The "Summit" that wasn't... and a note about our coaching situation

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

A mega-star free agent meets with another mega-star free agent and maybe a couple other big names and they plot the entire course of a league's future.  Sounds a lot like something that a lot of people say just happened.... only it didn't.

Two of Dwyane Wade's representatives on Tuesday disputed an ESPN report that Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh held a mini-summit in Miami this past weekend to discuss their plans for free agency, which begins Thursday.

Wade's representatives said the report was untrue, and that Wade spent the weekend in Chicago. Bosh spent the weekend in Miami and told The Miami Herald that the Heat is in ``top contention'' to sign him.

This is the problem with having a million media outlets... even a million blogs like us.  Everyone is now in a race to try and be first with information.  Rumors are being reported as pseudo-facts so someone, somewhere, can say he or she got the jump on everyone else.  

Let's be clear about something here:  The players won't be the only winners and losers in this game we're watching this summer.  Their agents... their hangers on... and the media members that prove themselves to be "in the know" will all come out of this ahead of their counterparts. 

Adrian Wojnarowski has a great piece on that today.

It’s clear why advisor William Wesley has been so relentless courting suitors with conditions and circumstances with which they can secure LeBron James: For basketball’s biggest dealmaker, there’s little personal benefit to James re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. To team executives in the chase and those familiar with the dynamics of James’ inner circle, World Wide Wes’ agenda is clear: Get LeBron out of Cleveland and push himself into a prominent place of power.

To be considered the architect of the sport’s grandest transaction, World Wide Wes needs James out of the clutches of the Cavaliers.

“If LeBron leaves, Wes is going to get carte blanche wherever he signs,” one source told Yahoo! Sports. “He’s going to have the run of the place, and he doesn’t have that in Cleveland. He has access there, but Maverick Carter is the guy with the keys there. …[Carter’s] much more influential, and would always be in Cleveland.”

This is why I've said "Worldwide Wes" blows it this summer.  He's making a power-grab by latching onto the most coveted free agent (seemingly) in NBA history.  Either he won't get it... and his actual influence will be doubted... or he WILL get it and his ego will fly into over-drive, starting a downward spiral.

July 1 is still more than 24 hours away... and I'm already sick of the rumors.  I'd love to see journalists take a step back and maybe confirm something before reporting it.  How hard is it to figure out if everyone was in town or not for this supposed meeting?

As for our coach:  No decision still from Doc, and Vinny Del Negro is on the "short list" to replace him.  We can only hope Vinny gets the Clippers job.  Seriously... what has he done to get this much interest?  What am I missing?