OK, here it goes. It's been a long 96 hours, but the situation surrounding LeBron James' contract extension has finally been made clear.
LeBron has agreed to a three-year extension with a player option for a fourth year. It means the Cavs will maintain his rights for an additional two years after 2007-08, the season after which he could have become an unrestricted free agent under his rookie deal.
The new deal will kick in after this upcoming season, which is the final year of his rookie contract. It is essentially one year less than the deal that was offered by the Cavaliers, which was a four-year deal with an option for a fifth year.
So why would LeBron do this? Despite what some members of the national media will tell you, it's not to throw Cleveland a bone so he can say "you had your chance" when he bolts for New York in four years.
It might come to that if GM Danny Ferry fails in putting a capable roster around LeBron, but this extension is designed to help avoid that kind of outcome.

Here are the facts, if you haven't already read them elsewhere:

1. The base part of LeBron's extension will expire after the 2009-10 season. At that point, he will have seven years' experience in the NBA, and his stock will go way up. For this extension, he is eligible to make 25 percent of the league's salary cap in the extension's first year, with percentage increases in ensuing years.
With seven years' experience, he can make 30 percent of the salary cap with higher percentage increases. Knowing that, it would only make sense that he'd want to negotiate a new deal for his eighth NBA season and thereafter.
It has been reported that fellow 2003 draft studs Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade might follow suit and sign three-year extensions with their teams. This might become a trend, and might expose a flaw in the NBA's contract procedures.
If a player can negotiate an extension after his third season in the league, and that extension can be for up to five years on top of his four-year base rookie contract, it means a rookie deal and an extension can eat up potentially the first nine seasons of his career. Yet he is eligible for a significant raise after seven years.
I think you are going to see more star players begin negotiating shorter deals, banking that their earning ability trumps any security a longer deal can offer.

2. This deal keeps LeBron in Cleveland long enough to attract choice free agents, but it also forces the Cavs to keep their foot on the accelerator with regard to winning.
LeBron signed through 2008 would mean that nobody would want to come to Cleveland. No player in his right mind would sign a four or five-year deal only to have the entire impetus for a championship run pack up and leave halfway through.
LeBron's deal means that good players should consider Cleveland an attractive destination both this off-season and next. But it's up to Ferry to manipulate the team's cap space to make signings happen.
And Ferry will have to make hay while the Sun shines. LeBron has been burned just enough by the Cavs' collapses in his first two seasons that he doesn't yet trust this team to build a champion over the long haul. Shortening the deal, keeping unrestricted free agency on the horizon, will be LeBron's way of forcing the Cavs to remain vigilant about building a winner.
Tim Duncan did much the same thing for his first contract extension in San Antonio, also signing for three years. Then the Spurs rattled off some titles, and Duncan reupped for seven more years.

3. The shortened deal doesn't mean LeBron is out of here in four years. Actually, it could mean the contrary. Forcing the Cavs to stay vigilant about winning means the odds of LeBron staying happy here and re-signing in 2009 or 2010 go up.
Look at the Indians, and look at how many players have apparently gotten lax and lazy with the combination of contract extensions and the 93-win season of a year ago. LeBron doesn't want the Cavs slacking. The shortened deal could prevent an ugly situation in which LeBron becomes displeased with the direction of the team and starts to think about demanding a trade.
I don't know about you, but after watching Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome leave and then get booed upon returning to Cleveland, I don't want to see the same thing happen to LeBron.

4. This deal shows how smart LeBron really is. This deal is a shrewd move. Duncan did it before, but because LeBron has done it, it will likely set a trend among other players.
I think that during his weeklong silence, we got the impression that LeBron was somewhere obliviously flipping a coin to decide whether he wanted to stay in Cleveland or not. But LeBron is acutely aware of this situation in his camp, and the situation in Cleveland.
Perhaps I exaggerated the language a bit in previous columns, but I think LeBron truly wants to win a title for Cleveland. Even though he has never particularly been a fan of Cleveland teams, he grew up around here. He knows about The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot. He was in junior high when Jose Mesa blew Game 7 of the World Series. He knows the pain that exists here, and he would get a major kick out of being able to be the guy to deliver this area a championship.
He knows what a devastating blow it would be to Cleveland and the Cavs organization to lose him, so I don't think leaving Cleveland is ever a decision he'll take lightly.
Having said that, he also knows he is supremely talented and has a limited number of years to work with that talent. He's not about to waste his time somewhere where he gets the impression that the commitment to winning is anything under 100 percent.
I have said before that LeBron is a generation-defining player, and I mean both on and off the court. At 21, you and I were cramming for college finals. At 21, not only is LeBron's understanding of basketball well beyond his years, his understanding of the business of basketball is off the charts.
We are truly blessed to have him here.

We know that the Indians are seven games under .500. We know their 18 1/2-game deficit in the division is their worst since the abysmal 105-loss season of 1991.
We know that all logic states that this team should throw in the towel on 2006 and look to next year. Still, letting go of a season with 70-plus games remaining seems so defeatist. And when you factor in what the Indians could receive by purging the roster of most of its veterans, it almost makes sense to hold onto your seasoned players and let the season ride, wherever it's going.
But that would be too inactive for my tastes. Which means the Dolans will probably love it.
If GM Mark Shapiro succeeds in trading off all of his expendable veterans, it would leave the Indians with a pool of grit to try and sift through, looking for a few gold flakes that might or might not be there.
Below I size up with the Indians could reasonably expect to get for some of the team's tradeable veterans, and whether trading the player would even make sense.

Bob Wickman

What the Indians could get for him: A halfway-decent major league bullpen pitcher, fourth outfielder and/or a solid minor-league pitching prospect.

Trade value is: Increasing. Bullpen help is hard to find, and if they wait until right before the trade deadline, the Indians might find a desperate team willing to overpay.

Would trading him make sense? Yes. Wickman will almost certainly not be back next year. He might even retire. Fausto Carmona has looked good enough to merit a shot at the closer's role for the remainder of the season, at least when a save situation comes up.
On pace for 90 losses, this team is not in need of a fulltime closer right now.

Aaron Boone

What the Indians could get for him: cash and a marginal prospect or two.

Trade value is: Steady. Let's face it, it can't get much lower.

Would trading him make sense? Yes. The only reason for the front office to hold prospect Andy Marte back is the fear that he will struggle and make the Coco Crisp trade look like a bust. Sooner or later, Marte is going to need to be given his shot to stick in the bigs.

Ronnie Belliard

What the Indians could get for him: another big-league infielder (a must), maybe a solid minor-league prospect at Class A or AA.

