LeBron James isn't interested in advice suggesting he deflect questions about his free agency for the good of Cavs fans.

"I'm going to answer the questions whenever they come, but it's not such a big deal to me," he told reporters this week. "They're going to come, and as soon as I say I'm not going to talk about it anymore, that's when they're really going to come, so I'm going to answer them and move on like I've been doing."

Keep that in mind just in case the Cavs win it all this year, James still declines to sign an extension on July 1 and borrows an all-too-familiar strategy by declaring a moratorium on the subject.

Not convinced

Willie McGinest backs Romeo Crennel.

"It doesn't matter if you've got Vince Lombardi out there coaching

you," said the Browns linebacker.

"If you don't do what you're told to do, if you don't execute, if you're not consistent [you don't win]."

Nice try. It wouldn't matter if you had Mike Lombardi, maybe. But Vince, it would.

Spinoffs

New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress reportedly identified himself at the hospital as "Harris Smith" after shooting himself in the leg. How ridiculous. He should've used the name "Barney Fife."

* It's not that the Big 12 showed little common sense in using the BCS rankings to send Oklahoma to the conference title game ahead of Texas, which beat the Sooners on a neutral field. It showed absolutely no common sense.

*Michael Phelps was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Guess that victory over the self-indulgent Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes" cinched it for him.

You said it

"Bud:

"As I sit here at halftime watching the Browns-Colts game, I've finally realized what the Browns' greatest problem is this year; It's not that they're bad, it's that they're unforgivably BORING."

Speak for yourself. Legions of geometry buffs find the subtle angles of the horizontal passing game riveting.

"Bud:

"The New York media along with ESPN media are almost two years ahead of this [LeBron] thing, for cryin' sake. From a fan's perspective, it makes all of [the media] look ignorant and unprofessional. Other than that, I feel it's even more absurd considering the Knicks [are so] bad. I'm sure this team looks great to LeBron, average height is like 5'6", James will need to play center."

Just as television makes you look 20 pounds heavier, it also makes you look shorter. The Knicks' average height is actually 5'8."

*

"Bud:

"[Sunday's] display at Cleveland Browns Stadium was yet another in a long line of poor performances. And I am not talking about the Browns. It reminded me when everyone thought it was funny or cool to cheer an injured Tim Couch. We are Dawg Pounders and always have been. We like to drink beer, and we yell and bark and even swear. But that's saved for the opposing team."

If you really haven't growled or barked even once at Braylon Edwards, you should be entered at Westminster.

To reach Bud Shaw: bshaw@plaind.com, 216-999-5639

Previous columns online: cleveland.com/columns