LeBummer: LeBron shuns Cleveland

Two-time NBA MVP LeBron James shunned loyalty and his hometown by announcing he would sign with the Miami Heat during a televised special tonight.

Miami likely will offer a 5-year contract worth $99 million. LeBron could have signed for six years and $128 million in Cleveland.

With the Heat, LeBron will join superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who committed to the team earlier this week.

The decision, which was supposed to be announced within the first 10 minutes of the 9 p.m. special, was not made until 9:27. ESPN didn't even go live to a visibly nervous LeBron until a little after 9:20.

LeBron's announcement to dedicate himself to winning instead of being loyal came at The Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn.

Shortly after, Bosh tweeted his pleasure of LeBron's decision. Wade later welcomed LeBron and Bosh to Miami.

The Akron native is the latest Cleveland sports star to leave the city after failing to win a championship. He joins Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle and Jim Thome. Other stars, such as Bernie Kosar, C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee, have been released or traded away during rebuilds.

But losing LeBron hurts more than any of the city's other losses, including the loss of the Cleveland Browns franchise in 1995. Some believe LeBron will replace Art Modell as the most hated man in Cleveland.

Just a few weeks ago, LeBron proclaimed that everything he does in his career is for the city Akron, but how does bolting for a team 1,200 miles away benefit Akron?

When asked about Cleveland, LeBron had a vague, emotionless response.

"It's hard to explain," LeBron said, later adding, "I never wanted to leave Cleveland."

No explanation would even cut it for Cavs fans, people who LeBron said he is "not sure" of what their reaction will be. Consider everything he did, and it's not hard to expect what most fans' reactions will be.

He had brought the city hope that it would win its first major sports championship since 1964.

He had brought the city to the NBA Finals in 2007.

He had brought the city an identity.

He had brought the city its first true superstar since Jim Brown in the 1960s.

Now, that is all gone, and the Cavs are left reeling, hoping to scrounge up a trade or sign a significant free agent in hopes of making the playoffs in the 2010-11 season.

All the while, the lasting image of its greatest superstar will be him ripping off his jersey after he virtually gave up on his team against Boston in the 2010 playoffs.

Image via

Jonny Flynn to Cleveland?

Former Syracuse star point guard Jonny Flynn is a target of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I would assume Mo Williams will be central to a trade between the two teams, but Cleveland would have to give up more than an aging veteran to get the rising star from Minnesota.

Flynn, the No. 6 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, started 81 games last season, averaging 13.5 points per game. Some NBA experts believe Flynn could be the league's next star point guard.

The move could be a last-minute attempt by the Cavs to convince LeBron James to return to Cleveland because both players are represented by the same agent.

Ever since Williams had a lackluster appearance during this season's playoffs, the team has been actively seeking a point guard. They tried to lure LeBron's friend and arguably the best point guard in the league Chris Paul to the team recently, but now they are settling for a secondary choice. At this time, however, Flynn is not a direct replacement for Paul, so a completed trade could not even affect LeBron's decision-making.

Cleveland needs a faster point guard to help run the offense. The Cavs have been a defense-first team the past several seasons, and appear to be trying to improve their offense this offseason, with or without LeBron.

While not a fan of Syracuse, I always liked watching Flynn play college ball. I often wondered if he would transition well to the NBA game, but I think he proved he can hang with the big boys his rookie season.

He has plenty of upside and would make a great addition to the Cavs in a partial rebuild if LeBron leaves town.

Flynn's photo on Wikipedia features him in a Yankees hat, so if LeBron stays with Cleveland and this trade happens, the two could at least root for the Yankees together.

Cleveland bracing for biggest sports backstabbing ever

Will one of the Cavs' greatest shots ever become a worse memory for the city?
The city of Cleveland has been shunned by numerous star athletes throughout the years, but the city is bracing itself for the biggest backstabbing in its history tonight, as reports suggest LeBron James is leaning toward creating a megateam with Dwayne Wade in Chris Bosh in Miami.

His decision will become official shortly after 9 p.m. tonight when James will formally announce his destination toward the beginning of an hour-long ESPN special called "The Decision."

Many Clevelanders, myself included, believe if LeBron uses a TV special just to shun the city, it would be the most selfish and hurtful way to leave, putting him miles ahead of recent Cleveland sports heroes gone villains Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle and Jim Thome in the classlessness department.

Some speculation says LeBron, Wade and Bosh made up their minds about this situation weeks ago with each of them wooing other teams just to keep it covered up. If true, that would explain Bosh's refusal to accept a sign-and-trade to Cleveland and could end with tampering charges filed against the Heat.

James has expressed loyalty to Akron and Cleveland over and over again, including a tattoo of the word and saying, "Everything I do is for this city. I'm going to continue to do great things. I love every last one of you all. Akron is home," during an appearance as a rally in Akron on June 21.