Trade value is: Steady. He's already been a commonly-spoken name in trade rumors. I expect Shapiro has been and will continue to field calls concerning Belliard.

Does trading him make sense? Only if they get another second baseman in return. The Indians have virtually no organizational depth in the middle infield, so if they don't get a replacement for Belliard, the options are to play out the string with Ramon Vazquez (eek!) or rush recently-acquired Asdrubal Cabrera to the majors. And we saw what wonders a premature major league debut did for Brandon Phillips. It's like saying, "Here, Reds. We want to destroy this kid's confidence so we can get fed up with him and trade him to you guys, where he'll turn into an instant all-star."

Paul Byrd

What the Indians could get for him: A good-to-decent prospect depending on how desperate a team gets. Also the likely knowledge that they will continue to pay a part of his $7 million salary this year and next.

Trade value is: Increasing. He's a pitcher. He's healthy. He's pitching fairly well. Some team would bite.

Would trading him make sense? Not this year, but maybe next year. If the Indians trade him this year, they'll get a prospect or two, but might have to continue paying a portion of his salary next season. If they trade him next year during his contract season, they could still get the same caliber of prospects without the ensuing financial obligation.
Also, history has shown Byrd tends to pitch better in his contract years. Hold onto him.

Guillermo Mota

What the Indians could get for him: another middle reliever and a marginal prospect or two.

Trade value is: Steady. Though he is a veteran bullpen arm who has been pitching well of late, interest will be cooled by his recent history of arm problems.

Does trading him make sense? If either he or Wickman yields another major-league bullpen arm, yes. Considering that Wickman would probably be the first out the door based on demand, the Indians can't thin out their bullpen too much, at least until September callups. Mota might be a good candidate for a waiver-deadline deal at the end of August.

Todd Hollandsworth

What the Indians could get for him: Maybe a decent lower-level hitting prospect.

Trade value is: Increasing. The more he plays, the better he has done. The fact that he's signed for one year at a dirt-cheap price helps.

Would trading him make sense? Only if Jason Michaels and Casey Blake can stay healthy. The Indians' outfield is not very deep, and without Hollandsworth, Wedge would be one pulled hamstring away from using Joe Inglett seven days a week. I don't think anyone wants to see that.

Ben Broussard

What the Indians could get for him: A decent upper-level hitting prospect.

Trade value is: Increasing. The Indians had just better hope he doesn't go into one of his trademark six-week slumps that knocks his batting average down to .260.

Would trading him make sense? Yes, but at a price: Victor Martinez would have to abdicate his prized catcher's role for a gig as a fulltime first baseman, at least for the remainder of the season. For the Indians, that could be toying a bit too much with a very important heart of the order hitter.

We can now take a deep breath a get a good night's sleep before we find something else to worry about. LeBron James is, in fact, staying in Cleveland.

This afternoon, he made public his intention to accept the five-year, $80 million contract extension offered by the Cavaliers on July 1. The contract will begin after next season and run through the end of the 2011-12 season, though LeBron reportedly has an opt-out clause after the fourth season of the deal.

Sam Smith, Bill Simmons and all the other national media vultures fantasizing about LeBron getting picked away from Cleveland's rotting carcass can now unofficially stuff it. The can officially stuff it when LeBron actually signs the deal, reportedly on Wednesday or shortly thereafter.

LeBron's agent, Leon Rose, has said LeBron wants to get the contract signed before he reports to USA Basketball on July 19.

So, what do we worry about now? The chance that something could go horribly awry before LeBron inks the deal? A catastrophic injury while playing for the U.S. team? Outsiders would call it an anxiety disorder. Clevelanders call it creative worrying.

The plain truth is that, if you are any kind of basketball fan at all, LeBron is going to make you enjoy the Cavs in spite of yourself. Aside from money, it's the reason he is staying.

While many residents of this area speak in derogatory terms of the city they call home, LeBron is proud of this place. We already know we can learn a thing or two about basketball from LeBron. Maybe we can learn a thing or two about regional pride.

You look at Cleveland and see an unsalvageable hulk of a city, a place to be abandoned, a place with no hope. LeBron sees a city he can pick up and place on his shoulders and carry to great things, if only within the 94 feet of the basketball court.

As ESPN's Marc Stein says, the truth is that LeBron wants to be here. That might be tough for a lot of Northeast Ohioans to grasp, but LeBron could go anywhere in two years, and he wants to stay here. In little, old, burned-out, past-its-prime Cleveland.

He is spurning millions in endorsement deal money to do it, too. That's devotion, my friends.

Sooner or later, LeBron will make you stop worrying, sit back and enjoy the ride he is giving us. He wants to be the man who brings Cleveland its first professional sports title since 1964. He just might do it, too.

We have now passed the "possibly just keeping him warm for another city" phase with LeBron and have moved on to "Undisputed King of Cleveland and Ohio." Which is what he has been, and has wanted to be, all along.

Usually, I try to stay away from all-star snub posts this time of year. Every baseball team, with the possible exception of the Royals, has one or two players who could make a case for getting the shaft.

But in the case of Travis Hafner, I can't keep quiet any longer. The man deserves to be playing in the All-Star Game this year, and thanks to his position as a designated hitter on a sub-.500 team, he won't be.

I'd go so far as to say Hafner is one of the biggest all-star snubs in recent history.

The basics: he's hitting .318 with 25 home runs and 74 RBI. Project that over the course of the season, he'll hit nearly .320 with 50 homers and about 150 RBI. Those are triple crown numbers in some years. They are MVP-caliber numbers in any year.

Even if those were the only numbers with which to make a case for Hafner, it would still be a strong argument. But his average, homers and RBI only scratch the surface. Looking for weaknesses in his hitting game? You won't find it against left-handed pitching. The lefty hitter is batting .319 versus lefties and .318 versus righties. Not only that, he leads the American League in home runs against left-handed pitching with 10.

You read that right. As a lefty, he outpaces righty hitting terrors like Manny Ramirez, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye and Vladimir Guerrero when it comes to hitting southpaws.

Hafner leads the AL in on-base percentage (.460), slugging percentage (.657), so it follows that he leads the league in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.117). And he's done it all with spotty protection behind him in the lineup. Opposing pitchers have repeatedly pitched around Hafner to take their chances with Victor Martinez, who only recently has started to pick up his pace at the plate. The proof is in the pudding. Hafner also leads the league in walks with 70.

And the piece de resistance: his five grand slams, the most recent coming in Friday's 9-0 win over Baltimore. It is the most slams by a single player prior to the all-star break, and one shy of the single-season record of six, set by Don Mattingly. Hafner has 77 games to break the record.

