Don't wear LeBron's Heat jersey in Cleveland, lest you be heckled

A fan wearing a Miami Heat jersey of LeBron James drew the ire of the crowd at a Cleveland Indians game and was escorted out of the ballpark.

Fans in the left-field bleachers chanted obscenities and pointed at the man Wednesday night during the sixth inning of the game between the Indians and New York Yankees. Hundreds of fans joined in before security led the man out of Progressive Field.

As he left, some fans followed him toward the gate with more derisive chants.

Wow I don't think Cleveland Cavs or their fans will ever live this down. I say let the man go, because it's obvious that the Cavs didn't make an effort to get him back. How about not being like Dan Gilbert and let this crap go. I say great move by Lebron James because when its all said and done you'll find out who your real fans and real teamates are when your doing great. And for the fan who decided to wear the jersey to the Cleveland Indians game, you have my and the whole Miami Heat nation support and props.

Eminem Is The 'Godfather Of The Hip-Hop Game,' G-Unit Members Say

His reign at the top is not short like leprechauns, but long like scowling giants: Eminem is enjoying his fifth week with the top-selling album in the country. Wednesday, on the set of Lloyd Banks' "Any Girl" video, G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo said the key to Em's success is simple and obvious: He has a very loyal fanbase. Congratulations, man," Lloyd Banks said. "Damn! I don't even know what else to say. I know he's happy and I'm happy for him. It's big. He might do six weeks or seven weeks [at #1]. Em has a cult following and they ain't gonna turn their backs on him. He's gonna shine on the darkest day. I think he wasn't never afraid to bring people into his life, [but] at the same time you don't see Em. You don't see [him on] reality shows, you don't see him as much; you see him through his music. He brings you into his life. You know about his wife, his kids, his best friend. On that last album, he touched on a lot of those topics and other personal things he had going on, too. A lot of people can relate to it. I feel like his music is getting more and more powerful. The messages are bigger. With me touring and going all around, you actually see it. I just hope I get a record with him real soon."

"Eminem is like the godfather of the hip-hop game," Yayo said. "In a time like this, when records are not selling, he's the only one that is selling. You know, Drake and all the other ones [did well], but Em did [close to] 800,000 his first week, and he's #1 for the fifth week. It's incredible. I think he has a faithful fan base of people who have been following him for years. They're not going to stop following him and not stop listening to his music. Em said he didn't like his last album as much as this one. You can hear the difference. I like both of the albums. '3 a.m.' is one of my joints. But Eminem has followers that's gonna mess with him until the day he dies."

Foxy Brown, Tony Yayo Speak About Sean Bell Settlement Brown, a friend of Bell's fiancée, says she 'handled Herself

Four years after a shooting left an unarmed Sean Bell dead (on the eve of his wedding) and two of his friends wounded following a tragic incident with New York City police, the city has agreed to pay $7 million dollars to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Bell's family and his friends.

According to The New York Times, in the early hours of November 25, 2006, five New York City police officers fired 50 shots into the car Bell — who was to be married that day — was driving outside a club in Queens, New York. The car reportedly struck a detective in the leg and hit a police van before the officers began firing. None of the three men in the car — Bell and his friends Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield — were armed, although the officers apparently believed at least one was. In what's seen as the closing chapter in one of the most controversial police shootings in New York City history — three officers were acquitted of manslaughter and reckless-endangerment charges in 2008, a ruling many activists and rappers spoke out against — the families of the victims are looking to move past the tragedy.

As part of the settlement, Bell's two young daughters (whom he had with his fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell) will receive $3.25 million; Guzman (who was shot 17 times) and Trent Benefield will receive $3 million and $900,000 respectively, according to Times.

Earlier this week, Foxy Brown — a close friend of Bell's fiancée — said Paultre Bell is a strong woman who remained in high spirits throughout the four-year ordeal.

"She just handled everything so gracefully," Brown said. "She just did everything with grace and class."

G-Unit member Tony Yayo, whose G-Unity foundation gave proceeds from a recent event to Bell's family, said the settlement is long overdue.

"I think it's a beautiful thing, but rest in peace to Sean Bell," Yayo said. "I mean, you have times now when a police officer can shoot you in your back, handcuffed on the floor, in a train station in front of everybody and get two years," Yayo said, referring to the Oscar Grant shooting in Oakland, California, in which found a transit officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month.

