Travis Outlaw

Travis Outlaw:EAST RUTS-EX-RFORD, NJ – New Jersey Nets have reached an agreement in principle with free agent forward Travis Outlaw on Thursday.

A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Outlaw got a five-year contract worth $ 35 million. The person requested anonymity because the financial terms were not disclosed.

Outlaw played 34 games with the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers last season. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Trail Blazers and 8.7 points and 3.6 rebounds for the Clippers.

The agreement was the Nets for the first time since free agency began last week, and is not even close to being a New Jersey that would excite fans after winning just 12 games last season.

The list of wishes for the new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov and the president and general manager Rod Thorn, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade with Rudy Gay at the head of the fallback position.

Gay re-signed with Memphis. Wade stayed in Miami, and Bosh is to join him there.

All that remains between the franchise player is James, and the Nets are not the favorites to get the MVP on two occasions when he announces his future plans on TV on Thursday night.

The Nets also courted by Utah forward Carlos Boozer, but was divided by the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

That left the Nets with 30 million U.S. dollars to spend on free agents, and began to go through to get Outlaw to come to New Jersey.

“We are very pleased to add Travis to our list,” said Thorn. “He’s a young, athletic fit very well with the style of game that Avery has settled.”

A seven-year veteran, Outlaw of Portland was the first-round draft pick (No. 23 overall) in 2003. He has played in 400 career games, averaging 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22 minutes while shooting .441 from the field and .363 from 3-point line. In six career games of the playoffs, he averaged nine points and three rebounds.

His best season was 2007-08 when he averaged 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Bastille Days Milwaukee

Bastille Days Milwaukee:Bastille day festival in Milwaukee has started today and runs through Sunday. This is the largest French-themed festival in the country, so if you’re near Milwaukee should not miss!

According to the official festival website. It was created to “Celebrate the Independence Day of France with a variety of entertainment options, roaming jugglers, children’s activities, good food and much more!

They have posted a virtual brochure you can read here. http://www.easttown.com/media/mediafile_attachments/01/91-bastillebrochure2010.pdf

Milwaukee’s Bastille Days festival will open at 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 pm, except Sundays, when the festival closes at 9:00 pm.

Lebron James

Lebron James: FOXNews — Like Lindsay Lohan crying in its ruling, the sports and journalistic purists weeping into his beer that LeBron James has been allowed to call all the shots on their next destination in the NBA.
“How dare” they moan, “hijack the league, the process, and even a TV network to control your ad selfishly. He has never won a championship and they deserve no attention.” I have two words for ’em: Ba Loney!

LeBron James is true genius of public relations.

The NBA should be ecstatic at the way he has dominated the news cycle and brought new and positive attention in the league and the game. Commissioner David Stern should erect a statue in honor of King James.

Consider:

• This evening, millions of viewers will tune in to ESPN to watch a sports super star press conference which are not rape, adultery, possession of weapons or drugs. (Not to mention, the dog fights.) Hallelujah!

• All advertising revenue performance by LeBron will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

• The decision to superstar instantly rejuvenate an American city – New York? Chicago? Miami? – As the center of the universe of sport.

• If Miami is the winner “,” seek to create a dynasty of immediate marketing of the new “NBA Three Musketeers”, consisting of James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

• And if Cleveland is the loser, “” look for LeBron to be magnanimous, not just kind words, but also with a substantial donation and commitment to a charity of Cleveland.

In other words, LeBron James, despite his young age and enormous fortune, has always been a “good guy” and even, dare I say, a role model. ” Consequently, the impact of this announcement tonight in the league, sports, cities, and James himself is all good.

So who cares if he’s controlled the agenda and “hijacked” the news of the day?

Would you rather concentrate on the coronation of LeBron or oil thrown from the Gulf of Mexico, clumsy Russian spies or poodling of Al Gore by sex?

I say, “Good for LeBron.”

The king came!

P. Fraser Seitel has been a communications consultant, commentator, writer and teacher for 40 years. He teaches public relations at New York University and author of the textbook, Prentice-Hall “The Practice of Public Relations, now in its eleventh edition, and co-author of Idea Wise.”

Lebron James Heat , Lebron to Miami, Lebron James Miami Heat

Lebron James Heat , Lebron to Miami, Lebron James Miami Heat — Sun Sentinel — As a minimum an important person using taxpayer wealth shrewdly.

That was my first response to the information that the Miami Heat, the free agent trifecta tonight hit by sign LeBron James to exertion with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh set out.

Oh sure, Heat owner Micky Arison is a bazillionaire which owns Carnival Cruise Lines and can afford to throw around $ 100 million contracts, like milk money.

But let’s not forget that a baby Arison, taxpayer-subsidized arena path of the team to help bottom-line extracted.

Until now, the team is now demolished Miami Arena to the Arena America Airlines on the water paid off: The team has already won a championship there, and is looking for a boatload more.

But before we anoint the Heat a championship dynasty, as every NBA experts predict as James hops on board, I have two words of warning: Alex Rodriguez.

If Rodriguez of the New York Yankees in 2004 joined the team everyone expected to win the World Series every year. After all, the legendary Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, along with a brilliant array of highly paid talent.

At the time, Rodriguez was a lot like James is now: The most talented player in his sport, desperately seeking his first title.

The Yankees seemed a sure thing.

But things did not quite work as expected. The Yankees were a soap opera, and A-Rod fought hard for the hearts and minds of the fans to win. He had to make Jeter by switching positions (from the shortstop to third base) and it seemed like there was a never-ending battle over whose team it was ego.

Rodriguez and personal life than the use of steroids was going tabloid fodder.

Meanwhile, the non-championship seasons kept piling up: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

The choir that Rodriguez could not deliver in the postseason continued to grow louder and louder.

Finally, last year in his sixth season with the Yankees, Rodriguez has his World Series ring.

I know basketball and baseball are different sports, and two superstar players can more easily succeed in basketball (where only five players on the floor) than baseball (where there are many more variables), but the similarities between Rodriguez joining the Yankees and James join the Heat are striking.

In both cases you have the established superstars who have already won a title with the team – Jeter with the Yankees and Wade with the Heat.

And then you have the newcomer, experienced and very talented, but selfishly, is to join them.

Will they mesh? And if there is not an instant success, how will they deal with the rocky times?

By all means, loyal fans Heat and South Florida‘s fleet of bandwagon-hoppers we must receive the Dream Team actually comes together tonight. (Well, everyone except coach Erik Spoelstra. When James signs with the Heat, I will bet my mortgage that Pat Riley return to coach the team is part of the deal).

But, remember there are no guarantees in sport.

And dreams can always nightmares.