Hafner appears to be the victim of a confluence of circumstances. He is a tremendously productive hitter, but he doesn't come with a lot of imagination-capturing frills like Jim Thome's moonshot homers or Alex Rodriguez's GQ glamour. He's from North Dakota and likes hunting and professional wrestling, two decidedly uncool things to the East Coast jet set.

An arthritic elbow prevents him from playing a position, though he is a first baseman by trade. The All-Star Game will be played in National League Pittsburgh this year, meaning anyone who wants to stay in the game will have to play a position.

Last but not least, his team is in the midst of a sub-par season that has quelled fan interest. If Hafner's following can't rise above cult status in his own town, how can he expect to become a household name around the country?

Just about everything that is preventing Hafner from playing in the All-Star Game on Tuesday is beyond his control, which makes his snub all the more unjust. But if there's any consolation, Hafner probably won't take it especially hard. Pronk strikes me as the kind of guy who will say, "Three days off? Cool! Time for some pizza and Wrestlemania!" And he's not popular enough to appear in Pittsburgh?

Monday's game against the Yankees is game No. 81, the midway point of the season for the Indians. Needless to say, it's been a disappointing season overall.

Following Sunday's win in Cincinnati, the Tribe was 37-43, and they needed a 4-2 road trip through St. Louis and Cincinnati to get even that close to .500. From the roster to the coaching staff to the front office, this team has been lacking something all year. Pin the blame where you want. Everybody has a culprit -- GM Mark Shapiro, manager Eric Wedge and owner Larry Dolan are the big three fans love to blame. All deserve some of it, none deserves all of it.

Below are the organization-wide midterm grades for a team trying to pilot itself through a season gone awry.

The lineup

Ronnie Belliard, 2B  (.291, 7 HR, 37 RBI)

Belliard is kind of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get hitter. He'll hack, he'll swing from his heels, he'll go into long slumps, but the numbers usually color him productive. This season is following suit. This will probably be Belliard's last season in Cleveland. As a free agent-to-be, he'll be able to get more money elsewhere if he keeps up his current statistical pace. Grade: B

Casey Blake, RF (.304, 10 HR, 36 RBI )

He's probably still a glorified utility player, but it's hard to argue with results. Blake struggled with a drastic position shift a year ago, and it killed him at the plate. He became a favorite whipping boy of fans whenever the offense struggled. This year, he's been smarter at the plate, a far more opportunistic hitter, and a solid defensive presence in right field (his arm is actually quite good).

How's this for irony? Blake has missed the past several weeks with a strained oblique muscle, and the Indians actually miss him. The offense has been scuffling without his bat. Grade: B-plus

Aaron Boone, 3B (.253, 4 HR, 32 RBI)

Boone has never been a terribly productive hitter, but the past two seasons are showing that the 30-something infielder has bought a one-way ticket to the land of has-beens. Fans will be screaming for Andy Marte the more Boone struggles at the plate. But if Boone is traded, it probably won't be a very advantageous deal for the Tribe. It will probably involve getting next to nothing in return and assuming a large part of his remaining salary.

In other words, the Indians brass might think it's worth it to just hang onto Boone for the rest of the year. Marte's production at Buffalo will determine how much of a bite he takes out of Boone's playing time in the second half. Grade: C-minus

Ben Broussard, 1B (.329, 10 HR, 38 RBI)

He is hitting the quietest .329 in the big leagues, largely due to the fact that he has been platooning with Eduardo Perez and seldom facing tough left-handed pitching. With Perez gone to Seattle, it will be interesting to see if Broussard's weaknesses are more readily exposed. Victor Martinez has been playing a lot of first base recently, but if Martinez struggles defensively, or backup catcher Kelly Shoppach proves to be a liability as an everyday player, Broussard will have to shoulder more of the load. If that happens, I predict a second-half swoon for the notoriously streaky hitter. Grade: B

Franklin Gutierrez, OF .(229, 0 HR, 0 RBI)

As he has been throughout his minor league career, Gutierrez has shown flashes of tremendous athletic potential, but has yet to put it all together. He is a likely candidate to be sent back down to Buffalo once Jason Michaels is reactivated from the disabled list. Grade: C

Travis Hafner, DH (.312, 22 HR, 66 RBI)

Pronk is putting together yet another solid season, largely under the radar. Much like last year, he is poised to be a leading snub for the AL all-star team. Grade: A

Todd Hollandsworth, OF (.229, 4 HR, 21 RBI)

The stats show a player who belongs in the minors. But the stats lie, at least recently. Hollandsworth should be this team's everyday left fielder even when when Michaels comes back. With the increased playing time, he has become a regular visitor to the basepaths, hitting well over .300 in the past week. And he has shown an ability to flash some leather in the field as well. Grade: C-plus

Joe Inglett, IF/OF (.143, 0 HR, 0 RBI)

 His offensive impact will probably be minimal, but he is a true seven-position utility player who could save the defense some nights. Grade: Incomplete

Victor Martinez, C (.296, 10 HR, 51 RBI)

Much like Hafner, he is putting together another good season under the radar. The only real blemish in his game is a weak throwing arm that allows baserunners to steal almost at will. But the pitching staff -- notorious for doing a poor job of holding runners on -- deserves a huge assist there.

Given his strong bat and weak arm, Martinez's future is probably as a first baseman. Grade: B-plus

Jason Michaels, LF (.277, 5 HR, 25 RBI)

A definite downgrade from Coco Crisp, but at least he hustles and gets the most out of his limited athletic ability. Having said that, he best fits as a platoon player, the role he filled in Philadelphia. Hollandsworth should get the lion's share of innings in left field with Michaels getting the start against lefties, where he has historically excelled. Grade: B-minus

Jhonny Peralta, SS (.250, 7 HR, 35 RBI)

He has been the victim of a textbook sophomore slump as pitchers have adjusted to him. His seven homers are a dropoff from last year's pace, but probably more realistic of the type of hitter Peralta will be over the long term. He seldom had gaudy power numbers in the minors. Peralta's bat has shown some signs of life in the past few weeks. Now his glove has to follow suit. Shortstop is simply not a position where a team can have inconsistent defense. If Peralta's defensive struggles continue, a position shift for 2007 might be in order. Grade: C-minus

Kelly Shoppach, C (.222, 0 HR, 2 RBI) He dropped a pop-up in St. Louis last week that helped pave the way for a loss, but Shoppach still has the makeup o####ood defensive catcher. He moves well behind the plate, has a strong, accurate throwing arm and has had little trouble quarterbacking the pitching staff so far. If Shoppach's bat is even adequate, it might help pave Martinez's move to first base. But it's still too early to tell. Grade: Incomplete

Grady Sizemore, CF (.299, 15 HR, 41 RBI)

Some say Sizemore is headed to the heart of the order. I say, who is going to replace him at the top? Sizemore is quickly becoming an elite leadoff hitter. If the Indians don't have an ultra-fast Kenny Lofton type to bat leadoff anymore, they might as well have someone with the quick bat of Sizemore. Sizemore is the closest thing to a five-tool player the Indians have. He hits for average and power, is quick (though not lightning fast) on the bases and has very good range in the outfield. The only thing missing from his cache is a strong throwing arm. But he gets by without it.