Willow Smith, 9, Is "Very" Involved With Her "Edgy" Look

Willow Smith, 9, isn't just Hollywood royalty and a budding actress...she's a fashion icon in the making!

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's daughter has been making her mark recently on red carpets and fashion shoots with out-there hairstyles and wardrobe choices that recall Rihanna and other rule-breaking celebs.And despite her tender age, Willow is "very" involved in picking out her ensembles, Zangardi says. "We start off the design process sitting down with her and talking about what we wanted to make," he explains, using magazines and other "creative references" for inspiration.At the L.A. premiere of Jaden's The Karate Kid, Willow wore a leopard pony hair jacket and a leopard pants ("during the fitting it just kind of came together," the stylist says) -- and toted a pricey Givenchy bag.

But Willow's not into designer labels, Zangardi explains. "It wasn't about the fact that it was a Givenchy bag; it was about the fact that it has gold spikes and star studs on it."

Willow's young age, he says, "allows her to have a little bit more fun and take more risks than an adult could. We just made her a 3-finger ring in diamond and gold."Any inspiration from her mother Jada, 38? "She's got her mom's rock and roll sensibilities," he says. "The skulls and some of those pieces that Jada likes--like leather motorcycle jackets."

Hating On Nicki Minaj

Jalen's Thoughts On Hating On Nicki Minaj.

Nicki Minaj:" Raise Your Hands If You Got To Diss People To Make Yourself Feel Good About Yourself."

Referring to Lil Kim's Words. I think the way everybody is hating on Nickin Minaj is a desperate move for someone to get attention. Nicki Minaj is one of the greatest female rappers in the game right now. Now Lil Kim hating on Nicki Minaj is just her way of trying to get back in the spotlight. I say move over Lil Kim because you are way past your prime. Now i say Nicki Minaj has the upper hand in this game. Now on to Other People Hating on her like Keys. Now I think Keys Is Just Jealous because Nicki is in the spotlight she's not. I really don't know why she has told everybody thats she is better cause she not. STOP HATING ON NICKI MINAJ CAUSE IN A RAP BATTLE AND CERTAINLY A GOO LOOKS CONTEST YOU ARE NO COMPETITION , SO STOP DA HATING. DONT HATE THE PLAYA HATE THE GAME.

Isaiah Mustafa cast in Jennifer Aniston movie

He may have retired as the Old Spice guy, but Isaiah Mustafa is still enjoying the sweet smell of success.

Besides filming a guest spot on NBC’s “Chuck” and appearing in Tyler Perry’s upcoming "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf," the 36-year-old actor and former NFL player has landed a role in the new Jennifer Aniston comedy “Horrible Bosses," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“It's a smaller role, but who wouldn't want to be in one of these funny, irreverent comedies?” Mustafa said of the movie, which also stars Jason Bateman. “I'm playing a cop because I play these authoritative characters well. I don't know exactly who I'm in the scene with - maybe Jennifer Aniston!”

Since appearing in his first Old Spice ad last February, Mustafa has seen his celebrity soar, thanks in large part to his six-pack abs. Though his toned tummy has inevitably drawn comparisons to The Situation of “Jersey Shore” fame, Mustafa insists he’s much more grounded.

“Who names themselves the Situation?” he asks. “I do not take myself seriously like that - not in the least bit - that would be so pretentious.”

Soul singer Al Goodman dies

Al Goodman, who sang baritone on such soul classics as "Love on a Two Way Street" and "Special Lady," died Monday, his family told CNN.

Goodman, 67, died of heart failure during surgery to remove a tumor at Hackensack Medical Center in New Jersey, according to his daughter, Rhonda Goodman.

Goodman was "joking and laughing" before his surgery, she said.

"There's mourning all over the world -- in England, in Germany and in Japan," said Marshall Thompson, leader of the Chi-Lites, on Tuesday. "We're all mourning for Al Goodman."

Goodman was a member of the Moments -- an R&B group that formed in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1968 -- along with Harry Ray and William Brown. They topped the soul charts in 1970 with "Love on a Two Way Street" and again in 1975 with "Look at Me (I'm in Love)."

