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Cold War to the nth level.



MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will deploy new missiles aimed at U.S. missile defense sites in Europe if Washington goes ahead with the planned shield despite Russia's concerns, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

Russia will station missiles in its westernmost Kaliningrad region and other areas if Russia and NATO fail to reach a deal on the U.S.-led missile defense plans, he said in a tough statement that seemed to be aimed at rallying domestic support.
Russia considers the plans for missile shields in Europe, including in Romania and Poland, to be a threat to its nuclear forces, but the Obama administration insists they are meant to fend off a potential threat from Iran.

Moscow has agreed to consider NATO's proposal last fall to cooperate on the missile shield, but the talks have been deadlocked over how the system should operate. Russia has insisted that the system should be run jointly, which NATO has rejected.
Medvedev also warned that Moscow may opt out of the New START arms control deal with the United States and halt other arms control talks if the U.S. proceeds. The Americans had hoped that the treaty would stimulate progress further ambitious arms control efforts, but such talks have stalled over tension on the missile plans.
"The United States and its NATO partners as of now aren't going to take our concerns about the European missile defense into account," a stern Medvedev said, adding that if the alliance continues to "stonewall" Russia it will take retaliatory action.
The U.S. plan calls for placing land- and sea-based radars and interceptors in European locations over the next decade and upgrading them over time.

Medvedev warned that Russia will deploy short-range Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, a Baltic Sea exclave bordering Poland, and place weapons in other areas in Russia's west and south to target U.S. missile defense sites.

Medvedev added that prospective Russian strategic nuclear missiles will be fitted with systems that would allow them to penetrate prospective missile defenses.
He and other Russian leaders have made similar threats in the past, and the latest statement appears to be aimed at domestic audience ahead of Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

Medvedev, who is set to step down to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reclaim the presidency in March's elections, leads the ruling United Russia party list in the parliamentary vote.

A sterm warning to the U.S. and NATO issued by Medvedev seems to be directed at rallying nationalist votes in the polls.

LAS VEGAS – When the final bell rang, 12 rounds of furious fighting complete, Juan Manuel Marquez lifted his right fist high into the air, turned to the ringside crowd and offered a knowing wink through an eye nearly swollen shut.



Standing in front of him at that very moment, his opponent, Manny Pacquiao, let his head sag as he turned to walk to his corner. Seconds later Marquez was carried around the ring on the shoulders of two of his corner men. Pacquiao was on his knees in prayer.

Somehow, someway, Pacquiao wound up with the majority decision, 116-112, 115-113, 114-114, Saturday night at the MGM Grand, a result that will be doubted and debated forever.

What Pacquiao lost was clearer – his cloak of invincibility, his reputation for destruction, even, in some ways, a measure of his credibility.




Marquez was able to frustrate, counterpunch and deliver direct hits that Pacquiao hadn’t felt in years. Pacquiao ended up with 28 post-fight stitches above one eye (inadvertent head butt). All courtesy of the 38-year-old Marquez, whom Floyd Mayweather Jr. had completely dominated in 2009.

Worse is that fans around the world immediately believed the decision came courtesy of the power of Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and the potential $100 million-plus superfight with Mayweather that would have been jeopardized by a Pacquiao loss.

No fighter, let alone one of Pacquiao’s caliber, wants to be seen as needing political protection.

“All the Mexicans [were] booing me, ‘You stole the fight, you stole the fight,’ ” Arum said afterward. “Like I had anything to do with it.”

This is where everything changes for Pacquiao. Only Arum could claim surprise at fan outrage in a sport with a not-so-illustrious history of crooked deals and foul play. In his typically ridiculous fashion, Arum claimed the only people who saw it that way on Twitter have Spanish names.

“Everybody knows what happened,” Marquez said. “I won this fight. Only three people there didn’t see the same thing. … It was a robbery. They robbed me.”

It isn’t that simple, of course. Compubox stats favored Pacquiao. Most of the rounds weren’t decisive. Many rounds were extremely close in a fight that was full of daring, thrilling, back-and-forth action. Still, how could one judge believe Marquez won only four rounds?

“This is part of the game,” Pacquiao said. “The fight is close, but it is very clear I won the fight.”

It isn’t very clear he won the fight. The frustrations and backlash aren’t going away. Pacquiao had enjoyed, if not universal support, than at least respect during this recent stretch of success.

He controlled everything, including his future against Mayweather, who has taken considerable backlash for supposedly ducking the Filipino congressman.

Gone now are the visions of dominance, Pacquiao sending another overwhelmed opponent to the hospital.

Instead Manny dropped his head at fight’s end, looking uncertain in the moments before the decision was announced.

There he stood, next to announcer Max Kellerman, unable to conduct his postfight interview because the boos from the pro-Marquez crowd were deafening. There he was, surrounded by security, being hustled out of the ring as insults and popcorn boxes rained down on him.

There was Manny, face bludgeoned afterward, trying to claim victory as Arum pushed him through an abbreviated news conference, a far cry from his usual marathon media sessions.

Arum offered up talk of another rematch – Pacquiao-Marquez IV – in May. Considering the hellacious battle that had taken place, he won’t lack for pay-per-view buys. Debate over the decision aside, this was a brilliant night of fighting.

It is also, of course, a leverage play against Mayweather, who has already claimed May 5, 2012, as a night he will fight, preferably in the “biggest fight possible,” i.e. Pacquiao.

If Mayweather ever hesitated to take on Pacquiao before, this performance may quickly change that. Marquez’s counterpunching style and ability to match Pacquiao’s hand speed made this fight. Two years ago though, Marquez was overwhelmed by Mayweather’s speed, losing all 12 rounds on at least one scorecard.

“I think [Marquez] has Manny’s number,” said Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. “He knows how to fight Manny. Mayweather is a bit of a counterpuncher also; he can give us trouble. We need to learn to deal with these counterpunchers better.”

[Related: Angry Juan Manuel Marquez says he might retire after ‘robbery’]

It all becomes so much more intriguing. This is Pacquiao in a new light. This is Pacquiao physically challenged. This is Pacquiao without that smiling, carefree attitude.

This is Pacquiao, surrounded by questions, dogged by doubt, heckled and running from cries of fixed judging. This is everything the proud fighter doesn’t want.

There’s only one way to change that, only one way to bring it all back. Go right back at Marquez – “It was a fight I kind of don’t want to do again, but we have to,” Roach said.

Or better yet go right at Mayweather, make the superfight happen even if it requires conceding to some of Mayweather’s silly demands.

Next time it won’t just be a belt or a pile of money on the line. It’ll be something bigger: Manny Pacquiao’s reputation.