Next week, he'll make a well-deserved first appearance in the All-Star Game. Grade: A

Ramon Vazquez, IF (.159, 0 HR, 5 RBI)

Politics won out over talent when the Indians kept Vazquez and traded Brandon Phillips. It probably wasn't going to work between Phillips and the Indians, and nobody could have foreseen the success Phillips would have with the Reds, but after watching Vazquez play, only one question comes to mind: "The Indians traded Phillips, and kept this guy?" Grade: D

The pitching

Rafael Betancourt, RHP (0-3, 5.40 ERA )

Earlier this season, it looked like Betancourt would hold down the fort as the eighth-inning setup man. Then he hit the skids, and we now realize we are seeing a middle reliever pitching out of position. Betancourt works hard, but his stuff isn't good enough for him to be a late-inning fireman. Grade: C

Paul Byrd, RHP (6-5, 4.10 ERA)

 After a slow start, he's become pretty much what the Indians expected him to be. He's a .500 pitcher with limited stuff who usually pitches well enough to give his team a chance to win most games. Grade: C

Fernando Cabrera, RHP (1-1, 5.86 ERA)

 We can only hope this is a sophomore slump, because this is not the aggressive pitcher we saw last year. Cabrera's stuff has looked downright average this year, and he has the lukewarm stats to prove it. Grade: D

Fausto Carmona, RHP (1-2, 4.46 ERA)

 He began the season as a starter, but found his way to the back of the bullpen, where he has flourished. He has electric stuff: a mid-90s fastball and a slider with bite, perfect for late-inning pressure situations. Carmona's future might be at the back end of the 'pen, particularly if fellow young guns Cabrera and Jason Davis continue to struggle. Grade: B

Jason Davis, RHP (2-1, 5.04 ERA)

Davis has been downright maddening to watch. He has so much potential, yet is apparently incapable of harnessing it to the point of consistency. Send him down to Buffalo, he becomes a legend in the making. Bring him up to Cleveland, he's a 5-ERA mop-up boy. Only the Indians front office knows how many more chances Davis is going to get. Grade: D

Jeremy Guthrie, RHP (0-0, 6.59 ERA)

Call it a hunch, but I don't think the Indians have had a good read on this guy since the day they drafted him. Grade: Incomplete

Cliff Lee, LHP (8-5, 4.69 ERA)

 After a brutal start to the season, Lee is once again showing his knack for picking up wins in bunches. He has now won his last five decisions, and heads into the second half with an outside chance at 20 wins, though 15 to 18 is more realistic. At the end of the season, he will reclaim his place as a front-of-the-rotation pitcher. Grade: B

Guillermo Mota, RHP (1-3, 6.53 ERA)

One of the supposed veteran anchors for the back of the bullpen, Mota has been anything but a steadying force. Unfortunately, the Indians are paying for the sins of the Dodgers and Marlins, who abused Mota's arm in recent years. Mota's arm has begun to show signs of life. But he is no longer a top-shelf reliever. I'd be surprised if he's back with the Indians next year. Grade: D

Rafael Perez, LHP (0-0, 2.84 ERA)

It's way too early to tell if Perez is a future bullpen stalwart, or just riding a hot streak. But he has given the sagging unit a lift. Along with Carmona, the two comprise the only real lefty-righty setup combo the Indians have. Grade: A-minus

C.C. Sabathia, LHP (6-4, 3.90 ERA)

He was injured on opening day, rebounded for a fabulous May, then regressed in a big way in June. Will the real C.C. please stand up?

C.C. gets docked points for mailing it in during a June start against the Cubs. Not exactly a way to gain your teammates' trust. Grade: B-minus

Jeremy Sowers, LHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

 For a kid who was just thrown into the fire, he is adapting well. After a tough-luck loss to the Reds in his first major league appearance, he is rebounding with a strong effort against the Yankees as I write this. Grade: Incomplete

Bob Wickman (12/15 saves, 4.68 ERA)

He saved his first eight of the year with no difficulty. Since then, it has been a roller coaster ride. Wickman still has some gas left in the tank, but nobody knows how much. Sooner or later, his arm is going to say "no more," and the Indians had better be developing a successor to the closer's role in the meantime. Grade: B

Off the field

Eric Wedge, Manager

It is a manager's job to make sure he has a good read on his team emotionally. Wedge failed at the outset of the season when he let his team get too high on themselves. Teams like that are ripe for a fall. Instead of nipping a mentality problem in the bud, Wedge let it grow into full bloom. That's his share of the blame in a disappointing first half. Grade: C-minus

Mark Shapiro, General Manager

Shapiro has gained fame for his ability to spin scrap heap straw into gold. That didn't happen this winter. He whiffed badly on Mota and Jason Johnson. He was forced to settle for his third closer option by re-signing Wickman. The Coco Crisp trade was a calculated risk aimed at adding a top prospect to the organization in Marte, but downgraded the team for this year. In terms of attempting to build upon the success of 2005, Shapiro's moves this past winter did anything but that, at least as far as 2006 is concerned. To the front office, it might be taking a step back to take a step forward. To the ticket-buying public, it looks like the Indians spent all winter blowing smoke into a certain bodily orifice. Grade: C-minus

 Larry and Paul Dolan, Owner and President

The ground rules: you have the owner you have, not the owner you want. Mark Cuban is not going to swoop in and buy the Indians. The Dolans have a very good picture of the role a farm system plays in building a mid-market team. But beyond that, I don't know if they have a realistic idea of just how much money it's going to take to build a contender in Cleveland.

Shapiro has had two main channels for building a roster so far: the farm system and the bargain bin. Bargain hunting is great, but it's not a recommended pillar for continued success. Sooner or later, the Dolans are going to have to fork over the cash to add at least one or two moderately expensive free agents, or this team will never rise above "catch lightning in a bottle" status. Nobody is expecting the return of Manny Ramirez, but the ability to sign a good player to a three- or four-year deal in the $20 million to $30 million range is a must.

