LeBron James

LeBron James, LeBron James and the Miami Heat were thinking about a lot more than basketball Friday. All anyone needed to do was look at their shoes.

James and Dwyane Wade were among several Miami players who took the floor with messages on their sneakers about the death of an unarmed black teenager who was shot by a neighborhood crime-watch volunteer in a suburb of Orlando, Fla. The Heat made quick work of the Pistons in an 88-73 victory, but the focus afterward was on the team’s decision to speak out.

Miami also posed for a picture earlier in the day wearing team-logo hoodies. Trayvon Martin was wearing a hooded sweatshirt when he was shot last month.

“As leaders, as role models, we’re happy that we’re able to shed light on a situation that we feel isn’t right,” James said. “That’s why we did that today.”

James had 17 points and 10 assists, and Wade added 24 points for Miami, which won its fourth straight. The game itself was unremarkable, but the Heat attracted attention well before the opening tip.

Martin was killed as he was returning to a gated community, carrying candy and iced tea. A neighborhood crime-watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, said he acted in self-defense. He has not been arrested, though state and federal authorities are still investigating.

Protests have popped up nationwide in recent days, and Wade posted a photo of himself wearing a hooded shirt to his Twitter and Facebook pages Friday morning. A couple hours later, James posted another photo — this one of 13 Heat players, all wearing team-logo hoodies, their heads bowed, their hands stuffed into their pockets.

NBA All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star Weekend, Dripping with drama and soaked in surreality, even Hollywood would have had trouble scripting this story. In barely three weeks, Jeremy Lin, a Harvard-educated NBA player who was reportedly days away from being cut by his third NBA team in two years, has turned into an overnight sensation.

Behind Lin, the New York Knicks had won nine of their last 11 games entering Thursday night’s showdown with the Miami Heat. Lin, hardly a household name when the calendar turned, has averaged 23.9 points and 9.2 assists since becoming a starter Feb. 4, wowing fans not only in the Big Apple but across the globe.

That, along with his positive persona and pun-worthy last name, have made him the sports story in the country this month, overshadowing even the Dwight Howard trade rumors and the Super Bowl.

Head-LIN-e writers at tabloids across Manhattan began finding many witty ways to describe the hysteria created by the New York Knicks guard’s knack for scoring at will and dishing at random. They played on his monosyllabic last name. Perhaps too much. One ESPN editor was fired for a headline deemed racially insensitive.

According to The Washington Post, Lin has even filed an application to trademark the term “Linsanity,” the most popular of the terms used to describe the recent Lin madness, a phenomenon rarely experienced in sports.

Friday night at Amway Arena, area basketball fans will have an opportunity to see up close what Lin can do when he participates in the “Rising Stars Challenge” as part of this year’s NBA All-Star Game festivities.

“This is a great story,” said Dr. Harry Edwards, a renowned sports sociologist and professor emeritus from the University of California at Berkeley. “He’s another underdog that had been cut by two teams and who supposedly has every insignia of being unable to play in the NBA: He’s from Harvard. He’s Asian-American.

“It’s a story for these times when there’s so much doubt as to whether hard work, or whether perseverance, or whether daring to dream the impossible dream is even viable.”

Lin is not the only superstar participating in the Rising Stars Challenge, which includes players in their first or second years in the league. Among Lin’s teammates on the “Shaq Team” are Clippers forward Blake Griffin — a regular all-star and last year’s dunk champion — and Minnesota rookie sensation Ricky Rubio. And “Team Chuck” includes the past two No. 1 overall draft picks, Washington’s John Wall and Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving.

Cleveland Newspaper

Cleveland Newspaper, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat NBA Match: Match Today NBA Miami Heat Cleveland Cavaliers meeting scheduled Thursday, December 2, 2010 Kick-Off Time: 20:00 EST Stadium: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH

Finding consistency has been a problem for the New York Rangers. This level of success is its broad appeal to longtime rivals. The Rangers will try to continue their strong road game and avenge the defeat this season in the New York Islanders on Thursday night when the teams open a series of homecoming.

After finishing your game and three road trip with victories over Florida and Nashville, the Rangers (01/11/1914) at his home on Monday and lost 3-1 to Pittsburgh red.

The Rangers have won four of five in total before Monday, but fell to 5-7-1 at home, compared to 9-4-0 on the road.

One of those road losses came at Nassau Coliseum on October 11, when the Islanders (5-12-5) scored three third-period goals – two on the power play – to join a 6-4. The defeat was only the second for the Rangers in their last nine visits to Long Island.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Browns rookie QB Colt McCoy (ankle) will not be ready to play this week in Miami to veteran Jake Delhomme will get another start despite almost cost the team the game last week with second-half interceptions two.

“This is a serious mistake,” said Delhomme the Plain-Dealer. “But on the downside, for me, if you’re Charlie Checkdown,” yeah, your stats will look great at the end of Part. But those 13 points, I do not know how many wins you have with that. ”

RG Stephen Neal went on the disabled list Thursday with another shoulder injury. Daniel Connolly, who started three games in place of Neal, will finish the season. The team ran a much more effective last month, after Pro Bowl LG Logan Mankins has ended his contract exclusion.

Neal, 34, spoke to retire last offseason before signing a two-year extension. He is a former wrestling champion and the NCAA has long talked about becoming a UFC fighter after the end of his NFL career.
DE Dwan Edwards is done for the season after being placed on the disabled list Thursday because of a hamstring injury. Edwards signed with the Bills in the offseason offseason as a free agent and started all 11 games. Edwards finished the year tied for fourth in the team with 59 tackles.
Antwan Odom DE (wrist) went on the disabled list Thursday, the fourth team defensive lineman to have season-ending injury. Victor Adeyanju DE, a veteran of four years, was re-signed Odom to take place on the list.
K Jason Hanson (knee) went on the disabled list Thursday, leaving Dave Rayner’s work. The team signed CB Tye Hill to take up file Hanson. Hanson completed 12-of-14 field goal attempts in eight games, connecting on at least 80 percent for the 13th time.

Lebron James Commercial

Lebron James Commercial, The Lebron James Nike commercial that hit the Internet today (see below video for as long as Nike allows you to stay) is approximately one minute and asks again and again … What should I do?

As a resident of Ohio and a Cleveland fan, I think I know exactly what Lebron James should do with himself. For starters, he can kiss my grits. So can Nike. New Balance is for me now, after seeing that ad. Just Do It is a good motto for what Lebron James made the move to the Heat, especially in the way he did. Speaking of which, other than Lebron James can do is grow a pair. The next time you leave a team, you need to meet their fans, managers and leaders in person and tells us up. Finally, and most painfully, Lebron James should shut up and play ball. That is what is there in Miami to do, so just do it. Keep your ads to your own car Benedict Arnold.

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