Angry Marquez says he might retire after ‘robbery’


LAS VEGAS – Juan Manuel Marquez furiously insisted his controversial defeat to Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night was a “robbery” and accused two members of the judging panel of conspiring against him.

A dejected Marquez, 38, said it might have been his last fight.

“Maybe I will retire,” he said. “It is difficult after this. I also don’t want to throw away everything we have worked for but I just don’t know.”

Pacquiao’s victory keeps alive the prospect of a superfight against Floyd Mayweather, possibly as soon as May 5, 2012. Yet there will also be calls for another rematch with Marquez, and the controversial decision would ensure that Pacquiao-Marquez IV would attract huge attention.

“I think there is now a viable possibility that they should do it again,” said Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum. “It was so close, there were so many close rounds and it was a great fight.”

[Related: Pacquiao beats Marquez by controversial decision]

In their third meeting Saturday, Marquez lost a majority decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with judge Robert Hoyle scoring it 114-114 and Glenn Trowbridge and Dave Moretti giving it to Pacquiao by 116-112 and 115-113, respectively.

Marquez felt cheated, so much so that a rematch was the furthest thing from his mind.

“It is a robbery and of the two robberies I have had against him, this one is the more terrible,” Marquez said in his locker room moments after storming from the ring in anger. “I was the one with the clearer punches and I won again. The audience protested because they knew that I won again. It is difficult to fight against a fighter and two judges as well.”

Pacquiao was roundly booed by the crowd with most fans believing Marquez was a clear victor. The Filipino champion was pelted with beer and popcorn as he left the arena. Marquez also felt he had won the second fight of the trilogy in 2008, only to lose on the scorecards.

Heading into the closing rounds of the fight, Marquez was informed by trainer Nacho Beristain that he was clearly ahead.

“I always thought the judges and the commission in Nevada were the fairest,” Beristain said. “But this has been a robbery of the utmost.”



Promoter ready to set up Pacquiao-Marquez IV


LAS VEGAS – Only seconds after Manny Pacquiao squeezed out a majority decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, prompting angry fans to pelt the ringside area with drinks, promoter Bob Arum said he’s going to do a fourth fight between the men.

Pacquiao retained his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt by defeating Marquez by the closest of margins. Judge Glenn Trowbridge had it 116-112. Dave Moretti saw it 115-113 and Robert Hoyle had it 114-114.

As he made his way through an angry crowd that shouted obscenities at him, Arum told Yahoo! Sports, “It was a great, great fight. I had Manny, but it was close, so why not bring them together again in May? It makes a lot of sense to do that.”

The fighters fought to a split draw in 2004 in a featherweight fight. Pacquiao won a split decision in a super featherweight title fight in 2008.

Representatives of Floyd Mayweather Jr. had reserved the MGM Grand for May 5, ostensibly to make a fight with Pacquiao. On Friday, Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya said the fight was closer than ever, but with Arum’s announcement, the richest fight in history will be on hold for a while longer.

Some of the following creatures are known to have dated back further than the Middle Ages making great grandparents seem like youngsters. From the youngest to the immortal, check out our round-up of nine animal species that hold records for their freakishly long life spans.


Jeanne Louise Calment: 122-years-old



The first spot on the list belongs to the world’s longest living person ever. Born on 21 February 1875 and passing away on August 4, 1997, this French woman holds the longest confirmed lifespan in


George the lobster: 140-years-old



A New York restaurant was lucky enough to offer the most mature crustacean ever caught on their menu. At a massive 20lbs and born in 1869 - the same year as leading men, such as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French painter Henri Matisse, giant lobster George was picked up from the icy waters of the Atlantic. Manager of City Crab and Seafood restaurant, who bought George for $100 (£68) said that a lobster’s age can be estimated by weight, with weight increasing by around a pound for every seven to ten years of life. Fortunately for George, after animal rights organisation PETA received a tip-off from punters about the tiny tank it had to live in, PETA managed to persuade the Park Avenue eatery to release George back into the wild.


Geoduck: 160-years-old



Recognised as a large edible saltwater clam with a six-inch-long shell and a neck that extends up to about four feet, geoducks (pronounced ‘gooey’ ducks) are a native species of the Pacific Northwest of the US and coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada. The geoduck market is predominantly based in Asia with an expanding one in the US as the American sushi industry has sparked a rise in domestic demand for the odd-looking seafood delicacy. Burrowed in deep muddy waters, the oldest living geoduck was recorded to be 160-years-old, but on average they live between 140 and 160 when not hunted by predators or eaten by humans. According to scientists, a geoduck's longevity is the result of low wear and tear as they don’t have to do much in order to survive.


Bowhead whale: 211-years-old



Dubbed, the ‘old men of the sea’ by a US reporter, bowhead whales are the oldest mammals on Earth living on average between 100-200 years. One individual whale is documented to have lived to the ripe old age of 211. By tracking changes in amino acids in the lenses of their eyes, scientists are able to determine the approximate ages of bowheads. Biologist Craig George found the key to their long existence. He said: “The bowhead's tough environment - cold water without abundant food available forces it to maintain a great body mass, an effective system for fat storage and an efficient mechanism to keep warm. The stress of living in arctic waters may nurture the whale's pattern of slow growth and long life.” In the past, bowheads have been hunted to near extinction.


Koi fish: 226-years-old



Koi are a domesticated kind of the common carp kept for decoration in artificial rock pools and ponds, there are types which are known to age to more than 200 years. One of the longest living vertebrate ever recorded, ‘Hanako’ translated into English as ‘Flower Maid’ is proof that women do live longer than men. The 15lb female fish from Japan died at the age of 226 in 1977. Born in 1751, 25 years before American independence, her old age could be accounted for by removing one of her scales and examining it extensively, similar to counting rings of a tree.


Tortoises: 255-years-old



A tortoise’s long life span has been linked to the reptile’s slow metabolic rate. Experts reckon as a general rule, animals with a high metabolic rate die early, and those that burn energy more slowly can live on for decades. Reports in the media are frequently claiming that the world’s oldest tortoise has died – take Harriet and Tu’I Malila for example, who died at 175 and 188-years-old respectively.

But, Addwaita, a tortoise that lived in Bengal is estimated to have been around 255 when it died, making it just a toddler around the time of the American Revolution. Its age was verified by a technique called carbon dating, confirming Addwaita as one of the oldest creatures of modern times. His long life ended when his shell cracked and a wound developed some months before his death from liver failure in March five-years-ago.


Quahog: 410-years-old



Another seafood delicacy sets a record in the animal kingdom. In 2007, a specimen of clam was plucked off the coast of Iceland. By drilling through its cockle shell and counting each ring, the Arctica Islandica was claimed to be the longest-living animal species ever recorded by researchers at Bangor University. Nicknamed ‘Ming’ after the Chinese dynasty that ruled when the clam was born and its Siamese-like appearance, the clam was estimated to be aged between 405 and 410-years-old. Unfortunately, poor Ming died as it was being assessed by researchers.