Maybe the Dolans were burned by the four-year Matt Lawton deal. But they have to get over that debacle. The Dolans have to be at least somewhat of a player in free agency, or be able to assume some salary of note in a trade, or this team will simply tread water over the long haul. Grade: C

At 11:59 and 59 seconds Friday night, Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry probably had his thumb poised above the speed dial button for LeBron James' agent. At midnight exactly, that thumb came down on the button like a sledgehammer, and began the chain of events we've been anxiously waiting for since LeBron's rookie year.

 At 12:01 Saturday morning, the Cavs offered LeBron a five-year extension worth an estimated $80 million. It is the maximum amount of years and dollars the Cavs can offer LeBron this summer.

There is no haggling over length or dollar amount. LeBron has two choices: accept or decline. Declining means he would be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2007. The earliest day LeBron can ink the extension is July 12. Why the two-week delay? It's to level the playing field between pro and con, to make sure the player has considered all his options.

In the next 12 days, we can be certain there will be a number of people jostling for LeBron's attention, trying to steer him either toward or away from the Cavs' offer.

Steering him into port

The Cavs front office

Obviously, this goes without saying. The Cavs have done everything in their power to upgrade the organization and roster for LeBron. Owner Dan Gilbert went so far as to take out a full-page ad in The Plain Dealer thanking the fans. The ad was actually a thinly-disguised love letter to LeBron.

The NBA's collective bargaining agreement

One of the sanest documents in professional sports, The NBA's labor pact allows the Cavs to pay LeBron the most money both this year and next. If he wants to leave as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2008, he is going to have to jump through a lot of hoops to get there: turning down this summer's offer, signing an offer sheet with another team next summer, waiting for the Cavs to match it (which they will), signing a one-year qualifying offer for the 2007-08 season, then playing out that season and re-filing for free agency.

In short, if LeBron wants out of Cleveland, he's going to have to really want out.

His teammates

LeBron has talked about loving the situation with his teammates. During the season, he said he and his teammates were "becoming a family." Teammates will talk about professionalism and supporting LeBron no matter his decision, but if you are hitched to the Cavs for the next three-to-five years, would you want LeBron to leave?

The local media and fans

It's a given that the fans want him to stay, but LeBron has so captured the imagination of this area, many members of the objective media don't want to see him go. LeBron has made covering the Cavs more exciting, if noticeably more hectic. Media members who have been here for a long time know how much he means to the area.

The threat of injury

LeBron need only look at the case of Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire to see the wisdom of taking the money given you. A week after signing a huge contract extension last summer, Stoudemire found out he needed extensive microfracture surgery on his knee. This past season was a wash for Stoudemire, and it remains to be seen whether he will fully bounce back from the risky procedure. But at least he will be paid by the Suns.

Steering him out to sea

His endorsement deals

I have heard conflicting reports about whether LeBron's $90 million Nike contract carries escalators if he plays in a big market. What is know is that a number of his endorsement deals do. If LeBron is a bottom-line-driven individual when it comes to business, that fact is something he might consider.

The national media

Let's face it: they're greedy ####s. Under a guise of doing "what's best for the league," they keep trying to plant the seed in LeBron's head that he will never be more than just a good player in Cleveland. To become a legend, he must move to a big market, they say. The fact that the vast majority of national media personalities are from New York or Los Angeles is conveniently left out of the equation.

Doing what's best for the league is a load of bull. The national media is interested in doing what's best for their beloved Knicks, Nets and Lakers. Unfortunately, they have a huge media bullhorn that can easily drown out the protests of us in Ohio. That means whatever the national folks say is pretty much perceived as reality to the rest of the country.

His friends

I have a hard time believing the other members of LeBron's "four horsemen" posse aren't drooling at the prospect of living in New York. They're college-age kids just like LeBron. And when you were in college, what would you have preferred to do given the money? Stay in boring, old Ohio or go cruising down Fifth Avenue in a limo every night?

Jay-Z

I think too much has been made of Jay-Z's influence on LeBron. Yes, Jay-Z (a.k.a. Shawn Carter) is part-owner of the Nets. Yes, he is friends with LeBron. Yes, LeBron has expressed an interest in playing for his friend's team someday. And yes, that might weigh on LeBron at some point. But LeBron (and even Jay-Z) has to know that the Nets would be a far more attractive destination with a state-of-the-art arena in Brooklyn than they are now playing in an outdated swamp lair in East Rutherford, N.J.

This might be a subject we re-visit in five years, but I don't think Jay-Z is going to jump in and steal LeBron away in the near future.

The wild card

Gloria James

It's hard to tell how or if she's steering her son. But we know her opinion is going to carry a lot of weight. Gloria James already has more riches than she probably ever dreamed possible living in Northeast Ohio. She's a celebrity in her own right. But we still don't know what's in it for her if LeBron stays in Cleveland versus moving to a bigger market. Is she content with her life of luxury in Cleveland and Akron, or is she one of those celebrity moms who wants to be regularly featured on the "around town" pages of New York newspapers?

 She's not yet 40. She's probably not quite ready to trade in her late-night styling for some fuzzy slippers and Reader's Digest. But, on the other hand, Ohio is home, and she might not want to leave the comfortable cocoon of Akron for the fishbowl of New York or Los Angeles.

The universal truth of sports: losing, in any form, sucks.

Go ahead. Try to hide your disappointment over the U.S. soccer team's early World Cup exit. Wrap yourself in a facade of American cowboy machismo. Tell everyone that soccer is for weenies and Euro-trash.

Make believe that you didn't, not once, check your computer at work to see the score of Thursday's game against Ghana. You might not have been able to tell Ghana from Angola from Burkina Faso on a map, but you knew one thing. The U.S. was losing to their team. And it sucked.

Because, even if you aren't a rabid soccer fan, national pride was still at stake. We all knew the rest of the world wanted to see the rich Americans bounced from the tournament. And they got their wish. Even if all that didn't get under your skin, the thought of jubilant French fans celebrating America's exit across eateries in Paris had to do it.

Sad to say, but the U.S. soccer team came into the World Cup bearing all of the stereotypes the world holds near and dear about America. Our team was overconfident and hype-driven based on what now appears to be a lucky run in the '02 Cup. They arrived in Germany like rock stars. Soccer pundits seriously considered them a threat to advance to the second round or farther.

Then, when the ball hit the pitch, all the high-polished shine came off, and America was once again exposed as a third-rate soccer power. (I will once again allude to the image of smug French fans toasting America's exit with bottles of Zima. Yeah, that's right. Zima. They probably put lemon twists in them, too.)

