LeBron in the Twitter Universe

In case you've been under a log, PHSports is on Twitter.
Worry not, we're not in it for followers (clearly). Instead, it's a place to rant and rave and react to this ever-expanding medium.

Of course, the LeBron story (now somehow titled, "The Decision") has officially trumped anything else in the sporting world as of late.

Peak-a-boo! I'm going to...Miami. To dilute my brand and always be #2 in Wade County.
Credit: DrewLiftTV

Here are a few twitter highlights (aka "top tweets) you may have missed in the last 24 hours...

The Tweet That May Have Said it ALL:
Chris_Broussard Sources with knowledge of the situation indeed saying LeBron will join Wade and Bosh in Miami, barring a late change of heart

Funniest Tweet:
WaterWarren BREAKING NEWS! #Apple is releasing a special edition Lebron James iPhone. Problem is, it only vibrates b/c it doesn't have a RING.

More Desperate for Attention that even Tweeting can HELP:
chrisbosh Good morning. Waking up to more speculation. This makes tonight's show more interesting.

Seeking More and More Attention Tweet:
KingJames Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight.

Sense from the Seemingly Senseless Tweets:
OGOchoCinco I dont even know why the **** i am talking i dont have no d@mn rings myself,i am doing the best i can with the cards i was dealt #BENGALS

OGOchoCinco nickname is #KingJames, Kings lead with the help of an army (supporting cast on team) a lead dog doesn't join supastars to make it easy

OGOchoCinco Kobe-Magic-Jordan-Bird all created legacies on their own teams, they didn't join together to make winning a ring easy #Lebronwilldodasame

Average New York Fans Giving Up Tweets:
BrandonTierney when LBJ says "Miami" tonight, I will officially pray for a lifetime of 4th Q "back-rims" and "short" for the duration of his playoff life

NYSportzNut @KingJames if you sign with Miami tonight - you will forever become Scottie Pippen to Dwayne Wade's Jordan. Your (cont) http://tl.gd/2ci1bb

AnthonyMSG Can't he find a Boys and Girls club in Florida!

Brnyd15 @AnthonyMSG Lebron to Miami I guess. If true, I want us to be the 8th seed and them the #1 in the playoffs. The irony....

New Yorkers trying to Hold On:
knicksbuzztap Bleacher Report >> The King James Saga: Believe None Of What You See; Half Of What You Hear http://buzztap.com/-7APLbU

AnthonyMSG If LeBron comes into our backyard and says he's going to play For The Heat!!!!! Come on!!!

Living on a 3am Prayer Tweet:
jadande Part of me thinks LeBron's camp is just floating this Miami thing to gauge the reaction. And what I've seen has not been positive.

Ramblings of an Idiot Tweets:

PHSports Peak-a-boo. http://tiny.cc/lbjcry I'm going to...Miami. To dilute my brand and always be #2 in Miami-Wade County. Call him Prince Harry. #2.

PHSports @AnthonyMSG His "circle" hadn't let anything slip - to this degree potentially - until now. So why now? Seems somewhat likely it's a decoy. 10 minutes ago via web
PHSports @AnthonyMSG I guess the "hope" in Cleveland and NYC is that LeBron had one of his inner circle put out the Miami rumor to distract people.

NBA Offseason Preview - Miami Heat

Miami Heat
Record: 15-67
2008-2009 Payroll (Source: HoopsHype.com): $53.4M

Draft Picks: #2, #52

In what could only be described as a profound disappointment, the Heat begin the Erik Spoelstra regime with a shred of optimism, knowing that it’s likely Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion may be playing meaningful basketball games next season. What’s better? If you said “anything compared to the 2007-2008 campaign”, then few will disagree with you. Though the Heat were considered to be aging and beyond their best, no one tagged them for a 15-win basketball team.

That said, the Heat shed two hefty salaries in the form of Jason Williams ($8.9M) and Ricky “9th rebound off of my own glass” Davis ($6.8M). At the same time, the Heat require a long-term replacement for Alonzo Mourning.

Burning Questions: Set at the 2 and 3 positions, both Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley would be amazing additions to the team. In the end, it comes down to what the Bulls do. Also, what will the Heat do with their bevy of guards (Marcus Banks, Dorell Wright, Daequan Cook) not named DWade who are also under contract?

One last burning question. If Spoelstra is successful, when will Pat Riley hijack the team? Cheap shot.

Perceived Needs: PG, PF, C, Toughness

If I Were GM … It’s a no-lose situation with drafting second. Though drafting second, the Heat are likely to get their man in Rose. Also, with a combination of Wade, Marion and whomever is selected, it’s a situation that can lure a veteran guard for less than market value. With the #52 pick overall, the Heat are best served to trade out of that spot or select a project big who can provide depth in 2-3 years. Depending on the draft board, I would also consider trading into the early portion of the second round by sending multiple 2009 second-round picks (Miami currently owns three) to select either a power forward or a center (e.g. Kosta Koufos, Nathan Jawai, Nikola Pekovic, Joey Dorsey, DJ White, DeVon Hardin).

Additionally, I would do my best to cleanse the squad of superfluous guards and add to a very thin (in both talent and depth) frontcourt.

