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Blogs:
Pets:
Sick Pets Get High-tech Health Care
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
The proposed new LeBron mural doesn't do it for me
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Hey, somebody's gotta stick up for the Browns
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Attention Haters, Palin And Hannity Together
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Muslim McCarthyism & Death Prayers
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Norma asks if Barkitecture is still at Stan Hywet.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 10:52 p.m. EST, Nov 06, 2009
NEW YORK: Call it a low-key affair, but the usual circus surrounding a LeBron James appearance at Madison Square Garden never took place.
In fact, it was rather subdued as James fielded many of the same questions so familiar to those in Cleveland.
But there was still a buzz in the air.
''It's never low key coming to the city,'' James said. ''With it being early in the season, it brings a little more excitement because the fans are really excited about their team, to see how their team is going to do today.''
Attention eventually turned to James' status as the top player in the free-agent class of 2010 next summer. He has frequently said that he signed a three-year contract to leave his options open for next year.
Whether that means a return to the Cavaliers or relocating to New York City remains to be seen.
James freely confesses that he's in uncharted waters with this entire scenario, a fact that could indicate he has no idea what he's thinking beyond this season.
''I don't know [what his options are] because it's the first time I've been in this position,'' he said.
He does love New York.
In an open letter to the Big Apple, James expressed his fondness for playing there. He also showed it by donating — along with Nike — seven indoor basketball courts to the youth of New York.
''This is the first thing we've done this year,'' he said. ''It's all about giving back.''
Shaq and Z experiment
Cavs coach Mike Brown said that he will continue to play Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas together at times.
He said he wouldn't play them against the Knicks on Friday night.
''Probably not,'' he said. ''These guys are versatile. [The Knicks] have guys who can go off the dribble.''
The fact is Brown readily admits that he's still fishing for the right combination.
His dilemma with O'Neal and Ilgauskas on the floor together is that they're slow and teams can take advantage of the lack of speed.
Boogie man alert
Courtesy of Peter Vecsey in Rupert Murdoch's New York Post: Dan Gilbert is deathly afraid that if the Cavs don't at least make it to the NBA Finals, James will fly the coop for alleged greener pastures.
Ultimately, Vecsey writes that it can all depend on James' ego.
Heard in the pressroom
How hyped was Friday night's game? The media can never resist a chance to get in a good laugh. From one such media-type person in the Madison Square Garden pressroom: ''If you're having trouble getting on the Internet, they've changed the code to LBJ2010.''
J.J. gets the call
Second-year power forward J.J. Hickson got his first start of the season in place of Anderson Varejao.
The change in the lineup was an attempt to open up the floor. The move also put last year's starting five of James, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Mo Williams and Delonte West on the floor together in the first quarter for an extended amount of time.
The move falls in line with what Brown has said since training camp began — he will continue to tinker with combinations until he gets it right.
Buzzer beaters
The last time James played at the Garden, he had 52 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks. He missed a triple double when the league rescinded a rebound a few days later. . . . This is the Cavs' only trip to the Garden this season, a fact that James lamented during his news conference.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
NEW YORK: Call it a low-key affair, but the usual circus surrounding a LeBron James appearance at Madison Square Garden never took place.
In fact, it was rather subdued as James fielded many of the same questions so familiar to those in Cleveland.
But there was still a buzz in the air.
''It's never low key coming to the city,'' James said. ''With it being early in the season, it brings a little more excitement because the fans are really excited about their team, to see how their team is going to do today.''
Attention eventually turned to James' status as the top player in the free-agent class of 2010 next summer. He has frequently said that he signed a three-year contract to leave his options open for next year.
Whether that means a return to the Cavaliers or relocating to New York City remains to be seen.
James freely confesses that he's in uncharted waters with this entire scenario, a fact that could indicate he has no idea what he's thinking beyond this season.
''I don't know [what his options are] because it's the first time I've been in this position,'' he said.
He does love New York.
In an open letter to the Big Apple, James expressed his fondness for playing there. He also showed it by donating — along with Nike — seven indoor basketball courts to the youth of New York.
''This is the first thing we've done this year,'' he said. ''It's all about giving back.''
Shaq and Z experiment
Cavs coach Mike Brown said that he will continue to play Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas together at times.
He said he wouldn't play them against the Knicks on Friday night.
''Probably not,'' he said. ''These guys are versatile. [The Knicks] have guys who can go off the dribble.''
The fact is Brown readily admits that he's still fishing for the right combination.
His dilemma with O'Neal and Ilgauskas on the floor together is that they're slow and teams can take advantage of the lack of speed.
Boogie man alert
Courtesy of Peter Vecsey in Rupert Murdoch's New York Post: Dan Gilbert is deathly afraid that if the Cavs don't at least make it to the NBA Finals, James will fly the coop for alleged greener pastures.
Ultimately, Vecsey writes that it can all depend on James' ego.
Heard in the pressroom
How hyped was Friday night's game? The media can never resist a chance to get in a good laugh. From one such media-type person in the Madison Square Garden pressroom: ''If you're having trouble getting on the Internet, they've changed the code to LBJ2010.''
J.J. gets the call
Second-year power forward J.J. Hickson got his first start of the season in place of Anderson Varejao.
The change in the lineup was an attempt to open up the floor. The move also put last year's starting five of James, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Mo Williams and Delonte West on the floor together in the first quarter for an extended amount of time.
The move falls in line with what Brown has said since training camp began — he will continue to tinker with combinations until he gets it right.
Buzzer beaters
The last time James played at the Garden, he had 52 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks. He missed a triple double when the league rescinded a rebound a few days later. . . . This is the Cavs' only trip to the Garden this season, a fact that James lamented during his news conference.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
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