Antarctic sponge: 1550-years-old



One specimen of this slow-growing Antarctic Ocean dweller is estimated to be over 1550-years-old. To put it in perspective, the specimen could have been living in 461AD – the same year that on March 17th St Patrick died. Though it may look more like a plant as it is immobile, scientists do class this sponge as a living creature with its lack of exertion and extremely slow growth contributing to its scarily long life span.


Turriptosis Nutricula: Immortal



This remarkable jellyfish-like creature tops our list as the world’s oldest living creature in terms of having no natural limit to its life span. The unique species is considered to be the world’s only biologically immortal animal, according to marine biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute in Florida.

A native to the warm salt waters of the Caribbean seas, the animal has been spotted far from its home in Spain, Italy, Japan, and the Atlantic side of Panama in recent times as it is thought they are silently invading the oceans by attaching themselves to ballast water tanks of ships. So what is its secret to anti-aging? The tiny transparent sea creature, which is about the size of a fingernail, can regenerate its entire body over and over again through a process called ‘transdifferentiation’ as it is able to turn one type of cell into another.

1. Bon Jovi; $2,465,286; $103.09.



2. Lady Gaga; $1,722,078; $96.77.



3. Rod Stewart / Stevie Nicks; $1,455,243; $107.14.



4. Elton John; $1,140,460; $95.44.



5. Kenny Chesney; $1,127,293; $68.41.



6. George Strait / Reba / Lee Ann Womack; $1,021,356; $74.72.



7. Sugarland; $422,677; $48.27.



8. Kid Rock; $409,670; $42.10.



9. Jeff Dunham; $314,902; $47.70.



10. Rain — A Tribute To The Beatles; $287,710; $68.18.



11. (New) Kem; $223,169; $58.80.



12. James Taylor; $222,444; $76.33.



13. Yanni; $221,929; $69.36.



14. Avenged Sevenfold; $219,807; $36.13.



15. Robert Plant And The Band Of Joy; $204,870; $63.80.



16. "Music As A Weapon Tour" / Korn / Disturbed; $201,696; $47.59.



17. Heart; $189,283; $70.29.



18. Tiesto; $188,718; $58.52.



19. Sarah McLachlan; $187,445; $62.03.



20. "Riverdance"; $169,351; $58.22.

There have been some tremendous misses this season -- the kind that are almost impressive in how shockingly wrong a "sure thing" can go -- and now, Bayern Munich's Miroslav Klose adds one to the collection.



With just one goal in 19 Bundesliga appearances this season, it hasn't been the greatest season for Klose, who, along with Gerd Muller, is the World Cup's second all-time leading scorer (behind Ronaldo). At 32 years old, he's fallen behind the likes of Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez at Bayern, but he got the start in their last game of the season against Stuttgart on Saturday. And it wasn't long before Arjen Robben made a nice run and set up Klose with a golden opportunity to tap in a goal from right in front of an empty net. Instead, his body ended up in the back of the net while the ball soared over the crossbar.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness looked around in disbelief from his executive box, though this was a perfectly fitting occurrence for the final match of a disappointing third-place season for the club. Luckily, Bayern still won the match 2-1 to end the season on a good note.

Anyway, these things happen. Even to the World Cup's second all-time leading scorer.

SHANGHAI — After three decades of spectacular growth, China passed Japan in the second quarter to become the world’s second-largest economy behind the United States, according to government figures released early Monday.


The milestone, though anticipated for some time, is the most striking evidence yet that China’s ascendance is for real and that the rest of the world will have to reckon with a new economic superpower.

The recognition came early Monday, when Tokyo said that Japan’s economy was valued at about $1.28 trillion in the second quarter, slightly below China’s $1.33 trillion. Japan’s economy grew 0.4 percent in the quarter, Tokyo said, substantially less than forecast. That weakness suggests that China’s economy will race past Japan’s for the full year.

Experts say unseating Japan — and in recent years passing Germany, France and Great Britain — underscores China’s growing clout and bolsters forecasts that China will pass the United States as the world’s biggest economy as early as 2030. America’s gross domestic product was about $14 trillion in 2009.

“This has enormous significance,” said Nicholas R. Lardy, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “It reconfirms what’s been happening for the better part of a decade: China has been eclipsing Japan economically. For everyone in China’s region, they’re now the biggest trading partner rather than the U.S. or Japan.”

For Japan, whose economy has been stagnating for more than a decade, the figures reflect a decline in economic and political power. Japan has had the world’s second-largest economy for much of the last four decades, according to the World Bank. And during the 1980s, there was even talk about Japan’s economy some day overtaking that of the United States.

But while Japan’s economy is mature and its population quickly aging, China is in the throes of urbanization and is far from developed, analysts say, meaning it has a much lower standard of living, as well as a lot more room to grow. Just five years ago, China’s gross domestic product was about $2.3 trillion, about half of Japan’s.

This country has roughly the same land mass as the United States, but it is burdened with a fifth of the world’s population and insufficient resources.

Its per capita income is more on a par with those of impoverished nations like Algeria, El Salvador and Albania — which, along with China, are close to $3,600 — than that of the United States, where it is about $46,000.

Yet there is little disputing that under the direction of the Communist Party, China has begun to reshape the way the global economy functions by virtue of its growing dominance of trade, its huge hoard of foreign exchange reserves and United States government debt and its voracious appetite for oil, coal, iron ore and other natural resources.

China is already a major driver of global growth. The country’s leaders have grown more confident on the international stage and have begun to assert greater influence in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with things like special trade agreements and multibillion dollar resource deals.

“They’re exerting a lot of influence on the global economy and becoming dominant in Asia,” said Eswar S. Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell and former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division. “A lot of other economies in the region are essentially riding on China’s coat tails, and this is remarkable for an economy with a low per capita income.”

In Japan, the mood was one of resignation. Though increasingly eclipsed by Beijing on the world stage, Japan has benefited from a booming China, initially by businesses moving production there to take advantage of lower wages and, as local incomes have risen, by tapping a large and increasingly lucrative market for Japanese goods.

Beijing is also beginning to shape global dialogues on a range of issues, analysts said; for instance, last year it asserted that the dollar must be phased out as the world’s primary reserve currency.

And while the United States and the European Union are struggling to grow in the wake of the worst economic crisis in decades, China has continued to climb up the economic league tables by investing heavily in infrastructure and backing a $586 billion stimulus plan.

This year, although growth has begun to moderate a bit, China’s economy is forecast to expand about 10 percent — continuing a remarkable three-decade streak of double-digit growth.

