Brand to 76ers, Spurns Davis

I am all about athletes doing what is best for themselves, though I may sometimes disagree with the methods they take to do so. Case in point is Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, who lied for months to the Cleveland Cavaliers, promising the team and its owner he would re-sign with them, continue to play with LeBron James and help build a winner. Cleveland stopped looking to acquire big-time free agents and were devistated when Boozer signed an offer sheet with Utah behind their backs on July 1. Why did he do so? Well, the Jazz offered $28 million more.

Yesterday's not-so-shocking development of Elton Brand agreeing to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers first got me thinking about Boozer. No, Brand didn't promise the city of Los Angeles he would stay, nor did he sit down with owner Donald Sterling and guarantee he would be back next year. However, one does have to wonder if he had struck a deal with pal and newest Los Angeles Clippers point guard Baron Davis.

It seemed fishy when, at the start of free agency, Davis and Brand both made initial statements that in an ideal world they would stay at their respective clubs (Golden State, L.A. Clippers.) Then, as quick and as shocking as lightning, Davis signed with the Clippers for $65 million. The Clippers' signed Davis to bolster their team, figuring they were going to lose Corey Maggette but would be able to re-sign Brand and have the twosome lead the team. No doubt Davis had this thought as well.

While I don't think Brand has any reason to feel guilty, that does not mean he shouldn't apologize. Not to the Clippers or Sterling, even though his intentions to stay led them to throw big money at Davis and dream of a legitimate, competative team. Brand should apologize to Davis. Because now, the talented PG who couldn't find a team to lead is stuck with the Clippers and neither Brand nor Maggette is there to help. Whether they had a deal or not is irrelevant, Brand led him astray with his comments and chose money over winning. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

A-Rod's Affair with Madonna? Davis and Brand Opt Out, Ronaldo Not Re-Signed by AC Milan

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is no stranger to publicity and the media inciting rumors about his professional career and love life. Neither is singer and worldwide pop icon Madonna. Are both so used to the spotlight and controversy surrounding them that they are fueling it even more with an alleged long-time affair? The New York Post and Us magazine say so. All I can say to A-Rod is: Your wife's hot, Madonna's ugly, you have two kids, you just signed a record deal that you could lose half of in a divorce settlement...are you really that stupid?

I do not know why everyone is so surprised about Baron Davis and Elton Brand opting out of their contracts. Both play for sub-par teams with low market shares and neither gets the respect they deserve. All staying under contract does is limit their chances of winning a championship and earning their worth at the present market value. I hope both wind up in better situations, though Davis claims he is focused on Brand's former Los Angeles Clippers but prefers to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors. Speaking with ESPN's J.A. Adande via e-mail, Davis wrote: "Clipps r possible. G State is where I wanna b." Good thing the contracts don't take into account their grammer.

Three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo met with AC Milan over the weekend, only to be told his contract with the club would not be renewed. After severing a tendon in his knee playing in a Serie A match against Livorno in February, Ronaldo has been recovering from surgery and is expected to return in early 2009. The non-renewal is interesting as Milan is said to be considering re-signing El Fenomeno if he can prove his health. Prove his health? Besides winning World Cups and league titles, I do not see what he has left to prove. If the man says he will return, he will return. Chances are he will not be re-signed and while he could go to Brazil and play at home, I would not be surprised to see a lucrative offer come his way from the MLS in the next six months.