As BET.com reports, NFL star Braylon Edwards punched 28-year-old Edward Givens in the face outside of a Cleveland area nightclub early Monday morning. And “The King” is not happy about it.

NBA superstar LeBron James called Edwards childish for punching his friend who is a promoter at the night club, according to ESPN.com.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has James entire statement.

Givens said he was attacked because of his friendship with James.

Givens told Cleveland.com ”Braylon comes up and started saying things, degrading me,” Givens said. “He said if it wasn’t for LeBron [James] or the Four Horsemen [James' friends and business partners], I wouldn’t have what I have, nor would I be able to get girls. Everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron. Whatever jealousy he has with LeBron, he felt he needed to take it out on me.”

A Cleveland man is accusing Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards of assault after an incident at a Cleveland area nightclub.

According to Cleveland.com, a police report filed by 28-year-old Edward Givens, a promoter with View Night Club, accuses Edwards of attacking him early Monday morning.

Givens was treated and released from a local hospital after receiving “a black eye and a cut.”

In a statement given to the media, Givens said his friendship with NBA star LeBron James may have led to the alleged assault.

Under Ohio Law, the victim has the option of pressing charges for simple assault.

While the NFL proved Thursday that it can be a place for second chances, it also showed a chilly side for mercy-seekers who break the law. Michael Vick is now back in the league after 18 months in prison for his dogfighting transgressions. But Commissioner Roger Goodell issued strong words for Cleveland Browns’ wideout Donte Stallworth, who pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and served 24 days in jail for a drunken driving accident that left a 59-year-old Florida pedestrian dead. Goodell said the 28-year-old speedster broke the league’s substance-abuse and personal-conduct rules. “In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL,” Goodell said. “Despite a repeated emphasis on the importance of avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol, you chose to drive under circumstances where you were legally impaired. Your conduct endangered yourself and others, leading to the death of an innocent man. The NFL and NFL players must live with the stain that you have placed on their reputations.” But Stallworth, whose blood-alcohol level was .126, much higher than the Florida state limit of .08, implored the public to forgive him. “I urge NFL fans not to judge NFL players or me based on my tragic lapse in judgment,” Stallworth said in a statement. “I am a good person who did a bad thing. I will use the period of my suspension to reflect, fulfill my obligations, and use this experience to make a positive impact on the lives of those who look up to NFL players.” He will forfeit his entire $745,000 salary this season.

Stallworth Had Pot in His System
Cleveland Browns wideout Donte Stallworth, now serving 30 days in jail for striking a man with his car and killing him in March, had marijuana in his system at the time of the accident, the athlete’s attorney acknowledged Tuesday. “Evidence leaked or released over the coming days and weeks will reflect exculpatory statements and acts by Donte’, the presence of marijuana in his blood, and it will highlight the critical issue of causation,” David Cornwell said in a statement, confirming a report in the the Miami Herald on Tuesday, based on anonymous sources, that Stallworth tested positive for marijuana. Hall of Famer Jim Brown had told a Miami radio station last month that marijuana was found in Stallworth’s system on the night he struck and killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and is serving a 30-day sentence, with two years of house arrest to be served after that. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Stallworth indefinitely. “The NFL’s substance abuse policy addresses the specific discipline that may be imposed for use of illegal substances,” Cornwell said. “We are confident that Commissioner Goodell will respect existing league polices and consider all of the evidence when making his disciplinary assessment.”

Pistons Fire Mike Curry
Detroit Pistons Coach Michael Curry was fired Tuesday after just one season at the helm. The once-powerful Pistons wrapped up last season with a losing record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs. A year earlier, Joe Dumars, president of Basketball Operations for the Pistons, fired Flip Saunders, who led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth has struck a deal with prosecutors to limit his jail time for striking a pedestrian with his car in Miami in mid-March. Stallworth, 28, has agreed to plead guilty to DUI manslaughter for his role in the death of 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Stallworth, who was looking at a possible 15-year sentence, is expected to serve a short jail sentence, followed by a lengthy probation period, Terry Chavez, a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office told The Associated Press. Stallworth had been drinking at a Miami bar before getting behind the wheel of his 2005 Bentley. “There is a plea agreement and it’s going to be presented to the judge,” Stallworth attorney Christopher Lyons said. Stallworth’s blood-alcohol level was gauged at .126 after the crash; Florida’s limit is .08. The plea agreement was made possible because Stallworth has cooperated with investigators and issued a statement shortly after the crash expressing sympathy for Reyes’ family. “He’s shown remorse and taken responsibility from day one,” Chavez said.  Stallworth signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Browns before last season but was injured much of the year.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who struck a pedestrian with his car in Miami last month, was charged Wednesday with DUI manslaughter. Initially, no charges were filed as authorities awaited the results of his blood alcohol level. Stallworth’s blood-alcohol level was reportedly 0.126 percent; the state’s legal limit is 0.08 percent. The 28-year-old Stallworth could spend as much as 15 years in prison if convicted for the March 14 accident that killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Stallworth has said that he was “grief-stricken” over Reyes’ death. In 2008, Stallworth signed a seven-year contract with the Browns worth $35 million. Recognized as one of the league’s speedy receivers, Stallworth has played for New England, Philadelphia and New Orleans.