Last year, rapper Jay-Z sampled "Love on a Two Way Street" for his hit, "Empire State of Mind."

In 1978, the trio renamed itself Ray, Goodman and Brown. A year later, they hit No. 1 with "Special Lady." The group made regular appearances on the soul charts into the 1980s. Their last Top Ten single was in 1986.

Goodman is survived by his wife of 34 years, Henrietta, five children and one grandson.

A funeral is planned for Monday at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.

Chris Brown And Usher Unite Onstage In Jamaica Brown surprises audience with onstage appearance during Usher's set at Reggae SumFest.

While Chris Brown has always made it clear that he looks to Michael Jackson for inspiration, there are nearly as many parallels to be made between Brown and Usher. And last weekend, Breezy joined Usher on stage during the Reggae SumFest 2010 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The duo wowed audiences in the concluding night of the festival.

Brown had already performed his own set on Friday, tearing through songs like "Run It" and "Forever" and showing off his formidable dancing skills. But it was his surprise appearance during Usher's set the following day that really set the crowd off. According to TheChrisBrownBlog.com, the two were also joined onstage by Elephant Man and later engaged in a dance-off.

Video footage from the performance had not surfaced online at press time, but photos reveal the two singing together and even showing some affection with an onstage hug.

Brown took to Twitter Saturday to thank Jamaica. "I wanna thank you Jamaica for your wonderful embrace last night at the show," he wrote. "Next time well do passa passa ... lmao ... (oh hell naw). Love ya!"

Later on Saturday, he tweeted about performing with Usher. "Me and Usher killin Jamaica right now," he wrote.

When Chris burst on the music scene five years ago, he was overcome with excitement when meeting Usher. "To see him face-to-face, I was like, 'OK, Chris, it's gonna be all right, just chill out right quick. You about to do the song, man, don't be no punk,' " Brown told MTV News about recording a song that was later featured in Usher's 2005 film "In the Mix."

Lil Wayne Raps Carter IV Verses Over The Phone For Drake 'He called me the other day from jail and rapped me two verses, man,' Drake says.

As a journalist, you love hearing the person you're interviewing say, "I don't know if I'm supposed to say this ..." That almost always means they're about to talk what we call "good ish." Last week in Atlanta on the video set for Drake's "Fancy," Drizzy dropped a jewel on us: Lil Wayne rapped for him over the phone again.

The last time Weezy kicked a verse on the jack from Rikers Island, it wound up being a super-underground, added-on remix verse for "Light Up." This time, the New Orleans Fireman gave his Young Money family member a preview of Tha Carter IV. "He called me the other day from jail and rapped me two verses, man," Drake said. "It really made me, like, 'I gotta do something different. I gotta get sh-- together,' because he's really got bars and he's rapping from a broader life perspective, saying these things people love to hear."

Drake also revealed that, although he wasn't aware of the title of Weezy's September EP I'm Not A Human Being at the time, he's definitively a featured guest.

"I'm on it," Drake said. While our talk continued with the 23-year-old Toronto native, he also said that his mentor was in that rare space where fans loved him no matter what.

"It's gonna transfer over to whatever he does," Drake said of Weezy's following. "They're waiting for that new Wayne. I don't know if people are waiting for that new Drake. Thank Me Later was great — it was phenomenal things I've never seen, like people lining up. But it might have just been the moment — that's yet to be proven. But Wayne is just a proven artist. There's no doubt in my mind that people are waiting for that I'm Not a Human Being, that Carter IV, that Wayne and Drake album. All that!"

Wyclef Jean Considers Running For Haiti Presidency

Wyclef Jean is preparing for the biggest role of his career. According to XXLMag.com, Clef is considering a run at becoming the president of Haiti. The Haiti native informed CNN that he's filled out the proper documentation allowing him to take the necessary steps to run for office.

Clef's been one of Haiti's most well known figures since the Fugees hit big with the score back in 1996. He's also done a lot of charity work through his Yele Haiti Foundation and was one of the first people on the ground to assist in relief efforts after the country's devastating earthquake back in January.

Learning of Wyclef's political aspirations, the Yele organization released a statement in support of Jean's future plans. "Wyclef’s commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward," the statement reads. "At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president.”