“This is just the beginning,” said Wang Tao, an economist at UBS in Beijing. “China is still a developing country. So it has a lot of room to grow. And China has the biggest impact on commodity prices — in Russia, India, Australia and Latin America.”

There are huge challenges ahead, though. Economists say that China’s economy is too heavily dependent on exports and investment and that it needs to encourage greater domestic consumption — something China has struggled to do.

The country’s largely state-run banks have recently been criticized for lending far too aggressively in the last year while shifting some loans off their balance sheet to disguise lending and evade rules meant to curtail lending growth.

China is also locked in a fierce debate over its currency policy, with the United States, European Union and others accusing Beijing of keeping the Chinese currency, the renminbi, artificially low to bolster exports — leading to huge trade surpluses for China but major bilateral trade deficits for the United States and the European Union. China says that its currency is not substantially undervalued and that it is moving ahead with currency reform.

Regardless, China’s rapid growth suggests that it will continue to compete fiercely with the United States and Europe for natural resources but also offer big opportunities for companies eager to tap its market.

Although its economy is still only one-third the size of the American economy, China passed the United States last year to become the world’s largest market for passenger vehicles. China also passed Germany last year to become the world’s biggest exporter.

Global companies like Caterpillar, General Electric, General Motors and Siemens — as well as scores of others — are making a more aggressive push into China, in some cases moving research and development centers here.

Some analysts, though, say that while China is eager to assert itself as a financial and economic power — and to push its state companies to “go global” — it is reluctant to play a greater role in the debate over climate change or how to slow the growth of greenhouse gases.

China passed the United States in 2006 to become the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists link to global warming. But China also has an ambitious program to cut the energy it uses for each unit of economic output by 20 percent by the end of 2010, compared to 2006.

Assessing what China’s newfound clout means, though, is complicated. While the country is still relatively poor per capita, it has an authoritarian government that is capable of taking decisive action — to stimulate the economy, build new projects and invest in specific industries.

That, Mr. Lardy at the Peterson Institute said, gives the country unusual power. “China is already the primary determiner of the price of virtually every major commodity,” he said. “And the Chinese government can be much more decisive in allocating resources in a way that other governments of this level of per capita income cannot.”

Wealth is a subjective concept, but one thing is universal in most definitions: being able to live a comfortable life without having to work.


"I'd like to have enough money so my family and I wouldn't have to work anymore or worry about the necessities, and maybe travel a bit," said Deborah Veale, a Southern California resident visiting New York City.

Veale said she'd need about $10 million to consider herself set.

One woman from Seattle put it at a "couple thousand dollars a month." Another from New York City wanted a billion (although she'd still fly coach.)

Experts peg the figure to be somewhere around $2 million to $12 million in savings.

On the high end of that range, a single person living in an expensive part of the country (say, New York City), wanting to retire at 35 would need at least $300,000 a year to feel rich, according to Steven Kaye, president of Watchung, N.J.-based wealth management firm American Economic Planning Group. He based that number on real-life figures his clients tell him they need.

A yearly income of $300,000 would allow for taxes, a $3,800-a-month apartment (the average price in Manhattan), and a monthly spending allowance of around twelve grand, he said. Not too bad, especially since you could do this all without a pesky job.

To generate $300,000 a year beginning at age 35, you'd need a nest egg of just under $12 million. That assumes a conservative investment portfolio generating a return of 5% a year, an inflation rate of 2.5% a year and Social Security benefits of $25,000 a year starting at age 62.

Over time, the shape of your nest egg would resemble a bell curve, growing in the early years, and then declining as inflation required you to withdraw more money to maintain a lifestyle equivalent to $300,000 in 2010. The $12 million would finally dwindle to $934 when you turned 100.

If you live in a low cost part of the country, $100,000 a year should be enough, said Kaye. In that case, you would need savings of about $4 million to retire at 35.

But if you're willing to stay in the workforce until age 65, a mere $2 million would be enough.

Jon Duncan, a financial planner at Tacoma, Wash.-based Seneschal Advisors, gave numbers similar to Kaye's, and agreed that for most people, the figure would be somewhere in the multi-millions.

"I'm from an era when we'd talk about millionaires and say 'Whoa, he's got it made for life,'" said Duncan. "But that's not the case anymore."

Indeed, few experts think a million is enough to quit your day job.

"Don't retire at 35," he advised this reporter, "you'll need a ton of money."

Keeping Up With the Joneses

Of course, there are other ways of determining wealth besides just what you'll need to live well in retirement.

Although decidedly not recommended by financial planners, one is relativity. Basically, you're rich if you're making more than your brother-in-law.

That appears to be how the government measures affluence. The Obama administration wants to extend tax cuts for all but the wealthiest Americans, which it defines to be those families making more than $250,000.

But that only includes about 2% of the population, according to the Census Bureau.

Kaye cautions not to confuse wealth with income. Some people can make a million a year, but be spending a million and a half. They are not rich, said Kaye.

"Income relates to lifestyle," he said. "Wealth relates to balance sheets."

From Mario Galaxy 2 to Red Dead Redemption, the first half of 2010 has been packed with impressive games. But which of the year’s releases have impressed consumers...and which 2009 games are they still buying? Here, according to retail sales tracking firm NPD, are the ten best-selling games of 2010 so far.


#1: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)



It might have come out last year, but this classic Nintendo platformer is still a hit with consumers. Not only is it outselling new Mario hotness Super Mario Galaxy 2, it’s outselling everything else as well. Congrats, Mario: you’re the top-selling game of 2010 so far. Have a gold star.


#2: Pokemon SoulSilver (DS)



Pokemon’s one-two assault on the year’s charts finishes up with a second-place spot for SoulSilver. But combine the sales of both versions, and it’d easily be sitting in the number-one slot.


#3: Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360)



One of the year’s big sales surprises, Rockstar’s sweeping cowboy epic has already cracked the two-million mark – and its Xbox 360 version is the third best-selling game of the year so far. Maybe that’ll finally put a smile on the morose mug of its long-suffering star.


#4: God of War III (PlayStation 3)



Kratos’s 2010 sales performance might not quite be as godly as some others, but we’re sure Zeus is smiling at God of War III’s healthy showing.

#5: Wii Fit Plus (Wii)



Nintendo’s fitness powerhouse is unstoppable: by now well over 10 million consumers are sweating it out with Wii Fit Plus. That’s a lot of lost weight.


#6: Wii Sports Resort (Wii)



Pairing a souped-up version of classic Wii Sports together with the excellent MotionPlus peripheral was a winning move for Nintendo last year -- and it’s still bowling strikes in 2010.