America's players spent most of three games out of position, on their heels, and constantly having to dig out of self-made holes. The players looked almost complacent, like they were satisfied that they had apparently arrived as an elite international soccer team. Maybe they looked past the first round, anticipating later round matches with Brazil, Germany and England. Maybe they thought they could afford to look past the first round.

But elite reputations are not built on one run. In America, soccer success is so few and far between that a second-round appearance is cause for hype. To Brazil, a second-round exit would be humiliating. It's all relative.

The U.S. team became big fish in a small soccer pond, and were ill-prepared mentally for the level of competition the World Cup provides. Much of that blame should be placed at the feet of coach Bruce Arena, who almost certainly won't be back when World Cup qualifying begins anew in 2008.

Arena has done a good job in eight years, but I am in the camp that believes that eight years is too long, and a fresh perspective is needed from the manager's seat. And there's no rule, outside of nationalistic ego, that states the next coach has to be American. If we want to be able to compete with the like of Brazil and the European powers, why not mine their coaching ranks? It has worked wonders for some of the smaller nations in this year's Cup, many of which were far more competitive than the U.S. team.

 I think the U.S. has the talent pool to hang with 90 percent of the world's elite soccer nations. As much as 2002 was a positive aberration, this year was a negative aberration. It might take a new coach, and some new players, to make sure that U.S. soccer reaches its full potential when the scene shifts to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.

With the NBA season now wrapped, we turn around and realize that, holy catfish, the draft is only six days away.
The Cavaliers pick 25th in the first round. A yawner pick that will yield a snoozer player? Possibly. But that 25th pick carries more weight than you might realize.
The Cavs had no picks last year. They currently don't have a first-rounder next year thanks to the ill-fated Jiri Welsch trade. So this first-ever draft pick of GM Danny Ferry must produce a player who can come in and make a meaningful contribution from the get-go. Raw project players are unacceptable. The Cavs, who many are already viewing as a dark horse championship contender next season, must find a player who can play now.
Below, in no particular order, I size up some of the players the Cavs might be looking at, their positives and negatives, and above all, their ability to step in and produce as rookies.

Mike Gansey, West Virginia
Gansey was in the stands with a "Witness" t-shirt during the Cavs' playoff run. A product of Olmsted Falls High School, his family is longtime Cavs season ticket holders.
Color me sentimental, but I think the hometown factor would serve as extra motivation for Gansey should the Cavs draft him. I want to see how he would perform playing for the team he grew up rooting for.
Gansey's skills match up well with Cleveland's needs. They need an experienced shooter, and Gansey is that. They need a heady, smart player who finds ways to contribute even when his shot isn't falling. Gansey will do that.
What Gansey isn't is a tremendous athlete. He's a 6'-4" backcourt player who will need to find ways to compensate for his lack of speed and hops. In the NBA, that could be difficult.
I think Gansey could be a solid bench player for many years. At 24 and with stints at St. Bonaventure and West Virginia under his belt, I think he'll have a decent ability to contribute next year.

Quincy Douby, Rutgers
Long story short, Douby is probably the second coming of Damon Jones. He's an undersized combo guard known for his shooting and not much else. I don't see him as a point guard of the future, and the last thing the Cavs need is a shoot-first point guard usurping open looks from LeBron James.
If the Cavs want another catch-and-shoot player who can put the ball on the floor with some proficiency, Douby is their man. I just don't see the point unless Jones is dealt.

Kyle Lowry, Villanova
Lowry probably fits the "point guard of the future" title more than Douby. But if Douby is another Jones, Lowry might be another Eric Snow.
The rap on Lowry is that while he's a good ballhandler, his shooting is suspect. He also has had trouble controlling his emotions. Extroverted players who wear their hearts on their sleeves are a double-edged sword. When times are good, they inspire their teammates. When times are bad, they self destruct and become technical foul magnets. Any meltdown candidate should come with a king-sized caveat attached.
Drafting Lowry might mean another year of Snow starting at the point and serving as Lowry's mentor. I question whether anyone really wants that.

Jordan Farmar, UCLA
About the only late first-round point guard who I could see coming in and starting at some point next year. He gained a reputation as a playmaker on a team that reached the NCAA national championship game this spring. If Ferry is truly following the Spurs template of drafting players who actually accomplished something prior to the draft, he should look long and hard at Farmar if he's there. Farmar might even be worth trading up for.

Shannon Brown, Michigan State
Brown is one of those run-fast, jump-high guys who is really tough to project as an NBA player. At 6'-3" he's an undersized two-guard who would have to make the transition to the point. But if he really put his mind and his vast athletic potential to playing the point, he could be a good one.
Of course, we all said the same thing about Dajuan Wagner, but injuries and a lack of interest in playing the point killed that off.
If the Cavs draft him, he'll likely find his groove as a combo guard providing energy off the bench, which would probably press Damon Jones into more of a traditional backup point guard's role. I don't know if Jones would be happy there.

Rajon Rondo, Kentucky
His draft status has fluctuated like a river in a rainstorm. One day, he's challenging Andrea Bargnani as the "it" player of this draft, the next, he's settled back into the mid-20s in the mock drafts.
What is known is that point guard Rondo is one of the quickest players in the draft. He has lightning legs and an ability to break down a defender off the dribble. Both are items the Cavs need in a point guard.
He's not terribly polished, so his ability to step in and contribute right away is a concern. As with Lowry, Rondo could probably use a veteran mentor. If that's Snow, drafting him really isn't going to make the Cavs better next season.

I'm really getting sick of writing these venting posts. But the Indians keep forcing my hand.

Tuesday, the clouds parted a bit, and the foolish romantic in me thought that maybe the Indians had just turned a corner. Jason Johnson had been designated for assignment, and the Indians played their best baseball in quite some time in a 4-2 win over the Cubs.

C.C. Sabathia was on the mound Wednesday, and I figured the Tribe had a good shot at taking two of three from the lowly Cubs. Then the coasting Reds come to town, and who knows? You go 4-2 over a six-game stretch, 4-2 becomes 7-4 over the span of 12 days, and next thing you know, you're rolling again.

Silly me. That wasn't the perfume of a fresh start I was smelling. It was cheap cologne.

GM Mark Shapiro is right when he says the Indians' problems are a moving target. Yesterday's strengths are today's weaknesses. There is no consistency. Case in point: C.C. Sabathia. A month ago, he was the only starting pitcher worth paying attention to. I thought he had finally become the ace he was always supposed to be. Then the calendar flipped from May to June, and suddenly, inexplicably, C.C. lost everything.