Franklin and Rice make music at Philly concert

PHILADELPHIA – Condoleezza Rice is no stranger to the whims of royalty. So when the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, decided the two should get together to play a song or two for charity, it was decreed.

The former U.S. secretary of state and Franklin took the stage Tuesday evening at Philadelphia's Mann Music Center in a rare duet for Rice, the classically trained pianist, and Franklin, the divalicious voice of a generation. Their aim was to raise money for urban children and awareness for music and the arts.

"It is a joint effort for the inner-city youth of Philadelphia and Detroit," Franklin told The Associated Press the night before their concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

"We decided to give it a try," Franklin said. "So here we are, in the city of Brotherly — and Sisterly — Love."

Their appearance in the three-hour concert before an estimated crowd of 8,000 overflowed with Franklin's catalog of hits and arias from the world of opera and classical music.

Rice, better known as a diplomat and national security adviser, played piano while Franklin sang her hit "I Say A Little Prayer" as well as "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Earlier in the program, Rice performed a selection from Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor with the orchestra, a piece she said she practiced furiously.

Franklin even tickled the ivories a few times Tuesday night, including for a song off her new album "A Woman Falling Out of Love," to be released later this year. She also sang a duet — "The Way We Were" — with surprise guest Ronald Isley.

Rice's given name is derived from the Italian opera stage instruction con dolcezza, meaning "with sweetness." Long a musician of note, she played from elementary school through college and beyond, in quartets and performing chamber music.

She has even played with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. But, she said this was "the first time I've played with an orchestra since I was 18."

When she learned that Rice played classical music, Franklin sent for one of her recordings "to hear what she sounded like."

Previously, she said, "All I had seen of Dr. Rice was in a political atmosphere. It just seemed foreign that she would be a classical pianist."

Franklin was surprised.

"She really does play," Franklin said. "She's formidable."

The two met at a White House function, Rice recalled. "We were just talking and chatting and she said 'You play, don't you?' And I said, 'Yes.' And she said we should do something together."

Rice told the AP their plan to play together was borne of their mutual appreciation for music and determination to keep it near and accessible to children.

Franklin, relaxing in her hotel suite and holding a single long-stemmed peach-hued rose, deplored school budget cuts of music and arts programs as "a travesty" that cannot be allowed.

"Imagine what all of this would be without music. If you have to cut, cut something else. Not the music. We need the music. It soothes the savage beast. We need the music."

Rice, in a separate interview, agreed.

"Nothing makes me more unhappy than when I hear people talk about music education in the schools as extracurricular," Rice said.

Both women lauded each other's talents, and abilities, but Rice made it clear she'll leave the singing to Franklin.

"You do not want to hear me sing!" Rice said. "I'm a good choir musician, but I think I will stick to playing the piano."

Kanye West Accused of Stealing Lyrics to "Stronger"

Kanye West is an artist who is well-respected for both his production talent and his lyrics. In fact, he prides himself on growing his writing skills when it comes to music. That's why it comes as a suprise that a unknown producer by the name of Vince P. is accusing West of stealing the lyrics to his hit song

According to an exclusive interview with Bossip, Vince P. claims that Kanye West stole some of the lyrics for "Stronger" from him. The producer says that he gave one of his songs, also titled "Stronger" to John Monopoly, a Kanye West manager at the time. Says Vince P. of the songs, "They are very similar...I mean, there's a 1 in 200 million chance that we would use the same title and the same quote from a German philosopher....How many hip hop songs are talking about Kate Moss or French fashion designers?....Yeah, it may be a coincidence, but you aren't going to have six or seven coincidences."

Vince P. says he is filing a copyright infringement suit against Kanye West. "Credit is due somewhere....It's no hard feelings. I just want my money....We want the money that we're owed," he says.Neither Kanye West or his reps have commented on the matter. , "Stronger."

Paul bends to King James’ rule

Chris Paul(notes) had come into the NBA with so much of Kevin Durant’s(notes) pureness of purpose: humble, grateful, still the kid who worked summers pumping gas and changing tires at his grandfather’s gas station in North Carolina. He constructed himself a reputation of values and character, and separated himself in all the best ways.