#7: Pokemon HeartGold (DS)



It’s easy to underestimate the enduring popularity of the Pokemon franchise, but HeartGold is this year’s seventh best-selling game so far. And its stablemate, SoulSilver, didn’t do too badly either. Stay right there, Pokemon – we’ll be coming back to you.


#8: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)



Plenty of gamers are still looking to answer this call: despite smashing records at its 2009 release, the Modern Warfare 2 money machine shows no signs of slowing down in 2010.


#9: Just Dance (Wii)



Coming from nowhere to be one of the Wii’s biggest hits, Just Dance is still going strong. Expect to see a lot more of that name over the next few years.


#10: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)



Starting at number 10, Mario Galaxy 2 might be one of the best-reviewed games of all time, but it’s off to a little bit of a slow start. All the same, its estimated sales are north of a million copies... and we get the feeling that isn't the only Mario we'll see on this list.

NEW ORLEANS – Tony Hayward, who became the face of BP's flailing efforts to contain the massive Gulf oil spill, will step down as chief executive in October and be offered a job with the company's joint venture in Russia, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.


The person spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made by the British company's board, which was meeting Monday in London to decide Hayward's fate. The decision is the board's to make, and it was unclear if it had formally done so.

It's not yet clear what Hayward's role will be with TNK-BP. He left the board meeting Monday without speaking to reporters, climbing into a silver Lexus that sped off.

BP owns half of the oil firm, which is Russia's third-largest.

It was once run by American Bob Dudley, now the odds-on favorite to replace Hayward as BP CEO. After Hayward made a series of missteps, including telling reporters he wanted his life back as Gulf residents struggled to deal with the spill, Dudley took over as BP's point man in dealing with it. He was in London Monday with other board members.

Hayward was called back to London a month ago after a bruising encounter with a Congressional committee and has since kept a low profile.

"We're getting to the end of the situation," said David Battersby at Redmayne Bentley Stockbrokers. "To draw a line under it, they need a new chief executive."

In New York, BP shares rose almost 5 percent Monday as the stock market anticipated a formal announcement about Hayward. Shares of BP PLC rose $1.82, or 4.9 percent, to $38.68 in midday trading in New York. BP shares closed up 4.6 percent Monday at 416.95 pence in London.

The BP board would have to approve a change in company leadership, and there is persistent speculation that chairman Karl-Henric Svanberg, who moved into the post on Jan. 1, is also likely to lose his job later this year.

The one-day board meeting comes a day before BP announces earnings for the second quarter. That report is expected to include preliminary provisions for the cost of the Gulf disaster, with analysts saying that could be as high as $30 billion.

"BP notes the press speculation over the weekend regarding potential changes to management and the charge for the costs of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP confirms that no final decision has been made on these matters," the company said in a statement Monday to the London Stock Exchange before trading began.

Shares were up 2.6 percent at 408.95 pence ($6.33) in midafternoon trading in London.

Hayward, 53, who has a Ph.D in geology, had been a well-regarded chief executive. But his promise when he took the job in 2007 to focus on safety "like a laser" came back to haunt him after an April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and unleashed a deep-sea gusher of oil.

Hayward's early attempts to shift blame to the rig operator, Transocean, failed to take the heat off BP. Later remarks that the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf was "tiny" compared to its volume of water and Hayward's whining that he would "like my life back" made him an object of scorn. That emotion turned to fury when Gulf residents heard that Hayward spent a day at a fancy English sailing race in which his yacht was competing at the height of the disaster.

David Cumming, head of U.K. equities at Standard Life Investments, said the board's reported intention to remove Hayward is an act of "political appeasement."

"I think they have taken view that his departure will relieve some of the political and media pressure in the U.S. and help BP rebuild its U.S. reputation," Cumming told BBC radio.

Chief executives inevitably often are sacked for corporate failure, whether or not they had any direct responsibility for what happened, said Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners in London.

"Neither should we forget that Mr. Hayward has been master of his own downfall and that by those sometimes unfortunate remarks and attitude displayed in public he made his own situation all the more worse," Wheeldon said.

Dudley has so far avoided any gaffes. Currently BP's managing director, Dudley grew up partly in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He spent 20 years at Amoco Corp., which merged with BP in 1998, and lost out to Hayward on the CEO's slot three years ago.

BP says the cost of dealing with the spill had reached nearly $4 billion by July 19, but that it was too early to quantify the eventual total cost.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said BP's attitude about making things right was more important than who is running the company.

"BP, from I think everybody's perspective, made a very bad mistake," he said. "I think what the world expects from BP is an acknowledgment that something was done wrong. I think BP has a long way to go to gain the trust of the people."

Hayward makes 1.045 million pounds ($1.6 million) a year as the company's head, according to its annual report. In 2009, he received a performance bonus of more than 2 million pounds plus other remuneration, bringing his total pay package to over 4 million pounds.

BP is the process of selling assets to raise $10 billion toward a $20 billion fund that will finance the clean up of the mess in the Gulf. BP announced last week that it had sold properties in the United States, Canada and Egypt to Apache Corp. for $7 billion.

Under pressure from President Barack Obama, BP has also announced that it will pay no more dividends to shareholders this year. That move disappointed some 18 million Britons, many of them retirees, who hold stock in what used to be the country's largest company.

Most people throw away old cell phones without a second thought. Steven Ortiz is not like most teenagers. This 17-year-old Californian went on Craigslist to turn a used cell phone a friend gave him into a Porsche convertible. Harvard Business School, watch out for this guy.


Ortiz's story brings to mind the similar accomplishment of Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian who started "Craigslist swapping" with a red paperclip in 2005 and eventually ended up with a two-story farmhouse. Through his blog and the kindness of strangers, MacDonald made 14 swaps over the classifieds website, upgrading one item to a more valuable one until he ended up with a house a year later.

Craigslist isn't so different from a newspaper's classified section: People list items they no longer want for whatever reason. But sometimes instead of selling these items for paltry amounts of cash, online users barter with each other. For example, one person might be willing to part with a record collection. But that bin of old vinyl might be a treasure trove to someone with an extra bicycle on their hands. So people email back and forth, meet up, swap, and oftentimes end up owning something far more valuable than what they started with.

Unlike MacDonald and his red paperclip website, however, Ortiz didn't publicize his efforts—he did it quietly on his own. It took him one year longer than MacDonald, but the Glendale, CA, youth managed to turn an outdated phone into a 2000 Porsche Boxster S.

Ortiz spends five to six hours each day searching Craigslist for the right kind of swaps. Over the last two years and 14 trades, he's had an eclectic assortment of items in his possession, including an iPod touch, various dirt bikes, a MacBook Pro, a golf cart, and a 1975 Ford Bronco. It was the Bronco that allowed him to become the only kid at his high school who drives his own convertible Porsche to class.