Well, LeBron, since you are inviting anyone to submit a question to you via Twitter, I will propose the following: How does leaving the Cleveland Cavs (if you do so) fit your quote of "Everything I do is for Akron?"

I'm going to leave this alone until tonight both for my own personal sanity and to let things run their natural course before jumping to major conclusions.

July 8 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Texas 4, Cleveland 3 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Detroit 4, Baltimore 2 | Detroit Free-Press
-Toronto 6, Minnesota 5 | Minneapolis Star-Tribune
-Chicago 5, Los Angeles Angels 2 | Chicago Tribune | Peavy lost for season
-Kansas City 7, Seattle 3 | Kansas City Star

Standings:

Team W L GB
Detroit 45 37 --
Chicago 45 38 1
Minnesota 45 39 1.5
Kansas City 39 46 8
Cleveland 33 51 13.5

LeBron decision imminent

At 9 p.m. on Thursday night, LeBron James will officially announce which team he is signing with during an hour-long ESPN special, but he reportedly has already narrowed his choices to Cleveland or Miami.

In Cleveland, LeBron will remain on his hometown team with an extremely loyal fan base, but in Miami, he can join two of the best players in the league in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who committed to the Heat early this morning. Adding LeBron would make Miami immediate contenders.

Sadly for Cleveland, all the signs point to LeBron leaving the city.

Formerly a critic of athletes who detail their personal lives via social networks, LeBron started a Twitter feed yesterday, breaking his previous remarks by posting this morning about waking up.

He has also started a new website that is launching soon, presumably Thursday night or Friday night after announcing his decision. Changing teams would be the perfect time for the NBA's biggest star to launch a new site.

The old LeBron would never have done either of these things. Is the new tech savvy LeBron a LeBron who is looking for change or is he just a LeBron catching up to the times? I'll go with the former.

As always, this speculation does not mean the end for Cleveland.

Miami will forever be Dwayne Wade's city, so no matter how well LeBron plays, he will be second fiddle to Wade. In Cleveland, LeBron is already arguably the most popular athlete in the city's history.

LeBron has been called an uncoachable player in the past. It's hard to say that with certainty, but Heat president Pat Riley is unlikely to deal with that type of behavior. Of course, LeBron could change his style to play for a coach who has won multiple championship rings and knows about the winning pedigree.

The most pressing issue, though, may be finding enough shots to satisfy all three superstars in Miami. All three players are used to being the driving force on their team, so what might happen if they team up together is disastrous chemistry.

Come Thursday night, the entire world will know.

July 7 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Texas 12, Cleveland 1 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Detroit 7, Baltimore 5 (F/11) | Detroit Free-Press
-Minnesota 7, Toronto 6 | Minneapolis Star-Tribune
-Chicago 4, Los Angeles Angels 1 | Chicago Tribune
-Kansas City 3, Seattle 2 | Kansas City Star

Standings:

Team W L GB
Detroit 45 37 --
Minnesota 45 38 0.5
Chicago Sox 44 38 1
Kansas City 38 46 8
Cleveland 33 50 12.5

Back to business...Cleveland sports notes

Sorry I have been away for a few days. Hopefully that will be the last time for awhile that I'll be away for that many days in a row.

Below are my thoughts on some of the recent Cleveland sports headlines.

Fausto Carmona is an All-Star...but should be be?

Cleveland's lone representative in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is pitcher Fausto Carmona.

In my opinion, he was the third best candidate for that role on the Indians. Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was my first choice to be the Tribe's All-Star (even after he got hurt) and pitcher Mitch Talbot (8-7, 3.86 ERA, 50 SO) has numbers equally impressive as Carmona (7-7, 3.69 ERA, 57 SO).

Carmona's selection does make for a good story because at this time last season, he was pitching at Triple-A. He made his final start of the season's first half on June 4, an 11-3 loss to Minnesota, leaving him at 2-6 with a 7.42 ERA. He returned to the team at the end of July and has been a different pitcher ever since.

He has never made the All-Star team, and if he loses on Friday against Tampa Bay, he will go to the game with a sub-.500 record, leaving other AL starters Jered Weaver (8-3, 2.82 ERA) and Justin Verlander (10-5, 3.85 ERA) to scratch their heads over the selection process that left them off the roster.

Weaver would have been on the team if there was not a rule in place that says every team must be represented at the game. While I love the Indians, I truly believe the team should not have an All-Star this season.

More injuries

Injuries have been a popular theme for the Indians this season.

Shin-Soo Choo injured his thumb on Friday diving to make a catch against Oakland, but he doesn't likely need surgery and should be back on the field before September as was initially reported.