He should stay on course to be his generation’s Tim Duncan(notes), but that no longer appeals to Paul. He’s veered the wrong way, into the wrong clutches. Bad enough that LeBron James(notes) damaged his own standing in the sport this summer, he wants to take down Chris Paul with him too.James, his business manager Maverick Carter and powerbroker William Wesley have far too much influence over Paul’s career, and they’re running it right out of the sunshine and into darkness. They’re using Paul as a commodity to elevate their clout, to show how they can take a player with no contractual leverage and muscle him out of New Orleans.

What they don’t care about – and maybe don’t understand – is that Paul built such a beautiful, unique relationship with the city of New Orleans. He’s been so truly invested there, a beacon and ambassador in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, the James gang see these bonds as disposable and they’re convincing Paul of it, too.

In a Twitter pronouncement on Thursday, King James declared, “Best of luck to my brother [Chris Paul] … Do what’s best for You and your family.”

James was referencing Paul’s half-baked trade request that’s come through Worldwide Wes. Do what’s best for your family? Here’s an idea: What Paul ought to do is run away from James, Wesley, Carter and not stop moving until he’s returned to New Orleans and reaffirmed the obligations he’s made there. No, this isn’t a championship team, but a franchise player reveals himself in good times and bad.

[Photos: NBA’s hot offseason stories]

What’s best for Paul’s family is best for everyone’s family in the NBA. It needs James to restrict the polluting onto others of his own warped value system. James plays for the Miami Heat, but somehow he wants control of transactions elsewhere, too. He wants the building of these so-called super teams to protect his own legacy, to make it look like he isn’t the only superstar searching for the easy way to championships.

Wesley has been running around for months trying to orchestrate a trade for Paul, and the packages he proposes are beyond comical. He doesn’t even know half the names of players on the rosters. CAA should take a long look in the mirror, and ask itself what kind of outfit it’s turned into with Wes running basketball operations.

Wes is a full-service middleman now: players, coaches and general managers. He has long orchestrated deals for players and coaches, but through CAA he’s also in the GM business now. Worldwide Wes was responsible for Oklahoma City Thunder executive Rich Cho getting hired as the Portland Trail Blazers’ GM. Now, Portland is one more franchise under the impression that Wes can broker a trade for Paul.

Before New Orleans hired Dell Demps as GM, Wes was asking people: Who is that guy? Now, Wesley and CAA will try to overrun the young, inexperienced Demps and coach Monty Williams with a trade demand. CAA does have a list of preferred teams, and Demps’ first act as GM should simply be to take the list and tear it up. Paul has two years left on his contract and no leverage unless the Hornets are foolish enough to relinquish it.

Paul is a first-team All-NBA talent, and you don’t trade those players. All the proposed deals for him bring back the same thing for New Orleans: far less value. Five nickels don’t add up to a quarter in basketball trades.

All this saga promises to do is cast Paul as an insolent star, and James’ group as the ultimate powerbrokers. Paul doesn’t want to hear this, but they’re preying on his insecurities. They’re using him.

In Paul’s earliest days with Team USA, officials preferred Deron Williams(notes) to him because they believed Williams was far more his own man. No one liked the way Paul was so eager to follow James, Carmelo Anthony(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes). These changes haven’t come overnight with Paul, but over time. James, Carter and Wesley embarked on a long, orchestrated campaign to work Paul over, unfasten him from past loyalties and trusts, and transform him into a creation of their own.

And he’s let them, for no other reason than it seems Chris Paul believes this is somehow the path that will convince people that he belongs with the sport’s biggest stars. He could’ve stayed true to himself and elevated his standing, and now they’re dragging him down with them. Everyone else embraced Paul for an All-American image, for a wholesomeness, and it feels like he’s rejected it all now.

Chris Paul doesn’t need LeBron and Maverick and Wes. They need him. For their operation, Paul represents credibility. He’s always been better than this, and he needs to be again. As much as ever, the NBA needs Chris Paul to be true to his upbringing and character. Commitment always mattered to him, and it still should with the Hornets.

After all this bluster comes and goes this summer, and the Hornets don’t trade him, he still has to return to play there. All his brand new business partners have made that so much harder for him. He saved the NBA in New Orleans, and now it’s time he saves something else before it’s too late. His reputation, his good name.