Although his parents are proud of him and expect a great future for him in business, Ortiz is sad to report that some of his relatives think he's a swindler. "People just make these trades," he told the Whittier Daily News. "I am not lying to anyone."

More and more people are using the Internet as a virtual swap meet—only one with bigger and more specialized payoffs. For instance, Ortiz ended up with a 1987 Toyota 4Runner at one point because a musician decided he needed the MacBook that Ortiz was offering more than he needed the car.

In fact, when Ortiz made his final swap to get the sports car, he was actually trading down. After driving around the 1975 Ford Bronco—worth around $15,000—for a while, Steven decided to trade it for the renown of being a teenage Porsche owner, even though the Boxster was worth only $9,000.

In addition to phones, cars, and dirt bikes, some people are even turning to Craigslist for house swaps. No, families aren't trading house deeds over the Internet, but many vacationers have taken to switching homes as a cost-effective, comfortable way of avoiding hotels. Similarly, there is a rideshare section on Craigslist where car owners embarking on long trips offer strangers a ride in exchange for splitting gas costs.

Speaking of gas costs, Ortiz has changed his mind about keeping the Porsche. Hefty maintenance bills have dampened his excitement over the roadster, and he's looking to trade the Porsche for a more sensible Cadillac Escalade before too long.

NEW ORLEANS – BP finally choked off the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday — 85 days and up to 184 million gallons after the crisis unfolded — then began a tense 48 hours of watching to see whether the capped well would hold or blow a new leak.


To the relief of millions of people along the Gulf Coast, the big, billowing brown cloud of crude at the bottom of the sea disappeared from the underwater video feed for the first time since the disaster began in April, as BP closed the last of three openings in the 75-ton cap lowered onto the well earlier this week.

"Finally!" said Renee Brown, a school guidance counselor visiting Pensacola Beach, Fla., from London, Ky. "Honestly, I'm surprised that they haven't been able to do something sooner, though."

But the company stopped far short of declaring victory over the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history and one of the nation's worst environmental disasters, a catastrophe that has killed wildlife and threatened the livelihoods of fishermen, restaurateurs and oil industry workers from Texas to Florida.

Now begins a waiting period during which engineers will monitor pressure gauges and watch for signs of leaks elsewhere in the well. In the worst-case scenario, pressure from the rising oil could fracture the well and cause leaks to erupt across an area of the seafloor too large to cap.

If engineers see any sign of a new leak, the cap will be reopened, allowing oil to spill into the sea again.

Even if the well holds out for the whole two days, the vents will be opened again and oil released while engineers conduct a seismic survey of the ocean floor to make sure oil and gas aren't breaking out of the well into the bedrock, said retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the Obama administration's point man on the disaster.

"For the people living on the Gulf, I'm certainly not going to guess their emotions," BP vice president Kent Wells said. "I hope they're encouraged there's no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico. But we have to be careful. Depending on what the test shows us, we may need to open this well back up."

Either way, the cap is only a temporary fix until a relief well can be drilled into the bedrock and cement and mud can be pumped into the broken well deep underground, creating a seal that will hold more securely. BP expects to complete a relief well by mid-August, and perhaps as early as the end of this month.

Thursday's news elicited joy mixed with skepticism from wary Gulf Coast residents following months of false starts, setbacks and failed attempts. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley's face lit up when he heard the oil flow had stopped.

"That's great. I think a lot of prayers were answered today," he said.

"I don't believe that. That's a lie. It's a (expletive) lie," said Stephon LaFrance, an oysterman in Louisiana's oil-stained Plaquemines Parish who has been out of work for weeks. "I don't believe they stopped that leak. BP's trying to make their self look good."

President Barack Obama called it a positive sign, but cautioned: "We're still in the testing phase."

The stoppage came 85 days, 16 hours and 25 minutes after the first report April 20 of an explosion on the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers. Somewhere between 94 million and 184 million gallons spilled into the Gulf, according to government estimates.

The breakthrough came after a string of failed attempts by BP to contain the leak, including the use of a giant concrete-and-steel box that became clogged with ice-like crystals; a colossal stopper and siphon tube that trapped very little oil; and an effort to jam the well by pumping in mud and shredded rubber.

Wells said the oil stopped flowing into the water at 2:25 p.m. CDT after engineers gradually dialed back the amount of crude escaping through the last of three vents in the cap, an 18-foot-high metal stack of pipes and valves.

On the video feed, the violently churning cloud of oil and gas coming out of a narrow tube thinned, and tapered off. Suddenly, there were a few puffs of oil, surrounded by cloudy dispersant BP was pumping on top. Then, there was nothing.

"I am very pleased that there's no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, I'm really excited there's no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico," Wells said.

BP stock, which has mainly tumbled since the spill began, closed nearly 8 percent higher on the New York Stock Exchange after the news.

The cap is designed to stop oil from flowing into the sea, either by bottling it up inside the well, or capturing it and piping it to ships on the surface. Allen said if the cap holds, it will probably be used to pipe oil to the surface, with the option of employing it to shut the well completely if a hurricane threatens.

The testing of the cap went ahead after a daylong day imposed by the federal government because of last-minute fears that the operation would cause a rupture that could make the disaster worse.

Even if the cap works, this is not the end of the crisis by any means. The drilling of the relief wells continues. After that, the Gulf Coast faces a monumental cleanup and restoration that could take years.

"It feels good, but I mean, the damage is already done. That's the problem," said a somber Manuel Meyer, a deckhand helping to unload and box blue crabs in Hopedale, La. "I mean, they can clean it up, but they're finding oil popping up everywhere." He added: "It's going to continue for several years, several years, and it ain't going to do nothing but get worse before it gets better."

Nine-year-old Lena Durden threw up her hands in jubilation when her mother told her the oil was stopped.

"God, that's wonderful," said Yvonne Durden, a Mobile-area native who now lives in Seattle and brought her daughter to the coast for a visit. "We came here so she could swim in the water and see it in case it's not here next time."

Randall Luthi, president of the Washington-based National Ocean Industries Association, a trade group representing the offshore oil industry, said: "This is by far the best news we've heard in 86 days. You can bet that industry officials and their families are taking a big sigh here."

LeBron James walked away from the comforts of home to chase an NBA championship.

Perhaps the most hysterically-hyped free agent in sports history, James announced Thursday night on national TV that he plans to leave Cleveland to join the Miami Heat for a chance to play with Olympic teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

It’s a power trio that could rock the league for years to come.



“I can’t say it was always in my plans, because I never thought it was possible,” said James, who wrestled with his decision for weeks. “But the things that the Miami Heat franchise have done, to free up cap space and be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down.