Quick Hits: The Weekend Version

Busy, busy, busy times. Here are ten random ramblings that only scratch the surface on a busy sport’s week.

…in no particular order…
1. Calling the Diesel.
Shaq is back…for now. Averaging 22.5 ppg since D-Wade’s injury, the big fella has seemed more energetic, much more physical, and incredibly motivated to carry the Heat. Question is: can he really keep this up? Yes and no. While the injury bug can’t bite him as hard when he’s this focused and working so hard, the Heat’s best hope, sans-Wade, is to actually meet the Pistons in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Yes, you read that correctly. Only by knocking them out early could they sustain enough momentum to ride the big fellow deeper into the playoffs.

2. Carmelo v. Coach.
Don’t let management fool you, George Karl can only win this argument for so long. Karl might be making a huge mistake calling out his star when the majority of the blame is due to a poorly constructed team (thanks Kiki). It’s one thing to address the consistently bad shots of a shooter, but another to pretend his lack of defense is the only major reason for an underachieving squad.

3. Mavs drive for 70.
From 0-4 to 51-9, Big D has become a team about D. Yes, Dirk flops a lot. But he is also the MVP this season (barely, over Nash) and Josh Howard is the closest thing to Scottie Pippen-in-the-mid-90s we’re gonna see these days (sorry Lamar). While I seriously doubt they can hit 70 (which entails, despite a current 16-game streak, winning 19 of 22 to close out the season in which they may clinch #1 in 2-3 weeks), Avery Johnson has his team as ready as they possibly could be to take home the NBA Title finally.

4. Running Backs on the Move.
Thomas Jones is now a Jet. Willis McGahee a Raven. Jamal Lewis a Brown. Dominic Rhodes a Raider. Reuben Droughns a Giant. Travis Henry a Bronco. Ahman Green a Texan. Tatum Bell a Lion. All of these moves should aid their respective new teams. However, the Jets and Ravens clearly made the top moves in this grouping…by quite a margin, in fact, for what they had to pay.

5. Big Money for the Big Boys.
Wanna see overspending at its best? Escape a place like Express or Abercrombie and venture over to the NFL. Only there could Leonard Davis get $50 million. Seriously. Derrick Dockery is worth $49 million? Not a chance. Eric Steinbach worth $49.5 million? Maybe $29.5, at best. I just hope guys like Wade Smith, Luke Petitgout, and Anthony Clement won’t see $10-million plus in guarantees anytime soon. Hutchinson’s contract last year with the Vikes broke the bank to say the very least.

6. Bubble’s bursting.
As of Saturday…VCU held suit in the CAA. Winthrop did as well in the Big South. Butler did not in the Horizon. Neither did Xavier in the A-10 or Nevada in the WAC. The Zags took home the WCC title to escape the bubble. Creighton more then solidified its standing from the MVC. And we still have plenty of tournaments to go. Big eyes focused on NC State, Illinois, Kansas State, Arkansas, and Mississippi State (among others) in the next two days.

7. One Seeds.
Let’s be foolish and assume a few things: Ohio State matches up with Wisconsin in the Big Ten final. Kansas wins the Big XII title. UCLA is done in the Pac-10 tourney (okay, we do know that). Florida wins the SEC. UNC wins the ACC. Wow. How do you choose those four #1s now? Here’s how: East-UNC, South-Florida, Midwest-Ohio State, West-Kansas. This is assuming Ohio State defeats Wisconsin again, moving the Badgers to the East regional as a #2. If the Badgers win, can you flip-flop Ohio State to a 2 or do you push out someone? Don’t get me started on a new scenario please. UCLA fans are already starting their hate-mail against me...

8. Last Four In, Last Four Out.
Heartbreaking words for a lot of teams this year. My major prediction of predictions? Everyone is sleeping on the one big-name school who will get in as a joke (much like Air Force last year, which was much more conference-affiliated than big name). The CAA will see either Drexel OR Old Dominion sadly be sent to the NIT. It's a cold, hard truth I'm staring to realize. Probably due to a school like Stanford, Illinois, or Arkansas. That's just wrong.

9. Simon says Suspension.
Once a year or so, some hockey player does something downright horrific and senseless. It’s talked about for a few days, shunned by everyone involved, the player acts remorseful, and ghastly reviewed highlights are shown over and over and over. Finally, a big suspension is handed out. Problem solved? Not a chance. It happens again a year later. My advice? Suspend Simon for two seasons without pay. And if he ever commits a similar offense, under ANY circumstances, enforce a lifetime ban and blackout his name from every history book the NHL has to offer. It’s time for zero tolerance in hockey. And more italics.

10. Dice-K’s Arrival.
Looks promising thus far. But just like any of the Cubans that the Yankees sign (surprising the BoSox spent more this off-season than the Evil Empire, or is it?)…wait until a primetime outing against a fierce lineup (such as against New York, Detroit, Anaheim, or Chicago) before we immortalize him Cy Young: Part Deux. Also wait until the pitching motion catches up with hitters, ala Hideo Nomo and Jose Contreras over the next two or three seasons.

Sounds like a good rant to me…except for this.

Fox Sports Radio is the worst thing going today.
I'll take the 4-Letter Network any day for my sports radio.