Losing Choo is a blow to Cleveland's lineup, but it also gives Michael Brantley a chance to earn regular at-bats. Since he is a piece of the Tribe's future, I'm alright with seeing him on the field, even at Choo's expense. This is a lost season for Cleveland, so they might as well give everybody they can at-bats whenever they can get them.

The injury I'm more concerned with is Matt LaPorta's. Although he is not expected to miss significant time after being struck by Elvis Andrus' elbow at first base last night, any setback for the future clean-up hitter is not welcomed.

There was not concussion sustained on the play, which would have been the second of LaPorta's young career, but he is not in tonight's lineup. There is no word on whether he will play tomorrow.

LaPorta has hit in seven of the nine games since he was recalled. In that same time, he has four home runs and nine RBIs.

What would a notes column be without LeBron?

1. LeBron James has still not made a decision about where he will play for the 2010-11 season and beyond, but he may make the announcement via Twitter.

He set up an account this afternoon after being convinced to do so by close friend Chris Paul.

2. It was reported by ESPN that Toronto would be open to a sign-and-trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers regarding free agent Chris Bosh.

Bosh, however, reportedly does not have any interest in playing in Cleveland. Like LeBron, Bosh likely wants to be the premiere player on his team, which would be impossible playing alongside LeBron in Cleveland.

But at this time of year, rumors and erroneous/unconfirmed reports have been rampant in many outlets' NBA coverage, so anything is possible until it becomes official.

3. LeBron has made two appearances at his basketball camp in Akron.

The camp would make a good place for LeBron to announce his intentions to resign with the Cavaliers, but it does not appear that will happen. He has not given any indication of his plans whatsoever.

Cleveland sports notes

It's been a busy couple days in Cleveland sports at the same time it was a busy couple days for yours truly.

Scott hired

The Cleveland Cavaliers officially announced the hire of Byron Scott for its head coaching vacancy early Friday morning.

Scott is a 26-year NBA veteran as both a player and coach and was signed to a four-year contract, with the fourth season a team option year.

As a coach, Scott is 352-355 for his career and has made two appearances in the NBA Finals.

He will be formerly introduced at a 3 p.m. press conference today.

With NBA free agency having started yesterday, Scott will be a strong bargaining chip in the LeBron James sweepstakes.

The Cavs already hold the edge to sign LeBron, but if they did not have a coach in place before their official meeting with him, it still would have been difficult to sell his hometown team.

LeBron meetings

LeBron James had free agency meetings with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks yesterday in downtown Cleveland.

He was reportedly impressed by New Jersey's presentation, which included his friend and globally successful rapper Jay-Z. The meeting reportedly included talk of taking LeBron's image globally.

The Knicks, according to reports, showed LeBron a study that said he could earn $1.94 billion dollars in salary and endorsements if he left Cleveland for New York. That same study said LeBron would earn just $700 million in career earnings if he stayed in Cleveland.

This morning, LeBron is holding a meeting with representatives from the Miami Heat, and later in the day, the Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be in town.

On Saturday, the Chicago Bulls and Cavaliers will meet with him.

Tribe streaking

The Cleveland Indians completed a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday afternoon, extending their winning streak to five games.

The Tribe's success has gone largely unnoticed because of the palooza surrounding the Cavs the past week.

Matt LaPorta has been a big part of the recent surge, as the team hasn't lost since he was recalled June 27. He has homered in the past three games.

Finding LaPorta's power stroke is one of the keys to building toward the future for the Indians.

He, combined with several other prominent prospects, including current catcher Carlos Santana, are expected to lead a resurgence of Cleveland baseball in the next 2-3 years.

Cleveland is only 11 1/2 games behind in the AL Central, baseball's weakest division, but it is likely too late for the team to make a serious push for the playoffs this season.

What the team should do instead is give its best prospects Major League at-bats while trading away burdens, such as Jhonny Peralta, Jake Westbrook and Travis Hafner. In addition, the team should try to transition Jason Donald to second base, so he will still have a place to play once Asdrubal Cabrera returns from the disabled list.

July 2 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Cleveland 6, Toronto 1 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Tampa Bay 5, Minnesota 4 (F/10) | Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Standings:

Team W L GB
Minnesota 43 36 --
Detroit 41 36 1
Chicago Sox 40 37 2
Kansas City 34 45 9
Cleveland 31 47 11.5

July 1 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Cleveland 3, Toronto 1 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Minnesota 5, Detroit 1 | Minneapolis Star-Tribune
-Kansas City 7, Chicago White Sox 6 | Kansas City Star

Standings:

Team W L GB
Minnesota 43 35 --
Detroit 41 36 1.5
Chicago Sox 40 37 2.5
Kansas City 34 45 9.5
Cleveland 30 47 12.5