All the advice that Chris Paul has ever needed out of LeBron James came calling in less than 140 characters on Thursday. Do what’s best for you and your family. Before it’s too late, Chris Paul needs to think for himself and respond with the best move of a brilliant young career: Turn around, go home and leave King James and his court of jesters far, far behind.

T.O. joins Bengals, Ochocinco in the NFL's weirdest reality show

Well, this ought to be a doozy. Breaking news from several sources [and one in particular, as you will soon see]: Terrell Owens(notes) has agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals will pay Owens a guaranteed $2 million in 2010, with another possible $2 million in incentives.

Rumors had been running hard about this deal taking place ever since the St. Louis Rams bowed out of the bidding on Monday after showing interest in the 36-year-old receiver. The Bengals had signed Antonio Bryant(notes) to a four-year, $28 million contract in March of this year, but there has been ongoing concern about the veteran's surgically repaired knee. The team's pursuit of Owens would seem to indicate that there's more to that story than we may have heard.

While there are those who believe that Owens has little left to offer based on his sub-par stats with the Buffalo Bills last year, others who have studied the tape think that there may be a few good years left in Owens' body. He can still beat cornerbacks once in a while (though not with the regularity we once saw), and he's still tough after the catch. He caught just 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns in 2009 — all among his lowest career totals for a full season; and the lowest DVOA and DYAR (Football Outsiders' advanced efficiency metrics) of his career — but that doesn't take into account the stat-killing nature of Buffalo's terrible quarterbacks and anemic offensive system.

In Cincinnati, Owens won't have to be the No. 1 receiver he isn't capable of being anymore, but he can be a great complementary presence in Cincy's balanced offense. And he will team with Chad Ochocinco(notes) to provide the first receiver rotation in NFL history with not one, but two reality shows on the air at the same time.

Rihanna to Make Movie Debut in 'Battleship'

After winning three Grammys, scoring seven #1 "Billboard" Hot 100 singles, and selling over 5.5 million albums in the U.S. -- all in only five years -- what is left for Rihanna to accomplish?

What about saving the world?

Variety announced on Tuesday that the 22-year-old singer will be making her movie debut in "Battleship," a big-screen adaptation of the Milton Bradley game. She will be joining Taylor Kitsch (TV's "Friday Night Lights") and Alexander Skarsgard ("True Blood") in the sci-fi action flick coming in May, 2012.

According to director Peter Berg ("Hancock"), the movie will pit the U.S. Navy against an invading alien force. He told LatinoReview.com the hero (played by Kitsch) is the captain of a destroyer, a 500-foot-long warship, with Skarsgard playing his brother. They are confronted by the alien armada and must engage in a battle for control of the Earth's seas.

He says that the strategic element of the game -- guessing where your opponent is hiding their ships and then narrowing in on them -- is at the heart of the conflict. Berg says that he chose to make the threat come from outer space, rather than another country, because, "I liked the idea of something about it being larger than life. I like the challenge that presented." And he enthusiastically stated that the classic line from the TV commercials -- "You sunk my battleship!" -- will appear in the film.

"Battleship" is just the first movie in a four-picture deal between Universal Pictures and Hasbro, the company that owns Milton Bradley and also had hit films from "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe." Michael Bay is planning to produce a movie centered on Ouija boards, and Ridley Scott is attached to direct a "Monopoly" film.

There's no word yet as to the character Rihanna will be playing (or if she'll have to change her latest cherry-red hairstyle for one more in line with Naval regulations). She's not giving up on music, of course. At her concert in Los Angeles last week, she surprised fans by welcoming Eminem on stage to perform their song from his latest album. She'll be appearing in a new video with him (and reportedly also featuring Megan Fox) for the song "Love the Way You Lie" soon.

Officer Convicted in Oscar Grant Train Shooting Case

A jury has convicted a white former transit officer of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of an unarmed black man on an Oakland train platform.
Oscar Grant at 22 with his family. Johannes Mehserle was found guilty on Thursday in the New Year's Day 2009 killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant. Involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of two to four years.

At least five bystanders videotaped the incident — one of the most racially polarizing cases in California since four Los Angeles officers were acquitted in 1992 in the beating of Rodney King.

