Not all subjects worshipping King James

Back in the summer, LeBron James warned the world he was keeping a list of anyone "taking shots" at him and his new teammates.

The implication was James would find a way to exact revenge on those who dared question the greatness and all-knowing power of he who has deemed himself "King."

With the other two members of his royal Miami Heat family, plus the remainder of the roster full of subjects, playing more like a borderline playoff team than a potential dynasty, the number of people willing to risk being placed on LeBron's list seems to be growing.

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce is the latest to mock LeBron and his infamous "Decision" television special.

"It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach now on to Memphis," Pierce tweeted after the Celtics left LeBron's half-empty castle with a 112-107 win Thursday.

Instead of James lashing back, he left the job to the Kingdom's defense minister, Udonis Haslem. The forward was asked about Pierce's tweet at practice Friday, and, according to ESPN.com Heat Index writer Michael Wallace, Haslem came back just as hard.

"Paul who?" Haslem quipped. "Man, ain't nobody paying them dudes no attention, man. You know what studio gangster is? Look up that. Look up the definition of studio gangster."

Apparently, it means someone who helps his team beat yours twice in the first month of the season.

■ QB CAME CHEAP -- It seems a new development in the case against Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and his father surfaces just about every hour.

Charles Barkley, an Auburn alum who has admitted accepting illegal benefits in the form of loans from agents while he played basketball at the school, weighed in on the Newton situation Friday.

Sportsradiointerviews.com transcribed Barkley's comments to WJOX Radio in Birmingham, Ala., in which he complained about the media rushing to judgment in the case.

But Barkley provided a gem when asked what he thought about the alleged price tag that was being discussed to secure Newton's services. "If that guy only asked for $200K for Cam Newton, they should fire him anyway," Barkley said.

■ OFF TARGET -- After just one season, Target Field in Minneapolis is undergoing $4 million to $6 million in renovations.

Justin Morneau was hoping one of the changes made to the Twins' home ballpark would be moving in the fences.

"Right-center to left-center is ridiculous," the first baseman wrote in an e-mail to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The story cites an ESPN.com statistic that claims Target Field was the most difficult ballpark to homer in last season.

Still, there is a better way for Morneau to ensure he hits more home runs: play in more games. Morneau belted 18 home runs in 81 games, missing the remainder of the season after suffering a concussion in July.

It's easy to blame the fences, but then again, both teams play with the same dimensions.

Think of how many more touchdowns the UNLV football team could score if the goal lines at Sam Boyd Stadium were moved to the 20-yard lines.

COMPILED BY ADAM HILL
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL