I'm still not worried, just a little concerned. My stance all along is that I wouldn't worry about the Cavs ability to keep LeBron James. When he eventually becomes a free agent, we have the opportunity to pay him the most cash, and I've maintained that's enough to keep him here.

But the Jason Kidd trade raises the most obvious side issue. The Nets will clear a ton of cap space in the next couple of years and will also be moving to Brooklyn. What better way to become New York's team by having Jay-Z add James to the roster. It's also clear that LeBron has elevated his game and is now the best player on the planet, carrying a team of has-beens and never-will-bes to whatever heights they will achieve. Hopefully, last year's finals visit isn't the last.

I don't think I could forgive the Cavs if they didn't surround him with some talent and let the guy walk. Again, I don't think it will happen, but my Fear Factor is at about 8% right now.

Meal of Links

Tonight's Oscar quest took me "In The Valley Of Elah" with Tommy Lee Jones. He could not have been better in this Paul Haggis movie. You remember Haggis, he directed "Crash". Anyhow, Tommy Lee had to come to grips with the new Army against what used to be his old Army, while investigating the death of an AWOL son, a recent returnee from Iraq. Really a fine little movie that virtually no one has seen. Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric and especially Charlize Theron are first-rate.

The plagiarism attack by Hillary Clinton against Barack Obama proves one thing. She definitely does not have the press on her side. I'm actually surprised how fast this attack has fizzled, causing but a ripple. It congers memories of Joe Biden's 1988 aborted campaign when the one time he failed to cite Neil Kinnock in a speech, it was on video. After a huge firestorm, his campaign died shortly thereafter. But is what Obama using plagiarism or not, or does it even matter.

To quote Johnny Fever, "Chips are falling!"

Exercise Yard

Don't know why the local media isn't on this, but if the IRL and Champ Car series merge, the Cleveland race dies. One series dictates maybe 15 or 16 races and since IRL is the clear winner, they mainly race ovals. Last time I looked, Burke is not an oval. Toronto, Portland and other Champ Car mainstays also lose out in 2008 and maybe beyond. Especially if futher foreign expansion continues.

Not a done deal yet, but it's the closest to a merger since the day they split.

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30 Across: Carl famous for hostile takeovers (5 letters) Answer: Icahn