“Those are two great players, two of the greatest players that we have in this game today.”

Add in James, and Miami has a three-headed monster.

Ending weeks of round-the-clock speculation, the two-time MVP said he was uncertain until the eleventh hour before deciding that the only way he could fulfill his dreams of winning multiple championships was to leave his home state and a city that hasn’t sprayed championship champagne in 46 years.

See ya, Cleveland.

Sorry, New York, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles and all you other NBA cities who came calling.

Hello, South Beach.

“It’s going to give me the best opportunity to win,” James said. “We’re going to be a real good team.”

That’s not what Cleveland wanted to hear.

Fans poured out of the same downtown bars and restaurants that have thrived with James around in frustration moments after the announcement. A few set fire to his No. 23 jersey while others threw rocks at the 10-story-tall billboard featuring James with his head tossed back and arms pointing skyward.

“We Are All Witnesses,” the mural says.

This was something Cleveland never thought it would see.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert sent a blistering email decrying James’ actions.

“As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier,” Gilbert wrote. “This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his ‘decision’ unlike anything ever ‘witnessed’ in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment. Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

“The self-declared former ‘King’ will be taking the ‘curse’ with him down south. And until he does ‘right’ by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

“Just watch.”

Olympic teammates four years ago in Beijing, James, Bosh and Wade all helped deliver gold medals while playing for the U.S.

This time, the superstars will pursue another gold prize - an NBA trophy - the one Wade got in 2006, the one that James and Bosh have yet to touch.

“Winning is a huge thing for me,” said James, who left more than $30 million on the table by not signing with Cleveland.

It’s a huge victory for the Heat, which got Wade and Bosh, a five-time All-Star with the Toronto Raptors, to agree to take less money on Wednesday so James could join them. Heat president Pat Riley was able to corral the top three stars in an unprecedented free-agent class.

So while Miami is building a dynasty, Cleveland is devastated.

In a city scorned for generations by some of sports’ biggest letdowns, James’ long-awaited words that he is leaving represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.

“The Decision,” the name of the prime-time, hour-long special James and his team of advisers brokered with ESPN, now joins “The Drive,” “The Shot,” “The Fumble,” and “The Move” in Cleveland’s sports hall of shame.

Cleveland fans, so accustomed to disappointment, have been let down again - this time, by one of their owns sons.

Not long after James’ decision was announced, one of his jerseys was shown being burned in the city’s streets.

“I can’t get involved in that,” James said. “I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James … At the end of the day, I feel awful. I feel even worse that I wasn’t able to bring an NBA championship to that city. I never wanted to leave Cleveland. My heart will always be around that area. But I also felt like this is the greatest challenge for me, is to move on.”

James’ decision ends nearly two years of posturing and positioning by teams hoping to add the 6-foot-8, 260-pound physical force of nature to their roster. He famously announced at New York’s Madison Square Garden in November of 2008 that “July 1, 2010, is going to be a big day.”

He wasn’t kidding. When the clock struck 12:01 a.m. last Thursday, a free-agent frenzy unlike any before it - in any professional sport - got under way with the enough speculation, rumor and second-by-second intrigue to last a lifetime.

March may be madness, but this was a year’s drama crammed into eight days.

James, Wade and Bosh were wined and dined by suitors who spared no expense to make them feel special. It was billionaires chasing millionaires, and depending on your view, it was either a shining moment for the NBA or a travesty.

Commissioner David Stern probably didn’t mind any of it. The league stayed front and center in newspapers, on the Internet and in the blogosphere, leaving the World Cup, Wimbledon, Major League Baseball and other goings on fighting for scraps.

Last week, the Heat, Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls converged on Cleveland to make their sales pitch to the league’s most wanted man. The Cavs only had to drive across town to meet with in the business offices of the local superstar, who grew up in a single-parent home in the Akron projects and has known no other pro basketball home.

The Cavs appealed to James’ loyalty, his Buckeye roots and the fact that this is where he is raising his two young sons, to keep him. They hired Byron Scott as their new coach last week.

None of it worked.

“We believe in this team, this organization, this community, and what we will do to compete at the highest level,” Cavs general manager Chris Grant said in a statement that did not mention James. “We believe in the new coach and leader we have in Byron Scott, and the world class basketball organization and positive and strong culture we’ve established.”

New York devoted two years to trying to snare James.

“We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the New York Knicks, but we respect his decision,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.

New Jersey couldn’t land him despite having rapper Jay-Z, a good friend of James, as a part owner.

“We have a vision of a championship team and need to invest wisely and for the long term,” Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. “Fortunately, we have more than one plan to reach success, and, as I have found in all areas of my business, that is key to achieving it.”

And Bulls general manager Gar Forman said he was convinced his organization “made the strongest of bids to acquire LeBron James during this free agency period.”

Wade has shared the spotlight in the Heat locker room before, doing so when O’Neal was there for the 2006 title run. James said that if not for Wade being willing to make this megadeal happen, the trio wouldn’t be together.

“D-Wade, he’s the unselfish guy here,” James said. “To be able to have Chris Bosh and LeBron James, to welcome us to his team, it’s not about an individual here.

“It’s about a team.”

They turned that downtown office building into a public parade of billionaires and builders of dynasties, entertainment icons and what-are-they-doing-here Clippers. The big, wide world took turns marching into the heart of Cleveland to make dramatic presentations to a hometown hero in a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers.


Here was Team LeBron making the headquarters of James’ fledgling marketing company LRMR into the Grand Central Station of a city’s hope and heartbreak. And perhaps the Cavaliers showed why they best know the biggest free agent in sports history when they delivered a presentation designed as much to steal a 14-year-old away from a traveling baseball team than woo a self-proclaimed disciple of Warren Buffett.

Through it all, James’ old team probably played it perfectly. The Cavs understood their audience the best: LeBron James(notes) and his high school buddies, 25-year-olds trying to play the part of a global corporation but ultimately still reached at a meaningful level with cartoons and locker-room humor.

A week ago, most teams believed they were chasing the Chicago Bulls for James, but that’s flipped in the past days and hours. “My gut tells me Cleveland,” an executive in the James chase told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday. “From what I hear now, it’s his decision alone. No outside influences.”

Officials from teams who made these presentations went along with the charade, but some questioned the legitimacy of the process based on the kinds of questions that were thrown back to them. “It didn’t take long to realize you’re dealing with 25-year-old kids,” one source said.

Cleveland executives are still on edge, but privately feeling far more confident now than they did weeks ago. As much as anything, William Wesley has been muscled out of the process in the past week or so, with teams insisting that communication to James goes directly through his business manager Maverick Carter. So unnerved over World Wide Wes’ ubiquitous presence in the process, Carter had to go public to undermine Wesley’s credibility and proclaim his own power.

