boston Globe, who leveled a few complaints at LeBron James and the Cavs during the Celtics' series-winning run to the NBA Finals, let 'im have it again.

"Despicable Me."

Starring LeBron James, ESPN, Jim Gray, and the Miami Heat.

All despicable.

It's been more than 36 hours since "The Decision" and I'm still nauseous.

Truly, has there ever been a more hideous sports-related hour than what we saw Thursday night?

It's hard to know where to start. We had MeBron speaking of himself in the third person and saying, "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach." We had ESPN lying to us about at what point MeBron would announce his move, then morphing into game-show mode. We had Gray forever forfeiting all semblance of integrity, taunting America (particularly Clevelanders) by intentionally delaying the only question we wanted him to ask. And now we have the Miami Heat -- a veritable team of A-Rods, the team we will root against in every game as long as LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are together.

Despicable. All of them.

OK, D. Cavs fans say all is forgiven now.

• Mike Wise of the Washington Post didn't let LeBron James off the hook, either. He didn't call him a petulant little schoolboy, wanting to take his ball and go home. Not quite, anyway. But he did note that James lacks, well, let's just leave it at "James lacks."

But give King Fame this: On the night the NBA's No. 1 free agent proposed to Miami and dumped northeastern Ohio, at least the showman was smart enough to know that if he ever wanted to hoist a championship trophy, he needed a genuine leader such as Dwyane Wade to get him there.

Oh, and he can't be Magic now. Or Bird. Or Michael. Or Isiah Thomas, Tim Duncan or Bill Russell or any other NBA supernova who stuck around long enough to win championships for a town and its people.

LeBron can be Shaquille O'Neal, who left Orlando amid hard feelings to become a basketball mercenary in many more glorious pastures. He can be Kevin Garnett, who had to leave Minnesota to win it all.

As a legacy guy, he needs to know: His decision to spurn the Cavaliers for more talent and hope in Miami forbids LeBron from ever being one of those all-time greats who persevered through coaching changes, roster changes and wrenching playoff losses to lift a trophy to the rafters for the team who drafted him.

In short, basketball fans know Michael Jordan. Basketball fans watched Michael Jordan. Basketball fans suffered, then celebrated with Michael Jordan. You, sir, are no Michael Jordan.