He's 0-3 in June. He followed up a treacherous outing in Milwaukee over the weekend with a brutal outing Wednesday. It all came apart in the third inning. C.C. took the mound with the score tied 1-1, gave up a pair of hits to start the inning, and the hits and runs just kept on coming. A pair of fielding brain cramps by Ben Broussard and Ronnie Belliard didn't help matters.

By the time newly-added Edward Mujica relieved and let the final three runs of the inning cross the plate, it was 9-1 and the game was over. Keep in mind that heading into this series, the Cubs were the worst offensive club in the National League. The eight-run third on Wednesday was their biggest inning of the year. Afterward, C.C. said he lost focus. He apologized to everyone he could think of for an outing in which he admittedly just stopped trying.

This is really bad news for the Indians. There have been mumblings around the media that the Indians aren't playing as hard as they should be, but C.C. is the first to admit it.

It's perplexing to watch this team fall apart. This was a team that was mentally tough and valued fundamental baseball the previous two seasons. They withstood a barrage of bullpen collapses two years ago to make a spirited run at the Twins down the stretch. They withstood a limp offense last year to make another spirited second-half run. This year, all that resolve, all that focus is just gone.

This team has zero leadership. Twenty-five players are wandering the desert in 25 different directions.

Is manager Eric Wedge to blame? I don't think he's a very strong day-to-day leader, but he was able to get the job done to some extent in years past. The fact that the team's focus could disintegrate like this still doesn't add up.

 Is the loss of Kevin Millwood to blame? Maybe as far as the starting pitching. But what were the other veterans on the team doing last year? Were Bob Wickman, Aaron Boone and Ronnie Belliard exerting no influence whatsoever?

Unfortunately, someone could analyze the Indians' situation for days on end and still not come up with a clear-cut answer. We're not talking about problems that a trade or two can cure, or even a midseason managerial switch. This is a problem with the fabric of the team.

Of all the things the Indians' DiamondVision player analysis computer program can calculate and quantify, the ability to lead apparently isn't one of them. When Shapiro and his associates dissect this season in October, they might want to start with their own leadership. What are they valuing in players beyond raw baseball skills? What are they valuing in a manager beyond organizational skills?

Somebody, somewhere has to fashion a rudder for this team, if not for the remainder of this year, then for 2007. The front office is a good place to start.

The departure of Trent Dilfer was definitely addition by subtraction. But it still opened up a big hole on the Browns' bench.

Dilfer whined his way out of Cleveland this spring when it became apparent he was going to be backing up Charlie Frye. The trade that sent Dilfer to San Francisco left the Browns with little-proven Frye as the starter, and Ken Dorsey as his primary backup.

The last time I checked, Dorsey was still picking grass out of his teeth from the 2002 national championship game. Based on his NFL performance so far, he is still having nightmares about the Ohio State defense. If he's going to remain in Ohio for any length of time, I suggest weekly therapy sessions.

So it doesn't take a clairvoyant to see the Browns could really use a veteran to back up Frye. Don't say "Kerry Collins." He's holding out for a starting job until the last minute. If I'm the Browns, I'm not about to wait until the last days of summer for a walking interception machine to make up his mind, take my money, and sit on the bench for 16 games.

No, if the Browns are going to sign a walking interception machine, I want it to be the man that made throwing the pickoff an art form. I want the man who once chucked the ball away on fourth down during a last-ditch drive against Pittsburgh in the playoffs. I want the man who scored the first touchdown in Baltimore Ravens history, then handed the ball to a fan in the stands, reportedly saying after the game, "If I would have known it was important, I would have kept it."

I want Vinny Testaverde. And apparently, so do the Browns.

Nothing is set in stone, and Testaverde, 42, probably wouldn't seriously consider signing until near the start of the season, but The Plain Dealer reported today the seeds are being sown. Testaverde might join the exclusive club of players who have played for both Browns franchises. And, all poking fun aside, he might actually be able to help.

Unlike Dilfer, who rode a dominant Ravens defense to a Super Bowl title but has little else to show over his career, Testaverde has been a productive quarterback for two decades. He has suffered through the bad times in Tampa Bay and Cleveland, and has risen to the cusp of the Super Bowl with Bill Parcells' Jets.

He can't lace up his cleats and take a beating over the course of 16 games anymore, but he can join an accomplished group of veterans who have joined the Browns as player-mentors. What Willie McGinest can be to Kamerion Wimbley, what Ted Washington can be to Babatunde Oshinowo, Testaverde can be to Frye, and maybe even Dorsey.

Veteran stability is something that has been lacking for the Browns ever since they re-entered the league. Testaverde, now something of an elder statesman, can add just that.

You might not think much of Testaverde. I might get a cheap laugh pointing out his various errors in judgment throughout his career. But when Parcells seeks you out not once, but twice, to quarterback his team, that speaks volumes in NFL circles.

 A return to Cleveland would be an appropriate way for Testaverde to end his career. We have some patching up to do. Testaverde was under center for the dark days leading up to the Browns' move. He was the beneficiary of Bernie Kosar getting released. In a lot of ways, he was unfairly tied to the fan-alienating disaster the Browns became in the early '90s.

To have Testaverde back for the beginnings of what will hopefully be a great resurgence in Browns football would be a nice way to make peace with the past.

The following post can also be viewed at my other blog, papacass.blogspot.com

I deserve something.
If I am among a minority of sports fans around the country who have never experienced a hometown championship, who have never known the feeling of skipping work to go downtown to watch the title parade, I should at least get something out of my near-lifelong devotion to the teams of Cleveland.
And I think I have. It doesn't quite qualify as a consolation prize, but King Solomon would have been proud. I have gained wisdom.
Read on, and drink in the lessons that have come from the city by the lake.

Never underestimate yourself. Your opponent is not the Big Bad Wolf, and you are not the Three Little Pigs.
--LeBron James

Keep things in perspective. No matter the final score, a billion people in China don't care that you played the game.
--Sam Rutigliano

Never challenge the fat guy to a fight.
--Paul Byrd

It's OK to let your anger out in a constructive fashion, such as destroying a buffet table with a baseball bat.
--Albert Belle

Always wear a helmet when you are practicing high-speed motorcycle stunts in a deserted parking lot.
--Kellen Winslow Jr.