Prosecutors said the 28-year-old Mehserle became angry at Grant for resisting arrest. Mehserle claims he mistakenly drew his gun instead of his Taser.

The trial was moved to Los Angeles after racial tensions boiled over into violence in Oakland.
A jury reached a verdict Thursday in the trial of a former San Francisco Bay area transit officer accused of murdering an unarmed black man on an Oakland train platform.

The eight-woman, four-man panel is scheduled to read the verdict at 4 p.m. PDT Thursday after deliberating for more than six hours over two days.

Former officer Johannes Mehserle, who is white, has pleaded not guilty in the shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant when officers responded to a fight aboard a train that arrived at the Fruitvale station.

Mehserle claimed he mistakenly pulled his handgun instead of a Taser during the incident on New Year's Day 2009 that was videotaped by bystanders.

The trial was moved from Alameda County to Los Angeles because of racial tensions and intense media coverage.

Police in Oakland expected protests after the verdict and prepared by getting crowd-control training and working 12-hour shifts. A group of activists planned a rally outside City Hall.

None of the jurors listed their race as black. Seven said they were white, three were Latino, and one was Asian-Pacific. One declined to state their race.

The verdict followed a three-week trial in which prosecutors played videos by bystanders, and witnesses recounted hearing the frightening gunshot that killed Grant.

Mehserle, 28, testified that he struggled with Grant and saw him digging in his pocket. Fearing Grant might have a weapon, Mehserle said he decided to shock Grant with his Taser but pulled his .40-caliber handgun instead.

Alameda County Deputy District Attorney David Stein said in his closing argument that Mehserle let his emotions get the better of him and intended to shoot Grant with the handgun without justification.

LeBron James is packing his beach bags for Miami

With all of this meeting hosting, lawsuit fighting and television show having, LeBron James(notes) must be super stressed-out. It is not easy to be made a multi-millionaire in a matter of minutes, you guys. Ergo, it is easy to understand why he would want to kick back and unwind after this week of figuring out which team is most worthy of his considerable talents.

So that's exactly what he's doing, which is not a surprise at all. Everyone deserves a vacation now and then. However, where he'll be partying is more than a little interesting. From US Magazine:

LeBron James has rented six cabanas at the W Hotel South Beach this weekend to celebrate his team decision, two sources confirm to UsMagazine.com.

That adds more fuel to the fire that James, 25, will announce he's joining the Miami Heat Thursday night, as several insiders told ESPN this morning.


You know what? It is almost like LeBron James likes being in Miami. Consider the fire fueled, and the plot thickened. As any subscriber to Small Businessman Weekly can tell you, there is no better place to connect with four new teammates than in six cabanas in the town where those new teammates are employed. It's just common sense.

[Photos: See images of coveted superstar LeBron James]

Sure, Miami is a very common place to vacation and every day there is like Mardi Gras, but when you consider reports that LeBron is leaning towards joining the Heat, the increased salary cap number and the fact that this vacation takes place just days after "The Decision," things are a little more complicated. It's kind of hard to not assume that LeBron is heading to South Beach to chill with his best bros and new teammates while simulataneously making everyone in Ohio very sad.

Then again, maybe this is just the NBA version of an end-of-summer bash before everybody gets back to working out for the next season. Supposedly Miami brings the heat, for real. But really, if we don't see grainy pictures of Chris Bosh(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes) and James at an all-white party sometime next week, I'll be very surprised.

[Video: Warren Buffett to LeBron: 'Call me']

However, if this does turn out to be a little foreshadowing for LeBron's team choice, Cleveland is already preparing for the aftermath. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Michael Sangiacomo:

Whatever decision LeBron James makes tonight, the Bath Township police department is ready to maintain order near the basketball superstar's home.

Police Chief Michael McNeeley said they have an extra squad of police officers working tonight around the James home to make sure there are no problems.

"Whether we get loads of happy fans or unhappy fans showing up outside his home, we will be prepared to keep the traffic moving," he said.


Good thinking, Cleveland. Either a potential uprising will be quelled or the city's favorite son will be safe from overenthusiastic fans hoping to congratulate him. Whichever way it plays out, it sounds like everything is under control, but there have been a lot of zombie movies that started the same way. LeBron's going to need to keep his head on a swivel, for sure.