Ring is stolen from historic gym. Boxers who frequent the Glass City Boxing gym in Toledo, Ohio, may find an important piece of equipment missing: the ring. Police are investigating how the fighting platform was removed from the historic facility, along with its possible whereabouts. The ring reportedly has been used since the 1970s by fighters, including Devin Vargas, who made the 2004 Olympic team. Trainer Tom Urbina fears that he may have to cancel scheduled bouts at Glass City, if the equipment isn’t returned. It’s believed that the theft took place as long ago as Sunday.

NBA franchise gives away free tickets. Unemployed New Jersey Nets fans can receive up to four free game tickets to see their team play. By submitting resumes to the Nets Job Bank, anyone out of work can share in part of 300 tickets to one of five Nets home competitions, plus a job fair next week. Nets President Bret Yormark says the team’s hope is that fans will turn out to see free games and then continue to fill stadium seats, once their finances improve. The Nets view the gesture as an investment in their supporters until the economy turns around, Yormark adds.

Cleveland’s Crennel rallies team after loss. Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel is disputing statements from within his squad about the team’s collective will. Following the Browns’ loss when the Broncos scored 21 fourth-quarter points last week, running back Jamal Lewis accused some of his teammates of quitting. He declined to say names, but his sentiments were echoed this week by special teams member Joshua Cribbs. Crennel says there’s no quit in his coaching curriculum and that any perception of it in players reflects poorly on him. Crennel is encouraging his players to focus on beating Buffalo next week. The Browns have won just three games with six losses, after 10 victories last season.

Tampa Rays face Phillies tonight. World Series baseball is expected to continue tonight in Philadelphia after a second rain-out forced game five’s cancellation. Following a field-drenched suspension of play in the sixth inning on Monday, fans were disappointed to learn that rain continued throughout much of the day in Philadelphia Tuesday. Weather is expected to cooperate tonight for what could be the end of the season if the Phillies win their fourth game in the best-of-seven series. The teams are tied at two runs each as of tonight’s resumed sixth inning.

Kellen Winslow returns his focus to football. Having criticized Cleveland Browns management for showing little concern about him when he was hospitalized for staph, Kellen Winslow says the game is his main focus. The tight end, whose suspension was announced after his comments, but then rescinded, is well. “I’m ready to move on and just play football,” he says. The Browns reportedly learned that a media relations staffer advised Winslow in text messages against revealing his illness. The player says he was trying to protect his teammates.

 The chief for the Harrison police department yesterday rebuked former Knicks coach Isiah Thomas’s story that the medical issue that brought authorities to his Westchester home early Friday morning had to do with his teenage daughter. “My cops … know the difference between a 47-year-old Black male and a young Black female,” Chief David Hall told The Associated Press. “These people should learn something from Richard Nixon – it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.” Thomas, 47, a Hall of Fame basketball star with the Detroit Pistons from 1981 to 1994, was stripped of both his team president and head coach titles within a two-week span last April, after the Knicks completed the fifth straight losing season. He was not officially fired and, therefore, is still under contract by the team. Thomas on Friday told The New York Post that his 17-year-old daughter, Lauren, was the one who had a medical issue which prompted police to be called to his home. Officers responded to a 911 call just after midnight at Thomas’ Purchase home, where a 47-year-old male, who police sources said was Thomas, was taken to nearby White Plains Hospital Center. Witnesses told Newsday that the man had his face covered and refused to give his name. “It wasn’t his daughter,” Hall said yesterday. Police classified the case as “an accidental drug overdose” and reports said it involved sleeping pills.

Cleveland tight end to miss one game without pay. The NFL tight end who recently missed three days with his team due to illness will miss another day on the field for talking about it. Cleveland suspended Kellen Winslow Jr. for one game without pay after he criticized the Browns for their handling of media when he was hospitalized for a staph infection. Winslow complained that the team asked him to conceal his infection, despite the fact that six cases of staph have hit the Browns in recent years. He also said he’d been treated like “a piece of meat,” rather than shown concern with a hospital visit from the team’s general manager.  The GM Phil Savage responded by having Winslow benched, saying: “His statements brought unjustified negative attention to our organization, and violated the ‘team first’ concept of our football squad.” Winslow can’t rejoin the team until next week and will miss $235,294.