If Michael Jordan is going up for a game-winning shot, make sure you're not the one guarding him, otherwise you are going to be immortalized in a very bad way.
--Craig Ehlo

The most important six inches in football are between the breastbone and the backbone.
--Marty Schottenheimer

...Unless those six inches are right in front of the goal line in the AFC Championship Game.
--Earnest Byner

In Cleveland, winning a playoff series qualifies as a miracle.
--1976 Cavaliers

If your man isn't open, always, always, always throw it to the blonde in the fifth row.
--Brian Sipe

Never insult someone's momma right before he's about to take the mound against you.
--David Wells

Stick with the fastball when the game's on the line.
--Jose Mesa

If your team is bad, admit it.
--Bill Fitch, Chris Palmer

If your team is bad, don't admit it.
--Butch Davis

If your team is bad, say it's "all part of the process."
--Eric Wedge

In theory, a contender can be manufactured out of toothpicks and rubber bands.
--Larry Dolan

If you really don't want people to publish your postgame comments, just mumble.
--Bill Belichick

If you are going to move your team and rip your city's heart out, make sure you go about it in the most up-front, dignified way possible.
--Art and David Modell

Rehab is for quitters. So are diets.
--Shawn Kemp

It's never, ever about the money.
--Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Kevin Millwood, etc., etc.

The Cavaliers scored 61 measly points in their season-ending, Game 7 loss to the Pistons Sunday. It's an NBA record for the lowest offensive output in a playoff Game 7.
In retrospect, you can attribute it to one of two things:
A) The Pistons' suffocating defense.
B) The fact that said defense was allowed to rest on LeBron James because no other Cleveland player was able to do anything offensively.
Sunday's game was everything we feared heading into this series. It was LeBron or bust. The rest of the team could have been cardboard cutouts, and you wouldn't have noticed the difference very much.
In a nutshell, the Cavs were allowed to use LeBron as a crutch, and it was their second-half undoing. Tell the Pistons they only need to stop one player, and that player will be lucky if he can inhale, let alone score. That includes a great player like LeBron.
Detroit guard Lindsey Hunter was frank about it after the game.
"We looked up and saw (LeBron) was the only player in double figures," he said in The Plain Dealer this morning. "We were like 'OK, somebody else has to do something.'"
The Pistons knew they couldn't let LeBron beat them. They double- and triple-teamed him. They trapped him with a combination of big (Ben Wallace) and small (Hunter) players. They stuffed his lanes to the basket. They forced him into poor outside looks constantly.
They dared Larry Hughes, Flip Murray, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, anybody else to beat them. No one could answer the bell.
How bad was the disparity between LeBron and his teammates Sunday? LeBron made just 11 baskets the entire game, but it was still two more field goals than the entire rest of the team combined.
When all your teammates can muster is nine makes on 41 attempts, that's a sure recipe for a 61-point effort. In the second half, when the Pistons smelled blood and moved in for the kill, the Cavs managed just five field goals and 23 points.
It wasn't indicative of LeBron's supporting cast throughout the series. The national media would have you believe LeBron is surrounded by a bunch of drooling, lurching, Quasi Modo invalids. But the whole reason the Cavs were able to stretch the series to seven games was because LeBron's teammates --Anderson Varejao, Donyell Marshall and Murray in particular -- stepped up.
Sunday was a matter of the Pistons proving, once again, that the distance between Game 5 and Game 7 is the distance between galaxies. Perhaps the Pistons saved their best for last. Perhaps the Cavs finally succumbed to stage jitters after blowing their best chance to close the series out in Game 6.
After the game, Cleveland coach Mike Brown said the Cavs hadn't arrived yet among the league's elite. We would know when the Cavs arrived, he said, when they are playing in May and June, every year.
We'll also know the Cavs have arrived when they can put forth the same team effort in Games 1 through 7 of a playoff series. We'll know they have arrived when they can close out the Pistons when they have the chance, when players step up alongside LeBron with the season on the line.

Rasheed Wallace isn't a bully. He's just a mouthpiece for what has become a very arrogant Pistons team.

And can you honestly blame him or them? They have an NBA title, two Eastern Conference titles and a 64-win season to their credit over the last three years.

Nobody in the East has been able to stop the Pistons since 2003. Why wouldn't they walk around with a certain air of invincibility?

So when Wallace stated matter-of-factly that the Cavaliers' season was going to end with Game 5 of the teams' second-round series, he was in his own mind stating an inevitability. The proven teams like Miami and New Jersey hadn't been able to stop Detroit's looting and pillaging in the playoffs, so where does anybody get off thinking the Cavs and LeBron James, their 21-year-old, non-playoff-tested superstar, were going to put a dent in Detroit's title bid?

Rasheed's teammates met his comments with the same straight-faced approach.

In a nutshell, they responded, "Yeah, he said it. We've backed him up before, and we'll do it again."

The Sun rises in the East. The human body is 70 percent water. The Pistons will make good on Wallace's victory guarantees. In Detroit, it was that simple. Three times, Wallace guaranteed a playoff win, and three times the Pistons made good. It wasn't even like Wallace was sticking his neck out anymore.

Then came Monday night. And it wasn't like clockwork..

The Cavs didn't really surprise the Pistons in winning 74-72 and tying the series at 2-2. They slogged it out and emerged on top in what was a lackluster second half for both teams.

At one point, Detroit missed nine straight shots. And unlike Saturday's win, LeBron didn't really shoulder the load for Cleveland down the stretch. He had a single-digit fourth quarter and finished with 22 points, eight behind Rip Hamilton's game-leading 30.

LeBron helped win the game by playing pitch-and-catch with Anderson Varejao for inside buckets, by finding Donyell Marshall open for a pair of late-game three-balls. His individual performance (8-for-23 field goals, 5-for-10 free throws, 8 assists, 9 rebounds in 48 minutes) buzzed triple-double territory, but was not as dominant as Game 3.

For the second straight game, the Cavs played the Pistons' brand of knock-down, drag-out basketball and beat them at it. But the games like Game 4 -- the kind that devlove into Greco-Roman wrestling matches -- are the type of games the Pistons have built their reputation on. Winning those kind of games is how Detroit has built their tremendous success over the past several years.

Those are the type of games the Pistons have let slip away Saturday and Monday. On Monday, they couldn't even blame it on a spectacular fourth quarter by LeBron.

After Monday's game, Wallace modified his guarantee, saying there is "no way in hell" Cleveland is going to win this series.

Granted, the Cavs still have to find a way to win at least one game at the Palace of Auburn Hills to win this series. And playing the Pistons at the Palace is an entirely different proposition than playing them on your turf. So Wallace still isn't out of line in guaranteeing a series win.

But given LeBron's history of making his doubters and critics eat their words, and the fact that the Cavs seem to be becoming playoff-hardened veterans right before our very eyes, one has to wonder the wisdom of Wallace's repeated assertions.

Sooner or later, guaranteeing a Piston win isn't going to be as simple as tying your sneakers and taking the court. Somehow, I think LeBron is going to have a hand in that.