ZOMBIE LIES

Bud Shaw has a nice column about... I'm not really sure. I mean, it is well written and stuff, but I'm not sure where he's going with this.

Shaw does bring out a "Zombie Lie."

The Cavaliers can pay him more to stay than he'll earn if he leaves as a free agent. His Nike deal increases if he goes to a bigger market. Call it a wash.

Zombie Lie is a term made up by Atrios reffering to the Jack Abramoff scandal. (Jack Abramoff is the disgraced lobbyist who pled guilty to corruption charges. Abramoff was a College Republican, he gave all of his money to Republicans. While some of his clients gave money to Democrats, when he was working with them, they gave more to Republicans and less to Democrats than they had in the past. So newspeople and pundits like to say that Abramoff gave money to both Republicans and Democrats; that this is a bipartisan scandal. But he didn't. And it's not.) No matter how many times that you prove that Abramoff gave money ONLY TO REPUBLICANS, people keep coming back with "Abramoff gave money to both parties". It keeps coming back, you cannot kill it.

The NBA and LeBron James now has his own Zombie Lie. His Nike contract. Somewhere, someone said that his contract DOUBLES if he plays in Chicago, New York or LA. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. It doesn't matter where he plays, his Nike contract DOES NOT CHANGE! End of story. Even after a great playoff run, people still want this guy to bolt. I do not get it.

Bud Shaw doesn't get it, ESPN doesn't get it and lord knows which local columnist in Chicago, LA or NY will write the "It doesn't matter if we offer LeBron less money than Cleveland, his Nike contract doubles if he plays here" column first.

It looks like LeBron is going to resign in Cleveland. It looks like Mike Brown is open to hiring an offensive-minded assistant coach. It also looks like the Cavs might trade Z. Everyone can tell that Z doesn't fit in this offense. Is it because no one in Cleveland knows how to throw a post entry pass? Is it because he is too slow? Because Mike Brown's offense is "give the ball to LeBron and watch the magic happen"? I dunno.

I do know this: the Cavs will not stand pat this offseason. With three draft picks, Z dangling for trade and possible sign and trades with Drew Gooden, the Cavs will have a different roster by the time training camp rolls around.

By that time, LeBron should've signed his contract and all of his contract talk should be dead.

ZOMBIE LIES EAT MY BRAIN.