The wresting back of power into James’ Akron-based camp goes a long way to securing the Cavs’ chances for re-signing James. This could preserve James’ future with the Cavaliers, because those surrounding him will eagerly validate his decision to take more money, stay home and keep them all relevant in his career and life.

Team LeBron turned this courtship of presentations into a marketing tool for the breadth of his brand, into a visual of the heavy-hitter suitors ultimately being rebuffed out of James’ loyalty and love for Cleveland. This entire episode made for around-the-clock news and Twitter frenzy. From the offices of LRMR, James has delivered a relentless reminder that’s he’s the world’s most wanted man in high tops. He needed the threat of leaving, even if there was never truly the intent.

What’s more, James and his guys have ramped up the launch of a new personal website and foreshadowed it as the place to find out first the big news on his free-agent choice – one that possibly won’t be made until he’s done marketing the LeBron James Skills Camp in Akron through Wednesday.

In the end, the Cavs can still offer James the most money, and no city will celebrate his arrival more than Cleveland will rejoice his refusing to leave. Cleveland fans felt like they had lost him, like he was going to get swept away into the world beyond Northeast Ohio. Something changed in the playoffs. Always, there was a sense that if he left there, the onus would be on the organization; that it didn’t do enough, that it didn’t surround him with the proper talent. Only this time, the Cavs did. James’ no-show performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston scarred him everywhere. He hadn’t delivered on the burden of an MVP, and suddenly the narrative of the story had dramatically changed.

Coach Mike Brown was fired, general manager Danny Ferry was pushed out and an awkward pursuit of Tom Izzo ensued under owner Dan Gilbert’s watch. Everything about James’ future in Cleveland felt so flimsy. In the end, Gilbert did get right the hiring of Byron Scott as coach, a man with an ability to make people feel confident about situations, to feel confidence in his presence.

Despite sources saying Scott’s old New Jersey point guard Jason Kidd(notes) didn’t back down from past criticisms when called by Cleveland officials, the unwavering praise of Chris Paul(notes) went a long way with the Cavs. Scott is a smart coach for James, a balance of old-school sensibility with a willingness to give his superstars complete freedom to dictate terms on the floor.

For all the New Jersey Nets’ promises of world treasures, the flashing of Pat Riley’s rings, the young talent of the Bulls and the calling of Madison Square Garden, this process has made some suitors skeptical of James’ seriousness. Even so, all the teams have to tell their fans that they had a great shot and wowed him and his buddies in the presentations.

Armed with a commitment from Amar’e Stoudemire(notes), the Knicks sent two executives to Cleveland on Saturday to run some cap numbers past James’ agent Leon Rose. James’ people have privately described the Knicks as a long shot, but New York has wisely tried to stay aggressive selling itself. For now, the Knicks are the one team with an All-Star caliber forward on the way.

The Knicks are willing to pay Stoudemire $100 million, something no one else with cap space is willing to do. New Jersey would take Stoudemire if James also promises to sign, a source said, but won’t meet his demands for a maximum contract as a solitary commitment.

Still, mostly this may turn out to be an exercise in lavishing LeBron James with what he craves the most: a lustful longing for his greatness. Deep down, LeBron had to walk out of those offices with an understanding that no one can make him a billionaire and no one can promise a circumstance much better than what he’s had in Cleveland these past seven seasons. For him to leave, there would be so much pressure to deliver a championship upon arrival, to honor the biggest free-agency score in history. And it leaves to you wonder whether he truly wants any of that.

LeBron James has always sold his hopes of wanting to conquer the world, of turning into a historically transcendent athlete and icon. All that sounds wonderful, but here’s what everyone does know: He’s going to be a wildly successful basketball player, maybe a five- or six-time MVP and, barring misfortune, an NBA champion.

And maybe most of all now, you get the idea that James is an overgrown teenager getting a few laughs with his buddies, driving home to Akron from this cattle call in Cleveland to watch cartoons, play video games and kill some time until he gives the nod to post the big news that maybe the rest of us should’ve known all along: He’s home.

PRETORIA, South Africa – David Villa is not even the richest and most famous player in Spain’s attacking line, let alone the Spanish team. Yet what Villa lacks in celebrity attraction he more than makes up with his performances on the field.


No player at this World Cup has been more productive than Barcelona’s new signing as Villa racked up the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Portugal that sent Spain hurtling toward the quarterfinals.

With four goals and the most enterprising and innovative thinking of any man in the tournament, Villa is the primary reason why Spain has recovered from its dismal start to the World Cup to restore its place as one of the favorites.

The 28-year-old has exceptional feet with the ability to turn any defender and create shooting space for himself. While Liverpool star Fernando Torres has looked shaky alongside him, Villa has been the shining light that has given Spanish fans hope of going all the way to the July 11 final.

Brazil and Argentina are leading the charge for the South American nations as both showed exceptional form in the round of 16. However, the Spanish challenge has hit top gear over the last three games and cannot be ignored.

The latest round of our World Cup rankings ahead of the quarters sees Brazil retain its place in the No. 1 slot. As the tournament enters its most critical stage, anything can happen.

1. Brazil (last ranking: 1) – Head coach Dunga has had his share of criticism, but he’s molded together a side that is producing a spectacular brand of soccer. Magnificent skills and attacking flair doesn’t stop them from being defensively resilient.
2. Spain (3) – That dismal opening defeat to Switzerland is now long forgotten and the Spaniards are starting to sense they can win back-to-back major tournaments. The European champion has steadily built momentum.
3. Argentina (2) – The Maradona show keeps on rolling and it is going to take something special to stop this juggernaut. Lionel Messi continues to impress and you sense this is a team with much improvement left in it.
4. Germany (6) – This young side has coped outstandingly without Michael Ballack, but a huge test lies ahead against Argentina. Miroslav Klose is at the peak of his powers and the team showed its counter-attacking threat by decimating England.
5. Netherlands (4) – The Dutch have looked typically stylish and efficient and will like their chances against Brazil. But Robin van Persie’s touchline argument with coach Bert Van Marwijk was a bad omen for a team that so often collapses mentally.
6. Uruguay (8) – Diego Forlan is far from being the only star on a side that owes just as much of its quarterfinal berth to Luis Suarez. Two-time champion Uruguay has grown in confidence with every game.
7. Ghana (13) – The last remaining African team has pride and passion on its side and is physically imposing. A great opportunity to become the first African semifinalist ever will undoubtedly spur the Black Stars on.
8. Paraguay (9) – The South Americans have somehow managed to scrape their way into the quarterfinals by scoring only three goals in four matches. The Paraguayans’ offense looked especially impotent against Japan.