The Locker Room (7/12/10)

Rev. Jesse Jackson responds to Cavs owner's comments about Lebron, Vick restricted from travel while the Eagles ponder his future, Wall makes summer league debut, big names go home early during the World Series of Poker, and NCAA Football 11 out this week. Read on to find out more.

Rev. Jesse Jackson Responds to Cavs Owner

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson responded to Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert's tirade about Lebron James. In case you missed it, Dan Gilbert's letter, written in magic marker, to fans on the evening of the Lebron Show, accused James of being disloyal, a coward, selfish, and heartless. much everyone agreed the letter was inappropriate and definitely not what you hear from a team owner on a regular basis.

Jackson took it a step further, accusing Gilbert of treating Lebron like a "runaway slave." He lambasted Gilbert saying he speaks as if he was "an owner of Lebron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers." The good Rev. also pointed out that Lebron and Gilbert's relationship was an owner/employee relationship between business partners and that Lebron honored his contract.

Jackson has been known to take things a bit too far at times, which has slowly worn down his credibility over the years, however, right or wrong on this, someone needed to address Gilbert's actions. Although its understandable for the owner to have bitter feelings about not being able to retain Lebron, he handled it completely inappropriately. Regardless of how much of a show Lebron put on, fact is his loyalty to the Cavs only goes as far as his contract.

For everything the Cavs have done for Lebron, he's done it for them ten-fold. Their first finals appearance, their franchise value, and quite frankly their relevance in the NBA is a product of Lebron. They wouldn't be in the news otherwise. The fact that their owner is a jackass and doesn't have a filter may have squandered everything Lebron has done for the franchise. As evidenced by Chris Bosh, premier free agents don't want to play there and the fact that their owner showed to world he could blow his top at a moments notice doesn't help.

Regardless of how you feel about the charade we "witnessed" with regards to Lebron's decision, I'm calling a spade a spade. Gilbert expects everyone to be 100% loyal to him while showing no loyalty in return. He expected Lebron to stay "home" forever, when he himself left his home state of Michigan for greener pastures. Cut it out and get back to sucking for eternity.

Non-Lebron NBA News

Udonis Haslem's Destination

Well kind of. Udonis Haslem is apparently being overbid on in efforts to keep him from returning to the Heat. He's gotten two full mid-level extension offers from the Nets and Mavericks, an offer the Heat are not going to be able to match. Would he take the minimum to return home? Don't bet on it.

John Wall's Summer League Debut

Although summer league dominance doesn't necessarily translate into NBA effectiveness, a summer league flop means you've got a long way to go. John Wall looked good in his summer league debut with 24 pts and 8 asts, but also had 8 turnovers, a problem that plagued him at times at Kentucky. In the grand scheme of things, it probably means nothing. Expect Wall to have an excellent summer.

Experts are comparing him to Derrick Rose, who is on the brink of breaking out this year. Although I don't think Wall will be as good as Rose his first year, Wall has a higher ceiling. He's just as quick, more athletic and a longer player. It will be interesting seeing these two battle it out over the next decade or so.

More Vick Controversy

In the wake of the birthday party shooting, Vick's probation officials have barred the QB from traveling outside of Pennsylvania. As a result he missed appearance at his own golf tournament and at a football camp in Raleigh, NC. No word yet on how long the travel restrictions will remain in place.

Although Vick may escape criminal charges from this fiasco, you can bet the Eagles are weighing their options with the QB. Stay tuned as a sneeze during practice could get him cut.

Are You Ready for some Football?

During the "dead period" NFL info will be few and far between until training camp starts. What's new in NFL news this week?

Sam Bradford contract negotiations will begin this week. His contract will be massive, continuing the NFL trend of paying high draft picks absurd amounts of money prior to them proving anything on the field. It'll be interesting to see how much money he gets and the effect it has on the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement. They are badly in need of a rookie salary scale similar to the NBA's.

Terrell Owens is still unsigned and looking for work. Rumors have him going to the Redskins and possibly the Seahawks, but it looks like he may have to wait until training camp opens and needs are more clearly identified before he's out of the unemployment line.

Favre is playing his usual mind games, however most think he'll be back next season. That's about all I can dedicate to Brett Favre's reoccurring offseason shenanigans.

NCAA Football 11 Out This Week

IGN recently posted a review of NCAA 11, which will be released on July 13th. It will be a great day for sports gamers eagerly awaiting the return of football season. With an online feature set that is unrivaled, expect the replay value on NCAA 11 to be through the roof. Check back for my review this week.

WSOP Main Event Underway

It's been brutal for most pros, while some old favorites are among the leaders. Johnny Chan is amongst the leaders, while Hellmuth, Matasow, Ivey, Raymer, Brunson, and Dwan have all seen early exits. Either the cards have been brutal or these guys can't wait to play the big money side games that go on during the WSOP.